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| CLARA PLAYS CUPID by Janey PART 4 The phone was picked up quicker than Nicky had expected, catching him off guard. “Nicky I know it’s you, I recognise the number. What do you want?” Janine asked after a long uncomfortable silence. “I know that you don’t owe me anything but please don’t let Clara down. She trusts and loves you. It will be difficult for her to get to know anyone else at such short notice.” “I know, when Martin finished annoying me I actually thought about it rationally and you’re right, Clara is the one to suffer in all of this so I won’t be resigning. You’re lucky you caught me, I was about to go and see Martin, mainly to apologise for my abominable behaviour.” “You certainly surprised him.” “I guess we all got a surprise then huh?” There was a definite sarcastic edge to her voice. “We start rehearsing next week, would you be ok to look after Clara in the afternoons for me? Not all of them…” “I’ll have to check. I purposely left my diary in my haste to leave the office, along with a lot of other stuff. Well I’d resigned so I didn’t need it did I?” She emitted a nervous giggle. “Poor Martin, he didn’t know what hit him.” “Neither did I when he told me. Sorry Jan, I didn’t mean things the way they came out.” “For what it’s worth,” she said evenly, “you were right. It’s never good to mix business with pleasure so let’s put it down to experience. What happened, happened but that’s it Nicky, never again.” “What about after the tour?” “That really isn’t a good idea is it? I’ll keep in touch but let’s not expect anything. You need to go and find a nice lady who adores you and Clara.” “Like you do?” Janine bit her lip, how right he was, she adored both of them. “Someone in a less complicated position than me.” “It’s complicated because you choose to make it that way,” said Nicky, immensely agitated. “Give Martin a call back, tell him I’m on my way. He’ll be chuffed as hell to think that you persuaded me, oh and tell him I’ll have Clara whenever possible. At the moment he’s the one with my diary.” “And what will you tell him?” “The truth.” “Janine! I wasn’t expecting to see you,” said Martin, standing up and inviting her to sit down. “Please tell me that you don’t wan to resign.” “Didn’t Nicky ring you?” Janine asked, then realising from Martin’s bewildered expression that he hadn’t. “Never mind, I told him I was coming to see you when he called me. When we finished taking I thought things through and realised how childish I was being. Things may not be working out with me and Nick on a personal level but that’s no reason to…” “Whoa! Rewind a bit there will you? What are you talking about?” “A misunderstanding. Don’t worry, it’s of no concern now.” “I think I’ll be the judge of that one. What happened? Nicky said that you’d gone home as intended.” “As originally intended but then our plans changed, only to change again.” “OUR plans? Now I am intrigued.” Janine smiled. “Oh I bet that you are! Clara told Pat that I was living with them. She also keeps asking when me and Nick are going to marry.” “She likes you that much huh?” winked Martin. “Like her father?” Janine ignored his last comment. “I decided it would be better to stick to the original plan and go home rather than confuse her by staying.” “I still don’t understand why that made you want to resign.” “In itself, it didn’t,” Janine explained. “I was sad that we’d upset Clara by telling her that she wouldn’t get her dream and then you started going on at me. Suddenly I thought the best solution for all concerned would be me taking a back seat.” “Which would upset Clara further,” offered Martin wisely. “I realised that,” Janine sighed heavily. “That’s why I’m here, if you still want me.” “Of course I do!” beamed Martin brightly. “I thought that perhaps you and Nick…” “No.” “It doesn’t matter to me Janine. I see the way you both flirt, if it’s what you want go for it, with my blessing.” “Business and pleasure don’t mix Martin.” He eyed her suspiciously, convinced that she was withholding something, but he recognised that now was no the time to probe her. “In the hope that you would come back I checked your diary for next week and it’s pretty clear. What you do have can be divided up between others here.” “Soon as I knew about being with Nicky and Clara I deliberately tried to keep the two weeks prior to the tour as clear as I could. Needless to say I have commitments for the following six weeks!” “It’s going to be good seeing you back in your office tomorrow,” said Martin getting up and giving her a hug. “This place isn’t the same without you.” “Flatterer! Actually I was going to get a few things done now, if that’s ok with you.” She stayed with Martin and had a coffee, chatting about the forthcoming tour and a few problems that they had not yet been able to iron out. Janine had been in her office twenty minutes when Nicky showed up. He was extremely anxious and agitated. He charged straight through to Martin’s office, glancing briefly at her but then turning back to talk with Martin. She squirmed in her chair when she saw Nicky coming towards her. “Thanks.” “For what?” Janine asked. “Agreeing to help you with Clara or not telling Martin that you kicked me into touch after sleeping with me?” “Both.” Nicky blushed furiously. “For what it’s worth I didn’t mean that I wanted to stop being with you Jan, only that we ought to slowdown and be careful. I’ve liked you for a long time.” “I like you too, more so after spending time with you. That’s why I slept with you.” “That’s how I feel,” stressed Nicky. “Unfortunately I’m not too good with words.” “Wow that’s not good for a lyricist,” Janine smirked, stroking his arm. “I think I know what you were trying to say; you don’t want to get Clara’s hopes up.” “That’s exactly it. There’s nothing to stop us from being intimate once madam is in bed though and I’m sure that my folks will be happy to have her stay a few nights. If things go well perhaps at the end of the tour we can tell her.” “I behaved like an idiot. It should have been blatantly obvious that Clara was your priority. I’m sorry Nicky.” “Oh honey come here.” He stood up and held his arms out to her. Following a moments hesitation Janine walked to him, loving the way his arms felt around her, not caring that Martin could see them. “You do know that Martin is watching don’t you?” smiled Nicky, stroking her face tenderly. “Let’s give him something really good to watch shall we?” Martin grinned broadly. He had always hoped that Nicky and Janine would acknowledge their feelings and now it seemed that they had. So much for Janine not mixing business with pleasure. It was tradition that on the final night of the tour family and loved ones of the band went along. Nicky had already arranged for his parents to go. “I promise you that tomorrow night is all ours,” he whimpered, kissing the delicate skin beneath her ear. “Clara is staying the night with them.” “Won’t she want to be with you?” “I’ve told her that when I get back tonight I’ll put her in my bed with me and she was quite happy with that.” “Only quite?” Nicky laughed, rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. “Tom and Jerry are part of the deal apparently.” “So much for you telling her that they weren’t allowed on the beds!” “I know, I’m way too soft with her. However, I am not too soft for you.” He took her right hand and placed it on his hardening, growing crotch. “I have a couple of hours to kill before the car comes to pick me up. Fancy keeping me entertained?” Janine laughed and shook her head. “Sorry love but I have stacks of work to before whirlwind Clara comes home.” His hands slipped onto her bum, squeezing her buttocks firmly. “I’m sure that you can afford to take some time out of your hectic schedule to be with the man who loves you.” “The man who loves me…who’s that then?” “Stop teasing,” he smirked clutching her buttocks yet tighter. “I know that it’s the first time I’ve said it but there you go, I love you Jan and it’s going to hurt like hell when you go home.” “Oh Nick,” Janine sighed, smiling at him lovingly, stroking his face. We’ll see each other, and if Clara’s staying at your parents’ tomorrow night, I can stay here. In fact even if she weren’t staying with them I’d like to have stayed.” “But then it would have been in separate beds.” “What makes you think it will be any different?” she teased. “Behave! I can’t wait for the day; well actually night, when you stay over and you actually spend all night in bed with me when Clara is here. I hate making love to you and then you toddling off to a separate bed.” “All in good time love. I know that she thinks she wants us to be together but she may feel differently about it when she discovers that we are.” “No she won’t; she’ll be delighted.” “Let’s give it a few weeks ok? Clara will be going to school then and I’ll be back full time at Hall or Nothing in a week. Things are going to be different for all of us Nicky.” “So when do we tell her?” “Stop being so impatient,” Janine tittered kissing him briefly. “Wait until after Clara has started school. We should know by then whether or not we can cope with the demands that my job throws at us or if Clara forgets me because she doesn’t see me as often.” “You know that that is NOT going to happen.” “You can’t pre-empt these things Nick. How about we don’t put a time limit on it then? We could let her see us holding hands and innocuous stuff like that and see how she reacts.” “Hmm,” he grinned, slipping his hands to the front of her waist and unfastening her jeans. “Does that mean that if she’s ok with it you’ll share my bed sooner?” He stroked her over the flimsy lace of her thong. “One step at a time,” she panted. “Don’t run before you can walk.” “I love it when you do that.” His fingers slipped beneath the material. “What?” “Come out with those bloody sayings!” “That does it,” protested Janine, pushing away from him. “You had better give me a bloody good kiss to make up for that.” “Sod the kiss,” he winked, “I’m going to take you to bed and make love to you and don’t you dare argue with me.” “When you’re being so macho? Nick love I wouldn’t; I couldn’t.” They laughed madly when Nicky scooped her up in his arms and took her to his bedroom. “Oh and once we’ve made love here I’ll take you to your room and we can make love there too.” “Nicky…” “DON’T talk about work, that will still be here this afternoon. This is our last chance to make love till tomorrow night.” “Not quite, we still have the opportunity tomorrow morning.” Nicky frowned at her. “I’ll be in bed tomorrow morning all right; sleeping!” “I’m sure I can persuade you.” “If you stare at me like that, I don’t doubt it for a second.” Straight after the final gig Nicky called her, tired but exhilarated and relieved that it was all over. “Clara’s in your bed waiting for you,” Janine giggled. “She’s not the only one that missed you.” “Don’t tell me, Tom and Jerry have too!” “Very funny,” Janine laughed down the phone. “Although they are curled up in a heap at the bottom of your bed.” “Will you still be up when I get home? I can’t wait to see you, I fancy a nice cuddle.” “I’m going to flop on the sofa, wake me when you get in.” “I intend to. Martin asked if we were going to tell everyone else about us now but I warned him to keep his big mouth shut until Clara knows. I know what the guys are like, they won’t be able resist teasing us and I don’t want Clara to find out that way.” “What about Irene and Allen? Have they dropped anymore hints?” “Mum keeps telling me what a nice girl you are and how wonderful it is that Clara wants you in her life, as in ‘don’t upset Clara by not doing it’!” “I guess I should be pleased that I have parental approval,” Janine chuckled. “I’d better let you go, you have fans to go and see.” “You mean the Queue Nazi’s that seem to think they fucking own me? A friend of Pat’s, Josh, bought tickets for the last gig, I told him he was daft ‘cos I would have got him some, anyway…” he took a deep breath. “…Josh was staggering home from a night club in the early hours and some of them were already there, only about half a dozen of them so he thought he’d join them. One of them, a woman with long dark hair, walked up to him and told him that there were 40 or so others in front of him.” “No…” “So Josh says that he can’t see them so they can’t complain and he gets told that the others are arriving in the afternoon. The ones that are there are saving places for all their friends.” “That’s pathetic. Much as I love your music Nick, I’d much rather be in bed at that ungodly hour of the night.” “And reserving places for people, how sad can you get? They annoyed me the other night when they wouldn’t let me go. Thirty minutes I’d been signing stuff and having photo’s taken, but when I said I want to go home and see my daughter they all moan, ‘oh so soon Nicky?’ ‘Just another pic Nick’…they make me sick.” “Yeah I know honey. I would have thought that as soon as you said you wanted to get home to your family they would have taken the hint.” “It would seem that I’ve inherited all of the nutters and weirdo’s since Richey went.” “Tonight is the last night for a year or so honey. Try and remember that.” “I’m going to shut up ‘cos I want to get home to see you.” “What’s that giggle for?” enquired Janine curiously. “I just put you and home in the same sentence and it sounds good.” “We’ll talk about that tomorrow,” said Janine cheekily. “Hurry home, we miss you.” “So Wire,” said James brightly slapping his friend on the back. “When are you going to make an honest woman of our Jan then huh? And don’t tell me that nothing is going on because it’s obvious that there is and I know that Clara adores her.” “James, you would do better paying more attention to your own chaotic love life as opposed to inventing one for me,” Nicky smiled enigmatically before slinking off to meet those that had stayed back to meet the band. “The love struck git,” muttered James silently. Nicky smiled broadly, Janine was asleep on the sofa under a blanket with one of Clara’s many soft toys keeping her company. Nicky knelt besides her, tenderly kissing her lips, then whispering her name till she smiled at him. “Welcome home handsome.” “Hi ya gorgeous. Is there room in there for me?” “Only for five minutes; you have a daughter waiting for you.” “How could I possibly forget,” he mused, snuggling beside her. “First things first, I want a cuddle with the woman I’m in love with.” “Do I know her?” “You minx!” Passionately Nicky kissed her. Irene and Allen didn’t waste any time remarking about Jan still being at Nicky’s when they called to collect Clara. “Not quite finished everything off here love?” asked Allen whilst Irene helped Clara into the back seat of the car. “Stop it dad!” warned Nicky jovially. “Jan’s here as a friend now, and yes she is staying over but no, we haven’t said a word to Clara yet so don’t you or mum. It’s early days and we want to take our time.” “Don’t you think that you’ve taken enough bloody time son? Honestly sometimes you think too much.” “Gee, thanks a bunch dad,” Nicky was highly embarrassed. “Your generation are supposed to be go-getters so why all the dilly-dallying? Anyway, I’ve said too much, it’s none of my business.” He embraced his son warmly and then gave Janine a hug. “Don’t leave it too long till you become Mrs Jones will you love?” He winked then joined Irene and Clara in the car, leaving a stunned Nicky and Janine waving them off. Janine found it difficult not having much contact with Nicky and Clara although she would often stop off on her way home from work to spend time with them. At least once a week she would stay over and Clara and Nicky also started to spend time at her house, occasionally staying overnight. What they both found difficult was letting Clara see them holding hands or cuddling, other than when they were meeting up or saying goodbye. They resolved to do it many times, but something always stopped them. “We are being totally irrational about this,” sighed Nicky cuddling Janine on the sofa. “That’s as maybe,” said Janine softly kissing his chin, “but it seems weird being lovey-dovey in front of her when we have avoided doing precisely that for so long.” “I forgot to tell you,” said Nick excitedly giggling. “When you had gone home yesterday after taking her shopping, James came round for a cup of tea and she told him, as bold as you like, that she had found the perfect bridesmaid’s dress.” “Oh,” Janine didn’t know what else to say. “James winked at me but didn’t say much,” he said nibbling at her ear. “So, we have a problem.” “We do?” “Yes my daughter has her heart set on a dress that I can’t buy her because I can’t ask you to marry me because we won’t ‘come out’ to Clara!” He rocked her against him, continuing to nibble her ear. All of a sudden what Nicky had said registered. “Marry?” “Yes,” he laughed. “I want to marry you. I honestly don’t know why you’re so surprised.” “But, but, but…” “But nothing! I want you to be my wife Jan. I won’t ask you properly until Clara knows about us first, I don’t want to throw too many things at her.” “Wait a minute,” she smiled, tracing a finger along his tantalisingly kissable lips. “I haven’t said I want to marry you.” “True, and I won’t know till I ask you and I won’t ask you till…” “Ok!” she laughed kissing him. “I get the picture. We start tomorrow when Clara gets up. However right now she is asleep, in bed, and I want to have my wicked way with you.” “Let’s go to bed then. Comfortable though this sofa is I would like to make love to you in a large bed occasionally.” “I’m worried that I’ll fall asleep and Clara will see us.” “Stop worrying unnecessarily, Clara has seen us in bed together before love.” “Damn this is so difficult. I want her to know but I don’t want her to find out in a way that makes her uncomfortable.” “That’s one of the many reasons why I love you, you love Clara like she’s your own daughter.” “She’s gorgeous, I dote on her.” “That’s evident all the time sweetheart and it’s reciprocated.” “Good. Didn’t you mention something about bed?” Playfully she fluttered her eyelashes at him “Bed sounds very appealing I have to say.” “Aww, are you tired baby?” “No,” she whispered seductively. “I have this burning desire to shag you till you beg me to stop.” “Well what the hell are we waiting for?” he grinned lasciviously. They did fall asleep after making love. Nicky awoke needing to go to the bathroom and noticed that they had acquired company, Tom, Jerry and Clara. Clara was snuggled up close to Janine. Nicky kissed them both deciding they could both stay where they were. Janine heard Clara telling her to wake up and also tapping her on her arm. She yawned then stretched finding it hard to open her eyes. “What is it poppet?” she asked sleepily. “I’m hungry will you make breakfast for me? Tom and Jerry are hungry too.” Still yawning and stretching Janine began to realise that she wasn’t in her own bed, but in Nicky’s. Grimacing she turned to see what time it was, Nicky was awake. “Morning Jan,” he beamed kissing her forehead. “Erm morning,” she muttered in confusion. “Come on then Clara, let’s go and get you some cereal.” She stuck her tongue out at Nicky, threw back the duvet and hurriedly put on her clothes. Clara ate her cereal and requested toast and marmite as well. Tom and Jerry ate their food then went back to sleep in their own little beds. “How are my two favourite girls this morning?” sang Nicky brightly entering the kitchen. “Good daddy,” chirped Clara. “Morning gorgeous,” he said to Janine, holding her waist and giving her a brief kiss on her lips, making Clara titter. “Morning Nick. Cup of tea honey?” “Please.” He sat down beside Clara. “Daddy.” “Yes honey,” he smiled. “Are you and Janine getting married?” “Do you think we should?” Clara whooped in delight. “Oh yes daddy. Please say you will, please!” Nicky stroked his daughter’s beautiful face. “I haven’t asked her yet Clara.” “You’ll say yes won’t you Janine? Go on daddy ask her! Go on!” Janine and Nicky both blushed and giggled. “It’s usually something that you do alone Clara,” stated Nicky. “But we are daddy, just the three of us, we’re all family so that’s alright.” “I don’t mind if you don’t,” winked Janine. Nicky walked over to Janine and knelt down, taking her hands in his, Clara giggling like mad in the background. “Janine honey,” he said lovingly. “I love you so much, as does Clara. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” “Yes,” beamed Janine happily. “I’d love to!” “Aww, kiss her daddy!” urged Clara clapping her hands. He stood up. “You heard my daughter!” The end. <<< Janey's stories |