Happily Ever After_ - Benison Anne O'Reilly [65]
I have mentioned before the immense respect I have for the never-say-die attitude of our reps. One of the reasons why the company takes them away to conferences in luxury resorts is to bolster their egos, which take a daily beating when they’re out on the road. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like all of them and in particular that doesn’t mean I have to like Rosanna. She’s a surly cow, who, when not in sales mode, whinges about everything to do with our marketing campaigns.
I sat down, scoffed the dinner roll and knocked back a glass of Semillon too quickly. I told them about the flying broccoli, as the story of my delinquent child was really rather amusing and seeing I’d missed out on my entrée thought I should at least be able to dine out on that. Alex thought it very funny, Rosanna less so. Why is she so antagonistic to me? I thought. I was the staid old married woman and not in competition for Alex’s charms, considerable though they might be.
I drank another glass of wine and finally my meal arrived. I’d only taken a bite or so when my mobile rang. It was Tony.
‘Where are you?’ I asked.
‘At the hotel - I’ve called in sick with the flu and I’m staying over.’
‘You’re what? You can’t be. Haven’t you remembered you are meant to be picking Isabel up tomorrow morning? I’m at my sales weekend up the coast.’
‘Oh, I forgot. Can’t you get out of it?’
‘No, I am presenting tomorrow morning.’
‘Oh yeah, you mentioned that. Well I can’t help being sick,’ he said.
‘You don’t sound very sick.’
‘Well I am.’
I realised that the other people at my table were looking at me with too much interest. I took myself outside to the balcony to continue our ‘discussion’ in private.
‘Your mother is expecting you to pick up Issy early tomorrow, so that she can go to her ladies’ lunch. She’s going to be livid. I can’t believe you didn’t remember any of this. I told you a million times.’
‘It was not a million times - don’t be stupid.’
‘You could at least be a bit humble about all of this.’ And then a little warning light flashed on in my mind. ‘Tell me - are you alone in that hotel room or do you have company?’
There was the slightest hesitation before he said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘You didn’t answer my question.’
‘Of course I’m alone.’
‘Well let’s face it - you have form.’
‘Huh…I’m just sick, okay.’ I wasn’t completely reassured. ‘Anyway, well, sorry [finally some sort of an apology]. You’ll need to ring my mum and arrange something else I guess.’
‘I’m not ringing your fucking mother! This is your fault.’
‘There is no need to swear.’
‘Oh yes there is.’
‘Look, this is pointless. I really have to go,’ he said coldly. ‘We can continue this argument when I get back on Monday, if that’s what you want. But you’ll just have to ring Mum. I’m sure she’ll be okay about it. I really need to go to bed if I’m going to get better.’ And then he hung up on me, the bastard.
Go to bed to do what? I thought and pressed the recall button on my phone. It went straight through to his voicemail; he’d switched his phone off on me. I rang the number of his Hong Kong hotel, but when I asked reception to put a call through to his room no-one picked up.
Was he deliberately not answering or was he not in his room?
Trouble was, I didn’t have time to think about that right now. I had to arrange something for Isabel the next day. Mum was still away so she was not an option. Dad was bloody hopeless. I tried Nicole, the mother of Isabel’s best friend, Molly. She was apologetic but unfortunately had to attend a christening the next day. Then I had a brain wave and rang Emma.
‘Hi Emma, I have a crisis,’ I quickly explained, omitting the details of the argument. In the official version Tony was legitimately sick. Emma said that was fine, she and Daniel would take Issy to the zoo; it would be fun. I told her not to let go of Issy’s hand and to not let her eat too much junk food, thanked her profusely and rang my mother-in-law