FOURTEEN
His flat was large and spacious, everything light and airy looking with lots of expensive funny looking ornaments that I supposed he’d got from the various countries he’d toured. “Wow,” I breathed in awe, dropping my bags around me as I took the place in, “It’s like a little palace you’ve got stowed away here.”
“Does that make you my princess then?” He growled, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Obviously,” I smirked, wriggling out of his grip as I went over to the acoustic guitar casually lent against the wall. “Will you play something for me Jack? I love it when you sing, it gives me goose bumps.”
Padding over slowly with that half smile slapped across his plump heavenly lips Jack lithely picked up the guitar and slid the patterned strap over his head, clearing his throat while holding eye contact with me all the while. “I’m still learning so I might fuck up a bit,” he held a hand up, pre-warning me. He did, the very first chord he strummed wasn’t right and pulling a face he adjusted his fingers.
“She would never say where she came from. Yesterday don’t matter when it’s gone,” he sung, glancing up at me with a mischievous grin as he willed me to get the song. I tapped my hand against my thigh to the beat that I imagined would be there, smiling at him. “While the sun is bright or in the darkest night.” As his voice deepened he lowered his head, “No one knows. She comes and goes. Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday. Who could hang a name on you?” My eyes pricked with tears and my hand flew to my mouth as I realised, it was my song! He was serenading me with a world famous song that was written about me, for me whatever he insisted.
“Jack!” I blinked but the emotion ran through me in one massive surge.
Grinning from ear to ear and swaying slightly as he continued Jack sang: “When you smile with every new day…Still I’m gonna miss you!” He thrashed on his guitar before ending abruptly, having created the effect he was searching for and swinging the strap back over his head he practically dropped the guitar against the wall. “Fuck,” he swore loudly dashing toward the stairs, “I left the boot open.” I hurried after him as he skidded to a halt at the back of the car and picked the one small bag of my belongings and slammed the boot down, offering me a sly grin as he swaggered back over to me.
“You’re an idiot,” I smiled, rolling my eyes before he chased me up the stairs making me screech with laughter.
Later, after I’d unpacked and had a wash Jack told me to put my glad rags on because we were going out for food. I was still trying to get my head around moving from a little nowhere village into the heart of London going out on a proper date with my rock star boyfriend. I pushed the bedroom door ajar as I hopped around trying to squeeze into my juiciest dress.
I came out half an hour later as dolled up as possible with my hair loose and pulled over my shoulder, “Stunning,” Jack had complimented me as he popped a kiss on my cheek and took my hand, leading me out of his flat. He’d called a taxi as we both planned on drinking and it was ten minutes later we were stopping off at one of the best hotels in London, no reservation required.
I glanced up at the dark sky before being hurried inside, hardly any stars shined or at least I couldn’t see them which made my heart sink a little. For a brief moment my mind wandered back to my mother, my father and even my best friend. I’d hurt them all just so I could be with Jack, I’d grown up out of the blue.
It was busy in the restaurant but everywhere I looked I saw famous face after famous face. We were shown to a beautifully decorated table out of the way and then both handed a menu each. “What?” Jack laughed when he caught me smiling at him.
“I was just thinking about the first and only date I’d ever been on,” oh that horrendous night with Toby. That had gone from disaster to disaster, I shuddered.
“What was it like?” Jack lent forward slightly, evidently keen for me to spill the gossip.
“Horrible!” I pulled a face and he cracked up laughing, “He insisted on taking me out even though I didn’t want to and then insulted me the entire night. We went to the local pub and when I told him I wasn’t interested he demanded I pay for my own meal! And after I left he-” my breath caught in my throat, the funniness of my story vanishing at that point. “He yelled that I had to pay for my food in the morning,” I rushed not meeting Jack’s eye. “Stupid bastard,” I tried and failed at a laugh.
“Man, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a date as bad as that!” Jack chortled leaning back in his seat, not noticing my verbal hiccup at all. “The worst one was probably with that friend of yours,” he attempted at a joke but I gave him a stern look. “I’m kidding, it wasn’t even a date it was just-”
“Yeah,” I frowned, holding a hand up. “Can we not talk about that please?” We ordered our drinks and food then and while we waited the conversation grew light and humorous once more, thankfully. Sometimes I pretended to have that unwavering feline confidence that Angie always exuded so excellently. I wished that she was here but I tried my hardest not to dwell on it.
Jack ordered the biggest stake I had ever seen and he liked it rare. It was so rare you could practically smell the field on it still! We were just finishing up when the singer on the stage welcomed him and he received a round of applause from the other guests. He got applauded just for turning up? Man, I wish I got that too.
“Won’t you give us a quick song Mr Flash?” The tux dressed singer beckoned, grinning like a daring little boy all the while. Jack waved, shaking his head and called that he had company. “I’m sure your lady friend wouldn’t mind a minute. C’mon!” Jack looked at me questioningly and I shrugged, sort of mesmerised by the entire situation. This was the sort of thing that you watched at the pictures, not in real life.
Getting up from his seat slowly another applause ensued before he ambled up on stage and grabbed the microphone, glancing behind him presumably telling the band what to play. I clapped along like everybody else, enjoying the performance just as much as them. After three songs he held his hand up and insisted on coming back, flopping heavily into his seat with a fixed grin. “They want to sap the life out of me,” he muttered as he snatched up his glass and downed the lot.
“Well I thought it was fantastic,” I told him with a nod, “You’re a brilliant singer why wouldn’t they want you to sing?”
“Because I need to rest?” He raised an eyebrow, ordering another drink. “Besides it’s not the greatest thing to do on a date is it? Do you want another drink?” I shook my head and politely declined. “Neither do I,” he changed his mind but the waiter had already left. “Oh well, I’m sure they’ll live, c’mon let’s go back.” He snatched my hand up and led me out of the building without even paying.
“Don’t you have to pay?” I asked as he opened the taxi door for me.
“No, get it on the house.” I shrugged as he slid into the seat beside me, lounging his arm across my shoulders. It seemed weird that when you were rich things became free, you didn’t need it to be free.
I was thinking about his bedroom and that double bed that presumably we’d both be filling later on. I wasn’t experienced at all and Jack was rumoured to have slept with hundreds of women, we hadn’t even done anything yet and I was embarrassed, bright red in the cheeks as I thought about how awkward I’d be. What if-No, I stopped that line of thought before it could even get properly going. No way was I going to start thinking about all the ‘what if’s’ the thought train would never stop!
We got back to the flat and as Jack went off to the bathroom I headed over to his record player, butterflies in my tummy but music on my mind. His record collection was vast and varied although evidently he favoured the blues. I picked up one, examined the rather blank sleeve before slipping it onto the player and gently adjusting the needle. The familiar, fire warm crackle hummed on and then a guitar followed. Smiling I sat down on the arm of the chair beside the player, closing my eyes and tapping my thigh as I concentrated utterly on the music.
Jack’s hand on my shoulder made my eyes fly open and I gasped in shock. He leapt backwards, surprised as well. I got to my feet, turning to look at him, he had a hand clutched to his heart. “Why d’you jump like that?” He asked accusingly.
“Me?” I glowered, “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“I was trying to be all romantic,” he flapped his arms about and then we both burst out laughing. “Can I go back to what I was doing now?” He cocked an eyebrow, pouting his lips like he did when he was on stage. Suddenly I felt sick with nerves, I really wasn’t sure if I was ready to go through with this, yes he looked beautiful, yes I was pretty certain I was in love with him but I just needed to be more ready than I was.
“Jack,” I started slowly, stopping his advancement, “I don’t think I’m ready to make love to you.”
“Oh,” he considered it and for a moment I thought he was using me for only that reason and my chest began to tighten. “That’s alright,” he shrugged, coming over to me anyway, placing his hands on my shoulders and bringing his lips to meet mine briefly. “We have all the time in the world.” He swept up one of my hands while slinking his other around my waist and we began to dance. I rested my head against his chest, he liked to waggle his hips a lot.
“It’s not that I don’t love you,” I told him sleepily after a while of just dancing around his living room, “I do love you a lot.”
“You’re just not ready yet,” he concluded not sounding disappointed which I found somewhat disarming.
“Not tonight, I’m still upset about what happened with my mum,” I pulled back slightly so I could look up at him, “Do you think she really meant what she said?”
He deliberated over it for a moment, “No, she was just hurt.” I kissed him before he pulled me into a hug, “Let’s go to bed…Not like that!”
I snorted, “Yeah I get what you mean.” And he laced his beautiful fingers with mine as he led me to the bedroom. For the first time ever I fell asleep in someone’s arms, my boyfriend’s arms and I think I even dozed off with a smile on my face. Life felt so peaceful and right from where I was right then, I could do absolutely anything with Jack at my side.