though.’
Rowan sighed. ‘Look, I’ve got to go, Naomi’s crying. I really am sorry, Rachel. I feel just awful about last night. And tell Shali that I’m not that sort of bloke, really I’m not.’
‘I know,’ said Rachel. ‘Let’s speak in a few days, okay?’
‘Okay,’ said Rowan and they hung up.
Rachel sat looking at the phone. She was sure Rowan did feel awful but he was right, what a mess. Damn Harry; she was sure he was partly to blame by getting Rowan so drunk in the first place.
Harry came round later that afternoon and collapsed on a chair in the kitchen as she made bacon sandwiches for them both.
‘Well, I feel bloody awful,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Anyway, it was actually not a bad night for one of your work dos. And I think you’ll agree that I was pretty well behaved. I didn’t fall over or insult anyone and you had plenty of time to go off hobnobbing. I didn’t even make a fuss about the fact that you got me a suit that made me look a total arse.’
Harry got up and put his arms around Rachel’s waist and kissed the back of her neck as she fried the bacon. ‘So how were you thinking of rewarding my good behaviour?’ he asked, pushing himself up against her.
Rachel stiffened and then turned round.
Harry stepped backwards slightly.
‘Harry, last night was a total disaster.’
‘Was it? Why?’ Harry looked confused.
‘How did Rowan end up getting so drunk?’
Harry grinned. ‘He was rubbish at spoof, kept losing and it was a double shot penalty each time.’
‘You played drinking games?’
‘We had to amuse ourselves somehow while you were off brown-nosing with the big chiefs,’ replied Harry.
‘I was not brown-nosing, I was circulating; there’s a big difference. And anyway, it’s important that I catch up with the right people at these things. I don’t get that many opportunities as we’re all so busy.’
‘So you keep telling me,’ said Harry. ‘Anyway, what’s wrong with a few drinking games?’
‘Well, Rowan was off his face thanks to you, and as a result he and Shali ended up in some side room and, well, you know…’
She hadn’t told Harry about seeing Carl Stephens in the hotel over lunch, so there seemed little point in also mentioning Rowan’s unhelpful comments.
‘He never did! The old dog. He did say that Shali had been coming on to him a bit during dinner.’
Rachel looked at Harry in surprise. ‘Did he? What did he say?’
‘Nothing much, just that she was flirting with him and that if he wanted to he could probably get off with her. He asked me what I thought,’ said Harry.
‘What did you say?’
‘I told him he should grab it with both hands, make hay while the sun shined, so to speak. Sounds like he did just that,’ said Harry, laughing.
‘You did not!’ Rachel was horrified.
‘I did − what’s wrong with that? He’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.’
‘Did you not think about the fact that he’s married and has a new baby?’
‘That’s his lookout. And anyway, that wasn’t what he asked me,’ said Harry.
‘So that’s your view of marriage is it − doesn’t matter when it comes to a quick shag. If you’re offered it on a plate, you take it?’ Rachel couldn’t hide the warning note in her voice.
‘Rachel, this isn’t about me, it’s about Rowan,’ said Harry, shifting uncomfortably.
‘I know it is, but you got him drunk and you encouraged him.’
‘Oh right, so it’s my fault now, is it? I knew you’d end up finding something wrong about last night. Never mind how hard I try, still not right for perfect Rachel,’ said Harry, glaring at her.
‘Last night was you trying hard, was it? I’d hate to see what you’d be like on a night when you didn’t try then. You could hardly stand up by the end of the evening.’
Rachel felt close to tears. Harry took his sandwich and they ate in silence.
‘Think maybe I should go after this,’ he said after a pause.
‘No, don’t,’ said
Rowan sighed. ‘Look, I’ve got to go, Naomi’s crying. I really am sorry, Rachel. I feel just awful about last night. And tell Shali that I’m not that sort of bloke, really I’m not.’
‘I know,’ said Rachel. ‘Let’s speak in a few days, okay?’
‘Okay,’ said Rowan and they hung up.
Rachel sat looking at the phone. She was sure Rowan did feel awful but he was right, what a mess. Damn Harry; she was sure he was partly to blame by getting Rowan so drunk in the first place.
Harry came round later that afternoon and collapsed on a chair in the kitchen as she made bacon sandwiches for them both.
‘Well, I feel bloody awful,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Anyway, it was actually not a bad night for one of your work dos. And I think you’ll agree that I was pretty well behaved. I didn’t fall over or insult anyone and you had plenty of time to go off hobnobbing. I didn’t even make a fuss about the fact that you got me a suit that made me look a total arse.’
Harry got up and put his arms around Rachel’s waist and kissed the back of her neck as she fried the bacon. ‘So how were you thinking of rewarding my good behaviour?’ he asked, pushing himself up against her.
Rachel stiffened and then turned round.
Harry stepped backwards slightly.
‘Harry, last night was a total disaster.’
‘Was it? Why?’ Harry looked confused.
‘How did Rowan end up getting so drunk?’
Harry grinned. ‘He was rubbish at spoof, kept losing and it was a double shot penalty each time.’
‘You played drinking games?’
‘We had to amuse ourselves somehow while you were off brown-nosing with the big chiefs,’ replied Harry.
‘I was not brown-nosing, I was circulating; there’s a big difference. And anyway, it’s important that I catch up with the right people at these things. I don’t get that many opportunities as we’re all so busy.’
‘So you keep telling me,’ said Harry. ‘Anyway, what’s wrong with a few drinking games?’
‘Well, Rowan was off his face thanks to you, and as a result he and Shali ended up in some side room and, well, you know…’
She hadn’t told Harry about seeing Carl Stephens in the hotel over lunch, so there seemed little point in also mentioning Rowan’s unhelpful comments.
‘He never did! The old dog. He did say that Shali had been coming on to him a bit during dinner.’
Rachel looked at Harry in surprise. ‘Did he? What did he say?’
‘Nothing much, just that she was flirting with him and that if he wanted to he could probably get off with her. He asked me what I thought,’ said Harry.
‘What did you say?’
‘I told him he should grab it with both hands, make hay while the sun shined, so to speak. Sounds like he did just that,’ said Harry, laughing.
‘You did not!’ Rachel was horrified.
‘I did − what’s wrong with that? He’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.’
‘Did you not think about the fact that he’s married and has a new baby?’
‘That’s his lookout. And anyway, that wasn’t what he asked me,’ said Harry.
‘So that’s your view of marriage is it − doesn’t matter when it comes to a quick shag. If you’re offered it on a plate, you take it?’ Rachel couldn’t hide the warning note in her voice.
‘Rachel, this isn’t about me, it’s about Rowan,’ said Harry, shifting uncomfortably.
‘I know it is, but you got him drunk and you encouraged him.’
‘Oh right, so it’s my fault now, is it? I knew you’d end up finding something wrong about last night. Never mind how hard I try, still not right for perfect Rachel,’ said Harry, glaring at her.
‘Last night was you trying hard, was it? I’d hate to see what you’d be like on a night when you didn’t try then. You could hardly stand up by the end of the evening.’
Rachel felt close to tears. Harry took his sandwich and they ate in silence.
‘Think maybe I should go after this,’ he said after a pause.
‘No, don’t,’ said
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