‘Stella!’
‘Hey you. I know you said for me to leave it, until you called me, but I’ve been worrying about you.’
Ronnie’s exuberance shouts down the line, I’m pleasantly surprised. ‘I was just about to get in touch. I’m being discharged in the next few days, can you fucking believe it?’
My forehead creases, ‘I thought you were on a twenty-eight day programme?’
‘They’ve changed my diagnosis, I’m not an alcoholic after all. I just need to learn about controlling my addictive personality and I can do that as an out patient.’
I’m trying to process what she’s saying as she continues chatting.
‘The Therapist said if she had my parents, she’d be permanently pissed too. She’s a freaking hoot.’
‘Yes but what are you going to do when you get out? You’ll still have the same parents. How are you going to stop yourself from drinking?’
‘Ah, well that’s my big news. You are so not going to believe this.’
I wince as she is almost squealing down the phone.
‘I’m going to be a Gardener.’
I snort, I just can’t help it.
‘What was that?’
‘Something stuck in my nose.’ I have to bite on my hand. ‘Go on.’
‘Well, I started here, the staff encouraged me and I just love it. They say I have a natural ability for it, a flair. I’m going to train to be a Gardener, or a Garden Designer or something. My therapist’s helping me look up courses. I’m going to get,’ she pauses and then sings out out ‘Der da der. A job.’
I find myself tapping the side of my forehead with my fingers, maybe it’s to see if I’m dreaming. ‘Have you told your parents this plan?’
‘Yes! Daddy was ecstatic. He says he’ll promote me amongst his friends once I’m established but I’ve not to go and work at Homebase.’ She trills with laughter.
‘Well I’m really pleased to hear that and hopefully I’ll be back soon so we can have a good old girly get-together.’
‘Why? Where are you.’
‘I’m in New York.’
‘Fucking what?’
‘I’m in New York City. It’s a long story.’
‘Erm, honey, do I sound like I’m going anywhere right at this moment? Tell me all.’
So I sit on the bed and tell her everything that’s happened since the night I found out my mother enjoyed pain.
‘Gabriel Gregory wants a relationship with you. Holy Grail Moly, that’s amazing.’ The last word is screeched so loud I have to move the phone away from my ear. ‘I’m hugging you down the phone, can you feel it?’
‘You’re a loon.’
‘So what did you say, that you’d give it a go?’
I pause. ‘No.’
‘Oh Stella. Do you not feel the same?’
‘No, it’s not that. I just, can’t do it. I can’t seem to get the words out. It’s like if I say them, it’ll go wrong. Something will go wrong.’
‘Look I know how difficult this intimacy must be for you, but fucking tell him, you know you want to own his cock.’
‘Ronnie.’
‘Envisage this. Gabe sticking it to someone else. How’s that make you feel?’
Like I want to commit murder.
‘Okay, I’ll tell him.’
‘Thank you and repeat after me, “Ronnie is always right”. So how long do you think you’ll be staying over there?’
‘I’m not sure. I’ve only just started working at The Rodeo. I’ve not found anything yet on Mitch or Arnie.’
‘Maybe there’s nothing to find and they’re just quite simply bastards.’
I swap the phone to my other ear, we’ve been on that long, my ear is aching. God knows how much this call is going to cost. ‘There’s no way they’ve got to their positions without some dirt.’
‘Don’t let my father hear you say that, he’s earned every penny completely honestly remember.’
I laugh,‘Your father is a rare breed.’
‘Yeah well his brilliant business career, meant as a father he’s bloody useless but hey ho. Right I need to get back to my gardening. I’m having to water things a lot in this heat. Can you believe that in Britain it’s not rained for six days? So they’re about to impose -’
‘A hosepipe ban,’ we say simultaneously, giggling.
‘Catch you soon Ronnie and love your amazing news. I’m so happy you’ll be home soon. Though you might want to move if you’re wanting to garden.’
‘Fuck no, I don’t get paid to do my own do I? Plus it’s not near you. Or is W for wedding sex and I’m getting elbowed out?’
‘Not a chance, don’t you swear at me like that?’
‘Hmm we’ll see. First up the ass, then up the aisle.’
‘Ew.’
Ronnie’s hysterical laughter echoes down the line.
‘You are so easy to wind up. Do you reckon peni come out of your ass with shit on them? Can you try it and let me know?’
‘I’m going, before I completely and utterly hurl, you bad girl. Love you and ring me when you’re home.’ I put the phone down.
The lunatic is leaving the asylum. Hurrah!
Gabe is waiting for me in the Reception area. I walk down and he’s pacing, picking up leaflets advertising tour excursions and similar.
‘Stella, I’m not sure about this.’
‘You need to see your mother Gabe, end of.’
‘Bossy little thing aren’t you?’ He wiggles his eyebrows at me.
‘I can be if persuaded correctly.’ I flounce past him and head for the line of cabs.
Gabe’s mother greets him warmly at the door and surprisingly extends her hug to myself. She’s dressed in a shirt and culottes, with a patterned scarf at her neck.
‘Do come in, you two, I’ve some homemade lemonade fixed.’ She looks at me, ‘Gabe’s favourite.’
‘Yeah when I was six.’He pouts.
‘So, you’ll not be wanting any then?’
‘Oh mother, you know I do, let us in.’
The opulence of Maddie’s townhouse takes my breath away. We come through the entryway where I am greeted by a wide open staircase painted black, in a room containing a vast sofa and leather tub chairs. The decor is what I’d expect to see in a palace, with classical architrave and bespoke lighting. However Maddie walks past all this and takes us through to another lounge with brown leather furniture. There’s a huge zebra print rug on the floor and artwork of safari animals. The plain white of the fire surround and built in cupboards ensures that the accents that could be too much, instead blend beautifully.
Gabe and his mother carry on bantering for a few minutes whilst she fixes the lemonades. They have a lovely, seemingly healthy, rapport and it’s so obvious that Gabe is idolised. He doesn’t know how lucky he is.
‘You have a beautiful home, Maddie.’
‘Oh thanks sweets. I can’t take the credit for it though, it’s all my Interior Designers doing. I just give him a few ideas and off he goes.
‘I still think you should downsize mother, you could get lost in this place.’
‘But I love the space. I never get bored with what I have.’
‘How big exactly is this?’ I ask.
‘Seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms over four floors. I even have an elevator.’ Maddie loves this home, you can tell with the gleam in her eye.
‘Far too big for one person.’
‘Who says there’s just me? I could have a string of lovers living in the different bedrooms. They could be hiding out in the closets as we speak.’
‘Well, yes I guess there could be, as we know how good you are at keeping things secret,’ snaps Gabe.
There’s an uncomfortable silence, so I just jump right in.
‘Gabe’s curious, about Issy. Why you did it? Kept it from him.’
Maddie turns to him, but when she speaks she addresses me as well. I’ve not known this woman long but I like her already. She has guts.
�
��Gabriel. It may be that all those years ago I made a huge mistake and if I did then boy am I going to spend a long time regretting it. Issy came to me a broken young girl, remember, not the confident woman you’ve seen now. She was at her wits end, carrying a baby that she didn’t want, but felt unable to abort or give away. I helped her, set her up in a small apartment at first.’
‘Bet she couldn’t believe her luck.’ Gabe drawls.
‘She started helping me around the house as she insisted on doing things in return. She took over managing my accounts as I’m useless with that sort of thing. She showed a true talent for it and so I looked after Sam whilst she went back to college and trained to be an Accountant. You can take that look off your face Gabriel, she has not helped herself to any of my money. In fact she actually showed me how to make more with what I have.’
‘Well she lives in a pretty upmarket residence now, so she got money from somewhere.’
‘I have given her some money towards the upkeep of my grandchild, but not much. Issy works and her husband is wealthy. I’m grateful that she’s stayed local to me. She could have chosen to move away when she met Mike, but she didn’t. Sam is the spitting image of you, I adore him. I’d be heartbroken if he wasn’t around. You and Christopher are all grown up and barely give me a thought any more.’
A look of guilt flashes across Gabe’s face.
‘Oh honey I’m not asking for you to ring once a week, I expect you to make your own way in life. But other than my social circle it’s nice for me to have a young one around, until,’ her voice lowers, ‘You have your own family.’
I shift uncomfortably in my seat and Gabe rubs his chin.
‘Right.’
‘Anyway, they’re just around the corner and I pop around, but Sam really does see Mike as his Dad. I know he’s your son and it’s a lot to ask of you, but please don’t go making waves for that family. They’re pretty perfect, they really are.’
Gabe rubs his brow,‘The thing is mum, that by you involving yourself in that family, it makes it pretty hard for me to stay away, doesn’t it? How can I, knowing you get to see my son week in, week out, but I can’t?’
She sighs and her eyes well up, ‘I know. This is such a mess.’
I interrupt,‘I’ve told Gabe to spend time thinking about things, that it’s too soon to make decisions.’
She nods, ‘I think that’s really good advice.’
‘I want to see him though mum. Just remind him I’m your son. I won’t tell him I’m his dad.’
‘I thought you’d want to see him.’ She stands up, ‘I’ll go give Issy a ring.’
‘Is there a park nearby, where maybe we could meet you tomorrow? After Gabe finishes work? I was thinking that I need to talk to Issy, so maybe we could chat, while you two spend some time in the park with Samuel.’
‘I’ll see what she says.’ She leaves us alone.
‘Why did I have to knock on that bloody door?’ Gabe bellows.
I flinch and in a low voice tell him, ‘It’s my fault, stirring things up. I led you there.’
Gabe’s eyes look tortured. ‘My own father’s an imbecile, yet I’m being asked to abandon my own son. Where does that leave me Stella? I’m no better than him if I leave, but if I stay I could ruin my son’s life.’ He shakes his head. ‘What a fuck up.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Stella, you don’t have to feel responsible. It’s not your fuck up, it’s mine, literally. I’ve enough on my mind without you feeling guilty as well.’
I bristle, ‘Oh yeah, cos it’s nothing to do with me at all is it, if you’re upset.’
‘Oh Christ, this is what I mean, don’t do this right now. I need some head space.’
Maddie comes back to find me with my arms folded, staring at her son like I’d like to light him on fire.
‘Well, Issy agrees that a meet up tomorrow will be fine, about five?’ She looks from one to the other of us. ‘Will that be okay?’
‘Yes,’ we both snap at the same time.
‘I’m going to the bathroom,’ says Gabe and he storms out.
I sit with my hands folded on my lap, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. Maddie leans back in her chair and sighs, ‘He’s always been a pouter that one, can sulk for days so be warned. Christopher’s the opposite, he explodes and it’s over with, but Gabriel, stubborn as a mule.’
‘I’m realising.’
‘Can I ask? Are you serious about him?’ She waves her hand at me, ‘No don’t answer that, it’s far too personal a question, I apologise.’
‘No it’s fine. We’ve only known each other a few weeks, but yes, I believe I am.’
‘I’m glad you feel that way, because I can see that my son is more than smitten with you.’
I blush, ‘Well, you’d have to ask him.’
‘If he didn’t care, that strop wouldn’t be happening right now. The only other person I’ve ever seen him do that with is me. Any other girl, he wouldn’t have had even an increase in pulse rate, he’d have shown them the way out. Too many to choose from, that’s the problem with both my sons. They have their father’s captivating looks. That’s why I fell for him.’
‘Arnie.’
‘Yes.’ We hear Gabe’s footsteps heading back. ‘Anyway Arnie’s a conversation for another time. Suffice to say he was easier to look at, than to live with. Fortunately my boys inherited their father’s looks but my outlook. Look after him for me Stella. I know he’s hurting.’
‘I will,’ I promise. ‘After I’ve done punishing him for his tantrum.’
‘Oh Stella,’ she smiles. ‘I think we’re going to get along so well.’
Chapter 4
‘So misery guts, are you going to pout all night? Only when you stick your lip out like that it kind of makes me want to bite it.’
Gabe turns to me, sticking his top lip out even more so I reach across and nibble on it.
‘I’m sorry alright, but I do need some time to think, so quit your bossy nagging okay?’
I clutch my chest, ‘Huh? I’m a nag? You are in so much trouble for that comment mate.’
‘Hmmm, mate, yes lets.’ He smooches me some more.
I lean back and look at him, ‘You cheated the other night and pinched my letter N, so I’m not counting Nookie. We can do N and O together, they pair up well.’
He clutches his own chest, ‘My nookie doesn’t count. Have your heard yourself woman?’
I laugh, ‘You know I don’t mean it like that.’
‘No, I’m offended, you’re having no more of my dick.’ He puts his hands over his private parts.
‘Yeah we’ll see about that.’ I wink. ‘There’s this part of a woman’s body named Niffkin’s bridge. Basically it’s the perineum. I’ve read it appreciates attention from a tongue.’
‘Well, let us see,’ Gabe starts stripping my clothes off. ‘Hey troll, can I cross your bridge?’
‘You are treading a fine line tonight Mr Gregory.’
‘Nah, I’m going to lick one.’
Gabe positions himself between my legs and puts my right one over his shoulder. He kisses my intimate parts until I start to feel serious pleasure and then he very lightly licks up the skin of my perineum. I shiver with the sensitivity. He carries on tonguing my clit whilst coming back to Niffkin’s, changing from light to harder licks and trails.
He raises his head up and looks at me. ‘Well? Is it worth the detour, or shall I stick to the main attraction?’
I release a satisfied sigh,‘No, it’s really nice, keep crossing the bridge.’
He carries on licking and sucking until I’m nearing release. I feel myself flush with moisture.
Gabe comes back up again, ‘Okay the river levels are dangerously high, I’m off to perform a rescue.’
‘Just get on with it man,’ I pant and push his head back down between my legs.
He teases me to a delicious orgasm. My entire body relaxes into a puddle of goo.
Gabe rolls
onto his back and starts playing with himself. ‘Well I think I did an amazing job there and deserve a reward.’
‘You are so cocky tonight.’
‘I’m always cocky around you. I hope O wasn’t for orgasm and now you’ve had one you’re not interested in me any more.’
‘O is for oral. I told you it tied into N well. Only this time it’s your pleasure we’re going for.’ I push him. ‘Get off the bed and stand at the foot of it.’
‘Oh no, you’ve not been reading that bloody book again have you. My knees still haven’t recovered.’
‘Nope, Cosmo sex tips this time.’
I move onto my back and shuffle down the bed until my head hangs over it. I can feel the blood rush as my head hangs down over the end, my neck supported by the mattress.
‘Right, apparently in this position I can take your cock deeper into my mouth,’ I tell him. I swear his eyes light up but it’s hard to tell from this angle.
He gets on his knees and glides his penis into my mouth. Cosmo’s right. Usually I can only take so much before I want to gip, but in this position for some reason I can take more of him into my mouth. I start to open my mouth as I travel down the head of his penis, then close my lips together on the thick ledge at the end of the head and I suck hard as I bring him back out of my mouth.
‘Oh my fucking God, I love Cosmo,’ states Gabe.
A couple of minutes later I move onto the next tip I read, taking more of him into my mouth, pushing my tongue into the underside of his cock and then swallowing. The sucking pressure must be good because Gabe groans loudly.
‘Jesus, Stella, don’t stop.’
We get into a rhythm. As his thrusts into my mouth, I place my hands around him and hold his ass so I can control his thrusting by pushing his ass when I want him to fuck my mouth. I moan and the vibrations echo down his shaft. I can feel he’s getting close so I begin swirling my tongue around him, first one way and then the other with sucks in between.
He starts fucking my mouth wildly as his orgasm approaches. I move my hands and grab him at the base of his shaft so I can control him whilst I pump. He explodes and I swallow him, taking in the saltiness. He withdraws and leans against the bed undone. I wriggle myself back onto the bed to recover from being upside down.
The Alphabet Game the Complete Alpha Series a to X, Y, Z Page 17