February 2013
'Mum!' called Amy excitedly, running into the kitchen clasping her phone.
'What is it? You sound happy? Now let me guess.....Jack?' her Mum laughed. She got on well with Jack, but what she liked most about him was how happy he made her daughter.
'Yes, he's on FaceTime now. Jack say hi to mum'
'Hi Lorna, How are you?' Jack said with a massive smile.
'I'm fine, now will one of you two please tell me what's so exciting?'
'Jack's been nominated for an award for ROI player of the year and he wants me to go with him to the ceremony' Amy squealed.
'Well done Jack!' Lorna enthused. 'So where is it?' She asked Jack.
'Dublin. It's going to be on the TV and everything. My Mum and Dad are coming with me, but it wouldn't feel right without Amy, she always brings me luck' he said, trying to charm Lorna
'Okay, we'll if it's okay with your Mum and Dad then it's fine by me too' Lorna agreed.
'Fantastic. I'm going to get you an amazing outfit. Whatever you want, it's yours' he promised excitedly.
Once Amy was safely back up in her bedroom, Jack paused and cleared his throat.
'I didn't want to say before you asked your mum, but I asked Mum and Dad and they said if it's okay with your Mum, and you of course, that we're allowed to have a room to ourselves in Dublin' he said. His beautiful eyes twinkling.
'Just us?' Amy asked. 'Not your sisters?' On the very few occasions she'd stayed over at Jack's, it was on the condition that she shared a room with Keira and Holly, which she loved, but she had wondered how it would feel to wake up in Jack's arms for quite some time now.
'Just us' Jack repeated. and they both giggled coyly.
'I'd love to. Just leave mum to me' she said excitedly.
At first Lorna was hesitant and had taken some time out to think about what Amy was asking. It was hard for her as a mum to read between the lines, but she knew Jack and Amy were both 17 and had been together for almost a year. They weren't stupid and they were so obviously in love.
'Okay, you can share a room with Jack' Lorna told an ecstatic Amy. 'But I think we should see the doctor about you going on the pill, just in case'
'Mum. I.....' Amy faltered.
'I'm not stupid Amy, I was young and in love with your Dad once too. I just want you both to be careful. You've got your whole lives together ahead of you, and basically I'm not ready to be a granny for a long long time'
'Oh my god Mum nooooooooooo babies for a very very long time yet'
*****
Amy arrived at Birmingham New Street station for 12pm and Karen was waiting on the platform to pick her up. As always Amy gave her a big hug. With all the time she was spending with Jack, she was becoming like a second mum to her.
'So are you excited for these awards then? Karen asked Amy, who was fastening up her seat belt. It was strange that Jack wasn't with Karen, he had promised that he'd see her as soon as she got there.
'Yeah, I'm just so proud of Jack and how well he's doing and I love that I can be there to support him' Amy replied, meaning every last word.
'Good. Well, we're almost there, Jack asked me to bring you to his favourite designer boutique to choose your dress, he's going to meet us there'
By the time Karen and Amy arrived at the boutique, it appeared that Jack was having his own Pretty Woman fashion montage moment. A pile of expensive looking clothes sat on the counter, and he added another baby pink t-shirt to the top as they walked in'
'This is my girlfriend Amy that I was telling you about' Jack introduced her to the owner.
'Lovely to meet you Amy, now Jack has actually chosen a couple of dresses for you' she explained. Amy felt a bit taken a back, she never in a million years thought Jack would be interested in what she wore. She was shown through to the changing room and put the first dress on. It was a deep claret red colour and felt like shrink wrap on her body. She hated it. Of course he loved it, she could tell by his face immediately. He got up to look at her properly, nodding his head in approval.
'What do you think? I think you look amazing. I think you definitely need to get that one' Jack said, kissing her on the cheek.
'Its not what I'd normally go for' she started, trying to be diplomatic.
'But then you're not normally going to am awards ceremony, you need to be a bit flash' he smirked. With that smile he could convince her black was white.
'Okay then' she agreed.
'Great, well now you just need shoes and some accessories and we're good to go' he said happily.
By the time they got back to Karen's car, Jack's bank account was a few thousand pounds lighter and the boot was full of designer clothes, but he looked delighted with himself.
'Dublin's going to be amazing' he sighed contentedly, but now Amy was worried. The dress and shoes he had just picked for her, weren't her at all. Now he was getting somewhere with his professional footballing career, was he wanting the stereotypical WAG on his arm? Because if he did, then that wasn't her, and it never would be.
Back at Jack's house Amy was quiet, overthinking and worrying about the dress that she was supposed to be wearing the next evening. She sat back on the sofa and watched Jack and his sister Holly playing together happily. He looked like the same Jack but now he was starting to change; the media interviews, the money and the designer clothes. Was he on his way to leave her behind?
*****
Three weeks later Amy, Jack, Karen and Kevin arrived in Dublin. The four made their way to arrivals where a chauffeur was waiting for them. Jack was revelling in it, and seeing how happy he was, made Amy happy too, but she still couldn't help but worry. A couple of girls even stopped them on the way to the car and asked for Jack's autograph which he gave them happily.
'You've been practising those autographs' giggled Amy.
'No I haven't' he contested.
'Yeah? So what were all the sheets of paper in your room with your signature on for then? I saw them in your drawer last night' She teased him.
'Busted' he laughed.
As soon as they pulled up outside their hotel Amy gasped, it was way and above what she had expected. A door man even came and opened the door for them. Jack got out of the car first and then held his hand out to Amy.
'Thank you sir' she said playfully, slipping her hand inside his.
'So we'll get ourselves checked in and then we can head up to the rooms for a bit before Amy and I disappear to have our hair and make up done for tonight' Karen explained.
They all rode up in the lift to their rooms on the third floor together and then said their goodbyes. Jack slid the key card into the door and let them into the room. It was huge. In the bathroom there was a large spa bath with jacuzzi jets, then in the bedroom area there was a gigantic bed with a big bunch of red roses waiting for Amy.
'I really want this weekend to be special for us' he explained handing them to her.
'It will be, I can just feel it' she said, putting the flowers to one side and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her and kissing him hard. He put his hands on her bum and pulled her in as close as she could possibly get. She walked him backwards towards the bed and pushed him down onto it, he looked surprised.
'What?' she asked, straddling him.
'I dunno, I just didn't expect you to be like this the minute we were alone' he explained.
'I can stop if you want'
'Never' he said lifting her white cropped t-shirt up over her head, revealing her white lace bra that she had bought especially for the weekend.
'Jack I'm nervous' she blurted out.
'You're nervous? I'm bricking it. I keep thinking what if I'm terrible' he laughed nervously.
'How would I know? I've never done this before, I'd have nothing to compare it to' she joked.
'I know and you know I haven't either. But we don't have to do it now. I'm just happy to be here with you right now, it gets harder being apart from you all the time every day'
'No, I want to. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else but you she said stroking his face.
'Me either. Aims, I love you so much its crazy'
'And I love you too' she barely managed to reply before his lips were on hers, and they began tugging at each others clothes until they were naked together for the first time, their hands running over each others bodies, exploring every inch of each other.
'We need to be careful' said Jack breathlessly as she pulled him on top of her.
'Don't worry, I got the pill from the doctor' she reassured him as he parted her legs.
'Good' he said, 'because this might be the first but definitely wont be the last time I'm going to make love to you'