The Great Christmas Breakup Part 20

At least not yet.

*See you later Scarlet,' Robert's sing song voice called after us.

*He seemed nice,' Mum said.

Hmmm.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Christmas Eve, December 24 *This year, pick a present that means something to you both; a reminder from the past.

And make it s.e.xy!'

Jocelyn Priestly GRINNING TO MYSELF, I considered the calendar's missive as I sat in the overheated mobile home of my in-laws. Trust me Jocelyn, Cecily will definitely feel the love when she opens my gift!

It was tradition to open a single present before the *big day', as the Teesons called Christmas.

Howie lumbered over to the stack by the tree near the fridge, and chose the biggest one. It didn't have his name on it.

*Howie,' Cecily 2 admonished loudly. *That's for Jessie.'

*No it isn't.'

*Yes, it is.'

*Isn't.'

*Is.'

*Isn't.'

*How come she gets the biggest one?'

*Because Jessie and J come from a poor family,' Cecily 2 said, burping loudly to underpin her point. *Now behave.'

*No,' said Howie.

*Yes,' said Cecily 2.

*No.'

*Yes.'

*No.'

*Yes.'

*No.'

Cecily patted her favorite grandson's head fondly, promising she would get him the very same gift as J's when *Spike with the truck' came around.

Then she told Howie to find her a gift to open. Seeing me watching her, she pointed out the wrapped circu-boosta. *Let's see what Aunty Scarface has for me this year.'

Everyone t.i.ttered as they always did when she called me Scarface. It was a term of endearment, Carson whispered to me, silently pleading for me not to react. I ignored him, like I had been doing since he arrived home at 3 a.m. the night before last. I had been livid, because Mum needed to be taken to the docks for her trip home, and I wanted to be able to relax and have a meal out with her alone (her treat, of course) before having to literally ship her off.

*It's from all of us, granny,' J reminded her.

*Of course,' Cecily said to him, patting Howie's head again.

J pa.s.sed over the gift and with Rufus leaning in over her shoulder, jollying her along with *oohs' and *what could it bes?', Cecily revealed the re-gifted circulation booster.

For a good five minutes she was speechless.

*That looks familiar,' yelled Cecily 2.

*That's a s.h.i.t present,' Howie said.

*Is not,' said J.

*It is J,' I said, shutting both boys up.

*f.u.c.k me, I recognize it now!' Cecily 2 said, taking a step back to avoid being trampled but a raging mother.

We all waited, but Cecily simply turned to me and Carson and smiled. *This is the nicest gift I've ever been given.'

I could see from her eyes that she knew.

She knew what I'd done.

And somehow, she was going to pay me back.

In the car on the way back home, Carson informed me he needed to collect exam results from work first thing tomorrow.

He had to be joking. *It will be Christmas Day and school is closed.'

How stupid did he think I was? If I wasn't convinced he was having an affair before, I was definitely convinced now.

*I won't be long. The kids will want to know the results.'

Immensely stupid, clearly.

And that's when I decided to take the initiative. *Okay, so go there now. No sense in dropping us home first, is there?'

If he appeared rattled by my suggestion, he didn't show it. *Sure, but it might take a few minutes for Igo the groundskeeper to let me in. As you said, it is Christmas Eve.'

Then the kids began moaning a just like Carson knew they would.

*No, Dad, come on. Mum, tell him. It's too cold. I wanna go home.'

*Me too,' said Jessie.

*Want to. You are starting to sound like Cecily 2.'

*Please Mum,' Jessie put a cold hand on my shoulder. *We need to chill after spending all that time with Howie.'

*He only tried to stab you with a fork twice this year,' J told her. *It wasn't so bad.'

Jessie punched him and hair pulling and fisticuffs ensued.

There was nothing for it I had to let Carson take the kids home before they killed each other.

As he expertly parked the car, I mulled things over. There was a way to find out. Yes it was irresponsible, because it cost money we didn't have, but one way or another, I needed to know.

And it was b.l.o.o.d.y well cheaper than a private investigator.

Tomorrow, I would hail a cab and follow Carson to wherever he was slinking off to.

If I had to, I'd take a photo with my phone a which would be almost useless because there was no zoom or flash a and confront him once and for all.

If he turned out to be a cheater, I'd get the kids British pa.s.sports and take them back to Bath to stay with Mum.

Sod him, and the rest of the Teesons.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Christmas Day, December 25.

*Today is the day to make peace with the past and embrace the future.'

Jocelyn Priestly.

I AWOKE WITH A start, and listened for what had caused me to leave a dream that involved the real George Clooney and a waterbed. Carson! Through the paper thin walls, I heard Carson on his phone in the bathroom, mumbling quietly.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

It was only seven in the b.l.o.o.d.y a.m.

I stared at the calendar for a moment, then grabbed the page, scrunched it up and threw it across the room. When I left my darling husband for good, I would finally tell him what I thought of that stupid excuse for a gift.

Next I heard Carson sneaking out the door. The now familiar creak as the top caught where it hadn't been hung property had me out of bed in an instant.

So he was planning on leaving to s.h.a.g his mistress.

On Christmas morning!

Who did he think he was a Austin b.l.o.o.d.y Powers?

Checking that the children were asleep (they were teenagers, so I figured we had a few hours before they headed in the direction of the Christmas tree), I raced upstairs, knocking loudly on my neighbor's door.

Hammertro appeared to have come off worse in a t.i.tle fight with some heavyweight. Saying he was fine a the other guy *had lost his s.h.i.t' and was in hospital a he tiredly agreed to look after the kids and sleepwalked his way downstairs to reconvene his slumber on our sofa.

I said to let the kids open their presents if they awoke.

After all, if Carson was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g that disgraceful legal s.l.u.t from his past, it might be some hours before they released me from jail after I attempt to kill them both.

*No guns, no drugs, no calling Cecily 2,' I told him sternly.

*I still love her fierce a.r.s.e,' he murmured, sadly.

Cecily 2 had decamped and headed for home seconds after arriving and spying a rat under Hammertro's sofa. I hadn't bothered asking how she'd been in a position to see a rat under the sofa in the first place.

*Then tell her you love her,' I said.

*You think?' Hammertro's bravado had vanished. The impossible had happened a Cecily 2 had ensnared another man in her web of horror.

At least Hammertro could defend himself rather more effectively than Rufus.

*You'd be doing her long-suffering husband and cousin Rufus a favor, trust me.'

Even before I expelled the words were I realized that Cecily 2 and the argumentative Howie might move in upstairs if Rufus kicked them out of their mobile home.

Time for a quick back-track. *On the other hand, the husband is six five and built like a truck. He'll pound your head into the concrete. And I hear,' I added, *he works in concrete.'

The implication was clear. At least I hoped it was.

That should do it.

Leaving Hammertro pondering Cecily 2's supposed Mafioso husband, I raced down the stairwell and out into the street.

d.a.m.n. Carson was already on his way to his a.s.signation a our battered car was turning the corner.

Looking around frantically I saw that Joel, a Mexican cleaner from the building across the road who worked at Flindes, was heading out.

*Joel, can I pay you to drive me somewhere?'