Send your husband to help my mate and youll regret it, Ian muttered, his cheeks flaming.
Never again will I go to Mollys! Val shouted, slamming a fist onto the table. If she wants a crew she can order them from the council!
Whats happened? asked Val, confused. Something wrong?
Yes, everythings gone wrong! Ian stammered, his face turning scarlet. She well, you know
What is it? Val snapped, waiting for him to finish.
Why didnt you bring your husband? asked Anna Whitaker, raising an eyebrow over her spectacles. Two tickets were paid for.
Dont worry, Im not on a diet, Val smiled. I can afford it!
I dont mean that, Anna said, looking over the rim of her glasses. We expected families, not singleperson tickets.
Vals hiding her husband from us! Zoe interjected with a sneer.
Nothing of the sort, Val replied. Hes ill!
Celebrating New Year early, are we? Zoe laughed. Wed have given him a thousand grams of gin and hed be right as rain!
Or youd leave me a widow, Nora shook her head.
Wed have him out of here in a flash! Zoe waved her hand. Weve got a whole garden of fresh startsanyone can rise again!
Then hell be dancing on the floor, Nora added with a smile.
Val, could it be you dont have a husband at all? Maybe youre keeping your ring hidden so the old lads wont bother you? Zoe teased. Well find you a proper bloke straight away. If its for health, just give us a ring!
I have a husband, Val said dryly.
Yes, weve seen the marriage certificate. Ian Peterson, if memory serves, Nora confirmed. She brought it to HR herself.
Val, arent you keeping your husband from us? Zoe asked, eyes narrowing. It looks suspicious.
Two months ago we had a teambuilding retreat, and you only brought your son! Now its a corporate night and youre here all alone! He doesnt pick you up from work, doesnt even say goodbye!
He works, Val replied, terse.
Enough, why are you all pestering Val? Anna gestured dramatically. Shes got a husband! Shes happy! No ones asking you to meddle.
Anna, the chief accountant, represented the companys authority at the gathering. The boss, who had promised to disappear into his own pleasures, had already shown up with a vague air, and by the second toast he was already on his feet, ready to dance.
I think Vals hiding her husband from us, Veronica mused, thoughtful. We work side by side, so were closefriends, even. Ive been at Vals flat; Ive never seen Ian. I could swear hes been there at least twice.
So hes either in the loo or on the balcony! Val retorted. Hes not one to meddle in my business.
The explanation seemed reasonable, but Vals voice trembled so badly that everyone at the table sensed a trap.
Lying, Val, is unbecoming, Nora said, her HR instincts kicking in.
Good heavens! Val exclaimed. Why are you all so interested?
We just want to know the man, Nora replied. What sort of husband and father is he? Perhaps we could give him a bit of guidance.
We dont need a tutor, Val snapped, bristling. Ill handle him myself.
Then tell us what hes like, Zoe urged. Youve only been here six months, and we know nothing about you.
Ian is a regular blokeaverage, works a steady job, Val shrugged. There are plenty like him.
Dont be vague! Nora grinned mischievously. Youre hiding him from us, from your mates, from your colleagues! Thats not right, Val!
What if I have solid reasons? Val asked.
Share them, and well judge how solid they are, Zoe said, ready to listen.
Yes, Val, Anna agreed. Our boss is still playing pause on the next project, so were passing the time with stories.
Not much intrigue there, Val murmured uncertainly.
Well hear you out! Zoe encouraged, giving Val a nod.
***
Vals old life, she recalled, had unfolded in a small town about two thousand miles away from London. All the milestonesmarriage, birth, promotionswere locked in that past. The new chapter was quiet, measured, a calm after the storm. The lessons learned remained with her, allowing the present to be a gentle happiness. The past, however, could not be called calm, especially the ending.
Shed met Ian at the factory after finishing college. He was a few years older, higher on the seniority chart, but that didnt stop a workplace spark from igniting, later turning into a solid marriage. The staff celebrated the young couple, though the joy felt a little offkilter.
The plant where Val and Ian built their family was heavily femaledominated; male engineers were scarce, especially pipefitters like Ian. Many colleagues drooled over him, twenty suitors in the office alone, and every department flirted with the idea of him. When Ian finally married, the women seemed to swallow a lemonsized bite of envy. They turned on Val, accusing her of stealing a prime catch.
Yet everyone knew only Val could choose Ian. Those whod long coveted him before her arrival were bitter that the newcomer had won him. After the wedding, the gossip didnt vanish; it just went quieter, still pressing against Ian.
Does Val cook well? Keep the house tidy? Anything youre missing? someone would tease. I can do both, and Im always up for a bit of fun! The joke held a grain of truth that made laughter uneasy.
When Val and Ian welcomed a son, another wave of lemons rolled in. The most tenacious still could not accept that Ian was offlimits. Some even whispered about freeing him again for other prospects, all in secret.
Val rose to foreman before maternity leave, earned a degree parttime, and after her son was born became a senior technician, then deputy shop floor manager within a couple of years. Friends and foes alike kept a wary eye on her, a volatile mix of admiration and resentment. The goal of splitting her from Ian lingered.
Molly, a fellow forewoman who also rose from the shop floor, tried hard to befriend Val. Val, trusting and straightforward, helped Molly when she couldlending money, sharing knowhow, even sending Ian to do minor repairs at Mollys flat.
One day Ian returned from Mollys, having swapped some sockets, looking rattled. He paced the corridor before blurting out:
I wont go back to Molly again! She should order a crew from the council herself!
What happened? Val asked, bewildered. Whats wrong?
Everythings wrong! Ian blushed. She well, you know
What is it? Val pressed, as Ian struggled to finish his sentence.
She was all over me! She lunged at me, I barely got away! Ian snapped, fists clenched.
Youre kidding, Val gasped.
I swear on my sons health! Ians voice cracked. She met me in a robe, thought it was at home. She threw herself at me like a wild animal! I barely escapedmy shoulder is bruised!
The next day, gossip swirled through the workshop that Ian and Molly had spent an unforgettable evening together. Molly even flaunted a torn piece of his shirt, claiming it was ripped in the heat of the moment.
Molly was cornered in the staff toilet, where Val warned her sternly: stop spreading false rumors or therell be consequences. After a sharp retort, Molly was left to fix her makeup while Val thought the matter settled.
But the night of the company Christmas party proved otherwise. Everyone arrived with partners; the banquet hall was a whirlwind of laughter and clinking glasses. Val noticed Ian missing from the crowd, and the men around her were all strangers to him. She excused herself to the restroom for a few minutes.
The search stretched on. The venue was a maze of rooms and dim corridors. Half an hour later, Val burst into a side room to find Ian surrounded by three colleagues, who were peeling off his coat piece by piece. He didnt even try to resist.
Val stormed in, grabbing the men by their hair and shoving them aside. She swung at their shirts, sending them scrambling out. Ian lay there, dazed, slurring, eyes glazedclearly out of his depth.
She tried to rouse him, searching for a glass of water or a flower vase, but instead saw a camera on a tripod. The scene clicked into place: the three men, Molly and her two cronies from the planning committee, had set up a hidden tape.
If Val had watched that footage, shed have thrown Ian out on the spot. Who could ever forgive such betrayal?
After the holidays, Val and Ian handed in their resignations. Revenge felt cheap; submitting papers during the cold, clearheaded days after the party was the only sensible move. Everything about Ian had been aired, so leaving seemed the simplest answer.
The best friends are the ones you dont have, Val muttered, recalling that both Molly and the two from planning were supposed to be her mates.
She and Ian decided she would never introduce her friends or colleagues to him again.
If they dont see him, they wont meddle, Ian said. If they come over, Ill either bolt or stay out of sight. I dont need anyone else; Ive got a beloved wife and a cherished son.
In her new life, Val kept her personal affairs tightly sealed from the office. No colleague, no friend, no acquaintance ever learned about her husband.
***
What a prudent precaution, Anna Whitaker said admiringly. Cold calculation, a measured decisionif no one knows the husband, no one will try to poach him.
Thats right, Zoe sighed. Look at Natashaher husband disappeared too, taken by a best friend. Same with Svetlana from marketingtwo kids, a lifelong pal, and yet the husband vanished.
You see, its better not to have any girlfriends at all, Val concluded. But this is a new town, new people. We have to find a way to get along.
Ian suggested keeping his identity a secretno husband, no boyfriend, nothing. Who cared, anyway?
Honestly, its intriguing, Veronica said. But I wont put myself on the line.
Dont be foolish, Anna warned with a smirk. The less your friends know about your men, the less chance theyll whisk them away.
