Wags To Riches (35 page)

“Adam?” I whisper.  There’s no response.  “Adam” I say again, a little louder this time.

   “Umph?” he murmurs.

   “I’m going to make a cup of tea.  Do you want one?”

   “Yeah, please – what time is it?” he asks, his eyes still closed.

   “Five past ten” I reply, yawning and getting out of bed to go to the bathroom.  When I come back, Adam is sat up in bed, all bleary eyed.

   “I feel as rough as a badger’s arse,” he says, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. 

   “You have looked better,” I say smiling at him with his hair stuck up all over the place at weird angles.  “I’ll make some tea – that will help”.  I put on my slippers and fluffy dressing gown and go downstairs, trying to ignore the sound of my own footsteps echoing inside my head.  Ow.  I must get some tea.  Tea always makes things better.  I need some toast too.

   “Do you want some toast?” I call up the stairs.  I’m going to have to get something to eat as well – I’m starving.

   “Yes please” Adam shouts back.  “And a packet of
Resolve
.  There’s some in the cupboard near the cooker”.

   “Okay” I call.  A packet of
Resolve
sounds like a really good idea.  I pad across to the kitchen, open the door and almost jump out of my skin.  For a second I think there is someone sat on one of the kitchen chairs!  Who the bloody hell’s that? I think as my heart pounds.  But as I look again, I realise it’s not a person - it’s one of those rubber dolls you get from sex shops, complete with stupid face and open mouth!  Ugh!  Why is there a bloody blow up doll in my kitchen? I charge back upstairs and burst into the bedroom. 

   “Adam!” I shout as he rubs his eyes and tries to focus on me, “Why the bloody hell is there a rubber doll in the kitchen?”

   He looks at me blankly for a few seconds and then seems to remember something.  He smiles.  “Oh – it’s my birthday present from Tim and Tony” he explains.

   “Well get rid of it!” I say angrily.  “I’m not having that thing sat in the kitchen looking at me!”

   “I can’t get rid of it Gail - it was a birthday present” he says and yawns again.

   “Oh well, I’ll just sit it on the sofa shall I then?” I say sarcastically, “Then when your Mum and Dad come round we can all sit and talk to it!  Chuck it away Adam please,” I say, beseechingly, “It’s horrible!”

   Adam looks at me and then nods his head.  “All right Gail – I will – in a bit”.

   “Good.  Thank you!” I say and give him a kiss before going back downstairs.  I open the broom cupboard door and stuff the offending doll in there.  I’m not making breakfast with that thing looking at me.  What on earth did Tony and Tim buy him that stupid thing for? I wonder.  Can’t they buy him a
normal
present?  What’s wrong with a DVD or a bottle of whisky? 

   I make me and Adam a large cup of tea each and several slices of nice buttery toast, find the box of Resolve, fill two glasses with water and carry everything back upstairs.  “Cheers Gail – thanks for this” Adam says, reaching for the water and the sachet of Resolve.  “This toast is lovely” he adds as he takes a bite.

   “I know – breakfast in bed two days in a row!  Don’t get used to it” I joke before taking a sip of tea.  “I need to check on the arrangements for the furniture and marquee collection today” I say, “I’m going to have a walk round the garden as well this morning - just to make sure that everything’s okay after last night”.

   “I’m going to have another hour in bed” Adam says, “If that’s alright.  We haven’t got anything happening today have we?”

   “No – that’s fine if you want to go back to sleep for a bit,” I say grinning at him as I get out of bed and walk over to the bathroom door, “I bet you need some rest because you were on bloody fire on the dance floor last night!”

   “Oh don’t remind me!  I can’t believe I danced to
Saturday Night Fever
!” Adam says.  “I’m so embarrassed!”

   “Danced to it?  You didn’t just dance to it Adam, you
owned
that song!” I say, laughing as Adam groans and buries his face in the pillow.

* * * *

After having a nice hot shower I walk back into the bedroom to dress and notice that Adam has fallen fast asleep again so I get dressed as quietly as possible, pulling on jeans, trainers and pink t-shirt before putting on some makeup and going into the bedroom next door to dry my hair.  Once I’m ready, I go downstairs and open the back door.  It’s a lovely sunny day, but quite windy, so I slip my jacket on before having a walk round the garden.  Everything has been cleared up beautifully, apart from the temporary dance floor, the lamps and marquee which people are coming to dismantle and fetch today.  The garden looks fine – there are no stray champagne flutes or plates anywhere and the catering team have stacked up all the table and chairs ready for collection on the other side of the lawn.  What a brilliant night it was I think as the wind whips my hair around my face as I walk right down to the very bottom of the garden.  It‘s quite secluded down here – there are lots of bushes and trees and I don’t think many of the guests will have walked this far down as they’d probably be frightened of tearing a very expensive designer outfit on one of the brambles.  It’s then I notice a black G-string on the ground, underneath one of the shrubs.

I stare at it aghast for a few seconds.  Who the bloody hell’s is that?  UGH!

I run back to the house and race upstairs.  Adam has got up and is in the shower. I burst into the bathroom.  “Adam!” I shout over the noise of the shower.  “Oh God – it’s horrible!”

   Adam peers round the door of the shower.  “What’s up now?” he asks. “This shouting is not doing my head any good you know!”

I take a deep breath.  “There is only a black G-string on the ground at the bottom of the garden!” I say.

   “What?” Adam said.  “Ew!”

   “I know!” I say indignantly, nodding my head in agreement, “I can’t believe it!”

   “Just hang on – I’ll be out in a minute” Adam said and I sit down on the little bathroom chair, still feeling slightly shocked.  Fancy someone leaving their knickers in my garden!  I can’t believe it!

   “Pass me a towel will you Gailey?” Adam says as he opens the shower door and I pass him a fluffy white towel off the heated rail.

   “Who’s do you think it is?” I ask as he wraps the towel round his middle.

   “I dunno” Adam replies, reaching for another towel and rubbing his hair with it, “But I don’t think they are going to ring us up and say ‘excuse me, but I think I may have left my knickers in your garden when I decided to have sex there do you?”

I laugh.  “Well – no, but I wonder whose they are though” I muse.  “Hey - I bet they belong to that tart who was trying to flirt with you!” I say as we walk back into the bedroom.  “Mind you” I add, pursing my lips, “She didn’t look the sort to wear any knickers at all!”

   Adam smiles at the look on my face.  “I’ve no idea who it was Gail” he says, “I don’t think a bloke off the team would be involved though – they wouldn’t do that.  Look - I’ll get dressed and then you can show me where they are and I’ll get rid of them”.

   “Good, because I’m not having someone else’s knickers in
my
garden!” I say and Adam laughs.  Well I’m not.  If anyone should be leaving knickers it should be me and Adam, not some random slapper.  I bet they were Chanel’s.  And now the party is over, the only thing I’ve got to look forward to is my driving test next week.  Great.

* * * *

“Right Gail – let’s try and do the parallel park again shall we?” Sam says patiently as I resist the urge to scream and bite the steering wheel in frustration after my fourth attempt to parallel park goes wrong two days later.

“I can’t.  I can’t do it.” I say in exasperation.

   “Yes you can” Sam says firmly.  “You managed perfectly well yesterday and you can do the manoeuvre again today.  Come on – into reverse gear.”

I take a deep breath and start the manoeuvre again.  Oh God.  Why am I putting myself through this?  Adam can take me where I need to go or I can get a taxi – I don’t
need
to do this.  No – that’s no attitude – I’m going to do this.  It’s too late to cancel my test now anyway – I’ll lose my money.  I’ll just be so glad when Thursday is over.

****

“And now the end is near.  Although I face the final curtain…” I sing mournfully and out of tune as I wash the dishes after dinner the night before my test.

   “Oh give over Gail!” Adam says, rolling his eyes.  “It’s only a driving test!  Anyone would think you were going to the bloody gallows!”

   “It’s easy for you to say!” I say scowling.  “You’ve passed it.  I haven’t.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pass my stupid driving test!”

   “You will!  Come on, think positive!” Adam says firmly.

   “I’m so nervous I feel sick” I say miserably and look up at him. 

Adam puts the tea towel down and gives me a big hug.  “Hey come on – you can do this!” he says.  “You’re a really good driver!”

   “Thanks Adam” I say and smile at him.  I haven’t the heart to tell him I am so shit at driving its untrue.  Oh well – at least I can sit the test again.

The next morning I get up early – I didn’t manage to get a lot of sleep as I have been awake much of the night worrying about my test and it’s a relief actually to get out of bed.  I eat some toast and drink some tea and try not to worry.  Oh God I can’t do this!  Maybe I should just tell Sam I’m ill.  No – come on Gail I think, giving myself a mental shake, you can pass this. 

Adam gives me a big hug just before Sam is due to pick me up.  “You’ll be fine sweetheart.  You can do it!” he says and gives me a big kiss on my forehead.  There is the sound of a car outside.  “I think she’s here” Adam says.  I go out into the hall and open the front door.  Sure enough, there is Sam’s car waiting outside.

   “Good luck!” Adam says, smiling at me.

   “Thank you.  See you later” I say and my legs feel like jelly as I walk out to Sam’s car.  Oh God.  This is it.

It takes me most of the lesson before the test to calm down and try and get my nerves under some sort of control, but when I’m sat waiting for the examiner to come out, I have to seriously resist the urge to run away.  I suppose I may as well have a go at the test as I’m here now though I think as I try not to throw up. 

   I manage to read the car registration okay and do my ‘show and tell’ questions and after I’ve taken a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves, I drive out of the test centre car park and into town.  The examiner asks me to pull over at the side of the road and then to do a parallel park round a car that is parked just a little way ahead.  I manage to do it, but I don’t get as close to the kerb as I need to be and have to shuffle backwards and forwards a bit to get the car in the space.  My heart sinks like a stone because I know I’ve messed it up.  I can’t believe I’ve failed again when I know I can drive. 

Oh well – I may as well carry on and do everything else as I should do as at least then Sam and I know it’s just the parallel park we need to work on for next time.  Bloody hell.  I could spit, I’m so mad at myself.  I can drive, I know I can. 

The rest of the test goes really well – I do a really good turn in the road, good emergency stop and even overtake a huge lorry with a skip on the back because I’ve stopped feeling nervous now that I know I’ve failed already.  Eventually I pull up in the test centre car park, switch off the engine and wait with a heavy heart for the examiner to tell me I’ve failed and start going through what I did wrong.

   “Thank you Gail” he says, “Well, I’m pleased to tell you you’ve passed!”

   “YOU’RE JOKING!” I squeal as I put my hands over my mouth.

   “No – if you want to give me your provisional licence, I’ll send it off for you and your full one should arrive in about two week’s time” the examiner says smiling.  With shaking hands, I give him my licence and the examiner gives me a certificate to say I’ve passed my practical test – which I think I might frame - a copy of the marking sheet, various leaflets and a magazine with lots of information in for new drivers.  Out of the window, I can see Sam looking delighted.  Oh my God!  I can’t believe it!  I’ve passed!  YES!

Sam drives me home and I am just floating on air – I’m so happy.  This is up there with meeting Adam, buying my house – oh gosh – this is one of the best moments of my life!  I can’t wait to tell Adam!  As we go down the drive towards the house, I can see him open the front door.  I say goodbye to Sam, pick up my papers and get out of the car.  I walk slowly towards him, carefully keeping my face blank.

   “Well?” Adam says as we go inside.  “How did it go?  Don’t leave me hanging!”

   I look up at him and I can’t wait any longer.  “I’ve passed!” I squeal and Adam picks me up and spins me round so fast I drop all my papers on the floor.

   “Gail that’s fantastic!  Well done sweetheart – I’m so proud of you!” Adam says and kisses me.  He looks at me and he is absolutely beaming.  “Congratulations!” he says and hugs me again.

   “I know!  I can’t quite believe it!” I say, laughing and nearly crying at the same time.  “The thing was Adam, I thought I’d failed because I had to shuffle backwards and forwards a bit on my parallel park, but the examiner said that didn’t matter.  He was a bit concerned about my road positioning as I stayed out a bit after doing an emergency stop, but I did correct it”.