Page 13 of Marley
“C’mere.” I hold out my hand to her but she shakes her head no.
“What’s that?” She gestures with her chin towards the laptop.
I arch my back in an attempt to stretch and I yawn. I put my glass down on the floor and then look up at her. My wife owns some of the most expensive bits of silky and satin shit ever created on this earth, but she’s standing in front of me wearing a white Ed Sheeran T-shirt of mine, her long legs crossed at the ankle as she leans on the door frame.
“Are any of the kids home?” I ask, not that that’s going to stop me from doing what I want to do to her.
“No. Connie stayed at Annie’s last night. I don’t think any of them are coming home this weekend.”
Joe has his own place in Hoxton in East London, and Annie and her boyfriend, Fletcher, have just moved into Sean and mine’s old place in Docklands.
My kids are all doing well. Joe, despite starting an engineering degree, just couldn’t stay away from the music and his band, Paywall, are just about to start a world tour as a support act to some big American band I can’t even think of the name of ... Date The Parson or Pastor, or something like that. They’re a little too grungy for me, but have a huge following.
I’ve lived a fairly quiet life since Carnage split up. We never wanted the press attention when we were together, so I definitely didn’t want it once we parted, especially around my kids.
People eventually worked out who they were, but they’d all grown up to be well adjusted young people.
Our three, and Len and Jimmie’s four, had all gone to the same school out in the Essex countryside. They were a tight little bunch and always looked out for each other; pretty much the way I grew up with my brothers and sister. All of them had gone on to various universities around the country, except for Paige. She’d dropped out and had been modelling since she was sixteen. I’d often see her face on a billboard if I were out and about. Even at home, she’d pop up on the telly in an ad occasionally. Paige was the absolute spitting image of George and Tallulah. Her devil child daughter looked like the both of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lu?we all love Lu, it’s impossible not to. But she’s Georgia’s child and shit don’t we know it. My ol’ man just laughs when Lu is having one of her ‘moments.’ He shakes his head and tells George, “Well, you’ve finally met your match, George?got the daughter you deserved there. Good luck with that one.”
I don’t pity Cam one little bit when the hormones kick in with that one.
“Marley?” Ashley’s voice brings me back. “What are you reading on the laptop, and why are you drinking whiskey this early?”
“I’ve written the book.” I admit. Her eyes widen.
“What, already? You’ve written a book in just one night?” She takes a step towards me. I stare up at her, my mouth hanging slightly open as I think about how I’m going to explain this.
She stops and folds her arms across her chest, her tits moving up and I must look like a goldfish as I open and close my mouth a couple of times.
“You’d already written it, hadn’t you? All this time, and you’d already done it.”
It’s not a question, her voice is accusatory. Her eyes fill with tears and now I hate that I went behind her back.
“C’mere. Please, Ash. Just come over here, sit on my lap and let me tell you about it.”
I need to hold her, feel her warmth and breathe her in. She shakes her head and a tear hangs from her bottom lashes.
“What’s in it Marls? What’ve you kept hidden from me?”
Nothing.
Everything.
I close the laptop and swing my legs around, planting my feet on the hardwood floor. Ash takes a step away from me and I don’t like it, not one bit.
“Don’t fucking step away from me,” I tell her. She raises her eyebrows and gives me the look.
I’ve pissed her off, big time.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now Marls? You’ve secretly written a book, aboutyourlife behindmyback, and you want me to come and sit on your lap?”
I shrug my shoulders and smile my best smile. “Well, I’d rather you sat on my face, but you might not be able to understand what I’m saying through a mouthful of fanny, so lap will do... or dick. Dick would work.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
She ain’t having it ...Not. At. All.
“What did you do? What happened that’s so terrible you’ve never told me?” Her jaw trembles as she asks.
“No, no, baby. Nothing, I just ...” I lean down, pick my glass up from the floor and start to drain the contents. Before I finish, Ash knocks it from my hand and it spins through the air before hitting the hardwood floor, bouncing once and cracking into pieces as it lands.
