CHAPTER TWENTY
I’d arranged with Cheryl that the three of us would meet for fun run training the following Tuesday, straight after my shift at the café.
The evenings were lighter now and the colder weather had abated a little with the arrival of Spring, although there was still a sharp nip in the breeze. I was in good spirits as I changed into tracksuit and trainers and walked out onto the village green, over to where Cheryl and Ray were already limbering up together.
We’d decided to take it slowly for the first session as we were all feeling pretty unfit. But while Cheryl and I were out of breath by the time we’d done barely half a circuit, Ray was clearly in his element. By the time we’d finished a whole round of the village green, he’d managed to lap us slow-coaches not once but twice, and was looking rather smug and superior about it.
I was just congratulating Cheryl on making it once round (in between desperate gasps for breath) when the loud honking of a car horn reached us. And when we looked over, a large woman in a skimpy lime green crop top and leggings, sporting a bright pink headband to match her hair, was clambering out of a little red car and waving her arms at us.
‘Who on earth’s that ?’ breathed Cheryl in wonder.
I stared at the startling apparition bearing down on us.
It was Mo, our customer from Henley Green. The one who’d broken up with her boyfriend, Gaz.
I’d given her my number when she’d asked for it, and the next day she’d texted me wondering when the ‘support group’ was meeting up next. I’d texted her back but for some reason I’d never expected her to actually turn up!
I quickly explained to Cheryl.
‘Right. Gosh, she must be freezing in that skimpy sports gear,’ she muttered, her lips already smiling a welcome as Mo ran towards us.
She was being joined by someone else now, I realised, as I spotted a tall red-haired woman in a tracksuit locking up the car and following Mo.
That must be Mo’s friend, Dot? The one who’d escaped her controlling partner?
‘I hope you don’t mind,’ I murmured anxiously to Cheryl. ‘She’s had a tough time and she sort of invited herself along?’
‘No, no, it’s fine. Is she as colourful as her outfit?’
‘I think so.’ I beamed at Mo, who’d arrived panting after her sprint. ‘Hi, there! Nice that you could make it.’
‘I’m a graphic designer and I work from home so I can be flexible,’ she said.
‘Great. And this must be . . . Dot?’
The woman gave us a brief smile as I introduced myself and Cheryl, and pointed at Ray who was currently in the process of lapping us for about the fourth time.
‘Hi. Pleased to meet you all,’ she said. ‘Is this the whole group?’ She glanced at Mo.
‘Well, it’s not a group , as such.’ I smiled. ‘Just a couple of friends supporting each other, really... but you’re very welcome to join us. Both of you.’
Cheryl beside me nodded cheerfully.
‘Oh, sorry. I must have got the wrong end of the stick,’ said Dot, flicking nervously at her fringe. ‘I hope we’re not intruding?’
Before we could answer, Mo gave Dot a friendly dig in the ribs. ‘Of course we’re not intruding. All they’re doing is training for a charity fun run and we’ve got legs, haven’t we? Mind you, I wasn’t expecting there’d be a man in the group.’ She cast a dark glance in Ray’s direction. ‘Is that wise?’
There was a brief surprised silence, then Cheryl gave a little snort of laughter.
‘Ray’s quite harmless, I promise you,’ she said. ‘In fact, I sometimes think he has more female qualities than me. He’s not scared of hospitals, he’s never bought a season ticket in his life and he loves chocolate.’ She grinned at me.
I nodded. ‘Yes. And sometimes Ray even talks about his feelings.’
We both chuckled and Dot joined in, appreciating the tongue-in-cheek humour, although Mo’s face remained stony.
‘Right, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ she muttered. Then she clapped her hands together. ‘Okay. So what are we raising money for here? Something to do with supporting the superior sex , hopefully.’ She looked challengingly at a flushed-faced, smiling Ray, who was just running up to join us. I wasn’t sure if he’d heard what Mo said – or if he’d noticed the dagger looks aimed in his direction – but when he said a cheerful hello and that he was pleased to meet them both, I noticed (with relief) that he offered his hand only to Dot, who shook it warmly.
‘Well?’ demanded Mo. ‘Which charity are we supporting? It has to be something like Women’s Aid. Something really worthy of our efforts.’
I looked at Cheryl and she shrugged as if to say, yes, why not?
Recalling what Mo had told me about Dot’s controlling partner, I glanced at Mo. ‘How about the local women’s refuge? They could always do with donations and that’s a fabulous cause.’
‘Great!’ Mo nodded. ‘Sorted. Right, come on. What are we waiting for?’
She jogged away, and Dot and I exchanged a rather sheepish look that I interpreted as Dot apologising for her friend’s bossiness.
Feeling slightly guilty at being the one to introduce Mo to the group, I glanced nervously at Cheryl. But I could tell by the way her lips were twitching as she watched Mo’s progress around the green that she was finding all of this very entertaining.
‘I’m keeping out of her way in case she trips me up,’ said Ray, nodding at Mo up ahead. ‘Come on. Let’s do this.’
Chuckling, we set off, trundling along together like the naughty laggers in a school cross country run.
*****
Only Ray had remembered to bring water to our training session. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as we had the excuse of being really thirsty for a quick stop off at the pub on the way home.
As we all piled around a small table with our drinks, the chat quickly moved to the subject of infidelity.
I’d already explained in a light-hearted way to Mo and Dot earlier that we weren’t allowed to mention our exes – but Mo’s rather forceful personality crashed through the ‘rules’ almost as soon as we were sitting down.
‘If Gaz was here, of course, he’d be wanting to sit right next to the fire,’ she grumbled, pointing at the blaze in the grate. ‘I mean, what idiot wants to do that? You end up sweating and smelling as if you’ve been barbecued! I’m well shot of him, that’s for sure.’
She glanced at Dot for support in this. But Dot just smiled mysteriously as Mo rampaged on: ‘I’m actually thinking of paying to have his privates chopped off.’
‘Sorry, what ?’ Cheryl leaned forward with a disbelieving smile.
‘I’m not joking.’ Mo took a swig of her double vodka and orange. ‘There’s an animal sanctuary near here where you can name a feral cat after your ex and then pay to have it neutered.’
‘Ouch,’ said Ray, crossing his legs.
The rest of us started to laugh at this novel idea.
Mo shrugged. ‘It was an anti-Valentine’s Day offer and I’m thinking of taking them up on it.’
‘What? You’d really do it?’ I stared at her, thinking she must be seriously devastated by her ex’s betrayal to want to do something quite so vindictive. (Richard’s privates were quite safe.)
‘Maybe.’ Mo gave a truculent shrug.
‘I quite liked Gaz,’ murmured Dot, laying her hand on Mo’s arm. ‘He wasn’t that bad, was he?’
‘He was a man and they’re all the same. Disloyal, cheating bastards.’
Cheryl glanced apologetically at Ray. ‘Well, not all men, surely?’
‘Gaz cared a lot about you, you know,’ said Dot softly. ‘He told me. Perhaps you should give him another chance?’
‘What? No way!’ Mo snatched her arm away. ‘I’m done with men for good now and nothing you can say will ever change my mind. They’re all no-good, lying scumbags.’ She glanced at Ray. ‘Sorry. Maybe you’re different but I doubt it.’
Ray shrugged good-naturedly. ‘I can take a joke against my sex. Here’s a joke. Why does it take a million sperm to fertilise an egg?’
‘I don’t know,’ chanted Cheryl obligingly. ‘Why does it take a million sperm to fertilise an egg?’
Ray shrugged. ‘Because they won’t stop to ask directions.’
‘Yes, because they’re all complete and utter dickheads,’ muttered Mo. ‘And by the way, I wasn’t joking.’
*****
‘Crikey, Mo’s hard work, isn’t she?’ said Cheryl, as the two of us chatted together on the high street before heading off in different directions. ‘But amusing all the same.’
I grinned. ‘I know. That girl needs to lighten up a bit on her war against the male sex.’
‘She’s obviously had some bad experiences but all men aren’t monsters. Ray’s a sweetie beneath his sometimes rather gruff exterior. He always was.’
‘Oh, yes?’ I smiled knowingly at her.
‘Get away with you!’ She rapped my arm. ‘Ray’s a good friend, that’s all.’
‘Of course.’ I nodded seriously, although I was interested to note the slight flush that had risen to Cheryl’s cheeks. ‘Yes, Mo and Dot have certainly stirred things up a bit. Especially Mo with her plan to cut off poor Gaz’s privates.’
Cheryl gave a honk of laughter, which startled an elderly couple walking by. She grimaced at me and that started me off as well, and soon we were clinging on to each other unable to stop giggling.
‘Oh, my goodness, stop it!’ gasped Cheryl, tears running down her face.
‘With all this talk of Mo’s revenge, poor Gaz’s ears are probably burning bright red right now.’
‘His privates , you mean?’
And then of course we were off again...