Wags To Riches, page 18
“Hello gorgeous” he says and kisses me. “How’s your hangover?”
“Not too bad thanks” I reply. “Your Mum and Dad are here”.
Adam nods. “Yeah – I saw the car”.
“Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?” I hiss quietly.
“Because I didn’t know,” Adam replies in a low voice, rolling his eyes. “I forgot to change the code on the gates!” He then walks into the living room. “Hi Dad, Hi Mum,” he says walking over to Lisa and giving her a kiss on the cheek. I follow him in and we sit and talk for a little while longer then Phil and Lisa get up to go.
“Well, nice to have met you” I say smiling as they go out to their car with Adam. I think I recovered well there from that disastrous first encounter. I watch them talking to Adam for a few moments, making frequent gestures towards the water fountain, before they get into the car and wave and smile at me.
I smile and wave back. “Bye!” I call as they drive off. They seem alright really. Adam’s mum is a bit scary and I don’t agree with the comment about my nails, but apart from that, they seem okay. Adam comes back into the house shaking his head. “What?” I ask.
“Gail - do you like the fountain?” Adam asks, pointing at it.
“I love the fountain!” I say earnestly. “You’re not going to get rid of it are you? Only your Mum and Dad were saying something about having more parking space or something”.
“No, I’m not getting rid of it,” Adam says firmly. “I’ve told them several times the fountain is one of the things that attracted me to this house in the first place! You know what it’s like though – sometimes parents do like to think they know what’s best!”
“I know - my Mum and Dad are just the same. I was really glad actually, your Mum and Dad turned up when they did,” I say dryly, walking into the kitchen to start preparing lunch.
“Why? Were you in the bath or something?” Adam asks, smiling.
“Oh no, better than that! I’d decided to try out your brilliant stereo in the lounge and was just jumping off the sofa playing air guitar and thanking everyone at Glastonbury - as you do - when I suddenly saw them staring at me through the window!” I say shaking my head as Adam bursts out laughing. “I nearly died with embarrassment!”
“Oh Gail! What are you like?” Adam says. “Tell you what - I’ll go and change the code on the gate in a bit and then they’ll have to buzz to get in. That would help wouldn’t it?”
“Yes it would. I don’t want a repeat of today,” I say, lifting some plates down from the plate rack. “Your Mum also thought I’d look better if I had my nails done,” I add casually and Adam’s eyes widen.
“Is that what she said to you?” he asks in a surprised voice.
“No – I heard her saying it to your Dad while I was making coffee,” I reply.
Adam raises his eyebrows and then looks at the ceiling. “She doesn’t mean anything nasty by it you know,” he says in a reassuring voice, “It’s just that my Mum is so bloody obsessed with people’s appearance”.
“Do you think I look scruffy?” I ask, frowning. “I know I might look a bit rough today...”
“No! ‘Course not! You misunderstand me,” Adam says quickly. “My Mum, God bless her, thinks every woman should always wear a good suit and go to the hairdressers every week. You look fine to me Gail – honestly”. He puts his arms round me and gives me a kiss. “Now, let’s have some lunch – I’m starving”. He opens the fridge and takes out some ham and some salad while I go to cut some slices of bread. Think I’ll go and get changed after lunch. I don’t want people thinking I look scruffy.
We’re just finishing lunch when the buzzer goes for the gates. Adam gets up to answer it. “Oh great – come down” he says into the intercom and presses the button.
“Who is it?” I ask.
“It’s the guys who are installing the hot tub. Their other job has finished a bit early so they thought they’d come here this afternoon. Hopefully they’ll be able to finish it today”.
“Oh that’s good!” I reply and Adam goes out to speak to them while I clear the lunch things away. I’m just finishing putting the plates into the dishwasher when Adam comes back in.
“Right – they’re just finishing off installing the fittings for the hot tub, so I’m going to go in the gym” he says. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to nip and change and then I think I’ll read my book for a bit” I say and go upstairs. I put on my new jeans and my white slash necked top with the gold splashes on. There – that looks better than tatty old black jeans and an old T-shirt. I go downstairs and curl up with my book.
A while later, there’s a soft knock on the door. “Come in!” I say a little surprised, quickly putting my bookmark in my book. Damn – just got to a good bit.
One of the workmen peers round the door. “Hello - we’ve just about finished. I just wanted to have a quick word with Mr Finchley before we go,” he says.
“Oh I’ll just go and fetch him – we’ll come to you in the conservatory,” I say, getting off the sofa. I go into the gym and Adam is pounding away on the running machine to a hard house CD. His tight grey T-shirt is sticking to him in patches, he is sweating that much. “Adam!” I shout over the music, and he immediately slows the running machine down, “The guy says they’ve nearly finished – they just wanted to speak to you before they go”.
“Oh right - thanks Gail” he says and steps off the machine. He turns the music off, reaches for his towel and hastily rubs his face dry of sweat. “Come here and give me a kiss,” he says as he looped the towel round my neck and pulls me to him.
“You’re all sweaty!” I say, wrinkling my nose and smiling as I go to kiss him.
“I know!” Adam says. “I was just about done anyway. I’ll go and see what they want, then have a shower” and we both go through to the conservatory.
It looks so different to the last time I was in there. Instead of there being a massive hole in the floor, there is now a huge white hot tub that is almost as large as the swimming pool! The floor all around is covered in gorgeous terracotta tiles and there are even a couple of little rails to hang towels on on one wall.
“It looks fantastic!” I say admiringly.
“Well, all the heating and everything’s done and this quick drying cement should be dry in a couple of hours” the man who came to speak to me explains and he shows Adam how to adjust the controls for the under floor heating and for the hot tub.
“That’s great!” Adam says, standing back and looking at the tub. “You’ve done a great job. Thanks a lot”.
“Right – we’ll leave you to it then” the man says. “Have fun!” he adds smiling at me as he walks past me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say indignantly to Adam, as the phone starts ringing. Cheeky git.
Adam just grins at me as he hurries off to answer the phone. As I follow him I can hear Adam saying “Yeah – that sounds good. I’ll just ask Gail”.
“Ask me what?” I say, walking up to him as Adam puts his hand over the telephone.
“It’s Tim,” he explained. “He and Gina want to know if we fancy going to theirs for dinner tomorrow night. What do you reckon?”
“That would be lovely!” I say enthusiastically.
“Great” Adam says. “I’ll tell them we’ll be there for about half seven then.” He explains this to Tim and then turns to me. “Right - the plan for this evening is I’m going to have a shower, something to eat, watch a bit of TV and then…”
“And then?” I prompt.
“How do you feel about trying out the hot tub?” Adam asks.
“Will it be okay to use?” I ask.
“Yeah – it should be fine” Adam says. “What do you reckon?”
“Okay - why not? It looks like fun!” I say. “I’ve never been in a hot tub before. Do you just wear - like - normal swimwear?”
Adam raises an eyebrow and a sexy smile plays round his lips. “Well, that’s up to you” he says in a very flirty tone.
“I’ll put my bikini on” I say grinning.
After dinner, I go upstairs and put my new bikini on and my fluffy white dressing gown over the top and go back downstairs to the conservatory where Adam is closing the lower half blinds – leaving the top ones open so the night sky is clearly visible around the top of the room. He switches the hot tub on and watches it fill for a few moments. “Doesn’t seem to be leaking water anywhere,” he says, walking round and round the edge of the tub. “I’ll just go and get some champagne”.
“Okay, I’ll get in the tub” I reply, slipping my dressing gown off. I carefully step down into the hot tub, slowly sit down and stretch out my legs, enjoying the feeling of the hot water all round me, leaving just my head and shoulders above the water. This is fab. I stretch out my arms round the edge and tip my head back slightly to look at the sky and the stars twinkling overhead. I think that’s Orion’s belt there - the pyramids in Egypt are supposed to line up with that apparently - and I think that’s the plough over there…OH MY GOD.
Adam’s returned with the champagne. He’s wearing a pair of black, knee length, loose fitting swimming shorts that are cut low on the waist so I can see his stomach muscles and just a hint of hipbone. Round his neck is a black leather lace necklace with some silver beads on. He looks gorgeous. “Champagne Gail?” he asks, smiling his sexy lopsided smile at me. I’m so overcome with lust I can’t speak so I just nod and smile. Adam pours out two glasses of champagne, passing one to me before getting into the hot tub himself.
“This champagne is lovely,” I say, taking a sip and then I start giggling.
“What?” Adam asks.
“Well – this is mad isn’t it? Drinking champagne in a hot tub! Are we actually in an R&B video or a James Bond film Adam?” I say laughing.
“I know - it’s good isn’t it?” Adam says grinning.
“It’s great!” I say, drinking more champagne, before lying back and relaxing in the water for a few moments.
“Hey! I know what I haven’t tried yet!” Adam says suddenly.
“What?” I ask.
“The bubble maker!” he says enthusiastically and presses a few buttons on the side of the tub. Immediately, there’s a huge whooshing noise and the water starts to churn like mad. “Way-hey!” Adam says delightedly as suddenly mountains of foam completely surround us both.
“Gosh Adam – this is like a foam party!” I say laughing. “Not that I’ve ever been to a foam party. I didn’t know hot tubs came with bubble machines like this!”
“They don’t normally – I had this fitted specially!” Adam says laughing as the bubbles rapidly climb all round us. I drink the rest of my champagne and reach forward to grab some of the bubbles.
“This is fantastic!” Adam says and then leans forward to push his face into a really big cloud of bubbles. He lifts his face out and his hair and eyebrows are dripping with foam. He is absolutely covered in bubbles and grinning like mad.
“Adam! What are you like?” I say laughing.
“Hey – come here and give me a kiss,” he says, grabbing me and kissing me so I get covered in bubbles as well. “It suits you!” Adam says laughing, “You look like Santa!”
“Oh thanks!” I reply and I grab a handful of bubbles and throw them at him, giggling.
“So - you wanna play dirty do you?” Adam says in a mock stern voice and splashes me with foam right in the face. I wipe my eyes laughing and open them to find Adam leaning in close to me. “You okay?” he asks, concerned. “The bubbles haven’t gone in your eyes have they?”
“No I’m fine” I say smiling, pushing my wet hair off my face.
“I know that Gail Auden,” Adam says in a low voice, “I’d say you were pretty damn fine actually” and he wraps his arms round me and kisses me passionately.
That’s it. I’ve died. I’ve died and gone to heaven. I know I have
Chapter 18
The next night we go to Tim and Gina’s house, which is a huge mock Tudor mansion in the middle of nowhere. Gina gives me a tour round and Tim shows us his latest addition to the house - a twenty seater home cinema.
“Wow - it’s got crimson velour flip down seats and everything!” I say.
“It’s great isn’t it?” Tim says smiling.
“I hope it doesn’t give Adam any more ideas though” I say jokingly, “we’ve only just had a hot tub installed!”
“Oh yes - how is it?” Tim asks.
“Oh it’s great thanks” Adam replies and winks at me out of the sight of Tim and Gina. I grin back at him as I remember last night. There’s a lot of fun to be had in a hot tub.
“Oh - I bet it’s lovely!” Gina says. “Just think Gail – you’ll be able to turn it into a right little spa retreat!” Just then the doorbell rings. “That should be Sharon and Tony” Gina says, “Excuse me a minute”. She hurries off to answer the door and me, Adam and Tim make our way onto the landing.
“Sorry we’re a bit late!” I can hear Tony say, “Bloody traffic! It’s murder!”
“Don’t worry about it” Gina says warmly, “Glad you made it. Oooh - that’s the timer on the oven ringing - I’ll just nip and check it”.
We make our way down the stairs to greet Tony and Sharon. “Darlings!” Sharon says, kissing us all, “It’s been ages since we saw you! That’s a nice top Gail” she says, “is it Dior?’ she asks.
“George at Asda actually” I say delighted.
“Wow!” Sharon says, “It looks really nice with your jeans”.
“Thanks” I say. The top in question is made from deep turquoise satin, with short-sleeves and is slightly off the shoulder. I really like it and couldn’t believe it when I saw it had been reduced to eight quid as well!
Just then Gina comes back through into the hall. “Dinner’s ready!” she says, “So if you would like to go and sit down. Tim - can you open some wine please?”
We go through into a sumptuous dining room and Adam pulls out a chair for me to sit down, before sitting down next to me. Sharon and Tony sit down opposite us. “Now – I’ve made a huge beef stew” Gina announces as she carries in a huge Le Crueset casserole dish. “So I hope you are all hungry!”
“Glass of wine Gail?” Tim asks, holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
“Oh yes please” I say.
“I’ll have a glass as well. You don’t mind driving home do you?” Sharon asks Tony grinning.
“It doesn’t look like I have much choice does it?” Tony says laughing as Sharon takes a gulp of her wine and Tim immediately tops her glass up again.
“Do you want a glass sweetheart?” Tim asks Gina.
“Yes please. I think I’ve earnt it!” Gina says smiling as she ladles some delicious smelling beef stew onto my plate.
“Would you like some bread?” Tim asks, passing round a basket of rolls and I select a small wholemeal one.
“Oh – not for me thanks” Sharon says. “I try not to eat carbs after 7pm”.
Tony rolls his eyes. “I’ll have hers then” he says and takes two. I feel a bit guilty for taking a roll, but I’m still going to eat it. And with butter as well.
“This is really nice!” Adam says as we all tuck into our stew and Gina smiles.
“Oh thank you!” she says.
“Going to be a tough end of season match on Saturday”, Tony remarks between mouthfuls of stew.
“Nah – we’ll be fine” Adam says and takes a sip of water.
“You’re joking aren’t you? Lillingham are playing that new striker they’ve just bought in and they’ve got Gracy in midfield!” Tony retorts.
Adam shakes his head. “It’ll be fine” he repeats, “We’re playing at home don’t forget, Pierre is fit again after that ankle injury he had, Richard and Steve are working really well together and to top it all off, there’s you on the right wing and me and Tim up front. How can we fail?” he says and we all laugh.
“Quite right Adam” Tim says. “We’ll flatten ‘em!”
“Are you coming Gail?” Sharon asks me and everyone looks at me expectantly.
“Erm” I say as I hastily swallow a mouthful of beef stew, “I’d not really thought about it”. Why do people always ask me questions when I’ve just taken a huge mouthful of food?
“Oh you must! Gina and I are going. You can sit with us!” Sharon says.
“I think Gail is still scarred from the last time she went to see a match” Adam says smiling, his eyes twinkling at me.
“Why? What happened?” Tim asks.
“Oh nothing really” I say, “It was just really cold and this metal shelter kept rattling behind me in the wind all night. The meat pies weren’t very nice either” I add and everyone laughs.
“Well it’s a lot better now Gail” Gina says reassuringly. “Grandmere’s got proper seats and they do salads and everything in the corporate restaurant. Come on – it’ll be fun!”
“Okay – why not?” I say and Adam beams at me. It’ll make him happy I suppose even if I’m dithering with cold and bored out of my skull.
After everyone has finished, Gina starts to clear the empty plates away. As she comes round to take my plate, she leans forward and whispers in my ear “Don’t worry Gail – if it’s boring we can do what me and Sharon normally do - sneak off for some champagne half way through, get pissed and come back near the end”. She winks at me conspiratorially and I grin back. Now that’s more like my idea of a fun way to spend Saturday afternoon.
****
We arrive at the ground for the match and I give Adam a great big kiss and wish him lots of luck. He explained whilst driving down here that if Grandmere win this match today, it will mean they have finished at the highest point in the league table that they have ever been.
“Are you nervous Adam?” I ask.
“No I’m quite looking forward to it!” he replies, giving me a manic grin and I laugh.
“Good luck!” I call as he heads off to get ready for the match and I go to find my seat. I sit down and look round at the stadium, which is already packed to the rafters and feel absolutely overwhelmed. The noise is incredible! “Welcome to the crucial match of the season between Grandmere United and Lillingham Town!” says a voice over the loud speaker and the crowd roars, drowning out the rest of the announcement. I’ve started feeling nervous, so goodness knows what Adam’s feeling now. I can see the television cameras as well. Adam mentioned earlier that the match was being televised, adding that the camera will probably pan over the crowd and may focus on me for my reaction if events dictate. Great. I know, I just know I’ll have this insane desire to pick my nose or something just before the camera starts panning round and the image of me with a finger up my nose will be beamed all round everywhere and – even worse - end up in Slur! magazine! Oh God, I don’t even know why I came. I didn’t know what to wear today either, so I thought I’d play it safe with jeans, T-shirt, cotton jacket and boots, along with a Grandmere United scarf I got in the shop just now to at least try and look like an normal fan. I think these designer sunglasses that Adam bought me kind of give me away though. I’m just putting them on my head when I hear my name being called.
