Calling All Dentists (Calling All... Book 2), page 16
Sitting down at a small oval table, Emma noticed a full bowl of chili peanuts. Most of the other snack bowls, spread around the pub, were empty. The public house had been very generous in providing nuts and nibbles and a celebratory midnight drink but Emma guessed, by the amount of custom they’d had, that it had been a small price to pay for the constantly pinging tills that collected the money all evening.
Hungry and slightly too drunk to make any sensible decisions, let alone any meaningful advances on Andrew later (which had been on her mind earlier), Emma grabbed a handful of nuts and proceeded to devour them. She’d hardly eaten all day and decided that the nuts should be enough to ‘soak-up’ the alcohol, swishing around inside her tummy.
The band stopped playing and a rapturous applause filled the pub. After lapping up the accolade Dean and the other band members began the arduous task of dismantling their equipment.
“Where do you know them from?” asked Emma, realising they still knew practically nothing about each other.
“Oh Dean and I go way back… school days.” Andrew leaned back on the seat, “He was a total idiot then too.” Andrew grinned, then sipped his beer, “The rest of them…” he wiped his mouth, “Well, I’ve been to a lot of their gigs and I just got to know them over the years.”
“How many girls have you introduced to them in the past then?” Emma laughed, trying to appear nonchalant as she popped another chili peanut in her mouth.
“None – believe it or not. I don’t think the boys knew quite what to say when they saw you, they were so shocked.” Andrew laughed.
“Shocked? Why?”
“Because you are so gorgeous…”
Emma laughed and shrugged it off, cramming more nuts in to her mouth.
‘CRUNCH!’
Emma froze. The pain filled her already full mouth and her eyes began to water.
“You ok?”
“Um…bit…ma…tung,” said Emma in a muffled voice as she held her hand to her mouth. The searing pain spread rapidly into her lower jaw and chin as the sobering reality kicked in. She hadn’t bitten her tongue at all and as she tried to swallow the half chewed nuts, she knew there was a tooth hanging by a thread, at the front, on the bottom row. Why had she been eating bloody nuts? She knew the damage they did to her teeth and when she wasn’t under the influence of alcohol, she wouldn’t have normally touched them. It was just too painful to eat nuts or crisps and the little bits always got stuck in the voids between each tooth, no doubt causing the abscesses. However, this time was different, this time she knew that far more damage had been done. “Goin…toilut,” she said, still guarding her mouth. “Bleedin.”
“Are you going to be ok?” Andrew looked at her with a deadpan expression, “Try not to be too long, it’s nearly midnight. We don’t want to miss it do we?” He wasn’t fazed by her predicament at all and why would he be, after all she’d only bit her tongue.
Sitting in the cubicle, Emma took the small vanity mirror from her bag, she had just remembered it was there. The last minute rush for the toilets meant that she was unable to have a good look in the mirror with so many women milling about by the wash basins and she did not want to cause a scene by spitting blood into the sinks. The self-inflicted tooth injury was serious. Although it appeared to look normal, the small front tooth was sat in its socket, held in by what must have been only threads. Emma could move it around, push it in and out and then wedge it back between the teeth on either side, with her tongue. The bleeding was beginning to stop but a dull throb in her lower jaw suggested that she would feel the pain much more in the morning when she’d sobered up. Her face burned with the embarrassment of her predicament. What should she do? Go to a dentist and bloody well quick – that’s what she should do. Except it was almost midnight on New Year’s Eve and she was with a most charming man who she really liked. The tooth would have to wait… somehow.
Ensuring the little tooth was wedged firmly between the others, Emma practiced her usual routine, staring into the little hand mirror, which made it all the more difficult to see the full picture. The initial pain had subsided and the dull throb was starting to lessen but Emma guessed that her drunkenness had a part to play in her quick recovery.
“Hurry up Jill, we’ve got 5 minutes.” A woman’s voice shouted across the toilets. Emma looked at her watch, there was indeed just 5 minutes left before midnight struck, she had to get back to Andrew. One last look in the mirror above the wash basins and Emma felt satisfied that she looked the same as before, even when she smiled – tightly.
“Are you all right babe?” said Andrew, standing up to meet her.
“Um, got a swollen tongue,” she said, discreetly placing her fingers across her lips.
Andrew shook his head and pecked her on the forehead lovingly. “You numpty,” he said and grinned down at her.
Two huge television screens had been switched on, one at either end of the pub’s lounge bar. The same TV programme was displayed at each end, showing a countdown clock in one corner of the screen. 4 minutes and 25 seconds remaining. What an ending to a year this is going to be, thought Emma as Andrew grabbed her by the hand and tugged her gently.
“Come on, everyone’s going outside in a minute,” he said excitedly, pulling her towards the doors.
The icy cold air outside sent shivers through her and Emma began to feel very drunk, more so than she had before. The car park was filling with New Year well wishers as the minutes and seconds ticked away. The volume of the televisions inside the pub had been turned right up so they could be easily heard through the open double doors.
“10…9…8…7…” Andrew pulled Emma closely to his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly, “6…5…” she felt warm, “4…” and loved, “3…2…1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
The cheering of the crowd resonated around the privet bushes, lining the car park’s perimeter. Party poppers began to ‘pop’ and people started to sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, quite badly.
“Happy New Year Emma. This is going to be the best year of my life,” said Andrew before leaning over and kissing her fully on closed lips, and then he pulled back momentarily before returning with several short, soft and gentle kisses, while cupping her face in his hands. “I’m falling for you,” he whispered softly.
“Ditto,” she whispered drunkenly, trying to savour every nanosecond of the moment while worrying how she could ever kiss Andrew properly again.
The Buck’s Fizz was enough to render Emma useless and careless as she fell into a loved-up stupor, gazing into Andrew’s eyes while resting her elbows on the table. The menacing chili peanuts sat in the bowl in front of her but Emma couldn’t even bring herself to look at them, let alone pick one up and suck it. Could Andrew really feel the same as she did or was it just the drink talking? She smiled softly at him and watched him drink the small glass of Buck’s Fizz, whist all around them, chilled party-goers celebrated and hugged each other. Emma wondered if it was madness to feel so strongly about him, after all she hardly knew him apart from their mutually clear and sensuous understanding of each other in the bedroom… or the kitchen… or maybe anywhere else in the future. Maybe even before they made it back to the flat, Emma shivered, no it was far too cold for that.
The instruments were fully dismantled and the band members were now ready to leave. The earlier thrills of the approaching New Year had lulled into a subdued atmosphere of drunken and overly tired well-wishers. Dean and the others headed over to the table, shook Andrew’s hand or patted him on the back and Frodo leaned over and kissed Emma’s hand. “Nice to meet you luv,” he said, winking up at Andrew. Dean nodded his head at Emma and rubbed the top of Andrew’s head as they parted with all of their belongings.
“Shall we go?” asked Andrew, rubbing his forehead and squinting. Emma got up and pulled her jacket on.
“Headache?” she asked.
“No, I feel shattered.”
The frosty night had progressed into an icy early morning, so the lovers walked home quickly and unsteadily, hand in hand. “Did you have a good time?” asked Andrew, half way along the road.
“Yes, lovely.”
“How’s your tongue.” He smiled at her cheekily.
“Bit sore,” she lied, “Why?” Emma laughed, realising just what he was insinuating by the cheeky smirk on his face. “I thought you said you were shattered, she teased and smacked his behind. Then she placed her hand back in his and they hurried home as fast as their slightly uncoordinated legs would carry them, while the icy air bit in to their cheeks.
The warmth in the flat was comforting. Skipping the weak suggestion of coffee, Emma followed Andrew to the bedroom, kicking her shoes off as she arrived at the top end of the bed. Undressing on opposite sides, their eyes were fixed on each other in the gloomy light that filtered in through the gap in the curtains. Climbing into bed, clothed only in their underwear, they met in the middle and held each other in a warm embrace.
Their love making was purposely perdurable and powerful. And they were truly in love for that moment in time.
Chapter 14
Somehow Grandad was there. He’d been there all the time but she hadn’t noticed him before. Sat at the end of the stage making a miniature sized model of a ship, Grandad looked happy. A cork lay resting on the stage floor, waiting to be pushed in to the bottle, once the ship had been placed very carefully inside. Looking up, Emma’s grandad saw her and grinned.
Dean sat on a stool in the centre of the stage, playing soft, magical music on a magnificent woodwind instrument. Lips poised around the mouthpiece, he smiled from the outer edges of his filled mouth. The pub was still and abandoned, only the sound of fine musical notes filled the empty void.
All of a sudden the music stopped and Dean slowly pulled the instrument away from his mouth. Fear struck in her throat as Emma gasped and gulped. Rotting teeth had left Dean’s mouth, along with the mouthpiece and were still firmly attached to it, dripping in putrid ooze and glistening under the bright stage lights. He laughed, loudly. Blood and drool dripped from his gaping, toothless mouth.
Then Grandad shrieked and began to convulse as he spat his own teeth out on the floor. He bent over, picked them up one by one and popped them in to the ship’s bottle. He glared at Emma, shaking the contents of the bottle and beckoning for her to come closer – Emma screamed as her heart skipped a beat.
Opening her eyes wide, Emma flicked a glare around the room and remembered where she was and then sighed – another horrible dream. A tear welled up, tipped over the edge of her eye and began to roll down the side of her face. Aware that Andrew’s warm body lay next to her, she turned to see him still sleeping. Climbing out of bed, she reached for his dressing gown hanging on the back of the door and went through to the kitchen. Her head was beginning to pound as she moved. Her jaw was aching slightly and then she remembered the chili peanuts. Her tooth – it was still hanging on for dear life. Moving her tongue around, she could feel just how loose it was. She could twist it right around, almost the other way and move it backwards and forwards. The hot flush of fear encompassed her again and she pushed it back in to place, wedged in between the adjacent ones. She was too afraid to touch it.
A hot, sweet coffee would be just what Andrew needed, thought Emma as she gently stroked his shoulder to wake him. “I’m going to have to go soon,” she said down-heartedly. She really didn’t want to leave him and wished she could take him to her parent’s house for dinner but she realised it wasn’t a good time for her family to be meeting her new boyfriend and particularly on New Year’s Day without Grandad, when there were bound to be lots of tears. Andrew squeezed his temples and scrunched up his eyes in the bright light pouring in to the room from the window.
“God, I feel rough,” he said quietly.
“Hang over?”
Andrew nodded and squeezed the sides of his head again.
“Want some pain killers? I’ve got some in my bag.”
“Yeah… please.”
“Wish I didn’t have to go and leave you like this,” said Emma, standing in the foyer waiting for the taxi. Andrew squinted at her through eyes full of pain and attempted a half smile. Standing barefoot in his dressing gown, he looked like a little lost boy. “What are you doing today?”
“Bed… sleep… and then think about you a lot, once I find my brain.”
Emma laughed, he was so sweet. “Do you want me to give you a call later tonight, when I get home?”
Nodding his head just slightly, Andrew pulled her to him and kissed her, “I meant what I said last night. Do you remember?”
“Which bit?” she asked coyly.
“The bit about how I feel about you.”
“Yes, I remember and do you remember what I said?”
“Yes.” Then they stood in an embrace in the foyer, until the taxi arrived.
Showered, changed and teeth cleaned extremely cautiously, Emma was ready to go to her parent’s house. The time had reached 1.30pm so she left quickly, knowing she might be late for dinner if she didn’t hurry up. She jumped in her car and set off. Her mobile had been tinkling all morning with wishes for a happy new year, but there had been nothing from Andrew since she’d left him 3 hours ago. Still it was only 3 hours, Emma thought, knowing he’d probably gone back to bed to sleep off his hang-over. She smiled to herself as she became lost in her lush reverie of last night.
Dinner was a solemn affair. It was usually an annual celebratory New Year dinner at mum’s but the atmosphere was understandably lifeless and dull today. Emma’s grandma had stayed with her parents (much to her dad’s disappointment), since Grandad’s death, not wanting to face the reality of an empty home. Emma’s parents were munching their way through the turkey roast dinner on auto-pilot and Grandma just pushed peas around the plate. Now and again, she would attack half of a roast potato and stuff it in her mouth and then huff rather loudly.
Emma felt hungry. She’d eaten practically nothing in the last two days, apart from the dreaded nuts and some tablets. Her stomach was tied up in knots and the slightly dazed feeling of a mild hang-over lingered, along with the pain in her mouth. Eating her food tentatively, she maneouvered each mouthful to the good side and chewed carefully, taking much longer to eat her meal than normal.
“Aren’t you hungry Emma?” asked Grandma, stuffing another potato into her mouth.
“Yes I am. Just feeling a bit rough, that’s all.”
“Drunk last night was you?” said Grandma, with a full mouth.
“Yes, I suppose I was a bit, I had a really good night though.”
“Hmm,” mumbled her grandma, through mashed up potato teeth.
“You went out with your new boyfriend didn’t you?” Emma’s mum butted in thankfully. Emma knew her grandma wouldn’t see the nice side of going out with a man and getting drunk and would be more likely to frown upon the damaging alcohol consumption aspect.
“Yes, we went…”
‘CRUNCH! CLICK!’
The pain surged through Emma’s gum. She’d done it again and the taste of blood seeped through her mouth and mingled with the half chewed turkey. Angry with herself, Emma knew she shouldn’t have tried to eat and talk at the same time. Clutching her hand to her mouth, she got up as she realised there was something else in her mouth apart from the blood and turkey – something hard.
“What’s up love?” asked her mum, “Emma?” Jumping up, her mum quickly followed her up to the bathroom. “Emma, are you all right?” she said as Emma closed the bathroom door behind her.
“I’ll be back down in a minute, I’m ok Mum,” Emma replied, with a muffled voice.
Spitting the small piece of blood-stained turkey in to her hand, she noticed a long white object alongside it – her tooth – long because it was the whole tooth, including the root. A perfectly formed, beautifully white tooth, it had come out of its socket completely.
Staring horrified in to the mirror, Emma’s heart raced and a cold sweat dampened her brow. She opened her mouth and there it was – a big black hole, slightly off centre on the bottom row. Tears poured from her eyes as she threw the meat down the toilet and began to frantically wash the tooth under the tap. She had to put it back in. Hysterically she tried.
Distressed by her bizarre behaviour, she believed that she was possibly going mad. It would not go back in. It was too sore to try and push the tooth deep enough to wedge it back in to place. Emma stepped back and sat down on the edge of the bath, feeling faint. Devastated and worried beyond belief, she never really thought it would happen – she couldn’t believe it had. She’d lived in denial all this time and now it was real. She really was losing her teeth.
“Emma?” Her mum knocked on the door twice, “Emma… let me in.” Emma unlocked the door and beckoned to her mum to enter. “Emma, what’s the matter love?” Putting her arms around Emma’s shoulder, she hugged her.
“Mum, my teeth are falling out!” Again, Emma burst in to tears and slumped back down on the edge of the bath and held out her hand, containing the tooth.
“Oh my goodness. How has that happened?” Her mum looked horrified as she peered deep in to Emma’s reddened, tear-stained eyes. “Oh, Emma,” she said as she knelt down in front of her.” I really must make that emergency appointment tomorrow.” Emma nodded and cried some more.
“What about Andrew? I won’t be able to see him again. Oh no mum, I’ve ruined everything,” she sobbed.
“Of course you will. Let me see.” Emma partially opened her mouth. “It’s hardly noticeable Emma,” said her mum, unconvincingly.
“I can’t see him, not like this, I look… I look like a monster,” she cried.
“Come on, you’re getting yourself in a right state darling. You do not look anything like a monster.”
“He’s so perfect Mum, you haven’t met him… I’m not good enough for him… look at me!”
