Seize the Day - 12

Part 12

Paris, Paris, Paris.

Naomi looked up at the Tour d’Eiffel  looming on the skyline in a dominant way and sighed. This was one of her favourite cities, and there was no better company that Vincenza. Her friend was sad, morose at times, she really loved Edward and the fact that he had rejected her was breaking her heart. Naomi was also still reeling at her conflict with Bill, as they’d left the house, they’d told him where they were going, invited him to join them via a scrawled message, but neither had heard from him, and that upset her, they rarely went on trips like this without him, and there was a gaping hole in their days. Not that Paris didn’t entertain! They’d were having a great time.

Currently Vincenza was in a designer salon having her dark hair lightened, cut, as well as all manner of waxing, plucking, primping and teasing. Naomi just wasn’t girly enough to join her, so she sat outside a small cafe drinking coffee and watching the world go by. It was a cold day, but bright and sharp, but she was glad of the heater above the cafe window that warmed her up.

Her school level French had improved when she’d studied art, and she’d spent a whole term in Paris studying at the various museums, so she could pick up a newspaper and just about manage to read the content.

When her phone rang she snatched for it, dying to hear Bill’s gruff chuckle on the other end.

                “Hello?” She couldn’t hide the stress in her voice.

                “Naomi!” The voice was more smarm than gruff...Miles. “Are you overseas?”

She realised the Europe ring tone and given away her location, “yes, I’m in Paris, something cropped up last minute.”

He sighed, “I was hoping we could meet tonight...for dinner.”

                “Maybe when I'm back, I'm not sure when that’ll be...I’ll call you, ok?”

As he spluttered a response, she hung up, complaining of the terrible connection that their phones had made. In truth the line had perfect clarity, but the vocalised crackles hopefully backed up her claims. Once again in silence, her focus returned to the busy traffic and the colourful pedestrians that swarmed around Montmartre.

Her mind drifted to the same place it always seemed to these last few weeks. Bill. That weekend, the wedding, he’d been the perfect man, the perfect company...and one kiss had driven a rift on a par with the Grand Canyon between them. Picking up her phone, she scrolled to his number, this bullshit had to end now.

                “Hi, you've reached the answer phone of Bill Swift...leave a message and I’ll call you back.”

She groaned, but couldn't hang up now, it was heart on the line time, “Bill...it’s me. I hate we’re not speaking, I know that shit has happened, but we’ve been friends for too long to let things ruin it. Will you please call me, or better yet, come join us in Paris. Nothing is the same without you...” The words ‘I love you’ hovered on her lips, but she couldn’t seem to spit them out. So hanging up she put the phone back into her pocket, praying he’d call soon.

Bill had never known exhaustion like this. He’d spent three days getting used to his team, nine guys from all walks of life who shared the same passion for cycling as he. But they’d all been meeting up regularly for the last six months, training for the race that started in nine days time. He was the only one not up to scratch. So he was playing catch up, learning tactics, team rules and identifying his best and worst features, trying to be the best team player possible. And it meant grafting fourteen hours a day, the work was almost more mental more than physical.

Neither of his housemates had responded to his emails, and as his exhaustion worsened, his links to the outside world became more and more distant. He had to follow his heart and do this 100 percent, that was all he could do for himself. He’d spent a long time making other’s happy...or unhappy if you listened to his family. But this was his one chance to seize the day, take this chance by the balls and make it all he wanted.

Sighing he pulled the duvet over him, Dan, his temporary boss had more than made him welcome, and Bill had responded well to his demand of working as hard as he could. His phone beeped, and as he scrolled through the messages, he was informed that Naomi Beck had called. He shook his head, it was all too much, and too intense. Pressing the ‘off’ button, he tossed the phone on the floor, he’d said in his email that he needed to work hard. Typical Naomi not to listen to his advice of ‘don’t try and contact me as I’m working really hard’, as usual rules weren’t made for her!

Five days they’d spent in Paris, and each one had been amazing, Naomi and Vincenza had had a wonderful time. As their taxi took them back from the station to the house, Vin finally turned on her phone, she’d turned it off after Edward had walked out, and despite Naomi’s protests that the man deserved a chance to speak, she had refused to succumb. The final evening they’d sat at a bar on a beautiful side street, warmed by the outdoor heaters, watching the world go by and Naomi had finally pushed Vincenza into a corner.

                “Why won’t you turn on your phone? Or at least check your emails? He may have called you...”

Vincenza looked at her with tears in her eyes, “what if he HASN’T called? What if he rejects me all over again? I’ve never let anyone get close to me before Naomi, and it scares me!”

The wine was loosening her lips and Naomi was relieved that her demure and often introvert friend was finally sharing her stresses.

                “Vin, if he feels differently because your father is rich, successful, then he’s not the man for you. But I met him, I could see how he feels about you. I bet he’s called you dozens of times. You NEED to turn on your phone.”

But Vincenza’s fears had won out.

Now as they sat in the taxi, Naomi could feel her friends tension. The phone beeped as message after message appeared on her screen. All from Edward.

Vincenza was silent as she scrolled through them, eventually she lifted her head, “he wants to meet me, to explain why he ran away. he sounds stressed.”

Naomi nodded, “we have been off the radar for five days! He’s probably going demented. I bet he’s given Bill a ton of grief!”

But the house was empty, cold, and several days worth of mail was banked up behind the front door. Suddenly they both realised that Bill hadn’t been there either. Naomi glanced at Vin, “where’s Bill?”

They turned on the heating, collected the mail and then searched for a note or message. Nothing. Vin phoned Edward who was more than ecstatic to hear from her, she agreed to meet him the following day. It wasn’t until Naomi was making them some dinner that Vin squealed an “Oh BILL!” Rushing into the lounge Naomi found her sat at the laptop, She pointed at the screen, an email, a hand covering her stunned smile.

                “Guys, I’m off to Manchester for two weeks, I’ve been asked to fill in for an injured cyclist in a big International amateur race in Australia. It’s not the Olympics! But it is a dream come true. Didn’t get the chance to tell you all! It’s all been a real rush.  So I’m kind of incommunicado for a while as I‘m being slogged into shape, I leave for Oz on the first of October, I’ll email updates when I can. The race starts on 5^th Oct, you can check out progress on this website. www.GBcycling.co.uk/am-racing

Hope you’re ok, see you soon, Bill.”

Naomi felt tears appear behind her eyes, he was gone. And he’d had such great news and had no one to share it with. She should have been there to tell him how great it was, to hug him and tell him she’d always known he was capable of anything he wanted to achieve. Instead he’d left home with no pomp or ceremony. And he deserved more than that.

                “Isn’t that just BRILLIANT!” Vincenza’s life was looking up again and her happiness for Bill was overflowing.

Naomi nodded biting her lip to stop those damn tears from flowing. She’d made it this far without getting upset, she couldn’t now. Going back to dinner she was stirring the pasta sauce thoughtfully when a voice interrupted her.

                “What is it?” Vin asked. “Since you read that email you’ve gone as white as a sheet.” Naomi tried a nonchalant shrug but failed, “what is it? You and Bill have fought over something. He won’t tell me, neither will you...but it’s been awkward the last six weeks. I haven’t pushed you as I hoped you’d tell me...but you haven’t said a word.”

Naomi looked at her friend and sighed, “at the wedding, we were asleep, but we woke up kissing each other. It’s been difficult since, he won’t talk to me...”

Vin looked as thought she’d been hit in the face with a wet fish, stunned was not the word. “How the bloody hell did I miss that? I can’t believe it! Do you like him? Or was it alcohol?”

Turning back to the food Naomi fought those tears yet again. Her feelings for Bill had been so mixed up, she’d travelled a rollercoaster since the wedding. But what hurt now was the fact that he was about to embark on his greatest adventure, his life’s dream, and she’d not given him her support, not been there to whoop for joy with him.  He was her best friend, she couldn’t bear the idea that he thought she didn’t care. Because she did. Too much.

                “You love him!”

Vin was peering at her profile from the other side of the kitchen, and as Naomi turned to look at her she felt exposed, bare.

                “Naomi Beck! You love Bill! Of my God it’s SO obvious now! Have you told him? Does he know?”

Then it came, the torrent of tears. Naomi literally broke her heart on Vin’s shoulder as she explained how Bill had avoided her since coming back, how he was always angry with her.

Vin nodded knowingly, “I know Bill, as well as you do. He’s not someone who would avoid you. He’d talk it through give you one of his world famous and inoffensively delivered ‘thanks but no thanks’ in typical Bill fashion and then you’d be back to being friends. He must feel the same. Maybe Bill has finally had his wings clipped!”

Naomi shook her head, “nice of you to say so Vin, but I think I have to realise that this is over, living here, our friendships. We can’t seem to get past this.”

Vin tried to protest, but Naomi was insistent that she was right, “the last time I spoke to him he was horrible to me. That’s not love!”

Vin laughed, “was that after you’d gone on a date with Miles? He hates him ANYWAY, but if he loves you, well that would pure crucify him!”

                “He was anything but upset!”

Vin sighed, “what about Miles? Are you seeing him again?”

Naomi groaned, “this was my revenge, I wanted to ensnare him, make him really want me, then dump him publicly, just to make myself feel better.”

                “That sounds dangerous, and It’ll only hurt you more in the long run, I can feel it...” VIn took her hands, “go find Bill. Tell him how you feel, if he doesn’t feel the same he’ll be gone for a while, chance for things to settle...”

Naomi shook her head, “I can’t do that Vin, I have to move on, find somewhere to live, get my head sorted...”

Vin shook her firmly, “don’t be so pigheaded. Has the Miles thing taught you nothing? Years you've wasted worrying about what might have been, and not wanting relationships through fear of getting hurt...the one thing you can guarantee with Bill is that he’ll tell you the truth. He won’t string you along, he won’t lie to you and he won’t humiliate you. Go see him! It’ll mean everything to him, and at least you’ll be able to sleep at night.”

Vin was right about one thing, Naomi didn’t sleep. So many scenarios and conversations were flooding her brain and she couldn’t switch off. In her brave moments she wanted to call him, speak to him, tell him how she felt. But if his phone was on he would hardly appreciate a four am wake up. So she’d turned over, punched her pillow and tried to sleep all over again.

Naomi tried to focus on her work, more illustrations, but it was futile, she was like a spinning top, wound up and ready to go...but without Bill she couldn’t expend all that energy and it was more than counterproductive.

At lunchtime she called Vincenza, who was terrified of meeting Edward after work, and was more than glad of Naomi’s problems to distract her.

                “Go! Get a train, go to Manchester...do it!”

By three pm she was en route to the Northern city. For someone who’d lived so frugally for so many years, the last week had seen her dive heavily into the advance for her illustrations. It was meant to last for months, she’d be lucky to still have money at Christmas.

Grimacing at the price of the ticket, she then had an expensive taxi ride to the National Cycling centre on the outskirts. There was a hotel a mile away which she checked into, grimacing again at another expense. But she was close to him, she couldn’t bottle it now, not after all this effort.

The receptionist at the velodrome was initially very unhelpful. No road teams were training in the venue.  No help, no explanation and no answers. She felt like crying, she didn’t know how much longer she’d have the courage to confront him, as the moments passed, she felt further and further away from strong confident woman who’d made the decision to come here. 

                “Look all I know is I need to speak to someone training with the amateur road team, I really need to see him before he goes off to Australia. This is my only chance.”

Her half meltdown seemed to pull at a heartstring somewhere in this hard faced receptionist, as she smiled, “Dave Parnell is taking a team there on the weekend.”

Naomi nodded enthusiastically, “that’s it. How can I find this Dave?”

She shrugged,  “I can’t give you his number sorry,” as Naomi’s face fell once more, she added, “though I can pass on a message.”

Nodding she scribbled the hotel and room number onto a piece of paper and Bill’s name, “can you ask him to give this to Bill Swift?”

Nodding she pocketed the paper and turned back to her work. Naomi was unsure whether she would contact the manager, but she could do nothing more.

Bill was shattered, hill climbing had always been a distraction to him, a place where torture replaced any mental torment, he’d used it to get him through school, family ‘incidents’ and so much more. But even the horrendous hills of Derbyshire hadn’t got Naomi out of his mind. She’d called him a few times, he’d not answered of course, he was trying to dedicate all his mental and physical ability to this race, to giving 110 percent, he’d realised that 100 percent was ineffective at the start of the week. She was a distraction that he didn’t need. But ignoring her wasn’t making her go away.

A hot shower and some of Dave’s wife’s high energy food was exactly what the doctor ordered. But the hot needles pummelled his skin, his face, his closed eyes, but Naomi’s vision was still there in the centre of his mind.

                “Just got a call from HQ, someone’s left a message for you.”

Dave was sat in the dining room tucking into paella, his wife Erica was Spanish and Bill was fully appreciating her hospitality. But at the mention of a message he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Two people knew where he was, others knew he was away, but only Vin and Naomi knew he was in Manchester.

Taking the scribbled note from Dave he looked at the paper and groaned, Naomi’s name, then the details of a hotel a few miles away.

                “Trouble?” Dave asked.

Bill shook his head, “just some...you know unfinished business.”

Dave handed him a plate, “if there’s something...” he winked, “or rather someone that you need to clear things with, then do it before we go away. This tour will be hell for someone as unused to it. You won’t welcome any disharmony or shit at home.”

He slid his car keys along the table, “after you’ve eaten head down there, sort it. It’ll do your motivation the world of good!”

Cheers all for reading!!

There have been loads of brilliant comments, reactions and observations to this story and I've not really responded to them for the last few chapters - so here are the THANK YOUS (and if I miss anyone out, feel free to scream!)!!!

Annie - there are set to be a LOT of errors - as you've seen so far. :) And yep! Miles is back - and doesn't come without chaos...though revenge? Mmm, you're right "uh oh Naomi"!

Samaira T - the friendship/lover thing is such a risk, c an't go back can you? Plus not every best friend is an option...hey??? Think Bill would love your offer of pushing Miles down a hole!! ;) And I guarantee that the revenge will not disappoint!

Laila - thanks for such kind words! So glad that you like my writing! Really appreciate you reading and commenting!! Strong words about Miles - but you're not wrong!

alisonwonderland - yep, Bill has been innocent so far...but they've both got their heads up their own arses over this. But such a risk - best mate/landlord etc!! Hmmmm - annoying though hey??

M.C. - needed Miles to spice things up:) And revenge is on it's way!! :)

Sarah - glad you love this so much. I try to make chapters as long as possible, but if they're any longer I won't be posting as frequent as it takes time to write them! But am posting as quickly as I can!! :)

H - So so glad you're hooked!! :) Keep commenting!!!

Anon - revenge isn't a great idea...but...can be fun!! :)

Keep them coming guys! This story is about to wake up with a bang!! :)

Hope you keep enjoying!

MZ

Seize the Day - 11

Part 11

As she watched Miles talk so animatedly - about himself, Naomi felt her plan spring into action. He was so cocky, so confident, and she was about to teach him a lesson. It was obvious he was trying to woo her, slowly wanting to talk her into his bed, and until now she’d been resistant. but with her change of plan had to come a change of attitude...but in a slow way, a way he believed was down to his rather off target chat up lines. It seemed that in the past talking about himself had wooed him many a woman. Some women were desperate that was obvious.

Leaning back in her chair, she listened to him, he was talking about celebrities he’d met in a party a few weeks earlier, and in particular a young American actress that was particularly enamoured with him - allegedly! Naomi took her foot off the gas and just sat back and listened. When he looked at her she smiled appropriately, and nodded where was necessary. She’d gone against his recommendation of steak and ordered lamb and it was delivered by the same googly-eyed waitress.

The wine was wonderful, belying the awful interior design of the building, and the lamb was equally as good. So she got lost in the pleasures of a good meal. When she glanced up, Miles was leaning back in his chair watching her with a bemused look on his face.

                “What?” she asked a little self conscious.

                “Nothing, just rare to see a woman eat so heartily!”

She fought off a blush, unable to decide if this was a deliberate dig, when she’d kissed him ten years ago she’d had more than her share of puppy fat, of whether he genuinely surprised at her enjoyment of food. She decided to go with the latter and quipped a response.

                “Good food is one of life’s luxuries and should be enjoyed in the manner it was cooked. Whole heartedly!”

His response was a chuckle, “I like that scenario, but if you look around the room you’ll see you’re the only woman who views their meal that way!”

She glanced to first one side, then the other and saw that he was right, every other woman in the room was picking rather ineffectively at their food. This place was all about being seen, and the type of people who got off on that couldn’t possibly eat a decent meal. She found the whole situation hilarious and knew that this was why Bill hated this world. Not for the first time she wished it was Bill sat across the table from her instead of Miles. But this was her perfect chance to bury her past once and for all.

So she turned back to Miles and smiled, “well aren’t you the lucky one!”

From his lounging position, he nodded, “aren’t I just?!”

After dinner they wandered to a nearby wine bar and he ordered champagne. As he filled two flutes in the security of a secluded booth Naomi couldn’t help remembering that the last champagne she’d drunk had been her celebration for winning her contract...moments before falling out with her two best friends. She wanted to scream, but instead she smiled again and sipped her champagne.

                “I’ve had a great night.” Miles offered as he sat next to her in a taxi. He’d insisted on seeing her home, despite her protests.   Naomi wondered if part of that was him flaunting with danger, he knew that she lived with Bill...His motives were becoming more and more obvious as the evening wore on.

She nodded, “I have too...surprisingly.”

                “Can I see you again?”

She shook her head coyly, “I don’t think that’s a good idea Miles.” Looking up at him she could almost see his mind working.

                “Naomi, we’ve had fun...can’t we just go out to dinner again, Friday maybe?”

The taxi had pulled up at her house, and he’d rushed around to open her door, as she stood in front of him she was non committal, “I don’t think so Miles,” she nodded in the direction of the house, hinting that Bill was inside. She was starting to think that him thinking she was in a relationship was half the attraction.

With that he kissed her. Ten years she’d waited for that moment, him wanting to kiss her, him actually initiating it, but it felt flat. There was no toe curling, no weak knees, and no racing heart. Pushing herself free of his cold hard lips, she smiled awkwardly.

                “Miles,” she scolded him in a more gentle manner than she wanted to, playing along knowing the man that he was would appreciate a docile naive woman. “Don’t be naughty, you know I’m spoken for.”

                “Maybe, but who says we can’t have a little fun, he never needs to know!”

And there it was, the intention. But he had no idea that she was going to use his suggestion of a casual affair in a cathartic manner, to clear away all the doubts that had shaped her life for SO many years.

                “It’s an interesting offer...but I really don’t know!”

Not spotting the curtains flicker in the lounge of her home, she smiled coyly again, knowing exactly what she was going, then turned and rushed into the house!

As she closed the front door, leaning on to it with relief, she heard the lounge door open and looking up saw Bill stood there, hands on hips looking more than angry.

                “Hope ‘he’...” the contempt dripped from his voice, “was worth abandoning your best mate in her hour of need!”

With that he stormed past her up the stairs in a rather wobbly fashion.

Disaster of some description had hit her home in her absence, and the only two people likely to explain the mess, make that carnage were ensconced in their rooms.  Judging by the empty bottles stacked on the table, they had been celebrating...she lifted the empty bottle of Ouzo, the only remaining souvenir from her trip with Vincenza to Greece three years earlier. It had sat in their kitchen since, they’d joked that it was their ultimate commiseration bottle, there for the rainiest day.

They’d drunk it...all! She shook her head, what could be that bad?

It took half an hour to clear the dishes, the left over vegetables into the compost bin, the plates into the dishwasher, and the empties into the recycling, and her anger was still simmering. She wasn’t their servant here at every beck and call. Yes she’d been out with Miles, and she knew that Bill despised him, but there were two facts that he hadn’t taken into account - she was a free agent, and he’d done his best to avoid her, so he obviously didn’t have the same feelings for her, and she had to get over that, and secondly, this was all part of her plan, her healing.

No, she was already feeling hard done by, they’d both ganged up on her before the weekend and neither had made a real effort to apologise, or even to get past that, not that you’ve given them much opportunity to try a voice tried to reason in her head, but she ignored it. No, she was well and truly in the right here and damn Bill Swift for yet again judging her...

                                                             

The next morning after very little, no make that NO sleep, she was reading a newspaper in the kitchen when the door opened and Vincenza stood there, her eyes puffy from crying. Naomi’s heart melted.

Jumping to her feet she rushed across to her, “what is it? 

Vin sighed slumping into a seat, “I told Ed, that I was the daughter of my father, ‘the infamous Italian magnate’...needless to say he was furious. I don’t know why he was so angry, but I suppose I have lied to him, I mean we’re supposed to be starting a relationship and I lie from day one. How does that look?”

Naomi sat next to her, “well it’s not as if you told him you were married! I think he’s over reacted! What happened?”

                “We were having a beer after work, and I thought I should tell him...he turned white and ran off. Left me there alone. He hasn’t answered his phone since...I came home...”

Naomi reached out and covered her hands with her own, “and I wasn’t here. I’m so sorry Vin, I really am!”

Vin shook her head, “if there’s one thing I’ve learnt the last few weeks is that I take you for granted. All the time. Why shouldn’t you be off having fun? Where were you anywhere nice?”

Groaning, she looked at her friend, “Miles Langley, turned up here and insisted we go out to dinner.”

                “Really?” Vin’s eyes lit yup. “Hottie Langley? OMG! Tell me all!”

                “Yes!” said a voice from behind, and they both spun around to see Bill stood there, already dressed for work, anger giving his face an arrogant appearance. “Let’s hear ALL about the smooth talker!”

He reached for a mug and filled it with coffee from the machine then stared at her, his face devoid of all emotion.

Naomi groaned, “it was just dinner. That’s all.”

Vin clapped her hands, “oooh! How brilliant! Are you seeing him again?”

She shrugged noncommittally, she’d intended to see him again, but she knew how Bill felt about him, and she was embarrassed to admit her plans to him.

Bill tutted then walked out with a “some people never learn!”

Bill spent most of the day negotiating with his bosses and the GB team manager, Dave Parnell, a workable schedule. Dave wanted Bill to join up with him immediately, the rest of the ten man squad had trained together for the last few months, and he had hours of video and tactics to work through, it was ten days of catch up. In the end, Bill managed to offload his regular clients and workload and took unpaid leave, starting the following day.  His boss wasn’t happy, but fortunately Bill had a trust fund that he never touched, it could see him through the next few months and whatever that brought.

Triumphant he left work and finding an empty house he started to pack. He was going to Manchester to the velodrome, the base of the cycling world. Dave was putting him up at his house and he had a strict plan for the next ten days, until the flight to Australia, glancing at the schedule Bill wondered where sleep fitted in, but then the adrenaline was already pumping through his veins with excitement, anticipation. This was more than he’d ever dreamed about.

He didn’t have time to deal with his anger at Naomi, or rather his anger at the bloody upstart that was Miles Langley, he could barely think of him without wanting to punch a wall. His feelings for Naomi were complicated of late, but as a minimum he loved her as a friend, a best friend. Taking the jealousy at the thought of that bastard’s hands on her and the memory of seeing him kiss her aside, he KNEW that Langley didn’t deserve her, that he was a womaniser, a letch that she could do without. For all her intelligence and wit, Naomi was naive when it came to men, to relationships, her past disasters told him that. The fact that he was abandoning her now, before he’d told her that he loved her more than he should, or apologised for the way he’d avoided her as he tried to deal with those feelings, was made even more painful with Langley interfering, a silent threat to hurt her.

There was no sign of either of his housemates arriving before Dave Parnell turned up with his van to collect Bill, his clothes, his bikes and his equipment, and he hated the thought of leaving without a goodbye. Vincenza’s devastation at the actions of Edward had meant his news had remained untold...how could you tell someone who’s more upset than you’ve ever seen them that you’ve had the greatest news of your life?

Neither girl was answering their phone, and now that things had come so quickly to a head, he had to leave that night, he was desperate to speak to them. Pulling out his laptop he flipped it open and logged into his email quickly.

Sending them a joint email he explained his news, the rapid deadline, and his sadness at not telling them he was leaving in person. He left a list of contact numbers, everything was covered in the event of a problem with the house, and as detailed a schedule as he had for the next six weeks.

As the horn of a van sounded outside, he closed the computer, repacked it, then headed outside, closing the door on everything he knew as safe.

                “Who needs men?” Vincenza asked, drunkenly sloshing her glass towards Naomi. An equally drunk Naomi lifted her glass and clunked it against her friends.

                “THIS Vincenza Dorino, was your GREATEST idea EVER!”  Naomi slurred with a smile.

The previous night, at the height of her grief, Vin had called her boss and taken the rest of the week off. That morning, after Bill had left for work, Vin had grinned  from beneath her puffy eyes. “Let’s go to Paris? What’s stopping us? We can be on a Eurostar in what two hours?”

Naomi never did anything on impulse, she was renown as an over-thinker...that was before winning her major contract. For the first time in her life she was financially viable. There was no reason why they couldn’t just disappear. Neither had anything stopping them. So within half an hour they’d packed an overnight bag each, scribbled a note to Bill, then rushed off to the terminal to get on the next train with vacancies. Neither had spotted their note fall from the mantelpiece as they’d slammed the door closed behind them.

Once they had tickets, Vincenza booked them a hotel via her phone, and then...they were on their way to Paris!

The champagne they’d bought on the train had merged into the white wine in their hotel, more with dinner. Now at two am they were drinking whisky in a nightclub where they’d danced until they could barely walk. Several men had tried to chat them up, but in an anti-men way, they’d both dispatched potential ‘encounters’ off with a few sharp words and a high-five!

Vincenza nodded, “we should do this more often! I am LOVING Gay Pa-reee!”

Wrapping an arm around her friend, Naomi smiled, “Me too! I just wish...”

                “Bill was here!” they both said, at exactly the same time!

Seize the Day - 10

Part 10

 

Miles bloody Langley. Naomi’s first thought was ‘how did he find me?’, then ‘what does he want?’ and then ‘how do I get rid of him?’ This was her private domain, her home; the last thing she wanted was him invading it. She’d had a perverse pleasure out of seeing him wrong footed at his sister’s wedding, but to see him in the front garden of her home, the home she shared with the man he thought was in love with her...well it was all too complicated.

The fantasy that was Miles Langley had finally been relegated to being just that, a childhood whim. And now he was pressuring her sanity, her personal space.

                “Miles! What a surprise!”

He smiled in the smooth way that oozed confidence, “I didn’t mean to disturb your bath!”

She followed his eyes down to her bare legs, only they weren’t completely bare, rings of bath bubbles clung to her shins and feet. She felt the heat of a blush rise up, no longer was she the sexy siren from the wedding, instead in the terraced house, in her threadbare robe she was exactly what she was - Miss Average.

Waving a hand she dismissed his apology of sorts, “I’d been in it long enough, I’ve got a few deadlines, so I’m pleased you’ve kick started my morning. How did you find me?”

He had the decency to look a little sheepish at that question, “I bribed the receptionist at the hotel....”

The way the comment hung open he didn’t want to think about how he’d done that, his innuendo was enough. Yuk. How had she ever found this man so attractive? “Well it had better have been the best screw of her life, cos it’ll cost her her job!”

Naomi felt powerful at that comment and was rewarded by a raised eyebrow, “you really do bite!”

She nodded, “I am not the put upon idiot that I was Miles. I‘ve learnt to defend myself.”

Smiling he leaned against the doorframe, “it suits you!”

Despite the contrite way he said that, she could suddenly see that it was the reason he was here, he found that bite, that snappiness a challenge.

                “I don’t think you’d be saying that if you’d really angered me!”

He noted the menacing tone and grinned again, “will you come out to dinner, just one night?”

The sudden change in topic surprised her, “you what? You come to my boyfriend’s home when he’s in work to ask me out on a date?”

Shrugging he smiled, “not really a date, more of a catch up!”

                “We ‘caught up’ at your sister’s wedding, what makes you think we have ANYTHING else to talk about?”

Again that smooth smile threatened her equilibrium, “Well you’re companion kept disturbing us.”

Naomi sighed, “Miles, you were my friend’s brother when I was a kid, you seem to think that we were best buddies or something. There really isn’t anything to talk about.”

He didn’t move, but he seemed to appear closer somehow, “Naomi, we always had a connection, you were more than a nuisance like Melody. We got on!”

Naomi wanted to gag in his face, but she knew that what little remained of her facade of being a lady wouldn’t allow that, he was deliberately disarming her, he knew exactly how he’d rejected her, after leading her on for so many months, this was an attempt to psychologically disarm her, “it seems our memories are different Miles, now I really am busy.”

She made to shut the door, but he wedged his foot in it, “I don’t go away Naomi, meet me tonight in the Round House. I’ll buy you dinner. One night! Then I’ll disappear.”

                “Miles please!” She couldn’t bear the thought of being so closely involved with him, not anymore. Not whilst she still hadn’t dealt with the kiss with Bill anyway.

                “Don’t make me beg Naomi! I won’t go away...tonight eight pm.”

With that he turned and walked away, leaving Naomi to shout at the wall with no one to listen.

All afternoon as she constructed a wall size canvas for an idea she’d been nursing for a while, she flicked between anger at Miles and anger at herself for being too weak to dismiss the idea of meeting him. She convinced herself that she worried about him returning, that he’d instantly realise that Bill wasn’t her partner, that she’d lied...then he’d realise why, that for ten years she’d rued those days back in her teens, that what he thought of her mattered. But there was also a large part of her who wanted to turn up, wanted to see what he had to say. He mentioned begging, and somehow the thought of him doing just that was an exciting prospect.

Bill got home early, He’d never felt so euphoric. It had been an average Monday as he’d sat at his desk trailing through his emails and messages, but the phone had rung and it all changed there and then.  Pausing on the doorstep he recalled the phone call for at least the fiftieth time in the last three hours.

                “Mr Swift? Dan Parnell GB racing, I’ve been trying to get hold of you all weekend!”

The initial shock at the former Olympic cyclist calling him and been superseded only by his message, one of the GB amateur racing team had pulled out of a huge road race being held in Australia in ten days. Bill’s recent results and the performances that Parnell had witnessed had meant that they wanted him to replace the missing team member. It meant he’d have to spend most of the next ten days with his new team, riding as part of a team in a race like this was new to him, so he had to learn as much as he could.

Bursting with excitement he opened the front door and smiled, roast chicken, his second favourite meal in the world.  He could barely contain his excitement any longer. He was dying to tell Naomi, she’d taken a risk, followed her dream...she’d know what this meant to him. Flying into the kitchen he stopped in surprise to see Vin there alone.

                “Where’s Naomi?”

Vincenza tossed a message across the table at him, and he read it slowly.

                “Gone out, short notice thing, left you both dinner...don’t wait up! Nxxx”

Two things went through his mind as he looked from the letter to Vincenza’s sad face, firstly that they took her for granted, just because she was usually there waiting for them, didn’t mean she was always there, and secondly, that she’d evaded him again. This time he wanted to share good news, but there was still this unwritten ‘thing’ between them and it needed dealing with, before he went away.

He looked at Vin, “she never goes out, does she?” Vin shook her head, Bill could tell she was upset, but didn’t know if he could cope with why. “What’s up mate? You look like you lost a fiver and found a pound.”

                “Worse Bill, far worse.”

Taking a deep breath he sat opposite her, bottling all his excitement and energy for later, he WOULD celebrate just maybe not today.

The Round House was a new bar, in what Bill termed the ‘yuppie’ part of town, Naomi loved that he used such ridiculously old terms, it was part of the endearing qualities that was Bill. It was an old converted theatre, and as the name suggested, was a round airy building with a circular bar at the centre, an eclectic mix of furniture formed an apparently random amount of various sized of tables around it, which she just knew had been the plan of a very  expensive interior design. It had been featured in all the major Sunday papers over the last few weeks, and had quickly become THE place to be.

Naomi was less than impressed, the walls she noticed as she swerved through tables to the bar, were painted black...BLACK! And the artwork that hung against it was meant to give the illusion of windows looking out over various very different landscapes. All just over the top, too much and too many ideas crammed into one building. It gave her a headache, but that only added to the headache she already had, the headache that was waving from across the room.

Determined to start the evening as she intended to finish it, in control, she didn’t move to the table, instead she turned to the bar and ordered a glass of wine. Not squeaking at the ridiculous price was an art form she was proud of; she paid, then took the glass and walked towards the predator at three o’clock.

Miles was lounging lazily, he seemed to live his life in that lazy/comfort zone and rarely looked flustered, but she could play that way too. Sitting opposite him she noted the flare of his eyes, she’d annoyed him by buying her own drink, it was a dent in his manhood, and smiling sweetly she sipped from the offending glass.

                “You look nice.” He finally offered, breaking the silence.

Half of her wanted to swoon, he had that way of looking...deep, penetrating bones, disarming and in the right hands a very sexy quality, but she wasn’t falling for that bullshit, she’d dressed plainly yet in what she hoped was a demure and genteel fashion. It was anything but sexy, so she knew this was a line, was him layering on flattery.

                “Really? I deliberately chose this to look anything but ‘nice’, didn’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

He couldn’t hide the smile that reached his lips and his eyes, “and what would that be?”

She laughed, “Right - that I’m here because you insisted, wrong - that I think this in anything resembling a date, after all I do live with the man I love and I don’t ‘do’ infidelity.”

That lazy smile was driving her crazy...and not in a good way, “do you read this much into everything you do?” 

She ignored that, just drank her wine again.

                “So are you hungry?” he finally broke the silence.

When she nodded he handed her a menu, “the veal is to die for, and the steak.”

Acknowledging those recommendations, she thought of the chicken she’d roasted at home, and the Dauphinoise potatoes...she’d give anything to be back there now, with her friends, trying to repair the fragmented relationships she’d left behind. It worried her that Vincenza was angry with her, Bill she could deal with, he was a man, they didn’t do complex moods but the disappointment she’d seen in Vin’s eyes had torn her in two.

Glancing across the table to Miles, all dark hair and suaveness, she felt more out of place than ever before in her life. Sighing she looked at the menu, wanting to get this over and done with and get home. She had no idea why Miles had insisted on her joining him, and she was sure that it would end as quickly as possible.

A waitress appeared to take her order, and Naomi sat back and watched the outrageous flirtation between the two. the young blonde batted her eyelids, Miles flattered her. He really was a professional.

When he finally looked back at her, the waitress despatched to organise their food, she raised an eyebrow, “sorry am I interrupting something?”

He laughed, “not at all...I was just being polite! A little flirting can go a long way y’know!"

And that was his reasoning, she immediately saw that all those times that he was nice to her, singled her out in a crowded room, the wall flower lost in the glamorous world of Melody Langley, was pity. She hadn’t been special, he hadn’t liked her, he’d felt sorry for her. He’d condescended, lowered himself to be nice to the poor weak one. It all made sense now.

She was dragged back to her sixteenth birthday with a rush. Miles a dashing nineteen year old had agreed to supervise them all for a par in Melody’s house, their parents were away and this was Melody’s suggestion - a party in her honour. All week at school she’d sent little notes to Naomi, tips and hints on how to win her brother over. By the night of the party she’d been wound up to breaking point.

Melody had provided a sexy dress, Naomi who’d been a late developer was chunkier than her friends, but they’d all made such a special effort to make her feel a million dollars...or rather build her up for the fall of her life.

They’d practiced sexy poses, coy glances and their best seduction techniques all week, and bolstered by a few glasses of birthday punch, she’d located him in the kitchen. Using every trick available to her, she’d sidled across the kitchen to him and placed a hand on his chest, unaware of the bewilderment in his eyes, or the humour that snaked his mouth into a curl.

With her best smile, she’d put her lips on his, expecting the explosion, the passion, the overwhelming sensations her romance novels promised. But as her heart raced and her knees felt weak, Miles’ hands didn’t wrap around her, they gripped her shoulders and pushed her to arms length away from him.

                “Naomi?” he’d exclaimed, and now she saw the confusion, the humour and she realised she’d played this all wrong. Stepping back a hand at her lips, she felt devastated, humiliated. And then she heard the snickers, and turning she saw Melody and two other school friends giggling, and that turned to laughter as she stood there mortified.

She’d wanted to leave, but by this point Miles had recovered and was back in chaperone mode. He took her to one side and told he was flattered, but that she was too young for him, and insisted she stay. An hour later, isolated and alone, she’d observed a glamorous blonde arrive, tall, slim...and within moments she was wrapped around Miles.

She’d left then, no one noticed, and no one missed her, it was July, school was over, so she left, went back to her Aunt’s and tried to negotiate a change of school, her heart not just broken, but trampled and beaten.

                “Penny for your thoughts?”

Naomi shook her head, dragging herself back to the present, Miles was staring at her intently and suddenly one word crossed her mind. Revenge!