The Girl at the Spa Ch. 03

Dad took Alice away to dance, and Grandma tapped me on the shoulder.

"You've got something planned haven't you Richie?" she said.

"I'm sorry?"

"My spirit guides are letting me know that you have something up your sleeve."

I wanted to suggest that the only spirits she had been in contact with were dished out in 'one sixth of a gill' optics behind the bar but thought better of it. She stood up. "Come closer," I did, and she patted the outside of my left breast pocket, "thought so," she said, "congratulations Darling, and not before time?"

I bowed and smiled.

"Who am I to argue, Grandma."

I walked to where the DJ was and basically explained to him what I had in mind, and he pulled one of the waiters to one side and came up with a far better plan than I had.

I went back to our table and Meghan took my hand and pulled me to the dance floor. Thanks to my wonderful Ali I felt a hundred times better about dancing and I managed not to embarrass anyone or push anyone over. At one stage Meghan got in really close and ground first her great boobs and then her still fit arse against me, and my mind went back to that great week in the summer before when she stripped naked, blew me and I fucked that arse that was rubbing against my groin.

She had a great body and I had no bad feelings about our sex session and her choice to stop once she realised how Alice felt about me. Before I knew it, my gorgeous Alice was next to her mother and giving it as much on the dance floor. Dad appeared and took Meghan to one side and they danced just as provocatively as we had been.

As soon as Alice moved in front of me and put her arms around my neck, the DJ played the first of the slow dance songs and I took Ali and pulled her closer. Slowly we moved to the music, just delighting in the contact and the romance. Ali helped me out by pushing her face into my neck and closing her eyes. I looked around at the smiles that we were getting from Ali's friends and colleagues who all knew about us.

What she didn't notice was several of the wine waiters gradually tapping the other dancers and telling them of the plan. The Key song was Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' which I knew was one of Ali's all-time favourites. It played and she smiled and pulled me closer while on the second guitar break I saw that all of the other dancers had gone, and the chief wine waiter moved close to me and slipped something into my trouser pocket.

Alice noticed this of course and looked around. Seeing just me and her on the dance floor she was a bit suspicious.

"Payback time," I whispered to her, and reached into my pocket for the radio mike the waiter had dropped in there.

"Don't make me hurt you Richie," she said with a smile.

"Alice," I said into the mike, and she just looked at me with her head slightly to one side, her perfect eyebrows raised in an arch, her lips slightly pursed into a smile and her arms defensively but still humorously folded.

She looked so gorgeous, and all of the clever words I had been preparing since our romantic weekend in Cambridge just left me and it was obvious; the giggles started until I got my breath and started again. "Ali," I said forgetting the clever stuff and just going with what I felt, "I love you more than anything in the world, will you marry me?"

"Wh..." her mouth hung open for a moment and one of her hands went to her chest, as I went down on one knee and held out the small felt box with the huge engagement ring I'd bought for her.

"Please?" I said.

Her beautiful grin returned and she laughed.

"YES!" she said pulling me up and into a hug and squeezing me so tight I knew it was OK, then she started laughing as our audience started to cheer and applaud, loudest of all being none other than Dad, Meghan and Grandma.

I slipped the ring on her finger and she stared at it, then me then back to it and it's import; instantly she was mobbed by all of the female Spa staff, Meghan included, as they all wanted to hug her and see the ring. I saw Sean with my Dad and looking across with a glued on smile. His look was again that elder, supercilious one I disliked so much.

Dad's arm was around my shoulder,

"Well done Richie," said Dad, "I'm so pleased for you both!" He gave me the tiniest shake, "obvious from the start, even Grandma said so!" I shook hands with some other people, many of which I recognised, 20 percent of which I actually knew.

Dad was there moving me around to avoid the celebs trying to be part of the deal and passed me on to Paula and I got a kiss and a hug from her, looking genuinely happy for us. Eventually, after Alice had dabbed her eyes dry and had a restorative glass of Champagne, she came back to my side.

"I suppose you're going to hurt me now aren't you?" I said.

"Nah," she said, slipping her arms around my neck, "I have a whole lifetime to torture you don't forget."

The party went on into the wee hours, and didn't finish until the last of the staff and the superstars were eased into taxi's, limo's, staff accommodation or bungalows. We went back to Ali's room, which from the next morning was officially dubbed 'our room', and we stripped naked and slid into bed.

We made love of course, but now somehow it seemed so much more passionate, loving, tender, than it ever had before, as if we had passed some kind of way marker that just said 'now you're really in love'.

We woke he next morning in each other's arms and I knew that's where I wanted to be from now on. We headed out for breakfast and there was a slightly bleary-eyed Meghan preparing family breakfast, including a special vegetarian one for Grandma.

"Good morning Darlings!" she said and came over and gave both of us a hug.

"Morning Mum," said Alice, it was a term she didn't use that often.

Meghan noticed and I saw her gulp back some emotion and hug her daughter again.

"Morning Meghan," I said.

"Morning Richie," she said with a grin.

Dad appeared moments later with Grandma on his arm, after he had taken her for an early morning walk around her former estate to show her the new bungalows he'd built on the land he'd bought and all of the new facilities, seeing as she had arrived totally unannounced the previous afternoon.

Being Grandma, she had no complaints about settling down in one of the staff overnight rooms of course but as soon as she arrived Dad was checking where he could put her, and he saw that I was down for a bungalow so had her bags moved there. It was quite sweet that the Spa staff had still set aside a room for me, even though Ali and I had pretty much been an item and in love since August.

"Morning Gra'ma," said Alice, running across to her, "Morning Daddy," she smiled up at him. Again the first time I'd heard her call him that. I smiled, Dad noticed.

"And a wonderful morning to you, my darling Ali," he hugged his step-daughter and spinning her round, "Thank you honey," he said kissing her cheek, she squeezed him tight around the neck and I saw that close bond that Meghan had told me about back in the summer.

That morning I felt that leech-like attraction that Dave had for my Mum and somehow I just wanted to be with Ali constantly. We were grinning at each other like a couple of idiots almost constantly and I could see that Meghan wanted desperately to shout 'get a room' but of course we already had one. It was a Sunday and both Ali and I had avoided the hangovers by moderating our drinking as had my Dad, Meghan and Grandma.

Some of the other Spa guests had not been so lucky and Dad suggested that we all stay within the family apartment until the drunks were rounded up, sorted out and moved on.

The outside caterers had arranged breakfast for the party attenders and there was a proviso that everyone was off of the site by one o'clock. There were those that laid in, but their room phones were rung off of their hooks until they answered. The caterers were nice and terribly professional but didn't have the tiniest worry about upsetting their famous guests in the way that Spa staff might have.

They didn't have the slightest concern that the front row forward of the Scottish Rugby team wanted to shower before his breakfast and politely pointed out that if he had rolled out of bed at the time of his alarm request he would have been showered, had eaten three breakfasts and three pots of tea, but seeing as he needed to be in the taxi that had been called for him for 1pm, something had to give.

"I want to speak to Mr McNair..." he grumbled.

"I'm afraid Mr and Mrs McNair have already left for London," said last night's chief wine waiter, "Mr McNair has another function he has to attend." It was complete rubbish of course, Mr and Mrs McNair and their children, and Mrs Trenowden senior were in the apartment snacking on various splendid breakfast goodies, especially toasted bacon and egg sandwiches, but this tosser wasn't to know that. In fact if he had crawled from his bed at a sensible time he would have seen Dad and Grandma walking around the whole place. "How's this," said Chief Wine waiter, "you jump in the shower and I see if I can find someone that can pile a whole mess of man food onto a plate with strong orange juice and strong tea and bring it to your room. If you move your arse you should get it done and be in the foyer with bags for five to one. Deal?"

"Deal," said the Scots international.

"Wait a second," said the waiter, he paused for just the right amount of time, "right, I've managed to find a very sweet girl that is going to sort your tray and bring it to you. She's Spa staff and actually on her own time so may I suggest that you thank her in the appropriate manner."

"Yes of course," said Scots international.

A young local girl brought in especially to clean up after the multi-millionaires was told to visit room 5 in bungalow 4 and look at her watch as the occupant opened the door. She was pleased to see the vast muscular shape of the professional rugby player in just his towel, still wet from the shower that came to the door. She was also very pleased with the £20 note that he passed her along with his prolific thanks. It was good to have friends.

By two o'clock that afternoon the place was cleaned, polished, and closed down and the staff sent home with Christmas presents to add to the splendid night before.

After breakfast Ali and I went back to our room and we showered and dressed. She wrapped up in layers of warm clothing, a long scarf and a matching woolly hat pulled down over her ears and matching gloves.

I was dressed similarly with my thick Barbour jacket and a cap and gloves. We set out and took our now regular route down into the village of Port George and the wind was blowing in from the south west.

We reached the pub which was just opening for lunch, but knowing that Meghan would prepare a huge evening meal we just went with thick sandwiches with huge lumps of pork liberally doused in apple sauce along with two pints of the local bitter beer and we sat in front of the fire warming up from our windy walk, careful to remove her hat so as not to mess up her great hair, and her gloves so her ring stayed in place and didn't wreck her beautifully knitted hand warmers.

Ali's cheeks were red and contrasted beautifully with her winter English Rose complexion, and her dark brown hair and big brown eyes that shone in the December sun and with the glow of the fire. As if to add to this she stretched out her left hand and looked at the ring I had given her the night before and smiled at it, then at me.

I leaned across the table and kissed her.

"Have I said thank you for being in love with me today Richie?"

"No," I said, "please don't let me stop you." I kissed her again.

She grinned and placed her hands either side of my face,

"Thank you for being in love with me Richie," she kissed me, hard and passionately. This was followed by a scream as the landlady saw the huge diamond on Ali's ring finger and she ran across to our table, grabbed her screaming, "Jen! Jen! You gotta come here and see this! Jen!" She stood next to our table and arm round Ali and kissing her smiling face and looking at the rock currently sitting on the third finger of my fiancée's left hand.

Jen appeared.

"Look at this rock!" screamed the Landlady.

"Oh Ali!" said Jen, evidently the daughter of the house, "I'm so pleased for you. And this is the lucky man!"

"Jackie, Jen, this is my fiancée Richie," said Ali proudly.

"Well Richie, you are such a lucky boy!" said Jackie, "you work at the Spa?"

I was about to speak but Ali stepped in.

"Richie is almost a Doctor," she said with even more pride.

"Nowhere near as talented as my gorgeous Alice though," I said.

All three women ooohed as I spoke of 'my Alice'. From that point on I was pretty much left out of the discussion as dates, dresses, flowers, churches etc were discussed and I got on with my great sandwich and long draughts of my excellent beer.

The landlord appeared and I was introduced to him, and a number of other locals that new Ali either from having gone to school with her, or having worked in or for The Spa. The ring was poured over by the females, with only one looking at me and asking if 'them rocks is real?'

I nodded that they were and grinned.

We walked back to The Spa slowly, holding hands and stopping occasionally to look at the great scenery and the harsh contrast of the rough looking Bristol Channel with many white caps and the white horses crashing into the rocks and cliffs. We let ourselves in and walked back into the apartment and there was Dad and Grandma sat around the now lit hooded fire pit in the main living room and discussing musculature.

Dad was trying, again, to convince Grandma that the physical nature of his cures, the pushing, pulling, poking of various muscles and them being reset was actually up there with the client's spiritual wellbeing.

They were both professionals at their chosen art forms and had now spent getting on for fourteen years trying to convince the other that it was one over the other. My Dad confessed himself an atheist but did listen to Grandma's discussion of the human spirit and natural forces and I could see that he desperately WANTED it to be true, but in his Chiropractor brain along with almost thirty experience he knew that however the person's spirit was he had clients walk in almost bent double with excruciating back pain walk from his consulting rooms upright, or nearly so, pain free for the first time in days, weeks, months and years - Grandma being one of them - after his attention and not a word to any religious book, no prayers, fires or lit candles, or dancing naked around a fire in the woods.

"Hey Gra'ma!" said Ali.

"There's my baby girl," said Grandma, seeing the ring gleaming as Ali carefully removed her gloves again, "have you been showing that off honey?"

"Yeah!" she said with a bit of a wiggle and screwed up features, as if telling the world our great news was a little bit cheeky, "I never realised how much fun it was going to be!"

We sat and chatted about how things were in India and what had brought Grandma so far north.

"Family," she said, "Haven't had a proper Christmas with my family in five or six years and I got the feeling that I needed to be here for this one. At first I thought it was because of my age and my time left, but now of course I know it was because my baby girl was going to get engaged to Richie."

"Awwwww!" said Ali giving her great-grandmother a hug.

It was all total crap of course. Ali told Meghan what her Gra'ma had said and Meghan smiled that huge happy smile of hers. The second that Ali headed for the bathroom Meghan spoke to in whispers.

"I love Grandma to distraction but that's a load of sacred cow shit," she grinned sipping from her glass of wine, "the reason she actually came home was because both your Dad and I had watched the pair of you since the summer and we both said that we thought you would pop at Christmas the question if Ali didn't do it first." She grinned, "I told Grandma, before you know it she's on a plane and flying home for Christmas to see her favourite great-granddaughter get engaged."

"Last night she said her spirit guide told her," I giggled.

"Only if her spirit guide was me using Skype!"

We went shopping on Monday just to make sure we had all we needed for my first Christmas with my Dad and his family in at least ten years. It was nice to walk around with my fiancée on my arm, Dad out in front playing host and Meghan and Grandma behind us.

Meghan had of course ordered in everything weeks before, and a huge goose was defrosted in the kitchen, along with other large cuts of meat. In the large chillers were peeled and blanched potatoes, carrots, suede, parsnips, sprouts ready for cooking, alongside two large puddings, a huge cake and any number of other great Christmas treats for a small family dinner, where one of the family was a strict vegetarian.

Dad had selected wines for each course, had a late bottled vintage port to go with his selection of West Country Cheeses, so why the five of us were walking through a chilly Penzance Christmas market on a December Tuesday morning was lost on me.

My Mum never did that kind of thing, and as soon as I was too old to believe in Father Christmas it just became a good day to give presents, eat too much and watch a Bond film with your feet up on the sofa.

Dad and Meghan loved the whole thing. Neither of them were that religious although Meghan I think had a bit of a leaning towards English Wicca and would much rather have celebrated Saturnalia and burn a Yule log to bring good health and prosperity.

Still, whatever was going on, that lovely family that I'd missed out on for so long were enjoying the sights, the smells, the carols be they from tape recordings or the local choir singing for charity.

I could see that for my lovely Alice this was a family tradition and they bought things, stopped and pointed at things, stopped and listened and chatted about days and people past, and I could see that until I learned the significance much of this would be lost on me. Ali never let go of my arm for a second and tried to explain what was going on and what the story was. It was lovely and I really didn't mind for a second.

Loaded down with I don't know what, we made our way back to Ali's Discovery and drove back to the Spa and helped Meghan carry things to the kitchen.

We sat around the fire pit in with the TV playing to itself and talking through Christmases past, and I regaled them with stories of Mum's various husbands and the strange if not ridiculous presents some of them bought me, some of their weird food choices and bizarre customs.

We ate a very simple meal of the most wonderful vegetable curry that Grandma created and at a bit before midnight headed for our beds. As I saw Grandma back to her nearby bungalow for the night she was staring out into the night and the stars hidden here and there by low cloud. She pointed up at some constellations and told me which each was and then to the North star.

"You mentioned bizarre customs Richie," she said to me as I opened her door.

"Yes?"

"I want you to do something a bit special for your Dad tonight..."

"Right?"

"At a few minutes to Midnight he steps down to that last bungalow there," she pointed to the best room, the one I had spent my summer holiday in, where I had lost my virginity, the carpet-like lawn were Ali and I had made love two or three times.

"Yes..."

"Meet him there, meet him there with a glass of port, he'll have one."

"OK. What does he do?"

"I don't know Richie, neither does Meghan or Alice. And for the time being that's how it should stay."

So at five to midnight, I pulled on my fleece, walked through to the living room and saw the bottle of port that my dad had lately poured himself a glass from. I got one for myself and pulling my cap down I walked down the path, quietly and slowly.