Spring, Summer, Autumn, Us by Fiona Collins

Author:Fiona Collins [Collins, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2023-04-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rachel woke at 5 a.m. with a jolt, catapulted into the reality of morning. She stared at the narrow straw of light in the almost-closed curtains. Listened to the crickety whir of the air con and the trundle of a suitcase being wheeled up a distant corridor.

Marrakesh was awakening. She imagined Khalid turning up in a dusty car to an alley behind Gabe’s riad, Gabe throwing a bag into the boot. The pair of them winding down the windows and turning up the radio before setting off on their road trip to Agadir. She imagined herself tonight, going to Gabe’s riad and into his bed.

Rachel knew there wouldn’t be a moment today when she might think she wouldn’t go, when she wouldn’t envisage being with him, in that dark, closeted room, inside that jewel of a riad and nestled among the streets and the mystery of the medina. She would live these hours at the hotel, and wait for evening. She would wait, and then she would go to him.

At 6 a.m. she flicked idly through a magazine, focusing on nothing. At 7 a.m. she sat on the balcony and watched tiny bubbles of cloud teeter on the horizon then give up in deference to another clear-skied day. At 8 a.m. she called down to reception to pre-book a taxi for 6.30 p.m. At 11 a.m. she went downstairs and bought a coffee and a paper in the lobby, which she didn’t drink and didn’t read. At midday, she headed to the pool to lay supine on a sun lounger. At four o’ clock, she came back up to the room, had a shower, laid out a strapless green dress on the bed and stared at the contents of her make-up box. At 5.30 p.m. she was ready. At 6.20 p.m. she grabbed her bag and opened the door.

‘Surprise!’

‘Surprise! ’

Jonny was standing in the doorway, Teddy was on tiptoes behind him, holding up a banner that said ‘Birthday Girl!’ in pink bubble writing.

‘Happy birthday!’ cried Jonny.

‘Happy birthday!’ echoed Teddy and she blew into a loud party popper, like a lizard’s tongue, which poked Jonny in the ear.

‘Oh my God! What are you doing here?’ exclaimed Rachel, an ashen-faced ghoul of terrified laughter and crashing relief and huge, huge, bitter, bitter disappointment, and she wanted to scream and cry but she also wanted to throw herself on them – her family – and never let them go, but Gabe, Gabe, Gabe . . . oh God, Gabe.

‘My fabulous editor gave me an extension,’ beamed Jonny, walking into the room and looking around him, pulling back the curtains and peering out of the window, then flinging his bag on to the bed, ‘and you can extend your trip by a couple of days, can’t you? So here we are! A bit spur of the moment but Teddy was up for it, weren’t you, darling? Although I literally had to prise her away from Lee.’

‘Let him miss me,’ shrugged Teddy. ‘And, you know, free holiday.

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