“Lenny? Will Sara and Lenny be staying for breakfast?” Tasha was hoping for clear clarification as she had no clue what normally happened around here on such occasions and didn’t want to risk putting her foot in it.
“I’m not sure why he is tagging along. He rarely does, but they can stay if they want to, unless you’d rather they didn’t.”
“No, I’m fine either way. Whatever his reason, don’t let him spoil your birthday. We will have a great day at the beach. I may even take a sexy little bikini with me.” She stretched up to kiss him gently on the lips.
“I don’t know whether I like that idea or not. People will look at you, men will look at you.” He frowned.
Tasha laughed, slightly disbelieving that he was so jealous when he was gorgeous, more gorgeous than anyone had a right to be, whereas she was really quite average. “But only you get to see and to touch,” she said seductively and reassuringly ran her fingers through his hair.
He cupped her face with his hands and was bending down to kiss her when Philip and Lizzie appeared at the top of the stairs calling, “Happy birthday,”
Tasha let him go and smiled as he disappeared beneath Lizzie and Philip’s hugs. He really was a very nice man, a wonderful father and suddenly she wondered whether her grandmother was right. Was she looking for a father figure; someone older, mature, strong, controlling, nurturing, disciplined, a teacher she could learn from? He had certainly taught her a thing or two, but not the sort of things you should learn from your dad, so maybe not.
The three of them were making their way downstairs when Philip called to her, “Come on, Tash, if he loves what we’ve done, it was my all idea and if he hates it I am not going down alone.”
Tasha laughed and followed behind. As they walked into the kitchen Jim managed to look suitably impressed by the banners, ribbons and balloons, although Tasha suspected that he was less than thrilled by it. Sandra, Mike, Sara, Lenny and Juan were all there and after wishing Jim a happy birthday Mike came to Tasha and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks for the shirt Tasha and the signed stuff. I remember seeing Aiden McIntyre in the youth team some years ago and he was brilliant. Jim says he’s a friend of yours,” said Mike.
“Glad you liked it. Aiden and I have known each other for about three years and it was just a coincidence that he happened to be there, but if you let me know when you’re at home during the season I’ll give him a call and see if I can get you a ticket for the match.”
“Really? That would be brilliant. I miss watching football live,” he admitted as Lizzie appeared and hugged her.
“I have missed you Tasha and Daddy has been miserable without you, hasn’t he, Mike?”
Mike looked slightly uncomfortable, but added a conceding nod. “He has been less than sunny since he returned from England without you.”
Suddenly, Philip was organising again. “Right everyone, through to the dining room, Sandra has made a wonderful breakfast. Come on, you first, Dad.”
Tasha smiled as Jim turned to look at her and laughed loudly at his expression when Philip asked, “Can you manage to get there alone or do you need some help? You’re not getting any younger are you?”
“You know that raise to your allowance I agreed to, I think I may need to rethink it,” said Jim as he playfully ruffled Philip’s immaculate hair.
Tasha laughed again at the realisation that Philip really had asked for a rise in his allowance and wondered why he still received an allowance. Surely as an adult with a job and a free home he didn’t really warrant pocket money, but that was between him and Jim, not her. Lizzie pushed forward and took Jim’s hand and led him towards the dining room while Tasha considered that an insecure stepmother may feel threatened by Lizzie’s possession of Jim and his apparent ignorance to the fact that she, Tasha, was at the back of the queue, literally, for Jim’s attention. She was currently following on behind the kids, number one and her husband, Juan and even Sandra. But she wasn’t insecure, not really, although she now felt slightly uncomfortable as Mike gestured for her to follow the others.
“Aren’t you joining us?” asked Tasha.
“No fear.” He laughed. “I’d embarrass us all by using the wrong fork or asking if I can have sugar on my cornflakes.”
She smiled at him and for some reason, even unknown to her, she stretched up and kissed him on the cheek.
He blushed slightly before she said, “Thanks for being English and normal.”
“Tasha,” called Juan, “don’t leave me on my own or I will end up sitting with Lenny.”
Tasha linked arms with Juan. “Does anyone like Lenny?”
“Yeah, he’s a nice guy, but very uptight and conservative so his stepson’s gay lover is not going to make for easy breakfast conversation,” he explained.
“Then we had better stick together,” she told him with a warm smile and a tightening grip on his arm.
Once in the dining room Juan and Tasha took the two remaining seats at set places located at the furthest point from Jim, but opposite each other with Sara next to Juan and Lenny next to Tasha. Jim was sitting at the head of the table flanked by Lizzie and Philip. Sandra smiled at Tasha and patted her on the shoulder as she left the room. The table was laden with food and there were several forks to choose from as Mike had predicted. Tasha looked at the banquet before them all and thought that a bowl of cornflakes or a slice of toast would be fine for her rather than bacon, eggs, waffles, fruit salad, pancakes and maple syrup and several other items she didn’t recognise. She looked around the table and Juan, Philip and Lizzie had gone with pancakes, Jim and Lenny had chosen bacon and eggs while Sara was eating a small portion of fruit salad.
“Are you not eating, Tasha?” asked Sara as Tasha poured herself some orange juice.
Everyone turned to look at her. “I’m not really hungry.”
“Are you one of those silly girls constantly on a crash diet and skipping meals?” asked Lenny.
