Page 79 of Calling Frank O'Hare

They got back to their hotel and retrieved the key from a sour-faced receptionist which made them laugh all the more. Giggling hysterically, they unlocked the door and fell into their room. Then, they tore each other’s clothes off and had sex like they used to, back when she rode him like he was one of her daddy’s stallions.

51

Crunch time – 1996

In the cold light of the next morning, Frank knew he’d made a stupid mistake. He’d been a fool to lose control like that. He’d drunk too much and let himself get overtaken by memories of what had once been, instead of remembering the reality of his situation. He had to pull this back.

Ellen had arranged breakfast in their room. Sitting opposite, she was wearing the turquoise robe. It had been left loose, purposely he guessed, so that he could see her pert breasts and perfect frame in between a basket of croissants and a pot of coffee. It would have made a good painting.Nude with Pastries, maybe. Or perhaps,A Woman’s Guile.That last one was a bit sexist of him. He knew most women weren’t like that. Just the ones he got involved with.

‘Coffee?’ She poured it into his cup. It came out a little too fast, causing a splash to land on her bare nipple. She flinched slightly, then looked at him, eyebrows arched.

Much as he would have liked to have licked it off, Frank resisted the urge. ‘I think we got carried away last night. I’m sorry. I drank too much. I don’t want to give you the impression everything’s back to normal with us.’

Ellen drew the robe together and tightened the belt. ‘No, you wouldn’t want to give that impression, would you? God forbid.’ She picked a croissant out of the basket and dropped it onto her plate. ‘I suppose you have your new life all mapped out.’

‘I haven’t made any plans,’ he said, realising that he really should be making them by now.

She tore the croissant apart and dabbed jam on it. ‘You can’t have the flat.’

‘I don’t want it. It’s yours, you bought it.’

‘Quite.’ She stood up and made for the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Frank let out a long breath, glad that this was their last day. They’d be home by this evening. She’d be back with her parents soon enough and he could relax. At least she hadn’t asked him if there was someone else. He would have asked it, but then he wasn’t Ellen. She probably hadn’t even considered that he would want anybody else. Or that anyone else would want him.

Unlike Ellen, it was the first question Adrian asked. He and Stella were back from their camping trip and Frank had gone to stay with them on his return from Paris. Ade didn’t seem surprised when Frank said he was leaving her. ‘I love Lottie to bits, but I know what she’s like. Is there someone else?’

Now that the question was out there, Frank didn’t know how to respond to it, because he really didn’t want to lie. But Adrian knew him too well and made the correct assumption without him needing to speak. ‘Anyone I know?’

‘Eve.’

Adrian nodded. ‘Is she planning to leave Billy the Wanker for you?’

‘I don’t think so, no. She likes the arrangement as it is.’

‘I imagine she does.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Best of both worlds, isn’t it? Although I’ll never understand what she sees in that loud mouthed twat, if I’m honest. Mind you, I’ve never understood what you see in him either.’

‘I’ve known Billy since I was a kid, he’s my oldest friend.’

‘And yet you’re screwing his wife.’ Adrian held up his hand. ‘I’m not judging you, mate. I’m just saying, don’t kid yourself there’s anything between you and Billy, other than having the bad luck to be born in the same place and finding the same woman attractive.’

Frank wasn’t entirely convinced that was true but one thing was sure, he couldn’t go on like this. While he was with Ellen, he could kid himself it was all right to have this fling with Eve, just as long as he ignored the guilt over Billy. But when he and Ellen split, what would he have then? A part-time fling and one hell of a guilty conscience. ‘I need to get out of all this madness. It’s not me, Ade. It’s too much.’

‘I know, mate. I know. If you want a completely new start, one of our English teachers is retiring at the end of the school year.’

It had been two months since the Paris trip. On his way home from work, Frank bought a bottle of gin and some tonic water from the off-licence. Eve was coming over and it was her preferred tipple. He’d gone back to the same arrangement of seeing her in the week. Ellen had stayed away for a while after the trip, but then she’d started coming back at the weekends.

Frank had applied for the job at Adrian’s school while the memory of Paris was fresh and the need to get away was keenest. Not quite a spur of the moment thing, but not fully thought through. Somewhere in the recruitment process, he’d grown used to the idea. His interviews had gone well, he thought. He liked what he saw of the school, and the idea of being near Adrian and Stella was a draw. All in all, a fresh start in a city he’d always felt at home in was becoming increasingly appealing.

He’d told Ellen about the job. She’d taken it remarkably well. There were no tantrums or tears, just quiet acceptance. In fact, they were getting on pretty well. That made him nervous. It was only a matter of time before something blew. He hadn’t mentioned the job to Eve. If he got it, he’d tell her. Then he’d leave it up to her to decide what she wanted to do. Although in his heart, he already knew what she would do and he was preparing himself for the end of their affair.

The letter was waiting for Frank on the doormat. He ripped the envelope open with shaking hands. When he read the letter, he shook even more. The job was his. They wanted him to start in September. It was crunch time.

Eve pressed the downstairs intercom. He let her into the building and poured her drink so that he had it in his hand as he opened the door. She took it from him, had a sip and gasped. ‘Boy, did I need that.’ It was a little joke of theirs that they did every time, a private ritual that added some legitimacy to what they were doing.

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