Lola Jaye - While You Were Dreaming

Millie smiled bitterly, knowing that she would actually give everything she owned just to have Lena back here, nagging at her to do the washing-up or clean the hair out of the plughole in the bath. She missed her sister furiously scribbling away in that little notebook of hers. She missed the way that they could never walk past a charity shop without Lena wanting to wander in and look at a rusty old mirror or a Victorian tea set whilst Millie would much rather drop into Peacock’s or New Look.

She missed everything about her big sister and, lying in her bed alone in the house, Millie had never felt more lonely in her entire life.

Cara on the other hand was currently experiencing the luxury of ‘forgetting’–albeit temporarily, as she rushed about the bar, in chef/barmaid/boss mode. Mixing June bugs, Mojitos and Caipirinhas; making sure table six got their bar-food platter and keeping one eye on Eliza. So not until the end of her first full shift back, when the bar was locked up for the night and she drove the short distance home, did she begin to think about Lena. She felt a little guilty at this, as she flashed her security pass and the gate opened to let the car through. Shouldn’t she be thinking of Lena 24/7?

Ade was home and, judging by the smell, had prepared something delicious. She slipped out of her ‘bar clothes’ and changed into the pretty silk pyjamas that Ade had bought her two Valentines ago. She hoped he wouldn’t see this as a signal for any midnight loving–she was knackered. Her body had got used to the lack of pace and she needed time to readjust.

‘Have you spoken to Justin, lately?’ asked Ade as they settled on their huge comfy sofa.

‘No, I haven’t. Why should I?’

‘Because he’s Lena’s boyfriend. We should be supporting him.’

‘Don’t start, Ade, I’ve had a long day.’

‘I’m just saying. We should be there for him.’

‘Why? You’ve never got on with him,’ she said, tucking her tiny feet under her.

‘Of course I do!’

‘Only when you found out he was into basketball. How many men in this country are? You had no choice.’

‘He’s Lena’s boyfriend, Cara.’

‘You think I’m going to forget that? Luckily, he is such a coward, I hardly ever see him at the hospital.’

‘That’s just his way of dealing with it.’

‘Ade, I really hate the way he treated Lena. He always took her for granted, for a start. Lena mentioned a couple of times that it was really getting her down.’

‘What did she say?’

Cara cast her mind backwards, finding it funny that she could not remember any recent stuff but incidents from months before–that was easy…

It had been a particularly busy night at A&R. Some blokes had decided to start their stag night there, which meant all hands on deck, especially as Ade was at his mum’s doing some errand. Lena had bounced in, all smiles, asking for her usual ginger beer, ice and a slice of lemon.

‘Hold on a sec, sis, just need to serve that table these beers. Give me one second,’ said Cara, expertly placing four bottles of beers between her fingers.

‘Come on, darling, give us a dance!’ leered one of the blokes.

‘You’re in the wrong place, mate. But I’m sure Spearmint Rhino can oblige,’ she replied as politely as she could.

‘I like my girls tiny and sweet, like you!’ he replied, which was fine, save for the hand on her thigh.

She moved her face close to his and whispered in his ear as the crowd seemed to erupt in ‘wey–heys’ and guffaws. ‘If you don’t take your manky little hand off my thigh, the heel of my stiletto will connect nicely with your tiny little balls. Understand?’ she smiled as he pulled away and his hand quickly retreated from her thigh. ‘Right, anything else boys?’

Lena was still seated on one of the stools and had finished the ginger beer.

‘Want another?’

‘No thanks. I would like some advice though.’

‘On…?’

‘Relationships…And keeping them alive,’ added Lena.

‘Well, I just tell Ade what to do and he does it.’ Cara said playfully.

‘I’m serious, Cara! Me and Justin have been drifting apart lately. It’s like he doesn’t even notice I’m in the room sometimes. He’s always working and I know I can be just as bad…but I wish he’d just talk to me…’

Eliza appeared with a worried look. ‘Someone’s been sick in the Gents’,’ she announced.

‘Then clean it up! Isn’t that what I pay you for?’ Cara said irritably.

‘Erm, I tried but…’

‘I’ll do it! Look Lena, can we finish this conversation later?’

‘But I’m planning a special dinner for Justin later. I just wanted a few pointers, you know, on being extra romantic’

‘You’ll be fine. Listen can I call you later? Sorry sis.’

‘He was always taking her for granted,’ said Cara angrily, deep down knowing that maybe she was no better. ‘And she didn’t deserve that. Now if you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about that loser on my night off.’

‘All right.’

She knew it wasn’t ‘all right’, but Ade knew better than to contradict her on the subject of Lena’s boyfriend. She just didn’t like him. And no sweet words from Ade would change that. In fact, knowing just how bad Justin had been as a boyfriend made her appreciate Ade more. Ade was gorgeous. Well, certainly the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. Perfection inside and out and she loved him with everything she had, knowing she’d have sunk without a murmur over the last two weeks, if it hadn’t been for him. He was a part of her family, well, what was left of it. Both her parents were now enjoying new lives that didn’t seem to involve her, Millie, or Lena. Their father had moved to America about ten years ago, as soon as the ink was dry on the divorce papers, and was now living it up with his new family. Millie and Lena had maintained a bit of contact in the beginning, but that all stopped eventually–he just didn’t want to know. As for their mother–there was still no word from her as she currently gallivanted around Brazil. Ever since she’d moved to Southampton five years ago, it was as if she’d rediscovered her youth, jetting off all over the world. Of course remortgaging her house and leaving poor Lena to pay the ensuing bills allowed her to do that.

Cara got up and padded into their bathroom, a beige and cream marble affair that she’d insisted should look identical to the one in the show house they had seen. The only thing missing was the His ‘n’ Hers washbasin. She peered at herself in the large mirror. Her hair would soon need trimming, but it still looked okay; her eyebrows were a perfect arch shape. To the outside world she was the Boss Lady Cara–not to be messed with and always able to deal with whatever life threw at her.

When she returned to the living room, Ade was lying patiently on the couch and she curled up in his arms and twisted her head round to look up at his smile. She loved him so much and thought back over the last few days to how spiteful she’d been to him. She’d taken out her hurt and anger on Ade and suddenly Cara felt bad about that.

Her mind drifted back to a few weeks ago; she was sitting on the very same couch waiting for her dinner to cook, thinking how lucky she was to have almost everything she’d ever desired.

Now, though there was a great big gaping hole in her life.

A space that could only be filled by Lena.

The sun was shining over the inhabitants of Dog Kennel Hill Estate and for a moment, Michael let the warmth of it spread across his face, cheering him momentarily before he realized how heavy-headed he felt due to yet another broken night of sleep.

In the past, Michael had found a strange type of reassurance in knowing how his day would start, proceed, and end, and he’d no reason to believe today would be any different (unless of course he saw the girl on the bus again). Basically his working day would be as follows; arrive at the building with just over eight minutes to spare, pass the elderly security guard, catch the lift to the second floor, ignore the receptionist’s plastic smile, and be at his desk on time and ready to be part of the (at times mundane) working day. For the most part, he would do as he was told and give the minimum standard of service. This wasn’t to say he was a bad worker–more average. Working to rule and not going beyond any calls of duty. If a problem arose, he’d deal with it efficiently and with a smile, pretending the sales figures in front of him were the most important thing in his life. At one o’clock sharp, he could be found eating lunch in one of the overpriced cafes across the road. He’d perhaps buy a tabloid if he’d finished with the Metro on the way in and then get annoyed at the story of yet another overpaid ‘celebrity’ flaunting their wealth. The remainder of work time was spent clock-watching, working and peeking a look at holiday websites. Back home at his flat, after he had picked up a takeaway, he would doze in front of the television, remote control in hand, knowing he wouldn’t be getting a good night’s sleep that night’s whilst trying not to worry about it.