Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 31

Anna had been ringing and texting him without success practically all day.  Now that she had failed to join him in Dublin he would be thinking that she didn't want to be with him, that she preferred the company of her laptop and books to him.

She swirled the wine around in the bottom of her glass and took up her phone again.

"Please speak to me How, I hate it when you're like this.  I'm sorry.  I tried to join you at the airport but there were no seats left.  I love you. A."

She sent the message and put the phone down again.  Sighing heavily, she went over and turned her laptop off.  It had been impossible to study for her exam.  She couldn't get him out of her mind.  Even though he could be stubborn, he'd always answered her before now when they'd had rows in the past.

It was getting late now, almost midnight.  Chloe and Maisie had long since gone to bed.  The house was quiet and somehow felt empty without him.  Like her missing him had seeped out into the house.  She got up from the desk and turned out the lights, doing the same in the hall and going up to her bedroom, taking her phone with her to have one last try once she was in bed.

As she got comfortable, she thought she heard a noise from the nightstand on Howard's side of the bed.  Leaning over towards it, she heard it again, this time it was coming from the floor.  She got out of bed and then she saw it.  His phone!  The dozy so and so hadn't taken his phone with him!

At once she laughed with relief.  That explained why he wasn't answering her.  He hadn't got her messages because his phone was still at home.  She picked it up and saw that other people, Jason, Gary and Andy had left him messages throughout the afternoon and evening.

She snuggled back down in bed feeling much happier.  Picking up the house phone, she rang for the number for the Clarence, tapping the number into her phone as it was read out to her.  

It was now late and she decided that she would wait until the following day to ring him.  She would phone in the afternoon, he liked to sleep late if he could while away from home.  She was still smiling as she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day she and Maisie went for a walk in the park before going into town to get Howard's birthday present.  This done, she hurried to meet Chris in the coffee bar at the Quays, close to where they had lived in Jason's apartment.  She and Chris were getting on better now, although there was a noticeable chill in the air if she talked too long about Howard.  Chris still seemed to have little or no faith in him.  But they had come to an unspoken agreement that both would have to accept the fact that he was something that they would just have to agree to differ over.  For the time being, Chris was happy because Anna was happy.

Chris was full of her latest conversation and outing with Jason.  They were still just friends.  She seemed to have come to terms with the situation between them now, and enjoyed her time with him more now that she had accepted it.

"We went to the opening of a new studio last night," she said as she sipped her coffee.  

"Oh, what kind of studio?" asked Anna as she handed Maisie a biscuit in her buggy.

"Photography.  There was a kind of mini exhibition on.  We didn't stay for long," said Chris taking a bite of her sandwich.  "Was a new company just starting off in the area.  Apparently they're quite good.  But you know me, one picture's the same as another.  Jason said that one of the partners used to photograph the band when they were starting out.  Think she was using all the contacts she's got to get things underway."

"Bet they'll be using it in their ads then!  Photographers to Take That!" laughed Anna.

"Yeah wouldn't be surprised.  The woman seemed the sort to do that.  You know what I mean, all boobs and no brain!  Name was Gina or Dina or something like that.  Anyway, we didn't stay long.  Then we went to the pictures for a proper night out!" she giggled.  "Popcorn and everything!"