Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
W hy does it always take forever for suitcases to appear on the conveyor belt at the airport when you arrive back in your own country? When you have been travelling for hours and hours and just want to get home to the comfort of your own bed, you’re hit with all these barriers. A delay in leaving the plane, huge queues at security, and now, finally, the long wait for our luggage. We must have been standing there for twenty minutes waiting for our cases, and they still hadn’t appeared. Our prebooked taxi would be leaving without us, or waiting with the meter running and costing us an absolute fortune. I’d been on a fair few holidays abroad and never, not once, had my suitcase been the first to appear upon returning home.
“I wish they’d hurry up, or we’ll need to book another taxi, and who knows how long that will take,” I said to Sarah, who was being oddly calm about the situation. I thought maybe she was still distracted by thoughts of her Italian friend. “Who did you say you’d booked with? Do you think you should call them to say we’re still waiting for our bags?”
“Don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.” She tried to reassure me, but I hated this part of holidays. Not just because it was over, but because the process of getting home always seemed to take an age. It’s always a shame when you have to check out of such a perfect holiday abroad, but as soon as you do, you always just want to get straight back home to your own bed.
There was suddenly a loud clatter as the conveyor belt began to move.
“Finally!” I said. “Now just to wait for our suitcases to come out last.” Not forgetting the biscotti stash. I needed some sugar.
I was incredibly surprised when mine and Sarah’s cases were among the first to appear.
“There! You can stop your moaning now. Your suitcase hasn’t ended up in the wrong country. It’s all here, stowaway biscotti too.” Sarah shoved me, playfully. “Come on, let’s move to the front or we’ll miss them.”
We were able to grab our bags without fail and wheeled them through the doors and out to the airport car park. Outside, it was cold, dreary and miserable. Much like my mood. It had clearly been raining, as there were puddles everywhere.
I was looking for an impatient taxi driver ready to charge us a fine for making him wait so long, when suddenly… I couldn’t believe it.
“Zack?!”
I dropped my suitcase in a puddle and ran towards him, throwing my arms around his neck as he picked me up for a huge, much welcome and much-needed hug. He smelled delicious. I could just eat him.
“What are you doing here?” He was still holding me up as I put my hands on his face to make sure it was really him.
“I’m your taxi.”
“I wanted to surprise you,” Sarah said. “As a thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Letting me live with you, putting up with me trying to sort my life out, and taking me on holiday to Rome. I owe you so much.”
“Aw, hun.” Zack placed me back on the ground so I could hug my friend, trying not to get over-emotional, which was difficult as I was tired, hungry and a little bit chilly. I hugged my friend tightly, pleased that everything was finally working out for her, and that she was feeling better about life and herself.
“My dad is picking me up, so you guys can get off home.” I spotted Sarah’s dad in his car, waiting for her. He was on his phone but waved when we saw him. “Right.” She picked up her bag. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Jenny, I’ll speak to you soon. Don’t break him tonight, will you?”
She headed in the direction of her dad’s car. Zack picked up my case and put his arm around me, leading me to his car. He kissed me on the head and held me tightly.
“Was I a good surprise then?”
“Yes, you sneaky sod. I can’t believe you’re here. I feel all gross though. I wish I could have had a shower or something before I saw you. Get all freshened up.”
“Well, I think you look amazing. But if you really want a shower, I insist on getting in there with you to help, if you’ll let me?”
“How can I refuse that?” We arrived at his car and he placed my case in the boot. “But you’ll have to be thorough in your cleaning, if you feel up to the task.”
“Of course, I always make sure I’m thorough.” He closed the boot and turned to me, gripping my face in his hands, kissing me passionately. “Get in the car.” He slapped my bottom and I giddily jumped in the front seat.
Absence makes the loins burn harder. We’d barely left my bedroom since getting back yesterday.
Food had been consumed in bed. My mother would be cringing if I told her. However, I was all grown up now, and could make up my own rules. If I wanted to eat food in bed, I could eat food in bed. If I wanted to spend the day naked with my legs wrapped around my boyfriend whilst eating fried noodles, then I would do that.
“What time is it?” I knew it had to be mid-morning by now.
Zack reached for his phone.
“It’s nearly three o’clock.”
“What? How is it that time already?”
I felt like I should be up, being productive. I still had to unpack and do all my washing. Not to mention going to the shops for food to stock up my cupboards. I had also promised Sarah a trip to IKEA over the weekend, so she could continue to buy things for her new home. There were so many things to do, but my legs would not unwrap themselves from my sexy boyfriend, who was trapped between them. He didn’t seem to mind, nor was he in any rush to get up either.
Suddenly, when all was peaceful and relaxed, I could hear my phone ringing. “Typical,” I moaned.
“Where is it?”
“Ah, I think it’s still in my bag, over there.” I lifted my arm and pointed without looking. “Too far away to get up. It’s fine, they’ll leave a message.”
“Okay, but I need to get up anyway, so I’ll pass it to you. Do you want a drink?” He gently lifted my leg from his body.
“A coffee would be good, but I’ll come down for it.”
I watched as my naked boyfriend got out of bed and put on his clothes. I seemed to have gotten over my fear of the exposed penis in daylight. No longer did I mind seeing it walking around my bedroom in all its morning glory.
“I’ll see you downstairs then.” He smiled as he pulled up his pants and made his way out the door.
As the door opened, in came Bing.
“Hey, little man,” I said, holding my hand out to him. He ran over and rubbed his face in my palm, purring. “Aw, I missed you too. Sorry for kicking you out of the bedroom last night. It’s just, you know, three’s a crowd.”
I heard my phone bleep with the sound of a voicemail. I grudgingly threw back the duvet cover and got out, slipping on my dressing gown, which I found in a crumpled heap on the floor. Searching through my bag, I found my phone and listened to the message.
“ Jennifer, it’s your mother. Why aren’t you answering? I assume you’re back in the country by now. Call me back. ”
There’s nothing like hearing the maternal and loving voice of one’s mother. I thought about ignoring it, but she’d only call back again. And again. And again, before sending my brother around to look for me. I may as well get it over with.
“Oh, she is alive.” My mother’s warm greeting never fails to amuse me.
“ Buongiorno, ” I say, in my most Yorkshire accent. Perhaps some Italian culture would impress her.
“You got my message then? I’m impressed. It usually takes three calls, a voicemail and a Hogwarts owl for you to get back to me.”
“Well Bing ate the last owl you sent, and the RSPB tried to sue me, so, what’s up?”
“Your brother is having a barbeque at his house next Saturday. Just a small family do. I hope you’re coming.”
“He sent me a message about some kind of gathering last week. I said I’d be there.”
“And Zack? Will he be coming?”
“I don’t know, Lady Mother. Is he invited? I can ask him.”
“Of course he’s invited. Your brother hasn’t met him yet, and it is about time he did. Make sure he comes too.”
“Okay, but you’ll be nice, right?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, in her most innocent voice.
“So, you weren’t dropping hints that summer would be a wonderful time for a wedding when you last saw him?” Zack found it hilarious, luckily, but I was less than amused when he had filled me in later.
“Oh.” She paused. “He told you about that? That was just a big misunderstanding. A miscommunication. I was just saying, this summer is meant to be the best in over a decade. It would be nice for a wedding. I didn’t mean you two, specifically. Any couple who might be planning some nuptuals, that’s all.”
“Just promise me you’ll be tame. No more talk of weddings or babies, and I’ll see if he’s free to come along.”
“I promise. It starts at one o’clock. Next Saturday. Their house. You’ll be there?”
“I’ll be there. Now I have to go, I’ve got things to do.”
“One o’clock.”
“I’ll be there. Oh, wait, actually, next Saturday?” I jested. “I’d planned to get a huge tattoo on the back of my–”
“Jennifer…” She could go on Britain’s Got Talent to demonstrate her skills in vocal tone change.
“I’ll be there.”
It was almost midnight and I was still wide awake. Zack was asleep next to me and Bing was curled up between my feet. I couldn’t stop thinking. Zack had said yes to coming with me to my brother’s gathering the following week. He was looking forward to meeting my brother, but I was dreading the whole thing. Andrew and I have always gotten along. As sibling relationships go, we had a good one. We never really fought as kids and I always covered for him when he was majorly hung-over after a night out so our parents wouldn’t suspect. Of course, he returned the favour when I started going out too. In fact, by then, he took me under his wing and showed me the best places to go. He was quite the lad back in the day, but Elizabeth put a halt to that when they got together. He no longer goes out drinking with his mates, he’s not allowed to eat processed meats, and he had to sell his favourite leather jacket because ‘leather is cruel’. She gifted him a faux-leather jacket to make up for it. My mother slapped me on the leg when I pointed out that it was made from plastic, and so was more harmful to the planet than the genuine article.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like Elizabeth. I liked her a lot. We had known each other for a long time. We even went to the same school, in the same year group. We weren’t in the same circle of friends, but we’d always got on really well. She did go through some odd phases though. My brother always tried to justify them on her behalf, because he loved her, but I know my brother and he doesn’t wholly convince me that he is on board with her ideas. I know he still grieves for that leather jacket. If they ever did get a divorce in the future, I’m certain he would pin the beginning of the end to that moment he handed it over to the guy who bought it on Facebook Marketplace.
It would be great to see my nephews, Sam and Ethan, again. They’re close in age, but such different characters. To Sam, I am the cool aunt. We play games and his laugh is infectious. His little brother Ethan isn’t sure about me yet though. He must get that from my mother.
I couldn’t pinpoint why, exactly, but I had a feeling that my brother’s barbeque would be very interesting.