Only Lover Read online

  ‘Are you going to lunch?’ the actress asked.

  ‘Well, I was, yes.’

  ‘Good,’ Laura Bennett smiled at her. ‘Perhaps I can join you for coffee or something?’

  Farrah’s eyes widened. ‘J-join me?’

  ‘Why not? We’re two adults, surely we can act as such?’

  Farrah wasn’t so sure about that, she had seen the other woman’s temper the last time they met. ‘I guess so,’ she said reluctantly. ‘But I was only going to the local café. It isn’t very smart, I’m afraid.’ She didn’t understand this woman’s behaviour, but she felt sure her manner owed nothing to friendliness. Goodness, she had looked ready to scratch her eyes out last Saturday!

  Laura Bennett led the way over to a low green sports car parked precariously on the forecourt. ‘I think we can do a little better than that,’ she said smoothly.

  Farrah drew back. ‘I don’t think so. I only have an hour for lunch.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Laura flicked open the passenger door before walking round to slide in behind the wheel. She looked up at Farrah as she still stood outside the car. ‘You’ll be back within the hour.’

  ‘I don’t see the need for this,’ Farrah denied. ‘We can’t have anything to talk about, Miss Bennett.’

  Laura Bennett gave a tinkling laugh, flicking back her long hair as she turned on the ignition. ‘I think you underestimate the situation, Miss Halliday. Although Joel may have made our friendship seem casual I can assure you I don’t regard it as such. Now would you get in the car?’

  ‘I don’t think—’

  ‘Get in!’ Laura Bennett’s voice hardened to anger.

  Farrah did as she was told, recognising a force of character to equal Joel’s. The other woman didn’t seem in a hurry to start their conversation, and Farrah was no more eager, and consequently the short drive to one of the rather well-known restaurants in town was accomplished in complete silence, a rather uneasy silence on Farrah’s part, but the other woman seemed very relaxed and self-assured.

  The waiter saw them seated and had served them with plates of smoked salmon before Laura Bennett spoke again. ‘How long have you known Joel?’ she asked casually.

  Farrah knew there was nothing casual about it, and she wished she had had the strength of character to refuse to come with this woman who could only ever feel dislike for her. ‘I’ve worked at Falcone’s for three years,’ she answered evasively.

  The other woman nibbled delicately at a piece of smoked salmon. ‘That doesn’t exactly answer my question, now does it?’

  ‘Maybe not,’ Farrah said sullenly.

  ‘So?’

  ‘So I don’t think it’s me you should be talking to. Joel would be able to answer your questions so much better than I.’ Farrah herself ignored the food, wishing only to escape.

  ‘Oh, I’ve already spoken to Joel, a very enlightening conversation,’ she said with satisfaction.

  ‘You—you’ve spoken to Joel?’ She couldn’t help her surprise. But why should she be? These two had been friends a long time, they were business partners, and that gave them an intimacy that excluded others.

  ‘Mmm. He called me from America. He called you too, I gather? A pity he couldn’t have told you then.’ But she didn’t look very sorry about it. ‘Joel wanted to tell you himself, of course, but found it impossible to do.’

  ‘Found what impossible?’ Farrah asked with a feeling of dread.

  ‘I’d really rather not be the one to tell you this, but you know how men are about these things. Joel realises now that things between you must end,’ Laura Bennett patted delicately at her mouth with her serviette. ‘Do eat something, my dear, it’s delicious.’

  ‘No, thank you,’ Farrah replied stiffly. ‘What did Joel want you to tell me, Miss Bennett?’

  ‘Only that he realises he made a mistake by getting involved with you. I think you should know that the two of us intend getting married as soon as he returns, in fact I would say our relationship is already back on its normal footing.’

  On the eve of his departure, Joel had been with this woman! No wonder he didn’t want to see Farrah that evening, he had already been heavily engaged. And yet somehow this didn’t ring true. Joel wasn’t the type of man to send Laura Bennett to tell her he had changed his mind about their pretence. He might be ruthless and arrogant, but he had never been deliberately cruel where she was concerned.

  No, something was definitely wrong here. Joel’s words about this woman had been no less harsh during their brief telephone conversation, he had still seemed to despise her. So what was Laura Bennett doing here? Why bother to tell her that Joel didn’t want to see her again, surely she could be expected to know that when Joel didn’t call her again. And yet he hadn’t! Not for two days now, and he had told Fiona to tell her he was sorry! She had thought he meant for the argument they had had, but it could just as well have been for the news this woman was so enjoying giving her. Oh God, yes, it could! Farrah’s shoulders slumped.

  Laura Bennett gave a satisfied smile, Farrah’s thoughts blatantly transparent to her narrowed eyes. ‘I hope I can count on you being sensible about this,’ she carried on smoothly, pressing home her point. ‘This could all be very embarrassing for Joel when he returns, now that he realises his mistake in involving you in our silly quarrel.’

  ‘He should have thought of that earlier!’ snapped Farrah. ‘It wasn’t my idea to go out together.’

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t,’ soothed the older woman. ‘Joel’s a very attractive man, I know that. He must seem very sophisticated to a young girl like you.’

  Farrah looked at her sharply. This woman didn’t know of their bargain, and if she didn’t know that then how could she be sure she was telling her the truth about Joel?

  ‘You must surely understand that you can’t possibly go on working for Joel?’

  ‘Are you trying to tell me that Joel wants me to leave Falcone’s?’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’

  Farrah smiled. ‘You must think me very naïve,’ she said stiffly. ‘I may not know Joel as well as you do, but I certainly know him well enough to know he wouldn’t send you to tell me our—our—’

  ‘Affair,’ Laura Bennett put in sharply.

  Farrah’s eyes flashed. ‘Yes, affair! Joel wouldn’t end things like this. I know he wouldn’t.’ She now felt more confident. Whatever this woman knew about herself and Joel, she didn’t know of their bargain, and if she didn’t know about that then she didn’t know anything.

  ‘Joel soon tires of these little relationships with other women. We’ve been friends for so long, you see, and I know him so well. But this affair means nothing to Joel. Nothing! And let me tell you, we’ll be back together once he returns.’

  ‘I didn’t come here to argue with you, Miss Bennett,’ Farrah said calmly. ‘When I hear from Joel’s own lips that he doesn’t want to see me any more, then maybe I’ll believe it, until then I think it would be better if we both forgot this conversation ever took place.’

  Laura Bennett’s mouth tightened perceptibly. ‘Don’t get clever with me, little girl. If I tell you to leave Joel alone, then that’s exactly what I want you to do. You’re only the latest of many, and I’m trying to help you and save some of your pride.’

  Farrah almost laughed at this. And Joel had said no one would be hurt! Well, he was right about himself and Laura, the only reason she was reacting now was through pique. But she was being hurt even if they weren’t. ‘You’re trying to help yourself, Miss Bennett.’ She stood up, pushing her chair back clumsily. ‘Excuse me, but I don’t think we have any more to say to each other.’

  Two bright red spots of colour appeared on the other woman’s cheeks, evidence of her blazing anger. ‘I haven’t finished with you yet!’

  ‘Then I’m sorry, but I have no intention of listening to any more.’ Farrah spun on her heel and made her way across the restaurant, her head held high. A waiter rushed forward to open the door for he
r and she walked out blindly, colliding with one of the two men just about to enter. ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, the tears in her eyes giving her only a fuzzy outline of the two men.

  Someone grasped her arm. ‘Farrah!’

  She blinked rapidly, partly dispersing the unshed tears and at last being able to see who was speaking to her. ‘Simon!’ she sighed her relief.

  His eyes narrowed at her pale face. ‘Are you all right, Farrah?’

  She moved out of his grasp. ‘Yes—yes, I’m fine.’ She glanced frantically behind her, fervently hoping Laura Bennett hadn’t decided to follow her out of the restaurant. ‘I was just leaving,’ she added, when no sign could be seen of the other woman.

  ‘Why don’t you join us for a coffee?’ he persisted.

  ‘No—no, I don’t think so.’ Another look behind her. ‘I have to be going now, I’ll be late back from lunch.’

  Simon grinned. ‘I’m sure Joel won’t complain,’ he teased.

  The man with him looked at her with renewed interest. ‘Farrah?’ he said slowly. ‘Farrah Halliday!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’re Joel’s latest, aren’t you?’

  Her eyes darkened with pain. Yes, she thought wearily, she was Joel’s latest. God, how casual that sounded when she loved him!

  Simon glared at his companion. ‘Damn it, Harry, do you have to be so tactless?’

  ‘It’s all right,’ Farrah touched his arm. ‘But I must be going now.’ She had the dreadful feeling that at any moment now Laura Bennett was going to come out of the restaurant and give Simon something else to write about in the newspapers. And that she didn’t want, especially in Joel’s absence. ‘Nice seeing you again, Simon.’ She smiled her goodbye to Harry.

  ‘I’ll take a rain-check on that lunch, Harry,’ was Simon’s parting shot as he quickly followed Farrah, catching her up quite a way along the street. ‘Hey, slow down, I’m not as young as you are!’

  Farrah smiled at him. ‘I really do have to get back. And Joel won’t excuse me anything, he’s away at the moment.’

  Simon nodded. ‘In the States, yes, I know.’

  ‘Of course, you’re good friends, aren’t you? But not good enough, apparently.’

  He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The newspaper article. Just because I’m talking to you it doesn’t mean I’m not angry.’

  He looked puzzled. ‘You were angry about it?’

  ‘I still am. It’s caused me a lot of embarrassment.’ She didn’t slacken her speed. She only had about ten minutes of her lunch hour left and there was still quite a way to go to the office block.

  ‘Didn’t you know about the article?’

  ‘Joel did say it was a possibility,’ she admitted. ‘But as you’re his friend I would have thought you could have curbed your eagerness for a juicy bit of gossip out of respect for Joel’s feelings.’

  ‘Hey, hold on a minute! I asked Joel about printing that particular article. Of course, I wouldn’t have published it if he’d been against it.’

  ‘You mean you asked Joel and he approved?’

  ‘Exactly. What was going on at that restaurant?’

  ‘Just a minute.’ She stopped him. ‘You mean Joel actually encouraged you to print that story? I don’t believe it!’

  ‘Okay, don’t believe it, just tell me what you and Laura were doing eating together?’

  ‘So you can print that in your newspaper too?’ She shook her head. ‘Oh no!’

  He looked hurt. ‘Don’t be like that, Farrah. I told you, I had Joel’s approval.’

  ‘So you say.’

  ‘It’s true. So why did you meet Laura?’

  ‘I didn’t. And I was not eating with her either, we met by accident as I was going to lunch and she invited herself along,’ she grimaced.

  ‘Laura was at Falcone’s?’

  ‘Mmm,’ she looked round. ‘And so are we. I have to go in.’

  ‘Do you know when Joel’s returning?’

  Her eyes widened. ‘Why should I know? Shouldn’t you be asking Miss Bennett that? She seems to be the one who spoke to him last.’

  ‘So that’s it. I shouldn’t believe everything she tells you. You represent quite a threat to Laura, quite a threat. You see, although they aren’t married, Laura has never had her position as the future Mrs Falcone seriously questioned before.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Farrah blushed as Fiona and the other girls from the office walked by, their interest in them obvious by the looks directed at them. ‘Now look what you’ve done! And there’s been enough gossip these last two weeks without this too. Goodbye, Simon.’

  ‘Who was the dishy man?’ Fiona asked later. ‘He was quite something.’

  ‘Don’t you start!’ Farrah replied crossly.

  ‘Okay,’ laughed her friend. ‘But he was rather nice. You sure know how to pick them!’

  Farrah gave her a scathing look. ‘He’s a friend of Joel’s. I happened to meet him by accident when I was out at lunchtime.’

  Fiona grinned. ‘I believe you.’

  ‘I should hope so!’

  Farrah took her time going home that night, her father had left earlier than her this evening and would already have gone out by the time she returned. Angie had asked her to work late, and as she had nothing else to do it had seemed like a good idea to stay. Most of the other girls had dates anyway, and so it was only fair that she, who didn’t have an engagement, should be the one to do the extra work. Why not? She had nothing to hurry home to, nothing and no one.

  The flat seemed curiously empty in her father’s absence, and after preparing herself a sandwich and a mug of coffee, she wandered into her bedroom. She hadn’t stayed at home as much in the evenings as she had this past week for years. She had been out with a couple of the girls in the office to discotheques and the cinema in the weeks preceding Joel’s sudden advent into her life, when she wasn’t out with Nigel of course, but just lately that seemed to have faded out. The girls seemed slightly shy about talking to her any more, let alone actually inviting her to join them for an evening out.

  She lifted the lid of the jewel box Joel had given her, running loving fingers over the green glittering stones and the platinum chain. Her only link with Joel, and it was a link that had to be hidden from all eyes except her own. The jewel box had remained hidden among her clothes in one of her drawers, taken out only when she was alone. She snapped the lid shut with a firm click. It was no good tormenting herself with what could never be.

  She heard the telephone ringing with a feeling of relief; she needed saving from her own thoughts. The voice at the other end of the telephone was the last one in the world she had expected to hear. ‘Joel!’ she breathed his name softly, as if afraid to say it in case he hung up.

  ‘Are you going to put the telephone down on me again?’

  She almost choked over her relief at the lightness of his tone. ‘No,’ her voice broke. ‘I—I want to talk to you.’

  ‘And you believe me, about being sorry?’

  ‘I believe you. And I’m sorry I went out with Nigel. I was angry, but I still shouldn’t have done it.’ She was actually talking to him! Oh, Joel, I love you!

  ‘And were you angry today too?’

  His voice had changed, but it was difficult to tell over the telephone line, with Joel thousands of miles away, what his mood was right now. ‘Today?’ she repeated slowly. ‘What happened today?’

  ‘You tell me.’ The line crackled between them. ‘You met Simon today, so I’ve been told.’

  ‘Is that what he told you?’ she asked angrily. ‘Oh, how could he!’

  ‘Simon didn’t tell me,’ he informed her calmly. ‘Someone saw you leaving the restaurant with him. You aren’t doing much to help our pretence, are you?’

  Farrah felt her anger rising against him. ‘Is that all you care about, your damned pretence? You’ve been away a week now and all you can do is talk about that damned stupid pretence! I met Simon as I was leaving that restaurant. I didn’t even wan
t to speak to him, but he wouldn’t leave me alone.’

  ‘So just what were you doing in that particular restaurant? I thought you didn’t like the sort of place my friends frequented.’

  ‘You may be sorry for what you said to me the other day, but you still don’t trust me,’ she accused.

  ‘So you aren’t going to tell me?’

  Oh God, they were arguing again! ‘No, I’m not,’ she answered firmly.

  ‘Good girl, Farrah. You’re a loyal little thing, even to those who don’t deserve your loyalty. And Laura is just such a person. You don’t have to protect her, you know, Simon told me how you bumped into him.’

  Farrah gasped. ‘You mean you knew all the time I hadn’t been out with him! Oh, Joel, you’re so cruel! Why do you do it?’

  ‘Lack of trust, as you said, little one.’ She could almost hear the cynicism in his voice. ‘But I’m learning, all the time, I’m learning.’

  ‘So why haven’t you called me?’

  ‘Missed me?’ He answered her with another question of his own.

  ‘No!’ she lied. ‘Why should I?’

  ‘Why indeed? Simon says you aren’t looking too happy with life at the moment.’

  ‘Simon says altogether too much,’ came her tart reply. ‘And about things that don’t concern him. When did you speak to him?’

  ‘He called me this afternoon. But not before Laura. She really enjoyed telling me that she’d seen you with Simon. I could cheerfully have wrung her neck at that moment!’

  ‘Oh, but I—’

  ‘Didn’t meet Simon? I know that. You met Laura, by her design I have no doubt. She had a different version, and it didn’t ring true. Simon seemed very concerned about you,’ he added mockingly.

  ‘So that’s why you called! Well, my unhappy state has nothing to do with you, nothing at all!’