Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble [52]
‘They’ve just been away, actually. Dad took her to this dead posh country-house place for her birthday. Part of his plan to cheer her up. She’ll snap out of it, I’m sure. Sometimes a change of scene is what you need to make you see things differently, isn’t it?’ Was she talking about her mum or about him?
‘Do you understand what’s been going on with her?’ He tried to concentrate on talking to her, although the whisky was going to his head. She was lying on her single bed, eyes closed. Five minutes ago he’d thought she was asleep, but then she’d sat up and poured herself another Jack Daniel’s. If she was aware of him in some new way, she wasn’t letting it show. He made himself not look at her. There was about fifteen inches between them.
‘I don’t know. Maybe. Can’t explain it now. Wrong side of the whisky.’
‘Do you think it’s empty-nest syndrome?’
‘Get you, with your fancy analysis!’
‘Do you?’
It felt like Natalie didn’t want to talk about it, and like he was pushing.
‘Maybe. I know she lived for us.’
‘What else could it be?’
‘Lots of stuff. Dad retired, didn’t he? That’s pretty new. And maybe the cancer thing last year.’
‘But that was okay.’
‘I know… but I suppose it makes you think about your life… maybe.’
Tom nodded. ‘I guess. I feel a bit sorry for your dad.’
‘At least his marriage has only gone sour now. Your poor dad’s had to put up with your mum for decades.’ She didn’t want to think about this now – she was too mellow. She’d go and see her mum when she got back.
‘But he loves her.’
‘He must do, to put up with that incessant chatting for so long. He’s such a quiet man.’
‘She’s not so bad, you know. They’re yin and yang.’
Natalie laughed. ‘Oh, I know. She’s got a good heart, your mum. A big bloody gob, but a good heart. How else could she have raised you three? You’re all right, aren’t you?’
‘Am I?’
She rolled on to her side, and smiled at him. ‘You’re very all right.’
‘And you’re very tipsy.’
‘It’s the aromatherapy oils.’
‘Okay. Powerful things, mixed with Coke.’ His smile twinkled.
‘Exactly!’ She closed her eyes again, and flopped on to her back. Suddenly she pulled her legs up and kicked them in the air, like a kid.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m happy.’
‘Are you?’
‘I am. And it’s been a while.’
‘I’m glad.’
Natalie looked at him, hard. ‘Come here and give me a cuddle, Tom.’ She didn’t know exactly what she wanted or what he might want. She sat up, and moved her legs round so that she was on the edge of the bed.
Against his better judgement, Tom went to kneel on the floor in front of her. She put her arms round his neck, and pulled him to her. She smelt unlike herself, of all the potions and lotions she had been smothered in, but it was nice. And she felt nice, heavy on his shoulders. He put up his hand and let it rest on her soft hair.
She started it. She definitely started it.
She turned her head in the embrace and kissed his neck. Then his ear. Brought her hand to the back of his neck, and kissed his ear again. Tom pulled back, and gave an awkward laugh. ‘Who am I?’ he asked.
She opened her eyes briefly, then closed them again. Her voice, when she answered, was soft. ‘You’re definitely Tom. Tom.’
When saying his name didn’t change what she was doing, Tom kissed her. She kissed him back, and pulled him closer, tighter.
It felt fantastic to be kissing her.
Tom stroked her back, over the flannel, then slipped his hands underneath and on to the skin he had wanted so badly to touch that afternoon. It felt as soft as he had imagined it would. His hands came round to the front, and across her stomach, and then up, under, to cup her breasts. He ran a speculative thumb across a nipple and groaned as he found them hard.
Natalie slipped off the bed on to his lap, and he pushed his hips into her, wanting more. For a while she met his thrusts, and they sat yearning into each other. But when Tom pulled at her pyjama bottoms, aching to get to her, something seemed to snap in her and she pulled back.
He was almost