Майкл Ридпат - The Marketmaker

Isabel nodded in sympathy. It must have been difficult for her to understand my position, what with a father worth millions and her own substantial income. But she seemed to.

‘I’m sorry it didn’t work, Nick.’

‘So am I. I screwed up.’

‘I think you’ve taken the right decision, though. I know it’s easy for me to say, because I haven’t any money problems, but I don’t think you could have carried on at Dekker and been happy with yourself.’

‘And what about you?’

She smiled. ‘That is a very uncomfortable question.’

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked it.’

‘No, that’s OK. I guess I’m still trying to prove to myself that I can do this well. I don’t want to give up. And every now and again, like on days like today, the job seems worthwhile.’

‘Well, good luck with it,’ I said, raising my glass.

‘And good luck to you,’ she said, raising hers. Then, ‘I shall miss you.’

The words hung in the air. For a brief moment, she looked embarrassed, as though she wanted to take them back, but then she left them there, defiantly, looking directly at me, so that I knew what she meant, and that she didn’t care that I knew.

My heart leaped. The bustle of the restaurant receded from my peripheral vision, and from my ears. There was just Isabel, there in front of me.

Neither of us said anything. I think I grinned stupidly. Isabel looked down as a bowl of soup was placed in front of her, and then looked up at me again and smiled. I felt as though I was falling into that smile, into those big dark eyes.

Then she giggled, we both relaxed, and delved into our soup.

The taxi journey back to our hotel took half an hour. It was late, it had been a long day, and we were both tired. Isabel let her head slump on to my shoulder, and shut her eyes. I sat motionless, unable to relax, totally aware of her body next to me. Her shoulders and head rested on me with the lightest of pressures. A hint of her perfume, a scent that I already associated strongly with her, surrounded us. A strand of her dark hair crept up and tickled my chin. I left it there.

She opened her eyes as the taxi lurched to a halt outside the hotel. It was midnight. The lift was waiting for us. This time, both our rooms were on the same floor. As the lift slowly eased upwards, Isabel held my eyes, and smiled shyly.

A breathless minute later, we were in her room. She watched me undress. My hands were trembling with anticipation, nerves, excitement. It was hard to concentrate on unbuttoning my shirt and trousers, pulling off my socks.

She laughed. Her clothes slipped off easily, and she sat on the bed, naked. One leg was tucked under her buttocks, and her small round breasts pushed out towards me. I kissed her. Her lips were soft and pliable, her tongue quick. She touched me, and I ached. I pulled her towards me, her body light under my hands. My hands moved over her, gently searching, stroking. She trembled under my touch.

Then she was on me, her body flowing over mine, shimmering pale in the reflected lights of the street outside. Eventually our muscles relaxed. She gazed down at me, her eyes dark pools half hidden behind strands of hair flopping over her face. She sighed and rested her head on my thumping chest, her body as light as before.

I held her.

‘That was nice, Nick,’ she said, some time later.

‘Mmm.’

She ran her finger over the scar on my chest, which was healing nicely.

‘Don’t go away.’ She rolled off me, and climbed out of bed. I watched her as she moved across the room to the bathroom. Naked, her body was supple but lithe as she walked.

She returned two minutes later, poured a glass of mineral water from the bottle on the desk, and sat cross-legged next to me.

‘Don’t stare!’ she said.

‘Sorry. It’s hard not to.’

‘You’ll give me a complex.’

‘Don’t be silly. You’re perfect.’

‘Look, I’m about the only woman in Rio who hasn’t had cosmetic surgery.’

‘Really?’

She nodded. ‘Everyone does it.’

‘So what would you do?’

‘Oh, I’d sort this out first.’ She pointed to her nose. ‘And then my bottom needs lifting. Here. My breasts are OK.’

‘Yes, your breasts are OK. That’s something,’ I said, with heavy irony. She hit me with a pillow.

I sat up next to her and drank some of her water. ‘You know, over the last couple of weeks, I couldn’t work out what you thought of me.’

‘I liked you,’ she said.

I smiled. ‘Well, I hoped you did. But you seemed to be keeping your distance. I didn’t think I had much of a chance.’

‘Sorry. You’re right. I mean, I did want to see more of you, but then I really didn’t want to start something with someone at work again. So... I was confused.’

I almost felt like asking her if my resignation was why we were where we were, but that was unfair, and I most certainly did not want to be unfair to her. Not then.

She had said ‘again’. ‘Start something with someone at work again.’ What was that?

‘Jamie told me something that makes no sense,’ I said.

‘That doesn’t surprise me.’

‘It was about you and Eduardo.’

Isabel held back her head and laughed. ‘You didn’t believe that, did you?’

‘It didn’t make much sense to me. Now Ricardo I could have believed.’

For an instant Isabel tensed. In more usual circumstances, I wouldn’t have noticed it. But after what we had experienced a few minutes before...

‘You didn’t?’

I could see Isabel’s first reaction was to deny it. But she realized it was too late.

‘I did.’

‘Oh.’

‘It didn’t last long.’

‘That’s OK. You needn’t tell me. It’s none of my business.’

‘No, I’d like to. I’d like to tell someone about it.’

‘All right. I’ll listen.’

‘It was just after I’d joined Dekker. Ricardo and I were invited for a weekend’s skiing in Aspen by the chairman of one of the São Paulo banks. Ricardo was in a great mood. Dekker had just had the best year of their history. Our host insisted that we ski’d and didn’t talk business, so we did as we were told. Ricardo and I clicked. I know Ricardo has that effect on just about everyone, but with me I truly do think it was different.’

She looked at me to see whether I believed her. I did. ‘Go on.’

‘I mean I was completely taken with him. I guess that’s not so surprising. But the way he looked at me. It was... I suppose it was like the way you look at me.’

‘I’m not sure I like the sound of that.’

She ignored me. ‘Well, we slept together. And over the next few months we went on a number of trips together.’

‘And what did Luciana think about that?’

‘She never found out.’

‘Lucky for you. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of her temper.’

‘But she cheats on him! Everyone at the office knows it. Apart from Ricardo. Just ask Jamie.’

I frowned.

‘OK, you’re right. I was wrong to do it. And I’m definitely not going to do it again. Especially after what happened.’

‘What happened?’

‘He dumped me.’

‘Did it hurt?’

‘Yes. A lot. I think it still does.’ I squeezed her hand. ‘He said he had been wrong to start it. He said it was the first time he had been unfaithful. He was risking his marriage, and he was risking his working life as well. Sleeping with one of his team was not the right way to do things.’

‘I suppose not.’

‘You know how self-controlled he is. Usually he wouldn’t put anything before Dekker. And he talks a lot about the importance of family life although, of course, he hardly ever sees Luciana. I think it’s some sort of fiction he has created for himself.’