Page 44 of Amazing Grace

‘No, they’re not, Dad, don’t say that!’

‘Only joking, buddy!’ Mark laughed it off.

Mark had spent the meal bringing up situations from the past, situations that he and Grace clearly had very different views on. He reminisced over an apparently fabulous holiday in Spain, waxing lyrical about the incredible food at the hotel and the attentive staff at the resort. Grace had a very different view, and actually remembered the week away as being a catalyst for the end of their relationship because one night he took off on his own for a few hours, returned back worse for wear then started an argument with Grace while Archie was sleeping.

As soon as they’d finished eating, Grace cleared the plates and said to Mark, ‘As you’re here early, you may as well take Archie now and then you can spend a couple of extra hours with him.’

‘Oh, OK then.’ Mark was surprised. ‘I was just going to go and sit and watch the rugby in the lounge.’

‘Not in my bloody lounge you don’t,’ she muttered. ‘Go and get your stuff together then, Archie.’

While Grace hated the fact that she was losing a couple of hours with Archie, the trade-off was that she didn’t have to put up with Mark lording it up in her house.

Grace’s stomach was in knots, knowing that the time had come that she had to leave Vinnie and Mark alone. In all honesty, she was dreading it. She ran up the stairs to Archie’s bedroom. She had never packed his bag so quickly before. They came down the stairs and, before going back into the room where Mark and Vinnie were making awkward small talk, Archie turned round to her and said, ‘Mum, can I have a great big hug please?’

‘Of course you can, darling. Are you OK?’

‘I don’t like it when Dad says things are rubbish that I like and I don’t like it when he’s being horrible to you, either. I love you so much, Mummy, I wish I didn’t have to go to Dad’s today.’

‘I love you so much too, my angel. But Dad likes to spend time with you too. And I’m sure he’s only joking.’

‘But jokes are supposed to be funny, not cruel. At least you have Vinnie to keep you company now,’ he said. ‘I like him, Mum. I like him a lot.’

‘Yes, darling, so do I. Come on, let’s get you and Dad sorted out.’

Mark and Vinnie went quiet as they walked into the dining room and Grace wondered how they’d got on. Vinnie smiled at her and gave her a wink and she felt a flutter in her heart. She knew that he wasn’t mad at her, and that he didn’t hold her responsible for having to share their meal time.

She practically shoved Mark and Archie out of the door and then, when it was shut, leaned up against it, closed her eyes and let out an enormous sigh. Vinnie appeared and put his arms around her. ‘Shit, that was awkward! Hope I didn’t say anything wrong to make anything worse.’

She laughed, realising that there was probably so much more that Vinnie wanted to say about Mark but was much too polite. ‘You were amazing. Believe it or not, Mark was really lovely when we were first together. But he has changed over the years, and now he’s somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde. Still, he’s gone now, so let’s not give him any more air space because that’s what he would want. Why don’t you go and sit down in the lounge and relax and I’ll be through in a minute?’

She went to the downstairs bathroom, took ten deep breaths, pulled herself together and came back into the living room. In her hands, she had a bottle of brandy and two glasses.

‘Are you trying to get me drunk and have your wicked way with me, young lady?’ Vinnie smiled at her and she thought he’d never looked more sexy than he did right then.

‘Do you know, I just might be,’ she replied, taking a huge gulp of brandy.

‘Thank God for that!’

Her heart was beating so fast. Was she ready for this? It had been so long since she’d had sex with anyone but Mark. Could she go through with it?

A voice in her head said,Just do it, Grace. Don’t think, just do.

Vinnie took the glass from her hands and kissed Grace like she’d never been kissed before. She melted into it and cast aside her hang-ups and anxiety of being naked and sleeping with someone new. She was just desperate to be closer to this man than she’d ever been with anyone before and she needed to feel him inside her.

She put her hands under his shirt and felt bare skin and his deep muscly stomach. She wanted to feel his skin on hers.

‘Are you sure about this, Grace?’ Vinnie looked deep into her eyes and she felt like she was forever lost in them.

‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,’ she replied. She took him by the hand and led him up the stairs and into her bedroom where she propelled him towards the bed, kicking the door shut behind her. With all her inhibitions flung out of the window, she took a deep breath and showed Vinnie just how sure she was.

* * *

Afterwards, she lay in his arms while they snoozed. Eventually, she needed to go to the bathroom so she eased herself gently from underneath his arm. He groaned and turned to face her.

‘Where do you think you’re sloping off to, young lady?’ he asked.

‘I’ll be back in two secs,’ she replied as she went into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror.Well, girl!She said to herself.That was an extremely fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon!She felt like a new woman. She wondered if she looked different. Her eyes were definitely sparkling. It had been so long since she’d had enjoyable sex, she couldn’t actually remember when it was. And she hoped that she’d never forget again.

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