Gradually, I started to come out of my shell. Instead of sitting at home, drinking alone, I began to go out every now and then. I was still on my own, but at least I was out. Granted, I’d still get absolutely plastered in the corner of whatever pub or club I was in, and I’d still be as miserable as sin. But at least I wasn’t doing it in my front room. It was progress – of sorts.
One pub I frequented, the Prince Albert, had a different band on every week and I began going there for the music. One Friday night, I happened to be there with a woman who had accompanied me when I went on the Trisha show. She was just a friend – at that stage even thinking about other women made me feel guilty. If I caught someone’s eye I would feel like I was betraying my late wife. Most of the time, there wasn’t even anyone whose eye I wanted to catch; I was resolute that nobody could compare with my Maggie. Well, that night that I was proved wrong.
My friend and I were standing at the bar and, much to my embarrassment, she was boasting loudly that we’d both been on the Trisha show. I can’t stand showing off and every time she spoke it made me cringe. I hardly knew where to look.
Right by me was a woman I had seen a few times previously. I’d smiled at her once or twice, and I certainly did fancy her. But each time I saw her I felt too guilty about Maggie to be able to say hello. Instead, I averted my eyes. Tricky to do when that person is standing next to you, though!
‘Don’t worry,’ she said, nodding towards my boastful friend, ‘we all know where she’s coming from. I know you’re not like that.’
I smiled. My embarrassment about the bragging must have been pretty obvious, then.
‘Take no notice,’ she continued. ‘Nobody else is!’
I was pretty taken aback that this beautiful woman had seen how uncomfortable I was and had taken the trouble to approach me about it. There was no way I could avoid talking to her this time. Before, I’d only seen her from across the room. Now, close up, she was even more attractive than I’d previously thought. What’s more, I felt pretty at ease with her, all things considered. I was a little nervous, but comfortable enough to offer her a drink.
‘Only if I can buy you one back,’ she said, smiling. ‘I don’t accept drinks from men who are only after one thing.’
I laughed and told her I’m wasn’t that kind of bloke, but that I’d take on board what she was saying. I told her if she felt that way she could buy the drinks first.
‘You sod,’ she said, her smile broadening. We laughed a little together. We were enjoying winding each other up a bit. This was my kind of woman!
‘I’m Keith, by the way.’
‘Val,’ she said.
We hit it off immediately. As we talked I became mesmerised by her company. I was very relaxed – more relaxed than I’d felt with anyone in a long, long time. I quickly realised I was falling for her hook, line and sinker. But I had to check myself. I didn’t want to rush. I didn’t want to fall too hard. I wanted to take my time. As it turned out, I didn’t have to worry too much – Val was separated, but she had been seeing someone and he was due to arrive at the pub any minute!
‘Got to go now,’ she said as he stepped through the pub door. But before she slipped away, she gave me her number. ‘I’ve got a villa in Spain. If you ever want to get away from all this media stuff and have a break, come and see me. There’s plenty of bedrooms. I’ll be there for the next three weeks…’
I was stunned. I’d only just met this woman, and already she’d offered me a room in a villa so I could take a break from the media – and a break was just what I needed right then. Plus, boyfriend or no boyfriend, I really liked this woman. As we had chatted at the bar, I’d told myself not to rush. Now I was standing alone again, rushing suddenly seemed a lot more appealing. It wasn’t like I had much to lose.
It was time to book a flight to Spain.
* * *
I’m not normally scared of flying, but I was nervous on that flight. Very nervous. What did I think I was doing? I hardly knew this woman, and she had a boyfriend. Still, I couldn’t turn the plane around. I’d made my bed – now I’d just have to lie in it.
Val met me at the airport. When I saw her, my jaw dropped. She was wearing a flowing white dress that highlighted a tan she’d acquired and she looked absolutely stunning. I looked at her blonde hair and drank in her warm smile. Wow!
It was like history repeating itself… We chatted and laughed like old friends as we drove through the Spanish mountains towards Torrox, and with every bend in the road I became more comfortable in Val’s company. By the time we arrived at her villa in the hills, she had totally disarmed me.
I was giddy as we walked into the villa. I felt simply wonderful. Before she’d come to pick me up, Val had put some champagne on ice. As we drank it on her terrace in the warmth of the sun, I knew I’d fallen for her.
We talked and giggled some more and flirted coyly with each other. I knew what I was feeling and I could tell Val had feelings for me too. There was a serious chemistry between us and, inevitably, it wasn’t long before we were in each other’s arms making passionate love.
The last few hours had been a whirlwind. I’d gone from wondering what the hell I was doing on a plane to lying in bed with a woman I was quickly falling in love with.
Val told me that her relationship was history. She had let the guy go soon after meeting me. ‘I told him I couldn’t see him any more,’ she said as we lay together. ‘The moment I met you I knew I wanted to be with you and that was it.’ It felt magical that Val was showing such powerful emotions after such a short space of time, and more amazing still because I felt so strongly about her too.
I pulled her closer. Everything felt so natural with Val. It’s hard to describe what a wonderful sense of relief I felt at being suddenly so close to another person again. And this wasn’t just any person: she was perfect.
Naturally, however, my thoughts turned to Maggie. While Val was out of the room, I stepped out onto the balcony and looked across the valley. The sky was clear and blue, and in the distance I could see trees perched on mountains that squatted under the sun.
‘I’m sorry, darling,’ I said out loud to Maggie. ‘I’m only human. I’m enjoying myself again. I’m back in the land of the living. I’ve got feelings and I want to be intimate with someone. I want to love and I want to be loved. I hope you don’t mind, in fact I’m sure you don’t. I feel that you’ve guided me here, sweetheart.’
I have often said that I think Maggie hand-picked Val for me. Maggie had made contact with me and guided me that day back in England and I think she was giving me that healing so that I would be ready to accept Val when I met her. In short, Maggie was helping me move on from Maggie.
Knowing Maggie as I did, it would have been just like her to say, ‘You’re on this planet, I’m not. You’ve only got one crack at life so, for God’s sake, get on with it. You’ve got a wonderful woman, now enjoy her!’
And that’s what I did. I knew what was happening with Val was right. I never doubted it and from that moment on the balcony I never looked back.
We were inseparable from the off. In addition to us both being the same height – about five-foot four – we quickly discovered that we have the same sense of humour and the same zest for life. We found that we both love sport and it wasn’t long before I was teaching Val how to play pool and she was teaching me how to enjoy swimming. But more than anything, in that week we discovered that we simply loved each other’s company.
I wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye at all. We arrived at the airport and I got out of the car. Val said she’d park up and come in to meet me. I walked off, checked in and waited a few minutes. She didn’t come. Before long I had started to wonder what was going on. Wasn’t she coming back?
I waited a few more minutes and then heard my phone bleep. It was a text from Val.
‘Have a look in your jacket pocket,’ it read.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pair of red panties! I heard some people giggling and turned around to see two girls looking at me.
‘You had a good holiday, didn’t you?’ one of them piped up.
I laughed my head off. They were right – I’d had a wonderful time in every way.
As I flew home, I thought only of Val and the next time I would see her. I felt as strong as an ox; I could see my life clearly again and I was feeling so much more myself. I thought about her prank too and vowed to get her back when she returned to England. And as sure as eggs is eggs, I did.
‘Is my chauffeur going to meet me at the airport?’ Val joked down the phone a week later as she was about to board a plane for London. He certainly was… I put my suit on, bought a chauffeur’s cap and made a massive placard that read ‘SEXY VAL’ in huge lettering. Then I set off.
When Val saw me waiting in Arrivals with my placard held high, she nearly fell over with laughter. I’d got her back for her prank, and I felt great knowing we were going to have so much fun together. When we reached my car Val found a large bouquet of red roses on her seat.
* * *
Until I met Val, nothing could have persuaded me that I could find the kind of love I’d had with Maggie. To me, it was simply inconceivable. Nobody gets two bites of the cherry, I’d thought. So far as I was concerned, I’d had my time with Maggie and nothing would ever compare to that.
I was wrong and very glad to be wrong. Falling in love with Val made me feel like the luckiest man on the planet. I had to pinch myself quite a few times before I believed that I had been given a second chance at happiness. But it was true, and I felt truly blessed.
Val and I had met in July and after a few months of bliss I came to a decision. I desperately wanted to marry her. We went to stay with some friends in Paris, and I decided I would propose while we were there. I was fully aware that I’d asked Maggie to marry me in Paris, but I didn’t think that it mattered because I felt that Maggie would have been happy for me. Anyway, I wasn’t planning on asking Val at the top of the Eiffel Tower – that would have been weird.
This was about Val and me, not Maggie, and I would do things very differently. I wanted things to be perfect, so I asked my Parisian friends to send me to the best restaurant they knew. We all had dinner in a marvellous place on the river Seine, near St Germain. My friend briefed the owner about my plans, and when the moment came I nodded to the restaurateur, who motioned to all the diners until they went quiet.
The noise died right down and people looked around in confused silence. The owner’s daughters came up to our table and announced in French that Monsieur Lane had an announcement to make. Everybody was looking at me. From the wide-eyed, baffled look on Val’s face I could tell that she was wondering what on earth was happening.
Then I got down on one knee and produced the ring. Everybody cheered and clapped. People came up to the table and offered their congratulations; it was bliss.
‘But I said no!’ cried Val. My heart skipped a beat. ‘Oh go on then,’ she said, laughing. ‘It is a lovely ring after all!’
She’d got me again, and when I saw the glint in her eye I laughed too. She told me there wasn’t a doubt in her mind. That certainty was just another thing we had in common.