Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 16 – Music Lovers

Jack had been in work every day since he got the text from Kayleigh and apart from the first day his mood had improved and he stopped taking it out on other people and when James told him that he had Elise laid up ill in his flat he insisted that he went home and looked after her and to take all day Friday off as well and he would cover for him.

It was about an hour after James had finally agreed to go home when he was interrupted by the telephone.
“Hello” he said
“Hello Jack” a quiet voice said
“Kayleigh?” he asked
“Yes it’s me,” she sobbed
“Are you ok?” he queried
“No” she snapped “No I’m not”
He hadn’t spoken to Kayleigh since before the New Year.
Since then he had only had the one communication which was on New Year’s Day he had convinced himself up until then that she had fallen in love with him but he thought that her going away for a few days was due to the fact that she felt guilty for betraying her husband, her severely disabled husband.
“What’s wrong?” he asked
“I so need to see you,” she said
“Ok” he replied suspiciously
“There is something I have to talk to you about, something that has been eating away at me”
“What is it?” he asked not sure if he wanted to know because he was sure it was guilt.
“I should have told you before, but…” she tailed off “now time is running out”
“So tell me already” he said impatiently
“I can’t on the phone” Kayleigh stated, “I need to do it face to face, it’s important”
“Ok” he agreed “when?”
“Can we meet Saturday?” she said
“Yes Saturday is fine” he replied
“Ok then I’ll meet you at the Coachman’s Arms Hotel in Sharping-St-Mary Saturday afternoon at 3.00pm” she said coldly
“I’ll book a room”
“Ok” he said “I’ll see you then”
“Promise me you won’t be angry” Kayleigh added randomly
“What?” he asked with surprise
“Promise me” she insisted
“Ok” he relented “I promise”
And she hung up leaving him completely confused and he was worried that his worst fears had been realised and she wanted to call a halt to their relationship.
But what was all that about promising to not get angry.

On Friday morning Elise was feeling much better and they actually got to spend the day downstairs together like a proper couple.
Elise was very lovey dovey all day, she thought he was some great prize because he had looked after her while his beloved was sweating out a fever in his bed and by 9 o’clock she could barely keep her eyes open so he walked her up to bed.

When Jack turned in that night he spent a very fitful night tossing and turning as he mulled over the conversation with Kayleigh and the usual tingle of anticipation he felt when they were planning to meet had been replaced by feelings of great trepidation.

When Jack got up on Saturday morning he was completely shattered and it took a long hot shower and several coffees to shift his lethargy but he still harboured feelings of dread regarding his rendezvous with Kayleigh.

James was up early on Saturday morning and left for work about nine o’clock and within half an hour of his arrival at the Waterside Club he had a surprise visit from Elise
“Hello hon” he said, “what are you doing here?”
“I just came to say I love you” she replied
“Really?” he asked
“Yes, and I also came to say thank you for looking after me” she replied as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
It was only a brief visit she only stayed long enough for a prolonged kiss before she headed back to Turnoak to change before she went out again.

Ian Riley was thin and pale with sandy hair, he was sharp featured and keen eyed, not entirely unlike a bird in appearance, and was 45 year old.
He lived in Turnoak, in the same house he was born in, which he shared with his Niece Elise, although he didn’t see much of her since she met and fell in love with James Lynch, in fact he hadn’t seen her at all that year.
He was glad for her though and thought she deserved to find love she was far too nice not to have a significant other.
And since New Year’s Eve he had hopes in that department himself after he met Anne Wingrove at St Lucy of Syracuse church, where he was practicing a particularly troublesome piece by Wesley after Reverend Massey made a last minute change to the New Year program.
She was the sister of Martina Wingrove who was the love interest of the new Vicar and when Ian for saw Anne he thought she was unmistakable Martina’s sister, just a different build she was also tall, but was slight to Martina’s curvy and her eyes were a darker blue and her straw coloured hair was straight rather than curly and was less unruly and was a few years older which made her two years Ian’s junior.
There was an instant attraction which was not hampered by the fact that they both had a musical background she was the Deputy Head at Purplemere Park Music Academy while he worked in a much more humble capacity in the Music department at St Hilda’s Theological College in Grangemount.
But the clincher was that they were both Church organists, he at St Lucy’s and she at Mary of Bethany in Clarence.
So before they parted company on New Year’s Eve he said
“There is an organ recital at Abbottsford Cathedral next weekend, would you like to go?”
“Yes that would be lovely” she said “And perhaps we could have dinner while we’re there”
“That’s a great idea” Ian agreed

Following the New Year’s Day service’s at Mary of Bethany which kept her busy all day, Anne found the days passed very slowly and she had never known a week pass at such a sedate pace.
She knew the reason very well, it was because she was looking forward to the Organ recital in Abbottsford on Saturday or more precisely she was looking forward to attending it with Ian Riley and having dinner with him.
In fact she was so eager to see him again that she didn’t want to wait until Saturday evening so she racked her brain to think of a reason for them to meet earlier and the answer came to her when she picked up the Abbottsford Clarion of the door mat because the front page headline was “Wurlitzer Returns”.

On Friday Anne sat down with a mug of coffee and picked up her phone and keyed in Ian’s number.
“Ian, its Anne”
“Hi Anne” he replied hoping that she wasn’t calling to cancel “All set for tomorrow?”
“Well that’s what I’m calling about” she said and his heart sank
“Oh”
“Yes I read in the Abbottsford Clarion this morning that there’s a Clarke Gable retrospective at the Tivoli this weekend”
“That’s interesting” he retorted as enthusiastically as he could considering he wasn’t a Gable fan
“No that’s not the interesting part” she continued “They are unveiling the Wurlitzer”
“Oh yes I forgot about that” Ian said brightly
“Well do you fancy it?” she asked
“Definitely” he replied “But I’m going to be in Abbottsford tomorrow morning so I won’t have time to get back to pick you up so would it be alright if I meet you there?”
“Yes that’s fine I’m staying at my mums tonight anyway” she explained
“So I’ll meet you in the café opposite the theatre at 12.30”
“Perfect” he concurred “See you tomorrow”
“Ok bye Ian” She said and hung up
As she sat and finished her coffee she complimented herself on her deft handling of the situation whilst chastising herself for telling him a little white lie regarding her movements Friday night as she was not in fact staying with her mum that night but her hastily arranged plans would now necessitate her speaking to her mum and inviting herself to stay the night.
She didn’t think that lying was a really appropriate way a starting a relationship but she said out loud
“Needs must when the devil drives”
After all she was rather attracted to him and she hadn’t felt that way about anyone for a few years so it was worth the tiniest of white lies to ensure she didn’t let him slip through her fingers.

The Tivoli theatre was an old cinema originally built in the nineteen twenties.
At that time it was the only cinema for twenty miles in any direction so Abbottsford was the envy of the district, by the late seventies however films had gone out of fashion and the theatre was closed.
It was in disuse for more than ten years, it was however spared the indignity of becoming a bingo hall as many a fine picture house had. When the cinema revival happened, Chris Bourne, a local man made good, who like many, had fond memories of the Tivoli, mainly associated with courting, restored the theatre to its former glory with the help and support of the Mornington Estate.
Ironically it was the advent of satellite television and video rental, supposed to give us all so much choice of home viewing, which seemed to spark the revival.
It was feared for a while that the renovations would be in vain as a new multiplex cinema was opened in the new Phoenix shopping center development.
But Chris Bourne was unperturbed and decided that the Tivoli should specialize in classic movies and retrospectives.
As a result people traveled from miles around, from all over Downshire and beyond, as they did in the twenties and thirties.
The theatre was located in the older part of town in what used to be the high street.
There were no longer any shops of note in the high street, they had long since moved into the Phoenix center and when the Abbottsford ring road was opened the High street was pedestrianized and this action inadvertently created a sort of leisure haven.
Where once the road had run were now benches, planters, ornamental lights and even a fountain.
The vacant shops had for some time been occupied by a collection of restaurants, fast food outlet's, bars, café’s and wine bars.
The only premises not connected to food or drink were charity shops, craft shops, second hand book shops, two art galleries and of course the Tivoli Theatre.

Anne was early, which wasn’t unlike her, but it was worse that day as she was twenty minutes early but as she walked past the fountain she spotted Ian, who was also early.
“He’s keen” she thought to herself and smiled
But after discovering her date was also early she was in a dilemma, should she take advantage of the fact that they were both early or hide behind the fountain for twenty minutes.
It was difficult because she liked the fact that he was keen to see her but she didn’t want to give him the impression that she was equally so, even if she was.
In the end she compromised and hid for five minutes and from the safety of her hiding place she watched him sit at one of the tables in the window of Luigi’s Café just opposite the Tivoli.

Ian sat down at the table and ordered a drink and took out a newspaper but after a couple of minutes a young woman walked up to him, an attractive curvy blonde and they hugged, and it was a long hug then Ian gestured to an empty chair and the woman sat and then they chatted for a few minutes which was when Anne decided she didn’t care what kind of impression she gave him she was going over now to rescue him from the blonde trollop.
So she walked across to the café and in through the door and approached him on his blind side and stopped in his peripheral vision almost immediately he turned around and seemed surprised to see her.
“Hi” She said smiling broadly and he stood up “You’re early.”
“Anne” Ian said and smiled “This is Elise, my nice”

Ian ordered drinks for Anne and Elise and they laughed and joked for the next ten minutes until Ian suggested that he went to buy the tickets while they finished their drinks
“That’s a good idea” She said and while he was gone she quizzed Elise about her uncle

When Ian returned Elise said her goodbyes and as they watched her walk away Anne slipped her arm through his and they turned their gaze upon each other, smiled and made their way across to the theatre.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 15 – Lovers and Beginners

Jack Morehouse woke up annoyingly early on New Year’s Day and was facing a long day of wishing he was with Kayleigh.
But his long day got longer as he sat in the kitchen during the afternoon drinking coffee and thinking about when he would see her again when he received a text.
In fact it was a long rambling narrative in a series of texts, but the gist of which was that she needed to get away for a few days, and she would be in touch at the end of the week.
He instantly replied and asked her if something had happened but he got no response so he tried ringing her but his calls went straight to voice mail, he then resorted to banging on her front door but she had clearly left already to wherever she had gone and he was distraught because he was very much in love with her, more even than he had previously imagined.
So he did the only thing he could do under the circumstances and that was to kill time at the Waterside Club.

In contrast to Jack’s black mood, for Ian Riley everything in the garden was lovely because he had met and fallen for Anne Wingrove and she had fallen likewise and they were meeting again on Saturday as he was taking her to the organ recital at Abbottsford Cathedral.
But as they emailed back and forth during the week the plans grew more elaborate.

Ian was on his own for the New Year celebrations because his niece Elise was staying with her new boyfriend James Lynch for a few days.
James had risen early as was his habit irrespective of the lateness of the hour they went to bed, he still woke up at the same time he did everyday so he sat in the kitchen, drank coffee and read the paper.
The couple were due to eat New Year’s Day lunch at his sisters in Shallowfield so at nine o’clock he stopped what he was doing and made Elise a cup of tea.
Tea mug in hand he was on his way upstairs to wake her when the phone rang so he stopped and did a U-turn and picked up the phone.
“Hello”
“James?” the voice said “it’s Molly”
“Hi Mol, Happy New Year” he said
“Yes Happy New Year” she responded vaguely
“Is everything ok?” he asked
“No” she replied, “it’s the twins, they’ve been throwing up all night so we thought it best to cancel lunch as a precaution” she continued “I’m sorry to let you down at such short notice”
“Nonsense” James said, “These things happen”
“I suspect it’s been brought on by two much chocolate but just in case it is a bug” she elaborated “Perhaps we could do it another time”
“Of course” he said “No problem”

After he had put down the phone he decided not to continue his journey up the stairs to wake Elise.
As they were now not going out he decided to let her sleep in, mainly so he could finish reading the paper in peace.
But as he sat down at the table he was hit by the sudden realization that as they were no longer dining out he needed to prepare something for lunch.
And then after having looked out the window at the thick freezing fog he settled on a warming hot pot so he started to prepare it.

Once lunch was ready to go in the oven he had a quick peak in on Elise who was still sleeping soundly and then proceeded to read the paper again.

At twelve o’clock he looked in on Elise again and she was beginning to stir so James made her a fresh cup of tea.
He opened the bedroom door and she opened her eyes as he walked in.
“Hi honey,” he said brightly
“I don’t feel well James” she replied
“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern
“I think I have the flu,” Elise croaked so he tested her forehead with the back of his hand and she was burning hot.
So he went into the bathroom and got some max strength cold capsules.
“Take these,” he said as he gave her two with a glass of water and Elise did as instructed
“Now go back to sleep” he said
“What about lunch?” she queried
“It’s been cancelled” he told her and she looked puzzled.
“The twins are hurling,” he said
“Oh” she responded and closed her eyes.
“I’ll go out later and pick up some more tablets” he said
“Ok” she answered and he left the room.

As Elise was laid up in bed and the hot pot lunch had suddenly become dinner he decided he might as well go and kill an hour or two at the Club, that way he could pick up a sandwich for him and the cold relief medicine for Elise on the way.
He rather liked having someone he could look after and he was returning the favour because she looked after him when he was laid up with his knee.

It was such a horrible day and he shivered as he got in the car
“This freezing fog gets right into your bones” he thought
He stopped at a Stephenson’s convenience store on route and got his lunch and the tablets he was after and then carried onto the Club and was surprised to see Jack Morehouse’s car parked by the staff entrance.
There were about a dozen cars parked in all, even though the club wasn’t actually open until Friday night but the clean-up crew was in clearing up after New Year’s Eve.
When he got inside he found Jack in a foul mood so he didn’t stay for long and told Jack he had just popped in on his way to his sisters.

Also out and about on a foggy New Year’s Day was Gary Spiers who was the owner of Sounds In Spiers, who Jack had employed to sort out the Audio Visual system at St Lucy’s, and that was the pretext under which he arrived in Turnoak that day.
But in truth he was there in the hope of running into Hannah Peters, who was the Vergers sister, and the reason for that was that he had fallen for her in a big way.
Unfortunately he was later than he planned and there was no sign of her but he did see her sister the Verger.
“Hello Sarah”
“Hi Gary” she responded “are you here to check on the system or were you looking for my sister”
“The latter” he confessed
“You just missed her” Sarah said “She has her last trial shift up at Plaxton Place today”
“Oh damn”
“Go after her, she won’t have got far, she’s walking to work, it’s a bit of a yomp but she’s a bit nervous so she could use some moral support, and a cuddle I suspect” Sarah said
“Oh ok then” Gary said and gave Sarah a wave as he drove off.

He really liked Hannah but although they made a definite connection after the night Jack put everyone up at White Rose Cottage following the impromptu meeting in Purplemere, they hadn’t followed up on it, not for the want of trying however, but he ran his own business and she was a nurse who worked shifts so things hadn’t gone to plan which was why he took a gamble and drove over to Turnoak.

Just after he passed the sign for Hawthorne he spotted Hannah walking across the road so he sounded the horn and stopped alongside her before lowering the window.
“Do you want a lift gorgeous?”
“Yes please” she said smiling broadly and quickly got in the car.

“Why are you walking?” he asked “on such a horrible day”
“Nervous” she replied, “It’s my final trial shift today”
“I know I saw Sarah at the Church and she told me” Gary said
“I’ll drive you up to the Hospital and keep you company until you need to go in”
“That would be lovely” she said
So Gary drove her up to Hawthorne in silence and once they had come to a halt they undid their seat belts but she just sat there and shivered.
“Would you like a hug?” he asked
“Oh yes please” she replied and launched herself at him an
“Are you really nervous?” he asked
“Yes” she replied “I really want this job”
“When will you know?”
“Today” she replied
“Well how about I pick you up at the end of your shift” he suggested
“Would you?” she asked with delight “That would be wonderful”
“Good, then that is what I’ll do, and I will be here to offer a consoling hug or a celebratory dinner or both” he said
“Thank you” she said and proceeded to kiss him, at first it was just a thank you peck but it quickly changed to passion but then she stopped as quickly as she started
“Not here” she said alarmed “Not in the day time someone will see”
It was unlikely that anyone would see given how foggy the day was and after he pointed that out she was content and they kissed again.

After he dropped Hannah at Plaxton Park he watched her all the way safely to the door then he returned to the Village and was going to go and kill some time at Jacks place but not seeing Jacks car outside the cottage he drove past and went home.

James ate his sandwich in a layby about half a mile from the club because he was so hungry, he would have eaten it at the club but Jack was in such a bad mood it would have given him indigestion, so he ate it in the car and then headed home.
When he arrived he went straight upstairs to check on the patient and as he opened the door he could see her stirring
“Hi Elise” he said “How are you feeling”?
“I feel awful” she replied so he felt her forehead again and it was still very hot.
“Time for more medicine” he instructed as he went to the medicine cabinet and dosed her up again.
“Are you hungry?” he asked
“A bit” she croaked
“How about some soup?”
“Oh yes” she replied “cock-a-leekie”
James went down stairs and opened a tin of chicken and leek soup and warmed the contents in the microwave then he took her lunch up on a tray and while she ate it he ran her a bath.
When she finished all of the soup he helped her into the bathroom.
The bed sheets were quite damp from her sweats so he changed the linen while she bathed.

James helped her out of the bath and dried her thoroughly and helped her into her nightdress, which he took from her overnight bag and just as he was getting her back into bed she crossed the room and rummaged in the bag and fished out her cuddly dog.
“I need this” she said and blushed then she got under the crisp clean bedclothes and snuggled down with her dog and he kissed her forehead.
“I love you James” she said
“I love you too” he replied
“You are so good to me” she continued, “I am so lucky”

He was smiling broadly all the way down the stairs after he left his girlfriend on her sick bed.
“She loves me” he said to himself as he put the hotpot in the oven.
Dinner had now become supper for one.

Gary was at home in the shower when Hannah sent him a text, and he got out to read it and he smiled as it read.
“I need a lovely man to take me to dinner, to celebrate”
“I already booked a table” he replied

Because Elise was ill James slept in the spare bedroom and the next day she still wasn’t very well and slept for most of the day and had all her meals in bed.

On the day after Elise was feeling a lot better, her fever was gone and she looked much more herself but James still made her stay in bed for the day, but she had the TV to watch and he supplied her with a stack of DVD’s as well because he had to go into work.
She thought he was being wonderfully kind but the truth was he just thought that was what you did for someone you loved.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 14 – New Year’s Eve

Jack considered going to the club to celebrate New Year’s Eve, it was always a busy day and a very lively night but he didn’t really want to, so he stayed at home and sulked and spent much of the day in reflective mood and felt more than a little saddened by Kayleigh’s absence.
The village was shrouded in freezing fog which did little to lift his spirits so he just slobbed around the house and watched old movies,
Not that he was particular big on New Year’s Eve, it was not a time that held any deep significance for him and he was normally feeling a bit jaded by the time it arrived anyway but it was a good earner at the club and that year was certainly going to be no exception
He would have preferred to have spent the evening in the same vein as he had recently, another cosy and intimate day with Kayleigh would have been lovely but there was a very good reason why she couldn’t be with him.
She wasn’t really a New Year’s Eve person either.

Jack wasn’t the only villager facing the prospect of seeing the New Year in alone, Church warden Tony Vassell, church organist Ian Riley and Plaxton Park Matron and all round good egg, Gemma Frost were in the same boat although that wasn’t the plan.
Tony and Ian were supposed to be spending the evening together but during the afternoon Ian received a phone call from Reverend Massey about a change to the New Year’s Day service.
He wanted to include The 18th Hymn for New Year’s Day by Charles Wesley in the service, and Ian was not entirely unfamiliar with it but he hadn’t played it for a while so he wanted to practice it that evening so that left his old friend Tony on his own.

Gemma also had alternative plans for the evening which involved dinner with friends in Purplemere, it was the first New Year’s Eve she hadn’t had to work for three years, so dressed to kill in a new dress and all the accessories, hair, nails and makeover courtesy of Mazzone’s, she walked down the drive and unlocked the car .
“Hi Gemma” Tony Vassell said, making her jump
“Oh goodness” she exclaimed
Tony was just going back in the house after retrieving his book from the car.
After a brief greeting Gemma got in her car and Tony went indoors so wasn’t there to witness the fact that her car wouldn’t start.
“Bollocks” she shouted before getting out of the car again and going back in doors.
First she phoned the RAC but she was told it would be at least 2 hours before they could get out to her, so she then phoned a taxi to take her to Purplemere but she couldn’t get one of those either.

Meanwhile at St Lucy’s church Ian Riley was sat at the organ stubbornly practicing the troublesome piece by Wesley and was cursing Reverend Massey for his last minute change to the New Year program and wished he was at Tony’s place drinking a quality whisky while beating him at chess.
Ian Riley was thin and pale with sandy hair, sharp featured and keen eyed, not entirely unlike a bird in appearance, he was 45 year old and still lived in the house he was born in with his Niece Elise who was only 10 years younger than him, the only child of his elder brother.
When he was 22 years old Elise’s parents were killed in a car crash so Ian suddenly had a 12 year old child that he had to raise.
But he took it in his stride and as they had lived in the same house all of her life they were able to be there for each other without the need to get to know a stranger.
She was now in her mid-thirties and apart from five years living in Purplemere she had lived her whole life in Turnoak with her Uncle and he was delighted when she chose to move back to the village after her divorce.
It was assumed by those who didn’t know him very well that she was the reason he hadn’t married but that was only partly true
Ian had his heart broken when he was young which was why he settled in a Village where he thought he would be safe, where he could indulge his love of music as the Church organist and play chess with his best friend Tony Vassell.

Like Gemma Frost, Tony Vassell was forty six years old and divorced and was born and bred in Turnoak in fact they had known each since nursery school and he also worked up at Plaxton Park though his job was in administration.
The other thing they had in common was the fact that they fancied the pants off each other.
Tony though could do nothing about it because he thought that romantically Gemma was so far out of his league and would never give him a second look in that regard.
After all he was overweight, balding and had the physique of a couch potato even though he was far from being one, and what hair hadn’t fallen out had gone grey.
Whereas she was lovely, a short rotund redhead with a heart as big as her bust size and the persona of one of the angels, so he just admired his neighbour from a distance.

Meanwhile as Gemma stood in front of her hall mirror she smiled at her reflection and winked.
“This is providence” she said out loud “and it would be a shame to waste this outfit”

Martina Wingrove was second in command to Gary Spiers at his company Sound in Spiers and was staying at her sister Anne’s house in Clarence for the New Year celebrations but she told Anne that she needed to go to St Lucy’s in Turnoak to tweak the sound system to make sure everything was all set for the next day.
But that was not entirely true, she needed to go Turnoak that was certainly true but the real reason was that she wanted to see Paul Massey.
So Anne dropped her off just after lunch and was picking her up again at 9 o’clock from St Lucy’s.
She was to the casual observer unmistakable Martina’s sister, just a different build she was also tall, but was slight to Martina’s curvy and her eyes were a darker blue and her straw coloured hair was straight rather than curly and was less unruly.
However what she didn’t know at the time she arrived to collect her sister, was that Martina was in the Vestry kissing Paul Massey.
What she did find though was someone doing battle with a piece by Wesley.
Anne was also an accomplished organist and often played at her church in Clarence, Mary of Bethany.
So as there was no sign of her sister she decided to sit down in one of the pews and listened to the music and when the piece was finished she nodded and smiled and when he emerged from behind the curtain she said
“You really nailed it that time”
“Oh bless me” he said “you scared me”
“Sorry” Anne said and giggled
“That’s ok I just didn’t know there was anyone else here” he said
“How come you’re practising this late on New Year’s Eve?” she asked
“Ah it was a last minute inclusion” he said and raised his eyebrows “And I needed to reacquaint myself with it”
“That makes sense then” Anne said “It’s a tricky piece if you haven’t played it in a while”
“Do you play then?” he asked with genuine interest and sat on the pew in front of her
“Yes I play at St Mary of Bethany” she replied
“In Clarence?”
“Yes” she replied “but alas our organ is being renovated at the moment”
“Oh dear, how long for?”
“We are hopeful it will be completed in time for Easter” she said wistfully “I will be quite rusty by then”
“Would you like to play now?” he asked hopefully, it was so rare for him to have someone to talk to about music let alone church music and even rarer than that, organ music
“Oh yes please” she replied enthusiastically

Ian was sat in a pew with his eyes closed and moving his hands and fingers as if he were playing it when he was discovered
“Now that’s clever Ian” Reverend Massey said “You don’t even need to touch the keys and you can make it sing”
“I wish I could play that well” he said modestly
“So who is playing?” he asked
“It’s Anne isn’t it” Martina said “My sister”
“Oh she’s your sister?” Ian said noticing the resemblance for the first time.
A few minutes later the music stopped and Anne’s face appeared from around the curtain
“Oh there you are” she said addressing Martina “Ian kindly let me play…” she began but stopped herself because she thought completing the sentence with “with his organ” didn’t sound quite right.
“So have you finished playing?” Martina asked with a grin knowing exactly where Anne’s sentence was heading
“I wouldn’t mind a quick two hander” she said “if Ian is amenable”
And Martina dissolved into fits of laughter and Paul had to guide her away.
Ian was completely oblivious to the double entendre, which went straight over his head, but then he was just pleased to have been asked to play a duet by such an accomplished organist.
So Anne and Ian sat at the Church organ and played a two hander while Paul calmed Martina down at the back of the nave by kissing her again.

Gemma Frost had unfortunately been thwarted in her plans for the night due to car trouble.
She was going to spend the evening having dinner with friends in Purplemere, which was the first New Year’s Eve she hadn’t had to work for three years, so she was dressed to kill in a new dress and all the accessories, hair, nails and makeover courtesy of Mazzone’s,
So in essence she was all dressed up with know where to go, that was until she decided to pay a surprise visit on her neighbour Tony Vassell after a couple of large white wines for Dutch courage.

Having completed their duet on the organ Ian and Anne walked slowly through the nave and found Martina and Paul waiting sheepishly by the door.
“Well we had better get going if we’re going to get home in time for Big Ben” Anne said
“Well you’re more than welcome to see in the New Year at Chez Riley” Ian said and before Anne had the opportunity to answer Martina said
“What a great idea, lead the way”
Which had she been allowed to respond herself Anne would have responded likewise.

In the absence of his best friend and chess partner, Tony settled down to a quite evening on his own and apart from bumping into the lovely Gemma when he was putting the rubbish out he hadn’t seen or spoken to anyone.
He had his favourite book to hand, the complete collection of Christmas books by Charles Dickens and he read for about an hour, then he made himself a sandwich and watched TV as he ate it.
It was about an hour later as he was taking his dirty plate to the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
He had no idea who it might be, he certainly wasn’t expecting anyone.
When he opened the door he was surprised to see Gemma Frost standing on the doorstep.
“Hello” he said with genuine surprise
“Hello Tony” Gemma said, “Can I come in? It’s a bit chilly”
“Of course you can” he said fussily “come in, come in”
Once inside she slipped off her coat and walked through to the lounge and Tony thought she looked absolutely gorgeous in her knee-length blue cocktail dress, and she was perfectly accessorized to boot.
“You look lovely” he observed
“Thank you” Gemma said as she sat down “I was going out to dinner in Purplemere but…”
“But?” he asked
“The car broke down” she replied
“Oh no” he exclaimed
“I’m afraid so” she said “And it’s the first New Year’s Eve I’ve had off for three years”
“Oh that’s not fair, why didn’t you knock?” he said “I would have driven you into Purplemere”
“Would you?” she asked
“Yes”
“That’s really sweet” she said and blushed
“So are you on your own tonight then?” Tony asked
“Yes the boys have gone to a party” she replied
“Well I’m on my own as well so would you like to see the New Year in with me?” Tony asked
“I would love too” she replied “in fact I was hoping you’d ask”
“Great I’ll get us a drink then” he said “is wine ok?”
“Perfect” she replied

As Martina and Paul walked up from the church they were desperate to hold hands but they couldn’t do so in public at that moment, she hadn’t even told her sister Anne about her and Paul, although several of her inner circle, as well as most of the members of St Lucy’s Church committee, were aware that they were smitten.
But at that precise moment Anne’s thoughts were not concerned with her sister she was giving her undivided attention to her new acquaintance, Ian Riley.

At Tony Vassell house, after several drinks, as they approached midnight Tony said
“I should be sorry,”
“Why is that?” she asked
“Because you missed out on dinner with your friends” he said “but I’m not in fact I’m rather pleased I got to spend it with you”
“Why?”
“Because I could have been sitting here alone but instead I’m spending New Year’s Eve with an attractive woman, a sexy woman” he said
“Well thank you” Gemma responded and blushed and then added
“Oh look it’s nearly time, I need more wine”
“Ok” he said cursing himself for saying too much as he walked to the kitchen, then he opened the fridge and took out an open bottle of wine.
Tony then filled two large and returned to the lounge where Gemma stood up and walked towards him.
He expected her to take the wine glass from his hand but instead she walked between his outstretched hands and kissed him.
“I think this is the best New Year’s Eve I have ever spent” she said and kissed him again.

“Happy New Year” they all cheered and chinked glasses
“And new beginnings” Paul added and Ian awkwardly kissed Anne’s cheek making her blush
“I… we, have an announcement to make” Martina began
“Oh do tell” Anne urged
“Ok then” she said and took a deep breath, “Paul and I are a couple again”
“Is that it?” Anne asked
“Yes” she said with affront
“Well I already knew that” she said
“What?”
“Me too” Ian added
“Oh God, does anyone else know?” Martina asked and Paul smiled at her discomfiture
“Jack, Kayleigh, Katie, Sarah, Elise, Gemma, Tony……” Ian listed
“Ok, ok I get it” she said “But how does everyone know?”
“Oh come on we’re not blind” Anne pointed out “you look at each other like a couple of love sick cows”
“In fact you make love sick cows look cold and aloof” Ian said and he and Anne dissolved into laughter

They left Martina and Paul at Ian’s house where they could discreetly kiss good night while Ian walked with Anne to collect her car from outside the church then she drove it back to his house to collect Martina.
“There is an organ recital at Abbottsford Cathedral next weekend” he said “would you like to go?”
“Yes that would be lovely” she said “And perhaps we could have dinner while we’re there”
“That’s a great idea” Ian agreed “If you give me your number I’ll call you to firm up”
“There is a card in the glove box with all my details on” she replied
So he opened the box and took out her card and read the details for Anne Wingrove, Deputy Head at Purplemere Park Music Academy.
Ian also worked in a musical capacity but in a much more humble way in the Music department at St Hilda’s Theological College in Grangemount.
“No wonder you’re so good” he said

It was one thirty on New Year’s morning when Anne drove Martina home after Ian’s wonderful New Year.
Perhaps not the start to the year he had planned, it was supposed to be a quiet night in with a friend but he much preferred what transpired but then he began to feel guilty because his best friend Tony had had to spend the evening alone due to his absence.
However his guilt soon melted away when he saw Gemma Frost emerge from his house and a long lingering kiss on the door step followed and Ian smiled.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 13 – Christmastide

The next day was Christmas Eve and apart from the delivery of Christmas gifts and cards to friends and exchanging seasonal greetings with those important to him he spent the day alone as unfortunately he wouldn’t be seeing Kayleigh
She always spent the important dates, Birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve, Halloween and Valentines with Carl up at Plaxton Park even if she didn’t know if he knew she was there or not because Carl was involved in a devastating car accident that left him severely, physically and mentally disabled and in need of perpetual care and had not responded to any external stimuli.

So Jack spent the majority of the day listening to Christmas music and watching schmaltzy movies on TV but his mind kept wandering to Kayleigh and how he really wanted to be spending every moment of Christmas with her, he just didn’t know when that might be the norm.
He concluded that Kayleigh was the woman for him but in the meantime he would just have to be satisfied with the stolen moments and that day’s stolen moment was at midnight mass where they held hands in the dark.

As usual St Lucy’s was well attended for Midnight Mass, despite the bitter cold and to the great delight of everyone in attendance Reverend Katie Watson led the service.
After the mass was over they all gathered at the rear of the church and shared the peace then Jack walked Kayleigh to her house and he went home alone.

Christmas morning began with a frosty glaze decorating the rooftops and lightly dusting the evergreens.
And as the bells rang out to celebrate the birth of the Lord the joyous faithful arrived under a clear blue sky.
It was a most glorious Christmas morning and Jacks spirits were high as he knocked for Kayleigh and she invited him in for a Christmas kiss, although her would have preferred to kiss her lovingly in the sunshine, before they walked down to St Lucy’s to join the rest of the congregation.
It was an excellent service with Katie Watson back to her very best while Paul Massey graciously took a back seat.
Afterwards it took some while for the Church to empty as everyone wanted to share their best wishes with Katie and she was clearly overcome with all the attention.
In the days preceding Christmas she had also been inundated with invitations to share Christmas dinner and was quite overwhelmed by people’s kindness.
In the end she accepted Gemma Frost’s invitation and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas lunch with her and her sons and their other guest Jack, which although they didn’t know it at the time was to be Katie Watson’s final Christmas as the vicar of St Lucy’s.

After he left the church and said his goodbyes, Kayleigh spent the rest of the day at Plaxton Park with Carl and Jack went to Gemma’s where he ate too much, drank too much and left just before he’d over stayed his welcome but still returned home quite late to find Kayleigh in his bed.

On Boxing Day all of Jacks closest friends were invited to all corners of the county, by either family or friends even Kayleigh had to spend the day and night in Roespring with her grandparents so he spent the day alone.
He couldn’t even go to the club to kill time as it was shut, so in contrast to the previous few weeks it was a very quiet and uneventful day but although he missed Kayleigh it gave him time to recover from the overindulgences of the preceding days and had a quieter day of television and slobbery.

From the moment he got up the next day he began looking forward to Kayleigh’s return unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse according to the BBC Breakfast weather with heavy snow moving across from the east.
He had spoken to Kayleigh just before she set off from her grandparents and the snow hadn’t reached Roespring at that stage, they spoke several times before during the journey and she managed to avoid the snow in the main and reached Nettlefield in good time and she had got some way south before the weather caught up to her just after Millmoor, but she had stop outside the Oakham’s and take refuge from the worst of the storm at the Motorway services.
But Jack had no way of knowing that because he had lost touch with her about half an hour before she had to stop because her phone died, so he didn’t know where she was or even where she was coming from for that matter, the news bulletins talked a lot about road closures and diversions.
He was beside himself with worry all day and he kept ringing her phone but all he could do was leave voice mail after voice mail as she wasn’t picking up.
But just before seven o’clock he got a call from a land line number he didn’t recognize and it was Kayleigh.
“Thank God” he exclaimed “Are you ok?”
Kayleigh went on to explain about her phone dying and how she had to queue for more than two hours just to use the public phone.
But the good news was that they had just had word that the snow ploughs had the motorway open again and they would be on the move very soon and not to worry.

Kayleigh finally arrived back in Turnoak a little after eleven o’clock with the snow falling fast again and Jack was looking out the window, as he had been for the previous 90 minutes, when he saw her car pull up, and he was on his feet and sprinting for the front door in a Nano second and was standing on the doorstep before she had even opened the car door.

She slammed the door and ran towards him and he immediately wrapped his arms around her and said
“Thank God you’re here safe”
“Safe in your arms” she said and held him tightly.
“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you” he said “I was so scared”

Due to the lateness of the hour and the treacherous conditions and the fact that she had been on the road all day having left Roespring 16 hours earlier, he insisted he should unloaded her bags and take them next door.
“No that can wait until morning, I want to sleep in your arms tonight”

They had a blissfully undisturbed night’s sleep as a result they awoke the next morning rested and very, very contented.
“Morning” he said and kissed the top of her head “Sleep well?”
“Good morning darling” she replied as she rolled over and hugged him “Yes I slept very well”
“Me too”
“In fact only one thing could make it better”
“Oh yes?” he said
“Breakfast in bed”
“Is that right?” he retorted “Taking advantage of my hospitality eh”
“Absolutely” she giggled “but cuddles first”
And as they lay cosily embracing he thought how warm and loving Kayleigh was compared to the Ms. Frosty knickers that he met that first time shortly after he moved to Turnoak.

“It’s stopped snowing” he observed as he peered through the gap in curtains
“Never mind the weather report, where’s my breakfast” she demanded
“Yes ma’am” he said feigning a tug of his forelock

After he delivered her boiled eggs and soldiers he sat and drank his coffee while she ate.
“It’s snowing again” he said
“I suppose I’d better make a move shortly” she said between mouthfuls, “and get while the going is good”

So after breakfast while Jack was outside retrieving her bags from her snow covered car Kayleigh returned to her own house unseen via the kitchen door then he carried them to the house and knocked on the front door.
“Well thank you kind sir” she said then she added in a whisper
“I will see you later, and it’s my turn to make you breakfast in bed”

After breakfast in bed at Kayleigh’s the next morning they spent the rest of the day in each other’s company.
The village was still in the grip of winter and was very quiet because shortly after Kayleigh travelled along it, the road to the village was closed by a snow drift as a result none of their other friends made it back to Turnoak.
The day was a fairly mundane affair as Kayleigh needed to do her washing and ironing so while he kept her company he sat and watched TV.

However the mundanity of the day was more than compensated for by the cosy interludes, which were numerous, and as far from the mundane as it was possible to get.
They wanted to make the most of the time they had to themselves which would be up all too soon as when he left her house on the morning of the 30th of December she was spending the rest of that day at the Vicarage with Katie Watson and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with her husband.

Love and Admiration # 2

I LIE IN THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN

I lie in the first light of dawn
Alone, thinking of her,
Wishing her next to me
Feeling her breath
Against my skin
Her breasts
Pressed against my flesh
In the quiet of the new day
Hearing her breathing
I ache for her touch
I long for her soft body
Against mine
In the dawns pale light
And in the darkness
I want her
I want her so much,
But she is gone
She is mine no more
Never again will my hands
Caress her form
Never again will I hear
Her murmur and sigh in pleasure
She is mine no more
My angel of the night
Has left my side
And dwells now
With others of her kind

BUTTERFLY SUMMER

I remember well, when we were young
And all those long halcyon days
We spent so many joyful hours
Just idling our time away
Down on her dad’s farm.
They were such happy lazy days
Swinging on that old rustic gate
Fishing in the mill pond,
Pooh sticks on the stream
And roaming the countryside
With nothing particular to do
And a world of time to do it in.
They were truly wonderful days
Pleasure filled days, innocent days,
Before the end of childhood
But that was before those amazing weeks
Of that one very special summer,
So many summers ago now,
When she transformed before my eyes,
A little more each day, into something new
Like a butterfly, emerging from its cocoon
Spreading its glorious wings in the sun
Displaying a previously unseen beauty.
A wonderful transformation
When she magically changed
From the cutely naive country girl,
An awkward and ungainly tomboy,
Into an altogether more graceful being
A beautiful young woman,
Though I was fond of the grubby faced girl
With the unruly hair, wispy and uncombed
But fondness paled and I very soon fell in love
With the beautiful butterfly that had replace her
And with the emergence of the butterfly girl
Possessed of all the wondrous beauty
Of the first flower of spring
We trod an unfamiliar path
And left our childish games behind
Taking our first tentative steps towards love,
A love that was a stranger to us, an alien thing
Yet we stepped eagerly into its turbulent sea
And immersed ourselves in its waters
We knew at once that excitement of first love
When joy was all we could see
And all of our thoughts were only for each other
Sweet moments spent in blissful adoration
Until love was burnt deeply on our souls.
Now when we walk the familiar places
Of our distant youth, as we so often do
We can stand in that very spot
Where first I beheld the butterfly
Resplendent in the sunlight
And say to her with heartfelt sincerity
That I love her still

OUR FIRST MEETING WAS BENEATH

Our first meeting was beneath
A sky of perfect blue
When a shaft of summer sun
Set your copper hair ablaze
Unspoken smiles were exchanged
Followed by silent acknowledgement
And love bloomed like a desert flower
After fall of summer rain

HAIR OF JET

Hair of jet
Falls untamed
Over alabaster skin
Stark in contrast
Like a ravens wing
Against fresh snow

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (Rewrite)

Harry's mind wandered
As he wended his way
Through crowded streets
To a special someone
Anna was his new love
And he would see her that night
As he hurried along
He could smell her hair
Feel the softness of her skin
He could even taste her
And he longed for her
As he remembered
Her smile, her kiss
Her writhing body
Then Harry stepped off the curb
Oblivious to the danger
And was struck
By a car unseen
Tossing him like a rag doll
Depositing him unceremoniously
Between car and gutter

His body lay broken
And bleeding
Where it came to rest
On the unforgiving street
And the last image in his mind
Was not the killer car
But Anna his new love
As his life ebbed away
His heart beat its last
The paramedic's best efforts
Were to no avail

A moment's carelessness
Had cost a young life
And his heart beat no more
In his broken body
But would beat once more
In another's chest
And reanimate
To bring new hope
To rekindle another's existence
Bringing a new beginning for Sally
Who, like a phoenix
Rises from the ashes
Of her frailty at the price
Of another families grief

THE WEEPING WILLOW TREE

Like the star-crossed lovers,
Romeo and Juliet,
They come from feuding kin
And must hide their love
From those closest to them,
So they meet in secret
Beside the quiet lake
At their secret place
To share a clandestine love
Where the only sounds,
Are of the faintest breeze
Disturbing the lofty tree tops
A gentle lapping of water
Against the bank
And ducks squabbling on the lake
But despite the quiet
They are fearful of discovery
As they embrace hidden from view
Beneath a weeping willow tree,
Its leafy pendulous branches
Trail down into the water
Where, stirred by the gentle breeze
They dip in an out of the water
Like the toes of a reluctant bather.
Despite their fear, the lovers
Kiss in the quiet shade
And feel at once renewed
No words are spoken
Their language is of caress and kiss
Such a tender converse
With limitless vocabulary
And languid pronunciation
Every syllable well employed
And when the final paragraph is reached
They end with perfect punctuation
And bask in its afterglow
Until they must once again stir
From their lovers languor
And sadly tread separate paths
To re-join their warring tribes
Adopting adversarial manners
No knowing looks to be exchanged
No casual brushing past
When for an exquisite moment
A hand might touch a hand
They must remain entrenched
With their warring clans
Until they can once again
Embrace beneath the weeping willow tree

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 12 – The Secret Songbird

After all his guests had left, despite the fact he had had the busiest week he could remember and he’d been up half the night he had no intention of trying to catch up on his sleep so Kayleigh drove him into Purplemere to pick up his car then she went to visit Carl up at Plaxton Park while Jack went home and spent his time tidying the house and to keep him going he put on some music.
And as often was the case the album he selected was “Twilights love” by the love of his life, Kayleigh Parkes.
It was a massive hit in the early 1990’s and was a platinum selling album and everyone expected her to follow it up with more of the same but a second album never materialized because she stopped recording and performing after her husband Carl’s tragic accident.

He finished the tidying and sat down with a cup of coffee and despite his intention not to do so, he promptly dropped off and he had a lovely restful dream filled sleep, and he was dreaming about Kayleigh.
It was a lovely dream and it was so vivid that he imagined he could feel her soft lips on his but when he opened his eyes, his beautiful sweet Kayleigh was kissing him.
She smiled at him when she realized he was awake and then she got up and turned off the music and said with a laugh
“Why are you listening to this rubbish?”
“Because I love it” he said “and the singer used to be really sexy”
“Used to be?” she said and jumped on him and began tickling him mercilessly
“She used you be sexy did she?”
“Ok, ok, she’s still sexy” he said

As they sat on the sofa in each other’s arms he said
“I’d love to hear you sing again”
“No, no” she insisted
“But you could do a set at the club” he said “You have such a lovely voice”
“Honestly, have you been talking to Katie” she retorted “She’s always on at me to sing again, but those days are over”
After a moment or two he said
“You could still play” he said “or write? You used to write great songs”
“I do” she replied
“What?”
“I do still play and write and…” she said “record”
“You’re kidding” he said
“Come on I’ll show you” Kayleigh said and took his hand

She led him into her house, where he had been many times before, but went through the kitchen and out the back door and down to the end of the garden and into a brick built out building and he gasped when he saw it was fitted out as a recording studio.
“Wow, if Gary and Martina saw this lot they would think they’d died and gone to heaven”

“So, you write songs, you sing and play the songs, and you record the songs” he said
“Yes”
“Then what?” Jack asked
“I put them on Carl’s MP3” Kayleigh replied “I know it’s silly and I don’t know if he can actually hear them, but I like to think that he can”
“I don’t think it’s silly” Jack said and hugged her

He arose very early on Sunday morning, well before first light as a matter of fact, and felt as fresh as a daisy.
The first thing he did was to breakfast and then stripped all the beds following because of his house guests and laundered the bedding.
After he had loaded the machine and set the program to wash he went upstairs and remade the beds with fresh linen in preparation for the next impromptu visitors.
His exceptionally early start to the day enabled him to complete all his chores with ease and then after a long leisurely shower he left for church after first calling for Kayleigh.
For a change they were amongst the first to arrive and they were delighted to see Katie Watson in attendance looking much more her old self.
However Paul Massey took the Sunday service with Katie giving the sermon.
It was a great service and there was genuine warmth emanating from the congregation towards Katie and a collective relief to see her looking so well.
Afterwards the usual suspects were meeting for lunch at the Hen and Chicks, Sarah declined on religious grounds namely that she didn’t want any further communication with God on the porcelain telephone as she still hadn’t recovered from Friday nights over indulgence.
Kayleigh also declined as it was the Christmas party up at Plaxton Place.
But that Sunday Martina Wingrove, at Paul Massey’s side, were joining the Sunday lunch club for the first time.

After lunching with his friends at the pub and making merry he walked home and when he reached his front door he found standing on the doorstep, what was clearly a bottle of something in one of those decorative bottle bags, so he picked it up and read the tag.
“Have a Merry Christmas Jack, with love from a grateful Damsel in Distress”
“Well that was a nice thing to do,” he said to himself, the damsel was
Gemma Frost, who lived across the road from him and she got locked out one cold miserable afternoon.

He was in the house for about an hour before there was a knock at the door and when he opened the door, he found a tipsy Kayleigh on the other side of it, holding another bottle bag.
“Happy Christmas” she said beaming.
“Hey! Happy Christmas hon” he responded with a smile, “come in”
“Ok” she said still smiling broadly “but no funny business”
“What do you mean, no funny business” he asked as Kayleigh stepped inside
“I mean you taking advantage of me because I’m squiffy” she pointed out
“Oh I see, but you didn’t have to get me a gift,” he said to her as he took her coat.
“I didn’t get you a gift, this is mine” she said as she sat down on the sofa “I won this in the raffle, but you can help me drink it”
“I’ll get some glasses” he said

When the bottle was almost finished Kayleigh slurred
“This is the best Christmas I’ve had for years”
Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she added
“And it’s all thanks to you”
Then she gave him a big hug and a kiss and an hour later beneath the laundered duvet on his bed he said
“So much for no funny business,”
As a result of Kayleigh’s Yuletide felicitations they were almost late for the carol singing in the village and as they went from house to house it started to snow but it was little more than a flurry really and barely even enough to qualify as a light shower.

Angels, Lovers and Songbirds Chapter 11 – The Night Out

The following day they woke together in his bed on a grey cold morning and had a lazy start to the day and after a late breakfast she slipped out into the grey to get her hair done for the night out and an hour later Jack left and drove over to the Waterside Club.

On that day Gary Spiers had the day off and slept until lunchtime, as that night was his first patrol with the Roving Angels.
He had his reservations about doing it despite the encouragement from his friends and wondered if it was really for him.
He left the house in his newly acquired uniform, worn over several layers including, Long John’s, and the stout boots and socks he purchased specially for the occasion as there was still snow on the ground.
As it was forecast to be minus 6 that night so he was going to need every stitch to keep warm, so he donned a woollen hat and scarf and gloves.
The Roving Angels had been in existence for about three years and was similar to the Street Angels, Street Pastors and other groups that had sprung up all across the UK in the previous 10 or 12 years.
They had made a really positive impact on crime and antisocial behaviour in Purplemere town centre over their first three years particularly in the general vicinity of the bars and clubs.
They provided a calming presence on the streets late at night in situations where a police uniform might have had the opposite effect.
In the two years since they began Roving Angels had contributed to a 29% fall in public place violence on the weekends.
It all began when Christian Churches in the area came together with the Police and the Borough Council to establish the Angels in Purplemere.
But it took people of faith to make it work, as with so many things in life.

To be perfectly honest he was feeling a little apprehensive about his maiden patrol as he drove to Purplemere town centre.
He was after all doing something he had never done before and patrolling the streets in the small hours was not without its risks one of which being that drunks are such unpredictable creatures.
Not to mention the fact it was a bitterly cold night and he was a bit of a wimp and it was to be a long shift starting at 10pm and possibly finishing as late as 4am.
All the bars and clubs close for the night at 3 am but the clientele have been known to hang around.

He had butterflies in his stomach when he went into the council building where the Angel volunteers congregated.
In truth Gary was nervous of meeting a bunch of strangers but when he walked in he found that he knew almost half of the assembled group one of whom was Jacey Linton.
“Gary” he said offering his hand “good to see you”
“Hi Jace” he responded taking his hand “I didn’t know you were an Angel”
“Yes” he said “since the beginning”
“Really?” he asked
“Yes” he responded proudly “three years now”
Although he had been trained he didn’t really know what to expect so Gary was quite relieved to find he was going out on the first hour, the quiet hour, with Jacey, who was a veteran.
As expected it was an uneventful maiden patrol which saw Jacey taking the lead with Gary carrying the back pack full of Flip flops, lollipops, space blankets and the first aid kit.
It was useful for him, Jacey showed him the boundaries of the patrol area and he pointed out the potential hotspots for later, he showed him all the CCTV camera locations and identified areas not covered and crucially the radio dead zones.
Also the quiet stroll gave Jacey and Gary a chance to chat.

After spending much of the day at the Waterside Club Jack Morehouse persuaded the Entertainments Manager
James Lynch to go for a drink in Purplemere and when they were happy that everything was running smoothly they left the club and Jack drove him into the centre and after parking the car they walked towards the main pedestrianized thoroughfare where the majority of Bars, Clubs and Restaurants were located which was where they bumped into Gary and Jacey coming the other way.

After the initial surprise Jacey and James talked about the club and Gary and Jack talked about the work he was doing at St Lucy’s Church in the Village but the conversation soon turned to Gary’s second in command at Sound in Spiers, Martina Wingrove and the new associate Vicar, Paul Massey.
Gary and Jack had both noticed the closeness between Martina and the Reverend and Gary said
“I’ve never seen her so smitten before”

After about five minutes the Angels continued their patrol and Jack and James went on their way towards their destination, La Florenza, not that James was aware of that.
As they approached Jack looked in through the window and spotted his quarry immediately seated at a large to the right of the entrance.
“Look who it is” Jack said
“Who? What?” James retorted
“The girls from the Village” he replied “Let’s go and say hello”
“Do we have to?” James protested but Jack was already through the door.
“Hello ladies” he said “Fancy running into you lot here”
“Fancy” Kayleigh said and laughed
“Hello James, why don’t you join us” Elise Riley said sliding along the bench seat to make room for him
“Love to” James said and sat next to her and Jack did the same beside Kayleigh
They spent an amiable hour or so together with a lot of chatter as Elise and James made eyes at each other and Kayleigh and Jack held hands under the table and a lot of wine was consumed.
As they were leaving Hannah Peters kissed Jacks cheek and said
“Thank you so much for getting me the trial at Plaxton Park”
“That’s ok” he said “But it’s up to you now”
“But it means so much because when she gets the job she can come and live with me” her sister Sarah said and kissed his other cheek

After their first uneventful hour on Patrol there was an hour of coffee and chat in the council building then Gary and Jacey went out again at midnight until 1 o’clock.
This also proved to be rather uneventful in fact Jacey said he had never known it so quiet, they concluded it must be the low temperature, so nobody was hanging around.
On their last lap around town they came upon a group of women who had just spilled out of one the restaurants and were laughing and joking with two men and were discussing if they should or shouldn’t go into one of the bars or onto a club and as they reached the periphery of the group Gary recognized the face of one of the men.
Jacey would have recognised that it was Jack as well if he hadn’t been looking intensely at the tall slim woman in the group.
He hesitated before speaking, because he didn’t want to embarrass the girl or himself but while he was wondering what best to do Jack spoke to him
“Hey Jacey” he said “Let me introduce you to everyone”

Sarah was the last one to be introduced
“Look another gorgeous man”
Sarah said a little tipsy “Oooh now we have one each”
“Yes Sarah” Hannah said dismissively already with her eye fixed firmly on Gary who said to Jack, who was the oldest member of the party
“What are you doing out this late Jack?” Gary asked “Shouldn’t you be at home drinking Horlicks?”
This was greeted with a great deal of mirth.
It was then that Jacey noticed a small group of lads lurking in the shadows watching a young girl very much the worse for drink.
“I’m sorry” he said addressing Gary while looking at Sarah “but we need to go”

They walked towards the girl and the others walked with them until they all filed into the pub, Sarah included, and Jacey watched her until the last possible moment.
“Are you on your own?” Jacey asked the drunk girl,
“I’m with Jenny” she slurred
“Where is Jenny?” Gary asked and she shrugged
“So are you going home?” Jacey asked and she nodded
“Come on then we’ll make sure you get a cab home,” he told her
“Ok” she answered
“Have you got enough money?” he asked
“Yes, I’ve got taxi fare,” she slurred
“Look” and she waved a ten-pound note at him.
“What’s it got to do with you?” a loud mouthed girl asked
“Are you a paedo?”
“That’s enough of that, move along” a bouncer said
“Come on let’s get you that cab” Gary said and he noticed the group of lads had evaporated away, probably looking for another vulnerable young woman.
“Thank you” she said and hugged them both
“You’re welcome, now you’d better get in” Gary said
But after the cab drove off with the girl Jacey radioed control and gave them the heads up to keep an eye on the bunch of lads.

As they were walking back to the council offices Gary said
“So you liked Sarah didn’t you?”
“Yes” he replied
“She isn’t normally that flirty” Gary added
“You know her then” Jacey said as they approached the office.
“Yes” he replied, “Sarah Peters, she lives in Turnoak village, she’s the verger at St Lucy’s church”

They were both mightily relieved to get back inside at one o’clock, they were frozen.
Gary didn’t know how the girls could walk around half naked in that weather.
It took almost all the next hour to thaw out and they were not looking forward to another shift and they were mightily relieved when the Supervisor announced that they would be finishing at 3am.
Because it was so cold no one was hanging around to cause trouble so their final patrol was deemed unnecessary.

With the news that they were no longer needed Jacey and Gary said their farewells and headed out towards the car park.
They were parked within a few cars of each other and after a brief chat Jacey got in his and would have driven out of the car park before Gary had even started the engine had he not got a phone call.

Once the engine had warmed up a bit and hot air started to blow through the vents he got out and took off his coat and fleece.
He knew from the journey over, that once the heater got running full throttle it would be too hot with them on.
But before he got back in he noticed the Jacey was still there so he walked over to make sure everything was ok.
“Ok we’ll see you up by the station” he said and put his phone on the seat and turned to Gary and said
“It looks like our services are required”

As he drove out of the car park the car was toasty warm and he followed Jacey who took the route that took them past the railway station and the taxi rank and as they reached the former he spotted some familiar figures staggering towards the latter.
They pulled up just ahead of them and wound down the window.
“Do you want a lift?” Gary called and Hannah was the first to respond and got in the passenger seat, and when she got in the car he noticed she was shivering so he reached over to the back seat and grabbed his fleece
“Put that around you” he suggested
Ok” she said, “Oooh it’s still warm”
Then he gave her his coat and put it over her legs and lap and tucked it around her just as Kayleigh and Jack got in the back.

In Jacey’s car the uncharacteristically flirty Verger Sarah called shotgun on the passenger seat although James and Elise were more than happy with the backseat.

On the journey back to the village Gary gave Hannah his almost undivided attention apart from the occasional glance in the rear view mirror at Jack and Kayleigh who were sitting very close together on the back seat although he couldn’t see that they were holding hands underneath her folded coat.

When they reached the Village Jacey pulled up outside White Rose Cottage and Gary parked behind and as soon as he pulled on the hand brake Sarah leapt into his arms.
“Oh Jacey you are my hero” she slurred, “You should get a reward”
“No need for tha...” he began but she had passed out
“Oh dear” Jacey said and sat her up before getting out where
Jack and Kayleigh were already out and on the doorstep.
“Is Sarah not getting out?” Jack asked
“She’s already out” he replied
“What?” Kayleigh asked looking around “Where?”
“She’s still in the car but she’s out alright, like a light” he said and laughed
When the occupants of Gary’s car emerged, they all got out safely though Elise was feeling no pain at all.
“Oh dear” Jack said “We certainly can’t take her home in that state”
“Definitely not” Kayleigh agreed
“Well everyone can stay here, I’ve got 5 bedrooms after all” Jack said
“Come on let’s get the wounded inside, and nightcaps for everyone else”
“Not for me I need to get going” Jacey said “it’s getting late”
“Nonsense you and Gary can stay over too” he insisted
“Oh alright” he said resignedly and set about carrying the drunken Sarah into the house.
Not an easy task even though she was barely eight stones, in the end he chose the fireman’s lift technique, which was the easiest once he got her out of the car and then he took her straight up the stairs and deposited her on the bed in one of the spare rooms.

After nightcaps Hannah shared the second bedroom with the snoring Sarah as it was an en suite, Elise was in the small room, Gary and Jacey had a room each and James slept on the sofa in the lounge.
Jack having a houseful of guests kept his own room but he slept at Kayleigh’s.

It was just after eight the next morning when Jack awakened and sneaked back into White Rose Cottage.
He would have loved to have stayed cuddled up under the duvet with Kayleigh but he knew James and Jacey would be up and about early because they had to touch base at the Club and make sure everything was on track for the Saturday night show.
But they didn’t make an appearance until after 9 o’clock, Jacey was first and just looked tired because he only had the one drink and James emerged from the lounge 10 minutes later looking a little green around the gills, but having arrived in the kitchen late, neither of them seemed eager to get going, obviously because they wanted to see their respective girls before they left.

They were all sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee when Gary joined them looking very pleased with himself then Hannah appeared looking as fresh as a daisy which was amazing considering what she’d put down her neck.
But then came the serious drinkers just before 11 o’clock firstly Elise walked in sheepishly and sat down next to James and put her head on his shoulder
“I’m sorry James” Elise whispered
“What for?” he asked
“For being a drunken bum.” she said “and embarrassing myself”
“Don’t be silly” he said
“Am I forgiven then?” she asked
“Of course” he replied “but the next time we go out perhaps just the two of us”
“The next time?” she asked
“Yes”
“I like the sound of that” she said and kissed him

A few minutes later Kayleigh arrived through one door and Sarah through another and the latter looked like death warmed over.
“Good God” Kayleigh said
“Heavens” exclaimed Jacey
“Right, I figured someone would be in need of a remedy” said Kayleigh taking charge.
“I have just the thing for what ails you Sarah”
And she rummaged in her bag and fished out a medicine bottle with a dirty brown substance in it.
“I’ll try anything” Sarah said pitifully about to sit on a kitchen chair
“No don’t sit” Kayleigh commanded, “You need to be ready to move”
She handed the glass bottle to Sarah and said
“Take a good slug of that”
“And then what?” asked Sarah
“You’ll know what” Kayleigh said
Sarah took a good long pull on the bottle and then licked her lips before saying
“That’s not as bad as it lo….”
She never finished the sentence as she turned a funny shade of puce and headed for the toilet.
The noises that came from behind the toilet door are best not described but left to the imagination.
When she emerged some ten minutes later she looked more like her old self.
Another twenty minutes after that she was fit to be seen in church.