by Lisa Hobman
‘Of course I don’t mind. It’s been three weeks and every night you’ve gone home I’ve missed you like crazy.’ She arched her neck and he nibbled her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.
‘Okay, well I’m glad you feel the same, Miss Yorksherrr,’ he purred. ‘Now don’t be long, we have some serious heavy petting to do when you come up.’ He squeezed her bottom and made his way upstairs.
Mallory nibbled at her lips, but couldn’t stop them pulling upwards into a grin that almost made her face hurt.
She finished up the dishes as quickly as possible and went upstairs, Ruby following closely behind. Sam had finished in the bathroom and was lying in bed, in all his scrumptious, naked glory. Mallory brushed her teeth, washed her face and climbed in beside him in her own birthday suit. He groaned with pleasure when he felt her naked skin against his own.
Suddenly he jumped out of bed. ‘WHAT THE FU—!!’ He switched the light on.
Mallory sat up abruptly. ‘What on earth is it?’ she panicked.
Sam flung the covers back from the bottom of the bed to discover a bleary-eyed Ruby staring up at him from her usual spot beside Mallory’s feet and they both collapsed in fits of hysterical laughter.
‘I thought… I thought…’ Sam gasped, trying to get his words out between loud guffaws. ‘That you must either be the hairiest woman I’ve ever met, or worse still that you had a huge hairy pet tarantula that you’d forgotten to tell me about!’ He held his stomach.
Tears of laughter streamed down Mallory’s cheeks as she visualised herself braiding her leg hair whilst holding the leash attached to her giant pet spider. When their laughter had subsided, they were both drained. They cuddled up together, feet either side of the little black dog who seemed unfazed by the whole episode. Every so often one of them would give a little chuckle until eventually they dozed off.
*
May 2015
Mallory awoke and felt a little strange. She looked around to discover that she was standing at the midpoint of the Atlantic bridge. Had she been sleepwalking? Confusion clouded her mind.
‘Hey, Miss Yorksher,’ a familiar voice came from behind where she stood. She spun to the direction of the voice; heart pounding. A familiar handsome face smiled warmly at her.
Her mouth fell open. ‘Wh-what’s happening? You… you’re…’ She gasped for breath, shaking her head; not quite understanding the surreal situation she found herself in.
Sam stroked warm fingers down her cheek. ‘Don’t worry, baby, you’re dreaming.’
‘No, you’re real… you… you seem real.’ Mallory felt her eyes well up with tears. It couldn’t be a dream. She didn’t want it to be a dream.
‘Let’s not dwell on that, I’m here now. Let’s make the most of it, huh?’ He enveloped her in his arms and for the first time in weeks a calm serenity washed over her as she melted against him. The familiar feelings surfaced as she nuzzled his neck and he sighed. ‘I wanted to ask you about something you said today.’
‘Mmm, anything.’ She didn’t want to let go. But she gazed up into the emerald eyes that locked lovingly with hers.
‘You said that the workshop would be where you would run your business if you stay.’ How could he know this? Thoughts buzzed around in her mind like bees around a hive, but then reality hit and she realised that this was most likely an interaction with her subconscious.
‘I feel lonely without you, Sam. I don’t know if I want to stay here. Maybe I should go home.’
‘You are home, Mallory. This is where you and I wanted to be. Your heart is here. Look at where you end up on every walk you take and even in your dreams.’ Mallory looked around her and took in the beautiful scenery from the bridge. The sun was beginning to rise over the sea and the sky was an array of glowing orange shades, causing a glistening sheen on the water as if it were on fire. He was right.
‘But how do I cope without you?’ she sobbed, nuzzling into him once again.
‘You remember the wonderful times we had, just like my mom said. You make friends. You start to do what you love in that workshop and it’ll all work out right.’ He paused, squeezing her into him, almost as if to buffer her from the blow he was about to deliver. ‘At some point, Mallory, you will have to scatter the ashes.’
She shook her head frantically, looking up at him in desperation. ‘No! I can’t do that. It’d be like losing you all over again!’ Her heart ached at the thought.
‘No, Mallory, it’s something you need to do. I’m not in that urn, baby. I’m in here and in here.’ He touched first over her heart and then her head. ‘You need to set the ashes free into all the places we’ve visited and loved up here. When you’re ready, you’ll know.’ He let go of her and turned to walk away. ‘Remember how much I loved you, Miss Yorksher… with all of my heart.’
She felt physical pain and grabbed for him but he was out of reach. She tried to run after him but couldn’t move. Her feet seemed glued to the bridge.
‘Sam! Saaam! SAM!!’
She lurched to a sitting position; covered in sweat, or tears, or a mixture of the two; heart pounding; breathing ragged. How cruel to dream such a realistic vision of her beloved and then have it snatched away so quickly. Ruby appeared at the side of her, nuzzling her hand where it lay clutched into the bedclothes.
When her breathing and heart rate finally resembled normal, she looked at her clock: six forty-five. She lay back and tried to recapture the dream, but it was no good. A whirlwind of emotions swept through her mind, scattering her thoughts like torn pieces of newspaper on the breeze. She tried to replay the dream in her memory; thinking and rethinking the conversation, but her attempts were futile and so she went downstairs. Ruby followed.
Mallory ate breakfast on the patio, in her checked pyjamas with unbrushed bed hair. The sun warmed her skin as she drank her freshly brewed coffee and looked over the jungle that, at some point, she was sure, used to resemble a cottage garden. It certainly needed work.
She had found an area of ground near the workshop, yesterday, that had been formerly used as a vegetable patch. There were still a few pegs with seed packets and labels attached, pointing out where potatoes and other veggies had been grown. That was a project she quite fancied attempting, she decided.
She heard a thudding which she eventually realised was coming from the front door. She checked the kitchen clock which read eight a.m. Who the heck would be calling around this early? she huffed, making her way through the house to find out.
Greg stood there in a sleeveless T-shirt and combat pants. ‘Morning! Am I too early? Just thought I’d call in as I was out and about so… shall I have a look at that tap?’ It is too early and it’s not that bloody warm, she mentally rolled her eyes at his attire and his persistence to turn up in front of her uninvited. She guessed he was trying to be friendly but this just affirmed that he had no social skills whatsoever.
‘I’m not exactly… er…’ she gestured at her pyjamas, hoping he would get the hint.
He trailed his eyes down to her attire and back up to her face. Smiling, he said, ‘Oh, no bother, they’re very fetching. Get the kettle on, eh?’
Good grief, this man takes no hints. She pursed her lips at the smiling buffoon in front of her. Reluctantly she let him in with his large metal toolbox.
‘Shall I just go away up there? I know my way,’ he said, walking past her.
‘Why not, you probably will anyway,’ she chuntered under her breath.
Greg paused and turned to her. ‘Sorry? I didn’t catch that.’
She mustered up as much cheeriness as she could manage. ‘Yes, sure go on up, it’s open. I’ll get the kettle on.’
Whilst the coffee was brewing, she dashed upstairs and changed into lounge pants and a hoodie and when the coffee was ready, she trudged up the garden, with minimal enthusiasm, to the workshop.
When she had made the suggestion to Greg, she had expected a little notification of his intention to call round, or for the visit to at least
be at a more reasonable time of day. She felt guilty for being so negative; he was doing her a huge favour after all. She pushed the door open with her bottom and found Greg lying on the floor under the sink. She placed the coffee down and leaned against the work surface.
‘How bad is it?’ she enquired, hoping the answer would be a positive one.
‘Hard to say at the moment, the nuts are all seized… and there’s nothing worse than seized nuts!’ He laughed heartily at his own joke. Mallory chuckled. It was quite funny after all.
She took out her iPod from her pocket and attached the little speaker. Selecting a Foo Fighters track list, she placed it down to create some background noise and Greg began to sing along as he worked.
He poked his head out from where he laid. ‘So you’re one of these gadget types, eh?’ He nodded towards the iPod. ‘I prefer CDs mysel’. Or even better, vinyl.’ He said the word like it was something awe-inspiring and Mallory shook her head, bewildered, as he disappeared once again.
She stood and drank her coffee in silence as he faffed around with spanners, hammers and bolts under her sink. She realised she had a very clear view of his tattoo now – something she had been curious about since her first encounter with Greg. She had always had a fascination with ink, but had never dared go under the needle herself. Greg’s tattoo was puzzling. The image showed the alphanumeric ‘K2’ wrapped in barbed wire.
‘That’s an interesting tattoo on your arm, Greg, what does it mean?’
Greg stopped working and sat up. He pretended to examine the mangled bit of metal in his hand. ‘Ah, it’s just something I had done last year,’ he said, glancing up at her. His expression told her he wasn’t going to elaborate.
‘Oh right. Why K2? What’s the significance?’ she pushed, figuring he had been personal, so why couldn’t she?
He rose to his feet, scraping his hair back off his face. ‘Maybe it’s a story for another time, eh?’ He came to where she stood, took a gulp of his coffee and went back to work.
That’s the end of that conversation then, she surmised. She decided to take the empty cups back into the house and jump in the shower.
‘I’ll be in the house if you need anything, okay?’ She didn’t wait for an answer.
She felt refreshed after she had showered, towel-dried her hair and applied moisturiser. When she was dressed again, she returned to the workshop where Greg was stood wiping his hands.
‘You finished already?’ Mallory enquired, hopeful.
‘Na. You’ll need a new tap. I’ll pick one up and come back to fit it tomorrow if that’s okay?’
‘Sure, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to keep you from anything.’
‘It’s fine. I’ll squeeze it in. It’s not a massive job. I’ve got to go now ’cause I’m working on my boat this afternoon and I need to get lunch before I go.’ He tucked the dirty cloth into his back pocket and closed his toolbox.
‘Oh, I could’ve made you some sandwiches or something to take, it’s the least I could do.’
‘I’m quite capable of making my own sandwiches, thank you,’ he snapped.
Seriously, what is his problem? She opened her mouth to snap back, but thought better of it. ‘Fine. See you later then.’ She wasn’t sure what she had done wrong.
‘I’ll see myself out.’ He walked away. As he did so his mobile rang. ‘Aye, what is it? No, I’m just finishing a job… Where did they find it?’ He froze. ‘Aye, okay. Thanks for letting me know.’ He shook his head as he hung up the call and turned to look at Mallory, ‘See you tomorrow.’ There was a hint of sadness to his gaze. Before she could ask if he was okay, he was gone. Mallory wondered what the call was about. It sounded serious judging by his reaction but knowing how he could change on a halfpenny she decided it was probably best that she hadn’t asked.
After lunch, Mallory decided she would go for a walk with Ruby. This had become somewhat of a daily routine now and she enjoyed the fact the weather was improved of late. This time she decided to take a slightly different route, avoiding the bridge for once. As she walked past the houses adjacent to her own and in the direction of the pub, one of the neighbours waved to her. She seemed to remember her name was Aileen. After the funeral she had called around with a pot of Irish stew which Brad had devoured in one sitting. It was a good job Mallory had no appetite at the time as she didn’t get a look in.
‘Good afternoon! Good to see you out and about, hen,’ the neighbour called.
Mallory waved back and smiled. It brought tears to her eyes when people she hardly knew showed such kindness.
She continued on and walked to the right past the pub which was closed. She wondered how Greg was. He had been brusque on leaving this morning, but he seemed to be upset by the call he had received. Perhaps it had been bad news. She’d have to try and cut the guy a little slack, after all she knew there was something painful in his recent past and she could understand what that was like.
She called into the little shop to get a bottle of water.
The shop owner, Colin, greeted her with a huge friendly smile and then came around the counter to give her a hug. ‘Oh Mallory, it’s so good to see you out.’ He stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. ‘I know we don’t know you all that well, but if you need anything, anything at all…’ He didn’t need to finish the sentence.
She smiled and nodded, biting her cheek to halt the tears that threatened. He was such a kind, thoughtful man.
‘I was wondering, Colin, I’d like to get some fresh air and see some nice views. Where’s the best place to do that without having to go by car?’
Colin tapped his chin as he thought. ‘You know what? You need a boat trip.’ He proceeded to give her directions down to the marina where there was a daily outing run by one of the locals. He said that she would get to skim the coast and see some stunning views and maybe even some seals. It sounded perfect.
She set off with a renewed enthusiasm, following the directions Colin had given. When she arrived at the little marina she stood for a few minutes to take in the view. There was a scruffy old chalkboard displaying the words:
BOAT TRIPS ON LITTLE BLUE
£10 PER PERSON
DOGS FREE
She looked around for the captain and spotted someone with their back to her. He was wearing a woolly hat, which was odd considering it was now May and it wasn’t cold. He turned and spotted her and a grin spread across his face. Greg.
He waved. ‘Hey, you’re out again. It’s becoming a habit.’
Why did everyone greet her as if she’d been in prison? And why is he so mercurial? she wondered as she strolled towards the boat.
‘This is you then, eh?’ she asked, gesturing at the boat. She wondered how many jobs this guy actually had. ‘I hadn’t twigged that you did excursions when you said you were working on your boat this afternoon.’
‘Aye, it’s my day job.’ He smiled. ‘You up for a trip out?’ he asked, almost looking hopeful.
‘Why not? I could do with a bit of fresh air. How many of us will there be?’ She wondered where the other passengers for the trip were.
‘You’re it.’ He carried on making the boat ready. ‘Bit of a slow day. I was just about to give up and go out by myself.’
She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. ‘Are you sure you want me to tag along?’
‘Aye, why not? I get sick o’ my own company. Get enough of it, day in day out.’ He held out his hands and she passed Ruby over and then she blushed as she took his hand, stepping onto ‘Little Blue’. She held out a ten-pound note, but he waved it away. His unwillingness to take her money was becoming a regular thing.
She gestured to the sign. ‘Cute name. The boat, I mean,’ she clarified. She watched as he tightened ropes and did a lot of other things that she didn’t really have a clue about.
‘Aye, named it after my old dog; had him as a boy. He was a black lab and when he was a pup he almost looked like there was a blue tinge to his fur, hence the name.’ Greg g
estured to Mallory to take a seat which she did immediately.
‘Aww, that’s sweet.’ Mallory saw yet another new side to this man she hardly knew. She looked out into the distance as Greg started the engine and steered the boat away from its mooring.
‘Do you want the running commentary that I give to all my passengers?’ Greg enquired of the sole occupant of the boat trip.
She gave him a puzzled glance.
‘You know…’ He gestured out to sea. ‘And on my left we have a seal and on my right, oh look there’s another seal.’ He chuckled.
She smiled and rolled her eyes at him. ‘No, it’s okay. I just wanted to get some fresh air, to be honest. Colin in the shop recommended a boat trip. Feel free to pretend I’m not here.’ Mallory sighed and closed her eyes as she faced into the sea breeze. Ruby’s front paws were propped on the side of the boat as she looked out too, her little tail wagging.
When they got far enough away from the coast, Greg switched off the engine and took out a flask. He sat opposite Mallory and passed her an empty tin mug. ‘Thought we could sit and chill for a bit here, is that okay? It’s usually a good place for seal spotting.’ He poured coffee into her cup.
She wasn’t sure how she felt really. But she was enjoying being out in the fresh air. ‘Yes, I suppose. Am I not keeping you from anything? Another job perhaps?’ She smiled
He shook his head and took a slurp of his coffee. ‘Na, Pub at night, boat trips three days a week and odd jobs two days a week… oh and entertainer on my nights off now, that’s me.’ He sounded so matter-of-fact.
‘Crikey! I’m not sure I could keep up with all that. I think I’ll just stick to making stuff, plain and simple.’ The thought of juggling several jobs bewildered her.
‘Aye, you should do that. It’s good to have something to focus on at times like this,’ he said, knowingly.
Her inquisitive streak was surfacing again. She wanted to pry about his situation but wasn’t sure if she should. An awkward silence descended and she could feel Greg watching her. She suddenly felt sad again; lost even.
