Page 43 of It's Now or Never

She snapped her attention onto my face. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Alex said you two had a bit of a flirtation at one time. Is that right?’

‘Oh, the bastard! So much for him being a gentleman. He promised me he wouldn’t say anything. It was embarrassing, a one-off. If Tom ever finds out, he’ll go absolutely mad.’

‘Don’t be silly! Alex would never say anything and neither would I. It was just that he was pressing me on why I had such strong views about the sort of person he was and I had to admit they kind of came from you.’

Our eyes locked together and we giggled and I knew immediately she was forgiven, if I’d ever had anything to be cross with her about in the first place.

‘Oh God,’ she said, dropping her head in her hands. ‘I feel awful now. I was never seriously interested in Alex in that way. I promise you! It was when Tom and I were on one of our breaks,before you’d even met Alex, and I was at a low ebb. I might even have been a little drunk too. I thought a flirtation with Alex might give me a lift, but he wasn’t having any of it. Honestly, can you imagine what that did to my ego? Alex has had a whole string of girlfriends, I thought he’d jump at the chance of a fling, but he didn’t want anything to do with it. Mind you, I realise now it was a good job one of us had some sense. If anything had happened it would have made things very awkward between Tom and me.’

‘Angie, I just wish you’d said something to me.’

‘Sorry,’ she said, with a sheepish grin. ‘I just felt embarrassed by that whole episode. It wasn’t that I didn’t want you to have him because I couldn’t have him for myself or anything like that. You have to believe that. No really!’ she protested, seeing my wide-eyed reaction. ‘I suppose I was just worried that you would fall madly in love with him and end up hurt.’

I nodded. That had been exactly my worry too.

‘So come on, tell me then, what’s going on between the pair of you? Are you officially a couple now?’

‘No, nothing like that. It’s funny though, I keep running into him.’ Was that simply coincidence or fate lending a hand? ‘We’ve been out on a few dates and always have a great time, but I suppose there’s a part of me that’s been holding back, waiting for the inevitable to happen.’ I grimaced, making a slashing motion against my neck, making Angie laugh.

‘Look, maybe I haven’t been very fair towards Alex,’ said Angie, examining her fingernails. ‘I’m sure with the right woman he’d make the perfect partner. I just don’t know if the perfect woman for him exists out there. Mind you, I think I probably have a lot to be thankful to Alex for at the moment. He took Tom out to dinner the other night and I’m not sure what it was he said to him but Tom’s been much more attentive ever since.’

‘Really?’ I said, feigning nonchalance. ‘How come?’

‘Well, he came home from seeing Alex and we had a bit of a heart-to-heart. He admitted that he’d found it a shock when he first realised I was pregnant and that he’d struggled to come to terms with the idea, but he told me how much he loved me and he apologised for acting like a complete idiot at times.’

‘Wow! Well, that’s good. Perhaps he’s beginning to realise what marriage is all about and how lucky he is to have you and your unborn baby.’

‘Yes, I think it was quite brave of him actually. To admit to those feelings. I think he was frightened that everything was going to change and he didn’t seem to have any control over that, but we’ve talked it through and I think we’re in a much better place now. He’s agreed to make sure he leaves work on time at least a couple of nights a week. And we’re going to make Sunday a family day when we get to do something together. Tom’s really looking forward to the baby arriving now and I’m feeling much happier and more confident about the future.’

‘I’m really pleased about that, Angie.’ Could Alex really have said something that had made Tom stop and think about the way he was behaving? Or perhaps my little rant had hit a nerve with him after all. Either way, it didn’t really matter. As long as Tom and Angie were getting on better then that was everything.

‘Fancy another cuppa?’ said Angie, as she eased herself out of the chair. ‘I just need to pop to the loo and then I’ll put the kettle on, I seem to spend my whole life in there these days. Ooh, could you get that for me?’ she asked, hearing the doorbell ring.

I walked down the hallway, feeling relieved that everything was out in the open now. I opened the door and smiled, taking the package from the delivery man.

‘Oh, hello love, how’s it going?’ It was Mr White Van Man, looking much bigger, much broader and altogether more scaryup close. He craned his neck to look behind me. ‘Has that baby arrived yet?’

‘Ah yes, sorry about that, it was something of a false alarm, I’m afraid.’ I almost felt guilty that I didn’t have a baby in my arms to show him, but thankfully Angie took that moment to waddle out, giving some credence to my story.

‘Actually, Jen, I’m not sure it was a false alarm.’ She was standing, legs apart, looking unbelievingly at the small pool of water forming a puddle at her feet. ‘Either I’ve wet myself or my waters have just broken.’

‘Oh my god, what does that mean?’ My voice came out in a strangulated cry.

‘Blimey! Is this your first time or something, love?’ said White Van Man to me. ‘I’m not a health professional but even I know what that means. You need to get your rubber gloves on and the towels out, and look a bit lively. Do you want me to stay and help?’

‘No!’ Angie and I said together firmly, as he was already rolling his sleeves up, a gleeful look on his face. ‘We’ll be absolutely fine.’

We scooped up Angie’s belongings that were all packed up and ready to go by the front door, and rushed, as much as a heavily pregnant woman can rush, to the car. The journey to the hospital went at a much more sedate pace than the mad dash I’d made from work as I was conscious of Angie sitting beside me wincing every time we went over a bump.

‘You are all right, aren’t you?’ I said, peering at her in the passenger seat as she pulled all sorts of faces. ‘Please darling, I love you dearly, but don’t have this baby in my car.’

Angie managed to giggle through the heavy breathing. ‘Stop panicking. I’m fine. For a woman in labour. Just get me to the hospital. Did you put my bags in the back of the car?’

‘Yes. And I spoke to Tom too. He was already on his way home so he said he’d go straight to the hospital and meet us there.’

‘I still can’t believe this is actually happening,’ sighed Angie. She cradled her bump in her arms. ‘To think that when I go back to the house again I’ll be taking a baby with me. It’s surreal. I’m so glad you’re here with me though.’ She reached out a hand to me. ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to take this trip on my own. Actually there’s something I want to ask you, Jen, and I don’t know why I haven’t asked you before. Would you stay with me for the birth? Be my birth partner? It would mean the world to me.’

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