Sugar Secrets…& Confessions
Page 5
“Hey, Matt!” Maya called out as she got nearer.
He turned round. “Hi, Maya, having a good time?” he asked innocently.
“I was until I saw my darling little sister here,” Maya replied, her face taut with tension.
“Huh?” Matt looked over one shoulder, then the other, before looking back at Maya. “Sorry?” he said. “Who did you say was here?”
“Sunny!” Maya nearly shouted. “She’s here, in the garden, with her bunch of silly friends. She says you invited her. Is that true?”
Matt looked totally bemused. “Sunny? Your sister? Are you kidding? Who let her in?”
Maya relaxed. Matt didn’t have a clue about Sunny’s appearance at the party.
“Are you OK?” asked Matt. “You look like you’re about to explode. You didn’t really think I’d invite your sister, did you? Give me some credit.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Matt,” Maya replied softly, bringing her hands up to her face to cover her embarrassment. She was grateful to feel Alex’s arms slip round her waist and hold her tight, supporting her when she needed it most.
“Of course I didn’t really think you had,” she explained, “but that’s what Sunny said had happened. I guess I just blew.”
“That’s OK, forget it,” said Matt. “I don’t know how she got invited or who let her in. If I’d opened the door I’d have sent her home. But look, if she’s here, so what? Don’t let it ruin your evening. That’d probably give her the biggest satisfaction, seeing you get all upset. Why don’t you just leave it, ignore her even? Pretend she isn’t here.”
Maya gave a wry laugh. “I wish I could. But you’re right, I shouldn’t let her get to me. Hey, dig out I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor and I’ll get rid of my frustrations on the dance floor.”
Matt pulled a face. “Gloria who? What are you trying to do - ruin my credibility?”
Maya laughed.
“Phew, thank God for that,” Matt replied. “For a minute there I was scared. I was definitely seeing you in a new light.”
“What, level-headed, analytical, never-lets-anything-get-to-her-Maya completely loses it? Is that the sort of thing you mean?” she mocked.
“Hmmm, something like that.”
“I’ll do my best not to disappoint you next time,” she said. “But now, I’m going to take your advice, ignore the fact that Sunny’s here and dance with Alex. Catch you later.”
She turned round to face Alex, who still had his arms wrapped around her.
“Thanks for supporting me,” she said, reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips.
“Actually, I was acting more as a restraining device,” he joked, leading her off to find a space in among the dancing party-goers.
Maya giggled. “It’s OK, I think I’ve calmed down now. Matt’s right, I should just ignore her, pretend she isn’t here.”
“Yeah, so long as we keep a safe distance between you two, you need never know she’s at the same party.”
“Mmmm.” Maya pulled him a little tighter and closed her eyes. They began to smooch, swaying gently back and forth in time to the slow track Matt had just put on. They stayed like this throughout the whole song, not speaking, just enjoying being close to each other. Maya relaxed and resolved not to have anything to do with her sister for the rest of the night.
CHAPTER 10
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
“So how’s it going with Red Dress?”
Andy sidled up to Billy, who was grabbing a couple of cold cans from the fridge, and gave him a knowing look.
Billy smirked. “Fine,” he replied.
“Only fine?” Andy queried. “She looks pretty keen to me.”
“Been spying on us then?”
“Only to see if I can pick up a few pulling tips for future reference. From where I’ve been standing, you seem to have a pretty smooth chat-up technique.”
“I do my best,” Billy preened, laughing. “Actually, I think she’s the one doing most of the chatting up. She’s a right laugh.”
“So do you fancy your chances?”
“I guess so. Like I say, she hasn’t exactly given me the brush-off.”
“And she hasn’t taken her eyes off you since you came over here, either,” Andy observed, looking over to where the girl they were talking about stood, her eyes glued to Billy’s rear view.
“Really? I’d better get back then,” grinned Billy. “I don’t want to disappoint her by talking to a mutt like you all night, do I?”
Boffing Andy gently in the stomach, Billy took his lagers and sauntered confidently back to the petite girl eyeing him from a distance.
“Hell-lo… anyone in there?”
Kerry jumped away from where she’d been lying entwined with OIlie on the bathroom floor and sat bolt upright. She looked wildly from the rattling door handle to OIlie beside her. Laid-back as always, he merely grinned, propped himself up on his elbow and hollered, “Hang on a minute!”
Then he leaned over to a frantic-looking Kerry and kissed her on the knee.
“What are we going to do?” Kerry hissed as he got to his feet and pulled her up alongside him. “It’s obviously someone wanting the loo. We can’t leave together - it’s too embarrassing.”
“Well, unless you’re up for shimmying down a drainpipe, I don’t think we’ve got a lot of choice,” laughed Ollie.
Kerry cringed as Ollie went and opened the door to the stranger on the other side. Trying to hide her face behind her hand, she studied the carpet, desperately wishing that it would part in the middle and swallow her up.
“Cheers, mate, I’m busting,” the lad said, not giving them a passing glance as he rushed by.
Ollie led a still mortified Kerry out of the bathroom and on to the dark landing outside.
“Hey, look,” the guy said, suddenly turning to them both as they headed away. “Uh… you guys haven’t got any spare condoms on you, have you?” he asked a little sheepishly. “Only me and my girlfriend are about to leave and we’ve got nothing on us.”
Kerry’s felt her face turn beetroot and she came out in a hot sweat. “Uh… uh… urn,” she muttered.
“Sorry, mate,” Ollie grinned. “Can’t help you there.”
“No worries. See you,” the lad replied and shut the door behind him.
Ollie took one look at Kerry’s face and threw his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair and chuckling away merrily.
“Look at you,” he said, drawing her towards him and hugging her close. “Like you’re about to die of shame.”
“I am,” Kerry said and began to giggle too, her shoulders shaking gently against Ollie’s chest. “I’ve always thought there was something a bit sordid about finding couples in toilets together. And now here I am - guilty of the very same thing.”
“Aw, never mind,” Ollie carried on, kissing the top of her head. He cupped her chin in his hand so that he could continue kissing her on the forehead, nose, lips. “It only makes me love you all the more,” he continued between kisses.
Kerry smiled. “Thanks,” she answered, wrapping her arms around him, her hands running up his back once more.
“So…uh, did you mean what you said back there… about not having any condoms?” she added, a little breathlessly now.
“Uh-huh.”
“Shame,” she whispered, blushing. Because I’d really like us to take this further, were the thoughts she didn’t voice.
“Mmmm, I know what you mean,” said Ollie, his hand stroking her hair away from one ear so that he could nibble the lobe with his trembling lips.
Kerry pulled away so that she could see all of his face, which she held between quivering fingers. She looked earnestly into his eyes. “I love you so much, Ol, I really do. We’ve been together for so long now and I keep thinking how it’s getting harder to stop…” Her voice trailed off.
Ollie took her hand and kissed the tip of each finger, all the while looking longingly into her eyes. He knew what she was trying to say.
“Hey! Where have you two been? We haven’t seen you for ages.”
Spotting Kerry and Ollie walking past her in Matt’s den, Maya tapped Kerry on the arm before she could wander off.
Kerry gave a little jump and whirled round. Her face was tinged pink and her hand had gone to her throat in surprise. “Sorry, Maya, I didn’t see you there,” she apologised. “I was miles away…”
“You looked it,” Alex laughed. “You also look guilty as hell, like you’ve been getting up to something you shouldn’t have.”
Kerry laughed nervously. If only you knew, she thought then blushed again.
“We went for a walk,” Ollie fibbed. “Have we missed anything?”
Alex looked at Maya and stroked her bare arm affectionately. “Will you tell them or shall I?” he chuckled.
Maya raised her eyes skywards and pulled a face.
“What, Maya?” demanded Kerry. “What’s been going on?”
“Matt’s had some gatecrashers - well, one in particular, and her mates.”
“Oh, yeah - who?” Kerry asked curiously.
“My darling little sister.”
Kerry gasped with surprise. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Maya shook her head.
“Sunny? Here? Where?” Kerry’s head swivelled around the room to take a look. Seeing no sign of Sunny, she turned back and asked, “Is she still here?”
Maya shrugged. “I can’t imagine she’s gone home so soon, not after all the effort she’s put into getting here. We had a bit of a confrontation when I saw her, but since then I’ve been avoiding her. I expect she’s lurking in some corner with her friends. Not that you’d recognise her - she looks like she’s had a make-over. I had to do a double-take myself.”
“Oh, no, Maya, you must be furious.” sympathised Kerry. “She doesn’t leave you alone, does she?”
Maya smiled ruefully. “I was really mad at first. Then the boys persuaded me to chill out, so I have. And you know what? It’s worked. I’ve kept out of her way and thankfully, so far, she’s kept out of mine. So I’ve had a really good time. Considering.”
“Good for you,” Ollie added. “You’re right not to let it get to you. She’s got a real cheek turning up here like that, though, hasn’t she? It’s not as if she’s friends with anyone else here.”
“Certainly not me,” sighed Maya. “But, like I said, I’m not letting her get to me any more. It’s my middle of the year’s resolution. I’ve just stuck to dancing the night away with Alex. Oh, wow, this is one of my favourite tracks. You guys coming?”
Maya took hold of Alex’s hand and led him, Ollie and Kerry to the mass of dancing bodies in Matt’s den. For once, she felt free of the stresses her home life had been causing her recently. Gyrating madly around a laughing Alex, she giggled and whooped and danced uninhibitedly for the next five minutes or so.
When the track had finished, Maya wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and looked up at her boyfriend. She noticed a really weird expression on his face, a kind of horror mixed with tension. Maya turned round to see what had caught his attention.
Over in the corner of the room she could see Sunny. She had taken off her jacket since the last time Maya had seen her. Underneath it she was wearing the skimpiest, most revealing, dark-red dress - one that Maya had never seen before. And, to cap it all, she was kissing someone.
Ravenously.
Maya took a few steps closer to get a better view. Then she realised who the boy was.
Billy.
CHAPTER 11
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
Sonja paced up and down the windy platform at Winstead railway station and cursed the fact that Owen’s train was now scheduled to be ten minutes late. Still, she figured it gave her time to rehearse her opening lines over and over in her head as she stared at the tarmac, kicking loose stones as she walked.
Owen, I’ve got something to tell you…
Every time she thought about what she needed to say, her stomach churned and she felt her mouth go dry with nerves. It wasn’t like Sonja to be faint-hearted about life… but this was major stuff, the biggest crisis she’d ever had to face. No wonder she was anxious.
It’ll be fine, he’ll be cool, he’ll understand, she kept repeating to herself as she relentlessly pounded the platform. Although Sonja didn’t know what she was going to do about being pregnant yet, she was banking on Owen to support her, to put the whole mess into perspective and help her get through it. Once she’d spoken to Owen they could begin to sort things out. Or at least, that was the plan…
In her mind, Sonja ran the gamut of his possible reactions to the news for the thousandth time. Shock. That would be first. Sure, he’d be gobsmacked. (Who wouldn’t?) This news would come completely out of the blue. But once he’d got over the initial shock she was sure that understanding, sympathy and finally the offer of support would be there. It wouldn’t be in Owen’s nature to behave in any other way.
Sonja’s stomach lurched as she heard the train pulling into the station. Her head shot up and she scanned the carriages as they came towards her, then glided past, one by one, as if in slow motion. It was difficult to see where Owen was sitting, so she didn’t know which direction to expect him from until he emerged almost in front of her.
Sonja’s eyes fixed on to his as her boyfriend approached. He was wearing a smile so wide it filled his entire face. She saw it change to a look of puzzlement as he got nearer, then realised her own face must be mirroring the apprehension she felt inside. Sonja forced a smile and threw her arms around him.
“Mmmm,” he murmured, “it’s good to see you again. It feels like it’s been forever.”
“Me too.”
They held each other like that, not speaking, just hugging, for ages. Sonja found herself welling up and had to force back the tears for fear of Owen noticing and saying something that would make her blurt out everything in an incoherent rush.
They began walking hand in hand towards the exit.
“y’know, I couldn’t believe my luck when they told us where the course was being held,” said Owen breezily, gripping Sonja’s hand tightly. “Such a result. Even if the hotel’s crummy I’ll bribe the others to say how great it is, so we can maybe come down here more often.”
Sonja couldn’t bear to hear him chatting away, oblivious to the bombshell she was about to drop. She had to stop him.
“Owen, I’ve got something to tell you…”
There, she had done it, gone past the point of no return. He would know something was up now. He had to.
Owen stopped walking and looked at Sonja searchingly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in a completely different tone of voice.
“Not here. Can we go somewhere so we can sit down?” Sonja tugged at his arm and they carried on walking.
“I knew something was up when I first told you I was coming down. I knew you weren’t keen. What is it, Son?” he pressed.
“I’ll tell you. But not walking along the road like this…”
“Let’s go to the café then. Find a quiet table.”
Sonja was adamant that they did not go to the End-of-the-Line. “No. Definitely not,” she said. “I don’t want any of the others butting in. I need you to myself for a while. Let’s keep on walking. There’ll be somewhere open in the Plaza.”
They carried on in silence for a while and Sonja was aware that now it was her hand gripped tightly around Owen’s.
“Have you met someone else?” he asked suddenly. “Is that what all this is about?”
“Oh, no, Owen. It’s nothing like that. “There’s no one else, believe me.”
He brightened immediately and shot her an easy smile. “Well, it can’t be
anything too dreadful then, can it?”
Don’t you believe it, Sonja thought miserably as they carried on their way.
They finally reached the café in the shopping centre in the middle of town. Owen ordered a café latte and Sonja a cappuccino, then they sat at a corner table and Sonja quietly thanked God that there was no one there she knew.
“So what is it you want to tell me?” asked Owen, keen to get this part of the conversation over with so they could catch up on their lives since they’d last seen each other over a month ago.
“Uh…” Now she was faced with it, Sonja desperately wanted to chicken out, to think of something innocuous to say that would appease Owen and let her off the hook at the same time. But there was nothing. Her mind had gone blank. In the end she just blurted out her news.
“I’m pregnant.”
She scrutinised his face for signs of a reaction.
Owen’s eyes flickered for a moment then he half smiled, the corners of his mouth twitching nervously.
“You’re kidding, right?” he said, eyes firmly fixed on hers.
Sonja shook her head.
They sat in unbearable silence for a few seconds.
“Are you sure?”
Sonja nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly.
Owen shook his head slowly, all colour drained from him his face.
“I don’t know what to say… you’re absolutely sure?” he asked again in a monotone, obviously completely shell-shocked by the announcement.
“Uh-huh.”
“So… what, you’ve done a test?” Owen was trying to be practical, find out the facts, but the question irritated Sonja.
“Yes. And it was negative. But I know I’m pregnant. I can tell,” she said in a clipped voice.
“How?”
“Well, my whole body feels different. And my period is so late and normally it’s always on time, to the hour even. So I just know, OK?”
Owen sank back into his chair and gave a heavy sigh. “Oh, God, I can’t believe you’re telling me this…”