by Mel Sherratt
‘Try it – you might enjoy it. And let’s face it, there’s only you in the room if you don’t.’
‘I…’ Donna paused. What was it she kept saying to herself about living a little and having a bit of fun?
‘Okay.’ The air in the room was hot, yet her skin broke out in goosebumps at the thought of what she was about to do.
‘You ready?’ he asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, can you get to the most appropriate places?’
‘Oh, then I’m ready.’ She almost squeaked with embarrassed laughter.
‘Okay, here goes.’
‘What will you be doing while you’re, er, talking dirty?’
‘I’ll be doing the same thing as you. Are you comfortable yet?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you wet?’
‘Yes.’ She was glad he couldn’t see her blushing.
‘I’m going to tell you what I’d like to be doing to you right now. First, close your eyes.’
Donna closed her eyes. ‘Done.’
‘Now imagine me kneeling down between your legs. I’m looking at you while I run my fingers up your body. Up and over your stomach, slowly, slowly, towards your chest. Up through the gap in those fantastic tits of yours.’
Donna giggled.
‘Stop laughing!’ His voice was light.
‘Sorry.’
‘Up over your neck and into your mouth. Then I move my hand lower.’
Donna laughed again.
‘Stop laughing!’
‘I’m sorry. I can’t concentrate. Besides, I think I’d rather wait until I can have the real thing.’
‘Shame.’ He didn’t seem annoyed. ‘Because I was just getting started.’
Even the thought of him touching himself was enough to send the equivalent of electrical pulses through her entire body. She pressed the phone to her ear to concentrate.
‘My mouth slides down your body to find a nipple,’ he continued. ‘I bite it – not too hard. You arch your back in response. You like that, I see. I move to the other one, do the same to that. Your nipples are hard, you horny bitch. I can’t wait to taste more. I can’t wait to taste all of you.’
Donna squirmed. Honestly, she knew some women found this kind of thing a turn-on but she didn’t like it at all.
‘Still not feeling it?’ he asked after a moment’s silence.
‘Sorry.’
‘Ah, well. There’s always the next time we meet. Are you free tomorrow?’
‘Yes, I think I am.’ Although Mary wasn’t far from her mind, now that Sam was out of hospital she could relax a little.
‘Good,’ replied Owen. ‘Hold that thought.’
Lewis sat up with a start. Disoriented, he switched on the bedside lamp and glanced at his watch. It was only one a.m. With a sigh, he pulled back the covers and sat on the side of the bed. His skin felt clammy to the touch, a trickle of sweat running down the middle of his back. But it wasn’t the heat of the summer night that had woken him. It was another nightmare. Shots fired, man down, man DOWN. The words ran through his mind over and over again.
As his breathing calmed, he ran a hand over his hair. Would the memories ever become just that? Would he ever have happy recollections of his time in the army – unlike the nightmares that seemed to plague his waking life as well as his nights?
Recollections of things he would rather forget always seemed to take preference over carefree times – out on a mission with his friends, having a laugh under the baking sun of an evening, friendly banter with the women, messing around with the guys. He’d always been sad when a mission had come to an end, but relieved that most of the people he cared about had survived it. That was, until Nathan had been killed.
He moved to the window, pulled back the curtain and looked down on the quiet street. The Mitchell Estate had always been his home but after being away for so long, he didn’t fit in here. He didn’t belong.
If it weren’t for Amy, he wasn’t sure he would have come back to his mum’s. Now she’d made it clear that things were over between them, Lewis wondered if he’d be better off finding another city to live in. Somewhere he could start afresh, leave his past behind and get on with his future.
Being apart from Amy frustrated him, because all he wanted was for her to understand what he was going through. For anyone to understand, really. But then, he knew it was up to him to talk about what had happened, and he wouldn’t do that. He wanted to block it all out. So was it any wonder she didn’t know how to act around him?
He didn’t want to begin again somewhere else. He wanted his life here to work. But he needed to put in the effort too, something he certainly wasn’t doing.
Below on the driveway, he could see the Land Rover parked on the small space that had been created for it to squeeze onto. The vehicle was eleven years old now, but his mum wouldn’t swap it for something smaller and more convenient and economical, as it was one of the last things of his dad’s that she had held on to.
Laura was tiny compared to Lewis, so she looked silly behind the wheel, but she couldn’t half knock up a speed in the old tub. A few times, Lewis had found himself holding onto the door handle as she’d taken a corner a little faster than he would have liked. Laura loved that she felt safe in it, laughed when she realised she had spooked the hulk of a man sitting next to her.
Until the sudden death of his father, his parents had lived comfortably in this house for years. They had stayed together too, making his family background very different to most of his so-called friends who had lived on the estate. Many of them had come from broken homes.
He’d bumped into a few of them here and there since he’d been home. Most were either married or shacked up with partners; most didn’t have either a job or ambition. Some of their women had been willing to give them a few kids so they could scam the system into letting them stay at home as a family instead of working to earn their keep.
The state was a stupid thing, Lewis scoffed. He was getting to know that more from bitter experience too, in and out of the army.
Hands resting on the wooden frame in the middle of the window, Lewis fought back irritation. He banged his forehead on the glass, and again.
When was his life going to get on track?
Donna was bursting with happiness when she went into work the night after she’d met up with Owen again.
Sarah rolled her eyes the minute she saw her. ‘Come on, then,’ she said, ‘out with the sordid details.’
‘What?’ Donna looked all innocent.
’You’ve had sex again, haven’t you?’ Sarah whispered to her.
‘I have.’ Donna grinned.
Sarah pointed at her. ‘Your smile could light up the M6!’
‘Well, put the kettle on and make me a nice cuppa and I might just tell you some of the details.’
‘Only some?’ Sarah tutted as she walked away. ‘I want to know everything!’
Donna popped on her overall. She was bursting to tell someone about Owen and she had no one else to confide in.
Owen had picked her up the previous evening as planned, after she had collapsed into fits of laughter over the phone sex conversation. He’d taken her to a pub a few miles away, and on the way back he’d pulled over into a lay-by. She’d laughed again as she said she was too old to be taken in the back seat of a car.
But Owen had other ideas. He’d grabbed her hand and they’d gone into the woods. He’d bent her over behind a tree. She’d felt so naughty, having never had sex outside before. What had she been missing all her life?
‘No way!’ Sarah’s eyes were wide when she’d confided in her.
Donna nodded. ‘I can’t believe I had the courage. Me, outside, where anyone could see us!’
‘You have definitely got it bad.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘I can’t believe all that’s happened to you in the space of a couple of weeks. I know you deserve your happiness, Don, but wow. I would kill to have sex right now. Me and Craig haven’t had a bit of r
umpy-pumpy in months.’
‘Rumpy-pumpy?’ Donna burst into loud laughter. ‘I haven’t heard it called that in a long time!’
‘You know what I mean.’ Sarah waved her comment away. ‘I love him but I’m not in love with him anymore.’
‘Poppycock. You and Craig have everything I want. You get on so well.’
‘I know, but the sex has gone stale.’
‘Being together twenty years will do that to you,’ Donna sympathised. ‘Although with me and Joe, it was about six! But don’t you think that it’s staying power and commitment that are more important than sex?’
‘Says the woman who’s had fifty-seven orgasms.’
Donna blushed. ‘You can get the sparkle back if you want to.’
‘I doubt it. Like you said, we’ve been together for twenty years. A lot has happened during that time, like spare tyres, love handles and about four stone in extra weight between us.’
‘Well, I’m no expert!’
‘Yes, but you’re getting some at least.’
‘It’s all about making an effort, I suppose.’
‘But most of the time, we’re both done in at the end of the day. Sex is the last thing on our minds when we’re trying to stop from falling asleep on the sofa about eight o’clock.’
Donna paused for a moment. ‘Well, you could read erotica.’
Sarah turned her head pretty sharpish.
‘Like Fifty Shades? I loved that trilogy.’
‘I’m reading You Complete Me. Very, very, sexy. Owen bought me the paperback.’
‘Ohmigod.’ Sarah quickly served a young boy who had come to the till with a packet of crisps. ‘Wait, actually, he sounds like a God!’ As soon as the boy had gone, she reached under the counter for her Kindle and switched it on. ‘What was that story called?’
Donna smiled. ‘You Complete Me. It’s in the top one hundred. I reckon it’ll be a guaranteed bestseller. It’s going to spread by word of mouth like wildfire. It’s so hot!’
‘No wonder women are reading erotica on Kindle these days.’ Sarah clicked away on her Paperwhite. ‘We can’t get any in real life so imaginary has to do. Ah, here it is. Wow, it’s got sixty-eight five star reviews!’
‘Oh, I must add one. That’ll make it sixty-nine!’ Donna laughed and then felt her skin reddening again.
Sarah laughed. ‘Power to the women!’
While two girls dilly-dallied in front of her over which chocolate bar to choose, Donna reached for her phone, checked her messages but there were no new ones from Owen. Feeling brave, and a little horny, she sent him a saucy text and got back to work.
God, she couldn’t believe how much he was under her skin already. She was definitely in lust with him, totally under his spell. Last night had been amazing. She’d never thought it was possible to feel this high on emotion.
Truth be told, she never wanted this thing with Owen to end.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After receiving more complaints about Lewis Prophett, Josie hadn’t wanted to call at either his wife’s or his mother’s homes. She knew they were only doing their best, and that it was Lewis who had the problem. So, instead, she asked Lewis to come in to see her.
She raced down the corridor towards the interview room, a manila folder and notepad tucked underneath her arm. She’d only just got there in time after running her last women in crisis session at The Workshop. Everyone had heard rumours that the money was being cut but Josie hadn’t wanted to confirm anything until she absolutely had to. Now though, she was wondering if there was anywhere the members of the group could continue to meet without her. They were making real progress, and it would be a shame if the support network they’d created was going to end.
Lewis was sitting at the table when she passed the glass-petitioned wall. She smiled at him as she entered the room.
‘I’m sorry I’m a bit late. Thanks for coming in.’
‘It didn’t feel like I had any choice,’ Lewis replied, his tone sullen.
Josie sighed. Not a good start. She pulled out a chair and sat across the table from him.
‘I’ve had another report of your anti-social behaviour over the weekend. It’s becoming quite the broken record at the moment.’
‘People should mind their own business.’ Lewis folded his arms.
‘People are trying to do just that but you’re interrupting their peace, it seems.’
‘Can you prove it’s me?’
‘Can you prove it’s not?’ Josie put down her pen and sighed. ‘Lewis, I’m as surprised as you are to see you sitting in my office. I’ve no wish to tell a grown man off, but I’ve had several complaints about you now – mostly about the noise you make when you come home in the early hours – so it’s my duty as a housing officer to let you know that you’re in breach of tenancy rules.’
‘I’m not the tenant.’
Josie raised her eyebrows.
Lewis sighed and sat forward. ‘I’ll try and stay quiet, yeah. I don’t want to get Mum into any trouble.’
‘Well, as you rightly say, it is her tenancy. It would be a shame to ruin her good record with a few silly antics.’ She paused. ‘Your mum told me you’ve recently lost your job.’
‘It was a temporary contract. It didn’t get renewed.’
‘Any reason for that?’
Lewis shook his head. ‘I was covering someone’s sick leave.’
There was a silence and Josie scribbled down some notes to fill it. Then she looked up.
‘Lewis, I—’
He seemed to be in a bit of a trance, holding his head in his hands.
‘In the night, people don’t hear you scream,’ he told her.
‘Excuse me?’ Josie replied, unsure if he had said the words without thinking.
‘But what happens when the screams are constantly inside your head during the day as well?’
Josie put her pen down. ‘Are you hearing voices, Lewis?’
‘No.’
‘Just noises?’
‘No, just screaming.’
‘People screaming or engine noise?’ Josie probed.
‘The sounds of the army. The engines firing up, people shouting.’
‘So you’re still having flashbacks?’
He nodded.
‘Of anything in particular?’
Lewis shrugged.
A few seconds went by before Josie closed the file, realising he’d clammed up again. ‘We can try and understand if you’ll let us,’ she told him. ‘Me, your mum, Amy. But our hands are tied if you won’t make the first move.’
‘What can I do?’
‘Go and see someone.’
‘All they’ll make me do is go over everything. It doesn’t help.’ Lewis ran a hand over his head. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘How long have you been back here now?’ Josie continued.
‘Nearly two years.’
‘And how often have you talked about what’s bothering you through those two years?’
Lewis looked down.
‘So you’re trying to forget it?’
‘Trying.’ He raised his eyes to hers.
‘But it’s not getting easier at all?’
‘No.’
Josie wanted to reach across the table and touch his hand, but she didn’t. ‘Then talk to someone about it,’ she said.
‘No one will understand.’ Lewis looked away now.
‘How do you know?’
He froze completely then and refused to say anything more. After a few moments, Josie showed him out of the room and followed him into the reception area. She grabbed a leaflet from a rack at the side of the door.
‘Take this. It has lots of details of where you can get help. Please don’t discard it. Have a read and see what they can do for you. You need to talk to someone.’
Lewis almost snatched the leaflet from her hand. ‘I need to get on with my life without everyone telling me what to do.’
Josie watched him storm out of the
building with a worried expression. Lewis seemed to be unravelling fast, and there didn’t seem to be anything anyone could do about it.
For her next visit to Poplar Court, Donna was accompanied by Sam. When she’d last gone to visit him, she’d mentioned the bruise she had seen on Mary’s arm, plus her mum’s accusations. Until then, she hadn’t realised how worried she was, even though she was still convinced some things might have been caused by Mary’s dementia. Once she’d confided in him, he’d taken it upon himself to ring a friend and had borrowed a mini surveillance camera. Donna had been far from pleased. However, by the end of the phone call, Sam had persuaded her to let him set it up discreetly for a few days.
If it gave her peace of mind, then it was worth it, surely?
Mary was asleep in the armchair when they arrived. Not wishing to wake her, Donna glanced around the room.
‘Where do you think the best place would be to hide it?’ she asked, watching as Sam removed the equipment from his bag.
‘I need a plug nearby, plus somewhere that covers Nan’s chair, I think?’ Sam cursed as he struggled to get into the bag with one hand.
Donna took it from him and held it open while he accessed it.
‘I feel like a one-armed bandit,’ he moaned.
Donna watched Sam, but she didn’t like the feeling that swept over her as he set up the camera.
‘Are you sure we should be doing this?’ she asked. ‘Putting a camera up anywhere is dodgy, but somewhere it shouldn’t be? Do you think we’re taking too much of a risk?’
‘What do you mean?’
’What if we get caught and they decide Nan has to leave? It’s against the law to film people without their permission, isn’t it?’
‘If anyone’s hurting Nan, the camera will be the last thing on their minds. They’ll have me to deal with, as well as the police.’
Sam placed the camera on a shelf in the side unit, slipping the wire behind it. As he reached for the plug, there was a knock on the door.
‘I hope that’s Megan!’ Donna felt her skin flush at the thought of it being anyone else. She sighed with relief when she answered the door and was right.
‘Morning, Donna.’ Megan stepped into the hallway. ‘How are you? Everything okay, I hope?’