Chapter Thirty-Five
As Rosie waited for Simon on Sunday morning, she wandered around the flat with pen and paper in her hand, making notes of what she wanted to keep and what could go.
The estate agents had all been very enthusiastic about selling the flat, especially when Rosie mentioned that she was happy to price it for a quick sale.
There was no room for all the soft furnishings and furniture at her mum’s house, and Rosie felt no attachment to any of it other than the kitchen blind she had made a couple of years ago, but she had to be sensible rather than nostalgic.
She definitely needed her sturdy sewing table though, and all the crates in the second bedroom that she’d brought over from her mum’s only six months ago.
The boxes of James’ personal belongings were not so easy to sort out, and in the end, she decided to leave them untouched and store them in her mum’s garage.
All except the computer. That instrument of deceit would have to go, once its contents had been wiped.
Another item to put on the to-do list. Part of her wanted to read the rest of the email messages but she knew that would only increase her misery.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t know the exact date James abandoned his marriage vows, or how many times he and Jacqueline went away together. That belonged in the past.
It was Simon who came up with a suggestion for the laptop when he arrived with a hired van twenty minutes later and looked over her list.
‘Jesper might be able to help you with that one. He works in IT and he’s really good at anything to do with computers.’
‘And he’s the flatmate who’s been doing all the decorating and never quite gets round to finishing anything?’ said Rosie, checking she hadn’t lost the plot.
‘Yes. He keeps leaving the brushes out and then they dry up, so he has to go and buy more.’
Rosie wondered why either of them hadn’t heard of cling film or paint thinners. She also wondered whether it was a good idea to let this person loose on James’ computer.
‘And does he have any experience in this sort of thing? I don’t want it just put back to default factory settings, I want it completely zapped. And I’ll need it done before the end of the twenty-first century,’ she joked. ‘Does Jesper have a top speed?’
Simon nodded. ‘Oh yes, he’s a whizz on computers. It’s just decorating he’s crap at. I will need to make a note of the passwords though,’ he added. ‘Do you have a spare bit of paper or anything to write on?’
Rosie tore a page out of her paper pad and wrote down James’ password.
‘And you’re sure you want everything wiped off?’
‘Totally.’ Rosie looked at him.
‘It won’t be able to be retrieved, you know.’
‘That’s what wiped off generally means, yes.’ Rosie looked at him. ‘Come on, I know that expression. You’re chewing your lip which means you’re trying to decide whether to say something.’
Simon shifted his weight awkwardly. ‘I just wondered…whether, um… Well, there might be things you want to keep. From James I mean.’
‘Not on that, there isn’t.’
Simon hesitated again. ‘Okay. If you’re sure.’
Rosie was. She was less sure whether to tell Simon about James’ affair, but she didn’t want him to go looking for clues, reading the same emails she did.
To the rest of the world, James was steady and reliable, if a little unimaginative.
The new Rosie couldn’t help but wonder whether she would still feel content with the old James in her old life.
The table went first and Rosie helped Simon carry it down the stairs as it was too large to easily fit in the lift.
Then Simon sorted out the crates while Rosie packed up clothes into large black sacks, put books and DVDs into boxes, and wrapped up the only picture of hers that had been granted any wall space.
It was a print of Klimt’s Apple Tree, and Rosie loved the boldness and vibrancy of the colours.
It had been relegated to a corner of the bedroom but it would now have pride of place on her bedroom wall.
By lunchtime both the van and Rosie’s car were fully loaded. It wasn’t everything but it was a start.
When they arrived to unload, they found lunch already prepared. ‘You will stay, won’t you, Simon? I’ve made a lasagne, I know it’s your favourite.’
Rosie laughed. ‘Mum, you know perfectly well whatever you put in front of Simon is his favourite dinner. He loves all your cooking.’
‘Especially when I’ve got somewhere to actually sit and eat it,’ added Simon.
‘You must come round whenever you like. You’ve been such a help, and I hope Rosie appreciates everything you do for her.’
‘Mum! I’m not a child anymore.’
After lunch, Simon helped unload the car and between the three of them, they got Rosie’s sewing table set up in the spare bedroom in front of the window.
‘Simon, yet again you have been a knight in shining armour, thank you.’ She hugged his stocky frame and kissed him. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
Simon managed to look embarrassed and pleased at the same time. ‘Well, luckily you don’t have to do without me, I’m always going to be around.’ He patted the laptop now tucked under his arm. ‘And I’ll let you know once this is done.’
*
Simon was true to his word and by the middle of the week, he had messaged Rosie to say the laptop had been wiped. Rosie sent a message back asking if he knew anyone that wanted to buy it and said he could use the proceeds to buy himself some more paint brushes.
She could tell Simon was shocked that she didn’t want to keep it, but it no longer held any sentimental value; in fact, completely the opposite.
Any messages from James would no longer feel like heartfelt expressions of love, just a thin disguise covering his excuses and lies.
He had let her down. So had Connor, but he wasn’t dead, he was alive and well as far as she knew, and living it up Hollywood style.
As she sat at her sewing table cutting out pieces for another angel dress, she decided that loyal friends were worth much more than cheating partners.
Emma had texted her every day to see how she was getting on, while she was counting down the days at work, and had promised they would go out for a celebration when she finished.
Leaving your job without having anything else to do felt more foolhardy than celebratory, but at least Emma’s offer meant she didn’t have to organise a big farewell party at work.