Better Together Page 6

  Their lovemaking that night was tender and caring and as he looked lovingly at his sleeping partner, Dan Harris’s heart began to argue with his head.

  ‘Love is friendship set on fire.’

  Anon

  PART 2

  Out With the Old

  Chapter One

  Terminal one, Heathrow airport was its usual chaotic self. Jess picked up some Euros and rushed to the toilet. She could feel the blood coming out of her. Her stomach was cramping. Sitting on the toilet, changing her mammoth sanitary towel, she wished she were anywhere else but here. She was flying to Barcelona to check set up on a big event she’d been arranging. As she was the sole event organiser, she had no choice but to go. She had had the operation a week ago and thought she’d be fine to fly. Evidently it was quite common to bleed like a suckling pig for days afterwards and tampons were a big no-no in case of infection.

  Dan had been a complete angel throughout her ordeal. He had met her from the clinic with a huge bunch of yellow roses. Her favourite, and had held her gently that night as she sobbed herself to sleep.

  ‘Don’t go to Barcelona,’ he’d urged that morning.

  ‘I have to. I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.’

  She was just about to board when her phoned beeped.

  I think you’re grand x

  Jess knew at the moment this was the nearest she’d get to an ‘I love you’ from Dan and she smiled. They had become closer than ever over the past two weeks which made Jess realise she had definitely made the right decision. She comforted herself in the thought that in a year or so, when their relationship was even more solid, she would broach the subject of a family again, things would be different then – she was sure of it.

  The four day event in Barcelona went without incident. Dan called her without fail every morning and evening and by the time she was due to come home she actually felt much better. She had given Dan a key, so that he could stay at her house on Evie-free nights. She paid the taxi driver and went to put the key in the door. Dan opened it, grabbed her round the waist and kissed her full on the lips. ‘God I’ve missed you. How are you feeling?’

  ‘Bit tired after travelling but generally so much better, bleeding has stopped too.’

  ‘That’s a bonus,’ Dan smiled. ‘Right, well I’ve run you a nice hot bath and thought we’d get a take-away later.’

  ‘Bloody hell, what’s happened to you? I must go away more often.’ Jess laughed ‘Glass of wine by my bath would be good too, while you’re looking after me.’

  ‘I got you a present Jess, here.’ He handed her a Jack Johnson CD.

  Dan left Jess to relax, and as she was drying herself, she heard the click of the CD player.

  ‘Are you listening Mrs Robinson?’ Dan shouted up the stairs as Jack poured out the melody of ‘Better Together’.

  Her eyes filled with tears at his romantic notion. Dan walked up the stairs. She dropped her towel and hugged him tightly. ‘I love you, Daniel Harris.’

  ‘And I think you’re grand Jessica Morley.’

  Chapter Two

  Jess came out of the changing room and did a spin with the Wonder Woman outfit on. Emma could barely talk for laughing. ‘That is hilarious. Without question you have to get it.’

  ‘Are you sure I look OK? I want to look funny as well as sexy. It is after all only once that you’re forty.’

  ‘It’s perfect. Great legs, bird. Now get it off and let’s go get some lunch.’

  Jess had realised that planning her own event was actually quite hard to do. She had wanted everything to be just right. She had decided that fancy dress was definitely the way to go, as it always made parties that little bit more fun. She had booked out the local wine bar and found a cheesy DJ on the internet, who had assured her that he would even be able to get great auntie Constance up dancing.

  ‘What’s Dan coming as?’

  ‘I don’t know yet, he’s being a big cagey about the whole thing actually.’

  ‘Phoebe and co. are coming as the Flintstones. The girls even want to dress the dog up and bring him along as Deano, hilarious!’

  ‘My dad is coming as Nelson. Bless him getting into the spirit of it too.’

  Jess got dressed, paid the deposit on her outfit and they headed out into the crisp March sunshine.

  ‘God it’s bliss having a couple of hours away from the kids,’ Emma exclaimed as their pizzas were put down in front of them. ‘It’s good to see you looking so well, Jess. How are things?’

  ‘I feel great actually. Body back in full working order and things between me and Dan couldn’t be better. He’s even suggested I meet Evie after the party which can only be a good thing.’

  ‘That’s fantastic, Jess, definitely a big step forward. From the sound of him he wouldn’t just do that on whim, he must be feeling serious about you too.’

  ‘Well let’s hope so, he still can’t say the three little words yet. I’ve said them once, holding back now though, don’t want to scare him off now do I?’

  ‘Can’t wait to meet him at the party. I really can‘t even imagine what he’s like. God you’re a lucky cow having someone so young.’

  ‘I have to say the sex is mind-blowing, gets better every time. I think we’ve got the perfect age combination on that front. It’s true what they say about late thirties women, I’ve never been so horny in all my life.’

  ‘Can I just say, that’s another benefit for not having kids, Jess. By the time Mark and I get into bed we are so knackered, a back rub and kiss on the cheek is about all we can muster most nights.’ They both laughed.

  ‘He’s moving out of the house soon isn’t he?’ Emma enquired.

  ‘Yeah, Alex has decided to keep it on and is getting a lodger as they have three bedrooms. Not ideal for Evie, but evidently it’s a friend of theirs, so it should be OK. Get ready for this – Dan is moving on to a boat!’

  ‘A boat?’ Emma exclaimed.

  ‘Yeah it’s a proper house boat. Big bedroom, shower, toilet and everything. It’s moored on the Thames, about half an hour from here. One of his family just uses it in the summer and said he could rent it off them until he gets sorted.’

  ‘That sounds like fun actually,’ Emma enthused.

  ‘I can’t wait to see it. I’ve already been on the internet and got Evie a life jacket as a present, as the thought of a toddler on the water worries me slightly.’

  ‘Jess, what have I told you about being too giving, you haven’t even met her yet. Let him worry about her for how.’

  ‘Oh, Em, you know what I’m like, I won’t change. I feel like I want to help him.’

  ‘Just don’t let him take advantage of you, mate.’

  ‘I won’t, I won’t.’ Jess smiled at her caring friend.

  At that moment Jess’s phone rang.

  ‘Sorry, Em, it’s Dan, do you mind if I take it?’

  ‘Go on, of course not.’

  ‘What’s the vibe, Mrs R?’ Dan questioned.

  ‘Well I’m just about to eat a huge piece of vanilla cheesecake, so you’ve got me for precisely two minutes.’ He laughed. ‘OK, I was actually just phoning to say I can’t make tonight. I’m really sorry, Alex forgot she is on some course and I’ve got to look after Evie.’

  Jess was disappointed but didn’t show it in her voice. She knew that tolerance would always have to be in order where a child was concerned.

  ‘Of course that’s OK, don’t worry. It’s my party on Saturday; we can make up for lost time then.’

  ‘Er yeah.’ Dan said quietly. Jess thought Dan sounded a bit funny as he continued. ‘Let’s meet for lunch tomorrow. Can you come to the George and Dragon, as I’ll only get an hour ’cos I’m working?’

  ‘Yeah sure, see you one-ish. Hope you have a good night with Evie.’

  Jess screwed up her face.

  ‘Everything OK?’ Em enquired.

  ‘I don’t know. He sounded really odd.’

  ‘Probably ’cos he’s calling from wor
k, you know what men are like.’

  ‘Yeah. I guess so.’ Jess’s voice tailed off. She could sense something was wrong.

  Chapter Three

  Jess arrived early at the George and Dragon. She was having a bit of a quiet spell work-wise, which actually had been a blessing, as it had allowed her to fully recover from the mental and physical strain of her operation. She parked overlooking the river and watched the swans floating gracefully along. She pondered if she and Dan would mate for life, just like swans evidently did. Just as she was mid romantic thought she was startled by a tap on the window.

  ‘Looking for business?’ Dan smirked.

  ‘Get in here now and get those seats back.’ She joked, but at the sight of Dan in his well fitted jeans and trendy blue shirt she could quite gamely have gone through with the offer. Dan found a table by the window overlooking the river as Jess ordered drinks at the bar. She sauntered over to him and put on a funny voice.

  ‘A pint of the finest Stella for my immaculate toy boy, and a white wine for the laydeee.’

  ‘You really aren’t actually that funny,’ he said sarcastically and took a large swig of his lager. He no longer had a smile on his face.

  ‘Dan? What’s up with you then?’

  ‘Oh, Jess, I’m not sure how to say this.’

  ‘Try me,’ Jess replied nonchalantly.

  ‘When are you going to start looking for a proper boyfriend?’

  ‘What are you on about, Dan, have you been drinking already?’

  ‘I’m serious, Jess.’

  It was Jess’s turn to take a large slug of her drink as Dan continued. ‘I could go on as we are, well for years in fact, but I sat and thought long and hard last night. Be honest with yourself, Jess. Can you really see me and you working in ten years’ time?’

  Jess took a deep breath to stop herself crying with shock. ‘Woah there, hang on a minute. Where has this suddenly come from? Just a couple of days ago we were love’s young dream, what’s got into you?’

  ‘Sense, that’s what. In ten years’ time, I’ll still only be thirty-four, a young man. You’ll be fifty and wanting to rightly put on your slippers and watch Newsnight, whereas I’ll probably still be putting on my dancing shoes and going clubbing. We’ve got to be realistic here.’

  ‘But, Dan, life is for living. Since my mum died I just take every day as it comes, you don’t know what’s around the corner, let’s just have some fun now. It’s my party tomorrow, you can’t do this to me today of all days.’

  ‘That’s another thing: I don’t think I’m ready to meet your family and mates. I’m worried what they may think of me.’

  ‘Don’t be so bloody ridiculous, Dan. If I’m happy, they’re happy. This is about us and no one else.’

  Dan wasn’t swayed. ‘Jess, this can’t go on forever.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ Jess said, her voice beginning to crack. ‘I love being with you. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. You make me…’ She was lost for words. ‘We’re better together that’s all.’ She couldn’t contain her tears any longer.

  ‘Oh, Jess, please don’t cry. I love hanging out with you too. But I’m saying this now because I do really care about you. I don’t want to fuck your life up, I’m just being realistic.’

  Jess felt her stomach lurch. ‘I cannot believe that I gave up having a baby for the sake of making this relationship work,’ she spat.

  ‘Oh, Jess, please don’t say that.’

  She continued her rant. ‘Good old Jess, get her sorted at the clinic, then I can run along and sew my oats elsewhere.’

  ‘Don’t be so melodramatic. It’s not like that, Jess, and you know it. I’ve got to think of Evie too. If I introduce her to you and then we split, it’s not fair on her young little head either. I know she’d love you, everybody does and it would be another upheaval for her.’

  Jess thought she was going to be sick. ‘But if you love someone surely age shouldn’t matter.’

  ‘Jess, grow up, get out of your fantasy world. This is real life we are talking about here.’

  Jess was taken aback by his sharp comment. ‘And what if I say I want to carry on and I’ll suffer the consequences?’

  ‘No, Jess, no. It’s over.’ Dan paused. ‘You are the loveliest person, I adore you and really hope we can still be friends, good friends, but that’s all I’m willing to offer you.’ He stood up. ‘I’m going back to work,’ He gently put his hand on her shoulder. ‘I really hope your party goes well and thank you for helping me release myself from Alex and my unhappiness.’

  Jess sat in her car and stared aimlessly at the swans. She felt shocked, hurt, and so unhappy. If she was really honest with herself, the main reason she didn’t go through with the pregnancy

  was to make their relationship work. She realised there and then that she had made the worst decision of her life, and there was not one thing she could do to change it. Tears began to roll slowly down her cheeks. ‘Thanks for releasing me from my unhappiness,’ she mimicked in a baby voice. Fucking bastard! What about her unhappiness now?

  Chapter Four

  Dan headed back to work with a heavy heart. As much as he cared for Jess, he knew that he was doing the right thing by her and by Evie. It would get too messy if they carried on and he was ready to have fun on his own again now. He was just in the middle of testing a web site, when his desk phone rang.

  ‘Dan, have you got a minute? I’m in my office.’

  ‘Oh, er yeah, sure, Sam. I’ll come down and see you.’

  Dan walked down to the end of the barn, taking in his funky surroundings and saying hello to various colleagues as he walked passed their desks. He knew he was lucky to work in such a pleasant environment, with such a friendly bunch of people. He tentatively pushed open the heavy pine door to his boss’s office. He felt apprehensive and racked his brains to think of any projects he may have cocked up recently.

  Sam pushed himself back on his plush leather office chair and put his feet up on his huge antique desk. There were piles of paper everywhere, and Dan noticed a couple of thank you cards on the top of a filing cabinet in a corner of the airy room.

  ‘No need to look so nervous.’ Sam laughed . ‘Sit down.’ He waved his hand at a chair opposite his desk. ‘I wanted to give you a pat on the back actually. Here, look.’ Sam pushed a marketing magazine over the desk to Dan, and continued. ‘Take a look at page four. The recent web site you designed for Silicon Mobile has won an award for design and usability. They are delighted and so am I. It will be such good publicity for Lemon.’

  Dan smiled. ‘Woah, that’s great. I thought it was shit hot!’

  ‘So, well done, Dan. ’ He smiled at the exuberance of his youthful employee. In fact, Dan reminded him very much of himself when he was young. Good-looking and cocky, but with enough intelligence to back up his self-assuredness.

  Dan stood up. ‘I best go and tell those lads in the studio. Daniel Harris, the award winner!’ He exclaimed.

  ‘Before you go, Dan. I want you to have this.’ Sam handed Dan a cheque. Dan took it and looked at it quizzically. ‘Two grand! Sam, I don’t know what to say.’

  ‘You actually don’t have to say anything. In fact please don’t. Keep it quiet from everyone here and thank you again, Dan, great job.’

  Dan shook his head in disbelief. ‘But you only just gave me a big pay rise a month ago. Thanks, thanks a lot.’

  Sam waved his hand in the air, dismissing Dan’s comment. ‘Now, go spend it on that little girl of yours.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll do that.’ Dan replied, virtually skipping back to his desk.

  Chapter Five

  ‘( Is this the way to) Amarillo.’ The song boomed out of the cronky sound system. Jess wished she’d vetted the internet DJ. This was the first song he’d put on that had been instantly recognisable. He was pushing sixty and, with his shock of black hair and goofy teeth, Jess wasn’t exactly sure that it wasn’t Ken Dodd! He was adorned in a flashing, Union Jack w
aistcoat.

  ‘Jess, where on earth did you find him?’ Her friend Hope laughed.

  ‘Don’t even go there darling. My usual man I use for events is busy!’ Hope was Jess’s ‘mad’ friend. Whenever she went out with her, the night always ended in tears or a gutter as they both had a tendency to drink for England when together.

  ‘Right, I’m going to shake him up.’ Hope laughed and pushed her way over to him. She looked stunning dressed as Elizabeth Taylor adorned in a Cleopatra robe. Her tiny little waist and big boobs proved to be a magnet for most men, but alas she had still not found her Richard Burton. She’d had a lot of fun along the way trying to though.

  ‘Is Chris definitely coming by the way?’ Jess enquired. Chris was Hope’s younger brother. He was just twenty-one and in the army. He was stunningly attractive.

  ‘Oh yes, said he wouldn’t miss it for the world, coming in uniform I think.’

  ‘Ooh lovely.’ Jess smiled and Hope gave her a don’t-you-dare look. She’d always had a bit of thing for Chris but even by her standards she thought him a little bit too young. Thinking of Chris reminded her of Dan with a jolt. She’d managed to keep it together since lunchtime yesterday, as she’d had so much to organise. She’d had a brief conversation with Emma about it but had managed to remain strong. Today was her day. He had texted her earlier saying, ‘Have a good time tonight.’. Though she wished in a way he hadn’t bothered.

  She didn’t think the friend option was viable. How on earth could she be friends with the man who she had actually thought she may spend the rest of her life with?

  Tonight Jessica Morley would be Wonder Woman. No man would ruin her fortieth birthday! She was surrounded by everybody who loved her and if he didn’t want to be with her, then more fool him.

  ‘Dad!’ Jess squealed. ‘You look great.’ Her dad gave her a big hug and she nearly knocked off his hat. He had a patch on his eye. ‘Nelson, that is so funny!’

  ‘And how’s my number one daughter then?’