Gemini Rain (26 page)

Misreading her actions David lost his temper, ‘Right, have it your way!’ driving off as quickly as he could.

‘Jesus! The git!’ Lauren was gobsmacked, she stood there watching him driving away disap
pearing down around the bend, ‘w
hat the hell am I supposed to do now?’

David continued down the road, ‘I’ve lost it again, why can’t I keep my temper under wraps, why does she keep doing this to me?’ He wan
ted today to be perfect for her
and
for him.

Okay, so we can’t be together because of Peter’s
family, that’s understandable
and he expected tha
t but did she have to react this
way. He cringed,
‘
did it really sound as if I was comparing her to Francoise?
’
  Stopping the bike, he thought for a while,
‘
Lauren is nothing like Francoise, they were complete opposites in fact. Lauren was so dependant of others, so determined and when she’s angry she soon lets me know.
’

‘
On the other hand there was Francoise, until recently she believed and agreed with everything I said, at least that’s the impression she gave me.
’
  Francoise advised him on a lot of the films he chose but the only time in their marriage she showed any strength was when she told him she was leaving for Barcelona and starting divorce proceedings against him. But he knew that was coming, in the last year of their marriage it was nothing except for a certificate and the children.
‘
Pierre and Chantal,
’
he sighed, how he wanted to have them here for today but Francoise once again wouldn’t agree to a visit using the excuse that they were still in school.

He closed his eyes and faced the sky,
‘
I should go back to her and apologise,
’
turning the bike around he headed back for Lauren. It didn’t take long to meet her walking along the road, he stopped the bike but she kept walking.

‘Lauren please, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to compare you with anyone and for everything else.’ 

But she continued walking so he followed her, the bike just rolling down slowly beside her. Seeing her face and how close to tears she was it made him regret his temper even more. ‘Lauren please, it’ll take you an hour to get back if you keep walking, get on the bike,’ offering the helmet once more.  Not looking at David she grabbed it from him and sat on the bike, they didn’t say anything for the rest of the journey. 

Approaching the entrance to her driveway, Lauren hit him on the arm signalling for him to stop. Practically jumping from the bike and taking the helmet off she slammed it into his che
st; she didn’t look at him resisting the urge
to turn
back as she walked up the driveway. David knew not to push it any further, looking down to his parents house he went pale, ‘Christ, what am I going to tell them? I doubt if she’ll let me into the house tonight.’

Lauren continued up towards the house, ‘how could he, how could he just leave me there?’ speaking aloud to no-one in particular.  She gritted her teeth,
‘
I was wrong,
pup
wasn’t the right name for him as she called him every other name that would come into her head.

‘Right, you’ve got that out of your system Lauren, now control yourself.’ Acting as if nothing happened and how she spent a wonderful hour touring the local sights, she entered the house smiling.

Siobhan came out to greet her, ‘Where did he take you?’

Lauren began her cover story, ‘Oh it was beautiful, I have to take you all there!’

Chapter 25

Gabrielle checked the cake in its box once more, ‘Now be careful with it and for goodness sake don’t drop it as you’re carrying it up the hill!’

‘Maman, I won’t,’ Claude looked at Helene throwing his eyes up to heaven, she giggled and Gabrielle caught it straight away.

‘I’m serious, Claude and remember don’t let…’

‘I know, I know don’t let Lauren see it, Maman please!’ he lifted the box, ‘is everybody ready?’ He couldn’t wait to eat it and then all the hassle and warnings that were being levied on him would be worth it, ‘Where’s David?’

All were assembled and ready to leave
except David,
Jean-Pierre went to get him as
he was down in the studio. Jean-Pierre knew something was on his son’s mind, he was hovering around like a lost soul since he came back from Laurens, walking down the stairs they both looked at each other, David wasn’t ready, ‘Is there a problem son?’

‘I’m not going,’ David started to sketch again.

Jean-Pierre was taken aback, ‘b
ut this was all your idea! Stop joking David and get ready, everybody’s waiting and if Claude doesn’t loose the responsibility of that cake soon, he’ll start eating it here and now!’ he laughed but David just continued sketching. Reading David’s face he knew something happened this morning, ‘Did Lauren’s family react badly to you
being here
, should any of us go?’

David panicked the last thing he wanted to do
was ruin Lauren’s party as well.
‘No, it was nothing like that you have to go! I’m just too tired what with the travel and the….’

Jean-Pierre took the pencil from David’s hand, ‘What happened?’ he glared at his son, no way was he getting out of this one after all the whole idea was his.

David blurted out the events of the
morning, ‘My chest still hurts
she hit me so hard with the helmet!’

Jean-Pierre burst out laughing, ‘You’re like a spoilt child.  Is that all that hurts?’

‘Papa, it not funny
how can I go up now after this morning
’s carry on?’ but David couldn’t help but chuckle, the thoughts of someone the size of Lauren hurting him was comical to him too.

‘It’s a case of burying your pride and accepting whatever happens.’

‘She won’t let me in,
’ David was looking for sympathetic support but Jean-Pierre read him well.

‘Go and get ready, Lauren would never do that to any of her friends.’

David grinned, he wasn’t going to win this one he conceded and immediately ran up
stairs
to change.

Everybody looked at Jean-Pierre curiously when he re-entered the kitchen, ‘The children had a tiff,’ he shrugged.

‘Who won?’ Joel asked immediately getting an elbow in the ribs from Veronique.

‘Nobody yet, but there will be a victor by the end of the night, believe me,’ Jean-Pierre had plans of his own and he knew he would win not David or Lauren. He had enough of the chasing it was time to get down to serious business.

As they all walked up, Gabrielle checked Claude again and then David, ‘Have you got the present?’ she was looking forward to tonight, her first experience of an Irish party. Helene told her earlier of when she stayed with an Irish family living in England for her studies; ‘they know how to celebrate,’ Helene enthusiastically informed her.

David tapped the top pocket of his jacket and stopped with a worried look, she gasped but then he smiled to her, ‘Of course I have Maman.’ Gabrielle gently scolded him hitting him on the arm; he laughed and thought, ‘maybe it won’t be as bad as I expect.’

Keith was Action Man again keeping watch for the visitors but when he saw them approaching he jumped excitedly shouting, ‘They’re here, they’re here everybody!’ forgetting all about his soldier training and ran towards Jean-Pierre, who in turn gladly lifted him into his arms for a bear hug.

Everybody came out to greet the visitors with Lauren and
Emma
making introductions, hand
shakes all round. David
was lingering behind the crowd
he didn’t hear his name mentioned then came the kisses with everybody wishing Lauren all the best for her birthday. Slowly everybody entered the house, chatting as
Emma
and Helene worked as interpreters. Jean-Pierre turned around to see where David was. Joel and Veronique were kissing Lauren, David behind them.  David bent down to kiss both her cheeks, Lauren let him kiss one and as he went to kiss the other side she turned away to start talking again to Veronique. Both Joel and Veronique gasped; David closed his eyes dejection wrote all over his face. Jean-Pierre frowned,
‘
she shouldn’t have done that and I’m going to say so but that’s for later,
’
he thought.

As with an Irish party drinks, food, chat and song were all served at the same time, the music especially was flowing then it came time for presentation of the cake. Gabrielle nodded to both
Debbie
and Helene to follow her into the kitchen. When she took it from the box
Debbie
couldn’t believe her eyes it was huge and when she read the inscription all was revealed, ‘I’ll get
Emma
and Keith they have to see this!’

The lights went out and sudden
ly there was a glare from forty
small candles being carried into the room, everybody started singing Happy Birthday both in French and English. Lauren was watching her children carrying the cake with both Gabrielle and
Debbie
closely following
them
she didn’t notice David was standing behind her. As the lights went on she read th
e inscription, there was a big 4
0 in the middle, on one side it read ‘Happy Birthday Lauren’ then she read the other side ‘Bon Anniversaire David.’

Her faced dropped as she searched around the room, ‘where is he?’  Feeling his hand on her shoulder
she turned to look up to him, ‘w
hy didn’t you tell me, is it today or around this time?’ Lauren felt terrible obviously he had this planned since the day she invited him.

‘Today, we could be twins you know,’ he quietly said.

‘I don’t think so,’ she laughed.

Helene immediately told the Irish guests about how they kept the secret since David told them of his disco
very nearly three months ago
. ‘It’s an amazing co-incidence, don’t you think?’

Everybody agreed with cheers and cameras to the ready, Lauren stood up and loosely hugged him. 
‘
It’s an
awkward hug
,’
Jean-Pierre noted
,
‘
but it’s a start.
’

‘Could one of you please blow out these candles,’
Emma
shouted over the cheers, ‘this thing’s bloomin’ heavy!’
Debbie
aided in the task of holding the cake; David and Lauren bent down made their wish and blew. 

The musical evening turned into a musical night, with a mixture of music to suit everybody, some Irish both modern and traditional and Jean-Pierre played his accordion with the French not wanting to be outdone in the singing. Eventually Jean-Pierre decided it was time to take out his pipe, he noticed David was deep into conversation with one of
Debbie
’s sons Peter, they were talking about motorbikes. He looked around for Lauren walking towards her, ‘As none of your wonderful singers and musicians smoke, will you keep me company outside while I smoke my pipe?’

Although Lauren didn’t have any thoughts for a cigarette she knew not to refuse him as he took her arm and led the way.
‘
I’m in for a lecture,
’
she informed herself.

‘It’s a beautiful night thank you for inviting us, Lauren,’ he observed she was a little uneasy. As a misty light rain was falling he deliberately took David’s jacket, as a just in case his son got any disappearing ideas. Lauren lit up a cigarette as he commenced, she took it all in knowing exactly what he was saying. Jean-Pierre was not surprised when she apologised agreeing with him that her snub when David was kissing her
earlier
was wrong.

‘If I knew what surprise you had in store for me, it wouldn’t have happened,’ she spoke almost childlike hoping for sympathy.

Jean-Pierre warm-heartedly chuckled remembering David’s attempt earlier, ‘Like earlier with David the sympathy act won’t work on me, young lady!’ then he added softly, ‘he wasn’t going to come tonight he felt so guilty, you know.’

Lauren bit her lip and looked at the ground, sincerely regretting this morning and her actions tonight.

David eyes darted around the room, both his father and Lauren were missing
probably gone out back to the kitchen
for a smoke, now was his chance to get away. He felt lousy all night, apart from the brief few words and hug when the cake was presented Lauren ignored him all evening. He thought about how wonderfully sexy she looked tonight she radiated happiness from having her friends and family around her. With her hair loosely tied back in a French braid and those black leather trousers and ankle boots, she shined. But David wanted to get as far away from here as possible prepared to face the repercussions tomorrow, he slipped out of the room as they were all singing
.
He knew exactly where his jacket was but when he went into Lauren’s office, it was gone. Scratching his head he consoled himself that it was only misty rain falling.