by Kim Nash
‘You cannot keep speaking to me this way, Archie. I’ll not stand it.’
‘Well, perhaps if you had more time to play football with me in the garden, I’d be a better player and we’d be a better team. But you’re always too busy to play with me these days, Mum, or too tired. But you always seem to find time for Vinnie. It’s not fair!’ He opened the car door and stomped off through the back gate into the garden.
Just something else to feel guilty about, Grace thought. When did the parental guilt ever end? Perhaps she needed to look at the time she was spending with Archie and spend it more wisely, as he clearly wasn’t happy. It didn’t seem to matter what she did, she never seemed to get it quite right even though she was trying so hard to please everyone. She left him out in the garden to cool off for a while and he eventually came in.
‘I’m sorry, Mummy! I’m an awful son.’
‘Darling, you are not an awful son at all. You are a wonderful son. But sometimes you have to be a little more patient. I know you’ve had me to yourself for years, and that was because I didn’t have a job before, but now I have a job and a house and a dog to look after. And I can’t do everything all of the time. I’m sorry, darling, I wish I could.’
They both sat on the kitchen floor, crying. Archie was getting older, and with that came a difficulty in coping with his emotions. Grace made a mental note to mention to Mark that it was happening more and more and they needed a plan to deal with it. She wanted to do the best by Archie but knew it was important for him to have male role models around.
Vinnie arrived around three o’clock. Grace was sorting out the final dinner preparations while Archie sat in the lounge watching the football with Vinnie, when there was a knock at the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone till six when Archie was due to go to his dad’s for the evening so was mighty surprised when she opened the door and there was Mark.
‘Hope you don’t mind,’ he said. ‘Just wanted to come early and see my boy!’
‘Oh,’ she replied. ‘It’s not really convenient to be honest, I have a friend here.’
‘So you are refusing to let me see him, are you Grace?’ he asked shirtily.
Grace sighed to herself. Sometimes Mark’s combative nature really deflated her, although she tried not to let it. ‘I’m not refusing, Mark, I’m just saying that you can’t just turn up here as and when you feel like it. We have plans, we’re only ten minutes away from having dinner.’
Archie must have heard the raised voices and came into the hall.
‘Dad!’ he yelled and flung himself at his dad.
‘Steady on, son,’ Mark replied, laughing. Becks jumped up at Mark, taking him by surprise and Mark lost his balance and toppled backwards as Becks jumped up and stuck his paw right in his privates. Mark bent double on the floor dramatically and Grace had to work really hard to stop herself from laughing.
Bless Becks. Whenever Mark came into the house these days, he always jumped up at him and practically pushed him over. It was funnier because although he jumped up at Grace and others as well, he never tried to knock anyone else over. She knew that it really annoyed Mark and although she tried not to laugh, a little bit of her found that really funny. She was quite convinced that Becks did it on purpose; they did say dogs were a good judge of character, after all!
‘Dad, come and meet mine and Mum’s friend, Vinnie, he’s really cool.’ Grace put her head in her hands as Archie helped Mark up off the floor and led him into the lounge.
Vinnie had obviously been keeping his head down while all the excitement was taking place in the hallway but stood up as Mark walked into the room and held out his hand to Mark. Grace could see that Mark wasn’t going to shake his hand, when Archie said, ‘Isn’t it nice and grown-up when everyone shakes hands?’ At that point, Mark would have made himself look incredibly stupid if he hadn’t so he leant forward and briefly shook Vinnie’s hand, wincing as he did so at the fact that his son had shamed him.
‘Can Dad stay for dinner, Mum, please, please? You said you’d done enough to feed an army.’
Grace cringed inwardly. ‘I’m sure Daddy has lots to do and will need to get back to Lorraine.’
‘No I haven’t, not today. She’s gone out with some friends for the afternoon, which is why I thought I’d call over early. I was at a bit of a loose end. I’d love to stay for dinner, thanks.’
Grace went into the kitchen, silently fuming. She hadn’t even invited him. This was so Mark. She couldn’t work out if he was extremely dense or extremely clever and whether he was playing another of his little games. She called Vinnie through to the kitchen on the pretence of asking him to lay an extra place at the dinner table.
‘Oh my bloody God!’ she whispered. ‘What a cheeky bastard he is! Vinnie, I’m so sorry, I just didn’t know what to say or do.’
Once again, Vinnie always seemed to know the right thing to say.
‘Grace, we’re adults, we can get through this. Don’t worry. There was nothing you could do without upsetting Archie. Let’s just get through the next hour or so, for Archie’s sake, then we can get rid of him and relax.’
‘You are a star, do you know that?’ she said, kissing him gently as he went through into the dining room to lay an extra place. She opened a bottle of Pinot and poured a small amount into a glass. She took a sip and tried to steady her nerves. Then she knocked the lot back and filled up her glass again.
‘Shall I serve up, like old times?’ asked Mark, when she placed the casserole dish on the table. He smirked annoyingly. It was clear that Vinnie’s presence had brought out his territorial instincts.
‘No, it’s fine thanks, I’ve already asked Vinnie to do it,’ she replied, handing a serving spoon to Vinnie, smiling sweetly at him. He winked back at her and she calmed a little.
It was a really painful hour, with everyone except Mark trying to be as normal as possible to keep the pretence up for Archie. Archie didn’t even notice as he talked animatedly about football and Mark promised him that he would get him a new kit for his birthday.
‘Vinnie’s going to take me to a Villa match one of these days, aren’t you Vinnie?’ Grace and Vinnie’s eyes met across the table.
‘Oh you don’t want to go there mate, they’re rubbish!’
‘No, they’re not, Dad, don’t say that!’
‘Only joking, buddy!’ Mark laughed it off.
Mark had spent the meal bringing up situations from the past, situations that he and she clearly had very different views on. He reminisced over an apparently fabulous holiday in Spain, waxing lyrical about the incredible food at the hotel and the attentive staff at the resort. Grace had a very different view, and actually remembered the week away as being a catalyst for the end of their relationship because one night he took off on his own for a few hours, returned back worse for wear then started an argument with Grace while Archie was sleeping.
As soon as they’d finished eating, Grace cleared the plates and said to Mark, ‘As you’re here early, you may as well take Archie now and then you can spend a couple of extra hours with him.’
‘Oh, OK then.’ Mark was surprised. ‘I was just going to go and sit and watch the rugby in the lounge.’
‘Not in my bloody lounge you don’t,’ she muttered. ‘Go and get your stuff together then, Archie.’
While Grace hated the fact that she was losing a couple of hours with Archie, the trade-off was that she didn’t have to put up with Mark lording it up in her house.
Grace’s stomach was in knots, knowing that the time had come that she had to leave Vinnie and Mark alone. In all honesty, she was dreading it. She ran up the stairs to Archie’s bedroom. She had never packed his bag so quickly before. They came down the stairs and, before going back into the room where Mark and Vinnie were making awkward small talk, Archie turned round to her and said, ‘Mum, can I have a great big hug please?’
‘Of course you can, darling, are you OK?’
‘I don’t like it when Dad says things are rubbi
sh that I like and I don’t like it when he’s being horrible to you, either. I love you so much, Mummy, I wish I didn’t have to go to Dad’s today.’
‘I love you so much too, my angel. But Dad likes to spend time with you too. And I’m sure he’s only joking. ’
‘But jokes are supposed to be funny, not cruel. At least you have Vinnie to keep you company now,’ he said. ‘I like him, Mum. I like him a lot’
‘Yes, darling, so do I. Come on, let’s get you and Dad sorted out.’
Mark and Vinnie went quiet as they walked into the dining room and Grace wondered how they’d got on. Vinnie smiled at her and he gave her a wink and she felt a flutter in her heart. She knew that he wasn’t mad at her, and that he didn’t hold her responsible for having to share their meal time.
She practically shoved Mark and Archie out of the door and then, when it was shut, leaned up against it, closed her eyes and let out an enormous sigh. Vinnie appeared and put his arms around her. ‘Shit, that was awkward! Hope I didn’t say anything wrong to make anything worse.’
She laughed, realising that there was probably so much more that Vinnie wanted to say about Mark but was much too polite. ‘You were amazing. Believe it or not, Mark was really lovely when we were first together. But he has changed over the years, now he’s somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde. But he’s gone now, so let’s not give him any more air space because that’s what he would want. Why don’t you go and sit down in the lounge and relax and I’ll be through in a minute?’
She went to the downstairs bathroom, took ten deep breaths, pulled herself together and came back into the living room. In her hands, she had a bottle of brandy and two glasses.
‘Are you trying to get me drunk and have your wicked way with me, young lady?’ Vinnie smiled at her and she thought he’d never looked more sexy than he did right then.
‘Do you know, I just might be,’ she replied, taking a huge gulp of brandy.
‘Thank God for that!’
Her heart was beating so fast. Was she ready for this? It had been so long since she’d had sex with anyone but Mark. Could she go through with it?
A voice in her head said, Just do it, Grace, don’t think, just do.
Vinnie took the glass from her hands, and kissed Grace like she’d never been kissed before. She melted into the kiss and cast aside her hang-ups and anxiety of being naked and sleeping with someone new. She was just desperate to be closer to this man than she’d ever been with anyone before and she needed to feel him inside her.
She put her hands under his shirt and felt bare skin and his deep muscly stomach. She wanted to feel his skin on hers.
‘Are you sure about this, Grace?’ Vinnie looked deep into her eyes and she felt like she was forever lost in them.
‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,’ she replied. She took him by the hand and led him up the stairs and into her bedroom where she propelled him towards the bed, kicking the door shut behind her. With all her inhibitions flung out of the window, she took a deep breath and showed Vinnie just how sure she was.
* * *
Afterwards, she lay in his arms while they snoozed. Eventually she needed to go to the bathroom so she eased herself gently from underneath his arm. He groaned and turned to face her.
‘Where do you think you’re sloping off to, young lady?’ he asked.
‘I’ll be back in two secs,’ she replied as she went into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. Well, girl! she said to herself. That was an extremely fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon! She felt like a new woman. She wondered if she looked different. Her eyes were definitely sparkling. It had been so long since she’d had enjoyable sex, she couldn’t actually remember when it was. And she hoped that she’d never forget again.
She remembered that Monica had bought her a silky kimono for her last birthday, which was normally hidden under her purple fleecy dressing gown, so in an effort not to kill off the romance as soon as it had started, she grabbed it off the back of the bathroom door and decided to go barefoot. She went downstairs and returned with two steaming mugs of tea and the biscuit tin.
When she returned Vinnie said, ‘You really are the girl of my dreams, you know. I didn’t think I’d be hungry after that mammoth Sunday dinner you cooked, but I seem to have lost some of my energy! This is just what I need to get it back again.’
They sat side by side in her bed and chatted comfortably as if it were the most normal thing in the world and they’d been doing it for years. She couldn’t quite believe it. She’d been worrying about that moment for weeks. When was the right time to have sex with a new partner? How many dates should she go on first? When would they be alone? When would it happen? Would they enjoy it? What if she did it wrong? Would she know what he enjoyed? Would he like her body? Should she ask him to stop over, or leave? It was a minefield. But everything with Vinnie was just so easy. Grace realised that she was more relaxed and calm than she had been for years. Sod meditating, what she’d needed for inner peace was a damn good shag, clearly!
Vinnie finished his mug of tea and took hers from her and put it on the bedside table. He pulled her towards him again and when she felt his hardness against her, realised that he seemed to have got his energy back after all. She grinned and kissed him and he rolled her over so he was above her and eased her legs apart gently with his knees. He looked deep into her eyes as he pushed inside her and groaned with pleasure. ‘You are amazing. What are you doing to me?’ he asked, as this time their lovemaking was slower and even more intense. Just perfect.
* * *
The sun shone brightly through the gap in the curtains and filled the room with light. Grace opened her eyes to Vinnie leaning on his elbow, watching her. He smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
‘Morning sleepyhead.’
‘Morning, you! It wasn’t all a dream then?’
‘Not at all, it’s real, alright. No regrets I hope?’ he asked.
‘None whatsoever.’
‘I am so glad to hear that. You snore, by the way!’
‘I do not!’ Grace squealed, blushing.
‘I’m afraid you do, but you are forgiven because they’re sexy little snores. I let you sleep, but to be honest they were making me feel extremely horny and I just wanted to wake you up and show you just how much I liked them.’
‘Good job you didn’t. To be honest, even if David Beckham woke me up saying he wanted to roger me senseless in the middle of the night, I’d slap him and say, David, don’t bloody wake me up. Now get over your own side of the bed and go back to sleep. I really hate being disturbed in my sleep.’
Vinnie laughed. ‘It’s not really etiquette to mention another man wanting to have his wicked way with you when I’ve only just had mine, you know. However, as it is the mighty Golden Balls Beckham, I will, on this one occasion, ignore it.
‘Right then, lady. Much as I’d like to stay right here and show you how much better in bed I am than that Beckham stud-muffin, I think we should get our lazy butts out of bed on this Bank Holiday Monday and make the most of this sunshine. There’s a dog downstairs who I’m sure would love to go out for a walk in the forest and I know I’d like to get some fresh air. How do you fancy a nice long walk, then I’ll buy you a slap-up breakfast?’
‘Oh, Vinnie, you sure know how to treat a lady! I bet David never says that to Victoria first thing in the morning. I’ll have to back by three as Archie is back then, is that OK?’
‘Of course. And I’ve had a text from Ruth this morning asking what your plans are for next Saturday night. She wondered if you fancied going over for a karaoke and games night. They do tend to get a little raucous but if you think you can cope with that, then I’m game!’
‘That sounds fun, but I don’t do karaoke! I’ll join in from afar but there is no chance that you will get me in front of a microphone. I am tone deaf. The only singing out loud I do is when I’m in my car. But what I lack in tone, I make up for in enthusi
asm!’
‘We’ll see!’ he winked at her. Every time he did that her heart fluttered a tiny bit. She wondered if that was something she’d ever get used to.
While she jumped in the shower, Vinnie threw on his boxers and jeans and went down to the kitchen to make them some coffee. Since Grace had been going to Ruth’s cafe she always picked up some of her special blend of coffee that he loved so much, and it was now her favourite too.
When Grace came down from her shower, she saw Vinnie engrossed, looking at her noticeboard which hung on the kitchen door. There were the usual doctor and dentist appointment cards and school reminders, but also pictures that had been cut out of magazines pinned on there. There was an image of a stunning summerhouse, all decked out with cushions, lanterns and fairy lights. It looked like a magical place. There was also a fabulous rattan garden set and a tidy, clean, perfect garden with beautiful buddhas and cascading water features and a big statue of a stunning angel.
Sipping her coffee, Grace said, ‘Oh, you’ve spotted my dream board then! It’s a bit far from reality, isn’t it?’ She laughed as she pointed out of her dining-room window at her shabby garden shed.
‘What are the drawings for?’ he asked.
‘Aw nothing really. It’s my dream garden, all zen and buddha-like. Somewhere I could go to escape the world and sit in peace and tranquillity. I do have a buddha, but sadly Becks pees up it. I’m sure that’s probably bad luck in ancient Japan.
‘I bought some garden furniture last year, which is in the garage and I can’t assemble it myself, so it’s still there. The plans are exactly what I want to do. I don’t have the resources to implement it right now, but it’s on my dream board because you never know! One day, if I dream it enough, it might happen.’
‘Well, perhaps one of these days we can sort your furniture out. I’d love to help you, Grace.’
‘Thanks, Vinnie, you really are a sweetheart, you know. And I might just take you up on that offer. Now let’s get this furry beast out for a walk.’
