by S M Mala
‘Do you think she would?’ he asked, alarmed by the comment. ‘She’s not like that!’
‘It must be hard for her. TJ is always out and about.’
‘But look at her lifestyle? She doesn’t have to worry about money, does she?’ Then Ted grinned. ‘What is it with my female friends that means they don’t have to work?’
‘If you’re implying that I don’t’ have to work, you are sorely mistaken. I have to work.’ Thinking for a moment, she took a deep breath. ‘What does Stasia say about me being one of your best friends who are best friends with one your exes? Has she ever questioned you about it?’
Ted glanced away then shook his head.
‘It was mentioned when we started seeing each other, and I had to show her a picture of you. She said you were cute.’
‘Cute? Not like some sex pot?’
‘It was the one where you were dressed up in a rabbit suit for Easter.’ Then he laughed. ‘And when she met you she could see why we were just friends.’
‘And Pearl?’
‘We were teenagers. Luckily, we’re still friends. And what do your men friends say about me?’ he asked, finishing his coffee. ‘Is there some jealousy? I know Roland wasn’t impressed.’
‘They all presume I have a thing about you and am biding my time until you are severely concussed and realise you are in love with me.’ Maddy let out a loud laugh. ‘Why can’t they see it’s not like that between us? I think men are quite limited in their ability to be open-minded. Or they are so conceited that they think that all women want to shag the opposite sex, hence doing the friendship thing.’ Ted grimaced. ‘You know you are more than safe on that front.’
‘Totally.’ He let out a loud sigh. ‘Stasia is amazing, though she gets a little bit jealous of me seeing other women as part of my job.’
‘Lingerie models? What do you expect?’
‘I’m not going to cheat, am I?’
‘Mainly because you’ve slept with most of them!’ She let out a loud laugh. ‘Stasia will have to get you used to it.’ Then Maddy frowned. ‘Though Stan takes some getting used to.’ Ted smiled and shook his head. ‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘That’s not true. You’re thinking something.’
‘Stan’s a great guy.’
‘He’s your woman’s twin, of course, you’re going to say that.’
‘And you like him,’ Ted whispered. ‘More than you’re letting on.’
‘He’s okay,’ she replied, folding her arms and not making eye contact.
‘Be careful of men like him. He’s a writer, and I know he mentions us in his blog.’
‘Really?’ Maddy stared straight at Ted. ‘Does he mention me?’
‘In an abstract sort of way.’
‘What the hell does that mean?’
‘You know what? Forget I said anything. If you get on, then that’s good.’ She noticed he was grinning at her again.
‘Why are you smiling like that?’
‘It’s just when you mention his name, your expression changes. I’ve not seen that look before, Madeleine.’
‘Irritation I call it.’
‘Are you sure?’ Ted laughed. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, really!’ she replied, folding her arms. ‘Now you’re making me cross. What are you implying?’
‘Nothing, barking Maddy. Nothing.’
‘You’re drunk!’
Stan was stood on her doorstep half past eleven in the evening, reeking of booze. ‘What are you doing here? You’ll wake up Phyllis not to mention waking me up.’
‘Where’s my baby!’ he slurred, walking straight into her home. ‘Daddy’s home!’
Phyllis came bounding up towards him and jumped into his arms.
‘Don’t breathe on her. She’ll pass out.’
‘My baby, I love you!’ he said, snuggling into her coat. Then he stopped and looked at Maddy. ‘She smells funny.’
‘I sprayed her with something nice,’ she replied, looking away. ‘You’re not taking her home, not in your state.’
‘Then I’ll stay here.’
‘You can’t just turn up and say that.’
‘Then I’ll go home.’ He grinned, swaying on his feet. ‘What’s easier?’
Stan put Phyllis down and then took off his jacket, kicking off his trainers and wobbled toward the sofa before crashing on it.
‘You better not be sick. I can’t deal with the smell of other people’s vomit and the sofa’s quite new. Do you want a bucket and a can of air freshener?’ she asked, standing with her hands on her hips. ‘Coffee is what you need. I’ll make you one.’
‘No, I like this feeling,’ he said, starting to laugh. ‘I’m happy.’ Stan then looked around. ‘You know, I like your home.’
‘Really?’ Maddy smiled. ‘You are drunk, aren’t you?’
‘It’s a perfect size, and it always feels warm and cosy when I’m here.’
‘You’re saying it’s small?’
‘I like the fact your doors open up onto your garden, and your kitchen is the hub of activity, and you can still natter to your friends. Everything is well co-ordinated.’ Stan shook his head and grinned. ‘Tasteful.’
‘I tried hard to give it that feel.’ Then he burst out laughing and looked at her. ‘What?’
‘You didn’t design it! It was Pearl,’ he said, trying to get to his feet, stumbling, then he walked closer. ‘Your interior designer friend did it, didn’t she?’
‘I gave her the inspiration,’ she replied, pursing her lips. ‘I oversaw all of it.’
‘Of course, you did.’
‘I have a multitude of talents,’ she lied, seeing him grin.
‘What did you do for a living again before becoming a lady of leisure?’
Maddy glared at him as he grinned in response.
‘I have always worked, not necessary for money of late. I am not lazy which you seem to be implying. I talked myself into a job as a copywriter for an advertising agency.’
‘Obviously!’
‘Then I went to work for the hospice as I didn’t like the agency, after a few little flings here and there with the pretty boy art directors.’
‘I see.’ Stan smirked, and she could see he was in his wind up mood. ‘So now instead of paying for you, the hospice gets the service for free, as you are the charity to them so to speak.’
‘It helps towards the fundraising, me donating my services.’
‘But your colleagues get paid what? Not pennies.’
‘It’s a hard job, and they don’t con the hospice. It’s all above board, so stop finding bad in things that are good. You’re a writer who seems to get a kick out of being mean about everyone. I wish you had more love in your heart.’
‘Oh, barking Maddy, I have a lot of love in my heart,’ he said, grabbing her face and kissing her forehead hard as she pushed him off. The last thing she wanted to feel was the flutter in her gut when he touched her skin. ‘You are a wonder!’
Stan then shuffled off up the stairs, and she heard the door slam shut.
He had probably passed out in her spare room.
‘What is wrong with him?’ she asked Phyllis who was looking up at her. ‘He is a cynical bugger, you know, but he is cute. Darn cute!’
‘Is that you, Phyllis?’
Maddy could feel breathing on her foot and wondered if the pooch had hijacked her bed, once again, before smiling. There was something soft against her foot, and she thought it must be the dog’s nose. ‘That tickles.’
‘Sorry.’
She jumped up, scared out her wits, to see Stan lying down with his head at the end of the bed.
‘What are you doing in my bed?’ she asked, holding the covers to her chest.
‘I missed Phyl so came to see her. She was on one corner, so I thought, as your bed is very large, I’ll lie down here.’ Maddy glanced at Phyllis who was still sleeping. ‘What have you done to my dog?’
‘Nothing.’ Maddy stared straight at him
, not giving anything away, which was pointless as his eyes were closed
Glancing at Stan, she noticed he was pretending to sleep, and his dark hair ruffled.
She hated to admit it, but he was heart breakingly good looking and had a little beauty spot on his cheek which was usually covered up with stubble. He seemed so peaceful, and Maddy lay back in bed, pulling her feet away.
Next thing there was movement, and he was lying next to her.
‘Don’t breathe on me,’ she grumbled. ‘I have to go to the hospice this morning to see some patients. I need to be sober. And you know about my vigorous oral hygiene routine. It’s very important to brush your teeth before you go to bed, in the morning and half way through the day. Plaque causes cavities.’
‘Strange little child.’
‘You need to follow my good impression, or you won’t have beautiful teeth,’ then she mumbled. ‘But you’ve got nice teeth anyway, so you’re lucky.’
‘You look like a cherub, you know. With your curly hair and soft curves, but the boobs are off-putting.’
‘Then don’t look at my boobs.’
Maddy pulled the covers up to cover her chest, making him smile.
She felt Phyllis stand and do her usual stretch before walking up the bed and lying in between them. Stan instantly cuddled his dog then scowled before looking at Maddy.
‘Before you say anything, she got washed, brushed and pampered.’ Maddy grinned at his frown. ‘Even that manky scarf collar was given a good cleaning.’
Stan closed his eyes and decided to go back to sleep as Maddy looked at Phyllis’s sweet face near his. Maddy thought a few more minutes in bed might be a good idea before starting off the day. She drifted off into a little slumber, thinking of all the nice things she would do.
‘Even in your sleep, you smile?’ she heard him whisper, making her wake up. ‘You’re having happy little thoughts, aren’t you?’
‘Shouldn’t you be going home to see your builder about the big damp patch, which is probably systematic of your miserable persona, instead of being in my bed?’
‘Do you think bad things? Nasty thoughts?’
‘What’s the point? If I did and something happened, I’d feel guilty.’
‘You know, this impression that you give that all is well with the world, I don’t buy it. You will walk into a brick wall eventually, and all those good and happy thoughts will go.’
‘No, I won’t and neither will they,’ she replied, looking at Phyllis staring at the both of them. ‘Happiness is the key to life.’ Then Maddy thought a little bit more. ‘And health.’
‘And when you take this long-awaited trip to Rome, to empty your piggy bank into an over-inflated pond, then-.’
‘It’s a fountain, not a pond.’
‘Will those be your wishes? Health and happiness? You could go for something a little higher like wealth and-.’ Stan started to smile. ‘But you’ve got that already.’
‘I’m not wealthy. I’m comfortable. I know I am very fortunate to be in that position and I don’t forget it.’ Maddy stroked Phyllis’s head and smiled. ‘And believe me that doesn’t buy you happiness, far from it. Try dealing with the tax man when it comes to the yearly returns.’
He burst out laughing, shaking his head before lying on his back.
‘I’m self-employed and have to work my arse off to pay the mortgage and all the bills for my small flat. When I do my tax return, I am so stringent down to the last penny of what to declare, and I worry internally that the work will dry up. I bet what you pay in tax is the same as I earn.’
‘I don’t know how much you earn.’ She looked guiltily away knowing what he meant. ‘I didn’t know my grandma was going to leave me a majority of the money, did I? She had enough to allow my brother piss off to LA to find a career in music like he could? You know he’s tone deaf, don’t you?’ Maddy giggled. ‘And my parents went to the Caribbean because of mum’s arthritis and mainly, they got given a nest egg to have a good life.’
‘You could be travelling the world and seeing places.’ He turned to look at her. ‘But you prefer to stay here. Why?’
‘Because it’s my home.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I have friends here.’
‘You could stay with your parents.’
‘As a grown adult, do you want to move back home with yours?’
‘Good point,’ he said, nodding in agreement. ‘You could have at least gone to Rome by now.’
‘I planned to do it on my thirtieth birthday if I was single, and that’s what I will do. Roll on June 13th!’ She let out a yawn. ‘If you want to know the truth, the real truth, I’ve never had much of a focus on anything. There was no one thing I was exceptionally good at when I was at school. I guess I was lucky to get the job at the agency.’
‘I got a degree in journalism and had to work my arse off to get a job on a paper and website all to pay off my student debt.’ Suddenly he looked annoyed. ‘And you walk into something, just like that.’
‘I know,’ she grinned. ‘I’m exceptionally talented. Someone has got to be, plus I did talk my way into the jobs.’
‘As if I couldn’t have guessed! And you know what bugs me?’
‘Can I stop you from saying?’ Maddy smiled at his pretend sleeping face.
‘You and Ted.’
‘Me and Ted?’
‘You must have shagged. I can’t believe you wouldn’t get your mucky little paws all over him.’ She got her pillow and banged his head, making him startle as he looked at her. Stan started to smile. ‘A sore point?’
‘Ted is like my brother. In fact, he’s more than a brother compared to my real one. Rat arse always looked at me as if I shouldn’t be there.’
‘Rat arse?’
‘Raymond. I can’t say I was upset when he left the country.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘And Ted is much kinder and stuck up for me at school.’
‘Why?’ Stan lay on his back and looked at her. ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing,’ she said, flicking her hair out of her face. ‘He was there for me. Didn’t have to be.’
‘Maddy, what aren’t you telling me?’
‘Nothing.’ Maddy pushed the covers away as she felt a little hot. She noticed Stan flicked her a glance before staring into her eyes. ‘Okay, I had a hard time. I started High School a few years later because we moved away and came back, so I had to make friends from scratch. Some of the people I knew from primary school, but it all changed by then. Everyone had their groups of established friends, but I didn’t fit in. And a group of girls didn’t like me. Initially, they pretended they did.’
‘But they didn’t?’
‘One in particular who I thought I was friends with at primary. I didn’t quite get it. She was nice then she’d be mean, telling everyone what I confided in her. It was humiliating, and I didn’t know what I did wrong.’ Maddy remembered how sad it made her feel. ‘It made me dislike myself as well as having lots of self-doubts.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’
‘Tara was also the ring leader and to say she hated me is putting it mildly.’ She bit her lip hard. ‘One she said I stole something from her. I never knew what it was. It was getting heated, and she was pushing me about, but Ted was there and stepped in.’
‘I see.’ Stan propped himself on his elbows. ‘Did they hurt you?’
‘Not physically but there was some damage to my heart and head. I was confident before then it all went.’ She looked away. ‘I thought it was me. The way I was, the way I looked. I never quite shook it off. That’s why I don’t want to travel too far and go away. I’d miss my friends, and I don’t make new ones easily.’
‘Why not?
‘Because it’s hard to trust people who might just end up hurting you,’ she said, her smile slipping. Stan glanced away and frowned. ‘So, it’s best I stick to Pearl, Ted, Dora, and Phyllis. I trust them.’
‘How did Ted help you at school?’
&n
bsp; ‘Told them to piss off and stop bullying me. If Ted saw or heard that they’d done anything, he would make sure their remaining life in school was hell.’ Maddy grinned. ‘It worked. Pearl, who I had seen from afar, immediately took me under her wing and those girls left me alone. But every time I saw them, I got dagger looks, especially from Tara. I was protected by the school heart throb and the coolest girl in school. Like a free pass to a party, you’re not supposed to be invited to. Which is how I would describe my life.’ She smiled then remembered how badly scarred she was about the incident with some things she lived with to that very day. ‘I just want people to like me, and I don’t understand when they don’t.’
‘Seriously?’ He laughed out loud and lay back down. ‘Bullies aren’t nice.’
‘Why did you say ‘seriously’?’
‘You chat constantly, do you know that? When you’re on a roll, it’s hard to shut you up.’
‘I don’t like you sometimes, Stanley.’ Maddy let out a huff as he sniggered. ‘You say I’m irritating yet you turn up at my home every other week, eat through my fridge and then expect me to babysit your dog, which I don’t mind.’ She patted Phyllis’s head. ‘And you come and talk to me, not the other way around because sometimes you look like you’re going to bite my head off.’
‘Only when you speak,’ he mumbled. ‘When you’re quiet and observing people in a group, that’s when you’re at your sweetest.’
‘Really?’ she said, starting to blush.
‘Yes, because you’re not talking.’ Stan snuggled back into his sleeping position as she glared at him. ‘And you’re spoilt, so much so, that you want people to like you and get upset when they don’t. Then you can’t figure out why. Plus, you volunteer to cheer up critically ill children like the bloody angel you are.’
‘You don’t sound too impressed!’ she snapped. ‘I’m not an angel. I have a wicked side to me you know.’
‘No, you don’t!’
‘I want to change things, make the world a better place for people less fortunate. The thing with adults, they’ve lived their lives but children and teenagers? Some will never get the chance of experiencing love, marriage or even having their children. I want them to have fun, do things they can remember for what’s left of their time on earth.’ The gravity of what she said hit her. ‘Stan, I know I’m lucky, and I never forget it, but I’m certainly not spoilt.’