Chapter 46
Nine o’clock Monday morning, Angus rang. Damien was in the kitchen ironing.
He loved ironing. Sliding back and forth on the sleeve of a shirt, smoothing away the creases. It gave him time to think. Plan the day.
‘Can I call you back?’ Damien said. ‘I’m just in the middle of doing something.’
‘No, no, stay on the line, please,’ Angus replied in his brisk no-nonsense voice. ‘I’ve a meeting in ten minutes.’
‘Okay, just give me a sec.’ He switched the iron off and propped it upright on the board.
‘Now then,’ he said, seating himself on a chair by the farmhouse table, ‘fire ahead.’
‘Well, to cut a long story short, I’ve just had a very curious conversation on the phone with a young man from Athens called Theo. He said he has a very special gift for you. Says that you don’t actually know him, but there’s a family connection.’
‘Theo who?’
‘I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. Said you’d understand if you met him. Apparently, he’s flown all the way from Athens to give it to you in person.’
‘That’s presumptuous. How did he know I’d agree to meet him?’
‘That was my next question,’ Angus said. ‘The boy was quite cheeky. Said that he thought it less likely that you’d refuse him if he’d made the effort to come to London. Especially as he’s a poor student and saved all his money for the trip.’
‘That’s a pretty good story. Where’s he staying?’
‘For the last couple of days he said with his uncle in Shepherd’s Bush, but he’s moving on to somewhere else.’
‘I must admit the uncle bit makes him sound wholesome. That’s if it’s true.’
Yes, it could all be lies , said the Voice. Maybe he’s some crazy stalker…
‘Well, he was very convincing,’ said Angus. ‘You could meet him here at the office if you like?’
‘Steady on, I haven’t agreed to anything yet. Did he tell you anything about himself?’
‘A little. He wants to study mathematics at university. Says his dream is to do his postgraduate studies at Cambridge and he’s sporty.’
‘Sounds an interesting young guy.’
‘So, what would you like me to do? Shall I give him your email?’
‘No,’ Damien said. ‘Why don’t you text me his number? It’s so much easier on the phone to find out if the guy’s on the level.’
‘Okay. Will do.’ Angus rang off and Damien went back to his ironing.
Another student from abroad , he thought. Are the cards teasing me again? He flattened the collar of his shirt and carefully pressed the edges. Maybe this new guy would make his life as difficult as Frances had. Not that he wasn’t fond of Frances. He’d tried to break it off, but she had a way of creeping back into his life. Indeed, she’d rung him last night, crying.
‘I’m late,’ she said.
‘For what?’ said Damien.
‘I’ve missed my period. It’s happened before, but I feel different this time.’
‘So, have you had a test?’
‘Not yet – it’s too soon.’
‘How many days?’
‘Three.’
‘Well, no point in worrying yet, then.’
‘But it’s unusual for me.’
‘Let’s not jump the gun.’
‘I’ll wait a week, then I’ll do a test.’
Three days. She could simply be stressed. Worried that things hadn’t worked out the way she’d planned and that he wasn’t going to be her ever-after.
Damien went quiet.
Frances carried on her anxious chatter. Could she come and see him? She missed him so much. Didn’t want to lose him as a friend.
He hadn’t rung her for a week. He felt guilty, mainly because there was some satisfaction in knowing that he was the one that was loved and not the lover. But who knows? Perhaps she’d wear him down. She was both irritating and adorable. Yes, he missed her. Perhaps he’d ring her next week. Take her out for lunch.
Good. Maybe you’re learning , said the Voice. Isn’t it funny? All the women who have loved you. Your huge success, everything that on the surface should have been a life well lived has ended up on the scrap heap.
Damien had tried to push the Voice to the back of his mind, but now that there were no distractions he was stuck with his uncomfortable friend. One who didn’t flatter him or pander to his ego, one who let him know the real score.
You’re a good man, Damien – that we know. A 24-carat gold approval from the media. Essential reading for the gossip columns. But what about your bleeding heart? You started a fabulous journey and then Laura’s lies, the love of your life, messed you up. Sent you down the manhole.
‘Yes,’ he said to himself. ‘Laura’s still here to haunt me.’
Let’s face it, Damien, you’re jinxed by your past. But, hey, change the patterns and you stand a chance. Dance the dance. Move yourself. Shift your mind. Human kindness. That’s what really matters. Don’t mistake a kick in the teeth for love .
Yes, he’d see her again.
‘Bye, Frances. Go to bed. It’s 1 a.m. I’ll call you soon.’
But damn it. She’d ruined his schedule and he’d overslept. Missed his early morning run.
And now the stress of making a phone call with a stranger who could be a nutter. A gift? What gift? He’s from Greece. Beware Greeks bearing gifts.
But perhaps he was just an enthusiastic fan. Damien’s books sold well in the capital. Maybe he’d brought him halloumi or baklava.
Damien poured a handful of the finest Columbian coffee beans into the hopper of his antique grinder and cranked the handle. He loved the pleasure of opening the little wooden drawer and spooning the sandy granules into the cafetière. His favourite morning ritual.
No rush, take your time , the Voice said. Ring him later. When you’ve had your espresso .
He settled himself at his desk in the living room and picked up the landline. First, he dialled 141 to withhold his number.
‘Hello, Theo… this is Damien Spur. My agent said you have a gift for me. Which is very kind, but why? I need to know more about you.’
‘I can’t say any more,’ the young man replied. ‘The gift will explain everything. Please could we meet?’
‘Look, I’m just asking you a simple question. What’s all this got to do with me?’
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you on the phone. It’s too risky.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you might not believe me and then I’ll never get to see you.’
‘Theo, I’m going to have a shave and I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.’
***
‘Well… what do you think?’ Damien asked his reflection in the bathroom mirror. ‘Is he a psycho?’
Don’t ask me , said the Voice.
After he’d shaved, Damien rang again.
‘Theo,’ he said in a kinder tone, ‘I admit that your mysterious behaviour has piqued my curiosity. It will be interesting to see if the big reveal is as fascinating as you’ve had me believe.’
‘I think it will be.’
‘Well, I could meet you in my agent’s office or in a cafe…’
‘I think if you knew what the gift was you definitely would want to meet in private. Please, I know it’s kind of crazy, but this could change your life forever, and mine.’
Wow! Drama, drama. This boy’s got a hell of a pitch , said the Voice.
‘All right. But it’s definitely against my better judgement to meet a stranger from abroad, who has a gift for me but won’t say what it is and wants to meet me in private.’
‘Think of it as one of your stories,’ Theo said.
‘If I’d written the story, the guy would definitely be a killer.’
‘Too predictable.’
What a cheek , said the Voice. Arrogant little bugger .
‘Are you telling me how to write?’
‘No, but this story is much more exciting.’
He certainly takes risks , said the Voice. You could tell him to get lost. But then again there’s nothing like a good teaser.
‘Okay, you’ve sold it to me. I’ll text you my address. I’m in Chelsea, Cheyne Walk. Come tomorrow, 11 a.m.’
***
The young man stood at the door with a satchel on his shoulder. He was a handsome lad. Tall and slender with dark curly hair and a noble face.
But those eyes. Damien knew immediately. Chestnut brown, inquisitive, intense. ‘You can’t be,’ he whispered.
‘What?’ the boy said.
‘You can’t be Laura’s son?’
‘I am,’ the boy said.
There was a buzzing sound in Damien’s ears, which grew louder and louder. He could feel his heartbeat banging against the wall of his chest. He held on to the door as if he were going to fall.
‘Are you okay?’ The boy dropped his satchel and lifted Damien’s arm round his shoulder. ‘Hold on to me. Shall I call an ambulance?’
‘No,’ he panted. ‘I think I’ll be all right. Let’s just go inside.’
Keep calm , said the Voice. Breathe. This is not the time for a heart attack.
Damien could hardly stand. ‘Give me a minute. Sit down and make yourself comfortable.’
He sank onto the rug, legs crossed, and shut his eyes. Focused on his breathing and steadied his mind until, gradually, the pounding in his heart subsided and his body relaxed.
Theo watched, hypnotised. The colour in Damien’s cheeks had returned, and his breath had stilled.
‘That’s better.’ He sighed. ‘Now then.’
He rose to his feet.
‘I made fresh coffee – come.’
Theo followed him into the kitchen.
There was a storm in Damien’s head. Why had Laura shrouded the existence of this lovely young man with a lie? Her son! Alive and well and sitting in front of him. Why? The falling down the stairs, the miscarriage – a lie? Why had she hidden the truth about him?
‘This is for you.’ Theo placed a small brown paper parcel on the table.
Damien undid the wrapping and pulled out a worn blue leather diary. His elegant fingers stroked the cover.
‘I’ve marked the page,’ Theo said.
Go on, open it , whispered the Voice. You have to admit she was always a terrific storyteller, almost better than you are.
11 March 2002
Oh Damien, if only you knew. Here I am in Greece. Will I ever see you again? Andreas doesn’t love me, he treats me as if I am some rare exotic bird. His English toffee, he calls me. I’m a novelty. We’re not right together. Too late. There’s a baby on the way. I’m two months gone. If only I could have told you the truth.
I should have stayed.
That last night, our last time together. New Year’s Eve, before I left for Athens.
What a night. We were so in love again. No lies. We finally made it. But it was too late. It wasn’t to be. LA was waiting for you and Greece for me…
And now here I am with a man who doesn’t understand me. I have to simplify everything I say. No exchange of ideas.
I’m not even sure that the baby is his. That last night, what if… ?
Damien! said the Voice. Maybe your parting shot could be a life-changer. Does this mean little Achilles here is yours?
Damien tipped back his chair and reached for his squeeze ball. ‘Well, Theo, this is certainly a turn-up for the books. Even from the grave, Laura has managed to shake up the DNA. So.’ He squeezed the ball. ‘This is very stressful. Just give me a second to think.’
The young man watched as Damien shut his eyes. His mouth twisted in a grimace as if he were in pain.
‘Okay,’ said Damien at last. ‘There are two ways to go here. Maybe it would be better to let matters rest. Close the book and let things stay as they are. Don’t allow Laura’s mischief to change the status quo. Don’t question who’s your father.’
‘Or?’ Theo said.
Come on, Damien, look at him , the Voice said. There’s definitely a likeness. That nose, straight and elegant, just like yours. And his height. Wouldn’t it be great! There’s finally someone who has come into your life that might give you some stability, responsibility. It’s just what you need. Think of it, the student from abroad, just as the t arot cards predicted.
‘I don’t really want to suggest the second option,’ Damien said. ‘Imagine going back to the man who brought you up and telling him he isn’t your father.’
‘That’s not a problem,’ Theo said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘My father’s dead. He gave me the diary before he passed away. Told me to find you. He knew I might not be his son. Said it didn’t matter, he loved me anyway.’
And then Theo wept. Just as Damien had when his own father died.
Damien held him, let him cry, until the final gasp of relief came, and he was still.
‘So, Theo, shall we have a DNA test?’
‘Maybe?’ he said. ‘But suppose you’re not my father? How would that change things?’
‘A difficult question,’ Damien mused. ‘Especially as we’ve only just met. Perhaps we should wait. Get to know each other first.’
Yes, good idea , said the Voice. The poor lad looks so lost . Why don’t you cook him dinner, let him spend the night? It’s the least you can do after he’s come all the way from Athens to meet you. And, between you and me, it’s all terrific material for your next book.
Theo was happy to stay. He sat in the kitchen watching Damien prepare a seafood pasta with courgette noodles.
‘Such a wonderful alternative to spaghetti.’ Damien pushed the courgette through the blades, twisting it round and round as the little green spirals slid into the bowl. ‘You try.’
‘My first cooking lesson,’ Theo replied. ‘My maybe-father couldn’t even make a cup of tea. When I was little, any time my stepmother, Elvira, went to see her sister in Mykonos he would take me to the local taverna. I could have anything I liked on the menu. I usually chose fried calamari, my favourite, while I watched him play tavli. He was really good and usually won. Knew all the odds. Afterwards he would play with me, explaining the strategy and logic of the game. He was really my first maths tutor. It’s thanks to him I discovered my love for mathematics.’
‘Well, not a bad adventure for a young lad. I bet you had fun.’
‘Yes, I did.’ Theo beamed, the memory still warm. ‘And now it’s your turn. Tell me about Laura.’
A flicker of pain crossed Damien’s eyes.
‘Where do I even begin? Laura hid the truth behind so many lies.’ Damien noticed Theo’s feet. He was wearing sandals and had long slender toes just like his. ‘She probably would have made a great spy,’ Damien continued. ‘Never broke her cover. But I don’t want to talk badly of your mother. I was madly in love when I married her. That you should know.’
He felt comfortable talking with Theo, stirring the courgette pasta, when the doorbell rang.
‘Can you answer it?’ he said.
‘Sure. Who’s there?’ he asked through the intercom.
‘Frances.’
‘Just a second.’ He returned to the kitchen. ‘It’s Frances. Do I let her in?’
‘No, it’s okay, I’ll go.’
Let her wait , said the Voice. T urning up unannounced. What a nerve .
Frances stood on the threshold like a soldier. Chin up, arms by her side, legs astride.
She gave Damien a tense smile.
‘Hi,’ she said.
‘Hello, Frances, this is a surprise,’ Damien replied.
‘I really need to talk to you,’ she said. For a moment she looked past him at the handsome young man standing by the entrance of the kitchen.
He gazed back. A blush rose from her neck to her cheeks. Something had clicked.
Oh God! This is sick! the Voice boomed in his head. She said she was pregnant with your child! Forget Oedipus. What kind of Greek mess is this going to be? Son falls in love with Dad’s pregnant girlfriend. That makes your potential offspring Theo’s half-brother. You’d better put a stop to this before it starts. Ask her NOW. In front of Theo. Clear the decks, one way or the other.
‘Frances, are you pregnant?’ Damien said.
‘No,’ she said.
‘I’ll check the pasta,’ Theo said.
When they were alone, Frances looked at Damien and said in a quiet voice, ‘I lied. I thought that if I said that I might be pregnant you would keep on seeing me.’
‘And how long did you expect to keep that up?’
‘I guess till I pretended to have a miscarriage. Say I’d fallen down the stairs.’ She gave a huge sigh and started to cry.
‘Unbelievable! This is better than anything I could have written,’ he said. ‘What an incredible story. You and Laura tied together by your porkies. Such a great joke!’ He chuckled.
And then he roared with laughter. Wave after wave rising from his core.
‘You can’t imagine how relieved I am that you came clean,’ he said wiping the tears of joy from his eyes.
You bet! said the Voice.
‘I’m glad you think it’s funny,’ Frances said. ‘So I guess that’s it for us?’
Can you believe it? She’s still pushing her luck , said the Voice.
‘Romantically, yes. But who knows, with your gift for fantasy, one day we might collaborate on a screenplay together.’
‘Really?’
‘Please, Frances, enough.’
‘Okay, okay…’ She paused.
She certainly can roll with the punches. Now what? the Voice said.
‘So who’s the guy?’ Frances asked.
She gave him a sweet little smile.
Look at that! She’s ready to back another horse , said the Voice.
‘It’s a long story,’ Damien said.
‘Okay. Well, suppose I’d better go. You must think I’m terrible.’
‘At least you told the truth in the end.’
He took her arm to take her down the steps. She turned to wave goodbye to Damien’s mystery guest.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,’ she called.
‘Theo.’
‘I hope we meet again,’ she said, and gave him her broad American smile.
She said it with just enough enthusiasm to irritate Damien.
‘Me too,’ Theo said.
That night he slept well. Thank the Lord that Frances wasn’t pregnant. He was free again. Even the Voice nodded off the moment his head hit the pillow.
***
Next day, Damien awoke to find Theo in the bathroom, liberally splashing himself with his Vétiver.
‘Morning,’ said the boy.
‘You’re still here?’ Damien glanced at him coolly and shifted his eyes to the cologne.
That’s a bit of a cheek. Help yourself, why don’t you , said the Voice.
‘My favourite fragrance. I can see you like it? Judging by what’s left in the bottle.’
Theo blushed. ‘Oh, sorry, Damien. I should have asked you first. Yes, it’s lovely. Very sexy. I like your taste.’
‘Well then, what are your plans today, Theo?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. You didn’t tell me what time you wanted me to leave. So I thought that we could have breakfast together. My turn to cook.’
‘I’m not sure I have the time.’
‘Oh, what a shame. It’s been so wonderful to meet you. And so kind of you to let me stay overnight. I really didn’t expect it.’
Damien felt sorry for him. He was in two minds. He had to admit he liked him. And he knew what it was like to be lonely. No mother, father, sister, brother. If he was his son, it could make things very difficult. He’d probably want to live with him. And then what? He was definitely cougar bait. And he had drive. Who knows – he might bulldoze into his life and take advantage of Damien’s sentimental generosity!
‘Well then, Theo, I think it’s time to say goodbye,’ he said. ‘I want to have a run now and I’m meeting my editor for lunch.’
‘So, shall we take a DNA test?’ Theo said.
Damien was in a fix.
Don’t be mean , said the Voice. You can’t leave unfinished business. It’s his life too .
‘Okay, we can go together.’
Theo looked at Damien and gave him a sweet smile. ‘I could be calling you Papa soon.’
Damien had to admit the boy had charm. Maybe even if it didn’t work out, he’d still keep in touch. Be his sponsor, help him pay his uni fees, take him to restaurants and the theatre, even go fishing together. Be like a father to him.