Читать книгу The Wife – Part Three: In Sickness and In Health - ML Roberts - Страница 10

It’s a busy day at the spa. We have a, thankfully very well-behaved, hen party spending the day with us today; there are also a couple of clients with birthdays and an anniversary treat, amongst many others. My new business has really taken off. The spa has appeared in lots of features in the local press and a regional news programme filmed a lovely piece on us for TV that went out a few nights ago, which has brought a lot of new business in. I’m happy, at work. It’s a necessary distraction.

I’ve been busy today making sure we have everything set up for a meeting tomorrow about expanding into the wedding venue side of things, but my staff seem to be doing an amazing job of keeping this place running. And I need that, because there are times when I can’t focus. When I’m somewhere else, not concentrating on work. When I’m wondering where my husband is.

I still have lunch most days in the Spanish restaurant, even though I’ve all but convinced myself Michael probably hasn’t been in there again. The tracker has never put him there, but I still go. Just to be sure. Just in case.

My phone signals an alert and I pull it from my pocket, look down at the screen. It’s a text, from Liam. He’s coming to the university this afternoon to set up another run of guest lectures, and he wants to see me. Do I want to see him? Today?

I stop outside the pool room – a huge glass-walled extension we had built onto the back of the building that looks out over the grounds and gardens. It houses the swimming pool, two hot-tubs and a sauna. Most of the loungers that surround the large oval pool are occupied by guests this morning, decked out in white robes drinking mocktails and prosecco while they relax after treatments, looking forward to lunch. It’s a sight that makes me happy, seeing another venture slowly become a success; a reminder that, in spite of everything that’s happened, I haven’t let any of it affect my work.

I turn around and lean back against the glass as I call Liam back.

‘Hey.’

‘Can you get away?’ he asks, and for a second I just let the sound of his voice fill my head.

‘I don’t know. I’m busy today. Come and see me here, at the spa.’

‘You sound like you’re summoning me.’

Maybe I am. He’s going to come anyway. ‘I can’t leave here, Liam. If you want to see me …’

‘I’m on my way.’

I end the call, slide my phone back into my pocket, and I can’t keep the smile off my face. I like having sex with him, here, in my office. I think it’s the danger, I get off on it. I like that feeling of possibly being caught, even though I know we won’t be. But Liam isn’t putting us in danger. My distraction is harmless. Michael’s isn’t.

Michael. I haven’t checked his whereabouts for a while now, so I pull out my phone to see where he is. I check the tracker. He’s at work. Or he’s in his building, anyway. He’s at the university. But that means nothing. She