CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I gazed at Cheryl in horror. ‘Right under your noses? That’s awful!’
‘It was. It was crushing. We’d been friends for years. Malcolm and I. Ray and Angie. We kept in touch after college and we used to go on holiday together regularly.
‘But then one night last December we arranged to meet them in Guildford for Christmas drinks and an early dinner. Angie’s a project manager and travels in to the city by train. She had a meeting at a local hotel that afternoon and she was planning to get a taxi to the restaurant from there. But Ray finished work early and he decided to surprise her by picking her up.’ She sighed dejectedly. ‘And of course it turned out that Angie didn’t have a meeting at all. She and Malcolm had booked a room there for a little ‘afternoon delight’. When Ray arrived to collect her, the pair of them were coming out of the lift together, all giggly and intimate.’
I looked at her, appalled. ‘That must have been such a shock. For both of you.’
‘It was the worst time of my life,’ she said softly. ‘I thought our marriage was rock-solid. But it turns out they were at it even when the four of us went away on holiday together.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
She sighed, still lost in memories. Then she recollected herself and smiled. ‘Never mind. It’s all in the past now. No point moping. You just have to get on with it, don’t you? Concentrate on the future.’
I nodded. ‘It’s hard, though, leaving the past behind. The temptation is to just flump on the sofa and wallow in sadness.’
‘True. That’s why we make a point of meeting a few times a week like this, Ray and me. We have a strict rule that we don’t talk about our exes. And we eat the most delicious cake on the menu and to hell with the calories.’ She leaned closer and confided, ‘I don’t think Ray looks after himself... cooking, that kind of thing. He always wolfs the cake down. But I think... well, I hope ... he feels in better spirits by the time we part.’
‘I’m sure he does. The cake and the company will help him through.’
We exchanged a sad little smile.
‘When did you find out your partner was cheating?’ she asked.
I gave a bitter laugh. ‘During a meet-up at the top of the Empire State Building, would you believe? He was working in New York and his new girlfriend arrived to meet him at the same time.’
‘Ouch!’
‘Yes. It was very much ouch. It doesn’t help that Emily, his new squeeze, is barely out of her teens.’
‘Ray’s coming back,’ murmured Cheryl. She glanced at my name badge. ‘Thank you so much, Katja.’
‘You’re very welcome.’
‘Take care of yourself,’ she added with a sad little knowing smile.
‘I will,’ I promised, as I returned to Ellie behind the counter. ‘You, too.’
‘Is she okay?’ Ellie murmured. ‘You seemed to have a lot to talk about.’
‘We have a lot in common. All rejects together!’
She grimaced. ‘Still. Onwards and upwards, eh?’
‘Absolutely.’ I nodded with far more conviction than I was feeling.
If only there was a magic potion you could take that would instantly wipe out all memory of loathsome, cheating ex boyfriends!
But until that day, at least there was chocolate.
When Cheryl and Ray finally got up to leave, he went off to the bathroom while Cheryl came up to the counter, I presumed to say goodbye.
But it turned out she was coming with an invitation for me.