Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Girl at the Bus Stop by alan14 Copyright(C) 2021 by alan14 Chapter 28 Our last meeting was with Esther, she doesn -(TM)t have an office in the building, and we usually meet in whatever office or meeting room is currently empty, so we went to see Paige to find out where we were meeting Esther. -Oh hey Belle, how -(TM)s your day going? - Paige asked as Belle approached the reception counter. -Tom is weird. - -He really is, I -(TM)m glad it -(TM)s not just me that thinks so. - -He barely looked at me, I was a bit worried Alex lied to me and I -(TM)m not pretty anymore. - -Oh my god Belle, you are super pretty. Ohh, where -(TM)s your makeup gone? - -Ahh, I had a bit of a meltdown at lunchtime, so my mum washed it all off. - -Such a shame, it looked great. Your skin is so nice though, you don -(TM)t really need makeup, especially with your rosey cheeks. - -Thank you Paige, that means such a lot coming from someone so pretty. - -Thank you! That means a lot to me too. So how can I help? - -We -(TM)re meeting Esther and Alex doesn -(TM)t know where her office is. - -That -(TM)s because she hot desks when she -(TM)s in, and today there are no spare desks, so she -(TM)s working out of the bar in the hotel, you can go meet her there. - -You mean the posh one on the square? - -Yep, that one, I -(TM)ll message her to tell her you -(TM)re on the way. - -Will they let me in like this? - -Of course, they will. - Belle turned to me, -ok, we -(TM)re off to the posh hotel, I -(TM)ll let you buy me a drink. - -Gosh, that -(TM)s nice of you, - I laughed as I waved goodbye to Paige, she blew Belle a kiss. Belle led me back to the road and round to the hotel entrance, walking up to the top-hatted doorman, -Hello, - she greeted him, -we -(TM)re here for a meeting with a lady called Esther, she -(TM)s in the bar apparently. - -Ahh, that would be the lady with the laptop over by the fireplace, is she expecting you? - -I do hope so. - -Ok, through the reception, first door on the right Miss. - The doorman did his job and, err, opened the door, I followed behind as Belle strode confidently through the reception, pushing open the big, dark mahogany doors to the bar. We stood in the doorway for a moment, Belle pointed past the bar to a fireplace, a proper one, with a log fire burning, a lady was sitting on a sofa with a laptop on her knees, -I -(TM)m guessing that -(TM)s Esther, - she said as she set off across the bar, weaving between tables and big sofas. -Excuse me, are you Esther, - Belle asked politely. The lady looked up and smiled, -yes I am, and you are? - -I -(TM)m Belle, Alex Harrison -(TM)s PA, we have a meeting scheduled. - Esther put her laptop down on the low table and stood to shake Belle -(TM)s hand. -You -(TM)re a bit young to be a PA, - Esther laughed as we sat down on the sofa opposite, Belle opened her bag and took out her notepad and iPad. -Ahh, that -(TM)s because she -(TM)s my daughter, she -(TM)s not in school this week, so I invited her to join me today instead of being stuck at home. - -And now I get the connection, you -(TM)re Belle as in Poppy & Belle, oh wow, I -(TM)ve heard a lot about Poppy, now you can tell me about yourself whilst Alex gets drinks. - I got Belle a Coke, and asked the barman for whatever Esther was drinking, which was iced water. I looked across at them while he was pouring my pint, Esther was leaning forwards, listening intently to whatever story Belle was telling. I watched Belle, she was talking animatedly, gesturing as she spoke. She really was a girl of contrasts, sometimes nervous, like in the lift earlier, and sometimes exuding confidence, like the way she strolled up to the doorman and asked for Esther. I -(TM)d not met Esther before, never needed to really. I -(TM)d done charity work for the publisher, and she may have been hovering around at the events, but I -(TM)d not noticed her. She was small, somewhere between Belle and Poppy in height, and very slim. She was wearing a very unflattering blouse and plaid skirt. I -(TM)m sure Poppy would have a field day if she had a chance to dress her. I put the drinks on a tray and carried them through the maze to our table. Belle picked up her Coke, I passed Esther her water. -So, what are your plans for the foundation? - Esther asked. I waited for Belle to start answering, but she just looked at me, so I started, -it -(TM)s a shame Poppy is in school, because she is very enthusiastic about this foundation, it was her idea, something she explained to me in great detail a day or so after I -(TM)d rescued her, while she was still recovering from the terrible injuries she received after being kidnapped and brutalised. - Esther shuddered as I spoke, -oh that -(TM)s horrific. - -She just disappeared, - Belle replied, -all the girls on the streets thought she was dead, I knew she couldn -(TM)t be, because she -(TM)s a goddess, she can -(TM)t die. - Esther could see Belle was deadly serious, so she swerved the conversation back to the main topic, -so, what is the foundation -(TM)s main focus? - -Initially, the plan is to deliver sanitary products to girls on the street, and contraceptives. - -The chemists are supposed to give them out free to street girls, but they almost never have any free stock, - Belle added, -and the ones they have are just generic ones, not everyone is the same, you know, - she added in a whisper to Esther, as if I didn -(TM)t have to hear about those things. -You said initially, you have plans to vary the scope of the foundation? - -Not so much vary the scope, as expand it. Once we have a network on the ground to distribute sanitary products, which would include soap, deodorants, wet wipes, as well as tampons and sanitary pads, - I replied, -once that network is in place, we -(TM)ll use it to also distribute food. We have an offer of storage lockers already; we just need to get the contacts in place to intercept food before it goes to waste. - -Food banks are great, - Belle added, -but they -(TM)re not so good for people on the streets, because they -(TM)re mostly non-perishables, tins, pasta, rice, stuff to make meals, which is amazing for families, a few pounds worth of food can make a meal for a family that may last a couple of days. When you -(TM)re on the streets though, it -(TM)s not so useful, as we rarely have access to cooking equipment. When I was in the squat with Poppy we were lucky, we had a cooker, although we didn -(TM)t always have gas to cook with. - -So, you plan to distribute what? - Esther asked, quite reasonably. -Sandwiches, salad bowls, all the lunch stuff left by early evening in supermarkets, Pret etc... - I replied, -maybe we could set up mobile kitchens to cook the leftover veg, make soups and stuff, it depends on budget and the number of volunteers we can harness. - -We have a well-placed contact on the ground, - Belle continued, -he loves Poppy, not in a pervy way, - she added quickly, -he respects her enormously and saved her life twice. He -(TM)s offered to help in any way needed to get the foundation off the ground. - -We just need some start-up cash, and a short-term income stream until we get additional funding channels, - I finished. -Do you have any idea of the money you -(TM)ll need to get off the ground? - Esther asked, again, not unreasonably. -Err, not really, - I admitted, -we have zero experience in this area. I -(TM)m willing to chip into the start-up pot. - -Ok, I really, really like this idea. I know Lois and Tara are totally behind it. Tara says you -(TM)re writing a book, Belle, with a plan for all profits, including ours, going into the fund. - -Not me writing it, that would be rubbish, it -(TM)s mostly Poppy, with me helping. - -I -(TM)m sure you have just as much to contribute as Poppy, Tara showed me the plan for the book. It sounds great, too many people have misconceptions about life on the streets, this will tell your truth. Let me make a quick call to the finance people. - Belle helped herself to my Guinness while we listened to Esther -(TM)s side of the call, -mmm, this is a nice beer, - she said, absently wiping the foam from her mouth with the back of her hand, -smoother than the ones you normally drink. - Esther turned back to us as Belle was taking a second drink of my Guinness, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. -We always share my beer, - I said, -it keeps my weekly alcohol units down a bit. - She laughed as she slipped her phone into her handbag, -ok, we -(TM)ll need to get some firm details of the work you plan, numbers of volunteers, numbers of people you estimate will be helped, and Poppy and Belle will need to be available for a couple of rounds of marketing work. Obviously all this will be drawn up legally. In return, we can promise at least £50k, 50% as startup capital, the other 50% in 12 monthly payments. We -(TM)ll also look to match the income from your book for 12 months, then you -(TM)re on your own, but I have a feeling you won -(TM)t let this foundation fail. - -Oh wow, - Belle exclaimed, -that -(TM)s amazing news. - -Also, I -(TM)m guessing you don -(TM)t know how to set up a charity, - Esther said with a smile. -And you -(TM)d be right, - I replied, returning her smile. -Let me handle that for you, I -(TM)ll drop you an email with the forms, fill them in and I -(TM)ll get it all registered. - I looked at Belle -(TM)s notepad as we finished the meeting, she -(TM)d filled several pages with notes, all in very neat print. She -(TM)d been serious about making notes today and I was a little ashamed I -(TM)d only just noticed. We shook hands with Esther and left the hotel. -Thanks for being my PA today Belle, - I said as we walked across the square towards the Underground, -did you enjoy yourself? - -I really did, - she replied earnestly, -Only that Tom guy was dull, the rest of the day was really interesting, I had no idea how much work goes on to get a book in the shops. - -Have you used your laptop yet? - Belle looked at the floor in shame, -I turned it on, then it asked me questions I didn -(TM)t know how to answer, so I shut the lid. - -No problem, so when we get home tonight we -(TM)ll get it all set up, and I -(TM)ll show you how to use the word processor, and you can type up all your notes from today, and I -(TM)ll show you how to email them to me. - -Great, then I -(TM)ll know what to do in school. - -Yes, and then you -(TM)ll know what to do next time I have meetings and you -(TM)re available to help me. - -You mean you -(TM)d like me to come with you again? - -Of course, today has been a lot of fun for me too. - As we got to the station I remembered Belle wanted a Marks and Spencers to get chocolates and a greetings card. I checked my phone for the nearest store and directions. -There -(TM)s one about a 10 minutes walk away, are you up for that? - I asked her. -Of course, you said I -(TM)d be doing a lot of walking, in these shoes I could walk all the way home if I needed to. - They didn -(TM)t have the chocolates her grandad likes, so she chose a box of Belgian chocolates, -oh wow, I think these are the ones we had in Lois -(TM)s office, that cherry one was amazing. - Belle spent another 10 minutes choosing a card to go with the chocolates, and some wrapping paper, before taking them to the checkout. -I -(TM)m going to see my grandad for the first time in like 18 months tomorrow, - she told the girl on the till, -I -(TM)ve just had a private detective find him, because I lost track of him after I ran away from home. So now my new dad is going to drive me up to see him tomorrow and I -(TM)m so excited. - -That -(TM)s great, - the girl replied as she bagged the chocolates and took her money. -I -(TM)m not sure she was excited as I am, - Belle said as we left the shop, -she didn -(TM)t even try to smile. - -I imagine I -(TM)d be like her if I -(TM)d been standing there for 8 hours. - -Maybe, I -(TM)m just so excited for tomorrow I could wee. - -I -(TM)d rather you don -(TM)t wee until we get you to a toilet. - -I -(TM)ll do my best, - Belle said with a grin, she took hold of my hand as we started walking towards the Underground station on Oxford Street. Back home Katie was making dinner, -sorry it -(TM)s just chicken and pasta, - she said as we walked into the kitchen, -much more boring than your burger. - -Oh my god, that burger was heavenly, - Belle gushed. -How was your day? - Poppy asked as she brought us mugs of coffee. -I really enjoyed it, - Belle replied as she took a seat opposite Poppy, -it was so interesting hearing all the details about publishing a book. - I moved over to the stove and took over cooking duties so Katie could join in the conversation with her girlfriends. Belle was just explaining why she was makeup free as Jenny arrived home. -Ahh, that -(TM)s my fault, - she said as she slipped out of her coat, -I was prying and Belle was understandably upset, I -(TM)m so sorry about that. - -It -(TM)s ok, I -(TM)d have had to tell you some time. - -But asking you a story that couldn -(TM)t end well whilst you had all that nice makeup on was wrong. - -You -(TM)d gone by the time I explained to Alex, I really don -(TM)t want you to think mum was slutty, she was faithful to dad, she was just being a teenager. - Poppy and Katie looked between Belle and Jenny. -Aww shit, now I have to tell the story again, can we go upstairs so I -(TM)m near the bathroom to wash my face afterwards. - -It -(TM)s ok, we don -(TM)t need to know, really, - Poppy replied, giving Belle a hug. - Belle thought for a bit, then she slipped off her seat, -no, it -(TM)s not fair that Jenny & Alex know and you don -(TM)t. It -(TM)s not horrible, just sad. Come on, I -(TM)ll tell you upstairs. Oh, and I need to get my laptop, I have notes to type up for Alex. - Poppy and Katie followed Belle out of the room, Poppy turned to me at the door, -when we come back, you need to look upstairs at our new office, it -(TM)s looking great, Aunty Helen says she -(TM)ll be back tomorrow to finish it off with Ernie. - I poured Jenny a glass of wine, -was she ok afterwards, - she asked as I brought my coffee to the table. -She was fine actually, she said she felt much better after a good cry. The first meeting of the afternoon was really boring for her, but the meeting with Esther from the charity committee was great. - Jenny listened as I told her the plans for Poppy & Belle, -so, we -(TM)re ready to roll? - -Pretty much, - I replied, -I -(TM)ll speak to Jeremy at the weekend, check he -(TM)s got the storage unit ready. Nita told Helen she -(TM)s found a huge surplus of sanitary towels, tampons and sanitiser that the NHS needs to get rid of, and Helen spoke to a couple of people who can access a load of gift packs of toiletries that can -(TM)t be sold because they have expired offers on the boxes. - -I -(TM)m so proud of our girls. - -So am I. Belle was so professional today, she filled pages and pages with notes from the meetings, she asked relevant questions and spoke well when Tara and Esther asked her questions. I only invited her to tag along because I thought she -(TM)d be bored at home, but she really threw herself into the role of PA. - -Would you give her a job, assuming she wants to do it after school. - -I definitely would, we had a chat and she -(TM)s keen to work for me. I -(TM)m not sure I -(TM)d need a full time assistant, although if I manage to get a long-term contract to write for TV then I probably would get very busy and need someone to handle my correspondence. - We heard chattering on the stairs, so I lit the hob under a pan of water ready to cook the pasta, Belle bounced into the kitchen with her Macbook on her hand, -Katie has set it up for me, - she said, -so we -(TM)re ready to type up my notes later, she -(TM)s got homework though, so can you show me how to use the word processor? - -Of course I can, we -(TM)ll work in my office. - After dinner Belle helped me rinse everything and stack the dishwasher so Poppy and Katie could crack on with their homework. Jenny joined us in my office, she worked at the smaller desk, filling in paperwork from the day, carefully shielding most of it from Belle. Belle opened her Macbook and used her fingerprint to unlock it, -Katie set me up with an account, and an email address, it -(TM)s all on this post-it, - she said as I showed her how to download and set up Office. While it was downloading I mentioned the police family fun day to Jenny. -Oh yes, I always forget about that as I -(TM)ve not had a family before. You can have a tour of the cells if you like Belle, - she said cheerily. -Err, no thanks, - Belle replied firmly, -I -(TM)ve spent a night in a cell, and I won -(TM)t be doing that again any time soon. - -Poppy said she -(TM)d never been locked up, - I said. -She might not have, because she could run faster than me, and she -(TM)s got boobs to bedazzle the coppers so they just let her and the others off. Nope, They got me once and I just don -(TM)t have the equipment to charm a policeman into letting me go. - -But ... you -(TM)re too young to be kept in a cell overnight. - -Yeah, but when you -(TM)ve been picked up on the suspicion of soliciting - I wasn -(TM)t, absolutely not, I never did that shit, I wasn -(TM)t allowed to even if I wanted to, and sometimes I did want to go out with Poppy, but no, she, Max and Evie absolutely wouldn -(TM)t let me. Anyway, when you -(TM)ve been picked up for that, and you have no ID, they just lock you up with a couple of utterly wasted prostitutes and leave you there until morning. - -Oh my god Belle, that -(TM)s horrible. - -Yeah, but lesson learned, and that lesson was to train as hard as I could to run faster than Poppy. And I can. - -No Belle, - Jenny said, struggling not to laugh, -the lesson should be to behave yourself, not train harder so you don -(TM)t get caught. - -I know that now, - Belle said with an exaggerated sign, -but back then, it was sometimes us against the coppers, some of them would arrest street kids just to clear up a random crime, doesn -(TM)t matter if they -(TM)d done it or not, the police made an arrest, cleared up a crime, and lumbered some doped-up kid with a fine they -(TM)d never be able to pay. - -Oh man, that really is the limit, I guess you don -(TM)t have any proof of this. - -Nope, and the guys who roust the street kids always cover their numbers. I don -(TM)t even have the night in the cells on my record because I gave them a false name, they knew I -(TM)d given them a false name so they didn -(TM)t even attempt to charge me. They turfed me out at 7am and gave me 20p to phone someone to collect me from Charing Cross police station. - -I am so, so sorry Belle, there -(TM)s far too many police who behave like utter shits, - Jenny said softly, then she stopped, her eyes went wide, -none of them did anything... - -Oh god no! I bite when attacked, literally, - she snarled, baring her teeth, -I was searched, but it was a lady who searched me, and she was very kind and didn -(TM)t touch me, or look anywhere personal. - -Thank fuck for that, - Jenny said, sighing with relief. -So, we -(TM)ll give the family fun day a miss then, - I said. -Absolutely not, - Belle said, -it -(TM)ll be great, just don -(TM)t take me on a tour of the cells unless they -(TM)re going to lock Poppy up, then I -(TM)ll go down to laugh at her. - Jenny laughed as she went back to her paperwork. Office had finished installing, so I showed Belle how to open it and start a document, then how to save and manage her documents so they -(TM)re stored in her iCloud for access anywhere. -I can type a little I think, - she said, -I did it before on mum -(TM)s typewriter, we didn -(TM)t have a computer though, dad wasn -(TM)t really a fan of technology. - For the next 90 minutes we worked through her notes, every word was legible, and she -(TM)d made regular annotations in the margins, neat, tiny print, still totally legible, the time, her thoughts about what had been said, and down the margin of her notes on the meeting with Tom she -(TM)d written -~I -(TM)m so fucking bored -(TM) and drawn a fairly decent facsimile of Munch -(TM)s The Scream. When we -(TM)d finished typing her notes, she emailed them to me and closed the laptop. -What time are we leaving tomorrow morning, - Belle asked as she walked to the door. -We -(TM)re picking up the car at 8, it -(TM)s about a 30-minute walk to the car hire place, so we need to leave here at 7:30, is that ok? - -That -(TM)s fine dad, - she replied cheerily before you turned thoughtful and sat on Jenny -(TM)s lap. -What -(TM)s the matter honey, - Jenny asked. -I -(TM)m confused about what to call you both, I loved my mum and dad, but they -(TM)re gone, and to be honest, from the last few days here, we -(TM)re more of a family than I was back home, so I -(TM)d like to call you mum and dad, but it seems like I -(TM)m discounting my birth parents. Does that make sense? - -It does sweetie, and like we told Poppy, call us whatever you feel comfortable with. I never expected to be a mum, so to be honest it -(TM)s weird when I hear it. - -But you are my mum and dad now, we -(TM)re one family. - -On Friday afternoon I hope to have your adoption confirmed. - -So what will be different then? - -At the moment you are technically under the stewardship of your uncle, the courts awarded him custody, so he has parental responsibility. On Friday custody will be transferred to Alex and me. From then on, we -(TM)re your legal guardians, and decisions a parent should make regarding your care become ours to make. - -Like what? - Belle asked. -Mmm, ok, a parent decides where her children should go to school, and whether they should be vaccinated against things like measles and so on. When you -(TM)re 16 you can get married, but until you -(TM)re 18 it -(TM)s down to me and Alex to agree, or you can -(TM)t marry. - -Oh really, so I could marry Poppy, but you -(TM)d have to agree. - -Yes, and another thing you can do at 16 is join the army, but again, you -(TM)d need our permission. - -Oooh, join the army, can I do that, aren -(TM)t I too tiny? - -I don -(TM)t think so, I -(TM)m sure I saw a lady smaller than you who -(TM)d been in the army. - -Maybe they use small folk to crawl through tunnels and stuff, I could do that, easy. - -Only if I let you join, - Jenny said with a smile. -Don -(TM)t worry, I -(TM)m more likely to marry Poppy than join the army. Anyway, if I have to be up super early, I -(TM)d better get to bed, - she gave Jenny a kiss then ran back to my desk and gave me a long kiss. She picked up her laptop again and dashed down the stairs to her bedroom. I was just about to log into my emails when Belle ran back into room and grabbed Jenny -(TM)s hands. -You said Liam still has responsibility for me between now and Friday. He couldn -(TM)t come and get me between now and then, could he? - -Normally I -(TM)d say yes, he could, and in some cases it has happened. Working with families is one of the most stressful parts of police work. But Liam signed that piece of paper, he waived his rights to you. - Belle visibly relaxed, -thank fuck for that, I was having a proper panic attack just then. - -Besides, I -(TM)m sure Jeremy -(TM)s friends would take a very dim view if he tried anything stupid like that. - -Oh yes. You know Liam only wanted me for sex, he wouldn -(TM)t have been a parent, I -(TM)d have been his pet, his sex toy, and when he got bored, or I got too old for him he -(TM)d have thrown me out. - Jenny hugged Belle, -I know, that -(TM)s why I sent Jeremy after him. - -Thank you mum. - Jenny kissed Belle -(TM)s forehead, -actually, I think I prefer Jenny, - she said with a smile. -So do I, we -(TM)ll leave the mum and dad shit for polite company, is that ok? - Belle laughed as she left the room. -What do you think, - Jenny asked me after we were alone. -What about? - I asked. -What we should be called. - -I have no opinion, I -(TM)ve not even come to terms with having a family, they -(TM)ve made life so easy we -(TM)re not even acting like parents. Poppy is so mature, Katie has been fending for herself for years, her parents were basically absent, just paying the bills, and Belle, she -(TM)s partly independent, but looked to Poppy for guidance and support. So really, I don -(TM)t feel like a parent, how about you? - -I -(TM)m the same, I think we take Belle -(TM)s advice, only use mum and dad if the situation requires it. - -Like a family fun day at the police station. - -Ha, yes, exactly. - -Do you fancy it? Will you be ok with the other officers seeing your new family. - -Definitely, I feel nothing but pride for our kids. - Chapter 29 Belle banged on our bedroom door at 6:30 just as Jenny was getting up, -get up Alex, we don -(TM)t want to be late! - -I -(TM)m awake, I -(TM)ll use the bathroom after Jenny has finished. - -Use the big bathroom now, I -(TM)ve finished, it -(TM)s free. - -OK boss, I -(TM)ll get up. - -Are you regretting offering to drive her to York now, - Jenny laughed. -Not at all, she -(TM)ll be fine when she -(TM)s in the car. - -I -(TM)ll make coffee, - Belle said as I crossed the landing to the master bathroom. -How long have you been up? - I asked when I saw she was fully dressed, her hair in buns again, no makeup today. -I dunno, I was too excited to sleep. Poppy did nice things to me for a bit and that made me sleepy, but I -(TM)ve been awake for ages. - Poppy -(TM)s head appeared round their door, -she was very nice and didn -(TM)t wake us though, she -(TM)s such a love. - -You -(TM)ll be able to sleep in the car if you get tired. - -Oh no, I am going to experience every minute of today. Now go get a shower while I make coffee. - Twenty minutes later I walked into the kitchen, Belle was cooking pancakes, -I hope these are OK, Katie told me what to do, but I -(TM)ve never cooked them before. - -I can take over if you like. - -Only if I set fire to something, there -(TM)s coffee on the table, - she replied without looking up from the pan. A couple of minutes later Belle brought a plate over with two thick pancakes and a blob of chocolate spread. -They don -(TM)t look so great, - she said sadly, -maybe I should have practiced first. Tell me if they -(TM)re rubbish. - I tried a piece of pancake with the chocolate spread, it tasted fine, -it -(TM)s great, honestly. - -Are you sure? - -Look, I -(TM)m finishing them both, they -(TM)re fine. - -I need to try some more, can you eat another two? - The second pair looked better, with fewer bits that had obviously been chiselled out of the pan. -I -(TM)m going to make some for everyone at the weekend. I didn -(TM)t do much cooking for everyone before, and Katie does so much cooking for us all, I want to help out more. - -I -(TM)m sure she -(TM)ll welcome that, - I said, -now let me make you some pancakes. - -You don -(TM)t need to, I can do it. - -I know you can, but I -(TM)ll make you some while you go and change your top, you -(TM)ve splattered a bit. - Belle pulled the bottom of her sweatshirt out and looked down, -ahh shit, I like this one as well. - She stomped off as I poured two pancakes worth of batter into rings in the pan. By the time Belle stomped back into the kitchen with a new sweatshirt, pink this time with a unicorn print, I was plating the pancakes spread with chocolate. I got the full strength of her smile as I slid the plate over towards her, -that -(TM)s what they -(TM)re supposed to look like, what did I do wrong? - I picked up the metal rings from the pan, -you -(TM)re supposed to use these moulds. - -Damn, - Belle cried, -Katie did mention them, ahh well, lesson learnt, and although they were ugly, they tasted ok didn -(TM)t they. - -They tasted just fine, - I assured her as she sat down to eat her breakfast. Soon the sound of footsteps heralded the arrival of Poppy, Katie and Jenny. -Hey, those pancakes look amazing, - Katie said, -well done. - -Ahh, Alex made these, mine were ugly but they tasted ok apparently. I forgot the rings, I spent so long trying to keep them round they stuck to the pan. - -Nobody gets them right first time, next time you -(TM)ll know. - -Thank you for helping me. - Jenny looked at her watch, -you -(TM)d better get a move on folks if you want to get the car as soon as they open. - Belle finished off her pancakes then licked the residual chocolate off the plate, she looked defiantly at her sisters -(TM) frowning faces, -I know, I won -(TM)t do it tonight in the hotel, at least not when anyone -(TM)s looking, - the last said quietly, but I heard it and smiled at her. Poppy cleared the table whilst Katie used a piece of kitchen towel to wipe the chocolate from around Belle -(TM)s mouth, Belle kissed Katie quickly before she dashed upstairs to get her overnight bag, returning with a pink teddy bear on her back. -Isn -(TM)t it great, - Katie said, -we saw it in the charity shop when we were walking home from school yesterday and I just knew Belle would love it. - I had to smile, -I honestly can -(TM)t think of anything more Belle, - I said as I collected a jacket from the hall cupboard. Jenny gave me a hug at the door, she whispered in my ear, -I hope it -(TM)s ok at the nursing home, he might not recognise Belle, I -(TM)d hate her to be upset, she -(TM)s so excited, it -(TM)ll be a huge let-down. - -We -(TM)ll cross that bridge when we come to it, in the meantime, I like happy and excited Belle. - Katie ran to meet us at the door, -don -(TM)t forget these, - she said, holding a neatly wrapped package, -I wrapped them for you last night. I had to stop Poppy stealing one. - The box was too big for Belle -(TM)s backpack, so I put the chocolates and card in my overnight bag while Belle kissed Katie, then Poppy as she came to say goodbye. Twenty-five minutes later we were waiting outside for the office to open. Belle was a fast walker, we -(TM)d made such good time we managed to stop for a takeout coffee and hot chocolate. We were sitting on the wall as the receptionist unlocked the gates and we followed her in. We took seats in the waiting room, finishing our drinks as she booted up her computer and got the office ready for the day. -Dad -(TM)s hired a Porsche, - Belle said as she dropped her empty cup in the recycling container. -Oh really, that -(TM)s exciting, are you going anywhere nice? - -I -(TM)m going to see my grandad, he -(TM)s in York, I -(TM)ve not seen him for over 18 months, since I ran away from home. - The receptionist looked up at Belle, she put her hand out for Belle to shake, -I -(TM)m Sally, why don -(TM)t you take a seat, we can chat while we wait for Derek to arrive, he -(TM)s got the keys to the safe. - Belle took a seat by Sally -(TM)s desk, -I -(TM)m Belle, Alex is not my real dad, well not until tomorrow, his girlfriend is a police detective and she -(TM)s adopting me, with Alex obviously. - -Oh my, so why did you run away, or is that private? - -My mum and dad died, and so the courts gave me to my uncle, but he -(TM)s not a nice man at all, so I ran away, I came to London and this wonderful girl found me and let me live with her and her friends in a squat, Poppy is my girlfriend now, and my sister, if that isn -(TM)t too weird, Jenny and Alex adopted Poppy first. - -That -(TM)s amazing, my sister ran away from home a couple of years ago, she was missing for a few weeks before we found her. - -I was on the streets for over a year, - Belle replied, not boasting, just stating a fact, -your sister was lucky she had someone looking for her. Why did she run away? - -She had a row with our mum about her boyfriend, by the time we got Erica back her boyfriend was seeing someone else, kind of proving mum -(TM)s point that Erica was wasting her time with him. - -Boys can be such idiots at times, - Belle replied with genuine sympathy. -Oh yes, and that particular boy was a bigger idiot than any of us suspected, he finally got himself killed a few weeks back. - -Did he live round here, maybe I -(TM)ve heard of him, - Belle asked. -He used to live near us, but a couple of years back he moved over to Camden, never told his parents, they were worried sick, by all accounts he got himself into all kinds of trouble selling drugs, eventually he ended up dead in his flat with some hooker. That -(TM)s the first time his family had heard about him since he went missing. - Belle frowned at the term hooker, but Sally was a polite, middle class girl, she -(TM)d probably never been mixed up in the life, so she let it go. Then I remembered something, -what was his name? - I asked, -maybe we -(TM)d heard this on the news if it was recent. - -David, David Kemp I think his surname was, I was never friendly with him, something about him creeped me out. - Belle and I sat back and we both said -well, fuck, - at the same time. -What! - Sally asked. -It -(TM)s a small world, - Belle said, -he took part in the kidnap and gang rape of my girlfriend Poppy, spent a whole weekend beating and raping her until she escaped. - -Oh no! - Sally cried, horrified by what she just heard. -So tell your sister she dodged a massive bullet with him. - -How is your girlfriend, is she OK? - -She -(TM)s fine now, - I said, -took a few weeks for her wounds to heal... - -She -(TM)s so strong, she kept me safe when I was living with her, she -(TM)s like a superhero or something. One of our friends went a bit mad when Poppy was kidnapped, then when she disappeared we thought she was dead, we think our friend snapped then, it was her that killed David. - -Oh gosh, so what happened to this friend, have the police arrested her? - -They can -(TM)t find her, that -(TM)s the thing with the streets, people go missing all the time and nobody notices. - -So your girlfriend, is that Poppy? - -Yes, - I replied, -I found her after she escaped, she was at a bus stop in the pouring rain, I took her in to get her dry. When I saw her injuries I wanted to take her to hospital, but she refused, luckily my sister lives with a doctor, so we could get her fixed up at home. - -Oh man, I don -(TM)t know what to say, - she said as her phone beeped, she checked it and looked up, -that -(TM)s Derek, he -(TM)ll be a few more minutes, can I make you a coffee? - -I -(TM)d like a hot chocolate if you -(TM)ve got one. - -It -(TM)s only a pod machine, and I have no cream, will that be ok? - -It -(TM)ll be fine, - Belle replied with a smile. Sally set the machine going then returned to her computer and started typing, fetching Belle -(TM)s drink as soon as it was finished. Belle was finishing her hot chocolate as the door opened, -ahh Mr Harrison, - a voice boomed across the office, -good to see you again. Who -(TM)s the little lady? - Belle jumped up and shook Derek -(TM)s hand, -I -(TM)m Belle, Alex -(TM)s PA. - -Really, - Derek said with a smile, -I love your very professional looking backpack. - -I -(TM)m undercover, - Belle replied quickly. -She really is my PA, as well as my daughter, - I explained. -So, what car are you having today? - Derek asked as he unlocked the key safe. -I -(TM)ve booked the Por... - I started, but Sally interrupted me. -They -(TM)ve got the Bentley Continental. - -Oh, very nice, it -(TM)s just been serviced this week, the tyres are brand new, so please be careful, - Derek said, handing me the keys, -When are you due back, because I was hoping to borrow it for an evening. - -They -(TM)re back on Sunday afternoon, - Sally said with a smile, -so you can have it for Sunday evening, Derek. - -Great stuff, enjoy your trip Belle, - Derek said as he wandered off to his office. -A little upgrade, - Sally said, -and it -(TM)s not booked again until Monday, so you may as well have it for Saturday so you can take Poppy and Jenny out. - -And Katie, my other sister, she can go for a ride. - -You have three daughters, that -(TM)s amazing, were they all runaways? - -Not Katie, she was about to be abandoned by her parents, her mother couldn -(TM)t cope with her being gay, so we took her in. - -I don -(TM)t know what to say, how could anyone do that? - -I know, it -(TM)s awful, - I replied, -but we made them pay, literally, they -(TM)ve had to give Katie the equivalent cash to the money they -(TM)re spending on their son -(TM)s school fees. - -At least that -(TM)s something, a punishment for being cruel, - Sally replied as she passed over the forms for me to sign. We took the forms outside so we could do the usual visual check of the car before I signed for it. I popped the doors open so Belle could jump in and get herself comfortable, -no feet on the seats, - shouted as I saw her standing on the front seat to lean into the back. Sally laughed as I went back inside with her so she could swipe my credit card for the damage deposit then we were free to leave. -Well, this is a nice surprise, - I said as I fastened my seatbelt and adjusted everything so I was comfortable. -Is this nicer than the car you booked for us? - -A lot nicer, - I replied as I took a photo of the steering wheel and sent it to Jenny, with the message -~Belle got chatting with the receptionist and suddenly we -(TM)ve got an upgrade, I -(TM)ll tell you why later. -(TM) Whilst I worked out what did what on the dashboard Belle pulled her iPad out of her backpack, -Katie showed me how to use my iPad to send music to the stereo, she gave me some music as well, can I play some? - -Of course you can, - I replied, as I spun through the menus on the entertainment system until I found the Bluetooth settings. Belle tapped a code off the Bentley -(TM)s screen into her iPad and they were paired, and soon we had Dua Lipa -(TM)s Future Nostalgia album playing. -I like this album, she -(TM)s got a nice voice, very sexy. - Belle said as she settled back into her seat, -she -(TM)s so pretty as well, and tall. Mmmm, I -(TM)m just going to think about her while you talk to me. - -I -(TM)ll talk after I -(TM)ve managed to get this beast out of London and onto the motorway, it -(TM)s a long time since I -(TM)ve driven anything this big. - -Ok, I -(TM)m just having happy thoughts about Dua Lipa. - The sat nav was great, with really clear maps ahead of the steering wheel between the rev counter and speedo, it was easy to follow the directions onto the M4, then onward to the M25 and M1. As soon as we hit a clear section of the motorway I put my foot down and felt the surge of power as the big 12-cylinder engine took a deep breath and threw us forwards. -Oh fuck! - Belle cried as she was forced back in her seat, -man, this car is fast. - -It really is, such a shame we can -(TM)t keep this speed up all the way, the roads will be too busy, and I -(TM)m pretty sure I can -(TM)t afford to keep refuelling it at motorway prices. - -Do you have a lot of money Alex? Not that it matters or anything, but I really don -(TM)t know what rich means. Like, my dad must have had some money, because we had a house, and a nice car, not like this one, but it was new and it was pretty fancy, it was German, with the star thing on the front... - -A Mercedes... - I offered. -Yes, that -(TM)s it, it was gold and really smooth. We went on holiday to Greece the year before it happened, we stayed in a villa, it had a swimming pool, it was so nice. - -Do you know who inherited the house? - -I -(TM)ve no idea, and to be honest I don -(TM)t care, I -(TM)m just wondering what sort of job you -(TM)d need to buy a car like this, it probably costs as much as a house. - -Well, yes, in much of the country you could buy a nice house for the same price as this car. - -How much was your house? - -I paid just over £2 million for it when I moved in with Tammy, that -(TM)s a while ago now, it -(TM)s probably worth twice as much now. - -I can -(TM)t even process that number, if I was your PA, earning what a normal PA earns, how long would it take to earn what the house is worth now? - I did a quick calculation, based on the PA jobs I -(TM)d seen advertised recently. -Over a hundred years, and that -(TM)s just the full earnings, you -(TM)d need someone else to pay the bills. - -I guess that means you -(TM)re rich, - she said, there was no judgement though. -I -(TM)d just been paid a huge fee for some work, and I had a couple of really successful books. I don -(TM)t earn that much anymore. - -Could you afford to buy and run this car, if you wanted to. - -I probably could, and I probably wouldn -(TM)t miss the money. - -Cool, - is all Belle said before she closed her eyes and was quiet for a while, listening to the music, which sounded amazing coming from the many, many speakers dotted around the cabin. -I hope you don -(TM)t think I was prying then, it -(TM)s not like I want any money off you or anything. I was just thinking about what you said earlier, how you made Katie -(TM)s parents give her some money, and I was wondering how much money posh people have, you know, how much more than regular people. - -I -(TM)ve no idea how much money Katie -(TM)s parents have, but I can say that we made her mum give Katie the equivalent of the money they were spending on sending her brother to a boarding school, I think they gave her £80,000, then Katie -(TM)s dad wrote Poppy a cheque for the same amount, he said he was doing it to punish her mum, and because Poppy was giving Katie the love her mother never gave her. - -What would this car cost? - -Probably about £160,000, - I replied. -So between them they could buy this car. - -Yes, but they -(TM)re really expensive things to run. - -I -(TM)m not suggesting we buy this car, why would we need a car in London, I -(TM)m just trying to get my head around the concept of money is all, because my head is whirling right now. - -Are you jealous that Poppy and Katie have money in the bank? - -Why would I be jealous? What do I need money for, I -(TM)ve no dreams or ambitions. If I need clothes or anything I -(TM)ll save up my pocket money, or do extra chores. When I finish school I -(TM)ll work for you full time, or work for Poppy -(TM)s charity. I really don -(TM)t want a Gucci bag or a posh car. - I looked across at Belle, she was sitting cross legged in the big passenger chair, the iPad in her lap, she was scrolling through the music Katie had given her. My heart soared watching her, utterly at peace, wanting nothing but a family and a roof over her head. It wasn -(TM)t long before the two hot chocolates Belle drank had the usual effect, so I pulled into Heston services and Belle was out and sprinting across to the toilets before I -(TM)d even turned the engine off. I -(TM)d been thinking as we drove in silence, and I -(TM)d decided to give Belle the same money as her sisters, it wasn -(TM)t fair that she -(TM)d missed out. I pulled out my phone and accessed my banking app, I checked the funds on my savings and I really wouldn -(TM)t miss £80,000, so I transferred it over to Belle. She didn -(TM)t want it, she wasn -(TM)t expecting it, but I loved her so much I couldn -(TM)t not give it to her. Besides, she probably wouldn -(TM)t even notice it unless she checked her annual savings statement when it arrived next year. With that done I climbed out of the car and headed over to the services, I needed the toilet myself. I found Belle in the shop, browsing the magazines, -oh, hi Alex. Katie knows so much about fashions and styles, and I know nothing, so I thought I -(TM)d do some research. - She picked up a couple of teen fashion magazines and a bag of sweets, I picked up a couple of bottles of water. We hit the motorway again, traffic was heavier now and we pretty much crawled the next 25 miles until we reached the M1. I was grateful for the Bentley -(TM)s adaptive cruise control which meant I only had to steer as the myriad sensors around the car kept me a consistent distance from the car in front. Belle -(TM)s phone pinged, -oh, a text message, must be Poppy, - she said brightly as she dug her little Nokia phone out of her bag. -Mmm, it -(TM)s the bank, - she said, -Katie set me up so they text me every Friday with my balance so I know how much pocket money I -(TM)ve got, but it -(TM)s not Friday is it? - -No, it -(TM)s Thursday today. - -I thought so, - she said thoughtfully as she opened the message. Belle -(TM)s face went white as she read the message, -it says there -(TM)s been a deposit in my account, £80,000. There must have been a mistake, why would someone do that? - She sat back, holding the phone in both hands. -Hang on a second, it -(TM)s you isn -(TM)t it, you -(TM)ve paid that money in. Why? I told you I don -(TM)t want or need any money. - -That -(TM)s why I gave you the money. If you -(TM)d been angling for the money before I wouldn -(TM)t have done it, but you emphatically told me you didn -(TM)t need the money, so I -(TM)ve given it to you. - -What do I need that money for? - -I -(TM)ll tell you the same as I told Poppy. Things change, people change, in a few years you might decide to move out, and that money will be a huge help to get a flat somewhere. Or you might decide you want to go to university, obviously if you do Jenny and I would pay for your tuition and accommodation, but if you go to a university outside London, you -(TM)ll probably want a car or a motorbike so you can get around. - Belle was silent as she processed what I -(TM)d told her, then she sat up, slipped her phone into her bag, unfastened her seatbelt and leaned over to kiss me delicately on my cheek. -Thank you, - she whispered as she refastened her seatbelt to stop the alarm. -On a related note, are you still ok with that phone, or do you want a nice smartphone, like Poppy -(TM)s. - -I still don -(TM)t see the point, a phone is for calls and quick messages, if I need more then I -(TM)ll always be near someone who can lend me theirs. - -Ok, but when you get to school, if you find you need one, let me know. - -Will do, - she replied as she unlocked her iPad and found a new album, this time she treated me to Taylor Swift -(TM)s great Folklore album. The M1 was much clearer, I released the cruise control and floored the accelerator, letting the big Bentley stretch its legs up the outside lane for a few miles. -Does that really say 110 on the speedo? - Belle asked after a couple of minutes. -Ahh, yes it does, - I replied, lifting off the loud pedal slightly. -I like this car, it doesn -(TM)t feel like a car, it feels like a really comfy cinema seat, as if I -(TM)m watching a road movie. - -It -(TM)s not a very exciting film though. - -Don -(TM)t feel like you need to get involved in a car chase to make it more exciting, - Belle replied, -I can live with boring right now. - We stopped for lunch just south of Sheffield, we had a choice of places to eat, Belle chose KFC, we shared a bucket, Belle had coke, I had coffee. -Mmm, I love this, KFC or one of the copycat places were our treat if we had enough money for everyone to have something, otherwise it -(TM)s not fair for just one or two of us to have something nice and the rest just have cold beans. - -This is why you and Poppy are such wonderful people, even at the worst of times, when you -(TM)re on the brink of survival, you still think of others before yourself. - -Isn -(TM)t everyone like that? - -Unfortunately not. - -Oh, - Belle said, genuinely puzzled that some people aren -(TM)t as kind as she is, -but you -(TM)re like that, aren -(TM)t you? - -I -(TM)ve never been poor, so I can -(TM)t know for sure, but I -(TM)d like to think I -(TM)d share my last meal with someone. - -That -(TM)s what Poppy did, when she found me, she gave me her burger, that was her meal, and she gave it to me. That made a huge impact on me, someone who -(TM)d never met me, didn -(TM)t know anything about me, but she gave me the only food she had. Nothing anyone says will persuade me that she isn -(TM)t an actual goddess. - We got back on the road, about 60 miles to go. -Tell me about your family, - Belle asked, -we know about Poppy -(TM)s, and Katie -(TM)s, and you know about mine, but we don -(TM)t really know about yours. - -Ok, well you know about one member of my family, - -Who? Ha, sorry, yes, Helen, I know about Helen. - -And you know what my mum looked like. - -Oh yes, she was wonderful, and once again, I -(TM)m sorry I made you look at your mum -(TM)s porn. - -On that subject, Helen is fine about you having the box, but first we have to remove the illegal stuff from the magazines. - -Oh wow, really. Man, we -(TM)re going to have a fun time looking at Helen -(TM)s porn, did she tell you what -(TM)s on the DVD? - -Would you be surprised if I said porn? - -Not really, oh gosh, I -(TM)m so excited to see her, she -(TM)s so beautiful, and so was your mum. - -Right, my family, - I said, pausing to both work out where to start, and to pass a line of lorries. -Mum was a flight attendant, they called them air hostesses back then, mostly on the London to New York run, but sometimes to LA or Durban in South Africa. - -Oh my, that was such a glamorous job, I bet she was popular. - -I bet she was. My dad was a travel writer, he -(TM)d jet off to some fabulous holiday location and write about it for the Sunday newspapers, or travel magazines, or even National Geographic. - -And that -(TM)s where he met your mum! - Belle said, sounding delighted at her detective work. -Yes, they met on a flight, got chatting, met up later, and soon were a couple. Dad grew tired of constant travelling, he -(TM)d seen most of the world, so he decided to settle down, concentrate on writing his memoirs and became a full-time editor for a travel magazine publisher. Around this time mum was made redundant, so they were both at home, they got married and mum went back into modelling... - -Is that when those photos were taken? - -I don -(TM)t think so, she -(TM)d have been about 30 when she and dad met, and she looks younger than that in the photos. - -Oh, so she was modelling when she was working? - -Helen knows more, but what I reckon is she was doing short haul flights first, to Europe, and those photos are in Danish and Dutch magazines, so she was probably doing photo shoots in between flights. - -Oh, sneaky, so she didn -(TM)t even have to pay to travel to the photo shoots. I like that. So what did she do afterwards? - -She got a job running a modelling agency, booking models, booking shoots, and when Helen moved into modelling she helped her get work. - -Your mum booked Helen -(TM)s porn? - -Oh no, Helen did general modelling first, you know, catalogues, fashion shoots in magazines, that kind of stuff. - -Ahh, I see. Did she know about Helen -(TM)s other work? - -Helen hasn -(TM)t said, but I don -(TM)t think so. Anyway, mum fell ill, she had been a heavy smoker since her early teens, she got cancer... - -Oh no, my dad smoked, but not at home, I hate the smell, Poppy smoked for a little bit you know, but she quit everything, she -(TM)s so strong, a lot of girls, they could kick the hard drugs, but they couldn -(TM)t stop smoking, I don -(TM)t know why. - -A lot of people say tobacco is tougher to quit than hard drugs. So, mum had a few bad years, health wise, until one day she died suddenly at home, dad found her when he came home. - -Oh no, that -(TM)s horrible. - -They were still so much in love, dad had a stroke and passed away not long after mum -(TM)s funeral, he died of a broken heart. - -I -(TM)ve heard about that, people who can -(TM)t manage to live without their partner. - We drove in silence for a while, then Belle spoke quietly, -you know, Max loves Poppy, I mean, really, obsessively loves her, but she knew that the age difference made it wrong, and she had this weird Mother of the House attitude that I guess made her feel weird about acting on it. Although we sometimes did things to each other and she would generally try to be next to Poppy when we started, so Poppy was the one to go down on her... - Belle stopped talking for a while, we were another couple of miles down the road before she spoke again. -Sorry, I got really angry inside then, because Poppy was my girlfriend, and Max always monopolised her. I -(TM)m ok now, so anyway, back on track, I was just thinking how Max snapped when we thought Poppy was dead, but instead of having a stroke and dying, she went on a killing spree. I wonder if she was hoping someone would fight back? - -Interesting idea, but we -(TM)ll never know. Thinking back to the sexy times, you did get chance to be with Poppy some times I hope? - -Oh yes, - Belle answered wistfully, -sometimes Max wanted to be with Evie, because if I -(TM)m honest, Evie was the best at girl sex, oh my, yes, she knows exactly what buttons to push. Poppy though, I love Poppy with every gram of my body, and our times were the best times. I -(TM)m not saying Flower was bad, she could knock my socks off, but she -(TM)s not Poppy. - I turned off the motorway and started to wind my way through the ancient streets of York until we found the nursing home, Belle looked at me as I turned the engine off, -what if he doesn -(TM)t know who I am, I -(TM)ve heard about old people, sometimes they can -(TM)t even remember their own wives. - -I don -(TM)t know, we won -(TM)t have wasted our time, because you -(TM)ll have seen him even if he doesn -(TM)t know you, you -(TM)ll know him. - -I guess. - -And we can share these nice chocolates with him, - I added as I removed the chocolates and card from my bag. -Oh yes, and I -(TM)m having the cherry one. - Belle closed her eyes, breathing deeply, centring herself before she set off towards the reception, -ok, let -(TM)s do this. - The front door was locked, -they do this to stop residents just wandering off. - -Oh, a bit like in a nursery, - Belle replied. -Exactly like in a nursery, - I said as I pushed the intercom, there was a squelch of static that I assumed was the receptionist, -hello, we -(TM)re here to see Clive Dean. - The door clicked and I pulled it open, letting Belle in first. The reception looked much like that of a cheap motel, bland, hardwearing carpet, subdued paintwork, generic artworks on the wall. We approached the desk. -I -(TM)m Amelia Dean and I -(TM)m here to see my grandad, - Belle said brightly, -this is my first time here because I -(TM)ve only just found out where he is. - -He -(TM)s excited to see you, - the receptionist, Sky, according to her badge, replied, -he -(TM)s had no family visits since his sister passed away last year. - -I -(TM)m so sorry, I -(TM)ve, err, been a little lost for the last 18 months, but I -(TM)m back now, and I hope to be able to visit regularly. But I live in London now, so it won -(TM)t be too regular I -(TM)m afraid. - -I -(TM)m sure he -(TM)ll understand. Clive is in his room right now, I -(TM)m sure he -(TM)d like you to push him down into the lounge, he enjoys watching the ducks on the pond. - -You have ducks! - Belle exclaimed, -I love ducks. - -What -(TM)s his room number, - I asked. -105, third door on your right, the lounge is at the end of the corridor, help yourself to tea or coffee. - Belle, so sure of herself a moment ago, nervously took my hand, I led her down the corridor and knocked on 105. -Come in, - called a voice from within. Belle shook herself before pushing open the door. A terribly thin man was sitting in a chair looking out across the garden, he was younger than I expected, early 60 -(TM)s at most, then I remembered Belle said her mum was only 18 when she was born. -Hello Gramps, - Belle said nervously, -it -(TM)s me, Amelia. - Clive turned to face the door, his face breaking into a huge smile, -Oh my, it is you Millie, they said you were coming today, but I didn -(TM)t believe them. - With the ice broken Belle ran to the window and hugged her grandad. -I was so worried you wouldn -(TM)t know me, or wouldn -(TM)t want to see me. - -Why would you think that? - -Because I ran away. - -With good reason, and on that note, you might want to read this. - Clive reached across to his bedside table and passed Belle a newspaper, Belle wiped her eyes and read the front page of the local paper. -They -(TM)ve arrested him... - she said quietly, passing me the paper. I read it through quickly, seems a few of the girls Jeremy -(TM)s guys spoke to have found the courage to come forward. The police finally have enough evidence to arrest him. Belle touched the photograph of Liam being led to a police car. -That -(TM)s the lady who drove me to the station the day I left. See how she -(TM)s smiling, she knew all along how much of a bastard he is, but she couldn -(TM)t prove anything. - I sent Jenny a quick message asking if she was ok to talk, she rang me straight away. -I -(TM)ll leave you two to catch up, - I said as I walked outside to take the call. -Hey, how -(TM)s it going? - -Really well, I -(TM)ve just left Belle catching up with her grandad. - -And they -(TM)re getting on OK? - -It seems so, Clive just showed us the local paper, very interesting front page story. - -Oh really. - -Yes, Liam in handcuffs being led to a police car. - -They -(TM)ve got him? - -Yep, a few of the girls came forward, the female officer who helped Belle run away is the one holding the cuffs. - -Brilliant, I hope she gets a promotion out of it. So, tell me all about the car. - -Well, Belle was in good form, started chatting to Sally, the new receptionist at the hire centre, and we find out Sally -(TM)s sister Erica ran away from home after an argument about her boyfriend. She loved him, the rest of the family thought he was a dick. - -Ahh, did they get Erica back. - -Oh yes, they found her ok. This was a couple of years ago. The story gets even more interesting. When Erica comes back, she finds out her boyfriend didn -(TM)t waste any time finding a new girl, then not long afterwards he disappears, not to be heard of again until he turns up dead, in bed with an equally dead prostitute. - -Oh, was he in a flat above a betting shop. - -Got it in one. - -Shit, small world. So, what did you say? - -We told Sally about what he did to Poppy, and that her sister had dodged a very big bullet, which is why we got the rather nice upgrade, and we -(TM)ve got the car until Sunday, so we can use it to drive rather majestically to the family fun day. - -That would be nice. - -Even nicer for Belle, considering how big the car is, there -(TM)s only two seats in the back, she -(TM)ll be sitting on Poppy -(TM)s lap. - -They -(TM)ll both enjoy that, I -(TM)m sure. Anyway, I -(TM)ve got to go, we -(TM)ve got a lot of meetings about tomorrow. Give Belle a big kiss from me. - -I will. Oh, before you go, Belle told me something interesting on the drive. - -Ok, I -(TM)ve got a couple of minutes. - -She said Max was in love with Poppy, the term she used was -~obsessively in love -(TM). - -Ahh, I wondered. - -Yes, I was talking about how my dad died of a broken heart... - -Oh, I think I see where she was going. - -What she thought was Max snapped and maybe she was hoping one of her victims would fight back. - -Yep, that -(TM)s what I thought. I -(TM)ll phone Jeremy next time I have a break. - -Thanks Jenny. - -Take care of our baby, Alex. - -Will do. I -(TM)ll let you go now, love you Jenny. - -I love you too, Alex. - I returned to Clive -(TM)s room, -sorry about that, I was just telling Jenny about Liam. - -It -(TM)s ok, I was just telling Gramps about my new family, can we come back one weekend so Gramps can meet Poppy and Katie. - -Of course we can. - -Sheila was never happy about your preferences, - Clive said, -but I -(TM)m not quite so judgemental. - -It -(TM)s not a preference, Gramps! That makes it seem like I have a choice. I just don -(TM)t fancy boys, I never have, and I never will. - -Sorry, I chose my words badly. I don -(TM)t judge you, for anything, you -(TM)re free to live your life in the way that makes you happiest. - -Thank you Gramps. Shall we take you down to the lounge, so we can see the ducks? - -That would be lovely. Normally the nurses wheel me down in my chair. I -(TM)d like to try to walk today, so my neighbours can see me walking with my beautiful granddaughter. - -Shush, I -(TM)m not that beautiful. When we get in the lounge I -(TM)ll show you Poppy and Katie, they -(TM)re beautiful. Then I -(TM)ll show you Jenny and Aunty Helen, oh my, they -(TM)re stunning. - -We might need the nurses, because if they -(TM)re more beautiful than you I -(TM)ll need my medication, - he chuckled. Belle helped Clive to stand, he waved his hands to the corner of the room, -grab my walking sticks, son. - I smiled at being called son at my age as I walked across the room to collect his walking sticks. Clive leaned heavily on one stick as Belle helped him step forwards, I passed him the second stick as she opened the door. Clive stepped carefully into the corridor unaided. It took 5 minutes for us to walk to 20 metres to the lounge. It was clearly a lot of effort for him, but Clive was smiling as he stepped into the bright, glass roofed lounge. -Everyone, meet my beautiful granddaughter Millie, or Belle as she -(TM)s called now. - Everyone in the room watched as a blushing Belle helped Clive into his chair, a lady in the next chair touched her arm, -Clive has spoken about you so much, I -(TM)m so glad you -(TM)ve come to see him at last. - -I -(TM)m sorry I couldn -(TM)t come sooner, but I was homeless for such a long while, and I didn -(TM)t know where he was or anything. Once I was safe with my new family I had a detective go look for Gramps, and they found him earlier this week, I came up as soon as I could. I wanted to come yesterday, but dad had too much work to drive me up. - -Is that your nice car in the car park, - the lady asked me. -Yes it is, I -(TM)m Alex, Belle -(TM)s new father. - -I -(TM)m Peggy, Clive -(TM)s neighbour in 107, we take good care of him here. - -I can see, - I agreed, watching as Belle plumped up a cushion and slotted it down the back of Clive -(TM)s chair. -Oh, I left the box in your room, - Belle said once she was sure he was comfortable. -I -(TM)ll get it, - I told her. -Ok, I -(TM)ll get you a coffee, - she said, pointing at the table with a pod machine. I was back before Belle had finished getting drinks, I pulled a small table over and a couple of chairs and was arranging them as Belle returned with a tray and four drinks, she leaned in close as she put the tray down, whispering in my ear -Peggy is Gramp -(TM)s girlfriend! - I smiled as I took drinks off the tray and offered them round, everyone needs companionship, I remember when I was in my teens, my elderly neighbour, a lifelong bachelor, was moved into a nursing home by his nephews, and within months of being in the home, married the lady in the next room, they were both in their late 80 -(TM)s. Belle took the box off me, then handed it over to Clive, along with the card. -Oh, thank you, I wasn -(TM)t expecting a gift. - -But I -(TM)ve missed a couple of birthdays and a Christmas, so this is long overdue. - -If you look at it that way, I owe you a gift or two. - -You owe me nothing Gramps, my priorities have changed since we last met - Clive opened the card, the image was a classical scene, it looked like a Lord Leighton painting. -Ahh, that -(TM)s lovely, you remembered we had a print of this in the dining room, thank you. - -How could I forget, I love that picture. - Clive struggled with the wrapping paper, his fingers not flexible enough to cope with Katie -(TM)s expert wrapping, Peggy took it off him and used her fingernails to tear a couple of pieces so he could remove the rest of the paper. -Oooh, Marks and Spencer -(TM)s Belgian chocolates, these look special. - -I had one yesterday, not from this box obviously, - she added with a smile, -I spent the day going to meetings with dad. Oh I never told you, dad is a famous author, and yesterday I went to some meetings about his next book. It was so exciting, I was his PA for the day and took notes in the meetings. - -Will we have heard of you dear? - Peggy asked. -Do you have a library here? - Belle asked. -There -(TM)s a couple of bookcases in the second lounge at the other end of the corridor. - -I bet you -(TM)ve got one of his books, I -(TM)ll be back in a minute, - Belle said as she dashed off. -I wish I had her confidence, - I said with a wry smile, taking a sip of my passable coffee. She was longer than a minute, but Belle returned triumphantly, holding two books in her hands, -I found two of your books, - she exclaimed, putting them down on the table. -They -(TM)re by different people dear, - Peggy said. -That -(TM)s what it looks like, but this Harrison Davis book is Alex -(TM)s grown-up thriller series, and this David Harris book is from his Young Adult adventure series, - she flipped them both over to show they had the same author photograph on the back. -I guess you are famous, - Peggy said. -Well I never, - Clive said, pointing at The Caverns of Hell, one of my Cassandra series, -I -(TM)ve read that one. - -Did you enjoy it, - Belle asked. -I have no idea, I just remember the dashing young lady on the cover, ever so sorry, but my memory isn -(TM)t what it was. - -Not a problem, - I replied, -that means you can read it again and you won -(TM)t know how it ends. - -That -(TM)s very true, - Clive replied, smiling, -leave them there Millie, I -(TM)ll read them both. - -Oh, I nearly forgot, - Belle said as she shrugged her backpack off, she pulled out her iPad and opened her camera roll, -look, here -(TM)s my sisters, this one is Poppy. - Peggy shuffled her chair round a bit so she could see, -oh my, she is bonnie isn -(TM)t she, and you say she -(TM)s your girlfriend. - -It -(TM)s a bit complicated Peggy, - Belle replied, -she was my girlfriend when we were on the streets, and now we -(TM)re sisters, because dad has adopted us both, but we -(TM)re still girlfriends. Our mum is a police lady, and she assures us it -(TM)s all legal. - Clive smiled at Belle, -you always were one to cause trouble, but you never meant any harm with it. There -(TM)s never a dull moment when you -(TM)re around. - Belle gave Clive -(TM)s hand a squeeze before she swiped across to a photo of Katie, -oh, she -(TM)s lovely, - Peggy said, -is this Katie? - -Yes, she -(TM)s not from the streets, Poppy escaped before me, literally, she escaped from some bad men. Dad got her into school and she met Katie and it was love at first sight. It was Katie who found me at the weekend and insisted I come live with them, so she -(TM)s my sister and girlfriend as well. See, I told you it was complicated. - -But you -(TM)re happy, I can tell, - Peggy said. -I -(TM)m so happy I could burst, now look, this is mum. - I gasped when I saw the photo, I expected her to have one of Jenny in her uniform. -Hahaha, you -(TM)ve not seen mum -(TM)s photos have you, - Belle teased, -she gave me these yesterday, from when she did some modelling herself, she wants me to show them to Helen, she -(TM)s too nervous to show them to her. - Clive was very much enjoying a black and white full-length photo of Jenny in a stars and stripes bikini, she looked magnificent. -So, this is your new mum, - Peggy said, as Clive was still unable to speak, -is she a model then? - -Oh no, she -(TM)s a police lady, a detective in CID, this photo is a few years old, she gave me this yesterday. - -Can I look at her face, - Clive asked, Belle zoomed in so Jenny -(TM)s face was full screen, -she does, doesn -(TM)t she... - -Does what? - I asked. -Look like Lana, Millie -(TM)s mother. - -I thought she did, - Belle replied, -but she -(TM)s fading, and dad, I -(TM)m not sure what they looked like anymore. - Clive reached over and patted Peggy -(TM)s arm, -fetch my photo album please. - A minute or two later Peggy returned with a thick album in her arms, Clive motioned for her to give it to Belle, who placed it on her lap and laid her hands tentatively on the cover. -That -(TM)s Lana -(TM)s photo album, lots of happy memories in there for you. There -(TM)s no time to look through it now, take it home, enjoy it, for now look at page 5. - Belle closed her eyes and flipped open the cover and a couple of pages, -that -(TM)s the one, - Clive said tenderly. Belle opened her eyes and looked down, a wedding photo, Lana in a white dress decorated with lace, pearls and flowers, baby Belle in her arms, a huge grin on her face. -I was at mum and dad -(TM)s wedding, I -(TM)d forgotten, - Peggy passed Belle a tissue as a tear rolled down her cheek. Belle wiped her eyes and looked closer at the photo, she picked up her iPad and laid it beside the photo and zoomed it out so Jenny was a similar size to Lana and spent a few moments looking between the two women. They were a similar age, Lana would be about 19 in the wedding photo, Jenny wouldn -(TM)t be more than 20, her breasts smaller than they are now, and looked to be a similar size to Lana -(TM)s, but it -(TM)s their faces Belle was looking at, they were strikingly similar, uncanny. -Are there any holiday photos, when we went to Greece a couple of years ago? - -Near the back, there -(TM)s one of the three of you on the beach. - She hurriedly flipped to the back of the album until she found a photo of them on the beach, it was almost the full page, a posed photo professionally taken, Belle -(TM)s parents arm in arm, Belle in a baggy Taylor Swift t-shirt leaning against Lana, looking straight at the camera. Belle counted on her fingers, -mum was 30 here, how old is Jenny? - -She -(TM)s a little older than Helen, not quite 30 yet, - I replied. -Doesn -(TM)t mum look like Jenny here, I had this feeling as soon as I saw Jenny, I wonder if that -(TM)s why I love her so much? - She looked back at the photo, touching Lana -(TM)s face, then Jenny -(TM)s, Lana -(TM)s bust, then Jenny -(TM)s, all the way down to her feet. She swiped the iPad screen a couple of times until she found my photo, -when did you take that? - I asked. -I didn -(TM)t, Poppy did, she gave it to me, it -(TM)s a nice photo. - It was a nice photo, I was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, cooking breakfast. -Mmm, you don -(TM)t look much like dad, your hair -(TM)s a similar colour, you -(TM)re more handsome than dad, he -(TM)s more muscly though, look at his arms, he gave good hugs, so do you by the way. No, you don -(TM)t look like dad, but you -(TM)re both really cool and funny. - -Jake was a good lad, he just wanted the best for you all. He was so calm when he found out he wasn -(TM)t your dad. - -Do you know who my dad is? - -Not for certain, Lana was, mmm, what -(TM)s the best way to put this. In the old days we called them good time girls. For a couple of years she enjoyed herself sampling all that life had to offer. She was a good girl, but a little wild at times. Once she got pregnant though she picked the boy she liked the most and settled down. - -She was like Poppy, - Belle said breathlessly, -she was wild, but she -(TM)s all settled down now. - -Flip back to page 7, there -(TM)s a full wedding party photo, yes, that -(TM)s the one. The lad with his arm on Jake -(TM)s shoulder, Tyler, he was Jake -(TM)s Best Man. We think he -(TM)s your father, he was the one we thought Lana would settle down with, she seemed keenest on him, but he was also a bit wild, got into some serious trouble, ended up in jail for a while. He -(TM)s ok now, he grew up a lot inside, but Lana wanted a steady man to bring up her daughter, she chose well. - Belle almost had her nose to the photo, sucking up every detail of Tyler -(TM)s features. -No, - she said with a sigh, -he looks nothing like you either. - She closed the photo album and tried to hand it back to Clive. -No, it -(TM)s yours, - he said, -take it home, enjoy it. - -Thanks Gramps, Poppy, Katie and me, we -(TM)ll enjoy going through it, I can start remembering my childhood again. Oh, I nearly forgot, - she opened her iPad again and flipped back, -here -(TM)s Aunty Helen, Alex -(TM)s sister. - Peggy motioned for the iPad, Belle handed it over and Peggy looked at it closely, Clive -(TM)s eyes nearly popped out of his head. It was a fairly tame photo, Helen was wearing a one-piece swimming costume that showed her curves to perfection without being terribly revealing. There was a lot of cleavage obviously, but it was a totally safe for work photo. Peggy gestured at the screen, -I recognise her, where have I seen her before? - -Well, where to start, she -(TM)s been in lots of places. She was a Page 3 girl... - -Oh no, I never read those types of newspapers, we took the Daily Telegraph at home. - -Ok, I guess you never bought magazines from anywhere above eye level, - Belle teased. Peggy laughed, -well, I didn -(TM)t, I can -(TM)t swear about Trevor, my husband. - -Helen was on Celebrity Big Brother a couple of years ago, I remember watching it and really loving her. - -No, we didn -(TM)t watch that, but I guess she was all over everywhere when it was on. - -Yes, they do tend to blitz all the media when it -(TM)s on, and for a while afterwards. She -(TM)s done a lot of other modelling though, regular stuff like catalogues and fashion magazines. Did you say she -(TM)s done acting as well? - she asked me. -Yeah, she -(TM)s had small parts on a lot of TV shows, The Bill, she was kind of typecast there as a prostitute... - -Aunty Helen was never a prostitute! - Belle scolded me. -No she wasn -(TM)t, but she had that kind of image at the time, with the kind of magazines she was in. - -Ahh yes, the lads mags, ok, I get that. - -She was also in Casualty as the girlfriend of a lad who got a very grizzly injury climbing a fence trying to sneak into her parents house. - -Oh dear, that doesn -(TM)t bear thinking about, - Belle grimaced. Belle took her iPad back and put it with the photo album on the floor by her feet and she chatted for a little while about the old days, visits to the seaside, to Alton Towers, to the zoo. They were still chatting brightly when a member of staff came in to take the residents down for dinner. Belle helped Clive to his feet, -we -(TM)ll come back tomorrow, - before turning to me, -can we come tomorrow, on the way home? - -Of course we can, - I replied. -Yes, we -(TM)ll come tomorrow. Don -(TM)t forget your chocolates. - Peggy picked them up, along with the card, -I -(TM)ll pop them in his room on the way to the dining hall. - -Thank you, Peggy, - A nurse arrived with Clive -(TM)s wheelchair, -come on Deano, - she said cheerily, -pop yourself in your wheelchair or your food will be cold by the time you get there. - -Ahh Michelle, you -(TM)re a lifesaver, I hate cold chips. - -It -(TM)s not chips today, it -(TM)s only Thursday, it -(TM)s steak pie and mash today. - -Oh, well that -(TM)s a surprise, and I don -(TM)t like cold mash either, so onward. - We waited as the room cleared, Belle looked up at me, -he -(TM)s happy, I -(TM)m so glad. Peggy seems nice as well. - -She does, everyone seems happy here, much better than the last nursing home I visited, it was a dark, dreary place. - -Oh no, if it was a bad place like that I -(TM)d be using that money you gave me to put him somewhere nicer. - I put an arm around Belle, hugging her close, -that -(TM)s why I love you, your heart of gold. - -And because I -(TM)m pretty, - she said with a smile. -That too, but that -(TM)s just the icing on the cake. - Chapter 30 The hotel was fairly close by, though city-centre traffic and the one-way system meant it was about a 20 minute drive. When we got there the signs for the car park pointed underneath the building, Belle was very excited about parking in the basement. Whereas I was excited by the clever reversing camera system that let me back the car into a space that definitely didn -(TM)t look big enough for the beast of a car. We took the steps at the rear of the car park up to the reception, Belle gasped as I pushed the door open, this hotel was way more fancy than the one we visited yesterday in Russell Square. The lobby area was all dark wood and brass, the signs all gold lettering on a dark green background. The vast, marble floor was littered with potted plants and leather sofas around mahogany tables. We approached the receptionist, she smiled as Belle stepped forwards. -Hi, I -(TM)m Amber, how can I help you today? - -Hey Amber, - Belle replied, -that -(TM)s an amazing name. - -Thank you. - -We -(TM)ve got a room booked, but I don -(TM)t know what name, could be Helen Taylor or Alex Harrison. - -Let me have a look, ahh, we have a room booked by Helen Taylor, but it -(TM)s in the name of Belle Dean. - -Oh, that -(TM)s me! - Belle replied, excited, -ahh, does that mean I have to pay? - -Haha, no, the room is already paid for, it -(TM)s a family room with dinner and breakfast, and I see you have a spa treatment booked. - -Really? That -(TM)s exciting, I -(TM)ve never had a spa treatment. - -Well, you -(TM)re in for a treat, when you -(TM)re ready, pop along to the health centre and see Lauren, she -(TM)ll let you know what has been booked for you. - Amber slid the paperwork across for Belle to fill in, -oh, they want your car reg dad, I don -(TM)t know it. - -I -(TM)ll pop back down and get it, - I replied. -There -(TM)s no need for that, where are you parked? Do you remember the zone? - -Errr, the lines on the floor were red, - Belle replied, -does that help? - -Yes, it does, - Amber replied, smiling, -it means you -(TM)re in the red zone. - Amber tapped a few keys on her keyboard and her monitor changed to a view of the car park, she moved the monitor so we could see it clearly and used her mouse to move the camera around, -tell me when you see your car. - -Oh, oh! - Belle cried, -that -(TM)s it, the silver Bentley. - Amber raised her eyebrows, -a Bentley, very flash. - -It was supposed to be a Porsche, - I said, -but we somehow managed to get an upgrade. - -I definitely wouldn -(TM)t be complaining if I got an upgrade like that when I hired a car. - -Alex borrowed the car to bring me up to see my grandad, I -(TM)ve not seen him since I ran away 18 months ago. - -Hang on a second, I thought I recognised you. - Amber turned her screen back and started typing, -ha ahh, yes, it -(TM)s you, -, she turned the screen around again showing us a page from the local newspaper -(TM)s website. -Ahh, yes, that -(TM)s me. - -I lived on the next street, I remember all the police around when you went missing. I felt so sorry for you, being forced to live with that fucker, - she put a hand over her mouth, -sorry, I shouldn -(TM)t swear, but yeah, I was horrified about what the courts did to you. - -Thank you, - Belle said quietly, putting her hand on top of Amber -(TM)s, -so, yeah, I -(TM)ve got a new family now, and this week some men found my grandad, and they talked to some girls Liam had attacked, and he -(TM)s been arrested. - -I saw that on the news last night, the girls who spoke out about him at last, so brave of them, it -(TM)ll be horrible having to talk about it in court. - -I know, I -(TM)d hate to have to do that. - Amber took the paperwork back and passed Belle two keycards, -you -(TM)re in 510, that -(TM)s a suite on the top floor. When you -(TM)re ready for your massage, the health suite is on the first floor. - -Thank you Amber, - Belle said, -I -(TM)m very much looking forward to the spa, and a swim. - -I recognised Amber, - Belle whispered, -not at first, but when she said she lived on the next street I remembered her, she wasn -(TM)t called Amber then I -(TM)m sure. She was in sixth form when I started senior school, I don -(TM)t blame her for not recognising me from school, which sixth former even notices a geeky year 7 girl? - -You -(TM)re not geeky, - I replied as I slid my room card into the slot to call the lift. -I was, you saw that photo of us on the beach, what on earth did I look like in that Taylor Swift t-shirt? - -You didn -(TM)t look geeky, - I insisted. -You were obviously too busy looking at my mum, - Belle laughed. -I wasn -(TM)t, well not all the time. I looked at you, I was interested to see how little you -(TM)ve changed, your facial features are the same, and you had your hair up in buns. You looked lovely. - -Thank you, - she replied, giving my hand a squeeze as the lift started upwards, -anyway, I think Amber was one of the girls he abused. I -(TM)m sure she went round his house. - -Oh, I see. - -And she -(TM)s the type of girl he liked, tall, slim, pretty, nice boobs and red hair. - -No offence, but that -(TM)s not a lot like you, why was he trying it on with you. - -Ahh, one, I -(TM)m gay, everyone knows I -(TM)m gay, so he saw me as a challenge, to convert me. He also likes his girls young, and pure, and I was both at the time. I -(TM)m still more or less both, - she added with a smile. When we reached the top floor Belle dashed out of the lift and looked in both directions to find our room, it was at the end of the corridor. I tapped the keycard against the door handle, and let Belle walk ahead into the suite. -Err, I think there -(TM)s a mistake, - Belle said cautiously, -this is someone -(TM)s house. - We -(TM)d been given a huge corner suite, with a sitting room, two bedrooms and a very large bathroom. The sitting room had windows on two walls looking out across the city. I tossed my bag on the sofa and moved over to the coffee maker on the sideboard. I put a cup on the machine, slid a pod in and took out my phone, calling Helen while the coffee brewed. -Hey sis. - -Hey brother, how -(TM)s it going? - -We -(TM)ve just got to the hotel, I wanted to check what room you -(TM)d booked. - -I just booked a family room, kingsize and a single bed, would have been weird to just book one bed. - -So nothing fancy? - -No, all I added were dinner and a massage for Belle. - -Ok, so it seems to be a day for upgrades, we got a Bentley instead of a Porsche this morning, and now we -(TM)ve been given a penthouse suite. I need to take Belle whenever I travel, she -(TM)s a lucky charm. - -A Bentley, very nice. I bet Belle looked lost in the big seats. - -She did a bit. If I had a reason to own a car, I think I -(TM)ve found the one I -(TM)d buy. - -I don -(TM)t blame you, one of the guys I used to see had one. I enjoyed the car more than I enjoyed him. Anyway, back in the mundane world of home improvement, the girls -(TM) office is finished, I -(TM)ll send you some photos, the desks are colour coded, Poppy -(TM)s is red, Katie -(TM)s is green, Belle -(TM)s is pink, obviously. Now they have a dressing room and a work room all set up for three, you can -(TM)t adopt any more children. - -I don -(TM)t intend to, but to be fair, I didn -(TM)t intend to adopt any, it just happened. - -Do you have any regrets? - -None from the last few weeks, that -(TM)s for sure. - -Excellent, I -(TM)ll leave you to your day. - I was about to say goodbye when Belle motioned for the phone, -I -(TM)ll pass you over, Belle wants a word. - -Can you put it on speaker please, - Belle asked. I showed her the button to press, -Hi Helen, it -(TM)s me, Belle. - -Hi Belle, is everything OK? - -Oh yes, it was so great to see Gramps after all this time, he -(TM)s got a girlfriend, - she said this in a scandalised whisper. -Oh really, that -(TM)s nice. - -Yes, Peggy does seem nice. I wanted to thank you for this room, it -(TM)s amazing, I thought we -(TM)d accidentally wandered into someone -(TM)s house. - -It -(TM)s my pleasure Belle, I hope you enjoy your massage later. - -Oh, I -(TM)ve never had a massage, they always look so sexy on the telly, I -(TM)m sure I -(TM)ll enjoy it. Anyway, why I wanted to speak to you, I -(TM)ve just met someone who I think was one of the girls abused by Uncle Liam, and I -(TM)m wondering if I should talk to her. - -Ahh, is this someone you know? - -Not really, she -(TM)s the receptionist here, she recognised me and we got talking, I eventually recognised her, she went to my school, although she was in the sixth form when I was in Year 7, so we don -(TM)t know each other as such, but I -(TM)m certain she -(TM)s been to Liam -(TM)s house. We got chatting. - -I guess the chatting is the reason you have that super room. - -Probably, she seems so nice, and I just want her to know that everything is ok now, Liam is going to prison, and if he doesn -(TM)t Jeremy will make sure he doesn -(TM)t hurt anyone else. - -OK, I know you mean well, so why don -(TM)t you have a quick chat, invite her to have a drink after she finishes her shift, reassure her that Liam won -(TM)t be hurting any more girls. Whatever you do though, don -(TM)t mention Jeremy. - -Oh yes, that would be bad. I -(TM)ll be extra careful, and dad will be there. - -If you need to, I -(TM)m ok with you phoning me later. - -Thanks Helen, you -(TM)re so kind to us, I -(TM)ll pass you back to dad so I can have a wee before my massage. - -I -(TM)m glad you told me that. - -Haha, sorry, too much information I guess. - I took the phone back as Belle dashed to the bathroom, -watch her close tonight, - Helen said, -I -(TM)d hate for her to blurt out something about Jeremy and his guys, that could open a can of worms. - Belle emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, -I swear, my bladder never used to be this small. Anyway, I -(TM)m off for my massage, I -(TM)ll speak to Amber on the way down, see if she wants a chat in the bar after she finishes, can you be there to help me please. - -Of course, I -(TM)ll be down in the bar in a little while. - Belle stood on her tiptoes and kissed me quickly on the lips before she skipped off towards the door, -this is so exciting, I -(TM)ve never had a massage before. - I had a quick shower, put on fresh clothes and took my laptop down to the bar to catch up on emails. I was nursing my second pint and tidying up a few errors in a document when Amber took a seat opposite. -Am I ok to sit here? - she asked as I looked up from my screen, -it -(TM)s just Belle said I could come have a word with her when I -(TM)d finished work. - -Absolutely, - I replied, closing my laptop, -I -(TM)ve no idea how long she -(TM)ll be though, can I get you a drink? - -That would be lovely, could I have a glass of Pinot Grigio please. - I returned a moment later with Amber -(TM)s wine and a fresh pint for myself, Timothy Taylor -(TM)s Landlord is one of the finest ales, and far too easy to drink. -Do you mind me asking you stuff? - Amber asked. -Not at all, it -(TM)ll quickly get awkward with you just sitting there not talking to me. - Amber laughed nervously, -yes, it will. I guess I -(TM)m more used to sitting in a bar and fending off guys trying it on. - -Even if I wasn -(TM)t taken I promise not to try it on with you Amber. - -You -(TM)re not married, I don -(TM)t see a ring. - -Only because Jenny hasn -(TM)t asked me yet. - Amber looked puzzled. -Sorry, that -(TM)s our little joke, my partner and I have pretty much decided we -(TM)ll get married, but only when Jenny has found the right time to ask me. - -Ahh, well hopefully she -(TM)ll pluck up the courage soon. Anyway, I was just wondering how come Belle is living with you, what happened? - I paused to think before answering, Amber took my silence as not wanting to answer. -It -(TM)s ok if you don -(TM)t want to talk about it, - she said. -I was just working out where to start, and what Belle will want me to tell you. - I took a long drink to compose myself, and gave Amber edited highlights of the last few weeks since finding Poppy. -So Poppy missed Belle so much you all went looking for her. What about this other girl you mentioned, Katie. If she -(TM)s Poppy -(TM)s girlfriend, wasn -(TM)t she upset about Poppy wanting Belle back. - -You know, that -(TM)s what I was worried about, but they -(TM)ve bonded amazingly into a, I think Poppy called it a -~throuple -(TM), a three person couple. The bonus is, Poppy and Katie look after Belle, she -(TM)s a mixture of a girlfriend and little sister. - -She -(TM)s as cute as a button... - -Who is? - Belle asked as she slid onto the bench next to me and took a drink of my beer, -oh, that -(TM)s nice, - she said, wiping the foam off her mouth with a towel she was carrying, -so, who -(TM)s as cute as a button? - -Err, you are, - Amber replied, blushing slightly. -Aww, thank you, but don -(TM)t get too flirty, I -(TM)m not wearing a bra, so my nipples will get all pokey. - I looked at Belle as I had some more of my beer before she drank it all. -Oh, yes, too much information, sorry. - -Why aren -(TM)t you wearing a bra, and yes, I know I -(TM)ll regret asking this. - -Well, I had this amazing massage, Lauren was so good, and so pretty, and after she -(TM)d finished I thought I -(TM)d have a swim. She showed me where the pool was and said I should have a shower first, to wash off the massage oil and stuff. -So I -(TM)m having a swim when someone comes out and tells me off for swimming naked. How was I supposed to know I -(TM)m supposed to wear a costume? We never wore anything when we went swimming in the reservoir with Max. -Anyway, I wasn -(TM)t finished with swimming so the lady made me put my bra and panties on, so now they -(TM)re all wet and wrapped in this towel. I -(TM)ve not brought a spare bra, so if it -(TM)s not dry by tomorrow I -(TM)ll just have to go commando when we go back to see Gramps. - Amber was trying very hard not to laugh as Belle told her story, eventually she couldn -(TM)t hold back and started to giggle. -What? - Belle demanded. -You -(TM)re just so sweet, Alex said you -(TM)re a character, and he -(TM)s right. - -But I -(TM)m right though, how was I supposed to know that I should have been wearing a swimming costume? I was the only one there, and I checked the board and at the moment it -(TM)s women only in the pool. - -Public swimming pools don -(TM)t generally allow skinny dipping unless they set aside a specific time for naturist groups, - Amber told her. -Oh, right, so if I want to skinny dip I have to go with Poppy to a reservoir at night, or find a pool that lets us skinny dip. I shall get Poppy to research this when I get home. - Belle turned to me, -I don -(TM)t have my notepad with me, can you remind me when I get home, as I really enjoy swimming naked, it makes my bits all tingly. - I tapped a note into my phone and assured Belle I -(TM)d remind her tomorrow. -So, you wanted to chat with me, - Amber said nervously, -what about? - -After we -(TM)d spoken earlier I realised I remember you, although I don -(TM)t remember you being called Amber. You were in the sixth form at Saint Saviors when I started. - -Oh yes, I was at Saint Saviors, my real name is Antoinette, I was called Toni at school. Amber was my best friend -(TM)s name, she, err, died. I took her name to keep her memory alive. - Belle slid round and hugged Amber, she was quiet for a moment, thinking. -Oh! - she exclaimed, a hand to her mouth in shock, -I remember Amber, she... - - ... overdosed, - Amber finished for Belle, -yes, she did, and we know why don -(TM)t we. - Belle -(TM)s eyes went wide with shock, -Liam... - she said, almost too quiet for either of us to hear. -Yes. - is all Amber said, finishing the rest of her wine. I slipped out of the booth and fetched another glass and another beer, I put Amber -(TM)s glass by her hand, I put my beer between me and Belle. -Did you ever? - Belle asked, only half a question, but Amber nodded slowly in response, -Did he? - -Amber and I, we went round, we heard from other girls that he had good quality ecstasy, and that he had great parties. That first time there were about 10 people there, not all girls. We had a great time, Amber had some coke, as well as the ecstasy, she blew two guys in the garden, I was too wasted to be annoyed with her. I didn -(TM)t go back at all, I guess I thought it was too sleazy, and I wasn -(TM)t into drugs as much as Amber. - Amber had a drink of her wine then looked at Belle who was hanging on her every word. -So Amber went back? - -Yes, she did, I don -(TM)t know how many times, but the last time, or maybe only the second time, like I say, I don -(TM)t know, and I never got round to asking her, but after the last time she came round to my house, she was a mess, bruised and bloody, with... - Belle held Amber -(TM)s hand, -it -(TM)s ok, you don -(TM)t need to tell me any more if it hurts you. - -No, I need to tell someone, I have to get this out, because I -(TM)ve not told anyone, - she looked at her glass, it was empty, I got up to get her another, -can I have a G&T please? - -Of course, - I replied. -Can I have one, please, - Belle asked. I came back with two large gins, placing them before the girls. Amber took a good pull of her drink, -that -(TM)s better, so, Amber, my parents were away for the weekend, so I let her in, she was obviously wired, her eyes were wild, she was all twitchy, I took her upstairs and dumped her in the shower, I was scared and I was angry, I blasted her with the shower and I gave her both barrels of my anger. -I let the shower run until we -(TM)d run out of hot water, then I lifted her out and stripped her clothes off, and then I saw the mess she was in down below. - Belle pushed her gin over, Amber smiled weakly and drank it. -Is that how Poppy was, - Belle said quietly. -She was bruised and bleeding down there, yes. - -Bastards, - -I had no idea what to do, I wanted to phone for an ambulance, I wanted to phone the police, Amber wouldn -(TM)t let me, so I got lots of towels, helped her into the bath and I carefully washed her, I put antiseptic cream on everything and helped her dress. I put her in bed and went down to make her a cup of tea. As I was brewing up she came downstairs, said goodbye and left. -I never saw her again, the police found her the next morning in the woods. - -Fuck... - Belle said quietly, -I remember this, but there were no details of why. - -Because I -(TM)d cleaned her up, she had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious, and the injuries to her lady parts were hushed up by her parents, and nobody knew about her visits to your uncle. - -I guess you don -(TM)t want to repeat any of this to the police? - I asked. -Good god no, I don -(TM)t want more of the same from that bastard and his friends. - -You say friends, would you have any details? - Belle asked. -I -(TM)m sorry, I don -(TM)t, and even with Liam in prison I -(TM)d be worried about them. - Belle hugged Amber, resting her head on Amber -(TM)s chest, -I -(TM)ve got a friend, a very good, powerful friend who will see to it that Liam pays for what he -(TM)s done, so don -(TM)t you worry. - Amber stroked Belle -(TM)s hair, -I can feel your nipples, - she giggled. Belle pulled back quickly, -I -(TM)m so sorry, I didn -(TM)t mean to get excited there. - Amber kissed Belle -(TM)s forehead, -it -(TM)s ok, you just lifted me out of a mood. - Belle looked down, -mmm, they look quite good, and I think my boobs have grown a little bit in the last couple of weeks. - -I don -(TM)t like them too big, - Amber said, -any bigger than yours is a bit too much for me. - -Oh you -(TM)ll not like Poppy then, hers are amazing, and she -(TM)s super pretty, - Belle replied with obvious pride, -I -(TM)m not saying you -(TM)re not pretty, you -(TM)re gorgeous, - she added quickly. -That -(TM)s OK, I know what you meant, and thank you. Now I -(TM)d better get home, Charlie will kill me if I -(TM)m not back soon. - -Who -(TM)s Charlie? - Belle asked, sounding a bit disappointed. -He -(TM)s my cat, he gets very grumpy when he -(TM)s hungry. - -Poppy calls that hangry, - Belle said with a smile. -That describes Charlie perfectly, - Amber gave Belle a hug, -thank you, I needed to get that off my chest. - -Will we see you again? - -I -(TM)m back in at 10 tomorrow, so unless you -(TM)re leaving super early I -(TM)ll see you before you go. - -Do you have a pen Alex? - I passed Belle a pen and piece of paper. -This is my number, and my email address, and this is my Aunty Helen -(TM)s number, she -(TM)s the best listener in the world, so if you need to talk, she -(TM)ll listen, and if you want to see how amazing big boobs can look, put her into google. - -Is she famous? - -Oh yes, even more famous than Alex. - Amber looked at me for a few moments, -no, I -(TM)m sorry, I -(TM)ve no idea who you are. - -Don -(TM)t worry, unless you -(TM)re in the habit of buying adventure books for men or boys and looking at the back cover, you -(TM)re unlikely to have heard of me. - Amber was playing with her phone, she turned the screen to Belle, -yes! That -(TM)s Helen. - -Oh my, she is pretty, now I -(TM)ve got something to look at later, aaannnddd there I go with too much information, - she said, a big smile on her face as she kissed Belle on the cheek, -I -(TM)ll see you in the morning cutie. - She put her hand out to me, -thank you for listening, and for the drinks, - she added as she stepped a little unsteadily away from the table. -You -(TM)re not driving are you? - I asked. -Oh no, I -(TM)m about 5 minutes away, the walk will clear my head. - Before dinner we nipped back up to our room so Belle could lay her underwear out to dry. I checked in with Jenny and the girls while Belle browsed the dinner menu. Poppy was amazed as I told her about the room and Bentley. -Oh man, I -(TM)d love a ride in a Bentley, they just look so lush. - -You -(TM)ll get chance on Saturday, I don -(TM)t have to take the car back until Sunday. - -Oh cool, it -(TM)ll be great cruising around in a flash car. - Poppy passed me back to Jenny, -we -(TM)ve just been speaking to a girl who attended one of Liam -(TM)s parties. - -Ahh, is she one of the girls Jeremy -(TM)s guys spoke to? - -No, she never came forward before, Belle recognised her as someone she -(TM)d seen going to his house, so we spoke to her in the bar. She went with a girlfriend for drugs, she says she only went once, but her friend went a few times. - -Can we speak to the friend? - -Unfortunately not, she overdosed after she got some of the treatment Poppy endured. - -Oh fuck, so it was more than sexual assault, it was violent rape. - -At least in that girl -(TM)s case. - -I -(TM)ll have a word with Jeremy, not that I want to encourage vigilantism, but that bastard needs to be hurt. - -Thanks Jenny. - -What time do you expect to be home tomorrow? - -Around 5-ish, we -(TM)re going to swing by the nursing home so Belle can see Clive for a bit longer, hopefully all the traffic will be leaving London as we get home so it -(TM)ll be smooth running. -Oh, by the way, we enjoyed the photo you gave Belle. - -Ahh, did she show it around? - -She was showing Clive and his lady friend how beautiful her new family is, she -(TM)s so proud of everyone. It was handy, because she got to compare you with her mum, Lana. I -(TM)ll let her tell you more about it, but I -(TM)ll just say her mother was truly beautiful. - -She -(TM)d have to be, because Belle is gorgeous and will just get more beautiful as she matures. Did you like my photo? - -Very much so, how old were you then? - -I was 19 and had ambitions to be a model for about a month, unfortunately there are few opportunities for busty models who want to keep their clothes on. - -Us men are very shallow I -(TM)m afraid. - -Not all men, there are exceptions, anyway, I need to go and make food for the girls, see you tomorrow evening honey. - -Good luck for tomorrow, you can fill me in when we get home. - -I will. Give Belle a big kiss for me. - Belle brought me the menu as I cut the call, -was that Mum? - -Yes, she told me to give you this, - I kissed her gently. -Oh, that -(TM)s nice of her, - Belle said, -I -(TM)ll pay you back later, but now we need to get food, I want this pasta dish with wild boar in tomato sauce. I have no idea what wild boar is, but I -(TM)m having it. - -They -(TM)re big, wild pigs. - -Oh, will I like it? - -Do you like sausages? - -Of course I do, I love sausages! - -Then you -(TM)ll like wild boar. - -Amazing, you can read the menu in the lift, I -(TM)m starving, - she said, pushing me out of the door. The hotel had two restaurants, we were in the more family oriented one, it was well lit and cheerful, with music playing to cover the noise of eating and chatter. The menu in this restaurant was different to the one Belle had read, and the wild boar pappardelle wasn -(TM)t available here, but one look at Belle -(TM)s pout broke the waitress and she agreed to order the dish from the other kitchen for her. I ordered beef wellington and a bottle of claret. -What did mum say when you talked about Amber? - Belle asked as I poured her a glass of claret. -She was shocked, she -(TM)s going to have a word with Jeremy. - -Oh, will they hurt him? - -That -(TM)s the plan. - -Good, he scared me, but I didn -(TM)t think he was as bad as Amber said, that poor girl, and then she killed herself. How can people be so cruel? - -Some men think women are beneath their consideration, they -(TM)re only on earth to have babies and satisfy their man -(TM)s needs, and if they dissatisfy their man in any way they should be punished. When you push that one stage further you get men who feel women should be punished just for existing. There -(TM)s other more complex reasons, where some men blame women for not being attracted to them, when it -(TM)s their abhorrent opinions and personality to blame, not the women. In short, a lot of men are bastards and I don -(TM)t blame you at all for preferring girls to boys. - -Me and Katie have never been into boys, we -(TM)re just not wired that way, I don -(TM)t even fancy boys, not really. Poppy likes everyone, but I think she just likes boys for sex, I don -(TM)t think she -(TM)d ever want a boyfriend or anything. - She took a sip of her wine, -ohh, this is nice, really fruity. We like you though. I don -(TM)t think Katie wants sex again, we were talking about it last night. After I -(TM)d done it with you I was sore. I had a lot of fun, but it hurt, and so I think I told you I didn -(TM)t want sex again. - -And that -(TM)s fine, I wouldn -(TM)t expect you to want to sleep with me again if it hurt you, sex is supposed to be fun, not painful. - -That -(TM)s what we talked about, and Poppy said I needed to practice more, and then I wouldn -(TM)t be sore afterwards. We played with some toys Helen gave her and one of them was quite big, so I think I -(TM)ll be ok tonight. -(TM) -If you want to, but I don -(TM)t want you to think you have to have sex. - -I really do, because you -(TM)re the first man I -(TM)ve ever felt comfortable with, not even my dad or gramps, I loved them both dearly, but I never felt the way I do with you. You -(TM)re my friend, and I never, ever thought I -(TM)d have a male friend. - I put my hand on top of Belle -(TM)s tiny hand, -do you want to know what Jenny likes most about the way you are with me? - -Tell me... - Belle said, bouncing in her seat. -She loves the way you just help yourself to my drinks, and how you drop bits of your food on my plate, but ask her if she wants to try your food, you behave like we -(TM)re best friends, and that -(TM)s absolutely lovely. - -I guess because Poppy is my girlfriend, she -(TM)s not my best friend as such, maybe you are my best friend. Is that allowed? - -Normally parents try to stay a little distanced from their kids, otherwise it -(TM)s difficult to enforce proper discipline. But we -(TM)re not a normal family, are we? Also, you were all fully house trained when you arrived. - -Oh yes, I know how to use the potty, - Belle smiled. -And if I -(TM)m honest, Poppy seems to be playing the role of parent more than Jenny and I do, she makes sure you have breakfast, and that you -(TM)re clean and dressed properly. - -She did that before, when we were in the squat and I was scared and had no other friends, she looked after me. I -(TM)ll never be able to thank her enough, and I feel blessed that she loves me as much as I love her. - Our food arrived then, Belle -(TM)s eyes went wide as the waitress delivered a big bowl of pasta and wild boar, smothered with a very rich ragu, -oh man, that smells amazing, thank you. - My beef wellington also looked amazing, served with roast and buttery mashed potatoes and thick beef gravy. Belle was about to scoop some of the pasta into her mouth when she looked down at her white top, -ahh, this is potentially disastrous isn -(TM)t it. Am I allowed to tuck my napkin into my top to keep it clean? - -Normally I -(TM)d say no, but this restaurant is a bit more relaxed, so go ahead. - After she -(TM)d carefully tucked the napkin into the neck of her top and covered as much of herself as possible, Belle had a second attempt at eating her dinner. -Mmm, this is nice, it -(TM)s much richer than pork, and I really like the thick pasta ribbons and the sauce. I -(TM)m so happy the waitress let me have it. How -(TM)s yours? - -It -(TM)s good, really good. - -So what -(TM)s a beef wellington then, it looks like a fat sausage roll. - -You -(TM)re not far wrong, - I laughed, -it -(TM)s fillet steak covered in pate and wrapped in pastry. - I sliced a piece, added some mash, veg and gravy and dropped it onto Belle -(TM)s pasta. -Oh yes, I like that a lot, maybe I -(TM)ll have some of that next time we go somewhere posh. - As we waited for our dessert, ice cream for Belle, just coffee for me, Belle leaned forwards and whispered, -did you think Amber was pretty. - -Yes, very pretty. - -She fancies you. - -Are you sure? I got the impression that her friend Amber was her girlfriend, and that -(TM)s why she took her name. And she was very touchy with you. - -I know, that -(TM)s what I thought, but she was looking at you a lot. - Belle -(TM)s ice cream arrived, saving me from further conversation on the subject of Amber, or so I thought. -When we come back to see Gramps again, we could maybe meet up with Amber, and maybe you could sleep with her, and I could watch. - -What do you mean? - -Well, I err, like to watch, - Belle said, blushing furiously, -I like sex and everything, but I like to watch even more. I used to watch Poppy and Flower when they went out, some guys would pay more if I was there watching. - -Is that why you liked looking at the magazines? - -Yes, is that ok, am I weird? - -Not at all, a lot of girls enjoy porn. - Belle let out a sigh of relief, -I -(TM)m so glad, I -(TM)ve been really worried about telling you that. Don -(TM)t get me wrong, I love sex, especially with Poppy and Katie, but I love to watch Poppy with Katie, I watched them last night while I played with Poppy -(TM)s dildo, I had to put a towel on the chair because I got so excited. - -Didn -(TM)t you join in at all last night? - -Before I answer that, can you hear us at all? - -Only when you get very loud, with both doors shut you have almost complete privacy, and be assured that we will never open your door without knocking first and waiting for an answer. - -Thank you Alex, we appreciate the trust you have in us. And yes, after Poppy and Katie had fun together, and I got off with the dildo, we played together for a while until they fell asleep. I was too excited about seeing Gramps to sleep much. - -This may seem to be an odd question, but do you get on with Poppy and Katie equally well? - -Mmm, so, you see I love Poppy so much, she -(TM)s my hero, and my goddess. I love Katie as well, and I -(TM)m pretty sure she likes me, she definitely joins in when Poppy goes down on me, ohh, is that too much information? Were you just looking for general stuff? - -No, in this case that -(TM)s not too much information, Jenny and I sometimes worry that Katie doesn -(TM)t have the same history with Poppy as you do, so she may not fit into your three-way couple as you do. - -Oh no, you don -(TM)t need to worry about that. You know what you said before about Poppy parenting me, Katie does too, she did my hair and makeup yesterday. I don -(TM)t think you need to worry, we -(TM)re well bonded. - -I -(TM)m glad about that, really, it -(TM)s something I worry about. - Belle gave me the sweetest smile, -so now you know you don -(TM)t need to worry about it, you just need to worry about me saying or doing something I shouldn -(TM)t, like skinny dipping in a hotel pool. - -The thing is, you are so cute and lovable you get away with shit like that where Poppy or Katie would get into real trouble. - -What did Helen say I was, a scamp? - -Yep, and she -(TM)s right. I -(TM)m ok with you being a bit naughty, but please, don -(TM)t do any more shoplifting, it -(TM)ll break Jenny -(TM)s heart if you get arrested. - -I promise, I -(TM)ll try really hard, it -(TM)s just I spent so long stealing stuff it became a habit. - -All I want you to do is try your best, soon it -(TM)ll become a habit to pay for stuff. - -Haha, yes, it -(TM)s weird having money. - I finished my coffee and signed the cheque to the room. Belle asked if we could work off some of the meal by walking around the park across from the hotel. It was dry and not too cold out, so I agreed. The park was well covered by streetlights, so I felt it was perfectly safe to walk around. At the back of the park Belle asked if we could sit awhile, I sat down on a bench, Belle straddled my legs, -I feel like being naughty, - she whispered in my ear, -can we make out in the park like you -(TM)re a teenager again. - -Have you ever had a lapdance, - Belle asked as she settled down across my lap, draping her arms over my shoulders. -No, never, - I managed, my voice catching in my throat. -Shall we fix that situation? - she replied with a seductive tone I -(TM)d not heard her use before, a lot like the voice Poppy uses when she -(TM)s teasing. She pulled my face to hers, kissing me, tenderly at first, then harder, her tongue playing across my teeth, darting in and out. She placed her hand on the back of my head, holding me close, as if I -(TM)d try to escape. As her kissing grew more frantic she started to grind against my crotch, she gasped as her passion grew. I put my arms around her body, -no touching, - she growled into my mouth, -that -(TM)s the rule, no touching the girl, no kissing the girl unless she kisses first. - My mind cleared for a moment as Belle spoke, as if a spell had been broken, -when did you do this before? - -A few times in clubs, when one of the girls was poorly. Poppy let me take her place, because it -(TM)s perfectly safe. The men can -(TM)t touch you, and if they do there -(TM)s security to throw the guy out, they usually do them some damage as they drag the guy away. - -But you -(TM)re only 14, you shouldn -(TM)t have been dancing in clubs. - -I shouldn -(TM)t have been wanking guys off in porno cinemas either, but a girl -(TM)s got to make a living. Besides, it was totally safe like I said, and the men paid a lot of money to have such a young looking girl, I fulfilled a lot of schoolgirl fantasies in that club. I shared the money out with the other girls, because that -(TM)s only fair, no-one else looked as young as me. Also, the club had hot showers, so it was a chance to get nice and clean, and they had sexy undies I could borrow. - I groaned slightly as Belle pressed against me, grinding her pussy against my straining cock, -and I got to learn these moves, so everyone -(TM)s a winner. My pussy was so wet when I got home, Poppy always had the best time after I finished a shift. - -If you don -(TM)t stop I -(TM)ll be making a mess of my underpants, - I gasped. Which was Belle -(TM)s cue, she slid off me and unzipped my pants, she grasped my cock and pulled it out, opening her mouth as wide as she could she pushed herself over my cock, using her tongue to full effect as she worked me. She couldn -(TM)t take me as deep as Poppy, but then again I -(TM)ve not met anyone else who could, because Poppy is definitely a one off. Where Belle beat Poppy was her enthusiasm and speed, she used her hands and her mouth, and within a minute I was ready to blow. -I -(TM)m going to cum, - I cried, Belle looked up, her eyes glowing with pleasure as my balls let rip and I pumped my spunk down her throat. As she did before, she swallowed every last drop, cleaning me up before she tucked my now relaxed cock back in my underpants and zipped me up. She climbed back in my lap, wrapped her arms around me and put her lips to mine, at which point I realised she hadn -(TM)t swallowed every last drop. -Was that fun? - Belle asked as we walked hand in hand back to the hotel. -It really was, thank you. - -I loved it, so naughty doing that outdoors. Was the surprise at the end ok? - -It was ok, - I agreed, Belle saved less spunk for me than Poppy had, and her kiss was loving, when Poppy -(TM)s had been teasing. They were both fun in their own ways. -You drink whisky, - Belle said as we entered the hotel lobby, -it smells funny but you look like you enjoy it, can I try some please? - -Of course, I -(TM)ll find something that -(TM)s a little easier to drink. - -Thank you, - Belle replied as she pushed open the bar door. They had a pretty extensive whisky menu, so I took the list back to the table and read some of the descriptions aloud. -Oh, I like the sound of that one, - Belle said as I read out the tasting notes for the 13-year-old Dailuaine, -marmalade and vanilla and custard, it sounds like bread and butter pudding, I love bread and butter pudding. - I ordered a Dailuaine for Belle and a double Glenfarclas 105 for myself, also a Speyside, but much more complex, tasting of rich fruit cake, honey and coffee. I asked for the ice to be put in a separate glass so Belle could taste the whisky with and without, the Glenfarclas especially has a hugely different flavour profile when you add ice or water. Belle sat forward as I returned with the drinks, -oh, this looks complicated, - she said as I placed the glasses, ice and water jug on the table, along with a glass of tap water to rinse her mouth first. -This is yours, - I said, pushing the paler whisky across, -before you start, take a drink of water to clear your mouth. - -Oh yes, I can still taste you, - she giggled before she rinsed her mouth. -Ok, take a little sip of the whisky, leave it on your tongue for a moment, let it warm and see what you can detect in the flavour. - Belle sipped her drink, I watched her expression change as she concentrated on the scotch. -I could taste so much, there was honey, toast and bananas, I couldn -(TM)t taste the vanilla or marmalade though. - I dropped a single ice cube into her glass, -ok, leave that for a few moments, have a sip of the water while you wait. - Once her drink was cold Belle had another sip, her eyes went wide as the new flavours emerged, -oh wow, there goes the marmalade, and lemons, where did they come from, you only added an ice cube. - -That -(TM)s the magic of whisky. Rinse again then have a sip of mine, it -(TM)s made with exactly the same ingredients, just water from a different source and the barrels it -(TM)s stored in are much older. - -There -(TM)s more in this glass, - she said as she lifted it to her lips. -That -(TM)s so I still get a decent measure after you -(TM)ve had some. - -What if I just tip it all back? - she teased. -I -(TM)ll probably have to carry you to the room, it -(TM)s a lot stronger than your whisky. - Belle took the merest sip, her eyes watered and her cheeks reddened as she put the glass down. -Oh man, that is powerful, - she gasped, -it burns on the way down. - -What did you taste? - -It -(TM)s so much richer than mine, I could taste candied peel, orange and lemon and pineapple I think, and a bit of coffee and maybe chocolate. - -Drop an ice cube in and see what you taste next time. - Belle took a sip of water without me needing to remind her, she was a quick study, just like Poppy. -Christmas cake! - Belle cried as she tasted the iced Glenfarclas, -it really is just like cake, so rich, maybe a bit too rich to drink all of it. - She passed my glass back and rinsed her mouth before she had another sip of her Dailuaine, -yes, I think this is more to my taste. - I bought her a top up and we settled back to enjoy our drinks. -Were you upset with me before, - Belle said later, cradling her glass, breathing in the rich aroma. -When? I don -(TM)t think I -(TM)ve ever been upset with you. - -Before, when I was doing the lap dance, you were upset because I -(TM)m too young to know what to do. - -I wasn -(TM)t upset at you. - -Even so, me and Poppy, we were forced into a situation and we had our innocence stolen, yeah it -(TM)s sad, it was horrible the first time I had to wank a guy off, and even worse when I had to give a dirty cock a blow job, but that -(TM)s in the past, and right now I -(TM)m having a great time. Really, just sitting here chatting with you, not even doing anything sexy, I -(TM)m so happy. - -You -(TM)re right, I -(TM)m annoyed that you are so experienced so young, and that annoyance may be unconsciously transferred to you, but that -(TM)s not the way it -(TM)s intended. - -Katie is enjoying the attention, but she -(TM)s not like Poppy and me, we -(TM)re sexual people, Poppy more so than me obviously, we know what to do to make someone really, really happy. All I worry about is that people will think we -(TM)re sluts, because I -(TM)m not, neither is Poppy. I -(TM)ve never been interested in boy sex at all, I blew guys and wanked them off mostly because I had to. Sometimes it was fun, especially the times when guys made real gushers. There was this one man, I think he must have saved himself the whole month, because, oh man, he could fill this glass with his spunk. It tasted nasty though, so with him I made sure I kept my mouth shut and wiped my hands with a towel. - Belle stopped talking whilst she finished her drink, she put the glass down and fished an ice cube out of the glass and popped it in her mouth, -I like sucking ice cubes, I know it -(TM)s weird, but I am weird. - -Would you like another drink, - I asked her. Belle thought for a moment, -no, I don -(TM)t think so. I -(TM)d like to sit here and watch you enjoy yours. - -Are you looking forward to school on Monday? - -I really am, I loved school, it seems weird, we -(TM)re supposed to hate school, but being an only child, it was where I saw all my friends. I -(TM)m looking forward to making some new friends, and I -(TM)m really looking forward to the textiles classes. I was always amazed watching Evie make clothes, she had this old sewing machine that was powered by a pedal she rocked with her feet, she used it to make dresses. I wish I still had the dress she made me, it was so pretty, pink with yellow daisies, she made it out of an old curtain. - -Do you think you -(TM)ll be able to catch up ok, you -(TM)ve missed quite a lot of work? - -I -(TM)ve missed less than Poppy, she -(TM)s doing ok. She -(TM)s really clever though, she really is, she knows so much, and she learns so fast. I -(TM)m not like that, it takes me a little while to learn stuff. - -You -(TM)re smarter than you think. Yesterday you were very good, you asked interesting questions, and you wrote up the meetings so well, I -(TM)ve seen professional secretaries write poorer minutes than yours. - Belle smiled at that, -I really had no idea what I was doing yesterday. - -Clearly you -(TM)re a natural, I look forward to seeing your school work. - I finished my whisky and took Belle -(TM)s hand, -come on, let -(TM)s get to bed. - -Not to sleep though, I -(TM)ve got something to show you. - -I -(TM)m sure you have, - I replied, smiling. Belle dashed into the bathroom as soon as we got into the room, -get undressed and on the bed, I -(TM)ll be back in a minute, - she called out as she slammed the door. I had no idea what Belle had planned, but if Poppy was in any way involved I was sure I -(TM)d enjoy the next hour or so. I was on the bed, propped up on a couple of pillows as Belle emerged from the bathroom, she was completely naked, wearing only a smile. She walked slowly across the room, trying her best to emulate a sexy model, swinging her hips to the best of ability, her tiny bottom moving ever so slightly. As she approached the bed she stopped and burst out laughing, -I -(TM)m so sorry, I -(TM)m trying to be all sexy and it really isn -(TM)t working is it, oh well, at least this is sexy. - And with that she turned her back to me, bent over and grabbed her ankles, -isn -(TM)t it pretty? - I wondered what she meant at first, then I saw a red glint between her cheeks, reaching forwards I gently pulled them apart, -oh yes, that -(TM)s very pretty. - -It was Helen -(TM)s, - she said as she climbed on the bed and straddled my legs to give me a better view, -she gave it Poppy, but it -(TM)s a little small for her, she didn -(TM)t feel it properly, so we washed it and it -(TM)s mine now, it feels really nice. - -Was it ok putting it in? - -Oh yes, I -(TM)ve got some lube, - she said as she wriggled around, -it feels amazing when I jiggle my bum, although I imagine my bum jiggle is a lot less sexy than Poppy -(TM)s bum jiggle. - -Your bum looks amazing, stop doing yourself down. - -Ok, I -(TM)m not sure I believe that, but anyway, why don -(TM)t you pull it out a little and fuck my bum with it, we tried it yesterday and it was sooo nice. - I carefully pulled the plug out, Belle shuddered as it popped out, -oh, I nearly came then, try it again. - I pushed it in again and slowly pulled it back out. -Again, again! - Belle cried, -oh shit here it comes, - she gasped as she collapsed, on top of me, quivering as an orgasm ran through her body. I felt her muscles contract, pulling the plug out of my fingers, then watched in wonder as her muscles pulsed, moving the pretty ruby tipped pink plug in and out for about 30 seconds. -Oh fuck, - she panted, -that was so much better than I expected, I just thought I -(TM)d get a little shiver. - As she got her breath back Belle spun around and kissed me, -thank you for being gentle. Poppy told me I can only do this occasionally or I -(TM)ll hurt myself, next time I think we -(TM)ll try with your fingers, will that be ok or a little gross. - -That will be fine, whatever you want, - I replied, kissing my beautiful daughter on the lips. -Poppy said if I -(TM)m OK having proper sex I should leave the plug in, it -(TM)ll be extra special for us both then. I -(TM)m a little knackered now though, can we leave it a few minutes. - -I -(TM)ve told you before, do whatever you want, you -(TM)ll never get any pressure from me, - I told her, -except when it comes to homework, - I added with a smile. -You don -(TM)t need to worry there, Poppy will be on the case. - -Oh, I forgot, can you reach my phone, - Belle leaned over to the bed stand, and passed it over, I opened whatsapp and found Jenny -(TM)s message with the photos, -here -(TM)s your new study. - Belle took the phone off me and looked at the photos, -oh wow, this is great, let me guess, the red one is Poppy -(TM)s, so the green is for Katie and I -(TM)m the pink desk, oh man, this is so cool. Look how much space we -(TM)ve all got, I can have my laptop open and have a text book and a notepad. Oh, we -(TM)ve got pinboards as well. I love it dad, thank you. - She put my phone back and kissed me, gently then passionately, grinding herself against the head of my cock until she gasped, -oh shit, I -(TM)m cumming again dad, can you fuck me while I -(TM)m cumming, please... - How could I refuse, my cock was already hard, I slid it carefully between her pussy lips. It was much easier this time and soon I was inside. I could feel the butt plug, it was only small but her pussy was so tight I could feel every texture. Belle planted her mouth to mine, -oh fuck, - she gasped, -I -(TM)m still cumming, fuck me hard dad, like you did to Poppy, I want to feel this in the morning. - -Are you sure? - -Yes, fuck me dad, fuck me! - I did as I was told, first I flipped us over so I was on top. I paused, looking at Belle below me, so beautiful, so small and vulnerable, but her eyes were hungry for sex, and I -(TM)m not going to lie, so was I. I -(TM)m not a total idiot though, so there -(TM)s no way on this earth I was going to do Belle as hard as I fucked Poppy, so whilst I held back, we both got the benefit of a good hard screw. I plunged in deep, although in this position she couldn -(TM)t take my full length, so I was extra careful not to hit her cervix. -Oh god, this is so good, do it faster dad, oh yessss, oh fuck here I go again... - I watched as Belle -(TM)s eyes rolled up with the power of her orgasm, as she came down I slowed up, using long, deep strokes as I closed in on my orgasm, which is when Belle -(TM)s phone rang.