Faithless by Walker Tony

Author:Walker, Tony [Walker, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Publisher: White Rabbit Press
Published: 2014-08-08T04:00:00+00:00

In the morning, he went down and ate his breakfast alone. They were due to get a taxi at 9:30 for the airport. He went to the desk and paid the bill with his Office credit card. He waited at the hotel door, wondering whether he was going to have to knock at Ailsa's room in case she'd slept in. The he saw her coming down the stairs, dragging her bag behind her, bumping it on each step. She didn't look up at him until she was beside the desk.

"Have you paid?"

"Yes. You missed breakfast."

"I've got a hangover. Not hungry."

"The taxi's outside."

"Fine."

The taxi driver took her case and put it in the boot. She gave the driver one of her smiles and got in the back seat. John got in the front. Ailsa said nothing all the way to the airport and John was left to pass the time by talking to the taxi driver who was a Somali and whose knowledge of English was limited to a few phrases about Manchester United. On the plane, sitting beside each other as they waited for take off John said, "Can we talk?"

Ailsa looked at him properly for the first time that day. "Why?"

"Last night."

"We had too much to drink. That's it."

Around fifteen minutes later, above the clouds, the sun shone in through the aircraft window, catching the highlights in her hair. She had pulled on her sunglasses but was asleep, breathing lightly.

At Heathrow, once they were through Customs, she said goodbye without looking at him and went off to catch a taxi. He stood and watched her go as she passed out of the airport and through the automatic doors. He watched her hail a taxi, pulling her bag behind her. He got the Piccadilly Line Tube and changed at Leicester Square.

At Woodside Park Tube Station he bought some flowers for Karen and walked with them in his right hand, his holdall slung over his left shoulder, along the straight tree lined road that led from the station towards their house.

Angie was in the house when he arrived. She and Karen had the twins one apiece on their knees. They were all watching Roland Rat. As he came into the room, brandishing his flowers like a shield, Angie said, "Oh, flowers. He must be feeling guilty Karen."

Karen looked over at them. "Carnations? You know I hate carnations."

John grimaced. "Sorry, I forgot. I can go and get some others."

"Give them to Angie. She might like them."

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