Double Ex: A Romantic Comedy about Lost Love & Lookalikes
Page 21
‘Is that from who I think it is?’
‘Don’t be so dramatic, just bloody take it!’ she said waving it at her, ‘Plus it could be worth a few bob one day if the artist continues to self-destruct at the rate he is!’
Lucy reluctantly took the gift and leaned through the window for another cuddly farewell, ‘I love you!’
‘I’m really glad you’re here, it means a lot to me.’ Nick said to his father as they stood beside Gloria’s grave.
‘I couldn’t come back here and not.’ Ilove replied, ‘Despite what you might think, I happened to love this woman enormously.’
Nick gave him a guarded look and placed an unoffending hand on his dad’s shoulder, ‘She was a great woman.’
‘A great woman.’ he concurred. They stared at her headstone before Ilove snapped from his sombre reflection and clicked his fingers, I buried some weed here!’ He knelt and frantically dug below Gloria’s marker, ‘On the day of the funeral…’
‘I wouldn’t bother.’ Nick said, ‘It got finished a while ago.’
‘Cheeky git!’ he said angrily, brushing the dirt from his hands.
Nick’s phone began to ring, ‘Lucy!’
‘It’s beautiful, you bastard!’ she said from the departure lounge holding up Nick’s lively depiction of her and Christopher street performing in Covent Garden as students, the wrapping paper torn on her lap. Basil Brown and his entourage whiled away time on the seating around her, listening to music or resting before their flight to Germany for the first dates of a rapidly-expanding tour. ‘How did you get hold of a photo of that?’ she asked, impressed by his accurate capture.
‘I didn’t.’ he said plainly as Ilove darted around in the background scaring pigeons, ‘Somehow it was easy to visualise.’
‘Well, it’s uncanny. You got it perfectly.’ she said, glowing as she looked at the canvas like she was entering a memory from a previous life.
‘Then I’m very happy!’
‘It’s probably the best present I’ve ever been given.’ she said trying to keep from earshot of prying band members as she fought back tears.
‘Love can be an amazing force of inspiration.’ Nick answered; Lucy wept silently on the other end. ‘Lucy, don’t go. I don’t want you to leave.’ he urged. She remained silent, shaking as she failed to hold her emotions back. ‘You’ll find work here; maybe Corsica will offer you something?’
‘Nick, stop!’ she said tearfully and looked around at her travelling band, preparing themselves for the most exciting tour in their humble careers, ‘I can’t think straight right now…’
‘Think? You’re having second thoughts?’
‘Nick! Enough!’ she shouted, startling everyone in the lounge.
‘But your heart’s telling you to stay!’
‘I know.’ she admitted.
‘And are you going to follow it?’
Basil Brown and his concerned companions all sensed a disturbing change of energy; she looked deep into their eyes and listened intently to her soul, ‘No.’ she said as realisation cleansed away any doubt surrounding her next move, ‘We had our chance, Nick, and life has moved on. That fairy-tale belongs to Konrad and Corsica now.’
‘No, it’s still ours as well!’
‘Nick, you have to let this go!’ she said desperately.
‘Sorry, am I pushing too hard?’
Lucy sighed, ‘Yes.’
‘Then I’ll stop, I don’t want you to end up hating me.’
‘Hate you?’ she replied, ‘No, that could never happen. If anything it makes me love you more.’
– The End –
To be continued in Triple Ex.
Dedicated to Nadia & Danny
with immeasurable love and gratitude.
Double Ex
A Romantic Comedy about Lost Love & Lookalikes
by
Lee Daniel Bullen
Copyright © Lee Daniel Bullen 2014
If you enjoyed Double Ex it would be hugely appreciated if you could spread the word and leave gushing reviews about the place. Also, please feel free to contact me with any comments, opinions or general titbits!
My books, Double Ex, Beset: The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of Crisis, Unmade Classics and The Soapy Beast, are available in paperback and eBook.
Much love and happiness!
Lee Daniel Bullen
Please follow me at:
Twitter:
@bullen_author
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Website:
www.leebullen.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s disturbing imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The rights of Lee Daniel Bullen to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Acts 1988.
No badgers were buggered during the writing of this book.
Table of Contents
Title Page
About the Author
Author Introduction
Chapter 1: Hit & Run
Chapter 2: Plates & Spin
Chapter 3: Pray & Prey
Chapter 4: Whiskey & Lies
Chapter 5: Meetups & Letdowns
Chapter 6: Coffee & Complications
Chapter 7: Flight & Fancy
Chapter 8: Rock & Rot
Chapter 9: Cocktails & Trees
Chapter 10: Lift & Fall
Chapter 11: Hippie & Shake
Chapter 12: Heads & Tales
Chapter 13: Days & Weekends
Chapter 14: Hell & Back
Chapter 15: Hosts & Visitors
Chapter 16: Red & Alert
Chapter 17: Dig & Dirt
Chapter 18: Lists & Schemes
Chapter 19: Dreams & Reality
Chapter 20: Pedestals & Pitfalls
Chapter 21: Winners & Participants
Chapter 22: Whole & Holes
Dedication
Connect with Lee
Copyright Page