Take a Chance on Me

by Carol Wyer

  ‘I thought it was the end of the world and I was going to die,’ said Jake as the girl undid his harness.

  It took considerable effort and coaxing to remove Jake from his seat and pull him out of the hole. He felt queasy so he dropped down onto the grass by the side of the run to recover.

  After a few minutes, he smiled weakly at Charlie. ‘You okay?’ he asked.

  She had not expected such a chivalrous response. She had anticipated a rant from him and some macho aggression. ‘I’m fine. Bit wobbly though.’

  ‘I’ve never felt so weak,’ he declared. ‘I’ve clearly shown my true colours. You now know that I am a wuss. Toby was right when he teased me on the roller coaster. I wasn’t keen at all. It was only because you played the kazoo, and were obviously even more scared than me, that I held it together. But this – this was horrible. Being thrown about upside down. Totally helpless. Feeling sick. Awful!’ He paused for a moment, palms against his trousers. He looked over at her. ‘Would I do it again? Yes. If you were there opposite me, I would.’

  He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘You’re quite something, Charlie Blundell.’

  Charlie was flabbergasted. She had just tormented this man and he was not angry with her. More confused than ever, Charlie pushed herself to her feet.

  ‘I set you up, you know,’ she admitted. ‘I wanted to pay you back for what you did to Rob.’

  ‘What is it with you and this Rob character? I thought he was an idiot. Why are you so angry with me? This seems a harsh punishment for my actions.’

  ‘You think so?’

  ‘Yes, I do,’ he retorted, now annoyed. ‘You made me go through that dreadful ordeal because of what I did to Rob?’

  ‘Yes. And you deserve worse.’

  Jake shook his head in disbelief. ‘You are quite… mad.’

  ‘I’m mad? You’re… you’re a testosterone-fuelled bully!’

  Jake looked at her in disbelief. ‘You’ve got to be kidding. You clearly don’t know me.’

  ‘No, I don’t, and I don’t think I want to. Let’s keep this a purely professional relationship. If you decide you can’t write about my experiences any more, I completely understand.’

  ‘What about the radio station? If I refuse to write this feature and keep you in the public eye, you’ll not get the money you need.’

  Charlie just shrugged.

  Jake attempted to storm off and raised himself from the ground. He managed only a few paces before he suddenly wobbled over to a patch of grass where he vomited. He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve then looked disgusted for having done so.

  ‘Hope you’re satisfied, Ms Blundell. You’ve certainly got your revenge.’

  Charlie placed her hands on her hips and willed herself to not feel sorry for him. She was going to give him a catty reply when he leant over and was sick again. She decided he had endured enough. She walked back down the slope and left him. He could find his way home without her.

  Fifty-Nine

  No matter what you do,

  I’ll still be there for you.

  * * *

  The poem, such as it was, came in an envelope marked with her name. It had been delivered by hand. She read it again. It was unsigned and had been typed in decorative font.

  Jake was definitely some sort of Jekyll and Hyde character. No wonder his wife had left him. She tore up the poem and dropped it in the bin in the kitchen without giving him another thought.

  She browsed through the brochures she had picked up at the travel agency. There was a whole world to explore. She had wasted enough time. She fancied taking a trip somewhere exotic once she had completed Challenge Charlie. She had a list on the table in front of her. It was to be her new bucket list. So far she had added:

  Ride on a Gondola in Venice

  Try a Bollywood class

  Have a champagne lunch on the London Eye

  Visit every capital city in Europe

  Take a ride in a hot-air balloon

  It seemed that there was so much she should try and so much she could still accomplish. Mercedes would be more impressed with these choices than those she had written at the beginning of the year. This new Charlie was ready to tackle life. She blew a kiss at a photograph of Amy on the wall. She hoped her daughter would have been proud of her.

  She considered studying for an Open University degree in marketing. However, there were other degrees she could tackle. She was overwhelmed by the choices. Charlie sat back and wondered why she had not thought about this before now.

  Her phone rang. A withheld number.

  ‘Hello?’

  No answer. This was the third time this had happened this evening. She hated cold callers. They were a complete nuisance.

  ‘If you are not one of those stupid machines that randomly selects numbers then bugger off. I’m not buying anything, I don’t have a PCP and I’ve never felt tempted to buy a timeshare.’

  The phone went dead. Obviously not a machine, she decided.

  She carried on flicking through the travel brochures. Several minutes later, the phone rang again. She snatched it up.

  ‘If you ring me once more, I’ll come round there and shove your phone up your…’

  ‘Please don’t finish that sentence,’ said a quiet male voice. ‘I called to say that the last piece I wrote about you zorbing will be in tomorrow’s edition of the Evening Gazette. I hope you like it and you get further donations for the radio station.’

  ‘Oh, Jake, it’s you. Sorry.’

  ‘No need to apologise. And just to let you know, I spoke to the editor, but they have no other staff free to write about you so you’re stuck with me. Mercedes told me to where to meet you for your next challenge. I’ll be there. I’ll maintain a healthy distance though, in case you feel you want to carry out your threat about the phone.’

  So he was sticking by her no matter what she said or did to him. He was quite nutty, but as she rang off, she was glad he’d agreed to carry on with the feature.

  She picked up the phone and dialled Mercedes to find out what her next challenge was to be.

  ‘You timed that right. I was about to phone you. This is a corker of a challenge. I’ve been sent an invite by a flying school. They saw you on television. They’re willing to take you up in an aerobatic plane and let you perform some stunts with their pilot. How mega-cool is that? I would kill to do this challenge.’

  Charlie was surprised at her response as she punched the air with her fists. She was genuinely excited. This was not the same woman who balked at riding a roller coaster. That woman had been replaced with this new, improved version.

  ‘Are you doing one of those stupid victory dances?’ Mercedes asked.

  ‘How did you know?’

  ‘I just know, that’s all.’

  ‘When am I going up?’

  ‘At the moment you’re booked in for a flight three weeks Saturday, weather permitting. If it looks no good you’ll get a call and they’ll reschedule the flight. Chocks away!’

  After the call, Charlie checked out the flying school’s website in order to learn more about the company and their aerobatic stunt plane, the Cap 10. It was going to be an outstanding challenge and an opportunity to raise lots of money. She reflected on how far she had come. She may be a middle-aged woman but her confidence had reached new heights. Yet, a small voice inside reminded her that her body was not twenty years old, even if her mind had decided it might like to be. Once the stunt challenge was over what would she be prepared to do next? There was a limit to how many wacky activities she could attempt.

  Sixty

  Charlie remained in a confident mood throughout the following week. She ordered a book about flying to help prepare her for the challenge. It would be quite an adventure. On Wednesday, Art and Patricia popped out to the Cash and Carry, leaving Charlie in charge. The café had been busy but was now enjoying a quiet spell. Her radio show for that afternoon was prepared and she was looking forward to a night
in afterwards with a film, a pizza and a bottle of wine. She was just taking it easy when the café doorbell jangled. Toby came in, followed by a reluctant Jake.

  ‘It was his idea,’ Jake said before she could open her mouth. ‘Toby wanted to come here. He likes the chocolate cake and he wanted to get his mum a present for her birthday from the craft shop.’

  ‘Hi Charlie,’ shouted Toby. ‘How’s it going?’

  Charlie decided to be polite for Toby’s sake. After all, he was unaware of his father’s actions and Jake clearly didn’t want to be here.

  ‘It’s all good thanks, Toby. What about you?’

  ‘Oh you know? Not much. School… homework… the usual. Dad’s been watching me play hockey for the school’s A team. We won three-nil and I scored two of the goals, so he’s brought me out to celebrate.’

  ‘Congratulations. Are you going back to school after?’

  ‘No. I’m at St Edmund’s near Birmingham. It’s a boarding school. I stay there most days. On some Saturdays and Wednesdays though, we get to miss lessons for away matches. If parents want to, after the match, they can take the kids out for the afternoon and evening. I’m staying with dad tonight, so I’ll go back to school in the morning. It’s the end of term next week. We’re packing up for the summer holidays so I’m not missing much. Dad said it’d be okay to miss school tonight.’

  Charlie looked at Jake, who kept his head down. Fancy sending your child away to school, she thought. Jake must have read her mind.

  ‘I’d have liked him to go to the local school but his mother wanted the best for him,’ he mumbled.

  ‘I like it at St Edmunds. We get to do all sorts of sports, and adventure activities. We do shooting and golf. I play trumpet in the school band too,’ replied Toby.

  ‘You could’ve done sports or music at the local school too,’ said Jake.

  ‘Yeah, but I’m going to be a barrister like mum, and I need a good education for that. I’m not going to be able to study Latin at the local comp, am I?’ he added, giving his father an exasperated look.

  ‘The way you argue, you’ll make a terrific lawyer. You didn’t get that skill from public school. You’d have been fine at the school in town. Local comprehensive school didn’t hurt me,’ began his father.

  Toby harrumphed and pulled out his mobile phone.

  ‘What can I get you both?’ interrupted Charlie, hoping to diffuse the situation.

  ‘I’d like a large slice of chocolate cake, please and a Coke,’ Toby said. ‘And, my dad wants to ask you out.’

  Jake’s neck turned red. His mouth flapped open. ‘Toby!’ he spluttered.

  ‘Well, you do. Why else do you keep coming in here every other day, hoping to see her? You’ve been playing songs on that blue kazoo ever since she gave it to you. I heard you playing the theme tune to Rocky last time I stayed with you. All the radios in your house are tuned to City Hospital Radio, you even have it on the car radio. You’ve got enough of those shark pots back home to start up an entire pottery shop. And, you spend hours writing articles about her. It’s obvious you like her. You should tell her. It’s true what Mum says: some days you need a sharp kick up the…’

  ‘Toby,’ growled his father. ‘That’s enough. You’re embarrassing Charlie.’

  Toby looked at Charlie. ‘I’m not, am I?’

  Charlie coughed. ‘Err. A little. I think it’d be better if you let your father do any asking out. Or not.’

  ‘Well, he’s too shy to ask. Mum says he lacks confidence as far as women are concerned. That’s what she said, word for word. He’s always been the same. If she hadn’t asked him out, they’d never have got together. She had to ask him out three times before he got the message,’ Toby continued, oblivious to his father’s discomfort. ‘Mum says he’s a lovely man but he needs prodding sometimes. He’s what she calls a dreamer.’

  Jake raked his hand through his hair, an anguished look on his face. Charlie almost felt sorry for him.

  ‘Enough of what Fiona, ah, your mum thinks. Okay? This isn’t the place.’

  ‘Just helping. Mum says you should always speak up for yourself.’

  ‘Right, well, thank you, Toby. I’ll get your order and a coffee for you, Jake?’ she asked now slightly confused by this revelation.

  Jake nodded.

  She turned away and made for the counter where she heard angry whispers as she cut the cake. She concentrated on preparing the drinks but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Toby had said. Jake wanted to go on a date with her? She experienced a warm glow in the pit of her stomach. Then she remembered why she was annoyed with him and the feeling departed.

  She returned with the drinks and cake. Toby was playing a game on his mobile phone and ignoring his father. Jake tried to avoid her gaze and fiddled with the menu.

  ‘Ask her,’ muttered Toby as he continued thumbing his phone, propelling round cartoon birds at some pigs sitting on buildings.

  Jake coughed and squirmed in his chair. ‘As my son has so charmingly interfered and put me on the spot, would you be interested in going out with me for a meal, or drink this weekend?’

  Charlie looked at him. She noted the creases around the edges of his eyes and a kindness in them. His chin was covered in a light stubble again. He seemed unsure of himself, not the big shot journalist she had spoken to a few days earlier. He was dressed in dark brown chinos with a smart Tommy Hilfiger shirt. His beaten leather jacket hung on the back of the chair. His dark hair was cropped and bore the slightest trace of grey. He oozed masculinity. Masculinity, with a touch of vulnerability. She thought for a moment, sucked on the end of her pencil and replied, more determinedly than she felt, ‘No, not a chance.’

  Toby looked up in astonishment. ‘What? I thought you were ideal. He’s been all, you know, starry-eyed since he met you.’

  ‘Starry-eyed! I don’t think so. Thank you, but no thank you,’ she continued, turning when she heard the doorbell ring. ‘Excuse me. I have other customers to serve.’

  She dealt with the other customers, trying to take her mind off what had just happened. Toby sidled up to the counter some time later.

  ‘Dad’s gone outside. I think he’s upset. Can I get a necklace from the shop please for my mum? She really liked the one we bought Abigail. She’s having a birthday bash. I’m allowed to invite some friends from school to stay over for it. There’s going to be a Robbie Williams impersonator. Pity she couldn’t get the real Robbie to come.’

  Charlie looked at the enthusiastic child in front of her. He clearly took after his mother with his large blue eyes and blonde hair. His nose was sprinkled with a few freckles. He was a bright lad and very polite. She supposed his confidence came from the school environment he was in. She had read that children at private schools were more gregarious. Amy would certainly never have spoken out in front of her parents like Toby had, and yet he had done so with no malice. He had acted like he was Jake’s older brother.

  ‘Do you know which one you’d like?’

  ‘Yes, there’s a green one I saw last time I came. I think she’ll like that. Dad’s given me the money for it. I ran out of pocket money. Spent it all in the tuck shop.’ He threw her a mischievous grin that made Charlie chuckle.

  ‘I tell you what, you fetch the necklace and I’ll gift-wrap it for you. Save you doing it. I’ll put it in one of our hand-made bags.’

  ‘That’d be great. So, why don’t you like my dad?’

  Charlie was caught out. ‘I do like your dad. He’s very nice. But I don’t think we’d get on.’

  ‘He can be really good fun sometimes. Doesn’t get annoyed much. Although, he did shout at Simon for letting me go on his quad bike. He got jolly aggressive then. Mum said it was because he was worried about me hurting myself. He’s not been out with anyone since mum and he spilt up. That was ages ago, when I was little, about eight years old. It was before I went to boarding school. Mum said he’s turning into a hermit. There’s a crab called a hermit, you know? It hides in its ow
n shell. That’s like Dad. He doesn’t go out much. He likes it when I come around and visit. We go out together to the cinema or bowling. You’re the first person who’s made him smile in ages. He was singing in the car coming here. He doesn’t usually sing. Mum’s boyfriend Simon sings sometimes when he’s drunk. He sings really badly. He’s a senior partner at a law firm. He’s got a villa in Mallorca. That’s an island near Spain. We go on holiday there every summer. We went last year. Simon let me go out on his Sunseeker yacht with him. It’s wicked and very fast. It’s moored in Puerto Portals. All the millionaires keep their yachts there. Oops, my mum’s present,’ he said suddenly remembering why he was there.

  He disappeared into the craft shop and re-emerged seconds later, necklace swinging in his hand. He handed it to Charlie who wrapped it in tissue paper and dropped it into a pale green bag.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said as he took the gift and change. He looked at the present then at Charlie, who smiled again. ‘Pity you don’t fancy dad. You’re very pretty. He was going to play Super Mario Galaxy 2 with me. I hope he’s not going to be all mardy now. I much prefer it when he’s happy. You could come round and play with us if you like. It’s a great game and we’re getting Chinese takeaway.’

  Charlie hesitated. Toby looked hopeful, his blue eyes reminded her of Amy’s. He stood waiting for a response, eager and assured. It would be cruel to turn him down. She was torn.

  ‘Go on,’ he said. ‘Pleeeeease,’ he wheedled and smiled sweetly.

  ‘I’ll come round, but only because you asked so nicely. Don’t expect me to fall for your dad. It’ll be after my radio show. I finish at six.’

  Toby grinned. ‘He’ll be much happier now.’

  ‘What’s your address?’

  ‘Give me your phone number and I’ll text it to you. Then you won’t lose it,’ said Toby, scrolling for his contact list.

  Charlie gave him her number and heard a beep as the text was sent.