“God,” he laughed. “I could have bought that place ten times over with the money we spent there,” he laughed still looking to the horizon. “It’s only around the corner from here, if I’m correct?”
“Yes, you’re correct,” she smiled and closed her eyes, as her hand slid over to his and held it tightly as she caressed it with her thumb. “You normally are Duncan when it comes to things like that,” she laughed. “You haven’t changed one single bit,” she laughed.
Duncan felt it immediately and looked down, as he felt the electricity of her touch. He edged closer to her, sliding slowly to her, he took up her hand in his. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t want to spoil it. He brought it to his lips and gave it a soft kiss before he rested their interlocked hands on his thigh.
No doubt if he said anything, he would say the wrong thing and ruin this moment, as he listened to her tell him about her life. He looked at her; he wanted to kiss her, to feel her soft lips on his. He knew any moment he would lunge forward in desperation with the need for her touch, and he could see she could too. He had waited so long, too long. He moved gently forward he could feel her hot breath. She had just closed her eyes, he moved forward, when he heard Noah’s wheels rumble on the promenade.
“Mum, I’m bored and I’m starving,” he moaned with a sway of his arms in disgruntlement.
She looked at Noah, taking her hand from Duncan’s, as she slapped her thighs with enthusiasm, jumping to her feet.
“Right, ‘son shine’, let’s get you some lunch,” she smiled as she looked at her watch, shocked at the time that had elapsed. She slipped the strap of her bag over her shoulder, and started to walk as Noah skated off ahead of her. She turned to see Duncan still sitting on the bench. “You coming?” She smiled back at him.
Duncan didn’t have to be told twice as he rose up and walked to an awaiting Simone, who held her hand out to him, which he took hold of, as they started to walk back to her house.
“So! Why haven’t you tried to kiss me?” she looked up at him smiling after playfully nudging into him.
Duncan’s arms encircled her waist. He looked into her eyes, remembering back to New Year’s Eve 1992, that night in Rubin’s kitchen over twenty long years ago, where he had first kissed her, after she had asked him the very same question. She was wearing that silver shimmery evening dress. He breathed her in as he held her close, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He couldn’t hold back he reached for her face. His fingers brushed her cheek gently, as he drew her to him. She was lost in his eyes. He moved to her lips, smiling as he brushed her hair back. He held her face gently in his hands.
“That’s because Simone Morris, if I start kissing you, I fear I won’t be able to ever stop.”
“Then Duncan, may I suggest that you never stop then,” she smiled smartly, as she pressed her lips softly on his.
“I can do that,” he said between their exchanges of kisses, and he kissed her like she had never been kissed before. “I can do that forever...”
THE END...
Word Glossary
Air Hostess – A female flight attendant.
‘As pissed as a fart’ – English slang for being very drunk we used the word pissed a lot to describe being drunk.
Banter - exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way.
Barmaid – Female Bartender.
Baiseur sale – French for dirty (Sale) Fucker (Baiseur). And yes it’s backwards in French... I know...that’s foreign language for you lol.
Basque – Bustier or a corset. A basque is an item of women's clothing. The term, of French origin, refers to a type of bodice or jacket, and in modern usage a long corset, characterized by a close, contoured fit and extending past the waistline over the hips. It is so called because the fashion was adopted from Basque traditional dress, initially by the French and then throughout Western fashion. In modern usage, basque may also refer to clothing details reminiscent of lingerie such as frilly lace and cut-out, "peek-a-boo" designs.
Bedsit – A room, you rent. It’s your bedroom, living area and cooking area. Ideal for students as low rent, but designed for one person occupancy.
Blag – To talk ones way into something, i.e.; I’m on the guest list and choosing a name that is on there but not ticked, or to bullshit your way through something.
Bunny Boiler – As in Glen Closes, nutty character in the film ‘Basic instinct’.
Bum bag – Fanny pack.
Call Dibs – Like when you were a kid, I saw it first!!
Civvy - (Military term (plural) Civvies - civilian dress, as opposed to uniform. Civvy Street is used to describe life after serving in the Armed Forces.
‘Could charm the knickers’ off a nun – Cockney term used as Nun’s are virginal, untouched and are brides of Christ. Cockney’s use a term for nun’s also Dickie (penis) dodgers, also ‘current bun’ for rhyming slang or a current bun or penguins due to their attire of black and white robes.
Derrière – French or polite, well-spoken way to describe the bottom.
Dosh – Slang term for money wildly used in the late 80’s in London.
Emperor Palpatine – Star wars baddie, boss of Darth Vader.
Estate Agents – Real estate, realtors, people who sell or rent property professionally.
‘Every nook and cranny’ – Slang for everywhere.
Fresher week – Is a week of ‘piss-ups’ in Uni, used to integrate the students. This is arranged by the students NOT by the University or their board.
Fucking Rank – Disgusting - English slang, not used as in the Rank of a military person or persons.
Fried slice – a Slice of bread that has been pan fried with oil until it’s crispy.
Hatton Garden –This is the Diamond capital of London. This street is full of diamond jewellers; they offer a full service from diamond supply to settings. You can even have your own designs made with many jewellers offering a bespoke service.
Home Counties accent – Well-spoken and versed, not common local dialects i.e. innit – It is... or slang words.
ISDN - ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a set of CCITT/ITU standards for digital transmission over ordinary telephone copper wire as well as over other media.
Jägerbomb – Jägermeister filled shot glass, which is dropped into a beer and drunk quickly in one go. Wreaks your head, and messes you up in one hit.
Je ne sais quoi – French for ‘a little something special’ it is meant as complement.
Mesmerised – Mesmerised in USA.
MI6 - The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the British agency which supplies the British Government with foreign intelligence. It operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) alongside the internal Security Service (MI5), the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Defence Intelligence (DI). It is frequently referred to by the name MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), a name used as a flag of convenience during the First World War when it was known by many names. The existence of MI6 was not officially acknowledged until 1994. Think of James Bond.
M.P’s - Military Police.
Muppet – Is a person who defies explanation with regard to common sense and logic, oozing an air of confidence that is mutually exclusive to that of their accomplishments or ability. Somebody who is not too bright.
Off Licence – Liquor store.
Parquet floor - Are veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring pattern is herringbone.
Pipe down – Slang for ‘keep quiet’.
Pot Noodle – Cup O Noodles, instant noodles in a pot type container.
Primary school – School in England starts at 4/5 year olds, which are considered infants. They normally leave for secondary school – Your High school equivalent, at the age of 11/12 ready for their teens (secondary Scho
ol). In this case due to age would be the same as year one in Kinder Garden.
Pub – Bar.
Rubber/ Jonnie – British slang for condom, also the saying of ‘always wear a rubber on your pecker’. Pecker is slang for penis.
Realised – Realized for USA.
Rubin Miller fucking legend - ‘Rubin Miller putain (fucking) légende’ (legend) in French.
SAS - Special Air Service soldiers – Also known as ‘THEM’ within the military. They are a regiment of the British Army, constituted on 31 May 1950. It is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) and has served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world. It is tasked primarily with counter-terrorism in peacetime and special operations in wartime. They are Special Forces and are top secret, not even their wives know they are SAS, due to the highly covert and dangerous missions they do. They are the best of the best from ALL regiments and forces, and are trained in absolutely everything, like a one man army. They are greatly revered, by all. Navy seals are based on the SAS. See Wiki for more info, it’s incredibly interesting.
Scallywag - a person, typically a child, who behaves badly but in an amusingly mischievous rather than harmful way; a rascal.
SCBU - Special Care Baby Unit.
Scud Missile - Scud is a Soviet made ballistic missile which Iraq used lots against Iran and American forces. The missile was originally designed to carry a 100-kiloton nuclear warhead or a 2,000 pound conventional warhead, with ranges from 100 to 180 miles.
Skank/y - a slang term for a promiscuous person, i.e. dirty slut.
Sofa Bed – Couch with fold away bed cleverly concealed in it.
Spliced – Married, Old country talk from the Shires England.
Tottie – Very pretty girls. Term only really used by upper crust boys/men.
Uni – University.
Walt’s – Walt’s are an Army slang/term for ordinary, often an ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs or combat situations. It comes from the term ‘Walter Mitty’ - A fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", first published in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, American literary character, a meek and bumbling man who spends much of his time lost in heroic daydreams, hence the term ‘Walt’.
Wee – Scottish slang for small/little.
As you can appreciate, there are differences with spellings throughout the world. I have tried to cover all bases here. I hope this glossary has been of help, and hasn’t hindered your enjoyment of reading.
Thank you for taking the time out of your life to read my book.
Samantha. Xx
As Promised, you’re Synopsis and the first, two chapters of Leia Madison’s fantastic book ‘Autums Lost. I have already read the first two chapters of her New Title which is the next in the series, ‘Addison’s Release’ and I can’t tell you how excited I am. Boy that girl can write a story.
Autum’s Lost
Leia Madison
Copyright © 2013 Leia Madison
First published 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
For permission requests, write to the author, addressed
“Request: Copyright Approval” @
[email protected]
Autum’s Lost
Leia Madison
Synopsis
To the outside world Addison Baxter has it all, a beautiful house in the suburbs, a gorgeous daughter, faithful friends and a dutiful husband. But the glass façade is all but shattered the night a drunk driver destroys the world she knows.
To all that know him Curt Baxter is a doting father and loving husband. But Curt has many secrets, secrets that will destroy love, family and friends, and they will be revealed the night of the accident.
The life once lived is no more, and when the hard truths are revealed, it will take every bit of strength Addison has left to carry on. But will Curt’s unwillingness to let go lead Addison down her own surprising path of love and happiness?
Chapter 1
“Mom, Mom, MOM!!” Autum yelled.
“YES!?” I said, as I gave her my best who-the-hell- do- you- think- you-are- yelling- at mom face.
Autum rolls her eyes and continues, “So, yeah, as I was saying before you tuned me out, Kirk and I are going to the movies tonight and I would like to drive your car?”
“Hmmmmm,” I say thoughtfully after a minute, “Well, let’s see, Autum, last time you ‘took my car’ you brought it back out of gas. And there was something stuck in the back crack of the front seat, so when I got in it stuck to my work pants.”
She gives me a pointed look before she replied, “Okay true, but I did pay for a new pair of pants for you and did the laundry for a week AND filled both dads and your vehicles with gas, so I think we can let that one go. Yes?”
“Fine,” I say playfully, “But make wonder boy Kirk fill my tank and no eating in my car!”
*****
“Addy? Addison?” I can hear my husband calling me but I couldn’t move; just stand and stare into space, since my mind left my body four days ago. “We need to make the final arrangements today,” Curt said flatly, looking out the window of the kitchen.
“I know,” my voice sounding cold and crackly like an eighty year old woman who had smoked most of her life.
“Please don’t make me do this on my own, Addy” he begged me. “I need you there with me. I am trying hard to not lose my mind. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. You’re saying nothing. Have you lost your voice?”
Another tear rolled down my face, like the millions that have fallen over the past four days - when the doctor told us she was gone.
As I sit in the lobby of the funeral home with Curt and our families, the smell makes me nauseous; the reaction I get at a dentist’s office. My 5-foot, 3-inch frame felt heavy, like cement, unmoving, dead. My baby blue eyes are swollen and red with the black circles that enclose them. I hear people talking and crying and feel their eyes on me but I have nothing to say. I can’t even feel at this point.
“Addy, sweetie, Michael needs to speak with us now,” Curt says. Michael Crestmoore is the funeral director in our small Midwestern town of Prairie View, Wisconsin. He moved here from Surrey, England, with his dad when I was a freshman and he was a junior in high school. We became friends instantly and have stayed that way for over twenty years.
“Addy.” Michael smiles apologetically and tears are shining in his hazel eyes as he walks toward me and embraces me in his 6-foot frame. He whispers in my ear, “I am sooo sorry sweetie. I wish I could take this pain away from you.”
I look up at him and say “I don’t think I can do this.”
He rubs my back and looks at me and says, “That’s why I am here, to take care of you and Curt. We will get through this, I promise.”
As we walk down the hallway and I turn to go into Michael’s office, I stop dead in my tracks, my throat tightens and I start shaking at the picture that is staring back at me. It was of Autum and her best friend Clarissa, Michael’s daughter, on the beach two years earlier. Her blonde hair wet from the sea; the sand on her cheek; the hot pink bikini her dad threw a fit over because, according to him, she was “too young to be wearing it”. A sob escaped my mouth and I drop to my knees. Curt and Michael are there in an instant, kneeling by my side, holding onto me so I don’t fall flat on my face.
“I’m sorry,” was all I can say over and over. I take several long deep breaths in and out… in and out…Finally, I take Curt’s hand and he helps me stand up next to him. He leads me to the chair so I can sit down. Michael hands us each a tissue and clears his throat as we all wipe our eyes.
&n
bsp; “I need to say something before we get into the really hard stuff,” Michael says. “I loved Autum like she was my own.” His voice cracks and he clears his throat again. “Even though I am here to help you make plans for your daughter, Clarissa is not handling this well at all. She asked me this morning if she could help you with the plans. I told her I would ask.” A look of sorrow and helplessness was on his face, and for the first time in four days, I found my voice.
“Yes” I say point blank. Curt doesn’t say anything, just nods a couple of times and looks at Michael. “I know Autum would want Clarissa here, and she would be pissed if we didn’t include her with the planning.” Michael nods once at us and a look of relief was evident on his face.
Chapter 2
As we drive away from the funeral home, I watch as the kids on the sidewalk ride their bikes without a care in the world. Dogs are barking and walkers are out in abundance. It was the end of March and the first warm day we’ve had since winter broke.
“You talk when a question is brought up about Clarissa, but I ask you questions and you stay silent,” Curt says with disdain in his voice as he interrupts my wandering thoughts.
I look at my feet and then at my hands, which are balled up in my lap before I respond. “Clarissa was her best friend since kindergarten. She practically lived at our house; she doesn’t deserve to be excluded since she is suffering too.”
“Yes, Addy, we all are suffering, but you being on autopilot doesn’t help any of us.”
“Really, Curt? Well, tell me mister- know -it –all, how am I supposed to feel? Tell me and I will do it!”
He grinds his teeth. “I am just trying to get your opinion on everything and you don’t say a goddamn thing!”
“Well shoot me, because I don’t want to talk about having a coffin lined with pink for our sixteen year-old daughter!!!” I yell. I want to cry but mostly I want to punch something really hard.
Dragonflies The Duncan Peters Files Page 28