Yours Unfaithfully by Geraldine C. Deer Read Free Book Online Page B

stirring onions in the pan. Spitting noises from under the grill told her the fillet was done. She put it on the plates and carried it into the dining room where Tim was sitting, beaming with anticipation for what was to follow.
    “Don’t look so nervous,” he joked. “You’re the best cook in Elmthorpe!”
    She forced a weak smile in response to his stupid grin. She was happy to let him believe that her cooking was what was bothering her. Tim had never understood her, not even at the simplest level. When she was pregnant, when she had morning sickness he would ask, ‘What’s wrong?’ Not once, but morning after morning. Tim didn’t understand women, so it was no surprise that after eighteen years of marriage he still couldn’t read her moods. Perhaps that’s just as well she thought ...as her mind went over last night for the tenth time in as many minutes. Ratty understood her perfectly. He’d looked straight through her smile and got inside her head. He’d made her feel good about herself; in his arms everything had seemed so natural, so sensible, so achievable. He valued her opinion enough to want her to judge if his speech was good enough. He cared what she thought about his work. Did Tim care what she thought about anything? Although he’d always been proud of her success, Tim had never appreciated her skill, attained during her career at the bank. For him her success was something to boast about to his friends, as if it was more his than hers, but despite this he wouldn’t acknowledge that it was real work. She sank into a dream as she compared Tim with Ratty. One of them needed charm to win over a jury while the other used his hands to fix broken trucks. Tim was physically strong, his work was dirty, greasy and at the end of the day he wiped his hands in his oily rag like it was a victory salute, a mark of honour to another job completed. Tim believed that his work was important. Mel didn’t.
    “He fixes bloody engines.” she screamed.
    “Who does, who fixes engines? What the hell are you going on about?” Tim sat up, startled at her sudden outburst.
    “Sorry... sorry I was dreaming out loud. You know how sometimes a thought comes into your mind when you’re least expecting it, and you say the words out loud?”
    “No, not really. D’you mean like talking in your sleep?”
    “Yes, I suppose that’s what I mean.” Mel stuttered.
    “So who fixes engines?” Tim repeated. This meal wasn’t going a bit the way he’d expected.
    She could hardly say, ‘You do’ ... “Oh, one of Nina’s friends who was at last night’s party.”
    “Party? I didn’t realise it was a party. We usually go together if it’s a party. You should’ve said. I’d much rather have come with you than spend the night playing pool with Ben. I know you probably thought I’d be bored with a bunch of Nina’s hooray-henry friends but I’d have put up with it rather than have you sit there bored stiff while they cracked on about law and stuff all night, just to help Nina out. I bet you were bored out of your mind? I’m right, aren’t I?”
    “Yes ...yes that’s pretty much what is was like, but I don’t mind if it helped Nina get her promotion.”
    “What promotion, Ben hasn’t said anything about her getting a new job.”
    Melanie panicked as she realised she had just broken her first promise to Ratty.
    “Well I don’t expect Ben knows yet, I met Nina’s new boss and he let slip that she was in line to work with him on this big new contract they’ve got, Stellar something or other.”
    “What d’you mean, let it slip? Doesn’t Nina know yet?”
    “I don’t know, I suppose she does, although no, she’d have said wouldn’t she... Oh I don’t know. What does it matter?”
    “It doesn’t matter to me Mel, only I think it’s a bit odd, this guy telling you before he tells Nina?”
    “Well, that’s drink for you Tim.”
    “So what, he was drunk, this guy, was he?”
    “No, nobody was drunk (Only