Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Bonzi's Mum,
part 118?

Monica was smiling at me and I tried to avoid eye contact, perhaps not the best thing to do.

"Yes, very pretty," she repeated and I could almost sense her licking her lips.

"I'm feeling a bit cold, I think I'd like to go back in now." I said but she stood in the way.

"We could always go up to our suite if you need to freshen up, you looked awfully pale in there, is it wise to go back there?"

"Yes I think so, I didn't sleep too well last night, bad dream woke me up." And a nightmare is stood in front of me now, I thought to myself.

"You could always come up and have a little nap, yes why don't you. Stella and Henry will chat for hours, they always do."

"I'm fine thank you Monica, besides if I sleep now, I won't tonight."

"You don't need to sleep, I could give you little massage, you feel so tense," she squeezed my shoulder, "you need to relax a little, massage is great for that, ask Stella."

I felt my insides knot and I wanted to cringe. I have nothing against other people and what pops their buttons, but Monica did nothing for me, even with a nose job. I looked at my watch, "Goodness is that the time, I've got to call the hospital to see how my father is."

"I see," Monica frowned at me, "So pretty," she sighed and I stepped around her and walked back into the hotel.

I called Southmead Hospital and was told that my father had the virus, my stomach churned, "Is there anything I can do?" I asked the nurse.

"Keep away for a week or so, we'll let you know if anything happens,"

"What! Is anything likely to happen?" I felt quite anxious now.

"No of course not, but people who have had strokes can be susceptible to other things and these D and V bugs, can make them quite poorly."

"But he's hardly elderly, he's only in his fifties, surely that makes a difference."

"Yes of course, look Miss Watts, I'm not trying to alarm you I'm only trying to let you know that things can happen sometimes."

"Yeah, okay, thanks I suppose. You have my mob...." I realised she'd rung off before I'd finished.

"Troubles Cathy?" asked the predatory Monica, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not really, my dad's caught a sickness bug at the hospital, Noro virus or something."

"Oh dear, I am sorry. Is he very poorly?"

"A bit, he had a stroke about a month ago, so he needed this like bang on the head."

"Indeed," she put her arm around mine and pulled me gently back towards the restaurant, "come and have a drink and relax, worrying won't make him feel any better and it will only put lines on that flawless face."

"Eh?" I asked not having listened to a word she said.

We entered the dining area and Henry and Stella were still in animated conversation, so much so they didn't hear or see us arrive. Monica grabbed a bottle of red wine and poured the two of us a glass each. I sipped a couple of mouthfuls and allowed the precious fluid to frolic on my tastebuds before it vanished down my throat.

"Nice wine," I said quietly.

"Yes we like nice things, Cathy." She beamed a smile at me and I felt like saying, 'that I wasn't on offer, I was spoken for.' Of course I didn't because, maybe Henry didn't know about his wife, I wouldn't like to be the one who broke the news. Besides, who am I to throw stones? However, it didn't encourage me to want to make my relationship with Simon long term, unless he could somehow warn her off? How do you say that to your boyfriend? I spent the next ten minutes winding that around my mind while savouring the delicious red wine.

"Oh you're back!" exclaimed Stella noticing me at last.

"I have been back here drinking this delicious wine for the past twenty minutes."

"You like the wine?" asked Henry.

"It's gorgeous," I said now on my second, or was it third, glass?

He gestured to a waiter and said something quietly to him, the waiter nodded and disappeared. Then he looked at his watch and said, "Get your stuff Monica, we need to head back to town."

She did as she was told and then he stood up and hugged and kissed his daughter, and then I got the same treatment. I was a little tiddly by this time and giggled as he kissed my cheek. Then when Monica embraced and kissed Stella, I giggled some more, stopping abruptly when she grabbed me and kissed me on the cheek, whispering, "Next time perhaps?" I nearly fell over.

On the drive back, I asked Stella if I could ask a personal question.

"Oh do, they're often the best sort."

"Is your step-mother, you know, erm?" I blushed embarrassed even thinking about it.

"Is she gay?" sighed Stella, "She didn't try it on did she?"

"Not in so many words," I blushed to the roots of my hair.

"You'd have been such a disappointment to her," she said dismissively and then threw me a smirk. That did it, I giggled so much I got hiccups.

Back at my room, she told me to collect up my stuff and come back to the cottage.

"I can't do that, I'm over the limit."

"I'll drive," she said.

"How will I get back?"

"I'll drop you off tomorrow when I go into work."

"What about Simon?"

"Nah, he's still in hospital," she piped and began throwing my clothes into a bag.

"I'm supposed to go back to see him."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"You're joking?"

"No, I promised him I'd stop by and see him again tonight."

"That means I have to take you to the hospital and then bring you on to the cottage?"

"No, I'll get a taxi back here."

"You are not staying here another night."

"Why, I know who it was and what the noise was, so it doesn't worry me now."

"You don't know who wrote these fucking things though do you, Miss Clever Dick?" She picked up the bag of anonymous letters.

"I'm sure they'll get fed up when they see I'm ignoring them."

"What if they don't and decide to step up their campaign?"

"What go to the papers?"

"I erm, hadn't actually thought of that Cathy, but yes, what if they do go to the papers?"

"What were you thinking of Stella?" My mind felt a little muddled from the alcohol.

"It doesn't matter," she continued shovelling my stuff into a bag.

"Yes it does," the room was feeling a bit unsteady.

"Why have you gone green Cat....? Oh shit, quickly the toilet." She grabbed me and practically pushed me down the toilet, "Not on the dress, oh bugger!"

It was over an hour later that I appeared at Simon's bedside probably feeling more sick than he did. "What happened to you?" he asked looking me up and down.

"Your step-mother," I said pinching his water to pop another aspirin.

"Monica?"

"Yes, she got me tiddly and I was sick." I blushed and the room began to move a bit. I sat down quickly but that jolted my head. I held it in my hands.

"Did she, erm do anything else?" he asked and was blushing when I finally looked up.

"Why didn't you warn me?" I would have slapped him if he hadn't been injured and I hadn't felt so sick.

"I hoped she'd have got the point by realising that we're an item. Did she embarrass you horribly?"

"A bit, why?"

"She is bonkers."

"Since when is being gay, bonkers?" I felt even more muddled now.

"She is bisexual and sort of nympho, she'll sleep with anything."

"What even a tranny like me?" I was surprised.

He grabbed hold of my hand and looking me in the eye said, "Cathy, you're a woman, period. It ain't up for discussion, got that?"

"Is that because it could embarrass you?" I don't know why I said that. It sort of fell out of my mouth.

"No it wouldn't actually, because I love you."

"What as I am? A freak?"

"You are no freak, you are the woman I love and while we can't consumate that love just yet, we will one day."

I stared deep into his eyes and almost fell into them. I don't know if time stopped or just my heart because his eyes were the only thing in my consciousness, I felt him drawing my mind out of my head and into his heart, filling it with this special warmth and love and sending it back to me. It made my head feel very strange, light yet full of this warmth.

"Kiss me," I managed to say, and he pulled me down to his lips.