Dude Looks Like a Lady
Chapter 38: This Beats For You.
“Guys,” Ray started, “This is Christa.” Jamia and I look up and see a tall, beautiful girl standing in the door way. We both spring up and hug the girl.
“Heya.” I start, “I’m Lou, this is Jamia.” She just stands there looking like a deer caught in headlights. “We don’t bite too much, my dear.” I tell her, wrapping an arm round her and taking her to the table.
“Those gormless fools at the door are Mikey and Frank.” Jamia tells her. Christa nods slowly.
“I saw Gerard and Bob in the other room.” She pauses, “The baby – Lizzie – is beautiful.” She tells me and Mikey. I look up and we catch each other’s eyes before smiling manically.
“Thank you.” I smiled at her. I motion for her to sit with Jamia and stand up.
“No, please! Don’t put yourself out.” She tells me, looking worried. I smile softly and laugh.
“It’s ok, hunny. We’re all one big family, by the end of today you’ll be doing whatever you want yourself. Sit down and let me fetch you some coffee. The biscuit tin will probably bring everyone else in.” I tell her, grinning mischievously.
Jamia pulls the chair out and pats it invitingly, “Let Lou do that. She likes being a host.” She tells Christa as I put the coffee on and Gee comes in bouncing Lizzie.
“I smell coffee.” He tells us expectantly.
“I’ve just the pot on, Gerard.” I tell him, taking a gurgling Lizzie from him and placing the biscuits on the table. “Dig in.” I tell them all, the boys diving at the tin and fighting with each other for first go. Jamia just sighs and cuts a slice of cake for Christa.
“They’re all homemade by me and Lou. We got bored of sewing at one point.” Jamia explains to Christa who’s still looking a little lost. I come back with some coffee, milk, cream, sugar and lots of cups.
Mikey kisses me softly, “You’re star babe.” He tells me, removing the coffee from my right hand as I support Lizzie with my left hand. I shake my head.
“Notice you only tell me that when I bring in coffee!” I tease him, but some seriousness hiding behind my laughing tone.
“Mikey, you have to tell her!” Gee suddenly tells him, loudly. My heart sinks and I can feel vomit rise to my mouth. Mikey’d cheated on me on tour. Mikey didn’t love me anymore; this was his way of telling me… he was laughing at my obtuseness.
Jamia notices the change of colour in my visage, and the way I was swallowing compulsively. Christa looks worried and speaks up, “Tell her what? Gerard?! Look what you’ve done to Lou!”
Mikey’s glance switches from Gee to me and he pales too. He correctly guesses my emotions and mentally slaps Gerard for not thinking. “Lou? Baby?” Mikey asks quietly.
I look at him and feel tears rise to my eyes; his tone was so soft and conciliatory that I knew what was coming next would never be good news. I become aware that the only people left in the room are me and Mikey. A tear slips from my eye to my cheek.
“Don’t cry, darlin’.” Mikey tells me, brushing the tear away with his thumb as I nestle my face into his hand. I kiss his palm and raise my eyes to his.
“Why?” I whisper softly, my voice nearly suspended by tears.
“Because I love you. I love you more than I did before I left; I love you so much more than I did when you left. You are my world. Without you I’m so much less.” Mikey smiles at me and kisses my little red nose.
“Then… then… why the flowers?” my voice cracks and more tears track down my face, too fast and frequent for Mikey to stop them with his thumbs.
“Eleven of the roses are real, baby.” I frown and count the flowers.
“There are twelve.” I tell him, like he’s stupid. He smiles and waits for me to work it out. “You bastard!” I yell at him standing up and wrenching myself away from him. “You fucking bastard!”
He immediately flares up, “I’m sorry I thought you’d heard the story! I’m sorry that every minute I’m separated from you I’m thinking of you! I’m sorry I had to stop off and buy you some flowers!” he yells at me, leaning forwards to really get in my face.
I lean in also and kiss him, hard and passionately shoving my tongue in his mouth and nipping his tongue and pulling away, “You wanker! I thought you hated me! I thought I wasn’t enough for you anymore! I thought that the stretch marks and the chafes made me ugly in your eyes!” I tell him, fairly loudly. Turning away I run my hands through my hair, and pull at it, “Jesus, I thought I’d die if you left me.”
He comes down from his towering fury and claps his arms safely round me, “Lou!” He whispers caressingly in my ear, “Marrying you was the best thing I have done all my life. I love you too much. I should have thought about what I was doing. The last rose is fake and will survive long after we do – even in death I will love you. I really would die if you left me!” He continues telling me gently. “I couldn’t leave you and my beautiful baby girl – my two favourite women! It would kill me.” He tells me simply. He turns me in his arms and presses my head against his heartbeat, “This beats for you.”
“Heya.” I start, “I’m Lou, this is Jamia.” She just stands there looking like a deer caught in headlights. “We don’t bite too much, my dear.” I tell her, wrapping an arm round her and taking her to the table.
“Those gormless fools at the door are Mikey and Frank.” Jamia tells her. Christa nods slowly.
“I saw Gerard and Bob in the other room.” She pauses, “The baby – Lizzie – is beautiful.” She tells me and Mikey. I look up and we catch each other’s eyes before smiling manically.
“Thank you.” I smiled at her. I motion for her to sit with Jamia and stand up.
“No, please! Don’t put yourself out.” She tells me, looking worried. I smile softly and laugh.
“It’s ok, hunny. We’re all one big family, by the end of today you’ll be doing whatever you want yourself. Sit down and let me fetch you some coffee. The biscuit tin will probably bring everyone else in.” I tell her, grinning mischievously.
Jamia pulls the chair out and pats it invitingly, “Let Lou do that. She likes being a host.” She tells Christa as I put the coffee on and Gee comes in bouncing Lizzie.
“I smell coffee.” He tells us expectantly.
“I’ve just the pot on, Gerard.” I tell him, taking a gurgling Lizzie from him and placing the biscuits on the table. “Dig in.” I tell them all, the boys diving at the tin and fighting with each other for first go. Jamia just sighs and cuts a slice of cake for Christa.
“They’re all homemade by me and Lou. We got bored of sewing at one point.” Jamia explains to Christa who’s still looking a little lost. I come back with some coffee, milk, cream, sugar and lots of cups.
Mikey kisses me softly, “You’re star babe.” He tells me, removing the coffee from my right hand as I support Lizzie with my left hand. I shake my head.
“Notice you only tell me that when I bring in coffee!” I tease him, but some seriousness hiding behind my laughing tone.
“Mikey, you have to tell her!” Gee suddenly tells him, loudly. My heart sinks and I can feel vomit rise to my mouth. Mikey’d cheated on me on tour. Mikey didn’t love me anymore; this was his way of telling me… he was laughing at my obtuseness.
Jamia notices the change of colour in my visage, and the way I was swallowing compulsively. Christa looks worried and speaks up, “Tell her what? Gerard?! Look what you’ve done to Lou!”
Mikey’s glance switches from Gee to me and he pales too. He correctly guesses my emotions and mentally slaps Gerard for not thinking. “Lou? Baby?” Mikey asks quietly.
I look at him and feel tears rise to my eyes; his tone was so soft and conciliatory that I knew what was coming next would never be good news. I become aware that the only people left in the room are me and Mikey. A tear slips from my eye to my cheek.
“Don’t cry, darlin’.” Mikey tells me, brushing the tear away with his thumb as I nestle my face into his hand. I kiss his palm and raise my eyes to his.
“Why?” I whisper softly, my voice nearly suspended by tears.
“Because I love you. I love you more than I did before I left; I love you so much more than I did when you left. You are my world. Without you I’m so much less.” Mikey smiles at me and kisses my little red nose.
“Then… then… why the flowers?” my voice cracks and more tears track down my face, too fast and frequent for Mikey to stop them with his thumbs.
“Eleven of the roses are real, baby.” I frown and count the flowers.
“There are twelve.” I tell him, like he’s stupid. He smiles and waits for me to work it out. “You bastard!” I yell at him standing up and wrenching myself away from him. “You fucking bastard!”
He immediately flares up, “I’m sorry I thought you’d heard the story! I’m sorry that every minute I’m separated from you I’m thinking of you! I’m sorry I had to stop off and buy you some flowers!” he yells at me, leaning forwards to really get in my face.
I lean in also and kiss him, hard and passionately shoving my tongue in his mouth and nipping his tongue and pulling away, “You wanker! I thought you hated me! I thought I wasn’t enough for you anymore! I thought that the stretch marks and the chafes made me ugly in your eyes!” I tell him, fairly loudly. Turning away I run my hands through my hair, and pull at it, “Jesus, I thought I’d die if you left me.”
He comes down from his towering fury and claps his arms safely round me, “Lou!” He whispers caressingly in my ear, “Marrying you was the best thing I have done all my life. I love you too much. I should have thought about what I was doing. The last rose is fake and will survive long after we do – even in death I will love you. I really would die if you left me!” He continues telling me gently. “I couldn’t leave you and my beautiful baby girl – my two favourite women! It would kill me.” He tells me simply. He turns me in his arms and presses my head against his heartbeat, “This beats for you.”