Good Vibration

by S M Mala

  Her loss of home and husband was a startling turn of events and Finlay felt her pain, seeing what she had been left with.

  ‘I’d take you on a tour of my manor but I can do that in thirty seconds,’ she replied as he heard music upstairs. ‘That’s Daisy. She likes to sing.’

  Then the little girl started to break into song and Sylvie smiled at him for a moment.

  ‘Are you okay? I did clean the place a few days ago,’ she said apologetically. ‘And I do have Egyptian cotton 400 thread sheets for your bed.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, wanting to desperately kiss her. ‘This is a family home.’

  ‘Not the original one but good enough,’ she said quietly and sat on the sofa putting her glass down, then tapped the seat next to her.

  He followed.

  ‘Are you going to tell me what happened with your wife?’

  ‘I’m not getting back together with her or moving in, though she had some strange ideas about us,’ he whispered, as she frowned. ‘I know I let you down on that bit before but I’m telling the truth.’

  ‘What ideas?’

  ‘Oh, she was saying we could live separately in the same house but be there for James and, maybe, he could have a brother or sister,’ Finlay laughed but watched the full horror on Sylvie’s face. He knew he shouldn’t have told her that but he promised he’d be honest. ‘It’s not a feasible idea. I told her so.’

  ‘You’re considering it?’ she said quietly and he knew she was getting upset. ‘You want more kids? Of course you want more kids!’ Sylvie laughed for a moment, and he knew it was strained. ‘I would have wanted a brother or sister for Daisy.’

  As she closed her eyes, he knew she was clicking something over.

  ‘I love you,’ he whispered. ‘I want to be with you.’

  ‘Until when?’ Sylvie let out a deep sigh. ‘If you’re going to hurt me again then just tell me now.’

  Gently he stroked the back of her neck. It was the first time he’d touched her properly. She felt warm and smooth.

  ‘God, I really want to make love to you,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘I really missed you Sylvie. It made it feel really confusing when I saw Juliette. I felt less angry and more sorry, to be honest. She’s devastated about losing the apartment and more so the business.’

  Sylvie looked at him then up at the ceiling before slowly pulling him closer and kissing his lips gently, but her eyes were filling with tears as she furiously blinked them back.

  ‘You know I love you,’ she said quietly as something burst in his chest. He laughed for a moment before sighing. ‘But take your time over this. I’m sure there’s an easier way than selling up and forcing your wife to come over to London. Surely Alice isn’t going to be that much of a bitch?’

  Again, he laughed out even louder as he noticed the look of confusion and hurt on her face.

  ‘Sly, I love you so very much.’

  ‘I have an idea!’ announced Daisy as she came stomping down the stairs and the pair sat a little away from each other, Sylvie quickly wiping her eyes. ‘I was thinking about your wife.’

  ‘Daisy!’ Sylvie said, shaking her head from side to side before turning to him. ‘Seriously can’t you think about something else?’

  ‘Mummy, listen to me, I think it’s a good idea,’ she said and let out a disdainful sigh in the direction of her mother as Finlay wanted to laugh.

  Daisy was a miniature version of Sylvie and just as loveable.

  ‘What is it?’ he asked, leaning forward, admiring the little girl in ‘Superman’ pyjamas.

  She walked towards them and waited for Sylvie to move away as Daisy sat down in between. He glanced at Sylvie as she grabbed her drink and took a massive sip.

  ‘You know when you meet someone you like, like a new friend?’ Daisy said, looking straight into his eyes. Finlay was startled. She had nearly every feature of her mother and nodded. ‘Well you want to keep their friendship, don’t you? Sometimes you share your presents and things. Do you think your wife gave her new friend the money that’s gone missing?’

  Finlay double blinked as Sylvie turned her head sharply.

  ‘Why would she do that?’ Sylvie asked and leaned forward.

  ‘So they’d stay friends,’ her daughter replied, before grinning at Finlay. ‘I bet that’s where the money’s gone, on her new friend.’

  As Sylvie put Daisy to bed, Finlay was on the laptop emailing the accountants asking them to trace the money. He suddenly thought of the restaurant and wondered if there was more to it.

  Time and time again, he shook his head in disbelief that a nine year old could have come up with a lead. Getting to his feet he went to the kitchen to fill up the glasses, then stood still when he saw the wall with pictures of Sylvie’s life.

  Suddenly everything stopped as he examined baby photos of Sylvie, Rupert and Daisy, their friends and family, pictures with Santa, on the beach, a whole array and he wished he had been part of it.

  Then it dawned on him that, even with Juliette and his perfect life, it wasn’t perfect, it never had been. It lacked warmth and that’s what he felt in the three bedroom ex-council maisonette, a true depth of warmth and happiness which he realised he craved for more than anything else in the world.

  He’d fallen asleep in her arms that night on the sofa. As she led him to the spare bedroom, she quietly fought off his octopus arms before leaving him to sleep.

  The following morning, she was woken by sounds from the kitchen and realised the pair of them were awake, mostly due to the smell of burning toast.

  Quickly having a shower and getting changed, she walked downstairs and they were in the kitchen, sitting at the table. Finlay was wearing her oversized dressing gown she’d left on the bed for him and Daisy was still in her pyjamas.

  ‘Morning mummy!’ her child said and grinned for a moment before looking at Finlay.

  Sylvie walked in, stroked Daisy’s hair then touched Finlay’s shoulder.

  On first sight, he was grinning like a mad man and she wondered if that was down to his lack of sleep.

  ‘Did everyone sleep well? I don’t know what happened to me, I couldn’t get up,’ she said, knowing having him under the same roof, and in a different room, had totally distracted her, adding to lack of sleep as well as her concerns about his wife. ‘You’re both up bright and early!’

  ‘I slept really well,’ he replied and she noticed Finlay had a genuine smile. ‘The bed is really comfy.’

  ‘I’m pleased.’ Sylvie smiled as Daisy gave her mother a little look she couldn’t quite fathom. ‘Daisy you need to go up and get changed after eating your toast.’

  Within half an hour, they’d left to do the school run and Finlay was home alone.

  ‘Why are you walking so fast?’ Daisy asked, trying to keep up with her. ‘Why the rush?’

  ‘I feel like doing some exercise plus I don’t want to leave Finlay on his own.’

  The truth of it, she wanted to get back quickly to see him before he left.

  ‘He likes you,’ her daughter said with full authority. ‘He always seems pleased to see you.’

  ‘You’ve only met him a handful of times,’ she laughed out and held tightly onto her hand. ‘Finlay is a nice man.’

  ‘But he’s not as nice as daddy!’

  ‘No one will be as nice as daddy,’ she shrugged, knowing her perceptive child had picked up on something. ‘Daddy, I will always love and so will you.’

  ‘But you won’t love anyone more than daddy, will you?’

  ‘Daisy, these are really strange questions and I need to do lots of things-.’

  ‘Because if you do then you won’t want me.’

  She stopped dead in her tracks, making her daughter jolt back for a moment.

  ‘I love you more than anything and anyone in the whole wide world, nothing and no one will ever change that,’ she said, holding her child by the shoulders. ‘You mean more to me than you could ever imagine. I will always want you because
you’re my child, my baby.’

  Sylvie gulped hard knowing this was the start of a very long and new route for them.

  ‘Do you believe me?’ Sylvie quietly asked, bending down to look in to the large brown eyes which seemed a little confused. ‘And the person I love is going to have to love you first and foremost, and you must love them, so there will never be any confusion.’

  ‘But you can’t fall in love with Toby,’ her daughter replied, looking sheepishly away. ‘Maybe Finlay when he gets divorced.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  As she ran through her front door, she couldn’t hear anything.

  ‘Finlay!’ she shouted out and there was no reply.

  Sylvie’s heart sank thinking he’d got dressed and left. She poked her head into the living room before walking up the stairs. Just as she was about to go into Daisy’s room to pick up her pyjamas, she noticed something move in her bedroom.

  Finlay was lying in the bed, his bottom half covered by a sheet, hair wet … with a grin.

  Within seconds, she was naked and next to him, feeling his skin against hers. Burying her face into his neck, she wanted to inhale his scent for as long as possible.

  ‘She told me if I loved someone else I wouldn’t want her,’ she whispered and wrapped her arms tightly around his body. ‘That makes me very sad.’

  ‘She’s a kid and I know what she’s going through,’ Finlay replied and stroked her hair. ‘It’ll take time and-.’

  ‘If you want to hurt me, fine,’ Sylvie said, gulping hard and sitting up. ‘But don’t hurt my baby because she’s been through enough as it is. I’d hate to find she really likes someone again only for them to leave her.’

  He stared at her for moment and seemed to be examining her face as she pulled the cover over her bare breasts, realising it was the first time she had a man in her bed since Rupert. Sylvie rubbed her face feeling tired and wondered what was going on behind his green eyes.

  ‘You really have no faith in me, do you?’ he said quietly, slowly resting up on his elbows. ‘I know this is extremely confusing and I shouldn’t have mentioned living with Juliette and extending the family, but I want to be honest, honest with you. God, what can I do to make you believe that I’m not going to turn around and change my mind?’

  ‘You can’t Finlay because, if you want to know the truth, I don’t want to lose someone again, in death or life, as I can’t manage the heartbreak, you see, even if it is you.’

  Tears sprung to her eyes. What should be a joyous moment seemed so upsetting.

  ‘I’m not going to hurt your child and I’ll never hurt you.’

  ‘Never intentionally but we know what you’re like!’

  ‘Okay so sometimes I’m pretty blunt and, some might say, rude but it’s not to harm, it’s just me. Don’t look so worried,’ he said, stroking her face with a faint smile on his lips. ‘I’m not extending the family and-.’

  ‘I can’t give you a family, I can’t give you anything Finlay, don’t you understand? I’ve got nothing. I’m not from a high society background or anything. You’d be slumming it and I don’t want people to look down on you like they did to Rupert and-.’

  ‘Hey, no one did,’ he said, sitting up and grabbing her face. ‘I know Freya didn’t treat you or Daisy well but that’s not me, I’m not like-.’

  ‘Will you ever tell your mother? You can’t tell her about me as she’ll just think I’m doing it to spite her and what if Freya finds out? She’ll cause so much trouble.’ For a moment she examined his frown line between his eyebrows and gently touched it. ‘Then there’s my mother. After Rupert, she told me to keep away from men especially posh ones because she can’t stand their mothers.’

  The Finlay smile was now appearing across his face as he leaned forward and kissed her. Feeling his lips against hers made her want him more and she put her hands on his shoulders, caressing and stroking them.

  ‘Now can we fuck?’ he asked, before pulling her back down.

  ‘This is your charm offensive, I take it?’

  His mouth was all over her body within moments but she wanted him, so made sure he was on top and ready to get down to the nitty gritty.

  ‘Seriously, are you just using me for my prick!’ he laughed out and kissed her face. ‘Come on I’ve been dreaming about this for days and even your snoring from down the corridor didn’t put me off.’

  She laughed for a moment as he covered her face in little kisses and glided his hand up and down her side.

  ‘And I kept thinking about these floppy beauties,’ he said, his head moving down her chest and his mouth capturing her nipple.

  ‘I was told I had very good breasts for my age as they don’t sag that much,’ she said, knowing he was teasing. ‘And considering you’re a young stallion, you’re starting to fade at around thirty seconds.’

  ‘Oh come on!’ he said, propping himself up and looking at her. ‘You say I’m rude.’

  ‘Be rude with me.’

  The sex was hot and sweaty, as Sylvie kept the window closed, should any of her neighbours walk by and hear her panting.

  And was she panting hard as he thrust again and again, holding onto the head board so it didn’t bang against the wall.

  ‘Jesus! Why’s this bed so noisy?’ he groaned as she tried not to snigger.

  ‘How the hell would I know, I’ve never had sex in it!’ she laughed out loudly as he stopped holding on and looked down on her. Finlay grinned for second then kissed her gently. ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he replied and balanced on his elbows. ‘I’ll take it slowly.’

  ‘The lady next door’s deaf so she won’t hear anything, unless she can hear us and she’s fiddling with her eighty year old bits.’

  ‘Jesus why’d you say that?’ he said with utter alarm as she laughed. ‘That’s going to put me right off.’

  Again, he kissed her gently and continued to move at a slower pace, all the time smiling before he eventually came and buried himself into her body. She touched his perspiring back and inhaled his manly scent before looking at a pair of trainers on top of the wardrobe she’d bought for Daisy, which were still too big.

  ‘I love you,’ he whispered into her ear as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, then he turned his head to look at her. ‘I’m very honoured.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘I’m the first man you let sleep in your bed,’ Finlay whispered. ‘And the last.’

  ‘I suppose you are,’ she smiled. ‘And you might really be the last, give or take what happens in the next few months.’

  Fifty six

  ‘What’s the urgency?’ he asked, walking towards his mother’s office. ‘I was going to come in later.’

  ‘That’s all well and good but I’m not sure where you are half the time,’ Alice replied as he flashed a smile before kissing his mother on the cheek. ‘Why do you look so well?’

  ‘Healthy lifestyle.’

  Finlay had to sprint out of the hotel when he got the phone call, leaving Sylvie naked on the bed. He laughed at her shell shocked face and panic, when they realised Alice was calling, while she was in the middle of giving him a blow job. The poor thing choked when he answered the phone.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ Alice asked as he sat down on the sofa, spreading his arms out. ‘I do pay you to work.’

  ‘I work,’ he bluntly replied, not wanting to be reminded he hadn’t been coming in every day.

  There was a knock on the door.

  To his horror Stephen Seas walked in, all teeth and wild black hair, but this time kitted out in a suit.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ he asked, immediately getting to his feet. ‘Didn’t you do enough by insulting every woman at ‘Good Vibration’ just the other day?’ Finlay looked at his mother. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I know what happened was a misunderstanding but I explained to Mrs Caplin the circumstances and-.’

  ‘What did you say as way of an explanation?’ Finlay asked, be
fore turning to see his mother was looking down at the ground.

  ‘I told her I was hurt about being isolated since the incident with the police and Sylvie Mather. She hasn’t been that nice since then and… well… I misheard something and suddenly snapped. I shouldn’t have left like that, leaving everyone in the lurch but I was embarrassed and…’ Stephen looked like he was on the verge of tears. ‘I’m sorry, truly sorry. I wanted to go back in and apologise but…’ He let out a sad sigh.

  Finlay examined Stephen closely and could see he looked well, even the suit made him a little bit more attractive but not that much.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked gently, before sitting back down and flashing his mother a dirty look.

  ‘We need to sell our shares and Stephen did a lot of research for Piers’s company. I wanted him to advise us on whom we could approach and the marketable value,’ she said quietly, all the time staring at him. Finlay could she was clicking something. ‘Of course, we’ll consult with Sylvie but Piers is adamant we find a company that won’t close it down or push the other forty per cent out.’

  Alice let out a very weary sigh.

  ‘I’m also working in your accounts department, which is fascinating,’ Stephen said sincerely, which made Finlay want to laugh. ‘And… well… the reason I’m here is that I was also asked to look into the affairs of one of your businesses and I found out something which I think you should know, especially after my trip to France, I-.’

  ‘You went to France?’ Finlay turned to his mother. ‘I think you better tell me what’s going on.’

  He noticed his mother’s wry smile which seemed more uncomfortable than anything else.

  ‘Your mother-.’

  ‘Let my mother explain,’ Finlay said calmly, holding his hand up in the air for a moment. ‘Can you explain?’

  Alice looked Finlay square in the eye.

  ‘We were paying Stephen money, well not me directly but ‘Good Vibration’ and it seemed such a waste, as I know he genuinely wanted to apologise and return. Because of one thing or another, he couldn’t.’ She cleared her throat for a moment. ‘Piers mentioned he was good at research and I thought that…’ The hesitation spoke volumes. ‘It’s not that I don’t trust Sylvie or my husband, or you… but I think. because of things that have gone on, I want Stephen to return to ‘Good Vibration’ to look after our investment.’