Page 82 of Marley
“Ya know what, Len? If you ever actually took the time to get to know me, you’d realise that I care about all the birds I take home. I’m always respectful and I always make it clear that it’ll mean nothing more than a shag to me, so that their feelings don’t get hurt when I don’t remember their name, or that we’ve even met the next time I might bump into them.”
My face was burning and my neck, back, and palms felt sweaty. I don’t know why his comments pissed me off, but they did, big time.
“Marls, he didn’t mean...” Jimmie started to speak, but I shut her down.
“Nah, it’s all right, Jim. I’m aware of what you all think. Len’s the brains, Bailey’s the brawn, and then there’s good ol’ Marley, merrily shagging his way through life without a care in the world. Not too sharp, but the girls, they just can’t get enough.” I licked my lips and nodded my head as I looked between the pair of them. “Well, just so we’re clear, I care. I care a lot more than any of you give me credit for.”
I turned and left. They didn’t call out, they didn’t attempt to follow me, and I was glad. I’d no idea why I was struggling to keep my emotions under control today, but right at that moment, I actually felt like I could cry.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
1989
I didn’t want to park right outside my sister’s shop and draw attention to myself. Maca was holed up in the flat above with Georgia, so I parked in a car park up the road and pulled my hat down low as I walked along Brentwood high street. I was planning on going around the back and through the tradesman’s entrance, but as soon as I turned into the alleyway at the rear of the shops, I could see a couple of photographers lurking.
The press had no hard evidence at that point that Maca and G were back together, but the rumour mill was undoubtedly in full flow.
I ducked between some vans and then through a narrow walkway that lead me back to the front of the shops and headed straight through the door of ‘Posh Frocks,’ my mum and sisters little empire.
Everything about the place screamed high-end, and I felt a surge of pride at what Georgia and my mum had managed to achieve in our little corner of Essex. Their shop would have looked good on 5thAvenue, Knightsbridge, or Rodeo Drive.
The place was all creams and golds. A couple of French looking sofa things sat facing each other with a marble coffee table in between. On that sat a huge vase of cream coloured roses and some other flower—lily’s I think, the type George liked. Above that hung a large crystal chandelier, and against the wall, a huge gold framed mirror rested. It wasn’t hanging, just leaning back against the wall. ‘Cool’ I’d thought and nodded to myself. Again, feeling impressed with what my mum and sister had done with the place.
“Can I help you, sir?” I jumped as a woman of about thirty asked me.
As I looked up to meet her gaze, I spotted Ash over her shoulder. She was standing with another woman in front of a full-length mirror and was helping her try on hats.
Looking at her made both my heart, and my belly, feel weird, but not in a good way. In a way, that made me feel panicky. I didn’t like it.
The girls who worked here were obviously expected to dress in a certain way. Everything about their outfits screamed money and class. Ashley was wearing a pair of navy, wide legged trousers, a silky cream top type of thing, and a pair heels. Her hair was pulled back off her face and as she turned to adjust the hat on the woman’s head, I could see that it was sort of folded in on itself at the back of her head. Her makeup was a bit too heavy for my liking. She looked stunning when she woke up at my place Sunday morning and she wasn’t wearing any then.
I’d been staring at Ash for just a few seconds, but was acutely aware of the fact that I’d taken in everything about her.
I was either about to grow a vagina, or I was getting twisted up in knots by the girl. Neither option really appealed to me. I’d never considered myself a control freak, that was Len’s job, but I was hating how out of control of my feelings were around Ashley.
“Sir?” The woman asked me again.
“Oh, yeah. No, no. I’m good, thanks.” I stumbled over my words.
She stared at me with big brown eyes, as if I were a little odd, and then I caught sight of myself in the huge mirror. I was wearing jeans, a pair of high top Chucks, and a Rolling Stones T-shirt, the one with the tongue. Also, a Boston Red Sox cap and a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses. I probably wasn’t their usual kind of customer.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, sorry. I mean, I’m just waiting to have a word with Ashley.”
She looked over to where Ash was at the till, ringing up her customers purchase.
“I’ll let her know you’re here,” she said and went to step away.
“No, no, that’s fine. I’ll just wait till she’s free.”
I liked watching her. Was that creepy? Oh well, fuck it. Creepy, not creepy. I was still watching her.
“Can I get you anything while you wait, sir? Tea, coffee, water?” The woman interrupted my creepy watching.
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
I looked back to Ash as she closed the sale and said goodbye to her customer. As she held the door open for her, her eyes swung across to look over my face. Her mouth dropped open as recognition hit. Even through all that make-up, I could see first her cheeks, then her chest turn pink. And then she was there, my Ash, with her sexy smile and that sparkle in her eyes, which were definitely blue that day.
She moved from the door and walked towards me. I couldn’t move. My entire blood supply had left my brain and diverted its way down to my dick, causing the signal to move one leg in front of the other and towards the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, to get lost somewhere in my chest cavity and instead, caused my heart to feel like it was pogoing around.
