Chapter 39
Turning, Cal studied the approaching stranger. ‘Do you know who that is?’ he murmured.
Mimi nodded, feeling the little hairs rise on her arms. ‘It’s Kendra.’
Kendra closed the distance between them. ‘Mimi, is that you? I’ve been waiting for you to come home. Oh Mimi . . .’ Her voice breaking with emotion, she held out her arms and stumbled forward. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
Mimi exhaled. Basically, if anything had been on the brink of happening between herself and Cal, it certainly wasn’t going to happen now.
Oh well, chances were she’d only been imagining it anyway.
‘What are you doing here?’ As she said it, Mimi realised from the blast of alcohol fumes in her face that Kendra had been drinking.
‘I needed to find you. I can’t bear that we haven’t talked for so long. I’ve dumped Rob . . . God, men are such bastards, aren’t they? Oh Mimi, it’s so good to see you again! Have you missed me as much as I’ve missed you?’
Mimi stood stock-still while Kendra threw her arms around her. She could feel Kendra trembling as she tightened the hug. ‘I don’t understand why you’d just turn up like this. With no warning at all.’
‘Well I couldn’t call you, could I? You blocked my number. You blocked me everywhere online, so how could I let you know?’
‘Maybe I did that for a reason.’
‘Oh I know, but that was, like, so long ago, almost a year now. It’s ancient history. You’re my best friend.’ Kendra’s voice cracked again. ‘The best friend I ever had. And I know you were upset when you found out about me and Rob, but it’s not as if I did it for fun, like, just on a whim or something. I really did love him.’
‘And what’s happened now? Why did you dump him?’
‘Because he cheated on me. On me! Can you believe it?’ Kendra’s smooth cheeks were wet with tears and she was taking big, gasping breaths. ‘I found out he’d been sleeping with the girl he replaced you with at the agency, and she’s not even as pretty as me. She has fat ankles!’
Oh Rob. Once a cheat, always a cheat. Mimi exchanged a glance with Cal and knew he was thinking the same.
‘Men, they’ll always let you down,’ Kendra went on. ‘But best friends are for life.’
Until they sleep with your boyfriend. Mimi couldn’t deny herself a feeling of triumph that karma had caught up with Kendra. Aloud, she said, ‘How did you get down here?’
‘Drove.’ Kendra gestured carelessly behind her. ‘My car’s over there, outside your house.’
‘You drove down from London, drunk?’
‘Oh come on, of course I didn’t do that. I brought two bottles of champagne with me, got here an hour ago. Someone saw me ringing your doorbell and told me you were over in the Swan. But I didn’t want to go and find you in the pub in front of everyone, so I waited in the car instead and opened one of the bottles to pass the time. I drank half of it but there’s still plenty left.’ Kendra paused and peered at Cal for the first time. ‘You’re better-looking than Rob. Are you Mimi’s boyfriend?’ She turned back to Mimi. ‘He’s miles better-looking. See? I did you a massive favour. You have to admit it now.’
‘He isn’t my boyfriend.’
‘No? He should be. Well, unless he’s a cheating bastard too.’ Kendra shivered dramatically. ‘OK, I’m starting to get really cold. Can we go inside now?’
‘No.’ Mimi shook her head.
‘Oh, but there’s so much I want to say to you!’
‘And so little I want to hear.’
‘Mimi, please. I’ve made plans . . . so many plans. I’m going to make it all up to you . . . Look, sorry.’ Kendra turned to Cal. ‘Could you give us some privacy? It’s a bit weird trying to talk in front of a stranger, and this is quite personal.’
‘Up to you.’ Cal addressed Mimi. ‘I can stay if you’d rather.’
‘Thanks, but it’s OK.’ Kendra was right: none of this was any of Cal’s concern. ‘I’ll be fine.’
He briefly touched her arm. ‘If you’re sure. I’ll see you soon.’
They both watched as he made his way across the green and up the high street in a homeward direction.
‘He’s nice,’ said Kendra.
‘I know.’
‘Shagged him?’
‘No.’
‘You want to make your move before someone else snaps him up. Actually, don’t. I’ve got a better offer for you. Brrrrr.’ Kendra rubbed her arms and gave another exaggerated shiver. ‘Let’s get into the house and warm up.’
‘You’re not coming in,’ said Mimi.
‘Oh come on, don’t be like that. It’s me!’
‘Still no.’
‘Look, I’m sorry. But like I said, I did you a massive favour. You and Rob were never going to last. You got off lightly.’
Rather than say it again, Mimi silently shook her head.
‘But I’ve been drinking. I can’t drive back to London. I have to stay somewhere!’
Which was probably the reason she’d opened the champagne. Without speaking, Mimi began walking in the direction of Bay Cottage. When she reached Kendra’s red BMW parked outside it, she stopped dead. ‘You can sleep in your car.’
‘Oh for crying out loud, why are you being like this? I’ve just had the most hideous week of my life. I came down here so we could make up and be friends again. I want to help you!’
‘How? How could you possibly help me?’
‘Because I want you back, and I know you need a job, so I’ve found you one.’ As she said it, Kendra unlocked the boot of the BMW and rummaged through a tan leather holdall. Pulling an oversized navy sweater over her white shirt, she flung herself down on the verge and took another swig from the opened bottle of Moët that had been nestling in the grass before offering it to Mimi. ‘I’ve been stalking you online, and it hasn’t been easy, what with you having blocked me.’
‘So how did you?’
‘I got Jess to sign into Facebook on my phone.’
Jess, who worked on the reception desk at Morris Molloy, cheerful, clueless Jess with her elongated vowels and eagerness to please.
‘It’s been nearly a year,’ Kendra went on, ‘and you’re back from Spain, living with your dad’s boyfriend in this godforsaken place, setting up your own little business because you can’t find a decent job and spending your evenings in the only pub in a village where nothing ever happens . . . I mean, listen to this place. Silence! Everyone’s asleep! It’s enough to drive any normal person insane. You can’t waste your life down here . . . you’re going to shrivel up and die of boredom!’
If only she knew.
But Mimi had already worked out where this was heading; she knew Kendra too well. Innocently she said, ‘So what do you think I should do?’
‘Come back with me.’ Kendra’s reply was instantaneous. ‘Back to London, where you belong. You can move into your old room and we can carry on where we left off, having fun together. And guess who’s on the hunt for someone to fill a vacancy for a senior PR exec? Only Carrick Payne!’ Her eyes gleamed in the dim light; Carrick Payne in Soho were Morris Molloy’s greatest rivals. ‘I spoke to Josh Carrick yesterday and told him you were available, and I swear to God, he was over the moon. All you have to do is say the word and the job’s yours.’
This was the thing about people: you could be friends with them whilst at the same time being aware of their various faults. Kendra had always been somewhat self-obsessed and ruthless, keen on getting her own way. Now that Rob had moved out of her flat in Notting Hill, she needed her old best friend back to keep her company whilst she negotiated being single once more.
She’d never had much of a conscience either. When Kendra wanted something, she tended to take it.
‘I’m not coming back to London,’ Mimi told her. ‘I wouldn’t want to share your flat again.’
‘Look, you’re just cutting your nose off to spite your face. I’m offering you everything!’
‘You could. I wouldn’t go after any of your boyfriends, and that’s a promise.’
‘Once was enough.’
‘Oh Mimi, please can we go inside? We can’t stay out here all night.’
Kendra thought she could wear her down, win her over. Mimi repeated, ‘You aren’t coming into the house. I’m not going to change my mind.’
‘But I need a wee.’ Kendra’s voice rose.
‘There are trees over there. Go behind one of them.’
‘I NEED A WEE!’
‘Shh,’ said Mimi.
‘WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME TO SHUSH?’ bellowed Kendra. ‘I’LL SHOUT IF I WANT TO. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS GODFORSAKEN BACKWATER? WILL I BE BURNED AT THE STAKE?’
‘What’s going on?’ A male voice came out of the darkness and Kendra swivelled round on the grass verge to see who owned it.
‘Who are you? Have you come to arrest me?’ Peering up at him as his face was illuminated in the glow of the street light, she said, ‘Actually, maybe I wouldn’t mind being arrested by you.’
Paddy raised an enquiring eyebrow at Mimi.
‘It’s Kendra. I used to share a flat with her in London before coming down here.’
Without missing a beat, Paddy said, ‘This is the one who slept with your boyfriend?’
‘Yes.’
‘Wow.’
‘She wants me to move back in with her. I’m not going.’
‘Not surprised.’
‘I said sorry.’ Kendra threw up her hands in despair.
‘She’s not staying at my place,’ Mimi went on, ‘but she’s had two thirds of a bottle of Möet so she can’t drive home.’
‘And I need a wee,’ Kendra wailed.
Paddy thought for a moment. ‘I suppose she can stay at mine.’
‘That’d be great,’ said Mimi, relieved.
‘I don’t even know him. He could be anyone!’
‘His name’s Paddy Fratelli. He lives just up the road. You’ll be safe with him.’
Kendra took a closer look at Paddy. ‘But will he be safe with me?’ She was nodding, smiling slightly; he’d clearly met with her approval.
‘Come on then, if you want a roof over your head.’ Paddy beckoned in businesslike fashion, and Kendra was on her feet in a flash, grabbing her overnight bag from the boot of the car.
She looked at Mimi. ‘Have you slept with this one?’
Mimi shook her head, refusing to even think about the night Paddy had rebuffed her humiliating attempt to seduce him. Hopefully he wouldn’t share that particular hilarious anecdote with Kendra.
‘God, you’re hopeless,’ Kendra snorted. ‘Or is there something wrong with him?’
‘Nothing wrong with me,’ said Paddy.
Kendra gave him her overnight bag to carry. ‘I’ll be the judge of that.’