Face to Face

Part 40

She was looking him up and down now, giving him more than the once over. She didn't look too impressed either. A frown had settled on her face, her lips pressed tightly together as her eyes lingered on his socks, and the trouser bottoms that were tucked into them.

"He didn't say you were a Chav!"

"That's because I'm not." He said defensively. She'd raised her head and then her eyebrows at him, reminding him of her son. She obviously wasn't convinced by his denial. She already had cause to dislike him and was probably expecting him to be some kind of thug, and now on seeing him had had her suspicions confirmed. Her gaze moved a little higher, taking in his hair, what there was of it. She looked none too impressed with that either! Well he liked it short, Jackson did too.

She was getting out of the taxi now and he found himself taking a step back, a little intimidated by her. Why he wasn't sure.

She wasn't quite what he'd expected...nothing at all like he'd expected! Where Jackson was thin and dark haired, his mum was...well she was...she was what Pearl would call on the plump side...well rounded...nicely padded. Pearl never used the F word to describe someone, and he certainly couldn't not where Jackson's mum was concerned. The two of them looked nothing alike! He didn't look anything like his mother either so why should that surprise him? Jackson must take after his dad. He did, looks wise anyway. There he was again! Thinking of that sorry tosspot.

She was talking again and he'd not heard a word she'd said to him again! "What?" Pardon would have sounded better, but he'd realised that a little too late. That was one word he'd never got into the habit of saying, one of those nice words that failed to trip off his tongue at such times as this. She must think he had no manners.

"He didn't say you were hard of hearing!"

"That's because I'm not!" He hadn't been able to keep the irritation out of his voice, it wasn't aimed at her though, it was aimed at himself.

He suddenly had an idea that she'd been teasing him. But he couldn't be sure. Her face was was giving nothing away, deadpan, perhaps she was another windup merchant like her son?

He was squirming now under her intense gaze. He'd wanted to make a good impression but so far he was failing miserably, once again letting Jackson down.

"Is he here?"

"Who?" He cringed on hearing himself ask such a rdiculous question. But she was making him so nervous he couldn't think straight. "Jackson! Yes. I mean no. He was... but he's not now." She was first shaking and then nodding her head in response to his ramblings. He was doing such a good impression of an idiot she must be convinced he was one by now.

"Tea?"

"Tea?" He repeated, a simple three letter word now had him confused.

"I think we're both in need of a brew."

He was in need of something a lot stronger a brew than tea but it might just help calm his nerves.

As Hazel had paid the taxi driver, he'd carried what seemed to be an endless amount of luggage into the Smithy. His mother was still in the bathroom, hopefully she'd changed her mind about having a shower and was now having a long soak in the bath; he didn't want her around right now. Paddy was busy next door and hopefully he wouldn't show his face just yet either.

It suddenly occurred to him that he should let Jackson know his mum was at his. Hurriedly pulling out his phone from his pocket he tapped out a message, he'd not been joking as he'd typed out 'HELP' he felt in desperate need of it.

eee

Jackson had laughed out loud on seeing Aaron's capital lettered plea. Finding out his mother was in Emmerdale had come as bit of a surprise, although nothing she did surprised him anymore. His mother was a one-off, or so people kept telling him.

After phoning his client and telling her he'd had a family emergency he turned his van around and headed back to Aaron's, he wasn't going to hurry though, he was happy to let Aaron get the measure of his mum!

When he'd first got back with Aaron he'd been a little wary of telling her. She was abroad and talking on the phone wasn't the same as telling someone something difficult face to face. There'd been a deathly silence on the other end of the phone when he'd told her he was again seeing the lad who'd punched him. Then she'd asked why he was prepared to give him another chance. She'd understood his reasons; she hadn't tried to warn him off. She'd trusted his judgement.

Over the following weeks he'd relayed the disturbing events that had taken place in Aaron's life, how his father had impacted on it once again. She might have been thousands of miles away but she had gained a firm understanding of Aaron in that time and a growing affection for him even though she'd not met or clapped eyes on him. But that was his mum for you, kind, wise and loving. Hopefully Aaron would see that for himself today.

eee

She was eyeing him closely, probably silently tutting to herself over her son's poor taste in men. He knew Jackson could do a lot better for himself so he couldn't blame her for thinking that way too.

Setting a mug of tea on the table in front of Hazel he then sat himself down opposite her, spooning extra sugar into his mug, feeling in need of a sugar rush.

"And there's me thinking you were sweet enough!"

She was smiling across the table at him, now he knew she was teasing and he smiled back.

"That's better; I was beginning to think you only did the 'rabbit caught in the headlights' look!"

"Sorry, I'm just..."

"Just what?" She asked her eyes widening in expectation.

" Nervous." He was more than nervous, he was shit scared of saying the wrong thing, but he couldn't say that to her.

"Nervous of little old...well of not so little old me? I won't bite."

He smiled over at her again. Jackson had said that to him once, their first night together, he'd been nervous and scared then too. But for very different reasons.

"Jackson said he'd told you all about me."

"He's given me his rose tinted view of you; but I'd like to hear your version now!"

TBC