Chapter 4
Cutter looked around the house in quiet awe as he followed Jenny. It was so incredible, with the crystal chandeliers, the ridiculously expensive paintings on the silver-coloured walls, not to mention the sheer size of the place! It look them almost five minutes to reach the lounge.
"What can I get you to drink Nick?" Felicity asked stiffly, walking over to the bar in the corner of the room whilst Cutter took a seat next to Jenny on the plush pearl-white sofa.
"I'll take a beer if you have one?" Cutter replied politely, fidgeting slightly. He felt as though he belonged here as much as a pink elephant did.
Felicity straightened up and looked at him, her stony eyes boring into him.
"A beer?" she repeated in cold amusement.
"Er . . . yes please," Cutter said uncertainly, completely nonplus to what the confusion was.
"A beer it is then," she said as she busied herself, the hint of humor still evident in her voice. "And your usual Jennifer?"
"Please," Jenny replied, matching her mothers icy tone.
A few moments later, Felicity served Cutter with his beer and Jenny with a white wine, and sat down on a chair opposite them with her own gin and tonic. Silence fell for a few seconds as Jenny and Cutter sipped their drinks uncomfortably. Felicity, however, looked perfectly at ease as she shook her glass slowly in a circular motion so that the sound of ice cubes clunking against the glass cut into the quietness. All the time she was surveying Cutter.
"So no Christopher tonight?" Jenny asked, obviously thinking it was better to make polite conversation than sit in silence.
"Unfortunately your brother couldn't make it tonight, he couldn't get away," Felicity replied with a slightly warmer tone. "He's studying English Literature at Oxford," she added to Cutter, the gloating in her voice evident.
"That's . . . that's lovely," Cutter stammered, cringing at himself that he could come up with nothing better to reply with.
"Isn't it," Felicity said, returning to her formed reserved tone. "Jennifer got excepted as well . . . she was the brightest girl in her class. Then she decided to turn it down - "
"Oh we're going to start are we?" Jenny muttered into her glass as she took a large gulp of her wine.
"I was merely commenting on how clever you were, I don't see how that's a bad thing," Felicity answered with satisfaction. "Honestly, you're so sensitive."
Another steely silence ensued. Cutter glanced at Jenny beside him and watched her tilt her head back and down the rest of her wine in one.
"Another one Jennifer?" Felicity asked, obviously noticing her daughters empty glass.
Jenny nodded and handed over her glass.
"Nick? Would you like another beer ?" she asked, putting particular emphasis on the last word as she made her way back to the bar.
"No thank you," Cutter replied, gesturing at the still half full glass in his hand.
"Where's Dad?" Jenny asked.
"Oh he's working late," Felicity replied, plopping ice cubes into her refreshed glass. "He'll be back for dinner."
Jenny nodded and accepted her glass back. Cutter watched them make eye contact for a split second; Jenny hadn't been over-exaggerating when she said they didn't get on with each other. In fact, judging by the look they exchanged; they loathed each other. Or at least Jenny loathed her mother.
"So Nick," Felicity began as she perched back on her chair, rousing him from his thoughts. "I know nothing about you. So tell me; have you ever been married?"
From beside him, Cutter heard Jenny scowl.
"I . . .er," Cutter stuttered, thrown by this rather direct question. "Er . . . yes I have."
"Divorced?"
"Yes," he replied, deciding in a spit second that it was better to say that than that Helen was dead. Or God-forbid tell the truth.
"It's an awful thing divorce," she continued wistfully. "Now-a-days, people break wedding vows like their breaking school rules. What was the reason for your divorce?"
"Er . . ." Cutter repeated, feeling completely ambushed.
"Mother, is this interrogation really necessary? Jenny interjected with her thumb and forefinger on the bridge of her nose.
"I'm just trying to get to know Nick a little better, that's all," Felicity replied in a false-sweet voice. "You don't mind, do you Nick?"
"I . . ."
"So what was it?" she continued as if there had been no interruption. "Adultery?"
"No," Cutter replied quietly. "It was . . . different interests I suppose."
"Different interests," Felicity repeated in disbelief. "That's very interesting. Tell me, what interests do you two share?"
Cutter and Jenny exchanged a meaningful look; if only she knew that what they had in common came from sixty-five million years ago . . .
"Started the party without me I see," came a stern male voice from the doorway that saved them from answering.
The man who was obviously Jenny's Father strode into the room. He had dark hair like Jenny, was extremely tall, and wearing a crisp grey suit.
"Hello Princess," he said with a smile to Jenny, kissing her on the forehead.
She stood up and hugged him, for the first time that night actually looking pleased.
"It's good to see you Dad," she said as he hugged her back. "It's been a while."
"Too long if you ask me," he replied kindly as they broke apart. "You're looking beautiful as always. And this is . . .?" he added, looking around at Cutter.
"This is Nick Cutter," she said, looking around.
Cutter stood up immediately, and offered his hand, which Jenny's father took.
"Nice to meet you Nick," he smiled, shaking his hand with a firm grasp.
"And you Sir."
"Oh we'll have none of this 'Sir' business," he replied, waving his hand slightly. "Call me John."
Cutter nodded, feeling relief bubble up in the pit of his stomach. Her dad seemed nice, at least . . .
"Dinner is served Mrs Lewis," the small voice of the maid announced into the room.
"Thank you Bethany," Felicity said, standing up also. She had previously been watching the warm exchange between Jenny and her father with cold impassiveness. "If you would all like to make your way to the dinning room?"
The table they were seated at was incredibly big. Jenny and Cutter were sat opposite each other, and Mr and Mrs Lewis at both ends of the table. They were all served red wine (that looked more expensive than Cutter's car), and a salad for the starter.
"So what do you do Nick?" John asked curiously after taking a sip of his drink.
"I'm a Professor of Evolutionary Zoology Sir . . . I mean John," Cutter replied immediately.
"Interesting," John nodded politely. "So how did you two meet then?"
"Nick and I work together," Jenny interjected, placing her napkin on her knee.
"What on earth would the Government need a PR woman and a Professor working together for?" Felicity asked coldly.
"We can't really talk about it," Jenny answered, her eyes on her plate.
"Yes Fliss," John interrupted, looking at his wife hard. "She's under the Official Secrets Act. You don't want to get her arrested do you?"
Felicity dropped the subject reluctantly, and they ate in silence for a few moments.
"Why are you picking the walnuts out of your salad Jennifer?" Felicity said in a scornful voice. "That's extremely bad manners."
"I'm allergic to walnuts," Jenny replied in an icy tone.
"Since when?"
"Birth."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Well would you like me to prove it to you?" Jenny snapped, holding up a walnut. "I'll swallow this, and shout 'I told you so' when I go into anaphylactic shock!"
"You're being incredibly childish - " Felicity began, but her husband cut her off.
"Can you two just let us have dinner in peace?" John shouted over the babble. "Honestly, you're both acting like children!"
It was clear to Cutter that Jenny and her mother arguing was a regular occurrence when they see each other, as her father looked fed up rather than shocked. They finished their starter in silence, and were brought some sort of precious fish dish for the first course.
"So how's business dad?" Jenny asked in a forced-clam voice; her father owned a law firm in the City.
"Same as always," John replied, seemingly relieved at the change in conversation. "People commit unspeakable crimes . . . we get them off with it."
He laughed joyfully, and Jenny and Cutter smiled at the joke.
"So Nick, I feel like we're ignoring you," Felicity said in a fake cheery voice.
Cutter felt his stomach do a back flip . . . here we go again . . .
"Do you have any children?" she continued, smiling at him.
"No, no kids in afraid," Cutter replied, trying to keep his eyes on his food.
"But you do want them in the future?"
"Er . . . yes . . . yes I do," Cutter said truthfully.
He looked up involuntary and caught Jenny's eye. She was smiling at him gently. They had never discussed the subject of children before, but it was clear from her expression that his answer had pleased her.
"Yes well," Felicity continued, clearly not as thrilled with his answer as Jenny had been. "Children are a handful."
"Jenny's too young to be thinking about children," John interjected, loosening the napkin that was in his collar.
"But Nick's not, are you?" Felicity smiled. "Remind me how old are you again?"
"I'm forty," Cutter muttered.
"Oh, barely ten years older than me," she tittered in the same falsely-sweet voice. "Not much time to plan."
"Can we just drop the subject please?" Jenny interrupted impatiently.
"Mr Lewis?" the maid whispered in the same timid voice. "There's . . . there's a call for you in you're study."
"If you'll excuse me," John sighed standing up slowly and re-buttoning his blazer. "I've been waiting for this call all day. It shouldn't take long . . ." he added as he followed the maid out of the room.
Jenny looked rather agitated, and Cutter could see why; Jenny's fathers presence seemed to keep her mother in check. But now that he was gone . . .
"So Jennifer," Felicity began with relish in her voice. "I saw Mark the other day . . ."
Jenny shoulders seemed to stiffen slightly, but when she spoke, her voice was steady.
"That's nice."
"He's business is going very well," she continued in a probing manner.
"Well I'm happy for him," Jenny said stiffly.
"So is there no way that you two - " Felicity began to ask tentively, but Jenny slammed her knife and fork down on her plate loudly.
"You stop it right now!" she yelled, pointing at her.
"I was only enquiring - "
"Well don't!"
"I only want you to be happy - "
"Happy?" Jenny laughed sarcastically. "Happy? You have NEVER cared about my happiness! Mark is a cheat, and a liar, and you know all of this! Stupidly on my part, it was you I came to that night I found out he was having an affair! But what did you do? You persuaded me to go back to him! Your own daughter!"
"Everyone makes mistakes . . . Mark is no different," Felicity said quietly.
"Well you would know about that, wouldn't you?" Jenny exclaimed, her cheeks tinged red with anger.
"Don't you DARE bring that up!" Felicity shouted, forgetting herself.
"Oh no, we wouldn't want Dad to hear now would we," Jenny laughed rather manically as she got up to leave.
"Just sit down and stop making a scene," Felicity hissed. "You're being immature - "
"And you are a selfish bitch," Jenny spat, picking up her bag. "Come on Nick we're leaving."
She made to storm out, but Felicity followed her, continuing the argument. Up until then, Cutter had been watching them argue in awe, actually unable to believe that Jenny's mother would actually pull something like this with him here. But as the two women left the room, he scampered up and followed, unsure of what to do and what to say. He heard them still bickering down the hall.
" . . . I've watched you do a lot of stupid things in your life Jennifer, but I've said nothing - "
"Hah . . . you've what?!" Jenny laughed in disbelief.
"But I can't let you continue in this relationship with this man!" Felicity continued, making Cutter feel as though she had just stabbed him. "He's a divorcee, and completely unsuitable for you!"
"You know, for a few seconds tonight I thought you'd actually act like my Mother and be happy for me," Jenny said in a cracking voice as she pulled on her coat. "But I was an idiot to think you'd change!"
Jenny turned and opened the door, walking straight out onto the drive way and out of sight. Felicity looked out after her for a few seconds, before turning back to Cutter who was standing frozen in the corridor. Her eyes cold and unreadable. She walked up to him slowly, only stopping when her face was merely inches from his.
"You have to know that she's not serious about you?" she whispered, her head held high. "A beautiful, intelligent, young woman like that interested in you ? No . . . she's just using you. She's more like me than you'll ever know, but she fights it. She thinks that by settling down with some loser like you that she's proving me wrong. But she'll get bored of you eventually, and she'll throw you away just like she did with Mark."
Cutter paused for a few seconds, his heart thudding fast. When she had finished, her eyes studied his face for a reaction.
"Thank you for dinner Mrs Lewis," he nodded numbly, before barging passed her and out of the door after Jenny.
********
Phew and you think your family's bad lol!.
This is the penultimate chapter I'm afraid, as it's only a short story. But I'm going on a well deserved night out tomorrow so I won't be updating until Friday sorry :(
However, as always please review! It really does help me improve for future fanfics, as I can learn what you like/don't like about certain stories!
Nikki x