Page 88 of The Last Train Home
‘You’re up the duff.’
‘How the hell did you know that?’ I ask, my mouth dropping open.
‘It was inevitable, wasn’t it?’ he states simply, standing up.
‘Was it? Where are you going?’
‘To the bar to get you something non-boozy and …’ he says, lifting the wine glass and parking it next to his pint, ‘I will take one for the team and drink this too.’
‘Gary. You’re such a champion,’ I say fondly. I’ve really missed him – I’ve missed this.
‘I know. Wine and a pint here, and then a Christmas party. I’ll be calling in sick tomorrow, unsurprisingly,’ he says as he moves towards the bar.
‘Congratulations, by the way,’ he continues when he sits down, after ordering me a mineral water. And then, after we’ve discussed when the baby’s due and how we’ve both been, he says, ‘Two and a half years, Abbie. That’s a long time to have been away.’
‘I know. It’s ridiculous. It wasn’t supposed to have been that long.’
‘I’ve missed you,’ he says. ‘All my co-workers are boring.’
‘Well, I don’t haveanyco-workers,’ I tell him soberly.
‘I think that might be better actually,’ he jokes.
‘I’ve missed you too, by the way. I kind of miss all of it, you know … the way it used to be.’
‘Yeah, I know. Fun times. You know the company had an office move?’
‘I didnotknow that. Where are they now?’
‘Closer to Oxford Street.’
‘Oooh, that could have been handy for shopping. Not so handy for my bank balance.’ And then I think about the kind of trek that would have been from Natasha’s flat in Docklands. I couldn’t have done that on a pushbike.
‘I’ve got a new girlfriend,’ Gary interrupts my thoughts, announcing it proudly. ‘I’m taking her skating at Somerset House tomorrow evening, if I can stand up straight and get rid of the impending hangover.’
‘I did that with Sean when we first got together,’ I tell him.
‘And look at you now,’ Gary says. ‘From meeting him in the pub that time with me, to getting married and becoming pregnant.’
‘Nothing stays the same,’ I say.
‘Thank God for that,’ Gary replies wisely.
Chapter 56
Abbie
January 2010
Sean straps himself into his airline seat as we prepare to leave our friends and family far behind, once again. It’s been a wonderful Christmas. And such a chilled New Year’s Eve, which we spent with Natasha and Will at their flat – our old flat – watching the fireworks go off all across the City, lighting up the London skyline. I’m sure more skyscrapers have gone up while I’ve been away. Sean looks relaxed for the first time since we left Singapore, back in his spiritual home – business class.
‘Let’s never do that again,’ he says, pulling his belt tighter and casting his eyes around for the cabin crew and the tray of champagne.
My eyes shoot wide open. ‘What? Come home? Didn’t you enjoy seeing your parents over Christmas?’
‘Yeah, that was nice. But other than that, the trip was … awful.’
My mouth drops open to link the rest of my face in a totally startled look of shock. ‘No, it wasn’t.’
