The Alphabet Game the Complete Alpha Series a to X, Y, Z (20 page)

‘Oh dear,’ says my sister. ‘I think you’d better come in.’

L to R

THE ALPHABET GAME

PART THREE

L TO R

Chapter 1

As we walk into Isabel’s home, I feel like I’m following the Pied Piper into the river. Gabe looks like he’s been slapped in the face with a prize wet fish. I’m not sure how I feel. How many times can you experience shock before you’re immune and just numb?

I don’t take much notice of the interior of Isabel’s house until we reach the lounge which is strewn with the detritus of a child at play; Superhero figures and a play set are discarded in the middle of the floor.

Samuel looks at Gabe’s mother, ‘Auntie Maddie, you were playing WWE with me.’

‘Er, yes, but now we have visitors. So -’

‘Would you like to go on your X-box, Sam?’ cuts in Isabel.

‘Woah, yes, twice in one day,’ Sam runs off into another room.

Isabel beckons us to take a seat, her face has reddened slightly and she’s wringing her hands together.

‘How did you find me?’ she asks Gabe.

‘Private Investigator,’ I answer.

‘Look I don’t know who you are, but I was asking him.’ She snaps, clearly flustered.

‘I’m Stella, your father’s stepdaughter. Remember him?’

‘Well,’ Isabel holds a hand to her chest, ‘Isn’t this just a day full of surprises? The stepsister I never met.’ Dragging a hand through her hair, she walks over to a drinks cabinet, unlocks it and pours a whisky out, with shaking fingers. ‘Anyone else fancy a scotch? I sure could use one.’

‘Why not,’ I say. I look at Gabe who is yet to really speak. ‘Get one for him too.’

I take in Isabel. She’s medium height, tanned, with dark blonde hair, that hangs untamed to shoulder length. It has a kink in it like mine used to get when a ponytail band held it back.

‘Is he mine?’ asks Gabe, jaw clenched.

I notice Isabel spills a drop or two of the whisky she’s pouring. Her back is held taut with tension, as if it pains her to breathe and I wonder if she’s pretending to have not heard the question.

Gabe’s mother looks at him. Her lip trembles as she says, ‘Yes Gabe, he is, but you were never supposed to find out.’

Gabe smashes his first into the arm of the sofa. Isabel flinches. She still hasn’t turned around.

‘Never supposed to find out I have a
son
?’ he spits. He stands up, shaking his head, whilst a disbelieving laugh exits his mouth. His top lip twists up in a sneer, ‘My own mother, one of the
only
people I have trusted my entire life, decided to keep the fact I have a son secret from me. Way to go Mother.’ He walks up to Isabel and snatches one of the drinks from the sideboard in front of her. ‘Cat got your tongue Issy? Feel free to join in at any time.’ His voice is like a distant rumble of thunder and I wait for the rest of the lightening that will bring this storm closer.

His mother interrupts,‘We agreed it was for the best. You were young Gabriel. Issy wanted to do it alone, but she confided in me and I helped her. She moved closer so I could be a support.’

‘I don’t fucking believe this.’ Gabe throws himself hard back into his seat on the sofa and places his head in his hands.

Isabel finally turns around from facing the drinks cabinet, her face eerily calm. ‘Don’t blame your mother Gabe, I’m the one who didn’t want you involved; you’d already tried to rescue me once and look where that got us.’

Gabe’s head whips up, ‘But he’s MY son.’

She looks away, it’s like the sight of Gabe hurts her eyes.

She inhales and begins to speak. ‘Sam has a father. My husband. He calls him Dad. I don’t want anything upsetting that. He’s loved. His life is calm and ordered. Everything my own was not,’ her hands twist around the glass, ‘and I will keep it that way, for
him
.’

The sneer returns,‘Well maybe you should have thought of that before you went running to my mother.’

Isabel sits down on the couch at the side of Maddie, facing us. She looks Gabe clearly in the eyes this time.‘Actually I went to your mother to ask how she coped with being married to that Bastard. The one who took advantage of me. I hadn’t meant to tell her I was pregnant, but she was so lovely, I just broke down. She’s been amazing to me. The mother I’d have loved to have. Just remember that when you’re being pissy with her.’

Gabe looks like he’s going to fire poison darts out of his eyes at her, but he closes his mouth firmly and grinds his teeth.

She changes her gaze over to myself. ‘So, Stella, how’s my lovely father?’

‘Well I don’t know what your last opinion of him was Isabel -.’

‘Issy. Please.’

‘- but last I saw he was still the fucktard I’ve always thought he was.’

She folds her arms across her chest. ‘Oh dear. I thought he was happy with your mother. He certainly never should have married mine, he never loved her. That’s why he resented me, I came along to force his hand.’

‘He’s up for Father of the Year Award, alongside Arnie Gregory.’ I tell her.

Issy smiles.

‘He’s a control freak with my mother,’ I think about her being thrashed and try to shake the thought off. ‘He’s never wanted me around, so I guess that gives us a lot in common.’

Issy looks quickly at Gabe. ‘Yes we do seem to have a lot in common. Are you -?’

‘Yes we’re together,’ interrupts Gabe. Though with how he’s seated next to me, right at the opposite end of the sofa, you’d think we were at relationship counselling.

‘Anyway,’ I return to my conversation, ignoring the macho posturing at the other side, ‘I’m only allowed supervised access to my own mother, it would appear. I’m here because he’s offered me the chance to see how The Rodeo works. Gets me out of the way you see. Very convenient for him.’

Issy flinches at the word Rodeo. ‘Be careful Stella. That’s his playground. His and Arnie’s and you’ll do well to remember that when you go there.’ She seems lost in thought for a few seconds. ‘Don’t get sucked in.’

‘I won’t.’

‘You say that, but you become desensitised to the debauchery around you, start thinking it’s how everyone is, drop your guard. Then they’ve got you.’ She mimes a noose hanging around her neck. ‘Just be careful.’

I nod. ‘Issy, I want to ask you some questions. They’re about the past, that’s why we came.’

She licks her bottom lip and takes a sip of her drink. Then she nods and goes to her handbag where she extracts what I assume is a business card and passes it to me. ‘Here, ring me on my cell tomorrow. I’ll meet you somewhere.’

I hold it up nearer my eyes and orate the printed words, ‘Isabel Lucas, Accountant. Beauty and brains,’ I say without thinking.

‘Yes well the first did me no favours, so I’m working on the second.’

Blushing I quickly backtrack,‘I’m sorry that was insensitive of me.’ I turn to Gabe. ‘Do you have anything else you want to ask before we leave?’

He sits there, mouth pinched and eyes cold,‘I’m not quite sure what to say at this lovely and joyous family reunion. Let’s do it again soon?’

Maddie moves towards him and attempts to put her hand over his, but he moves abruptly away. ‘Gabriel Gregory, you might not agree with my actions but I will not have you disrespect me; I brought you up better than that.’

He lowers his chin, eyes looking up at her. ‘I’m sorry Mother, but I find my life has turned around somewhat with the opening of a door.’

‘Your life hasn’t changed Gabriel,’ says Issy softly. ‘Mine did, but yours hasn’t. It would be best if you left us as we are. Forget you came here.’

‘I can’t listen to this crap any longer,’ Gabe announces standing up. ‘I need time to think.’ He looks at me like a lion trying to work out his territory. ‘Are you coming?’ The words sound indifferent, but I know he’s just trying to show a coolness he’s not feeling. I’ve done it so many times myself.

Looking at Maddie, I shrug. I tell Isabel I’ll ring her and then I hasten my steps to catch up with Gabe.

He slams the door of the car and drives like we’re in
Need for Speed
. I try and open my mouth but he just growls and tells me to ‘leave it.’

We get back to our separate rooms. Opening my door I see mine has now been emptied of candy. I let the door close to. ‘Do you want me to stay with you?’

‘No. I need to be on my own.’

‘Okay.’ I reach up and kiss his cheek. He stands with his face rigid, unyielding. My lips brush his stubble.

Turning away from him, I sigh, walk into my room and close the door.

I’d be lying if I didn’t confess there was some relief to closing that door and being alone. I lay down on my duvet, staring at the intermittent flash of the smoke alarm on the ceiling as my thoughts spiral.

Gabe has a child. Samuel was a Mini Gabriel. A new future heartbreaker for sure. He was adorable and so I find it hard to admit that I wish he wasn’t Gabe’s. A constant reminder that he was with Issy. Yet Issy doesn’t want anything to do with him. She’s finally found happiness. I wonder what her husband’s like?

I feel restless. It’s four in the afternoon. I’m visiting The Rodeo tomorrow evening. What shall I do with myself if Gabe doesn’t return? The idea of any dependence on Gabe once again irritates me to the point where I grab my costume and head to the hotel pool and lose myself in laps. It doesn’t work. My thoughts return to him, wondering what he’s doing. I submerge myself, letting the water slowly cover me until I’m consumed by it. That’s what Gabe is doing, consuming me, bit by bit. Maybe instead of fighting it, as I usually do, I could take lessons from my time in water, test my limits, see how long I can last. I push back out of the water, exhilarated.

After swimming I pop out of the hotel for something to eat as it’s made me hungry. I spot a Starbucks and purchase a latte and a muffin. Memories transport me back to a different Starbucks in another place and time and I smile.

On return, I knock on Gabe’s door to check how he’s doing, but there’s no reply. Sighing I go back to my room. With nothing else to do, I check my emails, noticing one from someone called “Stellasnewfriend”. I open it and there’s a smiley emoticon with “Had a nice day?” typed underneath. I slam the lid closed in disgust, my anger taken out on the laptop, because there’s nowhere else for it to go.

Frustrated, I flick through television channels, trying to distract myself. After ordering and eating a room service dinner, I grab my book, climb under the duvet and start reading. It’s been quite a day, I relish the escape into another world. It’s not long before sheer exhaustion hits me and sleep claims me as it’s own.

I’m awoken with a bang. I hear a rhythmic knocking on my door, loud enough to wake the whole floor.

‘Hey, Shtella, open up.’

The neon lights of the alarm show it’s almost four in the morning. Son of a bitch. I open the door and Gabe falls through it.

‘S’morning. Wakey wakey.’

He reeks of booze. I observe him as he walks in a zig-zag, drops the bag he’s carrying on the floor, lays down across my bed and passes out cold.

Well thanks a lot.

I pull off his shoes and get a spare blanket from the wardrobe, laying it over him. Then I attempt to climb in at the side of him, which proves difficult with his diagonal arrangement and the fact that his feet are partly across my side. Then there’s the stench. It’s like sleeping with a vagrant. I head to the bathroom and fill up a tumbler of water, place it on the bedside table on his side and then I crawl back under my duvet, curling my legs up so I fit. It takes me ages to fall back to sleep because I’m in such a stupid position.

Just after seven I’m woken by an elbow to the face. He’s turned over, thrusting his arm out. I give up and get out of bed. Extracting the key card from the pocket of the jacket in which he’s still attired, I figure I’ll go and get a shower in his room. He doesn’t flinch.

I see the discarded bag on the floor and pick it up to take into his room.

The jet of the shower is forceful and as I lather myself up using the hotel supplied mini toiletries I can feel myself becoming more refreshed. I think about Gabe’s father. He must really be nervous that I’m going to discover something about him if he’s threatening me. A smile takes over my face; a feeling of power surging through me. I must be onto something. His rejoicing about any discomfort I have about Samuel’s existence is premature. Yes it’s not ideal, but anyone can have baggage and Gabe’s the victim in this scenario. I begin to look forward to getting started at The Rodeo, hoping I can find information about Mitch and Arnie’s past endeavours. My mind wanders to how much the London branch needs an update. Maybe if I really look at this business and learn, I could get a position at the London branch, bring it up to speed as a premier erotic bar? It could become more than a sex club, maybe there could be burlesque performers, an erotic cabaret? I feel adrenaline start to pump through my body. It really is something to focus on and I can finally use the knowledge I acquired doing my Business Degree to ensure I learn as much about the administration side as I can.