Sing Me To Sleep (formerly From Maggie May to Penny Lane)

Chapter 10 - Saturday & Sunday

Friday was horrid, Penny couldn’t face school and so she went to spend the weekend with Gammy and Happy claiming she had a head cold.  She didn’t want them to know just yet what the doctor said.

I had the flat to myself, I wasn’t entirely happy about that but it was convenient for this weekend.  For all the promises of waiting and taking things slow, I wanted, and expected, things to speed up with me and Jason this weekend.  It had barely been more than twenty four hours since I last saw him but I was so excited.  After shimmying into a pretty purple dress – figure hugging and plenty of cleavage – I saw at my vanity table and took great care as I applied my make-up.

It was ‘barely there’ make-up, I didn’t want to seem like I was trying too hard or come off desperate.  I chastised myself as my fingers went automatically to the cigarette carton in the drawer instead of the patches.  I tossed them in the bin, reconsidered, grabbed them back then tossed them off the balcony for good measure.  Popping some of that god awful gum into my mouth, I grabbed my coat, purse, keys and the wine I had chilling in the fridge over night before heading for the door.

Jason’s flat wasn’t far at all and it took only twenty minutes for me to find my way around Maida Hill.  He lived in a set of tall impressive, new looking flats but no balcony’s I thought gloatingly.

“Hello.” Jason greets me with a warm smile.

As he pulls the door wider for me to enter I can hear a slight hissing sound and smell the food he is preparing for dinner.  Jason helps me out of my jacket as I take the décor of the living room which mostly off-whites and dark greys.  The open plan kitchen come dining area is a dark olive with some cream tiles running along like a borderline.  Near the fireplace, his iPod is plugged into a dock playing a mixture of Coldplay, Norah Jones and Gabriella Cilmi.

Jason hangs my coat up on a rack hidden behind the door; he’s dressed impeccably in crisp slate coloured trousers and a white shirt – no tie, which he normally wears at school.

“I brought some wine.” I offer him the bottle.

“Excellent, this will go down a treat.  Make yourself at home.  Can I interest you in a glass now?”

“Please.  I love your flat.”

He groans.

“What?” I ask.

“My ex-fiance decorated it.  I’ve been meaning to change it for over a year now I just… haven’t had the time.”

“I didn’t know you were engaged.”

“It was a very brief engagement.” He turned to me holding out a glass.  “I don’t want to get into it with you, Maggie.  It wasn’t an amicable end.  She er… slept with my brother.”

“God, I’m so sorry.”

“Yes, well, I’m struggling to decide between redecorating or just selling the place.  Too many bad memories.”

“Of course.”

“So what about you?  Any horrible break ups?” he asked, turning to dice up some vegetables.

“Oh, god, where to start?” we both laughed.

“What about your most recent?”

“Oh, that would be Alan the cross dresser.” Jason almost cut his finger off as he turned to stare at me in disbelief.

“You’re kidding me?”

“I sincerely wish I was.”

“Did he tell you he was a cross dresser?”