Serial Part 3
Elaine had enjoyed their date – but was her relationship with Jack a non-starter?
Who is this?’ demanded Brigette in a strong Parisian accent, her pretty features contorted with rage.
Elaine didn’t know whether to back away into Jack’s room or try and dodge around his furious ex. She couldn’t remember ever having been in such an awkward situation before.
‘Brigette, what are you doing here?’ Jack was now standing beside Elaine. His face was red. Elaine wasn’t sure if this was from embarrassment or anger, and whether that anger was all aimed at Brigette.
‘I knew you’d be staying in this awful place when I found you’d gone,’ Brigette fired. ‘But I didn’t think you’d dumped me for… whoever this is.’ She looked Elaine up and down.
Jack opened his arms in a gesture of exasperation. ‘I told you that it was over between us!’
‘You didn’t tell me anything! You just ran away while I was at work. You left a note!’
‘I should go,’ said Elaine, slipping past Brigette onto the landing.
‘Elaine, I’m sorry!’ called Jack. ‘Never mind about her! What do you have to say to me?’ Brigette flung Elaine a scornful look before stepping into Jack’s room and slamming the door behind her.
Out on the dimly lit landing, Elaine took several deep breaths, steadying herself against the banister, before hurrying down the stairs. She was too upset to care about what the revellers in the downstairs bar thought of her as she pushed her way through the throng, finally making it to the front door.
She stopped to take more deep breaths on the narrow roadside, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. This was not how she had imagined her first proper date with Jack would turn out.
As she headed for the main avenue in search of a taxi, she wondered if perhaps the young poet had too much baggage to start a new romance. And if he was the type to end a relationship by leaving a note and slipping away, did sh
