Schemer (53 page)

Dannielle felt incredibly nervous as she knocked on Barry’s front door. Part of her felt like running away as fast as she could before he had a chance to answer it, but she knew she would never forgive herself if she didn’t listen to what he had to say. She owed him that much at least.

‘Wow! You look amazing! Come in, babe. The house is a bit empty at the moment because obviously I haven’t had time to furnish it properly yet, but I’ve got all the basics including a couple of bottles of bubbly and a pizza in the oven,’ Barry said, winking at her.

‘I like your sofas. Are they new?’ Dannielle asked awkwardly as she sat down in the lounge.

Barry opened a bottle of champagne and handed Dannielle a glass. ‘Yeah, I only had them delivered this morning. Please don’t think I’m an alcoholic, will ya?’ he added. ‘I never usually drink so early in the day. I just thought it would be a nice touch, to toast me moving in and to settle our nerves. I dunno about you, but I didn’t sleep well last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Dannielle.’

Feeling that massive butterfly fluttering away inside her once again, Dannielle avoided eye contact with Barry and gulped her drink back.

Barry sat down on the opposite sofa. ‘So, how do you feel now about what I told you last night? I take it you don’t hate me, else you wouldn’t be here?’

Dannielle thought she had acted extremely childishly the previous evening and she was determined not to behave in the same manner again. Finding out that Barry had once dated her mother had come as a massive shock to her, but she had shared meaningless kisses with boys at school, so was that really any different? ‘I’m OK now I’ve had time to think about things, and I would definitely like us to be friends.’

Barry chuckled. ‘Friends! Is that it, then? Is that all you really want us to be?’

Dannielle shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Barry. I like you, I really do, but I’m so afraid of my mum finding out about us. Since my dad disappeared, my mum has been my world and she has worked so hard to provide a good life for me and Tyler. She has such high hopes for me, I know she has, and the fact she’s a man-hater doesn’t help the situation. Do you know, since my dad, my mum has never so much as looked at another man?’

Remembering the look of humiliation on Stephanie’s face that night as she had lain naked and begging at his feet, pleading with him to stay, Barry couldn’t help but smirk. The smirk was soon wiped off his face, though, as he realized that Dannielle had tears in her eyes. Moving over to the sofa where she was sitting, Barry put a comforting arm around her shoulders. ‘Look, don’t be upsetting yourself. You must stop worrying, babe. Perhaps you’re looking too far into things and there’s really no need, ’cause what will be will be. I ain’t gonna put no pressure on you, Danni, I ain’t like that, so why don’t we just chill and take things slowly, eh?’

Annoyed with herself for nearly breaking down again, Danni ferociously wiped the lone tear from her cheek with the sleeve of her blouse. ‘What do you mean exactly?’

Taking Danni’s hands in his, Barry smiled at her. ‘I mean, we’ve only just met really, haven’t we? So, why don’t we take things at a snail’s pace and see how it goes? We should just enjoy one another’s company for now, do fun things, and get to know one another a bit better. No one needs to know nothing that way, and if things do become serious between us in the future, we can worry about how we’re gonna break the news to your mother then. Does that sound like a plan to you?’

Relieved that Barry wasn’t going to pressurize her into making any rash decisions, Dannielle smiled. ‘What sort of fun things are we gonna do? Can we go to the theatre? All my friends have been, but I haven’t yet.’

Holding Dannielle’s pretty face in his hands, Barry kissed her tenderly on the forehead. ‘Your wish is my command, Princess.’

Stephanie was disappointed when she arrived home at teatime to find that Dannielle wasn’t indoors. Tuesday nights was what they referred to as their ‘girlie night’. It was the one evening a week where Steph would knock off work early and spend the whole evening cuddled up on the sofa with her daughter while they chatted about their lives and watched a film together.

Checking Dannielle’s bedroom to make sure her daughter wasn’t asleep, Stephanie marched into the living room where Tyler and Brad were totally engrossed in their PlayStation game. ‘Where’s your sister, Ty?’

Whooping with delight because he was currently caning Brad, Tyler didn’t take kindly to his mother’s interference. ‘Can’t you see we’re busy?’ he shouted, angrily.

‘Do you know where your sister is or not, Ty? I’ve tried calling her, but she isn’t answering her phone.’

Brad was the coolest friend that Tyler had ever had, and vice versa. Therefore, both boys always liked to show off to one another in front of their respective parents. ‘Probably sucking her new boyfriend’s willy,’ Tyler said brazenly.

Stephanie was fuming as Brad and her son both burst out laughing. Tyler had a filthy mouth on him at times – where he got his foul expressions from, she did not know. Seething with temper, Steph walked towards her son and clouted him around the head. ‘Don’t you dare spout filth like that again in my house. Now, I asked you a sensible question, so answer me. Where is your sister?’

Furious that his mother had showed him up by smacking him like a child in front of his best buddy, Tyler leapt up to confront her. ‘Don’t be having a go at me. Danni’s got herself a boyfriend. She’s been acting well weird and she’s been disappearing in cabs that she ain’t booked from your firm. If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself.’

When her mother rang for the fourth time, Dannielle knew it was time to go home. After the initial awkwardness when she had first arrived, she and Barry had had the most wonderful day together. They hadn’t done much apart from listen to music, sip champagne and chat, but Danni was amazed by how well they got on. It didn’t even feel as if there was a five-year age gap between them, let alone the nineteen-year difference that there actually was.

‘I’m gonna have to go now, Barry. Tuesday night is the only night that me and my mum usually spend together, and she must be worried where I’ve got to. Can you drop me near home, so I don’t have to wait for a taxi?’

Barry nodded, stood up, and handed Dannielle her jacket. ‘Well, I dunno about you, but I’ve had such a good day, Danni. Why don’t you come round tomorrow about twelve and let me take you out to a nice restaurant for lunch? Don’t feel you have to say yes, though. If you’ve already made plans or you’re worried about your mum getting suspicious, we can do it some other time.’

Dannielle grinned. Her college course didn’t start until mid-September and, seeing as she had now left school, apart from Saturdays when she worked in her mum’s salon, she had plenty of spare time on her hands. ‘I would love to go out for lunch with you tomorrow, Barry, and thanks so much for today. I really have enjoyed myself.’

Barry took Dannielle by the hand. About to open the front door wider, he slammed it shut again.

‘Have you forgotten something?’ Dannielle asked him.

‘Yeah, I’ve forgotten to kiss you, babe.’

Dannielle felt no guilt, no nerves, and no doubt whatsoever as she dropped her handbag and flung her arms around Barry’s neck. Their kiss was wonderful, extremely passionate, and when their lips finally parted, Dannielle felt a blissful happiness inside. Barry might be older than her, but nothing about their relationship felt wrong. From their conversation, to their humour and even their kiss, the whole package felt totally right.

CHAPTER FORTY

Stephanie decided not to mention Tyler’s revelation to Dannielle, but over the next few days, Steph definitely noticed a change in her daughter’s behaviour. Dannielle only usually went out three evenings a week, yet all of a sudden she was out all the time and wasn’t returning home until at least midnight. Steph also noticed how Dannielle seemed to freeze when she asked her what she had been up to. It was as though Danni could barely look her in the eyes and Stephanie knew that was partly her fault for repeatedly warning her daughter about the dangers and pitfalls of dating lads. Steph could now kick herself for poisoning her daughter’s mind with her own bigoted opinion, because she guessed it must be the only reason why Dannielle was keeping her boyfriend a secret from her.

The crunch for the mother-and-daughter chat to take place came late on Saturday afternoon. Dannielle had worked in the salon as she usually did on a Saturday and, as she was tidying up, informed Stephanie that she wouldn’t be home at all that night because she was going to the pub and staying at a friend’s house. Knowing that the inevitable birds and the bees talk needed to happen sooner rather than later, Steph looked her daughter in the eyes and gently squeezed both of her hands. ‘I think me and you need to have a little chat, darling. Come out the back and I’ll make us both a coffee.’

Dannielle felt incredibly anxious as her mother put the kettle on. Her and Barry had been getting along famously, and the thought of her mother ruining something so good filled Danni with dread.

Putting the two mugs of coffee on the little table, Stephanie sat down opposite her daughter. She hated her and Danni having any secrets between them and knew she had to tread carefully in case she pushed her daughter even further away. ‘Look, darling, I’m not silly and I know there’s a boy on the scene. Do you want to tell me a bit about him?’ Steph asked, smiling.

Relieved that her mother had said the word boy rather than man, Danni relaxed slightly, but still decided to go on the defensive. ‘I haven’t got a boyfriend. I’ve just been going out more because I’ve left school now. I am sixteen, Mum. I’m not a child any more.’

‘I know you’re not a child any more, darling. Look at you, you’re a stunning young woman and of course you are going to meet and attract boys. I’m surprised you haven’t had them falling at your feet before now, so just because I’m some old stick-in-the-mud singleton, please don’t feel you have to hide anything from me, will you? Me and you have always been so close, Danni, and if you’ve met a nice lad, I would love to meet him when you feel ready. Perhaps I’ll book us a table in the Bel-Sit or somewhere and you can bring him out for lunch?’

Dannielle could hardly admit the truth, but she hated the thought of making up and describing an imaginary boyfriend, so she had no option but to stand her ground. ‘Yes, I did meet a lad down the pub last weekend, but apart from swapping numbers and texting each other a couple of times, we haven’t even met up yet. Whatever made you think I had some kind of serious boyfriend? You’d be the first to know if I did because I would tell you.’

Steph breathed a huge sigh of relief. Perhaps Danni had just been acting oddly because she liked this boy who was texting her. ‘Sorry if you feel like I’ve just interrogated you. Your brother said something about you having a boyfriend the other day but, knowing Tyler, he was probably just winding me up. So, whose house are you staying around tonight, love?’

‘Mimi’s,’ Danni said, blurting out the first name she could think of. She wasn’t. Barry had booked them tickets to see a show in the West End and they were staying in a posh hotel afterwards. Being the gentleman that he was, Barry had booked them two separate rooms. ‘I didn’t want you to feel worried or pressurized that you had to take our relationship to the next level,’ he had explained to Dannielle. Furious with her little brother for grassing her up, Danni tried not to show it as she grinned at her mother. ‘What exactly did that lying little brother of mine say, then? I bet he was trying to wangle his way out of something he’d done wrong, wasn’t he?’ she joked.

Stephanie chuckled. ‘Yeah, he was actually. He had given me some lip in front of Brad, and when I gave him a clout around the earhole, he turned the spotlight onto you.’

Finishing the last of her coffee, Dannielle stood up. ‘I’d best be going now, Mum. I’m meeting the girls at seven and I have no idea what I’m going to wear yet.’

Stephanie stood up and hugged her daughter. ‘You have fun, darling, and don’t be having a go at your brother, will you? You know what a wind-up merchant he is.’

Danni promised she wouldn’t, picked up her handbag and left the salon. After all she had done for Tyler over the years, he had chosen to betray her. When Danni got her hands on him, rather than have a go at him, she planned to find out exactly what he knew, then throttle the little shit with her bare hands.

Barry was just about to jump into the shower when his mobile phone rang. ‘You all right, Phil? How’s everything going?’ he asked. Phil was Barry’s pal over in Spain and Barry had entrusted him to run his property business out there when he had decided to return to England. Barry no longer owned the bar that Jake had left him in his will. He had sold it for good money a while back.

‘Everything’s OK on the property front, mate. I’ve sold two more of them apartments in Malaga this week, but it ain’t that I’m ringing you about. Jolene’s father came into the office yesterday. Going mental he was, and he threatened to blow my kneecaps off if I didn’t tell him where you were living.’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. You didn’t tell him nowt, did you?’

‘Nah, course not. I just kept to the story that we discussed. He ain’t giving up though, Bal. Reckons he’s flying over to England next week to find you himself.’

‘Well, he’ll have a struggle finding me. Apart from me old pal Martin, me muvver, and one or two other people, no one really knows that I’m back. Anyway, he has no idea I own a house in Chigwell. I never told Jolene anything about my properties over here in England. I rue the day I ever got involved with that silly tart, I really do. Rang twice again the other night begging me to take her back, she did. Why can’t she ring her fucking father, eh? I so don’t need all this grief. All I wanna do is move on with me life.’

Phil said nothing. There were strong rumours sweeping Fuengirola that Barry had murdered Jolene and dumped her body in the sea, but he didn’t want to get involved in all the tittle-tattle. Barry was his pal and, even though he had told Phil months before Jolene’s disappearance that he needed to get rid of her, Phil would never tell a soul about that conversation. He was far too loyal, and if the rumours did turn out to be true and Jolene’s body was washed up on a beach somewhere, Phil would still back his pal to the hilt.