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JoMazelis
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Yet each evening they
ate together. She had an
allowance, she explained,
for expenses, and this
covered all the bills, even
food. She bought ready
meals from Marks and
Spencer and heated them
in the oven, decanting
them onto the best plates
and adding flourishes like
side salads and steam-in-
the-bag vegetables. There
was always wine too,
though he professed at
first not to like it. She put
fresh flowers on the table
and lit the candles in the
silver candelabra.
They
started,
from
desultory beginnings, to
have real conversations,
though the focus was
always weighted towards
him, she, having much to
hide, used a subtle sleight
of hand to keep herself in
the shadows.
Only two years before he
had been an outstanding
athlete; excellingat cricket,
rugby,
long-distance
running, swimming and
basketball. Then he’d had
his accident while rock
climbing.
‘But I was lucky,’ he said,
and she thought it would
be luckier not to fall at
all, though did not say
this. ‘I could have been
paralysed. I could have
been dead. Instead, a year
and a half in hospital and
I’m as right as rain. Just
out of shape. Look!’ He
pulled his wallet from his
back pocket, took out a
newspaper clipping. There
he was, a god of a man in
Speedo swimming trunks,
every muscle toned and
lean; pecs, biceps, abs,
quads. His face, stripped
of the plump cheeks and
double chin, was that of
a Hollywood film star, a