‘Your warmth is melting me.’ I laughed, relishing in the fact I’d made progress.
We left that shop with several large, stiff carrier bags, each with pastel baby feet printed all over, and I hugged them as we walked the high street because they were the closest thing to my child I could hug. Then I stopped in my tracks as the warmth and love drained from my veins.
‘I have nowhere to live,’ I said. The bags suddenly felt huge as I realised they wouldn’t be going in my walk-in wardrobe.
‘Is this some extreme case of “nesting”? I’ve heard about this,’ Kate said.
‘No, it’s not nesting, Kate. I’m sleeping in Megan’s spare room – thank you, Megan. But since I’m not going back to James, I need to find a place.’ I was suddenly unable to think of anything else.
‘We can look,’ Megan said. ‘I don’t know where your finances lie but figure it out and we’ll look together.’ She smiled warmly, and I nodded gratefully in return.
‘Okay, thank you.’ I took a breath, pushing aside the niggly stressed feeling that had swamped me.
Kate glanced at her watch. ‘Ladies, it’s time to go back to the garage.’
When we returned, Billy was sporting a particularly large grin on his face. ‘I did exactly what you asked, miss,’ he said, the corner of his mouth twitching. ‘Are you ready?’
We all nodded. Kate and I had no idea what Megan had chosen. Billy beckoned us through and we followed into the workshop where the car sat, covered by a huge silky cover.
‘We do these big reveals after a job.’ He shrugged. ‘Ever since that Pimp My Ride show was popular we’ve always done one, you know – the show with Xzibit?’
Looking at the other two, I was glad to find I wasn’t the only one sporting a blank expression.
‘We’re ready to see it!’ Megan said.
Billy whipped off the sheet and we all gasped before bursting into fits of giggles.
‘A bloody unicorn!’ Kate said, taking in the pink, purple, and white image spread across the bonnet.
‘And his name!’ Megan smirked, pointing out the word ‘Mike’ underneath, ‘You know how much he loved people to know he had a Mercedes.’ Her voice trembled with mirth.
I took in the glittery border and the rainbow above the creature and turned to Billy. ‘You’re really quite talented.’
‘Thanks, love. I don’t usually get requests like this one – most people want flames and things down the sides of old American classics, or more commonly just a whole panel respray.’ He rubbed at his chin. ‘We do a lot of work vans and things. Can’t say we’ve ever done a new Merc before! That particular stencil was for a nursery minibus, but they went bust years ago. Haven’t had much use for it since.’
‘It’s perfect.’ Megan beamed.
‘And colour coordinated too,’ Kate piped up.
All that was left now was the delightful task of returning it to the same spot in the car park at the tile warehouse.
Chapter Eighteen
‘Seventeen missed calls,’ Megan said, nervously tapping her fingers. It was seven o’clock, and we were sitting around her kitchen table drinking tea. ‘There are voicemails too.’
‘Should we listen?’ I asked.
‘We should listen,’ Kate said.
Megan chewed her lip again. ‘Okay.’ She played the first on the loudspeaker.
‘Megan, something has happened to my car.’ Mike’s breathing was heavy and his voice unsteady. ‘Call me back when you get this.’ Beep.
We burst into a fit of giggles before Megan played the next one.
‘Look, I know you hate me, but I really need you to check and see if the spare key fob is at the house. Mine isn’t working, and something has, er, well . . .’ Beep.
She played the next one.
‘Megan!’ he barked. ‘Does this have something to do with you?’ Beep.
Kate smirked. ‘Well, it sounds like he’s sweating.’
‘Oh, I’d have loved to see his face,’ Megan said wistfully.
‘I don’t know what his problem is,’ I said, giggling. ‘It looked beautiful! That Billy had a real talent. I’m thinking of asking him to do the nursery, if I ever find a place to live.’
We were startled by a knock on the door. Megan glanced at us.
‘Well don’t look at me, it’s your house,’ Kate said.
‘Probably just Sam,’ I said, and Megan nodded in agreement before getting up and heading down the hallway.
There were some muffled voices. A man. Kate frowned at me, and I turned my head to listen better. The voices increased.
‘Megan, I don’t care. My name is on the deeds and I’m coming in.’
Mike.
Without saying a word, Kate and I rose simultaneously and went out into the hallway.
‘You’re not coming in!’ she shouted as we stood flanking her in solidarity. ‘You don’t live here any more.’
‘It’s a shame all the lawyers we know are on the dark side,’ Kate quipped, just loud enough for me to hear.
‘You did this to my car, didn’t you?’ Mike was seething, and he forced his words out with such hatred, spittle came with them and began to congeal on his bottom lip. My nausea returned and I retched.
‘I know, he’s completely gross. Imagine sleeping with him?’ Kate whispered. ‘How did he ever get a gorgeous fiancée and a bit on the side?’
‘It’s pregnancy,’ I managed to murmur back.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Megan told Mike.
‘You.’ He shook an accusatory finger at her. ‘You will pay for this. I’ll be reporting this jealous little act of vandalism to the police.’ He fixed his glare upon her. ‘I’ll get a lawyer. And you will pay.’ He jabbed his finger at her again. ‘You will pay.’ With that, he turned and went down the short driveway, getting into a car at the end.
‘I’m surprised he didn’t have to come on the bus,’ I said, remembering his mistress’s lack of car.
‘That was his work colleague, Matt,’ Megan said. ‘What do I do now? You heard him, he’s going to the police.’
I placed a hand on Megan’s
