Fern Britton - A Good Catch

Jesse pulled his mouth down at the corners. ‘Yeah.’

‘They’re well suited, don’t you think?’

‘I s’pose.’

Greer, powered by the warmth of vodka, elucidated. ‘I mean they’re two of a kind. Loveday has no ambition to leave Trevay. Mickey’s future is mapped out for him on the boats. Whereas you and I …’ She took a step closer to him. ‘We’re lucky. We come from families who have made something of themselves.’

Jesse was now feeling very drunk but also – and this surprised him – he suddenly felt attracted to Greer. She wasn’t sexy and exuberant like Loveday, but her shiny, blunt-cut bob and neat, even teeth were fascinating him. He wasn’t sure what she was saying exactly, but whatever it was, she was saying it very sweetly.

‘You’re all right really, aren’t you, Greer?’ he managed. ‘I don’t think you’re a snob. Like some of them say. You’re just a bit different. That’s all. Want a top-up?’

Greer frowned slightly. ‘Yes, please, and I’m not a snob. Who said that?’

‘Janine and Heather.’

Greer drank some more punch and enjoyed its zing as it ran down her throat and hit her stomach. ‘They are a pair of bitches.’ She put her glass down. ‘I’m going to sort them out.’ She took a step forward but her knees sank a little. Jesse caught her. ‘No you don’t.’ He pulled her closer to him. ‘You’re staying with me.’ Her slender frame felt surprisingly good – firm, but there was a softness there too, not soft like Loveday, but … He felt a shot of desire stir in his groin.

She relaxed into his arms and raised her face to his. She giggled. ‘You’ve got strong arms, Jesse Behenna.’

He demonstrated his strength by pulling her closer to him. ‘You’d better believe it.’

She snuggled into his arms. She could feel his warm breath on her hair as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into him, to feel the heat of his body against hers. Greer felt a heady thrill at being in Jesse’s arms. This was it. This was their moment.

The pounding beat of Jackie Wilson giving his all to ‘Reet Petite’ broke through the moment as Greer heard a familiar voice.

‘Scuse us, you two,’ said her father. ‘Your mum and I are going to show you young ’uns some real dancing.’ Her parents pushed past them and cleared a space on the dance floor before going into an incredible jive routine.

Bryn spun Elizabeth under his arm and towards him, then spun her out and away from him. They were good. They rocked back on their heels at arms’ length and pinged back together with their arms round each other. Pushing Elizabeth a little away from him, Bryn caught her by the waist and bounced her high above his head then swept her down and between his legs. Elizabeth had enjoyed two large gin and tonics and was unembarrassed as her skirt slid up her thighs to reveal comfy mum knickers.

Greer was mortified. The spell was broken and she extricated herself from the bliss of Jesse’s embrace to take in the full horrific embarrassment of her parents. Couldn’t they see how ridiculous they looked? How could they do this to her? In front of all her friends. On tonight of all nights. She turned and ran to the Ladies where the combination of alcohol, her yearning for Jesse and the grimness of her parents’ behaviour made her vomit violently.

After a while, she felt a bit better. She closed the loo lid and flushed, then sat down on the seat and dabbed at her perspiring face with a wad of loo paper. She had never had so much to drink. She stayed put, with her head in her hands, praying that the room would just slow down for a moment.

A timid knock on the cubicle door made her jolt.

‘Is anyone in there?’ It was Loveday’s mother.

Greer got to her feet and flushed the loo again to make it look as if she hadn’t been sitting there trying to sober up. She opened the door and Mrs Carter smiled kindly at her.

‘You all right?’ she asked.

‘Fine, Mrs Carter. Thank you.’

‘I saw you run in here and wondered if you might like a glass of water or something, darling?’

Greer wondered how much Mrs Carter had seen and understood.

‘No, thank you. I’m fine, really.’

‘That’s good.’ Mrs Carter made no move to go into the cubicle. Instead she put her hand comfortingly on Greer’s shoulder and leant in closer. She smelt of alcohol mixed with Dior Poison.

‘Seeing your mam and dad dancing like that has taken me back.’ She shifted unsteadily and her eyes seemed glazed over.

Greer wanted to sit down or go home or both, but this wretched woman wouldn’t leave her alone. She made an attempt at good manners. ‘Taken you back to when?’

‘When we was all at school together. Your dad was so handsome. All we girls wanted to dance with him. He’s still got it, hasn’t he? I haven’t seen him dance like that since he married your mum.’ Mrs Carter had a faraway look in her eye that Greer didn’t like.

‘He used to dance like that with me, you know.’

Greer was feeling queasy again. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He and I went out with each other for a little while, but your mum took dancing lessons and before long they were a couple on the dance floor …’ Mrs Carter sighed again. ‘And in life.’

Beads of sweat popped out on Greer’s top lip and forehead. She didn’t want to hear any more. ‘Excuse me, Mrs Carter, but I must get some fresh air.’ She made a dash for the door and just heard Mrs Carter’s imploring, ‘Don’t tell Loveday, will you? She thinks her dad was my one and only boyfriend.’

God, what was going on with these adults? What kind of role models were they? She slipped through the pub bar and out to the front where she found an empty bench tucked into the shadows. She breathed the cool night air. It was tinged with the familiar smell of salt, seaweed, diesel and fish and chips. She took stock of her evening. Her parents were some kind of dancing nuts, and her best friend’s mother had gone out with her dad. She didn’t want to imagine how intimate they might or might not have been. Her world seemed to have turned upside down. Then she thought of Jesse and the way he had held her tonight. She was sure she’d seen a flicker of real emotion in his eye. Until her parents had shown themselves up. What would he think of her now? She buried her face in her hands for the second time that evening.

After a while she sensed that she wasn’t alone. Someone sat on the bench next to her and the wooden slats gave way a little, making her bounce slightly.

‘All right, are you, Greer?’ asked Jesse.

She stayed hunched but took her hands from her face. ‘Yes.’

‘Loveday’s mum’s worried about you. She thought you might not be feeling well.’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Sure?’

‘Sure.’

Jesse stretched his long legs out in front of him and stretched his arms over his head. She turned to look at him. He was staring at the stars. She drank in his wonderful profile. His always tousled blond hair was carelessly sticking out in all directions. His eyebrows framed his honest sea-green eyes. His lashes were fair but long and his nose straight and strong. His lips, slightly parted, were on the thin side but they framed his teeth perfectly.

He spoke. ‘Satellite. Look.’ She tilted her head up and followed his pointing finger. Sure enough, across the heavens a bright light was moving at speed. ‘I wanted to be an astronaut when I was young.’

She smiled. ‘You are young.’

Now he turned those sea-green eyes to her. ‘Greer, I’ve got six O levels and I’m leaving school to work with my dad. I’m already old.’

‘You’re only sixteen. You can go to college, get some more qualifications.’