The One That Got Away by Lucy Dawson Read Free Book Online Page B

hi to him from me, won’t you?’
    I let myself back into the house an hour later, stomped upstairs and switched on my computer. Why didn’t I fill them with
     water? – because I wasn’t a freak, that’s why. Stupid woman … She didn’t even
know
Dan – and what was so strange about my wanting to have a bit more fun, for crying out loud? Surely that was a normal thing?
    Several work emails appeared in my inbox. In amongst them was one that said
    Leo Williams sent you a message on Facebook …
    What? NO! I opened it quickly.
    Wow indeed! Hello! Have taken the plunge, yes … Well – long time no speak! I looked for you on here but didn’t know your married
     name! Life treating you well? Still in Brighton?
    My mobile rang. Dan.
    ‘Hello!’ I said chirpily, closing my laptop screen quicklywith my free hand, as if he were somehow able to see all the way from London.
    ‘Hi.’ He sounded a bit tired.
    ‘You all right?’
    ‘Yeah, not bad.’ He sighed. ‘It’s been a mad day though. I dropped my roll on the floor by mistake at lunch so I just had
     to have soup and nothing else. My tummy has been making the most horrendous noises all afternoon, it’s been really embarrassing.
     Like an angry bear growling.’
    ‘Poor thing,’ I sympathised. ‘I’ll make you something nice when you get home.’
    ‘Thanks,’ he said, sounding cheered at the thought. ‘I’m so hungry I can’t even tell you. Has the food been delivered then?’
    ‘What food?’ I said instantly.
    ‘You did an online shop, didn’t you?’
    ‘No, what makes you think that?’
    ‘Well, because all we’ve got to eat is a packet of Krisprolls and some Oatibix.’
    ‘So
you
didn’t do one then?’ I asked, a bit confused.
    ‘Me?’ he said, surprised, like I’d asked if he’d done a lap of naked yodelling round the back garden. ‘Well, I
can
do it if you ask me to, but you need to give me some warning. I can’t just stop in the middle of a meeting and say to a client,
     “Sorry, I’ve got to go and—”’
    ‘It’s not a problem,’ I interrupted, tentatively lifting the screen back up. ‘I’ll go to the supermarket in a bit.’ Dan had
     a tendency to get slightly anxious when there wasn’t plenty to eat in the house, even though we were stilltrying to lose the couple of comfortable pounds we’d put on during our summer holiday.
    ‘Get healthy stuff though, won’t you?’ he said, as if reading my mind. ‘No pies or biscuits. Or beer,’ he added gloomily.
     ‘Or those nice kettle chips … Oh God. I hate my life.’
    ‘No, you don’t.’
    ‘I know,’ he sighed again. ‘I’m just feeling Monday-ish, that’s all. Anyway, what you up to?’
    ‘Finishing up some work,’ I fibbed.
    ‘Oh, sorry,’ he said instantly. ‘I’ll let you get back to it then. See you later. Love you.’ And then he was gone. I looked
     at Leo’s message again, sitting there innocently.
    Something told me to just delete it. But then wasn’t it a bit rude to ignore his question? We were both grownups with new
     lives, we could be civil, couldn’t we?
    Yes, still in Brighton. Good to see you looking so happy in your pictures. Take care
    There, that would sort it. It had a clear air of finality about it. Hastily, I deleted the thread and logged out. It was while
     I was getting rid of the email notification, just as I had done on Saturday, and from my BlackBerry too, that a telltale flickering
     began in the middle of my vision, a smattering of prickly bright lights. I blinked but when I opened my eyes again a blurred
     spot had appeared. I looked up and stared at the wall. Still there. My heart sank.
    I got up and immediately took one of my tablets, then emailed my boss Antony to say I was sorry but I had a migraine coming
     on and that was me over and out for the day. Then I switched off my phone, went into our bedroom and lay down on the bed,
     closed my eyes and tried to stay calm … but as usual, the buzzing pain behind my eyes