Trying Not To Love You

Part Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Five

Martha worked well with Sonny, when they weren't arguing they had a very symbiotic relationship, she took orders, he served them, he poured drinks, she restocked the fridge. They were almost telepathic, and it made the nights fly by. For Martha that was a relief, she'd started to remember the reasons she'd fallen in love with Sonny, he could be funny, caring, and she'd always thought that he understood her. When it was just the two of them working the room they were a formidable double act. It could have been so different. She'd never forget what he'd done to her, but she was starting to hurt less, each day that passed. And unless she upped and left, she had to get on, she had to tolerate living there. Making some sort of peace with Sonny was part of that. She'd never confide in him again, never be close as they had, but she could rely on him for work, for helping out with things. And that was as exciting as it got.

"Where are you going?"

Martha was loading some bags into the back of Herman excitedly, all the while shouting to Ethan who was somewhere in the house apparently looking for Optimus Prime...an essential travel companion.

Looking up she saw Sonny across the yard in his training kit, sweaty from pounding his punch bag.

"Going away for the weekend. In fact I've got something on next Saturday too, so you and my Dad will have to start coping without me."

She could see him gulp at that and only hoped she'd ruined any plans that he had. He was in cahoots with her father? Then he could start living up to that. It was HIS turn to pick up the pieces, not hers. Not anymore. And Jack's excited phone call earlier mentioning free tickets to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and dinner in her favourite Mexican restaurant after had made her squeal with excitement.

"Is Herman going to get you there?"

He was fishing as to where she was going and she wasn't about to give him any details. Let him stew. Instead she patted the bonnet of the car and smiled, "Herman would get me the end of the world." Looking back to the house she shouted, "come on Ethan we're going to be late!"

Three hours later they were glammed up, and the four of them, including Jack and Evie were heading to Drury Lane and the theatre. Mike was working, but he was meeting them for dinner afterwards.

Both Evie and Ethan sat there agape as the colourful dancing singing show progressed in front of them, it was visually delightful, and Martha loved it even more as there was a well known actor playing the part of Willie Wonka.

"Fight you for him!" Jack whispered as the man sang a solo. "Rumour is he's 'one of us' anyway...unlucky!"

Martha giggled, she could never feel sad in Jack's company, she only wished she'd been a better friend over the last six months.

"I bought this delicious Chianti in Italy a few months back Martha, you HAVE to try a glass."

They'd had an amazing dinner, in a fantastic restaurant, and now, the kids in bed, she sat with Mike and Jack in their kitchen. Both gushing at how pleased they were to see her looking so much stronger than her last visit. And she felt it. No man was worth getting hurt for.

"Haven't we drunk enough at dinner?" she offered weakly whilst looking at the bottle with longing and that was greeted with a round of cackles.

"You? Too much? NEVER!"

And so one bottle became two...became three...

Knowing that her disappearance had irked Sonny pleased her, and the thought of going to the Cotswolds this coming weekend for some walks in the late autumn sunshine and nice dinners kept her going through the working week.