33 #3
"You don't have to say anything. I've done a lot of thinking since you left, and a lot of drinking. Not always the best combination," he scoffed.
Dani smiled. It was good he still kept his humour with her.
"The soppy messages I sent you were when I was drunk. They're the ones I really meant. You know I always get soppy when I drink."
"I remember," Dani answered softly.
"I fucked up Dani and I know you can't forgive me. Why would you? I can't forgive myself. But I can't face the fact that we can't at least be friends."
"Jez, it's just too soon I'm…”
"I don't expect us to fall back into being anything like we were Dani, I hurt you, deeply. But at least we can talk from time to time. We spent five years together. Went through so much, good and bad. I can't just throw that away."
"Jez… I don't know how easy that'll be for me…”
"Did you listen to the song?"
"Yes."
"Then you understand. I can't let you go, not yet, Dani. I just can't. So if it means we're just friends that talk on the phone, I can live with that. I'll take that."
"Jez, I don't want you thinking…”
"Right now I'm thinking, 'Thank God you called'. I mean it Dani, you want to just stay friends, then that's how it'll be."
Dani knew his persistence should have been a big warning bell. It really wasn't right to encourage him but he sounded so pleased to hear from her. He was allowing her to dictate the terms. If things got difficult she could cut him off again. She'd done it before.
"I don't want you ringing me all the time. I work long hours. I'm getting settled."
"I understand. I don't want to make things hard for you. Have you found your own place yet?"
"No, well not permanently. I'm waiting for the money before I decide."
"And you'll come down? When the money comes through?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Jez."
"But you've your stuff here too. Your books and there are some things in the basement. Some boxes, don't you want them?"
Dani had forgotten that in her hurry to leave, that fated night she'd only taken her essential possessions. There were many of her parent’s things and childhood mementoes she'd boxed in the basement, meaning to sort through them at some later date.
He was right she would need to go down at some point.
She didn't really trust him to send them up to her.
"Um, I might come down for those at a later date. I don't think I'm ready to come back down yet…”
"Dani, I want to see you. It’s three weeks from now. Please, it's the only thing I've asked from you."
Dani closed her eyes feeling bad for him but knowing he was doing what he always did. Manipulating her.
"The guys at the bar really want to see you too. Earl especially."
Making her feel guilty.
He continued, "Dani, it's just for one day. Can't you do that? It would mean a lot to me."
Persuading her.
"I'll see, like you said it’s three weeks away.
I need to see about time off at work tooV Dani rubbed her face feeling uneasy at how quickly she'd fallen back into a familiar pattern.
He could still do that. Make her do things she wasn't altogether happy about.
"Look, I need to go, my shift's about to start. "
"So we'll talk later?"
"Yes. I'll call you. Like I said my hours are irregular. Now I really need to go."
"It was really great talking to you Dani, hearing your voice again. I miss you."
"Jez please don't…”
"Okay. I'm sorry."
"Say hi to the guys at the bar for me. Bye, Jez."
"I will. Bye."
Dani dropped her phone on to her lap and buried her face in her hands. Her stomach felt like it had a stone in it and her mouth was bone dry. Thank goodness it was going to be busy tonight. Anything to keep her mind off Jez.
SCOTT YAWNED AND RUBBED his eyes. He lifted his coffee flask to his lips and tilted it back.
Shit, it was empty. He glanced back at Jerome's house seeing the security lights switch on at the rear of the house.
He checked the time. It was quarter to midnight.
Jerome had left at eight that evening. Liz hadn't moved from the house but she was still awake, he'd seen lights come on and off over the past few hours.
She normally was in bed by eleven, but tonight she was late.
He furrowed his brow. Why had the security lights come on?
The nanny had already left at nine. Maybe she'd come back into the house again or maybe it was a fox that had wandered over.
He pulled out his binoculars and focused them on the upper floors where the lights were still on.
Within a few minutes they switched off and the inside of the house was dark apart from the front porch light that had a timer switch.
Scott put down his binoculars seeing the lights of a car come from behind him and drive on past down the road.
He'd wait until midnight and if there was no more activity he'd leave.
It'd been a quiet day for him today. Liz had played the model mother and wife, spending all her time with Jerome and the children.
That was until Jerome left, then her phone log showed she'd rung Jonathan for over an hour.
Scott put down his binoculars and sighed.
She really was a piece of work. He shuddered thinking about the video he'd seen of her servicing the trainer.
His disturbing thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. He looked down at the number and saw it was his friend Paul, head of security for the Ferretti family. Strange that he should be ringing him at this time. He swiped open the screen and answered it.
"Hello, Paul, how are you?"
"I'm fine. You?"
"I'm good. What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to know why you're watching Jerome Ferretti's house."
Scott turned around sharply looking out of his rear window and down the road where he'd parked. He could only see a few parked cars outside the various houses on the street.
"How did you know I was here?" Scott asked clearly puzzled.
"One of my men passes by on a routine check. He spotted your car parked up. So, what are you doing there?" he sounded irritated.
"I'm on a job Paul."
"I'm not sure I follow. A job for who exactly? Did Jerome ask you to keep an eye on the house?" now he sounded confused and irritated.
Scott swallowed hard. How on earth was he going to explain this without offending his associate or betraying Arsenio, his client?
"No, I'm not working for Jerome Ferretti."
"Then who are you working for?"
"Paul, I can't say."
"I see." Paul still sounded irritated, but by Scott's tone he understood that he couldn't divulge his client. "Does Jerome know?"
"No, he doesn't," Scott sighed, knowing exactly where this was going. Paul was Jerome's head of security, meaning he had to report whatever he saw. So how was he going to explain why a private detective was staking out his house? He'd lose his job if Jerome found out that he didn't tell him.
"Then you're going to have to explain yourself Scott."
"You're putting me in a difficult position Paul."
"As are you. You either tell me who you're working for or I need to let Jerome know."
"I'd rather tell you face to face Paul. When can we meet?"
"As soon as possible. I don't want to sit on this information for too long. Tomorrow? I'll come round to yours," Paul suggested.
"Call me first. I'll be on the job."
"This same job?"
"Yep."
"I'm not liking what I'm hearing Scott." There was a warning in his tone.
"You'll like it even less tomorrow."
"MORNING! YOU’RE DOWN EARLY for a Sunday." Dani grinned at Adam who was making himself a coffee. He looked dishevelled and sleepy rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, Rosie slept with us last night after a nightmare," he explained. "Coffee?"
"Please."
"So my chance of a lie in went out the window, along with getting any decent sleep.
She's sparked out on my side of the bed with Chloe now.
" Adam rolled his eyes. He quickly put in a coffee pod for Dani and switched on the machine.
"I got the letter. Looks like everything's going to be sorted out next month, which is good news.
" Adam pulled out the coffee cup and handed it to Dani who'd sat down at the table.
"Thanks. Yes. I spoke to him yesterday."
Adam lowered his large frame slowly into the seat adjacent to Dani. "You spoke to Jez?"
Dani nodded and took a welcome sip from her coffee.
"And?"
"He was… well he apologised and he said he wanted us to be friends."
Adam snorted, "Wanker."
Dani smirked, "He was actually really nice."
"Dani," Adam chastised softly.
"Oh, I know. You don't need to worry. I’ve told him we could talk on the phone and stuff but that was it for now."
"And about you going down?"
"I told him I couldn't. It's too soon. But I will need to go and get the rest of my things at some point. Anyway, let's just wait and see. Once the money comes through I may feel differently."
"Don't let him bully you. You're just getting yourself together. You don't need him screwing that up for you."
Dani grinned, "I won't. Actually, I have some news."
Adam yawned and rested back in the chair. "Oh yes?"
"Yes, Gia offered me the apartment above the restaurant until I get my own place."
Adam's eyes widened suddenly. "Really? I didn't realise there was an apartment over the restaurant."
"There are two. Gia lives in one and the other one was occupied by one of her sons at various times, but it’s empty now."
"So, I take it you said yes."
"I did, but I'll move in after the New Year. It's being painted first."
"Can you afford it? I mean, I don't want you struggling.
You can stay here as long as you want, you know that, don't you?
There's no hurry for you to leave." Adam leaned forward, his concern evident.
The last thing he wanted was Dani to leave if she couldn't manage it financially and he knew Chloe and the children would be upset that she was leaving.
"Actually they don't want me to pay rent. I offered, obviously, but they just want to help me out." Dani looked at her coffee cup avoiding Adam's questioning look.
"When you say they, who do you mean?"