Chapter 54
Two days later and Lauren and Joey were getting ready for dinner with Max, Bradley, Stacey and Lilly. They had decided after much deliberation that it would be more relaxed if they went to Lauren and Joey's villa and they ordered food in. Lauren still wasn't feeling 100% and the heat certainly wasn't making it any better. She was stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom, sporting a light blue sun dress, shed already tried on 90% of the clothes shed taken with her and had deemed them all inappropriate "Joey, do I look okay?"
"You look gorge..."
Lauren interrupted him mid-word, frowning slightly at her reflection "Are you sure? I don't want to look like I've tried too Much"
Joey wasn't one hundred percent sure how to answer the question; Lauren looked perfect to him but then she always did, he didn't want to annoy her or say the wrong thing because that would result in several hours of tears and lots of ice cream to coax her from her melt down.
"You're right" Lauren nodded, breaking Joey from his thoughts, "It is too much."
Joey stared wide eyed at her, taking her hand gently as she walked toward the wardrobe "Baby, I didn't say anything." He laughed slightly.
"I know, but you were thinking it, I know you were" she groaned.
Joey signed, he really had to bit his tongue at how unconfident she was sometimes. "How did you know what I was thinking? Do you read minds now, or something?" his hands slid around her waist and pulled her away from the wardrobe, a perfect pout forming on her lips. "Because if you do, I know a great circus you could join" he teased, and it made her laugh just as he'd intended it to.
"Don't be an idiot. I could just see the look on your face, I knew what you were going to say" she smiled softly and kissed his cheek.
"I was going to say you look gorgeous. You don't need to be so worried, they're family and just want to get to know you not what your wearing." Joey had tried many times the last couple of days to calm her nerves but it wasn't working in the slightest. Lauren was worried about what her brother was going to think of her and the situation, which had resulted in a little breakdown about her being pregnant and how he might be a traditional person and see pregnancy out of wedlock a bad thing. Joey had tried to kindly tell her she was being silly, but of course her hormones were playing havoc with her and she wasn't having any of it.
"Do I look pregnant ?" she asked and again, Joey didn't particularly know how to answer. To him she looked pregnant, but he's sussed that she looked different on his birthday when she was probably only a couple of months pregnant.
He decided just to be honest "To me yes, but you wouldn't to anyone else. Your still tiny and your dress covers anything that is there anyway babe…" Lauren nodded seemingly taking his answer. He placed his hands on her shoulders and tucked her hair behind her ear "now will you come and sit down and wait patiently for them to arrive, before you start feeling ill again"
Lauren did as she was told, walking outside onto the decking where Joey had set the table. There was cool breeze blowing from the beach which was only a short walk from the villa and it instantly made her relax more. "When did you do all this ?" she looked asked, looking around at the little lights Joey had put on the walls and on the decking, she could tell how magical it would look when it got darker. The table was set, with jugs of iced drinks in the middle and a few plates of crisps and picky foods.
"When you were napping earlier. I thought I'd make myself useful. I even went to that little ice cream parlour and brought you a tub of pistachio ice cream for after"
Lauren smiled brightly and drew his lips towards hers "My perfect man"
"I'm just looking after you… that baby seems to like causing you the optimum discomfort." He said softly "So anything I can do to make you feel better, I'll do it".
"Hmm I love you Mr Branning" Lauren sniffed slightly and frowned "I thought we were ordering food in?" she asked smelling something quite yummy coming from the kitchen.
"Well I decided to cook, it's nothing special just chicken. I thought we could have fajitas and then everyone can help themselves."
"Thought of everything didn't you?" Lauren asked, totally amused at how unusually organised he was being.
"I did, I want this to go as smoothly as possible. I know how much this means to you and I want…" The doorbell interrupted him "That'll be them" he held his hand out to Lauren and they walked hand in hand to the door. "Ready?"
Lauren ran her free hand through her hair, smoothing it behind her ears and nodding at Joey "I'm ready".
Joey opened the door and sure enough, Max, Bradley, Stacey and Lilly were stood on the doorstep. "Hi, come on in… we're glad you could come" he said, letting them into the open plan living area.
"We've been really looking forward to it… especially this little one" Max said ruffling Lilly's hair as she grinned up to him. "She couldn't wait to meet her Aunt and uncle. Oh… we brought you this" Max handed a bottle of something to Joey "And these are for you…" he handed Lauren a bunch of bright flowers, they looked beautiful.
Lauren blinked back the tears as she took them from him "They're lovely thank you… you really didn't have to bring anything with you." She told him.
Max shook his head "I wanted to. It was actually Bradley's idea." He said softly and Bradley stepped forward a little a smile on his face.
He held his hand out to Lauren and she tentatively shook it "It's really nice to meet you Lauren, Dad's told me everything" he said quietly "I think I'm as nervous as you are" he laughed and that made Lauren laugh too. she was glad he didn't seem hostile towards her and he was making as much effort as Max had.
"It's really good to meet you too… I'm going to put these in water, excuse me" she sniffed dashing off towards the kitchen.
"Did I say something?" Bradley asked Joey.
Joey smiled softy seeing how concerned his older cousin was "No it's nothing honestly, her emotions are just all over the place" he assured him. "Why don't we go to the garden and get some drinks?"
*JL*JL*JL*
They all followed Joey through to the garden, him kissing Lauren as she stood at the sink. "Help yourselves to a drink, there's Ice tea, some wine or anything else… Lilly, would you like a drink ?"
She nodded her head and Stacey smiled "say yes please…"
"Yep, please" she repeated.
"Okidoke, how does a special cocktail sound?" Lilly nodded enthusiastically. "Does anyone else want anything ?" they all declined happy with what was on the table. In the kitchen Lauren was just wiping her eyes as Joey walked in "Are you ok ? Everyone's waiting for you"
"I'm fine, just my bloody hormones again." she threw the used tissue in the bin and took another, putting in the pocket on her dress."Do you need help?"
"Nope, all under control… go outside, I'll be two minutes" he told her.
*JL*JL*JL*
Lauren made her way outside and sat back down, trying not to notice how everyone was looking at her.
"So, Lauren, how have you been?" her father asked "Feeling better than the other day? This heat takes a little getting used to"
"A little, thank you…" she smiled
"When are you due then Lauren?" Stacey asked and Lauren's eyes widened, Bradley and Max both stared at Stacey "What? I know the signs, feeling sick, passing out, emotions everywhere…"
"I thought I'd hidden it" Lauren sighed "I didn't want to bombard you with everything all at once, but I'm due in September. I came as a buy one get one free deal at the moment" She smiled just as Joey walked out with very impressive looking drink.
"Here we go…" he placed the glass in front of Lilly "a special fruit cocktail, just for you" he said. Lilly ginned at the orange and red layered drink that had been finished with a strawberry and a little umbrella.
"Wow Lilly what do you say?" Bradley asked as Joey sat down in the chair next to Lauren, his arm automatically going over her shoulders.
"Thank you"
"Good girl. It looks like you've got a talent there Joey" Bradley said "what is it you do?"
"I own a chain of bars across London actually and a couple in Manchester, that's where I learnt to do all that" Joey went on explaining about the club franchise and how well it had done since he'd first stared. Bradley had taken a keen interest and had suggested that Joey look at opening a bar in France, he was a business and property developer and could see the potential.
Through the entire conversation Lauren couldn't take her eyes off Joey, she watched him with love shining from her eyes, something Max was very keen to point out.
"You have one very proud fiancée too Joey, she can't stop looking at you" Max announced with a small laugh. Joey smiled and kissed Lauren's blushing cheek.
"It's the hormones" Stacey proclaimed "I was exactly the same, Bradley had never looked so good. I think he got sick of me by the end of the 9months"
Joey turned to Lauren his eye brow raised slightly "You told them?"
She shook her head "They guessed" she told him softly, turning back to the others "I am proud of him, he's amazing and doesn't realise just how much. I'm very lucky to have him."
Joey kissed her lips gently "I think I'm the lucky one" he kissed her again only pulling apart when he remembered they had company. "Has Lauren told you about her art?" he asked
"Art? What's this about?" Max asked and Lauren frowned towards Joey. She hated any of the attention on her and would much rather talk about other things, she got embarrassed rather easily. Joey smiled as his fiancée blushed again, her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as the attention turned to her.
"Lauren has an art degree and is amazing at it. Although she will swear blind she isn't, she's amazing. She teaches some groups at the local primary school near where we live." He said proudly.
"I'd love to see some of your work sweetheart" Max said.
Lauren smiled gently not really giving a committal answer. "When will dinner be ready? I'm starving"
"You're hungry?" she nodded "Ok, well is should be ready now. I'll make sure you get plenty." He turned to the others at the table "She's not been eating the last few days saying she's not hungry, I think she's probably eaten a grain of rice at most"
"That's a little dramatic, Joey." Lauren rolled her eyes.
"Well, I guess I'm like you then, in that area then aren't I?" Max chuckled as Joey walked inside to sort the food, Bradley offering to help him.
"I've not fancied anything other than ice cream to be honest and even then it's just pistachio, I could eat buckets of the stuff, and ignore Joey I'm not dramatic. I promise."
"I'm inclined to believe your fiancé there sweetheart, you made quite the first impression when we met" Max reminded her. "I think we could use your drama though right Stace? We lead pretty boring lives over here".
"He's right" Stacey agreed "You're the most exciting thing to happen since I had Lilly. Everything out here is very very dreary, the only place I get a bit of gossip is when I'm at work in the shop. "
Lauren was about to reply when she heard a clutter in the kitchen and then a very long silence. "Joey? Everything alright in there?" there was a prolonged silence before he replied.
"Erm… everything fine babe… don't worry." He was totally unconvincing as he spoke and Lauren could hear a hushed conversation.
She went to get up to go and see what the issue was but Max placed his hand on her arm, stopping her from moving "Let me go, you stay and relax, no arguments"
Lauren smiled and let Max go instead of her, god knows what was going on in there. "He's totally taken by you already. They both are" Stacey began. "when he told Bradley that you had shown up…I've never seen either of them so happy. I think deep down Max always knew he'd left something behind when he left London, he just didn't know what it was. He was living here alone when I first met him, he worked with my Dad in a car auction I was about 6 at the time. I was 15 when out of the blue, Bradley turned up. He and Max had a great relationship and Brad used to spend summer over here with us, but when he turned up that time, he said it was for good. He and his Mum had rowed and Bradley decided to live with Max permanently." Stacy told her.
"You fell in love with him?" Lauren asked, looking at the look on Stacy's face that she knew all too well.
She nodded "I was already in love with him. We officially stared seeing each other the next summer and well that was it really. Bradley proposed to me and we got married in a little church five years ago and then Lilly was born. She's the best thing ever to happen to us."
Laurens hand was resting on her stomach, the material of her dress skimming over the tiny bump that was there. "I'm scared Stacey…" she whispered, looking up at the girl who seemed to have understood what she was feeling.
Stacey whispered something to Lilly and she skipped off inside before moving and sitting next to Lauren. "It's normal to be scared Lauren, I was terrified!"
"no I'm really, really scared. You don't understand, I don't sleep at night because I'm scared I'll wake up in the morning and something awful will have happened. I'm too scared to eat in case it makes me sick and it hurts the baby…I can't let anything happen this time" she cried.
Stacey swallowed and took Lauren's hand "Have you been pregnant before?" she asked getting a gentle nod in response. "Oh Lauren… when?"
"I was 15" Lauren said "I had a miscarriage…" she went on to explain about the entire situation with Tyler and Greg.
"Joey loves you Lauren, it's so so clear. And you have Max and Bradley... and me we're all here for you. We won't let anything happen. Us Brannings have got to stick together" she smiled. "How long are you staying here?"
"I don't know, we didn't have any particular timescales, I know Joe has the club to get back to at some point, but other than my brother and sister I don't have anything back in London." She said sadly
"You should consider moving out here, I think you'd love it" Stacy told her
"Mummy!" Lilly ran towards Stacey and jumped up onto her lap. "Daddy and Granddad and Joey are funny!" she said giggling to herself. "They's made a big mess too!"
"Have they now?" Lauren asked Lilly nodding. "Do I need to go and tell them off?"
"Tell who off?" Joey's voice sounded behind her. He, Max and Bradley we carrying the food onto the table. It smelt good. "Help yourselves everyone!" he told them.
"Have you made a mess in that kitchen?" Lauren looked him over seeing he had a powder like substance on his shirt and his shorts were splattered with water.
Max Laughed as he put his food on his plate "Whatever gave you that idea?" Lauren raised her eyebrows "The kitchen is clean and tidy, the food is cooked and smells delicious and your fiancé is still alive I'd call this a success"
*JL*JL*JL*
The rest of the evening was perfect, full of conversation and getting to know each other. Stacey and Lauren got on perfectly and had arranged to go out in the next few days. By the time they all left, Lauren was feeling much happier and it had nothing to do with the amount of pistachio ice-cream she'd eaten.
"How long are we staying in France for, Joey?" Lauren asked, it had been playing on her mind since Stacey had mentioned it, and to be truthful she wanted to know that she and Joey were on the same page.
Joey turned over in the bed, switched on the lamp and moved her back into his arms. He sighed, thinking how to say what he was thinking without upsetting her. "Well, I think for now we can stay for a little longer don't you?"
"How much longer?" Lauren whispered.
"We have time, things at the clubs can run themselves, and I'm available when they need me on Skype or phone. There is the slight complication of this though…" his hand brushed over her stomach, curving fingers around the mini bump. "I don't want the baby to be born in France Lauren, we should go home, when the times right."
Lauren's hand moved to rest over his "Baby's due September, I'd like to spend summer over here if we can? Go home at the end of July maybe?"
"I think we can make that work" Joey told her, kissing her shoulder "I'm glad everything is working out with your Dad babe, you looked so happy this evening."
"I am happy, so so happy"
Ta-dah ! Sorry I couldn't post the last couple of days I've been away and didn't take my laptop, so I hope this nice long chapter makes up for it ! It's lovely to see them all getting along so well isn't it ? Next chapter up tomorrow and it's got a little surprise in it :) xxx
