Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“ A re you sure I don’t look fat?” asked Steph, for the fiftieth time before they’d even got to Charlie and Lindsay’s house.
“Darling, you look beautiful, beautiful and pregnant.” He grinned as he looked across at her briefly.
“But fat. Do I look fat, fat rather than pregnant? Oh God, I look fat, don’t I? All bloaty and fat. It’s too soon, I should have stayed in my thin clothes and strangled this bloody baby,” she cried looking down at the black maternity leggings she was wearing with low leather boots and a bright, floral flowing blouse that flared out gently from below her breasts finishing at her hips.
She could feel that these clothes were more comfortable, for her and Jelly Bean and they would allow her to grow into them, but right now she felt uncomfortable and not pregnant enough to be wearing them. From the outside she didn’t even look pregnant, anyone that didn’t know her would walk past her without a second glance. Her rambling mind jolted as Jon pulled into a layby on the dual carriageway they were travelling along. Spinning towards her, Jon undid both of their seat belts and pulled her across until she was pressed firmly against his chest.
“Jon, erm . . .” she started but was stopped short.
“No. Don’t speak, just relax and breathe. We will talk then.” His voice was reassuring as he continued to stroke down her hair until she was calm again. “Better?” he asked pulling back enough so that he could see her face, her tear filled eyes that made him wince to think of her in pain before kissing her gently on her soft, pink, closed lips.
“Sorry,” she croaked guiltily.
“Right then, Stephanie, let’s do this. You can’t wear your thin clothes because they don’t fit and they won’t for another six months at least. You do not look fat, you do look beautiful, and you’re getting more beautiful by the day, cooking my baby in there,” he said reaching across to stroke her belly. “You are not fat, not yet, but you will be and then . . .”
“Don’t you dare, don’t say it, Jon, please because I will fucking scream if you tell me there will just be more of me to love,” she told him angrily, but at least the threat of tears was gone.
“And then everybody will know that you’re pregnant, that you are carrying my baby, my unstrangled bloody baby!” he said with clear annoyance in his voice at her earlier comment.
“I didn’t mean it. I love our baby. I would never hurt him, not really. Oh God, I am going to be an awful mother,” Steph cried dramatically now making him frown before taking her chin firmly in his hand.
“Stop, Steph, enough. You are making a mountain out of a molehill here. Now, stop the tears and hysteria or I will have you locked in a spa for the next six months until you chill because this isn’t you, maybe it’s hormones, but Christ, enough is enough, darling.” With his thumbs brushing across her cheeks to remove any final stray tears he smiled and kissed her again. “Now buckle up and let’s talk pink, fluffy bunnies with Lindsay.”
Arriving at Lindsay and Charlie’s home they smiled at the number of pregnancy books and magazines adorning the house, along with interior design magazines with nursery features and name books.
“Come through, dinner’s almost ready,” called Lindsay from the kitchen.
Steph entered first and grimaced as Lindsay turned to face her, taking in her appearance.
“Wow, you look fab!” she cried. “Things getting a little tight round the middle?” asked Lindsay with a knowing smile.
“Yup,” acknowledged Steph reluctantly. “So needs must, but it seems a bit soon.”
“Nonsense, if your clothes don’t fit you need to buy bigger, although I have commandeered one of Charlie’s sweaters tonight,” she admitted, gesturing towards the pretty purple, V-neck sweater she wore with grey leggings.
“You okay?” asked Steph cautiously, hoping for no tales of obscure cravings or swellings or anything really.
“Yes, we’re fine.” She patted her belly making Steph smile at her obviously contented friend and suddenly felt a little jealous at the ease with which Lindsay and her body were taking to pregnancy. “Dinner is ready,” Lindsay shrilled as the timer on the cooker sounded.
“What the fuck is that?” asked Steph as dinner was placed before them and earned disapproving frowns from her husband and friend.
“Language, Steph, the babies can hear you,” chastised Lindsay seriously.
“Yes, I thought we were curbing our language,” agreed Jon.
Looking across at Charlie for some kind of support he smiled and said, “In fairness I can see where Steph is coming from. What is this we’re eating, Linds?” he asked his wife.
As Lindsay began listing vegetable after vegetable and then some meat substitute, Steph stopped listening and hoped there would at least be a normal pudding.
“I almost did fish, so think yourself lucky. It’s from my new cookery book, ‘How to Fuel a Baby’, she announced proudly.
“With difficulty if this is the best it has to offer,” muttered Steph making the others frown at her ungrateful response. “Sorry,” she said sincerely, “I just wasn’t expecting pregnancy food, I was just expecting normal food you know.”
“Well next time you can cook,” suggested Lindsay with a tight smile.
“If you really want me to I will or as I have a very rich husband who pays me very well we could eat out.” Steph offered a grin.
“Whatever, but can we just eat this meal before we worry about the next one?” asked Charlie moving his own food around the plate nervously, making Steph’s grin broaden.
“Do you remember that trip to Italy, Steph?” asked Lindsay suddenly.
“Do I ever.” Steph released a long sigh before continuing, “We ate at a local bistro and Lindsay thought she spoke Italian so ordered for us,” she said, beginning to explain the story to Jon.
“And?” asked Jon smiling at his wife.
“Her Italian is shit because instead of telling the waiter that there could be no seafood or even seafood derivatives she actually asked for a seafood twist! So my lovely veggie risotto was made especially for me using fish stock!” Steph shuddered throwing a glare at her friend at the memory.
“But you’re allergic to seafood aren’t you?” clarified Jon.
“Yes, which is why in seconds my lips, tongue and throat began to swell and I spent three days in an Italian hospital.”
“Really? Your allergy is that bad?” asked Jon obviously concerned.
“Yeah, it’s a proper allergy, no half measures with me, Mr Brooker, ambulance, adrenalin and three days of my holiday in hospital.”
“I never realised it was so severe, why didn’t you tell me?” Jon sounded genuinely worried.
“I did, when I told Craig I turned blue and went into anaphylactic shock, it wasn’t a joke,” Steph laughed.
“You still have that pen thing don’t you?” asked Lindsay now making Jon’s expression even more horrified.
“Yeah, although I usually forget to take it with me, but I keep one in my car and one in my office,” Steph revealed shocking Jon further. “Jon, it really isn’t an issue unless I inadvertently consume something, like in Italy so please don’t worry.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” he said with concern and irritation.
“I kind of thought I had, sorry,” said Steph placing a hand on Jon’s leg.
With the exception of the actual food, dinner was lovely and the conversation varied until it inevitably turned to pregnancy and the babies they were expecting.
“Have you thought about names yet?” asked Lindsay excitedly.
“Just Jelly Bean,” replied Jon with a smile spreading across his whole face and illuminating the room as far as Steph could see.
Steph smiled up at him and found that she actually loved him and fancied him more than ever which made her question whether she could feign illness and get him home and naked, soon.
“Have you?” he asked Lindsay, presumably knowing full well that they had or this topic would not have been raised.
“Well, only boys names, I like Troy, Zain, or Monty,” replied Lindsay excitedly.
“Have you been reading celebrity magazines again Linds, because they all sound very footballer’s wife or reality TV.” Steph’s smile was rewarded with a wink from Charlie.
“I considered a place name, you know one of significance like where he was conceived, but I didn’t think Gordano services would be fair.”
Laughing, Steph asked, “Really, Gordano services?”
“Yes, it was that weekend we went to visit my grandparents and we stayed at the hotel at the services.” Lindsay’s smile looked a little dreamy.
“There are worse places, like . . .” started Steph before Jon interrupted her making everyone laugh with his contribution of,
“Like across Mummy’s desk.”
“Exactly or,” she said and began to laugh and when Charlie joined in with her laughter she knew he was thinking the same as her. “We, Charlie and I went to visit his gran and she lived on one of the tiny islands off the Scottish mainland and we stayed in a hotel, well more like someone’s spare room, in a little place on Orkney called Twatt,” Steph revealed making her and Charlie laugh but she noticed that neither Lindsay nor Jon did.
“Sorry,” she offered, slightly confused now.
“Nonsense,” cried Charlie. “We’re all grown-ups and you both know Steph and I dated so it can’t be that much of a shock that we went away together,” said Charlie sounding unusually irritated. “And while we’re airing things, no son of mine will be called Troy, Zain or Monty! Gordano stands a better chance of being chosen and that’s not happening either, so your job this weekend is to find some normal names you like Mrs Smith,” he told his wife.
“We haven’t even discussed names.” Steph hoped any previous tension had dispersed. “There’s plenty of time though, isn’t there?” she asked turning to Jon.
“Course there is, and we have a house to find and child care to discuss before Jelly Bean puts in an appearance so loads of time to choose a name,” he replied before leaning across and kissing her temple as his hand that had been resting on her knee beneath the table moved up to her thigh, cranking up her arousal and desire another notch.
“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable talking about me and Charlie,” said Steph as she leaned into Jon’s body as they travelled up to his flat that was now their flat.
“It was a bit weird and unexpected, you’ve never done that before, made reference to a Steph and Charlie event, it was a shock, that’s all, but I suppose Charlie had a point, we did know, Lindsay and me. I was more concerned about the severity of your allergy.”
“I never thought to discuss it, but I suppose we should as you are likely to be the one who’ll be with me if I do consume seafood and have a reaction.”
“On that we’re agreed. I’ll make some calls tomorrow and get a proper doctor to check you out and go through everything with us both,” he told her as the lift arrived on their floor.
“I would object but I assume that would be futile.” Steph sighed but was already wrapping her arms around Jon’s waist from behind as he opened the door.
“Absolutely, now get your arse inside,” he told her, a huge grin splitting his face as he turned towards her.
Steph stepped in before Jon and rested against the wall of the hall for him to join her in the flat after closing the door.
“Why are you loitering in the hall, Mrs Brooker?” asked Jon with an arched brow knowing exactly why she was there.
“Well, as we didn’t get any hormonal visits scheduled during office hours I thought we should make up for lost time.” Steph reached across and grabbed a handful of Jon’s rugby shirt to pull him towards her.
“You’re becoming very demanding, darling.” He hissed as her hands dropped to the hem of his shirt and slipped beneath it to feel the heat of his firm flesh.
“I have a feeling my demands may get worse.” She grinned as her hands slid up and found the flat round discs of his nipples that she rubbed gently before pinching slightly.
“Darling, you are going to find yourself fucked against the wall if you carry on like this,” he said as if warning her.
“Promise?” She pinched them again.
Steph woke up alone and after calling Jon’s name a few times went to investigate his whereabouts but just found a note he’d left her.
Morning darling,
You looked so fucking sexy lying next to me this morning I had to get away!
Have gone for a run to take my mind off your hot little body. Am going to
pop into the gym for a while but will be back later. I need you dressed and
ready to go out for 2. I love you, give Jelly Bean a rub from me, Jon x
Smiling down at his note she did indeed rub her hand across her belly that seemed significantly more swollen that morning and instinctively told her unborn baby, “Daddy says hello.”
Looking across at the clock on the oven she could see that it was only just ten a.m. and if Jon had no plans until two that afternoon, suspiciously unknown plans, she decided to make a trip to visit her dad.
It was only an hour later that she was pulling up in front of her family home and quickly composed a quick text to Jon before heading in.
Hey there husband, am at Dad’s, so am already dressed. You could have woken me this morning, I like being woken by you. Can meet u at home or wherever. Where are we going? Steph x
His response arrived as she locked her car and walked up the path to the front door.
Is everything ok? If I had woken u we may never have left home this weekend. Meet me at home then 2 o’clock, don’t be late, it’s a surprise. How’s Jelly Bean? Jon x
Everything is fine, am just visiting. I quite like not leaving home with u Mr Brooker. U are definitely up to no good! Jelly Bean is fine if a little larger today. Steph x
“Hello,” called Steph as she walked through the front door unsure who was home. “Dad? Janice?” she called and seeing the cat waddling towards her she bent down to stroke him and felt the pulling pain she’d experienced previously. Straightening, she was convinced that her belly was definitely larger if she was getting these stretching pains.
“Steph,” came Janice’s voice from behind her as her dad appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey, pumpkin, you look wonderful, blooming in fact.” He leaned in to kiss her while rubbing a hand over her belly. “How’s Junior? Is that husband of yours taking care of you both?”
“Junior, or Jelly Bean, as he’s called in our house is fine and my husband is going well above and beyond taking care of us.”
Leading his daughter to the kitchen where Janice had already put the kettle on, Roger placed a loving arm around her waist and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? You look tired.”
“Dad I think that’s just pregnancy, but I am fine, especially now I’ve stopped being sick.”
“Mmm, your mum always sailed through pregnancy without any of that sickness business, she was a natural,” he said proudly.
Steph smiled at the fondness in his voice as he talked about his late wife but still questioned whether she was cut out for this baby carrying business. Unlike Lindsay and now it seemed, her own mother who were both natural baby incubators and presumably natural mothers, she felt she probably wasn’t.
By noon Janice had made herself scarce and Jason had just arrived.
“Yo, sis, how’s the sprog?” he bellowed as he saw his nearest sibling sitting on the sofa devouring a packet of chocolate digestives.
“Fine and demanding biscuits,” she replied with a smile.
“How’s tall, dark and loaded?” he asked next making her laugh at his reference to Jon.
“He’s tall, dark and loaded, thanks,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at Jason.
“You’re quite sickening the two of you, but he is not as big an arse as I first thought,” Jason conceded.
“Please don’t swear in front of my unborn child, especially not about his daddy.” She giggled as he sat next to her and pulled the packet from her hands and helped himself to a fistful. “Hey, me and my unborn child need those you greedy git,” she laughed pulling the packet back.
“So you can swear in front of mini tall, dark and loaded but I can’t,” Jason protested as he put a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her close enough to land a gentle kiss to her temple.
“I can’t swear in front of Jelly Bean either according to Jon or Lindsay. God, I am going to be a really shit mother if I can’t even manage that,” cried Steph making Jason laugh before he disagreed with her.
“You are going to be a wonderful mother, Stephie, and who the fuck has named your unborn baby Jelly Bean?” he asked laughing again.
“Jelly Bean’s daddy. When we had the scan Jon thought he, or she, looked like a jelly bean, not in features but the way it lay, curved with a round head at one end and feet rounded at the other and I think it’s very sweet.”
“Jeez, pass the sick bucket.” Jason pulled the biscuits from her again.
The mayhem that ensued as they fought for the biscuits came to a standstill when there was a loud knock at the door. Jason seized the opportunity to secure the biscuit packet leaving Steph to get the door. Throwing it open while still laughing at her encounter with Jason, her expression froze as she realised who was standing there.
“What do you want?”
“Just a chat Steph,” replied Simon of all people.
Staring at him she wondered what he wanted and why of all the days he could choose to visit he’d chosen today, when she was there.
“Dad,” she called behind her.
“What are you doing? I just want to chat,” Simon repeated.
“With my dad I assume.”
“No, you,” he replied.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Steph felt awash with sadness and nausea as she looked at this man that she’d wasted years on, a man she barely recognised and seriously questioned why she had ever been with him.
“I was just passing and I saw your car here,” he told her sounding sincere.
“How did you know it was my car?” she asked with a deep frown, suddenly wondering if she’d be getting another new car when Jon found out about this. If he found out.
“Your dad mentioned a new car when I popped in before and that day when things got heated in the car park I saw you go home with Dylan in the same car that’s outside now.”
“Who is it?” asked Roger descending the stairs behind her and was now joined by Jason.
“What the fuck do you want?” Jason angrily pushed forward until he stood next to his sister now.
“Just a word with Steph, to say sorry,” replied a subdued and unusually calm Simon.
“You’ve done it, bye!” sneered Jason preparing to shut the door.
“Jason! Maybe we should do this inside.”
“Dad!” cried Jason and Steph in stereo but Roger was already escorting his daughter’s unhinged ex-boyfriend through the house.
“Jon is going to fucking flip like nobody has ever fucking flipped before and now my unborn baby is beyond damaged by all of my swearing,” Steph told Jason.
“Maybe you should call him, let him know in advance,” suggested Jason.
“No way. He would come over and punch Simon.”
“Definitely call him then.”
“And then he would forbid me from being more than three feet from him forever.”
“Can you two come through please?” called Roger. “Steph, will you listen to Simon, and then I have told him it’s done, no more calls or visits to any of us and he has agreed.”
“Okay.” This was the last thing Steph wanted or needed, and her sigh confirmed that.
“In private,” said a slightly more confident Simon.
“Not a chance mate!” snapped Jason.
“Dining room is as private as you’re going to get, Simon,” warned Roger. “With the door open.”
“Thank you,” replied an apparently meek Simon.
“I don’t seem to get a say in this,” pouted Steph. “Come on then, ten minutes and then I am going home.”
Once in the dining room Steph sat opposite Simon at the table and waited for him to speak.
“Come on Simon, the clock’s ticking.”
“Don’t get smart Steph it’s really not you,” he told her coldly.
With a laugh she shook her head. “Simon it really is me which could explain why we failed on such a grand scale.”
“Don’t say that, we were good together.”
“We really weren’t, but please can we get on?”
“Why the hurry?”
“Because I have made plans,” replied Steph shortly.
“Plans with your rich boyfriend?” Simon wore a scowl and his voice carried a large dose of venom but Steph was most shocked that he didn’t appear to know she’d married Jon.
“No, with my rich husband,” she replied holding her left hand up to prove her point.
“You’ve married him? Steph, why would you do that?” he asked with an odd tone to his voice.
“I love him,” Steph replied sarcastically.
“Don’t start with me Steph, you always did this and wound me up.”
“Simon, say what you want or I am going home now.” She meant what she said, possibly for the first time since she’d met him, she really meant it. She was done, with the drama, the rows, the treading on eggshells, with him full stop. All she wanted right now was to be at home with her husband, or anywhere with him. The place she didn’t want to be was anywhere with Simon.
“I need you. She won’t let me see my son and she has a solicitor who keeps sending me letters. I’ve been suspended from work and everything is slipping away. I will forgive you for marrying him, just come back to me, we could live at my place and if you’re working we can keep our heads above water, we’ll make it good for the three of us.”
“Three of us?” asked Steph wondering why she’d picked up on that one point he’d made.
“You, me and my son.”
“No, Simon this is ridiculous. I love my husband.”
“Love? Well I can see you’re content because you’ve put weight on, loads of it, but I’ll soon have that shifted, I do hate slovenly women,” he said with no regard for her words or feelings.
“I am not fat, I am pregnant,” she shouted across the table at him.
She’d expected snide comments or even annoyance that she’d shouted at him but there was none of that, he just smiled and then spoke, “Great, your kid can be the cash cow that gets me mine. Your rich husband will have to pay for knocking you up and pay handsomely and I’ll do my best not to resent it too much.”
Steph stared across at him and was convinced that he was ill, properly mentally ill, delusional, but that was not her concern, she was done.
Getting to her feet she shook her head and simply said, “Goodbye Simon,” and turned to leave with true belief, conviction and strength in ending this farce, but as she headed towards the open door she felt a stinging in her head that turned out to be Simon pulling her back by her hair causing her to scream loudly as she began back pedalling with a protective arm across her belly in case she fell. What happened next seemed to go in slow motion.
Jason appeared first who rather calmly told Simon, “Take your hands off my sister, now.”
Steph was still upright but her hair remained in Simon’s closed fist.
“More importantly you should take your hands off my fucking wife,” were the next words she heard and it took a few seconds for her to realise that Jon’s fist was flying past her ear and heading for Simon’s face while his other hand was pulling Steph into the safety of her father’s arms.
Jason was flying towards Simon now who had got up from Jon’s punch that had put him flat on his behind. Steph had seen Jason in full flow before, but not for a while and he sometimes got carried away.
“Jay, Jay,” Steph called to her brother as he rained punch after punch on Simon while Jon was trying to check her over.
She somehow managed to slip out from between her father and husband and was heading towards the two other men. Grabbing at Jason’s back she managed to turn him to face her as she shouted his name to gain his attention, but as she did so it offered Simon an opportunity to escape, pushing past them and as he did so he knocked Steph over completely. Suddenly, she was surrounded by the three remaining men who were all clearly concerned.
“What the fuck was that all about and why didn’t I know about it?” asked Jon angrily turning to Steph.
“Don’t fucking talk to her like that, she’s the injured party,” Jason warned Jon but he just inflamed the situation.
“She’s the injured party because she met with that fucking lunatic and yet again he has hurt her, we’re up to four for four now. Oh and don’t tell me how to speak to my wife!” Jon finished with a glare for his brother-in-law as he gently helped Steph to her feet.
“This is my fault, I should never have invited him in and made you speak to him,” said Roger sadly.
Steph turned to face him and was about to reassure him when Jon spoke, “Yes it is Roger, but I can assure you it won’t be happening again.”
“Don’t speak to my dad like that,” protested Steph turning to face Jon. “This was not Dad’s fault. Simon is seriously deranged and saw my car here and I had already opened the door to him before my dad appeared.”
Running a hand through his freshly washed hair that was still damp, Jon took a deep breath and then spoke slowly and quietly, “At last. Simon is deranged and he hurts you every time you’re in his company which is why we agreed, you agreed to steer clear and to call me if he made any contact, yet today you didn’t, again. I trust you to do the right thing for yourself and our baby and I trust people around you to help in that not to facilitate him hurting you, so, with the exception of Jason, you,” he said pointing between Steph and Roger, “Are at fault, now sit down and let’s make sure you’re alright, both of you.”
“What do you mean with the exception of Jason?” Steph stared up from the seat she’d taken at the table, moving her gaze between her husband and brother.
“I called him,” admitted Jason.