Page 100 of Don't Believe A Word

She glared at the glass Matthew was passing her, and clocked the moment he realized it might be safer if he just put it down.

‘I think I’ve heard about the restaurant you’ve chosen,’ David said, as he and Matthew settled back into a friendly chat. ‘Doesn’t it have an award-winning chef?’

‘Peter Sanchez-Iglesias,’ Matthew confirmed, delightedly. ‘I know him quite well. It’s how we got the table. Aiden, you’re going to join us I hope.’

‘Actually, I’ve got to be somewhere,’ Aiden grimaced.

‘No you haven’t,’ Cristy informed him.

‘I have …’

‘You have not,’ she insisted.

Getting the message, Aiden choked back a laugh and said, ‘OK, I’ll clear the decks. Just making a few calls,’ and he disappeared into his bedroom.

Deciding to do the same, after all she needed to change, Cristy made her excuses and took her wine and phone with her.

As soon as she’d closed the door, she texted David,Sorry. I know he’s excruciating, but he wasn’t always like this.

A moment later a message came back,I kind of like him.

I don’t believe you.

He’s taking me out to dinner, what’s not to like?

*

In the end it was gone eleven by the time Matthew was persuaded that no one else wanted a nightcap; it was time for him to go home and take Aiden with him. Of course, he’d had too much to drink to drive, so he’d have to come back in the morning to pick up his car.

‘I’ll bring breakfast,’ he promised, as he got into an Uber.

‘Croissants are good for me,’ David told him. ‘Let us know when you’re on your way, I’ll put the coffee on.’

‘You might be even worse than he is,’ Cristy told him, as they went inside.

‘At least I didn’t bring Juliette,’ he retorted.

Laughing in spite of herself, she led the way through to the sitting room and feeling suddenly absurdly teenagerish – thrilled that David was here, excited by the prospect of him staying, anxious about the talk they needed to have – she said, ‘I actually wouldn’t mind a nightcap, if you’re up for one too?’

‘Count me in,’ and he began collecting up the glasses they hadn’t bothered to carry into the kitchen earlier.

A few minutes later, as they sat down with their brandies, he said, ‘I know we’re both tired, and we’ve had a few drinks, but I still want to get this off my chest tonight. And I hope that by the time I’m done this gulf,’ he gestured to the space on the sofa between them, ‘might have closed a little.’

Very much hoping the same, she said, ‘I need you to understand that I …’

His hand went up. ‘I think I can guess what you’re going to say so please let me speak first.’

Her eyes stayed on his, her anticipation building as she thought,God he’s gorgeous. Then,Just don’t let yourself be swayed by it, or drawn into anything until you know what he’s going to say.

‘First of all,’ he said, ‘I am not involved with Juliette in the way you seem to think. In the way I confess I probably allowed you to think … It wasn’t a conscious decision to hurt you, far from it, but when I realized what was happening I was angry that you didn’t trust me.’

She started to speak, but his hand went up again.

‘Obviously, she and I are close,’ he continued, ‘and I won’t apologize for that. She’s my son’s mother and it means a lot to Laurent that his parents don’t only get along, but that we feel at least a little bit like a family to him.’

She held her silence, as he took a sip of his drink.

‘The last time Juliette and I were intimate,’ he continued, ‘was back in August, in Paris … It’s not the only time it’s happened since we split up, but I can promise you that it doesn’t happen often, and it certainly hasn’t since you and I got together.’