Page 64 of Always Beth
‘Afternoon, gents.’
I inwardly groan as she salutes them with a putter.
One of the group turns to look in our direction. ‘I hope you’re not teeing off with that, love?’
Splaying her hand across her chest, she feigns complete ignorance. ‘Oh, have I been doing it all wrong? He’s a terrible teacher.’ She thumbs in my direction.
Piss taker.I cast my eyes over the men in front of me. It’s him teeing off with his back to me, I’m sure of it.
‘My friend here’s an excellent teacher, aren’t you, Stephen?’ one of the party says.
He turns slowly after watching his ball land on the green. A smug look of satisfaction spreads across his face as he glances between me and Lauren. If it isn’t bad enough he cheated on Beth and is trying to take her to the cleaners in the divorce, he’s now eyeing up my sister. I take an iron from the bag and swiftly switch it out with Lauren’s putter. ‘Don’t listen to her, gentlemen, she knows her way around a golf course with her eyes closed.’
‘Spoilsport,’ she mouths at me.
‘Stephen Foster…’ He offers me his hand and I hesitate momentarily. I can’t reveal my identity.Who am I?
‘John Smith,’ I say as I slowly shake his hand. I hear Lauren snort behind me. I’m never going to hear the end of this.
He studies me suspiciously. ‘Not seen you here before, John.’
‘No, new to the area, thought we would check out the local club.’
‘Hey, don’t I recognise you from somewhere?’
Too soon, Lauren. Too soon.
‘You may have seen me in the Commons.’
His smarmy expression makes my skin crawl. What the hell did Beth ever see in this prick? I’m drawn from my thoughts as the back of Lauren’s hand slaps me across the chest. ‘Oh, John, he’s an MP.’
I hold her gaze with a neutral expression. This was never the plan, but Lauren’s on a roll, so, her way it is. I turn to Stephen and allow my mouth to fall open. ‘My goodness, Claudia, I never even realised, so it is.’ There’s a wicked gleam in her eye and she knows that whatever she’s planning, I’m all in.
‘Care to join us?’ Stephen says as he gestures towards the course.
‘That would be amazing, wouldn’t it, John?’
‘Yes, just top-notch.’ I grin in response.
In turn, we each take our shot and as Stephen and Lauren wander off in front, I follow behind at a more civilised pace in the golf buggy. Every so often she giggles and brushes him lightly on the arm, to which he immediately becomes overly tactile and animated. At this rate she’ll have him wrapped around her little finger by the nineteenth, and then with a little liquid encouragement, he’ll reveal more than he should.
* * *
The club house is practically silent, all that can be heard is the bursts of laughter coming from an overly animated Lauren every few moments as she soaks up every last little bit of Stephen’s bullshit. They’ve been at the bar for way too long and every second I have to wait for them to return is a second too many. Finally, I see him wandering over with two pints in his hand. I take my phone, switch the voice recorder on and place it face down on the table.
‘Cracking girl your sister,’ he says as he gingerly places the glasses down.
‘Indeed she is.’
He sits opposite me and leans back in his chair, taking a sip of his pint. ‘Tell me, John, are you married?’
Here we go.
‘No, not married. I nearly did once.’
He slaps his thigh firmly. ‘Trust me, don’t bother. Going through a killer divorce at the minute. Ex-wife is trying to take me to the cleaners. Won’t be happening though.’
‘Oh no, got a good solicitor?’
