“Gosh. Really?”
“You were in the papers several times a week. If not on the front pages, then inside, with all that stuff about you and your father. I am so sorry, by the way.”
“It’s okay, I have sort of come to terms with it now, it is just getting back into things I am finding difficult.”
“I understand that Natasha’s son is someone special now?”
“You understand right, but it is not really official.”
“You haven’t read the papers today?”
“No, why?”
“Well, you are definitely an item, according to the Daily Mail.”
“Bugger!” I said, and she laughed.
“So how serious is it?”
“Not really serious, we are only getting married.”
Silence reigned on the other end.
“Sandi, are you joking?”
“Nope. He asked me last night, and despite me trying to say no, it came out as yes.”
“You realise what this means?”
“Yes, I will have the most outrageous mother-in-law.”
“Not only that but you will be marrying into one of the wealthiest fashion families in the States.”
“Then I might be okay for a job,” I said, and she laughed.
“I should hope so. When’s the day?”
“We are having an extended engagement. It is not official yet, I want to finish my A levels, and then see where we are. I need to know he is the right one, so I am not rushing into it.”
“Sensible girl. To be honest Natasha would drive me mad in large doses.”
“Me too, and Simon.”
“Well, I will defer the jobs I have ear-marked. But if you are willing, I am sure weekend work will be possible.”
“Fine, but let me settle back into the routine first.”
“No problem, and well done, the American tour was very successful. You are well and truly on the map.”
“It’s all thanks to you.”
We rang off, and I sat back and drank my coffee. Simon was nowhere to be found. I went looking for him, and found him in dad’s study. He had switched on Dad’s PC and was trying to get in past the security.
“Out the way,” I said, and took over.
I was in, in six seconds, and he looked miffed.
“I have been doing this for years,” I explained. “Besides my PC is far better than this heap.”
We went upstairs, and we moved into Dad’s bedroom. Simon took Dad’s dressing room, and I took the walk-in wardrobe. I also had to take the wardrobe in my old room, as suddenly I had one heck of a lot of clothes and shoes.
I was still having my period, which was a shame, as I really fancied going to bed with Simon and doing nice things with him. Instead we played some silly computer games, and enjoyed being younger than our ages for a change.
“Are you cooking dinner or what?” he asked.
“No, I’m taking you out to dinner, so dress nice.” I said.
We arrived at the hotel at seven thirty, Simon looked really smart in a collarless white shirt, and a dark high collared jacket. He had a single onyx stud on his shirt, and it looked really cool. I wore one of Natasha’s black dresses, and I know I looked good. I spent ages on my makeup, and thought that Hazel would have been proud of me.
We parked the Jag, and walked into the hotel reception. Jenny was behind the reception. She glanced up, and didn’t recognise me.
“Good evening, may I help you?” she said.
“Hi, we are here for dinner,” said Simon, his American accent, very obvious.
“Certainly, sir, what name please?”
“Lake,” he said. Jenny looked down at the book briefly, and then the penny dropped. She looked up again and straight at me.
“Hi Jenny. I haven’t changed that much, have I?” I asked.
“My God. Sandi!”
“Yup, me.”
She squealed with delight, and came rushing round and gave me a big hug.
“I can’t believe it. I really didn’t recognise you. Shit, you have changed so much!” she said.
“This is Simon. Simon, this is Jenny, she is my best friend, and Mike’s girl friend. Or rather she was Mike’s girlfriend.”
“Still am. Hi Simon. Pleased to meet you.”
She shook Simon’s hand and stared in awe at his size.
I was almost six feet with my heels on, but he was still almost six inches taller than I. I was aware of just how striking a couple we were.
“I can’t believe how different you look,” she said, and noticed my left hand, and the ring.
“Sandi. My God. It is enormous!” she said, grabbing my hand for a closer look.
“Simon asked me to marry him last night. I appear to have accepted.”
She stared at us, and smiled.
“Well you look as if you should fit together beautifully.”
“Oh, we do, believe me, we really do,” I said, with a grin, and her eyes almost popped out of her head.
“Come on, come and see Mum and Dad,” she said, and dragged us into the kitchens.
Her mother recognised me, but it took her dad a few moments. They went through the statutory ‘I’m sorry about your father’ bit, and I felt a real fraud. But we ended up in the dining room, and Jenny joined us for the meal.
The food was good, not perhaps on the same level as some that we had eaten, but then we weren’t paying those prices. It was good solid home cooking, and Simon and I really appreciated it. Jenny kept me up to date on everything that had happened in the last month, which wasn’t much. The main topic of conversation appears to have been me, my career and my father’s death.
“You are going to be mobbed when you get back to school.”
“Why?”
“You don’t realise it, but you are so famous.”
“Really?”
“Your picture has been in all the national papers, I am surprised the local press haven’t been hounding you.”
“They probably don’t know I’m back. Long may it last.”
“So, I now know you are engaged, what was the other secret?”
“Jenny, meet our new temporary art teacher.”
Jenny did a wonderful goldfish impression, and we both laughed at her.
“No?”
“Yup, just one year. While Mrs Simmonds has her baby.”
“And you two are living together?”
“Yup. That is why we are keeping it very quiet.”
“With a ring that size, who needs speech?”
I smiled, glancing at my ring. It was so beautiful. Simon took my hand and gave me a squeeze.
“I got the job by chance. I knew Sandi went to school down in Brighton, so I searched the Internet for teaching jobs in the area. I graduated earlier in the year, so was hoping to be close to her. I saw the one job, and went for it. I emailed my qualifications, and they ran a phone interview. Only then did I realise that it was for her school. I passed and here I am. Visa and work permits all up to date. Fate decreed that we are stuck with each other.”
“It is so romantic,” Jenny said.
“We are going to be up front with Mr Goodson. If we try to be sneaky, then things will come unstuck,” I said.
“I agree. I have to go see him tomorrow, so why don’t we both go?” Simon suggested. So that was agreed.
It was strange, but the house was a completely different place now. We changed things a little, but it was as if it took on a new character altogether. I had decided to sell it, but now I was happy, and Simon was the main reason for that.
We drove into Brighton, and went to Brian Goodson’s office. He was surprised to see me, frowning as we both came in together.
“Mr Goodson. We need to be honest with you,” I said, and he frowned some more.
“I know that I am rather a one for weird revelations, but I know you have been supportive in the past, so you know that I will not hide anything from you.”
He looked at me, and then at Simon, who had yet to open his mouth.
“Sir, I met Sandi while she was in the States. I had no idea she was at this school when I applied for the job, and only recently discovered that we are now both here, in different capacities, of course,” Simon said.