Nasty Bitch

by K Leitch

  CHAPTER 26 – HELEN

  Helen had (at the advice of Maya) invited Wills and Sarah over for a meal to ‘discuss things’.

  ‘Better you settle this just you two, rather than lawyers and courts…that will only make more bad feeling. Nonna and I will take children out; leave you in peace to talk.’ She had said hugging Helen.

  ‘If he can bring Sarah then I think you should be here too,’ protested Helen. ‘Besides which I want you with me, you help me stay calm.’

  Maya thought for a moment, ‘If that is what you want then I will stay too. Is good idea maybe, they need to know that we are couple and we are united,’ she finished with a determined little nod of the head that made Helen laugh.

  ‘Exactly…now what shall I cook?’ She went and fetched her well thumbed old cookery book that her mother had given her on her wedding day, ‘I wonder if Sarah is allergic to anything, perhaps I’d better check.’

  ‘Ha! She’s bound to make problem…just cook something nice, if she can’t eat then she will be hungry,’ laughed Maya.

  ‘I know I’ll do lobster bisque to start, Wills always used to love that; and then my slow cooked pork belly with a balsamic reduction and you can make one of your gorgeous boozy chocolate torte thingy’s for puds…because I love that and I know Sarah won’t be able to bring herself to have a slice even though she will be desperate for one…too many calories. Ha! I love being fat, I can eat what I like without worry,’ Helen giggled and Maya put her arms round her giggling as well.

  ‘You are not fat…you are just a bit fluffy and anyway I love your curves, and all your soft bits.’

  Helen melted into her embrace, loving that she had this wonderful woman in her life and if the phone hadn’t rung at that precise moment things may well have become a lot more heated. Helen moved away from Maya with a smile and answered her phone. It was Wills accepting her invitation for dinner that evening.

  ‘Sarah just wanted to know if it is a formal affair or just kitchen sups…she is not sure what to wear, and also what wine should we bring…I do have a rather cheeky little…’

  ‘Oh for crying out loud Wills,’ said Helen trying not to laugh, ‘anything will be fine…and tell Sarah we will be strictly informal…sorry? Oh about seven thirty to eight…lovely, see you then…bye.’

  She turned to Maya with a determined look on her face, ‘Right I need to get cracking, shopping first I think…I need to buy an outfit that will turn me from ditsy flamboyant artist and mother into domestic goddess and elegant socialite…a tough ask I know but there just has to be something in ‘Chloe’s’ that fits the bill.’ She went off to get her coat, Maya followed behind her. As ‘Chloe’s’ was an incredibly overpriced and rather exclusive boutique in the middle of the village, a boutique that Helen had frequently said she would never step foot in because of its ridiculous prices, Maya was suitably shocked.

  ‘Why Helen…why ‘Chloe’s, you always look beautiful…why you need this dress?’

  ‘I am not having that stuck up madam look down her nose at me all evening,’ said Helen determinedly. ‘I can afford a nice new outfit so I’m getting one and so my darling,’ she said dragging Maya’s coat out of the hall cupboard, ‘are you, come on you can come with me…it’ll be fun, and I can’t wait to see the look on Sarah’s face when we are both sitting there in designer outfits.’

  Maya protested all the way to the car, but it was obvious that this was something that Helen needed to do, so at last she shut up and prepared to enjoy an orgy of spending.

  Two hours later the girls were back in Helen’s kitchen; slumped on the chairs, surrounded by bags, exhausted, but with a satisfied glow about them that can only come from a really successful shopping trip.

  In their absence the conscientious Lena had prepared the stock for the lobster bisque, put the slow cook pork into the oven to…er slow cook and made a start on the boozy chocolate pud. Well she had definitely made a start on the booze, as she had blotchy red cheeks and a silly grin on her face, but Helen and Maya were so grateful to her that they didn’t mention it. Although when Helen produced a beautiful silk scarf that she had seen in Chloe’s, and just had to get for Lena, the alcohol made an appearance in the form of noisy tears of happiness and lots of very sentimental hugs.

  By the time Wills and Sarah turned up the kitchen was immaculate; the bisque was simmering away nicely filling the whole room with gorgeous garlicky lobstery smells. Lena had baked some ‘light as a feather’ bread rolls and the slow cooked pork was as soft as butter.

  And as for Helen and Maya, well they were both dressed in Chloe’s finest…designer wear from top to toe.

  Maya was sporting a sleek black Armani shift dress that fitted her tiny figure to perfection, she had finished the outfit with some cripplingly high Jimmy Choo’s that made her legs look endless, so they were worth the pain of wearing them.

  Helen had chosen a skirt and top by new and exciting designer Kezi Monbosa, both in the softest finest wool. Loose but clinging in all the right places and both in the vivid colours that Helen inevitably chose. She had also bought herself some soft leather pumps, and some seriously flamboyant glass beads that Chloe’s had just taken delivery of that morning, all of which complimented the outfit beautifully.

  So it was a confident Helen that opened the door to Wills and Sarah that evening.

  Wills was his usual insensitive self, barely looking at either Helen or Maya before making his way to the kitchen. ‘Mmm I hope that’s lobster bisque I’m smelling, my favourite…you should try cooking that at home Sarah, maybe Helen could give you the recipe.’

  Sarah looked as if she’d rather have her finger nails pulled out one by one; she smiled thinly at the girls, her sharp eyes taking in the new outfits and mentally pricing them up. ‘Oh William,’ she said airily waving her hand, ‘you know I don’t do domestic…I leave that to the help.’ She looked at Maya pointedly, ‘Could you find somewhere safe to put my coat…it’s very expensive, can’t risk getting any greasy smudges on it.’

  Helen grabbed the coat before Maya could move, ‘Of course Sarah I’ll just hang it in the hall…Maya, why don’t you take Sarah and Will through to the kitchen and get them a drink sweetheart?’

  Maya ushered them through and poured them both a glass of champagne.

  ‘I hear that you are back at college Maya… teacher training isn’t it?’ said Wills breaking an awkward silence.

  Maya nodded, ‘Yes I was training in Poland before I…’

  ‘Oh how lucky for you to be able to carry on your studies here then,’ interrupted Sarah loudly, ‘you certainly have landed on your feet haven’t you?’

  ‘Lucky for me more like,’ said Helen coming in and giving Maya a squeeze, ‘I don’t know how I would have coped if I hadn’t had Maya around.’

  ‘No…well, quite,’ said Sarah looking down her nose.

  ‘Shall we all eat?’ said Maya directing everyone to the table, ‘Helen has cooked a sumptuous meal, and I am starving!’

  It cannot be said that the conversation flowed over dinner, Helen or Maya would start a conversation and then Sarah would find fault with it, or simply ignore it and talk to Wills about things that had nothing to do with Helen and Maya. Usually funny stories about how someone had said that someone else had said that she (Sarah) had such a way with clothes…wasn’t that a scream. Or that the same someone had heard someone else saying that they couldn’t believe that she (Sarah) was nearly forty…how totally sweet of them.

  This carried on throughout the meal, not that Wills noticed he was far too busy stuffing his face with what was probably the first decent home cooked meal that he had had since leaving Helen. Sarah, after trying a spoonful of the lobster and immediately asking for more pepper, barely touched her food, pushing it disdainfully round on her plate and then refusing desert on the excuse that she was full to bursting.

  ‘Can’t allow myself to pile on the pounds Helen…Wills prefers a slimmer figure, don’t you darling?’ She said strokin
g a very startled Wills arm, and looking at Helen’s loosely fitting outfit with a smirk on her face.

  Wills made a sort of embarrassed choking sound and took a huge gulp of wine, ‘Lovely meal Helen, thank you…and you of course Maya.’

  Wills had real trouble looking at Maya, if he had to speak to her directly which he rarely did, he inevitably looked at something over her shoulder rather than her face. It was as if he was so embarrassed by the whole lesbian thing that he couldn’t even see her as a real person. It irritated the living daylights out of Helen who continually tried to include Maya in any conversation, almost trying to force him to acknowledge her. Maya who was completely aware of what Helen was about just smiled at her and shook her head, but she wasn’t about to sit quietly and allow Sarah insult Helen.

  ‘Don’t you think Helen looks beautiful tonight?’ she asked the table in general but looked directly at Wills, who after a quick look at Sarah said, ‘Er…yes…yes of course, is that a new outfit Helen, nice…er colours, very bright…’

  ‘Oh yes I think I saw that top in town the other week…’ Sarah butted in, ‘very…er jazzy, not really my thing, but I know you bigger ladies like the more bohemian style…so very forgiving aren’t they Helen, and such fun,’ she finished snidely.

  ‘Oh yes but Sarah,’ said Maya with an equally sickly sweet smile, ‘only women with the creamiest complexion and perfect skin tone can get away with wearing those colours…you are much more suited to your blues and greys.’

  The two women glared at each other and who knows how long the bitchiness would have lasted but Helen brought it to an end by offering coffees all round and then got down to the real business of the evening.

  ‘Ok Wills I need you to explain this letter…’ she took a deep breath and Maya squeezed her hand encouragingly. ‘Why in god’s name do you suddenly think you have the right to take my daughter away from me?’ she said as calmly as she could.

  ‘Well I would have thought that well self evident,’ Sarah jumped in before Wills had a chance to respond, she looked back and forth between Helen and Maya pointedly. ‘I mean it’s hardly a healthy environment to raise a child is it, what with you two and all that that entails, and then of course there’s the fact that most of the time she is left under the charge of that dotty old woman who can’t even speak proper English…’

  ‘Excuse me,’ interrupted Maya angrily, ‘that ‘dotty old woman’ is my mother and…’

  ‘Oh don’t get all defensive Maya,’ responded Sarah with a dismissive wave, ‘I’m sure she’s a lovely woman…but you have to admit she’s hardly the sort of role model that Abigail should have. No if she were to be living with us she would have access to a properly trained nanny, to all the best schools, and more importantly she would be living in a ‘normal’ household…with a mummy and a daddy instead of two mummies and I personally feel…’

  Right enough was enough, ‘I’m sorry Sarah but what the flying fuck does this have to do with you?’ said Helen furiously, ‘Abby is MY child, I only allowed Wills access out of the goodness of my heart and I can take it away just as easily. I would rather not have to do that because Abby loves spending time with Wills, but…’

  ‘I think you’ll find that life is not as simple as that Helen,’ said Sarah with a tight lipped smile. ‘It just so happens that I am working for a family solicitor at the moment and he has told me that Wills has every right to ask for custody of Abby, she is his child too after all. He was also of the opinion that we would have a good chance of winning, given your rather…shall we say alternative lifestyle…’

  ‘My lifestyle is neither here nor there,’ shouted Helen, who was fast losing what little control she had had over her temper. ‘Abby has a wonderful loving home, where she is safe and happy,’ she turned and looked directly at Wills who hadn’t yet uttered a word. ‘Would you really want to take her away from everything that she has ever known…her brother and sister…me?’

  Wills looked desperately uncomfortable. ‘The thing is Hels,’ he began tentatively, ‘Sarah thinks we could give her a really good start in life. We have the right connections to get her into the best schools…and come on you have to admit it is a bit strange…what with you and her I mean…’ he nodded in Maya’s direction, ‘How long before she starts asking questions, you must see that it would become awkward for her before long…’

  ‘What could possibly be wrong in her growing up in an environment of open mindedness and acceptance of others? I can’t believe how much you have changed Wills. What has happened to the man I used to know in university, whose best friend was gay…who was best man at that same friend’s civil ceremony? One of the things I used to love about you was your acceptance of people…no matter what their race or religion or sexual orientation…surely you can’t really think that it would be best for Abby to be away from her mother?’

  Sarah once again answered for Wills, ‘Yes well it’s one thing to know and accept friends who are…er for want of a better word, gay. Let’s face it we all know at least one of them these days, it’s even quite fashionable…but it is quite another to allow an innocent child to grow up in what can only be described as an unnatural household. My mother was only saying to me the other day these are the most important years of a child’s life and if she is being exposed to…’

  Helen had had enough, ‘Quite frankly Sarah I have no interest whatsoever in yours or your mother’s bigoted opinions. I only invited you here this evening as a courtesy and it is quite obvious to me that this needs to be settled between Wills and myself, without your input so…’

  ‘Well as to that Helen,’ smirked Sarah, ‘I think you’ll find that Wills would want me to be part of the negotiating process, wouldn’t you Wills darling?’ Wills opened and closed his mouth a couple of times saying nothing. Sarah went on, ‘We have already instructed a solicitor as you know and I would suggest that you get yourself one too, as I said before I think you will be surprised…you have had it all your way for quite a while Helen, but Wills has rights as Abigail’s father and he intends to assert them, don’t you Wills?’

  ‘Ok I’ve heard enough,’ said Helen at last losing her rag, ‘I didn’t want to do this Wills, but I will not be threatened by your scrawny wife a moment longer. What you seem to have taken for granted, and in fairness what I have let you take for granted, was that Abby IS your daughter…in fact I have serious doubts as to the certainty of that…’

  ‘What!’ shouted Wills, ‘What are you talking about Helen, of course she’s mine.’

  ‘Well actually there is a possibility that she might not be. I didn’t say anything before because… well you seemed so happy to have a child and Abby loves you…but I will not risk even the slightest chance of losing her. So I need you to take a DNA test…and then if she proves to be yours…well then we can talk more about increasing your access…’

  ‘You little slut!’ shouted Sarah standing up and walking over to Helen. ‘Do you mean to tell me that you have no idea who that child’s father is? Well this is what I’m talking about Wills, there are just no moral standards here…how is that little girl ever going to know right from wrong I ask you! Well you can forget any DNA test Helen…come on Wills we’re going, we’ll see what Hamish has to say about this! Hamish is the solicitor I was telling you about Helen…you will be hearing from him in due course…WILLS! Come on I said, we’re leaving.’ And with that she marched out into the hall, an apologetically smiling Wills following behind and with a slam of the door they were gone.

  ‘Well,’ said Maya smiling at Helen, ‘that went well I think.’

  CHAPTER 27

  Tina Filpott stood at the coffee machine which was situated at the rear of the ‘Blue Boar’ restaurant in Redbank, and watched as the coffee slowly dripped into the jug. Table 4 had asked for three filters and a cappuccino, she inserted the pod for the cappuccino into the brand new high Tec coffee machine and poured milk into a jug to be frothed. The restaurant was pretty full for a Thursday evening and she had b
een run off her feet for most of her shift, her feet were killing her and she couldn’t wait to get home and sink into a hot bath. Only two hours and fourteen…no make that thirteen, minutes to go.

  The coffees made, she carried them carefully back to the waiting table, noticing as she did so that the customers on table 8 seemed to have finished and were obviously trying to get her attention. Tina tutted with irritation, where had that lazy little git disappeared to…she had asked him ten minutes ago to go to the kitchen and see if the chef had run out of any of the specials yet and he had bloody vanished…again! She looked over to the party on table 8, the man there made a scribbling motion in the air…the universal signal for ‘can I have the bill please’, Tina nodded and smiled at him and then tried to get to the cash desk without making eye contact with anyone else.

  Just then the door opened and a couple walked in, right enough was enough, exasperated, Tina put her head round the kitchen doors.

  ‘Mario…Mario can you come and help me out here?’ she called to a young man who was busy chatting up one of the prettier members of the kitchen staff. Mario turned and looked at her and then went back to what he was doing. ‘MARIO!’ she called again crossly, ‘bloody well come and help me out or I will tell your mum!’ this seemed to have the desired effect; Mario scowled and sulkily sloped over to her.

  ‘What!’ he said impatiently flicking back his hair, ‘I was helping Carole, what’s so important anyway?’

  ‘I am bloody run off my feet in there that’s what,’ she hissed through gritted teeth, ‘now table 8 want their bill and I need to see to these people that have just come in,’ and without waiting for an answer she went over to the new arrivals, a Mr James and partner, who had booked a table for two.

  ‘Yes Mr James,’ said Tina looking through the bookings on the screen, ‘if you’d just like to follow me.’

  She grabbed a couple of menus, showed them to a table and took their drinks order, then went to the bar to prepare the drinks, taking a sneaky peek back at the man she had just seated.