Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
‘J ust look at me over your shoulder, Leo.’ Zdeňka grinned at him from the other side of the roof terrace. ‘With the view behind you, it’s going to look great.’
‘What, like this?’ he asked with an exaggerated pout, putting his hands on his hips and thrusting out his hips, channelling Harry Styles.
She giggled. ‘That’s absolutely perfect. Leave it unbuttoned. It’s sexy. I’ll take a few pictures and then you can try the other shirt on.’
He posed as she took pictures and she laughed as he played up to the camera, not taking it the least bit seriously.
‘Now try this one,’ she said, putting her phone down and pulling a bright yellow shirt from its hanger. Draping it over one of the bistro chairs, she stepped in front of him, sliding her warm hands under the shoulders of the shirt he was wearing to ease it down his arms, her eyes dancing with flirty promise as they held his. Just as the shirt slid down his arms, he heard footsteps behind him and Zdeňka’s expression brightened with sudden mischief. Leo turned to see Anna and Steve walk out onto the roof terrace carrying a couple of shopping bags. Anna’s eyes immediately shot to his and for a second there was a flash of acute awareness between them, which paradoxically made him ache and feel guilty at the same time. She gave so much away with her beautiful clear grey eyes; they spoke a whole language and Leo had always felt he was the only one that could interpret it.
Despite the feeling of disquiet, he beamed at her and Steve. ‘Hey, guys. This is Zdeňka. Anna, you met her before at Jan and Michaela’s.’
‘Hi,’ said Zdeňka, in a low sultry voice which appeared to have dropped an octave. She draped an arm round Leo’s shoulder, her bright pink lips curving into a pussycat grin. Anna adopted her classic poker face, giving nothing away, which used to drive him mad. That along with her habit of always saying she was fine when she clearly wasn’t. He’d always had to coax her feelings out of her, treating them with infinite patience, like shy hedgehog babies.
‘And this is Anna’s boyfriend, Steve.’
Zdeňka turned her flirtatious smile up a dozen watts and shot Anna a knowing look and then glanced back at Leo. ‘Ah, yes, Michaela told me all about –’ she paused ‘– the two of you.’ There was no mistaking the throaty emphasis on the words.
Leo’s stomach clenched. Had Michaela mentioned that he and Anna used to be married? That would amuse someone as mischievous as Zdeňka no end.
Anna gave him a fierce glare as the hands at her sides knotted into tight, white-knuckled fists.
‘It must be fun sharing a flat with Leo,’ said the other woman with a naughty smirk.
Anna gave her a polite smile. ‘He’s house-trained.’
‘I’m sure he’s a lot of other things too,’ she murmured. ‘What is it they say in England? Good husband material.’
Leo’s audible intake of breath caught Zdeňka’s attention and she gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence. ‘Just an observation, zlatí?ko .’
Anna shot him a horrified glance followed by a more surreptitious one at Steve, who was clearly oblivious to the messy undercurrents of breath-caught-in-the-lungs tension swimming between them.
Thankfully Zdeňka turned her attention elsewhere. She could have had quite a career pulling the wings off butterflies.
‘And have you done any modelling, Steve?’
Leo almost laughed out loud at Steve’s horrified expression when he dropped his bag of shopping on the floor.
‘No,’ said Steve turning red as he bent to pick up the cans of Coke and packs of sandwiches and crisps that had spilled out of the bag.
‘Shame. Leo’s a natural.’ Zdeňka hand ran across his chest with predatory familiarity that he knew was generated by the appearance of an audience. It was obvious that she had bags of confidence and wasn’t above amusing herself at someone else’s expense. Since she’d arrived an hour before with a pile of shirts, a flirty smile and wandering hands, she’d made it quite clear she’d be happy to go to bed once they’d got the job done.
‘Would you like to try on a shirt for me?’ asked Zdeňka, walking up to Steve with a wink. She knew she was making him uncomfortable but clearly didn’t care.
‘Er … um…’ Steve looked at Anna, pleading for help. Anna shot Leo a filthy look as if the situation was all his fault. Something soured in the pit of his stomach.
‘Leave him alone, Zdeňka,’ said Leo. ‘Which shirt do you want me to try on next?’
‘This one.’ She picked up the yellow shirt that she’d put down earlier. ‘Makes me think of you as a lion,’ she purred up at him, easily distracted from teasing Steve.
When Leo looked back, to his very great relief, Anna and Steve were already moving back through the French windows. Great. Anna seemed very uptight. Was she pissed off with him? They’d been in a really good place this last few weeks and he’d been enjoying her company.
‘Your flatmate is very pretty,’ said Zdeňka, her eyes beadily watching his like a blackbird spotting a worm.
Leo gave a non-committal smile.
‘It must be hard living with her.’
‘Not really,’ said Leo, his heart sinking as he saw Steve returning to the roof terrace and realised that he was coming to retrieve a stray can of Coke. He’d just picked it up as Zdeňka said, ‘I don’t believe you. There’s still chemistry there. Michaela told me that you and Anna used to be married.’
Steve dropped the can of Coke and it exploded on the stone tiles, spinning round, spraying fizzy soda everywhere. Leo swallowed and closed his eyes, unable to believe that the words had been released, like the proverbial genie.
Steve looked at him, his face turning puce, his shoulders hunching up around his ears, reminding Leo of an angry wrestler.
‘What the––? You and Anna? You’re fucking kidding me.’
He marched over and took a swing at Leo, who tried to move but was caught squarely on the chin. Steve packed a bit of power and Leo lurched backwards, landing on the table, which promptly collapsed under him with a crash.
Zdeňka stepped back out of the way, her hand over her mouth.
‘Steve! What are you doing?’ Anna came rushing out, her appalled gaze zipping between Leo on the floor and Steve nursing his knuckles. She stood between the two of them. Leo wanted to close his eyes, to avoid the coming car crash. Anna’s face was lined with confusion and anxiety.
‘Is it true?’ Steve demanded, his head lifted like a pugnacious boxer ready to take another swing.
‘Is what true?’ Anna’s voice quavered.
‘Him and you.’ Steve’s finger pointed at Leo and then at Anna, contempt scoring angry lines into his face.
Anna’s eyes shifted to Leo, a guarded expression settling in her eyes. He saw her swallow.
‘You were married to him?’ Steve spat the question as if the words were pure poison.
She met his eyes and nodded. Leo admired her for not flinching and not trying to make any excuses.
Steve looked as if he might be sick as he repeated. ‘You were married to him .’
Anna nodded again.
For a moment, despite his aching jaw, Leo actually felt sorry for him. There was so much pain in his face.
‘For how long?’
She blinked and opened her mouth but nothing came out.
‘Six months,’ said Leo.
‘I wasn’t talking to you, you bastard,’ snapped Steve, glaring at him before he whipped his head back to face Anna. ‘You were married to him. And you didn’t think to mention it.’
Anna blushed vivid scarlet.
‘And I guess the two of you have been getting to know each other again, have you?’
‘No!’ cried Anna. ‘Not like that. I didn’t know how to tell you.’
‘Didn’t know how to tell me that you’re shacked up with your ex-husband? I’m not bloody surprised. Especially as you hadn’t ever mentioned being married. You must think I’m a right schmuck. Did it amuse the pair of you – your little secret? Except it appears the whole neighbourhood knows, everyone apart from me.’
‘Nothing’s happened,’ said Anna, a desperate pitch to her voice.
‘Nothing’s happened!’ he echoed. ‘Apart from the fact you’ve lied to me and made me look a right berk.’ Steve jerked a thumb towards Leo, shooting him a bitter look. ‘He must have been laughing his socks off. I need to get out of here.’ He pushed past Anna but she grabbed his arm.
‘Steve, wait. Let me explain.’
‘Explain the fuck what?’ He shoved her away from him so violently she stumbled forward, almost losing her footing.
Pushing himself upright, fighting the head-spinning sensation, Leo took a step forward and caught her by the arms to stop her fall. Steve grabbed him and wrenched him out of the way, stepping up to stare Anna in the face.
‘You’re a lying bitch. I bet you’ve been sleeping with him. No wonder you were always so quick to defend him. I’m done.’ He turned and strode back towards the apartment.
‘No!’ she shouted. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. How dare you speak to me like that. It shows how little you really think of me, which is why I was planning to end things with you before you caught the plane.’
‘What? You were going to finish with me?’ Disbelief echoed in every word.
She lifted her chin. ‘Yes. I’m sorry but it’s not working anymore.’
‘Funny that.’ He jerked his head towards Leo.
‘It’s nothing to do with Leo. We’ve both stopped making an effort. I don’t think either of us loves each other anymore. I’m being honest.’
‘Honest? That’s fucking ironic given you’ve been shacked up with your ex-husband for weeks. You wouldn’t know honesty if it bit you on the bum. We’re done.’ With that he stomped down the stairs.
‘God, I’m so sorry, Anna,’ said Leo, worried by the shocked pallor of her cheeks.
She looked up at him and all he saw was confusion, as if she hadn’t quite processed what had happened. Without thinking and completely ignoring Zdeňka, he folded her into his arms to comfort her. At first Anna’s body was stiff and angular and then, like a rag doll, she sagged against him, her head buried in his chest.