Sunshine and Showers! (I.P.)

Sunshine and Showers! (I.P.)

I had been that morning to the travel agents and booked our holiday. We had settled on Rhodes a beautiful island off the coast of Greece. Tom had finally decided that was where he wanted to go. I wanted Cyprus but as usual I was overruled. Still, as long as I could get him to go on holiday then I was happy.

It was never easy getting Tom to do anything and it had been the usual struggle this time. He kept telling me he couldn’t be away from his business for that length of time. It was only two weeks for heaven’s sake and he worked so hard. He was never home much before ten and he was always a bit tetchy and then he would say it had been a tough day and he wanted to go to bed. Having spent yet another evening on my own I wanted some conversation but no he would just get irritable so it was better to let him go.

It wasn’t much better at the weekends either that was why this holiday was so important not only to give Tom a break but to give our relationship a shot in the arm too. I felt we were drifting apart and this feeling was not helped when I, for the first time, clapped eyes on Juliet, Tom’s new secretary. Elderly Miss Patterson had retired and although she was a lovely lady she was past being a threat. This Juliet person was from quite a different species.

I had gone to Tom’s office to try to persuade him to come out to lunch with me but it was Juliet who greeted me as I entered the outer office.

“May I help you,” she said in a soft well bred accent.

“Yes, I’m Tom’s partner so would you be good enough to tell him I’m here.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” she said, “He’s on the telephone finalizing a deal and I have been instructed that he is not to be disturbed at any cost.”

“I’m sure that doesn’t apply to me,” I said.

“His instructions were quite clear; he is not to be disturbed at any cost.”

“Oh, for goodness sake!”

Just then the intercom clicked and I heard Tom’s voice

“Juliet, it’s all done and finished so grab your coat, I’m taking you to lunch.”

“Mr Copeland, Arabella is here.”

“What!”

With that the door flew open and Tom was standing there with a look that could sour cream.

“Arabella, what are you doing here? I’ve told you before I don’t want you coming to the office. You are a distraction I can do without when we’re so busy.”

“Oh but Juliet is not?”

“She works here that’s all.”

“Oh, you can take her out to lunch though you tell me you’ve no time.”

“Today is a one off.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to your one off and I’ll go and see if Teddy will lean more to the idea of having lunch with me.”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Oh really, would you like to give me an explanation for that?”

“I just,..just…just would rather you didn’t, that’s all.”

“All the more reason I should go then,” I said and with that I turned on my heel and left the office.

This Juliet person was nothing like how Tom had described her and she was also younger than he said. She was very smartly dressed but not in an office suit kind of way. No, more glamorous, much more glamorous and she had thick blonde hair and perfect skin to match and all of this went with a super figure. Cow!

In that office she had made me feel dowdy and dare I say it…old!

Blow it, I thought, I will go and see if Teddy will come to lunch with me. He’s my friend, not Tom’s, but when I telephoned Teddy’s office I was told he was out. Something about the way his secretary told me made me think he was there and had prompted her to say that.

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We arrived in Rhodes to the warmth of the late afternoon sun. It hit us like a sauna. There was that smell too, that foreign smell that greets you when visiting any hot country. It was a warm exotic smell that never failed to intoxicate my senses. I looked at Tom’s pale face and thought this is just what he, no, we need. I was ecstatically happy.

We booked into the hotel which was very plush and not what I was expecting but Tom had insisted we went five star so who was I to argue.

Our room was beautiful and the balcony overlooked the sea straight in front of us with mountains to the right. To the left we could just make out a yachting marina with the tall masts of the yachts ascending skywards. There was a heat haze over the mountains and the marina but the sea looked cool and inviting.

On reaching our suite I started unpacking but when I came out of the bedroom Tom had disappeared. Oh, I don’t believe this. Now where is he? It looked like the business was not going to be left behind after all. That could be the only explanation. For some reason Tom would never discuss anything to do with his business in front of me. The reason he gave was that he didn’t want me to worry as businesses such as his were vulnerable in the present economic climate. So why had he lashed out on this expensive place? I would have been just as happy in a complex.

By the time Tom came back it was nearly ten o’clock and by then I was absolutely furious and as soon as he walked through the door I said I was going to bed. With that he had the cheek to come over and calmly kiss my forehead saying,

“Goodnight, sweetheart, try to get some rest. It’s been a long day! I’ll sleep out here on the couch so as not to disturb you”

Oh, great, I thought to myself some holiday this is going to be. I had looked forward to some night-time cuddles, some attempt at romance even but no, a chaste brush of lips on forehead was the sum total of Tom’s affection!

The next day I awoke to find Tom had already gone to breakfast and so I didn’t hurry to get showered. There was no need. I went into breakfast just in time to see Tom disappearing out the door. He didn’t see me so I just sat down to eat my breakfast in solitary silence.

Oh, blow this! I thought to myself as I got up to leave. I’m going in search of shops. Expensive shops!

Imagine my surprise, no horror, when I saw Juliet in the square obviously waiting for someone. Who am I trying to kid? She was waiting for Tom and it wasn’t long before he made an appearance. They were giggling and laughing as Tom caught hold of Juliet’s hand and carefully guided her across the square.

Now everything fell into place. I should have guessed. I walked back to the hotel in a daze but with my mind made up. I was going home. I was not going to stick around to be humiliated like this.

I got to the airport in plenty of time for the flight the holiday rep had managed to get for me, so, having checked in I was sitting in the terminal not even wanting to get a drink as I gazed vacantly at the taxi rank outside. Suddenly a taxi screeched to a halt and out jumped a very harassed and distressed looking Tom.

On seeing me he rushed over.

“Thank goodness I’ve caught you,” he said breathlessly.

“No, Tom you haven’t caught me. I’m going home. You obviously want Juliet and I don’t intend to play second fiddle.”

“I agree…you shouldn’t play second fiddle...you don’t have a musical bone in your body.”

“Thanks!”

“Come back with me now?”

“No.”

“Then I shall have to do it here.”

With that he went down on one knee and said,

“Arabella, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

“What…what about Juliet?”

“Juliet is my cousin and my new business partner and she’s been helping me to get everything arranged.”

“Wha…wha…things arranged?”

“Our island wedding!”

“NO!”

“Yes!”

“When?”

“Tomorrow!”

“I’ll be there!

“I thought you might.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“Will you come back with me now?”

“Try and stop me! Hang on, I need a dress and shoes and…and…”

“All taken care of thanks to Juliet”

That Juliet, lovely girl, I’d taken to her from the moment I first clapped eyes on her!

The day of our wedding was stiflingly hot and was threatening a storm but we had the most beautiful ceremony with friends and family all of whom had travelled here in secret, even Teddy as, surprisingly, he was Tom’s choice for Best Man. It must have been an horrendous task arranging it all without me knowing what was going on. Tom said I looked beautiful and I knew I did. One thing for sure, I was never going to look any better than I looked at this moment.

That night the storm broke and Tom held me tight in his arms as we listened to the rain gently tip tapping a tune on the windows of our new room, the bridal suite, on the top floor. The rain was by now cascading on to the roof like a shower of diamonds. My Romeo had given Juliet her plane ticket and she was now winging her way back to dear old England as Tom trusted her to take care of the business and I had my man back. I’m such a sucker for happy endings. If you are too then I’m afraid you’re in for a disappointment!

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Three years on, Tom’s business went bust, he ran off with my best friend and his Best Man, Teddy, and I’ve moved in with Juliet. I can't help thinking...Life is like the weather it is so often made up of sunshine and showers!

End