Chapter Twenty-Two
Jonny promised his mother he would come home for the holidays. She insisted, “No matter how old you are, or how famous, you will always come home for Christmas.”
He flew back on Christmas Eve amid a snow storm. The flight was nearly an hour late taking off, the small propeller driven aero plane had to be de-iced twice before taxi-ing to the runway.
He had always been interested in aero planes and he marvelled at the basic engineering involved in taking to the skies. Learning to fly was something he had always dreamt about. Must have been all those times spent with his grandfather looking up at the sky from their high rise flat. Watching satellites orbiting the Earth at night; starling murmurations in winter; and the aero planes flying over them all day.
He had bought a few last minute gifts at the airport. Some Delftware ceramics for his mother; bottles of Schnapps for his father and grandfather; tulip bulbs for both his grandmothers; perfume for his sister and some soft toys for his niece.
He was looking forward to seeing them all, but was already missing Eliza. It felt as if every time he left her he wouldn’t see her again. The feeling made him feel sick in the pit of his stomach.
Before he had left her apartment he had put a gift under the Christmas tree. He had been caught unawares of a gift giving ceremony earlier in the month. Some fictional character who looked like Father Christmas to Jonny, but called St Nicholas, turned up to give children presents for them to open.
“Don’t worry we have Christmas too,” Eliza reassured him. Mortified that he hadn’t got a gift for her when she had given him his.
Jonny had gone to one of the jewelry shops in Dam square. It was the first time he had bought jewelry for a girlfriend and he had to rely on the sales assistant to recommend something. After describing Eliza to her, she recommended a rose gold necklace with a diamond and emerald cross. It was perfect.
She even gift wrapped it and gave him a small card to write a message on. “To Eliza, forever my Angel.”
***
Christmas day was a pleasant re-run of every Christmas Jonny could remember.
This year his sister stayed over on Christmas Eve, so his mother and father could share their grand-daughter’s delight when she came downstairs to see if Father Christmas had been. Jonny’s grand-parents turned up after breakfast and there was a second round of present opening.
Alcohol starting flowing when the neighbours arrived for lunch. His father taking over the waiter duties whilst his mother and grandmother busied themselves in the kitchen with the Christmas dinner preparations.
There were certain Harrison traditions that had to be adhered to. Everyone had to wear the paper hat from the Christmas cracker; no-one could refuse a second helping of turkey and all the trimmings; participation in the afternoon game of charades was mandatory; and no talking during the Queen’s speech.
“Whose that?” Jonny’s mother asked when the phone rang.
Everyone looking at her and shrugging their shoulders.
“We won’t know ’til we answer it.” His father tutted and got up to answer the phone.
“Don’t they know we’re about to sit down and listen to the Queen?”
He ignored her and picked the receiver up. “It’s for you,” offering it to Jonny.
Jonny jumped up thinking it was probably Eliza.
“Hello?”
“Merry Christmas Jonny.”
“Sorry, who is it?” Jonny was perplexed. He didn’t recognise the female voice.
“It’s Helen.”
“Helen?”
“Yes, you know, your girlfriend for two years!”
His mother’s attention was drawn to her son repeating Helen’s name. “Shhh, shhh!” she flapped her hands at Jonny’s father in an attempt to quieten him down. Then she ushered everyone out of the kitchen into the living room and closed the door so only she and Jonny could be party to the conversation.
Jonny turned, putting his hand over the mouthpiece, he fixed a stare at his mother and didn’t return the receiver to his face until she left the room. He stretched his foot over to the door to push it to, as he knew she would be stood on the other side straining to hear the conversation.
“How are you Helen?”
“I’m ok. We’re in Lewisham now.”
“Yeah, I’d heard you moved out of the area.”
“Yes we moved last Christmas. We’re in Fulham today though visiting my grandparents. Here until the day after tomorrow.” Helen paused, “I just wondered if you had time to meet up. Down the pub tomorrow maybe? For old times’ sake?”
The last thing Jonny wanted to do was meet Helen so he made up an excuse.
“I can’t. I live in Amsterdam now with my girlfriend. I’m going back there tomorrow.”
“What on Boxing Day?”
He could sense the irritation in her voice. Shit! Did airlines operate on bank holidays? Of course they do! She’s just trying to question everything as usual. Jonny finished having an argument with himself.
“Yeah tomorrow.”
“Oh well have a great life Jonny!”
The dial tone sounded, signifying she had hung up on him.
He took the phone from his ear and spoke into the mouth piece. “Merry Christmas to you too.”
Almost immediately his mother appeared behind him. “What did she want?” she asked with a worried look on her face.
“God knows? She wanted to meet up tomorrow, but when I said ‘no’ she got abusive and hung up.”
His mother shook her head. “You’ve had a lucky escape from that one.”
“Hmmm,” he agreed.
He wanted to speak to Eliza, to get Helen out of his head, but she was at her aunt’s and he didn’t know their number. She had rung last night but he had forgotten to ask her for it. He was hoping she rang again soon.
Re-joining the family, he left the kitchen door ajar so he could hear the telephone if it rang again.
They were all sat in the living room. The women sat around the TV watching the Queen. The older male members of the family snoring, alcohol and generous portions of Christmas lunch catching up with them. Twister had been abandoned in favour of charades and they were all on their second round of the game when the phone rang again.
“Hope it’s not that slag, ringing to upset you again Jonny,” slurred his mother, everyone looking round in surprise. “If it is I’ll give her what for.”
Jonny’s grandmother gave her a look that meant “you’ve had too many glasses of wine Shirley".
Jonny sprang up to answer it, glad to get out of the family games whoever it was.
“Jonny?”
“Eliza. Thank God it’s you.”
“Why what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Have you had a good day?”
“Yes it’s been wonderful and thank you for your present. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it. You really shouldn't have though.”
“I’m glad you like it.” The relief obvious in his intonation. “I’m thinking of coming back in a couple of days. Is that ok?”
Eliza seemed to hesitate. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m going to the airport tomorrow to see if KLM have any flights for the day after tomorrow.” Jonny worried that she was questioning him coming back to her.
“OK. Just let me know when you’ve got a flight sorted.”
“Are you sure it’s ok?”
“Yes of course, I can’t wait to have you back. I just wondered if you’d spent enough time with your family, that’s all.”
“Yeah, I’ve spent enough time with them, thank you!” He laughed. “Eliza, where are you. Are you still at your aunt’s?”
“No. I’m back at home. Why?”
“Is Dirk there?”
“No. He’s out at some party somewhere. Why?”
His mind started to tick over. Imagining her alone in her apartment. He wondered what she was wearing. What she was doing.
“I’ve just missed you tha
t’s all. Where are you in the apartment?”
“Just in the kitchen.”
“Are you sat on the kitchen table?”
“No… Why?”
“Just thinking of your kitchen table and what I did to you on it.”
“Do you want me to sit on the kitchen table?”
The seductive tone in her voice and the image of her sat on her kitchen table was so vivid to him. It sounded like she wanted to play along.
“Yes. Do you remember Eliza? I can still feel…” Jonny lowered his voice, “I can still feel how hot and moist you were. Are you hot and wet now Eliza?”
“Yes Jonny. I’m always hot for you.”
“Are you touching yourself?”
“Ahuh.”
“Keep touching yourself Eliza. I need to swap phones. I won’t be long.”
Jonny ran upstairs onto the landing, took the phone off the hook and ran back downstairs to the kitchen to replace the handset there. He hesitated, considering warning his mother he was on the phone upstairs, just in case she picked it up and overheard them. Then decided it was exactly what she would do if she knew, so he left it. Back upstairs he pulled the phone into his bedroom and shut the door on the lead.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Here. With his family downstairs, but that just added to the illicitness of it.
“Are you still touching yourself Eliza?”
“Ahuh.”
“If I was there at your kitchen table I would rip your panties off and open you up to me, so I could see that delicious pussy of yours. Are you getting wetter Eliza?”
“Yes I’m so wet for you Jonny.”
“I would then slowly and gently rub your clit. Can you feel that?”
“Yes Jonny. I can feel that.”
“What are you wearing?”
“One of your t-shirts. No bra. No panties.”
“I can see you now. I can see your nipples poking through my t-shirt. All pert. Needing to be tweaked. Can you see them?”
“Yesss.”
“Tweak them Eliza.”
“Yes. Jonny. Jonny are you hard.”
“Rock hard. You’re turning me on so much Eliza.”
“Can you remember me holding you?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Do it. Close your eyes and hold yourself. Like I would hold you.”
He unbuttoned his jeans and held himself as ordered.
“Imagine it’s me gently wrapping my hand around your massive rock hard cock. Pull your foreskin back and circle the tip with your thumb. Making it slick. Jonny?”
“Uhuh. Eliza I want to taste you. Put my tongue on your clit and flick it, suck it, bite it.”
“Jonny…. Jonny I want you here. I want you to fuck me.”
“I want to be there too. If I was there I would push my fingers inside of you. Fucking you with my fingers. Then I would take one of my wet fingers and rub your clit with it. I would make you come so hard.”
“I’m going to come Jonny.”
“Are you coming Eliza.” “
Yes. Are you going to come Jonny?”
“Yes. All over you.”
He could hear her moaning and recognising the whimpers she was making he released himself.
All he could hear now was the sound of her heavy breathing over his.
“Eliza are you still there?”
“Yes Jonny. I wish you was here with me.”
He smiled. Her wanting him was all consuming and after a session like that he would have done anything to have been with her.
“What I would give to be there with you my angel. Not long now though.”
“Not long Jonny,” she echoed.
He reached for the tissues and laid back on his bed staring at the ceiling. Centre pages from Playboy magazine, stuck up with Blu-tack, looking back at him. It didn’t seem right to have pictures of naked women around his room now.
“Are you going to let me know when you’ve got a flight?”
“Yeah of course. I’ll go to the airport in the morning and ring you from there. Are you gonna be at home?”
“Yes, but you can’t talk dirty to me from a phone at the airport!”
He laughed, “No you’re right I can’t.”
“I’m going to bed now Jonny.”
“Ok angel. Make sure you lock the door, yeah?”
She laughed, “I’ve been locking the door when I’ve been on my own in this apartment for years now.”
“I know, but now it’s my job to keep you safe.”
“Sweet dreams Jonny.”
“You too angel.”
He put the receiver back on the handset then stood on his bed and ripped the posters down.
***
Standing at the KLM desk he had a decision to make. Go on the next flight or book one for three days’ time.
Only one choice really.
He looked at his dad.
His dad looked at his watch, sighed and then said, “Come on then son. If we hurry, we can get back with your stuff in less than an hour.”
He felt like a five year old. An excited five year old on Boxing Day about to play with all the toys Father Christmas had brought him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jonny spotted the mini bus in the pick-up zone outside arrivals. Well actually, he heard it first. The stereo was on full blast. He skated across the icy path to it.
“Hey Jonny, quick get in. We’ve only got a few minutes before we need to pay for parking.”
“Hi Dirk. Nice to see you too.”
Before Jonny had time to slide the door shut Dirk had put his foot on the accelerator. His driving was scary to say the least.
“Have you got such a thing as a driving test here? Don’t you have to pass it before you’re allowed to drive?” Jonny asked.
Dirk’s response was to laugh hysterically.
Catching his facial expression in the rear view mirror, visions of Jack in the Shining flashed into Jonny’s mind. He put his arm around Eliza and held onto the seat in front so tight his knuckles went white.
“So what’s the score with this gig?” Jonny asked Eliza. “You look stunning by the way.”
He reached out to touch the necklace around her neck. It sparkled outrageously and was set off perfectly with a dark green velvet jacket over the top of a long white chiffon dress.
She kissed him. “Thank you Jonny. It’s a private function. Some rich guy has invited a load of friends and business associates to celebrate Christmas with him.”
“So where is it? Or more to the point how far away is it?” Jonny nodded towards the axe murderer.
“Ha. Don’t worry we’re picking up Kurt on the way. About ten more miles and then he’ll probably insist on taking over the driving. He’s more nervous about Dirk and his erratic driving skills than anyone. The actual party is at the guy’s pad, a large country estate close to the German border. It’s a couple of hours away which is why we thought it best to go straight there.”
As expected, Kurt took over the driving. Dirk didn't seem put out, satisfied to take control of the bottle of old genever Eliza had given him for Christmas.
Jonny baulked at the taste of it when offered a sip. "Thought you said it was like gin. It's nothing like it,” he gasped.
Dirk just shrugged and took a double gulp in retort.
An hour later, Kurt started to lose his patience going up and down the same road he was sure it was located off.
Dirk thumped the back of the driver’s seat. “Look man! There! All those Christmas trees lighting up the way.”
Kurt slammed on the brakes, they all lurched forward before he backed the minibus up. They remained stationary at the stone pillared entrance to the country house, whilst he studied the drive way.
“How could you miss that dude?” Dirk chastised.
“They must have only just turned those lights on. It wasn’t lit up like that before.”
Kurt turned into the drive and they continued slowly down the mile long grav
elled approach, marked on each side by a dozen twinkling Christmas trees.
“Nice.” Eliza pointed to the huge stag made out of willow, also studded with lights, at the bottom of a stone staircase that swept up to the double doored entrance.
They drove past the front of the house and through an archway to a small paved courtyard.
“Is that where we’re playing?” Jonny pointed to what looked like a ballroom through a dozen full length windows.
“It’s beautiful,” murmured Eliza.
Even Dirk seemed struck by the sight of the chandelier lit room. Waiters could be seen working their way around the tables, perfecting a Christmas themed setting at each.
A large man in a full length black cashmere coat appeared at the driver’s window. “Just pull round to the end of the building. There’s a service entrance where you can unload your kit. Then when you’re done you need to park in one of the carriage houses. You’ll see where they are when you get around there.” He tipped his peaked cap as they pulled off.
The sound and lighting contractor was already there and helped them set up. They were all ready when the first guests arrived.
Jonny and Eliza retreated to the ornamental garden at the back of the ballroom. It was beautifully landscaped, dotted with bay trees, enclosed with parterre and borders of lavender with gravel paths interlacing the design. At the centre was an elaborately carved stone water feature. Icicles frozen around the edge and where, in a more comfortable temperature, it would fountain from the centre.
They sat on a garden bench near to one of the naked flame outdoor heaters. Away from any light pollution the sky was perfectly clear, just a faint glow from the mid-month half-moon.
Jonny blew his cigarette smoke up to the star studded sky. “Can you see the bear?” he asked as he hugged Eliza into the warmth of his chest.
Eliza rested her head on his shoulder and looked up to the stellar sky. “No. I’ve never been able to see any of the shapes that are supposed to be up there.”
He aligned his head with hers and pointed upwards. “Well if we start with Orion, the Hunter. It’s probably one of the largest and easiest to see at this time of the year. The two brightest stars are there, Rigel, the left foot of Orion… and Betelgeuse at the right shoulder. You can see his belt, those three stars close to each other, and then the club is up at the top and the shield out in front.”
Falling for his ANGEL_A Rock Star Romance Page 16