Sugar Secrets…& Lust

by Mel Sparke

  “Well, maybe you could work something out between you so that you still get to see each other,” suggested Kerry helpfully.

  “I don’t think so. He’s already made it plain that nothing’s going to happen long term, and it’s not practical, I can see that as much as him. And anyway, Maya had a point-it’s not nice to be carrying on with two guys at once. I can see it now.”

  “She could have been a bit more subtle about it.”

  “I guess so. But any less subtle and I might not have taken the hint.”

  “So does that mean you told Owen about Kyle?” Kerry asked, intrigued.

  “No, but I thought about it, which is more than I have done up until now.” Sonja gave a hollow little laugh as they joined the queue of clubbers waiting to get into Enigma.

  They paid their entrance fees and went inside. Squeezing past an already heaving throng of bodies they made their way to the toilets to make sure their make-up hadn’t slipped since they’d left home.

  Reassured after much tweaking in front of the deeply unflattering neon wall mirrors, they finally came out and picked their way towards one of the two dance floors.

  Sonja suddenly stopped dead. “Oh, my God!” she cried. “Kyle!”

  Straight in front of them, and heading their way, was indeed Kyle. He spotted Sonja a split second after she’d spotted him and he looked as shocked as she did.

  “Hi there,” Sonja shouted cheerfully, not entirely sure whether she was pleased to see him or not. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  “Yeah, fancy,” came the equally unsure reply. “Er, I didn’t know you came here.”

  “We don’t. Usually.” Sonja motioned to Kerry. “We’re having a night out, just the two of us, and we thought we’d come here for a change.”

  “Great,” Kyle answered. “Well, why don’t I buy you both a drink? What’ll it be?”

  Their orders taken, he sidled off to the bar, leaving Sonja feeling guilty.

  “I’m sorry, I had no idea,” she explained plaintively to Kerry. “Don’t worry though, we won’t spend too much time with him if you don’t want to.”

  “It’s OK,” laughed Kerry. “I’ve been dying to witness him in action. Now it looks like I’ll…”

  She stopped short, her face frozen in horror. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Sonja! Don’t look round now, but I’ve just seen Anna walk in. With Owen.”

  “What?! You’re joking. Tell me you’re having me on!” Seeing Kerry’s horrified look, the colour drained dramatically from Sonja’s face.

  At that moment, Owen glanced over and saw Kerry. And the back of Sonja’s head. He waved, said something to Anna, and they both came rushing over.

  “Wow, what a coincidence!” they said in unison.

  You’re not wrong, thought Sonja ruefully.

  “Yeah, we had no idea you were coming here,” Sonja laughed (almost hysterically, in Kerry’s opinion). “What a surprise!”

  “Let me get you both a drink.” Owen smiled, standing next to Sonja and looking so pleased to see her that she could have cut her tongue out right there and then.

  “Thanks.”

  “And I must go to the loo,” Anna said. “I won’t be long.”

  They both went their separate ways and left Sonja in a state of panic. “What am I going to do?” she wailed. “How on earth am I going to get out of this?”

  “Um, er… pass.” Kerry replied, which only made Sonja more agitated.

  “Come on, help me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, I uh, guess, urn… we’ll just have to keep them apart all night,” Kerry finally spluttered in a flash of mild inspiration.

  “Oh God. oh God, oh God! Here comes Kyle again. Quick, move over there.”

  Sonja hurriedly pushed Kerry into a dark recess of the club where Kyle followed them, carrying a round of drinks.

  “Here you go, ladies,” he smirked, handing out the glasses. “These should keep you going for a while.”

  Sonja caught sight of Owen walking past armed with drinks. He was obviously looking for them. She quickly turned her head away and squeezed herself behind a pillar.

  “Something wrong, Son?” Kyle asked as she edged away from him.

  “Er, no, it’s just that light over your head, it’s bothering my eyes a bit. Shall we all have a dance?” she added, noticing that Anna was loitering not far away and, although the place was heaving with people, could quite possibly spot them at any minute.

  “Er… you girls go on ahead.” said Kyle. “I’ll sit this one out.”

  Sonja couldn’t have moved any quicker if she’d sprouted wings. She dragged Kerry in the direction of the dance floor at the opposite end of the club from Kyle, Owen and Anna. But instead of dancing, she pulled her friend into another dark corner.

  “Can you see anyone?” she hissed.

  “No, not at the moment. Oh, yes, I can see Kyle. He’s talking to a big girl with pink hair. And… and… and Owen and Anna are coming this way.”

  Sonja gave a little moan before turning round to face them.

  “We lost you,” Owen said, then noticing the glasses in their hands, exclaimed, “Oh! You’ve already got drinks.”

  “We, uh, uh, we were thirsty. Managed to get served at this bar in double quick time,” Sonja explained, nodding her head over to the bar in the corner. “Dance, anyone?”

  Without waiting for a reply, but giving Kerry a look which said Come with me. Now! she headed for the dance floor. The others followed meekly. While they danced, Kerry and Sonja’s radar tuned into possible sightings of Kyle. Fortunately, he was nowhere to be seen.

  For the next couple of hours Sonja somehow managed to flit between the two guys, though she spent most of her time with Owen as Kyle seemed to be almost as elusive as she was. She was certain neither of them was aware of what was going on.

  It was only when she and Kerry came back from the toilet to see Kyle and Owen standing with their backs to each other by one of the dance floors, that it all became too much for her. She grabbed Kerry by the arm and marched her in the opposite direction.

  “We’ll have to leave,” she said definitely. “Right now. I’m sorry, Kez, but we’ll have to go somewhere else. I can’t take this any more.”

  “And how are you going to explain your disappearance next time you see the boys?” her sensible friend asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. We’ll say you were taken ill suddenly, and that I had to take you home. Something-anything. Please, Kez, can we just go before I get into any more trouble.”

  The girls hurried towards the exit and left.

  “Remind me never ever, ever to get in such a mess again.”

  Sonja sat on the edge of her bed, put her head in her hands, and began rubbing her temples with her fingertips.

  “I’ve got the most stinking headache imaginable,” she wailed. “I must have aged twenty years, I’m a nervous wreck, and I’ve ruined your evening.”

  “Hey, come on,” Kerry comforted her. “You haven’t done that at all. I’ve had one of the most exciting nights of my life. It was like being in a scene from a sitcom.”

  “Oh, cheers,” grumbled Sonja. “Here’s me, barely surviving the worst time of my life, and all you can do is take the mick. I thought you were my friend, Kerry Bellamy!”

  “Aw, come on.” Kerry cajoled her, “lighten up! You’ll be dining out on this one for years to come. And you have to admit, it was pretty funny. Or at least you will do one day.”

  “I can’t imagine when,” said Sonja morosely. “I don’t know how people get away with this kind of thing. Some people manage to carry on behind their partners’ backs for years. I can’t even do it for a week!”

  She looked up as another thought struck her.

  “At least Cat wasn’t there to see it, thank God!”

  “You were pretty unlucky,” Kerry said. “I know Winstead’s not the most happening place on earth, but there are plenty of places to go on a Saturday night. The chances of you and the two
guys you’re seeing turning up at the same club on the same night must be pretty remote.”

  “Well, it’s shown me I’m not cut out for this kind of thing,” Sonja said. “Maya was right. I would have been totally devastated if I’d been there and caught my boyfriend with someone else. I’ll have to tell one of them I don’t want to see him any more…”

  She broke off and looked mournfully at Kerry. “But which one?”

  CHAPTER 18

  THE TABLES ARE TURNED

  Sonja picked up the phone and punched in Kyle’s number. She knew it off by heart now, since she’d been trying to get him for most of the morning. So far, there had been no answer, which Sonja considered to be hugely inconvenient seeing as she was calling to dump him.

  She had what she was going to say all planned out. About how she didn’t think it was working out between them; how they didn’t have very much in common; how she was studying for her A levels this year and didn’t need any distractions; how they could still be friends…

  Of course, all her reasons were merely excuses for the fact that she couldn’t live a double life any more. And, much as she thought he was a great laugh and a bit of a challenge, Sonja couldn’t choose him over the divinely delicious Owen. He was something else.

  Even though she knew she had a limited shelf-life with Anna’s brother, Sonja thought he was worth it. When she went out with Kyle it was like dating a twelve-year-old; when she went out with Owen it was like going out with a really mature, thoughtful lad. There was no comparison and Sonja was prepared to swap Kyle for Owen, if only he’d answer the phone.

  After twenty or so rings she gave up and then rang Anna’s number at the flat. She needed to speak to Owen to apologise for Saturday night and hopefully (if he wasn’t too angry about her running off from the club like that) to arrange to see him again.

  No reply. Sonja slammed the phone back on its hook, grabbed her bag and left the house. She’d arranged to meet Matt in town and if she didn’t hurry she’d be late.

  Fortunately, she managed to catch a bus that was lumbering up the road near her house and it took her right to the Plaza. When she got to the mall café where they were meeting, she wasn’t entirely surprised to see that Matt wasn’t there yet.

  Typical, she thought and wondered why she’d hurried in the first place. Matt was an even worse timekeeper than she was, so she might have known he’d be late.

  Sonja bought a cappuccino and sat at one of the tables overlooking the main part of the Plaza. lt was the café where she’d sat with Kyle for the first time.

  That seemed like an age ago, yet it was only a couple of weeks. Sonja sighed to herself as she thought of all that had gone on since then.

  She looked up and scanned the mall for Matt. Where was he? He was getting on for twenty minutes late now-pretty poor even by Matt’s lax standards.

  Her gaze was drawn to a couple standing leaning against one of the display windows of the Body Shop. A girl with with long pink tresses had her back to Sonja and she was slowly entwining herself around the body of a guy who looked strangely… familiar.

  Sonja leapt out of her seat and ran a few paces nearer for a closer look. Yes, it was him. Kyle-her Kyle!-and Pink Hair from the club on Saturday night were kissing and groping each other and giving it loads in the middle of the shopping centre.

  Never one to think much about her actions before carrying them out, Sonja marched straight up to the couple and tapped Kyle on the shoulder. Unsuckering his lips from Pink Hair’s, he pulled away and opened his eyes. And found himself face to face with a seething Sonja.

  “Well, hello. Fancy seeing you here!” she barked.

  Kyle looked dumbfounded. Unlike Pink Hair who looked Sonja up and down and said, “Wos your problem?”

  Then she looked at Kyle and added, “‘Ere, Kyle-ey, who’s she?”

  Kyle-ey still couldn’t engage his brain with his mouth. Instead, he looked from one to the other, a terrified expression on his face.

  “Looks like you’ve been found out then,” spat Sonja. “Are there any others I don’t know about? The local hockey team perhaps?”

  Pink Hair was becoming a bit agitated now. She obviously didn’t have a clue what Kyle was up to.

  A few passers-by had stopped to watch the free floor show, and this was bugging her even more-her eyes flitted from Sonja’s to Kyle’s to the smattering of shoppers having a gawp.

  “Will one of you please tell me wos goin’ on “ere?” she squeaked, chewing on a piece of gum as if her life depended on it.

  Kyle finally found his voice. “I uh, uh… I can explain,” he said in little above a hoarse whisper. his eyes darting from Sonja to Pink Hair and looking as though he might throw up at any minute.

  “Is that really necessary?”

  Although Sonja was beginning to see the funny side of the situation, she wasn’t going to let Kyle off lightly. “I mean, why bother to open your mouth and say anything? I can guarantee that whatever comes out will be a pack of lies, so why waste the effort?”

  Finally, the penny dropped for Pink Hair and she squared up furiously to Sonja. ‘“Ere, ‘ave you been muckin’ about with my Kyle-ey?” she demanded.

  Sonja gave out a high-pitched cackle of derision.

  “Mucking about with him? You must be joking!” she raged, shouting now. “But he’s been mucking me about-and you too by the look of it. Anyway, I’ve finished with him now, so you’re welcome to what’s left. Though if you’ve got any self-respect you’ll dump him too, the cheating rat!”

  Sonja spun round and strode purposefully away, head held high, eyes blazing and a grin on her face a mile wide. Well, that was one way of getting her off the hook…

  Owen had been in a bad mood ever since Sonja had disappeared from the club on Saturday night without saying goodbye. He wondered what she and Kerry had been up to-going off like that, without an explanation.

  Now, sitting flicking through the Monday paper while Anna tried to clean the flat around him, he felt he had to do something before he exploded. He had been making excuses to pop downstairs to the café all morning, in the hope that Sonja might be there. But she wasn’t and he didn’t like to phone her because it made him sound desperate.

  “I’m going for a walk,” he announced suddenly, standing up abruptly and making Anna jump. “D’you want to come?”

  Anna didn’t hesitate. “No thanks. I must get this done-I don’t often get the chance.”

  The truth was Anna was acutely aware of the mood her brother was in, and although she had done her best to reassure him that there must be a reasonable explanation for Sonja’s vanishing act, it hadn’t worked.

  “I won’t be long,” he muttered as he left the flat. Anna smiled sympathetically and earned on cleaning. She had grown quite used to having her brother around.

  Sure, he was a messy pig (but so were most guys) and he never told her when they were out of milk or loo roll, but it was fun sharing her flat with him, even when he was in a grump.

  Truly, if he decided to up sticks and move to Winstead, she’d be more than happy. In fact, she’d be over the moon. She bet Sonja would be too.

  Aware that Ollie started his shift in the café soon, and keen to cheer Owen up, Anna decided to nip down to see if he could shed any light on Saturday night’s events.

  “Hi, Anna,” he said brightly when she walked into the kitchen. “Did you have a good time on Saturday?”

  “Yeah, fine. It was nice to get out and have a good dance. Actually, we bumped into Kerry and Sonja.”

  “I know, I heard,” he smiled.

  “You’ve spoken to Kerry then?” asked Anna hopefully. “Only they disappeared halfway through the evening. Didn’t say goodbye or anything. I wondered if everything was all right. Did she say anything?”

  Fortunately, Ollie had been prepared for this. And although he hated lying to anyone, Kerry had begged him so convincingly yesterday when she’d rung that he felt obliged to do so.

  “Er, kin
d of,” he said. “Kerry didn’t feel too well so they decided to go home. Apparently, they looked everywhere for you, but couldn’t see you so they thought you must have left too. Obviously not.”

  “Oh, I see.” Anna accepted the explanation without question. “No, we stayed until the small hours. Owen turned into a right misery guts once he realised Sonja had gone, but I had a good time. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it-it looks like you’ve got quite a crowd out there.”

  Loaded down with burgers and chips and heading for the café, Ollie called ‘Bye’ over his shoulder and left the kitchen.

  Anna rushed back up to her flat. She could hardly wait to tell Owen the good news. When she heard him rattling his key in the lock half an hour later, she flung the door open.

  “Guess what?” she said gleefully, her eyes shining.

  “Anna, please, I’m not in the mood,” he replied in an exasperated voice. “If you’ve got something to tell me, just spit it out, will you?”

  Anna told him of her conversation with Ollie and watched with delight as his expression changed from decidedly hangdog to thrilled surprise.

  “Honest?” he said once she’d finished. “That’s what really happened? So she wasn’t avoiding me? That’s brilliant, sis, I’m made up. I’ll ring her straightaway.”

  As he went over to the phone, it began to ring.

  “Go on, answer it,” Anna said, smiling. “Maybe it’s her.”

  Picking up the phone and pressing the receiver to his ear, Owen spoke.

  “Hello?”

  Anna wondered for a millisecond whether the call might-just might-be for her, but when she heard him say, ‘Tes, speaking”, she realised it wasn’t.

  Suddenly, Owen’s whole stance changed as he listened to the caller on the end of the line. His body became tense and his face took on a look of deep concentration.

  Realising the call must be important, Anna earwigged Owen’s half of the conversation. Not that she could gather much.

  He was doing more of the listening rather than talking, saying “yes”, and “really?” and “I had no idea” a lot and making Anna wish he’d get off the phone and tell her what was going on.