The First Mistake(80)

‘Hi,’ she says, finding her voice.

‘I’m just popping to the bank to make sure everything’s finalized, ready for Monday.’

She looks at him. ‘Oh, I thought you did that yesterday?’ It’s a question she expects him to answer.

‘Er, yeah, I did.’

‘So, what do you need to go again for?’

‘Erm . . . they need your passport,’ he says, though Alice may be imagining the hesitation.

She unlocks her desk drawer and blindly sifts through the mess of paperwork, make-up and stationery that’s in there.

‘There it is,’ tuts Nathan, leaning in to retrieve it from underneath a chequebook and some fabric samples.

‘Wait!’ says Alice, grabbing hold of his wrist. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘There’s no need. I literally just need to drop it in so they can take a quick copy.’

‘All the same, I should come,’ she says. ‘Just in case they need anything else.’

‘It’s honestly a waste of your time. It’ll be a two-minute job.’

Alice starts picking up her phone and keys from the desk. ‘No problem – I could do with getting out of here for a bit.’

‘This is ridiculous.’ Nathan lets out a huff as she ushers him out of her office. ‘It doesn’t take two of us to go to the bank.’

‘Come on, we can chat on the way,’ says Alice.

He stops at the bottom of the stairs and turns around to face her. ‘Look, stop!’ he says, his brow vexed.

Alice stops in her tracks.

‘I didn’t go to the bank yesterday,’ he says abruptly, his eyes avoiding hers.

It takes a moment for Alice to process the admission. ‘But you said—’

‘I know what I said, but I didn’t go.’

So now it’s beginning to come out. He’s got himself into a hole and knows that I’m about to discover that he wasn’t where he said he was.

‘So, where were you?’ she asks, her heart in her mouth. It seems to take forever for him to answer.

‘I was trying to get something for Livvy.’

That’s the last thing she was expecting. ‘Sorry, what?’

‘For her birthday . . .’

He’s speaking to her as if she’s stupid, as if she should understand what he’s saying; but she can’t, for the life of her, work out what Olivia’s birthday has to do with him not going to the bank.

‘I wanted it to be a surprise,’ he goes on.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says, shaking her head. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I told you I’d gone to the bank yesterday afternoon, but I went to see someone about a present for Livvy.’

Alice raises her eyebrows, waiting for more.

‘I went to look at a dog.’

‘A dog?’ she repeats incredulously. ‘Since when have we wanted a dog?’

‘It’s just something that Livvy mentioned a little while back and I thought it might be a good idea. I wanted it to be a surprise for all of you.’

‘Isn’t that something that you and I should discuss first?’ asks Alice. ‘I’m not sure that I would want one just now. It’s a huge commitment.’

‘Yeah, I know, but I think it would be fun.’

‘Where did you go then?’ asks Alice. ‘To see this dog.’

‘It was over Kent way.’

‘And?’ she asks, trying hard not to let her doubt in his story show in her voice.

‘And what?’

‘Did you like it?’

‘Er, no, it wasn’t right for us.’

‘What was it?’

‘Mmm, it was one of those crossbreeds, like a labradoodle or something.’

‘Ah cute,’ says Alice. ‘What colour?’

‘Chocolate brown,’ he says, quicker now, warming to the theme.

Alice looks in his eyes, trying to see any hint of deceit. ‘So why are you telling me this now?’

‘Because you’ve put me in a corner,’ he says, as if he’s aggrieved. ‘It’s going to be obvious, when we get to the bank, that I didn’t go yesterday. But if you hadn’t insisted on coming . . .’

Alice refuses to take the bait and opens the door to the car park. She walks briskly around the corner, leaving Nathan to catch up.

‘And what about Josh?’ she asks, as they fall in line with each other on the high street, narrowly missing a collision with a twin buggy. ‘Or was it Joe?’

‘They should ban those things,’ says Nathan in an effort to change the subject.

‘So, Josh?’ presses Alice, not letting him off. ‘Where did you meet him? Or is that a lie as well?’

‘I’m not lying Alice,’ he says. ‘Jesus, I just wanted it to be a surprise.’

‘The dog part or the Josh part?’

‘You’re being ridiculous,’ he says wearily. ‘I got the train down to see the dog and bumped into Josh at Waterloo, on my way back. He was just heading home after work and one beer turned into three . . . you know how it is.’

‘So, what time did you get in?’ she asks as he holds the door to the bank open for her.