Page 51 of Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay

‘Sounds perfect,’ said Jasmine.

Armed with an alcohol-free mojito, jam-packed with a profusion of fresh mint, Jasmine led Max to a table for two in a corner by the window, hoping he hadn’t seen the cheeky wink Pim had given her as they’d picked up their drinks. She tookthe seat that meant she’d have her back to the room, which she hoped would minimise any attention on herself. She could understand why seeing her having a drink with a man would raise interest amongst those that knew her, but it was something she could do without right now. She didn’t want to have to fend off a barrage of questions when she had so many other things going on in her life.

Max settled himself in his seat, retrieved his mobile phone from the back pocket of his trousers and slid it onto the table, then took a long slug of his alcohol-free beer – his choice of drink had raised eyebrows with Bill and Pim, who prided themselves on their in-house beers, until he’d explained he was driving.

‘So, Jingilby, are you okay to tell me what’s been going on in your life since I last saw you? From what I can gather, you haven’t had an easy time of it. What happened with Bart?’

Jasmine swallowed and girded herself, ready to head back to a time in her life that was littered with difficulties, recriminations and sorrow.

TWENTY-FOUR

Jasmine was fifteen years old when she first met Bart Forster. He’d moved to Micklewick Bay with his family and was placed in Jasmine’s registration class at the local secondary school where he quickly established himself as the class clown, apparently thriving on making people laugh. He wasn’t out-of-the-way good-looking and was on the short side, but Jasmine had been instantly attracted to his sense of humour, as had lots of the girls in their year.

She was sixteen when he finally asked her out, and she’d been ecstatic, having fancied him for ages. ‘Omigod! Omigod! Bart Forster’s only gone and asked if I’ll go out with him,’ she’d said to her friends in the school dinner queue. ‘He wants to take me to the school disco next Friday!’ All but Stella had been happy for her. ‘Just watch him, Jazz. A lass in my maths class went out with him and she said he kept borrowing money off her but never paid her back. She ended up dumping him.’

But Jasmine had been so blinded by her youthful feelings, she’d blithely ignored Stella’s advice.

It was something she was to bitterly regret.

The pair continued to date on and off and their relationship could only be described as stormy. Just when Jasmine vowedshe was done with him forever, Bart would manage to draw her in with his jokey ways, making her laugh, despite the fact she was infuriated with him. Her parents issued various warnings, as did big brother Jonathan who had no time for Bart, describing him as a “bum who wastes all his money at the local amusements”.

In turn, Bart’s parents had thoroughly disapproved of Jasmine, declaring her not good enough for him and further stating in their superior manner that she was from the “rough part of town”.

At the age of twenty, they moved in together, renting a tiny flat above a shop just off Victoria Square, which didn’t go down well with either family. A couple of years later, Bart inherited a small sum of money from his maternal grandmother which he put towards the deposit on a house. Rather than getting a mortgage with Jasmine, Alice and Gary Forster had talked their son into taking one out in his own name, and encouraging him to ask Jasmine to pay rent which would help him afford the mortgage repayments. Their argument was that he was the one who’d be putting down a chunk of money and not Jasmine. Little did they know that the reason Bart’s girlfriend didn’t have a chunk of money to match their son’s was because he’d been slowly eating his way through what she’d earnt from her weekend job, along with the savings she’d had.

Jasmine chose to ignore the alarm bells going off in her head, and the warnings that it all felt wrong. Instead, she managed to convince herself that it would still be “their” home. It was somewhat telling that she didn’t share this fact with her parents, knowing what they’d have to say. They’d never explicitly said they didn’t like Bart, instead they’d issued subtle warnings, which Jasmine had taken little notice of.

With a distinct lack of motivation, Bart spent the next couple of years drifting from job to job with a half-hearted approachto each one. Jasmine had felt like she was on a piece of elastic, just as she was pulling away from him, trying to break free, he’d turn on the charm or make her laugh, pulling her back to him. It turned out that Jasmine didn’t just contribute to the mortgage with her rent, but she’d ended up giving Bart the money to cover the full amount of the monthly repayment.

Unable to tolerate any more, she’d made up her mind to leave him when the unthinkable happened, and Jasmine discovered she was pregnant. Bart had been angry, but it was nothing compared to the rage vented on her by his parents. Accusations flew and fingers were pointed, with them screaming at her that she’d deliberately got herself pregnant so she could trap Bart into fatherhood. They’d relished telling Jasmine that she wasn’t the sort of girl they’d hoped their son would settle down with, never mind start a family. Heather and Steve hadn’t been overjoyed to hear the news either, but it was more to do with concerns about what kind of father Bart would make, and if he would hang around and support their daughter.

Things came to a head when Gary Forster turned up on the doorstep of the Ingilby’s home. Without waiting to be invited, he pushed his way in to discuss what could be done about the “nightmare of a situation” his son had found himself trapped in.

Heather, who’d been the only one home, had listened as he’d raged on, her anger brewing with every word he uttered. When he’d finally finished, she’d let rip and wiped the floor with him, leaving him in no doubt about what she and Steve thought of his son. ‘Do you really think we want our Jasmine to be tied to a waster like your lad? She’s the one who’s trapped, not Bart! He couldn’t keep a job if he tried, he’s bone idle and hasn’t got an ounce of motivation in his body! The only thing he has any enthusiasm for is gambling, and we know for a fact he scrounges money off our daughter to feed his habit. What’s he going to do when he has to take a bit of responsibility when the baby getshere? I can’t see him manning up, can you?’ After saying her piece, she’d told Gary Forster to sling his hook and never darken their doors again.

Despite the animosity between the two families, Jasmine decided to stay with Bart, clinging onto the hope that they could make a go of their relationship for the sake of their baby. She’d even told herself being parents might bring them closer. Those thoughts were galvanised when Bart surprised her with a solitaire diamond engagement ring, saying it had been passed to him from his grandmother and that she would’ve wanted it to go to Jasmine. Jasmine wasn’t so sure his parents would agree and when she’d put the question to him, he’d brushed it off with the skill of a politician, such that she didn’t realise he hadn’t given her a proper answer.

When Zak was born, Bart surprised them all further. He seemed overjoyed at becoming a father, and couldn’t have been more attentive, filling Jasmine with hope that their relationship would work. He’d even talked about setting a date for them to get married the following year. But that was all it had been, just talk.

The reality was, with Bart saying he was unable to find a job, Jasmine had gone back to work sooner than she’d planned, leaving him at home looking after Zak who, despite his parents’ niggly relationship, proved to be a sunny baby with the most adorable chubby cheeks Jasmine had ever set eyes on. She adored her son with a passion she hadn’t expected and was prepared to do all it took to make sure he was happy. She threw herself into trying to make her relationship with Bart work, despite her growing misgivings about the amount of time he was spending on his laptop. He’d dismiss her concerns, telling her to stop nagging, that he was job hunting, but her worries had been confirmed when she’d returned home from work unexpectedly one day and found his laptop open on a gambling website. Hisexcuse that it had been “accidental” hadn’t washed with her and a blazing row had ensued.

It was when she was expecting Chloe that things took an unexpectedly sinister turn. Jasmine found herself answering the door to unsavoury characters demanding the money Bart allegedly owed them, and issuing threats if he failed to deliver. One day, she’d arrived home to find a particularly sinister-looking man sitting on the sofa in their living room, eating a packet of crisps he’d helped himself to while waiting for Bart. An air of danger emanated from him that sent goosebumps springing up all over her skin, and the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end, though she did her best not to show it. She had no idea how he’d got in, and he’d only left once he was satisfied Jasmine would get the message to Bart that if his debts weren’t settled by the weekend, then unpleasant things would start to happen. He’d picked up a vase on the nearby table as he left, dropping it on the floor in the hall where it smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces. As soon as he’d gone, she rushed to the bathroom where she was violently sick. She was only glad Zak was with her parents at the time.

Jasmine had still been shaking when Bart returned home.

Once she’d relayed the threatening message to him, it was the first time he hadn’t tried to laugh it off or make a joke of it. Instead, his face had paled and fear had filled his eyes, which had unnerved her.

‘This can never happen again, Bart! I could’ve had Zak with me! He would’ve been terrified. Whatever it is you’re doing, you need to stop, or that’s it, I’m leaving and taking Zak with me.’

‘I’m really sorry, Jazz. I promise I’ll get it sorted. But I think I’m gonna need that engagement ring, see what I can get for it at the pawn shop in Lingthorpe.’ He’d at least had the good grace to look sheepish, but Jasmine had been more than happy to hand it over if it meant the menacing thug wouldn’t come round again.It still hadn’t stopped her heart from hammering whenever she put the key in the door for fear of what could be awaiting her behind it.

It was when she was checking the pockets of Bart’s jeans before putting them into the washing machine that she found a handful of expensive-looking jewellery, including a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings and a diamond necklace stuffed inside. When she’d questioned him about them, he’d grown defensive, eventually becoming verbally abusive and accusing her of spying on him and snooping through his things.

‘Please tell me you haven’t stolen them,’ she’d cried. She’d never had Bart down as a thief, but she didn’t know what else to think.

‘Of course I’m not!’ he’d yelled back. ‘How could you even think that?’ He’d stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Six weeks later, Bart was found dead.

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