Oh my goodness, can I just say I am so sorry, I decided the final chapter needed a bit of a rewrite and then I totally dropped the ball. I stopped to do nanowrimo, and then I did a creative writing course, and then all sorts of other stuff happened... well you know how it is, life has this way of throwing curve balls at you. I hated leaving you all hanging like that (at least it wasn't a cliff hanger) but I've finally finished now!
Thank you again to North200 for his amazing editing, I have learned too much from him through working on this. He has just started uploading a new story over in Erotic Couplings, its excellent and you should all go and check it out, he's an incredibly talented writer, and I am lucky to have had the privilege of working with him.
Finally thank you all for reading, and for all your lovely feedback.
*****
Richard sat in Fortnum & Mason's tea rooms, drinking tea and waiting for his father. A man was playing lounge music quietly on a grand piano in the corner. The place was filled with elderly ladies in hats nibbling on cakes and sipping Earl Grey from china cups while they took a break from their Christmas shopping. The conversation was quiet and polite; the height of civility. Fortnum's was a sumptuous, frivolous affair at the best of times, but the Christmas decor was thoroughly over the top. The chattering ladies kept stealing glances at Richard; he was by far the youngest person in the room and the only unaccompanied male. Terrence was late.
It had started with Richard's mother, she loved to come here for high tea whenever she was visiting London and she assured him that the quality of Fortnum & Mason's meringues were unmatched countrywide. Richard had never been keen on meringue but in honour of her memory he and his father had continued to meet here whenever they were both in the capital.
When finally Terrence bustled in there was no mention of his tardiness. The moment he took his seat a waiter arrived with menus and after a cursory glance the two men ordered.
"How are you my boy? How is Stockholm treating you?"
"It's great, I have a nice apartment near the old town, the project manager's English is impeccable and he's very welcoming; he and his partner have had me over for dinner twice already. The project seems to be going well, but I don't want to tempt fate, it's still early days."
"Still plenty of time for things to wrong eh?" Terrence guffawed and the ladies at the neighbouring tables glanced their way yet again.
Their food arrived and for a while they ate in companionable silence, until Terence spoke again.
"And how's it going with Ivy? Have you managed to tame her yet?"
Richard internally rolled his eyes. His father's continuing inability to see Ivy, well women in general really, as anything other than a challenge to be overcome was exasperating. He curbed the waspish response on the tip of his tongue, his father was too set in his ways to change after all these years, but he didn't manage to suppress the accompanying sigh.
"I like her, I like her a lot but she's so proud, so independent, and I like that about her I don't want to crowd her, but..." he sighed again. "I don't want to lose her either."
Terrence stopped eating, and putting his cutlery down he drew himself upright. "Why on earth would you lose her?" he sounded alarmed at the idea. "You have nothing to worry about."
Richard wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned his concerns to his father, but they had been preying on his mind.
"I haven't been seeing as much of her as I'd like. She was happy to come up to London to visit me, but she hasn't been to Stockholm yet. She's worried about the cost of the flights."
"Well you can cover that can't you, boy?"
"Yes I can and I would if she'd let me." He swept a hand through his hair. "I can't get back to London as often as I'd like. I have work commitments and the journey is so time consuming but on the other hand I'm scared the less I see of her the more likely it is that we'll drift apart."
"You need to take the upper hand, boy." Terrence wiped his mouth and placed his napkin down on his empty plate in front of him. Richard frowned, but Terrence didn't notice.
"Sometimes these girls just need to be told what's what." Anyway, I really must dash I'm meeting Roger in the club." After quick slap on the back Terrence gripped Richard by both shoulders. "Everything is going to be fine, you just need to take charge of the situation."
Content that he'd solved that problem Terrence stood up and pulled on his jacket. Richard watched opened mouthed as he disappeared down the stairs and into the crowded shop.
*
A few days had passed, and it was one of those bright crisp days so common in Stockholm, but Richard felt like he'd hardly seen any of it. It had been dark when he arrived at work and as he left the office for a lunchtime meeting with the client and the project manager the sun was already beginning to set.
When he thought about Ivy, Richard became increasingly despondent. He wasn't certain that long distance relationships worked, especially when not well established. The contract in Stockholm was a big one and he was going to be there for most of the next nine months, maybe even the year.
When they did see each other his fears dematerialised instantly. A fortnight ago he'd sprung a surprise visit on Ivy and she'd been overjoyed. It was quite clear that she was happy and settled in Bruton and he came away feeling confident and secure but as the periods in between the time they see each other lengthened the doubts started to creep back in and Richard became more and more fearful that something might happen, and Ivy might decide to flee once more. And if she did it was unlikely that he would be there to catch her.
And he missed her. He missed her smile. he missed her blush. He missed being able to watch her face as she climaxed. He missed the sound of her laughter. His lip curled as he thought about making love to Ivy. A mental image of her perched on the edge of the bed, naked in the half-light of the truck flashed into his mind and he groaned. He would need to look at his diary again later and see if there was any way he could possibly squeeze in another visit soon.
He was just getting into his car when his phone rang.
"Richard, hi! How are you? How's it all going?" He recognised Sally's rich, warm voice immediately and an uncharacteristic pang of homesickness assailed him.
"Yeah I'm fine,"
Why was Sally ringing? Sally never rang.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything is fine, nothing's happened, it's just... Well, I was wondering how things are going with Ivy? You can't be seeing much of each other now the Stockholm project has started."
"Have you been talking to my father?" he asked, laughing.
"I have, and Ivy has been wandering around the place like a bear with a sore head since you left. I think she might be missing you."
His heart leapt at her words and immediately he shook his head -he was like a hormonal teenager.
"I don't know what to do, my father thinks I need to just take her in hand and start ordering her about, but he's still stuck in the 50's."
"He might have a point you know."
Richard froze, his car key hovered by the door.
"But I can't just..."
"I'm not suggesting that you tie her up and drag her by her hair into your cave Richard, but she can be as stubborn as a mule. She seems to have got it into her head that if she lets you pay for her flights to Stockholm that she is somehow fulfilling all of Will's accusations about her gold digging motives, and to be quite frank I think she is being ridiculous."
Richard smiled to himself, he was very fond of Sally, and it was lovely to have someone other than Terrence to talk about this with. He'd been meaning to ring Caroline or Sara but he hadn't found the time. "What do you suggest I do?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but I have a few ideas. Let me talk to Ruth and I'll get back to you."
*
The following weekend Sally and Ruth were in the small kitchen behind the shop, Sally was washing up and Ruth was making tea.
"Ruth, does Ivy have a passport?" Sally asked suddenly.
"Yes, she does I'm pretty sure of it, why?"
"Richard was saying that he keeps inviting her to Stockholm to visit him but she won't go."
"Why not?"
"She's worried about the cost but she won't let him pay for the flights."
"Oh for fucks sake," Ruth said, and the mugs she'd just taken off the shelf above the kettle hit the counter harder than she'd intended.
"What's she up to next weekend?
"You mean this one coming?"
"No, the one after, the weekend of the eighteenth."
