Chapter 12: Chapter 12

The wall separating the bedroom from the living room was just a partition wall. At

normal volume I could hear everything they said, clearly.

'What took you so long?' Sam said. I heard his voice moving around the room, like

he was agitated.

'Sorry, I was just in the middle of... can I get you a coffee?'

'Got anything stronger?'

'Beer?'

'Now you're talking.'

Damn you, Matt, I thought from under the sheets, you were supposed to get him out

of the flat, not get cosy with drinks.

Sam seemed to be on the prowl and I stared hard at the door handle, expecting it to

turn at any moment and for Sam to jump in to the room and say, 'Aha!'

I heard Matt's bare feet pad back to the living room.

'Here,' he said, I heard the click and hiss of the can of lager and nothing from either

of them for a while.

'Sit down, Sam. Or better still, why don't we go down the road. We can have a few

rounds of darts over a beer.'

'No, I don't want to be out.' I heard his weight drop into an armchair. 'Lori might

call and I don't want her thinking I'm out living it up and not worried about her

decision.'

'Her decision?'

'Yeah. She's making her mind up about whether or not to take me back.'

All of a sudden I felt exposed. I'm lying under the covers, naked, and I'm being

discussed. Sam was likely to stay and stay. I wondered, should I get dressed, make a

rope out of the sheets, climb out of the bedroom window and run like hell?

'And you want her to take you back?' Matt said, loudly.

'Of course I do. What do you expect?'

'Because you love her?'

Sam paused before answering – far too long for my liking.

'We're married aren't we?' he said.

I carefully threw the covers off and picked up my knickers.

'I know you're married but that didn't answer my question.' Matt was persistent.

'Why are you being philosophical? You think I would have asked Lori to marry me

if I didn't love her?'

'Well no, but I'm just talking about how you show it.'

I pulled my t-shirt on quickly because I didn't want to miss Sam's response.

'What do you mean?' Sam said.

'Well you look at other women, make comments about them – all the time. And

then there was Julia.'

'You're not angry about me pulling your left overs are you?'

'Don't talk about Julia like that. You see? That's what I mean. You have a negative

attitude when it comes to talking about women.'

'What are you – a girl? You sound like a fucking girl, Matt.'

'Fuck you, Sam, you fucking arsehole. I'm talking about common decency.

Something you seem to lack and the reason you and Lori are where you are now.'

I pulled up the zip to my shorts.

'What was that?' Sam said.

'What was what?'

'I heard something.'

'I don't know and don't change the subject,' Matt said. 'Why did you do it? Why did

you sleep with Julia?'

'I don't fucking know? Because it was there. Because it was easy. Christ. You were

full of sympathy the other night. You thought Lori was being irrational, you said so

yourself. Why are you taking her side now? Did you talk to her?'

'No.' I thought Matt's answer was so well acted I clapped my hands together.

'Are you sure you didn't hear something?' Sam said.

'Let's just get out of here, Sam. This whole situation is doing my head in and that

was my last beer. I could do with one myself.'

'Look, I didn't come here to stress you out or to start a fight. I'm just killing time.'

'Killing time?' Matt asked.

'Yeah. You should have seen me in action earlier. I was acting out of my skin. I came

across as the heartbroken Romeo. It was brilliant. I told Lori I wasn't going to move

from my spot until she said we'd get back together. It's just a question of time now.'

The bastard. The fat, lying, cheating bastard I thought. My hand was hovering by

the door handle.

'So what are you hoping will happen?' Matt said.

'Well Lori's outgoing, fun loving and a bit crazy at times. But at heart she's a big

romantic softy. I'm sure in no time she'll come around to my way of thinking. Admit

that it was no big deal and come running back to me. Who knows, we might even

get a few days away to make up for the fortune I spent on that honeymoon.'

'Yeah. You kept saying how expensive it was.' Matt sounded pissed off.

'Julia was the one who gave me the idea for the Caribbean. She's a classy girl. But

then you know all about that. Yeah – classy, intelligent, great job. And you should

see what she's done to her house. In the bedroom she's got-'

'Spare me. I don't want to know about your pre-marital mess up,' Matt sighed.

'Oh no. I'm not talking about the shag before the wedding. I'm talking about the one

last night. See, the thing is, I didn't think Lori would take me back and I thought,

shit, I might as well be hung for sheep as a lamb.'

I burst into the living room.

'You bastard!'

Sam, who had been guzzling a neck full of lager spat it all out in a phlegmy fountain

onto the floor.

'Where did you come from?' he said getting to his feet and wiping beer off his legs.

'Never mind that. You slept with Julia – again? You said you went there for advice

you big shit!How could you Sam? I mean – God! I don't believe this.' I was walking

around in a circle and pulling at my hair. 'So... what if I'd taken you back? Would

you have admitted you lied to me? Because this time this is adultery. As you kept

reminding me, the first one didn't count. But this counts. This bloody well does.'

I was advancing on Sam now, jabbing a finger at him until I finally reached his chest

and stabbed my finger into it. It bent backwards.

'Why is your t-shirt inside out?' Sam said to me. 'And why is the label facing front?'

I looked at Matt. Matt looked at Sam. Sam's eyes darted from me to Matt.

'Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Hang on,' Sam said marching towards Matt who quickly

stood up. He was not as broadly built as Sam but he was taller and could handle

himself if things turned ugly. And I knew what Sam was like. He wouldn't harm a

hair on my head but against another man he was always fists first.

Sam positioned his hands on his hips and leant towards Matt.

'What are you doing?' Matt said bending his neck away from Sam.

'I'm smelling for signs of sex.'

'Get lost.' Matt dodged his probing nostrils and stepped aside. 'You can't just come

in here accusing everyone of being like you.'

'Oh yes I can.' Sam swung around to me. 'Did you just fuck him?'

I looked down at the coffee table and wrung my hands together. The can Sam had

been drinking from was spilling onto the wooden flooring and I desperately wanted

to grab a towel and mop up the mess, but recognised straight away that there was a

more pressing issue at hand. I still hadn't answered the question.

'You did,' Sam said softly. 'You did just sleep with him.'

I looked at Matt just as Sam swung around to him with a right hook straight into

Matt's jaw. Matt was too late to dodge or block and stumbled back. He put his hands

up. Sam swiped again. This time he jabbed at Matt's eye and caught him hard. Matt

stooped to touch his face and immediately barged forward grabbing hold of Sam

and wrestling him down. I screamed as they landed on the coffee table, sending the

cold coffee in Matt's mug across the floor. Two of the table legs collapsed under

their weight.

They rolled on the floor, fists flying and swear words filling the already tension

filled air.

'Stop it! Stop it both of you! You're fighting over nothing. I said stop!'

Neither listened to me as Sam staggered to his feet and kicked Matt into the chest

causing him to fall backwards. I rushed to Sam and grabbed his arm. He tried to

shrug me off but his elbow caught my chin and sent me flying. I bit into my tongue

and yelped. Sam was wide eyed and apologetic.

'Lori! Oh my God, Lori. I didn't mean...' He put his arms around my shoulders.

'Get off me,' I said. I put my hand to my mouth and there was blood. A lot. It looked

a lot more serious than it actually was.

Matt rushed over and hooked Sam by the collar. 'Now look what you've done.' He

pulled back a fist.

'Matt – no!' I put up the blood free hand. 'Enough.'

'Let me get you a cloth,' Matt said heading for the door.

'No, I'm fine. Don't leave. We need to clear this up once and for all.'

The intercom in the hallway sounded again.

'What now?' Matt heaved and left the living room. 'Yes!' I heard him blast into the

intercom. A loud, dramatic voice answered him from outside. I knew who it was

straight away.

'Matt? It's Julia. I need you.'

Sam and I stared at each other. Matt buzzed Julia in. He returned and looked at us

both.

'This should be good,' he said.