CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Family Approval
“Oh, darling! I’ve missed you so much,” squealed Mum, annoying the family of four stood behind her.
Her insistence to hug it out slap bang in the middle of Euston’s exit was far from considerate behaviour but did she care?
Did she shite!
“Honey, you’re blocking the exit. We should get moving,” stated Darren, balancing two rather large cases between each arm.
“Nonsense, I’m hugging my daughter who I’ve not seen in months!” she insisted, raising her volume for the benefit of those listening.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mum, come on,” I giggled, helping her with her hand luggage.
How long was she staying for again?
“Luke’s parked up around the corner. Lugging these on the tube would’ve been a nightmare,” I added, leading the way.
The three of us walked along the busy path together, mindful of our added luggage. Whilst desperately trying to dodge the many people, I filled them both in on all the latest details regarding Luke’s release. They were pleased to hear he was out of custody and were even happier about my stalker being behind bars. Mum miraculously managed to remain relatively calm about the whole thing, though rationality ceased to exist the second she spotted Luke up ahead, leaning against his car.
“Lucas Anderson, you get over here and explain yourself to me now!” she scorned, sounding like his Mother.
He smiled at her dramatic tendencies and wasted no time in complying with her wishes. She was up and in his arms within seconds and whilst he kissed her on the cheek, he deposited the mother of all explanations.
“I only did it because I’m so in love with your daughter,” he argued, certainly playing his cards right.
The bloody charmer!
“Oh wow, did you hear that Darren? They’re in love!”
“Oh Christ, Mum. Get in the car,” I laughed, nudging her side. “See what you’ve gone and done now?” I then asked, aiming my complaint towards Luke.
He simply smirked at my flustered state and kissed my lips, unaffected by the crazy integration we were no doubt about to receive. He and Darren carefully placed the suitcases in the boot and returned to the car, taking this opportunity to discuss engine size and miles to the gallon. I let my talkative Step-Dad sit up front with Luke, whilst I braved the ordeal of going in the back with Mum; the unknown territory of conversation scaring me more so than anything.
“I like seeing you this happy, darling,” she smiled, grabbing hold of my hand and squeezing it tight.
“Me too, Mum. Me too,” I admitted, catching Luke’s eye in the rearview mirror.
He shot me a quick wink and in doing so, proceeded to pull away from the curb, driving us towards mine and Sasha’s flat where I had no idea how we’d all fit in. Tell my Mum to pack light and she’d consider that two outfits per day as opposed to four.
Travel light? She didn’t know the meaning!
~~~
Later on that evening, I found myself in the kitchen, somehow stuck in a conversation between Ali and Sasha; the pair discussing the benefits of KravMaga; a military self-defence and fighting technique. Ali had been attending local classes back in Newcastle for about a month and considered herself quite the expert. Earlier on, she’d tried teaching me some moves but my stiff posture and inability to stop laughing saw us both in a massive heap on the floor. Needless to say; I was a natural!
Michael, Darren and my Mum were all sat in the living room attempting to order tonight’s dinner on Just Eat, leaving Luke and Jace with nothing to do but watch on in mild amusement as they failed to work modern technology.
“It’s really fun and great at keeping me in shape. Plus it’s good to know some self-defence tactics,” ensured Ali, hoping to sway our decision.
“I’m definitely up for it,” stated Sasha, seemingly excited. “Maya?”
“Nah,” I replied, hurting at just the thought of being repeatedly shoved to the ground on a weekly basis.
Sasha rolled her eyes in a fed up motion, offering up her objections in the form of a deep sigh.
“Says the woman who, among us all, actually had a stalker,” she laughed, gaining Ali’s utmost amusement.
I smiled along with them, able to do so now that I was safe from actual threat. It wasn’t a laughing matter and truth be told, I should’ve been considering some self-defence classes. I was terrified when I learned I was being followed but perhaps I’d have been more confident if I had some fighting skills under my belt.
“I’ll think about it then,” I compromised, seeing them both share a look that undoubtedly screamed, ‘Yeah, whatever!’
I slowly sipped on my wine in response and turned my attention to Luke when he shouted my name.
“Your phone’s ringing, baby.”
“Oh, okay,” I replied, ignoring my Mum’s hilarious face at hearing Luke call me baby.
She offered me a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and tentatively drank from her glass, knowingly so.
“Hello?” I greeted, accepting the call from a withheld number.
“Hi, is this Maya?”
“Yeah,” I replied, vaguely recognising the voice on the other end, yet unable to make the connection with everything going on around me.
“It’s Francesca from Karen Taylor.”
Oh, shit!
Truth be told, I had forgotten all about my interview. What with everything else going on, I’d barely given it much thought.
“Oh, of course, hi Francesca, how are you?” I asked, removing myself from the hustle and bustle by slyly slipping into my bedroom.
“Fine thanks, sorry it’s taken so long for us to get back to you, but it’s been manic here,” she informed, which perhaps explained why she was calling me on a Thursday night at seven O’clock.
The poor sod was probably still at the office.
“Oh, no worries. Life’s been a bit hectic for me too,” I admitted, leaving it at that.
I’m sure she didn’t need to know the ins and outs of my stalker-inspired ordeal.
“It can get like that, can’t it?” she said, politely. “Anyway, I’m calling to give you some good news. You really impressed me at your interview and we’d like to offer you the position.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Really? Are you sure?” I gushed, unable to stop myself.
Did I seriously just question her decision?
“Yes,” she laughed, thankfully amused. “I’ve got you down for having two weeks’ notice period at your current employment, is that right?”
“Yeah, two weeks,” I confirmed, reaching for a scrap bit of paper.
My hands shook against doing so and although overwhelmed, I just about managed to write down all the relevant bits of information she was feeding me.
“So should we get you in for training on the 11th?” she asked, waiting for confirmation.
“Perfect and that’s a Monday?” I questioned, scribbling it all down.
“Yeah, a Monday. I’ll send it all over in an email for you but I just wanted to check that date looked do-able for now,” she replied, eagerly so.
“It is.”
I needed to hang up soon so I could play out my celebratory dance.
“Brilliant! I’ll see you then. Bye for now, Maya.”
“Bye.”
Fuck yeah!
I immediately threw my phone down on the bed and proceeded to run into the living room, momentarily grabbing everyone’s attention as I not-so-subtly jumped on the nearby sofa.
“I bloody-well got the job!”
Sasha was first to embrace me, followed by my Mum who had absolutely no idea what job I was talking about. She was just as excited for me as everyone else, which I fully appreciated, though she couldn’t quite hide her confusion. I quickly explained and was soon smiling against the many congratulations, finding myself flying into Luke’s arms when he held them out for me, looking proud as ever.
“I fucking knew you’d do it,” he whispered, kissing my grinning cheeks. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”
“Thank you,” I smiled, elongating our hug.
I melted into his open arms and fell further when I was subject to a healthy dose of vanilla and lavender; intoxicatingly so. I purposely inhaled a sufficient amount and kissed his broad chest, purely for my own benefit.
“It’s gonna take some getting used to seeing that,” announced Ali, indeed referring to the action of me latching onto her older brother.
“Or you could just not be a weirdo and stop watching,” countered Luke, winding her up.
She shot him an unimpressed look and recoiled in horror as he knowingly kissed me on the lips, hoping to gain some sort of reaction from her.
“Oi, stop using me at your sister’s expense!” I scorned, lightly tapping his arm.
“Ha, she may be your girlfriend now, but her loyalties still lie with me,” argued Ali, offering me her hand in a ‘High-five me right now, or else’ kind of way.
I did as I was told and slapped it hard, causing her to flinch.
“Christ, with a slap like that, you’d be great in KravMaga.”
“Hmm, we’ll see,” I said and with that, Luke and I were finally left alone.
I pulled him to one side and rested my cheek against his chest; the pair of us silently engaging in a loving hug as we happily watched the mayhem unfold around us. My Mum was convinced she had placed the order, but Darren and Michael were calmly trying to explain that whilst the food was in the basket, she’d yet to proceed to check-out. Jace hugged Sasha to his chest, much like the way Luke was doing to me and Ali flittered from room to room, happily sipping her wine.
Had anyone told me this time last year I’d be ready to start my dream job whilst living in London; I would’ve told them to take a run and jump. Not only that, but I had somehow managed to fall in love with my best friend; the one man who I thought would remain platonic to me for the rest of my life. Things had a funny way of playing out. I may have been a little slow on the intake, but my love and respect for Luke was as strong as ever. There was no telling where this relationship would lead, but I had all the faith in the world that wherever it may be, we’d both be happy as long as we had each other.
He was the pork to my pie, the chips to my gravy.
He was my not so one night stand.