Tears welled in Lauren’s eyes. ‘You heard then?’

Zak stopped and smiled sympathetically at her. ‘You know what office gossip is like.’

‘Only too well.’

‘Plus Jude is stomping around the office like a bear with a sore head and you’re inexplicably not there. It’s not that hard to put two and two together.’

‘He’s left his wife.’

Zak purses his lips. ‘I thought that was the plan.’

‘It’s a long story.’ Lauren hugged herself. Involving a pineapple suit and too much drink, she recalled miserably. ‘I’m trying to stay away from him, Zak, but it’s not easy. He’s ringing me constantly.’

‘Hence the reason you’ve unplugged your phone.’ He strolled over to the phone and plugged it back in. It rang immediately.

‘Shall I answer?’

Lauren shrugged.

Her friend picked up the receiver. ‘Hi, Lauren’s unavailable at the moment.’ He spoke in the style of an answerphone message. An American one. ‘This is Zak, her virtual message-taker. Please speak after the tone.’

He made a tone.

‘You’re a very silly person,’ Lauren said.

Zak turned to her. ‘Whoever it was hung up.’

Straight away, the phone rang again. Zak pulled the plug out of the wall. ‘Now I can see why you did that.’

‘Jude doesn’t want it to end, but I do,’ Lauren said, a mixture of desperation and determination in her voice. ‘I want it to end now. I just pray that I’m strong enough, because right now it really hurts.’

‘Just as well I’m here,’ Zak said chirpily. ‘In addition to nourishing food, I’ve brought you a ghastly tasting herbal tonic to set you on your feet again and a book – Detoxifying Your Relationships. That should help with your emotional pain.’

‘What would I do without you?’

‘I don’t ever want you to find out,’ he said.

‘Friends again?’

‘A friend in need,’ Zak said in a wise manner, ‘is a friend indeed.’

‘Who said something like “a woman can only become a man’s friend in three stages – first an acquaintance, next a mistress and only then a friend”?’

‘I have no idea,’ Zak admitted.

‘It might have been Chekhov.’

‘I loved Star Trek,’ he joked, ‘but I don’t remember Mr Chekov saying that.’

‘I was thinking more of Anton Chekhov,’ she said, ‘rather than the Starship Enterprise.’

‘Ah, then that’s way out of my league,’ Zak said. ‘But I think the concept would work for me.’

She was laughing again. Years and years of crying with Jude and, despite feeling wretched, within minutes Zak was making her giggle. There was probably a wise proverb in that too.

Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Lauren showered, washed her hair, slipped on clean jeans and a T-shirt, pulled back the curtains, opened the windows, stripped the bed, put the vodka bottle back in the cupboard and began to feel human once more.