Good Vibration

by S M Mala

  ‘You’re an old romantic at heart,’ she laughed as he had his arms wrapped around her while she stood near the kettle, in his kitchen, an hour later.

  ‘I saved the vouchers so I could make you a better sausage sandwich,’ he whispered as she glanced over at the grill, making sure they didn’t catch on fire like last time. ‘And you complained I never took you out so-.’

  ‘I was stating a fact,’ she said, making them tea. ‘Go and keep an eye on lunch.’

  Finlay walked towards the cooker, only wrapped in a towel as she wore his large light grey dressing gown and smiled at his back. She observed everything he did, from taking the sausages to putting the sandwiches together, aware he was being watched as he occasionally smiled at her.

  ‘Follow me,’ he said, walking out of the kitchen and she realised it was a room she’d never been in.

  There was a large sitting room with a dining table. The area was bigger than her flat as he put the plate down and took the cups from her hands.

  ‘Now take a seat,’ he said, pushing her gently onto the very large and squashy sofa before picking back up the plate. ‘Napkins!’

  Finlay ran out of the room and returned with two linen napkins, placing one on her lap.

  ‘Kitchen roll would have done,’ she smiled as he sat next to her, placed the plate in between them then pushed it towards her.

  ‘Don’t say I never treat you to a slap up meal,’ he smiled as she picked up a sandwich and ate it, watching him do the same thing. ‘Good sausages!’

  ‘Cumberland?’

  ‘As instructed,’ he said as they ate in silence, all the time looking at each other.

  Sylvie sipped her tea, glancing around the room with incredibly high ceilings and tastefully furnished.

  ‘Do you rent this place or is it your home?’ she asked as he looked at her sideways. ‘I just thought if I was going to nick something, it’s best to know who I’m stealing from. Why’d you ask me to come here and not meet at the hotel?’

  ‘I wanted to make sure you felt you’re not being used. I thought somewhere we could be together and eat might be nice,’ he said quietly, before turning to look at her. ‘Do you mind?’

  ‘No.’

  Her eyes wandered before seeing more pictures before looking away, not even wanting to ask if this is where he and his wife stayed when they were in London.

  ‘It’s mine. I bought it before I met Juliette but we never lived here together. She was in Paris and I sort of upped and moved in with her, if that’s what you’re wondering.’

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ she smiled, seeing his cheeks were a little pink. ‘I’m just asking Fin, no other reason.’

  ‘Liar,’ he whispered as she smiled. ‘How was it?’

  ‘Oh it’s great,’ she said, smiling at her sandwich. ‘You know not many men in my lifetime have actually cooked for me so this is special.’

  ‘I meant in the bedroom.’

  ‘Why?’ she asked, suddenly watching his anxious expression. ‘Was there something wrong?’

  ‘No, not at all,’ he said, putting down his half eaten sandwich and removing the plate off the sofa. ‘It was far from wrong, it was… wonderful.’ Finlay took her sandwich out of her hand, putting it down, and moved closer. ‘Really wonderful and I missed you so much, do you know that? I really did.’

  ‘You had me worried,’ she sighed and closed her eyes when she felt his lips on her forehead before they travelled down her nose towards her mouth. ‘I missed you too.’

  Finlay pushed her back and took off his towel as she opened her legs. They were kissing very slowly and gently. He undid the dressing gown before rubbing his hand up and down her side.

  Sylvie looked into his eyes as their mouths stayed fused before he started to thrust. She gasped feeling him push all the way inside, sore from earlier, but wanting him more than she could possibly have ever imagined. Kissing him back, she felt something so powerful, it started to squeeze her chest and as they made love she tried her hardest to hold on but when she came, she burst into tears and he stared at her for a moment before saying,

  ‘I know Sly, I know.’

  He was in love and he knew it. Finlay didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but he couldn’t deny it to himself, though he was most certainly not going to tell her.

  Not Sylvie.

  After an emotional start, they’d now settled back into their routine of laughing and generally talking about all and nothing every time they were alone. He’d found out so many things about her which he never knew and he told her things he’d forgotten about regarding himself.

  The days were flying pass but the nights felt pretty long. He knew she was protecting her child and he respected her for it. He actually felt he loved her even more for this act, though he still wanted to wake up with her beside him in the morning.

  ‘Finlay, you day dream again!’ snapped Samina as he sat in the office looking up into the sky and smiling. ‘Come stop Sylvie! She climb racking and will fall and be kill by dildo crashing on head! Nearly end of month and I need pay. She dead, I get no money!’

  ‘Fine but she doesn’t listen to me,’ he said, following Samina and noticed Pria was shaking her head.

  ‘Come down! You’re gonna get killed, innit?’ hissed Pria before spotting Finlay. ‘Quickly!’

  ‘Remind me to get another ladder,’ he heard Sylvie say before he walked around and noticed she was hanging off the top shelf.

  ‘No!’ he snapped and walked towards her, realising her arse looked great before putting his arms across her waist and pulling her away. ‘It’s too dangerous and you keep doing this!’

  ‘But I nearly got it!’ she said, trying to hold on as he noticed the racking wobbled when he pulled her, making everyone stand back. Sylvie let go as he placed her on the ground while she straightened her clothing. ‘I wasn’t going to fall!’

  ‘There are proper ladders in here, you need to use them,’ he said sternly as she shrugged. ‘What do you need, I’ll get it.’

  ‘I can get it, I just thought it’d be quicker,’ Sylvie replied and looked up at him defiantly as he tried not to smile.

  ‘Let’s see if you can get to February in one piece with a week to go,’ he sighed before turning around to see the others looking at them. ‘No one climbs the racking, do you hear me?’

  They all nodded and looked at Sylvie accusingly as she went to get the step ladder and placed it where she had been. He watched her walk up, reach over and to get a box before realising he could see right up her top and noticed her bra.

  ‘Gettin’ an eyeful, aye?’ asked Marianne as he shook his head and walked away, knowing Samina was smirking as he smiled back.

  ‘Finlay, this man look for you,’ said Dan, walking towards him and he noticed someone of his own age in an expensive coat behind him.

  ‘Mr Chambers?’ the man asked as Finlay examined the clean shaven face of the not so handsome, man with rather small piggy eyes. ‘Can I talk with you for a moment? In private?’

  ‘And you are?’

  ‘I’m Christopher Arnold. I’m representing your wife,’ he said quietly as Finlay realised the game had begun.

  He escorted the man upstairs before taking him into the meeting room and gestured Christopher to sit down.

  ‘Would you like something to drink?’ he asked, seeing Samina’s head coming up.

  ‘No thank you.’

  Finlay quickly stood and ushered her away as she scowled.

  ‘How can I help?’ he asked, sitting back down.

  ‘I’m representing your wife in regards to your separation,’ he said quietly, before putting a case on the table. ‘There are a few things I need to discuss and I thought I’d speak to you face to face without-.’

  ‘Don’t I need my solicitors here?’ he asked, seeing the man smile. ‘You might misconstrue things and-.’

  ‘I’m not here to be objectionable as I think we know the facts. Your wife admits to committing adultery, we can have no doubts abou
t that, but there is the question of her child. Your child.’

  ‘We don’t know if it is.’

  ‘She’s convinced you’re the father and, I realise this is a painful time for you, we need to know if you are willing to give DNA so when she does take these tests, we can prove who the biological father is,’ the man said calmly with a smile.

  ‘If you wait a couple more months we needn’t take the tests as we’ll know by the colour of the baby,’ Finlay replied, getting wound up as he closed his eyes. ‘What’s the point?’

  ‘The point, as you call it, is that my client says you haven’t taken an interest over her pregnancy and-.’

  ‘She told me on 27th August she was pregnant but didn’t know who the father was. That woman went to Switzerland in the hope that when the baby is born, if it’s black, she wanted me to stand by her and say it was our adopted child! What sort of woman does that? She then tells me she can’t take the tests because she doesn’t want to harm it but she’s willing to deny she’s the mother!’

  He knew his voice was loud, as he noticed Sylvie was back in the office and she turned her head in his direction before glancing away.

  The man was silent for a moment and Finlay could see he was composing something in his head but waited for a moment.

  ‘Are you willing to go to Zurich and give DNA?’ the man quietly asked. ‘Mrs Le Font Chambers will give a sample of fluid in the second week of March, when she is at 36 weeks because if she goes into labour early, the child will be able to survive the trauma.’

  ‘What if I say ‘no’?’

  ‘If the child indeed turns out to be yours, she will make sure you will never get access to him. If you say ‘yes’ and it is proven you are the biological father, then she is willing to even move back to London so you can be a part of your son’s life.’

  ‘Son?’ he said, trying to catch his breath.

  ‘Yes, didn’t you know, she’s carrying a boy Mr Chambers?’

  A couple of hours later, he was sat in a pub on large sofa in front of a fire, laying back on Sylvie as she had her arms wrapped around him. He felt her lips on his cheek as his head was rested back on her shoulder.

  ‘We should have gone to the room?’ he grumbled, knowing she took him out because he was in shock. ‘I’d have preferred that to take my mind off things.’

  There was a little sigh as she continued to kiss his face.

  ‘Tomorrow’s Friday and Daisy’s going round to someone’s house for a play date. I don’t have to pick her up until six. I’ll make you come again and again, all day, if you want,’ she whispered as he smiled. ‘Ah, that’s the first time you’ve done that since the grown up came in.’

  Finlay turned around and kissed her gently on the lips before sitting up. He reached over and sipped his pint while eyeing her up and down, pressed against the arm of the chair, shoes off and knees bent to her chest.

  He just wanted to tell her he loved her but bit his tongue and drank his beer.

  ‘You didn’t have to physically extract me from the racking but I was pleased my weight didn’t put your back out,’ she grinned as he put his pint down and turned to look at her. ‘And you know we’re doing quite well this week. Valentine’s is coming soon and that’s a good time for us.’

  ‘You’re talking about work.’

  Finlay sat back on the sofa and pulled her legs out so they rested on his lap before rubbing her thigh.

  ‘Are we doing something romantic for Valentine’s?’ she grinned.

  ‘I know what you’re doing Sly, you’ve not mentioned it because you want me to.’

  ‘Mentioned what?’ she innocently said. ‘Valentine’s is on a Thursday and my 12th and a quarter birthday is a fortnight later. You better buy me a nice present like some sausages.’

  ‘I’m not doing it and I don’t care,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’m not going to be held to ransom over this.’

  Sylvie moved closer and stroked the back of his neck as he closed his eyes, feeling her soothing touch. She placed her lips there, giving him goose bumps before licking him gently with her tongue then blowing on it. Her mouth moved down his jaw until they met his lips and she kissed him gently.

  ‘Do you think they’d mind if we had sex on this couch?’ he mumbled as she laughed. ‘Go on, say it.’

  ‘I-. She stopped. ‘…I care about you and that’s why I want you to be happy.’

  He opened his eyes immediately and noticed the dark brown pair staring back at him. Finlay could see himself in the reflection of her intense eye colour.

  ‘I didn’t say ‘it’ so don’t moan at me,’ Sylvie sniffed before rubbing his nose with hers and wrapping her arms around him. ‘But now, as I know you’ll want to change the subject, I think you should go over and do the tests then wait and see. It shouldn’t take that long to get the results.’

  ‘You care about me do you?’ he grinned.

  ‘Shut up Finlay.’

  ‘I really care about you.’

  He watched her look up at him before frowning then kissed him quickly on the lips before checking her watch.

  ‘Let’s not think about it now until after February. It’s a big shock and it’s a boy! Bet it’s ginger!’

  Finlay eyed her up and down as she put her boots on then glanced at her socks.

  ‘What’s wrong with your feet? Sometimes you wear your socks and other times I feel these little cold things climbing up my back, which feel perfectly normal to me.’ He dragged her back to the sofa. ‘Are they that ugly?’

  ‘Really hideous,’ she replied and he noticed Sylvie looked uncomfortable. ‘I don’t even like looking or thinking about them and you’d go off me, which isn’t a good thing, as I don’t need you not to find any more faults.’

  ‘It’s a fault?’

  ‘It’s an imperfection,’ she said quietly. ‘Something people take for granted has been the bane of my life.’ Sylvie looked sad and he put his arm around her, wondering what could trouble her so much. ‘Even Daisy hasn’t noticed and that’s because I hide it. I’m very good at disguising things I don’t want people to know about.’

  ‘Your mask?’

  ‘My mask?’

  ‘It slipped when you said you cared about me.’

  ‘But I didn’t say ‘it’. I won’t confuse you,’ she said, gently kissing him on the lips. ‘I want to make you happy.’

  And he smiled, realising she was the only person in his life who, right now, could.

  Sylvie held the invitation in her hand and wanted to cry. They were going to hold Rupert’s fundraising ball on Saturday 23rd March and, once again, she was invited. Her first reaction was to rip it up as she knew Freya would be there, parading herself as a wonderful mother when all along she was poisonous and nasty.

  Half of her wanted to go, just to upset her former mother in law, and the other half wished his death wasn’t remembered with reverence just because he was killed raising money for the school, to enable poor students to be given the chance of a rich boy’s private education. She knew the parents could have easily paid an extra grand or more to cover the sponsorship but they had to be seen as ‘doing’ something charitable.

  The charity for years had been called ‘Give someone a chance’, which Sylvie thought was a silly name as the poor boys would probably be given no chance when they received a kicking from the snobs. She’d raised this objection for a long time and Roo would just say she was being judgemental and not very kind to people from a privileged background. Sylvie put that down to her husband thinking people were as lovely and open minded as him. He wasn’t the brightest at certain things.

  Sylvie flung the invitation, along with a letter which was enclosed, onto the mantelpiece in the kitchen and promptly started to make some cupcakes for Year 4’s cake sale at school, which looked like it was going to take place in the snow.

  Trudging along a few hours later, the wind biting her face, she walked towards the school. There were some mothers who used to be friends with her
before Rupert died. Sylvie just ignored them knowing they’d turn their backs on her, as so did their bratty kids on Daisy.

  Realising she was being rude, she heard some faint ‘hellos’ but smiled at the other mothers, the working class, ethnics, ignoring the WMCs who had taken over selling the cakes as if they were the main reason the school raised money. Handing her cakes over and being told a cheery ‘thank you’, she turned and waited for her child to come out.

  Then she did a double take.

  Finlay was sat in his Porsche smiling at her from the other side of the road as she shook her head. Then he started to come out of the car and she mouthed ‘no’ but he walked in, his head covered in a flat cap but his grin revealing he knew this was going to wind her up.

  ‘Hello darling!’ he said cheerfully, putting on his really posh voice as he walked towards her and bent to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she hissed, knowing the WMCs were looking over at her. ‘Finlay!’

  ‘It’s Friday night and I wanted to see you plus you sprinted after ravaging my body this morning and I felt a bit used. I know you’ve barred me from being part of Daisy’s life but Toby’s in a mood and said he needed cheering up. I thought I’d take all four of us out. That way, it’s being nice,’ he whispered and she noticed he was smiling at anyone looking his way, and indeed they were looking.

  ‘You should’ve called.’

  ‘I wanted to see you,’ he said, leaning down to whisper as the bell went. ‘Can I come round to yours?’

  ‘No!’ she hissed. ‘You’re going to get the playground talking at this rate plus you don’t do council.’

  ‘I do council residents,’ he smirked as she saw Daisy come out and smile as soon as she saw Finlay.

  ‘Ah, she remembers me!’ Finlay sighed as he genuinely smiled. ‘We’ve been together four weeks tomorrow, it’s our anniversary.’

  ‘You’re having some sort of a break down.’