of his way, and he ended up with his face in her lap. A sensation that she wouldn’t have found unpleasant at any other time, but at this precise moment, was utterly mortifying.
‘Ah, here we are,’ she said with a false smile, and the taxi drew up outside their apartments. She and Dad had to virtually manhandle Barry up the stairs. By this time he had started to sing rather rude songs, and Claire was sweating as she finally got to the front door of the apartment.
‘Shh,’ she said to him, as he started up again about various parts of her anatomy.
‘Why?’ he said. ‘I jush want the world to know that you’re beautiful. All of you’s beautiful, and you’re the best shag I’ve ever had.’
‘Barry!’ Claire could have died. ‘Bed right now!’
‘What have I done wrong?’ Barry looked like a hurt little boy, and part of her wanted to burst out laughing, but the other part of her was furious. How could he show her up like this?
She pushed and cajoled him into their room, while her parents watched in silent horror.
Having got him on the bed, she made a quick exit. She knew from experience, he would be asleep by the time she got back. And she also knew her parents were waiting to read her the riot act.
‘Would you like a coffee?’ she asked, hoping to avoid the issue. No such luck.
‘Claire, sit down,’ said Dad. ‘Your mum and I want to talk to you.’
‘About …?’ Claire had a feeling she knew where this was heading.
‘Barry,’ said Mum firmly. ‘Are you sure he’s right for you?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Claire defiantly, although actually thinking, at this moment after he’s embarrassed me so spectacularly, no, I can’t say I do.
‘But love,’ pleaded Dad, ‘think about it. Look at this place – this just isn’t us. And to be honest, it doesn’t really seem like you. And your Barry, well he might be a nice enough lad the rest of the time, but I’m not too impressed by what I’ve seen tonight.’
‘Tonight he’d had a bit too much to drink,’ said Claire. ‘But I love him, really I do. And he loves me. I’m sorry you haven’t seen the best of him tonight, but I am going to marry him. I just want you to be happy for me.’
Claire’s parents looked at each other and sighed.
‘Well, we only want the best for you, love,’ said Dad. ‘But if that’s what you want …’
‘It’s what I want,’ said Claire. ‘Now I’ve got an early start tomorrow, so I’d better get to bed.’
*
‘What is it with people trying to interfere in my life?’ Claire moaned at Mel the next day. ‘First it’s you telling me not to marry Barry, and now it’s my parents asking me if I’m sure I’m doing the right thing. I’ve a good mind to run away to Gretna Green and do it behind everyone’s back.’
‘Oh come on,’ said Mel . ‘They only want what’s best for you. And by all accounts it didn’t sound like he behaved himself all that well.’
‘No he didn’t, but Jeez – I wish everyone would get off our backs. We’re getting married and that’s that.’
But she had to admit, she was beginning to have slight doubts herself now. Barry had behaved badly the previous evening, and though he had been attempting to make up all morning, sending her flirty text messages and emails as well as the biggest bunch of flowers she had ever seen, she did feel uneasy. Maybe she was making a mistake. Would Steve have embarrassed her like that in front of her parents? She didn’t think so. Steve would have instinctively known how to act around them, while it never occurred to Barry that they might be shocked by his behaviour. But then, as her dad would say, Steve was one of us …
‘Let me take you away from all of this.’ Barry appeared at her desk, straight from ‘some damned boring accountant’s meeting, during which you were all I could think of’ at lunchtime, looking at once apologetic, and damnably gorgeous. It was very hard to stay cross with him for long. Claire sometimes wondered about Barry’s job – he was in financial advice, so he said, but he seemed to get an awful lot of money for doing not a great deal, as far as she could tell. He often took her out for lunch, usually when she didn’t have time. But Barry was very hard to resist.
‘I don’t know that you deserve me,’ said Claire, determined to keep up a little bit of pressure.
‘Probably not,’ said Barry. ‘But I do love you.’
‘If you say so,’ said Claire, picking up her bag. It really was impossible to deny him. ‘Where do you want to take me, then?’
‘Where?’ said Barry, taking her arm and steering her towards the door. ‘More like how.’
‘Don’t start all that again,’ said Claire, as they entered the lift. ‘Look how much trouble it got you into last time.’
The lift was empty, apart from the two of them, and they looked at each other and laughed.
‘There’s something about an enclosed space …’ said Barry, and pulled her close towards him.
‘Isn’t there just?’ said Claire and responded to his kiss with passion.
Lifts and
Barry would forever be associated in her mind with sex, or at least foreplay. By the time they got to the ground floor she was quite giddy with desire.
‘Are we going to bother with lunch or what?’ she asked.
‘What do you think?’ said Barry with a grin. ‘I take it your parents have already gone?’
‘Yes, they got the first train back this morning,’ said Claire. ‘They could only cope with one night in the great metropolis.’
‘Then what are we waiting for?’ Barry pulled her out of the door, and nearly fell into the road, waving his arms like a maniac, ‘Taxi!’
‘I think,’ he said, ‘it’s time to carry on where we left off last night.’
‘Good idea,’ said Claire, sinking into his arms.
*
A week later, Claire came humming into work. Her sex life had been great for the past week. She had been getting a little worried recently that Barry hadn’t been quite as attentive to her needs as when they first met. But this past week had put paid to that notion. Which was just as well, as he had to go off on a course for a couple of days. She felt slightly better about it, knowing that Mel was going too, and had promised to look after him.
‘Any messages for me, Kerry?’ Claire asked their lank and morose receptionist, who was possibly the least welcoming person in the universe.
‘Yeah, there was one. He rang last night, after you’d gone.’
‘Who rang?’ It was always rather difficult extracting information out of Kerry.
‘Said
