The Playdate Read Free Page B

arrived. I asked her once where she got her wrought-iron window boxes. She was friendly, and I thought I’d ask her in for a cup of tea soon. Then two days later I saw a moving van outside her house and she was gone. I didn’t even catch her name.
    We turn in to Suzy’s gate at No. 13. Empty boxes sit outside No. 15, next door. A little surge of hope rises in me. Perhaps the new people will be nice.
    I ring Suzy’s doorbell, and wait. No answer.
    I knock.
    Nothing.
    That’s weird. I open the letterbox and hear the murmur of telly. They must be in the garden. I search my bag and find the spare set of keys Suzy and I swapped long ago, and put them in the lock, praying we don’t walk in on Jez wandering around jet-lagged and naked like that first time, after which I couldn’t look him in the eye for a month.
    There is a pounding of feet down the stairs as I start to open the door.
    “Sorry—in the loo. Hi, sweetie!” Suzy squeals at Henry, sweeping him up high into a hug and covering his face with kisses. “How was your day? I missed you.” Henry struggles, trying to contain his grin.
    “Stay for tea?” she says. “We’re having meatballs!”
    “Sure?” I say.
    “Absolutely.”
    I can never resist going into Suzy’s when I am asked. I should try sometimes, but I don’t. It is the choice between her house, or going home and hearing that jailer’s click of our flat door that says I am not going to see another adult till tomorrow.
    Suzy lifts Rae up and kisses her, too. “You look so pretty today, sweetie.”
    “Thank you, Aunty Suzy.”
    “Good girl,” says Suzy, and kisses her again before putting her down. Rae always looks so safe in Suzy’s arms, and I am always grateful when Rae looks safe.
    In the kitchen, I put the pens and paper back in the drawer, and help Suzy prepare tea for the kids.
    “Jez here?” I say, slicing a pepper.
    “Uh-huh,” she says, motioning upstairs. “He’s got the pitch for that big Canadian contract coming up next month. After that, though, he’s talking about taking us to some hotel inDevon where they have kids’ clubs and nannies so he and I can have some mommy-daddy time. You know it?”
    “Er . . . no,” I sigh.
    She sees my face.
    “Oh, hon—sorry.”
    “No, it’s OK. Tom’ll be back soon. Then I’ll get a break.”
    She makes a face. “A break?” she says sarcastically.
    I shrug.
    “Cal, this thing about him ringing you every ten minutes has got to stop,” Suzy says, lowering her voice, as Rae looks over.
    “I know. I sigh. “It’s because he doesn’t see her regularly—he thinks every little cold means something. He’s worse than me . . .”
    Suzy puts an arm around my shoulder. “Well, he needs to learn to deal with it—you are burning out. Anyway, you know, you can always leave her here if you want to get away.”
    Get away? I almost snort. Get away where? And paid for by what? But I don’t, because I know she means well. So I smile. “You have enough on your plate, but thanks for offering.”
    Suzy kisses me on the cheek and starts to clear the kids’ plates.
    “Anyway, guess who I spoke to today?” I say, grinning as she spins round.
    “No? You bugger!”
    Suzy makes me laugh when she uses English swear words. They lose their power and become funny, like the queen calling someone a motherfucker.
    “I bumped into him when he was talking to Maddy’s mum.”
    “Nooooo!” Suzy protests again, with huge comedy eyes. “Right, that’s it. Rae and Henry have to invite his kid, what’s-her-name, round for tea.”
    “They don’t even know her!”
    There is a creak of stairs. We stop talking instantly. Jez wanders into the kitchen.
    “Hi, how are you?” he says, leaning down to give me a token kiss on the cheek.
    “Good, thanks,” I say. “How was Vancouver?”
    “Cold,” he replies. He takes a beer out of the fridge, picks up some cheese from the pile Suzy has grated, and chucks it into his mouth. She smiles up at him and