Never Ever Leave Me (12 page)

Although it was Saturday, Katy cancelled her usual shopping day with Seher as she wanted to spend the time pampering herself for her evening with John.  She was dining at his home for the first time and he was cooking for her.  No man had ever cooked for
her before and she was charmed.  She hoped this evening would take their relationship forward and with that in mind, she carefully packed fresh underwear, a toothbrush and her make-up into her handbag.  Fortunately big bags were in fashion so having one didn’t make it look as if she was expecting to stay over.  If the opportunity didn’t arise, if the time wasn’t right then he need never know she’d come prepared.

Katy lay in her rose
-scented, bubble bath.  She’d already laid out on the bed the clothes she’d be wearing, a decision that had taken nearly an hour.  Even though she didn’t own many clothes, she’d tried on every piece in her wardrobe, in every possible combination, before finally settling on a fine-wool, figure-hugging sweater dress.  She liked the feel of the soft wool on her skin.  She imagined John touching the fabric as it clung to her body and she became breathless with desire at the very thought of spending the night with him.  He was everything she could possibly wish for in a man.  Katy wanted him and prayed he felt the same way about her, but she didn’t want to rush things.  She wanted their relationship to be something special, something lasting.

When John
arrived to collect her, Katy was waiting at the doorway of the building.  She was a vision of loveliness, perfect in every way.  He marvelled that this beautiful, younger woman was attracted to him.  They had a lot in common and the more they dated the more they realised that they liked and appreciated the same things.  As she walked towards the car he leapt out to greet her and open the door.

“You look absolutely stunning,” he said.

Katy found herself blushing.

“You look pretty good, yourself,” she replied.

As they drove through the town towards the south side, tenement properties gave way to the stylish houses of the suburbs.  When they pulled up outside John’s house Katy was surprised.

“Does the entire house belong to you or is it divided into flats when you step inside?” she asked.

“It’s all mine and it’s a devil of a job to clean,” he joked.  “The house is far too big for one person, but that’s not what I’d planned when I bought it.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

“Anyway,” he said opening the door, “We’d better get inside so I can check on the dinner.  I don’t want to give you a burnt offering.”

The house looked even bigger on the inside and Katy was rather overwhelmed by the opulence of the place.  However, within a few minutes John had opened champagne and soon they were sitting at the dining table eating and chatting as if it w
as the most natural thing in the word.

The food was delicious, expertly presented and the wine was a robust
, red burgundy.  When they’d finished eating, at John’s suggestion, they moved to the oversized, white leather sofa in the lounge.  He placed his arm round Katy’s shoulders.  She turned to him and they kissed, deeply and passionately.  Her body tingled with desire.  She slid her hand along the length of his muscular leg.  He gently caressed her letting his hand linger on her breast.  The soft wool clung to her slender body, his need for her heightened until he could hardly bear it.

“I want you,” he gasped.  “If you want me to stop
, tell me now.”

“Don’t stop, I want you to make love to me,” she replied.

John stood, took Katy by the hand and led her to the room he’d prepared.  Silently they undressed one another then they climbed between the cool sheets.  He was tender.  He selflessly and gently caressed her, kissing her neck and her breasts, holding back his lust until she could bear it no more.  She pulled him to her.

“Please, I want you now, I want you,” she gasped.

They kissed deeply and passionately holding back nothing.  They writhed, their legs and arms entangled, moving together as one until Katy felt wave after wave of passion overcome her.  Seconds later she felt John climax and a satisfied moan escaped from his lips.

Katy lay contentedly in John’s arms.

“I’ve never felt like that before,” she said.  “Gordon never cared about my needs.”

“Gordon was a fool
.  He didn’t deserve you, but he’s out of your life now.  I’ll never hurt you,” John said and Katy believed him.

She
felt her eyes fill with tears of emotion, “I think I’m falling in love with you,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 17

Gordon received the divorce papers the same day his community service ended and he was enraged.  Bitch, he thought, stupid bitch, she can’t divorce me.  I won’t let her.  Katy’s going to be my meal ticket for the rest of my life she just doesn’t know it yet.  He hurled his coffee mug at the kitchen floor where it shattered sending jagged shards all over the room.  Stupid bitch, just wait until I find her and tell her how it’s going to be, she’ll soon get the message.

He
grabbed his rucksack and filled it with his best items of clothing.  He placed a box of stolen jewellery in a side pocket of the bag and stuffed all the money he could find into his jacket pocket.  Finally, he put the divorce papers into the bag and zipped it closed.

“No time like the present,” he said aloud as he left the flat slamming the door behind him.

He didn’t bother locking up because it was about to be repossessed and anyway he’d sold anything of value, even items of furniture belonging to the landlord.  He’d meet up with Katy, win her over and they’d have a fresh start.  Gordon had heard that Glasgow was a vibrant city and now he’d find out if that was true.

…

Katy was on cloud nine.  She was so happy she was fit to burst.  Seher had arranged for the divorce papers to be served on Gordon and she knew he’d received them as they’d been signed for.  It was simply a waiting game now while their lawyers sorted everything out.  Seher was confident he wouldn’t contest the divorce because as they’d lived in a rented flat and they hadn’t any savings to speak of, there was no joint property to sort out.  And as he never had any money, it was unlikely he’d travel to Glasgow.  Katy was worried about him finding out where she lived, but her friend assured her that in cases of domestic abuse the address is kept private.  The refuge had encouraged her to file a police report about the abuse as soon as she’d arrived and she was pleased that she had because it added strength to her position.

She and John were like two love struck teenagers.  They were always seeing each other or thinking about each other or speaking on the phone.  Katy couldn’t quite believe how much her life had changed.

…

November saw the shops full of Christmas goods and John loved it.  He wanted to be jolly this
festive season now that he had someone to share it with.  He and Katy had already decided to invite Granny Alison and Seher for a celebration lunch at his home and, as Seher didn’t drink alcohol, she offered to save John the journey of collecting the old lady.  Instead she would bring her then return her to her home later in the day.  John felt joyful, he even found himself humming Christmas carols.  Every day at lunchtime he searched the shops for the perfect gift for Katy.  He would buy her the moon and the stars if he could.

That evening
he’d arranged to spend only an hour at her flat because he had to attend a faculty meeting at the university at eight.  They would just have time for some fish and chips then he’d have to leave.  Still even an hour was better than no time at all.  When she arrived home he’d already collected the food and was keeping it warm in the oven.  They’d now exchanged keys to each others homes and it made things so much easier.

“I’m sorry I have to shoot off,”
he said when they were seated at the table.  “At least we’ll both be free tomorrow.  I miss you so much when we’re apart.”

Katy nodded.  “I feel as if we’ve always been together.  We
’ve become so close.”

They
quickly ate their food then Katy stood up, took John by the hand and led him to the bedroom.

“I can’t be late for this thing tonight,”
he said, but even as he spoke he knew his protest was half-hearted.

They made love with intensity each relishing
the joy of their coupling.

“I don’t want to leave
you,” John said.

“But you must,” Katy replied.  “You said yourself you can’t miss this meeting.”

Someone had to be the voice of common sense.  After they’d dressed Katy walked John to the lift.  Once again they kissed passionately holding each other close.  When the lift arrived she eased herself from his arms.

“Go now before I change my mind,” she said.

He blew her a kiss as the doors slid shut.

“See you tomorrow,” she called.

…

When Gordon arrived in Glasgow he booked into a hostel for two nights because that was all he could afford.  Yesterday he’d located Katy’s place of work and when she’d finished for the day he’d followed her home.  It wasn’t too difficult to get into the building as at that time of the day people were frequently coming and going.  He’d seen her enter the lift and travel to the top floor so he knew where she lived.  Now he was back.

He
waited until nearly eight o’clock to be sure that she was in for the night before taking the lift to her floor.  Finding the correct apartment was easy because there was only one without a nameplate and none of the others bore her name.  Gordon straightened his clothes, fixed his best smile on his face then rang the bell.

John must have forgotten something Katy thought and she hurried to open the door.  She was shocked to the core
when she saw Gordon standing in front of her and she tried to push the door closed, but he was too strong.

“Don’t shut me out
,” he said forcing his way into the flat.  “I’ve come all this way to see you.”

He looked about him at the clean, tidy space t
hen the smile left his face and his expression became thunderous.  Katy was frightened.

“Get out of my flat,”
she shouted.  “I want you to leave now.  If you don’t get out I’ll call the police.”

“And by the time they get here, it will be too late,”
he replied menacingly.  “Why don’t you just be nice to me?  How about a kiss for your long lost husband?”

She
was really scared and tried to back away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.  She turned her head as he tried to kiss her.  His hands were all over her body and she felt sick.

“Let me go, get away from me,” she screamed trying to wriggle free.

Gordon threw her onto the floor.  He took the divorce papers from his jacket pocket and waved them in front of her.

“I’m still your husband,” he shouted, “And I still have rights.”

Katy was terrified.  She began to scream.

He
laughed, “That won’t do you any good,” he said.

Granny Alison was startled.  At first she thought it was
the television she was hearing, but when Katy began to scream Granny knew she was in trouble.  Through the wall she could hear a man’s voice.  He sounded angry and he had an English accent.

“Oh, my God,” she said aloud.

Without hesitating she reached for the phone and dialled 999.  Quickly she told the police what was happening.  Then she hung up and called Colin, the concierge, to ask for assistance.

“Hurry,” she said.  “Please, hurry, I’m frightened he’ll kill her.”

Granny searched her kitchen drawer and in a moment she’d located a key to Katy’s flat.  She’d had the key for twenty years after being given it by her friend Enid, who’d been the previous tenant.  She’d forgotten about it until now.  With the key in one hand and her whisky bottle in the other she raced out of her flat and across the hall.  The whisky bottle was the only heavy item she could find.  In her police days she used a baton to tackle thugs, but the bottle would have to do.  Granny used her key and was relieved to find the lock hadn’t been changed, normally it would have been, but given the circumstances of the outgoing tenant and the speed with which Katy had moved in, it had been overlooked.

With no thought for her own safety she
entered the flat leaving the door open for Colin and the police.  Then she followed the sounds to the kitchen in time to see Katy cowering on the floor and Gordon raising his hand to strike her.  A rapidly blackening bruise on Katy’s cheekbone was evidence that he’d hit her already.

Granny stepped forward and brought the bottle down on Gordon’s wrist.  It made a satisfying crack. 
He doubled over in pain and cried out.

“What the hell,” was all
he managed to say before she swung the bottle again, smashing it against his knee.

Katy sc
ampered across the floor on all fours.  She grabbed Granny by the arm and dragging the old lady with her, made her way to the front door.  The two women burst into the hallway just as the lift door opened and Colin stepped out.  The second lift opened a moment later and two policemen emerged.  Gordon was roaring and swearing.  He limped through the doorway only to be wrestled to the ground by the police.