Valentina: A Hauntingly Intelligent Psychological Thriller by S. E. Lynes Read Free Book Online Page A

with a beautiful gift: a stork made from driftwood.
    “ To say sorry for needing a whisky,” he said, holding my hand on the kitchen table, stroking my knuckles with his thumb. “To say I’m happy. To say, bring it on.”
    We kissed. What do you want me to say about that? It was lovely.
    It was love.
    He began to look for serious work. All the oil jobs were in Aberdeen, but he knew someone who worked for a consultancy here in Glasgow and said he could pick up some work there. It was contract work and meant him being away quite a bit – sometimes three days out of a week. I missed him, obviously, but at the end of a long day in the office nibbling on ginger snaps to stave off morning sickness, trying not to puke over my keyboard or worse, over someone I was interviewing, I didn’t mind too much that he wasn’t at home some nights to keep me up late talking – or the other. I was happy to crash out.
    The only time I got really lonely was towards the end when I got signed off work with oedema. A risk of pre-eclampsia, the midwife said, so I had to stay at home all day with my feet in the air. That was when I realised that the main thing I liked about my job was the simple fact of going in, having a laugh and a blether, a coffee break, sometimes a cheeky cigarette out on Renfield Street. At The Tribune , everyone was so clever and funny, the craic was brilliant, how could I not miss it? They were more than colleagues; they were friends.
    So while Mikey was away I spent most of the time on the phone to Jeanie at work, catching up on stories they were chasing, getting the gossip, or watching television with the sound on high: late morning panel shows, old movies, the lunchtime news. And it turned out I’d have to get used to Mikey being away because after Isla was born, that’s when he came home with the big announcement.
    “ I’ve been offered a job,” he said. “A permanent one. Drilling Supervisor. On a platform, you know.” Coat still on, briefcase still in his hand, standing there like a tax inspector in the middle of the lounge. He wasn’t smiling, even though he’d got a proper job, which had been his aim.
    “ I’d be at home less,” he went on, dropping his bag on the floor, pulling off his coat. “But it’d be good, you know, from a career perspective.”
    Isla started crying. I picked her up, shushed her, put her to my breast. “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.” I couldn’t look at him, made out like Isla was having a job latching on. “What do you mean, less time at home?”
    “ It’s two on, two off.”
    “ What’s that?” I knew fine what it was.
    “ On the platform, you know, two weeks at sea, two weeks at home.”
    “ I thought you wanted to hang onto your youth,” I said. “Now you want to jump onto a floating prison once a month?”
    “ But that was before the baby, Shone. Things have changed.”
    “ I know they’ve changed. No one knows that more than me but that’s awful drastic, isn’t it? Offshore? I thought you wanted a work-life balance.”
    “ I’ll be working towards that – for our future. I might have to put the hours in, you know, get something going before I ease up a bit. I don’t know why you’re being so hard on me.”
    I huffed, shook my head. “I thought you said anyone who let their job take over their life lacked imagination. Your words, darlin’, not mine.”
    “ Shona, come on. You don’t need to be like that. Let’s talk about it like grownups.”
    “ Two weeks in four is half your life.”
    “ That’s a very emotional way to put it.”
    “ I am emotional, Mikey. I’ve just had a baby.”
    “ OK, look.” He raised the flat of his palms to me. “Let’s stop this. I won’t take it if you don’t want me to. It’s a great opportunity, that’s all.” I was still looking at Isla, her wee head, her perfect sucking lips: kiss kiss kiss. When I eventually looked up, his eyebrows were up in his forehead somewhere, his Scouse