Cheradine- Lost and found

Chapter 36

The next day Nadine keeps herself busy. She’s hardly off the phone – sorting out bill payments, booking the car in for a service, all the mundane things that accumulate from maintaining a residence in two different places.

If she’s occupied and active then she doesn’t have time to sit around and obsess over those three little words. Because until Cheryl tells her to her face, she refuses to believe that the Geordie means it.

There’s a mantra running round her head and has been even since last night: I will not freak out, I will not overreact, I will not run screaming around the house like a raving lunatic.

Despite every hour, every minute being meticulously planned to minimise time spent dwelling on the absent Geordie, the day and evening drag until, finally, Cheryl calls shortly before midnight (not that Nadine’s been pacing for the past forty minutes, anxiously turning her mobile over in her hands, anxiety turning to irritation and then morbid fear).

“Hey, sorry to phone so late,” Cheryl says.

Any residual annoyance Nadine feels rapidly drains away at the audible fatigue in the other woman’s voice. “It’s okay. How’s your day been?”

“Long. I’m glad it’s over.”

“Is that you headin’ to the hotel?” It’s sounds like Cheryl’s in a car from the background noise.

“No, I decided to get on the last flight back to London. Couldn’t face another hotel room.” There’s a pause. “Can I come over?”

Nadine almost laughs, because, really, does Cheryl need to ask? “I suppose you could, yes.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m sitting outside your flat.”

Nadine wanders over to window and peers out into the street. Right enough there’s a sleek black BMW idling at the kerb. Beneath the light of the streetlamp she sees Cheryl wave at her from the back seat of the car.

“Are you gonna let us in or are you gonna standing there gawkin’ all night?”

***

Nadine’s barely had time to put on a bit of lippy and run a brush through her hair to make herself presentable before the doorbell goes. 

“You could’ve warned me you were comin’,” she says, feeling severely underdressed compared to Cheryl in her tottering heels and impeccable styling as the Geordie steps through the door.

Cheryl gives her an unimpressed look. “Oh, shall I go then?”

“No,” Nadine sighs and tugs the other woman further inside by the wrist. “It’s just... I would’ve made an effort if I’d known,” she says, gesturing vaguely at the scruffy jeans and t-shirt combo she has on.

Cheryl’s eyes soften and she places her arms around Nadine’s waist. “Babe, you could be wearin’ a bin bag and I wouldn’t care. I’d still think you’re stunnin’.”

Nadine makes a dubious face only for Cheryl to lean in and kiss away her frown.

A minute later the Geordie pulls back, dark gaze catching and holding on to Nadine’s.

There’s a faraway look in her eyes that Nadine hasn’t quite seen before, not directed at her anyway. It’s a bit like the way Cheryl used to look at Ashley, before the stories emerged about his first affair, but it’s different being on the receiving end. It causes her palpitations, makes her stomach flip and triggers all kinds of physiological gymnastics.

“Do you want a cuppa? Or shall I run you a bath?” she offers, disentangling herself from Cheryl because she suddenly feels like she can’t breathe.

“A bath would be amazin’,” Cheryl practically moans as she kicks off her shoes, provoking an inadvertent flashback to their phone ‘conversation’ last night.

Nadine fights a blush and tells the other woman to make herself comfy before disappearing upstairs.