Abbi... Read online

  Abbi just laughed. Mark was getting irritated now. “I have nowhere to go tonight. I am locked out. Why is that funny!”

  “It’s not funny.” Abbi assured him. “It’s just lucky that I have a spare key that’s all.”

  “You’re joking!” Mark seemed astounded. Abbi just smiled at him.

  “You could stay out as long as you wanted and it wouldn’t matter.” Abbi seemed a little more alert. There was a definite implication behind her words.

  “How come you have an extra key?”

  “Well, I have worked there for a few years so the owners feel I am trustworthy enough to have my own key. Just in case there are any problems and they aren’t around or need some help,” Abbi answered. They were both quiet for a moment looking at the stars.

  Suddenly Abbi heard her phone beep. She sighed and went to check who it was. A text message envelope was flashing on the screen. It was from her mum.

  Its late r u on ur way home? Xxx

  She replied: I’ll b home soon xoxo

  She put her phone back into her bag.

  “Who was that?” Mark asked.

  “Just my mum,” she said with a sigh. “We really should be getting back.” They both got up from the ground and stood up.

  “Do you know where we’re going in the dark?” Mark asked. He was a little worried as it was completely dark and he had no idea where to go. Even though his eyes were adjusted he couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of himself. The moon was hidden by clouds.

  “Of course I know where we’re going,” she assured him. “I’ve walked this way about a thousand times. I could do it blindfolded.”

  They walked back together in a friendly silence. Mark reached out for her hand and they walked the footpath back while holding hands. The way looked very eerie to Mark’s eyes. In the darkness you couldn’t see much and it was rather like walking into the unknown.

  Suddenly the road that ran through the village appeared and Mark knew exactly where he was now. She had been right he realised. Abbi could walk that footpath blindfolded if she had too.

  No one was around on the beach. They were quite alone with the lapping of the waves. All too soon they were at the door of the hotel.

  “I hope you have your key,” he said. Abbi was digging around in her bag for the keys.

  Without looking at him she said, “give it a try. People sometimes forget to lock it.” Mark obligingly gave the door handle a turn but the door wouldn’t budge. He gave her a knowing look. Abbi shrugged and continued looking.

  “No matter what you are looking for,” she said, “it is always at the bottom of your bag. Aha! Got them.” She pulled a huge ring of keys out of her bag. There must have been twenty or so keys on the ring.

  She was sorting through them, looking for the one to the hotel door. He couldn’t believe how many keys she had. He looked at her face, which was concentrating and finding the key. She looked absolutely stunning.

  “Right. It’s that one.” Abbi stood up and put the key in the lock. Sure enough it unlocked the door.

  “Why have you got so many keys?” Mark asked her. “What are they all for?”

  “Two are house keys,” she started. “Front and back door. I’ve got two for the hotel doors and I have spares for all the rooms. The amount of times people leave when they can’t find their keys is unbelievable. Or pack them by mistake. Plus I have one for my mum’s car. We use that as kind of a storage space so I occasionally have to go and get stuff from it.” Abbi hesitated. “I also have a key for the cemetery.” Abbi finished.

  Mark was slightly taken aback by the uses of her keys. “Why do you have one for the cemetery?”

  She stiffened. “My dad.” She looked slightly uncomfortable. “I just like going there when no one else is there so the warden gave me a key. He knew my dad you see.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I … forgot”, he said lamely.

  “It’s alright,” she said quickly. He instinctively put his arms around her in a hug. After a moment he felt her hugging him back.

  “I should go,” Abbi said as he let her go. “My mother is probably getting worried by now.”

  “Okay.” He kissed her once more. “I’ll call you okay?”

  “Sure” she said. He left and went upstairs. She locked the door up again and went home with a smile on her face.

  “Where have you been?” Abbi’s mother demanded the second she had closed the door. Abbi followed her mother back into the kitchen where she had obviously waiting up for her daughter.

  “Relax, mum.” Abbi said. “I’ve just been out.”

  “Yeah “I’ll be home soon” is really informative Abbi!” Abbi looked at her mother. She had been really worried about her she realised.

  “What’s the problem?” Abbi asked. “I was out late on Sunday. You weren’t mad about that so what is the issue exactly?”

  Her mother breathed hard. “I didn’t know where you were and you’ve been gone ages. Since six thirty and it’s almost midnight.”

  Abbi said mischievously, “Well I didn’t overstep magic midnight barrier so Cinderella is home in plenty of time to turn back into a pumpkin.”

  “Abbi,” her mother said warningly. “Don’t push it or I might stop you going out with him.”

  “Mum! I am nineteen. Its not like I stayed out until four in the morning, clubbing, drinking and taking drugs! I went for an evening walk.”

  “I notice you didn’t deny going out with him.” Her mother was looking very grim. Silence descended on them. Abbi didn’t know what to say to that so she looked at her mother trying to decide what to say next.

  “No. I am not going to deny it because I am going out with Mark.” Abbi said. Adding, “Where did all this concerned parent come from? You were fine with the situation on Sunday.”

  “I know that it’s your business”, Eleanor started slowly. “But I am still your mother and I want to be kept in the loop. I need to know what is going on when you don’t come home. You usually tell me when you are going to stay out later. Also you rarely stay out this late if you aren’t at work.”

  After a pause Abbi said, “Okay. I’ll keep you involved in what’s going on. Can we drop this now?”

  “Okay.” Abbi looked at her mother. A beep from her bag distracted her.

  “Goodnight,” Abbi said. She went in her bedroom and closed the door before her mother could call her back. She checked her phone. A text message had come through.

  I had fun tonite xxx M

  She smiled and started a text conversation with him

  So did I. I love that sight. Abbi

  Yes. It was beautiful xxx M

  Yeah. The sunsets always r frm there Abbi

  I wasn’t just talking bout the sunset xxx M. Abbi smiled to herself and kept texting him until much later into the night.

  Mark quietly opened his hotel room door, wondering if Steve was asleep or not. He wasn’t. “Had fun?”

  Steve was laying on his bed concentrating on his game boy. “Yeah it was fine,” Mark said.

  “Hmm “Fine” doesn’t have you out until quarter to twelve” he said without looking up. “How was she doing then? Oh and you still haven’t told me what her name is.”

  Mark took a deep breath and thought that he should have known. Steve liked to know what was going on with his brother. “If you are going to talk to me at least switch that thing off.” Mark pointed at the game-boy.

  “Fine it’s off,” Steve said and put it on the table in the room.

  “Her name is Abbi. Satisfied?”

  Steve stared at his brother. “Christ, you have got it bad.” he said quietly. “You usually tell me about whatever her name is before I even have a chance to ask. I often have to beg you to shut up about the latest girl. You don’t even want to talk about her. It must be serious.” Mark simply shrugged and sat down on his bed. He took his phone out of his pocket and wondered how long he could wait before he text her.

  “Mark, don’t text her now.
You left her barely five minutes ago. How desperate do you want to come off?” Mark didn’t say anything but he personally thought that Steve had a point. She probably hadn’t even got home yet. He actually had no idea where she lived he thought with a small shock.

  Mark quickly got undressed and went to bed. He waited about five minutes until he heard the quiet regular breathing that meant that Steve had gone to sleep. It never did take him long to go to sleep. Mark got out his phone and texted her. He carried on this conversation long into the night until

  I have to get some sleep Abbi

  Ok nite xxx M

  Goodnite

  Eleanor was left looking in the darkness in the kitchen when her daughter left. She was thinking to herself. This was going to get serious. She could feel it in her bones. This would be her daughter’s first serious relationship. Abbi had gone out with a few guys. Nothing serious had ever come of it. Two dates in as many days. That showed her that Abbi was serious about him. Mark? Was that his name. She would check in the morning with her daughter.

  Well, it had to happen sometime she thought to herself. As Eleanor turned off the light and went to bed, her comforting thought was that it would all happen in good time. She would see what happened as and when it did.

  Chapter 4

  Lily's

  Abbi woke up late the next morning- at half past ten. She had no plans today and she didn’t even have to go to work so she could relax all day. As soon as she woke up she grabbed her mobile phone and checked. No messages or missed calls. Mind you she thought they had only seen each other eleven hours ago. Plenty of time yet. She went into the kitchen to make herself some toast for breakfast.

  Her mother had set up her ironing board and was doing stacks of other peoples ironing.

  “Morning mum.” Abbi said as she popped down two slices of brown bread in the toaster.

  “Hi sweetie.” Her mother looked in a much better mood this morning than she had been in last night. “Any plans today?” her mother asked pointedly.

  “No not yet,” Abbi said. “I’m not working today. Mark said he would call,” she added to the undertone of her mother’s question.

  “Okay then,” her mother said smiling at the shirts she was ironing. At that moment Abbi’s toast popped up and she went back to her room. Before eating her toast she checked her phone again. No message. Yet.

  Mark glanced at his phone. It was nearly eleven. Surely he could call. It wouldn’t seem desperate. Would it?

  This is stupid Abbi thought. “Staring at my phone won’t make it ring,” she said to herself. She got dressed and when he still hadn’t called when it had gone eleven she decided to take the initiative and phone him herself.

  Mark glanced down. Abbi was phoning him. He answered the call as quickly as he could.

  “Hi,” he said

  “Hi,” she answered. There was an awkward pause on the phone.

  “I had a great time last night,” Mark said.

  “Really? Good.” Abbi sounded relieved on the phone.

  “Do you want to get together and do something tonight?” Mark asked praying that she did.

  “Yeah that sounds great.” Abbi really did sound enthusiastic.

  “What do you want to do?” Mark asked.

  “Oh, I’m not picky. You choose.” Abbi said. “Anyway it’s your turn to pick something to do isn’t it?”

  “Yeah it is.” Mark had no idea where he wanted to take her. “Right let me think about where I want to take you and then I will call you back okay?”

  “That’s great,” she said. “Talk to you later.”

  “Bye.” Mark rang off leaving Abbi holding her phone to her ear smiling to herself.

  “Right I need help Steve,” Mark said to his brother.

  “What is it now?” Steve asked. He was lounging in a chair while Mark was pacing the room, racking his brains on where to take Abbi.

  “I want to take Abbi somewhere special tonight and I am stuck for ideas,” he said quickly.

  “Oh Mark,” Steve said grinning. “How sad it is that you had to come and ask your little brother this question,” he said laughing.

  “Ha ha,” Mark said irritably. “I am serious. I need to take her somewhere really nice. And my brain has gone blank.”

  “What have you got so far?” Steve asked rolling his eyes slightly.

  “I thought I would take her out for a meal but then I have a problem of where.” Mark said sitting down opposite Steve. “The problem is that anywhere half decent will be booked for tonight. I mean its barely ten hours notice.”

  They both fell into silence. After a while Steve said, “what about Lily’s restaurant? I mean that’s very exclusive.”

  “That’s true,” Mark said. “But it will have been booked up for ages though. It’s such a fabulous restaurant.”

  “That is where our name becomes extremely useful.” Mark looked quizzically at his brother. “You never have learnt the full potential of being the son of one of the richest men in the country have you?” When Mark shrugged his shoulders Steve went on. “Book it under last name Hammond with dad’s initial or something like that. They are bound to find room for someone like that. Dad‘s been going there for years. You know with clients and things like that.”

  Mark smiled when he realised that his brother had a very valid point. “You’ve done that before then?” Mark asked cynically

  “Yeah,” Steve admitted. “And its worked like a dream let me tell you.”

  “Okay, but it’s a drive over thirty minutes away.” Mark said.

  “Since when is that a problem?” Mark had to agree that he had a point.

  “Thanks for your help Steve.”

  Half an hour later Abbi got a call from Mark.

  “Hi. So what are we doing tonight then?” she asked.

  “Have you heard of Lily’s restaurant?”

  “We are never booked in there? Come on it’s so exclusive and it’s always booked up to the masses. I know that because a lot of people from the hotel go there to dine out.” Abbi could barely believe it.

  “We are definitely booked in there for eight o’clock.” he told her.

  “You must have pulled some strings,” she said impressed.

  “Only Pinocchio sized strings,” he said. She could hear him smiling over the line.

  “What time will you pick me up?”

  “Seven at the beach because you haven’t told me where you live yet.” Mark was teasing her. She could tell.

  “Well if we have a good time maybe you’ll find out tonight.” She teased.

  “See you at seven then.” Mark rang off

  “Bye,” Abbi whispered to the dialling tone.

  Abbi rushed into the kitchen where her mother had just finished doing all off her clients ironing. “I’m going out tonight,” Abbi blurted out.

  “Oh Yeah,” her mother looked sceptical. “Where are you going then?”

  “Lily’s,” Abbi said quickly. Her mother looked completely stunned by that piece of information. Abbi herself still couldn’t quite believe it.

  “So your going out with a very rich guy then aren’t you?” she said quietly.

  “Apparently so.” Abbi was grinning from ear to ear. “I am so excited. I can’t wait to eat there. Everyone who is anyone goes there to eat.” Her mother remained in silence. That silence was slightly disconcerting.

  “It is alright if I go isn’t it?” Abbi asked chewing her nail. She would be so disappointed if she missed out and couldn’t go simply because her mother said so.

  “Of course you can go.” Abbi looked so pleased at that. “I will want to meet him at some point Abbi.”

  “Yeah that’s fine,” Abbi said indifferently. She dashed of to wash her hair. She couldn’t wait for the rest of the day to go by.

  It was just before Mark was about to leave when he just checked his reflection one more time. He was wearing a dark jacket and shirt. He didn’t want to look too smart but he definitely wanted to look good.
Especially going to Lily’s. He looked into the mirror and thought that he had got just the right look.

  Mark left his room, making sure to pick up his key this time and bumped straight into his father. “Sorry dad,” he wanted to get away quickly. He didn’t want to be asked a series of questions about who he was going out with. Not tonight.

  His father surprised him by saying, “You look perfect son. I might just add a tie to it though. You want to make a good impression don’t you.”

  Mark felt like he had missed a crucial point. “What are you talking about?”

  “Our business meeting.” Mark felt his heart sink faster than the Titanic. Oh yes that meeting. The only reason they had come out a week earlier than normal while the holiday home wasn’t ready.

  “Actually dad I have other plans tonight. Can’t you take Steve with you instead of me?” He knew before he had go half way with his sentence that it was no good. His fathers face was like thunder.

  “Of course I am taking you. One day all of this will be yours. You are the eldest. You are the heir to all of this fortune. This is the most important meeting that you will have had in months. You have to meet all these important people in my enterprise. All their wives and families will be there too. I can‘t show up without you. You have to be there.”

  He paused. “You are coming. That is final. Even if I have to drag you there.”

  After a seconds pause that lasted a lifetime Mark said, “Fine. I have to make a call first okay?”

  “Alright but hurry up. I‘ll be waiting downstairs,” and his father stormed down into the hotel lounge.

  Mark looked at his phone. He was dreading calling Abbi. Just do it he told himself.

  He could hear it ringing. Once. Twice. She answered.

  “Hi I’m just leaving,” Abbi said. She sounded so excited. “I’ll be there in five minutes okay?”