Hayley stared at the wedding picture of her and Ian. She wore the most exquisite dress she’d ever seen; white and sleeveless, with a tight corset and beautifully embroidered flowers cascading down the draped bodice. She wasn’t as slim as she appeared to be now and her face looked better for it. Ian stood next to her in traditional top hat and tails. Hayley couldn’t help noticing that she looked very happy, whereas his stoic smile didn’t quite seem to move much beyond his mouth. She pulled the picture out of the frame and flipped it over, searching for clues. Nothing.
She took the pile of stationery out of the drawer. The paper and envelopes were thick to the touch, and mint-coloured with a watermark, the type you’d find at a first-class hotel. She ran her thumb over the silver letters that were embossed at the top of the page. They read The Graham Residence and were followed by an address and postal code she recognised. Hayley bit her lip. Yesterday she’d woken up in Chris’ house. This morning, apparently, she was in Ian’s, in Belgravia of all places – the most expensive part in London.
Am I getting what I asked for? A glimpse into how my life could have been?
She dug around in the drawer again but a sharp knock on the door made her jump.
Ian entered the bedroom. ‘Are you ready? Oh …’ He stopped. ‘You … look very nice, Hayley. Really.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, trying not to sound surprised. ‘It’s a beautiful dress.’ With a sudden flash of inspiration she added, ‘But I need my mobile and my purse. Have you seen them?’
‘One of your bags is in the dining room,’ he said. ‘Come on.’ He turned and left.
Hayley followed Ian out of the bedroom and into a hall. She looked left and saw a large window at the end of the corridor then followed Ian who was walking in the opposite direction.
The long hall had shiny hardwood floors and three closed doors on either side. Hayley was sure that the bedroom they had shared was behind one of them.
At the end of the hall they reached a spiral staircase, also made of rich hardwood, leading downstairs. She held the banister in case she tripped in her heels on the way down to the massive entrance hall. Its shiny white marble floor gleamed and doors led off in each direction. A three-foot-high, black and white vase filled with purple calla lilies that smelled like freshly washed laundry was on a glass table in the middle of the hallway. There were absolutely no signs of kids in the house, and she couldn’t imagine Ian ever jeopardising the sterility of the home with children’s sticky messes or fits of giggles.
‘I’ll get my bag,’ she said and instinctively hurried over to the dining room. Although she didn’t have much time to look around, she noticed how comfortably the room held its dining table and chairs for twelve. She’d never been in the house before but she could clearly see the two of them sitting at the table, one on either end, not saying a word. She shook her head, it didn’t seem like she ate more than a lettuce leaf at a time anyway.
She spotted a black leather handbag on the floor, picked it up and opened it. Inside she found a purse, a make-up bag, a set of keys and a phone.
‘I’m ready,’ Hayley said, walking back into the hall, where Ian stood with a long, off-white coat complete with a glossy fur collar, draped over his arm.
‘That’s not real, is it?’ she said, backing away slightly.
‘Oh boy, another memory lapse,’ Ian answered. ‘Arctic fox. Remember?’ He held the coat out.
‘I’m not wearing that,’ Hayley said as she shook her head. ‘I can’t wear real fur.’
‘Since when? You …’ Ian stopped, seemingly deciding making the point wasn’t worth the effort. Instead, he exhaled loudly, yanked open the massive built-in cupboard by the entrance and fished out a long black coat. Hayley took it from him and slipped it on, enjoying its warmth and luxurious touch on her skin.
‘Come on, the taxi’s waiting,’ Ian said, bustling her out of the front door and into the back of the car without giving her time to look around outside. ‘You forgot these,’ he said when they were sitting in the back of the taxi, and held out his hand. ‘You left them in the kitchen again.’
There were two rings in his open palm. The first, a silver engagement ring, although Hayley suspected it to be white gold or even platinum. It was encrusted with small diamonds and a sparkling, pea-sized solitaire in the middle. The second was a silver-coloured wedding band with five large diamonds centred across the top. He dropped them into her open hand.
Good grief, they’re heavy. Probably worth more than I’ve earned in my entire life.
She slipped them on her left ring finger. Doing so made her think of Rick, Millie and Danny, and she swallowed hard, trying to stop her eyes from prickling.
‘You keep taking them off, you know,’ Ian said, and the sadness in his voice surprised her. Then his face hardened. ‘I suppose you take them off during your sessions with Justin too.’
Hayley looked out of the window and closed her eyes. An image of her with another man flickered in the back of her head, but not long enough for it to become clear.
What the heck have I got myself into now?