Wendy's Weeend

"And this is my wife Wendy," my husband Jamie said as a tall, athletic man with short, greying hair turned to greet me.

"Hi Wendy, I'm Andy. Pleased to meet you."

The man smiled, extending his hand. I shook it smiling back at my husband's new Boss, noting the sharp suit, white shirt, highly polished shoes and Mediterranean tan, as if he'd deliberately modelled himself on a cover from Fortune Magazine.

"Nice to meet you too, Andy," I replied, turning on the charm, holding his hand perhaps a little longer than absolutely necessary and deliberately making eye contact. "James has told me a lot about you and your plans. It's an exciting time."

Quite attractive, I thought as he finally released my hand. No, very attractive in fact - and he knows it too I added to myself a little bitchily. He was tall, in his forties and, now I was close up, I could see he was also very athletic. There was an aura of charisma about him that went some way towards explaining his meteoric business success.

There was something familiar about him too that niggled at the back of my mind but I dismissed the thought and concentrated on making a good impression on the man who had just bought the company for which my husband worked.

In truth this wasn't difficult because he seemed to be directing all his considerable charm in my direction. Flattered, I listened while he explained how the new business would fit into his larger IT empire and how important the staff within my husband's company were to the business' future.

It was mostly a repeat of the main points of the presentation he had just made in the company's in-house theatre but there were enough elements of detail and elaboration to make it interesting even to a layman like me.

My husband Jamie -- James at work -- was on the Operating Board of a large software company. Also in his forties, Jamie had been extremely successful himself since he had left university and was considered one of three high flyers expected to take over the business when the current CEO and principal shareholder retired. This was expected to be within three years so there had been a certain amount of jockeying for position within the Board in anticipation of the event.

Jamie was tall and dark, still handsome and quite fit but now carried a little extra weight around his middle. I had to confess, it matched the little extra I now carried on my hips. In my defence I was still only a size twelve, was still considered quite good-looking and was working on recovering my figure.

It was an uphill struggle.

We had met at University on a weekend trip to Glastonbury during our final year. It had been lust at first sight; he had easily seduced and bedded me under the stars the night we met and after freeing myself of my current boyfriend, we had been together ever since.

As this story begins, we were still childless despite years of marriage. For many years we had told ourselves that our failure to conceive was because of our busy lifestyles and the fact that we hadn't really been 'trying for a baby'. Eventually however, biological clocks had intervened and in recent weeks we had been seeing an IVF specialist, organised through the company's heavily subsidised healthcare programme. We wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise in our current financial position.

Our life plan was ambitious but if we really focussed, we believed it was achievable. Jamie would become CEO with a substantial shareholding; we would have two children in quick succession, twins if possible for convenience, I would complete my Masters and move on to a PhD; we would become millionaires.

The takeover of the business by IT-USA, a large overseas competitor had been an entirely unexpected and completely unwelcome disruption to this plan.

IT-USA had grown rapidly by the aggressive acquisition of smaller, less forceful competitors. It was rumoured to be in some financial difficulties but these hadn't stopped it from undertaking the hostile takeover of the business in which my husband worked.

It was also well known for parachuting management into its overseas acquisitions rather than using home-grown talent, and would usually follow this with a programme of asset-stripping. At the very least, Jamie's job was at serious risk so we were both very anxious when Andy Brown, the founder and CEO of IT-USA had arrived and made the presentation to the whole nervous staff that had just taken place.

He had been mostly reassuring as far as the workforce was concerned; they had, he said, bought the business for its development talent as much as for its brands, but from things he had hinted, the Senior Management was due for a shake-up.

This really was something to worry about.

Apart from potentially thwarting our life-plans, the takeover had come at a terrible time for Jamie and me because we had just completed the purchase of a large house in one of the most select areas of our city. The price, though enormous, had been attractive for a property of that size so we had taken out a large bridging loan and moved quickly to make sure it became ours.

When our 'old' house was sold, the borrowings would reduce to a still-large but more manageable level but property wasn't selling very quickly and ours had become 'stuck'. This debt, added to our original mortgage, the two car loans and the cost of our apartment in France meant we were so 'highly geared' that, if Jamie lost his job, we would immediately become bankrupt.

Jamie's therefore had convince Andy how irreplaceable he was to the new organisation. My role was to help him do this in any way I could. Our future and that of our still-to-be-conceived children depended on it.

I was so deep in thought over this I didn't notice that the crowd was dissipating and the foyer was becoming less crowded.

"You don't recognise me, do you Wendy?" a soft voice at my elbow asked. "You haven't changed -- but I hope I have."

I turned to find Andy by my side, offering me my third glass of champagne within the hour. A little wrong-footed, I took it and smiled at his handsome face, somewhat puzzled.

"Have we met before?" I asked, genuinely nonplussed.

"You could say that," he continued, still smiling. "Remember University? Remember your second year? Remember Glastonbury?"

Suddenly the strange feeling I had been having made sense. A cold chill came over me.

"Glastonbury? Oh my God!" I exclaimed, genuinely shocked. "You're not Andy Jacobson, are you?"

He positively beamed.

"I wondered how long it would take; I could tell you knew something wasn't quite right. I know I changed my name but has the rest of me really changed that much?"

"Massively," I answered honestly. "Unbelievably! You used to be such a... I mean so..."

"Such a dork, you meant to say," he interrupted, still smiling.

"No... I..." I mumbled, flushing with embarrassment.

"Don't worry Wendy," he said, taking my elbow and gently steering me towards a quiet corner of the room. "It's true, I was a dork. I hope I've grown out of it now though," he smiled disarmingly.

"I can't believe it," I said truthfully, my voice shaky and nervous.

Andy Jacobson had been a friend at University. He had very nearly become an intimate friend but then Glastonbury had intervened and Jamie had swept me off my feet. I had felt bad about Andy; it had been his parents' contacts that had got us the half dozen tickets for our little group in the first place and it had been my leading him on that had made the whole weekend possible.

Andy had fancied me for at least two years before that weekend. I hadn't been kind to him; several times I had let him kiss and fondle me when I had been drunk, miserable, single or all three but I had always dumped him immediately afterwards.

To be honest, I had led him on terribly over the whole Glastonbury event, hinting that if he managed to get us all tickets I might actually share a tent with him with the clear implication that things would take place within that tent.

Of course when I met Jamie at the festival all my priorities changed and poor Andy had been forced to share a small tent with two other male friends while Jamie and I monopolised the one Andy and I were supposed to be inhabiting.

Andy had been badly upset, lying in the dark listening to the girl he loved having sex with another boy after she had promised herself to him.

I had been cruel to him about it the morning after but at least it had brought his infatuation with me to an end and after all, Jamie and I had gone the distance and got married.

Still, I wasn't particularly proud of myself or my behaviour and felt extremely awkward meeting my former admirer again, especially when he had both me and Jamie at a disadvantage.

"So what have you been up to since Uni?" I asked, desperate not to reminding him of my former cruelty. "I know about the business from Mike and that's fantastic, but what about all the rest?"

He looked relieved, as if pleased to have got the hardest part out of the way.

"Well, I'm divorced after seven years of marriage. I live in West London - temporarily."

"Do you have a family?" I asked. He laughed mirthlessly again.

"It appears that I am infertile. Can you believe my luck? After all those years getting myself together; getting my confidence back, growing the business and finally marrying a gorgeous wife, I couldn't make a baby of my own with her. Where's the justice in that?"

"I'm so sorry," I said, thinking of our own parallel situation. "Was that what...?"

"What went wrong with our marriage?"

"Sorry. That was a bit personal," I blushed.

"Not at all; you're an old friend Wendy. My first love in fact. If I'm honest, it was a big part of the problem but not the only part. I'm pleased you and James are still together. No kids for you either?"

"Not yet. We've been trying but no luck so far. I suppose my career got in the way for too long. I just hope it's not too late."

"You're using the company's IVF and fertility scheme, I hope?"

"Yes. It's a great thing to have. I doubt we could have afforded treatment without it," I told him truthfully, amazed at how much I felt able to open up to this man I hadn't set eyes on for over twenty years.

"Make the most of it," he advised. "I'm not sure how long we can afford to keep it going. Still, if it allows our best engineers to stay working for longer I expect it's money well spent!"

"We're very grateful," I smiled. Andy looked at his watch and frowned.

"I'm really sorry Wendy but I've got to meet the financial press now. I'd love to catch up with you and James very soon. How about I take the two of you to dinner on Wednesday?"

"That would be lovely."

"Okay that's settled. And it's my treat. How about the Waterfall restaurant at the Shard? Eight o'clock?"

And so it was agreed. My millionaire former boyfriend smiled and kissed me on the cheek before joining his PR team and a small knot of press men with cameras.

***

"You mean he's THAT Andy?" my husband's voice was full of disbelief.

We were undressing in the huge bedroom of our wonderful new house later that evening. I had just told Jamie about my conversation with the new owner of the business and a little of my own history with this unexpectedly important man.

"Yes, and he couldn't have been nicer to me!"

"Thank God for that," he sighed. "It will be hard enough hanging on to my job without my new boss holding grudges against me."

I hadn't told Jamie the whole truth of how badly I had treated Andy over the whole Glastonbury incident and had taken care afterwards to ensure that they never actually met at University.

I didn't want my husband to know just how hard and manipulative his wife had once been in case he believed me capable of being so again. All Jamie knew was that Andy had once had a serious crush on me and that I had got rid of him the day after Jamie had first seduced me.

"Just make sure you're really nice to him now, okay?" he smiled.

"Well I've got off to a good start, haven't I? It's not every Director he's invited to the Shard. I must have done something right."

I did a few other things right that night too, culminating in my gorgeous husband inseminating my hopefully-fertile body once again with the clear intention of making a baby in me.

It didn't work.

***

Wednesday evening came quickly after a couple of busy days at college. Jamie was hardly to be seen at home since the takeover; he along with the other Directors were seeing who could spend most time at their desks looking indispensable.

Despite having me as his secret weapon, Jamie was playing the game as hard as anyone so he and I hadn't spoken much since that first evening. Indeed when my taxi drew up outside the tower's busy entrance I hadn't exchanged more than a few words with him in nearly two days.

Dinner at the Shard being definitely a special occasion, I had dressed carefully both to make a good impression on my husband's boss and to show Andy that he wasn't the only one who had weathered the years well. My short black cocktail dress had been hauled from the depths of the wardrobe and I was wearing it with black tights, high heels and my best gold jewellery. Add to that a black shawl over my shoulders and an expensively finished hairstyle and I felt fantastic. I couldn't wait for my husband to arrive and see me at my very best.

But as I stood waiting, I felt a buzzing from my handbag. I opened it to find my phone ringing and the words 'Jamie mobile' on the screen.

"Hi! Where have you reached?" I asked cheerfully.

"I'm still at my desk," came the miserable reply.

"But I'm standing here waiting," I protested.

"I know. Andy needs a report doing before the US closes at midnight. I thought I could get it done by five o'clock but it's taking much longer."

"Why on earth does he need it then? He's not going back to work at midnight is he?"

"I'm afraid that's exactly what he plans to do. He's done it half a dozen times already. There's a problem with a cash transfer and he's got to catch New York before they close."

"So what am I supposed to do here on my own?" I asked petulantly.

"You're not on your own. Go and have dinner with your 'Old Friend'," he said.

"Can't I call in sick?" I asked, dreading being alone with an ex-boyfriend who even I believed I had treated very badly.

"Stand up my Boss? Are you out of your mind Wendy?"

Less than ten minutes later I walked through the thick glass doors of the Shard's thirty-fourth floor restaurant and into the main dining room. I gasped; the walls were all windows; glass from floor to ceiling, the internal walls were glass too and the view across London was simply stunning.

A pretty black-dressed waitress approached me. I gave her Andy's name and she showed me to a table for two set in a private corner next to the outside wall. As I neared the table, Andy rose to greet me.

"Wendy! I'm so pleased you came. I'm so sorry about James."

He took my hand in his and kissed me politely on the cheek like an old friend. We sat facing each other across the table, the incredible view immediately to my left.

"It is an amazing place, isn't it?" he said as if in awe himself.

"Do you eat here often?"

"It's my first time. I wanted to take you somewhere special. Both of you," he added hastily.

"Jamie's really sorry but..."

"I know. He called me. I'm sorry too but tonight's call to the US is important. It always is important where money and Americans are involved. Still it gives us a chance to talk about old times without boring the pants off him."

I smiled stiffly; the last thing I wanted was to talk about old times and old sins with a man I had mistreated twenty years ago. But he was my husband's Boss and for the moment held our financial future in his hands so the least I could do was chat with him for an hour or so.

In fact we chatted for nearly three hours. The food was delicious, the surroundings were breathtaking and to my surprise, Andy was a really entertaining person. We gazed through the glass together, spotting famous landmarks in the dark and Andy regaled me with fascinating stories from his career. He was genuinely interested in me too, in my life and what I thought of the major issues around us; quite unlike the other men I had met through work, my husband included.

To my relief, difficult or awkward subjects simply didn't come up. The closest we came to discussing Glastonbury was when I asked him why he had changed his name. He told me that after he and I had 'fallen out' (to use his expression) he had managed to hold things together until the final exams were over but had then gone through a serious breakdown.

He had been admitted to hospital and when he was released his parents had sent him to stay with relatives in America to recover and start a new life. Separated from painful remainders, he had thrived in his new environment, changed his name to his relatives' and started the business from their back bedroom.

The rest, he told me, was history. The business had boomed, he had met his ex wife at work and they had lived together happily for many years before their marriage began to break down. I told him all about Jamie, making sure to stress all his good points, about our plans together and about our rather late-in-the-day desire to have children.

After dinner we walked together through the brightly lit streets and it seemed only natural for me to slip my arm through his. As he put me in a taxi and waved me on my way home I realised how quickly the time had passed and what a really wonderful evening it had been.

I did feel guilty when I reached home and found my husband's side of the bed still empty.

I'm not sure when he joined me but when I woke around three-thirty in the morning he was alongside me, fast asleep.

***

"How was your evening?" Jamie asked over breakfast the following morning.

"Great," I replied and told him all that had happened - perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "It's such a shame you couldn't make it."

His face was glum; it couldn't all be a result of missing a good dinner. I asked him what was wrong.

"The business is running out of money fast. It's basically in good shape but the takeover has used up too much working capital and we're in danger of defaulting on some of our loans. Andy might be a computer genius but he didn't make a good call buying us. They were short of cash before but now..." he left the words hanging.

My husband didn't need to explain; if IT-USA went under then our main source of income would go and we would be bankrupt -- both houses, both cars and the French property would be lost. What was more, our chances of fertility treatment would be gone too.

It was unthinkable.

"Can't Andy raise funds in the US?" I asked simplistically.

"The business is very profitable but it's heavily in debt already," he replied. "The banks are being ultra-cautious. I know he's working on one Lender of Last Resort but he says they're a bit strange. Hell! Is that the time?"

And with that my anxious husband kissed me on the cheek and ran for his car.

My own day was interrupted many times by worries about our financial future interspersed with memories of my lovely evening with Andy. I could hardly believe how much he had changed and how little he bore the grudge that my unforgiveable behaviour had deserved. The fact that it had contributed to his breakdown made his attitude even more extraordinary.

I began to have quite an admiration for the man and was both surprised and delighted when he phoned to ask me for lunch the following week. Not us, just me!

"Frankly the closer you can get to him, the better," my husband had said when I had told him.

I had half expected Jamie to be angry or jealous but he was neither. In our financial position, practicality had to overcome all emotions.