made for each other! We’re a perfectly matched pair.’
Janey frowned. ‘I thought you loathed him.’
‘I did.’ Maxine gave her an apologetic look. ‘Well, I thought I did. But what I really loathed was the fact that ‘I knew he’d end up hurting you. You see, it was like watching a re-run of me and Maurice. You know what I’m like, Janey. I simply can’t handle nice, dependable men. The better they treat me, the worse I behave. If a man’s going to keep me on my toes, keep me interested, he needs to be a bastard, someone I can fight with. I don’t mean getting beaten up,’
she added hastily, as Janey’s eyebrows rose. ‘I’m not into black eyes and teeth flying in all directions. ‘I just need someone I don’t trust enough to take for granted.’
Maxine was rattling on at a furious pace, putting across every argument she could think of.
Strangely, thought Janey, it rang true. It might be weird, but it made sense.
‘I know it’s masochistic,’ Maxine went on. ‘I’m a hopeless case. But if it’s easy, there’s no buzz. And I need that buzz ...’
Uncomfortably aware that she was once again echoing Maxine’s own words to her, Janey said, ‘There’s still Nina.
You say Bruno’s going to leave her. What makes you think he will?’
‘I don’t have to think.’ The gulls were still wheeling noisily overhead. Maxine suppressed an urge to hurl the champagne bottle at them. Meeting Janey’s concerned gaze, she recalled Bruno’s phone call earlier this morning. ‘I know,’ she said simply. ‘He already has.’
They had finished retracing their steps. Janey’s white beach shoes were awash with sand.
By the time they’d made their way back up the high street, it was almost midday.
‘Alan will be home any minute now,’ she said, fishing in her pocket for the front-door key.
‘If you’d like to stay for lunch, you’re very welcome. Or is Guy expecting you back?’
‘Special dispensation,’ Maxine replied with an unnecessary glance at her watch. She had already arranged to meet Bruno at the Dune Bar at twelve-thirty. Somehow a cosy foursome didn’t seem appropriate. ‘Guy’s given me the afternoon off; he’s taking the kids over to Mimi Margason’s house for lunch. She’s the woman whose party you went to, isn’t she? I’ve never met her, but she sounds wild.’
‘She is.’ Janey wondered if she would ever see Mimi again. She had the uncomfortable feeling that bridges were being burnt. Unless they came into the shop, she might never even see Guy and the children again, either. ‘She’s outrageous. And very, very nice.’
‘Ah well, in that case I probably wouldn’t like her,’ Maxine replied. ‘As I said, nice people make me nervous. Apart from you,’ she added cheerfully. ‘Sisters don’t count.’
‘So will you stay for lunch?’
‘I can’t.’ By this time they had reached the shop. Taking a step forward, Maxine kissed Janey’s cold cheek. ‘I’m seeing Bruno. It’s a bit of an awkward situation, isn’t it?’
‘It’s certainly unusual.’ Janey smiled. ‘I dare say we’ll get used to it.’
‘We’re both happy,’ said Maxine, wishing she didn’t feel so guilty. ‘We’ve both got the men we really and truly want. There’s only one thing left to do now, to round it off.’
‘What’s that?’
Maxine grinned. ‘Find some poor long-suffering female for Guy.’
Chapter 43
Bruno evidently didn’t believe in wasting time. Maxine, only a few minutes late, arrived at the Dune Bar to find him deep in conversation with an extremely pretty brunette, pouring her a glass of Chardonnay with one hand and jangling two sets of keys in the other.
‘And about time too,’ he complained when Maxine joined them. ‘I don’t think you know Pearl, do you? I’ve just been telling her how madly in love with you I am, and how you’ve changed my life for ever. Think what an idiot I’d have looked if you hadn’t turned up.’
‘He’s definitely a changed man,’ Pearl declared, eyeing Maxine with undisguised curiosity.
‘I only came over to invite him to a party tomorrow night and he hasn’t stopped talking about you for the last twenty minutes. He won’t even come to the party.’
Bruno, eyes glittering with amusement, slid his arm around Maxine’s waist. ‘I’d only get chatted up by women with designs on my body,’ he complained. ‘There’s only one woman in my life from now on. Who needs parties, when we have each other?’
‘Boring old fart,’ said Maxine, helping herself to wine. ‘I like parties. If I was invited to one, I’d go.’
‘You can both come.’ Pearl scribbled the address on the back of a beer mat. Grinning at Maxine, who evidently met with her approval, she said, ‘It’ll be fun.’
Bruno had picked up the beer mat. Maxine promptly whisked it from his grasp.
‘I’ll definitely be there, but Bruno might not,’ she said smoothly. ‘He doesn’t need parties any more, you see. He’d only get chatted up by women with designs on his body.’
‘Thanks,’ said Bruno, when Pearl had left.
‘What’s the problem?’ Maxine demanded. ‘Afraid you won’t be able to resist a bit of temptation?’
‘Look, we both know you aren’t going to any party tomorrow night. Guy’s away and you’re looking after the kids. I only said no because I didn’t think you’d want me to go on my own,’ he said with a trace of exasperation. ‘I thought you wouldn’t trust me.’
‘So what are we supposed to do?’ Maxine countered. ‘Trot along to the nearest hospital and ask to be surgically joined at the hip? Sweetheart, we’re just going to have to learn to trust each other. I’m not going to try and stop you doing anything you want to do and you’re certainly not going to stop me. You can chat up Michelle Pfeiffer if you
