Destiny - Chapter 2
-O-
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
-O-
Robert had realised that he could have died in the woods after being viciously assaulted by two thugs. It brought his priorities sharply into focus and he now knew that his top priority was Aaron. It dawned on him that he loved his boyfriend deeply and could not live without him. So, he decided that they should find a home of their own and wanted to suggest a place. He smiled at Aaron as they lay in bed, engaging in some pillow talk.
"Where?" Aaron asked.
"Woodbine Cottage," Robert said, thinking that Aaron would know exactly where he meant.
"Where's that?"
"Aaron, how long have you lived in this village?" Robert's sarcasm was never far from the surface, "You used to live practically next door to it in Dale Head."
"I thought you meant away from Emmerdale," Aaron was trying to cover up his embarrassment: he recognised the name of Edna Birch's old house only too well.
"Not a problem is it? Living in the village I mean."
"Won't that house be all mothballs and cobwebs?" Aaron did not look convinced.
"I heard that Edna was very fastidious! I shouldn't think the spiders got a look in with her feather duster going like the clappers!" Robert chuckled.
Aaron laughed too. He was pleased that his boyfriend had obviously lost none of his caustic wit, "Well, it would be local for both of us. We've both got family here and Liv needs some stability, instead of being moved from school to school."
"Well, in that case, I'll get onto the estate agent's tomorrow and arrange a viewing," Robert smiled at the love of his life.
"You're not in a fit state to do anything yet," Aaron was full of concern for his battered boyfriend.
"I can manage to pick up a phone and stagger across the road to look at a house!" Robert's bravado was one of the things that Aaron adored about him.
"Okay, hard lad!" Aaron smiled as he cuddled Robert close to him, "I won't argue, I know better than that by now."
"I am a hard lad," Robert smirked, "I always get like that when I'm in bed with you, my gorgeous little grease monkey."
Aaron raised his eyebrows, "You're not in any fit state to do that either!"
"Awww!" Robert pouted, "I just fancied it as well!"
"You horny sod!" Aaron chuckled, "I'll have to slip something in your tea to cool your ardour!"
"You love it really!" Robert smiled at the boy who had changed his life. He felt blessed that they both shared the same humour, the same sassiness, the same sex drive. Aaron was his perfect match.
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The next day, Aaron left Robert recuperating in bed while he went off to work. He checked with Adam at the scrap yard and, finding that things were a bit quiet, he took himself off into Hotten as he had a couple of errands to run. Firstly, he went to a bank and walked up to the counter to be greeted by an attractive blonde girl behind the screen.
The girl smiled politely at him, "Good morning sir, how can I help you?"
"Can I open an account please?" Aaron asked.
"Certainly sir," the girl replied, "I just need a few personal details. Do you have an account with us already?"
"No," Aaron hesitated, "Well, yes, a business account, but I want to open a personal one."
"How much would you like to deposit?"
Aaron pulled a rather dog-eared cheque from his pocket and handed it to the cashier. She looked at it and then at Aaron, "My, you've had this hanging about for some time, haven't you? You could have been earning interest on this amount. Excuse me: I just need to speak to the manager." So saying, she climbed off of her stool and disappeared into a back room. Shortly afterwards, she re-appeared and smiled at Aaron again.
"Problem?" Aaron asked, he felt a little nervous although he wasn't sure why.
"Not at all sir," the girl replied, "It's just that, with the amount that you want to deposit, my manager likes to advise customers on the best options for their investments. He's free at the moment if you'd like to go through to that office on the right."
The girl handed the cheque back to Aaron and he did as he had been asked and entered a glass-screened room on the edge of the public area of the bank where he saw a young, suited man sitting at a desk. The man rose to his feet and shook hands with Aaron.
"I never knew opening a bank account was such a performance," Aaron said as he sat down.
"Sorry, sir!" the manager replied, "It's just that we don't get someone presenting a cheque for three hundred thousand pounds every day of the week. I'd just like to deal with your case in private, for your own protection, if that's okay. We like to give our customers some privacy for these kinds of transactions. So, Mr Livesy, I think we should be able to open an account in your name straight away."
"It needs to be in the name of Dingle," Aaron replied.
"Oh?" the manager looked slightly suspicious.
Aaron could see that the bank official might think it odd that someone called Dingle was trying to open an account with a cheque made out to Aaron Livesy, "It's okay! I changed my name by deed poll. I have all the necessary documents."
"Well, that shouldn't be a problem," the manager looked at his computer screen, "I have your business account details here Mr Dingle. I see your name was changed from Livesy on that account previously. Luckily, you are already known to us, so that's fine. I just need to see some identification and we can go ahead."
Aaron was relieved, for a moment he thought that the manager might set off the alarms because he may have thought that he was trying to pull a fast one!
"Just out of interest," the manager continued, "why did you take so long to present this cheque? You are only just within the time limit for encashment."
"It's a long story," Aaron said, but he offered his lengthy explanation to the bank manager anyway.
Half an hour later, Aaron left the bank with a new account opened in the name of Aaron Dingle. He did not go straight home as he wanted to buy something first.
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Aaron finally returned home in the evening to find Robert in the back room of the Woolpack, sitting on the sofa in his dressing gown.
"I thought you were spending the day in bed," Aaron said as he bent to kiss his boyfriend in greeting.
"I got bored," Robert explained, "so I came down to watch some TV, not that the daytime television shows relieved the boredom much!"
"Anyway, this might help to keep you occupied," Aaron gave Robert a small bag containing a box. He opened it to find a new mobile phone inside, "It's to replace the one that got smashed."
"Aaron, you can't afford this," Robert looked shocked.
"Yes I can, now I've got three hundred thousand smackers in the bank."
Robert was stunned. He had almost forgotten about Aaron's cheque from his late father, Gordon Livesy.
"Thanks, babe!" Robert smiled, "Do you know, this is the first present you've ever given me. I shall treasure it."
"It's nothing," Aaron brushed it off as no big deal.
Robert knew that Aaron would feel uncomfortable if he was too gushing about the gift, so he changed the subject, "I phoned the estate agent today. He said he can meet us at Woodbine Cottage tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, I can nip round from the scrap yard for a viewing. Are you sure you're up to it though?"
"Made of gritty stuff, us Sugdens!" Robert made light of his injuries, "The estate agent said there's someone else interested too, so we might need to move fast."
Aaron rolled his eyes, "That's the oldest trick in the book: they always say that to try to get you to put in an offer!"
Robert smiled, "You're quite an astute chap on the quiet, aren't you?"
Aaron took it as a compliment, rather than sarcasm, "I'm a man of independent means now."
Robert looked into Aaron's sparkling blue eyes, "I do love you, you know."
Aaron gazed back at the man who had once saved his life, "I know and I love you too. I'd do anything for you."
Robert was touched. Aaron rarely let his guard down and, when he did, it was very special, "I think I'd better go back up to bed now!" He wiggled his eyebrows at Aaron for comic effect.
"You are feeling better!" Aaron replied with a wink: Robert's inference was not lost on him.
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The next day, Aaron met Robert at Woodbine Cottage as planned. The estate agent, a young man with sandy-coloured hair and ginger stubble, introduced himself as Neil and showed them round. They both thought that the house would probably suit them and Liv.
"Well," Neil said, "if you're seriously interested then I'd advise putting in an offer straight away. There is someone else interested and I think they're about to put in an offer too."
"You would say that!" Aaron was as cynical as ever.
"Aaron!" Robert looked at his boyfriend disapprovingly as he thought that Neil might take offence, but the estate agent realised that Aaron thought it was a ploy to get them to commit.
"It's alright," Neil chuckled, "I know you think I'm trying to close the deal by saying that someone else is interested, but there really is someone willing to buy: a Mrs Dingle."
"You've got your wires crossed," Aaron said, "My name's Dingle."
Neil looked at his paperwork, "I made this appointment in the name of Sugden."
"That's me," Robert butted in, "I called your office and gave my name," he turned to Aaron, "I didn't mention your surname, so the agent couldn't have got your name from me!"
"I see," Aaron replied, "it must be just a coincidence then." he looked at Neil again, "Is this Mrs Dingle from Emmerdale?"
"No," Neil answered, "she lives elsewhere and wants to move here. I haven't even seen her, actually, she said that she was in these parts some years back. She knows the house so wasn't bothered about a viewing, she's been trying to negotiate a deal at below the asking price, but the vendor has been holding out for more."
Just then, Neil's phone rang and he excused himself. When he had finished the call, he returned to the couple.
"Well, that was the office, Mrs Dingle has now made a firm offer, but it's ten grand less than the asking price. If you were to put in an offer above hers, you'd still be in with a chance."
Robert looked at Aaron, "What do you think? Shall we put in an offer? Or do you want to discuss it further."
"No," Aaron replied, "I'm happy if you are. Let's go for it!"
Robert looked at Neil again, "We'll go a couple of grand higher...we're cash buyers."
"So is Mrs Dingle," Neil said, "so I think it will be a case of who puts in the highest bid. I'll go back to the office now, put your offer to the vendor and I'll be in touch this afternoon. Good luck!"
Later, back at the Woolpack, Aaron and Robert were having a drink together in the bar when Chrissie, accompanied by Lachlan, happened to walk in. She saw them sitting at a table and smirked when she noticed that Robert was injured, "You look the worse for wear. Does it hurt?"
"It does smart a bit, yes," Robert replied.
"Good!" Chrissie scowled.
Aaron jumped to his feet to defend his boyfriend and shouted at Chrissie, "It was you, wasn't it? You set those thugs on Robert! I could kill you!" He lunged towards Chrissie but Lachlan blocked his path to her.
"That's it!" Chrissie sniped back, "If you lay a finger on me, Aaron...I'll have you for assault."
"We can have you for attempted murder," Aaron snarled, "I think that trumps an assault charge!"
"Don't be so pathetic," Chrissie looked down her nose at Aaron, "whoever attacked Robert, it wasn't anything to do with me. I wouldn't waste my time on him...we were over a long time ago. You're barking up the wrong tree, believe me."
Robert gesticulated to Aaron for him to sit down again and, for once, he did as he was requested.
Chas, who had seen the whole thing and had come round from behind the bar, sat beside them and put her hand on Aaron's arm, "Calm down, love, you don't have any evidence that Chrissie was involved in Robert's attack. Don't make things worse by pointing the finger at her without any proof. She says she's innocent."
"She would say that!" Aaron was still angry, but was calming down. "I wouldn't put anything past her!"
Robert defused the situation by changing the subject and asking Chas a question, "You don't know anything about a Mrs Dingle putting in an offer for Woodbine Cottage, do you?"
"It's the first I've heard of it," Chas replied, "I don't know anything about that...and it isn't me either!"
"I know that!" Robert replied, "This person called Dingle comes from outside the village. Although the estate agent did say she'd been here before and knows the cottage."
Just then, Robert's phone rang and he answered it, "Hello. Yes...I see, well, we'll go up another thousand. Thanks, 'bye."
"Estate agent?" Aaron had guessed the identity of the caller.
"Yes," Robert looked peeved, "This Mrs Dingle has offered almost the asking price, so I've bid a bit higher."
"Looks like we've got a fight on our hands!" Aaron said with an exasperated look.