Faking It

by Winters, Jade

  Megan held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, I was only kidding.”

  Alison put her hands on her hips and eyed her from the bottom upwards.

  “Yeah well, do you see me laughing?”

  Megan turned and leaned against the worktop. “No, and I’m sorry.”

  Kelly looked up from her painting, confusion on her beautifully freckled face. “What’s wrong Mummy?”

  Alison smiled. “Nothing sweetheart. Mummy M is just trying to be funny.”

  Megan started towards the door. “And failing miserably,” she said in a sarcastic tone, as she stepped out into the hall and slammed the door behind her.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Danni emerged from her bedroom looking like a new woman. Hallelujah! The ugly duckling had become a swan, and in record time too. It was eight o’clock and this girl was hot to trot, ready to roll, though not too much as she didn’t want to crease the clothes she had just struggled to iron. She had opted for the sexy, understated look – skinny jeans and a vest, her hair pulled up into a pony tail. She quickly applied a dash of perfume, lipstick and deodorant and… badabing!

  “Sorted,” she said, winking at herself in the bathroom mirror.

  As she turned to leave the room, her inner calm was quickly shattered by the chime of the door bell. She immediately stopped in her tracks. Oh my God she’s here, she’s actually here.

  This was it. This was her moment. She quietly tip-toed to the front door and peeked through the spy hole where she saw a spoon-faced Brooke looking towards the door. It always amused Danni how strange people looked through a spy hole – their faces distorted in that way that faces do after you’ve had a few too many Jager-bombs. She couldn’t just leave her standing there, what if her hemp-happy neighbour Mick appeared on the scene with a big, fat dooby? Now that wouldn’t be a good look.

  Without further procrastination, Danni quickly opened the door and put on what she hoped was a confident but casual smile.

  “Brooke,” she said warmly, taking in the beauty on her doorstep.

  Brooke really did look stunning. Jeans, suede ankle boots, and a fitted leather jacket that hugged her figure perfectly. Something Danni couldn’t wait to do. She wished they could just skip drinks and head straight to the bedroom. If only…

  Brooke stepped across the threshold and handed her the small bouquet of flowers she was clutching.

  “Wow, thank you. That’s so kind,” Danni said. Nerves aside, the gesture made her feel a bit teary. “No-one has ever given me flowers before – except for Josh and that one time at primary school when my fish died. And on that occasion, I got a wilted dandelion to lay on the match box I had buried little Moby in. So you win. Anyway, come in, come in.”

  Stop babbling Danni.

  Brooke stepped into the flat and followed Danni into the lounge. “What can I get you to drink?” Danni asked.

  “A coffee would be great.”

  “Coffee? Sure. Be back in a jiffy. I’ll pop these into some water too. Thanks again, they are lovely,” she said as she started for the kitchen.

  Minutes later, Danni was back with two steaming coffees in a pair of Royal Dalton mugs, courtesy of a car boot sale. She loved a bargain and what a find those had been that day. She handed one to Brooke and slid down onto a red bean bag.

  “Take a seat. If you’re anything like me, you’re exhausted after that trek up the stairs. In fact, I’m petitioning the block to get a Stannah stair lift installed, but so far, no luck!” Danni laughed.

  “Hahaha. It wasn’t that bad, my stamina’s quite good.” Brooke smiled, glancing down.

  Danni choked on the coffee halfway down her throat. The comment was innocent enough, but for some reason everything Brooke uttered seemed to take on a whole new meaning for Danni. She was becoming a walking Carry On film, possessed by the spirit of the late Sid James.

  “Are you okay?” Brooke smiled

  Danni grinned and nodded. “Yes sorry, I drank that a bit too quickly,” she said, clutching at her throat.

  Brooke took a seat and placed her bag at her side, waiting until Danni signalled she was okay.

  “So. You’ve got a nice place here,” Brooke said glancing around. “Very chic.”

  Danni was quietly proud that Brooke had commented on her efforts and hugely relieved that she hadn’t seen the place a week ago.

  “Thank you. Though I can’t take all the credit. I owe a lot to my dear Swedish friend, IKEA.”

  Brooke smiled and sipped her coffee. She cleared her throat. “So, about your book. I was really impressed with the last chapters you sent.”

  Though Danni fought to keep her voice calm and her whole body for that matter, she trembled with excitement. She hoped Brooke didn’t notice.

  “Thanks. You know I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing it being called ‘my book’ – it seems so strange.”

  “I can imagine, but enjoy it! You should be proud of yourself, Danni.”

  Danni beamed. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

  “I’m only being honest. Don’t worry, I’ll be just as honest if and when I don’t like something.” Brooke raised a brow. “Do you know, it always amazes me when really good writers are filled with self doubt?”

  Danni blushed slightly. “So when you’re not turning manuscripts into master pieces, what do you do for fun? Cinema, running, break-dancing? Don’t tell me, theatre?” she asked hazarding a guess. Brooke didn’t strike her as a ten-pin bowling sort of girl.

  “Me? Well to be honest, I’m not a huge theatre-goer. Saying that, I really want to see…” She paused.

  “What? Go on.” Danni cocked her head. “The Woman in White?”

  Brooke pulled a face. “Nope. that’s not quite my cup of tea. Oh God, this is embarrassing. I’ll give you a clue. It’s aimed more at the children’s market.”

  Danni thought for a second. “Gosh I don’t know – Dora the Explorer Goes to Rehab? Postman Pat Does Bangkok? ”

  Brook shook her head, giggling.

  “Okay. I give up,” Danni said, throwing her hands in the air.

  “Do you normally give up so easily?”

  Danni lowered her eyes. “No, especially not on things I want.”

  Oh my God, what is wrong with my voice? It had gone all seductive and sultry.

  “Okay. It’s … The Snowman,” Brooke said clasping her hands together and laying them on her lap.

  “What, you want to build one?” Danni asked frowning. “Sorry, we’d have to pop over to the Alps for that.”

  Brooke laughed. “No, I want to go and see The Snowman – the production.”

  Danni pinched her bottom lip, twisting it with her fingers. “Riiiiight. Very festive – what with Christmas only a few weeks away.”

  “It wouldn’t be Christmas without The Snowman animation. I think I must have watched it a hundred times.”

  “So why don’t you go and see it?”

  “I wouldn’t go to the show without a child,” Brooke retorted.

  “Are you joking? Is that the only reason?”

  Brooke shook her head before taking a sip of her drink. “Come on, how sad would that look? A lone woman sitting amongst a load of kids. Weird.”

  “Won’t your partner go with you?”

  “Megan? Oh no, she hates kids. She gets a rash being within two feet of them.”

  “Really?” Not that Danni was surprised to hear that. That woman looked like she could curdle the milk of human kindness.

  “So, tell me. How did you meet her then? Megan, I mean?” Danni asked.

  Brooke looked lost in thought, reliving those first moments. The honeymoon days.

  “Well, it’s funny but I actually met her on a flight coming back from Japan. She’s an airhostess.”

  Danni felt a pang of jealousy. Love at thirty thousand feet. That Megan was one jammy cow.

  “Hmmm. I thought that was against the rules, picking up passengers?”

  Brooke leaned back on
the sofa and stretched her legs out in front of her. “It wasn’t as crude as that – she slipped me her number on a napkin. The rest, as they say, is history.”

  “Sounds very romantic.” For some reason, she couldn’t picture Megan in the role of a trolley dolly – weren’t airhostesses meant to be friendly people? Who knows, maybe she was more pleasant at higher altitudes. The thin air can have that effect.

  “So, anyway, about you and Josh,” Brooke said in a matter-of-fact way.

  Danni put her mug on the floor and got on her knees. “Yes, me and Josh, about that, you see–”

  Brooke leaned forward, holding her attention. “Sorry to interrupt, but can I just say, you guys are really sweet together. He’s a great guy. Decent, you know.”

  Danni looked at her trying to ascertain how exactly she was going to tell her the truth.

  “People like that are pretty rare. Good, kind people I mean. Honesty is everything, don’t you think? I can’t bear lies.” Brooke leaned back into the sofa.

  “Uh huh, yeah, me too.”

  Cue the vodka.

  “Do you want something stronger to drink?”

  Brooke picked her cup up off the floor. “No thanks. I could do with another coffee though if you don’t mind. I’m a bit of a caffeine freak.”

  Danni pushed herself up onto her feet. “There are worse things to be addicted to. At least it’s not crack!” she said taking the cup from her.

  Whoops – was that inappropriate?

  “ Ummm. Do you want something to eat? I’ve cleared out the local branch of M and S. I wasn’t sure what you liked. Rest assured I got a few bags of Percy Pigs should we not be able to decide.”

  Brooke shook her head. “No thanks, I’m fine for now. Just a coffee will do.”

  “Well let me know when you get peckish.”

  Danni wandered into the kitchen, flipped the kettle on, then reached for the freezer door, grabbing the bottle of vodka by the neck she poured herself a large measure. Freaking great. Now what was she going to do? After that little speech, how was she going to go back in there and shatter her dreams of honesty and perfect love? Damn this situation. Damn Brooke, too, for being so hot. And while I’m at it, damn Josh and his bloody dad who was responsible for this whole stinking mess. Life is so unfair.

  She downed the vodka, wincing as it burnt its way down her throat. Dutch courage, that’s what she needed – or Russian anyway. She filled up a tall glass with the vodka and dropped a couple of ice cubes into it. If Joan Crawford could (allegedly) get away with disguising vodka as water, then so could she – after all, she was an actress of some sorts.

  Turning back to the boiled kettle, she quickly finished making Brooke’s coffee and entered the lounge feeling less stressed about the whole situation. It was amazing what a snifter of alcohol could do.

  Easing herself down onto the bean bag, she watched as Brooke sipped her coffee. She loved looking at her lips and the way they puckered forward. Oh God, the way her tongue slowly moved along the top of her lip to lick away the froth was sending shivers of excitement through her whole body. Even the sight of her slender fingers gripped around the handle was making her ache. Down girl!

  “Sorry, Danni, you were about to say something before I interrupted you.”

  She loved the effect Brooke had on her. Those eyes could jump start a corpse, they were so intense.

  “Was I? I can’t remember. It couldn’t have been that important.”

  “So where’s Josh today?”

  “He’s gone to look at some designs for a tattoo. He’s got this idea he needs to get one before he reaches thirty.”

  Forgetting for a minute it was vodka in her glass; Danni took a mouthful of her drink and nearly spurted it all out. She would make a dire alcoholic.

  “Oh okay. Hopefully I’ll see him before I leave.”

  “He might be home late, but stay as long as you like.” Danni was growing braver as the warmth of the booze mingled with her blood. “I like your company.”

  “And I like yours too.” Brooke smiled

  Danni ran her fingers through her ponytail, twisting the ends around her finger. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Brooke stared wordlessly at her for a few seconds before she said. “So, Josh is thinking about getting inked then. And you? Do you have any tattoos?”

  Danni pulled her face as if she had just sucked on a lemon. “Oh no. Not my thing really. I always imagine how it will look when I’m all wrinkly. Do you have any?”

  Brooke nodded. “Yes. Just the one.”

  Danni cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed. “Oh well, that’s nice. I mean I do like tattoos if they’re nicely done. It’s the big dark scary ones I don’t like.”

  She quickly took another sip of her vodka-water.

  “I know what you mean. I had mine done when I was eighteen and thought I was rebelling against the world.”

  Danni started to get up. “Can I have a peek?”

  “Err sure. But I have to warn you, it’s on my breast.”

  She halted midway and gulped. “On your … breast?”

  “Yes. You know, on one of the two things you have.”

  That may very well be the case. But Danni’s breasts weren’t Brooke’s breasts. Oh boy. She moved onto the sofa and sat beside Brooke. Danni watched while Brooke removed her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt. Droplets of sweat trickled down Danni’s back, her mouth suddenly dry as her gaze moved over Brooke’s chest, up the graceful line of her neck, the soft outline of her jaw, the fullness of her lips. She had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in her life. She slowly blinked, lost in a daze of what it would be like to feel Brooke’s skin pressed against her own, her nakedness against her body. To touch her. Danni was breathless, dreaming about all the things she ached to do to Brooke. Danni desired Brooke more than any woman she had ever known.

  “Here it is,” Brooke said raising her breast upwards to reveal a tattoo of two white doves in a heart.

  Brooke’s voice broke Danni’s trance. Danni swallowed hard. “Wow – that’s pretty nice as tattoos go.”

  Brooke’s dark long eyelashes slowly flickered as she stared back at Danni.

  Tentatively, Danni raised her eyes to meet Brooke’s, willing her own heart rate to slow down before it exploded inside of her chest.

  “In fact, it’s beautiful, like you.”

  Danni couldn’t tear her eyes away from Brooke, she was so lost in the moment. Brooke’s long thick hair hung restlessly against her chest, her blue eyes, though fully dilated, were guarded, and held a hint of anxiety.

  “Dan …”

  Danni put her finger to Brooke’s lips and smiled, before pushing back Brooke’s hair behind her ear. She half expected Brooke to rear backwards, to tell her to stop, to back off, but she didn’t. Instead, Brooke cast her eyes downwards, focusing on Danni’s mouth. Surely this wasn’t her imagination. The chemistry between them was now undeniable. Danni’s heart fluttered wildly as she leaned her head forward. She was so close now, the faint scent of Brooke’s perfume enveloped her senses. Danni’s insides trembled like a blob of jelly as she raised her hand to Brooke’s cheek, gently brushing the back of her hand against the smoothness of her skin – the mere feel of her sent tremors through every fibre of her being. This was it. A few more seconds and there was no going back – the moment could never be undone.

  Suddenly, she caught her breath as Brooke pre-empted her move and brought her face to meet Danni’s, their lips finally making contact. Electricity surged through her as Brooke’s eager tongue gently parted her lips. She was punch drunk, but she knew it wasn’t the alcohol that was responsible for the way she was feeling. It was the amazing woman she was now holding in her arms.

  “Hi honey, I’m home.” The sound of Josh’s voice jolted them apart. The moment was shattered. Fear and panic flared in Brooke’s eyes as she fumbled with the buttons on her shirt. Danni desperately wanted to say something to her but before she had the time, Brooke was standin
g, bag in hand. As she reached the door, Josh appeared.

  “Hey Brooke, good to see you,” he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

  “You too, Josh. Look, I’m really sorry to be rude, but I have to go.”

  “You’re kidding. I’ve only popped back to get changed. I’m going straight back out again,” he answered with a hint of bewilderment in his voice.

  “No really. I have work to do at home. It was nice to see you both again.”

  Danni rose from the sofa and willed herself to say something. Anything. But before she could Brooke had hurried out the room and Josh stared at Danni in puzzlement as the front door banged shut.

  “Errr, did I interrupt something?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Did something happen? Did you tell her about us?”

  “Oh God. No, I didn’t tell her about us. ”

  “Then what the hell was the swift exit all about?”

  Danni sunk down into the sofa, running her hands through her hair.

  “Oh Josh, you came at the worst possible moment. I thought you were going to call before you came back.”

  “Bloody hell, Danni. She was only here an hour. I didn’t think you’d make a move that quick.”

  “It seems like she was barely here for five minutes. I only wanted to see her tattoo and things sort of like got intense. Do you think she’ll tell your dad?”

  “I doubt it. Why would she?”

  “Dunno. I don’t know anything anymore. Oh bloody hell. What a mess.”

  “Come on, it’s no big deal. So you had a little moment with the woman you fancy the pants off, so what?”

  “So what? Well it kind of blows our cover of being the perfect couple doesn’t it? We had the status of Brangelina.”

  “Look, don’t panic. We’ll have to talk later. I need a shower and a quick change. Most importantly, do not freak out about this. Go and read a book – take your mind off things.”

  Yeah right, like that was going to happen.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Sitting in the back of a black cab, Brooke’s hands were shaking so badly she had to trap them underneath her legs to calm them down. What on earth had she done? Just because her relationship was in trouble, it didn’t mean she had to drag Danni and Josh down with her. She dreaded to think what would have happened if Josh had walked in on them and seen her with her shirt unbuttoned, kissing his fiancée. She felt like a complete slimebag, an utter fool. Not to mention an unprofessional one. What had taken place at Danni’s could have a serious impact on their working relationship, not to mention the guilt she felt about Megan. What had she been thinking half undressing like that to show off her tattoo? She couldn’t even blame it on alcohol. Whatever had come over her?