Un-Break my Heart: Book 2 (The Heart Trilogy) (39 page)

Chapter 50

I only had two weeks to finalise the schedules, shows and DJ’s for the launch on the 1
s
t
of December. Greg seemed to be spending a large amount of time in his office next door to mine. I kept my attire and attitude towards him business like and apart from some flowers on my desk when I returned from my holiday he had maintained a professional distance. I watched with interest as he flirted with all the rest of the female staff and I even caught Jack staring at him with an adoring look on his face.

“Jack stop mooning over our boss, he is very definitely straight” I said, as we worked on his programme formatting in the office.

“I know, but a man can look can’t he?” Jack giggled.

“What about Jeremy” I replied.

“Oh everything is going well there, you never know we might ask you to be the best man, or should I say woman at our wedding if we get as far as discussing it” The phone rang next door and I watched Greg hurry to answer it before tapping his door closed to ensure he remained undisturbed. A little while later and I looked up to find him standing in my doorway.

“Everything ok” he asked.

“Fine, perfect in fact” I replied, watching him lounge languidly against the frame.

“Great, as I want to talk to you about a possible launch venue and event on the Saturday when we go live”

“I’m all ears” I said, leaning forward.

“Yes, but so are the rest of the office so I think we should pop out for a spot of lunch together at the wine bar or café, your choice”

“Café will be great, I’ll grab my coat” I said. I still felt on edge and nervous in his company out of the office. We dashed across the road together and headed into the steamy warmth to find a table. With soup and crusty bread ordered and our coffee in front of us I waited for Greg’s idea.

“Well I happened to bump into that charming woman from the wine bar the other day and she was telling me about this new nightclub in the area” Greg said. I tried to mask my look of apprehension by taking a long sip of the coffee as Greg continued.

“So I checked it out and then spoke to the owner Zack on the phone this morning and he is extremely keen to have a further chat and perhaps sponsor one of our prime shows”

“Great, so why don’t you send Lesley over there to check it out and do the deal since she’s our top saleswoman” I replied.

“Because I think we should go instead, perhaps call in tomorrow evening on our way home from work and then we get to see how busy the place is when we leave” he grinned “Unless you fancied staying late, you know a bit of overtime”

Before I could answer the waitress appeared with our food and I was able to nicely side step the answer Greg was waiting for.

“Yes I can do tomorrow night but only until seven as James is taking me out to dinner” I replied “Perhaps the club could sponsor our evening dance music slots on Friday and Saturday night, maybe even have one of our DJ’s perform at the club”

Greg nodded at all my suggestions and smiled.

“I knew I made the right decision in promoting you” he said, raising his coffee cup in a toast.

“Here’s to the best Love Shack Radio station launch ever”

“Absolutely” I replied and tapped his mug with mine.

Getting home that evening I was immediately greeted by Jester. James was on a night shift, his last of the week and I could hear faint music coming from the studio door as I entered the kitchen. I had put the slow cooker on before work and the scent of chicken stew filled the air. Cautiously I tapped on the door in the lull in the music an
d
Charlott
e
appeared.

“Hi Mum, Shelley is here as I’m helping her with a dance audition routine”

“Ok, tea is ready whenever you are” I replied.

“Great, we’ll be out in five minutes and then we will jump in the shower” Charlie replied.

“Fine, I’m going to change and I’ll be in the lounge” I was about to head into the hall when Charlie asked.

“Can we use the hot tub later, I kind of promised Shelley”

“Yes, can’t see why not, its cold out but not raining”

My hungry daughter and her friend hardly spoke as they polished off their portions of stew before they headed back upstairs to change into their swimsuits and dressing gowns for the hot tub. James had managed to wire up some speakers from the power in the garage so Charlie popped into the studio and turned the stereo system on and found some music before they headed out. I watched the two of them run across the patio and then round the corner that was hidden from view. Grabbing my book I headed for the lounge again with a large glass of red wine. I found it hard to settle when James was on night shift so I picked up the DVD of Cocktail and slotted it into the machine.

All the images of beaches reminded me of our lovely holiday and closing my eyes I also remembered our first evening in the hot tub together. The water may have been warm but what we did in there was infinitely hotter. As if on cue my phone beeped and I found a message from James.

“Just thinking of you and looking forward to our dinner date tomorrow evening”

“Me too, can I meet you there as Greg and I have a sponsorship and launch party venue to look at first” I replied.

“Ok, just don’t be late as I have a surprise for you” he sent.

“Oh I love surprises” I returned “Maybe I’ll have my own surprise for you”

“Well looks like I’m out the alarm has just sounded”

“Just text me when you are back so that I know you are safe”

I never got a reply to the last text but again I was getting used to the sudden interruptions in our conversations.

Outside in the tub Charlie and Shelley sank into the warm water and pressed the button for the bubbles.

“Fuck this is out of this world” Shelley said, sighing and leaning back.

“I know, I can’t wait to spend some time in here with Mitchell when he gets back” Charlie replied.

“Whose idea was the sign then” Shelley asked, pointing to the garage wall.

“James picked it up, apparently its like the one that used to be displayed at the swimming pool where he worked as a teenager”

“Well you aren’t going to have much fun with Mitch if you have to obey the No Petting rule” she sniggered. Charlie laughed as she tried to dispel the thought of her Mum and James together out here. She knew that they would have to pick their times carefully to do what she had in mind.

They had been working on Shelley’s next dance for the Burlesque show at the end of the month. Charlie was going to be away i
n
Americ
a
but had to admit that helping Shelley was such good fun. They had chosen an Ellie Goulding dance track which suited Shelley’s style and sense of fun. Charlie hoped that when she spoke to Mitch about it he would let her continue as she really wanted to re-create the dance from Flashdance, especially if Zack could arrange some sort of shower above her. Before she could drift off into her dancing dreams she felt a soft hand on her thigh. Looking across at Shelley she grinned.

Shelley closed the gap between them and pressed her lips onto Charlie’s, their mouths opening eagerly to let their tongues explore. Reaching round Shelley pulled the tie on her bikini top and pulling it off let it drop over the side of the pool.

“I’m sure this will be ok” she murmured, reaching to do the same to Charlie’s. The bubbles bounced and played over their erect nipples so much that they didn’t really need to add their fingers to it. Shelley pushed Charlie back against the seat as they continued to kiss and rub against each other; the water seemed to be getting cooler or was it that their bodies were getting hotter.

Charlie felt Shelley’s fingers in the top of her bikini knickers and soon they were off too.

“Woo” Charlie moaned as a jet beneath her caught her unaware.

“Jets” Shelley said, naked too and positioned over Charlie so that she too felt the same pulsing feeling. They didn’t need to do anything more as the water bubbled and played over their throbbing bodies. They continued to kiss and if it hadn’t been for the feel of Shelley’s breasts occasionally rubbing against her own Charlie imagined that it was really Mitchell here with her instead. Closing her eyes the orgasm built inside of her like volcanic lava running through her arteries as she gasped and pushed down harder against the jet.

“Fuck…fuck….fuck” Shelley cried as hers came first, followed closely b
y
Charlotte.

Slumped together against the side of the pool they moved slightly and being so sensitive after Charlie managed to turn the bubbles off.

“I’d be in here all the time” Shelley eventually managed “Better than the shower”

Charlie nodded but inside wanted to add the words but not as good as Mitchell. Just then they heard footsteps on the patio so quickly pressed the bubbles back on and grabbed their bikini’s from the side to hide them beneath the surface.

“I bought you some hot chocolate” I said “And to say don’t be too much longer as it’s getting late and you both have college in the morning”

“Thanks Mum” Charlie managed, hoping that in the limited light her Mum had not noticed the absence of her bikini top which was still hanging over the far corner.

I was about to walk away when I turned and said.

“Don’t forget your bikini top”

I watched with amusement my daughters face turn a scarlet red as she reached to retrieve it. Shelley remained quiet in the corner seat but also seemed to be suffering from the heat of the water. As I rounded the corner I heard giggles again and laughed softly too. I knew that if Sarah and I had ever had the chance of an evening in a hot tub when we were teenagers then we might have been brave enough to abandon our tops in the security of the bubbling surface.

“That was close” Shelley eventually said, as her laughter died down.

“A bit too close” Charlie said. Carefully they slid back into their swim wear and climbed out. They rubbed the water off quickly before the cold night air started to pinch at their pink skin. With the mugs in their hands they headed quickly back to the kitchen and to the warmth of the house within. Jester looked up at the two of them but made no move to go out in the garden for one last sniff. He settled in his basket as Charlie turned the lights off and they headed upstairs to bed.

I listened to their footsteps on the stairs and the bedroom doors shutting. My daughter would be off on a plane t
o
Americ
a
on Saturday morning and by the time she returned the radio station would be on air. A little nervous tickle ran through my body at the thought. Then just before I turned off the light my mobile phone started to ring. I picked it up to hear my love.

“Hi honey, I’m back at the station, just been dealing with an RTC”

“Hi James, I’m just tucked up in bed and thinking about the weekend ahead” I replied.

“I know its going to be great to have the house to ourselves whe
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heads off on Saturday” James said.

“I know but won’t you miss the fact that we will not be there for Mitchell’s twenty first birthday” I asked.

“A bit but I’m sure the present I have in mind when he returns will more than make up for it”

I paused and thought again of Felicity’s words.

“But what about the paternity test”

“If Mitchell wants one then so be it, but I have raised him for most of his life and perhaps he’d prefer not to know the truth”

“I guess we just have to wait and see when Felicity decides to tell him”

“Yes, now stop worrying about it and I’ll see you tomorrow evening at seven”

“I’m looking forward to it already; in fact my outfit is hanging up on the wardrobe door ready”

“Underwear too?” James enquired.

“I’ll decide on that in the morning now I’d better get my head down and my beauty sleep in” I giggled.

“You look beautiful all the time” he murmured “Night, night sleep tight”

With his words echoing in my ears I closed my eyes and found comfort in my dreamless sleep. In her bedroo
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looked across at her suitcase already packed and ready for Saturday morning. She only had to get through tomorrow and then her first ever flight on an aeroplane. Mitchell had sent her a text earlier to say that he was now i
n
New Yor
k
but would be travelling south tomorrow and then looking forward to seeing her i
n
Miami. In his cubicle at the Fire Station James thought about what lay ahead. He had ordered a new motorbike for Mitchell for his birthday but would he want it when he knew the truth, the truth that would inevitably change his life forever. He did not want Felicity to win this time and take someone away from his life like she had done before.