Chapter 22 - A Beginning and an End

Darrell and Robert were on their way to the car boot sale in Darrell's car, sitting in their usual silence while the radio played quietly in the background. Robert kept his face turned to the window, looking at the countryside pass by without really seeing it. He hoped he'd feel better when they got there, because at the moment he felt absolutely desolate.

The long drive he was taking with Darrell, the place they were headed, and the disastrous call with Georgie were all coming together in his head, forming a terrible mass of memories that were pressing on him like a heavy black cloud. He struggled to push it all away, trying desperately not to think about any of it during the two hour long drive.

When they arrived at Bath Racecourse, they parked in a large field, then got out and started walking to where people were selling used items out of their cars. Darrell's mate from work hadn't been joking when he said this car boot sale was one of the biggest in the area. Even though they'd made good time and arrived early, the large field was already crowded with people looking for unique items and good bargains, and Robert was impressed by how many sellers there were.

They'd been wandering past people's cars idly for several minutes when Robert spied something and suddenly turned. The seller was still setting up and the item had just been set down. He moved quickly and got his hands on it just as two other blokes lunged forward. He picked it up, smiling at their scowling faces.

As he held it up, Darrell came up next to him and let out a low whistle. It was a black leather motorcycle jacket. It looked old but it was in fantastic shape. The leather was worn and soft, feeling like butter in Robert's hands. It was a simple style, almost plain, with a small collar that snapped down, heavy zippers and a belt around the bottom. Robert thought it looked exactly like the one Marlon Brando wore in the film, The Wild One. He took off the jacket he was wearing and handed it Darrell so he could slip it on.

"It's brilliant," Darrell said in a low voice. It was brilliant, Robert thought. It felt even better on him than it looked, fitting him perfectly. Even though the jacket was as cool as the early morning air, it seemed to take in his body heat and radiate it back, instantly warming him up.

"I see you lads have found the best thing in the whole sale," the elderly seller said in a jovial voice just as Robert was taking it off. "That was worn by a real Hell's Angel, that was. In California," he said, drawing out the name, as if that would clinch the deal.

"I dunno," Robert said vaguely, but he held onto the jacket with a firm grip.

"I heard he was wearing it at Altamont. Y'know? When they stabbed that bloke at the Stones' concert?"

Robert laughed at him. He was mad if he thought Robert was going to buy a story like that. He doubted the jacket had been worn by a Hell's Angel at all, let alone outside Britain, but it was a fantastic jacket. He really wanted it.

"I'm not sure. How much?" he said slowly.

"One hundred twenty-five," the seller said quickly, sensing a sale.

"You're barking!" Robert replied with a laugh. "How bout fifty."

"Ah, lad, y'know I can't sell it for that. It's unique, that is. I'll bet you won't find another like it!" Robert made a face, trying to look like he didn't believe him, but the bloke was probably right. He didn't think he'd ever seen one for sale.

"I'll tell you what, lad. Since you're my first customer of the day, I'll make you a deal. One hundred."

Robert sensed he was going to be able to negotiate a good price but he had a problem. He had plenty of money in his wallet since he'd just been paid but if bought the jacket, he wasn't going to have enough money to pay his dad rent. Was he going to get the jacket and risk making his dad angry or walk away from it? He looked the jacket over again weighing his options.

"Alright, lad. Seventy-five." That's when Robert suddenly remembered his best jacket had been stolen. How could his dad be angry if he bought a replacement?

"Let me see how much I have," Robert said slowly.

He motioned Darrell to come closer and pulled his wallet out of his pocket as he turned his back to the seller. The last thing he wanted was the bloke to see how much cash he actually had.

He handed the jacket to Darrell and began counting out notes when the man barked out behind him, "Sixty-five, and that's my final offer!"

"Alright!" Robert said quickly, turning around to hand over the notes. When he slipped the jacket back on, it felt even better now that he owned it. He and Darrell grinned at each other as they walked away.

They wandered about for another hour before they decided to get something to eat since they hadn't had any breakfast. They bought fish and chips from a catering van then found a quiet place where they could sit on the grass.

They'd been eating silently for a few minutes when Darrell asked, "Is anything wrong, Robbie?"

"No, nothing. Why?" he said quickly, avoiding his eyes.

"You just seem – I dunno, like something's bothering you," Darrell said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, well, there's nothing," he said quietly, keeping his eyes on his food.

After several minutes, Darrell said, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I reckon I've known you long enough now to know when something is bothering you – or when you're not telling the truth." Robert sighed. Darrell was right, they could practically read each other's minds.

"I guess – I don't want to talk about it," he said quietly. He didn't think he didn't think he'd be able to keep it together if he did.

"I hope you don't mind we came to the sale – now that you found that jacket," Darrell said more quietly. Robert looked at him with surprise.

"What? No, I wanted to come."

"Even though we're near Bath?" Darrell asked, giving him a knowing look. Robert looked away.

"I don't care we're near Bath," he said quietly, and then he realized that wasn't entirely the truth and added, "I reckoned I could deal with it."

---Then---

Bath was a city with a lot of meaning for Georgie. It was the city her parents had come from, and where her mum and sister, Frankie, had been born. Robert had decided he'd take Georgie there as a surprise for her birthday. He thought they'd find her family's old neighborhood and walk around, see where her roots were. But then Darrell talked to him about doing something that very same weekend.

Georgie's birthday happened to fall on a holiday weekend. Monday was a bank holiday, making it a three day weekend, and Betsy was going to be home. It would be the first time she'd be back since she and Darrell had become a couple. Darrell wanted to surprise her with a holiday weekend in Dover, a popular tourist destination on the English Channel. Robert immediately suggested the four of them go, and he'd make that his birthday surprise for Georgie. She'd love having all of them together, doing something fun for her birthday, and he could take her to Bath another time.

Darrell went to pick up Betsy as soon as her last course was finished the Friday of that weekend. When he brought her home, they announced their plans to both girls. Georgie threw herself at Robert, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him repeatedly, excited and happy about her birthday surprise. Robert was glad. He'd promised her a special birthday to make up for all the ones she'd missed, but since the disaster at the health clinic three weeks before, he'd felt the need to go the extra mile and make sure he did something really special for her.

He still felt incredibly guilty for how badly he'd handled it, and for how much pain he'd caused her. He thought Georgie had forgiven him, but the incident had completely rattled her, setting her back even further in her ability to cope. She'd been nervous and unsettled for a solid week afterward, unable to leave the house at all. But even after she'd recovered, things were different between them. She wasn't as quick to take his word on things and questioned him more. He didn't blame her one bit. He knew he'd broken her trust in him. It was the reason he'd jumped at the chance for them to go on holiday with Betsy and Darrell. He hoped it could be the start of a new beginning for the two of them.

The week had already begun on a high note. They'd gotten the rest of their test results back from the health clinic and thankfully, both of them had tested negative for everything. Robert allowed himself to hope they'd both test negative again when they went back to retake the tests in two months. And he'd finally finished with the university applications. He was looking forward to being able to concentrate on Georgie fully now.

They drove to Dover Saturday morning in Darrell's car, all of them singing along to the radio. They spent the day sightseeing around town including spending several hours exploring Dover Castle, one of the largest castles in Britain used as a military command center during World War II. They had a good dinner at a small pub and then retired for the night.

Robert and Darrell had booked separate rooms in a small motel, the most inexpensive they could find, so each couple could have their privacy. When Robert and Georgie went in their room, he was happy to see the bed was bigger than their bed at home, nearly as big as the one they'd had at the flat. He planned to take full advantage of that bed both nights they were there.

They set their bags down and looked at each other for a moment, then he went to her and hugged her. When Georgie looked up at him, her face was glowing as she smiled at him. She looked so beautiful he couldn't resist kissing her. It wasn't long before the kisses were deeper, their tongues taking turns wrestling for control in each other's mouths. When Georgie pulled away and looked at him, he could see desire in her eyes. Then she sank to her knees and began unfastening the button on his jeans.

"What are you doing?" he asked loudly, suddenly alarmed as she pulled down the zipper.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she said, smiling coyly at him and slipping her fingers over the waistband of his briefs to pull them down.

"No, Georgie! Stop!" he shouted as he pushed her hands away and stepped back, quickly fastening his jeans.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking hurt and confused, as he took her hand and pulled her up to a standing position.

"I – I – just –," he struggled while he thought fast. "It's just – we have this big bed, y'know? And – I think we should be sure to enjoy it," he finished as he put his arms around her, hugging her tight so she couldn't see his face. He could feel her body was more tense than it had been a moment ago and he began stroking her hair, trying to soothe her but she pulled a way a little to look at him.

"Don't you want me to do that for you?" she asked quietly, searching his eyes. He forced himself not to look away.

"I – I'm just not sure – it's a good idea," he said, and then added even more quietly as he hugged her again, "Because of the tests, y'know? We're still not sure until we go back." There was a moment of silence between them.

"But Robert," she said almost in a whisper with her voice breaking. "You know if you have something, I'm the one who gave it to you."

Fuck. Why didn't he think of that? When he looked at her, he was dismayed. Her eyes were full of pain and sadness as tears rolled down her cheeks. Could he manage to fuck up her birthday completely, he wondered bitterly, kicking himself for being so fucking stupid to have said it.

"Come here, Georgie, he said as he held her tight to him and stroked her hair again. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. You're right. I don't know why I said that. Will ya forgive me for being such a bloody berk?" After a moment, she struggled to be free so she could look at him. By some miracle, she was smiling through her tears.

"What on earth is a berk?" she asked, laughing a little and wiping her face with her fingers.

"It's a bloody idiot," he said, laughing with relief. Her eyes didn't seem nearly so sad.

"And you're sure – it isn't – something else?" she asked hesitantly, still searching his eyes.

"No. Definitely not," he said firmly, meeting her gaze.

"Okay," she said, and leaned in so he could hold her again. He closed his eyes and lowered his head so he could breath in her special smell while he stroked her hair. It wasn't long before he felt her relax against him with a sigh, and then he was able to relax too.

"I love ya so much, Georgie," he said into her hair. "D'you want to come to the bed with me?"

"Yes, Robert," she whispered into his shoulder.

Later that night, she woke him like she usually did, moving around a little and whimpering. He gently shook her, saying, "Georgie. Georgie, wake up." She woke with a start, breathing heavily and he shushed her.

"It's alright. You're safe. You're with me," he reassured her quietly like he always did, pulling her to him so he could hold her to his chest. She whimpered again and clung to him. He was surprised to feel her body trembling with fear. This nightmare was worse than they usually were.

"You don't need to be scared. You're with me now, yeah? No one will ever hurt you again," he murmured into her hair, stroking it and breathing in her special smell.

"Okay, Robert," she whispered, and snuggled against him with a sigh. He continued to soothe her and after a few minutes she sighed deeply again as her body stopped shaking, relaxing into him. Then he heard her breathing change as her body went limp. Soon he was asleep too.

When he woke up again, the room was dimly lit from the sunlight peeking through the gaps in the curtains. Georgie was still nestled next to him sound asleep. He looked down at her, marveling at how beautiful she was as she slept. Her mouth was open a little, her eyebrows and eyelashes dark against her pale skin, her thick dark hair fanned out over the pillow. Then her eyes blinked open as she woke up. She looked at him with her vivid blue eyes and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Georgie," he said, grinning.

"Today is my birthday," she said happily. He knew how much it meant to her to be able to say it.

"Yes, it is. How does it feel to be eighteen?"

She held her arms out wide, exclaiming, "Wonderful!" and then wrapped them around his neck so she could pull him to her for a kiss. It wasn't long before the kiss was deeper. He moved his mouth lower, kissing his way down her neck and past her shoulders. She clutched him to her tighter and then let out a low moan when she felt his mouth on her breast.

There was a knock on the door. Shit.

"Yeah!" he growled.

"Hey, sleepy heads!" Betsy said through the door. "Time to get up! We've got things to do and Darrell's hungry!" Shit.

"Alright!" he shouted angrily.

"Oh, and happy birthday, Georgie!"

"Thanks, Betsy!" Georgie called out happily, and then she grinned at him. "It's my birthday today."

They quickly showered and dressed, then joined Betsy and Darrell for breakfast. Even though it was a breezy and chilly mid-March day, the sun was out, making it seem even more special. They decided to spend the day exploring the walking routes that traveled up and over the famous white chalk cliffs that rose above the English Channel. When they reached the top, both couples cuddled so they could stay warm while they enjoyed the view. From there, they could see ferries leaving and returning from the Port of Dover, taking passengers and cars back and forth between Dover and Calais, France.

That evening, they had a birthday dinner in a small Indian restaurant, Georgie's new favorite kind of food. After a dinner of tandoori chicken, lamb curry, naan, and vegetable somosas, it was time for her to open her presents. She opened the one from Betsy and Darrell first. It was two books, and judging by the covers, Robert knew Darrell had no hand in picking them out.

"I know how much ya like to read, Georgie," Betsy said as Georgie beamed at her. "I saw ya reading my mum's romance novels but I thought you'd fancy something that takes place in this century."

"Oh, Betsy. They're wonderful!" she said happily, looking at them.

"They call those books Chick Lit. I think you'll like them, they're quite funny."

"Thank you. I know I'll love them!" Georgie said, and hugged her tight. "Oh, and thank you too, Darrell!"

"Believe me, it was nothing," Darrell replied dryly, making Robert laugh. Then he handed her his present. It wasn't a very large gift, nor was it very expensive since he'd nearly run through all his savings.

When he'd been living on his own before he was kidnapped, he'd tried to set aside money each time he was paid so he wouldn't have to rely on his parents if he needed extra cash unexpectedly. Since he'd been home, he'd tried to be careful with his spending, not wanting to exhaust his bank account too quickly since he knew he'd become a burden to his parents after that.

Even though he and Darrell had been careful when choosing a motel and places to eat that gave good value, the holiday was taking almost the last of it. The trip itself was Georgie's main present, but he wanted to be able to give her a gift as well. After all, it'd been years since she'd received any.

He'd gone to a shop he knew Betsy liked, trying to find something he could afford that he thought she'd like. He'd always been crap at shopping for girls and he wandered around for a while with no idea what to get. Then he'd found himself amongst the jewelry when he saw it – a necklace with a small solid silver colored heart.

Georgie took her time opening her present and when she saw it, she became very still.

"It's not real, but I hope you like it," he said quietly, unsure what her reaction meant. She looked at him with her face glowing, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's perfect," she whispered.

He could feel himself getting emotional and cleared his throat before he said, "Shall I help you put it on?" She quickly wiped her eyes and nodded, unable to speak. She held her hair out of the way and he put it around her neck and fastened it. She turned around and hugged him tight.

"I love it, Robert. Thank you so much," she whispered in his ear and he could tell she was crying.

"Happy birthday, Georgie. I love you," he murmured into her hair, trying to hold back his own tears. When he felt he'd recovered, he let go of her and she quickly wiped her tears as she smiled at him. Thankfully, Betsy and Darrell pretended not to notice how emotional they'd become.

Then her birthday got even better when their waiter surprised them by bringing her dessert of gulab jamun with a small birthday candle stuck in one of the sweet dumplings. They sang 'Happy Birthday' to her rather loudly while she beamed and blushed heavily, covering her red cheeks with her hands, then blew out her candle.

As Robert looked at Georgie's glowing face while she ate her desert and chatted with Betsy, he couldn't help remembering that same look when they were eating their Christmas dinner in the flat. Seeing her looking so relaxed and happy let Robert know this had been the best choice he could've made. It was everything he'd hoped Georgie's birthday could be.

After dinner, both couples were tired, and ready to retire to their rooms for some private time. Robert took special care that night, taking his time showing Georgie in every way he could, how much he loved and cherished her. And when she snuggled next to him afterwards and fell asleep in his arms, he felt so incredibly lucky and happy as he stroked her soft skin, feeling her warm body pressed against him.

This holiday had truly been the beginning of him helping her heal from the hell she'd gone through. After all, how could the contented girl sleeping in his arms not feel safe and loved? It was only a matter of time before they'd have everything sorted and she could forget all the pain and sadness of her past. He couldn't help imagining their future as he slowly fell asleep while he held her. School, graduations, marriage, jobs and then finally, babies. Beautiful babies with dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes, or perhaps light brown curls and vivid blue eyes.

The next morning, the four of them ate breakfast at a small seaside café before they were to set off for home. Betsy, who'd always been the funniest of the siblings, was in especially rare form and had the rest of them in stitches. They'd already eaten and were finishing their tea and coffee, when a man approached the table hesitantly.

"Excusez-moi," he said to Georgie.

****

My heart breaks for Robert and Georgie because they're so happy in this chapter, and things really do seem like they're going to be okay. But you had to know something was going to happen because it was just too perfect.  I'll let you speculate who the man is and why he's approached Georgie. I've included a picture in the multimedia of Dover Castle and the famous chalk cliffs.

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