Redemption

~45~

Lying on the floor Issy had listened. It was as if she could hear him.

Every trill of the telephone, every silent second in between.

She'd been hasty and a bitch but what else was there to do.... say .... 'Yes John, lovely.. congratulations!?'

Her eyes had bled tears stinging hot, dashed away angrily as she watched the seconds tick by on the kitchen wall clock.

He'd called and called and called... and she had flat out ignored his attempts to tell her more.  She wanted to know and have it all in the open but then again she wanted to curl in a ball and hide herself away too.

Was he breaking up with her or trying come up with a plan that included the two women staying in his life together.

Issy shuddered.

No he wasn't that sort... he'd toss one to make room for the next.... He wouldn't have two lives. Two women on the go, would he?

Although... he certainly had the means and plentiful sex drive to keep every one of them happy. Issy briefly smiled, willing to place hefty bets, that more than a few females would think it was an ideal relationship.

She sighed dejectedly at herself, wisps of her fragile ego were trying to escape and make her become a worry wart once again. The woman she was now had to be strong, stand up and fight, if necessary.

John deserved it.

She most certainly deserved it.

Close to dawn, running on little to no sleep, she was still hurt, the words had stung and she was holding herself together by a shred.

Tiredness after torment is a different beast entirely.

But her mind whirled on, flicking through her memories.

He was by far the best thing she had been gifted in this life apart from Sally, Ivy and Julian of course.

Could she wash her hands of him over this, drop tools and slink away. He had never said the words before and shouldn't have said them in that dreadful call yet Issy, deep down inside, held them close. Grasping them firmly in her heart of hearts.

And that woman.

Yes, what of that woman...

Issy had scoffed loudly when John had said his few words about her. It seemed like eons ago yet it wasn't all that very long really. Oh yes, Issy had loudly snorted and covered her mouth to stop the laugh when he'd mentioned this Heather person had never ever heard of The Beatles.

Men- even the smartest ones could be thick as mud when women's catty games were played.

Issy, in that very moment, seeing John's wide-eyed eager beaver relish-ment of Heather's so called 'Beatle-y ignorance', had Heather outed in her mind, straight away- As a liar.

It was hard to conceive, as a non celebrity or Beatle, that John would prize that one thing so much.

Anonymity.

Yes anonymity was very much a resting place for John in a world full of obsession.

Issy knew that now....

And Heather had been dishing it up, spoon feeding him, and John walked right in and lapped it up.

What a wonderful pickup line to entrance a Beatle... 'Hello, I'm Heather, what's your name? '

Bloody Brilliant!

Pff - Never heard of Lennon or the Beatles... what utter rot...

Perhaps.

Perhaps.....

When was it?

Issy jumped up, waking the dogs from their slumber by her side. Scrambling fingers through the sideboard drawer she found paper and pen and set to work recalling every god damn date and snippet of information that had Heather's dirty fingerprints on it.

Then, and only then... was Isabelle finally ready to talk to John.....