“I’m taking it that you had no idea about this then?” Tori asks, even though my reaction has pretty much answered that one.
“Clearly not, Tor,” I say a little too sarcastically. “How come Luke never saw you?”
“I came from the other direction.” I continue to watch the three of them talking. There are a lot of hand gestures from Luke, but the women remain motionless.
“Should I go out there?”
“If you think it’s a good idea.” Tori sounds unsure. “So you have no idea what’s going on?”
“Not a clue. I know that Luke has been hiding something again, but I haven’t the faintest idea what,” I tell her.
“Shit, Char.” I war with myself about going out there and confronting the three of them, but what would it achieve? They would only come up with some cock and bull story.
“I have no idea what to do, Tori,” I say, exasperated.
“Why don’t you tell me what you know and then we can form a plan from there?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I manage to tell Tori everything that I have been suspicious of before Luke walks in the front door. Tori doesn’t have time to give me her take on things, but I can see that she is just as confused by all of this as I am.
“Afternoon, ladies,” Luke says as he walks in the lounge. He comes over and gives me a kiss and then does the same to Oliver. “How’s it going, Tori?”
“Oh fine. I just came round to talk about the wedding,” Tori replies.
“Okay. And how has my little man been today?” Luke says, turning his attention to Oliver who starts gurgling at him.
“He’s been fine,” I tell him.
“I see he still seems to like the elephant,” Luke says with a wink in my direction. I force a smile so as not to alert him to anything being wrong. “I sense that I am interrupting the two of you. What do you say we leave the women to talk weddings whilst we go for a walk?” Luke says to Oliver. This is met with more gurgles from Oliver.
“What a great idea,” Tori says, and I shoot her a look to tone down her enthusiasm. However, Luke doesn’t seem to notice as he picks Oliver up and starts to get him ready to go in the pram. Tori and I remain silent, waiting for Luke to hurry up. Once he has Oliver ready, he goes to lay him in the pram. “Shall I pick some food up on the way back?” he shouts from the hallway.
“That would be great,” I say, walking into the hallway and placing a kiss on Oliver’s cheek.
“Is Tori staying for tea?” Luke asks.
“Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Okay. We won’t be too long.” Luke gives me a slow kiss on the lips, and I almost feel a piece of myself chip away as the reality of his deceit looms over me. I wave the both of them off and shut the front door behind them. I walk back into the lounge and flop down on the sofa.
“So, he seemed normal,” Tori comments. “He didn’t even mention seeing your boss.”
“I know.”
“Maybe he will when you guys are on your own later?”
“I don’t think so, Tor. Whatever is going on involves the three of them, and me, somehow.”
“Maybe it’s not as bad as you think it is,” she says.
“That’s just it though, I have no idea what to think. It doesn’t make any sense.” We stay quiet for a few moments as we both try to figure out what the missing link to this equation is.
“Do you think Luke had something to do with you getting the PA job for Deana?” Tori asks me.
“Well if I didn’t before then I fucking do now. That’s why his boss was coming out of Deana’s office on my first day as her PA. There has always been a niggling feeling in the back of my mind, but I just kept blocking it out.”
“Shit, Char. What are you going to do?”
