by S M Mala
Eventually, he found her walking around the swimming pool without her shoes on, holding a glass of champagne while carefully balancing on the edge. He stopped and stared at her for a moment, knowing how much he loved her and seeing the light shine through her dress, admiring her curvy thighs.
‘Jacob, happy new year,’ said Delores, coming up behind him and kissing him gently on both cheeks.
‘You too!’ he said, clinking his rum and ice with her glass of champagne.
He noticed Hatty looked oblivious to what was happening, seemingly lost in thought.
‘And congratulations on your new job. Your father told me. I was very surprised to see you both here tonight.’ Delores was smiling but he gauged it wasn’t sincere.
‘We thought what better way to celebrate New Year. Usually we’re together in New York but as I now know about his hideaway, it seemed a good idea.’
‘How was Christmas with the family?’
‘Aunt Caroline made it wonderful,’ he smiled brightly. ‘I didn’t know you’d met each other over twenty five years ago.’ Jake knew exactly what he was doing as he examined her frozen expression. ‘The pair of you never said when she was here in summer.’
‘We’ve met over the years,’ she replied, sipping her drink.
‘She said she met Hatty’s mother and she was very beautiful,’ he continued. ‘And she could tell dad was smitten with her.’ Jake observed the look on Delores’s shocked face. ‘I know all about it. Dad told me he was in love with Eloise but married my mother then continued an affair while she was pregnant with Hatty.’ As he said it, the horror of his words was evident. ‘I think it’s good to be honest.’
‘I-.’ Delores was stuck then looked over at Hatty who waved as she continued her little walk. ‘Does she know?’
‘Some of it but she doesn’t seem to mind,’ he said brightly, glancing at Hatty and feeling very lustful. ‘I think she’s pleased my father is her legal adopted parent. How comes you’re not?’
‘I see,’ she said, gulping hard and her face seemed stuck. ‘It seems you’ve been having a major heart to heart with your father, though he never said.’
‘We’re trying to build bridges as I know he spent more time with Hatty than he did with me.’
‘That’s not true,’ she said sharply, as he saw Hatty stop walking then put her shoes on.
‘That’s how I see it,’ he said gently. ‘Do you think he compensates for the loss of Eloise with Hatty?’
‘Hello there,’ Hatty said cheerfully, walking to them with a bounce in her step. ‘Lovely party!’
‘I thought I’d never see the day you’d say that,’ Delores replied distracted. ‘I just have to go back in!’
She rushed into the main room. He turned to look down at the beautiful woman standing in front of him.
‘Hello,’ she said and looked around. ‘No one’s looking so can I kiss you?’
‘Quickly here,’ he said, pointing to his lips as she went on her tip toes and he leaned down.
‘When can we go back to bed?’
‘Is sex all you think about?’ he laughed.
‘When I’m with you, of course it is.’
She felt his lips gently kiss her tummy and move up to her breasts as his hands stroked her thighs and bottom. Hatty was naked on the bed as he grabbed her tightly, his fingertips massaging her skin.
‘Do you think anyone knows we’re in the same room? I tried to find Louisa before we left but I think she went off with this young waiter and Philip disappeared too.’
‘I don’t care,’ she heard him mumble as his tongue circled her nipple before he sucked on it, making Hatty groan. ‘I love my dungarees.’ She heard Jake laugh as he kissed her on the lips. ‘Why are you laughing?’
‘I’m touching you intimately and you’re thinking about dungarees. Not diamonds for my girl but Carharts.’
‘I know,’ she sighed looking at them on the chair. She stroked his face. ‘Now how much have you found out about me? I know Murray is my adopted father, mother had a heart problem and they slept together when she was pregnant with me.’ Hatty felt uncomfortable when she said it and frowned. ‘Which I’m sorry about.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ he said gently and kissed her cheek, settling on top of her. ‘I’m please dad is being honest with me. It’s very liberating.’
‘I also heard something interesting about my father. I was told he died in a police cell but someone said he died in the house. I asked Frederick and he didn’t really answer me. Oh and my father was cremated. Why would that bit of information about where he died be wrong?’
‘There’s more Hatty,’ he said, trying to kiss her ear lobe which made her giggle. ‘My father was sleeping with Delores even though he was in love with your mother.’
‘No way!’ laughed Hatty pushing his head away. ‘Why would he do that?’ Then she remembered something. ‘You know what aunt said about the Logan men, how they treat women. Ya like ya fader wen it come to skirt.’
‘In English?’
‘Sleeping with women and having a girlfriend plus…’ she hesitated for a moment. ‘Knowing I liked you and flirting with me while you were doing nasty things with certain people. Yep, I expect Aunt Delores was the injured party and Murray broke her heart.’
‘Actually, someone compared her to Gina and you to Eloise,’ smiled Jake and she could have slapped him there and then. ‘What?’
‘You’re not to mention her name especially when you’re in between my legs!’ she scowled as he started to kiss her face. ‘If my mother loved Murray, she should’ve married him and have done with it.’
‘No way,’ said Jake, pulling away. ‘Then there’d be no you and me.’
‘Good point,’ she said, grabbing him closer. ‘And talking about you and me, I don’t expect you to go with anyone else, you hear?’
‘The last thing on my mind.’
‘And if you see a pretty girl, don’t eye them up in front of me, do it behind my back then I won’t get upset.’
‘Certainly.’
‘And if you get bored and want to go back home early, please tell me so I don’t get a surprise,’ she said, examining his face closely. ‘Because I’m very much in love with you and I’d hate to think you’d disappear out of my life without an explanation.’
‘I promise.’
‘You better do.’
‘And that goes for you too.’
‘Where the hell am I going to go?’
Twenty three
Jake smiled when he realised Hatty was under the sheet, her mouth moving gently up and down his shaft as he slowly woke up. He let her get on with it but couldn’t help smiling.
‘Happy New Year,’ he said, throwing down the sheet and seeing the big brown eyes look up at him then she smiled. ‘I didn’t say you could stop.’
‘Hello,’ she said, crawling up him. ‘I thought this would be a good way to wake you up.’ She then jumped out of bed. ‘I better take a shower.’
‘You’re leaving me like this?’ he said, pointing to his semi flaccid dick as she smiled.
‘You’re usually perkier than that but I put it down to the booze.’ He watched her round brown bottom walk into the bathroom and heard the shower. ‘Come and join me. It’s a walk-in one, you know, with all these sensory things and-.’
‘I know,’ he said wearily, getting up and realised he had a hangover. Jake reached into his toiletry bag, took two tablets, swallowed them with water and got under the shower. Hatty was covered in foam as she rinsed her hair and lathered up. ‘How much of that gel did you use?’
‘Lots! It’s free!’ she replied as he moved closer to her and she started to rub foam on him.
‘What’s the plan for the day?
‘We go home after breakfast and-.’
‘Home? We could stay here, in bed, if you like?’
‘I thought you’d prefer the four poster?’ she frowned, turning him around and sticking him under the shower. ‘Anyway, it is tradition
to go to the Chinese in town for lunch and that’s what we’re doing.’
‘Tradition for whom?’
‘Aunt and me. Ethel and some of her clan come, if they’re not doing any family things, Louisa, Philip, maybe their parents. And Murray’s coming because I told him last night.’
‘An extended family sort of thing?’
‘I have no real family so even the coconut trees are part of my extended family,’ she laughed happily.
‘Have you ever thought of having your own family?’ he asked and watched her stop for a moment. She looked up at him then he quickly added. ‘I’m not asking you to marry me or have children.’
‘I don’t expect you to,’ Hatty replied seriously. ‘I’ve thought about it but realise the chances are extremely slim, other than Philip, and therefore I am destined to live and die alone.’ Jake’s heart suddenly twisted when he heard her say it and stepped back. ‘Don’t be alarmed, I’ll have sex!’
‘That’s a really sad thing to say. Why would you think that?’
‘Just do,’ she shrugged. ‘And you, will you want a family when you’re a famous award winning journalist?’
‘I like family and I’d want one of my own, not now, maybe when I’m forty,’ he laughed as she shook her head in dismay. ‘Live my life, have a career and plenty of fun.’
‘That’s nice,’ she said and he could tell she was a little pissed off with his honest comment. ‘What will you name your children?’
‘I’ve not thought about it,’ he replied, taken aback by her question. ‘Louis for the son.’
‘How comes?’
‘It’s dad’s middle name and mine too, so I might as well stick it in there somewhere.’
‘And the first name?’
‘I don’t know! Girls pick out baby names and all that, we guys just go with the flow. What would you name a child if you had one?’
‘I won’t so there’s no point speculating,’ she said defiantly. ‘But if I had a cat I’d call him Felix, though I am allergic to them. You know I named the mutt ‘Barney’? He is really my dog but I let Murray think he’s his.’
‘You’ve got to stop being so glum about your future,’ he said, taking her face gently in his hands. ‘I think you’ll marry a wonderful man, have a lovely child and be happy for the rest of your life.’
‘As long as we’re still friends and never lose contact, I’d be happy enough for that. I’d even make you a cradle for your child but you’d have to pay because I don’t come cheap.’
‘Don’t I know it! I’ll probably inherit my father’s debt for you.’
‘And I intend to look after Murray when he gets older as payment for looking after me. There’ll be no time for marriage and kids, especially now I know he loved my mother, it only seems natural.’
‘You want to look after my father?’
‘I’m sure you’ll visit regularly to make sure I don’t fleece him out of your inheritance.’
Jake wrapped his arms around her and knew what she was saying in between her questions, she was letting him know she knew he was going to go. She was prepared but it was then he realised he wasn’t ready to let her go, if at all.
Murray looked at the clock and realised it was past ten and his head hurt like hell. He could just about open his eyes. His body ached and he neck felt stiff from dancing. Looking around his room, he saw his clothes strewn all over the place and he vaguely remembered stumbling into the house.
‘God!’ he groaned as he stood up and walked to the bathroom, getting a glimpse of his reflection. He saw this slightly overweight, middle aged man with long hair and a goatee. ‘Red eyes too!’
After taking a shower and changing, he walked slowly out of the bedroom and through the house. It was deadly quiet as the staff had been given time off and he’d never experienced the place so still. Murray smiled as he put on some music and walked into the kitchen to make coffee. His phone was on the table as he looked at the messages and then remembered he was going to lunch with Hatty and Delores.
His heart sunk as he knew Delores was furious and upset with him last night, not to mention dancing with two beautiful women might have wound her up. Then he remembered he’d got the phone number for one of them and smiled.
He dialled a number.
‘It’s me,’ he said. ‘Where’s the coffee in this place?’
‘In the cupboard above the kettle,’ Delores replied wearily.
‘Why didn’t you come to my bed last night?’
‘I wasn’t in the mood.’
‘The house is empty,’ he said, tapping his stomach when he realised his tummy was empty too. ‘I’ve been invited to lunch by Hatty. Apparently you do it every year.’
‘Had you been around then you’d have known,’ she said icily, and he knew there was no point trying to charm her when she was in this sort of mood. ‘I’m coming over.’
Murray looked out of the window and could see it was going to be a hot day. He switched on the fan in the kitchen and opened the door to let some fresh air into the place. Delores walked over, in a t-shirt and jeans, looking simply gorgeous as always.
But something had changed in him towards her and he wasn’t quite sure. There was no doubt he lusted for her, as he had always done, except his heart didn’t love her as much as he wanted. Murray wondered if it ever did. Delores’s frown was enough for him to know his banging headache was about to get worse.
Hatty laughed as Jake humped her from behind. She was on all fours on her bed. He had frantically rushed her up the stairs, taking off her new dungarees so he could do it to her doggy style. She tried to stifle her giggling as she heard him smack his thighs against hers. It’s not as if she wasn’t enjoying her young stud making love to her before they went out to lunch but at the speed he was going and the force, she was trying to hold onto the bedspread so as not to fall off.
‘Jesus you feel great,’ he said, as he grabbed her breast and started kissing her neck, pulling her hair back.
She smiled to herself and realised there was no point talking to him. Hatty then remembered the conversation they had in the shower and it made her feel sad. Knowing he wasn’t ever going to marry her, made her heart quake a little.
She had secret hopes of being with him forever.
Then she shook her head recalling he was only twenty two and had so much ahead of him. She wondered if he would marry a successful woman and then if it would be his old love Serena. Hatty felt her eyes welling up as she bit her lip, not wanting to think of losing him but realising it was inevitable.
‘I’m going to come,’ he groaned into her neck, turning her head so he could put his tongue in her mouth as she looked at his pink flushed face. ‘Yes!’
‘Yes,’ she said, closing her eyes and leaning forward on her arms as he reached his climax.
‘Didn’t you enjoy that?’ he asked, panting into the back of her head.
‘Of course I did,’ she said, knowing her mind was elsewhere.
‘You didn’t sound like you did.’
‘Don’t worry about me.’
‘Are you okay?’ he said, resting his head on her shoulder as she closed her eyes.
‘Just tired.’
‘You were very quiet on the way home,’ Jake persisted as he pulled out and turned her around, putting her on her back, leaning closer to kiss her. Hatty felt the way his mouth worked with hers and the taste she loved so much, closing her eyes and holding onto his shoulders. ‘Don’t you like Barney style? You did before I went.’
‘I was thinking, that’s all,’ she said and looked into his green eyes and wondered what he thought about when they made love.
‘I wasn’t hitting the right spot, was I?’
‘Jake, I’m so happy you’re back and a few days early and more than happy you’re staying until the end of May. You hit every spot on my body worth hitting and you do it well.’
Hatty realised the male ego was simply too selfish to understand a woman could have sex without actually gett
ing turned on, which in her mind meant they were the superior being.
‘But I wanted you to come,’ he said, rubbing his nose against hers.
‘You can fiddle with me over lunch, okay?’ she laughed, pushing him off.
‘You’re a tease sometimes,’ he grinned and sat up on the bed. ‘But I love it.’
‘I know I’m not supposed to say this.’ She turned to see him look at down at the floor boards. ‘But we have twenty two glorious weeks together. If I count them down it’s not because I want you to go, it’s because I want to make sure every moment we spend together is something we can both cherish.’
‘I’ve been back for less than twenty four hours,’ Jake said and glanced at her. ‘Let’s just enjoy each day as it comes.’
‘I know but it’s my way. I do it when Murray’s here. I count how many days he’s got until he goes but I never count when he’s coming back because sometimes I really don’t know. Once you’ve gone I’ll stop counting. Also I want to show you I’m not afraid of anything so I will start making steps to go into the sea.’
‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘You kept asking me before you went and I’ll show you,’ she smiled brightly though her insides were quaking as he looked at her suspiciously.
‘What’s this all in aid of?’
‘I need to show you I’m worth loving too,’ she blurted out and turned around, going bright red at her remark, as she quickly put on her clothes left in a heap on the floor.
‘When you mean ‘too’?’
‘As well as the woman you’re going to marry and have kids with not to mention sleep with in the future.’
‘That’s what this is all about,’ he laughed. ‘I knew it!’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ she said, her dungarees half way up. ‘I know I’m not a permanent thing but at least with me you’ll have something to judge against, won’t you?’
‘I don’t want to get married now or in the immediate future. Believe me, if I’m not married by time I’m fifty I’ll marry you, okay?’ Jake laughed out loudly and stood up, walking to her slowly. ‘And if I am married, I’ll come back every six months to have sex with you.’
