An Acute Attraction (15 page)

                      Just as I muse over that scenario Marc comes into the room, stands behind me and places his hands on to my shoulders. Seeing the both of us in the striking picture looking back at us, I start to hope and pray a little that my future continues on this positive journey. Kissing the side of my bared neck, I note the smoothness of his chin upon my skin; Marc then squeezes my shoulders.

                      “Come on Miss Chambers. Your tea is getting cold and if you want to do everything you have planned for today, we need to get a move on.”

                        It’s just over four years ago now that the boys and I relocated back up to the Midlands, having lived down here for nearly five years; I loved living in the town. We were close to Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and London is only an hour’s drive away, but we also have the fusion of old and new village life not five minutes away. I made some wonderful friends through work and the children, so to have been forced to give all of that up broke my heart. Before I came down I arranged to meet up with an old friend whose sons used to hang out with Joseph and that is what I shall be doing for lunch today and I cannot wait to see her. Regardless of distance and time apart, Erin and I have always remained in touch, which I am so pleased about.

                     “I am almost done Mr Sanders. Thank you very much for the cuppa, I will leave eating breakfast though and then you won’t be late either.”

                      In a very authoritative tone Marc replies, “Erm! I don’t think so, you need to eat something. I’ll grab a few pieces of fruit for you to have either in the car or once you get there. I am not having you pass out through not eating properly.”

                      Instinctively I roll my eyes at him. He is so domineering, I love it! “And don’t think I didn’t catch that Miss Chambers.” Marc teases. “Continue to roll your eyes at me and I may have to teach you a lesson.”

                      Rolling my eyes at him again, I wait for his reaction and Yup! There it is; the raising of one eyebrow. A wave of nervous excitement sweeps through me, as I know I am pushing my luck a little bit with him. However, inside I am really hoping that it is a promise and not just an idle threat on his part.

                     Not changing his tone one iota Marc’s face turns seriously wicked, “If that is how you want to play the game Miss Chambers, so be it. I hope you realise now that it is my turn next and I don’t always play fair.” 

                     Leaving me on my own I gulp at the words he left me with and curse to myself. Have I pushed him too far? All of a sudden I can’t judge the situation or air that has developed between us, which in a sadistic way arouses me. Chambers, you must be mad, what has gotten into you? Two words, Marc Sanders, literally.

                     As he said he would, Marc has put a banana and an apple in my bag. Yes you heard right, he doesn’t give them to me; he has placed them in my bag himself, in order that I don’t forget them no doubt. I take a sideways glance at him, when I see he isn’t facing me & I lick my tongue out. Sheesh! Who is the parent here, I’ll be having a packed lunch made for me next?

                    “And you can put that tongue away as well Miss Chambers. I would hate for you to damage such a vital part of your body that you have already proven can be used very efficiently in all of its duties.”

                     Whose turn is it to raise their eyebrows now? I open my mouth to say something back, but I am left speechless. Flaring my nostrils instead, I go back to sorting my bag out.

                    “Thank you for the fruit Marc. I will eat one in the car and save the other for later if that’s Ok?”

                    “That is absolutely fine, as long as you eat something Isabel.” The tone in his voice has changed from one of someone being strict to one of being concerned. Internally I wave the white flag. I know he is only thinking about me and it will take some getting used to, but like everything else in this relationship, I will get there.

                    The drive to Bury St. Edmunds takes around thirty minutes. There is only one main road that takes us there from where we are staying and seeing as we are in the heart of the countryside, we get stuck behind either lorries on their way to Folkstone or tractors trundling along. Which ever one is in front of us; Marc huffs at not being able to put his foot down on the accelerator. Wanting to break the silence that is in the car and hopefully take control of Marc’s frustration, I switch his ipod on to get some soulful tunes playing in the background. I will admit I was expecting a bit of old Jazz to filter from the speakers and so to hear the husky, deep what I take to be American voice singing to the strains of an electric guitar with slight country and western twang; I was a little surprised at. I settle back in the seat listening to the lyrics- “Only God will judge me……I’m dammed if I don’t and dammed if I do……I’ve got a heart of glass. I’ve got a heart of gold. I’ve got a heart of stone…” Please don’t ask me why, but a single tear escapes from my eye. Is this the torment, the struggle that Marc has been experiencing and fighting, with Emelie and Stefano? No matter which way he chose to go with this situation, he was going to hurt somebody he cared for. In the end he has kept by his morals and standards throughout and so he should not feel that he will be judged wrongly for the decision he has made. I reach for Marc’s hand that is resting on the gear stick and hold on to his fingers. As the song began to fade out I turned to Marc.

                    “Who was singing the song? I’ve not heard it before.”

                    “A Canadian group called One Road. They’ve been around for a bit now, nearly two decades on and off I reckon. I have not seen them live, but would like to.” I see Marc smiling. I can tell he loves his music just as much as I do and I am sure it plays as big a part in his life as well. I thought I had an eclectic taste, but this does surprise me, in a good way I have to add.

                     The mix of music carries on until we arrive at Angel Hill in the centre of town and pull up just outside the Cathedral and Abbey ruins. Gazing at the impressive thousand year old site that has been a place of worship and pilgrimage, I feel I am home. They say that you tend not to appreciate something until it is gone, this however this is one thing I think I did. The peace and tranquillity of the place was one where some happier memories were formed with the family, especially during the festive period when there would be a traditional continental market bustling with Christmas shoppers and Carollers. I sigh at the visionary reminder of a life that was shattered by circumstance. Come on Chambers, you’re here to concoct some newer, cheerful memories, step to it! Twisting in my seat to face Marc I kiss him on his lips.

                   “Right I am off. Behave yourself Mr Sanders and I shall see you later on. Can I text you later?”

                   “I insist you text me later Miss Chambers as I am the one that wants to make sure you are behaving, because I know what you women can be like when you get together.” Leaning in towards me, Marc and I share a tender kiss that lasts that minute or two longer than usual, which yes, results in me gushing!

                   Without sounding selfish or like the jealous type, I am fortunate that Marc doesn’t tutor any unattached swooning female students; he does work with a small team of male colleagues, plus his secretary who is very happily married and seven months pregnant. Yes ok I do sound selfish and jealous, and I really shouldn’t assume that any swooning would be done by only women! Oh for goodness sake woman. I am not going to say that I don’t deserve to be where I am right now. Life, fate or a greater being has given me another shot at happiness and I am going to grab it by the balls- if you pardon the expression.

                   Reluctantly peeling myself away from him, I leave Marc to go off to do whatever ‘sciencey’ business he has to work on today and I cross over to the other side of the road to head into the Cathedral. The last time I ventured into Bury St.Ed I was stood outside here waiting for Her Majesty the Queen as she made a historic visit, it was such a monumental day and one that I doubt I will ever be able repeat again, never say never I suppose though. Watching the excited faces on the school children who I had accompanied from the middle school I worked at, was such a joy. Now here I am again and I really don’t feel as though I have been away for over four years. Entering the magnificent house of prayer I am automatically drawn into the magnificence of the place, the first area I make my way to is the Ancient Library which is home to books dating back as far as to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; it is a book-a-holics Aladdin’s cave of leather bound treasures and the catalogue of over 550 books is a sight for sore eyes. I spend a good hour and a half, maybe more; in there and then for a short while I just sit quietly and silently count my blessings, offering thanks to whoever maybe listening.

                Stepping out into to the bright, warm sunshine, I look to the sky and breathing in the clear air, I have positive vibes regarding the future as I leave yet more past behind me. This visit is without question turning into a pilgrimage of all sorts and putting some emotional baggage to rest. This is what I came for, what I sought and the whole reason behind my week staying here. I am ever hopeful of going back at the end of the week, with a clear conscience and feeling atoned. 

               Time is getting on as I wonder around the Abbey gardens taking in the sights and sweet scent of the multitude of flora. It is hard to believe that just yesterday; it was here that Joseph had his accident. If it wasn’t for the still damp moss clinging to the old walls you would wonder how on earth he had managed to have such a hard fall. Speaking of Joseph, I telephoned his grandma this morning. Rose informed me that he had a good nights rest and that the painkillers seemed to have kicked in at long last, as he was still sleeping when I called. I asked her not to let him know that I had phoned I can just see his reaction now. However I would speak to him later on today.

                 Hearing the clock tower chime twelve I start to make my way over to the shopping area of town and the charming little tea rooms, where Erin and I have arranged to meet. They serve the best English tea and pastries in the area, plus I also thought it would be a good idea to give my liver a rest for a short while.  As I approach the Norman tower and gateway I slow down some what in my pace of walking. You know when you get a sense that someone is following you? I have no idea why, but I was getting just that, an impression that there was someone behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck rise at the thought of it and so I nervously look behind to see if I can spot anyone. There a number of people around, so trying to pick out any one person acting suspiciously are near impossible. It is probably me getting the vibes of something or someone that just isn’t there, I mean who is to say that this area isn’t haunted with the history it has behind it. Yes, I do believe in ghosts having seen one in the house we used to live in down here. This and the surrounding areas are full of either sacred grounds or were Roman settlements, so it is unsurprising really. Shaking off the tingles that shoot down my spine I carry on to where I am going and try to dismiss the thoughts I have clouding my mind.

                  I hear Erin’s scream before I see her. Oh my gosh! Apart from my ex-in-laws, it is so good to see a familiar face in the crowd. Almost in slow motion we run towards one another before hugging in a big bear kind of way. Not including Jackie, Erin was the only other person I knew I could go to when it all kicked off down here. We worked together in the same school, her as a Child Protection Officer and me as a trainee teacher. With her line of work I knew I could depend on my good friend for confidentiality reasons as well as support for me. She was my initial life line and I will never be able to repay her for what she did, or at least I hope not in the same way, I wouldn’t wish that upon my enemy.

                  “Jeez Izzy, look at you. You are looking great hun.” Erin pulls me in for another hug and then we make our way across to the table situated outside the Tea Room.

                  Erin pours me a cup from a funky Emma Bridgewater teapot; it is hand painted with light and dark pink love hearts, and something that I would definitely own if I drank more tea at home. As it is though I am more of a coffee drinker; in my line of work you need it and in great quantities. Next to the pot is another piece of Staffordshire fine bone pottery and up on it is a delectable display of sandwiches, cakes and pastries. The only way that this could be beaten, would be if we were to be seated at The Ritz Hotel in London. Heck, actually it would cost triple or even quadruple the price that we are paying here, so I am extremely happy where I am thank you very much.

                   “Come on then you spill the beans, what have I been missing out on since leaving the place? From what I have seen so far, it doesn’t look like much. I did hear about the school though.”  

                     I have kept up with some gossip of sorts via social networking sites, so when I read that my old school was torched to the ground after its closure; I did feel rather sad. We did have some great times there, as that is where my friends as well as colleagues were and even if I say so myself, were we a great team. So it was memories that were burnt alongside the rubble.

                   “Yeah, we still haven’t gotten over the event to be honest. I know it was derelict, but we were all hoping that the building would be put to some other good use. Unfortunately, the options were taken away and the decision was made to knock it all down. There is nothing there now apart from the playground and sports field, so it looks as though it is prime building land for more houses to go on to.” I can tell that Erin is more upset than most as that is where she went to school when she was younger as well.