Love's Cold Burn

by Harry, Jessica

  ‘Well yes.’ He leaned back as Brian placed a plate of curry in front of him. ‘I’m in the Rotary Club. We support a number of charities.’

  Maureen sat quietly during the discussion of pressure groups and charity organisations. She let Frank represent them both on matters which required worldly knowledge, but she did remember saying what a nice badge Tom had with a pretty white dove at Christmas. He had told her it was a Greenpeace Badge. But she had thought nothing more than ‘what a pretty badge’. She now noticed Karen wearing the same badge.

  After swallowing a mouthful of Brian’s curry, which looked like vomit, but tasted rather nice, she turned to Karen. ‘What a lovely badge. Tom has one just like it.’

  The triviality of her comment took the heat out of the conversation and Tom took the opportunity to top up the drinks, opening a second bottle of Bulgarian wine.

  Andrew inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Nice curry Brian.’

  ‘Thanks Andrew,’ he replied.

  Maureen had never had curry before. Dinner in the Leopard household had always been strictly ‘meat and two veg’, but she surprisingly found herself enjoying the food. ‘Yes Brian. Very nice. You must give me the recipe.’

  ‘Thanks Mrs Leopard, but there is no recipe.’

  ‘You clever boy. You can remember it all without one?’

  ‘No. Not really. It’s more of a formula than a recipe.’

  Maureen was fascinated. ‘Please go on.’

  ‘Well Mrs Leopard. The name says it all.’

  ‘And what’s it called?

  ‘What’s-left-in-the-fridge-at-the-end-of-the-week curry.’

  Maureen laughed assuming he was joking.

  He didn’t laugh and wondered what she had found amusing, but carried on anyway. ‘You get a tin of curry paste and mix it with all the leftovers in the fridge.’ He put another mouthful in and washed it down with a swig of Bulgarian wine.’

  Maureen’s interest in curry ended as quickly as it started and she picked through her food trying to identify the different ingredients.

  The Leopards were grouped around one end of the table with ‘Karen’ and the brothers at the other end. Ian Mellor’s tape player had Dire Straits playing in the background and Greenpeace Badge took the opportunity for a quiet conversation with Tom, while Brian and Andrew spoke about economics and politics with Frank. There was enough noise in the room for Tom and Greenpeace Badge to speak quietly without the others hearing.

  ‘So how are you getting on with the lovely Vicky?’ she asked.

  ‘Very well thanks.’

  ‘You falling in love?’

  ‘Oh no. Not at all. I don’t even know what that means.’

  ‘Well that’s a relief.’

  Tom paused briefly and looked Greenpeace Badge in the eye. ‘Why’s that a relief Sanita?’ Greenpeace Badge’s real name was Sanita Harrison. Tom called her Sanita to her face, but Greenpeace Badge when he mentioned her to his friends. ‘Sounds to me like you may be a little jealous.’

  ‘Don’t be so silly. I’m perfectly happy with my boyfriend. You know that.’

  ‘I know you slept with me so you can’t be that happy with your boyfriend. I thought we were working well as friends, but now I’m seeing more and more of Vicky, you don’t seem to like her.’

  ‘She’s too plain for you.’

  ‘I agree she looks a bit plain, but she adores me. That counts for a lot and she has hidden depths. The more time I spend with her, the more interesting she becomes.’

  ‘Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself as much as me.’

  Maureen had noticed ‘Karen’ deep in conversation with Tom and wondered what they were talking about. Frank hadn’t noticed at all and was busy telling Andrew and Brian that the only way to succeed in life was to know the right people and the ‘right people’ were nearly always Rotarians.

  Sanita hadn’t finished with Tom. ‘I think you’re papering over the cracks. A lot of people who look plain are exactly what they appear … plain. Take Andrew for example. His clothes are straight off the dummy in Marks & Spencer, and, I hate to be unkind, but his personality is the same as the shop dummy. There’s nothing there. I like him and yes, he has a heart of gold, much the same as Vicky, but I would feel a bit embarrassed taking him home to meet my parents.’

  ‘I know what you’re saying, but I think you’re wrong. There’s more to Vicky than meets the eye and, given enough time, I could fall in love with her.’

  Maureen had not stopped watching Tom and ‘Karen’ and was starting to suspect things were not right when Colin and Hugh walked back in the kitchen.

  Andrew panicked and jumped out of his seat. His parents had been fooled so far, but Colin and Hugh would probably give him away. ‘Colin, Hugh, this is my mum and dad. Mum and Dad this is Colin and Hugh … it is … it is … that.’

  Andrew was almost trembling and started gathering the dinner plates as his father shook Colin and Hugh’s hands.

  ‘Frank. The boy forgets I have a name sometimes. And this is Maureen.’

  She also shook their hands.

  ‘Coffee anybody?’ asked Andrew.

  ‘No sugar Leopard,’ said Hugh.

  ‘Same for me,’ shouted Colin. They had won on the fruit machines and drunk their profits. They had returned curious to see what Andrew’s parents were like.

  ‘Have you been studying in the library?’ Frank asked Hugh.

  Hugh had to think for a minute what a library had to do with him. ‘Ahh yes. That’s right. We’ve been in the library. Stopped for a quick drink on the way home though.’ He patted Frank on the back. ‘How was Andrew’s cooking?’

  ‘Brian cooked. Excellent. Something foreign, but still quite good.’

  ‘So how do you like our kitchen?’ Hugh asked.

  ‘Nicer than I feared,’ answered Maureen. ‘Although it could do with a woman’s touch.’

  ‘Our kitchen is just as messy,’ said Sanita.

  Colin and Hugh both looked at Greenpeace Badge wondering why Tom’s old girlfriend was having dinner with Andrew’s parents and Maureen’s reply confused them even more.

  ‘Oh I can’t believe that Karen. I’m sure you’re just being kind.’

  Colin and Hugh looked at each other and the confused expressions were slowly replaced by wide smiles as they put two and two together and came up with Pink Socks impersonator.

  ‘How are you Karen?’ Hugh asked Greenpeace Badge.

  ‘Yes, how are you Karen?’ Colin also asked, before she had time to answer Hugh.

  Tom didn’t give her time to answer either of them and turned to Andrew’s parents. ‘You haven’t seen Andrew’s room yet. You take them through Andrew and I’ll bring the coffees.’

  Sanita reached for Andrew’s hand and dragged him out of the kitchen. Frank and Maureen followed. Colin was about to go through the door when Brian grabbed his collar from behind. ‘No you don’t shit-for-brains.’

  ‘That’s not very nice,’ said Hugh.

  ‘Okay, so you’ve worked it out,’ said Tom. ‘You don’t have to spoil it for him. He’s getting away with it. Give him a break.’

  ‘What’s it worth?’ asked Colin with a cheeky smile.

  ‘I won’t beat you up,’ suggested Brian.

  ‘We’ll owe you a favour,’ Tom said, directing the offer to Hugh, who he thought would realise that was the best they could hope for.

  He was right.

  ‘Fair enough,’ said Hugh. ‘But it’ll need to be a big favour because exposing your scam would have been a lot of fun.’

  Tom and Brian carried the coffees into Andrew’s bedroom.

  Maureen had the one soft chair. Frank sat at Andrew’s desk and the boys sat in a row on the bed with Sanita sandwiched between Andrew and Tom.

  Andrew was hugely relieved that they had got away from Colin and Hugh and his secret was safely within the walls of his own room now. Frank didn’t mind which room he was in as he continued to tell everyone how he had lit u
p the conference with pioneering insight and sharp wit that none of them had enjoyed at previous meetings.

  Sanita was bored of hearing Frank’s self-congratulatory stories. She was tired of pretending to be Karen Fisher and she was fed up of hearing about Vicky Owen. She wanted Tom to tell her that she was the only girl for him and Vicky had been a mistake. Sanita had a boyfriend, who Tom knew about, but she would prefer Tom. She only stayed with her boyfriend because she didn’t think Tom was interested in a long-term relationship. And now it looked like he was about to settle down. It should have been her and not Vicky Owen. She excused herself to visit the ladies’ room.

  ‘Any more of that wine Andrew?’ Frank asked.

  ‘Yes. In the kitchen … it is.’

  ‘I’ll go,’ said Tom.

  In the kitchen he grabbed the half empty bottle of wine and headed back to Andrew’s room. Outside the closed door he met Sanita on her way back from the ladies. As he reached for the handle, she put her hand on his and stopped him.

  ‘There’s something we need to get sorted before going back in,’ she said.

  ‘Oh right. Fire away,’ said Tom, unaware that his friend was no longer happy as ‘just good friends’.

  She reached her hands around the back of his head, pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately on the lips, just as Maureen, who also needed the ladies, pulled open the door.

  Maureen was aghast and her jaw dropped open in shock. ‘I thought there was something going on,’ she cried. ‘How could you Tom? She’s not YOUR girlfriend.’

  Tom was doubly shocked. No. It wasn’t his girlfriend and he didn’t realise she had such feelings for him and finding out at the same time as their scam unfolded left him stuck for words. ‘She’s NOT my girlfriend Mrs Leopard.’ His words didn’t help.

  Frank was angry now. The boy that was supposed to be his son’s friend was kissing his son’s girlfriend. What a way to repay his family after hosting them over Christmas. ‘Don’t just stand there Andrew. Do the right thing. Give him a piece of your mind. He’s betrayed you.’

  Andrew didn’t respond. He was also in shock. The evening was not going to plan and his best friend appeared to have the sort of problem that he could only dream about having, two women fighting over him.

  Frank raised his voice now. ‘Where’s your backbone boy? You’re your mother’s son alright. If there was anything of me in you, you would take some action here. Spineless. You’ll never amount to anything.’

  During their Christmas stay at the Leopards, Tom had bitten his tongue when Frank had derided his son based on the ‘when in Rome’ dictum, but they were no longer in Rome, they were at Southside University and Tom was no longer prepared to hear Frank repeatedly rubbish his own son. He walked back into the room and faced Frank, having regained his composure.

  ‘With all due respect Mr Leopard, you are wrong,’ Tom said firmly to Frank.

  ‘You stand there kissing my son’s girlfriend and you have the audacity to tell me I’m wrong.’

  ‘She’s not Andrew’s girlfriend. She’s not mine either, but that’s another story. She’s not even called Karen Fisher. She’s Sanita Harrison, a good friend of mine and she pretended to be your son’s girlfriend because he wanted so badly to please you. I don’t know why. Because you treat him like shit. You treat him like something you have trodden in. It’s no wonder he hasn’t got the confidence to get his own girlfriend with a father like you. You chip, chip, chip away at him all the time and you’re so wrapped up in your own importance that you can’t see what you’re doing to him. The whole charade tonight was about YOU. Andrew gave you what you wanted, what you expected, and I’ve no idea why. You DON’T deserve it!’

  The room fell silent as they all took in what had happened.

  Frank could not believe anybody would show him so little respect, but clearly he had been right. He should never have allowed a loony lefty member of Greenpeace into his home at Christmas. He was probably filling his son’s head with radical garbage. ‘We’re leaving. Come on Maureen. Andrew, this isn’t over. Goodbye Brian and goodbye Karen, or whatever your name is.’

  They left in a hurry.

  After they had gone, Andrew, Brian and Sanita all looked at Tom in disbelief. Tom felt a huge weight off his shoulders having told Frank Leopard what he needed to hear, but at the same time, felt a new weight on his shoulders having discovered that Sanita was jealous of Vicky.

  Chapter 22

  Walking down the aisle

  A week later, February 7, 1984: ‘Have we got enough fish-fingers … have we?’ asked Andrew Leopard.

  ‘I think so, but get some anyway. They’re always good for a cheap meal,’ replied Tom Hill.

  It was late Tuesday afternoon. Tom and Brian Hill, Andrew and Vicky Owen were doing their weekly food shop in the town-centre supermarket. The three boys were still sharing shopping and cooking while Vicky had joined them after Tom had offered to carry her shopping back to campus. It wasn’t a full weekly shop for her. It was just for one special meal, which she was cooking that night for Tom.

  They shared one trolley, which Andrew pushed. Vicky used the front while Tom and Brian argued over what to put in the back for the boys. Tom preferred the cheapest items, unless there was a good organic alternative and Brian preferred branded products, a little more expensive, ‘but you knew what you were getting’.

  As it turned out, the visit to the supermarket presented more complicated choices for Tom than whether to choose organic baked beans or Heinz baked beans. ‘We forgot cheese. Back in a minute,’ Tom said. Two aisles back, he reached for a small slab of cheese. When he looked up, Sanita Harrison was facing him.

  ‘How’s it going Tom? Are you on your own?’ she asked.

  ‘You’re looking lovely. I’m with Brian, Andrew and Vicky,’ he replied, almost apologetically.

  ‘The lovely Vicky!’ Sanita no longer needed to hide her thoughts on the subject of Vicky or her own feelings for Tom. It was a week since she had kissed him, but there had only been small-talk between them since then. Sanita had been reluctant to talk about the kiss for fear of rejection. As long as the problem were left dangling, she still had a chance of winning him over. ‘What colour ribbon does she have in her hair today?’

  Tom was reading between the lines. ‘That’s a little unkind Sanita.’ He was also avoiding the big questions as he still had some doubts about Vicky, but, despite the doubts, he wanted to give the romance every chance of progressing. ‘She’s making me dinner tonight. I’d better get back. She’ll be wondering where I am.’ He hurried back to the others.

  Tom placed the slab of cheese in the trolley as they rounded the end of the frozen food aisle and headed down the jams and biscuits aisle. It was Andrew’s turn to be caught off guard now. Coming in the other direction, flanked by two friends, was Pink Socks pushing her trolley.

  Karen Fisher and her two friends were doing their weekly shop. She saw the boys from Dickens Court at the far end of the aisle by the crisp section. She had met Andrew, but not the nice-looking tall dark-haired boy. She didn’t know the other boy but had seen the three together in the social sciences department. She hoped the girl with them was just a friend.

  Andrew turned to Tom like a rabbit caught in headlights. He said nothing but Tom could see in his startled face that he was pleading for guidance. ‘No need to be nervous. You’ve already met. You have to go past her, so you have no choice but to say something. You have no choice in the matter at all so there is nothing to be nervous about.’

  Andrew disagreed and felt almost faint with anxiety. He had a bad spot on his left cheek, but he had greeted her with worse earlier in the term.

  Tom tried different advice. ‘Just pretend your James Bond.’

  Andrew was still unable to speak to his friends, let alone Pink Socks.

  Tom could see that unless he gave Andrew some lines to say, he would say no more than ’hello’. ‘Right Andrew. You can see from here, her trolley is pretty full, so when w
e get closer, say to her, “What a lot of shopping. Are you having a party?” Then see what she says and take it from there.’

  ‘Okay. I can do it … I can.’ Andrew felt short of breath and his heart was racing, but he was determined to deliver the line. As she came closer, Andrew felt like running, but he didn’t, he took a step forward to face Pink Socks. ‘Hi Karen. How are you? Wow. What a lot of shopping. Are you having a party?’

  Tom was stood next to Andrew and discreetly reached across and patted him proudly on the back as Karen replied.

  ‘Andrew.’ She looked down at her shopping. ‘There’s not that much. You’ve got more. When’s your party? Are we invited?’

  Tom inwardly smiled and thought excellent result, but was soon disappointed as Andrew let another opportunity slip away.

  ‘No. No. We’re not having a party … we’re not.’ An awkward pause followed. Tom, Brian and Vicky all hoped Andrew would keep talking, so they waited, but nothing came.

  Karen ended the silence. She waved her hand towards her friends in turn. ‘This is Emily and Charlotte.’ She then looked at Tom, but spoke to Andrew. ‘And your friends are?’

  ‘Tom, Brian and Vicky.’

  They all greeted each other. With the formalities over and having given way to Andrew for his chance with Pink Socks, Brian thought he was now allowed to wade in. He particularly liked the look of Emily, but had focussed a little too much on her breasts instead of her face, which had not gone unnoticed by Emily. ‘Hi Emily. I’m Brian. Andrew’s not having a party, but I could rustle up a few snacks for you and me. How about it?’

  If he had concentrated on her face she would have said yes, but it was clear to Emily that he had only one thing on his mind so she dismissed him. ‘No thanks. Let’s go Karen.’