'Til I Kissed You

by Pam Howes

  ‘Wait until later, Jason, please,’ Jane pleaded.

  ‘Okay,’ he sighed. ‘C’mon, Jules, we’ll go through.’

  Sammy looked up through her tears as the boys walked in.

  Pat leapt up and threw her arms around her nephew. ‘You look well, Jason and who’s this young man?’

  ‘This is my friend Jules,’ he replied. ‘Jules, meet my Aunty Pat. She’s married to Tim, The Raiders bass player. And where’s Dad?’ Jason raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

  ‘Not here,’ his mum replied.

  ‘So where is he?’

  She shrugged. ‘At the hotel with Livvy I presume.’

  ‘Mum, you’ve got to call it a day.’

  She nodded. ‘First thing on Monday I’ll see my solicitor. I promise you, Jason, I’m divorcing him.’

  ‘You should go out with Stuart again, Mum, he really likes you. I could tell by the way he looked at you on Thursday night.’

  Sammy blushed while Pat looked at her, eyebrows raised.

  ‘What’s that? You went out with Stuart Green? You never said.’

  ‘I haven’t had a chance yet,’ Sammy replied.

  ‘Jules and I will go up to my room while you three have a good gossip. I bet if you talked for a whole year you still wouldn’t catch up,’ Jason teased.

  ‘Cheeky monkey!’ Sammy smiled, tears forgotten for the moment. ‘By the way, Jules, the black and purple eye colouring is very fetching. It matches your shirt.’

  ‘I don’t bear him any grudges, Mrs Cantello,’ Jules said. ‘It must have been quite a shock for him. But Jason tells me you gave him an even bigger shock later.’

  Sammy nodded. ‘You can say that again. It wasn’t Roy’s night. Anyway, we’ll see you boys in a while.’

  ‘So, come on, you,’ Pat turned to Sammy as the boys left the room. ‘What happened with Stuart, then?’

  Jane waltzed in with the coffee pot and grinned. ‘Tell her what he said about you being the right girl for him, before you started dating Roy.’

  Pat smiled knowingly as Sammy related her night out with Stuart ‘I knew he always had a soft spot for you, but you could never see it.’

  ‘That’s what I said,’ Jane nodded, picking up the phone from the side table. ‘Call him now and ask him over tonight.’

  ‘I can’t do that, Jane. Can I?’

  ‘Course you can. Tim would love to see him again and so would Pat, wouldn’t you?’

  Pat nodded enthusiastically.

  ‘He might think I’m chasing him,’ Sammy protested.

  ‘So what if he does? Start as you mean to go on. Call him or I will.’ Jane thrust the phone at Sammy.

  Rolling her eyes, Sammy dialled Stuart’s number. ‘Hi, Stuart, it’s Sammy. - Yes, they’re back safe and sound.’ She smiled at Pat. ‘Would you like to come round tonight for dinner? - Brilliant. See you about eight then. Bye.’ She replaced the receiver, smiling broadly.

  Jane grinned at her. ‘See, that was dead easy, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Don’t you go reading anything into it,’ Sammy said. ‘We’re just good friends, that’s all.’

  ‘He’s asked you to go to London with him,’ Jane said slyly.

  ‘Well that’s business, not pleasure.’

  ‘You’ll be staying in a nice hotel. The trip could turn to pleasure if you wanted it to.’

  ‘Oh God, I couldn’t. It’s too soon. I’ve only ever been with Roy. I wouldn’t know what to do,’ Sammy exclaimed.

  ‘Well they’re all built to the same design. There’s no mystery. Anyway, what you’ve learnt with Roy over the years you could give Stuart a brilliant time in bed. He’d think it was Christmas and his birthday rolled into one!’

  ‘Jane!’ Sammy blushed furiously as Jane grinned and continued.

  ‘I bet Stuart would give his right arm to spend a night with you.’

  ‘Pack it in. I won’t be able to look him in the eye tonight. You can be so brazen sometimes, Jane Mellor. Where do you get it from?’

  ‘Years of being with Ed I suppose,’ Jane said, winking at Pat who was grinning broadly.

  ‘So, you and Ed are still getting on well?’ Pat asked.

  ‘They’re always at it,’ Sammy chipped in, making Jane blush this time. ‘They’re worse than rabbits! If there’s no peace at home they drive to Norman’s Woods don’t you?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ Jane admitted. ‘If the house is full and needs must.’

  Pat laughed. ‘Some thing’s never change. Good old Norman’s Woods. Tim and I had a bit of a strange time while I was ill. I hated him seeing me without my breast. I felt ugly and I wouldn’t go naked in front of him. But now I’ve got my new boob we’re back on track.’

  ‘I can’t get over the length of Tim’s hair and it’s so blonde. I expect that’s the sun,’ Sammy said. ‘Makes his eyes look bluer than ever. Yours hair looks lovely, short like that,’ she added, admiring Pat’s new hairstyle. ‘Very chic.’

  ‘It’s growing back quite well,’ Pat said, running her hand over her head. ‘I like your hair in that bob-style, Sam and even you’ve gone a bit shorter, Jane.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Jane nodded. ‘I’m not as brave as Sam. Ed likes my hair long and I think he’d be really upset if I got it cut any shorter, so I struggle with it for his sake.’

  ‘How’s Jess doing? Is she coming to terms with losing Nick?’ Pat asked.

  ‘She’s getting there slowly,’ Jane sighed. ‘It was a bad day yesterday, she was hysterical.’

  Sammy’s eyes filled with tears again at the mention of Nick.

  ‘Oh, Sam, I’m sorry,’ Pat apologised.

  ‘I’m okay; it comes and goes. I was just remembering Roy at the grave yesterday afternoon. Not twenty four hours ago and look what’s happened.’

  ‘Sammy, please talk to him before you see the solicitor,’ Jane pleaded. ‘I’ve been thinking; have you considered that Livvy might have taken it upon herself to go to the hotel last night? Roy probably didn’t invite her at all.’

  ‘Well why did he tell me he had?’

  ‘Probably to stop you belting her one,’ Pat suggested. ‘He knows what you’re capable of.’

  ‘He’ll never bloody give her up, no matter what,’ Sammy sighed wearily. ‘I can’t stand sharing him. Anyway, he must have invited her to stay the night and you’re not telling me they just lay side by side holding hands. I know my husband better than anyone in the world and he can’t keep his hands to himself!’

  ‘See,’ Jane said, ‘you just called him your husband. You still love him and I know damn well he still loves you. Talk to him, just one more time before you throw it all away.’

  ‘I’ll see. But don’t expect a miracle, because I really don’t think I can ever forgive him for last night.’

  ***

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  ‘So, what’s the latest on the Roy situation?’ Tim asked Eddie as they travelled to Hanover’s Lodge. ‘I didn’t like to ask too many questions. Molly was bristly when I asked where he was and Sammy looked as though she’d just had the stuffing well and truly knocked out of her.’

  ‘Well, obviously you know about the affair,’ Eddie began. ‘After the accident Roy stopped seeing Livvy. Anyway, she turned up at Nick’s memorial service, told me she was pregnant and asked me to tell Roy.’

  Tim’s eyes widened. ‘She’s pregnant? No way!’

  ‘She is,’ Eddie nodded, and told Tim of the events of the last few weeks, finishing with this morning’s escapade. ‘And that, my friend, is as far as we’ve got. Sam came straight to us, totally devastated. Roy phoned later, told me what had happened, but by then Sam had made up her mind. She’s had enough and wants a divorce.’

  Tim blew out his cheeks. ‘And who could blame her?’

  ‘The stupid thing is though, Tim, Roy really loves Sam and he doesn’t want a divorce. If he’d stayed at home none of this later stuff would have happened. But Sam made it impossible for him, pecking his head all the time. He needed space and so di
d she, and while I don’t for one minute condone what he’s done, I can understand it.’

  Tim nodded. ‘So, tell me, Ed, what’s she like, this Livvy? She must be something special to win Roy from Sammy.’

  ‘She’s pretty fit. Petite, blonde curls, big baby-blue eyes, very sexy body and twenty-two to boot.’

  ‘Ah well, nice little package then, eh?’

  ‘Very nice little package, but don’t you dare repeat that to Jane. She doesn’t know of my involvement with Livvy over the baby either, so don’t drop me in it for God’s sake.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ Tim said as Eddie pulled up outside Hanover’s Lodge.

  Lennon ran over to greet them, bounding round like a mad thing.

  ‘Who’s this fine fellow, then?’ Tim bent to stroke the dog who wagged his tail with delight.

  ‘Goes by the name of Lennon,’ Eddie replied. ‘Jane’s baby substitute. Oh, oh, here comes trouble.’

  The back door flew open and Katie hurtled outside followed by Jess.

  ‘Daddy!’ Katie leapt up and down. ‘Hello, Uncle Tim, where’s Uncle Roy?’

  ‘In the doghouse,’ Eddie replied, without thinking.

  ‘What doghouse? Where is it? Can we go see it? Are there lots of doggies there?’

  ‘Only Uncle Roy at the moment,’ Eddie said. ‘Stand still a minute, Katie.’

  Tim looked at the little girl who grinned up at him, hopping from foot to foot.

  ‘Hi there, Katie. Miniature Jane,’ he nodded at Eddie.

  ‘And just as bossy!’ Jess said.

  ‘Hi, Jess. How are you?’ Tim took his goddaughter in his arms and held her tightly. ‘Boy, you’ve sure grown up in the last couple of years. You look just like your dad but with your mom’s long hair.’

  Jess smiled. ‘Where’s Roy, Dad? Thought the three of you would be stuck together like glue.’

  ‘I’m not quite sure where he is, but I’m going to call the hotel in a minute to see if he’s there. Your mum’s staying at Sammy’s for a few hours. They’ve got mountains of gossip to catch up on. Is Dom at your Gran’s?’

  ‘Yeah, she gave him and Katie lunch and said they can stay there this afternoon. Molly rang Gran and she’s bringing Kim and Abby over later so I’ll go and see them when they arrive. Jon called me earlier; he said Livvy hasn’t turned up for work. So Roy may be at her flat if he’s not at the hotel.’

  ‘Thanks, love. We’ll clear off to the music room and try and locate him. See you later.’

  ‘She sure is pretty,’ Tim said as he followed Eddie upstairs.

  ‘Yes, she is,’ Eddie replied proudly. ‘Nick worshipped her. They were such a lovely couple and you should have heard them sing. Their harmonies were superb. I’ve got some tapes of songs that Roy and I wrote with Nick earlier this year. I’ll play them for you later.’

  Tim shook his head sadly. ‘You’d think that losing their boy would have brought Sammy and Roy closer, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Well it did and it didn’t. Sammy blamed Roy, not for buying the fast car, but for Nick’s mind being on their problems rather than on his driving. It wasn’t of course, but you say things you can’t take back sometimes, don’t you?’

  ‘That’s very true,’ Tim nodded. ‘You got an English ciggie, Ed?’

  Eddie smiled and winked. ‘I can go one better than that. I got fresh supplies from Mac.’ He reached into his desk drawer, took out a small package, the tobacco tin and papers and rolled a joint. He lit it and passed it to Tim who drew deeply and smiled.

  ‘Ah, home sweet home. Call Roy, get him over here.’

  Roy wasn’t at The Grand, nor was he at Livvy’s flat. Livvy told Eddie he had gone to visit his parents and she’d ask him to get in touch as soon as she could.

  Eddie called Roy’s parents at Tim’s insistence and his mother told him that Roy had just left. ‘He’s got himself into a right mess, Eddie,’ she said.

  ‘He certainly has,’ Eddie agreed, grinning at Tim.

  ‘We’ve told him we won’t take sides. But he needs to sort himself out for everyone’s sake. He acts like a teenager instead of a responsible, middle-aged man. He’s forty two for God’s sake; it’s time he grew up!’ Eddie agreed again and said goodbye. He related to Tim what Roy’s mum had said.

  ‘She’s always treated him like a big kid,’ Tim said.

  Eddie nodded and put on a demo tape of the Perry’s Dream song.

  Tim listened as the strains of Let’s Love a While Longer filled the room, nodding and smiling. ‘Excellent,’ he said as the powerful rock ballad came to an end. ‘Hey, you’ve still got it.’

  ‘Well it’s tipped for number one, so fingers crossed.’

  ‘So what’s the plan regarding The Raiders?’ Tim handed the remains of the joint to Eddie.

  ‘I’ll call a band meeting for next Wednesday, so we can air some points of view.’

  ‘You’re still in contact with Carl and Phil?’ Tim asked.

  ‘We see Carl regularly, when he’s not working in London, but Phil hardly ever. We hear from him at Christmas and we’ve got an address, so I can easily get in touch.’

  ‘I wonder what he’s been up to since we disbanded. Is he still with Laura?’

  ‘I don’t think so. He bought that place just outside Ashlea in the sixties, Apple Tree House. It was bit of a commune for a while. He was living there with Laura and his kids, but I guess they’ve split up as he’s back with his mum. Laura might still be living in the house. We don’t hear from her at all.’

  ‘Ah well, no doubt we’ll find out when we have our meeting. I need to work to get out from under Pat’s feet. As soon as we’ve found a house we like I’m all yours. Pat wants to start looking right away. On the way over here I saw The Old Vicarage in Ashlea has a For Sale board outside. I wouldn’t mind looking at that for starters. It would be good for Pat to have Sammy close to hand when we go out on tour and it’d be less of a worry for me. It’s a massive place; the board also said paddocks and the kids love riding. Pat promised new ponies; we had to sell theirs when we sold the ranch.’

  ‘How is Pat?’ Eddie asked. ‘I mean her state of mind and everything.’

  Tim sighed. ‘She’s getting there. We went through a very rough patch after the op. She was convinced I wouldn’t fancy her anymore. But I was just so grateful to still have her, boob or no boob. Now she’s been rebuilt she’s getting her confidence back.

  ‘The biggest shock for me was her hair.’ Tim snapped his fingers. ‘All that lovely, long blonde hair, gone, just like that. But it’s growing again and I quite like it short.’ Tim blinked rapidly and stared up at the ceiling for a long moment. ‘Ed thanks for listening to me. It’s been hard with no one close by to offload on. The guys in the band weren’t really into that sort of talking.’

  Eddie patted his shoulder. ‘Anytime, Tim. I can’t imagine what you must have gone through.’

  Tim nodded. ‘Are you going to play me something by Jess’s group now?’

  ‘Yeah.’ As Eddie reached for the tape the phone rang out. ‘Grab that while I put it on.’

  ‘The Mellor residence; Tim Davies speaking. - Well hello there, Mr Cantello. Congratulations, you randy old stud! Are you coming over? - No, the girls are at your place. There’s just Ed and me, and Jess is around, too. Come and share a joint. We’ve had one, but we’ll wait for you before we skin up again. See you in ten.’

  Eddie switched on the tape and as they listened to the lovely harmonies, Tim’s eye caught a movement by the door. Jess was standing perfectly still, blinking hard.

  Tim smiled at Jess as the song came to an end. ‘Beautiful, Jess,’ he nodded.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘It’s the first time I’ve heard the songs since the accident.’

  ‘So, Jon plays drums, like his dad?’ Tim turned to Eddie.

  ‘He does. And Jess plays bass like Uncle Tim.’

  ‘Are you up there?’ a voice yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘Come on up,’ Edd
ie called back.

  ‘Hi, Jess.’ Roy winked as he strolled past her.

  ‘Hi, Daddy Roy.’ Jess winked back.

  ‘Stop it, you,’ he warned playfully. ‘You’ll never let me live it down, will you?’

  Jess grinned as Roy flung his arms around Tim and hugged him.

  ‘Fucking hell, Tim! Look at the length of your bloody hair, man. Don’t they have barbers in Nashville?’

  ‘Not that you’d notice,’ Tim quipped. ‘Oh, Roy, it’s so good to see you again. What have you been up to? Apart from the obvious, of course.’

  Roy smiled wryly. ‘I expect Ed’s told you I’ve found a flat and I move in Monday. I’ve just been to see my folks and told them about the baby.’

  ‘We know,’ Eddie smirked. ‘I just called your mum. She’s not taking sides, she said.’

  ‘She’s bloody barking,’ Roy sighed. ‘She thought Sam was in the club, for God’s sake. I wish she was; life would be a lot easier.’ His face clouded. ‘Is she okay, Ed? I feel awful, honestly. I can’t believe she turned up like that. Why did she, do you know? I’d just spoken to her and agreed to stay for the weekend. I got a bit distracted I suppose and I guess Sammy must have sensed something from my voice. Next thing, she’s knocking at the door, shouting “room service”. I tell you that was the worst moment of my life, opening the door and her walking in just as Livvy walked out of the bathroom - starkers.

  ‘The looks on their faces. They were both gob-smacked. Sammy went for Livvy and I stopped her, which obviously made matters worse. God, it was awful, talk about piggy in the middle!’ Roy shuddered at the memory. ‘Roll that joint, Ed. Boy, do I need it. You’re sure the girls won’t show up like a lynch mob?’

  ‘Relax. They’re at your place. Jess, don’t tell your mum Roy was here, please.’ Eddie looked at his daughter who was shaking her head at Roy’s story.

  ‘I won’t, on one condition,’ she bargained.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Share your joint with me.’ She limped over and sat down besides Roy.

  ‘I can’t do that. You’re only a kid!’

  ‘I’m nineteen,’ she retorted. ‘Don’t be such a meanie, Dad!’