Rachael's Story
Rachael's new house was a modernist edifice set in the middle of farmland just outside the village. Emily was just parking behind Jess and Lauren's cars when Hannah turned in through the gates. Even so, there was plenty of room to pull on to the drive alongside her. The gravel crunched softly under her heels as she stepped out of her car to join Emily. The floodlighting illuminated the white render and cedar boarding. They both raised their eyebrows at its geometric shape and deliberate asymmetry.
Rachael looked a small slight figure silhouetted in the oversized doorway. She was wearing a stunning chartreuse dress with orange splashes and dark olive-green heels. Her ginger hair looked particularly lustrous in the warm light of the hall and framed her freckled elfin face. When they complimented her, she admitted that she had taken the day off and arranged for the children to stay over at her mother's, so she could have it cut in a French bob. She had spent the rest of the day pampering herself and preparing for this evening, obviously out to impress.
She assured them that they didn't need to remove their shoes, so they clattered across the ceramic tiles of the hallway. There was a murmur of admiration as they entered the large airy living room with its full height windows. There was still enough light in the sky to pick out the rolling pasture beyond. It was like something out of a lifestyle magazine.
Rachael went to make the coffee while the group perched on the black leather and chrome chairs around a low glass table. The only decoration seemed to be a couple of large colourful abstract paintings on the white walls. The hard surfaces and lack of ornament made the room quite echoey and Hannah found it hard to catch some of the conversation. Rachael returned with two cafetieres and white porcelain cups on a stainless-steel tray.
"It's a beautiful house," Emily said.
"Thank you. We like it. We moved in nearly a month ago, now," Rachael said, placing a plate of amaretti biscuits on the table. "Would anyone like decaf and help yourselves to milk and sugar." She poured out the coffee and sat in front of the window. "I'd like to reiterate the confidentiality of these meetings," she said. "David is out at the golf club this evening and I have never told him about any of this."
This only served to whet the group's appetite and they quickly assured her that they would never repeat anything.
___
I met David in my post graduate year at university. I'd had boyfriends before, but he was the first guy that actually listened to me and accepted me for what I was. He understood me and didn't try to tell me what to do all the time. When we finished our degrees, I managed to land a training contract with a top architectural practice in London. David was happy to follow and took up a counselling position in a mental health trust. We got married that summer and found a flat to rent over a parade of shops. Money was tight. We were paying back our student loans as well as the rent, but we were together and really happy and we flung ourselves into our careers.
It was going well. I completed my one-year training contract and qualified as a fully-fledged architect. The firm gave me a permanent position and moved me into a team working on office developments under James Gascoigne, one of the junior partners. Although it was well paid, it was highly pressured and he demanded a lot from his staff. I was often working late into the evening. David was really understanding and said he didn't mind. He said it gave him time to prepare for his sessions the following day.
One morning James called me into his office. I was a little apprehensive as this didn't happen very often. "Take a seat, Rachael." He leaned forward across the desk, his dark deep-set eyes piercing me. "How's the Hopkin Road job progressing?"
"Quite well," I said nervously, shuffling slightly in my seat. Actually, I thought we were well ahead of programme, but I didn't like to overplay my hand.
"Will the final design be ready to present to the clients next week?"
I did a quick mental check before nodding. "Yes. We should have everything tied up by then."
He scrutinised me for what seemed like an eternity before finally sitting back.
"Good. I'll confirm the meeting for a week on Friday, the sixteenth. The presentation will be at their Head Office in New York. Is that a problem for you?"
"Err, no." I stammered. He obviously wanted me to join him.
"We'll fly out on the Thursday so we can set things up Friday morning and then give the presentation in the afternoon. It will be too tight to catch the Friday evening flight back so it will have to be overnight on Saturday. But it will give us a bit of spare time in the city. Right, I'll get it organised, thanks Rachael."
My mind was in turmoil as I left his office. I'd never been to the States before and I was elated that he wanted me at the client presentation. However, David and I were supposed to be visiting his mother that Sunday and it was clear I wouldn't be back in time. I hoped he didn't mind. I also needed to buy some clothes!
Of course, David didn't mind. Indeed, he seemed to be as excited as me at the idea of the business trip. They never happened in his line of work. He even came with me to choose a suit. In the end I went for a plain blue-grey wool blend with a knee length pencil skirt. I also picked up a matching bag and a fitted white blouse. David suggested a pair of high heels. "You'll look more authoritative." he said.
I was in and out of James's office all the following week, tweaking the design. It was Wednesday evening before he was finally satisfied with it and we could do a dry run of the presentation. He was pleased with the result and we downloaded it onto both our laptops and a memory stick, just in case.
It was ten o'clock before I got home. I was exhausted. David had cooked a farewell meal not thinking I would be so late. He had waited for me but it was spoilt. I was so tired and wound up, I had no appetite for it anyway, and I still needed to pack. He was obviously disappointed and, to be honest, rather grumpy about it. We went to bed in silence.
By the time I woke, David had already left for work.
It was an afternoon flight, so we didn't need to leave the office until ten. James's car was in the basement, a huge white SUV that swallowed us and our luggage and still looked empty. It was absolutely spotless inside and smelt of fresh lavender. I had decided to pack my suit so it wouldn't get creased on the journey, but I felt out of place in my more comfortable clothes perched on the cream leather seat.
