The Aftermath Of You

Chapter Thirty Six

"This is my date," Danny said, gesturing towards the redhead beside him. She was so tall that Toni worried she would knock the overhead bulb out of its socket.

"Hi." Toni felt a disturbance in her stomach. She couldn't decide if it were nerves or hunger pains. She decided on the second.

The redhead was wearing a tiny skirt that barely covered her backside, leaving a splattering of cellulite on display. Toni suppressed a victorious smile, only to notice that Danny was ogling every square inch of visible flesh. Instead of feeling concerned about cellulite, he seemed ecstatic.

"And this is Clavicle."

The six foot redhead had the grace to look confused.

"Toni."

"Last name Handcock," Danny sniggered.

"Oh!" The redhead started laughing. "My goodness, what an unfortunate name you have."

"And this is my son Jayden."

Jayden stood beside Toni, staring up at the woman in ill-disguised awe.

"Hello, little man," Danny's date said, crouching down to his height. "I have a present here for you."

Toni watched as the tall redhead passed Jayden a prettily-wrapped parcel. She's trying to bribe him to love her, Toni thought in disgusted admiration.

Without hesitating Jayden tore the wrapping paper off in seconds.

"It's a Bob the Builder DVD," the redhead said.

"I want to watch it now," Jayden announced to his father.

"Save it for a rainy day, son."

Jayden looked confused. "But then it will get wet."

Danny's tall date started laughing. "Aren't you adorable?" She stood up abruptly and adjusted her skirt.

"You just knocked my lamp shade out of place," Toni said.

"I didn't even feel it!" the redhead said in surprise, "Sorry. I always do that." She adjusted the overhead fitting like a pro.

"So you'll be baby-sitting, right?" Danny asked Toni. "We won't be back till late." His arm snaked out to encircle his date's waist, and they wandered out comfortably entwined.

It nearly made Toni sick.

"Toni," Jayden asked. "Why did that woman laugh at me?"

"I wouldn't have a clue. Do you want me to make you popcorn?"

"Yes, and I want bubble juice!"

"Your wish is my command." See, Tall Woman, Toni thought waspishly - two can play at this game.

Toni had a strange feeling in her stomach... A Thomas the tank engine DVD seemed like such an odd thing for that woman to be handing a young child. Magic mushrooms and Woodstock tickets... Maybe, but something so commercial?  Was Danny up to something?

There was a knock on the door. Seven thirty in the morning. Jack had already left - was it possible he'd forgotten his key? I wandered over to unlatch the chains.

We hadn't had a very easy month since finding out I was pregnant, since, as I liked to tell everyone who popped by, I was suffering with hormones. But secretly, when no one was around, I admitted to myself that actually I was suffering with Jack. I was sick to death of continuous meals of rice and cauliflower. To give credit to Jack, he always made sure my brown rice arrived with a garnish of carrot and tomato because, as he told me, I needed vitamins.