by Nikki Ashton
“Of course I meant it, and I do believe you, but you’ve got to understand my position in all this.”
Kerry dropped her hand. “What, the baby-sitter position. I told you that I hadn’t been out for ages.” She sighed deeply and turned to face the window. “You hurt me too Kelvin. You left so quickly, you didn’t even try to work things out.” She now flopped down onto the bed, pushing Kelvin’s suitcase further along to make room for them both.
Kelvin sat beside her. “It’s not just about going out Kerry,” he said quietly, “it’s everything else, the shouting, the spending money and worse of all the bloody interminable silences. We used to talk about everything, but the last few months, there was either no conversation or shouting.” Kelvin gently took her hand in his. “I did mean what I said on Christmas Day, I really did. I will be there for you; whatever it takes to make you happy again we’ll do it together, but let’s take it slowly. I’ll come over in the evenings and at weekends, but not for good, not just yet.”
Kerry looked up at him, tears welling from her eyes. “Don’t you love me anymore, is that it?” He smiled kindly at her but didn’t answer, simply stroking the side of her face with his cool palm. Kerry sighed heavily, desperate for an answer, but not wanting to force the words she didn’t want to hear. “What are we going to do Kelvin?”
Tears slid down Kelvin’s face as he thought about Kerry’s question. What were they going to do, now they both realised they didn’t have the perfect marriage, a realisation that frightened him? He knew it would be so easy to go back, but he was too afraid of getting hurt again.
They sat down a while in silence, Kelvin stroking Kerry’s hand with his, until Sheila tapped upon the door as Esme wanted to see her Daddy. As Kelvin took Esme from Sheila’s arms, she glanced at her daughter and could see that her plan to get Kelvin home had not worked.
“Be patient love,” she whispered to Kerry as she placed an arm around her shoulder. “If you two are meant to be together you will be.”
“I hope so Mum, I really do,” sighed Kerry, rubbing her throbbing temples.
They had spent a couple more hours with each other, chatting and playing with Esme, until it was time for Kerry to go home. As she gathered Esme’s toys Kelvin suggested that he took her for the evening, enabling Kerry to go to Amanda’s party.
“But don’t you want to come to?” Kerry asked, silently hoping that he would.
“No, I’m quite happy to spend the evening with my little girl”
“Okay, thanks that would be great,” she replied, anxious not to push him. “What about Russell, will he be fine with having Esme to stay?”
“He’s away; he’s taken Clare and Ben to Clare’s family in Yorkshire for New Year, so he won’t even know.”
“If you are sure, but you’ll be alone on New Year’s Eve.”
“Believe me, it’s preferable to an evening at the Social Club with your mum and your Auntie Beryl and Uncle Vince, as much as I love them.”
Kerry laughed and had to agree with him. They hugged and kissed lightly on the cheek, not the lips, agreeing that Kelvin would call later for some more clothes for Esme.
Kerry was now on her way to Amanda and Dave’s party, not really sure that she was up to it, as they could be quite raucous, plus there would be people there whom she only ever saw at New Year, who wanted to know where Kelvin was. Kelvin called for Esme’s clothes, but he’d forgotten her favourite Teddy Bear, Edward; Kerry was now on her way to drop it off.
Kerry pulled up in the road at the side of Russell’s end house, smiling as she remembered the party here that had got her and Kelvin together. She picked up Edward and made her way to the drive. Just as she was walking past the sparse hedge, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye through the lounge patio window. Looking through the bushes, she saw Kelvin closing the curtains at them, then suddenly behind him, she saw her; a blonde girl sat cross-legged on the sofa, drinking from a wine glass. Kerry stopped and blinked thinking that maybe she was seeing things, but the girl was still there. Kerry’s legs began to spasm uncontrollably, as did her hands, dropping Edward to the ground she suddenly wanted to retch, or scream, or both, but she did neither, she stood silently staring at the now closed curtains, wondering what was going on behind them. Her breaths became shallower and faster, the lack of air sending her head spinning. She slid to the ground before she fell down, leaning against the low garden wall, not caring that she was sat in a patch of ice. Kerry lowered her head between her knees, and slowly her breathing got back to normal. She reached across to rescue Edward from the cold, hard pavement and clutched him to her chest. She felt sick again and this time she was, as she leaned over to the side. When she had finished Kerry wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and pulled herself upright, all the time hanging on to Edward. Holding on to the street sign to steady herself, and breathing deeply and evenly now she took the few steps back to her car. Not looking at the house just staring straight ahead. She got in, placed Edward on the seat next to her and started the engine and slowly she drove home, forgetting altogether that she should have been going to a party.
It was eight o’clock and over at Amanda and Dave’s house the party was in full swing, even Charlotte was enjoying herself. After the miserable Christmas Day, spent wallowing in self-pity, she had decided to get her head sorted. Bets was right, so he’d kissed her, and she found him attractive, but he’d never promised her anything. He hadn’t even asked to see her again. She was going to put it down to too much booze and take it for what it was; a Christmas kiss, one hell of a Christmas kiss, but that was all it was.
“Bets, have you heard from Kerry?” Charlotte asked, a frown furrowing her brow. “I’ve tried her mobile and the house but am getting no reply from either. I would have thought that she would be here by now.” Her voice got louder as the music became almost deafening.
“No,” Bets shouted, shaking her head. “I’ve heard nothing since early this evening. She called to say that she would be here for about 7 o’clock, as she was going to call and see Kelvin to drop Esme’s Teddy Bear off. Maybe they have decided to spend the evening together.” A smile spread across Bet’s lips, and was mirrored in Charlotte’s face.
“God, I hope so. Anyway, who is the young man that’s accompanying you this evening?” Charlotte nodded towards a tall blond leaning against the kitchen wall.
“It’s Si, one of the models from Tom’s fashion show. I honestly didn’t think that he would come, you know, not his scene.” Bets took a swig from the bottle in her hand and then put her mouth to Charlotte’s ear. “In fact, I wish he hadn’t, I thought that I was ready, but I’m not. I just keep wishing that he was Stuart, plus he’s boring as hell…oh hiya Si, Si this is Charlotte, Tom’s sister, Charlotte Si.”
Charlotte held her hand out to Si, who took it grudgingly.
“Hi,” he muttered, without looking at her. “Bets when are we going? I’ve been invited to another party in Manchester, how do you fancy it?”
“I don’t,” said Bets sharply. “You’ve had too much to drink anyway to get there, and a taxi will cost you a fortune, so it looks like you are here to stay mate.”
Si pouted like a small child. “But I really wanted to go,” he wailed.
“Tough!” Bets said curtly, turning her head away.
Charlotte, embarrassed at Bets obvious dislike of her guest, smiled at Si and tried to placate him. “It gets quite a riot later in the night, lots of singing and dancing. You may enjoy it.”
“Whatever you say,” he grumbled, turning to survey the room. “Who’s that over there?” he asked, nodding at a blonde girl perched upon the edge of the sofa.
Bets and Charlotte almost choked on their drinks as they saw who Si was talking about. “Naomi,” replied Bets, once she had composed herself. “You’ll like her, go and talk to her.” Dutifully, Si shuffled across the wooden floor to plonk himself next to Naomi.
“Don’t you think that you should have told him that she was
cautioned for stalking her ex- boyfriend?” Charlotte asked, watching Si and Naomi's animated conversation.
“Nah!” they cried in unison and walked through to the kitchen.
“Ah well, another dream lover gone,” Bets sighed, taking two bottles from the makeshift bar and passing one to Charlotte. “Talking of which, you seem better tonight.”
“Hmm, I think I am. I’m just mad at myself for falling for his Irish blarney. I should have carried on hating him.”
Bets eyes widened in astonishment. “That’s crap. You never hated him; you fancied him right from the start. You just hated that he didn’t fall over himself to be nice to you, despite every effort to make him jealous.”
“I didn’t try to make him jealous,” cried Charlotte incredulously.
“Err, so what was the engagement ring all about then? Surely, it was to make him jealous?”
“No! You know why I did that, it was about Grant and not wanting him to know that I was still single.”
“Oh yes,” Bets giggled over the top of her bottle. “You’re right; you didn’t fancy him at all, and you didn’t want him so badly it hurt.”
“You don’t know that, you never saw us together.” Charlotte pushed a fistful of peanuts into her mouth indignantly.
“Just the way you talked about him and Gwen told me it was in the cards.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth Bets realised that she had probably got poor Gwen into trouble.
“When?” Charlotte screamed.
“Oh, erm, when I rang one day last week. Another drink?” she asked, changing the subject and making a quick getaway.
After an hour of dancing and drinking, both Bets and Charlotte were feeling happier and more relaxed than they had for a long time. They were taking a breather when a rather drunk neighbour, from across the road, pushed them to one side.
“Scuse gals, I’ve gotta gerra beer if that’s okay wiv you.” The quite short, very fat, drunk man was now dribbling profusely, as his eyes came directly level with Charlotte’s cleavage. “Can I say what bootiful bweasts you haf dear?” He swayed precariously as he stepped back to look at Charlotte, up and down.
“You can say it mate, but I think I’d have to kill you afterwards.” She smiled sarcastically at him.
“I’ll just get my beer then.” He picked up his can and tried to bow to them both, but the heavy girth and excess of alcohol made him lose his balance. He crashed onto the floor and rolled under the table.
Bets knelt beside him, poking him with her bottle to ensure that he was still breathing. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yeth madam I ham.”
“Good,” she cried and pushed him further under the table with the toe of her boot.
“Oh well,” laughed Charlotte, tears forming in her happy eyes. “At least he’ll leave us alone now.”
“Let’s hope so, come on then Charlotte, let’s go and dance and pull faces at Si and Naomi.” Charlotte nodded her head and linking arms with Bets moved towards the dining room, starting to enjoy herself.
The party carried on well into the early hours. Midnight came and went and just after they’d finished the conga, Ken reduced everyone to tears with his rendition of “Danny Boy." Half the party were crying through the emotion of alcohol and the others because his singing was abysmal. This then led to Dave setting up the Karaoke, with Tom arriving just in time to enjoy his mother’s rendition of “Like A Virgin."
“Hi girls,” he called over the noise. “Mum’s enjoying herself then?” He asked, smiling widely.
Charlotte could tell that Tom was fairly sober, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to understand him. “I know she’s so embarrassing isn’t she.”
“No,” he gasped. “She’s great. Anyway, what’s he doing here?” he asked, nodding towards Si, who was now asleep with his head on Naomi’s lap, while she snored away with a tea cosy on hers.
“He was my date,” Bets sighed. “I think that I’ve lost him to the lovely Naomi, tragedy.” Bets quickly turned, and smacked one of Tom’s friends across the face, as he tried to put his hand up her rather short skirt. “Next time I’ll kick you in the bollocks, okay!” He shuffled away in mock prayer.
“Never mind him, that’s Banger,” explained Tom. “He just tagged along, as usual.” Tom took a can from the bookshelf and shook it; it wasn’t empty, so he put it to his lips.
“Why Banger?” Bets asked.
“Because whenever he’s sees a tasty bird he always says “’I’m gonna bang her'," but he never does. I think the only woman that he’s ever had carnal knowledge of is Dirty Betty from the petrol station.”
Charlotte and Bets screwed their noses up in disgust. “Where’ve you been anyway?” Bets pulled at Tom’s new Levi’s. “You’re really tarted up.”
“Just to town, and don’t touch the merchandise. They are new in, not even on sale yet.” He preened proudly, doing a quick twirl.
“Hmm very nice, better than the brown cords and green jumper you used to wear.” She smirked, remembering Tom as an eight-year-old.
“Thank you Elizabeth, at least I’ve got some style. Look at who you brought along for a date.” He smiled over at Si, while picking up another can and shaking it. “Bloody empty, have my parents drunk the house dry?” he asked glancing across at Ken and Kathleen dancing to Duran Duran as he went to the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returned. “Did you know that there’s a big fat bloke in there? He’s asleep under the table without his trousers, and a cucumber sticking out of his Y-fronts.
Charlotte and Bets looked at each other and laughed. “No, fancy that!”
By 4 a.m., the party was over and everyone was wending their way home, battling through the heavy snow that had fallen throughout the night. Everyone except for Ken and Kathleen, they were snoring away under the table, covered by a blanket. Tom, Charlotte and Bets were precariously walking arm in arm back to Charlotte’s house.
“That was a seriously good night. I really needed it,” laughed Bets.
“Yeah, pity Kerry missed it, where was she anyway?” Tom asked, trying to steady Charlotte.
“Hopefully making up with Kelvin,” cried Charlotte.
“I bet that they are in bed now, whispering sweet nothings to each other. Oh and by the way, Tom, happy birthday.”
“Oh yes, happy birthday little brother.” Charlotte slapped him on the back, as they stumbled home.
Chapter 21
It was the second of January, and Charlotte and Bets hadn’t heard from Kerry since her telephone call during the afternoon of New Year’s Eve.
The previous afternoon, on New Year’s Day, Bets had called Kelvin on his mobile as she couldn’t get hold of Kerry at home.
“I don’t know where she is Bets, I didn’t realise that she was on her way here last night until you said. She didn’t even pick Esme up this morning, Sheila came for her, and she said Kerry was busy. I assumed that she was at the sales or something. Look Bets give me ten minutes to get back to you; I’ll call Sheila and ask her.” Kelvin tried to force some lightness into his voice, but for some reason, he felt uneasy.
“Okay, keep me informed.” Bets replaced the receiver and dialled Charlotte’s number.
“Hello,” Charlotte answered, rather brightly for New Year’s Day.
“Hi, it’s me. Charlotte, have you heard from Kerry? I’ve been trying to contact her all day. Seemingly, she wasn’t with Kelvin last night. He didn’t even know that she was on her way around there.” Bets was now also feeling uneasy. Kerry had seemed to be looking forward to the party, if only anxious about the questions about her and Kelvin, so why hadn’t she turned up?
Charlotte’s thoughts echoed her own. “So why didn’t she turn up at the party then?”
“I don’t know. Kelvin is going to ring Sheila now, apparently she picked Esme up this morning saying that Kerry was busy, he’s going to ring me back.”
“Okay, well I’ll let you go in case he’s trying to ring you back.”
Bets re
placed the receiver once more and waited for Kelvin to call her back with some news. After ten minutes, the telephone shrilled out; Bets snatched it up.
“Kelvin”
“Bets, I’ve spoken to Sheila, and apparently she picked Esme up at about eleven o’clock. She told her mum that she was going to take Esme to the park, so maybe she’s still there.”
Bets stared out at the snow filled ground. “In this weather, I’m not sure that she should or would have, are you?”
“No and neither was Sheila. She tried to persuade her that it was too cold, but she insisted. Bets I’m really worried, its three o’clock now, that’s an awful long time to spend in the snow with a baby. I’m going to go over to the house and then the park.” Kelvin was nervously shuffling from foot to foot.
“Good idea,” Bets sighed. “They may have fallen asleep and can’t hear the telephone. God I wish that she would keep that bloody mobile charged, how can anyone in this day and age manage without one?” Bets voice was getting louder, startling Alfred, who had been deep in slumber.
“I’ll keep in touch.” The line went dead as Kelvin rushed out to find his wife and baby.
Charlotte joined Bets at her flat, and they spent a restless afternoon waiting for the telephone to ring. They had tried Kelvin’s mobile several times, but each time he answered with a breathless “no, not yet." Sheila had also called, wondering whether they had managed to make contact with her daughter. Bets had tried to sound light hearted, not wanting to worry Sheila. She explained that she vaguely remembered Kerry saying that she was going to see an old school friend; this seemed to appease Sheila, who went away fairly happy.
At around six o’clock, Charlotte’s mobile rang out, and she answered it quickly.
“Hello,” she asked in trepidation as the display read ‘private number’.