Chapter 17

"Tabitha," Sarah cried and held out her arms at the girl emerging from the hospital.

"Where's Lara?"

"Mum's got her." Sarah dragged Tabitha towards her and embraced her, hugging her tightly. "You OK?"

"It's just a check-up," Tabitha reminded her and Sarah nodded, her heart beating quickly. She puffed and rubbed her hands, looking at her partner. "Are you OK? You look on edge."

"Me. No. I'm fine, just been to town. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm not on edge, why would I be on edge?" Sarah ranted.

Tabitha gripped Sarah's hand and stopped her from walking into the road. "Right, what's up?"

Sarah was shaken from her daydreaming by a truck going past her and looked at Tabitha. "I'm fine," she dismissed her partner airily. "Of course I am fine."

Tabitha scowled and rubbed the back of Sarah's hand. "You are tetchy. I'm fine, babe. Just want to get Lara and snuggle up in bed with..."

Sarah pulled her towards a small park on the other side of the main road and Tabitha howled in protest as Sarah led her across the busy thoroughfare with scant consideration for the traffic that passed inches from them.

Tabitha wrenched her hand from Sarah's as they reached the pavement on the other side of the road and crossed her arms. "Right, what is going on? You are acting weird."

"I am not weird," Sarah replied, bouncing up and down, and grabbed Tabitha's hand, dragging her into the tiny park. She looked around and stopped on the grass, kneeling down in the twilight and looking into her partner's eyes. "Tabitha, will you marry me?" Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a diamond ring, slipping it onto the Black girl's finger.

Sarah looked expectantly, the moist earth soaking into her trousers and her hands trembling as she held out the ring case. "Marriage?"

Sarah bit her lip and nodded. "It's February 29th, I am allowed to ask."

"But ... wow."

Sarah smiled as Tabitha took the £750 ring and tilted it, watching it sparkle in the sunlight. "So, is that a yes. Are we engaged?" Sarah asked impatiently.

Tabitha nodded and wiped her eyes, sniffing. "It's ... um ... so unexpected."

Sarah giggled and slipped the ring onto Tabitha's ring finger, her face ablaze with glee. "Is that a yes?"

"What will your folks think?"

"I don't care," Sarah said honestly. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me, Tabs. Please?"

Tabitha sniffed and nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yes."

Sarah beamed and Tabitha gestured for Sarah to get up from the mud, glancing at the muddy knees. Sarah threw her arms around her fiancée, hugging her tightly.

Tabitha was nearly thrown into the rose bushes as Sarah spun her around and then nearly bounced on the spot as they broke their embrace. "I got to tell Nat," she cried.

"Can we get my daughter first?" Tabitha pleaded and Sarah sighed.

"I s'pose so," she teased and grabbed her partner by the wrist running back down towards the main road.

"Hey Dad," she cried out as she burst into his house and looked at her father mopping his shirt. "Surely, you're old enough to not spill shit down you," she teased and watched as her father turned around with a snarl. "Hey Dad. We're engaged," she said triumphantly. "Look."

Liam laughed from the couch. "Hey, if it's the bride's family that pays, does that mean you have to go half each?"

Sarah grunted from the side of the room. "So who pays for your gay Civil Partnership then?"

Liam scowled. "I am not gay," he said firmly. "Actually Olivia and I were thinking the other day of getting engaged ourselves." George's eyes widened and Liam shrugged. "But congrats sis."

"Yeah," George said, getting up and holding his arms out. "Congratulations."

Natalie stretched her feet under her desk and looked over at the whiteboard hanging in her office – she had never had an office before all to herself and then at the two walls covered with posters. If she stretched out her hands, she couldn't touch both sides of her desk at the same time – it was a big desk and Natalie Porter felt she had arrived.

She leant to her right, hooking her middle finger over the wood and then pushed her body onto the surface, desperately trying to touch the other side at the same time when there was a knock on the door. "In," she cried, sitting up straight in her chair and she saw the face of Adam in the doorway.

"Nat, you wanted the attendance sheets for last week," he told her, passing them to his new Operations Manager. Natalie grinned and smiled back at him.

"Actually I wanted them to go to Jo for the weekly report," Natalie replied in a business-like tone and she flicked through a few of them. "But I'll pass them on once I've had a read."

Adam loitered and looked at her. "How is it?"

Natalie lowered her voice, as if she was being bugged covertly and looked at her ex-house mate and work colleague. "Really good. Mr Rogers has been brilliant, and I've got dozens of ideas to improve the admin 'round here. Proper positive stuff. I need to talk to you 'bout some of them," she told him and Adam grinned.

"How about dinner?" Adam asked rubbing his shaking hands and Natalie shook her head. "On you 'cause you're earning fuck loads more than me." Natalie licked her lips and sighed. "But we never did have your birthday meal, did we?"

"No we didn't ... but I've been told to invite you tomorrow to the house after work. Sarah and Tab want to see you again and Sarah's cookin'."

"Me?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it either but cha wanted," Natalie waved her hand in a circle as a dismissive gesture and her eyes narrowed. "Why was Tom absent or late every day last week?"

"Ahhh. Yes, we ... he's..." Adam gulped and sniffed. "He's got some home trouble, ya know. It's hard for him and..."

"And he doesn't need any trouble at work?" Natalie enquired of the nervous supervisor.

"Exactly."

Natalie smiled and looked at him. "Tell him I completely understand," she said with a smile. "And if he is late or absent one more time, he won't have any work to worry about." Adam nodded and Natalie took a deep breath with a shrug. She nodded towards him and gestured him to leave which Adam was happy enough to do.

"Liam, Olivia," a female voice cried and the young man adjusted his trousers and opened his girlfriend's door. "Hello, Mrs Marshall," Liam called and walked to the balcony overlooking their winding staircase.

"What's up Mum?" Olivia cried, coming up behind her boyfriend and squeezing her hands around his waist.

"I'm ... ummm ... going out for night," the elegant woman told her. "Your father should have been home but he is staying in London. His mistress must be obliging," she said tersely and looked up the stairs. "Is Liam staying the night?"

"Ummm ... yeah," Olivia replied with a coy smirk.

"Cause he stayed last night and the night before and the night before."

Olivia adjusted her facial expression and looked at her mother wrapping a scarf around her. "Yeah, well, he ummm ... helps with my homework."

"Yeah well," her mother replied with a snort. "If he stays much more then he might as well move in and get his own toothbrush."

Olivia beamed. "Oh Mum, that's great. I've told him to move into my room. You don't mind?" She asked and squeezed Liam, not waiting for a response. "Come on, let's go and get some clothes from your house," she cried and her mother looked up the stairs at her excitable teenage daughter.

"Look Olivia, I think we need to..." Her voice trailed off as her phone vibrated as she answered it immediately.

"Yes Troy. I'm coming. Five minutes. Yeah, sorry. OK. No, it won't. OK. Of course I'm not. Yes, I know the rules. OK bye." She looked back up the stairs and shook her head, closing the door behind her as she left.

"What was all that about?"

"Mum. She is Troy's sex slave." Olivia waited for Liam to call out in exclamation and she squeezed his waist a bit harder. "She thinks I don't know that bit, but he's where I get me Coke from. And the other gear." Liam turned to look at her and she shook her head. "No, I don't."

"What?"

"I know what you are thinking, I don't do mother-daughter things for Troy and I won't. I get it from him as I get it cheap."

Liam bit his lip and let out a deep breath. "I wasn't saying that. I was going to ask if your Dad knows about Troy."

"Oh yes. And Mum knows about Poppy. But acceptance is cheaper than a divorce," Olivia replied and kissed him on the cheek.

"Cheaper?"

"Yeah, ya see, marriage is just an alliance of convenience really."

"No it isn't," Liam cried out and Olivia smirked at him.

"It is, well it is the way Mum and Dad do it."

Liam sighed and thought for a moment. "But us, me and you?"

Olivia smirked. "We are not a relationship of convenience. And I don't think ya Dad will want you to marry me."

Liam shrugged and sniffed. "But if I was to ask, what would you do?"

Olivia grinned and kissed him on the lips. "I would, most definitely, take advantage of you while you were down there," she said with a grin. "Now come on, let's get some stuff from your house, you heard Mum, move in to my room. This is going to be so cool."

"Come on," Sarah cried the moment Adam swung on the door frame and looked into the front room. "Strip."

"Strip?" Adam muttered and walked into the room. "I already have done."

"I wouldn't let him in the house until I could see his cock," Natalie told her from behind him.

"Yes, and when are you goin' to get your tits out," Adam asked and Natalie gasped.

"Is that a way to talk to your boss?" Adam scowled and Natalie tapped him on the bridge of his nose. "Sexual harassment and all that?

"Yeah well, I'll take me chances on that one," he snapped in response.

Adam watched Natalie leave the room to go upstairs and he flounced down on the sofa next to Sarah. "Not going too well then?"

"Ahh she is a feckin' nightmare at times," Adam moaned throwing his head back and looking up at the ceiling. "She is very organised and a bit of a hard-nosed cow which is exactly what the Old Man wanted but she's sacked four people in three weeks, no sorry, two and a half weeks. And I've had to give one of my staff a warning."

"Shit," Sarah muttered and Adam looked at her.

"Yah see. The Old Man reckons Sun's shining from every one of her holes but she is so ... ruthless. I got a guy, he's 30, kid's got Leukaemia and his wife is divorcing him, so really fucked up in the head. I told him not to worry about being late and stuff and I'll settle up the hours with him later in the year as I don't really want 'im on the machines when he is distracted but she's kicked off on one. Today, I've just given him a written warning 'cause the vicious one checked his record. That's not to mention with-holding Sam's bonus or..."

Adam trailed off when he saw Natalie emerge from the hallway, holding her shoes. She glared at him and he sniffed. "You think I'm a 'feckin' nightmare'?"

"Ahhh, well Nat..." Adam started and Natalie crossed her arms. "Ya shouldn't have been listenin'"

"I was undoing my shoes," Natalie spat. "Just so ya know two of the four left because they were stealin'. The PA left 'cause I found out she was going getting her nails done on company time. Tom's not got anything agreed with the company about flexible working," she told him and Adam shook his head.

"He agreed it with me, six weeks ago."

"Then why the fuck don't HR know?"

"Cause they know fuck all."

Natalie shook her head and wiped her eyes. "They know fuck all 'cause people like you tell 'em fuck all."

Adam grunted. "Yeah well me giving him a warning, it didn't go down too well. And I feel like a bastard, it's not why I became a supervisor to pick on good guys with sick kids."

Natalie screwed up her face and took a deep breath. "I am not employed to be popular with your staff but if I had known, if you had told me, things would have been different."

"And Sam?"

"Oh and Sam's bonus has been with-held 'cause I caught him in the bogs with a porn mag knocking one out which..."

"Eewww," Sarah cried and Adam shook his head.

"Yeah, he does that. But that's his choice and he does it in his lunch hour."

"He was doing it in the Ladies at 5pm," Natalie hissed back. "But I do not need to justify myself to you or to your staff. I am your boss..."

"Don't I fuckin' know it," Adam snapped and then muttered an apology.

"I see you have a problem, with women telling you what to do," Natalie replied coldly. "But..."

"Just let me manage my team," Adam told her. "You were brought in 'cause the Old Man..."

"Mr Rogers," Natalie corrected him and Adam nodded.

"Yeah, well, he wants to stand back a bit, he's not got the health he used to have so he wants to slow down a bit, so you've been brought in and the likes of Dave and Nathan promoted so there are managers and people organising the place when 'e's not there. I don't need to be controlled."

Natalie's scowl deepened. "It's my job."

"No, Natalie. It's my job to run the factory, get the 'larms made. I got staff to organise and yeah, I may answer to you. As does the QA manager and the warehouse and stuff, but that factory was fine two months ago and it's fine now. I don't need to be watched and..."

Natalie took a deep breath. "It's my job," she said slowly and calmly. "To make sure all of the areas under my remit are working to the best of their ability."

"We are making more alarms, more security systems, more everything with two less staff than I should 'ave, thanks to you. How much more efficient do we need to be?"

Natalie blinked and wiped away the tears filling in her eyes. "I'm sorry if you think I am being a bitch. But I need to get to grips with the teams I control ... and I could do with a bit more support."

"More support?" Adam cried. "I could do with you not over-ruling me. Everyone thinks the same, you need to chill."

Sarah tapped Adam on the knee. "Hey, if you two want to fight," she started and waggled an outstretched finger towards Adam.

"No, I don't," Adam murmured and Natalie licked her lips. "Not at all."

Sarah looked towards Natalie who shook her head and undid the white blouse underneath her business suit. "Getting changed," she said quietly and shut the door on her way out.

"Nice one," Sarah hissed. "You've upset her."

"Now there's a fuckin' surprise," Adam responded sharply and exhaled sharply. "I don't mean to upset her, and she's probably doin' a crackin' job at her level but she is treading on too many toes at my level. I just feel..." Adam tailed off and shrugged.

"Ahhh ... side-lined. Impotent."

"Well yes."

"Insignificant. Unimportant. Pathetic. Spurious."

"Yes, thank you Sarah."

"Unrequired. Violated," Sarah said gleefully. "Powerless. Over-ruled."

"Have you finished?"

Sarah's face twitched and she grinned. "It's natural. New boss ... new job, everyone's settling in. Ya know I'm getting a new headmaster at the end of the year and things change. He might be a twat, or he might be great."

"Yeah well, I think she thinks that I am too relaxed or just inefficient. I dunno, it's just gettin' to me 'cause I didn't think she'd be like that."

"And you still ain't taken 'er out for her birthday?"

"No, but I daren't now although she said no when I asked."

Sarah put her drink down and gestured Adam to get to his feet. "Come on, help me dish up."

"Dish up? You ain't cooked nuttin'"

"Slow cooker," Sarah cockily responded and Adam grinned.

"Yes, you are aren't you?" The naked Sarah leapt to her feet, her hand striking the hairy backside of her ex-housemate and pushed him towards the cool kitchen. "How's Tab?"

"Ahh, she's fine. She's bathing Lara," came the response and Adam smiled.

"Still struggle to see you two as parents."

Sarah pursed her lips together and sighed. "I struggle to see how you have fucked things up with Natalie so much and so often."

Adam snorted and Sarah flicked the switch on the kettle before reaching down for the cous-cous out of the cupboard. Her arms outstretched, he saw her bosom rise and feel a tingle in his loins: Sarah was still sexy, however unattainable she might be.

He blew air through his lips and pulled a white oval appliance towards him, dishing up five plates of Sarah's Bean Stew as directed while Sarah added the cous-cous to the plates. "Go easy on her," Sarah whispered as he got ready to take the plates into the dining room.

"She go easy on me," Sarah was told and Adam carried two hot plates out of the kitchen. He nearly dropped them when he came face-to-face with Ivy, naked.

"What the fuck?" Adam cried and Ivy smirked.

"Sorry," she said and shook her golden hair free so that it dropped to her pert bosom and slim frame. "Didn't you know?"

"Ivy is sleeping in your old room," Sarah whispered in Adam's ear. "She likes naturism, right?"

Ivy nodded. "Yeah, and Tabby, Sarah and Nat are so much fun. I can't believe you argued with them, bro?"

Adam looked at his naked sister, his eyes wandering past her belly button and Sarah muttered in his ear, about him being a "dirty old pervert."

"Oi," Adam called out, shaking his attention back to the present. "I'm not old." He opened the door to the dining room with the back of his hand and put the two hot dinners on the table and turned around to see the naked behind of his younger sister through the open doorway going into the kitchen. "I've not seen her naked since she was, like ten."

"Has she changed then?" Sarah teased but Adam didn't respond as a naked Tabitha, and equally undressed Natalie entered the room.

"You didn't tell me Ivy was living with you," Adam spat at Natalie who sighed.

"She moved in on Monday."

He sat down and allowed Sarah to pour some white wine in his glass and watched the mother sit down. "Where's Lara?"

"Asleep," Tabitha replied and put a baby alarm on the side. "She's been fed." Adam raised his eyebrows at her and she smiled. "I know what you are thinking." Adam sniffed and suppressed a smile as Tabitha nodded. "Yes, I was out of milk yesterday and did express a squirt in my coffee."

"Tabs," Sarah cried as she sat down. "You dirty cow."

"What?" Tabitha asked and Sarah shook her head. She raised her glass and cleared her throat. "We are gathered here today," she started with mock seriousness, "to see if our project, to house train Adam, has worked." Adam laughed at her and Sarah nodded towards his glass. "Nah, it's good to see ya 'cause you've not been to see us."

"Been busy," he muttered. "New boss, she's a right cow." He shovelled a big piece of the stew into his mouth and glanced over at Natalie.

"It's all right," Natalie said with a smirk. "I've locked his clothes in my bedroom. He ain't havin' 'em back and he can't stay the night."

"What?"

"I'll lend you a dress to go home in," Sarah teased and Adam grunted.

"I don't think it will fit," Ivy muttered. "Adam's a bit ... well ... fat, I s'pose."

Adam ignored his sister and looked at Natalie. "Why?"

"Until you apologise."

"She is a manager and you will respect her au-thori-tie," Sarah said in a silly voice and Adam sighed. She looked at Natalie and Adam glaring at each other and shook her head. "Can't you two just make up?"

"Certainly, the moment he grows up."

Adam rolled his eyes and pushed his empty plate away. "Oh, for fuck's sake. I'm sorry I said what I said. But it's what me and a few others think. Ya a fuckin' control freak."

Natalie put her fork on the plate and cocked her head. "I'm not a control..."

Sarah closed her eyes and groaned. "Can't you end this argument?"

"No," Natalie said forcefully. "I respect him as a supervisor, but he needs to realise that I have responsibilities and I need to make everything more efficient and if I could trust him to work with me instead of against me, it would be so much easier."

"I got an idea," Sarah said cheerily. "I could bang you feckin' 'eads together, just as my Dad used to threaten me with, or..." She trailed off as she looked at the two scornful faces of her two dinner companions.

"Or what?"

"Well this is obvious what it's about."

"Yeah it's about her not understanding..."

"No, it's just frustration." She pointed at Natalie and raised her eyebrows. "You wanted Adam that night and he was a prick, or you thought he was a prick. But you still want him as you imagined he should have been. This is all about you taking your frustration out on him for not being your ideal date."

Natalie went to protest but she turned to Adam. "And you, you still want her, admit it, despite her being your boss. So this is all fuckin' lustful frustration and you just need to fuck yourselves silly and get it out of ya system, like you did on New Year. Or agree that you two ain't gonna get it on. But I don't want this silliness spilling out all over my dinner."

Tabitha burst out laughing which was a cue for stifled giggling around the table and Adam looked at Sarah. "I've offered to take her out for dinner but I've been knocked back."

"Ya beneath her now," Ivy teased. "She's too good for ya."

Sarah looked at Natalie who shrugged. "Yeah, well. It'll be weird," she said defensively. "He's so ... Adam. He's moved out, God only knows what his place is like now." Sarah held her hands out collecting the dirty plates and smirked at Natalie who gave a laboured sigh. "OK, take me out for my birthday," she told the naked man.