Dirty Seduction

ROSIE

IT was such a familiar feeling, opening the door to mum’s place and stepping inside. The instinct was to say hey, Mum, I’m home, but I had to stop myself. This wasn’t home anymore. My home was upstairs.

Heart to hearts could never be more powerful than the one I’d had with Mum just over a week ago. Since then, we’d been spending time together whenever we could around her work, and my revision. I’d told her my story, and she’d told me hers, and here I was. It was time to meet my mum’s new partner.

I was excited to meet Tom and see how happy they were together in person. I had more faith in him than in anyone else she’d called her boyfriend, and I didn’t even know him. The look in her eyes was different when she spoke about him. The glow around her was natural, and grounded, with nothing fanatical about it. Nothing but respect and quiet love.

I was smiling brightly as I stepped into the living room to see him there next to her on the sofa. He looked way older than I’d have thought completely grey with some wrinkles around his eyes, but that made no difference. His eyes were so warm.

“Lovely to meet you, Rosie,” he said, and stood up to shake my hand, but fuck that. I was growing bolder at expressing my feelings by the day.

I pulled him in for a hug.

“Lovely to meet you, too. Thanks for making my mum so happy.”

He chuckled. “No need to thank me for that. Your mum makes me a lot more happy than I could ever make her, that’s for sure.”

Somehow, I wasn’t quite so sure as he was. He was making Mum the happiest woman on the planet, besides me. She was grinning when he took his seat back next to her. She took his hand as I sat in the armchair across from them, and gave a little squeeze. He squeezed hers back, and I realised that I was coming to read the tiny things in relationships that make them so special. Looks between couples that say the unspoken. Shared jokes. Shared stories. Knowing each other and showing it in tiny gestures. Loving gestures.

Yeah. I already knew I was going to like Tom. I could feel it.

I knew Julian would like him, too.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Tom said.

“Ditto. Mum hasn’t stopped talking about you. I even know what cereals you like.”

He laughed back. “You’re a muesli girl yourself now, aren’t you?”

“Yep. Chocolate hoops have no place in my life anymore.”

Neither had plenty of other things. Not least Scottie and the fear that despite everything he was going to worm his way back into Mum’s heart somehow, but there would be no chance of that.

I hadn’t known she’d called the police on him, finally. I’d had no idea they’d arrested him in Wrexham and taken him in for questioning finding a whole load of drugs on him when he was put into custody. Served him right. There was no way he’d make it out of there now. Not on any count. Mum’s evidence was just too extensive, and drugs possession speaks for itself.

I settled down in the chair a little more, ready to get a sense of Mum’s new boyfriend myself. I wanted to hear it in his own words.

Tom told me how he’d crossed paths with her when he was out shopping with his daughter in town, and Mum was crossing the street with Trisha and Ramsay. He was grinning from ear to ear as he told me how he’d plucked up the courage to ask her out after their long conversation, and I smiled along with him. I’d heard this story from Mum’s side, and hers was just as happy. She’d told me about her nerves when she realised just how much she liked him, and worrying like hell he wouldn’t feel the same. It was Trisha who had convinced her, actually. Trisha, not me, who’d been close enough to assure her she was worth it.

And here he was. Here with her now. Devoted.

I loved the outcome, and the boost it had given her self-esteem, but Mum’s confidence in herself was growing all by itself, too. I could see it. The pride she felt in standing up and putting Scottie where he deserved to be was giving her a hell of a lot of faith in her own strength. Strength she’d never known she had.

“Tell me, then,” Tom said when we’d been talking awhile. “When will I get to meet the book hero, Julian? I’ve heard a lot about him, too.”

I couldn’t help but grin at Mum, loving how she’d have been singing his praises. Her feelings for him had taken as far a 180 as they could go.

“Later, if you like,” I said. “He’s making a risotto for dinner. You’d be welcome to join us.”

“I’d love to, but I’ve already baked a chicken pie for your mum.”

I smirked. “Yeah, Mum likes chicken. A lot.”

“Tom’s pies are the best,” Mum said, then looked at him with another squeeze of his hand. “His everything is the best.”

Tom kissed her hand, and it was so nice to see. They were loved up, but it wasn’t through rose-coloured spectacles. It was the joy in the caring of something so simple. The tiny gestures.

“You doing the pie with beans on the side?” I asked Tom, and he chuckled.

“Of course. And roasted potatoes.”

“Ace,” I said, and it really was.

I had revision to do upstairs, so I couldn’t stay all that long. My exams were all in progress, lining up sharp like a hurdles race, but I was doing ok. Dare I say it, I was even confident. I could do it and come out with good grades just as Lola was doing great at her end of term exhibition presentations. She was smashing it. She’d gotten a whole round of applause from the room at the one last night, and I’d been there with Peter and Julian, letting out cheers and whoops when she’d wrapped up.

Life couldn’t be better. Seriously. It really couldn’t.

I hugged both Tom and Mum goodbye with a see you soon and went on my way, ready to practically dance up the stairs to Julian. I’d closed Mum’s door behind me, and reached the stairs on the way up when a sense of deja vu came over me in a wave transporting me back in time to months ago when I’d been caught in the same act. But it was still a crime then.

I felt Trisha’s eyes on me as she stepped out into the hallway with Ramsay, but this time I didn’t panic, or back away, or feel guilty. I just raised my hand, with a smile on my face, even daring to say hi. This was the first time I’d seen her since the great unveiling of chapter one.

Mum said Trisha was still struggling with processing things and coming to terms with the changes in our lives all round, so I figured she’d have some tutting and fog horning to hurl in my direction, but no. I stayed still as Ramsay tottered on over, ruffling his hair as Trisha locked up their door. I was still standing there as she reached me, and she sighed, not tutted.

“I was looking out for your mum, and looking out for you, too. You might not think it, but I was.”

I could have said so many things in response, criticising, and arguing how things with Julian had been none of her business, but underneath her know it all exterior, I could see the truth. In her version of reality Crenham Drive Trisha really did think she was looking out for us. That was only reinforced when she smiled.

“Glad your mum’s finally out to get Scottie locked up. He’s disgusting. Vile prick.”

“Yeah, he sure is.”

“Tom’s much better. She said you’re meeting him today.”

“Just did.”

“He’s nice, isn’t he? She deserves it.” She looked right at me as Ramsay pretended to be an aeroplane, spinning around and making engine noises. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door that night, Rosie. I should have done. The thing is, Scottie threatened me, too, and I was scared shitless. I just couldn’t. Not with Ramsay. I just didn’t want to admit it. Just kept talking crap to myself about how he’d get better, but nobody ever does, do they? Leopards never change their spots.”

I didn’t agree with her on that anymore. I’d seen plenty of leopards changing plenty of spots these past few months, but I got her logic.

Mum had already told me that Trisha had admitted Scottie had threatened her, just a few days ago. She was going to be called in as an extra witness if one was needed. So were Julian and I.

“You never said a word he was threatening you as well,” I said. “Mum had no idea.”

“No. I didn’t tell her. Didn’t want to put more shit on her plate. But maybe it would have helped. I dunno. It probably would.” She shrugged. “Oh well. We’ll never know now, will we? My fucking bad.”

She went to walk away, but I stopped her with a wait, Ramsay still pretending to sail the clouds.

“How are you feeling about things with me now? Do you still hate Julian?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. Your mum says he’s nice. Says he’s helped you loads. She even tried to shove chapter one in my face last night.”

I could imagine.

“Are you going to read it? Maybe it’ll help you make up your mind.” “Maybe.”

“Please do,” I said, and took my first step upstairs, but she gave me a wait this time.

“Do you really want that? After everything? Does it really matter what I think about the man upstairs?”