Chapter Twenty-Seven
Genevieve’s phone rang again. This was almost as bad as the morning the news of her engagement to Finlay had broken. Maybe worse. Ok, make that definitely worse. Why was Flora calling her? It couldn’t come at a worse time. Viewers were coming to see the house and she didn’t want to be bang in the middle of a dramatic call. She checked the time. Nearly five thirty. They’d be here any second.
Before Genevieve could hit the accept call button, her mind had already raced into speculation. One particular train of thought rising to the surface: had her dad told Flora this was a setup? Had she pulled the plug on her investment?
Do I really want to know?
But not knowing would be a hundred times worse.
‘Hello.’ She held up the phone.
‘Genevieve, so glad to have caught you,’ Flora said.
Genevieve waited. What could she say? Until Flora explained her reasons for calling, she didn’t need to give her any more rope.
‘I just wanted to check you were all right,’ Flora said. ‘Your father told me you broke up with Finlay.’
‘Yes.’
‘Dear, dear. I’m so terribly sorry to hear it. Of course I believed your father, but until I heard it from you, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.’
Genevieve let out a sigh but couldn’t do much else. No response seemed adequate. And she wasn’t sure exactly what her father had told Flora.
‘Your father is a very charming man,’ Flora said. ‘And surprisingly honourable for a businessperson. I’ve had business connections for a very long time and most people at the top have a fair few secrets or dealings in which they’d rather the whole story wasn’t told.’
Genevieve’s pulse drummed in her ear. Did that mean her dad had told Flora the truth? The hot, nauseous sensation she’d had in her stomach ever since Finlay left redoubled. The more people knew, the more stupid she felt. Her world was unravelling around her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. ‘Um, yes,’ she said, thinking maybe Flora expected an answer.
‘He seems to think you and Finlay were staging your engagement. He insisted it wasn’t to gain my favour but he would understand if I wanted to withdraw my backing given the circumstances.’
‘And are you going to?’
‘No. And I still intend to fund the rugby club too.’
Genevieve silently willed her to carry on as she peered out the window for signs of the viewers.
‘Perhaps you’d like to hear my reasons?’
‘Yes. Of course I would.’
‘Well, it’s clear to me Geoff had no idea anything untoward was going on. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I believe it. What was the point of staging a relationship if not to fool me? Was it to gain more followers or publicity?’
Genevieve winced. ‘I… We were drunk when Finlay proposed, but when Dad told me about your offer, I didn’t want to say no in case he lost your investment.’
‘So it was just for my benefit.’ Her voice was soft but had a steely note in it, like she was cross with herself for being duped.
‘Partly, but my father had nothing to do with it. He didn’t know what we were doing. And… Well, I actually liked Finlay a lot. It’s just unfortunate…’ That he didn’t return the feelings she’d suppressed for years, but that was TMI for Flora. ‘I can assure you he definitely didn’t set out to con you.’
‘I was pretty certain he wasn’t as he didn’t even know me when we originally spoke. I wonder though, if you liked him so much, could you go to Dubai with him?’
She was going to have trouble escaping this argument, even though she shouldn’t have to justify not wanting to live abroad. It really wasn’t for everyone. But the worst of it was Finlay had asked her. She’d taken it to be an aside, an offhand or rhetorical question. Her answer had rushed from her lips without any consideration because ‘no’ was the protective answer. Just like she’d blurted it out all those years ago when he’d offered her help with the rollerblading. This time her injuries were a lot more painful than sprained wrists and grazed knees. They cut right to her soul.
‘Listen, I can’t talk,’ she said. ‘I’ve got viewers coming around and that’s them just pulled up.’
‘Ok,’ Flora said, not hiding her scepticism. Genevieve almost took a photograph of their car to prove it but why should she justify herself? ‘But call me back when you have more time. I’d like to talk. I have another little proposition for you.’
Genevieve dreaded to think.
The little black car in the driveway reminded her of Hayley’s car and she scooted away from the window before the viewers got out, so it didn’t look like she was watching. Looking in the mirror, she smoothed herself down and tidied her hair. She was reminded irresistibly of that day back at Finlay’s flat when she’d shown viewers around. Everything had been easy then, the chat, the banter… the growing sexual tension. She jumped as the doorbell rang, which was stupid as she was expecting it. Every little thing was getting to her at the moment.
Throwing open the door with a smile, she went to speak, but it wasn’t viewers.
‘Hayley.’
‘Hi.’ Hayley gave her a little wave. ‘I had to come, sorry.’ She pulled an apologetic face. ‘You know I have to check you’re ok.’
‘Did Finlay send you?’
‘He asked me to check you were ok but you were my friend first, so I would have come anyway.’
Genevieve glanced down the road. All around were houses, clustered together on the modern estate. They were neat and tidy but too close. It was part of the reason she wanted out. Even stepping into her small garden was like walking on stage. People would look her way whether they meant to or not and now more than ever the constant sense of being watched was overwhelming. Why did it feel like everyone knew her story and was out to judge?
‘I can’t really talk,’ Genevieve said. ‘I’ve got viewers coming.’
Hayley cocked her head in a manner that clearly said she wouldn’t be got rid of that easily. Mitzi shuffled along the corridor, then, recognising Hayley, made a dash for the door and started hopping up and down at her ankles.
‘She needs to go out,’ Genevieve said, ‘but I have to wait for these people. They’re late.’
‘How about I take her for a walk and I’ll come back in half an hour? That’ll give you time to see the viewers and we can chat after.’
How could she refuse? She got Mitzi ready and waved her off. Hayley had barely turned into the lane between two houses when the viewers pulled up, all apologetic that they’d got lost. It didn’t take them long to look around and judging from their unimpressed tone, Genevieve didn’t expect an offer from them anytime soon. Everything was ‘too small’ for them and they’d misread the specs and were expecting three bedrooms, not two. Genevieve wasn’t sorry to show them out.
Hayley returned with Mitzi ten minutes later, rosy-cheeked and as smiley as ever. She pulled an almost commiserating face at Genevieve before heading straight for her and hugging her.
‘Oh, Gen. I’m so sorry.’
‘What for?’
‘My brother.’
‘Why are you sorry about him?’
Hayley stepped back and raised an eyebrow. ‘Because of the way things have worked out. I love Finlay, don’t get me wrong, but he’s messed up this time.’
‘We both messed up.’
Hayley took a seat and Genevieve followed, patting Mitzi’s bed and indicating she should hop in.
‘Finlay told us the truth.’
‘I know,’ Genevieve said. ‘What can I say? We got drunk and the rest is history.’
‘Except it isn’t.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘I don’t actually believe either of you are ready to give up on the other.’
Genevieve stroked her nails through her flyaway hair. ‘Maybe on my side. I never told anyone, but I always liked him, even when we were young.’
‘Mum said she thought that, but I never saw it.’
‘I kept it well hidden.’
‘Obviously.’
‘But just because I feel like that doesn’t mean Finlay does.’
‘It’s funny really, because Finlay’s usually an open book. He’s not scared of affection or showing his feelings, unlike that grouchy friend of his. But because he’s been so unguarded about his feelings in the past, he’s been hurt. What’s silly this time is that it’s the one time he has been guarded. He hasn’t allowed himself to believe, which is annoying because this is the time someone feels the same way in return.’
‘You don’t know how he actually feels about me. Maybe he’s not being guarded, he’s just not serious. We don’t know each other that well. Not really. We’ve only been together for a few weeks… If you can even call it being together because we both agreed to pretend. And we all know I’m the queen of pretending.’
‘But not this time, and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together. So what if you’ve known him for years, a week or hours? Sometimes I meet clients for the first time and feel like I’ve known them forever. We can talk about anything and everything is easy. Other times, I get clients I’ve had for years but never feel like I really know them or have much to talk about. It’s not about time but about being comfortable in someone’s energy. That takes as long as it takes. There’s no ticking clock.’
None of this kind of talk was new to Genevieve, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to believe it or dismiss it as Hayley’s love of all things spiritual.
‘And you’re still wearing the ring.’ Hayley nodded at Genevieve’s hand. ‘That tells a story in itself.’
‘I’m not sure what else to do with it. He told me to keep it safe.’
‘That ring was our grandmothers. All of us, me, Finlay and our cousin, Aidan, got jewellery and keepsakes from her when she died. Some of it came with notes and that ring was for Finlay “to give to his one true love”. He was going to give it to Elise but she hated old-fashioned jewellery, so he didn’t. Then he had it restyled, which Aidan was angry about, but Finlay never actually gave it to Elise.’
‘But that was just circumstance.’
‘No, it wasn’t. Finlay knew the importance of that ring. He took it to his engagement party, meaning to give it to her, but didn’t do it. Something stopped him. I don’t think he would have given it to anyone, not even when he was drunk, unless he genuinely believed his feelings to be true. Maybe alcohol tainted his judgement but I still think underneath there must have been a powerful emotion driving him. And I bet he was quite sober when he asked you to keep it.’
Genevieve ran her fingertip over the gem she’d got so used to on her hand. ‘Yes, he was. But it changes nothing.’
‘Doesn’t it? I think it gives you a pretty good clue as to how he really feels. Now all you need to do is find out for sure.’
‘It’s not that easy at all. He’s thousands of miles away.’
‘Does that matter? You’re selling this house anyway. Why not follow him?’
‘Because I don’t want to live in Dubai. I like living here. I can’t bear to leave Mitzi and she really doesn’t cope well with the heat here in summer, never mind in temperatures like that.’
‘Oh dear.’
‘I can’t wreck this opportunity for Finlay either. Maybe guarding his heart was what he needed to do. He values his career and it wouldn’t be fair for me to get in the way of that.’
‘You’re not getting in the way. Finlay made this move to get away from Elise and the talk surrounding that. If he’d got together with you before he signed his contract, I’m sure he wouldn’t have gone through with it. It wasn’t about career development as much as running away.’
Genevieve sank her head into her hand. ‘That may all be true, but it doesn’t change the situation. Let’s not think about it anymore just now. It’s making my head ache.’ But it was nothing compared to the constant throb in her chest. How could she get out of this mess and get back to normal? Especially when normal wasn’t a place she really wanted to be.
Her social media accounts had hundreds of new notifications and messages. She hadn’t posted new content since the split and hadn’t announced it. What could she say? After telling them all so emphatically she’d only ever get engaged to ‘the one’. And she had… kind of. How could she suddenly go back to ‘look at me, I’m single again’? How the haters would hate. She really couldn’t stand it.
A red number 99+ sat beside her notifications and she couldn’t bring herself to read even a few of the comments. Good or bad, she didn’t care. Maybe she should just delete it and be done with it.