Rumours

by Claire Ayres

  “You’ve come back from your parents far more tense than usual.” Luka comments

  “Oh, you won’t believe what they did this time,” Mark says, barely containing his anger.

  I indicate the punch bags and Luka raises his eyebrows and nods taking point for me while I start hitting the shit out of them. Between breaths explaining what happened.

  “They had some girl there, a daughter of my Dad’s friend, only about nineteen. Tell me they’ve arranged for me to marry her.” I smack the bag. “This is after I tell them I’ve met someone.” Luka’s eyes are wide like saucers.

  “Seriously? They actually pulled the old school arranged marriage shit on you?”

  “Yep. Throwing threats at me and acting like complete arseholes.”

  “No way. That’s fucking atrocious.” Luka shakes at my pummelling of the bag.

  “Well, I didn’t even consider it, walked out. Fuck them.” I say, still fuming.

  “Good on you mate. You never did need them.” Luka says stepping away for a moment and slapping me on the shoulder. “I missed something. You told them about Blair?”

  “Kind of. I told them I was seeing someone. I think I dropped her name while I was walking out. It all got messed up. I don’t even know why I did. I think she’s done a runner anyway.” I wipe my face with my towel feeling less like killing someone now.

  We get on the treadmills and reach a steady speed before he continues.

  “She seemed pretty happy with things when we spoke last night?” Luka says picking up right where we left off.

  “That was before she pulled a disappearing act and stopped answering her phone,” I respond.

  “Ah, remember what I did to myself when Jess did that to me and how badly it ended because of my conclusion jumping. Try and wait it out and actually get all the answers first.” My friend says and I actually laugh remembering the day which probably was one of Luka’s least impressive.

  “Yes, you were pretty pathetic that day!” I laugh and Luka throws me a very dirty look.

  “I’m just saying, don’t be acting like me.” He says

  “No chance in hell, Luka. I’ve left her voicemails for a start.”

  “You think you’re such a funny shit, don’t you?” He asks, his laughter giving away the good nature behind the question.

  We both continue our work out bantering for the next hour until Luka’s phone pings, Jess wanting him home.

  “Duty calls.” He chuckles, and I roll my eyes before we walk back to the apartment block together.

  Saying goodbye at his front door I walk back to my apartment letting myself in.

  I check my phone again and have no messages. Trying Blair, again it rings a couple of times and a burst of hope runs through me before it goes to voicemail. It can only mean she declined my call, what on earth is going on?

  ◆◆◆

  The next day I decide to go and see Blair, picking up a tea gift basket, knowing she loves tea and having a strong feeling I need to apologise for something. I arrive at her studio and it’s locked up tight. I knock on the door and there is no answer. I ring the buzzer for her apartment and wait, after several minutes sighing I turn to walk away and almost smack straight into the woman herself. A large holdall over her shoulder, she’s wearing a beanie on her head, her hair poking out of the bottom of it, her Dr Martens, skinny jeans, a hoodie and a leather jacket. She looks exhausted and equally gorgeous.

  Our eyes lock and I feel it, all the attraction come rushing between us. I smile, and she holds a stern frown on her face. Fucking hell, what did I do?

  “Hey.” It’s all I can manage.

  “What are you doing here?” She looks pissed, really pissed.

  “I needed to see you. To make sure you’re OK.” I say. I reach to touch her cheek and she pulls away. I have no idea what’s going on here. “Can we talk?”

  “I’m OK and no we can’t,” She says, shuffling past me to her front door which she starts unlocking.

  “Blair, I’ve no idea what happened,” I say standing there completely confused.

  “We had some fun. Now we’re done.” She says, and I feel like I’ve been gut-punched.

  “It was more than fun Blair. For both of us. You said you wanted to try.” I plead, I know I sound pathetic, and I don’t care.

  “I changed my mind.” I realise at this point she won’t look me in the eye, she’s been staring at the floor this whole time. She’s avoided any physical contact. This is bigger than she is saying.

  “Blair, look at me,” I say, she shakes her head and closes the door, I catch her eye when she looks up to lock the door and she has tears in her eyes. I have no idea what is driving this, she is clearly feeling broken up about what she’s doing as well.

  I put the gift basket I forgot to give her down outside her door and I turn and walk away. I have no idea how I will change her mind, I do know I won’t give up, not on the only woman I’ve ever felt like this about. I need to figure out what the problem is.

  Chapter Twelve

  Blair

  Blair checks her outfit in the mirror, it’s approaching seven and she knows she is going to be late. Changing back into her skinny black jeans, her heeled ankle boots and blood red halterneck. She has simple makeup with a smokey black eye and a ruby red lipstick.

  Blair: I am running a little late but I am on my way, sorry!

  She puts her phone in her pocket, her money in the other, swinging her leather jacket around her shoulders she locks up and slips her key in her pocket and gets into the Uber she has ordered.

  Arriving at the bar in Clifton, she walks in, the bar brimming with people relaxing after a long week at work. Catching the eye of some men as she walks through, she automatically smiles, still not having dropped her act, then reminding herself she doesn’t need to, she has ended things with Mark. She spots Quinn at a table in a dark corner, looking decidedly uncomfortable. She waves and points at the bar. Quinn nods in response, a look of sheer relief rushing over her young face.

  After buying a jug of the house cocktail, convincing herself it won’t hurt to drink this once, and its happy hour why not get the whole jug. She makes her way over to Quinn.

  “I’m sorry I’m late, I hope you haven’t been waiting for long.” She says draping her jacket over the chair before she sits down.

  “No, I arrived just before seven, not too long.” Quinn nervously sips her drink and Blair quirks her head at the young girl.

  “You seem really uncomfortable are you OK?”

  “I’m not used to busy bars, or anywhere really. It’s embarrassing, I don’t get out much.” She says, Blair smiles at her.

  “You’re friends with me now, we can change things for you. I guess, training to be a professional musician is fairly all consuming?” She asks, remembering some of what Mark has told her with a twinge of pain which she takes a large gulp of the drink to help her forget.

  “Yes, my parents decided when I was really young they wanted me to be professional, it’s all I’ve ever known. I have never really done anything except play.”

  “It sound’s harsh, did you not have friends when you were at school? Boyfriends?” Blair asks.

  “Not really on the friends front and never with boyfriends. I didn’t meet anybody except other music students and none of us had time for anything except the music.” She shrugs.

  “Are you telling me you’ve never had a boyfriend Quinn?” The poor girl visibly shrinks in her seat and Blair almost wishes she hadn’t said anything.

  “Yes. Nothing, not even a kiss.” She says “It’s reached a point now where I’m plain afraid to talk to guys. I almost died when you made me dance with Mark last week.” At the mention of Mark’s name Blair’s blood both boils and runs cold at the same time. This poor girl needs help, she’s stuck in a cycle of fear about approaching men because she’s never been through the normal teenage processes of learning. Luckily she has Blair as a friend now.

  “How old are you Quinn?
”

  “I’m 24, I know it’s embarrassing.”

  “Absolutely not, and we’re friends now. You need to break the ice and learn to speak to men, realise they aren’t aliens, is all.” She smiles and tops up her new friend's glass.

  “Can I ask how old you are?” Quinn asks and Blair smiles at her.

  “Of course, I’m 32.” She answers finishing her drink and feeling the familiar kick from the alcohol. Topping up her glass. Quinn’s eyes widen with shock, a common reaction when people find out her age, they often think she’s in her mid-twenties, lucky genes.

  “What happened at the party?” Asks Quinn “You were there looking happy one moment, then the next you disappeared. And Mark has been like a bear with a sore head at rehearsals all week. People think I don’t notice things, or rather they don’t notice me. Mark is normally the resident joker, when he is in a grump it shows, and all I could think about it was, were the two things connected?” She dips her straw in and out of her drink nervously. “Oh sorry, I babble when I’m nervous.”

  Blair takes a deep breath, then a large drink, she steals herself, refusing to let tears pour down her face when she speaks. She refuses to feel the pain, no matter how real it is.

  “I was told something about Mark, something which I don’t think I can get past. We haven’t been dating very long, not long enough for there to be anything serious between us, I think it might have been heading that way. Then I was told this thing and it changed everything.”

  “Oh, wow. I get why you needed to leave. Have you spoken to him? You know what rumours can be like?” Quinn says, looking so serious. “I know I don’t know him, well either of you, very well. All he could talk about was you when we were dancing last week. Seemed to me like he was past the point of it being something casual and he was all in.”

  Blair’s heart forms a lump which is so large in her throat she is fairly sure it’s visible and she feels the world constricting around her, guzzling her drink down she feels tears twinge in her eyes having no idea what words to use in response to what Quinn has said. As she tries to work her way out of the mess in her head they are approached by potential friendlies bearing drinks.

  “Hi, we were wondering if we could join you, and we brought you drinks to soften the introduction.” Says the first, he looks like a surfer, messy curly blonde hair, well-built and athletic. His friend, however, is quite the opposite, slim, a rocker, in skinny jeans, a skinny t-shirt, tattoos down his arms, piercings over his face, and a faux mohawk died blue and they both look incredibly familiar.

  Quinn looks terrified, she looks at Blair pleadingly, desperate for her to say ‘no’, and turn these men away. She needs to learn, and Blair needs to have some fun and get Mark out of her hair.

  “Sure, take a seat,” Blair responds, noticing rocker boy has his eyes firmly on Quinn, a good start.

  “I’m Heath this is Liam.” Says surfer boy holding out his hand. Blair takes it and he turns her hand to kiss it. She thinks to herself, we’ve got a charmer here. Before shaking Liam’s hand. Quinn tentatively shakes hands with Heath before then shaking hands with Liam, Blair watches how he holds her hand slightly longer than necessary and is holding her eyes.

  “Blair and Quinn,” I say. “Thank you for the drinks.”

  “You’re welcome, we were stood at the bar and saw these two beautiful women tucked away and decided it was only right we bought them a drink,” Heath says and Blair smiles thinking she can have some fun with this one.

  “So, you come here regularly then, trawling for women having a quiet evening?”

  “Oh no, we are from London, in town tonight for a gig then off again.”

  “A gig eh?” Blair runs her finger around the top of her glass and licks her lip, watching how Heath watches her, she notices that Quinn and Liam are deep in conversation their heads tucked low talking and she smiles to herself, before bringing her attention back to Heath.

  “A friend of ours is playing, we don’t see them often, we’re normally playing our own gigs.” He answers, reaching forward to take the glass from her fingers, before entwining his fingers with hers. Something which doesn’t feel all that enticing.

  “So you are in a band, is it a good band?” She asks and he shrugs

  “We do OK.” Non-committal. “What do you do?”

  “I’m a photographer. Mostly weddings.”

  “So you’re creative and a romantic.” He smiles.

  “Oh, there’s nothing romantic about me.” She responds, he leans in and whispers in her ear

  “I don’t believe that for a second Blair.” Then kisses her neck. “Would you ladies like to come to this gig with us.” Another kiss. These kisses should be setting her alight, making her wet, turning her on. They aren’t though, they are just kisses. His warm breath doing nothing to light her up. She decides she probably needs more alcohol and she nods necking the drink he placed on the table when he speaks to the whole group.

  “Let’s get going then, we’ve got a gig to go to.”

  As they walk out of the bar, she puts an arm around Quinn and whispers in her ear.

  “Are you OK, Q? If you aren’t comfortable you have to say.”

  “Yeah, you were right I had to talk to someone. Liam is really nice.” Blair smiles at the young girl and squeezes her shoulder. “I’ve noticed Heath is totally under your spell, you can’t even hit the friend zone when you try can you?” both girls laugh and while Blair wants to be offended she looks at Heath who is watching her every move with lust-filled eyes and realises Quinn may have a point.

  As they step outside, Liam takes Quinn’s hand and leads her on, while Heath turns and puts an arm around Blair’s waist. She slips her arm around his to walk along disappointed there is no feeling of comfort at all.

  “I think my friend may have a thing for your friend.” He says

  “What makes you say that? I thought you guys were on the pull?” Blair looks at him

  “Oh no, we went for a drink, then I saw you guys and suggested we buy you a drink. Liam went along with it because he’s my friend. That…” He says nodding to the couple in front holding hands and talking animatedly. “…Never happens. Liam is restrained we barely see him show an interest in women.” Heath finishes.

  “Interesting…” Blair says just loud enough for Heath to catch it.

  “Why interesting.”

  “Because Quinn, isn’t exactly the kind of girl who goes to bars and meets guys. What’s happening in front of us, might be a miracle of some kind.”

  “Well, Well,” Heath says, squeezing his fingers around Blair’s waist. “And what about what’s happening here?” There’s hope in his voice.

  “Let’s see what happens, it could be some fun,” Blair replies with sass and Heath acknowledges with a flirtatious smile.

  “Fun is always good, Ms Blair.” Pulling her tightly to his side, burying his face in her neck while they walk his hot breath warming and tickling. She puts her arm around him under his jacket allowing herself to be swept along with his lust.

  They arrive at the venue for the gig and are on the guest list allowing them to slip in. Buying drinks they find a position to watch the band. A well-known band and one Blair really likes.

  “You actually know these guys?” She says animatedly

  “Yeah, we’re label mates. We’ve known each other a few years, toured together a few times even.” Heath answers

  “Wow, that’s…Wow,” Blair pauses for a few minutes. “So, who are you guys then? I must have heard of you guys if you’re on a label with these guys.”

  “The Blaze” He answers and Blair almost falls through the floor.

  “Shit! How did I not recognise you?” She asks and he chuckles.

  “People don’t expect to see us walking around in bars, talking to them, chatting them up.” He winks.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you anyway, I feel like it’s now really nice to meet you. And yes, one of my favourite bands, and no I’m not just saying it
.” Blair says as the band they’ve come to see walk on stage and start playing.

  Mid-way through the set, Liam and Quinn walk off towards the bar and Quinn smiles at Blair as they go and Blair knows all is OK. Heath slips an arm around Blair’s waist and leans in to talk in her ear, the volume of the venue is such it’s the only way she can hear him.

  “I think they are getting on well.” She turns to look at him and nods. He takes her hand. “Come with me.” She follows him and he takes her backstage, speaking to a couple of people he knows along the way, they end up standing at the side of the stage with a pint which they are sharing. She stands in front of him and he pulls her close to his body his arms wrapped around her. Leaning his head down to speak in her ear.

  “I like you, Blair, I don’t want tonight to end. Come back to my hotel with me after this.”

  She tenses, thoughts of Mark running through her head. Her and Mark are over now though. Despite what Dean and Quinn have said to her about talking she can’t trust him after finding out his past and getting back in the saddle even if it feels uncomfortable seems like the best thing to do. She finishes the pint and turns to face Heath. Putting her hands on his face, it’s a gorgeous face, there is no denying it, the man is a famous rock star after all. She lifts herself onto tiptoes and pulls him down to meet her, then kisses him, letting the kiss develop naturally from a tentative touch to a much deeper and stronger kiss where their lips are crushing, and tongues are tangled.

  Then with her eyes closed she gets flashes of Mark’s face, and her stomach churns, making her feel incredibly sick and all she can think is the only man she wants kissing her is Mark, no matter what he’s done she can’t stand having this other man touching her, kissing her and she certainly doesn’t want to have sex with him.

  She pulls away, wobbling from all the alcohol she’s drunk, chastising herself for drinking at all.

  “I’m sorry, Heath, I can’t.” And she runs, leaving him standing there confused and with no explanation. She finds Quinn at the bar and explains she is leaving and Quinn reluctantly says she wants to go too, saying goodbye to Liam. The women leave and get into a taxi, planning to drop of Quinn first.