Love, Suzi x - A Romantic Comedy

Letter 37 - 'So what was it you had to tell me?'

‘How are things Suzi? Have you missed me?’ Ed continued.

‘Of course,’ I replied as JJ turned to say something to Paula who was sitting on his other side. ‘Only just managed to make it through. Missed me?’

‘Of course.’ Ed mimicked. ‘Only just…’

‘… I get the idea,’ I interjected slapping him playfully on the arm.

‘Sorry I haven’t been in touch recently,’ Ed continued. ‘Had a few things to sort out.’

I wanted to ask if Candy was one of the things he’d had to sort out but Ed leaned closer and whispered. ‘It is really good to see you Suzi. I was hoping we’d run into each other again. I want to spend more time getting to know you.’ I stared Ed straight in the eye to check he wasn’t teasing me again. His brown eyes held mine. He linked his arm in mine and held my hand. Whoa! Things were looking even better than I’d hoped. My heart gave a little flutter. Must be the double espresso I’d had for breakfast to wake me up.

The waterfront came up quickly and our boat suddenly bumped into the others as we slid alongside the cluster of empty vessels huddled together at our destination. The only way to reach the quayside was to use them as stepping stones. As I turned to pick up the bag at my feet I caught Paula making a face at Kim and then beckon her head in my direction as she stood up in front blocking our exit.

‘And this is Kim and Paula,’ I continued motioning towards them. Perhaps if I made a grand gesture and included them they would stop being so unfriendly towards me for the rest of the trip.

Ed could have been reading my mind. He gracefully extended his hand out and helped steady Paula across the bobbing boats until she reached the safety of land. In front of me Kim had pretended to stagger clutching out at JJ who gallantly held her arm until she was safe. It was only as the four of them stood on the side that they remembered me and turned to watch as I struggled, wobbling across the uneven wooden decks towards them.

‘Come on Suz…we haven’t got all day,’ JJ called as they walked off, the two girls slotting nicely into step beside the men.

I followed a pace behind them until we stopped to look at a display of gold jewellery. Kim giggled as she picked up a huge solitaire and held it out to JJ.

‘I’ll have this one,’ she stated placing it on her wedding ring finger and holding it out to show him.

‘Hmmm…’ JJ grunted. ‘Not if I have my way.’ By even stopping we had attracted the attention of the stall holder and it was a good few minutes later that we managed to extract ourselves from his insistent protestations of giving us an unmissable bargain offer.

The two girls and JJ continued in front and I found myself walking along with Ed. He casually took my arm in his and turned to me.

‘So what was it you had to tell me?’

I hesitated. How could I tell him that he was going out with a real bitch who had tried to get me fired and then come round to my house to berate me?

‘Come on Suzi. We’re friends aren’t we? What is it?’

What should I do? Perhaps if I see how much he already knows. ‘Thanks for my stockings. Did you get my present?’ I enquired. If he knew about the boxers then he must have seen that the parcel had been opened.

‘Oh, so it was you. They were great, thanks,’ he replied a little perplexed. ‘Not quite my taste though. They were a joke?’

‘Of course, didn’t the note explain it?’

‘What note. There wasn’t one, that’s why I didn’t know they were from you.’

‘That’s odd. I put a note folded inside the material.’

‘Well there was nothing when I took them out. I looked because I wanted to know who had been so generous to send me such a quality present.’ He smiled at me.

‘How did you get the present?’ I enquired further. Candy must have taken out my note and then sealed up the box again.

‘Oh, Candy took it in when I was away. The box was a bit battered and half open though. Maybe the note fell out.’

So that’s how she’d got away with it, by pretending the parcel had been opened in transit.

‘Was that it? What you wanted to tell me?’ Ed continued.

We had reached the others who were clustered around another display of jewellery.

‘Which one should I choose, Suz?’ Ed asked me clearly thinking the subject of the parcel was over.

‘Choose for what?’ More games. What did he mean now? Were he and Candy getting engaged? I couldn’t let him do that. She was deceitful and vindictive. I’m sure he didn’t know what she was truly like. He didn’t deserve that.

‘If I was going to ask someone to marry me?’

Oh, that old chestnut. I looked for the most horrible ring I could find and pointed at a really garish, ornate monstrosity. ‘That one’s bound to bring you happiness.’ I replied flippantly. ‘I’m sure Candy will love it.’ I couldn’t help it. If he was going through with it then it was only right that she should have something horrid to wear on her finger to match her personality.

‘And if I wasn’t going to ask Candy?’ He looked me straight in the eyes. It was the first time I’d ever seen him so serious.

‘Why, have you got a string of girls to propose to?’ I answered casually. ‘What’s she like, this secret love of yours? Give me a clue and I’ll make a more informed choice.’

‘What if she was someone like you?’

Really Eve, for a moment I didn’t know what to say. ‘Oh, I want something much more stylish. And much more expensive.’ I joked to diffuse the moment, pointing to an exquisite gold ring encrusted with tiny diamonds. ‘And that’s just for starters. Of course, I’d need earrings and a necklace to go with it.’

‘That’s the trouble with you women,’ JJ commented coming up to us and putting his arm around my shoulders. ‘You’re never satisfied. Whatever we buy for you, it’s not enough. Now, excuse us would you, Ed? I need Suzi for the moment.’

As JJ led me away I looked at Ed standing by the display. He had his hands in his pockets and was obviously displeased. I turned to face him, shrugged my shoulders and opened my hands in a gesture of reluctance. JJ was propelling me towards the doorway of a carpet shop with such force I couldn’t resist.

‘Thought you needed some help in getting away from his clutches,’ JJ confided as soon as we were inside the dark interior. ‘He seems a right bore. How do you know him anyway?’

My heart sank. I had been quite enjoying Ed’s attention again. After his comment on the boat and then the one about the ring I felt as though we were getting somewhere. But it was far easier to be flippant and try to skim over the consequences of his words than question his motive. I stood stroking the soft silk rug hanging on the wall next to me.

‘Oh, I met him when I was on a trip to L.A.’

‘But he’s Flight Deck, Suz. You know, The Enemy. You don’t want to be fraternising with him.’

‘I think he’s quite cute,’ Kim chipped in emerging from behind a large pile of carpets. ‘He could fraternise with me any day.’

When we came out of the shop Ed was nowhere to be seen. As we wandered around the Souq I kept my eyes out for him but he must have gone back to the hotel as he’d completely disappeared. Check-out was later that evening and I spent the rest of the day on my own reading in a quiet corner of the hotel gardens. When I couldn’t stand the intense heat anymore I made my way back up to my room to pack.

Love, Suzi x

Many thanks for reading. You can find out more at www.teresahamilton.co.uk