Helen sighed, then began to read the manual for his new word processor. If he was never going to get the hang of it, maybe she’d better.
Shirley squinted at her watch as the taxi pulled up at the airport. ‘You know something, I can’t tell the time on this. I wish to God I’d got the other watch. What do you think, Linda, d’you like it?’
Linda looked and said, ‘Well, if you can’t tell the bloody time by it, what’s the point?’
Shirley looked at it again. ‘Oh my God, I’ve got it on upside down. No wonder I couldn’t tell the time!’
She reached to open the door, but Linda grabbed hold of her. ‘You know I won’t forgive you for not telling me. I think it’s absolutely disgusting.’
‘Linda, we’ve been over this all the way to the airport,’ Shirley sighed. ‘Bella and I didn’t tell you because we knew you’d react like this.’
‘Oh, so Bella knows, does she? Well, that’s marvelous, that’s bloody marvelous. Both of you know and you don’t tell me!’
‘We didn’t tell you, Linda, because we knew this is what would happen. Dolly went back to England because she—’
‘She wanted a face job, yes,’ Linda interrupted. ‘I hear you, I hear you, you told me that four times already. But do you really believe it?’
Shirley looked at her. ‘Why shouldn’t I believe it? She was going to go to Geneva, I know she was going to go to Geneva, but Bella suggested she go to London because there’s this amazing guy there — all Bella’s mates have been to him.’
‘What, all the prostitutes? Come off it. Do you really think Dolly was going for a facelift? God almighty, you two are so stupid!’
Shirley was starting to get angry. ‘Why are we stupid, Linda?’
‘You never thought who else was in London, did you? Harry Rawlins, that’s who. Dolly’s husband. And that’s where our money is, too.’
Shirley was getting to the end of her tether. ‘What are you insinuating?’ she demanded.
‘I’m not insinuating anything, Shirley, love. I’m just saying, don’t you think it’s odd? Dolly Rawlins is in London, Harry Rawlins is in London, and our bloody money is in London!’
Shirley pushed the car door open. ‘Well, as far as I’m concerned, that’s just fine. Dolly’ll keep an eye on it for us, and if you think that she’s going to be doing anything else then you’re mistaken, Linda!’
Linda followed Shirley out of the car and started shouting to the driver about getting a porter.
Shirley was rummaging in her bag for her passport and ticket. She whipped round and said, ‘Linda, will you leave it out! I’m trying to find my—’
‘You’ve got everything! You checked it four times in the bleedin’ taxi!’
Shirley finally had them in her hands. ‘Oh, yes. Right, Linda, I’m going now.’
‘I’ll come into the airport wiv yer.’
Shirley was still annoyed by Linda’s suspicions about Dolly. ‘It’s not necessary, Linda.’
‘Oh yes it is. Can’t put a bleedin’ sandwich down in this place without somebody nicking it. Come on, get a move on. You don’t want them posh suitcases nicked, do yer?’ Linda insisted, pushing Shirley into the airport.
Arriving back at the villa, Bella called out for Linda and decided she must still be at the airport. She went into her own room and lifted out the suitcases from their big paper packages. Identical to Shirley’s, she had felt that the mulberry was a little more subtle than bright orange. Opening the wardrobe, she couldn’t help but stand back in admiration. Each garment was so special, so beautifully made, such gorgeous material. She took out her Norma Kamali, with the shoulder pads, and held it against her. Worth every penny of the $280 she’d paid for it.
Bella folded the dress with exaggerated care, then took out a long, flowing, pure-silk gown. This hadn’t cost $280 — more like $2523 — but then José had bought it for her. She’d modeled it for him, walking up and down as if she was on a catwalk, and he’d simply said, ‘If you like it, darling, then you have it.’ She got a warm feeling inside when she thought about it. It was funny, all the men she’d screwed, every single one, she couldn’t remember a single face — but as soon as she saw José for the first time, she knew she wouldn’t be able to forget him. She’d been shopping, walking along the main thoroughfare, and she noticed him walking toward her. He was with another woman, talking and laughing, and she’d been so busy staring at him she’d almost walked straight into him. He turned aside for her to pass, and then strolled on. She’d tried to distract herself with more shopping, but when she emerged from a shop an hour later, her arms full of clothes, there he was again. This time, alone. And this time Bella gave him her most seductive smile and said, ‘Hello.’ They started chatting, he offered her a lift, and she’d been with him ever since. José Camarana turned out to be older than the men she usually went for (he was in his late forties) but he was so sexy, and such a gentleman. In fact, he was everything she’d ever looked for in a man, and on top of it all, she reckoned he must be a multimillionaire.
Bella was still mooning over herself in the mirror when she heard the front door slam, and there was Linda, hands on hips, and a voice like thunder. ‘Thank you very much!’
Bella turned. ‘What?’
‘Why didn’t you tell me, you fuckers! Neither of you told me!’
‘Told you what, Linda?’
‘Dolly. Dolly’s not gone to Geneva. She told me a bleedin’ lie! Told me to my face, said she was gonna go to Geneva! She’s only back in London!’
Bella continued to fold her clothes. ‘So what?’
‘Didn’t you think?’ Linda shouted. ‘Dolly’s in London, our money’s in London, and Harry’s in London.’
‘Yeah, we thought about it. So what?’
Linda slumped down on the bed. ‘I don’t fucking believe it! Dolly Rawlins, Harry Rawlins, and our money!’
Bella stopped what she was doing. ‘Don’t be so damned stupid, Linda. Dolly’s not going back to Harry. And she’d protect our money with her life!’
‘Oh yeah? Well, we’ll see, won’t we?’ Linda scowled. ‘We’ll just see about that!’ She clocked the suitcases. ‘What are you doin’?’
‘Well, what does it look like — playing table tennis? I’m packing, aren’t I?’
‘Where you goin’? You goin’ away?’
‘Well, you could say that.’
‘Where’re you goin’? You never told me!’
‘Linda, I don’t have to tell you everything. But you know what we agreed — we would separate, all of us, and change our money. And your bloody money is still in the cistern!’
‘I’m doin’ it tomorrow, aren’t I?’ Linda pouted.
Bella shook her head. ‘Everything’s tomorrow with you, Linda. You better get off your arse and start moving!’
‘I am moving, I am doing things... Hold on, what’s that?’
Bella turned with a big grin and held out her left hand. ‘Ta da!’
Linda’s eyes went wide. ‘Is that a bleedin’ diamond ring?’
‘Yeah, it’s a diamond, Linda. But look where it is. Look what finger it’s on.’
Linda’s jaw dropped as it sank in. ‘Yer goin’ wiv ’im? Yer movin’ in wiv ’im?’
Bella turned and grinned. ‘Oh, baby, am I movin’ in! Once I get a foot over that threshold, you’ll have to get a crowbar to get me out!’ She sat on the bed. ‘Oh, Linda, what a place! He’s got this ranch, with orchards, swimming pools... The size of it! He’s got stables and—’
‘Well, we’ve got a swimmin’ pool ’ere,’ Linda interrupted.
‘Linda, he wants me to live with him.’
‘Oh, so you’re not gonna marry ’im?’
‘Look, I don’t know, maybe I’ll marry him, Linda. But the point is, I love him.’ Bella turned back to admiring herself in the mirror.