‘You know who. First of all you ask me to help Raina with the induction course...’
‘I explained all that to you, I’m trying to catch up on everything else. How’s she doing?’
‘Fine. Really well. You’d know that if you took the time to come over to the training suite.’
The training suite had been a life-saver. Alistair had been wondering how they were going to find the space to run induction courses, and DeMarco Pharmaceuticals had offered the training rooms in their London office. Raina had been spending all of her time there, and she obviously felt the same way as Alistair did. That they had nothing more to say to each other.
‘As I said, I’ve been busy. And I do appreciate your stepping in.’
Gabriel rolled his eyes. ‘You mean you appreciate me helping you to avoid Raina. She looks as if she hasn’t had a wink of sleep, she doesn’t come here and you don’t go there. Normally I’d assume that you were engaging in an affair and being over-discreet about it, but she’s miserable as well. I caught her crying the other day...’
Raina had been crying? Alistair wanted to rush to her, but that wasn’t going to do any good. His presence in her life again would only make things worse.
‘What...? Did you ask her why?’
‘No, I just left her to it.’ Gabriel’s tone took on a note of sarcasm. ‘Of course I asked her why. She said it was nothing. Which I took to mean that it was something. You...’ Gabriel pointed accusingly at him.
Guilty as charged. ‘If Raina didn’t want to tell you, I’m certainly not going to.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Alistair...’ Gabriel turned and started to pace again. ‘I’m your friend.’
‘Yes, and I appreciate the concern.’ There was no doubt in Alistair’s mind that this was concern. A little too much for him to deal with
at the moment, but that was Gabriel’s way.
‘Look...maybe I can help. Not that I’m really the one to ask about relationship problems...’
‘Clara might disagree.’ Alistair switched the subject to the one person who was guaranteed to make Gabriel smile.
‘Well, Clara’s the one relationship I’ve managed to get right. I put that particular miracle down to her, not me.’
‘You were the one who dropped everything and went to Mexico.’
Gabriel shrugged. ‘I couldn’t help that. Look, if Raina makes you happy...’
He had been happy. And being without her was tearing Alistair apart. ‘We divorced, remember? It didn’t work for us.’
‘There’s such a thing as a second chance, Alistair. You can’t walk away and leave her hating you.’
Alistair shook his head. Gabriel didn’t understand, Raina had told him she’d never hated him...
‘Did she say that, Gabriel?’ Hope began to tear at him as he realised just what his friend had said.
‘What, that she hated you?’ Gabriel shrugged. ‘Does it matter? Clearly she does.’
‘It matters. Did she say it?’
Gabriel pursed his lips. ‘Well, I tried to get her to talk, and... Yes. She said it. More to shut me down than anything, I think.’
Alistair shot to his feet, rounding the desk and enveloping his friend in a bear hug. ‘There’s something you can do for me.’
‘What’s that? Write a prescription?’ Gabriel was looking at him as if he’d gone completely mad.
‘No. A favour...’
* * *
Raina knew that the blonde woman who had entered DeMarco Pharmaceuticals’ training suite had to be Clara. Not because she was obviously in the early stages of pregnancy, or because Gabriel greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Gabriel had a habit of kissing anyone he hadn’t seen for a while. It was because they seemed two parts of a whole somehow.