Sixes and Sevens Pt. 02

"I was miffed, obviously, but we had only been going together for a few months, so I wasn't devastated. In any case, I had the remnants of the CFAB to finish and my final year to get a First in Maths and Economics, which I did. I did not date anyone, though I had a good time with friends.

"Then I got the job with the Accountancy firm I had interned with, and began studying for my ACA. Three years' hard labour! Towards the end of the second year, Kevin married Caroline and I was Best Man. Predictably Julie was Chief Bridesmaid and came to the wedding with her fiancé."

"That was difficult for you?" asked Sam. "To know you were going to meet her again?"

"I was over her: her deception had turned me right off. I hadn't seen or heard from her for over two years. Meeting her would be no big deal, she was the past.

"What I hadn't bargained for was the attitude of my mates and their partners, wives or girlfriends. The news of the way she had dumped me had circulated, mainly because Caroline told Kevin and Kevin told everyone else, much to Caroline's disgust. Caused quite a row between them, that did, but my friends took it really badly!

"We all arrived at the hotel two nights before the ceremony. Kevin was to have his Stag do, and Caroline her Hen night, though neither event was at that hotel. Julie and Xavier - that was his name - were staying with Caroline and her parents at their place. Her family lived in a small semi-detached house. Her parents weren't all that well off and had creased themselves to pay for Caroline's extravagant bash.

"Anyway, we were all to meet in their local pub for an introductory drink before splitting up for the separate night's entertainments. It turned out that Caroline had insisted that Kevin invite Xavier to the Stag night.

"Well the pair arrived, and everyone stared.

"I'd never seen so much bling in my life - on both of them! Julie had a flashy diamond necklace, diamond earrings to match and a huge engagement ring on her left ring finger. She made sure she flashed it around. Xavier had a really sharp suit and black shirt and his own share of rings.

"I remained in the crowd and she was obviously looking for me. She saw me and smiled. I blanked her, and she frowned, but made no move to approach me. Mind you, I had to admit then that she still did something for me: it brought back the anger and jealousy. I told myself that she'd made her choice and was going to marry someone else. I didn't want to have anything to do with her.

"The noticeable thing was the coolness of the other women to her. No one spoke to her for long, and none of the men would even look at her. Xavier was welcomed in a civil manner by us all, but he looked totally out of place in his expensive gear.

"Once separated, we lads had a good time. Xavier was about to talk to me, when Kevin took him aside and after that he avoided me. We drank, attended the obligatory strip club, and I remained sober enough to look after the Bridegroom.

"Once Kevin had had enough (drink and nude women), evidenced by his difficulty standing up or walking straight, while expressing bleary and extravagant love for me his brother, I bade farewell to the revellers and took him back to the hotel, where after the necessity of a time worshipping on his knees at the ceramic temple in the bathroom and giving his offering, I put him to bed."

She looked puzzled for a moment and then laughed. "I get you!" she cackled. "I never heard it called a ceramic temple before!"

"Apparently after I left, the other lads lost no time in acquainting Xavier with Julie's bad manners, about which he knew nothing. I heard from more than one of the girls that Julie had a bad time, getting the cold shoulder from all but Caroline, and being told in no uncertain terms by one of the girls what they thought of her treatment of me.

"I managed to avoid talking with Julie until the reception, which was pretty good going.

"Julie stayed with him throughout the reception. I made no attempt to ask her to dance after Caroline and Kevin had 'done' theirs, even though it was the custom for the Best Man to dance with the Chief Bridesmaid. She actually looked disappointed. Later she cornered me in the foyer.

" 'I want to say sorry for the way I treated you,' she said, searching my face. I did not react. 'I just didn't know how to finish with you.'

"I stayed silent and she began to look uncomfortable.

" 'That it?' I asked her.

" 'Well, yes.'

"I just turned away and went to the gentlemen's cloakroom. She did not come near me again.

"When Caroline and Kevin returned from their honeymoon, Caroline attacked me for making her sister cry at the wedding. I did not know I had done that and told her so. She went on to say that Julie had found someone far more suited to her in Xavier and that they were going to get married in the summer. I said that it was nothing to do with me what Julie did or didn't do. Caroline and I had never really got on well and that didn't help."

"Did they?"

"Did they what?"

"Did they get married?"

"No. She kept putting it off. Caroline and Kevin had moved nearer to my place, but if Julie and Xavier ever visited them, Kevin never told me. I carried on with my job and the accountancy training, and one year later I passed my final exams and was a Chartered Accountant. I stayed with the company for another three years, and two years ago I left to start up my own practice with Vicky."

"But Julie?"

"Well, I suppose it was five years ago, Kevin told me that Julie had come to live with them and was looking for a job here. It puzzled me.

" 'What about Xavier?' I asked him.

" 'Oh, they broke up,' he said.

"I never saw her around the place, but the next time I went to see Kevin she was there. I think I said 'Hello Julie,' before going to the pub with Kevin. Caroline kept out of the way, at least I think so. We still didn't get on. When we got back, Caroline was watching TV but there was no sign of Julie.

" 'You could have been civil to Julie,' she started in on me.

" 'I said hello, what more do you want?' I snapped back. 'It's been years since she dumped me. I've got nothing else to say to her. She's shown exactly how she feels about me. The feeling's mutual.'

" 'Haven't you got over that yet?' she shot at me.

" 'Long since,' I said, 'I just don't want anything to do with her. She's irrelevant. I've moved on.'

"She made a dismissive noise, and Kevin and I went to the other room. I knew it upset Kevin, but I felt it was Caroline who was trying something on. As I said, she didn't like me.

"I'd bought my flat - or at least taken out a mortgage to buy it - and on an evening the following week the doorbell rang and there she was. To say it was a surprise did not do my mixed up feelings justice.

"She was just the same as when she left, still very pretty, and with her presence came the memories of our time together. That in itself provoked conflicting emotions, some anger, resentment, and attraction: she's an attractive woman.

" 'Hello Aidan,' she said; she was nervous, I could tell. 'Are you busy? Can you spare me a few minutes of your time?'

"What could I do? I told her to come in and showed her to the living room. She made the right noises, you know, what a nice room, what a nice flat. It was flattery, I was not earning big bucks yet and most of the furniture was second hand and it showed.

"I indicated the sofa, and offered her a drink. She wanted white wine. I poured one and a malt for myself, sat down in an armchair and waited.

"She began hesitantly. 'Aidan I need to talk to you. I know you haven't forgiven me for the way I finished with you. I know I hurt you a lot, and all I can say is that I regret it with all my heart. I want to explain what's happened in my life.'

" 'I don't see what that has to do with me,' I retorted. 'Don't flatter yourself, it didn't bother me that much.'

"She flinched at that. 'But will you listen?' she asked, her face was intense and she was really begging, so I nodded.

"Well, it was a long story. The gist was that she met Xavier in the resort where her relatives lived. He was loaded and he went after her. He took her to restaurants, shows and exclusive parties. He bought her clothes for these events, jewellery to go with the clothes: stuff she'd only ever dreamt about.

"He had a fast car, a Porsche, and he offered her a lift back to England in it. Of course they shared a room at each nightly stop, and she fell in love. It was so hectic that she forgot me and though she made a resolution to break up with me, she never got the chance.

"He invited her to stay in his penthouse apartment and carried on buying her designer clothes and accessories. She went to theatres and exclusive London restaurants and she knew exactly how expensive they were. He was good in bed apparently, and she had the best lingerie to wear for him. So when he proposed she accepted. They settled in together and she was happy with him.

"Then came the wedding. She was eagerly looking forward to impressing her friends with her fiancé and her good fortune. She told me she got the shock of her life when she was effectively shunned by the girlfriends she thought would be happy for her. They were angry at ignoring me for a rich boy. One of her friends asked her how it felt to be a whore. It brought her up short.

"She began to wonder if it were true. Then in her unsettled state, she said, she saw me, and I ignored her. It upset her. In fact she nursed her feelings of desolation all night at the hen night. Then I avoided her at the wedding and she realised she still loved me or she wouldn't have felt so bad. She was completely cut to pieces by what amounted to my rejection of her apology and by my walking away. Caroline tried to reassure her she was doing the right thing, basically that I was not in her class, and she was better off without me.

"When she went back with Xavier she started to re-evaluate her life. She had plenty of time. She had nothing to do all day when Xavier was at 'work'. I remember she laughed at that. He played at being an executive in his daddy's firm, but in reality did nothing. Indeed he had never worked. He only got a third class degree because he wasted his time, and he was proud of it!

"She began to compare the time we had together, with all its privations with what she was doing now. Then she realised that what we had was deeper and more satisfying; we had a friendship which was missing from her relation with Xavier. She was his trophy fiancée and really they talked of very little. She began to feel lonely with him and eventually, she said, she broke it off with him, and gave him back all the things he had bought for her. She liked him, she said, but that was not enough.

"She had come north to be near to me, and hoped she might win me back. In any case, she wanted a relationship based on more than wealth or mere sex. She said that quite shyly, and her voice did not convey much hope.

"I remember her asking, 'Is there any hope for me with you, after what I did to you?'

"I thought about it: I actually considered her offer. I had not been with anyone seriously since she left, not in a relationship sense anyway, I'd been too busy. I still desired her, though now my confidence in her commitment to me had been obliterated, but call me a fool, I realised I wanted her. Could I forgive and get over the fact she'd been living with another man? Well, I had the time, there was no hurry.

"So I told her to leave me to think about it and come back in a few days. You should have seen her face! It was incredulity that I would even consider her again. She stood, thanked me for the drink and for listening to her and for at least thinking about reconciling. Then hesitated, I remember that clearly, as if wondering whether to attempt to kiss me, but decided against it and left.

"When we met again I told her we could begin tentatively to date, but it would be very slow and gradual, there was a lot of trust to recover. She leapt at me and kissed me voraciously, and that was that. It took six months before we had sex again, and three years ago she moved in with me."

He went on to recount their break up.

Her face was all sympathy, "No chance of getting back together?"

He pointed out to her that Julie had been been with another man; Aidan had found her with Craig, or was it Lee, he'd already forgotten which. He explained how he'd waved to her in the pub when he was with Kathy. He was sure Kevin must have told her why Vicky was in Aidan's bed and who Kathy was and why they were sitting together in the pub, but she hadn't tried to get in touch.

"So," he concluded, "I think she's moved on."

"If she wanted to come back?" Sam asked.

"I think things have gone too far," he reflected, "It's the second time she's insulted me. I think it's likely to happen again. So, no."

Sam looked sorry at that. Then the meal was over and he invited her to his favourite Edinburgh pub. Again she tucked her arm in his.

The pub was full and they had to stand, leaning against a wall. Aidan had a beer and she a glass of wine. It was almost too noisy to talk, but they chatted about their families. When their drinks were finished she visited the ladies and when she returned he visited the gents.

When he returned she was already being chatted up by a tall black haired man. Even Aidan could see he was very good looking and the sort of alpha male women swoon over. He was leaning into her, and she was smiling back at him. Aidan felt intensely jealous for a second until she saw him and smiled at him over the Lothario's shoulder.

The man caught her look over his shoulder and turned.

"Och, lassie," he said, "ye'll have a better time with me, why don't we do a club? I know the best ones; he's a foreigner. I'll give you a better time than he can."

It was said with a smile, but he was serious and intent on scoring with this beautiful woman. Aidan had to admit to himself that he was probably right in what he said! Aidan stood patiently behind him as he turned his back to screen Aidan from Sam. Very rude.

"Well, darlin'" he said laying a hand on her shoulder, "what d'ye say? Shall we go?"

"One," she snapped, "get your hand off me. Two, I don't do one night stands. Three, macho slime-balls like you are two a penny in my life. Four, my boyfriend has talents that you could only guess at, and you don't come up to his standard. That enough for you? Go away little man."

The Lothario stepped back as if she'd struck him, then pushed past Aidan and went back to the bar. Aidan took his place.

"Wow," he said, "you certainly pack a punch."

"I've had a lot of practice. Those macho types really piss me off."

"Shall we go?" he said. "Early start tomorrow."

She nodded and he got their coats. As they walked to her hotel he mocked her, "So I'm your boyfriend am I?"

"Want to be?" she asked coyly.

"I want," he said with a grin.

She took his hand. The gesture seemed to him to be more intimate than linking arms, which can be often only a friendly act. Holding hands implies some sort of belonging. Things were getting better all the time, he thought with some excitement.

"What are these 'talents' I have?" he asked, fishing.

"If you don't know, you're better not knowing. Only make you swelled headed."

"You know," he said, "since I'm now your boyfriend, I should confess I had a real flash of jealousy when I saw that bloke chatting you up."

"You mean hitting on me?" she said. "There you are then, that's a talent: you consider things before you act. I like it that you were jealous, but at least you didn't wade in as the big protector. I hate that. You know, men fighting over me? Ugh!"

"You don't like assertive men?"

"That's not what I meant." she said, "I mean men being macho and facing up to another man. As if I can't take care of myself."

"I saw that," he said. "You certainly can!"

"But you are assertive," she said, squeezing his hand, pulling his arm against the swell of her breast. "This morning when I was at the hotel desk, you saw the problem and you acted. I did feel helpless then, and you looked after me. That was good. You took control but you were respectful as well. You know what made me trust you?"

"No?"

"When you invited me to come with you to Manchester," she said, "You offered your place and then gave me two options that would have kept you at arm's length. That was considerate and caring."

"Thank you." Aidan said, not sure why.

A silence fell and in any case they were at her hotel. At the door she turned to him.

"Wouldn't you like to taste that special whisky again that you had this morning? You shuddered when I asked for mine. I don't understand. How do you to drink whisky? Show me."

How could he refuse? They went into the bar which was pleasantly full, but with room to sit down. He ordered two doubles and some still spring water. They sat down.

"It's just a drink," he said. "You can drink it how you like, but many say certain things don't help the drink."

"Like ice?" she asked. He liked it that she was so quick on the uptake.

"Single Malt whisky is a very complex drink," he told her. "The flavours and aromas change between different malts and even the same malt at different times. You need time to enjoy it fully. Start by drawing in the aroma of the whisky."

She took her glass and sniffed. "Oh," she said, jerking her head back, "that's sharp!"

"Breathe in the aromas gently. Swirl the glass."

She did.

"That's better," she said, "do I drink it now?"

"Take a sip," he said, "Hold it in your mouth, swill it round. It might sting."

She did. It did.

"Ok," he said, "now we'll add a little water, a few drops, and swirl it round to mix it."

"Now breathe it in again," he watched as her eyes widened. He smiled with satisfaction.

"It's different," she said.

"The water reacts with the whisky and releases other aromas and flavours. Now sip a little and hold it in your mouth like the last time."

"It's smoother, it doesn't burn so much." Pause. "It tastes different as well."

"You miss all that if you add ice," he said, "It cools the liquid and stops evaporation - kills the aromas. You could use ice with a blended whisky, but you won't get the best out of a single malt."

They sat and breathed and sipped. After a while she said, "It's different again!'

"Great isn't it?" he agreed, feeling he had made a convert.

She smiled happily.

"I'm glad I met you," she said. "It seems as if we've been together for ages."

"A whole twelve hours," he smiled. "Time for me to go."

They walked to the lift. He stopped, and she gave a questioning look.

"See you in the morning, after breakfast, about ten?" he answered her unasked question.

She nodded, put her arms round his neck and kissed him. It was a gentle, full, soft lips kiss. He felt the twin pinpricks, as she pushed herself against him. She gave a satisfied sigh. They disengaged.

"Good night." Smile.

"Good night." Smile.