Leaving a note for her on the pillow before he went.
Jogging past Grosvenor Square, he headed towards Hyde Park. Stopping once there to stretch his limbs before beginning a circuit around the perimeter and along the Serpentine.
Running was his tonic. It helped clear his mind and gave him energy. The more cluttered his mind, the harder he ran.
He turned over the day’s events. Was he being selfish for dismissing Joe and Badger’s request so readily? Possibly, but everything was already planned. They were naive to expect Karma Life to change everything at this late stage to accommodate them. Anyway, Eliza didn’t seem too keen either.
And then there was his grandma. He needed to spend more time with her. With her and his grandad. He hadn’t noticed her getting old and now, suddenly, she was.
At least everything was good with Eliza. That was just perfect.
Dripping with sweat and feeling like he had sorted all the jumbled thoughts in his mind, he decided to make his way back.
Stopping at a bench he put his leg up onto the back of it and stretched out his hamstrings. A young woman pushing a pram stopped to sit on the bench, adjusting the clothing on the baby and pulling up the blanket that it had kicked off. She stared at him and smiled. A beautiful smile from a beautiful face.
They exchanged pleasantries about what a lovely day it was and how they were blessed to spend time outside on an afternoon like that. She told him she was looking after the baby for her sister. It wasn’t hers, she felt obliged to tell him.
As he walked off he thought about how in days gone by he would have flirted with the woman. Maybe taken her number. Not now. He didn’t give any other woman a second thought in that sense. Eliza was his one and only.
She was talking to someone on the phone when he got back to the room. Showered and in a hotel robe with a white towel wrapped like a turban around her head.
She covered the mouthpiece. “Kurt. Just checking on arrangements for the studio sesh on Wednesday,” she explained.
He nodded, took a bottle of water out of the fridge and glugged it all down in one go before getting in the shower.
When he got out, Eliza was stood at the bathroom vanity unit, naked and rubbing moisturiser onto her body. Dripping with water he enveloped her from behind with his arms, rubbing his chest up against her back. Their slippery skin gliding against each other.
“You smell nice.” He murmured into her ear.
“It’s the hotel body lotion. Some fancy brand.”
He slid his hands around her, caressing her stomach and breasts.
“Mmm. I can’t keep my hands off you Eliza.”
“I know. Me too.” She glided around to him, kissing his neck, just below his ear lobe. The place that drove him wild. Running her hands over his toned shoulders and back. Squeezing his muscles in the way she knew he liked.
His cock sprang into action, nestling itself naturally between the top of her legs. They were so perfectly matched. Him only marginally taller than her.
He started moving his hips. Feeling her heat on top of the sensitive surface of his cock.
“Mmm.” His lips buzzed into the side of her neck.
She tickled his ear lobe with her tongue. Nibbled at it. Gently pulling and sucking. He let out a low rumble.
The doorbell rang.
“Shit. That’s bad timing,” he complained, pulling a towel off the chrome heated towel rail and wrapping it around his waist.
Jonny was relieved it was a male attendant, his cock had not quite returned to its respectful state. A bulge evident at the front of the towel.
The waiter wheeled the trolley through the room and lifted it out on to the terrace as Jonny had requested. He switched on the lights that lined the canopy on the terrace and covered the table with a linen cloth tagged down at the edges by silver clips. He laid out ornate cutlery and crystal cut glasses on each side of the table. Finally placing a single a slender vase at its centre.
The champagne bucket was placed onto a stand and he showed Jonny where the food and plates where, keeping warm in the double doored compartment at the bottom.
After graciously receiving his tip the waiter backed out of the room. Jonny putting the “Do Not Disturb” hanger on the door knob. Noticing the remote control for the hi-fi sound system on the shelf next to the door, he switched it on. “Sara” by Fleetwood Mac floated out of the speakers and Jonny nodded in appreciation.
“Who was that?”
“Just Room Service.”
Knotting the cord on her robe, she went into the living area, as if to check for herself.
“Oh that’s beautiful Jonny.” Running her fingers over the pristine white table cloth and pressing her nose into the fragrant centre of the yellow rose.
He went to pull on some joggers and joined her barefooted back on the terrace.
Pouring two glasses of champagne, he handed her one and they stood looked out over the balcony to the street scene below and the rooftops ahead. Thousands of lights from windows in commercial tower blocks and high rise apartments. Office workers and shoppers hurrying home. The roads snaking with red braking lights.
“I do love this place. London I mean. It’s vibrant and quirky and… so…”
“British.” Jonny finished off her sentence.
“Yeah…British. Although it’s a melting pot of cultures. I love that about it too.”
Jonny raised his glass to hers in agreement.
“So what’s in the trolley?” She bent over to open the doors of the heated cabinet.
“You in a minute, if you don’t stop bending over like that.” Coming up behind her and rubbing his groin against her backside.
She turned her head and swatted him with her hand.
“You know you can’t come between me and food.” she answered playfully.
“I’d give it a damn good go.”
“Mmm.” She couldn’t resist. “I think it will stay hot in there for a little while longer if you want to carry on where we left off. You’ve got a promise to keep anyway. Remember?’
“Uhuh. That I have. And you know me, I’m a man of my word. I always keep a promise.” He slipped his hand into her robe and with the slightest touch she had completely forgotten about food.
Chapter Eight
“Well I like them all.” Jonny plopped another sugar cube into his mug of tea. “What about you Angel?”
She came in from the balcony, sliding the doors shut behind her. The weather that afternoon had taken a turn for the worst and the cool air blowing in to the room made her shiver. Grey skies were threatening to let go of their load at any minute.
“I liked the one on Primrose Hill with the annex.” She flicked through the pile of brochures on the coffee table. “This one.” Handing him the sale particulars.
“Cool.” He opened the brochure, looking at the photographs to remind himself of which one that was. “Any particular reason?”
She sat down on the arm of the sofa, putting her arm around his shoulder.
“Just thinking about whether it would be a good idea for your grandma and grandad to move in to the annexe?”
Now Jonny was used to Eliza throwing curve balls. She just had that sort of “out there” view on life. But this curve ball looked very much like domesticity. Settling down. Nesting… Hmm. Nesting. That term she used in Amsterdam was starting to form a deeper meaning. More than just finding a house. Much more. It was definitely not what he expected her to say. But then she was saying a lot of stuff at the moment that was unexpected. He was only just getting over her idea of them living in London. Now to have her family living with them too?
“Okay,” he said tentatively, “I’m not completely adverse to the idea. But why?”
She hesitated for a moment and rubbed his back. “I didn’t want to worry you, but your mother said something whilst your grandma was away from the table yesterday. Some gangs on the estate have been marauding in their apartment block. It seems they’re both frightened to go ou
t on their own.”
Jonny ran his fingers through his hair and blew out the rising anger in his chest with a long breath. “I’m not having that. Who do they think they are? My grandad fought in the war and now some little shits are making him afraid to leave his own home.”
He pushed up off the sofa, and started pacing the room.
“Why didn’t mum say anything to me this morning?”
“I don’t know Jonny. Perhaps she didn’t want you to freak out. We had house viewings that we were committed to.”
He stopped at the window. Looking away from Eliza he said determinedly. “Even so. I did say I’d visit them. I’m going there now.”
Eliza rose off the sofa arm towards him.
“I’ll come with you Jonny.”
“No. I’d rather you stay here. If I see any of those little bastards, there will be hell on and I don’t want you getting caught up in it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t get in to any trouble Jonny.” She put her arms around him. “Promise?”
He didn’t answer, but kissed her instead.
She didn’t press for an answer, knowing he would do whatever he wanted when it came down to something like this.
He pulled on his trainers and cap and tapped in the number on his phone to the chauffeur they were using on this trip.
“I won’t be too long Angel.” He said, covering the mouthpiece on the mobile. “We’ve got the label meeting at four haven’t we?”
“Yeah four, so you’ll need to be back her forty-five minutes before. Unless you want to meet me there?”
He shook his head and mouthed, “I’ll come back here for you. We’ll go together.”
“Okay. Whilst you’re gone, shall I put in an offer on the house, or ask for another viewing?”
He held up his hand to her, the chauffeur was answering his call.
“Yep, how quick can you get here. I need to go to South London.”
A pause whilst the chauffeur replied, Jonny then answered, “Great, see you downstairs in five.”
“Sorry Eliza. Yeah, see if we can go back there in the morning on our way to the TV studio. I’ll get grandad to come along.”
He put his arms around her waist and drew her into him. “I promise I won’t go looking for trouble, you don’t have to worry. I’ll be back on time too.”
***
Jonny prowled around the estate hunting down any groups of lads loitering around. No luck. Fortunately.
He pounded up the cold grey stairs to the open walkway that wrapped around the front of each floor of the building. The smell of ammonia attacking his nasal passages. The balconies of all four apartment blocks looked out on each other in a quadrant that enclosed the car park and he could see the car he’d just got out of being chased by a pack of feral kids. He stopped to look, hanging over the wall to get a good look at them. The average age must have been seven. Surely not the gang that had been frightening his grandparents? Carrying on to their apartment door, he banged on the glass with his fist. He could just make out a glimmer of distant light through the netted curtains behind the door’s security glass.
They haven’t even got a spy glass, Jonny thought. Feeling he need to take care of them now, in the way that they did him when he was younger.
Eventually he heard the security chain sliding into its track, the bolts at the top and the bottom of the door being yanked across.
His grandad opened the door, peering out through the gap. “Yes?” his staged authoritative voice called out.
“It’s Jonny.”
The security chain was pulled back on its track and his grandad flung open the door.
“Jonny, my lad. Good to see you. Your grandma said you were gonna call around.” His grandad stepped aside and gestured to Jonny, “Come in.”
Jonny was irked to watch him looking up and down the balcony outside before shutting the door and pulling the bolt back across.
He entered the living room, his grandma sat in her usual chair watching TV.
“Oh Jonny love. She pushed herself up out of the chair and limped across to him. Holding her hands up to his face, she reached up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.
“I’ll put the kettle on.” She shuffled towards the kitchen, her hips only mobilising properly once she reached the sink.
Jonny took the opportunity to tackle his grandad about the gangs. “So what’s this I hear about some thugs on the estate? Eliza said they’re bothering you. Stopping you from going out.”
“Jonny we’re fine. It’s just that we’re getting on a bit and don’t like going out much. We’d rather stay in and watch TV.”
He wasn’t buying it. The worry was stamped all over his grandad’s face. His grandad had played down the idea of there being actual gangs on the estate, of course. Like any male patriarch would. “Scallywags” he had called them, which didn’t make them out to be as nasty as Jonny imagined they really were.
Looking around the maisonette Jonny noticed for the first time how everything looked so brown. Brown patterned carpets, beige worn sofa, brown and cream striped arm chair. Dark wood side board. It was all so out of date. Depressing even.
Eliza was right, if he could get them out of here, into a better area, then he should. This was no way for them to live. They deserved better.
“Me and Eliza are going to have a second viewing on a house tomorrow. Are you free to come with me grandad? Give me some advice on doing it up. Think it needs a bit of work and I’ve not got a clue about that sort of stuff.”
His grandad beamed. “Yes Jonny. I can do that. Where is it?”
“Primrose Hill.”
“What time?”
“Not sure yet. I’ll have to let you know.”
“Well you do that and I’ll check the timetables. Get the bus up there.”
“Erh. No you won’t. I’ll pick you up.”
“No it’s fine lad. Don’t want to bother you. I know how busy you are.”
“Seriously grandad, it’s no bother. Anyway you’re doing me a favour. The last thing I’m gonna have you doing is going out of your way to help me on this.”
“What about me?” His grandma asked, looking a little forlorn.
“Mum said she would come and sit with you grandma, whilst we’re out. Maybe take you out to the shops.”
“Oh, don’t I get to have a look?”
“Yes of course. Just not tomorrow. It’s a bit of a mess.”
Jonny wanted to get his grandad alone. Show him the house and suss out his view on moving into the annexe. He knew if his grandad was convinced then he in turn would persuade his grandma. Moving from their home of more than forty years would no doubt be a difficult adjustment for them.
They all sat a while. The conversation turned to what Jonny and Eliza had been up to in the last few months. His grandparents’ eyes faraway and expressions full of joy as he described the places he had been, the awards they had won and all the highlights of the last year. It was as if they were there with him. Living their youthful dreams through him.
***
The private chauffeured car pulled up outside the Primrose Hill address and the three viewers got out.
“We’ll need to get these gates electrified for a start.” Jonny said, as he pushed on the heavy creaking iron gates; pushing them back to the metal gate-stop mounted into edge of the driveway. “And, there’s plenty of space to create one of those carriage style drives so we can just drive in one gate and out the other.”
Eliza laughed at him. Cars were another of Jonny’s obsessions. She’d never learnt to drive and was quite happy being ferried around. Her fear of crashing into someone was quite real. It didn’t take a psychologist to deduce it was probably something to do with her parents’ fatal accident.
“Is the place Victorian?”
“I’d have thought so grandad.”
They peered through the windows waiting for the agent to turn up. The curtains were only partly c
losed and when they wiped away the dirt on the outside of the glass pane they could make out the faded magnificence of the front reception room.
“Looks like it’s been empty a while.” His grandad commented, forehead pushed right up against the window.
“What did the agent say yesterday Eliza? Something about the family who owned it living abroad most of the time?”
“Yeah, something like that. Think they bought it with grand plans of doing it up and then they never materialised. They’re selling it pretty much in the same condition as they bought it.”
“Shall we take a walk around the back?”
They fought their way through the overgrown wisteria clinging to the brickwork on the side of the house and through to the back garden. Emerging into the extensive garden. Shrubs and trees bordering the perimeter and another building in the far corner.
“What’s that then lad? Is it part of this house, or someone else’s?” His grandad pointing to the building.
“It’s a self-contained annexe grandad. It’s included in the sale. I think it was used as a guest residence. Only built a few years ago apparently.”
“It certainly looks in better condition than the house.”
Jonny looked at Eliza and winked.
“I’m sorry guys.” The out of breath agent emerged from under the woody climbing plant. “Hope you haven’t been waiting long. Traffic. It’s a nightmare, didn’t move an inch in twenty minutes… Erh, not here though, it’s nice and quiet in Primrose Hill, I meant…” She took a stabilising breath. “Shall we go in?”
She lead them back to the main house. “So what are your plans for the house then?” Trying to divert the conversation away from the London traffic.
“We’re thinking, if our offer is accepted, then we would put a new kitchen into an extension on the back, make three of the bedrooms ensuite and leave the other three as they are. New heating system; possibly electrics.”
“And the annexe?” added Jonny’s grandad.
“Just needs decorating but really we could do with someone living there, to make sure the builders don’t take the piss when the work’s on in the main house and so there’s some sort of security when we’re not here.”
Loving his ANGEL_A Rock Star Romance Page 6
