by S M Mala
‘What do you mean ‘cruel’?’ asked Hatty as she felt Jake squeeze her tightly. ‘What did he do?’
‘Left her de day after she marry to give ‘er shame,’ said Ethel quickly and stood up, wavering for one moment and looking like she was going to fall.
‘If you want to be together you’re going to have to keep it quiet,’ said Murray, standing up quickly to help Ethel. ‘You won’t have the courtship you deserve and this makes me sad because the same thing happened between Eloise and myself.’
‘Then we’ll move,’ said Jake quickly. ‘Go and live somewhere else and-.’
‘This is my home,’ said Hatty gently as he looked at her. ‘And when you go back to New York this will all pass and we’ll see what happens next.’ She felt sick to her stomach saying it and closed her eyes for a moment. ‘So Aunt Ethel, we’re not to tell anyone we’re together, be seen touching or talking in an intimate way, is that what you both want?’ She looked at the pair of them. ‘Then it’s good Jake lives with me.’
‘Hatty, ya can’t tell Delores, ya hear?’ said Ethel sternly. ‘Ya ‘ave to lie to ‘er, ya promise? Me ‘ear what ya say to ‘er so change it.’
‘But Murray can’t surely lie to her,’ said Hatty, feeling confused.
‘I will if I have to,’ he said, walking out onto the balcony.
‘Is he angry with us?’ Jake eventually asked, looking at Hatty then at Ethel.
‘He not angry but ‘e very worried what sort of tings dis whole romance will bring up, after all dese years.’
‘Good or bad?’ Hatty quickly asked as the expression on Ethel’s face spoke volumes.
Twenty
He’d barely said anything as they got back home and just sat on the beach in the cove. She wanted desperately to go and see him but the sea was shouting that evening with the wind smacking into her face. Hatty knew it didn’t want her to go near. Sitting on the ledge, her legs dangling over, she wondered what he thought about Murray’s comment he was having an affair with Eloise while married to Jake’s mother. Already obstacles were coming thick and fast at them and it was only the beginning of the relationship. Hatty wondered if it would soon be the end.
Closing his eyes he, didn’t know what to think about his father’s words. He was effectively saying he cheated on his mother at the very beginning of their marriage to be with Hatty’s mum.
‘Fuck,’ he said into his hands, feeling both like crying and a sense of disappointment.
And in all this, no one had told Hatty her mother was raped on her wedding night and that’s how she was conceived. Half of Jake wanted to tell her, to let her feel some sense of his hurt. The other half wanted to protect her from the same hurt he was feeling at the moment. As Jake turned his head, he got a surprise to see Hatty sitting very close to the edge of cove, her feet dangling over the ledge as she stared at the sand. Slowly getting up, he let out a sigh and walked towards her as she looked up and didn’t smile.
‘I will come down one day,’ she said, seeing her eyes were slightly closed due to the wind in her face, her plait being lifted in the air. ‘It just seems a bit choppy.’
‘Jump down now,’ he said, seeing her gulp hard. ‘After what I’ve just heard today it’s nothing compared to walking in the cove.’
Jake saw the terror in her eyes as he said it and wanted her to suffer a little. She closed her eyes and jumped off the side, stepping forward and burying her face in his chest.
He was shocked.
‘If you wanted me to do this to prove I love you, I’ve done it,’ she said and he saw her eyes were firmly closed as she held onto him for dear life. ‘Now can we go home?’ Her body was shaking and Jake felt bad on seeing her petrified, tears streaming down her face. ‘Please can we go home?’
He immediately lifted her up and pushed back onto the ledge while jumping up as she lay flat on the ground. Jake saw she had her eyes tightly closed and drips were falling either side. Crouching down beside her, he stroked away her tears.
‘I don’t want you to hate me,’ she said and he noticed her trembling lip. ‘I know you probably think it’s my mother’s fault your father cheated on your mother but it’s not mine.’
‘I know,’ he said gently, as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Jake could forgive her for anything and smiled. ‘You were only a baby, the innocent one.’
‘Now can we have a driving lesson?’
As she drove, he sat slumped to her side, putting out his hand occasionally to make sure she was steering straight. He noticed she was trying really hard to drive properly and was mostly good, though there were a few times she was just looking at him and got stuck at traffic lights, only the beeping of other drivers making her aware she was distracted. Hatty pulled over to the side and stopped the car.
‘What’s wrong?’ he said, coming out of his deep thought regarding his father’s shoddy love life.
‘Your father and Aunt Ethel obviously know something’s up because they told us to make sure no-one knows about us,’ she quietly said. ‘And maybe you should move back in with your father to give us some distance.’ He immediately got riled by her comment and squinted in her direction. ‘That way gossips will-.’
‘I don’t really give a shit,’ he said, sitting up and glaring at her. ‘Do you give a shit?’
‘I’m worried for you. You’ve been ever so quiet and I don’t want you to be angry with anyone especially Murray. He’s trying to tell you things and some of them aren’t very nice. Jake, I don’t want to see you upset.’ Hatty was staring out onto the road. ‘I don’t want anyone causing trouble between you and your father.’
‘Can we just drive?’ he said, letting out a deep sigh. ‘I really don’t want to talk about this.’
‘Okay,’ she said, starting up the engine and driving carefully down the road until they reached the gates and parked outside the house. They both got out the same time as Hatty unlocked the front door. Jake looked at her back as she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. ‘I’m cooking tonight.’
‘Great,’ he said and went into the living room, sitting on the sofa, grabbing his laptop and flicking it open. Jake was lost in thought for a few moments. ‘Hatty!’
‘Yes,’ she said and he heard her drop a pan before smiling.
‘Can you come in here?’
‘I’m cooking.’
‘You can’t have started.’
‘Obviously,’ she said, walking towards him with her oversized apron on, hair bundled on top of her head, being held in place with a large clip.
‘Why would dad be adamant about Delores not finding out? You know I heard she was in love with my father when she knew fully well he wanted to be with your mother. There’s got to be a reason why dad doesn’t want her to find out.’
‘Maybe because she really does disapprove of you and me?’
‘If she was in love with my father, and still is, shouldn’t she be happy? It’s like the cementing of two families.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me I was your father’s legally adopted daughter?’ she asked and he couldn’t speak for a moment. ‘I thought you’d at least tell me that.’
‘He told me when he came in October then arranged for this job. I didn’t think it was important and I knew he’d tell you when he was ready.’
‘What else are you holding back?’
‘I’m writing it all down,’ he said, opening his document. ‘It’s called ‘The Secret History of Hatty Ha Ha!’’
‘Is it funny?’ she smiled, standing still and as he glanced at her. ‘Or shouldn’t I ask?’
‘I’ll probably finish it by time I’m forty,’ he cheekily replied. ‘You think Delores is going to cause trouble for dad if she finds out about our romance.’ Hatty smiled widely. ‘It is a romance, isn’t it?’
‘It’s wonderful whatever it is,’ she said, turning around and walking back to the kitchen.
‘What are you making?’ he said, doing a search on Delores over the internet.
&n
bsp; ‘It’s a surprise.’
Hatty felt his lips on her breasts and him move in and out of her very slowly as she looked at the burnt food on the kitchen counter. They were both naked on the living room floor as the stench of the small fire slowly left the house. She felt him put his hands on her thighs, pulling her legs up higher as Jake pushed in deeper and she gasped, feeling his mouth moving over her neck. Her hands glided up and down his smooth back, then rested on his shoulders as Hatty looked into his eyes. They kissed while Jake made hard thrusts inside. She knew she was going to come as she bent her knees up higher, hearing their juices squelch together.
‘Oh,’ she heard him sigh and then he started to get faster, banging her with force.
Hatty scratched his back and squeezed his arse. Both of them were panting, waiting for something to happen as he ground his cock inside her as hard as he could. In a matter of minutes it was over as he rolled off her and carefully removed the condom.
‘Do men ever fill those up?’ she said, watching him tie a knot in the top and put it beside him.
‘Why do you ask strange questions?’ he laughed, propping himself up on his elbow as he looked down at her.
‘I’m just asking.’
‘I doubt it.’ Jake took his finger and ran it down the short length of her nose before resting it on her chin. ‘I’m starving.’
‘Sorry about dinner,’ she smiled, remembering he laughed so much at the small fire in the kitchen they ended up making love. ‘I don’t know what happened?’
‘You don’t have to whack the temperature up to the highest level to make it cook quickly. It doesn’t work like that.’
‘I’ll know for next time,’ she sighed and stroked his face. ‘I’ll learn to cook properly it’s just sometimes I get it very wrong.’
‘Shall we go out?’
‘Are we allowed to? Do you think Murray thinks we should be under curfew?’
‘We’re not to show we’re together but we can still go out, I mean we are roommates.’
‘Together,’ she smiled. ‘So you were in love with me for months?’
Hatty noticed a flicker of a smile on his lips.
‘I had to say something to show it’s serious though, let’s be honest, you were in love with me for months and I realised a little later on.’
‘Who says?’ she replied furiously, sitting up as he laughed, knowing it was true. ‘I never said.’
‘I could tell,’ Jake replied, looking up at her.
‘And you still screwed Gina Glory Glory though you knew it would upset me?’ she said challengingly. ‘You’re only twenty two so I suppose you want to screw around with a lot more girls?’ Hatty knew she had pursed her lips very hard and was trying not to show she was angry with the idea. ‘Is that what you’re going to do in New York? Get under the mistletoe and get dirty with the girls?’
‘You’re a jealous little thing, aren’t you?’ Jake smiled and lay back on the floor, putting his hands behind his head as he was still panting hard.
‘I have every reason to be jealous when I know you like a pretty girl.’
‘Hatty, we’re young. Things change,’ he said quietly. ‘Let’s enjoy what we have now.’
‘Okay,’ she said, feeling a sense of doom in his sentence, as if warning this wasn’t a long term situation which she knew about but didn’t want to hear.
‘Dad has booked the flights for 22nd December as I’ve got an interview on 23rd and then before you know it, I’ll be back on 2nd January and-.’
‘We’ll have five weeks left before you go for good, I know.’ Hatty quickly stood up and put her vest and dungarees on, walking to the kitchen not wanting to show how upset she felt about what he was saying. ‘We’ll probably try and keep in contact for a few weeks on the video link then you’ll get very busy and we’ll drift apart. But at least we have a good memory.’ She looked at the food in the dish and started to scrape it out, transferring it to a plastic bag she had on the side.
‘And sometimes you might visit us but you’ll be with someone else and you won’t want your wife to know about your fling with me. If I’m lucky you might come into my shop and buy something as a souvenir. Your friends will smile at the gifts and probably hand them to a charity shop.’ She put washing up liquid into the dish and filled it with hot water. ‘In the meantime, I’ll live in this house, make my creations and I’ll still be paying Murray off for the debt. I might have some lovers to pass the time but they won’t be from this island and will probably be divorcees or men wanting a bit of dark meat.’
She laughed at her comment, looking out of the window and at the sea.
‘I think that’s a bit of shitty thing to say,’ she heard as Hatty turned to see he was standing beside her with just his jeans on. Jake looked annoyed as she frowned. ‘And, can I say, I’m sick of you counting things down. Like when we did the swimming lessons last time and now when I’m going back. It bothers me.’
‘It comforts me to know when I have to get ready to say goodbye for good.’ Hatty held her breath when she said it and immediately knew she was going to cry at the thought. She turned around and started to scrub the dish, the hot water stinging her hands but she didn’t care. Hatty knew he was standing directly behind her and felt his arms wrap around her body as his head chin rested on the top of her head. ‘I need to prepare myself.’
‘I can’t promise you anything,’ he whispered into her ear.
‘I know, I know, I know,’ she said, feeling the tears drop on her cheek. ‘Since you came to the island, I can’t remember crying so much. I thought I put my cry baby Hatty days behind me.’
‘You know I love you.’
‘I just cry you see. As if I can’t put things into words and it’s silly.’
‘I’ve never felt like this about anyone before in my life and I’m a bit stuck on what to do,’ Jake said, very quietly. ‘I didn’t expect to be in this situation.’
‘You’ll still be my friend, regardless of what happens? I’d hate to think I’d lose a friend again.’ Jake turned her around and she looked up at his smiling face. ‘I actually like you. You’re not that bad.’ He laughed. ‘I love you, that goes without saying, but I like you too even though you are a little obnoxious and a slut from time to time.’
Twenty one
Jake stood in his apartment and this time it felt different. Everything was clean and tidy. Then he looked at the mirror and smiled knowing she was in his home without ever stepping a foot inside. He immediately wanted to ring her but remembered she’d set down more rules about not making any contact until he came back, knowing full well he’d only miss her more and would have to return to the island.
There was a pile of letters to the side and he peered out of the window onto the light dusting of snow on the streets and couldn’t fathom his emotions. He was happy to be back but devastated to be away from Hatty. It’s not how he expected to feel. Somehow, he was hoping for something like light relief. Murray was quiet on the flight home and didn’t speak or pry about Hatty. In fact, Jake realised he said less about her than usual and put this down to not wanting to discuss the subject further.
‘Ten days,’ he said, then laughed, realising he was counting down to when he’d see her again and wishing he hadn’t come home for the holidays.
Jake walked to his closet in the bedroom and looked at his suits before deciding which one should be worn for the interview, the following day, and feeling as if the whole world had just landed on his shoulders.
‘That’s amazing!’ said Murray, after Jake’s interview, as they sat in his father’s apartment. Jake looked into his glass of scotch, smiling brightly, undoing his tie. ‘When do you start?’
‘When I get back,’ he said, knowing full well he was in shock when ‘The New York Times’ offered him a contract job there and then that afternoon. ‘I said I might have to stay longer at ‘The Sun Today’. Sam was pretty laid back and told me to tell him a few weeks in advance when I was coming back.’
&nbs
p; ‘What did you say?’ Murray sat next to him and Jake knew this was an opening for a discussion.
‘I told Sam I was due to finish my contract at the end of May and I’ll be back in New York for the beginning of June.’ Jake held on to his breath for a moment. ‘I know Edward will extend the contract if I ask and-.’
‘Why are you doing this? You current contract ends at the beginning of February,’ his father asked and Jake knew the tone wasn’t happy.
‘Because when I sat in the interview, all I could think about was Hatty. You said to me a few months ago when I start working that would be it, I’d never get away. I realised I’d never get time to spend with her.’ Jake looked at Murray’s open mouth and noticed he didn’t look angry just upset. ‘I do love her dad and it’s killing me being away from that mad woman and it’s only been two days!’
He laughed out loud, relieved he could tell someone how he felt and let out a deep sigh.
‘And Hatty? What does she say about this?’ Murray asked quietly. ‘The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to go. I know that for a fact. I’m worried she might read something into this and then you won’t ever be able to be friends.’
‘We are friends but more than that.’ Jake stood up and walked towards the large glass windows on the side of the living room overlooking central park. ‘To be honest, I don’t know what to do. I just want to go back and see her.’
‘Have you told her about the job?’
‘You’re the only one I’ve told and Philip. Please don’t say anything to Delores. I want to tell Hatty myself.’
‘Have you spoken to her?’
‘She doesn’t want to see or speak to me until I get back,’ Jake smiled. ‘She says it’ll only make her miss me more and she needs to concentrate on her business.’
