Stockings and Cellulite (32 page)

After he’d gone Jamie gave me a curious look. ‘Cassie I hate asking you this, but why would your ex-husband give you a key to his house?’

I explained the Charlotte problem and my overseeing the decorators. Jamie slowly exhaled, a relieved expression on his face.

‘You surely weren’t thinking something else were you?’ I folded my arms across my chest, head on one side enquiringly.

‘Not at all. Well yes actually. Just a little bit. I’m very aware you haven’t been separated for that long Cassie. There’s a deeper part of me that fears you and Stevie could reconcile. I don’t want to get caught up in a triangular relationship – or for that matter get hurt.’

Knocking the burger prongs from Jamie’s grasp I grabbed his hands tightly in mine.

‘The only reunions I want,’ I said earnestly, ‘are with you – whenever you’re off duty and whenever we can get together, be it with or without our children. I love you Jamie like I’ve never loved any man before,’ and with that I hurled myself at him, kissing him full on the mouth.

‘
Ew,
they’re snogging again,’ Jonas’ voice drifted across the garden.

Despite George and his boys initially getting off to a slow start, it became apparent over the next few days that there was no stopping them.

One afternoon I popped over to Stevie’s house and was amazed at the swift transformation. Clean bare walls were almost reinstated and the battered fireplace had been repaired.

When Jamie telephoned that evening it was with the suggestion of staying at his house for the entire weekend.

‘Ooh yes please,’ I agreed happily. ‘So Petra and Jonas will be at their grandma’s overnight?’

‘No, not at all. Mum’s going rambling for the weekend with her crowd of golden oldies so the children will be here too.’

‘Oh. Oh. Right.’ I struggled to get my head around this arrangement. It was taking our relationship in front of the children from a slow and steady introduction to top gear overnight. The idea of sleeping in Jamie’s bed with Petra and Jonas just across the landing wasn’t a comfortable thought. And what would Livvy and Toby say when they found out?

‘Um, Jamie, I’d rather not do that just yet. It’s too soon.’

‘Sorry darling, I’m coming on too strong again aren’t I! It’s just me being selfish and wanting to take every opportunity to be with you.’

‘So, er, did other girlfriends stay overnight when the kids were in the house?’

‘Other girlfriends?’

‘You know – other lady friends. Did the children ever wake up to discover another woman in the house with Dad?’

I was aware that voicing the question out loud had made me feel irked. One could even say
jealous
.

‘No. Never.’

‘Not even Wossername?’

I had a childish urge to refer to her as Semolina.

‘Selina? No way.’

‘So what did you do when you – you know – wanted to get together?’ I persisted, even though the mere
thought
of the ravishingly gorgeous Selina lying in bed with
my
man was causing mental havoc. Vivid pornographic pictures were unfolding in my brain and I couldn’t find the remote control anywhere to flip the image off.

‘I’d go to her place.’

I was seriously uptight now. Couldn’t help it.

‘Just as an aside – and I really hope you don’t mind me asking this,’ I snarled into the handset, ‘why
did
you split up with Selina?’

‘Because, with the exception of work, we had very little in common. She was absolutely
not
into children and when she did meet the kids she could hardly be bothered to say hello. I also found her incredibly vain, attention seeking, boring and shallow.

Excellent news.

‘So why did you go out with her?’

‘Well, she suited my life at that point. I was happy to have occasional female company but I was never in love with her – and she knew it. In fact the catalyst for us breaking up,’ Jamie hesitated, ‘was you.’

‘
Me
?’

‘Yes you! Selina figured I had a soft spot for you when you crashed on the ski slope. I was adamant about staying with you and told her to go on ahead, remember? She was apoplectic with rage and we had a big row about it later that evening. And once back in England I insisted on detouring to your house to see how you were. You may recall she was in the car. It was the last straw for her and the massive argument that followed was our last. But never mind Selina. She’s the past. You’re my future Cassie and I want our children to start getting familiar with that.’

Jamie had said
our
children. That had sounded so nice. Like his children were my children and mine were his. They were
ours
.

As things turned out, I did end up staying the night at Jamie’s house. Morag and Matt had telephoned with an impromptu invitation to celebrate their respective Nisi and Absolute insisting we join them for dinner and to bring Petra and Jonas too. Matt had the children from his second marriage staying the weekend who were good pals with Jamie’s two.

‘Let them stay overnight with us,’ Matt suggested. ‘They’ll have a load of fun watching unsuitable DVDs and feasting on popcorn.’

‘Don’t you mind having all these kids staying when you’re after private time with Matt?’ I asked Morag buttonholing her in the kitchen.

‘Of course not,’ she replied peering into the depths of the overloaded dishwasher for free space. ‘The children don’t really want to hang out with Matt or me very much anyway. They think we’re a pair of old fogies!’ she laughed.

‘Doesn’t Matt worry about his kids being emotionally screwed up seeing you practically installed in the house and spending nights with him, not to mention all those step-children? It’s not what I would call a stable home environment.’

‘Of course it is!’ Morag reversed out of the dishwasher looking most indignant. ‘All Matt’s kids and step-children are just fine with it. They’ve all endured watching their parents split up, meet other people, re-marry, split up again, meet someone else, live together, split up. But Matt’s always been here for them with the door wide open. Fortunately there have never been any access struggles so each child has never lost sight of their main parent and is perfectly capable of taking the comings and goings of lovers or step-parents within their stride. Don’t fret so. Kids are far more adaptable than you think.’

The incredible joy of waking up with Jamie by my side was an unexpected heavenly treat. I rolled over kicking the cumbersome duvet off and gazed lovingly at his handsome face in sleep.

‘You’re staring at me,’ he mumbled, eyes still tightly shut.

I grinned and flopped back happily against the feather pillows. ‘Do you ever sometimes experience a really bizarre sense of déjà vu about us?’ I stared up at the ceiling making cloudy pictures in the uneven paint swirls. ‘Ours is a fledgling relationship and yet I feel like I’ve known you for such a long time. Forever in fact. It’s so weird.’

Jamie reached out and pulled me across the rumpled bedclothes into his arms. ‘That’s because we’re right for each other.’

Later, when I’d returned home, Stevie unexpectedly turned up on the doorstep.

‘Mind if we talk?’ he asked pushing straight past me.

‘Why don’t you come in,’ I muttered to his retreating back.

I followed him through to the kitchen.

‘I’ll come straight to the point Cass,’ Stevie leant back against the sink, arms outstretched either side of the draining board. ‘What’s with you and Boy Wonder?’

‘Who?’

‘Mr Cop Man,’ Stevie spat. ‘The chap who seems to have made one hell of an impression upon
my
kids. When I last saw the kids they couldn’t stop prattling on about him. I gather you all jollied off to Spain together and played ecstatically happy new families. Took your little buckets and spades down to the beach and made dear little castles in the sand. Re-enacted
We’re All Going on a Summer Holiday
starring Cassandra Cherry and PC Flat Foot. Don’t you think you should have asked my permission first before electing this guy to step unasked into the father figure role?’

‘I beg your par-?’

‘And what was he doing here the other day in
my
house sitting on
my
patio drinking out of
my
glasses eating off
my
plates with
my
SODDING FAMILY?’ Stevie bellowed.

‘Oh give me a SODDING BREAK,’ I bawled back. ‘For starters Stevie this is
my
house now and who I invite into it is nothing to do with you.’

‘It bloody well is where my children are concerned,’ Stevie jutted his chin out. ‘You know nothing Cass. You’re just a silly little woman with your head up your arse. If you want to cheapen yourself with other men then that’s up to you, but don’t involve
my
children,’ he took a step forward and thrust his face into mine, ‘DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND?’

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this. What about
you
?’ my voice cracked. ‘Did you ever stop to think about the impact
your
love life was having on Livvy and Toby? In the space of a few short months they’ve seen you bed hop from Cynthia Castle to Charlotte and now Simone.’

‘They haven’t met Simone. She’s not into children.’

‘No I don’t suppose she is. I expect
grand
children are more her scene,’ I replied scathingly.

‘Don’t be a bitch Cass, it doesn’t suit you.’

Frustrated and furious, words failed me. There were so many things I wanted to vocally lob back at Stevie but instead I found myself incapable of verbalising it.

‘We’ve been down this path before,’ I eventually said.

‘Oh no we haven’t,’ Stevie’s eyes narrowed, ‘not where my children are concerned.’

‘They’re my children too you know. And I have a damn sight more regard for their emotional welfare regarding relationships than you will ever have.’

‘Oh so it’s a re
lation
ship is it?’ Stevie pounced. ‘You and Plod are an item are you?’

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to scream
yes, yes, yes
but I wanted to discuss things with Livvy and Toby first, not Stevie.

‘It’s early days,’ I said dismissively.

‘Well just make sure that whatever happens between you and this bozo, you keep the kids firmly out of the equation. Got it?’

With that Stevie stalked out of the house slamming the front door so hard the letterbox flap fell off its hinges.

How
dare
he speak to me like I was some sort of good time girl when it was as plain as the nose on his face that he was the one who behaved like a promiscuous tart?

The anger stayed with me until gone bedtime. I finally fell asleep a little before dawn. I awoke exhausted, the tangle of bedclothes bearing testament to the night I’d had.

‘Kids?’ I foghorned from my bedroom. ‘Can you come here for a moment please?’

‘No, I’m looking for my riding crop,’ Livvy’s muffled voice floated up from the depths of the shoe cupboard.

‘I’ll help you find it in a minute,’ I shouted back.

The pair of them finally appeared, Toby shambling in with odd socks on and Livvy clearly impatient to be off.

‘Guys!’ I beamed at them.

They cast doubtful glances at each other. I rarely called them
guys
.

‘Sit down,’ I patted the bed. ‘I want to have a chat with the two of you about, well, something delicate.’

‘Oh Mum if this is to discuss the birds and the bees we already know everything.’

‘It’s about Jamie. And me.’

‘You want to tell us you’re dating,’ Toby gave me a bored look.

‘Well, yes but-’

‘And that you’ve fallen in love,’ added Livvy.

‘How-?’

‘It was obvious to all of us,’ Toby continued.

‘Good heavens,’ I stared at them both, utterly pole-axed. ‘And, er, how do you feel about it?’

Toby shrugged. ‘We like him, don’t we Liv?’

‘Yeah. He’s pretty cool, especially being a policeman and everything. Can we go now?’

‘No, this is extremely important.’

I focussed my attention on Toby.

‘It’s not that long ago you gave me a lot of grief simply for being friends with Matt.’

‘Jamie’s different.’

‘Why?’

‘He just is. He’s a bit like having another Dad I s’pose.’

‘But he’s
not
your Dad Toby.’

‘No I know that, and nobody can replace my real Dad. I’m just saying that I don’t mind having Jamie around. Does this mean the two of you will now be having sexual intercourse?’

My mouth dropped open.

‘Don’t be ridiculous Toby,’ Livvy interrupted, ‘Mummy and Jamie are far too old for that sort of thing.’

Naturally I brought Jamie up to date on my talk with the twins adding that it had been Stevie’s ranting remarks that had prompted the conversation.

‘I think it might be a good idea for the two of us to see Stevie together for a frank chat. That way he can address any issues and concerns directly to me. I’m not on duty tomorrow evening so ask him if we can have a bit of a get together.’

‘Are you kidding?’

‘Why would I be kidding?’

‘Er, no reason. Right, I’ll do that.’

‘Good.’

I didn’t summon the courage to ring Stevie until quite late. He was curt to the extreme.

‘Would you be available for a chat tomorrow evening only there’s some-’

‘Come over at seven,’ Stevie snapped.

‘Okay. I’ll be bringing-’

But the line had gone dead. Terrific.

The following evening Nell kindly stepped into the breach to mind Liv and Toby for half an hour or so. With mounting apprehension, I nervously walked alongside Jamie to Stevie’s house.

‘When you mentioned your ex-husband lived nearby Cassie, I didn’t realise it was the very same road.’

‘It’s a bit of a story,’ I muttered.

Jamie stepped up to the doorbell. He squeezed my hand reassuringly. ‘Ready?’

‘No.’

The door was answered almost immediately by an elegant brunette who I’d have judged to be in her mid forties. Seconds later the penny dropped with a clang. Goodness, this must be Simone. She certainly looked exceptionally well preserved. Perhaps she’d had a bit of nip and tuck?