Love's Foolish Punch

by S M Mala

  ‘You would never have betrayed Sam but you easily did that to me?’ Molly stared at him, not knowing what to think. It would never have occurred to her that someone would cheat on her, let alone with another man. The whole thing was still hard to comprehend. ‘I wish you’d told me. We split soon afterwards when fame and fortune came knocking on his door.’

  They sat in silence. Molly didn't know why she was sitting with Tommy.

  ‘I took an HIV test,’ she said. Tommy rubbed his forehead frantically. ‘I’m fine. But that’s what my parents immediately thought, when they found out. And how do you think that made me feel explaining it?’

  ‘Who’ve you told?’ he asked anxiously.

  ‘Just them, no one else for the time being.’

  ‘He’s going to deny it.’

  ‘Why are you doing this?’

  ‘Because I loved him and thought, when he left you, he’d be with me. But he left me high and dry, jetting off to the States with no turning back. He cut me out because it didn’t suit his lifestyle.’

  ‘Then we have something in common,’ she said, staring at Tommy. ‘I need access to your book because if you don’t let me read what you’ve done, I will sue you.’

  ‘It’s printed and in bookshops. You can’t stop it.’

  ‘But you didn’t get them to check on what you said about me, did you? You never got my permission to use my name, which I know you probably did. All you did was check out the Sam stuff but not me.’

  Tommy double blinked and sat back in his chair.

  ‘I am so very sorry,’ he said, tears running down his cheeks. ‘I never felt good about what we did.’

  ‘But you didn’t feel bad.’

  ‘I loved him.’

  ‘So did I, but look where that got me. He ruined my career, broke my heart and left me when I needed him the most. And you did the same. You know what?’ she said standing up. ‘You’re made for each other.’

  Molly walked away, not bothering to turn around, but all she could hear was Tommy crying at the table as she left.

  ‘That’s the story.’

  Molly was sitting in Mr Mac’s studio on Friday afternoon. She’d walked in, burst into tears on seeing him and promptly told him everything regarding Sam, Tommy and Jamie.

  The big man looked shell shocked.

  Being a good girl, she’d done her exercises, boxed like a mentalist, showered and got changed.

  All Mr Mac did was think hard.

  ‘My agent and her lawyers are looking into what has been written but I can’t face it. It’s going to be excruciating for my parents, as well as anyone around me.’ Then she took a big breath. ‘I told Squirrel this afternoon and he didn’t say anything. Sat there in silence.’ She recalled his expression. ‘Sort of summed up how I feel. And I’m sick of crying over men.’

  ‘Sam Price is gay?’ Mr Mac said in his deep voice. ‘And you had no idea?’

  ‘That’s exactly why I’m going away. Everyone’s going to think I’m the stupidest woman in the world, aren’t they?’

  ‘Are you sure about Sam?’

  ‘I wish I wasn’t but I am.’ She stood up and shrugged. ‘The fundraiser tomorrow will be great. I’m the perfect fool for April Fools’ Day. It would be funny if it weren't so tragic. I know it’ll get lots of publicity so it’s a no-brainer that I can’t. ’

  ‘Because you won’t be in the country.’ He hesitated. ‘And you’ve not told Jamie any of this?’

  ‘I’m letting him down about tomorrow because …’ She felt sick at the thought she wasn’t going to go on their date.

  ‘He cares about you.’ Mr Mac stood up. ‘Running away isn’t going to help.’

  ‘I think of it as a large duvet cover but in a warmer climate,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘I need to clear my head and start again. In May, I’ll be back to work on a new project if it happens.’

  ‘Molly?’’

  ‘My flight is booked for the morning and I’m getting on that plane come hell or high water. I expect hell would be the main one.’ Molly looked at her phone. ‘Sam’s giving a press conference tomorrow to deny the stupid allegations floating about. No doubt, he’s hired some woman to pretend he’s shagging her. Probably a fiancé they hire for the day. Another idea of mine, taken away.’

  ‘You need to speak to Jamie. He’s going to be upset if you just go.’

  ‘I don’t want to get him dragged into this.’

  ‘I think he’s very much into this, into you,’ Mr Mac smiled. ‘Molly, he’s let you down once and that’s because he’s an idiot. I know he won’t do it again.’

  ‘I’m doing this for the best,’ she gulped. ‘I’m letting him go before I make him turn gay.’

  It was Mr Mac’s rattling laughter following her all the way out of the building.

  ‘I’m coming!’

  Molly had gone to bed early, making sure her flat was clean and tidy. Her blinds had been shut because she suspected that tomorrow, when it all came out, people would be snooping.

  It was nearly ten as she opened the door.

  ‘You were just going to go?’ Jamie said, standing on her doorstep, looking anxiously at her. ‘Leave without saying goodbye?’

  ‘He told you,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘When you want a man to tell you something, he can’t. When you tell them not to say, their lips are too bloody loose.’

  ‘Molly!’ That’s when she could see he was upset and looked on the verge of tears. ‘I don’t want to fuck this up but I can’t make it better for us when you’re not here.’

  She burst into tears, not knowing what to think.

  Jamie closed the door behind her, grabbing her face with his hands and kissed her very gently on the lips.

  Molly kissed him back and was lost in the sensation, feeling his arms wrap around her, and his mouth send tingles down her spine.

  It was too stupid for words to describe how she felt about him right now.

  Desperately and totally in love with someone who would inevitably break her already pummelled heart.

  He pushed her back towards the bedroom, and they quickly removed each other’s clothing, laying on top of the duvet. His hands were all over her body, stroking and caressing. She did the same to him. The kissing got longer and deeper.

  Opening her thighs, she wanted Jamie. He sucked on her nipples then squeezed her arse.

  It was quick.

  He pushed in, and Molly let out a high-pitched gasp.

  Then he stopped and looked at her, his hands either side of her face, kissing her gently and moving very slowly. His finger wiped away a stray tear from her cheek. She pulled him closer, running her fingers through the back of his hair so their lips could meet. Their tongues touched, and she opened her mouth wider, wanting to take him all in, absorb Jamie into her.

  ‘Molly Drew, how are you?’ he whispered.

  ‘How’s it goin’, Mr Cohen?’

  ‘I love you.’

  She gulped noticing his eyes were wide open.

  ‘Jamie,’ she said, shaking her head.

  ‘I love you. Don’t leave me.’

  He started moving his hips faster, grinding into her. She held onto his back, kissing him all the way through, knowing she was going to have to leave him and desperately lost on what to do with him.

  Jamie Cohen.

  She’d have to tell him everything.

  ‘I wish I never told you.’

  Molly watched his red face from laughing too hard when she revealed what had happened.

  The reaction was typical Jamie.

  She was faced down, looking at him while he was splayed on his back, slapping his hands against the bed through sheer amusement. Half of her wanted to scream at him while the other half was holding back her laugh, which was mainly due to embarrassment.

  She turned her face, burying it into the pillow, hoping he’d stop. Then she felt his hand stroke her arse.

  ‘So he’s bent! I knew it!’ Jamie laughed out. ‘He’d rather take i
t up the aisle than take you. That’s so funny!’

  ‘Shut up,’ she mumbled into the pillow. ‘It’s not funny.’

  ‘Oh god, you didn’t realise? Molly, seriously? Seriously?’

  ‘Yes, seriously,’ she said, turning to look at him peering at her, the glee written all over his face. ‘I’m very upset.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Did you listen to a word I said?’

  ‘He was having an affair with your colleague for four years, who is a man, and sleeping with him behind your back. You were none the wiser. He got caught being fiddled by this Tommy Halo. You and Tommy get the sack and Sam, the shit actor, gets famous. Sounds pretty simple to me.’

  ‘Jamie, my parents made me go for an HIV test last week. I could have killed you, literally,’ she said, welling up. ‘It wouldn’t have been funny.’

  ‘Not all gay men have HIV, and Sam Price is the type of guy to make the other person use rubber gloves,’ he smirked, kissing her nose. ‘And we’re very safe, even when we’re drunk. I make sure my sausage is all packaged up before I dip it into your sauce.’

  ‘Argh!’ she replied, hearing his words of crap romance.

  ‘But today, there was no protection, and it was skin to skin,’ Jamie said, stroking her shoulder. ‘And I’d gladly die in your arms, regardless.’

  ‘You are priceless, you know that?’ she smiled, trying not to laugh.

  ‘Listen to me,’ he said, shoving her gently in the side. ‘You thought I was bad. Molly, he ruined your career because that broadcasting company wanted to cover for him. He lied to you for years, probably since you met, so the man’s not nice.’

  ‘You both lied to me. Him about being gay and cheating on me and you about your financial and sexual exploits. I’ve got shit taste in men.’

  Jamie moved closer and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her head.

  ‘You know I love you Molly, I know you do. I made some shit decisions, and I’ve been badly hurt too. I don’t think running away is going to help. You need to sort this out with him.’

  ‘I’ve got nothing to say. He showed no remorse at all. God!’ she screamed into the pillow. ‘I can’t take the humiliation. How many of our friends, who are no longer my mates, knew? Did everyone laugh behind my back knowing he was cheating on me?’

  ‘You thought I was bad, at least I didn’t cheat on you for four years.’

  ‘You probably would have, given time.’

  ‘What I did was nothing compared to him! I’m a bloody saint… give or take.’

  ‘Do you think I turned him gay or helped it along?’

  The laugh was very loud. She was worried he’d wake the neighbours with the raucous sound coming from his mouth.

  ‘Do you think they did a threesome with Bert?’ he giggled.

  ‘Are you telling me my puppet’s gay too?’

  He pushed her onto her back and lay on top, kissing her face as she frowned. She was then met with his cheeky smile. He took her hands and stretched her arms over her head. Jamie was looking at her then his eye diverted to something to the side.

  ‘You’re packed?’ he asked, kissing her chin.

  ‘I never emptied it. That was the suitcase you prepared when you lied about taking me away.’ Molly looked at him. Jamie’s smile disappeared. ‘I left it there to remind me of your pack of lies. Get it?’ Pack? Suitcase?’ She looked at it. ‘Every day, since you walked away telling me you were sorry, I looked at it. Kept it there as a reminder that you can’t believe in hope and happiness, it simply won’t happen.’ Jamie rolled off and lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling. ‘Now it’s coming in useful as I just have to pick it up and leave.’

  ‘You’re not going.’

  ‘Pardon.’

  ‘You’re not going on holiday, or away, or anything.’

  ‘I am!’ she said, propping herself up on her elbows. ‘I need to get away to recharge my batteries and-.’

  ‘Hide.’

  ‘I’ll send you a postcard. Can you write down your address for me? Do you know what it is?’ Molly noticed his scowl. ‘I’ll even bring you back a present which is more than you did for me.’

  ‘I did bring you back a present. Me.’

  ‘I’d have preferred perfume.’

  Molly got up and walked towards the bathroom, glancing over her shoulder at Jamie. When she locked the door, her true feelings of dismay surfaced.

  Even Jamie laughing was what everyone would probably do. When it was from him, she knew it wasn’t in malice, but others? She couldn’t be certain.

  It was best not to completely take away what was left of her diminished pride.

  Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she could hear sounds from the kitchen.

  Jamie was drinking a bottle of water, looking out into the garden.

  She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as they stood there, naked. Pressing her head against his cool skin, Molly closed her eyes and didn’t want to let him go.

  ‘I don’t want anyone to lie and tear me to pieces again. I can’t cope,’ she whispered into his back. ‘I’ve never done anything bad. I don’t get it. Thank goodness for Bill. He bought me a ticket.’

  ‘Erm.’ It was the gruff noise coming from him.

  ‘I like him and he likes you.’

  ‘Bet he doesn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t be convincing you to go away for a couple of weeks.’

  ‘A month.’

  Jamie quickly turned around and looked down at her.

  ‘That’s far too long!’ he said loudly.

  ‘Long enough for me to duck this next set of shit flying and also work on some new scripts. Look, you were going to piss off for a month.’

  ‘I’m going to get dressed!’

  He stomped out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom. Molly could see he was having a tantrum and waited for him to return.

  And so he did.

  Still fully naked.

  ‘Couldn’t you find your clothes?’ she asked, trying not to smile.

  ‘I think it’s time to dance.’

  ‘Pardon me?’

  ‘The first time we got naked, we danced.’

  ‘We were drunk,’ laughed Molly, letting out an involuntary sigh when she watched him walk across the room to the music system. ‘Why are you doing this?’

  ‘Because I realise, I could have lost you, all because of a little jealous spat. I did think that was you in the picture with him,’ he said, flicking a glance over his shoulder. ‘Same hair colour and-.’

  ‘Her hair is darker.’

  ‘Similar skin colouring.’

  ‘She’s lighter.’

  ‘Okay!’ he said, getting pissed off. ‘I thought, at the time, it would be good for him to fall for you but I didn’t want you to do the same. How was I to know he was going to want you for your… your…’ Jamie looked around the room and then saw it. ‘Your puppet.’

  ‘And talent, Jamie. Remember I wrote all the scripts before I got sacked and did a hell of a lot more than I got given credit for.’

  ‘And now you want to leave me!’

  ‘We’re not together.’

  ‘We just made love, how can you say that?’ Jamie pursed his lips. ‘You obviously want me to give it to you again, don’t you? I can do that. We’ve done it three times before.’

  She laughed quite loudly at the comment. Considering how she felt about the Sam news, Jamie was making her feel better.

  ‘See, I make you happy, and you don’t have to go anywhere,’ he said, putting on music from a dance radio programme then walking towards her. ‘I now have to make you believe that I’m not that bad.’

  ‘You don’t stick your hand there!’

  Molly shielded her fanny from his wandering handy work. ‘We’re supposed to be dancing.’

  ‘Molly?’ he grinned cheekily. ‘It’s the middle of the night and this is making me horny.’

  ‘Did you seriously not have sex when you were away?’

  He was
standing behind her, swaying gently, hands wrapped around her waist as she shielded between the legs, which is where he kept heading. Looking up at him over her shoulder, he seemed pretty pleased with himself.

  ‘There was a lady boy but I didn’t go that far,’ Jamie sniffed before smiling. ‘But all I kept thinking about was you and it spoilt my holiday.’

  ‘I’m pleased. You just broke my heart, so we’re even.’

  He started kissing her neck, and she felt his hands gently stroke her skin. Molly closed her eyes and knew he was going to stop speaking and start doing.

  She felt his lips kiss all the way down her back and stopped around her bottom, placing small pecks on either cheek. Then he turned her around. He was on his knees looking up.

  ‘I’d never do anything to hurt you,’ he whispered into her pelvic bone. ‘Do you believe me?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Then she felt his tongue delve in between her lady lips, searching until the tip touched her nub.

  Molly groaned as he flicked it with his tongue, his fingers squeezing her arse then he put her leg over one of his shoulders, as he continued to nibble and suck, a finger gently working itself inside her.

  Her legs started to feel like they were going to buckle, and she held onto his shoulders, not wanting to fall but he kept her steady, even when she stumbled.

  Her orgasm was starting, and she knew it was going to be quick as he worked faster. The thighs were pulling and so was every part between her legs, wanting him to make her come, knowing she was going to explode.

  Then she did.

  Holding so tightly onto his shoulders, gulping and groaning so loudly before thinking she was going to pass out.

  In all that time he held on to her, not letting her fall, his hands keeping her perfectly balanced. When she looked down, all she could see were beautiful dark sparkling eyes looking up at her.

  Molly realised it was going to be hard to walk away from the man whose head was currently buried deeply between her thighs.

  Because she was madly and foolishly in love with him.

  ‘Just be really quiet.’

  Molly didn’t sleep after they made love a second time. Her head was reeling, but she knew she had to go.