The Trophy Wife by Evie Baxter
Twenty-Five
Istayed at Tori’s house until after dinner, and Isla’s bedtime. I helped tuck her in and read her a story when she insisted she must have one from each of us. For someone who had no experience with children that little girl had burrowed her way into my heart more quickly than I could have imagined. Now I couldn’t picture Tori without including Isla in the equation, and that little sprite just made things that much better.
The light June nights made the drive back to London easy, and I parked on the street, looking forward to the last stages of the renovation being complete so I could use my new underground garage. I pressed the lock button on my fob, the bleep seeming loud in the quiet evening air. A car drove slowly by me, a black BMW, distinctive for its darkened windows. So distinctive in fact, that I was sure the same car had been behind me for much of my drive home.
I could just make out that there only seemed to be a driver in the car, no passengers, but the glass was illegally dark. I sensed the person staring at me as the car crawled by, only accelerating when they reached the end of the block. There was nothing subtle about the way they had been checking me out, and it brought to fore the several times of late that I felt that lurking sense of being watched.
I strode up to my front door, annoyed that I hadn’t thought to get the registration of the car. Something was going on and I didn’t like it. I was going to have to be more vigilant and see if I could figure out who it is so I could get to the bottom of this mystery. It was fucking creepy, whoever it was.
My biggest worry was they seemed to have followed me home, which meant they might know where Tori lived. She had gone through enough in her life without adding some mindfuck that someone was playing on me. And there was no way in hell I was having any harm come to her or Isla via someone’s vendetta against me.
I spent the week overseeing the final fixes on my house, divesting myself of a number of investments that I felt had peeked in value, and making plans for the coming weekend. I met up with Adam and Drew for a night of beers and competitive verbal sparring and snooker.
“So you’re seeing her now? Like properly seeing her, not just shagging her.”
“Oi!” I slapped Adam up the backside of his head. “Don’t speak so crassly, especially about my woman.”
“Ouch! For fuck’s sake, man, you haven’t been in a relationship for years. You’ve been too busy amassing your wealth and trekking up mountains in Scotland. You caught us by surprise with this sudden interest in this woman.”
I pocketed the blue ball, making both of them groan. We always had £20 each on the table for whoever won snooker night. I was feeling like this was my night to win.
“Tori is different. When you meet her, be nice. No asshole type shit. She’s had her share of shit in life already and I’m going to do my best to see she doesn’t have any more. And wait until you meet Isla.”
“Who’s Isla?” They both chimed in unison.
“Her daughter. She’s four years old and she is amazing.” I was bragging about a kid who wasn’t even mine. If I hadn’t already known I was falling for Tori, this was the final clue.
I turned to look at my friends, who were both staring at me slack jawed in amazement.
“What?” I asked.
Drew spoke first. “She’s got a kid? But you don’t know anything about kids. None of us do. Isn’t that too much baggage to take on?” He took a swig from his pint, looking horrified at the idea of kids.
“Listen, you twats, Isla will wrap you around her little finger before you know what’s happened. Guaranteed.” I missed my next shot, but I didn’t really care. I was already two games up.
“I like children,” Adam spoke up. “My nieces and nephew are a laugh. I was just surprised because I’ve never seen you around a child. But good on you, taking on someone else’s offspring.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, then turned my look on Drew too. “What century are you guys from? I’m not ‘taking on Isla’. She’s amazing and a bonus to spending time with Tori. Fuck, I’m bringing them to London and I’m making you two spend the day with Isla and you’ll see what I mean. You can take her to the zoo or something while I have time with Tori. You’ll come back head over heels for her.”
I roared with laughter at the looks on their faces. They wouldn’t understand until they met my girls. Nothing could prepare them for the little hurricane that was Isla. I smiled to myself. A month ago I probably would have looked exactly like they did. Petrified at the idea of being in charge of a child.
It wasthe school fete the next weekend and Tori asked me if I would stay over. I packed a small bag with the necessaries, grabbed the grocery bag with the wine and treats I had bought to take up there with me, tossed the football I had bought into the boot and headed out Friday evening, in the Aston Martin. If we needed to go out, we could use Tori’s car. The evening was far too nice not to have the top down and the music obnoxiously loud.
I was on the back roads, heading towards the village when I realised there was a vehicle following close behind me. Looking in my mirror I saw the same BMW from the previous weekend. What the fuck? It was no longer a suspicion that something was going on and rather full on proof. This wanker wasn’t even pretending not to be trying to intimidate me in his big four wheel drive. I tried to see the licence plate number, but he was following so close I couldn’t catch sight of it.
There was a layby ahead and I indicated that I was pulling over. He would either do the same or drive ahead and that would be that for tonight. When he did either manoeuvre, I was getting his fucking details and finding out what the hell was going on.
I slowed the Aston and turned the wheel into the paved area on the side of the road, and as I did so the BMW rammed the back end of my car and pushed me forward, shunting me into the hedgerow. In terms of an accident, it wasn’t bad, but it was most definitely deliberate. That point made patently clear when he reversed and drove into me again.
“I can’t believesomeone did that to you on purpose.” Tori had come to fetch me from the accident site when I called her, which I held off doing until after the police had been out and I was waiting for the truck my insurance company were sending to remove it from the side of the road and take it to the dealership who would arrange the repairing of it.
Tori stood beside me as the flatbed truck slowly made its way down the road, my Aston looking slightly crumpled and worse for wear on its back.
“I’ve no idea what I’ve done to piss someone off, but it must have been something big. No worries, love,” I gave her shoulders a squeeze as I watched the tears welling in her eyes. “Come on, take me home or lose me forever.” I tried to lighten the mood.
“Isla is refusing to go to bed until you get there. Be prepared for an overtired little madam.” Tori let me take her hand as I led her over to her car. Each new privilege she allowed me was another small brick out her wall and a silent victory for me in my fight to win this woman over.
“Who’s watching her?” I climbed in the passenger seat as Tori slid behind the wheel.
“Mum and Dad. But be prepared, it’s trial by fire for you this weekend.” She actually smirked at me, and it was a good look on her, this playfulness.
“And just what do you mean by ‘trial by fire’?”
“Everyone is coming to the fete tomorrow. Mum and Dad of course. My brother Peter, with his wife Sarah and their son Jasper. David will be there. Please don’t get offended if he interrogates you. He blames himself about what happened with his father and is extra protective of me. And if that’s not enough, my best friends will be there with their husbands and kids. Everyone is going to question you because you’re the first person I’ve dated in almost a decade.” She was chewing her lip, as if she suddenly realised what she was dumping me into. A barely audible, “Sorry,” came next.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m a big boy and can take some questioning. I wouldn’t expect any less of them. They all care about you and know what you’ve been through. Don’t worry, baby.” I placed my hand on her thigh, trying to reassure her.
How bad could it be? Not as bad as some bastard running me off the road, that was for sure.