Oscar Winning Performances (Part 4)

-6-

‘Sweetie, wake up! You have a phone – oh my, sorry.’ Maria had run into the only occupied bedroom and had seen Francis and Salix asleep in each others’ arms. Francis stirred and jumped as he noticed Salix’s mother. ‘Wake her up would you? And quickly.’ Francis rubbed Salix’s shoulder gently, her eyes flickering as if she was in a film and slowly, she woke up.
‘Mum, what are you doing?’
‘Phone call, Bonita, Mr Whittlers from Catchitune. Don’t keep him waiting. I’ll get Mary to make us some breakfast.’
Salix rushed to the phone, composing herself before she lifted the receiver.
‘Hello?’
‘Ah, Miss Frantisek, so glad I caught you in at this time, Caleb Whittlers here. I’ve heard from your proud father that you an excellent singer songwriter, I was wondering if you wished to record a few songs sometime soon, I’d love to represent such a beautiful talent such as yourself.’
‘Oh, well, I wasn’t really thinking about pursuing a career in music, but thank you very much for the offer.’
‘Well, maybe next time. I’ll send my son, Jon, around with a card to try and persuade you a little more. Very nice talking to you, Miss Frantisek.’
Salix hung up and jumped into bed next to Francis.
‘Who was that?’ he asked.
‘Jon Whittler’s dad asking me to record some stuff for him’ she shrugged. ‘I’d rather wear see through potato sacks around town than sing for that pervert.’
‘You know, I could always get hold of some see through potato sacks for you to wear around the house, if you really wanted me to’ he chuckled.
She dug her elbow into his ribs and he tickled her, climbing on top of her. She squealed childishly and he looked her in the eye. He shifted slightly then climbed out of bed to get dressed.
‘What’s wrong?’ She asked Francis’s back and sitting up in bed.
‘Nothing. I just got to go home and let Jacob know I’m ok’ he mumbled, racing out the door as Salix rushed after him.
He barged past Maria and out of the front door, leaving her mother in a fluster.
‘What happened here?’ Maria asked as Salix slumped against the door frame. She stood up and walked into the bedroom, sitting on the window seat and tucking her legs under her chin. Maria sat next to her and rested her hand on her daughter’s knee. ‘Want to talk about it?’
‘Not really, Mama. He’s really sweet and there’s definitely something between us, but I’m not sure if he feels it as well.’
‘Bonita, he must feel it or he wouldn’t have run out like that. Maybe he’s scared because you’re his big brother’s girlfriend.’
‘But that’s just it Mama; I’m not with Jacob anymore. He promised to come to the party but he was at Francesca Down’s house, and then she went back to his to continue what her mum probably rudely interrupted. He took me out to act like everything was fine yet he let slip that, while he was meant to be at my party like he promised, he was really screwing that whore.’
‘Bonita, don’t say that. He probably forgot-’
‘No Mama, don’t you dare defend him. He’s worthless, but so are his deadbeat brother and stupid father.’
‘Salix don’t talk like that. You don’t know their father, and Francis is hardly deadbeat, just two seconds ago you were saying that you feel something for him. Bonita, why don’t you call Papi and ask if you can stay with him for a few days. You need to get away.’
There was a knock on the bedroom door, they both looked up and Mary was looking sheepish.
‘Mr Glen is here to see you, Salix.’ She smiled and returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Salix stood up and saw Glen coming round the corner with a wide smile on his full lips.
‘Hola, Bonita. How are you?’ He held her tightly and swung her slightly side to side. He held her at arms length. ‘Why are you still in your night clothes, as slinky and sexy as they are? Hola Maria.’
Maria smiled and walked out the door, laying her hand on Glen’s shoulder as she passed.
‘Francis stayed over last night, nothing happened, we just slept in the same bed. How’s our little bet going?’
‘Oh you and Francis? Isn’t that Jacob’s younger brother? Going for the whole of the male side of the family, I see. Well, Hannah and I are going out tomorrow night, probably going back to Daddy’s place because he and his wife are at Parents’ Evening at their school and Hannah is so besotted with me she’ll do anything I say. So I can honestly shake your hand and say I have fulfilled my part of the bet. How’s your part going with Maddy?’
‘It’s only been two days since the party and since then, I’ve found out I was cheated on, smoked cannabis, slept with a guy but didn’t have sex with him, and had flipping Caleb Whittlers asking me to record some tunes so that he could get me to pose on a beach and perv on me.’
‘Ah, Bonita, you have so much to learn. Go and get dressed and I’ll take you for a mocha cappuccino and teach you, young grasshopper.’ He walked towards the wardrobe and pulled out a summer dress.
‘It’s February, Glen, I’m not wearing a dress. Just find my Prada jeans and my Armani jumper, my Prada heels are in at the bottom as well. Thong or knickers?’
‘Definitely knickers, thongs are for the girls you see in Greenhill. Now, you don’t want to be a Greenhill girl, do you?’ He laughed at her expression and threw her clothes on the bed and placed her gold heeled shoes at the base of the bed. He stood there with his arms crossed as she raised her night shirt. She lifted an eyebrow and he held up his hands in defence as he walked towards the door.
‘Bonita, we used to bathe naked together in España, and we were each other’s first kiss as well so I think we’re past all the ‘I don’t want you to see me naked’ stuff.’
‘Glen, we’re not four anymore. If you haven’t noticed, I’m bigger in the chest area even if you’re not’ she smiled. ‘You may be bigger in other areas, as in your ego, but get out.’
He walked out and she turned her back on the door and started to change into the clothes that had been laid out for her.
‘Bonita, one more thing.’ Glen opened the door and she covered her breasts with her arms, screaming for him to get out. He laughed, stepped towards her and closed the door behind him. ‘Bonita, when I came to the party and you saw me, your eyes lit up.’
‘I was happy to see you because I hadn’t seen you for years! Don’t flatter yourself; can you let me get dressed before we have this conversation?’
He sighed and turned around, looking over his shoulder as she did up her bra and slid her top over her shoulders.
‘Stop peeking, Glen.’
‘What? I’m not doing anything. I will now, though.’ He walked towards her and slid his arms around her waist, nibbling her neck despite her protests.
‘You want this too, Bonita, so don’t deny it.’
‘I’m not denying it, I want to get dressed and have that cappuccino you promised me.’ She pulled away and pulled on her jeans and sandals, choosing a gold Chanel bag and matching sun glasses.
‘You don’t need sunglasses, Bonita, it’s February.’ Salix laughed and slung the bag over her shoulder and stalked out of the bedroom. ‘You always were the better half of this friendship. I have Padre’s car, so I’ll drive.’ He opened the door and walked out with Salix following. They got in to a red Ferrari and Glen started up the engine and sped off into town.
They pulled up outside a small café and walked inside arm in arm. People turned and stared at them as they took a seat by the window. They ordered drinks and muffins and started their chat.
‘So, Salix, what happened with Jacob last night, I saw you driving into town with him last night.’
‘Nothing. He promised to come to the party but he was with Francesca Down, apparently she wasn’t feeling too well.’ She leaned in and flicked her curls out of her face. ‘I saw her all over Michael Dongle at her University ball. I went with Simon Peters and she was all over Michael, so she got over him quickly.’
Glen laughed.
‘Listen to yourself, Bonita; you’re full of secrets about other people, when you’re so mysterious about your own life. Where was Antonio, I didn’t hear him when I came to pick you up.’
‘No, he went to London after he smacked me across the kitchen at the party. I don’t really care, but Madre said he was sorry.’
‘He hit you; why?’
‘I confessed his secret affairs and he went wild in front of everyone. He reminded me of the toros we saw in España when we were little.’
‘Well your father does have the Spanish temper, and when it flairs, he’s like a bull, like my Madre. Oh, speaking of Madre, she’s coming over tomorrow; can you come and get her with me?’
‘Sure, haven’t seen her for over a year, what time?’
‘Half past three in the morning, so you’ll have to stay with me, or I’ll stay in one of your many empty rooms. But stop changing the subject Bonita. What happened with Francis?’
Salix laughed. ‘Nothing, why, are you jealous?’ she asked cheekily. She crossed her fingers under the table. ‘Anyway, nothing happened, and nothing will either. He gets a bit spooked when I make a move on him, but it’s ok when he makes a move on me. When I ran out on Jacob last night, I ran to the park and he produced two ounces of cannabis. We smoked about half of it before we danced in the rain. We went back to mine, I baked cakes, we nearly had sex then we went to a room and slept together.’
‘Oh right, so you smoked dope, got turned on in the kitchen yet you didn’t have sex at all? Well, I applaud you, Bonita, for resisting the irresistible charms of Francis James Dean. I still think that you should take the Caleb deal, you could get even more cash, and you can use him for a bit of publicity and to get Jon on your arm.’
A waiter bought over their drinks and muffins, hovering near their table nervously. Salix sighed and handed him a tip and he pocketed the money, returning to the kitchen.
‘I don’t want Jon on my arm, and I don’t need any publicity. I’m virtually a celebrity because I’m a Frantisek. I think we should go away, somewhere where no one knows who we are.’ Her eyes lit up and she sipped her hot chocolate, as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips. She placed her foot between his and slid it up and down his leg, looking at him seductively.
‘Salix, you were the one talking about being just friends, so don’t go making a move on me, especially after you insulted my manhood in the way you did back at the house.’
She set her mug down moodily and said ‘teach me then.’
‘Ok firstly,’ he said, ‘you are too easy. You get to the bedroom and do what you like because you’re a Frantisek and they do that kind of thing. No, it’s true. Secondly, you’re fickle, very fickle. You go after Jacob, you got him then you got bored and moved on to Jaden, got bored then had James the masseuse, yes I know about that before the party, then you had Francis.’
‘That’s not true. I had Jaden before Eddie, well at the same time.’
‘So you don’t deny having Francis? I knew it! Was he good seeing as he was stoned?’
‘I’m not telling you. So what do I do, oh great grand master?’ she teased him.
‘Make yourself untouchable. Not ugly untouchable, just resistant. Like at the party, say. You went into three rooms, am I correct?’ Salix shook her head but Glen continued. ‘You have to make them think that they’re going to get some, yet you never touch, kiss or have any other sexual contact. Don’t look like that, that’s how I’m splitting Hannah and Charles up. Drive her wild with excitement, yet she knows she won’t have me until I’m in a ‘committed relationship’.’ They both laughed and many people turned their heads to watch them.
‘Oh come off it, Glen. You jumped into bed with Ana on the first date.’
‘I just wanted to have sex so that I knew what everyone was talking about. And I have to admit, it wasn’t that great.’
‘Well Ana wasn’t that great either. She wasn’t pretty, she wasn’t popular, and she wasn’t clever, so what did you see in her?’
‘I don’t know,’ he laughed, ‘She was the only one who let me copy her English notes, even though they were completely wrong. And I was lab partners with her in Chemistry.’
‘Ok, so what else do I have to do?’ She sipped her drink once again and started to stroke his leg with her foot again.
‘Give them the ‘come to bed’ eyes but leave them wilting like you did with me when you left to come here. It’s like taking a kid to a sweet shop then refusing to buy them anything.’
‘So I have to take a vow of celibacy. I get really frustrated when I get built up by a guy and I don’t get anything.’
‘See, that’s your problem. When you go for sex, you get it. Come home with me and I’ll cook you some tea then you can stay over so we can pick up Madre in the morning.’ She nodded and stood up, leaving a ten pound note on the table to pay for the drinks and muffins. They stepped into the car and drove to Glen’s apartment.

***

He opened the front door and a chocolate Labrador ran to meet them, barking excitedly and wagging its tail ferociously. Salix bent down and stroked its head, laughing. She gazed at the elaborate architecture in awe as she followed Glen through to the kitchen. The black and white counters complimented the chrome appliances and Glen pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.
‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ Salix asked. Glen nodded and gave her a glass of white wine.
‘Just relax, Bonita. Tonight we’re going to watch a movie and get close again because I feel I’ve lost you.’ He grabbed a bag of popcorn out of the cupboard and led the way into the living room. ‘Ok, Bonita, we have stupid romantic comedy or stupidly scary film where you’ll be grabbing onto me.’
‘Comedy wins every time, Glen, you should know that. But I have to admit, the prospect of grabbing hold of you is very tempting’ she winked at him.
‘Bonita, you have multiple guys hanging off your words and I have Hannah hanging off mine for our bet. Call Maddy and Charles now and arrange a meeting. They’ll think they’re meeting you, yet they are meeting each other. It may seem flawed, but it will work out. So was that a horror or comedy?’
‘If we watch the horror I’ll be sleeping in your bed; so let’s watch a horror.’
‘Comedy it is then.’ He placed a DVD into the machine and pressed play, turning the lights off and joining Salix on the sofa. She snuggled up to him and tucked her legs underneath herself, much to his disapproval. She rested her hand on his thigh and traced shapes over the corduroy, letting him stiffen.
‘Bonita, stop it. You’re only here because I want you to pick up Madre with me tomorrow.’ He grabbed her hand and placed it on her own leg, staring stonily ahead at the screen. Salix slumped in her seat and tried to focus on the movie. She looked sideways at Glen, his square jaw was beginning to relax and his blue eyes had flecks of brown in them.
He and Salix had been friends since nursery school when they had both been told off for fighting. Their mother’s punished them by making them wash the cars together.
‘Bonita, stop looking at me like that.’
‘Like what? I’ve only just noticed that you have brown in your eyes and your lips have gotten so much more kissable.’
Salix leaned towards him when her mobile rang.
‘Bonita, it’s Papa, where are you? I want you home, now.’ Antonio’s voice intimidated all who heard it.
‘Papa, I’m with Glen, we’re going to pick up his Madre at four in the morning so he thought it would be easier for me to stay in the spare room.’
‘Bonita, we both know that you’ll end up in his bed, casa, now.’ Antonio hung up and Salix shut her eyes and sighed.
‘I have to go home. Papa’s just got back from London. Say sorry to Madre for me, won’t you?’ She kissed him on the cheek and stood up collecting her coat.
‘You can’t let him terrorise your life Bonita, you’re eighteen now.’
‘You’re right’ she said, leaning against the door frame, ‘I have to see Madre and I want to know how this ends.’ She smiled and tucked her legs underneath her once again.
‘What about us Bonita, how do we end?’ Glen asked quietly a while later, looking across at her.
‘Glen, we end as friends nothing more. We both have our own lives which crossed and even though I’m seriously attracted to you right now, nothing’s going to happen.’
‘Yeah right, Bonita, we both know that something’s going to happen. I forgot to tell you, there is no spare room, it’s a study with a sofa bed,’ he smiled.
‘Fine, I’ll sleep on the sofa with a coat over me if you don’t have a spare duvet.’ she said stubbornly.
‘Bonita, sleep with me, no sexual contact, I’ll even wear my boxers and I’ll supply you with a t-shirt and some shorts so we won’t even have any sexual body parts on show except your marvellous legs.’ She slapped his chest lightly and Glen caught her hand, letting his heart beat against her fingers. He kissed her forehead and released her hand, cupping her chin. He pulled her lips to his and let them hover as he whispered ‘Bonita, I’ve been aching to kiss you ever since your party; you looked so beautiful in that dress.’
Salix thrust her lips on his and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She shuffled onto his lap and they fell side wards and continued to kiss. The couch groaned yet they kissed unrelentingly and let their hands wander over each others bodies. His fingers grasped her jeans button and undid it, pulling the zip down and letting his right hand dive between the fabric of her underwear and her skin.
‘Glen, wait, I don’t think we should do this. What happened to leaving them wanting more?’ He raised an eyebrow and stood up.
‘You always were a tease Bonita; you took and never gave back. I’m going to bed.’ He walked out of the room and up to his bedroom, undressing and pulling out an old T-shirt and shorts for Salix. Salix followed him and stripped confidently, pulling the t-shirt over her head and flicking the curls from beneath the collar. She stepped into the shorts and wriggled into them, moving slowly and seductively. Glen moaned and lay on his front to cover the developing erection; Salix clambered over him and snuck her hand under his torso.
‘I may be a tease, but I can still get guys horny just by changing in front of them’ she whispered in his ear, shuffling under the duvet. She rubbed her left hand over his back and leaned in to nibble his ear.
‘Bonita, you can’t handle me. Besides, I’m over teenage kicks and I’m over you.’ He turned his face away yet Salix proceeded to seduce him. She flicked the back of his neck with her tongue and slid her fingertips down his bare back.
‘You never get over your first love, Glen, we both know that. How about a little tease for old times’ sake? I’m not having sex with you; just want a little foreplay so there isn’t this huge wedge of sexual tension between us as we sleep.’ He kissed her nose and turned his entire body towards her, running his hand down her side and over her hips. He yanked her body forwards, licking her neck and ear.
‘Bonita, how far are you willing to go tonight?’ he asked her shoulder.
‘We have to be out the house by one, we only have two hours of sleep, or we find a way to occupy our time.’
‘I can think of a way’ he whispered into her ear, letting his hands roam under her shorts and t-shirt. ‘I’m afraid I don’t do things by halves, Bonita, it’s fully naked or nothing at all.’ She pushed him away.
‘Nothing at all then’ she muttered, turning over and hiding a smile as Glen heaved a sigh and lay back on the bed, muttering insults.
Salix waited patiently for Glen to drift quickly to sleep before she shuffled under the duvet and between his legs, being careful not to wake him. She took his slightly erect penis between her lips and sucked it until she could feel his hands running through her curly hair. He whispered her name in annoyance and pulled her up to him.
‘I don’t want you anymore, now if you don’t mind; I only have an hour and a half to sleep until I have to meet my mother, now leave me alone and either go to sleep or go somewhere else.’ He turned away from her and Salix pulled the duvet away from Glen. He laughed and Salix asked why he was laughing.
‘We’re acting like a married couple, Bonita, you’re beautiful and every guy wants you, even me, but it’ll affect our friendship.’
‘I get what you’re saying Glen, so why don’t we just go to sleep with what little time we have left and sort it out later?’
He leant towards her and kissed her lips gently, waiting until she turned over to place his arm around her. Salix smiled and rested her hand on his, entwining their fingers as if they had been together for years. Salix slowly drifted off to sleep yet Glen stayed awake, stroking her hair away from her face and breathing in her scent.
An hour later, Salix stirred, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
‘Hey, sleepyhead, how you doing?’ he asked gently.
‘Hey, I’m sorry I fell asleep, I guess I was more tired than I thought. Did you manage to get any sleep?’
Glen shook his head.
‘I was too busy watching you. I know it’s weird but you’re even more beautiful when you’re asleep. I just wanted to kiss you, I was thinking of waking you up, but I thought it was mean as you looked so peaceful.’ Salix blushed and turned to face him, letting her fingertips brush his angled cheekbones. She edged her lips towards him, looking deeply into his eyes. Glen’s heart began to race as he could feel her breath on his lips, and stumbled out of bed, trying to cover his erection and rushed downstairs to start breakfast.
He leant against the sink and shook his head, swearing silently to himself. He pulled some bread out of the cupboard and shoved it onto the grill, munching on half a biscuit. He filled the kettle with water and set it to boil. He slumped onto a chair.
‘I’m sorry, Glen’ Salix said, leaning against the doorframe, her long legs curled around each other and her hands resting on the white oak.
He looked up and rushed to the grill, turning over the toast and pulling out the butter.
‘Want anything?’ he asked, unable to look her in the eye.
‘Just for you to talk to me like nothing’s happened. Nothing happened really, we just got a bit too close in bed, and we were both too scared to do anything.’
‘I wasn’t scared, Bonita, I’m in love with Hannah, having you with me in that bed, it just made me think of her.’
‘Liar, you always was a rubbish liar, Glen’ she said, walking towards him. ‘Conejo, get dressed and I’ll pay for some breakfast on the way.’ Glen sighed in annoyance.
‘Don’t call me Conejo; I grew out of the name when I was seven.’ He slammed down the butter and stormed upstairs to get dressed with Salix in hot pursuit.
‘What’s wrong? Come on, just talk to me; what did I do?’ She grabbed at his arm, making him turn to face her.
‘It’s not what you did; it’s what you didn’t do. You didn’t kiss me; you didn’t show me anything except friendship. We just slept in the same bed and you know how much I’m attracted you. Bonita, we have to get Madre.’
He sighed and tried to turn away yet Salix jumped in his arms and kissed him passionately. He shuffled backwards towards the bed, tugging at her shorts and falling back.
He yanked at the t-shirt yet Salix clutched at it, sitting up and making him fall aside.
She rummaged around the bedroom floor for her clothes.
‘Madre will be waiting Conejo, let’s go.’ She dressed hurriedly and Glen followed suit, grabbing car keys as he ran out of the house.

***

The stony silence between them made Salix shiver. She looked across at him and wished to touch his soft lips as they curved into a smile.
‘What are you smiling about?’ she asked, amused.
‘I was just thinking about Hannah, that’s all. The last time I saw her, she was half asleep in a cute pink basketball jersey and fluffy slippers. She looked so cute; I just had to have her.’
Salix smiled sadly. She wished she was the one he was talking about so fondly and she wished that the memory of her made him smile the way he smiled when he thought about Hannah.
‘Conejo, you really like her, don’t you?’ He glanced across at her, smiling.
‘Yeah I do, shame really because she’s still hung up on Charles. I don’t think that she’s just going out with him because it gets her a step closer to his dad.’
‘Thanks Conejo,’ she turned to look at him.
‘What for?’ he asked, confused.
‘For not hating me for what happened earlier, and I hope you won’t hate me for falling asleep again.’ She laughed and Glen’s eyes crinkled at the corners. His eyes were fixed on the road yet he shifted his hand from the gear stick to her thigh.
‘I could never hate you Bonita. You’re like a sister to me, and Madre will be so happy to see you.’ She rested her hand on top of his and he jerked his hand away and cleared his throat. The next twenty minutes were filled with silence and secret glances at each other. Glen’s mobile rang and he dug around in his pocket to find it. Glancing at the screen, he saw Hannah’s name. He passed the phone to Salix to answer.
‘Hello, Glen?’ Hannah asked.
‘No it’s Salix; Glen’s driving at the moment. Do you want me to take a message?’
‘No.’ Hannah hung up abruptly and Salix stared at the mobile in amazement.
‘She just hung up; it was Hannah by the way.’ Glen smiled and took the phone from her hands as they pulled into the airport car park. They walked towards the terminal from which Madre was appearing.
‘Conejo, I have missed you so much and you’ve only been gone a week.’ A small aging lady rushed towards Glen and squeezed her small arms around him.
‘Madre how was your flight? You remember Salix, don’t you?’ Glen pulled away from his mother and indicated towards Salix who smiled as warmly as possible.
Gema looked at Salix from her toes to her hair and looked disapprovingly at her. She sighed and started to lecture her son.
‘Why don’t you find someone who at least has the same ambitions as you do? You just passed your law exam and she hasn’t even got a degree.’
Glen laughed. ‘Madre, I’m not dating Salix, I’m dating a girl called Hannah, she’s just moved here from the States and she’ll be a politician in less than three years.’
He picked up his mother’s bags and let her walk ahead as Salix stayed level with Glen.
‘Politician, she couldn’t win a vote for anything other than Homecoming Queen back in the States.’
‘Bonita, don’t be so rude. It’s your fault I’ve fallen in love with her, you pushed me towards her when you wanted to split her and Charles up. You still haven’t talked to Charles about meeting up with Maddy.’
‘How is it my fault that you leapt into bed with her? You couldn’t keep your trousers up and that’s my fault?’ Salix snapped back.
‘This isn’t open for discussion, especially when Madre is here.’
‘Madre hates me; didn’t you see the way she looked at me when she arrived? I’m obviously not good enough for you, so can you drop me home on the way?’ She walked away, not waiting for an answer.
The journey home was excruciating for Salix as she had to pretend to be invisible. She would normally have no problem ignoring the people who upset her most, yet Gema constantly referred to Salix as ‘the one who is unworthy for her son’. Salix’s mobile rang.
‘Hey, it’s Jacob.’ The familiar voice was filled with humour and excitement.
‘Hey bear, how was last night?’
Jacob laughed. ‘Yeah, it was fun. Went out with the guys, there was this beautiful girl there who kept making eyes at me so I had to have her. We went back to hers and did it in the shed. It was so funny.’ Jacob laughed again as Salix’s face forced a smile.
‘I’m glad you had a good time. I’ll leave you to whatever you’re doing if you want?’
‘Ok bye.’ Jacob hung up. Salix had never felt the pain which stabbed at her heart before. Jacob was never open with her about the girls he had a one night stand with; maybe this is the real deal. Salix’s thoughts flitted around her mind; she was unable to make complete sense out of any of them so she sat in silence in the back seat of Glen’s car and tried not to think about it. The car slowed in front of her house and she said her ‘goodbyes’ and walked towards the white mansion. The door was opened by her sheepish mother.
‘Mama, what’s wrong?’ She stepped inside and hugged her mother who was shivering. ‘Where’s Papa?’
‘He’s right in front of you,’ came a deep voice over her mother’s shoulder. Salix looked up and saw her father standing at the bottom of the stairs putting his belt on. Salix hoped the worse hadn’t happened already.
‘Hi Papa. Madre said hola and she wishes to see you while she’s still here.’
‘You disobeyed me, Salix. You continued to stay with Glen and pick up his dishonourable mother and you didn’t do one single thing I told you to do. You were meant to be home yesterday.’
‘I know, Papa, but Glen didn’t want to go on his own and-’
Antonio lifted his hand to silence her.
‘You refused to comply with what I told you to do and you will soon receive your punishment. Your mother was just about to go out, weren’t you Maria.’ Antonio’s eyes blazed into Maria’s soul and she nodded, grabbing her coat and scuttling out of the house. Antonio walked towards Salix and touched her cheek with the back of his hand; she flinched away and excused herself. She ran upstairs to her room and burst into tears.
Mary knocked on the door.
‘Miss Salix, ah what’s wrong Bonita?’ She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her curls to soothe the sobs that were clogging Salix’s throat.
‘Jacob went out last night and had a one night stand. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but he just came out with it and then didn’t ask how I was. Am I that repulsive that the only guy I love has to go out and have sex with some slag?’
‘No you’re not.’
Salix and Mary looked towards the open door and Jacob’s silhouette was framed by the door. Salix flicked the tears away from her eyes and Mary excused herself.
‘I don’t want to talk to you, Jacob. We’re over, we never really started, but I’m not discussing anything with you.’ She stood up quickly and walked towards the door. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him.
‘Princess, I didn’t think you would care, I haven’t spoken to you since Valentine’s Day, and you stormed out of the restaurant.’
‘You cheated on me, Jacob; you admitted it. You promised to come to my party yet you went to Francesca’s.’
‘I told you nothing happened’ he protested.
‘Don’t lie to me, Jacob. Get out, if I scream Papa will come and remove you himself.’
He grasped her shoulders and shook her slightly. The anger in his eyes subsided and he pulled her close, kissing her hard and pushing her towards the bed. She froze and pushed him away, pummelling his chest with her clenched fists.
‘Get out, right now, get out!’ He sighed and walked out of the room, muttering insults of immature insolence. Salix grabbed a suitcase from the wardrobe and started pulling clothes from the shelves and packing them into the case.
Antonio walked into her room and stared at her in amazement.
‘Why are you packing?’ he demanded.
‘I’m taking that trip now, Papi. I’ll call in on Abuela and maybe go to Paris and see Colin. I’ll get a job as well so I can stay at a nice hotel and hire a nice car.’
‘Bonita, I hope you aren’t going because of what happened at the party, you know I didn’t mean it.’ Salix looked up, stunned at her father apologising. ‘I’ll book you any hotel you want to stay in and I’ll pay for it as long as you stay there and I’ll get a chauffeur if you want one.’
She stared at her suitcase and he sat down next to the pink case. Salix sighed.
‘I’m sorry too Papi. I’ll call you when I leave each place so you can book ahead. I love you Papa.’ She kissed him on the cheek and he hugged her, leaving the room for her to continue packing. The phone started ringing and she picked it up, tucking it between her ear and shoulder.
‘Hey Salix, are you still coming to Dad’s funeral?’ Salix’s hand flew to her mouth. She’d forgotten it was today.
‘Yes, of course, could you pick me up on your way?’ She put down her clothes and started to pick out a subtly sexy black outfit.
‘Yeah, it will be in about ten minutes, or is that too soon?’
‘No, that’s perfect. Just knock on the front door and I’ll be down.’ They hung up and Salix pulled out a black pencil skirt and blouse and black stilettos. She stripped quickly and pulled the clothes on. She tied her hair up in a bun, picking a small handbag out of the cupboard and dropping her mobile and lip gloss into it. She didn’t want too much make up as it was a funeral and just as she shut her bedroom door, there was a knock at the front door.

-7-

She skipped down the stairs and opened the door, smiling at the handsome man in front of her. She kissed his cheeks and tucked her arm through his, letting him lead her towards the family black limousine. He opened the door and got in after her. The limo was empty as the other family members lived closer to the church than he did and they were picking them up on the way.
‘How are you holding up, Shane?’ She rested her fingers on his yet he continued to stare stonily ahead. ‘I know how you’re feeling, I wish I didn’t but I do. My best friend died only six months ago, you get a sense of emptiness in your being and you can’t fill it.’
He looked at her, unable to keep his eyes away from her moving lips. He cupped her face with his hand and forced himself upon her, kissing her passionately and forcing his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back, trying to soften and slow the kisses. He broke down and cried on her chest, she stroked his hair and soothed him with words of comfort.
‘Sweetie, you can get through this, we’ll get through it together. Why don’t you come away with me tomorrow? I have a spare ticket and we don’t have to do anything together. My dad is paying for everything and we can meet up with some new people. You have all today to think about it, ok? Until tomorrow, we’ll get through today.’ He nodded and a regal woman and a haunting man stepped into the car, a tissue held up to her nose.
‘You must be Salix. This is my husband, James’ she said, leaning across Shane to shake her hand. ‘I’ve heard so much about you from SHANE. Strangely, I never spoke to Shane until the day he died, saying he was leaving everything to SHANE and Kelly, his second wife.’ Her face contorted into a bitter frown then she sighed and forced a smile. ‘Today is about the good times we had together, as limited as they were as he left me for a younger model. Your father was never a good husband to me, SHANE.’
‘Like James is? Mum, it’s Dad’s funeral, for God’s sake! Can you not even pretend for ten seconds that you’re sad that he’s gone?’ Shane turned to face his mother with anger spread on his face.
‘Your father was a waste of space, SHANE, I’m sorry but he was. He left you when you were only five and left us to fend for ourselves.’
‘Yet he continued to pay child support and send presents on birthdays and Christmas. He loved me, helped me into good schools and be what I want to be. You don’t have to be sad that he’s gone but be happy that you knew him and had me. It took you all of three months to get married to James.’ Salix leaned towards him, whispering in his ear.
‘Just leave it, you can’t change her. We only have a few minutes until we reach the church.’ She pulled him towards her and shuffled over his lap to sit between the mother and son. She continued to hold his hand and tried to hold an insignificant conversation with his mother and step father that would never lead to families. They arrived at the church and Shane started shaking. She wrapped her arms around him, suggesting they went home but he shook his head.
‘This is the only way I’ll be able to say goodbye to him,’ he sniffed.
Salix nodded, ‘we’ll go the second you want to ok? I’ll just call Mary and she’ll get a driver over here.’ He hugged her and held her hand as they got out of the limo. They shuffled into the small church and sat down at the front, waiting for the coffin to be carried in. It was placed at the front of the church and Shane broke down.
The vicar introduced him and Shane took a piece of paper out of his pocket and stood at the lectern in front of the mourners.
‘My father was an amazing man. He helped me through college both financially and mentally. He may have been my dad, but he was also a friend.’ He wiped away a tear and continued.
Salix remembered the funeral she was part of six months ago and excused herself, rushing out of the church and slumping against the wall. She looked up to the sky and tried to compose herself before re-entering the service. She slid into the back pew and watched Shane struggle to finish his speech, longing to reach out and read it for him.
He searched the front row for her and frowned when he could see her, frantically searching the crowd. She partially stood up and he saw her, sighing with relief that he still had someone to turn to. He tried to continue, yet choked on the words and stumbled to his seat; Salix sneaked in beside him and clutched his hand to comfort them both. The service finished and people started leaving, shaking Shane’s, Kelly’s and Anna’s hands as they went. Salix stood behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder, turning him round to hug him.
‘You’re doing really well SHANE, are you staying for a while?’ He nodded and itched his head with his right hand. ‘I’ll stay with you.’ He smiled and kissed her cheek, thanking her.
He led her towards the church hall where food was spread over several tables and quiet music was providing noises to fill the awkward silences. She stayed next to him for the remainder of the afternoon until he was ready to go home. Salix stepped outside and called Mary to ask for a car to drive them home.
‘Yeah Mary, it really reminded me of Jo’s funeral. I had to go out half way through, but we’re just about to leave. Can you get James to drive over? It’s at Saint Martin’s on the High Street, ok see you later.’
SHANE snuck up behind her and hooked his hands around her waist, snuggling into her neck.
‘I really appreciate you coming with me.’ She turned around and smiled, hugging him friendlily. He pulled away and looked into her eyes, pulling her towards him and kissing her. She stood rigid in his arms, and he noticed her stiffness. He pulled away.
‘I’m sorry, you just looked so.’ She interrupted him.
‘Don’t say it. I’m sick of being beautiful to everyone. That’s why I’m stopping at the Milan fashion week first. If you’re coming with me, you’ll see what beauty really is.’ She turned around and saw the car pulling up to the curb. She opened the door and turned back to Shane. ‘Are you coming, or not?’ He nodded bashfully and got in beside her while Salix told the driver Shane’s address. They sat in silence on the way to Shane’s house and Salix waited in the living room while he packed. He rushed down the stairs and smiled with joy as she stood up. He opened the front door for her and shoved his luggage into the car after her, sliding in and brushing her thigh with his fingers.
Sooner than expected, they arrived at the Frantisek mansion and heard giggling coming from the front room. Salix crept up to the door and peered around it, gasping at the sight in front of her.
‘Papa, what are you doing?’ Her father sat up suddenly, letting the thin blonde lady fall to the floor. ‘Where’s Mama?’ Shane stood beside her, his mouth gaping at the sight of Salix’s father with another woman. Antonio’s temper flared and he jumped up from the sofa, clutching his boxers to his penis. He pulled them on quickly and shouted at Salix.
‘Get out, you dirty whore!’ Salix slammed the door shut and pulled Shane up to her bedroom.
‘I’m so sorry you had to see that, now you know how our family stays together; by my father having multiple affairs and my mother burying her head in the sand.’ She flopped on to the bed, resting her head in her hands and sighing. She sat up unexpectedly and grabbed the plane tickets from the desk and her bag from the floor. She scribbled a note and left it on her mother’s pillow.
‘Let’s go now. Papa said he’d pay for everything.’
‘Even after what just happened?’ Shane asked, surprised.
She nodded and clutched at his hand, pulling him back downstairs and shouting her goodbyes.