A Model Mother

Chapter 19

Hey, two chapters in one evening how about that! Sorry for the delay, I work full-time and have a home and family to look after too. Hope you're still enjoying the book; please keep your comments coming, they help inform my plot!

Rose found that she was really pleased to see Serge and her nervousness about their meeting eased.

“I’m good. And it’s so nice to see you Serge, it’s been too long.”

Serge pulled her to him and hugged her.

“It’s so good to see you too. I mean it, I’ve missed your company you know. And I was so worried about you when you were pregnant and on your own. The press were crazy.”

Rose was momentarily overwhelmed by being held so close to him; firstly because he was so familiar to her and she felt such huge comfort being in his embrace and secondly because it was so damn long since she had been held by any man.

She hadn’t kissed, been held or had sex for over a year and suddenly feeling herself being pulled in to Serge’s lean and hard body she felt her pulse quicken. Physical contact with him made her very aware of how vulnerable she was emotionally; she was also aware that much as she was enjoying being held by Serge, someplace inside she was wishing it was Miles holding her instead.

However, this was a business meeting and she mustn’t forget that. If Serge sensed she was needy in any way he would move in on her like a piranha and she wasn’t sure she would be able to fight him off; it was taking all her emotional strength to distance herself from Miles. She disengaged herself gently, still smiling and got into the car whilst Serge solicitously checked she was comfortable.

Serge himself had changed little in appearance. He always had a slightly dishevelled look, tie askew, shirts buttons done up in the wrong order, only one cuff showing under his jacket sleeves, almost as if he’d just rolled out of bed or woken up from sleeping on a sofa. His hair was thick, black, curly and unruly and long shapely black eyebrows hung over his large dark brown eyes. He had cheekbones to rival Roses but his best feature was his smile, it was easy and wide and displayed beautiful even, white teeth.

When he and Rose had been a couple he had been an attentive lover; life with Serge had been exciting and although at first she hadn’t ever been certain where it was heading, he had eventually asked her to marry him and they had become engaged. Within days she found out he already had a wife, who lived in Russia. Rose had broken their relationship off immediately. Despite Serge begging her to stay and promising he would get a divorce she just had to leave him, she couldn't bear that she had been deceived.

She felt sorry for his misfortune in his choice of wife, by all accounts Irena was beautiful and smart and he had been besotted with her from the moment he met her. It was a whirlwind romance, they married young and her family had hidden her schizophrenia from him, although they later claimed they thought he had known.

She was unstable and led him a dog’s life, refusing to take her medication and on occasion threatening Serge, his family and business associates with physical violence; Serge lost count of her suicide threats. She was paranoid and accused him of having affairs behind her back. Ultimately he had had to take an injunction out against his own wife but thankfully at least her family had prevented her from travelling to the UK when he relocated.

Allegedly they persuaded her to refuse him a divorce; Serge said they were being greedy about the settlement. But Rose wasn’t convinced that Serge himself was able to face following it through.

“Where are we going?” Rose asked as they left the car park.

“It’s a small place just outside Guildford, it serves excellent food and will be quiet and discreet on a weekday evening, I hope you don’t mind the distance?”