by M. B. Feeney
"Of course not. Is anyone else awake yet?" There was no noise drifting up from the living room.
"Yeah, Jo's awake and nursing a coffee, but Karina's upside down on the sofa."
"I saw that. I'm gonna grab a shower, then I'll sort us out some breakfast.”
"Sounds good. By the way, Jo told me about the call from Gage last night, and I saw the post in the group. You okay?" Typical Jenny, up on Lyric gossip.
"I will be. I’ve given myself a stern talking to about moving on and not getting bogged down by memories of great sex and one mind-bending orgasm." My words made her laugh.
"That's one way to look at it, but I have to say, I think it's a little more than that. Give him some time to work shit out. He’s a guy, and they’re a bit slower than us women." She gave me a hug and went back into her bedroom.
The shower was steaming hot and helped me to clear my head. Once I was out and dressed, I went downstairs to find Jo tidying up the remnants of our impromptu party.
"Stop that right now. You're a guest, so plant your arse on that sofa and watch crappy morning TV." I pointed to the sofa.
"Should we wake her up before she breaks her neck?" she asked me, smiling and ignoring my demands. I huffed when she continued to gather empty bottles and dirty glasses.
"No need. I'm awake." Karina's voice was muffled because her face was squashed into the carpet. She managed to turn herself the right way up. "Ooh, head rush. Ooh, an almost-hangover."
We tried not to, but Jo and I couldn’t help but laugh when she cradled her head in her hands.
"The bathroom’s free if anyone wants a shower while I nip to the shop to stock up for a juicy fry up.” Karina’s groans made me smile while I pulled on my boots and grabbed my purse. “Does anyone want to join me?”
Jo and Karina, who were sitting on the sofa in the clothes they’d slept in, shook their heads at my offer, but Jenny stood up.
"I'll come along. I need to stretch my legs."
We left the others to get themselves sorted and left for the little shop around the corner.
"Did you sleep okay?" the consummate worrier in me asked when she linked her arm with mine.
"Like a freaking log. I didn't hear a peep, and from what Jo was saying, you guys were pretty loud.”
"Yeah, things got a little stupid." A smile played at the corner of my mouth, but embarrassment flowed through me at the same time.
"So what did he say?" It must have been a question she was dying to ask. “I wish I’d been there for you, but I was dead on my feet.”
"Actually, he didn’t say a lot. Karina stole the phone from me, and then Callaghan stole the phone from Gage and spoke to her. By the time we were able to talk again, I was yawning my head off. He did ask if I would mind him calling again."
We arrived at the shop, and I wasted no time gathering what we needed.
"Oh, and I'm sure you said for him not to bother." Jenny grinned at me.
"Oh, yeah. ‘Course I did." We laughed at this while I added a fresh pack of cigarettes and paid.
Jenny set a slow pace while we walked back to the house. "I told him it would be okay as long as he didn’t mind playing extortionate international charges, but now that I know they’re supposed to be over here, I don't know what to think. I can’t be sure how to understand what he’s thinking if he won’t even tell me he’s in the same country as me."
"I'm sure things will clear themselves up soon.”
"One way or the other." I ran my hand through my still-damp hair. "Jesus, I sound like a bloody teenager with some silly crush."
"Don't be stupid. You sound like someone who's confused and wants answers."
We’d reached the front door, and I turned to give her a tight hug, whispering my thanks and apologies in her ear.
“No need to apologise. We’ve all been confused by a guy before.”
With a grin, I opened the door. "Right, who's ready for some good old English greasy food?" I called out while I walked in. Music was blaring in the kitchen, so I gathered that Karina had found my CDs and was making full use of my sound system.
Jenny ran upstairs to call home to see how her daughter and mum were doing while they were still awake. Not seeing either Jo or Karina, I walked into the kitchen, dumped the bags on the side, and delved into the cupboard for frying pans. Once I’d turned the music up a bit, I began to dance around the kitchen while I chucked some sausages into one of the frying pans, tipped a tin of beans into a saucepan, then moved to the work surface to chop mushrooms and tomatoes. I pulled bacon and eggs out of the fridge and left them on the side while I filled the kettle and put it on to boil, since I was desperate for a cup of tea. It was a routine I’d perfected over the years since Dermot and the kids loved a cooked breakfast at the weekends.
Just as I bent down to gather plates out of the cupboard, I heard footsteps enter the kitchen from the garden.
"Want a cup of tea?" I assumed it was either Karina or Jo since I hadn't heard Jenny come back down the stairs.
"Sure, I've never had a proper English cup of tea."
When I spun around, I found Gage standing in my kitchen in all his gorgeous glory.
"Those sausages are going to burn, by the way."
Somehow, I managed to dash over to the cooker, turn down the heat, and turn the sausages over.
"Thanks." Since no other comment came to mind, I turned to get more cups out of the cupboard.
"Nice place."
I snorted at his comment.
"What?"
"It's a crappy mid-terraced council house. It’s pokey."
"I like it. You could do a lot with it."
A celebrity was giving me decorating tips. My life was getting more surreal by the moment.
"I could, if I won the lottery. I'm hoping to buy somewhere soon, once I have the money sorted." What was I doing? Way to bore the hot man in my kitchen to death. Rather than embarrass myself further, I turned my attention to making drinks and cooking.
"Don't you own this place? Why don't you buy it and make it up?"
I laughed and continued cooking. "I considered it when I was still with the kids' dad, but now I'm not sure it’s worth it."
"What do you mean 'still with'?"
To avoid his question for a few minutes, I added some bacon to the frying pan, heated oil in another frying pan for eggs. It wasn’t until I’d run out of distractions that I explained what had happened between me and Dermot when I’d come home.
"So we share the kids. Half the week here, half the week there. It's worked out quite well, and there's no anger between us."
Gage turned his megawatt smile on me, making a least a couple of my bones melt. In an attempt to pull myself together, I cracked three eggs into the hot oil and began to gather plates. Once I’d placed the ingredients of a full English on each plate, I popped some bread in the toaster and checked on the eggs.
"How do you do that?" Gage was leaning up against the doorframe, watching my every move. "Keep up with so many different jobs at the same time?"
"Cause she's awesome." Jenny walked in with a big smile on her face. "That looks great, babe. I'm starving." She gave my hand a squeeze before she went outside to join Jo and Karina, who were on the patio swing with Matt.
"I didn't realise Callaghan was here, too."
Gage looked over his shoulder at his light-skinned friend, who was laughing at something Jo had said.
"Yeah, he wanted to meet your friend. I think she intrigued him on the phone last night."
Karina rolled her eyes at whatever Jenny was whispering to her.
"Well, she's pretty damn cool. If he fucks her over, I will hunt him down."
"Funny. That's along the lines of what she said to me last night about you."
It was easy to picture her doing that.
After sticking my head out the door, I yelled that breakfast was ready. The stampede to grab a plate was ridiculous, and Matt followed everyone in.
"Hey." He grinned at me, pus
hing his glasses up his nose.
"Watch yourself, Callaghan. She'll be after you if you fuck with her friend."
Matt plastered what might have been meant to be an innocent look on his face, but it gave way to amusement when I raised a single eyebrow at him.
"You won't be smiling if you screw her over." He gulped when I looked him straight in the eye, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit smug. "But treat her nice, I'll be your best friend." I patted his cheek before grabbing my own breakfast. "There's plenty left if you guys are hungry."
Without further invitation, they both piled up a plate of food and followed us into the front room. There wasn't much chatter while everyone shovelled breakfast into their mouths.
Jenny gathered up the empty plates once we’d all finished. "Hey, hun,” she said to me, “let me sort the kitchen out for you."
"No, I'll do it." I made to stand, but she stopped me.
“You just chill out. Actually, didn't you say you needed to go to the shop?" She stared me down like she was trying to convey a secret message or something.
I had no idea what she was on about, but then my phone beeped that I’d received a text. When I pulled it out of my pocket, the message read,
Just go and buy anything, G will go with. Jx. I caught on.
"Well, I could do with some more milk. The amount of tea being drunk in this house is ridiculous. Will everyone be okay while I'm out?" A chorus of agreement came, so I grabbed my purse from the table and headed out the front door. I'd hadn’t even made it as far as the pavement before I felt a strong arm slip around my waist.
"Hey." Gage’s smooth voice washed over me like a warm shower.
"Hi." We walked slowly along the path. I almost moaned out loud when he withdrew his arm from around my waist, my body tingling from where he’d made contact. Surprise replaced disappointment when he linked our hands, fingers entwining. I never pegged him for a hand-holder.
"Sorry I didn't tell you we were in the UK last night. I wanted to surprise you, but then the message went out and I felt bad. I was worried about phoning too early."
"Why did you feel bad?" I stopped and turned to look at him. "You do realise you have no obligation to explain yourself to me."
"I know that, but I want to."
We were passing a bus stop, and Gage dragged me over to sit me down on the bench. "Ever since Texas, I haven't been able to get you out of my head. I'm not used to this." He started to pace. "This is going to sound big-headed, but I've gotten used to girls throwing themselves at me ever since Wings was announced. When you didn't do that, I guess I took more notice. I mean, I hate to sound arrogant, but I know what I am. You come to expect a certain kind of treatment from women, especially the pretty ones." He looked down at me, "And the beautiful ones."
"And?" I didn't see where this was going.
"And you're in neither of those categories,"
A frown formed on my face. I wasn’t sure how to take that comment.
"I mean, you're way out of my league. You're stunning, and look at what you do. You've got a degree, two children, and God knows how much stress on top of that, but look at you."
His gaze was so intense that I couldn't resist glancing down and looking at my shirt, just in case I'd slopped tea on myself.
"You're strong and stunning. They should write songs about people like you."
"Oh, that would be an interesting song." My words were heavy with sarcasm. "I don't think the Lyricists would go for that."
He pressed his finger against my lips to stop me talking. "Stop doing that. Why do you always put yourself down like that?"
I gently pushed his hand away. "I'm just a realist. I know who I am, and I'm just working my way through my non-eventful life."
"How can you say something like that? You've accomplished so much."
"I know I have, and I'm very proud of myself for it. Even so, I’m a very small fish in a mahoosive pond." Why did I just use that word? I mentally slapped myself. He was going to think I was a total idiot.
"A what pond?" His eyes sparkled in the sunlight while he teased me.
"Well, we have to. You Yanks have bastardised the mother tongue, and we need to keep one up on you."
"I'm absolutely disgusted by that comment. I may have to huff and sulk for a bit." Gage stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated sulk.
God, what I wanted to do with that bottom lip. It was teasing me in its pink plumpness.
"Oh behave yourself. Let's go and get this milk before Matty trashes my house and gets into my chocolate stash."
"Matty? You do realise that makes him sound like a four-year-old? A very tall four-year-old."
I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow. "Blame Karina, I've never known her to call him anything else. She’s gotten me into the habit."
When I stood up, I managed to trip over his foot and crash into him. I would have landed face first if he hadn't caught me.
"What is it with you making me fall over?" I asked him while he righted me.
"Maybe I just have a thing for damsels in distress." He looked down, his eyes boring into my own.
I couldn't help but tease him. "You do realise you’re the one causing the distress?"
"Maybe that's part of my master plan. I bet you didn't think of that, did you?"
We entered the shop, and I grabbed the milk. When I went to pay, a young girl turned and spotted Gage. The look on her face was classic. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, and it was obvious she’d recognized him and was wondering what the hell he was doing in her local newsagents. I sniggered to myself while I paid.
"Now that I think about it, I wouldn't put it past you to cause distress on purpose. You seem quite sneaky." I pulled my cigarettes out of my pocket and lit one.
"Well, now. You call it sneaky, but I call it using my initiative."
I couldn't help but laugh while we fell into step with each other.
"Well, I can't argue with that, I guess."
I expected him to continue, but he kept silent, staring at the ground as though he were contemplating it.
"Hey." I nudged him with my shoulder again, and he looked up at me. "You okay?"
"Hmm, I guess so."
Part of me wondered whether he was worried about that girl seeing him with me, but he wouldn’t have just said all that, only to take it back almost straight away.
"Just . . ."
There was a pause, and then he grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me into somebody's driveway. The silence grew when he smiled that smile and looked straight into my eyes. I shivered, but not because it was cold.
"Just what?" I couldn't pull my eyes away, but I still wanted to know.
"Just that . . . I . . . Oh, fuck it."
Gage took a firm but gentle hold of my wrist and pulled me flush against him. He brushed my hair away from my face, holding it so he could crush his lips to mine. Within seconds, his tongue had worked its way into my mouth. Shock prevented me from reacting right away, but I soon caught up. My hands, milk bottle and all, hooked behind the back of his neck while our tongues explored.
After a while, Gage pulled away, breathing heavily. "Know this, Charlotte. I've wanted to do that since we landed on British soil."
Feeling like a teenager, I entered the house hand-in-hand with Gage and was assaulted by loud music and, strangely enough, yelling.
“Are you fucking stupid or what?” Karina's voice was clear as a bell over what I now recognised as The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack.
“Are you questioning my intelligence? Seriously, you’re a hot chick and all, but ‘Sweet Transvestite’ is the epitome of Frank-N-Furter in that film.”
“I swear to God, call me a chick again, I promise I will spark you out. ‘The Time Warp’ defines the whole film, not just one character.”
I looked at Gage, who was grinning at the spectacle in front of us. When we walked into the front room, we found Karina and Matt standing nose to nose. Well, they would have been if Matt
weren’t at least three inches taller than her, but the fierce look in her bright blue eyes made her seem twice as tall.
“You are one crazy chick.” Matt turned away, leaving Karina to stare at him like he was mental. She moved to walk after him, fist clenched, but Gage stopped her.
“As much as I would love to see you put Callaghan on his ass, we have a gig tonight and we need him to be conscious.”
"Can I do it after the show, then?"
“Sure.” He grinned at her. I paused the CD and went into the kitchen, where Jo and Jenny were sipping cups of tea with looks of total bemusement on their faces.
“Hey. You two okay?” I asked them while I filled the kettle and flicked it on.
“Yeah, just watching the free show. It’s like they’re trying to cut through the sexual tension with blunt scissors.” Jo laughed.
“That there’s a love-hate relationship. Beautiful things could happen between those two,” Jenny said. “Are we going to the gig tonight?”
“Does the Pope wear red socks?” was my sarcastic answer. I made a drink then pulled out food from the freezer for dinner.
“I wouldn't know, I'm Jewish.”
I stuck out my tongue at her.
“Ooh, I need to call home and let them know I won’t be back ‘til tomorrow.”
I handed her the house phone.
“You sure?”
“Free landline calls.” I turned away and went out into the garden to sit in the weak sunshine.
“Hey, darlin’. We’ve gotta shoot off soon to get ready for tonight. You’re coming, aren't you?” Gage asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Yeah, I gotta go and see the kids first, but we’ll be there.”
He gave me a kiss on the cheek and headed out through the back gate. Matt called out a goodbye, and in response, Karina flipped him the middle finger without taking her eyes from the book she was reading.
An hour or so after the guys had left, I sat in the front room and tried to get my head round all that’d happened over the past few hours. I was utterly shell-shocked. Thank God I didn’t have to go to work for another week. I’d have enough time to process everything.