April 1
Weight 6 st, calories, 1,500, exercise, walked 3.2 kilometres, alcohol, strictly in moderation (ok, 15 units, no one is perfect after all), stakeouts 1, mission to reclaim hubby 1
The street was dark and empty. As I sat in my rental waiting for the woman in the third floor flat to exit the building. I had been in the exact same spot these past three evenings, watching and waiting. Mark thinks I am hitting the gym but he is so preoccupied with work and fatherly responsibilities, I am a rare after thought. We did have one particularly wonderful evening of shagging, however, it ended when his mobile rang and it was Joanna inquiring about their schedule for the bloody week. The spell had been broken and we returned to the land of the mundane. Sodding Joanna and her infernal meddling.
My course of action had been in the works for the last few months not without a few hiccups and wrinkles. I wasn't sure exactly what Joanna was up to, but I was determined to find out. Deep in my thoughts, I nearly jumped out of my skin as there was a knock on my window.
"Bridget, what the hell are you doing?" Jude stood on the pavement, eyeing me suspiciously. I unlocked the door and Jude slipped into the passenger's seat.
"Jude, for bloody Christ sakes. You were nearly my undoing. Why the hell would you creep up on me like that?"
"Me? I thought I was saving you from disaster." Her look bespoke her immense disapproval of my actions, not to mention being in the unsavory part of London. As if I was a complete imbecile who couldn't conduct my-self properly.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I came to your flat and saw you drive off and thought I would find out where you going so late at night."
"What a little spy you've turned out to be. If I didn't know better, Mark had something to do with this didn't he? Jude turned away confirming my suspicions.
"But you don't understand, Bridge." Jude sputtered.
"I understand plenty. You don't think I have the brains to look after myself. See, I have protection." I held up my key chain affixed with a pepper spray cannister.
"God Bridge, do you know even how to use that thing?"
"The man in the shop showed me everything I needed to know. Unfortunately, I was practicing with it on the balcony and I accidently sprayed my hand and then rubbed my eye. You will be happy to know it is very effective." I looked sheepishly at Jude with my juvenile confession.
"Mark suspected something was amiss, he wanted me to keep you company until he sort things out with Joanna,"
"When did you speak to Mark?"
"Yesterday. I had gotten a call from Gemmy, you know the receptionist for Dr. Kilkenny, she rang me to let me know she heard a very suspicious conversation Joanna was having. Something about a plan and it all working out. I ran Mark straight away at his office informing him of Joanna's little scheme."
"Wot did he say? He never mentioned a thing to me," I was humiliated Mark had forgotten the fact I am supposed to be his confidante as well as his wife.
"Bridge it's nothing like that. Mark has had a private investigator on Joanna for quite awhile." I looked unconvinced.
"Do you think he would trust her after all this time? Think about it, Bridge, Joanna cheated on him, kept a child from him and God knows what else. Give him some credit."
"I might, if for one instance, Mark had said something about this entire affair." Affair, that thought made me shudder.
"Bridge, he didn't have anything to tell you. He only found out today."
"Found out what?"
"It seems the woman who is saying she is Joanna is non other than her twin."
"But I don't understand."
"Joanna's isn't Joanna, Her real name is Julie Finch, Joanna's twin.
"What about the little boy? "
"He is Julie's real son."
"So Mark isn't a father after all?" Even though Tristan was a darling little boy, I felt relief.
"No." Jude said softly.
'Bridge, it's going to be alright," I sniffled thinking back on the last few months and the strain that existed between Mark and I. We had become strangers who shared a flat. Jude's word's haunted me, as we drove home to see Mark.