‘Sorry, tell me if you don’t want me to know, but I can’t work out who the guy was who dropped you off? He looked too old to be your dad, but not old enough to be your grandfather.’
‘Why wouldn’t I want you to know? He’s my uncle. You’re right though, he’s quite a bit older than my dad.’ Alfred was in no way related to Sally, but she had already decided that to tell him that he was her butler would be a bad idea at this time.
‘That explains it then. Nice car, the new Mini. YoillwatgooutW’nesday?’ The question had been gnawing at the back of David’s mind, and before he knew what was going on, the words had tumbled out off his mouth in one quick, incoherent sentence.
Sally had her head in the car admiring David’s work so all that he could see were a pair of round, incredibly firm pair of buttocks looking up at him. ‘Pardon?’
He took a deep breath and this time the question tumbled out a little better. ‘You still wanna g’out Wednesday?’
‘Huh? Do I want gout on Wednesday? Erm, no thanks David, I think I’ll pass!’ She straightened up out of the car and looked at him. He blushed.
‘Oh behave! You know what I mean!’
‘Well, I think when you ask a lady that question it is better that you ask her and not her buttocks!’ He blushed even deeper. ‘But in answer to your question, I still stand by my answer I gave to you yesterday. I stand by it even stronger now after I’ve seen how much work you must have put in yesterday on my car. I feel bad that you won’t take any money for it. At least let me pay something?’
‘No, we talked about this yesterday and we made our arrangement.’
‘Okay, no worries. In that case I’m still paying for everything on Wednesday, and I do mean everything.’
‘That’s fine.’
‘Good.’
There was a moment of more awkwardness between them before David said, ‘Why don’t you take her for a spin around the yard, make sure she is okay?’
‘I’m sure she will be if you’ve worked on her.’
‘I wish I had your confidence. Go on, please.’
‘Okay.’
Sally hopped into the seat and closed the door behind her. She started the car first time and drove it sedately around the yard; however, she was itching to start executing some hand-brake turns to see his face! She pulled up alongside him and wound down the window. ‘She seems fine. Thank you so much. Want to come for a quick spin?’ He blushed again which surprised Sally. It was not like she was asking him to give her a sensuous massage, just go out for a little drive.
‘Erm, well, no, I can’t. I have to get home. My gran. She, erm, makes us, well, go to church on a Sunday. I mean, I don’t want to go, I’m not religious or anything, but I’ve got no choice. One Sunday I didn’t go she, she’s got a key to our house, and I went home after work on the Monday after the Sunday and all my clothes were out in the lawn in bin-bags. She’d bolted all the doors so I couldn’t use my keys and every time I tried to get in she called me a sinner and Satan’s spawn!’ Sally laughed out loud. ‘My parents couldn’t let me in because if they went anywhere near the doors or windows she threatened them with either a knife or being removed from her will! I had to sleep in my car.’ She laughed again. ‘The only concession she would make was one glass of water. I drank it because I was thirsty. She took great pleasure telling me the next morning that she had got the water from the toilet!’
‘You see, water is water. It comes out of the tap. It doesn’t matter which tap, it’s all the same pipes.’
‘I agree with you, but you misunderstand me. When I say toilet water, I mean toilet water. She scooped the water out of the bowl of the toilet!’
‘Oh my word! That’s hilarious!’
‘I’m glad you think so!’
Sally laughed and laughed for a quite a while during which David stood next to her car shuffling his feet and looking awkward. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, but she sounds like quite a woman!’
‘She is. She’s tough as old boots and considering she’s nearly eighty her mind is razor sharp, never misses a trick.’
‘I’d like to meet her one day.’
‘You’ll see her on Wednesday.’
‘Will I? Meeting the folks already? Next you’ll be offering my dad a dowry!’
He blushed again. ‘Sorry if it makes you feel awkward, but there is no chance you’ll be able to drive away without meeting her, sorry. She’ll know I’m going on a date…’
‘Don’t tell her?’
‘No, she will know. You don’t understand her; she’s got a sixth sense!’
She chuckled again. ‘Right, okay, in that case I’ll be honoured to meet her.’
‘Well, if you don’t want to I can pick you up. What’s your address?’
‘No honestly, it’s fine. I don’t mind. Pick you up at eight?’
‘Yeah, that’s cool. I’ll look forward to it.’
‘Me too David. Look in all seriousness, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. Friday night must have been as scary for you as me and as for the work you’ve done on my car, it is just fantastic!’
‘It’s fine Sally. I enjoyed it. I love working on cars, especially a classic like yours.’
‘Yeah, she’s great. Thank you again.’
‘No probs.’
‘Eight then? Your address is…’ At that moment a truck took a wrong turning into the garage and turned round. David leaned closer, into the car as Sally confirmed the address with him. ‘Oh, I think I said that you’re going to surprise me. As a final condition I’m going to surprise you.’
‘Okay. It’s clear that if this relationship develops I’m not going to be wearing the trousers!’ David replied.
‘Sorry, I can be a little bossy. If it’s okay with you, put something smart on. I’m talking trousers, shirt, jacket, shoes and no denim, and I’ll surprise you. Sound good?’
‘Yep, sounds great.’
‘See you Wednesday then.’
‘Definitely. Bye.’
He was still leaning into the car slightly and Sally moved up to him and gave him a light peck on his lips. ‘See you honey,’ said Sally.
‘Bye.’
David took a step away from the car and she slowly edged away. He watched her drive slowly across the yard and turn onto the road. As she turned and went out of view, he touched his lips where she had kissed him. ‘Trousers and a shirt?’ He muttered out loud. ‘Trousers and a shirt? Looks like I’m going shopping!’
*
As soon as the garage was out of sight, Sally floored the accelerator and sped off back towards her home. She was hoping that she would be able to go out for a ride that afternoon with her father but she did not get her hopes up. What she did not know was that he had solved the problems that had occurred the previous morning with the acquisition and he was in fact waiting for the return of his daughter.
As she sped up the drive she slowed down because she was very pleased to see her father out on the front lawn partaking in one of his hobbies, flying model airplanes, which he rarely got chance to do. There were two planes parked at his feet and as she drove along the drive up to him she heard, but could not see, the whine of the plane he was currently flying. She looked in her rear view mirror just in time to catch sight of the plane as it dipped into a sharp turn then he lined it up directly with the back of her car. Sally heard the pitch of the engine increase and saw the plane spurt forwards and rapidly approach her car.
They had not played this game for many months but she knew that this was a direct challenge for a race, or to be more precise, a game of tag. All she needed to do was avoid the touch of the plane for five minutes and she would get a prize, probably a piece of highly expensive jewellery. It was rare that she won, avoiding the plane took all her driving skills, but when she did win the prize was always very worth the effort. The only rule for her father was to tap the car with the plane without damaging the plane.
She knew her father would have already started timing
her, so without warning she slammed on the Mini’s brakes and the plane shot like a rocket towards the rear window of the now stationary car. Her father had been expecting a manoeuvre of some kind so he was able to react quickly and put the plane into a steep climb then he looped the plane back towards the rear of Sally’s car. In the meantime, Sally had again floored the accelerator of the car and sped along the drive. She flashed past her father and she cheekily waved at him and stuck her tongue out to which he gave a little chuckle.
Now the plane was chasing her again and quickly gaining on her as the old Mini was revved hard and fast up through the gears. Sally heard the engine of the plane whine even louder and she knew that she was not going to outstrip it in a drag race, not in this car anyway. With a light touch of the handbrake and a light touch of the steering wheel she spun the car onto the lawn in a perfectly executed U-turn and sped back towards her father.
The plane banked over to resume its chase but instead of coming directly at Sally’s car he took it high hoping to approach her car with a little more stealth. As Sally sped towards her father she looked ahead and saw the ground dip in front of her. The land there held the water and she knew that today, after all the rain of recent times, it would be like a marsh. Quickly spinning the wheel away from the dip she sped back towards the driveway, but instead of going back along the drive she intersected it at ninety degrees and carried on sprinting across the lawn. All of a sudden she heard the engine increase in pitch again but she was totally unsighted, not knowing from which direction the plane was coming from. All she could do was listen as the engine noise increased in volume, and when she thought the time was right, she spun the wheel and then quickly the other way aiming to spin the car and lose the plane.
Although this was an action she had performed many times on the race tracks, she totally misjudged the slippyness of the grass. The car spun fine the first time, but she had not planned on the second, third and fourth spins.
The tyres lost all friction with the grass and the car spun round and round until eventually coming to a halt in the middle of the large expanse of grass. Somehow she had managed to keep the engine running by dropping the clutch as the vehicle spun, and she could hear that the plane was very close, yet she hoped that her erratic, unpredictable driving had shaken it off. But just as she was accelerating again she heard a light bump on the roof of her car and the plane shot past her with a dip of its wings. She had lost the game of tag.
She trundled at a more sedate pace back to where he was stood and she watched as he expertly landed the plane. It taxied over to him and he reached down to the roof of the plane, which was at knee height, and switched it off. Just as she was stopping, he collapsed the aerial of the radio controller and then he walked over to her door. He opened it her for her and as she exited he took her hand and then gave her a light kiss on each cheek.
‘If I was in the Lotus I would have beaten you!’
‘I’m sure you would have angel.’
‘I made it too easy for you that time.’
‘I disagree. I was expecting some kind of aggressive action but I have to say that the numerous pirouettes caught me unawares and have left an intriguing pattern on the lawn which I’m sure I will be hearing about tomorrow from the Head Gardener!’
Sally chuckled and hugged her father. ‘I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself for once. You’ve had a busy few months.’
‘You’re right, I have. I’m getting too old for this.’
‘Rubbish dad! You’ll never retire and you know it.’
‘Well, I may take my foot off the gas a little in a year or so.’
‘Hmmm, I’m not so sure.’
‘Want a ride back?’
‘You know something darling, I don’t. Leave the Mini here and I’ll leave the planes here and we’ll send someone out to get them. No, we are going to walk back to the house.’
‘It’s a mile daddy. Are you sure? When was the last time you walked anywhere? You’ll be out of breath after a hundred yards!’
‘Cheeky little thing! I’m fit as a fiddle! No, we’ll walk. What’s more, get your phone out.’
‘My phone? Why?’
‘Get it out and give it to me.’
‘Okay dad.’ Sally reached back into her car and retrieved her mobile then placed it into her father’s hand. It made a beeping sound as he turned it off.
‘Now for mine.’ He turned his own phone off and then threw them back into the Mini and closed the door.
‘Daddy, what if someone needs you? You can’t do that!’
‘If someone needs me they are going to have to cope for an hour while I walk with my lovely daughter. I’m thinking of changing my regime a little Sally, which will involve spending more time with you and passing a little bit more responsibility to my subordinates. But, after yesterday’s fiasco, I’m wondering whether that is a good idea. Never mind. For now they’ll have to cope. Onwards and homeward!’
They started to walk back towards the house, Sally linking her father’s arm, but he made them walk in a circular route, spending as much time as possible walking towards the mansion.
‘Yesterday, at breakfast, you started to tell me something. I’m really sorry I ran out on you like that. But, well, you know what it’s like.’
‘It’s okay daddy, I understand and what I wanted to talk to you about doesn’t matter now. I’ve fixed it.’
‘Ah, okay. Good girl. How’s everything else? Not got a new boyfriend to introduce me to?’
‘I’ve had a couple since we last spoke properly. I’m sorry I don’t introduce you to them, but you know I don’t like them knowing how rich we are.’
‘You should be proud of it Sally. I’ve worked very hard to get us into this situation.’
‘Dad, you misunderstand me. I am proud of it. I am the proudest daughter in the whole world. I know how hard you’ve worked, and what you’ve sacrificed. It is not that I am ashamed to be this well off, far from it. It is just that, well, you know, money attracts the wrong kind of people. I don’t want guys to date me just because of how rich we are. I want them to get to know me and fall for me not my bank balance.’
‘But this is you. Your bank balance is you. You can’t hide away from it. I’ve done that, I’ve told people I am not who I am, hid it from them, but I’ve never met anyone who has not held it against me afterwards when they find out who I am.’
‘I know that, but how am I meant to tell whether a guy likes me or my money?’
He mulled this over for a few moments. ‘I suppose you can’t.’
‘Exactly dad, exactly. So I’d prefer them to like me for what I am not for what my bank balance is. And then, when I feel that the time is right, I will tell them. Then, if they can’t handle it, they would obviously not be the right person for me.’
‘Risky strategy Sally, risky. I’ve never met anyone who can handle it.’
‘Well, we’ll see. This is the way I want to try it for now.’
‘Okay. Your choice angel.’
Sally nodded in agreement and they walked in silence for a while, skirting the lake. His wife’s, and her mother’s island, was visible through the mist that seemed to always hover over the lake. They paused briefly and stared across the still water to the island.
If one was to cross the water in the small boat which was in the boat-house that was a short walk from where they now stood, one would see a small beach. From the top of this small strip of sand there was a narrow path that ran through large, over-hanging trees to the centre of the island. Here there was a clearing in the trees. Within this clearing was a large marble tomb, which was frequently visited by Sally or her father, sometimes other relations and friends, and the small shrine outside the tomb always had fresh flowers. Here, in this shrine, was a small kneeling bench, a cross, and on the back wall a mosaic of small tiles that created a stunning image of Sally’s mother that seemed to shine when the sun was at the right angle to cast its rays upon her face.
‘Do you m
iss her daddy?’
‘Of course I do angel. Every second of every minute of every day.’
‘It has been a while now. Have you, well, have you never considered, well, you know…’
‘Finding someone else?’
‘Yes.’
‘I have thought about it. Some companionship would be good, especially as I get older. I loved her with all my heart, and she loved me more than I could ever possibly love her back. She was an amazing woman Sally. I, we, you and I, would definitely, one hundred percent, not be where we are today if it was not for her unwavering support in the early days of building my business. Yes, I miss her like crazy, and that is why there is no way I could ever love another. I’ll be honest with you as I hope you’ll be honest with me in the future; there have been other women since she left us. I’m a man Sally, a more mature man but I still get natural urges. I tried to resist them at first but my physical body overcame my weaker mind and I’ve taken women to my bed, but never once have I ever loved them, never once have I thought I would like to make one of those women my wife. I don’t know why I tell you this now, I really don’t, but I hope you understand what I’ve said.’
‘Of course I understand daddy,’ she hugged his arm tighter, ‘but I disagree with you. Your love for each other should be a building block. She’d want you to be happy. She’d want you to have some companionship and she certainly would not ever dream of wanting you to be lonely, never ever would she want that, surely?’
‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ve just never met anyone who can come close to her glory, her beauty, her personality, her unwavering support for me.’
‘Maybe you’ll find her in the future.’
‘I doubt it angel, I really do, unless you want to marry me?’
‘Dad! Honestly!’
He laughed out loud and quickly picked up his daughter and spun her round, and round. ‘Dad! Put me down! Your back! Remember what the doctor said!’
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