Loving Alex (28 page)

I pick up the little box and
open the wrapping paper. Inside I find a Tiffany box, I look at James before
I’ve even opened the box. “You shouldn’t have.”

“You’re worth it Alex, more than
worth it.”

Inside I find a beautiful white
gold bangle half of which is studded with diamonds. It sparkles so brightly
it’s beautiful.

I open the clasp to put it on,
“Wait, let me help.” He walks towards me, opens the bangle and clips it around
my wrist.

“It’s lovely James, really beautiful.”
I kiss him softly, “You really shouldn’t have.” I whisper. I stand admiring the
photograph of my parents and my bangle when the doorbell rings.

“Wait here.” James orders as he
goes to the front door returning a minute or two later with a large old fashioned
basket full of pastries and jams in a red and white check cloth. Breakfast
delivered!

James and I leave home in the
Jaguar, Anna has stayed and will meet Ramiro later, she’ll see Franco when he
arrives back at ours.

We pull into the car park at
London City airport in time to meet Ramiro and Franco. The plan being that we
will go straight to Gia and Roberto’s home to drop Ramiro off before returning
to ours with Franco. A
family
meal has been arranged this evening at the
request of my birth father, he has yet to meet Anna. James has organised this
at Reid’s, one of the smaller private function rooms has been booked out for
us.

James holds my arm as we walk to
the arrivals hall. “Shit!” I mutter as we walk into the terminal building.

“What’s wrong?”

“I meant to change my knickers,
I have no idea what you used this morning but I’m still, well... ” He smiles at
me, knowingly, winking, that bloody grin!

“You know don’t you?” I snap at
him, “You bastard! What did you use on me, I can’t walk without feeling like
I’m going to come over and over again. It’s not funny James, it’s bloody
embarrassing, I’m seeing my father in a few minutes and I’m highly aroused,
what will he think? James, it’s not funny!” I launch into a tirade at him, he
just laughs, doubled over laughing.

I stare at him, “It’s not funny
James, really it’s not! What was it?”

He pulls me close and whispers,
“It was an orgasm balm.” He laughs again, loudly.

“Well how much did you bloody
use? And how long does it last because I’ll tell you this much longer and I’m
going to drag you or the nearest available bloke into the nearest loo and shag
you, or them, you understand me?”

“Me, that’s fine with me!” He
smiles, “The nearest available bloke? Well, not if they value their life!” He frowns.

I turn my back on him and huff,
crossing my arms across my chest “Not funny!” I hiss wiggling my hips again,
trying my damndest to get comfortable.

We’re not waiting too long as
Ramiro appears. My birth father, looking very dapper in his black trousers and
white shirt. He’s wearing a tie, as he was the first time I met him and a check
jacket, very, very smart. He still looks older than Roberto clearly the signs
of hard work, maybe during the time that he disappeared after Maggie announced
she was pregnant. I still don’t know how long he vanished for.

He see’s us straight away and
walks towards me and James, his arms outstretched. Slightly behind him I guess
is Franco. Exactly as James had described, the guy is huge, not fat just big.
He must be in his sixties, possibly one of the youngest of the cousins, dark
haired and very good looking. “Alexandra!” He booms as he leans forward and
kisses each of my cheeks, “It’s wonderful to eventually meet you. You must be
my second cousin?”

“Yes, I suppose I am.” He really
is very nice, also wearing dark trousers but with a black polo neck sweater, he
has a black jacket draped over his arm. Both of the men are trailing small
suitcases behind them.

Ramiro jabbers away to Franco.

“Ramiro says you look lovely
Alexandra, a beautiful birthday girl.” He laughs.

“Thank you.” I hold Ramiro’s
hand, my father’s hand and kiss him gently. He moves his palm to my cheek and
leaves it here for a while.

“Maggie.” He says, his Italian
accent very strong.

He talks quickly again to Franco.

“He says you look so much like
Maggie.” I smile at Ramiro whose eyes are full of tears. I pull him close and
hug him closely. I’ve never met this man until recently, never even knew he
existed but even though I’ve only met him a few times when I went over to Italy
I feel something, something unique that surely must only be there between a
parent and child. He pulls me close and holds tightly. I have no idea what says
as he speaks so softly, his lips brushing my hair but I think I can guess.

I pull away, I too having tears
run down my cheeks, Ramiro wipes them away with his thumb.

“La mia bella ragazza.” He says
quietly.

I look at Franco for
translation, “He says
my beautiful girl.”

James stands on the periphery of
the family reunion, “Good to see you again James.” Franco extends a hand to
him.

James takes Franco’s hand, they
shake and the ceremonial arm and back slapping ensues, “Likewise Franco. It’s
been a while? I think my dad was still with us when we last met?”

“Ah, yes Lucca Aconi, one of the
best your father, one of the very best.” Franco looks slightly sad as they
discuss James’ father.

We walk across the car park to
the Jaguar. James carries Ramiro’s suitcase despite the protests from the older
man.

I sit in the back of the car
with my father whilst Franco sits beside James, “Nice car James.” The younger
man says as we pull out of the airport car park and head off into the London
traffic.

James tells Franco about the
Audi, explains that it’s home now and a little of what Lewis did and has done.
Ramiro must pick up on the word
Lewis
and babbles away, his tone harsh,
bordering on nasty. Franco talks back to him, I guess telling him a little of
what James has just disclosed.

“Il bastardo, il fottuto
bastardo!” Ramiro spits as he holds onto my hand tightly. Now I think I know
what that means!

After negotiating the traffic we
soon pull up to Gia and Roberto’s home. We all troop in and after some renewed
introductions and a tea and some lovely home cooked biscuits, courtesy of Gia,
we head off back to my home with Franco.

Every time I stand next to this
huge man I realise just how big he is. I thought Roger and Thomas were like
action man, this bloke is like action man crossed with Rambo! No, if I were in
a scrap I’d want this guy on my side, definitely.

We pull up outside our home and
leave the car. It’s late afternoon and we’re supposed to be at the hotel for
seven. Time for a cup of tea and a shower just to freshen up, thank God
whatever he used this morning has now worn off, I had visions of jumping on
every bloke that walked past, just to try to satisfy the intense feeling.

Anna see’s us arrive and opens
the door before we knock. She’s frowning, looking very concerned. She looks
sick. “Mum, James,” she says “there’s someone here, to see you.” She’s very
quiet.

“Who, I whisper?”

“It’s dad, says he’s come to say
sorry,” she cringes “I tried to persuade him to go, but he wouldn’t,” she
wrings her hands, “he won’t go.” She whispers.

“Oh, shit, and look who’s with
us!” I glance back at the mega man, Franco. Anna looks down the steps at the
massive bloke striding in behind us, taking two at a time, he must be near
seven foot tall and huge with it. If Lewis were to kick off in here I can
imagine one punch from Franco and he’s out cold - for a week!

“Where is he?” James asks
quietly.

“Living room.” Anna nods towards
the living room door.

James looks to Franco, “Let me
deal with this. Franco mate, can you give me a second, someone we need to
eject.”

Franco smiles broadly, crunching
his knuckles as he strides down the hall. “Of course.” He follows James into
the living room, grinning.
Oh Lord!

Anna and I stand in the hall way
between the kitchen and the living room in earshot of what’s being said.

“Lewis,” I hear James say, “I’m
James. I’d like to say it’s good to meet you, but unfortunately, well it’s not
good, is it?”

There’s silence and I hear Lewis
speak, “I just came to apologise. What I did, what I’ve done is wrong, very
wrong. I know I’m off to clink for a while. I’ll plead guilty so they’ll be no
trial. I’ve been a bastard, I know that. I’ve lost Alex, I’ve lost Muriel,
Anna, Josh and Lola, they’ve all gone, all of them, even my business partner’s
kicking me out. I’ve seen someone, a shrink, I know I’m fucked up in the head,
something about a psychological problem but there’s no excuse for what I did to
Alex, or Muriel, I deserve everything I get, every fucking thing!”

There’s silence.

“You need to leave.” I hear
Franco say, his deep voice resonates through to the kitchen, “Now. Please,
leave now!”

I hear movement and I drag Anna
to the kitchen door enough so that he can’t see us and peek through the crack,
I watch as the broken man limps up the hall way and to the front door.

“Don’t ever come here again.”
James says as he opens the door, “you come here again and I’ll arrange to have
more than your fucking legs broken, you understand me? You ever come within a
stones throw of me or my girls again and I’ll break your fucking head! Are we
clear?”

I see Lewis look up at James and
higher at Franco, he nods, “Please, just tell her I’m sorry.”

I see red, a red mist descends
at that point. I push Anna aside and storm out of the kitchen and into the
hall, “Tell her I’m sorry!” I mimic.

“Tell me yourself you bastard!”
I yell as I power my way along the hall. “You’re not a man! A man doesn’t beat
women! A man doesn’t keep his woman as a slave! This is a proper man, a real
man.” I point to James, my fury raging, escalating. “James has shown me more
love and affection in a couple of months than you’ve shown in bloody twenty odd
years, you’re an excuse for a man, nothing more than a bloody excuse.” I snarl
at him, jabbing my fingers into his chest hard, he just stands there open
mouthed as I continue with my verbal bashing.

“Well I tell you this Lewis
Fucking Drake, I shall be in court, whether you plead guilty or not and I shall
show
the court my back, I shall tell them what you did, all of it and
then, when you’re in prison I shall write to someone, anyone in there and tell
them what you did, with pictures! Then I hope that the
real
men in there
show you what it’s like to have a hot iron held on your flesh, yes - I bet you
always wondered what it felt like?” I’m in his face, I can smell him, that
disgusting excuse for a man and I feel so strong, ready to take him on. “And
then maybe, just maybe, if you’re very lucky you’ll get to find out. And talk
about being fucked up in the head! You’ve got nothing on me Lewis ‘cause I’m
well and truly fucked up in the head – courtesy of you, you bastard! Now, get
the hell of out my house and if you ever come near me or
my
family again
I
will arrange to have you sorted out, do your understand me?” I face
right up to him, my tone nasty, snarling. “My father is just waiting for an
excuse to deal with you, you do know that, don’t you?” The simmering rage
within me comes to the surface again, I yell at him, my arms flapping as James
and Benito just watch, shocked I think at my outburst. It feels so good having
Lewis cowering in front of me, him subservient to me, so bloody good. My
heart’s racing the adrenalin coursing through my veins.

“Your dad died Alex, when you
were at university.” He says calmly, looking totally confused, I could swear
there’s a degree of sympathy on his face, compassion for the woman he thinks
has completely and utterly lost the plot, until I put him right of course.

“No, Lewis. My adopted father
died, my real dad is alive and kicking, and over here. Tell him Franco!” I look
at the big man.

“She’s right you moron. Her dad
is very much alive, he’s my cousin.” Franco’s deep voice rumbles as he looks
down on the now meek Lewis.

Lewis looks up at the man
mountain, I swear he nearly pee’s his pants.

“You we... were adopted?” He
stammers.

“Yes, didn’t your little spy,
Muriel, tell you that bit? Got her really well trained haven’t you. Where do
think all this came from?” I waft my arms around, indicating towards the house.

“Maggie, my Aunt Maggie, was my
birth mother, that’s why I inherited the lot.”

He swallows hard, “I’d better
go.”

“You had. And if you ever darken
my doorstep again, so help me Lewis!” I yell.

Franco and James all but shove
him out of the house. Inside I’m still boiling, so very, very angry, really
angry, ready to thrash out at the nearest person angry! I try so hard to contain
the rage that burns inside me, anger that’s probably been festering for years.

James walks towards me and pulls
me into a hug, he holds me tightly and so very close to him. I breathe heavily
“I’m so bloody cross James.”

“I know, but hopefully he’s got
the message now. I genuinely think you’ve seen the last of him, I really,
really do.” He stays with his arms wrapped around me, just holding me as my
rage subsides. Despite being so wound up I feel really good.

“I need a drink James. Anything
– just get me a drink!”

Anna appears with a large vodka
and cranberry which soothes me slightly. Once I’m unwound, albeit a little, I
try to resume my role as the convivial host. I make a pot of tea, and coffee
for James and Franco, I take it through to the living room and find Anna and
Franco engaged in discussion about university, what she’s planning to study,
Franco seems really interested and tells her about Benito, what he was like
when he was a boy, how he served in the British Army, he doesn’t give too much
away but he’s clearly very proud of his son and what he’s achieved.