The Sacrifices of Life

by Humphreys, K. L.

  Looking over at the door, I see Owen staring at me, his gaze filled with heat. Since he’s asked me out on that date, he’s been more attentive and affectionate. I was taken aback at first when he touched my hand as he walked past, but I’ve slowly but surely gotten used to it. It’s weird, I never thought I’d look forward to being around someone, and I come to work excited that I’ll see him. Every time I do catch a glimpse of him, the butterflies come, and I feel giddy. I feel like a teenage girl with her first crush. We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. We’ve been getting comfortable around each other. It’s been a nice change, seeing the relaxed side of him.

  I continue serving customers, but the whole time I can feel Owen’s intense gaze on me, I peer over at him a few times and each and every time I do, I’m met with his handsome smile, the one that makes his eyes sparkle. Even from the bar, I can see his eyes twinkling.

  “Okay, you’re ready,” I hear an excited voice say from behind me.

  I spin around, and I’m confronted by a smiling Saffron and a smug looking Damien. What the hell are they up to, I’ve been on stage already, I’m not on again tonight.

  “What’s going on? Ready for what?” I narrow my eyes suspiciously at them.

  “You’re finished for the night. You have a date,” Damien tells me, his tone one that tells me not to argue.

  “Date?” I squeak, my eyes wide. I’m working; I’m not ready for a date.

  Saffron’s nodding her head, clearly excited about this. “Yes, Owen’s arranged everything. So, chop-chop.” She claps her hands. “You had better get a move on and get changed.”

  I glance towards Owen. He’s talking to Kieran but must sense me staring at him as he glances my way and gives me a smile that melts my heart.

  “He’s been planning this for days,” Saff says as she comes around the bar and begins to push me toward the changing room.

  “He has?” I’m in shock, I can’t believe this, it’s the sweetest thing ever and we’ve not even been on the date yet. Yes, we’ve spent time together, but I’m waiting for this date he keeps promising me. One that I’ll never forget.

  Saff nods. “He has, so hurry and get changed.” Her smile is so big, she’s so happy for us.

  “But I don’t have anything nice to wear,” I whisper. I came to work in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I have a light jacket, but nothing that’s good enough for a date.

  Damien comes around and stands in front of me. “Do you honestly think Owen gives a shit what you wear? That man is the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and he’s not even taken you on the bloody date yet.” He rolls his eyes as I smile. “Trust me, you could wear a bin bag and Owen will think you look gorgeous. Now, go and get changed, don’t leave the poor man waiting any longer.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him quietly, grateful that he was here and that he told me that. Damien is really one of the nicest men I know.

  He shakes his head and gives me a sad smile, “Don’t thank me. You deserve some sort of happiness, Katy. You run yourself ragged just to make sure that you can pay the bills. You have to stop and have some time for yourself.”

  “I’m okay,” I tell him.

  He raises his brow not believing me, “You sure about that? Now you’ve taken on the task of helping Bailey through her grief.”

  “I’m fine,” I reiterate, not sure what he’s getting at. “I’ve paid off the funeral so I’m good, I’m making enough money now that I can start paying the bills and saving some too.”

  His face is blank. He has no expression at all. Except for his eyes, which tell a different story; worry is etched in them. “Okay, Katy. If you need some time off, just let me know. You’ve had a hard time lately, and you need to take care of yourself. I don’t want you to run yourself into the ground.”

  My arms are around him before I can even think. “Thank you,” I whisper just as his arms close around me. “Saffron’s a lucky lady to have you,” I say as I pull away from him.

  “No, I’m the lucky one. She’s made me a better man. Just as Owen’s lucky now that he’s got you.” He smiles at me, and I don’t correct him that Owen has me because even though I have my doubts about Owen, he’s actually silenced them. Whenever I’m around him, I feel happiness.

  “Katy, you’d better hurry,” Saff calls out, and my eyes dart towards Owen.

  I catch sight of him taking a bag from Tyra and walking out of the club. Tyra starts walking towards me with a huge smile on her face.

  “Tyra, can you help? She needs to get a move on and get changed,” Saff says with a huff, probably sick that she’s said it so many times already.

  “No problem,” Ty says and links her arm through mine. “Are you excited?” She asks as we walk into the changing room.

  “Yes and nervous,” I admit. My hands are shaking, but I’m so excited because Owen promised me an amazing date, one that I’ll never forget.

  “You’re going to have so much fun,” Ty taunts me, a beautiful smile gracing her gorgeous face.

  “You know where we’re going on this date?”

  The grin she has tells me the answer before she says it. “Of course I do. Now you’d better get changed, don’t keep him waiting,” she says in a sing-song voice, and I’m wondering what Owen has planned. Everyone is so happy.

  I quickly get changed and take my makeup off, I hate wearing it because my face gets really spotty if I have it on for more than a couple of hours. Once I’m dressed, I give myself a quick once over, and I really regret not wearing something nice to work. I grab my bag and make my way out into the club, not wanting to fixate on what I look like because that isn’t me. I’m not the type of person who puts a lot of thought into the way I look. Yes, sometimes I make an effort but most days my hair’s in a messy bun and I’m in tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

  I feel heat at my back and hands on my hips. “Ready?” Owen’s husky voice whispers into my ear.

  “Yes.” Those butterflies I get whenever he’s around are back in full force.

  The warmth of his hand as it slips into mine. “Good,” He smirks and it’s not annoying me as much as it did, in fact I’m finding it endearing.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as he leads me outside the club and towards his car. It’s a nice evening. It’s not raining and not too cold, it makes a drastic change from last night, where I was freezing, walking from the club to his car. Owen makes sure that he’s the one to bring me home each night. It’s sweet that he wants to spend time with me.

  He squeezes my hand before letting go to open the car door for me. “It’s a surprise, and I won’t be telling you no matter how much you ask.” He raises his brow, and I blush.

  He knows that I’m an impatient person who doesn’t like surprises. I always have to find out, it’s something my mum loves to annoy me with. “I won’t ask.” He’s gone to a lot of trouble to organise this date and knowing that he wants to keep it as a surprise makes me smile. He really is going all out to try to make this date unforgettable. I get into the car and my excitement builds. For the first time in my life, not knowing something is good. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us.

  He drives for about half an hour. We’ve gone into South London. I honestly have no idea where the hell we’re going. Owen keeps glancing at me and grinning. It reminds me of the way Mickey used to grin on Christmas day; their grin is one of excitement and happiness. When we come into Crystal Palace my heart starts to race. There’s something here that I’ve been wanting to come to for a while now. I don’t want to get my hopes up just in case we’re not going there.

  I see the bright lights coming from Crystal Palace Park, and I squeal out loud. He’s actually brought me here. I’m beyond excited, and this is already a date that I’ll never forget. “How did you know?” I ask, my eyes taking everything in as he drives into the car park. We’re at the outdoor cinema! I’ve been wanting to come here ever since it opened. I just never had the time or someone to go with.

 
“That you’ve wanted to come to this cinema for a while? Or that you’re obsessed with Clueless?” There’s a mocking tone to his voice, I know that he’s teasing me but I don’t care. “Katy?” He looks worried, his eyes wide as he parks the car.

  “We’re going to watch Clueless?” That’s my favourite film ever; Alicia Silverstone was amazing as Cher and this is the film I watch whenever I need cheering up, or just because.

  “Yeah, I heard it’s your favourite.” He’s staring at me as though he’s not seen me before.

  “It is,” I whisper, I still can’t believe that I’m here and we’re going to watch Clueless. “Molly’s going to be so jealous.” I smile, rubbing my hands together. First, she’s going to be mad that she didn’t get to dress me before the date, and now she’s going to be jealous that we’re watching Clueless. That’s her own fault. She said that films should be watched indoors where there’s no chance of being rained on.

  He laughs at me, his eyes lighting up. “Come on let’s go grab a seat.” He gets out of the car and goes to the boot. He’s at my side in a matter of seconds helping me out, I see that he has the bag that Tyra gave him in his hands.

  I frown, trying to think of what could be in the bag. This is where my impatience starts kicking in; I was good, I didn’t ask where we were going, and I’m glad but I’m dying to know what’s in the bag.

  “All will be revealed.” He smirks, and I regret thinking it was endearing. He takes my hand and leads us towards the entrance of the cinema, my excitement rising with each step we take.

  I’m led into the park where I see others sitting down waiting for the film to start. Owen leads me to the farthest corner and I’m shocked when he begins to unpack the bag. First, he takes out a blanket and lays it on the ground. It takes my breath away when I realise that he’s brought a picnic with him. He’s gone to so much trouble, I’d have been happy with a Weatherspoon’s dinner. I’m a cheap date, but this, this is something I never imagined he’d do. It’s so sweet, and he’s put a lot of thought into it.

  I sit down on the blanket, and I’m speechless, I really am. I have no idea what to say, because thank you doesn’t seem good enough. I smile when he empties the bag. He’s brought sandwiches, salad bowls, cookies, and chocolate.

  “I wasn’t sure what sandwich you’d like, but I did get intel that you liked salad bowls and cookies. Everyone likes chocolate, so I thought that was a good bet.” He shrugs, his eyes downcast as though he’s embarrassed.

  “I’m not really fussy when it comes to sandwiches. I tend to eat anything. Chocolate is always a good bet.” I reach over and take his hand, I’m rewarded with that handsome smile of his, the one that makes those butterflies start swimming around in my stomach. It’s weird. I hardly know him, yet I feel as comfortable around him as I do Molly. I can really see myself falling for him.

  “How did you know that I wanted to come here?” I ask just as the trailers begin.

  He glances at me before directing his eyes back at the screen. “Tyra, she heard you and Bailey talking a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know what you were talking about, but she heard you say that you wanted to come here for a while and that you loved Clueless. It was Saffron who told me that you liked salad bowls and cookies. She said that’s all you’d eat when she was training you to work the bar.”

  “You asked them about me?”

  He shrugs as though it’s no big deal, but I can see his face heating. “Yeah, I told you I wanted this to be a date to remember.”

  “It already is,” I confess as I scoot up closer to him. His arm comes around my shoulders as he holds me tight. In his arms, I feel safe, I feel secure and most of all I feel normal.

  “Christ, how the hell do you like this?” He scrubs his hand down his face as I tuck into my chicken and stuffing sandwich. “When Jess told me that it was something even she didn’t like, I thought it couldn’t be that bad. I was wrong, this is truly awful.” He gripes, and I elbow him in the side.

  “Oww.” He rubs his side as he feigns injury.

  “This isn’t awful! Besides, you chose it. I would have been as happy to watch anything here.” I grin at him. It’s true, I would have even watched Star Wars here and that’s something I hate. I watched my first and last Star Wars film when I was in primary school. I was invited to a birthday party, and we went to the cinema and ended up watching it. I can’t even remember the name of the film, it was that bad.

  “I’ll know that for future reference.” There’s that smile again. The one that makes me weak at the knees. Thankfully, I’m sitting down.

  We talk throughout the film about stuff we hadn’t spoken of before. He asks me about Molly, and he tells me about his family. He has two younger brothers; Simon and Anthony, along with his sister, who is Jess. He’s the eldest of the four, and Simon and Anthony live with Jess and her daughter Emmerson, as well as Jess’s boyfriend Hunter, who used to be a footballer. I’ve never heard of him, but Owen said he was decent when he played; He got an awful back injury which cut his career short.

  “Where do you live?” I ask. So far, he’s told me everything about his family, including how much of a bitch his mum was. It’s why the boys live with Jess. His mum isn’t the greatest, never has been and Owen and Jess have had to look after the kids for a long time.

  He raises his eyebrow, and I know that whatever he’s about to say is going to have some innuendo in it. “Why, you want to come back? I live close to here, it’s about a ten-minute walk.”

  I give him a pointed look. “My mum taught me never to put out on the first date.”

  “You must love your mum. It’s weird. The people I’m around don’t talk about their parents, usually they’ve split up or they’re not in their lives. You, on the other hand, you talk about your mum with love and respect.” He’s looking at me curiously. It’s sad that he doesn’t love or respect his mum, but I understand why he doesn’t.

  “I love my mum so much. I respect her even more than I did before. She’s so strong. There was a time recently when I thought she was weak, and I was wrong. She’s an amazing person, and I’m lucky that she’s taught me everything.” I smile shyly at him, thinking I’ve said too much. He’s spoken at length about his family, whereas I’ve not mentioned them, and I’m not going to. Tonight has been amazing, and I don’t want to bring up Mickey or my dad right now.

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” he says quietly as he starts gathering up all the rubbish from the blanket and putting it into the bag. The film has just ended, and I’m sad that this date is almost finished.

  We walk back to his car holding each other’s hands. It’s so natural, and I’m so at ease around him, I can’t believe that we’ve got so comfortable around each other so quickly, especially with how things started out.

  “Thank you for an amazing date,” I tell him honestly as we reach the car, there is no doubt in my mind that for me this has been the best date ever.

  He pulls me closer to him, his hands on my waist, his eyes bright against the lights of the park and the moonlight “I had a great night,” he says quietly, his gaze intense.

  My mouth goes dry as I gaze up at him, running my tongue along my lips as he leans forward. My heart starts to race as his lips touch mine. It’s as though we’re the only people around. This kiss is soft and gentle, but as soon as I open my mouth, it changes. His tongue sweeps in and his hand moves to my arse pulling me closer to him. The kiss gets heated as our tongues clash. My heart is racing so much that I think he can feel it. It seems as though the kiss is going on forever, but in reality, it’s just a few seconds. This is the best kiss I’ve ever had. Owen draws back just as I start to moan, his teeth tugging on my bottom lip before releasing me.

  Our breathing is laboured, but we’re both smiling.

  “I had better get you home before I give in to my thoughts and take you back to my place.” His eyes are dark with lust. I have no doubt that he’s thinking of bringing me to his house.

  “Not tonight.”
My voice is raspy, giving away the fact that I’d like nothing more than to go with him.

  “Not tonight,” he agrees. “One day soon though, Katy.” It’s a promise, one that has my toes curling. “Let’s get you home.” He leans forward and gives me a quick kiss on my lips.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I can’t believe that it’s been three weeks since my date with Owen. We’ve spent a lot of time together for the past three weeks, getting to know each other a lot more. I still haven’t told him about Mickey’s death, I don’t even know how to broach that subject. I really should have told him on our date, but I didn’t want to bring the mood down. Now, whenever I think about telling him I feel bad that I haven’t said it before now.

  Today I’m dressed in a long black dress and black pumps. I really don’t want to be back at a church. The last time I was in one was for Mickey’s funeral. Today, though, I’m going to support Bailey as she lays her mum to rest.

  My knocks on Bailey’s front door disturb the morning hush. The funeral car is already here. She’s asked me to ride with her as she doesn’t have any other family. I couldn’t say no, especially having lost someone close to me recently and knowing that having Molly by my side was my saving grace. The fact that Bailey hasn’t got any family to help her makes me sad. I can’t imagine how lonely she must be, having lost the only family she’s ever had.

  The door opens, and a tired, broken Bailey is standing there. Not an ounce of makeup on her face, she looks absolutely shattered. Her eyes are red and raw, and the bags under them are really noticeable. I don’t say a word, just walk up to her and pull her into my arms. As soon as her head touches my shoulder, her sobs shudder through her body. She’s barely able to breathe as she’s weeping so hard. I do the only thing I can; I hold her until she’s ready.

  “Thank you for coming,” she says quietly, her voice hoarse from the crying.

  “I’m glad that I could be here.” I don’t know what to say. What can I say? Nothing that comes out of my mouth will make it better.