Read The Last Goodbye for Free Online

whatever it is you want to do, y’know?” He sounded melancholy as he raised his glass to his lips and gulped back the red wine. “Once kids come along, your life will never be the same again . . .”
I could see Ben biting his tongue. The cheek of him to blatantly talk about his family like that – yet sit here with Nat and not even bat an eyelid.
After our starters were eaten, and having drunk a good bit more wine, Will pushed his chair back from the table and relaxed back on the seat. He slung his right arm around Nat’s shoulders and was running his other hand up and down along her thigh.
“How’s work at the gallery, girls?” he asked.
“Well, we have a new photographer coming on board next week,” I said.
“Yeah, so Nat was saying – Sam Wolfman, isn’t it?”
“Wolfson,” Nat cut in.
“Sorry – Wolfson – I do listen, darling, I swear.” He laughed and Nat smiled indulgently at him.
“We’re very excited,” I said. “His work is very different to what we usually display in the gallery so fingers crossed now it does well.”
“Well, it better or Tabitha will be coming after us!” Nat laughed.
I watched the hand inch a bit higher. Will turned in towards Nat and then was kissing the nape of her neck gently like they were the only ones in the room.
Ben and I ate our mains of Cornish turbot and jowl of pork as quickly as we could without making it obvious that we were rushing and we both claimed to be too full for dessert even though the portions in Ransan’s were minute.
“But you always have dessert, Kate – it’s your favourite part of the meal!” Nat protested. “Well, you have to at least stay for a coffee.”
“Of course we will.” I looked at my watch. It was only ten o’clock. Ben and I had coffee, while Nat and Will both had Tanqueray cocktails.
When we were finished Ben signalled the waitress over and asked for the bill. She came back moments later and handed it to him. I balked when I saw the final total over his shoulder. The wine alone was £118 a pop. We couldn’t afford this.
“I’ll get this, guys,” Will said, taking the bill from Ben’s hand.
Ben pulled it back again and after a brief stalemate said, “No, no, we’ll pay for our share.”
I groaned internally. Will could well afford to foot the bill and I knew Ben was just being proud. We left the money for our half and said goodbye to them. I told Nat that I’d see her in the morning.
“I might be a little late,” she said, winking at me as she turned to smile at Will.
“I can’t believe we just spent the equivalent of over a week’s rent for the pleasure of eating out with that twat!” Ben said on the Tube home. “We’re supposed to be saving money.”
“I know,” I yawned. “I could have had my roots done all year for the price of dinner tonight.” I was exhausted and rested my head on his lap. I had a hard time trying to stay awake. I was rocked by the motion of the carriage. At least it was quiet at that time of the evening. “His poor wife!” I said.
“I wonder if she knows that her husband is having an affair? Or maybe she turns a blind eye to it so long as the money is coming in and she’s living the Chelsea dream?”
“Who knows? But I’m so surprised at Nat. Yes, he’s good-looking and charming but he’s a complete alpha male. I don’t know how you kept so calm when he was dissing your job!”
“Because he’s a fool – it doesn’t matter what he says.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to try and talk to her again about it tomorrow – see if I can get her to see sense.”
Back at home we fell into bed. Ben wrapped me in his arms from behind and I fell asleep instantly.

Chapter 6
The next day I watched from inside the bay window of the gallery as Will’s Aston Martin pulled up on the path outside. Ben always called it his “midlife-crisis car”. Nat breezed through the door seconds later with a big smile on her face.
“Good night then?” I asked.
“The best!” she said