The Songbird

"Your dad and I have been trying to get a weekend together for some time. I managed to get this weekend free and unfortunately it clashed with his trip. Jack said to come up anyway and as I needed to get some 'me' time I did."

"A weekend together? So you and dad are very good friends?"

"Good friends I would say, but I'm hoping to add the very part quite soon." I paused as Ellen took that in then went on. "I have just made some coffee, fancy a mug?"

"I could murder a coffee, I've been driving for what seems hours."

"All the way from Durham?"

I could see her relax and she smiled. "You know too much to be anything but a friend of dad's. Let's get the coffee and then I will subject you to interrogation."

I got the coffee and brought the cafetiere, milk, sugar and mugs into the lounge. Ellen was browsing through Jack's music CD's and picked up my CD. "I've heard some tracks off this on the radio, I'm surprised that Dad's got this already." She turned it over and read my message. She froze then turned to me. She held up the disc with my picture on it and looked at me. "Shit! You're Kat Lacey." Ellen stood there with a bemused expression on her face then she blurted. "Bloody hell, my dad has pulled a Rock Star."

I nodded as I poured the coffee. "How do you like your coffee, Ellen?"

She came over and sat by me. "Just a little milk and two sugars please. Oh! My friends call me Ellie."

"And I am Cate to my friends. I see you like your coffee just like your dad." I pointed to the disk. "They played that on Radio 2, I am surprised that you listen to that."

Ellie laughed. "It's not so surprising when you listen to Radio 1. They treat their audience as if none of them are over fourteen and that they are nearly brain-dead. At least on '2' you get some relevant news and current affairs." We sat sipping our drinks, I could feel the excitement in Ellie, bursting with questions and wondering which to ask first, so I started.

"I met your dad down in Devon. He was working and I was doing a show in Exeter. My driver cut him up as we turned into the hotel entrance so when I saw Jack sitting in the bar later I went over and apologised. We got talking and found out we had both come from Essex. I invited him to come to my show the next night and later back at the hotel we discussed our likes and dislikes in music."

"And dad rammed swing down your throat?" Ellie interjected.

"Not exactly. It was more me trying to get him into Rock. We exchanged numbers and when I was doing a gig in Derby we went for a meal and he showed me around Derbyshire. Then he brought me here."

"You know you are very privileged. " Ellie was grinning. "Dad is choosy about who comes here."

"Well I must have said the right thing." I laughed. "On the way I got a dissertation of Derbyshire history, and when we came back here I was introduced to Swing. Your dad played me some of his music and I got into it. He put the play list together on that CD. Later he took me back to my hotel and for the last few months I have been trying to worm my way back here. I had commitments though, particularly as I had to promote this CD and we could never get it together.

"So dad invited you to come up here for the weekend?"

"Yes but I am pissed off that he isn't here. Work prevented me from getting here before and now work prevents him from being here. Sometimes, Ellie Life sucks."

"Well if he had been here, my turning up would put a damper on things."

"Possibly, but in any case I am really happy to meet you."

"You mean you have to get the daughter's permission before you get down and dirty with the father."

"Something like that." I grinned at Ellie and she returned the grin.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Cate

I got on well with Ellie, she had much of her dad about her. As we talked it became clear to me how much she loved Jack. It was little comments at first but when she talked about her mum it became clear. "I love my mum." She told me. "But the way she split with dad was evil. I was just a baby of course when it happened so didn't understand what was going on. As I

grew older I started to understand."

"Has your dad talked about it?"

She shook her head. "No. He doesn't. But I have pieced it together from things that Mum and Roger have said..."

"Excuse me. Who is Roger?"

"My step-father."

"Ah!"

"Dad was always working at the time, usually away somewhere on business, so it was easy for Roger to work on mum. I think she had post-natal depression, so she was vulnerable. Dad knew nothing about it until he came home one day and she had gone taking me. I didn't know until much later that she didn't even leave a note. I think that was Roger manipulating her. He likes to be the mover and shaker; Mum goes along with it but sometimes when he is particularly nasty about dad she shuts him up. He gloats quite a lot that he took mum away from dad."

"That isn't nice." I suggested.

"No. I think Dad knows but has never said anything, although he never calls Roger by name. If he has to mention him it is always 'your step-father' or 'Ellen's step-father'. The best thing about it was that mum never made a problem about my seeing dad."

"You love your dad a lot, don't you?"

"Yes. He's a funny kind of father. All my friends have fathers who tell them how to live their life. Roger tries to do that as well; not that it does him any good. Dad talks to me as an equal. If I have some idea in my head for whatever, telling mum or Roger will get me a lecture on being silly or worse. Dad sits down and discusses it with me. He doesn't say yes to the idea or no. We just talk it through and he makes me understand the positives and the pitfalls. Then he gets up and leaves me to think about it and make a decision. If I do whatever it was and it drops me in the mire he never says 'I told you so'. He sits with me again and we work out a plan to put things right. He doesn't get angry but I would know that I had disappointed him and that made me feel worse than if he had shouted at me. I heard a maxim once. 'A Father is someone who lifts you up and holds you there forever'. For me that said it all."

"A bit like my dad. He wasn't keen on my singing career and I knew he was really concerned about the whole show-biz reputation. You know the sort of thing, what's going to happen to my little girl? He kept his worries to himself though and I admire him for that."

Ellie nodded. "Yes that's dad all over. I'm lucky and you have been lucky. Now doubly lucky if you hook up with my dad."

"No jealousy?"

"Nope! I quite like the idea. You wouldn't be a step-mum, more a girly friend I could talk to."

Ellie went up to the loo, using the bathroom that was ensuite with Jack's bedroom. I blushed as I realized that I hadn't taken down the post-it notes that he had left for me. I waited on tenterhooks until Ellie came down giggling. "Wow!" She cried. "My dad the lover. He is naughty isn't he?"

I decided to brazen it out. "No, not really. I like his ideas but he doesn't go far enough for me."

The look on Ellie's face was priceless. She thought and went to say something and then shook her head. "Nope. I can't have this conversation. It's my dad we're talking about. We all know that our parents don't do sex." I nodded understanding what she meant, after all whilst on a practical level you know your parents must have done 'it'. Emotionally you denied that they had the same urges as you. I took the conversation into safer territory.

"Are you hungry Ellie?" I asked.

"Famished."

"Ok. Let's rummage through the freezer. I am sure we can find something to put together quickly. Thank heavens for a microwave."

"Great!"

The freezer was packed full and just as I would think knowing Jack's character every packet was neatly labelled with what was in the packet and the date it was frozen. A fleeting thought came to me was I getting involved with a pedantic perfectionist?

Ellie smashed that idea when she said. "At last I have got through to dad. He is useless at labelling things in the freezer. I know of many times he has come back from a trip and forgotten what he has put in here. Believe me he has eaten some very strange combinations after he had de-frosted the wrong meal." She rummaged some more and came up with a dish. "Now this is good." She looked up at me from her kneeling position. "Do you like fish?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good you'll like this. Its Haddock with sliced potato layered with leek in a cheese sauce."

"Sounds good. It looks as if it's home-made."

"It is. Dad likes to play around a little with easy to de-frost stuff. He made this once before when I was here and I loved it.

Ellie was right. It was very good. I went on a search and found a bottle of chardonnay and that went down very well with the food. So later we relaxed in the lounge with a glass of wine each. Sipping and talking, then sipping and talking more soon finished the bottle. I opened another and we segued into a slightly tipsy but very good mood. With sufficient wine to let loose a little Ellie became more open.

"I'll tell you now that you will get it on with dad, oops! I mean get on with dad."

"What makes you say that? Whatever you meant."

"You're here." She sipped her wine. "As far as I know, no other woman has been here, certainly not for a weekend. Taking into account that he was happy for you to be here without him tells me that he sees you as someone special. Judging from those messages he left he is quite keen on being very rude with you."

"I don't know if this is a conversation we should have. but if your dad wants to be very rude with me he will not find me arguing about it. Indeed I look forward to it."

A somewhat bleary-eyed Ellie lifted her head and looked at me curiously. "I don't get it, I mean you are a celebrity, a famous singer. You must be surrounded by loads of very fit, gorgeous men. What's my dad got?"

"Loads of very fit gorgeous men who want to get between the sheets with me and then tell the newspapers to enhance their profile. No thank you. What your dad has got is far better than any of these gorgeous men. Jack likes Caitlin Laine, not Kat Lacey. I like your dad because he doesn't fawn over me, because he talks with me, argues with me if he has to, He treats me like a woman not as a Rock-star. I like your dad because he made me see what I had forgotten, the emotion of music and opened up a new experience for me. I like your dad because I know if we got together he would never tell tales to the press, would never be disloyal and would bring the love into my life that I have missed so much. Now possibly I am drunk because I have said too much."

"Who's Caitlin Laine?"

"Me. The real me."

"Oh!" Ellie lapsed into silence. I thought she had fallen asleep, much as I was about to do when after a while she muttered. "If my dad loves Caitlin Laine, then I will love her too."

"That's nice." Ellie didn't reply, although it may have been that I didn't hear her as I slipped into a wine induced slumber at that moment.

Jack

Istanbul was hot. Very hot. I checked into my hotel having dressed that morning for a Brussels late Summer, warm but not too warm and stepped out of the air-conditioned plane into a fiery furnace. My sensible choice of clothes for Brussels were almost immediately irritatingly clinging. The hotel room was supposedly air-conditioned but the system was waging a losing battle with the late afternoon Sun. What is more the air that it cooled and pumped into the room seemed to have come via the garbage area. Reluctantly I shut off the air-con and opened the windows. I sighed with relief as hot dry air wafted into my room, relief that it no longer smelled of rotting vegetables. I got rid of the jacket, tie, shoes and socks accustoming myself to the heat and sat out on the balcony with a bottle of chilled mineral water to observes the bustle in the streets below.

I had collected messages from the reception desk, left for me by the weavers who I proposed to meet. It appeared that they would come to the hotel on Monday with samples of their products. I appreciated their courtesy at the same time wondering if this was because they didn't want me to see their operation. I had no illusions that they would be the same very professional and streamlined operations that the northern Europeans presented. I imagined a very different system here just one step up from a cottage industry, but in the social strata where most of these products would sell, that in itself would be a plus.

My thoughts turned to Cate, wondering if she had taken up my invitation. I hoped so. Despite my work which involved being outgoing and friendly I was actually quite a private person. My home was my hideaway from the world and apart from Ellie who would turn up unannounced at odd times I rarely had visitors. My spontaneous invitation to Cate was completely against my character. Why? I asked myself. The answer was quite simple. Ignoring her celebrity I felt an attraction, a strong attraction to this lovely, in my eyes, woman. I suppose that our common background had something to do with that but it was more than that, it was character. We clicked in many ways. I was finding with her a empathy that I had never found with a woman, not even my wife. After all these years of being contentedly single I was contemplating life with a partner. I didn't know if Cate was contemplating that, although her comments expressed a wish to take our friendship to another level. If that was the case I would be very happy and I could hope that she wanted even more than just a casual relationship.

Sleep for me that night was fitful. The temperature even after the sun set was almost as high as the day. The buildings and pavements absorbed the heat and once the sun had gone down released the stored energy. I suspect it was close on five a.m. when it had cooled sufficiently for me to sleep properly. It did my temper little good when my mobile phone rang a few minutes after nine. Groggily I found the damn thing on the bedside table, noticing as I did that the call originated from my home number. "Jack Weston."

"Daddy! I'm at home and I have met this great lady who you seemed to want to keep secret and we are already the best of friends and get on like a house on fire and she's really nice and if you don't take care of Cate I will never speak to you again." The one sentence came without breath or pause.

"Hello Ellie my dear daughter. How are you? Now I am sure that you were going to ask me how I was so I'll tell you now. I have only managed four hours sleep in this heat and I am tired and ratty so thank you for calling me. I notice your using my home phone so this call is going to cost me. I assume from your garble that Cate is there."

"Daddy. Don't be so grumpy. You know you love me and are absolutely thrilled to hear from me and yes, Cate is here so I suppose you want to speak to her instead of me."

"Yes please. I'll talk to you in a minute." I heard the phone being passed over and then Cate asking Ellie if she would make some coffee. I heard my daughter whinging and Cate telling her that she had something to say that would not be fit for Ellie's ears.

"Hello Jack."

"Good morning Cate. I didn't know that Ellie was going to be there this weekend."

"Not a problem, Jack. She's adorable. I do miss you though. I have slept alone for quite a few years and when I got into your bed last night I suddenly felt lonely. I knew the linen was freshly washed but the pillows still smelt of you. So I am going to be very forward and tell you I want to share your bed with you, and share everything that goes with that."

"Well all I can say is that is my wish coming true."

"Good. Now I can hear Ellie coming back so I can't say the things I want to say. When we next talk I will burn your ears."

"Cate I am gutted that I had to go away this weekend. There is nothing I want more than holding you close and waking up with you." I heard Ellie's footsteps and Cate asking her what she was doing. I suddenly heard the echo when the speaker feature was turned on and then Ellie's laughter as she said.

"I want to hear what my dad is saying to you." She raised her voice. "Dad! Cate is blushing. What did you say to her?"

"None of your business." I replied. "And I thought you were making coffee."

"Yes. But this is much more interesting."

I laughed with her and replied. "Well you know what curiosity did to the cat."

"It's not curiosity dad, it's educational. This Kat doesn't seem in the least curious. Actually from her expression I would say she liked what you said."

"Cheeky girl. Now go and make the coffee."

"Spoilsport!" I heard her footsteps walking away.

"She's gone." Cate told me and at the same time pressed the button to cut off the speaker. "I heard what you said and I liked the thoughts. I cannot understand how this thing has got so intense without us actually spending much time together. All I know is that I like you very much and when you kissed me that time I knew it was something important."

"I thought you kissed me." I teased her.

"Ok, ok. Let's say we had the same idea at the same time. when are you back?"

"It depends. The itinerary seems to have changed a little. Two of the mills are coming to the hotel tomorrow to talk and I haven't heard back from the other mill I spoke to. So to a certain extent I am clueless. I could be flying home on Tuesday or it may be later this week."

"You will be back next weekend?"

"Definitely."

"Good. I am going back to London tomorrow, and Ellie's coming to stay with me for two or three days. Let us know when you are back because Ellie wants to see you before term starts."

"That's kind of you.."

"It's not being kind, I like Ellie. She loves you and in my book anyone that loves you is my friend. Any way we have some shopping to do." She said the word shopping with that inflexion that women have which means everything to another woman and leaves the male of the species nonplussed. From what I can gather it's not about actually buying things, although that could happen. It is more about looking, communicating and constructing plots. "Here's Ellie with the coffee, I'll hand you over to her for a few words." The phone went down and then I heard the rattle as Ellie picked up.

"Dad?"

"Yes Ellie."

"You won't mind if I go to London with Cate."

"Of course not. I am pleased you get on together. I understand you are going shopping, It's a good job I paid off your credit card last month."

"Oh I doubt that I will buy anything, unless I see a dress that's to die for."

"Well behave yourself and have a good time."

"I'll phone when I am coming back. Will you pick me up at Derby station as I shall be leaving my car here?"

"Yes. No problem."

"I'll say goodbye then and hand you over to Cate so that you can blow kisses at each other." The phone rattled as they changed hands.

"Jack! I am not blowing kisses. I want the real thing." I heard Ellie scream 'ooh'.

"So do I. We'll get together soon."

"Yes, definitely. Would you like to come to London and spend a few days with me?"

"I would prefer to come to London and spend a few nights with you."

"I was thinking the same, but with Ellie listening to my every word decided not to say that."

"Probably best. My daughter has the habit of making mountains out of molehills."

Cate laughed. "Yes I have found that out. See you soon."

"Yeah, Cate. See you soon."

CHAPTER NINE

Jack

My business in Turkey was finished on the Monday afternoon. Representatives of two mills had visited me at my hotel and showed me samples of their current production and their library of designs. The first arrived at eight in the morning and the other at twelve. I could not fault the quality, nor their prices which I knew would please my customers in the U.K. However their designs and colourings reflected their ethnicity and would be difficult to sell in a northern European market. They were very interested in getting a slice of our market and assured me they would do everything they could to come up with designs and colours that would suit the market I worked in. That was good for me and I looked forward to seeing what they could do. I mentioned to both my visitors of my conversation with the other mill who had not continued my contact. The expressions that they showed spoke volumes. Their comments were also similar. Do not deal with these people, they promise the world but rarely do their promises become reality. Was that truth or commercial rivalry? Before they left we signed letters of intent for me to represent them in the U.K.