The Only Way is Up

Part Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Seven

But he couldn't stay away. The stark reality made Max hate himself even more. Despite all that he'd done, he HAD to see her. Maybe not speak to her, just see her...in the distance, and judge how she was coping. So he was back scoping out the office from a safe distance for the fourth consecutive day. Either she was off work or he was missing some drastic change to her appearance. It was January; she wasn't likely to be vacationing, so that meant that in the absence of a total appearance transformation she was ill.

Would he ever build up the courage to go to her house? He debated that over numerous coffees sat staring at a revolving door that never spat out the person he longed to see. Instead dozens of faceless suits breezed in and out of the office block off to meetings, lunches...who knew where? But none of them were Nicole.

So day five found him sat in his hire car alongside a house, three along the street from the home he'd shared with Nicole for those few blissful weeks. It was raining heavily, and that didn't help as his windows kept steaming up. He'd had a few strange looks and a couple of dog walkers had looked at him with concern. It was never like this in the movies.

Five hours he sat, watching her gate and wanting to close his eyes, pretend this wasn't happening. And then he spotted a tall man, very thin, with equally thin hair, wrapped up in a rain coat sidle through the small gate that led to the front door. Immediately he sat forward, jealousy surging through his veins, whilst he had no right to expect her to remain a nun for the rest of her life, he hadn't expected her to move on that quickly.

It's a man knocking her door. The internal voice warned him. He knew he was jumping to conclusions, but he was so confused, so desperate...that it was all he needed to spur him into action. Pulling his hood up, he rushed across the road dodging a taxi and the spray of water it kicked up as it drove through a puddle. He was at her door before he'd even thought about it, and had knocked the door.

As he watched a figure behind the glass move towards him, suddenly his heart was racing and his breath was catching in his throat. When the door opened, he glanced at the same man stood there, comfortable in his surroundings, familiar in the house, and he felt real pain in his heart.

"I was looking for Nicole Stark?" He asked rather awkwardly.

He'd spent months watching his father, his brother, and all their acquaintances, and become almost an expert at body language, and he watched the man's reactions keenly.

"Nicole." He stated her name, then turned behind looking into the house, "Paul, was Nicole the woman who lived here before us?"

As the affirmative confirmation came from the depths of the house, he stumbled backwards, she wasn't at her office, she didn't live in her own home...what the hell had he done to her?

"It's January, it's raining...almost snowing...and you've gone to the beach?"

Nicole chuckled at the incredulous nature of Kim's comment.

"It may be all those things, but come on; it beats the suburbia that I live in."

Kim sighed along the phone line and offered, "YOU were the one who left London, if you were here you could keep me and Noah company. Mike is away for another eight days, we're going insane."

Nicole expected the comment, Kim still hated the fact that she'd moved away, even though she understood her reasons. "Kim, Kim, Kim. Come and see me. Ok, so I admit that Kent isn't the centre of the universe, and it doesn't always achieve its name of the Garden of England...but I'm half an hour's drive from a really cute beach, with cafes and promenades to lighten up your day. Won't you PLEASE come?"