A Good Catch Part 7

But now Greer's mum had categorically said no.

'Buona sera, Signor Clovelly.' Antonio, chef proprietor of the eponymously named Italian restaurant greeted Bryn with his arms wide and a dusting of pizza flour on his cheek.

'Good to see you, Antonio. How's the golf?' Bryn and Antonio were cronies both at the golf club and in the local Masonic Lodge.

Antonio was taking Elizabeth's wrap from her shoulders and replied in his heavily accented English, 'I am playing offa sixteen.' He shrugged. 'But if I had more time, I could be closer to you. What you playing offa now?'

'Twelve.'

'Twelve? My G.o.d, you musta never be at work? S?'

The two men laughed and then Antonio saw Greer standing hunched and miserable in the doorway. He stepped towards her, holding his arms out wide again. 'Look at leetle Greer! All-a grown up.' He inclined his head to one side and brought his hands together as if in prayer. 'But you are a beautiful young woman now!'

Elizabeth beamed with pride and said, 'She got her exam results today. She did very well, so we're here to celebrate.'

'Why she not look so happy?' asked Antonio, staring at Greer as if it was he who had upset her.

'I am happy,' Greer said, trying to smile, but desperately wis.h.i.+ng that Antonio would leave her alone.

'Thank G.o.d!' Antonio boomed. 'And now, Antonio make you even more happy with his food.' He walked them to a pretty table overlooking the inner harbour, where they could watch the visiting yachts bob on their hired moorings. The tide was high that night and Greer could see it lapping almost to the top of the wall. She heard laughter from the pavement and saw several schoolfriends walking towards the Golden Hind ... and the party she wasn't allowed to go to.

'Well, this is nice,' Bryn smiled, once Antonio had lit the red candle in the centre of the table and left them to get drinks and menus.

'Isn't it?' smiled Elizabeth. Greer said nothing. Knowing that all of her friends were out enjoying themselves and she was stuck here was like a slow death.

'What's the matter with you?' asked her father.

Greer put on a bright, tight little smile. 'Nothing.'

Elizabeth turned to Bryn and explained. 'There's a do at the pub. Pete's doing a hog roast and a disco for the school-leavers. Her friends are celebrating over there.' Bryn turned his head and looked over at the Golden Hind. 'That sounds fun. Why aren't you invited, Greer?'

'I was, but Mum said I couldn't go as we're having a family dinner, so ...' Greer shrugged and looked at her hands, trying not to cry.

Bryn winked at Elizabeth. 'You can go over after we've eaten.'

Greer immediately brightened. 'Can I?'

'Of course you can. I like a bit of a bop.'

Greer's face dropped. 'You're coming?' She couldn't think what was worse. Not being allowed to go, or going but being saddled with her parents, who were bound to embarra.s.s her.

'Yeah. Me and your mum haven't had a night out for ages.' Bryn put his hand on top of Elizabeth's, which was resting on the table. He turned to her. 'We'll show the youngsters some of our jive moves.'

Elizabeth, who had been looking forward to an early night with her new Jackie Collins book, hid her dismay. 'What a lovely idea.'

'Yes,' murmured Greer. 'Lovely idea.' Really just wis.h.i.+ng that the ground would open and swallow her parents up.

7.

The air in the beer garden was heavy with the smoke of the hog roast. Long chains of coloured lights were swung in a zigzag from fence to wall and back again, above the dusty gra.s.s. The DJ Ricky and 'his Roadshow from Liskeard', was playing 'Walk Like an Egyptian' and blowing bubbles over a couple of girls who were vying for his attention. The centre of the garden was a heaving ma.s.s of dancing, sweating teens.

Greer arrived and stood on the periphery. She was on her own. Her mother had nipped to the Ladies and her father was at the bar chatting. Loveday spotted her and came bowling over, wreathed in smiles. 'You made it! How did you manage it?'

Greer briefly explained and Loveday handed her a gla.s.s of punch. 'My mum's here too, see.' Loveday pointed over to the bar area where her mum was laughing and joking loudly over a large vodka and orange with a group of fishermen and their women. Her cheeks were flushed, and when Loveday waved over to her, she blew her daughter an ostentatious kiss. Greer couldn't understand why Loveday wasn't more embarra.s.sed by her mother. She dressed in clothes more appropriate for a girl half her age; her own mother would have said that she was mutton dressed as lamb.

'Here, try this. It's mostly fruit juice, with some sort of wine in it.'

Greer took a sip. It seemed innocuous enough. 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' was playing now. 'I love Whitney!' Loveday shouted above the noise. 'Come on, Greer. Let's dance.' Greer was not the dancing type but she took another mouthful of punch and, looking around for Jesse, reluctantly followed Loveday into the throng.

Jesse was in the pub kitchen with Mickey, making another industrial-sized bowl of punch. The landlord, Pete, told them to help themselves to the cartons of fruit juice that he'd put into the huge fridge, and to add half a bottle of Lambrusco to each batch. 'No more, mind! I don't want to lose my licence.'

Mickey and Jesse had a.s.sured him they wouldn't overdo it but, as soon as they were on their own, Mickey stepped outside the kitchen door and fetched the bottle of vodka he'd hidden in the hedge and he and Jesse took a swig each from it before pouring a good slug into the punch. 'Well, Pete never said nothing about vodka, did he?'

'No,' agreed Jesse, a.s.siduously measuring only half a bottle of Lambrusco into the deep container. The two boys took another mouthful of vodka each before hiding the bottle back under the hedge.

Loveday was hot. The music was getting faster and louder and she was getting thirsty. She spotted the boys lugging the punch tureen towards a trestle table. 'Want a drink, Greer?' she shouted.

Greer nodded and gently dabbed at her forehead with the back of her hand. She was glad to stop, and gladder still to see Jesse.

Mickey saw the girls approaching and, emboldened by the vodka, nudged Jesse and slurred, 'I'm going to make sure I give Loveday a big one.'

Jesse giggled. 'You ain't got a big one.'

Mickey snorted with laughter, 'I don't mean give her my big one.' He creased over with hysteria.

'Well, I'll help you out and give her my big one if you like,' hooted Jesse.

Mickey stopped laughing and squared up to his friend. 'What did you say?'

Jesse was shocked that he'd said anything at all. The drink was muddling his thinking, but thoughts of Loveday were always bubbling just beneath the surface these days.

'It was a joke. Just a joke. That's all.' He put his hands up in surrender. 'Sorry, mate.'

Mickey looked stony faced. 'Loveday means the world to me and one day I'll marry her, so no more talking that way about her. She's my girl, you got that?'

For a brief moment, Jesse wanted to push back at Mickey, to ask him who said that Loveday was his girl. Why should he have her?

Mickey stood his ground, staring hard into Jesse's eyes. Jesse saw the fierce possession that burned there and instead of challenging Mickey, the words that came from his mouth were ones of appeas.e.m.e.nt.

'Of course, mate. I'm so sorry. I just ... I don't know ... must be the booze.'

Then suddenly Mickey began to giggle again. 'Yours is just a little chipolata anyway.' Jesse, relieved, started to laugh too.

'Oh, yeah?' said Loveday as she arrived at the table. 'What you two b.o.l.l.o.c.k-heads laughing at?'

The boys gave each other sidelong glances and started giggling again.

Loveday shook her head, dismissing their silliness. 'Honest, Greer, how these two ever managed to get any O levels is beyond me. Bleddy idiots.' She reached for the industrial catering ladle lying in a sticky pool on the paper tablecloth and dipped it into the punch.

'Give it a good stir, Loveday,' hiccuped Mickey, putting his arm round her fleshy waist and giving it a squeeze. 'All the good stuff is at the bottom.' She looked at him suspiciously. ''Ave you been drinking?'

'No.'

She turned to Jesse. 'Has he?'

Jesse attempted to focus his eyes on Loveday. 'No.'

Loveday shook Mickey's arm off her and leant forward to sniff his breath. 'I can smell alcohol.'

Mickey was affronted. 'You can't smell vodka, 'tis a well-known fact.'

She opened her eyes in disbelief. 'Yes you can, and where the bleddy h.e.l.l did you get vodka?'

Jesse owned up. 'Grant got us two litre bottles to celebrate. He's home for the weekend.'

'Your Grant is trouble and now he's going to get you into trouble.' She stood with her hands on her hips, frowning at both boys. 'Where is he now?'

Greer, who'd been listening to all of this, looked around the garden and pointed to Grant, who was dancing with a couple of girls. He was in a skintight T-s.h.i.+rt which enhanced his muscular shoulders and tattooed pecs. The girls looked very pleased with themselves for having netted the handsomest man at the party. DJ Ricky was not looking happy it looked as if he'd be going home alone ... again. 'He's over there,' Greer said.

Jesse was unimpressed. 'Janine and Heather? Is that the best he can do? Anyone can pull them.'

Grant was now b.u.mping and grinding his hips, b.u.m and crotch towards the girls as 'Le Freak' by Chic was blaring out over the speakers. The girls willingly followed his moves.

Loveday leaned towards Jesse's ear and above the noise managed to ask him to dance with her.

'No thanks,' he answered, pouring himself another gla.s.s of punch. 'Not in the mood.'

'What are you in the mood for?' she asked, putting her hand on his chest. She was wearing a low-cut baby- pink vest and the skimpiest of denim skirts. Her hair was tied in a side ponytail with a pink scrunchie, and her lips were parted seductively as she gazed up at Jesse.

He felt the warmth of her skin through his s.h.i.+rt and wanted more than anything to drop his mouth to hers and kiss her deeply. They were so close, with barely a hair's breadth between them; all he'd have to do would be to lean in ... but all at once Jesse became aware of Mickey standing right next to them. He took a step back, knocking the table as he did so. Loveday let her hand drop back by her side.

'I'll dance with you, Loveday,' grinned Mickey. He grabbed her elbow, guiding her erratically onto the dance floor as she looked disappointedly over her shoulder at Jesse.

He and Greer were left to watch as Mickey and Loveday were swallowed by the crowd.

'Want another drink, Greer?' asked Jesse.

Greer drank very little, but the last gla.s.s of punch had left her feeling a little woolly around the edges, and she was enjoying the sensation. 'Yes, please.' She handed her empty gla.s.s to him. Carefully he dipped the ladle into the bowl and filled their gla.s.ses to the brim.

'Cheers, Big Ears,' Greer surprised herself by saying; the punch was definitely kicking in.

'Cheers, Greers,' he replied solemnly.

They clinked and drank.

'Why aren't you dancing?' he asked.

'No one's asked me. Except Loveday, and she doesn't count.'

'Loveday's a good girl,' Jesse said quietly.

'Mickey thinks so.'

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 s.e.xy and exuberant like Loveday, but her s.h.i.+ny, 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 sn.o.b. 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 sn.o.b. 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 b.i.t.c.hes.' She put her gla.s.s 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 Pet.i.te' 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 s.p.a.ce 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. Pus.h.i.+ng 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 unembarra.s.sed 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 embarra.s.sment 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.