Turning Point

by Georgia Hamilton

  The late sun is setting, and the garden is warm with bodies, and a few heaters. I close my eyes for a moment and take in the heat.

  “Can I have your attention for just a moment?”

  Trent is standing just in front of the band with Ma at his side. She’s gazing up at him her eyes full of love.

  I want that.

  Trent starts to thank everyone for coming and talks about the decision to walk away from the firm. He makes jokes about Thomas and Guy who are the last two partners remaining – there’s a chorus of laughter with a gentle percussion of clapping – a symphony of humour dancing around the garden.

  Taking a serious tone and reaching for Ma he says

  “I need to thank this beautiful woman, Rose for not only taking a chance on me, but allowing me to breathe again, so I bow out of what I thought was my one true love to be with my one true love”

  He leans her back and kisses her like an old Hollywood movie – this guy should write a book on being a gentleman!!

  The applause and whoops are silenced when the band strikes up Gloria Estefan I can’t stay away from you.

  Anyone who knows Ma and Trent, knows the story behind this. People say Ma looks like Gloria Estefan and Trent admits that’s why I fell for her, this song played at the very first meal we went to all 3 of us, and he says that’s the moment he realised he was in love with her. It was the first dance at their wedding and will always be their song.

  Guy Pearce Morgan, one of the partners, someone Ma is desperate for me to date, sidles up to me asking for a dance, I know I shouldn’t be hey it’s a party. He’s not my type, not at all. He’s too conservative for me, work is everything to him and life comes second. He’s attractive in a weak way. Short dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, about 6ft, slim build but he’s more football player than rugby player and I prefer the latter.

  He awkwardly spins me around on the patio, and my mind wonders whether he is as bad in bed as he is on the dancefloor.

  Evidently, he’s been enjoying the free bar, his hot brandy breath is like condensation on my skin and I have visions of my carefully applied Nars make up slipping off my face,

  I swear there is an extraordinary amount of moisture on my cheeks. I laugh as I think it’s probably more effective then micellar water.

  The snort that comes out my nose is far from attractive. Clearly Guy is stunned he pulls back and looks me dead in the eye, being a little tipsy he sways heavily with a questioning look on his face

  “sinuses” I shrug and make my escape.

  I steal a stool in the kitchen and idly flick through my phone liking Instagram posts and humming along to the band. I contemplate messaging Leilani – we’ve been friends forever, both misfits at school, her with her jet-black hair and ink eyes, they called her the Ice Queen, but nothing could be further from the truth. She’s the warmest, kindest soul I know. School would have been unbearable without her

  Before I get a chance to press call, I see Guy stalking towards me, he’s clearly two sheets to the wind, as much as I would love to watch him make a fool of himself, I know that Trent won’t take to kindly to drunken behaviour in his house. I duck down the back stairs into the basement and the family room.

  Safely behind the door, I turn the key in the lock and exhale – free at last. I walk to the French doors, so I can watch the party in my own space when I am knocked clean off my feet.

  “oomph”

  Connor

  I want to live in a house like this one day! Its un real to me that old man Fitz lives in a yard like this – its huge!

  He invited me to the party because that’s just the guy he is. Fitz saved me from a life of crime about 8 years ago. I was caught up with the wrong people and heading on a path to life in prison – straight. No stopping, No passing go.

  Fitz was covering at West London Magistrates Court as a duty solicitor the day I was up to answer my charges, we sat in the room outside court number 1, me in grey tracksuit, beat up Reebok Classic trainers, Fitz was wearing the sharpest suit I have ever seen, looking like he should be in that movie Casablanca or some shit.

  I still chuckle when I think of him all crisp he looked so out of place. I thought I was going to go straight back to prison, but somehow Fitz got me a 12-month suspended sentence. He offered me an apprenticeship at his firm, office junior shit. Filing, copying working in the mail room, that kind of thing. I got paid legitimately for the first time in my life, I was 18 and clueless. Now 26, I work with for a friend of Fitz. Michael and his son Aaron.

  Fitz introduced me to them a few years back, Aaron runs a group of specialist car dealerships, all financed and backed by his dad. I get such a buzz out of making the sale, knowing every pound the customer spends there’s a bit coming back to me – it beats the hustle.

  I stand at the back of the garden during Fitz’s speech. Watching him command the attention of everyone there, his wife firmly at his side. He’s a stand-up man, everyone loves and respects him. He was so dedicated to his work I had wondered what he was going to do with his time until I saw him with his wife and its clear he is as dedicated to her as much as he was Law.

  I join in the applause as he ends with a flourish, the band starts up some song that’s got his wife looking at him like he hung the stars, they share a little kiss and start to dance.

  Man, it gives me all kind of feels. I grab my beer off the side and head down the steps to side of the me, there’s large patio with bi folding doors at the bottom, I pull the doors back and check behind me just to make sure security isn’t about to haul my arse out of here for breaking and entering or some shit. Habit I guess

  I spin round and take something, or someone clean out BAM – knocked to the floor. Anthony Joshua style KO.

  “oomph”

  I look down and there is a slip of chick, flat on her arse firing daggers at me

  “arrrghh!! SHIT, are you ok?”

  Leaning down to help her up, I pinch my lips together to stop me smiling, she’s the cutest thing I have ever seen. Her hair is golden brown, with wispy curls breaking out of her clip, her eyes are hazel brown and even they’ve got flecks of gold in them, she’s wearing a strapless black dress, it flares out on the floor where I’ve dumped her unceremoniously

  She grabs my hand and I tug up, maybe it’s a little too hard, I have pulled her clean off her feet again and straight into my chest, she braces her hands-on impact

  With the deepest frown I have ever seen she asks

  “what the fuck are you made of? Lead?!!”

  I can’t control the smile that erupts on my face this time, my chest isn’t made of lead, but I swear my boxers are now full of lead as I half-mast instantly when I take her all in – Christ she’s beautiful.

  I can’t help but wink “Not all lead no, there’s a little muscle in there too”

  She looks up and raises her eyebrows – “oh really?!”

  “yep – I can show you if you like?”

  Dramatically she rolls her eyes

  “yeah, erm that’s not going to be necessary, but kind of you to offer”

  She leans down to adjust her shoe, which must have slipped off, she’s leaning on me to keep her balance, fuck me if those shoes aren’t the sexiest thing ever.

  Almost the same colour as her skin like a café latte they blend perfectly, the only give away is the bright red sole – the same colour red I note as her lips. So damn kissable.

  I realise she must have caught me staring at her mouth, she inhales sharply and her eyes glaze just a little – yeah, she’s imagining kissing me too.

  “Well maybe you’ll take my offer of a drink instead? My way of apologising?” I point back up to the garden where the band is in full flow now

  “Offering me a drink at a party with a free bar is a little cheap don’t you think?”

  “Who said anything about having a drink here? I was definitely NOT talking about a drink here”

  I try giving her my best, ‘yeah, I am bullshitting but look how c
ute I am’ face, all she does is laugh and damn if it doesn’t hit me straight in my groin

  “As tempting as that sounds, and as adorable as you look right now, I can’t slip out just yet. That sickly couple up there, dry humping in front of everyone? They belong to me”

  She can clearly see me trying to work it out in my head

  “my mum and Trent, he’s my step dad”

  “ahhh, cool – well for the record, I wasn’t going for adorable I was going for sexy”

  I exaggerate and pout my lips trying to “smize” like Tyra says (yeah, I watch Americas Next Top Model, And what??!!)

  There’s that laugh again – man I need to free some space in my trousers because I am going to buss out any minute and in more than one way

  “not sexy but it’s got potential…” She is leaning in to me, I don’t know if it’s the buzz of the alcohol or the heat but my head starts to spin, I go to lean in, meet her half way when we are interrupted.

  A voice from above says “Leilani!! You made it” sounds like Fitz’s wife, her mum I guess.

  Her head snaps up towards the steps and I know she’s about to walk away from me, I tug her hand a little to bring her attention back to me.

  “so, what do I have to do to get a date with you, if not now another time??”

  She spins away from me heading out the same doors I walked through not 10 minutes ago

  “Ask. All a man has to do is ask” her eyes twinkle as she says it, I hold my breath, and with that she’s half way up the stairs leaving me staring at her phenomenal arse as she stays away.

  Rayne

  I have never been so pleased to see Leilani! My god that was intense! I have no idea who that guy was or how he knows Trent but dear god he was hot.

  Hotter than any man I have seen in a very long time.

  “Hola Bitch face” Leilani breaks my thoughts

  “Ciao sugar tits”

  We hug like it’s been longer than 24 hours since we last saw each other. Mid kiss she screeches in my ear “Hubba Hubba, who is that tall drink of fine “

  I turn around and see hot guy coming up the steps heading towards us

  “I don’t know” I answer truthfully, I can’t look away because he’s pinned me with his eyes, he’s walking with such purpose I think I want him to toss me over his shoulder and take me to the nearest bed – except Ma and Trent’s, that’s just ewwww.

  “well he’s coming this way and if he is fair game I am all over it”

  He’s been stopped by Trent’s friend Michael, him and his son Aaron own like a dozen car places, he’s introducing him to a couple of people. He shakes each of their hands and engages in polite conversation. He catches me looking at him and motions to Aaron who’s now joined by his playboy cousin Shaan, that he’ll be back in a minute

  I focus my attention back on Leilani, we’ve never fallen out over a man and I am not about to start but I saw him first damn it!

  “I met him in the family room for the first time just now” I all but stammer

  She laughs the filthiest laugh known to man “is that you calling dibs?”

  “what? erm…I guess”

  She gives a small whoop and hip bumps me

  “Sorry to interrupt”

  Yep he’s in front of me now…

  “you are not interrupting sweets, I’m Leilani and you are?”

  “Connor” he says leaning in giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek

  “Rayne here was just calling d….” I cough loudly to interrupt my loud mouth friend

  “Leilani, I think Ma is signalling for you” I elbow her hard and hope she takes the hint

  She gives us another rendition of her outrageous laugh

  “Ok, Ok! Ma Rose needs me I get it, although baby cakes, you did call dibs, so I wasn’t going to make a move on him anyway” and with that she saunters off towards Ma and Trent

  I swear I can feel the colour rise from my feet right up to my temples, I am going to kill her

  “so, you called dibs eh?”

  I shake my head, “nope she’s got a vivid imagination that one”

  Doing that sexy head lean thing he does, Connor searches my face as if trying to read me he breaks into a face splitting grin

  “you’re a terrible liar”

  I know I am about to drop a shit eating grin his way, so I bite my lip and reduce it to a smirk

  I shrug my shoulders “whatever”

  He leans down to my ear, I mean the guy is at least 6’3, I am in 5” heels yet he’s bent in half to get to my head height.

  “Rayne, will you go on a date with me?” he whispers, his mouth so close to me, my skin prickles in anticipation. If a scent could make you orgasm on the spot, his would be it. It’s not like anything I have ever experienced. Its clean, citrusy but so masculine. I feel like pepe le pew, floating on a heady cloud of sexy.

  I turn my head a little, mainly to answer, but also to get more of him under my senses

  “possibly, depends what you have in mind”

  I get jolted from behind as Leilani is being taken for a spin by Guy around the makeshift dancefloor. Connor instinctively puts his arm around my waist pulling me flush against him, I can feel his groin flex at the contact. Oh god!!

  He holds me in place, his evident erection against my stomach. He shifts slightly, almost to make sure I know it’s there, I hold onto him, because I know if I don’t steady myself I am going to fall and hard.

  The band start playing Teddy Pendergrass, I know Ma selected every song they’re playing tonight.

  Connor gently starts moving with me to the music. He pulls me as close as he can, dipping his head into the crook of my neck and starts to sing along

  “come here baby let me blow your mind, let me do what I want to, let me make sweet love to you baby”

  I think I purred, a full on back of my throat purr just bubbled to the surface, Connor nuzzles into my neck a little more, his mouth pressed to my skin and I am a contradiction, not only am I on fire but I am so damn wet it’s like I nipped into the Thames that’s behind me for a dip

  I forget that I am in Ma’s back garden, I forget that I only met this specimen moments ago. I get lost in his smell, his body, his arms.

  “If you keep making noises like that, I cannot be held accountable for what I do next”

  The aim was to use English and formulate a sentence as a response but blow me down I am flipping purr again.

  He growls, full on Tony the Tiger “Grrrrrrrrrrrr...Rayne, because I really do want to take you on a date and would rather I didn’t embarrass myself and expose my lack of self-control, I am going to step back in a moment and we’re going to exchange numbers and then I am going to leave. I am leaving because I have never had a woman affect me the way you are right now, and I promise, If Fitz wasn’t your step dad I would take you somewhere, bury myself so deep into you and rock both our worlds. But he is and I kind of like him, plus my boss is here and Aaron is a certified madman who would have me buried before I could make you cum a third time”

  He steps back as promised and hands me is iPhone

  Again, the use of my tongue, brain and sensory functions have left me. Speechless at the heat of his words and limp with desire, I barely manage to take his phone from him. I put my number in and hand it back to him.

  He presses call and hangs up after one ring.

  “save the number because I am going to call you tonight, when I am alone in bed and believe me, that look you’ve got right now, the whole glassy eyed, pouty mouth ready to be fucked look, that’s going to be on my mind. So, if you’re not alone and in bed, don’t answer – just call me back when you are”

  With that he kisses me on my left cheek, as he moves to my right cheek he hovers over my mouth and blows gently, I open my mouth a fraction, I just want to inhale a little bit of him, he softly kisses my cheek, squeezes my hip then turns and walks back towards Shaan.

  I unsteadily lean against the wall and watch him saying his fare
wells.

  He’s wearing a Navy blazer, white shirt, dark jeans, and brown shoes. His hair is wavy and cut very low at the back longer on top, I think dark, but not black although I can’t be sure. He’s got the most beautiful olive skin, and his eyes, they are like a grey green – I have never seen eyes so enticing before, I have never met a man so enticing before. His cheekbones are sharper than should be allowed on a man, and oh yes did I mention he had two dimples in his left cheek. FML he’s gorgeous

  “you’re drooling Rayne, lift your jaw up of the ground darling you’ll catch flies” Ma has appeared from nowhere and her line of sight is the same as mine

  “Ma, you’re not normal and possibly drunk”

  “possibly, but I am a happy drunk, a happy drunk who wants to dance with my beautiful daughter”

  She drags me by the hand to the middle of the dancefloor, accosting Leilani on the way we each hold one of Ma’s arms up in the air as we hit the dancefloor.

  The music has switched to Gypsy Kings they’re favourites of ours, growing up Ma and I used to dance around the kitchen to them all the time, tonight under the dusky sky surrounded by family, friends old and new, Leilani, Ma and I take centre stage, swinging our skirts vigorously from side to side, dancing around each other, the odd stamp of the foot for effect. This is my happy.

  Trent comes up behind Ma and joins in the fun. Leilani and I are now in hold as the dancefloor fills up. Mid spin I look at the gate and see Connor. I take my hair out of its clip, letting my wild curly mane free, holding one of Leilani’s hands I lean back feeling free as the guitar washes over me. When I shimmy back to standing, he’s still watching me. I bite my lip and shrug. He laughs, shakes his head and leaves

  Connor

  I make my back to New Cross, back to my flat, back to my reality.

  I usually leave it until as late as I can to go home, it’s not where I want to be anymore.

  Don’t get me wrong, I like having some independence and having a place that I can call my own. To be honest, when I got my break and Fitz walked into my life, he helped me out so much I will always be grateful, he knows who I was and who I am now. He wrote the letters and banged on the doors to get me this place. The day we picked the keys up, I was so happy, my own place, somewhere I would never have to leave because I didn’t fit. We parked up a van that I had hired, and I looked up at the 4th floor, my new home.