My Friend/His Sister Ch. 02

I missed out the love-making but gave them 100% of the 'special place' and Kev's parents getting engaged there, the tears flowed properly; I have to confess, so were mine.

"Oh Laura, that's so perfect!" said Soph, her own engagement ring obvious on her left hand as she wiped her face, "Tell me you're getting married at that church?"

"It's a chapel; and yes, of course we are, his parents were married there."

That brought out a few sobs, but the bell rang to tell us that we were all late, and our various classes would be lined up in the allotted places in the playground waiting for us.

We trotted out, with red eyes and red cheeks, and started the afternoon.

Once we'd sent our charges off to their parents or their homes, Sophie was at my classroom door,

"Right bitch, THIS demands a celebration!"

"Like we never had when YOU got engaged Soph?"

"I got engaged before I started here!" she said as if such a thing were obvious.

"So, because I'm the youngest and newest, you want to take me out and get me pissed; surely that's a hen night thing?"

"Spoilsport!" she snipped back at me with narrowed eyes, but her face erupted into a grin, "Oh come here you!" and she hugged me, chuckling to herself, "I'm so pleased for you, Kev's a lovely guy, and a very lucky one!"

Romantic Sophie, the colleague that tried to play big sister to me and tried to set me up with a man, the same as Holly; Sophie the late twenties hottie in the short skirts and tight trousers, the tough acting-head of juniors that cries when her forty-or-so year sixes go off to big school, the girl that crooned then cried big tears when my voice broke as I repeated 'where sat Katie, her Mum and me' that lunchtime.

"I'm looking for bridesmaids Soph?"

"Put me on the list Babe," she said, "haven't worn a bridesmaid's dress since I twelve, but I want to look as hot as you did at your big brother's wedding!"

It was another fantastic day, and when I got home, I told Kev all about it.

"You told anyone at work?"

"Not yet," he said, moving close and slipping his arms around me, "Imagine if you will," he narrowed his eyes, "your prospective sister-in-law finds out from someone other than you or me that we are engaged?"

I put my arms up and around his neck,

"Yeah, never thought about that, suppose we'd better leave it until Wednesday night dinner!"

"Safer in the long run," I whispered, reaching up to peck a kiss on those warm lips I loved so much.

Yep. We had it bad for each other and no mistake, so bad that we made our separate ways to Mums two evenings later because he was working a 'ten to six' shift, and would need to leave at nine forty, but just knew he had to be there for 'that dinner'.

He arrived before I did, resplendent in his green uniform, and Mum hugged him like she always did these days, and he explained that he would need to be gone at the time the rest of us started the second jug of coffee, unless his pain-in-the-arse half-sister turned up of course.

I arrived straight from school, and parked my bike in its accustomed place and pulled off my helmet, locking it to the saddle clip, and stepping into the kitchen to remove my coat and gloves, being careful with the latter, as the previous morning I'd been too hasty with the left one and my new engagement ring flew across the staff locker room, retrieved by Ron the site manager who, seeing my distress, lifted an entire locker out with his hands so I could bend and pick it up, and slip it back on my finger.

He saw which finger I put it on.

"Is that you engaged Laura?"

"Yes Ron!"

"Oh honey!" he said and gave me a hug, when I got back to my classroom after lunch, it was to find several bunches of wildflowers picked from the school grounds in vases, on my desk and my bookshelf, a short note with the first from all the grounds and maintenance staff wishing me all the very best for the future, Awwwww!

So carefully I took my place next to my gorgeous fiancé, just as Steve and Holly arrived, my soon to be sister-in-law having a couple of magazines she'd bought and discussed with her Mum, ready for the Hardy inspection.

Mum poured tea and I smiled, taking Kev's right hand in my left and holding it, on the table with mine uppermost.

No one noticed and I grinned at Kev. Mum and Holly continued to natter about a dress, and some table decorations, until my brother Steve noticed with raised eyebrows. He coughed.

Mum looked up, a hint of annoyance at being disturbed during this most important of discussions.

"Ahem," he said again, grinning himself this time, and it was Holly's turn to look up from the glossy photos now.

Steve nodded towards our hands on the table, and she looked down, it took her a full five seconds until she grabbed my hand, held it up as if to check it was my left, then screamed, thrusting it towards Mum, then Steve, then my Dad as he came in to see what the noise was about.

"Oh Baby!" said Mum leaning over to give me a hug, "congratulations! And you Kev, she gave him a kiss.

Dad was shaking hands soon, and looking over at Steve and Holly,

"And I suppose this is your fault?!"

"No Dad," said Steve, "this has been on the cards since that Friday night three and a half months ago," he looked serious for a moment then stood and took his friend Kev's hand to shake, "Never seen two people so instantly attracted, from the moment they set eyes on each other."

"Thanks Stevie!" I said.

"No problem Lauz, Happy to help!"

Two hours and a very large meal later, Kev kissed almost everyone goodnight, and heading out the kitchen door, to use the latch gate that led out to the bottom alley, nearer to where his Disco was parked.

The rest of the very pleasant evening was with more 'oohs and aahs' when I recalled everything that happened that weekend, showing them pictures of the chapel from its dedicated website, then some long shots of the waterfall.

I pointed out Kev's Mum and Grandpa's grave in a long shot, then explained about the bench. I could see how touched Mum was with memories of her old friend, while Holly just sighed, with a few 'oh Laura, honey!'

When I had a few quiet moments, I told her the full story of what Kev and I did at the waterfall, she sighed the same, and hugged me.

The from that point on I wasn't just 'Chief Bridesmaid' anymore, and as we flicked through wedding magazines, 'you'd look AMAZING in THAT one Laura' would roll across the kitchen table.

I went home, fed and played with Greebo the cat, and went to bed, waking to the tea and toast that Kev brought in.

"So, have you picked your dress?" asked my fiancé.

"Not quite," I said.

In fact, I'd known for a few years what I wanted, and although I'd never found a picture, I was pretty sure I'd know it when I saw it.

The following Friday evening, we drove down to the New Forest and it was our turn to take Phil out for dinner. After sitting down and making our orders, Kev turned to his father.

"Some good news Dad," he said, "Show him Laura!"

I held out my hand, and Phil saw it and took it with delight, standing and kissing my hand, then shaking hands with his son and hugging him.

"I'm so pleased!" he said, "Seems Claire turning up might have been a blessing in disguise."

"Did she give you a hard time?" I said with a worried look.

"She arrived in a taxi, which I had to pay for of course, and demanded to know where Kevan and his 'girlfriend' were." He made the quotation marks with his fingers just as his daughter had done. "I said that you'd stayed over the night before and had left a few hours before as you were working on Sunday. Wanted to know everything about you Laura," he smiled.

Kev looked across at him,

"You have a look about you Dad," he said with a sly grin, "just what did you tell her?!"

Phil smiled a slightly guilty smile,

"I asked why she was interested, simple." He sat up straight in his chair, "He's my brother! Why wouldn't I be?

I pointed out that she had done nothing but say unpleasant things about you since her seventh birthday, and since her thirteenth had loudly claimed that you were 'no brother of hers'. She went quiet after that." He closed his eyes, "I thought long and hard about it, and said that 'Lara' was a very nice girl that you 'met through work' and had been going out ever since."

Kev and I smiled at him.

"Thanks Dad," Kev said, "it's much appreciated."

"Oh, it didn't stop there," he said with raised eyebrows and looked at me, "wanted to know everything about you-well wanted to know everything about 'Lara' at least; I told her that you were a gorgeous brunette a bit shorter than Kevan."

As Phil explained I could just imagine her responses.

"Gorgeous? And going out with K...K...Kevan? I doubt that!'

Then she wanted to know what you did, so I just went with something to do with the government or the council.

'What, like a clerk, kind of thing?' she demanded, so I said I really wasn't sure." He grinned at me, "it's quite handy that she treats me like an elderly idiot, because sometimes it's good to play on it."

"That's our Claire Anita," I said, "hasn't even met Kevan's girlfriend Lara and is already getting ready to talk down to her."

"Well, I for one am looking forward to the day when I have your wedding photo in pride of place on my mantelpiece, and she gets to see just who the gorgeous Lara is! Cheers!"

We had dinner and a few beers, taking turns to throw in things about the mysterious Lara, that were almost true but would confuse her; Phil was so impressed he started to write them down.

Lara had studied at the University of Wales (I studied at Cardiff), Lara was a rugby football player (I played Association Football of course), Lara had a brother and sister that were doctors (this was actually true, but I'd told Claire that my brother and his fiancée were dentists.)

We drove Phil back to his complex and he walked into the reception where the receptionist that had originally 'spilled the beans'.

"Oh, I was given the third degree by your daughter Mr Goodall," she sighed, "wanted to know what your names were, asked to see the visitors book, the car registration number logbook, even asked if there was CCTV. Of course, Mr Goodall had already told me she could be a bit difficult, so I just got all 'Data Protection' on her. She demanded to know under the Freedom of Information Act, but I pointed out that didn't apply to us because we were a private company. Glad when she left to be honest."

We finally got to stay over and were up and taking advantage of the room service for breakfast. It was nice, but never even got close to the one that Nanna, our current host's mother-in-law, had cooked for us the weekend before.

We left the next evening, as Greebo would be waiting for us.

Claire visited him again and was nagging Phil a few weeks later, and again asked about 'Lara'. Over a 'Whatsapp' chat he told us about her second visit of the year.

"Haven't seen them," he said for ease of escape.

"Typical of HIM," she snapped, "just like him to dump you..."

"Claire, I've seen Kevan at least once a month so far this year, and I haven't seen you since Christmas."

"I came down last week!"

"Because you wanted to see Kevan's girlfriend, and you still haven't explained your interest in her, not even your renewed interest in him?"

"You know he's only interested in you because of your money," she snapped at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah... it's obvious, he's... he'll have a big student debt to pay off, that won't be cheap!"

"No, he doesn't," said Phil.

"But he went to UNIVERSITY?" she'd whined at him as if he was stupid, "fifteen grand a year that costs, as my graduate friends NEVER CEASE to tell me!"

"I paid all that," he said simply.

"WHAT?!"

"I paid Kevan's university fees."

Phil described the lip movements and facial colours Claire went through, as she worked out that her hated half-brother might have had something she hadn't.

"SO... SO WHERE'S MY FUCKING FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS DAD, Huh Huh!"

"Oh, are you going to start a university degree course then darling?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"OK Claire, if you really must know, I gave you Mum FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS that I assume she is holding in trust for you. It's writ large in our divorce agreement, I paid for Kevan's education, so I would pay for yours. I paid the money to your mother, with the strict proviso it could only be spent on a university education and not blown on holidays, or cars, or any other crap. Satisfied?"

"Satisfied?" she snarled, "SATISFIED? You ALWAYS loved him more than me, ALWAYS did whatever HE wanted while I..."

Phil had butted in.

"Claire Anita Goodall, I spent more money on you in your school and college years, than I EVER spent on your brother..."

"Stop calling..."

"Claire!" he snapped back, "don't be such a spoilt bitch! You had EVERYTHING you EVER WANTED! You had riding lessons, dance lessons, I remember your Mum billing me something like eighty quid on a pair of football boots..." he stopped, thinking back to the discussion he'd had with me a few weeks before, "And you wore them TWICE!" he allowed his rage to increase, "But your Mum told me that they went into your cupboard with your ballet shoes, leotard and tutu and the used-once jodhpurs, boots and riding hat.

I bought Kevan a laptop for college and you screamed the house down and threatened to throw it out the window unless I bought YOU one, and... and... YOU PLAYED BLOODY GAMES ON IT!" snapped the IT millionaire, as he stood and started to pace, "That's it Claire, you want your university money, go and ask your Mum, SHE HAS IT! BUT..." he still looked angry recounting his tale to us over Whatsapp, "I'll want to know what course you are taking, at which University!"

Claire's lips pouted as the always did when someone told her off,

"But... Kevan, Kevan had..."

"Kevan had WHAT Claire? Kevan had a few computer games, including the ones I had to replace because you threw his collection in a bucket full of water you'd prepared especially one day."

"I was young!" she whined as if it was the perfect excuse.

"You were THIRTEEN!" Phil shouted, "Kevan had a few camps away with the St John's Cadets, and you insisted that you should have a holiday as well! His camps were always in this country and cost less the fifty pounds, while YOU had to go Disneyland Paris or Legoland for hundreds!

You had three or four or five times what your brother had, not including the number of holidays, trips, new clothes, new phones that you've conned either your mother or I to buy for you since." He stopped and regained his breath. "I'm done Claire, seriously; you only come and visit me when you want something, and when you do you complain." He stopped pacing and headed to the door, "I've had enough; Kevan has done nothing to you other than be older than you, and my son.

You don't like him and I kind of get the feeling he never liked you because of it; but if you stay away from him, he'll stay away from you." He leaned in closer, "if I get the tiniest WHIFF of any kind of childish vendetta against him or his girlfriend, we're done. No more 'Daddy can you lend me £500', or Daddy, I haven't been on holiday for such a long time,' none of it. You're twenty five, time you started earning your own living."

He opened his front door,

"Are you throwing me out?" she said in disbelief.

"Yep."

"But..."

"There's four trains that will get you back home tonight, the bus back into town is comes along every fifteen minutes. Good evening, Claire."

"But..." she realised that she'd pushed the envelope on this one, "But Daddy..."

"Good evening, Claire."

"How am I supposed to get home, hmmm?"

"Dunno," said Phil, "you managed to get here, didn't you buy a return?"

"No?!" she said if that kind of thing was stupid.

"Well, they accept credit cards at the railway station."

"Mine are all frozen."

He demanded her phone and ordered her return ticket for that night.

"That's it," he said, "if you want any more of my money, I suggest you go to university; Good night, Claire Anita," and closed the door.

"And I haven't heard anything from her since," he said with a slightly pained look, that suggested that kind of firmness didn't come easy to him, "so watch out Darlings, I get the feeling she'll be coming after one of us."

We didn't hear anything from her, and with an offer of petrol money I snagged lifts home with Carly as it was on her way, leaving my motorbike safe in our parking area. I explained to Carly the problem.

"So does the psycho bitch queen know you are engaged to Kev?"

"Not to my knowledge?"

"So why are you hiding?"

"I don't want her to follow me home and then see Kev there."

"Babe," said Carly, "How long are you going to hide from her. She might just bump into the pair of you walking around Tesco, or at the pub, or at the cinema. Just tell the bitch and let the cards fall where they may. If there's one thing I've got from watching you two and listening to you talk about him, is that you're both strong enough to deal with anything she can throw out of her pram at you."

I thought about that; she was absolutely right of course.

"Kev," I said, as I hung my jacket, "Carly has just come up with a very good point; we can't spend the rest of our lives hiding from Claire Anita," I walked up to him, "how about I switch on my Facebook and announce our engagement?"

"I honestly hadn't thought that much about it," he said, "but it probably is better to get it out in the open. I mean," he picked up our to mugs if tea, "what's the worst she can do?"

I took my mug of tea from him and sat on the sofa, leaning back so Greebo could walk across my lap and lay next to me, his head on my lap. "She'll come to the school and swear at me, insist that me falling in love with you, is just to get back at her."

"Yeah," he said with a smile, "fuck her."

"Nah," I wrapped my arm around his neck, "Much rather you fucked me."

And he did.

And so later that evening I switched my Facebook account back on and changed my relationship status to 'engaged' and made my profile picture of us both; Kev wasn't on Facebook so I didn't tag him, and turned off the notifications.

Those that I cared about knew I was engaged and had probably met Kev several times, I had a few likes on it, but in the greater scheme of things it passed unnoticed.

Claire posted a few of her usual rants at someone, lots of meme's about how strong women don't need a man, then her usual virtue signals that, in her usual manner where actually not so carefully veiled insults to someone that had gained her attention.

But it wasn't me, Kev or even her father.

A few nights after our relationship 'went live', I chatted with Kev over dinner, pointing out that she hadn't commented, descended on my school, my Mum's house, nowhere.

Kev took a forkful of the amazing stir-fry he'd cooked,

"Simples Baby," he said, "it hasn't affected her, so she isn't interested. Give it time though Baby!"

Life went on of course, with Steve and Holly's forthcoming wedding that autumn, in the same church that John and Karen had married in.

As chief bridesmaid, I'd arranged Holly's hen weekend and we were all due to fly off to New York for a long weekend partying, all the medics in 'borrowed' then tailored scrubs, while I would wear a rather stylised but still quite sexy teachers outfit while S-i-L Karen would wear a very short skirt similar to mine but the tailored white lab coat and black Diana Prince glasses without lenses that the government scientist didn't actually wear.

Groomsman Kev would take a similar trip with Stevie and the rest of the boys to Edinburgh for their party, all with surname appropriate tartan trews or kilts.

The bridesmaid dresses where spectacular cocktail style dresses in dark blue, split to mid-thigh, and came with matching capes that would hold off any autumnal chill, while allowing our spray-tanned shoulders and cleavages to be on display as each individual bridesmaid felt, and that was all of us of course.