You Got It Wrong - Part Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty Nine

Happy New Year to you all, starting to get my groove with this story again, a little spark and drama on the horizon. Hope you are all well. :)

Nina had dropped down onto the sand, and despite the approaching winter temperatures, she still kicked off her converse and slid her bare toes into the cold sand. It was exhilarating. The promenade was virtually empty, and it was starting to get dark, but that didn’t stop her from breaking into a skip, dancing on the wet sand avoiding the incoming waves, she had no idea why she felt so liberated, so free. But she had completed three sets of rings, and they were currently being delivered by Lilah, prior to her leaving for Cyprus. She truly did seem to be stronger, and possibly back to herself. There was a long way to go, Nina wasn’t stupid enough to think that this was it, dealt with, but it was more than a relief to have her confident and vibrant friend back.

Her feet were freezing, but she was uncaring, skipping along until she drew level with the road that led to her house. Walking up through the dry sand her feet became caked in it, but again she was uncaring.

                “NINA!”

She froze at the sound of her name, it sounded that is was travelling on the wind, but on the second shout, she could tell it was coming from behind her. Looking up, she felt her heart surge, moving towards her across the promenade was a cold and wind ruffled Theo. His hair was flapping in the breeze, and he was fighting to keep his coat held closed. But even though he was looking at her quizzically, he had a smile of relief on his face.

She jogged across the sand towards him then leapt up the steps and into his arms, uncaring of the cold pavement under her feet. The kiss that she was rewarded with made any cold disappear, her body zinged as she clung to him, reciprocating the ravenous actions of his lips.

                “Wow!” He finally came up for air, “that was...”

She grinned, “I missed you.”

It had been almost ten days since they’d last seen each other, and this visit was completely out of the blue.

                “I know. I came to talk to Mansell, then I was on my way to yours, hoping to surprise you...but then I spotted this nymph dancing in the icy water. Couldn’t believe that anyone was THAT crazy this time of year...then I realised it was YOU. You are more than crazy enough to dance in the sea in late October.”

She giggled, “it’s liberating. You should try it.”

He laughed, “standing here, in the middle of gale force nine is more than enough, you looked like you were having fun though.”

Nina nodded as she bent to wipe the dried sand off her feet, “cold now though!” She offered suddenly aware her teeth were chattering.

Grinning he scooped her up in his arms, “my car’s just across the road.” Striding towards it, he managed to open the door then lower her onto the passenger seat. Taking the scarf from around his neck, he used it to brush the sand off, then once he’d done that, he wrapped her feet in it and got in the driver seat. The car was still warm, but as the engine started warm heat pounded on to her cold feet and it was divine. Leaning back in the seat she turned to look at him was a lazy grin.

                “This is nice!”

He glanced from the road for a moment and smiled at her, “glad I could surprise you. Melody is with Daniel. And the first thing I wanted was to see you...after Mansell that is.”

Giggling she placed a hand on his thigh, “wouldn’t expect anything else.”

Rolling his eyes, Theo negotiated the car in the direction of her home.

Showered and changed into jeans and a sweater, Nina came downstairs to find Theo reading the newspaper in the lounge.

                “Better?” he asked looking up.

She nodded, “million times.”  Lowering herself on to the sofa she smiled, “can’t believe you’re here. How long have I got you for?”

                “Till the morning...if you want me that long.”

She pretended to ponder that for a moment but couldn’t fight the grin that broke out on her face, “best news.”

                “So shall we go out for dinner? Cinema?”

Again she pondered that rather dramatically, “later?”

He lifted an eyebrow in response, “later?”

Nina nodded, before pouncing on him dramatically.

It was dark when Nina dragged herself out of bed, pulling on a thick robe as the evening had become very cold.

                “I’ll put the heating on and grab us a coffee...you can think about where you’re going to take me for dinner.”

His laughed accompanied her downstairs.

                “Two mugs of coffee?” Lilah’s voice from behind her made Nina spin around and blush. “Afternoon delight, hey?”

Nina blushed again, “it wasn’t planned...”

Lilah laughed, “I don’t care, I told you I’m pleased for you...and if you’re interested, the drop offs went well today...got a few more customers lined up.”

                “Drop offs? Customers lined up? Are you sure you two aren’t in a drug cartel?”

Lilah turned to Theo’s voice and laughed, “nice one Peterson. But it’s defo jewellery. And very nice jewellery at that.”

He took the mug from Nina and nodded, “so I hear. Not seen much of it though.”

Nina patted his backside through his jeans, glad that he’d appeared dressed, “you never asked!”

                “So you’ll show me your workspace?”

She paused for a moment and Lilah leaned in, “she’s only shown me a few times, and I LIVE here!”

                “It’s something of a secret then is it?”

Nina shook her head, “no, but it’s a retreat, a place I go to think, for inspiration.” She looked at him, “you can see it if you want...though it’s nothing special.”

                “Do you WANT to show it to me?”

She shrugged, genuinely unsure. “I don’t mind, I feel Lilah’s holding it up as being a lot more than it really is.”

For Theo it felt so special, so intimate to follow Nina down the stairs in to the large basement below the house. Her eyes lit up in a way he hadn’t seen before as she turned to him.  The room was surprisingly light, considering the only windows at front and back were below the level of the house.

                “I’ve spent a lot of money on natural light,” she told him, almost reading his mind. “I need good lighting to work on designs, the more intricate, the more I need to see. And artificial light is no substitute. Don’t tell Lilah, but the higher watt replacement bulbs are like thirty quid.”

                “Does she control the house budget?”

She shook her head, “but I’m supposed to claim all these things on company expenses.”

                “And you don’t?”

She shrugged, “it’s all a bit too much fuss. I just want to make jewellery.”

He grinned, no one had that much joie de vivre anymore, no one loved simple things the way she did...not that there was anything simple about the ring she held out to show him.

                “This isn’t finished yet, I’ve got quite a bit to do, but it’s one of the more elaborate rings I’ve made.”

He stared at the ring, which almost seemed to be three rings within each other, a fine chain like ring, and a thicker matt type ring all set within a wider band, the three were entwined, but looked as though you could separate them too.

                “How the hell do you do that? It reminds me of the Chinese puzzle ball my grandfather has.”

                “He has one of them? Wow, that is what this is modelled on; the couple met at an auction, both wanted one. How crazy! Aren’t they made of ivory?”

Theo grimaced, “yep, but it’s old...antique. New ivory is the real taboo...illegal actually.”

The next ring she handed him was deep, set with dozens of diamonds, but the depth of the ring was also intricate, filigree designed.

                “You are amazing! These are...I’m speechless!”

She had her hand behind her back and blushed, looking coyly at the floor. “Thanks.”

Grinning he pulled her into his arms, “I had NO idea that your work was so amazing. I’m in the presence of a genius!”

Nina was never good with compliments, and she found her work creative, interesting, but she didn’t think truly, that she was as special as he made out.

                “I suppose our jobs aren’t that different. We both create things.”

That made Theo laugh, “me? I rebuild buildings, it’s very technical, there’s not an inch of creative thought in it.”

She shook her head, “your background is architecture, and that is beautiful, creative. Don’t underestimate yourself in that.”

He held the ring out to her with a tenderness that pulled at her heartstrings, “no, THIS is beauty. Don’t ever think differently.”

The room was nothing more than a workshop, various benches, machines, but there was also a drawing table at one end. It was perfect for Nina, not cluttered, but eclectic. He looked at her and smiled.

                “Thanks for sharing this with me, I love it here.”

She grinned awkwardly, “I kind of love it here. I can switch off to everything.”

He smiled, “that’s important.”

An hour later they were sat in a small wine bar deep amongst the Lanes of Brighton, and they were eating huge prawns in garlic butter messily washing it down with an ice cold Chardonnay.

                “So what’s happening with your father’s house?”

Nina glanced up at Theo, “way to go ruining the atmosphere!”

When he laughed she smiled, “James has been trying to call me for days. There have been dozens of views to the house, but no one offered...yet. Think that’s because of the two sour faced residents. So I’m in the process of getting them removed.” She sighed, “I don’t want to see them homeless, I’m not that horrible...”

He reached out and placed a hand over hers, “I know that, they’ve abused everything. The money they’ve had, wasted, your father’s legacy...if nothing else think of what they did to him.”

She nodded, “I was looking at renting them a flat somewhere cheap, but somewhere they can live...I can’t see them completely out on the street.”

He peeled another juicy prawn as she spoke, then slipped it into his mouth, and after chewing it with a groan of pleasure, he offered, “I think if you give them anything they’ll never learn...they’ll keep coming to you hand extended happy to take your charity. Life is hard, but we’ve all forged our own way, our own paths. You know?”

She loved that he was trying to support her, make her believe she’d done the right thing, even when she wasn’t sure she had.

                “Can we not talk about them anymore? They’re like poison! Tell me about Melody. How is she?”

Theo wasn’t ready to bring Sadie into their night by talking about her custody battle, instead he smiled, “well, maybe I’ve taken your advice.”

That caused her to raise an eyebrow and he laughed, “I was talking to Mansell today...we’re taking him back to London, Daniel and me, well we’re swapping homes, his house is bigger, and we’re making the back part of the house a kind of granddad flat for him. I’ll move in with Melody, hopefully as you suggested I can employ someone to care for both of them on times...then I’ll be able to take my foot off the gas a touch.”

She nodded, “that’s great. A brilliant idea. Where’s Daniel’s home? Does he mind downgrading?”

Again Theo laughed, “my home is not slum!”

                “I didn’t say it was, but a house is usually bigger than an apartment.”

                “Mine is so central that it’s easier for him to get to work...he’s looking forward to it. Chelsea is a little further out for me, but I’ll save time hopefully with childcare and stuff.”

She leaned back in her chair, “so things are finally looking up?”

                “I finally have things in order and can spend a little more time...getting to know you.”

The words seemed innocent, but the look that accompanied them was anything but.

You Got It Wrong Part Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Eight

 

                “I want this sorted Tony, I can’t have her dropping in on my life making demands. What can I do?”

Tony leaned forward across the dining table, “I’ve told her to jeep her distance, we’re waiting on her agreeing to supervised contacts with Melody. All we can do is slap a restraining order on her. If you want it to get that messy.”

Theo ran his hand through his hair, “I don’t want to start that, but she was bloody horrible to Nina, I’m just glad that she stayed after Sadie left, gave me a chance to explain.”

                “So things are going well there? You’re getting back on it?”

Theo hated that his friend could cheapen what was so special between him and Nina, but then Tony was a player, love ‘em and leave ‘ em type, and he thought staying with a woman till the morning quantified a serious affair. What they had was so much more special he thought wistfully.

                “Wow, it MUST be good, you look like you’re having a wet dream just sat there, like a teenager.”

HE gave him a scowl, then stood to retrieve a couple of beers from the fridge, he DID feel like a teenager when she was around, that was for sure, but Tony didn’t need to know that, even if he was both his best friend and his brief.

                “It’s cool, ok. She’s cool, and I don’t want that psycho ruining things for me, isn’t it enough that she took so much from me?”

Despite having a good lawyer, Sadie and rinsed him in the divorce, getting their home and a more than generous amount of money monthly for their daughter. Tony was in the process of renegotiating that at the moment, as now that Theo had Melody, he didn’t have the same obligation to his ex wife. Financially or otherwise.

                “Once a week in a contact centre, maybe a Saturday morning? You drop Melody there and she’s supervised for a couple of hours with Sadie, one screw up and she’s gone. Does that sound ok?”  Tony pushed his plate away, no remnants of the lasagne he’d enjoyed earlier left, and opened up his briefcase, pulling out some papers.

Theo reached for the plate, and handed Tony a beer as he loaded the dishwasher.

                “Food was good mate; you’re a great chef you know.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “if it’s more than toast of baked beans you’re useless. So you’re easy to impress!”

Instead he dropped his eyes to the paperwork Tony had handed him.

                “Can you agree to that?”

Theo shrugged, “none of it is overly convenient, not really. I mean Saturdays I go see my grandfather; I don’t want to scupper that. Can’t she be made to meet my demands?”

Tony nodded, “but you’ve got to get her to the contact centre...hang around.”

                “I’ll deal with it. Try and sort it for maybe five on a Wednesday. Nothing happens then. But it can’t be for long as Melody needs her bed by half past seven.”

Sighing Tony leaned back in the chair and reached for his beer, “I’ll do what I can, but you will have to meet her halfway. If you block things the courts will start favouring her, ok?”

Theo wanted to punch a wall, his hatred of his ex-wife was insurmountable, he wanted to hurt her for the way she’d hurt him, and Melody, and now Nina. She was a bitch.

                “Go with the restraining order. I can’t see her again; I’m scared of what I might do.”

Nina walked into the cliff top rehabilitation centre that Mansell had been in for the last week. It was a step towards the home, but he was a long way from regaining his mojo. As Nina sat beside him, smiled at him, she suddenly wondered if he ever would. He looked...terrified, and defeated. She hated that.

                “Hey old man! How is it?”

he mustered a smile, “fed up Nina, want to go home.”

His speech was still a little slurred, and everything looked like an effort, so she took his hand and gave it a squeeze, “and they all want you back. ALL the ladies are asking after you.”

That made him roll his eyes, “sorry.”

She shook her head, “I’m not criticising, I think you’re coping brilliantly with being stuck in here.”

They settled into a comfortable conversation, about football, the weather, to what was guest beers were at his favourite pub. But when it came time to leave she was shocked to see Mansell look so upset.

                “I want to go home...wherever that is.” Was all he’d say when she expressed her concern.

Out on the street she felt sick with concern, so she pulled out her phone and called Theo. He answered after a few rings, the noise of a busy building site making it hard to hear him. So she dropped on to a bench.

                “Hey Theo?”

                “Sorry babe, it’s SO noisy here...hang on.” After a few seconds the background noise eased a little, and Theo’s voice sounded a little more relaxed too. “You ok? It’s not like you to call. Is something wrong?”

She sighed, “I’ve just been to see Mansell. He’s ok.” She added quickly, suddenly aware she might make him worry needlessly. “It’s just he’s low. He doesn’t think he’s ever going to get out of the hospital.”

Theo sighed, “he’s not been himself, but we hoped it was just the residual him actually accepting having a stroke. You think it’s more?”

She sighed, “he mentioned Hélène. Wants to see her again, after all that’s happened it seems he hoped he’d spend a lot more time with her.”

                “Ah,” Theo sounded frustrated. “I wondered when this would happen. Before his stroke he Skyped her every day. Maybe I’ll call her, see if she’ll visit.”

                “Is there no way you or Daniel could look after him? I mean he found being alone difficult.”

He groaned, “there’s no room in the flat with me and Melody...but Daniel’s house...”

There was silence for a moment, he was obviously thinking, so she added, “I was thinking that maybe if you got him some care...you know someone helping out, then they could look after Melody a little too...it might make your life a little easier?”

He didn’t sound enthralled by that idea, but for Nina, her heart broke at how sad Mansell was.

                “Well I’ve got to go, Lilah’s home and I have to collect her at the station, call me, let me know what you do about Hélène.”

                “I...er...”

She smiled, “you don’t owe me answers, explanations or agreements, honestly. I’m just concerned...about Mansell...and you.” She added and it was met by an emotional groan.

                “How do you do it? Unwind me with a couple of words?” He gave a self deprecating laugh, “I’ll speak to Daniel, ok?”

Two hours later Lilah emerged from the station in a bluster of colour, she looked refreshed, radiant, and like ‘old’ Lilah for a change. They hugged in the station car park, and Nina couldn’t believe how much she’d missed her friend. Once they’d driven home and sat with pizza and a bottle of wine, Lilah smiled.

                “God I’ve missed you, here...everything...”

Nina chuckled, “mutual. This house is like a morgue without you.”

                “It’s been like a morgue WITH me the last few weeks.”

Nina shook her head vehemently, “no, don’t say that.”

Lilah reached out a hand and covered hers with it, “I’ve been a selfish cow...” As Nina made to protest again she shook her head, “I told my parents, what happened, and we talked...a lot. I have two choices, go to the police, and make a case against him.  OR, just get on with things. The last thing I want is to be hauled through court, everyone knowing my business. I believe in karma. He’ll get justice in some way...just not that way. Do you understand that?”

                “I hate the thought that he’s walking around scot-free, but I’m more concerned with you, I want to see you get back into things, I don’t want him to take Lilah away.”

Lilah grinned, “I hate him, I hate what happened, but I’m going to get counselling, I’m going to get on with. I don’t want to lose Lilah either.”

She raised her glass, “I’ve got a modelling shoot in Cyprus in a week, I’ve got parents who accept EVERYTHING I throw at them, the GREATEST friend a girl could ask for, and I live in a really cool house in a really cool town. What have I got to be sad about? Honestly.”

There was no immediate answer to that, but Nina knew that nothing was ever that straight forward.

A week later, Nina drove her to the airport and they had a tearful goodbye, over the last week, they’d done very little but watch movies, eat popcorn, drink wine, and talk...lots and lots of that. If there had been a chink in their friendship before there was no chance now, as they had been more honest, more open than ever before. Lilah had started to talk about what happened with Mark. Not the graphic details, but the time frame, where they were...Nina had reluctantly at first shared with her friend the safer details of her times with Theo. Lilah in typical fashion gushed enthusiastically about that her happiness for Nina total.

                “Now don’t have TOO much fun in the sun, young lady!” Nina held her tightly.

Lilah laughed, “and don’t you overdose on sex, you hear ME?”

That made Nina chuckle, it had been a week since she’d seen Theo, and whilst they talked ALL the time on the phone, she was missing his physical presence in a lot of ways.

Theo caught Melody mid sprint and scooped her up into his arms. This was the second supervised visit between her and her mother, he’d succumbed, after negotiations with his lawyer Tony and hers, and now she saw Melody for an hour at a time, AFTER passing a drugs test. It cost a lot of money, which she didn’t have, but he didn’t care. He was using the old adage give her enough rope and she’ll hang herself. Knowing that Sadie was never going to commit to any time frame, but if he had enough evidence there was no way he’d lose his daughter again.

                “Shall we go to McDonald’s for tea?” he asked as she lifted her head from his neck, and nodded enthusiastically.

                “Happy Meal!”

He nodded, “of course!”

They were sat in the window, him drinking coffee, her eating her fries, watching the darkening evening world go by when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen to see Daniel’s name and smiled, “hi Dan.”

                “Hi Uncle Yaniel!” Melody mispronounced from beside him, which caused Daniel to giggle.

                “Some sounds chirpy, she have a good visit?”

                “Seems that Sadie can be amazing in small portions. That’s no surprise.”

Daniel sighed, “still finding it hard?”

                “Can just do without it, that’s all. What happened with Mansell?”

His brother had gone down to the coast to try to deal with the issues there. Theo was grateful for that; he had SO much on at the moment.

                “He is up for moving to London. He wants to move into my house. His face...it lit up Theo, like you wouldn’t believe.”

                “But if we swap homes are you going to be ok?”

Daniel laughed, “you’re apartment is on the bloody doorstep for all my work, and I get to visit you all in one hit...probably the greatest idea you had young brother.”

Theo leaned back, Daniel lived in Mansell’s other London home, a small town house in Chelsea, when Mansell had moved to the home in Brighton he’d bequeathed them both the properties, the recently divorced Theo wasn’t enjoying life and he took the smaller apartment with no fuss, but now they were about to swap so that they could organise care for both their grandfather and Melody. Nina was right, it made sense, and with a bit of luck would see Theo have some spare time to spend with her, because he was yearning for her, heart, body and soul.

You Got It Wrong - Part Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Seven

It wasn’t so much that Nina stepped back to let the woman in, she was barged out of the way, falling awkwardly against the wall heavily.

                “THEO? THEO? Why is some slapper opening the door to me?”

When Nina regained her composure, she looked up in time to see Theo appear eyes blazing with anger. “What the hell are you doing barging in here? Sadie, you need to leave.”

Sadie placed her hands on her hips, and Nina could see the scowl on the other woman’s face. Which was a shame as she was probably the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, and the scowl took away from that. Theo’s ex wife, Melody’s mother. She’d never felt so inadequate. The woman who brushed past her wore a designer suit, heels, hair immaculate. Nina glanced at the mirror across the hallway, her hair had the ‘thoroughly fucked’, fresh from bed look, and she literally only wore a shirt...that barely covered her backside.

Taking a deep breath she headed for the lounge where the raised voices of Sadie and Theo were emanating from.

Theo was stood in the centre of the room, hands on hips, so obviously struggling to contain his anger, his emotions. Sadie was facing up to him equally angry, and suddenly Nina had a vision of how awful the end of their marriage had been. She felt awkward, an intruder to the whole personal nature of the moment.

                “All I want is to see my daughter. MY daughter.”

Theo was shaking his head, “no. She’s OUR daughter, and when you decided to get stoned off your head in front of her, regardless of her needs...well sorry Sadie, but you blew it. You are not seeing her, not like this.”

Sadie looked devastated for a moment, and Nina hated that she was witnessing this, but soon her attitude changed.

                “Where is Melody? You are screwing that slut...” she gestured in Nina’s direction with a thumb, “whilst my daughter is sleeping. Is that any better than what I did?”

Theo stepped towards her and Nina almost flinched at the intent in his eyes, “she is having a sleep over with her uncle. I would NEVER mix my life and hers. Not on a whim.”

Nina gulped awkwardly, everything he said was right, and made sense, but she couldn’t deny that she hated being referred to as a whim. As they started a new round of shouts and accusations, Nina sidestepped into the bedroom. She needed distance, personally, but also for Theo’s sake, this was far too intimate a moment.

Theo noticed Nina disappear, but then his eyes seemed to have a tracking device on her, he hated the worried expression on her face, but then he was also glad that she wasn’t there. He couldn’t deal with Sadie and do right by her at the same time.

Striding across the room, he grabbed her arm forcibly, “get out. You have no control over my life, and you no longer have control over Melody’s. You are a mess, and this is another in a long line of ridiculous scenarios you’ve created.”

                “Get your hands off me, you bastard!”

She wriggled, and he let go, but he pushed her towards the front door, “you have no right to come in here making demands, shouting your mouth off. You’re NOTHING to me.”

That caused her to cackle, “you reckon? No judge in the land is going to take my daughter off me, not with your history of violence and ‘her’...” she pointed towards the bedroom as she spat the word out. “She has nothing on me, you are settling for some short fat woman. Why? She won’t get her hands on my daughter; I’ll hurt her if I have to.” She waved a camera at him, “got photos of you pair snogging in the street, like the CHEAP WHORE she is. NO judge will side with you. YOU HEAR ME FAT BITCH?”

Theo felt sick; she was delusional, uncontrollable, and quite obviously stoned. He needed her out of there before she did any more damage. As he opened the door and threw her out rather unceremoniously, a poor delivery guy stood in front of them his arms filled with their food.

Theo had to curb his emotions in front of the stranger, “don’t come causing trouble here again Sadie. This will all go against you in court.”

He pushed her gently but firmly, then turned to the bewildered delivery guy and took the food from him.

Nina was pulling on her shoes when the bedroom door swung open, when she looked up it was to see Theo looking at her in a pained way.

                “I really should get going.”

He shook his head, “don’t. The food’s here...she’s unstable...”

Nina held up a hand to silence him, “it’s nothing to do with me...”

Was she annoyed that he hadn’t defended her? Or was she just sickened by the whole episode? She wasn’t sure, but either way she wanted to escape. Whatever he said or did, from this point onwards, Nina knew she’d always measure...and find herself coming short, literally, in comparison to his ex wife. How could she compete with a woman who had so much presence, so much more than she had? If she had insecurities about her weight, her height or any other part, then they had just been exposed to the harshness of reality. Saying that even Lilah would struggle to beat the perfection of the woman who’d been caterwauling to her ex husband in the next door room. EX. She had to keep reminding her of that.

                “Maybe I should have explained...”

Nina shook her head, “your marriage, your daughter...that’s nothing to do with me.”

                “Don’t Nina; don’t let this get between us.”

                “I’m not.”

He walked up to her took her hands, “but you are. Half an hour you were lounging just in my shirt waiting for the take away that we’d eat together. Now you’re about to leave. That’s due to her...” He dropped his head for a moment, when he looked up he was more emotional than she’d ever seen him, “she’s on drugs...amongst other things. I’m trying to not let it become common knowledge, as much to protect Melody as anything else.” He sighed, “she needs help, but she’s in denial. It’s a mess. And I can’t have Melody seeing that, being exposed to that.”

Nina could feel his pain could see the anguish on his face, “she wants to hurt me, and I’m sorry about what she said. Don’t listen to her, nothing she said is true, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. You’re perfect, don’t ever doubt that.”

                “I AM short thought...” she offered with a half smile.

His head fell to the side for a moment and he sighed, “you are petite. Not being six foot tall isn’t a negative thing. I swear. You do believe me?”

She was starting to rationalise things, none of this was his fault, “so I’m not a cheap whore?”

He shook his head sensing that her mood was changing, “definitely not, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, pursuing you!”

That made her chuckle, “and you can tolerate me being short, and fat?”

He stepped towards her and reached for the strap of her dress, loosening it so that it started to fall away from her body. “You are neither, though you ARE curvy, and let me tell you...” he shrugged the dress from her shoulders, and ran his fingers over her shoulders, “let me tell you,” his voice was hoarse, “that you occupy my every waking moment, as much for you wit, your humour, your sassiness, as those delicious curves that I constantly want to bury my face in.” He pushed the dress over her hips, then pulled her into his arms, her body flush against his warm bare chest, “I don’t think I’ll EVER get bored of you, don’t think I could EVER get enough of you. You excite me, you tease me, you push me, you pull me...you stimulate me in a way NO one ever has, you hear me?”

Words were intoxicating, more than actions in this situation, they were music to her ears, and it wasn’t until he said those words that she realised how much she was holding back, how much fear she’d had over this situation. Letting someone in to her life, into her heart wasn’t easy, but this man was making huge steps in that direction.

                “Don’t ever let ANYONE tell you that you aren’t perfect, ok?”

His lips were on her ear causing chaos with her libido, and her head dropping to one side, exposing her throat wasn’t a conscious thing. Neither were her moans, her gasps and the goose bumps that erupted on her flesh.

                “Theo...” she tried to restore some sanity to the situation, but she was being engulfed by him. Overwhelmed. And for once she was more than happy to lose her control on life.

                “The food’ll be cold.” Nina breathed against Theo’s neck. Her body felt limp, she ached and tingled in equal measure, but somewhere in the last two hours Theo had made love to her. This was no longer sex, exciting, invigorating sex; this was something that transcended that.

The rise and fall of Theo’s chest was the only think that proved he was alive, as he remained silent for a while, when he did speak his voice was hoarse, “I can warm that...just not sure my body can function well enough to get me to the kitchen.”

She lifted her head and looked down at his serene face, eyes closed, features relaxed, the fact that he felt the same way that she did, that he was as boneless and out of body as she was. So she dropped her head back onto his warm flesh and closed her eyes.

It seemed like a lifetime later when Theo opened his eyes. It was still dark, so they hadn’t slept through the night. Reaching for the side table and his trusted Audemars Piguet watch, he saw it was three am.  As he wriggled he felt Nina’s luscious body plastered against him and sighed, unbelievable, her, them...what had happened. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so...connected to someone else, so complete. Slumping back against the pillows he smiled as she wriggled into him, seeming to wrap her arms even tighter around him.

Rolling to face her, he rubbed his nose on the end of hers, and was rewarded with her wrinkling it, then her eyes slowly opening.

                “Hey.”

She gave a half smile, “hey you too.”

                “You hungry?”

Nina nodded, even though she’d just been fast asleep, she had opened her eyes to hunger, “surprisingly so.”

Reluctantly he sat up, “I’ll warm the food.”

                “What time is it?”

                “Three.”

She gave a slow nod, “so we can finish off that champagne and still sleep it off in the morning?”

Chuckling he shook his head, “you can, but I’ve got to drive to get Melody by eight.”

                “Daniel won’t take her to nursery? Just this one time?”

How would he ever resist her charms?

They ate the reheated Chinese food, finished the bottle of champagne, then before they returned to bed, to sleep...really sleep, Theo sent his brother a text asking him to help him out. He could only ask...and pray.

You Got It Wrong - Part Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Six

The Slate was an amazing pub, with an equally amazing menu. Not that either of them could quantify that as there wasn’t a table free for them to eat. They stood at the bar instead and had a bottle of beer, watching amazingly delicious food appearing from the kitchen and delivered to the various full tables.

                “I had no idea I’d need to book. I’m not very organised.”

She laughed, “we’ll know for next time, hey?”

Grinning he took her hand and lifted it to his lips, “as long as there is a next time I can live with that.” When she gave a coy smile he rolled his eyes in exasperation, “what shall we do? Try another place?”

She shrugged, “we could get a take away, at yours?”

He waggled an eyebrow, “is this you getting your wicked way with me?”

She chuckled, “in YOUR dreams.”            

                “Nina Willoughby, you have NO idea just where you figure in my dreams.”

There was no way that they could stay in the pub and carry on mundane conversations when sexual tension crackled between them like electricity. As Theo led her out into the now dark night by the hand, she was glad of the lack of light to hide her flushed cheeks. When she was around him she didn’t know herself, she was never so sexually confident, so extroverted, but with him, she KNEW what she wanted and was desperate to get it. And tonight that was him, on her, over her, around her.

As they reached the junction at the end of the road he slowed waiting for the traffic to stop, and turned to her with a smile. Before she could speak, he’d swept his lips down to cover hers. She melted into his kiss and for a moment forgot that they were in the street. Until someone shouted, “get a room!”

Theo lifted his head, “no need for that. You sure about this?”

She nodded, “yup.”

Taking his hand again, she jogged across the road with him and was relieved to see the doorway to his apartment block in the distance. They had barely made it through the front door, and he was on her like a ravenous animal. Dragging the dress from her neck, his lips fastened onto the soft flesh beneath her ear as she slid her hands under his sweater, moving her hands gratefully over the warm skin of his body. His moan in response was swallowed by her lips and she loved feeling how desperate he was for her too. The hard unyielding door was pressed into her spine, but in front of her, Theo was equally as unforgiving, his erection pressed into her, his chest firm against her breasts.

                “Jeez Nina,” she knew he wanted to day more, but he couldn’t keep his lips off her skin long enough. Her kicking off her shoes, she started on the waist band of his trousers.

                “As expensive as this hall floor was, it is not comfortable,” scooping her into his arms he marched in to the bedroom, theatrically tossing her down to the mattress.

It was hunger that dragged them both from bed. Nina showered whilst Theo ordered food from the nearby Thai restaurant, and when she emerged, dressed in a shirt that she’d found on the back of the bathroom door, Theo looked up and smiled, his eyes widening as he took in her attire.

He was in the open plan kitchen wrestling with a bottle of champagne wearing just a pair of jeans, “suddenly I’m all fingers and thumbs.”

Eventually he popped the cork and filled two glasses. Nina accepted her glass then moved to the patio doors that led to the balcony, the lights of Westminster and the London Eye on the horizon.

                “I bet you never get tired of this view.”

He moved behind her and sipped his champagne, “you’re right. You ever thought about coming back to London?”

She shrugged, “I hated what it stood for, and for so long that I couldn’t ever see myself back here.”

                “And now?”

Again she shrugged, “let’s just say I’m seeing it in a better light.”

                “So why Brighton?”

Lowering herself into a seat she toyed with the stem of her glass for a moment, “my mother died when I was a baby, she contracted cervical cancer when she was pregnant and never told my dad, the hormones and stuff meant it grew really quick. She was told to abort me, to concentrate on beating it, but she’d have had to have a hysterectomy, chemotherapy...if she got rid of me she’d never have another child. I suppose that was her decision to have me for the seven months she had. Her mother, my Mémé, my grandmother moved to Brighton, she felt it was in the middle of her family and her daughter. When my mother died, she’d settled in Brighton. I live in her house now, and it’s the place I remember with the greatest memories from when I was a kid.” She sipped her drink for a moment, then glancing up saw his eyes were on her, he was listening, waiting.

                “When I fell out with my family,” she still couldn’t admit to finding Imelda having sex with her boyfriend, it was still raw, still painful. “Well, I went to see her; she encouraged me to go travelling, to see the world. It was her who called me to say my father had died. The irony was that she outlived him, though in all honesty she died a year later at seventy three, he was seventy.” She shrugged her eyebrows for a moment, “scandalous age gap. My mother was the trophy wife, and he was a sugar daddy.”

                “But they were happy?”

She thought about that for a moment, “I think so. I don’t remember...obviously, and they were only together two years before I came along. But in his letter...part of it said that he found me hard to deal with because I reminded him of my mother...and she was the love of his life. Those were his words. She unfortunately can’t tell me.  Mémé didn’t like him, hated the age...but she said my mother, Beatrice, she was besotted by him. He never hit her; he always treated her well...who knows.”

It was Theo’s turn to be quiet, contemplative. “So this step mother was a shock to the system?”

She nodded, “can you imagine me? Just hitting puberty and this Russian model enters the house. But it was just a few moments later that she practically told me to piss off, ‘I’m not here to look after you, I’m not your mother’.” She gave an ironic laugh, “what a bitch. I left when I found her in bed with my then boyfriend.”

                “What?” Theo’s mouth had dropped open.

Nina nodded, “yup, I came home from school an hour early as a teacher was sick, I heard a noise when I walked into the house, and there wasn’t supposed to be anyone there...so I rushed towards the noise. Not the most sensible thing for an unarmed woman to do, but I was just eighteen, I had no grasp of reality.

                “And there they were, Josh Samuels...the love of my life, the boy I’d been dating for six months NOT five minutes I hasten to add, was lying on the bed, naked Imelda writhing over him, her fake tits bouncing in time with her thrusts. Josh had his hands all over her, a look of...” Nina sighed. “I didn’t care about him, not really, and he was never remorseful or understanding of what he’d done. But neither was she. I told my Dad, what I’d seen. And he came at me with a diatribe of what a vindictive cow I was. So I left.”

He shook his head, “so your father learned the hard way. That you were right.”

She nodded, “that’s what his letter said, he’d always known, suspected that Imelda was like that, but he was too old and too jaded to attack it head on, instead he buried his head in the sand.”

                “And lost you along the way too, double loss.”

Nina hated that tears prickled at her eyes, unable to speak for a moment, she nodded a reply.

Theo reached out, placed a hand on her arm, wanting her to know that he was there, that he understood, but also knowing that she had revisited a place she hadn’t been for a long time.

They drank in silence for a moment, then Theo spoke, “I first learned the identity of my father when I was about twelve. My mother loves me, but she is always searching for the next thrill, the next party and the next man. When I met Henry Gershwin, I realised they were peas in a pod really. Though he has taken irresponsible and party to the nth degree. Daniel was born to the only woman he cared about, but she died when he was still in school. Step in Mansell. When I came on the scene all teenage angst and feisty, hating the world at sixteen, seeking the dad I’d spend my life fantasising about, it was Mansell who gave me time, he and Daniel made me feel a part of things, part of a family. You know? My mother was relieved, she buggered off to Australia for a while, with one man, and then later the Cayman Islands. Her life is a map of the men she’s chased.”

                “Do you see much of her?”

His eyes had dropped at some point during the last comment, and he lifted them at that question, smiling at her. “She came to my wedding...I’ve had a few exotic holidays visiting her. Me and Daniel went out to the Caribbean eighteen months ago. She comes to Britain periodically, to shop. And I will humour her then, meet her for lunch...but we don’t have a devoted relationship.”

It was her turn to lay a supportive hand on him, “so we’re kind of two peas in a pod ourselves.” The comment was greeted with a hmph, then she chuckled, “I can see why you’re SO devoted a Dad.”

That made him smile, “the irony that I married a self obsessed woman with less maternal instinct than my own mother.”

It was Nina’s turn to smile, “they say that we subconsciously look to right wronged relationships...I mean me...why do you think I volunteer at Oakdale? Being company for the elderly who have no one else. Just a pity that it doesn’t even begin to assuage my own guilt.”

                “Look at us...both sitting here accepting out weaknesses...”

Nina turned to look at Theo, “that’s what people do...share things. Reckon this is a first for both of us.”

He nodded, “it is.”

He refilled her glass, and they both drank in silence...silence other than the stereo playing some Otis Redding, the smooth voice seemed to penetrate the moment.

                “So how’s Melody coping? Living here?”

Theo smiled at Nina, but had no intention of really getting into the details of that situation. He had solicitors pushing him to share his daughter, but the memory of his ex wife comatose at death’s door whilst his daughter played beside her haunted his every dream. He couldn’t share that, not because he wanted to protect Sadie, and not because he wanted to keep the elements of his life separate. No, he couldn’t actually voice the words. He couldn’t actually acknowledge what could have happened that day. Instead he carried on with a fake smile.

                “Yeah, she loves the place, but I am all princessed out.  I mean EVERYTHING is pink, I am seeing and learning about characters that no man should really know well!”

Nina chuckled, “of course you should! It’s brilliant I love it.”

                “There’s nothing nicer than sitting down to watch a Barbie movie or her ultimate fave Frozen for the fourteenth time in one day, I swear.”

Nina stood, stretching her legs then walked to the window again, staring out, “they are memories you’ll always have.” Turning she smiled at him, “maybe memories we never had, either of us.”

Theo leaned back and watched her, she had a natural elegance as she moved, reminding him of a cat. She was a devilishly sexy woman, but really had no idea of the effects she had on him, both physically and emotionally. She turned him inside out, making him challenge everything that he knew in every aspect of his life. Standing he stalked towards her, needing to kiss her, feel her again.

As his lips found hers, his hands pulled her against his body, he sighed, this felt so right. His fingers slid down over her hips to cup her buttocks through the cotton of his shirt and he was rewarded with her sigh against his lips. As the kiss increased in its intensity the doorbell behind them rang.

                “Damn...too long talking, it’s eaten into our kissing time.”

Nina laughed, “yup, we did a hell of a lot of kissing earlier. That must be the food...and I am STARVING!”

As he laughed she turned to him, “I’ll get the door, you get the plates...and some more champagne?”

Nina fought to keep the skip out of her stride as she made for the door and the repeatedly ringing bell. Pulling open the door she offered, “you have perfect timing!”

But there wasn’t a delivery man with bags of hot food on the doorstep; instead her eyes encountered one of the most beautiful women she’d ever encountered. Almost six foot, slim, blonde, pretty beyond belief. Nina’s mouth dropped open in shock just as the woman barged past her shouting, “who the hell are you? And what the fuck are you doing in my husband’s house?”