Bridge Over the Atlantic (20 page)

She arrived home after six that evening with bags full of new things, feeling quite pleased with herself. Greg was walking down her road toward her. He was wearing his combats, boots and a black fitted tee. She had never really noticed his physique, but she could see through his T-shirt that he was very toned. She broke her eyes away from his abdomen feeling guilty.

“Hi, Matey. You seem to have been busy today.” He gestured to the bags she was piling up at the side of the car as she removed them from the boot.

“Yes I have. I think I’ve bought most of Oban. I only went for essentials,” she admitted cringing.

“Are they for your trip?” he asked solemnly.

“Yes they are.” She was giddy. “Oh by the way, thanks so much for agreeing to have Rubes. Her and Angus will have fun.” She smiled. “You coming in for a coffee?”

“Aye, why not as long as I can make it. You can do me a fashion show if you like.”

Mallory felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “Oh I don’t think that’s necessary. You’d be bored. I only got jeans and tops. Apart from one dress that I couldn’t resist.” Mallory took her bags into the house.

Greg followed close behind her. “Tell you what, you go put that lot somewhere and try your dress on. Maybe you need a second opinion, eh? I’ll make the coffee. Your coffees not as good as mine anyway,” he teased.

“Cheeky. Okay, if you’re sure.” She picked up the bags again.

“Oh I’m positive; it’s probably the worst coffee I’ve tasted.”

Mallory smirked but feigned annoyance. “I meant about the dress you cheeky sod.” She stuck out her tongue at him and carried on up the stairs. She dropped her bags on her bedroom floor and pulled out the dress that she had simply fallen in love with. Sam would’ve loved it; except he would’ve wanted her to be curvier, maybe.

She stripped down to her underwear and slid into the dress. It was red and clingy. It had a slash neck and a very low back. She’d had to buy a special bra to wear with it. It fit like a glove and clung in all the right places. She wasn’t sure where she was going to wear it, but she loved how it felt. She slipped on the black strappy sandals she had bought to go with it. She unfastened and fluffed up her hair and made her way down the stairs.

When downstairs she announced her arrival with a loud “Ta daaaaaa!” Greg turned to look at her. He didn’t speak. He just stared and swallowed hard.

Mallory’s shoulders hunched. “Oh God, I look ridiculous don’t I? I knew I shouldn’t have shopped alone. I always make stupid decisions.” Her hands came around to cover her body as her self-consciousness took over.

Greg cleared his throat. “Ah, no, no… ah…Mallory …you look…I mean…you’re...um…wow.”

“Is that good wow or
wow I can’t believe you were so stupid
?”

Greg blinked quickly. “Erm, I’d say it’s a good wow…definitely good.” He began walking toward the door. “Anyway, I should go. I’ve remembered I need to…ah…goodnight.” He walked out of the door and slammed it behind him.

“What the—? What just happened?” she asked Ruby, who simply wagged her tail. She went upstairs, removed the offending dress and pulled on her jeans, a clean sweater and her boots. She decided she was going over to Greg’s to confront him about what just happened. Had she offended him with her choice of attire? Did she scare him away with her flab? What the hell?

She drove over to Greg’s house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. What was wrong with this guy? She would have to wait until tonight when they were both starting work at half seven. It was close to seven now and she would just go straight to the pub. She drove back home, left her car and walked over to work.

Greg was already there, sitting at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked upset.

“What the hell happened to you back there?” she demanded.

“Mallory, not now, okay?” He waved her away with his hand.

“Yes,
now
. What did I do?”

“Oh yes, coz the world revolves around you now doesn’t it, eh?” he snapped.

“That’s unfair, Greg. All I want to do is understand? You said I should show you the dress, so I did. Then you went all Weirdsville and buggered off.” He didn’t speak. She held her hands up in defeat, “Okay, have it your way. I will just keep out of your way tonight, okay?”

“No need. I’ve got the rest of the week off so I’m taking off for a while.”

Mallory frowned, “Oh…right…what am I to do about Ruby then for my holiday? Do you know of a boarding kennel? Thanks for dumping me in the shit, Greg, really smooth.”

“Don’t fuckin’ worry, I’ll be back by Friday. God forbid I should let you down and disappoint you
again
, eh?”

“Oh whatever, Greg. I can take her somewhere else.”

“I said I’d have her and I will. Bring her to mine at five Friday. I’ll be there.” He stood from his stool, placed the glass with the untouched liquid back on the bar and walked out without another word.

After walking home to clear his head, Greg stuffed some clothes in his duffle bag, thankful that he hadn’t drunk any of the whiskey. He decided to leave straight away. He needed to think and to get some distance. Grabbing his small tent from the cupboard under the stairs he called Angus.

They climbed into the car. Greg was trying to make sense of the mixture of emotions he was feeling. He started the engine, turned on his CD player and cranked the volume right up to drown out the sound of the raw growling noise of the
Land Rover
and until
3 Libras
by A Perfect Circle was all that filled his auditory senses. He slammed his foot on the accelerator and pulled away from his house. The lyrics resonated deep within him as he drove.

Chapter Seven

Mallory didn’t see or speak to Greg at all for the rest of the week. When Friday came around she was dreading seeing him. She drove to his house with Ruby. Nervously, with more than a little trepidation she knocked on his door at five as he had instructed. The door opened, but it wasn’t Greg who answered.

“Hello, can I help you?” A woman, about the same age as Mallory, stood there in front of her. She had long black hair with blue streaks that fell, tied in bunches around her shoulders, big blue eyes lined with thick black kohl and bright red stained lips which stood out against her pale skin. She had nose and lip piercings and a tattoo on her left wrist of a series of Celtic symbols. She was Scottish, like Greg.

“Erm, is Greg here?” Mallory asked, a little bemused at the girl’s attire. She was wearing what looked like one of Greg’s T-shirts and little else.

Realisation spread across the woman’s face. “Oh yes, sorry. You must be Mallory. I’ve been hearing all about you. And this must be Ruby? Come in, he’s just upstairs.” Mallory followed her inside. “I’m Trina by the way.” She announced. Mallory didn’t much care.

Greg came down the stairs. He too was almost naked apart from his black jeans hung low on his hips. God he really
was
defined. She now saw that he had a tattoo stretching half way across his chest that she hadn’t seen before. His chest was very toned and muscular, with a small amount of hair scattered between his nipples. He looked good for thirty-seven. He was smiling as he went over and slid his arms around Trina’s waist.

“Oh hi, Mally, have you brought Rubes for me?” he enquired, all smiles. A complete contrast to the mood he had been in when they last met.
So mercurial.
Mallory couldn’t help but think it all a little contrived.

“Erm, yes but if it’s not convenient anymore, Ron said—”

“No, no don’t be daft! We’re happy to have her aren’t we Trina?” Trina nodded enthusiastically; hanging on Greg’s every word. Mallory felt physically sick. “We’ll take good care of her, don’t you worry. She’ll have great fun with Angus, won’t you girl?” Ruby wagged her tail excitedly at his voice.

Mallory let go of Ruby’s lead and the little dog ran to Greg. Tears stung the back of Mallory’s eyes and she turned to leave as quickly as she could.

Greg followed, thankfully without Trina in tow. “Hey, Mally, are you okay?” he called after her. “She
will
be fine you know,” he said reassuringly as she stopped at her car without turning around.

“I know that. I’m just going to miss her.” She wasn’t entirely sure that missing Ruby was the reason for her tears.

“Look, I wanted to apologise.” Greg walked over to her, his feet bare. He tilted her chin so that she would look at him. “I was an arse, yet again, last week. I don’t know what was wrong. But, I had a few days away and met Trina, she’s nice, eh?” he enthused.

“Oh yes she seems delightful,” she answered rather sardonically.

“Aye, I had a lot of thinking to do, but it’s done and I’m over it now.” He opened his arms as if to show her the evidence. She looked at the tattoo on his chest;
another homage to Mairi no doubt
she thought; it was a series of foreign looking words. She figured it out to be a Gaelic phrase. She had no idea what it said.

“Good for you.” She smiled trying to be genuine.

“Aye, well there’s no point wanting what you can’t have, eh?” He smiled, glancing back to the house.

“No, no point at all,” she agreed, but wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by that comment. “I’ll be off then, I’m staying at a hotel near the airport with The Buchanan’s tonight and then we fly early morning.”

“Well have a brilliant time, eh? And don’t worry about this place. We’ll all still be here when you get back.”

“Great…see you in three weeks then.” She forced another smile and went to climb into her car.

“Don’t you have a hug for your bestie, eh?” He chuckled holding his arms open. Mallory was confused by his mercurial manner, yet again. Reluctantly she stepped into his arms and accepted his embrace. He was surprisingly warm despite his lack of clothing. He did the thing that men do when they hug; he patted her back roughly. Okay, so she was clearly ‘One of the guys.’ She pulled away and got into her car.

She glanced up at Greg who now looked confused; his frown creating a crease right between his eyebrows. She waved and drove away. Greg simply stood and watched her leave; one hand raised and the frown ever present.

July 2011

It was good to be back in Canada; back in Sam’s old room. She felt close to him there.

Renee had put framed photos of the two of them together around the place. There was a vase on the top of Sam’s dresser that Renee had been filling with fresh flowers every couple of days. Her first week had been a little emotionally draining. She had cried a lot in the bed where she and Sam had made love. At night she hugged the pillow that Sam slept on and felt sure she could smell him even though the linens were freshly laundered.

She had put Greg and his weird behaviour/midlife crisis out of her mind and had joined in the family outings and meals. It felt good to be surrounded by a real family again. It had been so long and she had missed it.

At the beginning of her second week Cara had taken Mallory shopping in
Kingston
. She had bought nearly a whole new wardrobe of clothes and was wondering if her baggage allowance would take it on her journey home. It was great to be looking around such different shops. Some of which were very quirky. She found some really interesting clothes and reluctantly admitted that shopping at her current size was more fun. She knew herself of old though and wasn’t putting pressure on herself to stay unrealistically slim. She was a curvy girl at heart and Sam’s acceptance and love for this made her feel free to be however she was and not worry anymore. If she gained weight again, so what. Sam had loved her exactly as she was, curves and all.

The day after shopping was a day of art galleries. Mallory was in seventh heaven. There was a Julian Forster original on display and she stood for what felt like forever just staring at it. She and Sam had been to an exhibition of his in Edinburgh once and they had both agreed on how talented he was. Funny that this piece should be in
Canada
now.

At the end of the visit she purchased a beautiful little print of a painting she had fallen for immediately. It was of a couple standing on a pier, looking out to sea whilst they held each other. It kind of reminded her of standing with Sam on the Atlantic bridge.

That night she went drinking and dancing with Cara, Ryan and a few of their friends. She met a wonderfully colourful character called Reece who she had just adored. He was gay and made her laugh so hard she thought she would suffocate. They danced together all night and swapped email addresses, determined to keep their new found friendship alive when she returned home.

They stayed at Revolutions nightclub for most of the night and she did far too many jell-o shots. Reece wouldn’t let her leave the dance floor much at all.

“Oh, honey, I just
love
the way you move!” Reece shouted over the music. “If I wasn’t as gay as the day is long I would ravish you right here on the dance floor!”

Mallory had been in pain, her stomach was cramping so much with laughing.

“Now shimmy and shimmy and rrrroll those hips, yeah baby!” His
Austin Powers
impression nearly made her pee in her pants. It felt so good to laugh with free abandon.

The morning after the nightclub Mallory awoke late and was too ill to get up. Her tongue felt like it could be used to carpet the stairs and her head was thumping to a beat of its own making. Renee brought her a tray of breakfast in along with some Advil for her head. She gave Mallory a knowing look and shook her head smiling.

Seeing Renee made Mallory’s eyes well, “I’m so sorry, Renee,” she sobbed, feeling ashamed of her behaviour. In actual fact she had been a very civilised drunk. She wasn’t sick, although in hindsight being sick would probably have taken the edge off the hangover.

Renee stroked her cheek, “Oh darling, we’ve all let our hair down once in a while. Even me.” She winked.

Mallory couldn’t imagine Renee doing jell-o shots and dancing on tables. She cringed when she remembered kissing some complete stranger in the nightclub.