Sitting at a quiet table together, Jim began to explain about Tasha’s past and her parents to an increasingly shocked Bobby.
“Fuck, Jim! I can’t imagine how that feels, being sold off like that by your own parents. What are you going to do if they start selling more stories, juicier ones?” asked Bobby.
“I don’t know, although there are a couple of legal routes that could be taken because they could inadvertently incriminate themselves, but I wouldn’t want to put Tasha in the position of having to go down the criminal route. Jerome Stewart seems to be on the ball with what’s going on even if he does want to get into Tasha’s pants.” Jim was obviously annoyed.
Bobby laughed. “Then marry yourself an ugly woman if you don’t want anyone else to want her, but I think you like that she stops other men in their tracks because it’s you that gets to be with her and she does make you very happy, sickeningly happy actually.”
Both men halted their conversation when they became aware of someone standing next to them. They turned and smiled at the stereotypical looking golfer wearing Pringle diamonds next to them.
“Jim, Bobby, how are you both? Can I get you a drink?”
Bobby looked across at Jim and seeing his scowl, shook his head but it was Jim that replied. “No thanks, George. We have a family thing tonight so we should be getting off.” He drained the drink from his glass.
Bobby followed suit.
“I believe you’ve found yourself a pretty, young, English girlfriend,” said George.
Jim stared at him coldly and physically bristled, but said nothing.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wanted to say I’m pleased for you, after Esther and everything—”
Jim interrupted. “You come over here and interrupt a private conversation to congratulate me on a girlfriend you don’t know and to make some reference to a wife we shared, George. A wife you drove to drink and despair and then divorced and one I was stupid enough to marry without seeing just how damaged she’d been by her marriage to you, meaning that when I left her she was completely fucked. Now, I don’t blame either of us for ending our marriages to Esther, but your inference that somehow mypretty, young, English girlfriendwill help to mend my heart that wasn’t broken by our wife’s death, well, that offends me.”
“Sorry,” said George. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just pleased you’re apparently happy, like me, in spite of Esther” he added looking embarrassed.
“Then, thanks.” Jim got to his feet and as he was about to leave said, “Give my regards to your pretty, young, American wife.”
Tasha got out of Juan’s car and as he drove away towards the road she turned the handle on the front door and realised it was still locked, meaning Jim wasn’t home yet. She could call him, or Juan, he could come back and let her into Philip’s or she could even go to see if Sandra and Mike were in. They would definitely have keys, unlike her. She was irritated by her lack of a house key now. She sat down on the step, rested against one of the stone pillars at the front of the house and pulled out a magazine she’d bought and was still flicking through it when Bobby’s car came into sight.
She looked up briefly before returning to her magazine.
Bobby looked across at Jim as the house came into sight. “Is that Tasha sitting out front?”
“It appears to be.”
“Why is she sitting outside?” Bobby asked confused.
“I have no idea—” Jim laughed a little. “Except with Sandra not being in the house, it’s locked and she doesn’t have a key.”
Bobby looked back at him and shook his head. “You get her to move to another country to live with you and you don’t even give her a key?”
“I never thought, but after we came back from the beach she stood with Lizzie and her friend out front looking pissed, so maybe that’s why.”
“No shit!” Bobby shook his head again as he pulled up in front of the house. Tasha looked up and smiled at Jim broadly. “But apparently you are forgiven.”
As Bobby disappeared back down the drive Jim put an arm around Tasha’s waist and kissed her gently on the lips.
“I am so sorry, I never even thought you might be locked out. It was only when I saw you that I realised you don’t have a key. Sorry, baby. We need to get you a key,” he said as he kissed her again, more firmly now. She allowed her lips to part and he whispered into her mouth, “I have missed you, honey.”
She reached up with her hand that was free of shopping bags and ran it through the hair at the back of his neck. “And I have missed you too, but have had a very enjoyable time with Juan. Now open the door and I might show you some of my shopping.”
She giggled as he complied with her request.
Chapter 12
Tasha was changing for the fourth time when Jim appeared again. “Please, just choose one outfit before Philip and Lizzie get here. I was hoping you would be there when I told them we’re getting married.”
“I don’t know what to wear,” she replied with a slightly nervous whine.
