Working Wonders by Jenny Colgan Read Free Book Online

fantastic!’ She kissed him on the top of his head. ‘You’re so clever, darling! And think what we can do now …’ She straightened up for a second and smiled at him. ‘And the black eye is, what – the official entry token to the executive washroom?’
    ‘I had to fire Ross,’ said Arthur matter-of-factly, uncorking the bottle.
    ‘Oh! God, well, that’s even more brilliant. Isn’t he the one you thought was a bit of a tosspot?’
    Arthur nodded. ‘With a good tossy right hook.’
    ‘Ooh!’ She sat by his knees, hugging her own, and lifted up her glass to be filled. This was it. This was the moment. No wonder he’d been so quiet, if he’d been working up to such a wonderful surprise!
    ‘So, there’ll be a bit more money coming in, won’t there?’
    ‘Um, we didn’t discuss it … Probably.’
    Oh God, thought Arthur. He suddenly had an inkling as to where this was heading. Thank God his eye was already black. Although of course she could still scratch it out.
    ‘So, you know, maybe we could …’ She twirled her manicured finger around the top of her glass. Looking at it, Arthur realized for the first time that he didn’t really like manicures. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to sound like he was encouraging her. The pause grew longer. She looked up at him, firstly with hope, then, as the silence continued, almost as he watched, the light in her eyes slowly dimmed.
    She stared at the seagrass carpet for an even longer time. It was killing Arthur to keep quiet, but he didn’t know what else to do. He felt a lump in his throat. The wait grew interminable. Finally, and very slowly, she raised her head back up to look at him. Her eyes were full of tears, quivering, hovering and waiting to fall.
    ‘Are we …’ She was attempting to sound dignified, but there was an immediate wobble to her voice. ‘Are we – are you …’ She shook her head to get a grip, and managed to steady herself. ‘Do you really want to be with me, Arthur? Properly? To settle down and have a – a family and everything?’ Immediately her eyes flicked away. A ten-ton weight settled on Arthur’s ribcage. He had to say something soon. He had to.
    He couldn’t think of anything. He was failing.
    ‘Aren’t you even going to talk to me?’ The tears were falling now.
    ‘Aren’t you going to even deign to … Am I really worth that little to you?’
    Fay’s voice was angry now, and hard.
    ‘Look at me, Arthur.’
    Slowly, Arthur lifted his head. Her face was white, and her hands were gripping the wine glass so hard it was frightening. Neither of them spoke. Arthur loathed himself, and his cowardice.
    ‘Are you – are you talking about having a baby?’ Arthur managed to force out, quietly.
    ‘No!’ said Fay, indignant. ‘Can’t I ask a perfectly reasonable question about where our relationship’s headed without it turning into a big fuss about … babies .’
    ‘Oh. Only, I thought you were talking about babies.’
    ‘Yes, of course I’m talking about babies.’
    She attempted to laugh and half choked, loudly in the quiet room. Arthur reached out his hand to her but she shook it off.
    ‘Fay, – I’m not sure I’m ready.’
    Her face creased with disappointment, then she took a breath. ‘How … How … When would you be ready? We have three bedrooms and two cars, for fuck’s sake!’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘We chose this place together!’
    ‘You chose it, Fay,’ he said, as gently as he could, realizing of course that this wasn’t fair.
    ‘I chose it because … because we’re going out and you’re thirty bloody two years old! And so am I, nearly! We’re not fifteen! You don’t fuck about with someone just to go out with them!’
    ‘I – I’m not fucking about with you.’
    ‘I’m thirty-one years old. If you don’t want to get married and have a family with me, you’re fucking about.’
    Arthur felt disgruntled. ‘Who invented that rule? I thought we were having a perfectly nice