Bryan & Carla after the Supermarket Ch. 04

Arthur pumped my hand, while Aunt Ann joined in the group hug with the three most important women in my life. Aunt Ann was definitely a close fourth in that category.

Now that everyone I want to be present was there, I saw my chance. The ring box was already burning a hole in my pocket, and Carla was aware that I was only awaiting the arrival of my mother before officially popping the question.

"Carla," I said, as she looked up with the same tears in her eyes as my mother. I got down on my bended knee and pulled the ring box out of my pocket. Suddenly the hubbub of background chatter died away as I had the undivided attention of everyone at the party.

"I am on my knee, bent in front of your family, my family, and you my Darling Carla. I declare my eternal love for you and my daughter Brie, and express my desire that you will consent to accept this ring and become my wife." I flipped open the ring box to reveal a modest diamond engagement ring, but one which we had chosen together that morning.

Carla stood and with both hands wrapped around my face, bent down for a sweet little kiss and said, "Yes, Bryan, I accept your ring and the love you offer and I will marry you as soon as we are able. Please stand by me as equals because I believe you love me just as much as I love you."

As I rose up from my knee to place the ring on her outstretched hand, there was a sudden cry from the garden gate.

"Huh! Some love, eh, Taylor? You should know that ma bitch Carla has always loved me, you idiot!"

There stood Gary Cox with a bottle of beer cradled in one hand, wearing clothes that he looked like he had slept in for a couple of days and clearly he was carrying a sizable beer gut he had been working on in the more than four years since I last saw him.

"Go away Gary," Carla yelled back, strong on volume but projected quite calmly, "You are not invited here, either today or any other day. I do not love you, I have never loved you. When we dated as no more than kids, you smothered me all the time, imposing the limits of your inadequate personality on me. Together with Bryan, we and our children can soar and be ourselves."

"Well, if that's how you feel," he sneered, "At least I had you the weekend before he did, babe, I was the one who got your cherry, got both your cherries ... so maybe that sprog of yours isn't his at all but mine."

"Shut up you fool," shouted Jenny, halfway through his speech, making him hesitate. She was a long way from the scene, over near the house. I turned and saw she was trying to get through to us but everyone was standing now and she had no way of getting through quickly enough to shut the drunk up.

"No, you are illusional, Gary. You never did have me, I never let you get even close," Carla said, holding onto both my hands to prevent me from getting at him, "and I am certain I never saw you you the weekend before seeing Bryan or the first time."

"I DID TOO!" he insisted, laughing, pointing at her with the neck of his bottle of beer, "your parents were away on a Spring Break, yeah, before the building season got under way in earnest and you wuz left in charge of yer brothers. I came over, remember now, bitch?"

"No, that's not right," Carla said, frowning as she tried to recall the weekend before our date that wonderful Wednesday four long years earlier. "I remember Jenny asking to come over. Yes, she was the one who told me on that afternoon that Bryan was going away to military college towards the end of the week and it was my last chance to ask him out. She even got his telephone number for me." She looked at me, suddenly frightened by what Gary was saying but instantly relaxed in the adoration of my gaze and the squeezing reassurance of our hands, to smile, "He still has my number on his phone."

"No, Carla, babe!" he cried, his voice getting louder.

Once again, Jenny tried to stop him, "Shut the fuck up, Gary! You don't know the implications o what you're saying!"

But there was no shutting Gary up now that he was on a roll, "Fuck implications! Tell 'em Jen. Tell 'em how I fucked her on the sofa and then I took her virgin arse on the rug in front of the fireplace."

I tried to release my hands from Carla's death grip. I knew I could get into serious trouble as a trained, combat-experienced career Army Officer from one of the most prestigious regiments in the service of the Queen, charged with assaulting a civilian. It would finish my promising career, but I needed to shut him up.

Suddenly, Richard Brown, merely a boy, who had worked his way around the outside of the lawn, stepped out in front of Cox and swung an almighty haymaker and swatted Cox's jaw. The older man went down flat on his back like a sack of spuds.

"Fuck!" yelled Richard, shaking his fist, then holding his hand in his other hand, "That really fucking hurt!"

Carla released my hand as she pressed past the hot grill to see to her brother. I moved in the other direction and grabbed Jenny Cox nee Kingstone as she saw me coming and tried to escape though the house.

"Come on young lady, we need to talk."

"Don't wanna," she said, struggling to get away.

I lifted Jenny off the ground from behind her so she couldn't use any leverage on me and I tried to ignore the bruises I was going to get from her kicking heels and feeble attempts to smack me with her elbows. The crowd on the patio parted to let us through and I carried her to where Carla stood cuddling her youngest brother, while Cox on the ground was shaking his head and trying without much success to sit up.

It was Carla who spoke first, to Jenny, "You were my best friend. I trusted you. I do remember you coming over that afternoon and evening and also I remember arranging the date with Bryan. But, after that, I can't recall a thing until waking up with a hangover on the Sunday morning, and I never drink at home, especially when I was responsible for looking after the boys all that weekend."

Jenny looked at Carla then me. I could see the fear in her eyes.

"Cough up, Jennifer," I said, "It looks like whatever game you were or are playing is up. If you know what's good for you, spill the beans."

"Shit-for-brains here," Jenny snarled, indicating Cox, "wanted to get back at Bryan for showing him up after he slapped Carla that once. Even though it was three or four years earlier, he never forgot it. So he cooked up this scheme to kill two birds with one stone..." her voice trailed away, as she realised that she was implicating herself in something that was morally unacceptable in front of witnesses, something that was also paramountly illegal.

"So what was the plan, Jennifer?" I asked.

"Gary thought that if he could intercept Bryan and Carla on their date, just before Bryan left for Army college, he could tell you both that he had taken her virginity and anal cherry. He thought that this would drive you out of her life for good, leaving himself to catch her on the rebound while also getting revenge on you."

"But you couldn't find us on our date, could you?" I observed.

"I did eventually, Bry, in the Fisherman's, late on, after Gary had long given up the search. Gary was sure you'd start your date close at home in the Fox and Hounds. Although I pressed her all week, Carla wouldn't tell me where she was going because, as she asked you for the date, you replied that you would decide the itinerary of the date. And then you wouldn't tell me either, or coul my Mum wheedle it ou of your mother. By the time you got to the pub it was quite late and that was the second time that night that I had checked out all the pubs in turn."

"So, if Carla was supposed to remember this assault from Gary, what could possibly be the thinking behind that?"

"Well neither of us know anything about these date drugs. We both knew of someone who had boasted they regularly used it on dates, and no-one ever prosecuted him. We assumed it would make her so horny that she'd fuck anything, even me, and think of it as her own desires coming to the fore and not realise it was drug-induced."

"That is still madness." I shook my head, looking at Carla comforting her brave little brother. I so wanted to take her I'm my arms, but I daren't release my grip on the stranger that I had known and liked, no, loved as family, all my life.

Jennifer continued, as if there was no stopping her. "A week earlier I asked the drug rapist out on a date, carefully watching my drinks all evening. He had no need to drug me, I made it clear all evening that I had heard from girlfriends he was the 'must have' stud, and he was gettin' me come hell or high water. We went back to his place at the end of the evening and, pretending to use the toilet, left the front door open for Gary to enter. He jumped the guy and we threatened him until he gave us all the drugs he had. A week later, I made Carla a cup of tea at her place, while she checked the kids, and I put the drug in her tea." She turned from me to Carla, "I thought it would just take your inhibitions away, so after we had drunk our tea and you had rung Bryan about your date, I started to rub up against you, while you was on the phone. You was clearly flushed and excited after the call, so I thought the drug was working, so I gave you a congratulatory hug and started to make out with you to soften you up for Gary, but when I closed in for a kiss, you went all limp and crashed spark out on the settee."

"So where does Gary come into this?" Carla was thin-lipped, her voice thin but I could see she was seething under the surface.

I could feel Barry Brown on my shoulder, I actually felt his hot breath on my neck. He too, had a lot to lose if he couldn't maintain his control, a difficult thing that we were all experiencing, especially those who loved Carla as much as we did. In front of me I could see Myra move into kneel with Carla and Richard, next to a prone-again Cox.

"He was waiting out in the hall. When I went to the kitchen to put on the kettle for our tea, I left the front door open for him to sneak in. He was watching from the doorway while we cuddled and as soon as he saw you were out of it, he did his thing on you ... twice. And then we cleaned you up and put you to bed, in case your Mum came back before you woke up, and got out of there. I had no idea how long the effects of the drug was supposed to last."

"You pair of bastards," Carla screamed, got up and slapped Jenny hard across her face. Then she turned and kicked Gary in the balls, just as he was trying to get up after her scream appeared to rouse him.

Carla got out her mobile phone and rang the Police crime reporting line on 101. As soon as she was answered by an operator and started to speak about what had just happened to the Police, Jenny cried out, "It's just your word against mine!"

Richard held up his iPhone, which we then found out he had been using to record both Gary's and Jenny's conversations. "No, bee-arch, it's your word against your word in this case." As I said before, my youngest brother-in-law-to-be was one smart kid.

Jenny collapsed in a heap on the floor and Carla finished her long conversation speaking to the Police, who said they would send someone around early evening, following the next shift change, then she hugged Richard again before standing before me. I took both her hands.

"I don't remember a thing." Carla said, "But the only reason I can think of for Jenny's involvement is that Jenny was hoping to get out of this ... was you."

"Yes, it ties in with something Mum said this morning. I didn't even realise that she had anything other than sisterly feelings for me. I certainly wasn't aware that she was into girl on girl stuff. You didn't feel anything strange about your body on Sunday?"

"No, I slept late, and yes, I felt heavy, lethargic and sluggish all day, and couldn't remember Jenny going or how I got myself to bed. I put what I was feeling down to a bout of depression immediately following the high of actually getting a date with the man I was in love with for years." She dropped her voice to a whisper, "Do you think he really did what he said he did?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I do." I whispered back.

"So do you think there's any credence that Gary could be the father of Brie?"

"No, I don't believe there's any chance of that. No chance at all. Carla, my love, I believe Brie was forged with our love within a loving environment, even if that was the back seat of my car. She is our daughter Carla, and I will devote my life to make her and the rest of our children understand they are all our children without favour. Now, I think we had better cancel your shift down the pub, while we deal with the Police questions and see to it that justice is done. Michelle will have to work to make up for missing last night."

"What do you think will happen to them?"

"I can't believe this was a one-off, Carla," I said, "Jenny said they had a lot of the drug. Gary is lazy and cares about no-one. He would have used them to his own ends, either with or without Jenny's help, so once this is all out in the open, I am sure others will come forward with their own suspicions following dates with this creep."

"Well, I'd like to see him locked away for years," said Carla.

"That won't happen, I am afraid Sis," Richard said, still nursing his swollen hand, "we covered rape in Citizenship classes last term. Although the average rapist is supposed to get eight years, with a third off if they plead guilty," he held up his phone and its damning evidence, "so he should end up being put away for five years. Then that'll be reduced to half, say 30 months if he keeps his nose clean. However, most judges who public schoolboys who grew up regarding rape by their betters a normal part of growing up, so therefore think that rape is no more serious than a bee sting, so the usual sentence is four years or less. The average time served before release by a rapist is only thirteen months."

"Damn!" Carla exhaled forcefully, "I should have kicked him again while I had the chance."

"As an accessory, your former friend Jenny would be out in six to eight months," mused Richard, "which is probably shorter than the time it will take to even get the case to court."

xxx

Brie fell asleep in my car on the way home. She awoke invigorated when we arrived at her new home, and I carried her inside. She was excited and wanted to explore her new house, her new room, every nook and cranny. Carla and I followed her around as she went from room to room. As we reached the top of the stairs, Carla noticed one of several pictures leaning against the wall, and a half-finished watercolour of a robin caught her eye. She stopped and picked it up, looking at it curiously.

She hadn't followed immediately behind me into Brie's new bedroom, so I turned back and discovered her looking at the painting. Uh-oh, was the first thought though my head, now I was in trouble!

"Er, Honey, I am afraid I er, stole that from one of our early art lessons at school." I stuttered.

"So, you liked me back then, when I was only twelve? Liked me enough to steal something ... personal?"

"Yes, Carla, I have truly loved you forever, and I'm pretty stuck on loving you forever from this moment on too."

Holding the painting in one hand, she reached one hand up to the back of my neck and drew me down to her lips, where we kissed softly, gently, full of love for each other.

We heard Brie trot up behind us, saying, "Bryan, Daddy."

"What is it, Sweetie?" Carla smiled at her as we released our lips, but we continued to maintain the touch of our bodies.

"Bryan, Daddy," Brie repeated.

She was pointing at the wall. We both looked where she was pointing and saw the pencil-and-part-ink portrait that I had also stolen from Carla. It was in a transparent wallet leaning against the wall.

Carla put down the robin painting and picked up the portrait. She examined it closely for some time, looking at the reverse side too. Perhaps like I had done many years ago and several times since, looking for a signature, a date, or a title, or the name of the unposed sitter.

"Well," I asked, "is it?"

"Is it ... what?" she smiled.

"Is it of me? I asked.

"Mmm, if you cannot tell, I can't be very good, then, can I?"

"Well, I think it is, I am certain of it, and I think it is very good. But I had doubts to whether you drew me simply because I happened to be standing in the right light for your purposes or whether you drew it because you had feelings for me then. I think this is a year or so later than the robin, when we were thirteen or fourteen."

I turned and picked up Brie, who put her arms around my neck and kissed me gently on the lips like her Mummy had kissed me. It was so sweet, it took me back to that supermarket kiss I had witnessed between mother and daughter. It was like an affirmation of my acceptance as her father. I so loved these two girls in my life. I turned back to Carla, "at least Brie seems to have accepted that the picture was of me."

"Hold that thought, big boy," Carla said with a smile, putting an index finger on my lips, then kissing both my cheek and Brie's, then l was dragged back along the landing towards our bedroom, with Brie still clutched in my arms.

On the bed, our bed, that I had remade with fresh sheets this morning, while Carla had taken her shower, was the still unpacked holdall that she had put in my car first thing this morning, intending to leave it here in our house, before our plans changed and we went direct to her Mum's. She unzipped it and pulled out a very fat cardboard folder, tied up with ribbon, fastened in a bow, that only had to be pulled to open it.

"Daddy, Bryan," Brie pointed at the tied up folder.

With a smirk, Carla sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her. I sat as bidden to. She opened the folder and showed me portrait after portrait of me, some charcoal, others in poster paints, India ink, pastels, watercolours, etc.

As her mother pulled them one by one from the folder, Brie pointed and said, "Daddy" or "Bryan", sometimes both, sometimes pointing out her particular favourites. They showed a range of my face, or studies of my eyes, or an ear or the way I stood to attention in my uniform at long ago Remembrance Parades, from boy to man, there were hundreds of them. I looked at my lover in the eyes, knowing I worshipped her, and always would. And here we were sitting, looking into the entrance of the shrine she had made to me.

"I think you could say, Darling," she breathed, as I moved my lips towards hers, "that I have also loved you for a long time."

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER

"Eww! Bryanna Taylor, your family, honestly!"

"What do you mean, my family?"

"Those old people in the lounge, sitting on the settee in front of the goggle box that's showing white noise, like the channel's stopped broadcasting ages ago and they haven't taken notice yet. And they are snogging, again."

The girl put one of the two opened bottles of pop she had brought from the kitchen on Bryanna's desk before she threw herself onto Brie's double bed and took a long swig from her pop bottle.

"Again?" asked Brie, without looking away from her keyboard or the bank of three screens she was monitoring.

"Yeah, AGAIN! It's like they were watching a film on one of those part-time channels last night, then fell asleep in each other's arms, and now it's nearly lunchtime-"

"11.16, Cass" Brie interjected.

"Yeah, like its full daylight an' they've woken up horny. Last time I walked down past the lounge to fetch us a mid-morning snack, they was snogging like teenagers. Now they're on'y at it again ... or maybe they are still at it and progressing onto heavy petting."

"Well, they are in love, Cassie, so a bit of lovemaking when they are sitting around waiting, especially where it's quiet and relatively private, is only natural."