TGI Chronicles Pt. 1 Ch. 03

Rose led the way. At the top of the stairway she reached into her handbag and pulled out a door key and opened the door. We entered. Suddenly we were in a different world, a modern, totally white apartment. There was a little hallway that ran to the left and right of the door. Slightly toward the front, but opposite was a door into what was obviously small kitchen. Rose led the way. It was all brand new, and with fridge freezer, hob, oven and wash-dryer, and plenty of fitted cupboards. The window, opposite the door was above the sink and seemed to look out over the river. I looked round. It wasn't spacious, but it was all there.

Rose waited for me and then led on into the main living room. This was far larger than I expected. But then I guess garages are larger when empty and used for furniture and living than they look with a car and stored paraphernalia. The room was again white, but with a light wood floor, a couple of bright rugs. A sofa and couple of easy chairs grouped around a log burner stove; a dining table and chairs for four in the kitchen corner, and two sideboards and a book case. The whole room was bright, cheerful and modern. What took my eye were the windows. A large one in the end wall, over-looking the front drive, and two sets of French doors in the riverside wall. I walked over and then realised there was a roof terrace built on the whole flat roof of the garage below, running the whole length of the building, surrounded by an ornamental safety rail. I opened the door and walked out. Below me was the little lane, but one's eye automatically went to the river. A wonderful view, and as far as I could see not overlooked by anyone except the riverside apartments on the far bank.

I came back in, and smiled at Rose. "I'm beginning to be very impressed." We went down the hallway to find a small complete bathroom next to the kitchen.. In the bath there was a window blind, obviously waiting to be fitted. On the windowsill was a bathroom wall cabinet, also waiting to be put up. We went on into the large bedroom that mirrored the living room, but a bit smaller. A brand new double bed, the mattress still wrapped in polythene. Bedside cupboards, and chest of drawers and two large fitted wardrobes along the bathroom wall completed the furnishings. Again a pair of French doors led onto the roof terrace. The curtains lay across the bed, still not hung.

I looked at Rose. "I love it."

Just at that point there were voices outside, obviously coming up the stairs. Then a toddler ran into the room. Stopped. Looked at myself and Rose with complete shock on his or her face. The face crumpled and tears began with the toddler turning tail and running out going "Mumma...Mumma.." I was concerned. Rose burst out laughing.

Rose looked at me and saw the concern on my face. "Don't worry. That's par for the course at that age." We followed the child back into the hall. There we found a man on his hands and knees cuddling the toddler, a very attractive woman of about my age with a tray in her hands with four steaming mugs of tea and a supermarket bag, and a little boy of about four peeping at us from behind her.

"Tim, let me introduce you to Mr and Mrs Chapman. This is Tim Williams."

I looked up and smiled. "Hi, I'm Sue" said Mrs Chapman "I'm sorry I can't shake your hand. I've brought some tea and doughnuts."

"That's very kind of you, you really didn't have to." I was surprised at her kind welcome.

"Its not as kind as it might look. They were selling them off, six for fifteen pence. They obviously over-doughnutted in the bakery department. Oh. This is my husband, Freddy. And that's Kimberley or Kim and the one that's about to try pulling my jeans off is Jonathon or Jon. Let's go and sit down." She led the way into the living room.

Freddy stood up, with the little girl cuddled into him, sort of sitting on his right arm and her face buried into his neck. He was a few years older than me, but pleasant looking. "Sorry, I can't shake your hand properly either" He held out his left hand, which I shook in that awkward twisted, doesn't feel right way.

We all went into the living room, Sue was still standing there with the tray in her hands, looking round. "We need to buy a coffee table for this room." She said to no one in particular.

"No we don't." responded Freddy. "Let the tenant's have some freedom and choice." And save yourself the money I thought. Sue put the tray down on the dining table and handed out the mugs of tea. Sue and Freddy sat on the sofa, myself and Rose sat in the chairs. Freddy put Kim down, and she immediately started to climb towards her mother, who picked her up and tucked her into her lap without thought. Jon started running up and down, slapping his feet on the wood floor to maximise the noise.

Freddy called him over. The little boy stood looking at his father. "Jon, do you like your new sandals?"

"Yes."

"Then please don't make me take them back to the shop because they are too noisy."

Jon looked at his father, then turned and crept off with an exaggerated tip toe gait, smiling conspiratorially at me.

"Make yourself useful, Jon, why don't you pass round the doughnuts?" Suggested Sue, which he immediately did, politely visiting each adult in turn and holding out the open bag. When we had all taken our ones, he hopefully looked at his mother. "Yes, take one for yourself."

"Well," said Freddy "Shall I start to tell you a little about us and the apartment."

At the end of the conversation I knew that they had just returned from three years working in the US for a Swiss-US bank, and that Freddy had come here to work for the Wagon Laboratories, which were (apparently) a subsidiary of the bank. They had bought Trafalgar House, but it needed huge amounts of restoration work to be done. They were living in a rented house on the other side of town, provided by the bank. They had started the conversion by creating this apartment, because it would give them some rent income and meant that someone was living on site whilst they weren't. They were now looking for a tenant who was probably male, as girls were unlikely to want to live on a building site for months, but who was young enough to fit in with them, but old enough to be sensible and mature. To achieve that they would reduce the rent by half for as long as the builders were around.

I told them something about myself. Where I worked, how long I'd lived in the town, which university and the rest of the stuff. I swiftly glossed over, as quickly as I could, that I was looking to rent somewhere because I was splitting up with my wife. I must have done a pretty good job of that bit, and hidden my sensitivity well, because later when I remarked that I could bring some cushions from our guest room that would go well on this living room sofa, Sue cheerfully nudged her husband in the ribs and said "A man who's straight, but cares about soft furnishings. Your ex must be mad to let you go. I'll divorce Freddy and marry you." I laughed with the rest of them. It's surprising how quickly we learn to put a social face on our personal pain.

Freddy told me that they had called the apartment "Blindside", as neither it nor the house had any windows facing each other, and it seemed a good name, with its oblique reference to Nelson.. So it was Blindside, Trafalgar House, River Mead. I liked it, and said so.

"Good, 'cos that's the name we've registered with the Post Office and utilities, so there's nothing you can do about it, anyway." Said Freddy.

I left with Rose, without comment as to whether I would actually take the flat or not. But then they didn't say whether they wanted me as their tenant or not.

---

As I got into Rose's car I was deep in thought. Rose did not say a word for several minutes. Then she quietly asked "Too soon?"

"Yes. It's a lovely apartment. I love it, and in some ways it's exactly what I need. It's so completely different from my house. But that's its problem. If I move into there, I think I'll be starting a new life. Leaving Beth behind. Does that make sense?"

She glanced round at me, and put out her hand onto my thigh for a second. "Yes. Look, you don't have to take it. Don't throw away a good marriage because you like some interior décor."

"But if myself and Beth are to really split, then I'd hate to lose it." We fell into silence.

Eventually, as we drove through a classy residential area of large houses, I guessed we were getting near Rose and Charlie's home. We pulled into the drive of a large attractive mock Tudor house, with immaculate gardens. As we got out of the car I was anxious to finish this official business with Rose before we entered her home and I was making conversation with Charlie. "Do you think they would let me make a deposit and delay my decision for a couple of weeks?"

Rose stopped looking for her front door key, and turned to me, "I could try. I think I might have to tell them a little of why you might want a delay. I'll try to be discrete and tell them no more than I have to. Are you okay with that? Do you want me to try."

She opened the door as I answered, "Yes"

We found Charlie sitting in the garden, doing the crossword in his paper. I joined him and sat down. He asked about the flat and I told him that I loved it, but was scared to push my life this fast, and that I had suggested that Rose may be able to negotiate a delay. Just then I heard a phone ringing and looked at Charlie, expecting him to leave to answer it.

"Don't worry, Rose will get that. I hope she'll get a bottle of wine and bring it out as well, I could do with a drink and I'm sure you could."

Sure enough, Rose appeared from the house a few minutes later carrying a bottle of white wine and some glasses. "That was Freddy Chapman. They are keen on you."

"Did you tell them I was keen and suggest my idea of giving them a deposit but having a bit of a delay?"

"No, I didn't tell them anything. I said you were just thinking about things." She looked at me smugly.

"Why not? I don't want it going to anyone else, and certainly not without trying to get it."

"Because I was talking to Freddy. He's committed to getting a tenant to sign up immediately for a year's lease. With all the normal get out clauses of course, he can't avoid those. All I did was build you up a bit, make sure he knew what a reliable person you were, how I knew you'd be a good tenant."

"But why didn't you tell them I would take it if they'll give me some flexibility up front?"

"Because Freddy won't like giving you that flexibility. He's got a huge building job on with his house. It must be costing him a fortune. I guess he wants that flat leased off to the right person, on a long lease. That way there's some money coming in and its one problem solved. He wouldn't want to know about delays. So I built you up, so that he'll want you even more. Then, in about an hour's time I'll phone her. I'll just happen to have left their home number and Freddy's number in the office, but I'll have hers. I'll be sure that they would want to hear from me before Monday when I'm in the office, so I'm sure she'll excuse me phoning her. I'll have heard from you by then, about how really keen you are, but, in the circumstances, you need a bit of a delay. I'll tell her a little bit about your problem. By the time I've finished every maternal instinct in her will be on your side. She'll convince Freddy, who by then will be desperate that you take it. Let Sue get you your flexibility."

"And they say business is a man's world!" uttered Charlie.

At that point a young man in his early twenties came out of the house. He saw me and immediately approached with his hand out. "Hi, I'm Simon."

I introduced myself, and we shook hands.

"Are you eating with us dear?" asked his mother "And if you want a drink you'll have to get yourself a glass."

"No thanks. I came to see if I could borrow the car, please Mum?"

"Yes, the keys are on the kitchen table. Is this Maddy again?"

My ears pricked up; "No. Maddy and me are cooling it. She's got something going with some older guy. I think he's got a bit of a reputation. I don't like him, bit slimy if you ask me. But, of course, he's got his own car and a flat and things. Paupers like me don't stand a chance."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I thought you were quite keen on Maddy."

"Well, she's still coming with me to Paul's wedding next weekend. Maybe she'll realise what she's missing by then." Simon went off, waving his hand to Charlie and myself, and giving his mother a kiss as he passed.

Charlie turned to Rose, "I can't say I'm sorry. I wasn't too keen on Maddy."

"I never thought she had a lot up top." remarked Rose.

"Oh, I thought she had quite a lot up top." Charlie gave an exaggerated leer and winked at me.

"I meant fifteen inches higher than you were thinking. And anyway, middle aged fathers lusting over their son's girlfriends is slightly distasteful. Keep those comments to the golf club please."

"That's the trouble. We don't have lady golfers like Maddy. They're all middle aged and not quite as attractive. I suppose Maddy couldn't play golf, she wouldn't be able to see the ball when she's putting." Again he smiled at me.

"Why do you think I let you play golf?"

This happy exchange of two people, sure in their relationship and commitment to each other, was a two edged sword to me. It was good to hear how warm and safe a life Charlie had after his bad start. But it was also a reminder of what I used to have with Beth, what I wanted and what I had lost.

We sat on the terrace drinking our wine (although Rose was mixing hers with mineral water) and chatted about families and a little office gossip for some time. Then Rose said it was time to phone Sue Chapman. I followed her indoors and stood watching her make the call. After some long pauses when I guess there was some talking going on at the other end, Rose gave me the thumbs up sign. She had got me a delay, at the cost of a possible wasted month's rent, I needn't make up my mind until the 14th July, which gave me over three weeks to decide the immediate future of my marriage.

The evening was pleasant. We eat well, but on very traditional food. Rose thought I could probably do with a good home cooked meal. We kept chatting about everything and nothing for the evening. I realised I was in an entirely safe environment. I could talk about Beth if I wanted, I could cry if I needed, Charlie and Rose would have coped. And precisely because I was safe and I could, I didn't need to. Emotions are funny things.

Rose drove me home not long after eleven o'clock.

---

I couldn't sleep that night. For the first time I was plagued with sexual images of Beth and Ken. Ken was not fat, but even so I imagined him, pasty white, the signs of a middle aged paunch, maybe the hint of saggy man breasts. Grey hairs on his chest? On his back?

This was in contrast to my beautiful, sexy Beth. Tanned, slim, firm full breasts. The flare of her hips, her light brown pussy hair which she always kept trimmed into a neat triangle, but was now shaved down to just a thin landing strip above bald pussy lips. That had been a bit of sexual fun a couple of month's ago on my birthday. I had shaved her. But she had encouraged me, I couldn't remember who had suggested it. Had she come up with the idea? Was I just the agent for some sexual request from Ken?

With that thought, in those grim night hours, I felt a shift in my emotions. The dominance of anger gave way to hate. And that was unhealthy. That was what she had done to me. But thinking like that was the way of lifelong bitterness and loneliness. I had to get control of my thinking before it was too late.

To Be Continued...