Epilogue
I t was half eight. I’d already had dinner, showered, and was lounging around in my pyjamas, aimlessly flicking through the TV channels. They were showing The Matrix . I watched it for a few minutes; it was the part when Neo had to choose between the red and blue pills. Adam was my red pill, opening my eyes to reality, and I’d never be able to watch this film ever again without thinking of him.
When I pressed the remote again, of course it was The Wizard of Oz on the next channel. Dorothy’s house had just landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, appeared.
And Sod’s Law that ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen was playing on one of the kids’ channels. Watching Elsa singing made me recall the night Adam and I’d had some great sex after I’d read to the girls. Though he’d probably be more sentimental and call it lovemaking .
I felt ashamed; I didn’t think anyone before me had ever got so horny after watching a children’s animation film. It felt so wrong, but I couldn’t help the tingling sensation between my legs and was about to grab Mr Rabbit to finish the mission. But then I thought why try and get to Gran Canaria alone when I could travel in company? I switched off the TV and rushed into my bedroom to get changed.
*
I didn’t even attempt to park near Adam’s flat; by now, all the spaces would be gone. I pulled up on the next road .
In the end, Keith and Sharon had changed their mind about moving to London from Bristol – I always knew they’d been using Adam for babysitting.
I was still convinced Sharon was like Isabel but didn’t voice this to Adam. He was already unhappy with his sister, as he’d have been left with paying the rent or trying to find someone else to sublet to if he hadn’t decided to stay in London for me.
Although Adam had tried to talk me into moving in with him due to the extra bedroom, we’d agreed I’d only do so after finding buyers for my flat. And we’d decided to try living together for a while before buying a house. (He was still worried about my high cleaning standards, and I was afraid I’d lose my temper whenever I saw a smudge left behind somewhere or his unique clothes-folding technique.)
But before we could seriously think about new accommodation for us, Adam first had to find a new job. He could have gone back to work at Brooks O’Grady if he’d wanted to, but neither of us was keen on the idea. (After all, he was now officially my boyfriend – a word I was still getting used to, and such romantic involvement came with a lot of red tape, as pointed out by HR, even if we wouldn’t be working in the same office.)
Despite the bad economic situation, construction was still flourishing in the capital, and there was always need for good workers. However, site manager roles appeared scarce close by, and there had been a time when I’d seriously contemplated asking my father for help – though I’d overheard Mum joke to Dad that if he employed Adam, he’d get the son he always wanted, and my father hadn’t seemed amused by the idea. Luckily, in the end, I didn’t need to sacrifice my pride.
With some persuasion and a confidence boost from me, Adam applied for a position as a contracts manager at a rival construction company, and (to both of our surprise), after a quick interview, he was offered the job. It came with much better pay than a site manager role, and the project was only a short drive from his place. He was to start in a couple of weeks, and I looked forward to seeing him wear a suit every day. I was sure he’d break many hearts at work. But he was mine, and I wasn’t going to let him go anytime soon.
Adam didn’t need to worry about Katie anymore either. HR had done some digging on her – I suspected Diane had persuaded them to. It turned out she’d made the same claims about a male colleague at her previous company. A pattern had emerged, and after further discussions between Katie and HR, David informed me that she’d quietly handed in her notice.
During the festive shutdown, David and Paloma had made up, and he and I pretended nothing had happened at the Christmas party. Even if I’d brought it up, he could have claimed he’d been so drunk he couldn’t remember. But why say anything and make it awkward between us?
‘What are you doing here? Are you moving in finally?’ Adam asked, looking at me, then the mid-size suitcase I’d been pulling on the landing.
‘Just came to deliver your DVD,’ I said, handing him a thick white envelope.
‘Finally!’ he mocked.
‘And I thought you might want to see what else your money bought a year ago. I couldn’t fit it all in my overnight bag,’ I said, undoing the belt of my long trench coat. Then I unbuttoned the coat and opened it wide enough to show off the navy-grey lace corset and black thigh-high stockings I was wearing underneath.
His jaw dropped as he took in the view, and his joggers grew tighter too.
Satisfied by his reaction, I tied the belt on my coat again and turned to leave, waving goodbye. ‘Alright, see you later then,’ I called back.
‘Hold on,’ he said, stepping outside and grabbing my hand. ‘You’re not going anywhere.’
‘I take it you want to see the rest then?’
His eyes widened even more. ‘You mean that case is full of sexy outfits like this? ’
‘Not just outfits…’ I said, smiling seductively.
He popped his head outside, looking around quickly to make sure no one had witnessed the scene, then pulled me in with the suitcase. Once the door was closed, he dropped the package on the floor and pushed me hard against the wall. ‘You’ve never asked me whether you were right about what you said in Cardiff.’
‘And what was that?’
‘That if you were a pro, you’d be worth all my money…’
I found it cute that he was still able to recall the details of that night. If only I could remember them too…
‘And what’s the verdict, Mr Cunningham?’ I asked, stroking his hair. ‘Would I be worth all your money?’
He locked his arms around me, kissed my neck softly and whispered in my ear, ‘Every penny.’