London? Pah! What, at a tile conference? How can she not see what he’s up to?
‘Somewhere that does a good cocktail would be nice,’ she added, breaking my thoughts.
Great food, cocktails, and cheating bastard men. ‘Brilliant. I know just the place.’
The Halcyon Hotel was just as swish as I’d remembered, with its dark, luxurious wallpaper and gold and silver accessories. The doorman wore a smart grey uniform, complemented by a top hat, and held the door open for us as we walked in.
‘This is nice,’ Megan said, drawing out the word nice in a way that might have been annoying had I not felt so sorry for her in anticipation of what was to come. I just smiled and nodded in response.
‘Head to the bar and I’ll see about a table in the restaurant.’ I pointed her in the right direction.
The restaurant was dead, but the waitress still kept me waiting whilst she decided if she could seat us. If eating there wasn’t part of my plan to catch Moonlighting Mike, I’d have left. Mike was nowhere to be seen, but the waitress decided she could, in fact, accommodate a table for two after umming and ahhing, then consulting with a higher power, despite the fact the place was empty. At least my plan was on track. I knew the chances were good that Mike and waitress-woman would be dining there at some point, since an early bird dinner was part of the package and that was due to start soon. I’d just have to drag the meal out, which wouldn’t be too difficult.
I strode into the bar, ready to settle in for a long evening, but Megan wasn’t there. I scanned the room quickly and then checked the ladies’ loos, stopping for a quick pump of Molton Brown hand cream. But she wasn’t there either. It was odd. I stood in the lobby and started to feel confused. My heart rate even picked up a little. I was so close. Where the bloody hell had she gone?
The doorman popped his head inside. ‘Excuse me, madam, are you looking for your friend? She just left. She was in quite a hurry.’
Left? Why would she leave? ‘Okay, thank you.’ I forced a smile, yet everything else sagged. I’d been so close, yet for a second time, I’d failed. I knew I could be a little irritating at times but just ditching me seemed harsh. She’d better have a good excuse. Since I was there and the pornstar martinis were apparently the best in Manchester, I decided one couldn’t hurt and traipsed back into the bar and perched on a stool – James would be out or barricaded in his office anyway.
The room was dimly lit in a typically modern boutique style. It followed the same colour scheme as the rest of the hotel – rich grey-brown-coloured walls and metallic features. It was nice, although it was probably a clever Las-Vegas-style sales tactic to trick you into thinking it was evening any time of the day. The barman placed my drink down, and as I took my first sip, I glanced around to take in the rest of the room. That’s when I saw it.
A disgusting entanglement of two very deceptive people.
Chapter Four
‘I didn’t know where else to go,’ Megan sobbed as I opened my door to her much earlier than she was due to arrive.
‘Oh, Megan, what’s the matter?’ I asked, bracing myself. She fanned her face with her hand, unable to speak, so I ushered her inside. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’
She sat at the breakfast bar and I looked her over discreetly. She was a shadow of herself. Her eyes were marred by dark circles, and her face was pink and blotchy. Her sandy-brown hair looked unwashed and hung limply around her face. She scraped it back, taking a hair tie off her wrist to secure it in a messy ponytail, then slumped back into the chair, her frame swimming in an oversized sweater. She was usually so well turned out that it was a shock to see her like that but even in the state she was in, I couldn’t help but notice that she still looked pretty.
She glanced up. Catching me staring, she shook her head. ‘It’s Mike.’ Her voice trembled while I focused intently, ready to catch the pieces she was about to splinter into.
‘I caught him cheating on me!’ Her floodgates opened as I gasped and clasped my hand to my mouth for effect.
I furrowed my brows. ‘What? Are you sure?’ I asked, trying my best to appear shocked.
She nodded. ‘That’s why I left the other night at the hotel. I saw them at the bar and I didn’t know what to do. I just ran off and caught a bus home. I’m so sorry for leaving you there, Charlotte.’
She wrapped her arms around herself as I felt a pang in my chest. I wasn’t sure if the root cause was guilt or profound sadness, but I felt a sense of responsibility to Megan to make sure she got through it. Without speaking, I walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug, not caring that her tears soaked through my T-shirt, dampening my shoulder.
‘Oh, Megan, don’t worry about me. I just can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say.’ I patted her back.
She sniffled. ‘There’s nothing to say – he’s a bastard and that’s it. I can’t believe I was going to marry him.’ Her face was haunting, and my stomach churned seeing her in that state. A small niggling voice in the back of my head was questioning whether I should have stayed out of it in the first place. The affair could have fizzled out and they could have had a long and happy marriage had I not interfered.
‘I’m just
