The trouble with revenge served cold; especially if you have the same disposition as Helen, it’s hard to hang onto. She had forgotten the resentment she felt at work over Pier’s behaviour, not that she saw him that much; she, mostly driving on the road at his beck and call. Knocking on doors, giving the news that was bitter sweet: - Did you know Great Uncle Bobby; the one that you didn’t know existed or had lost contact with had just died and his estate could be yours. If not claimed, it would all be past on to the government? Not an easy thing to do and he never gave credit to it.
When she went for the job it was for the tracking and the research side but Dave had got appendicitis and she was flung in at the deep end to cover his area of east Anglia and unfortunately instead of sinking (as she was expected to do) she took to it like a duck to water. Heir hunting was full of surprises and twist in peoples history.
She had now slipped effortless into her role of the hostess with the mostest and as he sat there with her three colourful poodles (Done with food colouring as a joke. Well her brother and brother in-law were always telling her to get proper dogs) while she plied him with as much food and drink as he could wish for. After all he had taken the eye thing in his stride and had appeared to enjoy the movie; she decided to give him a break and slackened her grip on the revenge.
As the first film had finished and it was only eight o’clock she asked him if he wanted a beer or a spirit. His eye was defiantly getting worse.
‘Does it hurt?’ she pointed to his ever expanding eye
‘A bit’
‘Can you see out of it?’ Realising what she had said ‘what I mean is, is there any blood in your eye, is your vision, uhm……..uhm well you know what I mean’
She shrugged a little embarrassed and still had to stifle a giggle. He had noted this and took full advantage of it.
‘Let me see’ she went over to where he was sitting and inspected the damage. The cork had hit him on his cheek bone and a perfect circle indicated the impact site.
‘Thank goodness, it didn’t hit your eye just your cheek’
‘That’s ok then? A good humoured smirk came over his face playful and boyish the type that meant that no good, was going on in his mind.
‘You smell good, they say your other senses take over when one has been taken away.’
‘You are so enjoying this aren’t you?’
‘Yep, will be milking it for as long as possible, it beats man flue hands down. I can still eat great food, drink good wine and a beer or two, while being driven around by the person who inflicted the wound.’ His smirk was to die for but he had hit a raw nerve and some of the resentment came through.
She left to go into the kitchen to fetch yet another beer. She shouted through ‘I was going to let you off the next movie but on second thoughts, if you make me suffer, so must you!’
His laugh was bewitching and she mellowed within an instant.
‘Not trying to be funny but I thought you were going to take me home and you must’ve drunk a bottle?’
‘Not quite but this will do it. I could call you a cab, but', uncomfortably she played with her earring and shifted about and then flopped next to him on the sofa.
‘I know this sounds’ She couldn’t believe she was going to say this. Feeling self conscious she knew he was going to enjoy her predicament. ‘Well herm’
‘Yes’ the boyish pleasure that was shining through his face made her squirm even more.
‘As it, you’re not making this easy are you? In fact I would say you are positively enjoying this’ her stern face was belligerent and radiant with the help of the wine. She took hold of her resolve under his amused yet beaten face and blurted out ‘Well I’ don’t want you to go home’
‘Now there’s a proposition’
‘What, Oh! Ugh she pulled a face of feigned disgust, Oh No!’ The thought behind his innuendo shocked her a little ‘No! Not like that, no. It’s your eye’
‘Oh you know how to kick a man when his down’
‘What?’
‘First you black my eye, then you ply me with drinks and then you lead me; is it down or up? The garden path.’ Her shocked indignation rattled out over her face and he fell in a fit of giggles as she, beat his arm with a cushion.
‘You’ve a strange mind you know Pier Pooley!’
‘Not as devious as yours though.’ He took another hit
‘No seriously, I have a spare room you can stay in, so that I can see you in the morning.
‘He sat up that boyish grin shinning at its best so you want to see me’.
‘No your eye’
‘The rest of me have to come too’
‘Oh you don’t detach them then?’ She raised her eyebrows and shook her head
‘You should know you tried’
‘Oh that hurt!’
He reached over and she avoided him as though he was going to grab her. He lingered and with his one good eye looked straight into her. His piercing glance unsettled her sensibilities. The effect was breath taking.
‘So why the effort, good food, bubbly’ he held up his glass and nodded to it ‘Who was it all for?’
‘Me. Not the beer the beer is for Joey
‘Ex-boyfriend?’
‘Nothing gets past the bongo drums at work’
‘Oh that’s not from work that was your sister’
Helens eyes nearly popped out ‘how do you know my sister?’
‘Through uni’
‘If that so why haven’t I met you before?’ He shrugged, not sure
‘You weren’t at their wedding’
‘Nar, was away in Australia
Bingo, they looked at each other, they knew this was what her intention had been; sending Pier with that little black dress was a bit strong even for Deb.
‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking’ Helen looked at him with a mind full of devious plans, none of which matched his.
‘How about giving her what she wants for a change, bet you’ve been asked for Sunday lunch?’
‘You too? Oh that devious conniving sister of mine, it’s got to be good to get her back for this one. Oh send a man round dangling me like a tasty morsel. I told her I was going to get all glammed up. Then have an evening all to myself.’
‘Never thought of you as a tasty morsel and that’s you idea of glamm? I like the idea’ another smack with the pillow.
‘Be quiet I’m thinking’
‘Personally I think we should announce we’re living together.’ Helen looked at him sideways on and did a double take.
‘Living together you, me?’
‘The way I see it, I won’t be able to drive with this eye and you will be working in the office from next week; Dave’s back told me tonight as I was leaving the office, so you could drive me in.’
It all seemed to make perfect sense. Deb would have the shock of her life and knowing her, she would definitely have second thoughts and something to say, if they rushed headlong into a relationship. It would get her off her back about getting out in the dating game again and by the sounds of it; it was the same with Pier. A win, win, situation!
Helen held up her topped up glass and smiled ‘I think it would teach her a valuable lesson. Oh I’m so looking forward to seeing her squirm.’ Then a thought that was so delicious she could taste its flavour already. Mum is so going to pound her Sunday when she finds out.’
‘Your mum’s going to be there? Is she making her apple pie and trifle?’
‘Oh yes. We’re going to get her, Oh ye’ she started to dance in a stirring action when she suddenly stopped. ‘How do you know, about the legendary Sunday trifle?’
‘She used to save me some on Mondays when I came to do the garden.’
‘You did our garden? He was a blond boy, nothing like you’
‘You remember me then!’
‘I need a drink’
‘Are you sure, you’ve had a few’
‘What’s the problem, can’t keep up?’ he shrugged as she went back into the kitchen.
He was right though, she had had enough. The mellow feeling would turn ugly if she had any more. Anyhow making the coffee would give her time to recover. In there on her sofa was her heart throb of twenty years ago! Her first and only young love, the type you just don’t recover from. She had the hots for him so bad it rendered her literary speechless. The colour in her face burned and she could feel the heat. Surely she would have recognised him at the interview? But there had been three of them interviewing and twenty years was a long time. Back then he had bleached blond hair, against his tanned body had made him striking and a bit of a rebel, she liked that about him. But how could she have missed his eyes; well the one you could see anyhow, when she was so close to him. At the tender age of thirteen she had been too self conscious to look too long into those; what she remembered as, toffee pools of seductive fun. As she walked back into the lounge she wondered how she could get a better look, to see if they were just as she remembered them.
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