The Other Woman(17)

I smiled through gritted teeth. ‘Looks lovely, Pammie.’

‘You sit here,’ she said. ‘And Adam, that’s you there. Sit, and I’ll go and get the other two.’

I looked at him as she left the room, and tilted my head towards the empty seat, its place setting laid out just as beautifully as the other three.

‘Oh, that’s for James, my brother,’ he replied, in answer to my silent question. ‘He showed up unexpectedly on Christmas Eve and he’s been here ever since. Thought I told you that on the phone?’

I shook my head.

‘James,’ Pammie called out. ‘Dinner’s ready.’

I looked at the plate in front of me. Even if I hadn’t eaten for a week, I still wouldn’t be able to get through this mountain of vegetables. I could just about see the corners of the thick turkey slices poking out from beneath two Yorkshire puddings. The colour of the crockery was unknown.

My bloated stomach groaned and I discreetly undid the top two buttons of my skin-tight trousers as I sat down. Thank God for my long blouse, as I was straight back up again as James walked into the room.

‘Don’t get up on my account.’ He smiled, holding out his hand. ‘Nice to meet you, finally.’

Finally? I liked that. It implied that we’d been together longer than we really had. And Adam had clearly spoken about me.

I smiled tightly, suddenly aware of how awkward it felt to be sat with a complete, yet very relevant, stranger.

Adam hadn’t spoken much about James, aside from to say that they were polar opposites: Adam worked in a high-pressured job in the city, whereas James had started up a small landscaping business on the Kent–Sussex borders. Adam was the first to admit that he was motivated by money, yet James was quite happy to live from one day to the next, as long as he was outside doing what he loved.

I watched him as he sat down, then reached across for the salt and pepper, his mannerisms the same as Adam’s. They looked very much alike too, except James had longer hair and sharper features, his face unlined and without the telling strain of working in the city.

Maybe we’d all look like that if we weren’t out there, slaving away, fighting for the next deal and, no doubt, working ourselves into an early grave. Meanwhile, he just ambles along, doing what he loves, and hey, if he gets paid for it too, that’s just a bonus.

‘James here has had a bit of girl trouble,’ whispered Pammie conspiratorially.

‘Mum,’ he moaned. ‘I’m sure Emily doesn’t want to know about that.’

‘Of course she does,’ she said indignantly. ‘There isn’t a woman in this world who doesn’t love a gossip.’

I smiled and nodded, still summoning the strength to pick up my knife and fork.

‘Mind you, we’re not quite sure she was right for him in the first place, are we?’ she went on, clasping her hand around his as it rested on the table between mouthfuls.

‘Mum, please.’

‘I’m just saying, that’s all. Just saying what everyone is thinking. She had a lot of, what shall we call them? Issues. And if you ask me, he’s better off out of it.’

I managed a small bite of everything, bar the Brussels sprouts, eight of which were lolling about in a swathe of gravy.

‘Oh, goodness,’ Pammie cried, as she caught me putting my cutlery down. ‘Do you not like it? Have I done something wrong?’

‘Not at all,’ I replied, embarrassed by the boys’ concerned looks. ‘I’m just—’

‘You said you’d be hungry, though, didn’t you?’ she went on. ‘You said you’d be wanting tea when you got here?’

I nodded mutely. This isn’t tea from where I come from.

‘You feeling okay, Em?’ Adam asked.

‘Ah, young love,’ chirped Pammie. ‘I remember when my Jim used to fuss over me.’

‘Mum’s gone to a lot of trouble,’ said Adam quietly.

‘I’m fine, and it’s lovely, honestly – I’m just taking a break,’ I said, head down.

‘But Em, you’ve hardly touched it,’ she went on. The ‘Em’ seemed to sound sarcastic, like a taunting child in a playground.

I looked at her then, square in the eyes, careful to keep my features soft. She returned my stare, but I could have sworn there was almost a glint of smug satisfaction.

‘So, how’s things in the recruitment business?’ James asked me brightly.

Another tick. Adam’s certainly made himself busy.

‘I’m sure Emily doesn’t want to talk about work.’ Pammie laughed.

‘Sorry, I . . .’ he faltered.

‘I don’t mind,’ I said honestly. Anything to distract me from what was on my plate. ‘It’s still pretty strong in the sectors I work in, though the ever-present threat of online recruiting is snapping at our heels.’

He nodded. ‘And I guess the IT industry is hotter than ever?’ he said, patting Adam on the shoulder. ‘If anything this fella says is to go by.’

‘Ah, has he been bigging himself up again?’ I said, laughing. ‘The hot-shot IT executive.’

‘Something like that,’ James said, smiling.

‘I keep telling him that it’s old hat,’ I joked. ‘This tech thing will never last.’