The Selfless Gene

Chapter 28

Thame jolts awake, his skin clammy from a heavy sweat. It seems his shakes hadn't stopped during his slumber. Calmer now, he manages to nod back off for an hour before his coffee with Isabella. He knows he should cancel but he wants to see her. His time at Mbozi's has left him raw, completely open. Isabella was an old wound he'd not yet healed; why not rip it right open again? Thame is emotional, he needs a shower somewhere, and a good solid night's sleep. He takes his bag, slips his passports in his pocket and leaves for the cafe. Even if they find his car, at least his important belongings would be safe.

Arriving only a couple of minutes before Isabella was due, Thame orders her favourite coffee, a tea for himself and hunkers down in the corner. In just two minutes, the morning rush took off and quickly filled the artisanal cafe.

Isa arrives in a professional but stylish outfit, every bit the self-possessed woman, comfortable in her own skin. He had never forgotten her beauty, and he can still see glimpses of the look that first attracted him to her. But now she was that and more. She'd found that 'something more' in herself; there was a confidence in her body language that clearly spoke to those around her. Thame gets up to greet her and his legs wobble slightly, not just from his recent exertions. They hug, but awkwardly, barely touching each other.

"Hi, hi." Isabella sounds as if she'd rushed there from the train. She places her bag and coat on a chair and makes as if to go and queue.

"Oh, I've got you a coffee." Thame offers and nudges it towards her.

"Great. Thanks." She sits back down and takes a sip. "Wow, you remembered." Thame half smiles, embarrassed. Of course he remembers. He remembers everything about her, about how happy they were until she left him in the middle of a holiday.

"How was the big trip? And work? It's been a long time."

"Great. Spent a lot of time in Italy actually." Thame lies and Isabella notices the same tell that drove her away. Thame isn't sure if he's hiding the fact that he's emotionally bleeding out right in front of her.

"I see. Italy is amazing. What did you do. Day to day? See loads of churches?"

"Something like that. Actually really got in touch with nature. Gave myself to the land." If she only knew.

"Gave yourself to the land...God have you become a hippy?"

Thame laughs; it was just the pretentious statement that they would once have mocked together. "Ok, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that I worked some fruit and vegetable farms, backpacked a bit, watched the stars and sunsets rather than just stayed in a hotel getting drunk."

"And work? I heard you were a high flyer."

"Well, a year off certainly changes that! I quit. Got some things to sort in the next couple of weeks but then I'll get back to something."

"Same thing?"

"No, definitely my own boss. Doing what exactly, who knows... all ideas welcome!" Thame accepts that small talk is where they're at, but he needs to know more about The Intern. Pushing aside his tangle of emotions, he takes the plunge.

"So, how's the wedding planning going?"

Isabella puffs out her cheeks. "It's definitely going." She takes a sip of her coffee. Thame can't make out if she's really into it.

"Most is done. My fiance's got a planner to help with a lot of it. I'm just trying to bring in the personal touches."

"Your Auntie must be beside herself with excitement."

"She's unbelievable. Up to about a day ago she was playing it very cool. Now she's absolutely nuts! Questioning decisions, telling me to add this and that. Trying to get distant relatives invited."

"Sounds like she's really happy."

Isabella smiles and nods. "And you, meet anyone in Italy?"

"No one special. I met a couple of people who've really made an impact on my outlook in life, but romantically? No. For most of it, it was just me and a friend." A great big bloody beast that lives inside my blood, obviously. "How did you meet your fiance?"

"Night out. Some tossers picked a fight and he helped us."

"Knight in shining armour."

Isabella shoots him a 'screw you' look that stings his open wound. He should be civil and just open the dialogue, but any emotional control deserted him the second the knife left his hand last night.

"Look, Isa. I know your fiance."

Isabella stops dead mid-sip.

"I also know what he is and what his company really does."

"I knew you'd do this. We couldn't just have a civil conversation and be pleasant for Andrea's sake. What, he is really evil? You can save me? He is a massive liar and can't be trusted?"

"He's..." Thame begins again, but his lack of positivity has kicked open years of buried anger and frustration in Isabella.

"Who was that in Croatia? The woman? Grey hair and those eyes?"

Shit. Paimona.

"You think I was cheating on you with an old lady while we were on holiday?" Thame replies with an air of mockery.

"No, you tool. What's the relation to you?"

Thame doesn't say anything. How could he? Oh yeah, your fiance is a murdering, raping deviant who only likes you to get at me as I killed his replacement father and idol. That old woman? She's my nanny from another place and is over a thousand of years old. Obviously, Isabella.

Isabella picks up her things and puts on her coat.

"So ten days before my wedding you come back and try this stunt. Bullshit. Arsehole. I can't deal with you, ever."

"You're not safe."

"You're right, I'm not. From you. That woman killed my parents. I don't know how you're involved but I don't care. I love him, Thame. He loves me. We trust each other. Now fuck off."

Isabella leaves without a backward glance as Thame shrinks back into his chair, accutely aware of other customer's eyes on him. It was the most subtle final exchange. He takes a defeated sip of his tea. Paimona was in The Order at that time. He thought he'd hidden it from Isa but clearly not well enough. Now he understood why she left - fight or flight. She was angry, scared and betrayed by the person she was supposed to trust the most. The Intern had taken Thame's place. But, still, she hadn't fallen out of love with him. Perhaps the opposite.