She's Leaving

She’s Leaving

They were only having coffee together but it was still a shock when Charlie found them. They were looking at each other across the table wistfully, Gemma’s red hair glinted in the May sun, even his wife’s non-descript brown was almost blond.   It wasn’t his wife who noticed him first. Gemma must have said something because Susan spun round, her face creased with anxiety.

    “Charlie, how lovely to see you.” She made to stand and collapsed back, gesturing feebly at her companion. “I think you know Gemma, from down the road, next to the bistro, where we eat, ate once.” The words were too many, cluttering the air.

    “Erm, think so, we met you there didn’t we?” Charlie smiled vaguely and turned to his wife. “So what are you plotting?”

    Susan went still. “We were talking about the school, whether it was good enough.”

    Gemma joined in breezily. “Neither of us are completely sure and we both want to be certain what we think before we get into arguments with our husbands. Men don’t listen very well.” She humphed and when Susan looked away, gave him a dazzling smile.

    His face softened and he gave a small shake of the head. “Mind if I join you? Do you want another coffee, is it too early for a vermouth? Let’s pretend we’re in Italy and that watery globe’s a Mediterranean sun.” He laughed boyishly.

    He burbled and neither woman spoke, only nodding, enthusiastically in Gemma’s case. When he’d removed himself from earshot, they talked over each other, urging care, the need to act unconcerned. The escape wasn’t long away, but still needed total disguise, no warning before the flight.

    Susan and Charlie had met Gemma in the bistro one dull February evening.  She was dining alone and looked miserable. On an impulse Charlie had suggested they asked her to join them.   He waited for his coffee to be poured, looking into the middle distance. When he’d seen her for the first time he’d thought however depressed, she still had more spark than his wife. Her obsessive, repetitive anecdotes about the baby’s lack of sleep had his teeth grinding. And sure enough, his prediction was right. She and him had downed a couple of bottles of wine, as they weren’t breastfeeding. Their mood had risen like a turbo charged balloon. She thanked them for stopping her brooding about her husband being away from home for the second time that week. Charlie’s mouth lifted in a smile at the memory.

    When he returned to their table he noticed they’d moved further apart, placing their bags between them to create a barrier. It made him uneasy, as if they’d been talking intimately before he arrived and were now on guard.

    “Good to get to know your neighbours isn’t it?” he said. “I expect you’re wondering why I’m here and not in the City.” 

    Both women stared at him blankly. 

    “It’s something to do with the holiday, but I’m not saying any more.” As he spoke he clasped his wife’s wrist and looked meaningfully at her. When she flinched, Gemma and Charlie exchanged nervous glances.

    “No don’t say anything.” Susan said. Her pale green eyes held her husband’s for a second. 

     He sagged in his seat, shoulders crumpled, face long. Gemma twisted round, first to her left, then to her right.

    “Susan, do you know where the ladies is?”

    “No, but I’ll go and find it. You keep Charlie company.” Susan spoke firmly and rose from her seat to begin a slow tour of the inside of the café.

     Once her back was to them, Gemma hissed at Charlie: “It’s a disaster you’re here, how the hell did that happen?”

     “I was looking for you. No idea you’d be with her. Wanted to run through things again, can’t help myself, I’m scared, excited, nervous I’ll do something wrong.”

     His girlfriend touched his cheek briefly, unaware of Susan’s return. She watched as Gemma and Charlie exchanged looks, oblivious to everything except their reflections in each other’s eyes. Gemma sighed.

    “You could jeopardise everything. She is listening to my advice, getting ready to leave, using me for cover. You came in like a coiled animal, like you’re wanting her to find out.”

     Charlie shook his head violently.  “No, never. What shall I do? Take a call, disappear?”

     She put her chin in her hand, tracing a pattern on the tablecloth. Looking up at him through darkened eyelashes, she said: “Yes, I’ll ring you, you can make up the conversation, I can get your number without looking. She’d never know it was me. It would turn me on.”

     Charlie gripped the edge of the table to stop himself leaning over and grabbing her. His mouth was open and she wagged her finger at him.

    “Charlie, easy now, we’re so close to the end.”

    He nodded, his face turning purple with the effort of self-control. She saw Susan approaching, put her phone in her lap and sat back.

    Susan slipped into her seat, murmuring about the room being behind the stairs. 

    Gemma stayed put. “Funny, don’t need it now. So where did you say you’re planning to go on holiday?” 

    Neither husband nor wife spoke at first and then both did. Susan gave way to Charlie who said: “We haven’t agreed entirely, I like Italy, Susan wants – ” His phone began to ring. “Excuse me, I must take this.” He stood up awkwardly, his knee catching the table, sploshing coffee onto the cloth. His face reddened as he went outside, phone clutched to his ear.

    Susan looked at Gemma. “Why did you ask about the holiday? You know I’m leaving today.” Her face was friendly, mildly curious.

    Gemma relaxed her shoulders and put her phone back in her bag. “I wanted him to think you had a future together. I know you haven’t,” she patted Susan’s shoulder with a rueful smile, “but he doesn’t. Best keep him that way if you and the kids are going to make a smooth departure.” Her face was concerned and loyal.

    Susan raised her eyebrows, eyes gleaming. “I’ve changed my mind.” She paused, waiting for the flash of panic. She was rewarded with a glare of disappointment and fury, before Gemma adjusted her muscles. 

    “But why, you said –“

    Susan interrupted, her voice silken and light. “I said what you wanted to hear. It amused me to see your clumsy plotting, the two of you like little children. I wasn’t going to let you know I’ve known all along. But then I changed my mind.”

    Her husband was standing by the table. He’d caught her last words, received Gemma’s stricken gaze. His jaw was slack and his wife surveyed him.

    “Charlie. Cheer up, doesn’t mean I’m not leaving you. Just everyone can know now.”

    They watched as she left, moving crisply between the tables, through the door and down the street. She swung her bag on her shoulder, skipped across the road. They watched her out of sight and she didn’t once look back.

ENDS