boots, a gorgeous prom-style mini-dress, tangled piles of statement chain jewellery. Her new stylist had put her firmly on the fashion pulse.
Admittedly it wasn’t just her body that had changed, but her attitude, too. Which was just as well: her new image was set to be unveiled at the Eastern Sky premiere, the perfect showcase for her imminent comeback. With Jimmy on her arm, silencing critics who suggested their marriage was in crisis, it meant maximum publicity–and all of it positive, for a change. She couldn’t wait to see the papers the next day, could imagine the headlines now: Stunning Kate: Naughty at Forty, etc., etc.
She repacked the purchases and poured herself a glass of iced water–excellent for suppressing the appetite, according to her dietician. The lawn sprinklers were on, drenching the garden in watery beads that glittered in the sunlight. Kate felt good.
The messages had been inspired. What she had planned for Chloe French was the ultimate humiliation–just as the girl had humiliated her–but this made for a fabulous prelude.
She heard the door go.
‘Kate, are you home?’
Jimmy entered the kitchen, a wide smile splitting his face. He was brandishing the most enormous bouquet she had ever seen. Unexpectedly he kissed her on the cheek.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said, standing back to appraise her.
‘Thank you,’ she smiled, graciously accepting the flowers and the compliment. Reclaiming her husband’s attentions was certainly agreeable.
‘How was your morning?’ he asked, desperate to please.
‘No complaints.’ She nodded to the shopping bags and they smiled at each other, a little uncomfortably. It was as if they’d forgotten how to communicate outside an argument.
She turned her back to fetch a vase. ‘And yours?’
When she came back round, Jimmy was on his knees.
‘Jimmy, what—’
‘Kate, listen,’ he said, producing something from the pocket of his denim jacket. A small, square, velvet box. ‘I’ve fucked up. Believe me, I know that. But from now on, no more bullshit, no more lies. I promise you, I’ve changed. I love you. I want us to be happy again; I want our family to work. Can you find it in your heart to give me another chance? I’ve had more than I deserve but I’m not too proud to ask for one more. You can trust me, Kate–I give you my word.’ He opened the box to reveal a massive, winking cluster of diamonds. ‘Be my wife again.’
Kate was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. Many times she had imagined Jimmy realising the error of his ways, sometimes with a passionate declaration such as this, but she’d never once thought he’d actually manage it. It was pleasing … very pleasing. But after years of infidelity, could she really believe him?
That diamond was rather spectacular. Carefully she placed the vase down.
‘Jimmy, you hurt me.’ She shook her head. ‘Over and over.’
Jimmy gave the box a little lift, as if to remind her it was there. ‘I realise that, Kate, honest to God. But I want to show you that I can make it right. Let me prove it to you.’
‘The affairs are over?’ She attempted to keep the bitterness from her voice. ‘All of them?’
‘All of them.’ He gazed up at her solemnly, like someone in church.
She was unconvinced.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’ll be truthful, so you know the lies stop here, now, today. I was seeing a girl. But I called it off, OK? I called it off. I didn’t want her any more. I realised I wanted you.’
Kate arched an eyebrow. ‘You didn’t want her?’
‘I didn’t want her.’ A beat. ‘We can work through this, Kate. Together, we can do anything. You, me and the kids.’ He put a hand on his heart. ‘You’re my woman.’
It was sweet, she had to give him that. And it was all she’d wanted to hear since she’d first learned he was playing around. This was her opportunity to reclaim her husband–on her terms.
Now there was just one last thing to overcome.
Saying nothing, Kate drew up her skirt and peeled off her knickers, looping one foot through and then the other. She did it slowly. Jimmy, still on his knees, watched transfixed, the box open in his hand like a shell. He was like a boy at the seaside.
She plucked the ring from him, examined it and put it on the very end of her finger, holding it there with her thumb. Taking a step closer, she positioned herself in front of him.
‘If you want me back, Jimmy Hart,’ she murmured, hooking one leg over his