The Alphabet Game the Complete Alpha Series a to X, Y, Z (17 page)

I stare out over the balcony. ‘Then mum had a new friend, who came to visit. He bought me lots of toys but I didn’t want them. I don’t remember specific things, just that I didn’t want him, he wasn’t my Dad. He shouted at me once when my mum had nipped to the shop. Told me I’d better start liking him because he was staying. I remember that, because spittle came out of his mouth, reminding me of the dog next door that my mum had told me to stay away from. So I stayed away from him. Not long after I was sent away.’

‘But what about the holidays? Did you get some time with your mum then?’

‘No. After I’d been home a few days, he always managed to take her on a trip, so I had to stay with nannies for the rest of the break.’ I think back to my cold, clinical room. ‘I was neither seen, nor heard. I just escaped into books. Visited libraries, shut myself in my room and read. Then as I got older I starting reading in coffee shops.’

‘Hence the coffee obsession.’

‘Yup. It’s part of who I am. I’m closer to caffeine than my family.’I huff.

‘What about other family?’

‘I’m sure I have some but I don’t know where they are. I haven’t seen my Dad’s parents since I went to boarding school and my mum never had anybody.’

‘You could find your grandparents?’

I shake my head firmly, ‘No. I haven’t seen them for almost twenty years. They aren’t family to me now.’ I set my jaw.

‘Sorry.’

‘What for?’

‘Touching a nerve?’

I shake my head again. ‘No, it just reminds me that I need to look forward not backwards. I’ll make my own family.’

Then I think about what I just said and start giggling.

Gabe looks at me in panic, ‘What?’

I realise how my statement could have been construed and laugh harder.

‘Can you let me in on this, do you think?’

I wipe the tears from my eyes, desperately trying to control myself. I take deep breaths. ‘It’s not even going to sound that funny to you. I was just saying how I’m making my own family and I thought you might panic thinking I’d get myself pregnant. Then I thought so far my family consists of an alcoholic nympho who I’ve known three years. I’m not doing so well.’

‘It’ll come Stella, you’ll fight for it, I know you will.’ He jumps up quickly, ‘Right, I’ll go and fetch us another coffee, that was delicious.’

‘I can make us one from the machine?’

‘No I like the ones from downstairs. I’ll be back in a bit.’

Way to go in making someone uncomfortable Stella.

After another coffee, Gabe starts to collect his belongings together. ‘I’m going to have to make a move. I’ve an early flight. You going to be okay?’

‘I’m fine. Granted I still feel low, but I’m getting my mojo back. Onwards and upwards.’

‘Well I’ll see you in a week. Don’t do anything stupid whilst I’m gone.’ He kisses me on the cheek and leaves.

No I’m only stupid when you’re around.

The week passes slowly with Gabe away and Ronnie in rehab. I hear nothing from my mother and stepfucktard, surprise, surprise. I realise that I have nothing in my life other than swimming and revenge plans, what a sad git. I ponder things over whilst sipping a latte and then I head off to the pet shop.

Before long I’m the proud owner of three goldfish called McDreamy, Meredith and Christina. I like watching them swim around, it’s hypnotic. I’ve purchased some plants they apparently adore and a bridge. There, just like that I have something to care about and look after, and they adore water just like I do. I wonder if they really have a two second memory? That’d be quite useful at times.

I know Gabe didn’t say I should expect a call from him, but I’m still surprised to hear nothing at all. I haven’t heard anything from the PI either. I’ll give Peter until the end of the week and then I’ll check what’s happening.

I should open my apartment up as a library it’s so quiet. I swim, I eat, I read, I sleep. It’s a routine and I like it.

But the apartment seems empty without a certain taut, hot body in it.

On Friday morning I get a call from Peter on my other phone. He has some information for me. I arrange to meet him later in the same bar as before.

When I get there he doesn’t look any more awake. I guess babies do that to you.

He nods at me,‘Nice hair. Suits you that colour.’

I touch it, ‘Oh yes, thanks. I’ve gone back to my natural colour.’

‘Well each to their own, but I think this looks a lot better.’

‘Erm, thanks?’

He opens a file on the table. I feel like I’m in some espionage spy movie and the writing on the page will go invisible after sixty seconds.

‘Okay, so first of all, I’ve located your stepsister.’

‘Great.’

‘She’s now known as Isabel Lucas. She married two years ago.’

‘And her address?’

‘She lives on 82nd Street on the Upper East Side. New York.’

‘New York?’

‘Yes, that’s where she’s been for the past eight years, according to records.’

‘Wow, I wonder what made her move out there?’

‘I can find out for you?’

‘No, that’s okay.’ I tuck my hair behind my right ear. ‘I’m going to see her myself.’

‘Fair enough. Well if you change your mind just let me know.’

‘I will.’ I think about the money Mitch gave me. Hah he can pay for me to see his stepdaughter. I can find out all that went on between them. Then I remember, ‘You said first of all, you’d located my stepsister? What else?’

He flicks through his file.‘I’ve found some people who went to school with your stepfather and Mr Gregory.’

I sit up straighter,‘Oh yes?’

‘Apparently they weren’t known to be particular buddies. In fact there was a kind of one-upmanship went on between them. Your stepfather was the star chess player, Mr Gregory the star footballer.’

‘Anything else?’

‘Well there was one thing, I kind of did a bit of searching around your mother to see if I could raise any more info on your stepfather.’

I look annoyed.

‘It’s what we have to do. Anyway I’m glad I did.’

He takes out a class photo. ‘Your mother went to the same school as Mr Daniels and Mr Gregory. She was two years below them. She dated your stepfather for six years. From what I established they split up when Mr Daniels was found to be expecting a baby with the woman who became his first wife, Emily.

‘Isabel.’

He nods in agreement. ‘I think your mother and stepfather were always in touch Stella. Your stepfather left and divorced Emily, not long after your father died.’

He hands me some papers. ‘I’ll carry on with the honey trap and looking into the pornography situation. In the meantime, I’ve enclosed my bill in there for the work so far. It has to be settled within fourteen days.’

‘I’ll settle it first thing in the morning.’ I stand up. ‘Thank you Peter, you’ve been very thorough.’

He nods and leaves.

I order a vodka in order to stem the trembling in my fingers emerging from the held in fury.

Did my mother ever love my father, or did she cheat on him the whole time?

Then I think to myself, ‘Was I even his?’ But I know the answer to that question. I have the same nose and lips as he did. If I cover the top part of my head with my hands, I look just like my dad from the nose down.

I’m going to take great delight in flattening Mitch Daniels.

I’m off to New York. I have a sister to meet and a business to learn. Fast.

Chapter 8

I get a text from Gabe:

“Pick you up at seven. Dress casual but hot undies.”

I’m so intrigued I’m ready and waiting by the apartment entrance as he rolls up, driving a Jeep.

I jump in the passenger side. ‘Are we going offroading?’

He looks at me, smirks and winks.

‘J is for jeeping.’

I raise my eyebrows, ‘Come again?’

‘I’m sure you’ll come many times. Anyway we need to get going. Don’t want to be late.’

We pass through the driveway of what appears to be an abandoned old house. There’s a sold sign attached to the gates.

‘So let me guess, you bought the house and you want me to help decorate?’

‘No. All will become clear in a moment.’

We turn into a secluded garden at the edge of the property. There are other jeeps parked between trees. I count seven including us. People are sitting in the middle of the garden on large spread out picnic blankets drinking champagne.

‘What’s going on Gabe?’

‘We’re just going to have a drink with some new friends.

I pull him back by his arm.

‘Look Gabe, I’m not shagging anyone else, if that’s what you’ve got in mind.’

‘That’s not what this is about. Look, just have a drink, loosen up and see where it goes.’

‘I’ll be honest, I’m about to run off.’

‘In those shoes?’

We both look at my feet. He said dress casual but I still have on three inch navy blue sandals.

‘It’s a long way back up that driveway. Anyway, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want. Right now we’re just going to enjoy champagne and a picnic. I haven’t seen you all week, you can tell me what’s been happening while I’ve been gone.’

I sit down on a blanket and nod hello at the others, keeping a safe distance. I fill Gabe in on what Peter said whilst we drink.

‘So I’m booking to fly out to New York on Monday.’

‘I’ll come with you.’

‘No that’s not necessary, I can do this by myself.’

‘My father was sending me to New York the week after next anyway so I may as well just bring the trip forward. I can do the work he wants me to do and I’m there if you need me as back up.’

The champagne is delicious and I begin to relax. The more I drink, the more chilled and buzzed I feel and the more I want to get Gabe out of here and back to my apartment.

He absently scratches his neck. I see that yummy piece of flesh, lean over him and nibble it.

‘Oh I’m getting hungry.’

He growls deep in his throat.

Dusk starts to set and people get up and return to their jeeps. I hear sounds of lust and moaning start in a orchestra of arousal. Immature, squiffy me wants to laugh, but a deeper part of me starts to get turned on by the sounds. One couple climbs out of their jeep and stands against the doorway. He enters her roughly, slamming her into the door behind. The jeep wobbles slightly. The blonde girls eyes look at me, catch me watching her. She smiles, she likes it.

‘Jeeping huh?’

‘Jeeping.’

‘So do you want to go and feel me up in ours?’

He grabs my hand. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

He pulls the seats forward and we get into the back. As Gabe starts to kiss me, giggles burst out of my mouth.

‘Stella.’

I laugh heartily. ‘I can’t help it. I never made out in the back of a car before. I feel like a teenager.’

‘Well I feel horny so be quiet and kiss me.’

He presses me back into the leather seating and snogs me into submission. I soon lose the giggles.

He pushes my top up, displaying my bra and pulls the cups down so my breasts spill out of them. He cups them in his large hands, caressing the nipples with his thumbs. I can feel his hard on against my leg. He reaches under my skirt and takes off my pants before putting my skirt over his head and kissing me between my legs. His tongue reaches intimate parts. I sigh and relax into the motions. After a few minutes I can feel the pressure building and I moan. He pushes my skirt up so that I can see exactly what he’s doing. He shoves his hands under my backside so that he can get a better position. His fingers dig into the cheeks of my ass but I quite like it.

I can see his tongue laving my clit and flicking inside. I close my eyes, start to touch my own breasts and whisper, ‘Oh my, oh Gabe, please, please, right there, harder, lick me harder, that’s it, that’s it, oh my God, oh, oh, oooooooh.’

I buck and twist as the sensations come like little electric shocks. I want to push myself into his mouth to savour my orgasm but I’ve gone so sensitive I have to back away a little. That’s the point where I open my eyes and see that we have an audience. One of the couples are leaning against a tree, watching us, while they fuck.

I can tell by their faces that they’ve been getting turned on by what we’re doing. When he sees I’m watching the guy withdraws from his partner and drops to his knees. He sticks his head between his partners legs and starts doing what we just did.

‘Gabe, erm, look.’

We turn and watch. The couple are getting turned on by us watching them and I’m getting turned on by what they’re doing. Seeing the arousal on the woman’s face as she nears her climax, I roll the window down just the tiniest bit so that I can hear her soft moans.