The mistress�s revenge

Chapter 7 - third time around

Six years later, life for me was very different. I had my own flat about eight miles away from the centre of Newcastle. I had the same job and had to travel on the metro with a bit of a walk at either end. Although I could drive, I considered a car to be beyond my financial reach.
I'd had several boyfriends since Stephen. One of them I had loved and had been going to ask him to move in with me once I got settled. However he finished with me on the phone two days before I was due to move in. I wouldn't care, it he had a big van as well! Instead of moving in one go, I had to move in bits and pieces.

I was still freindly with Micheal, but it was more difficult to visit because it was a three hour round trip to get to his flat, so I didn't see him as often.

I kept in touch with some of my old house mates. One of them now lived in Manchester, but often had to come north to do work. I did not have a problem with him using my spare room.

On one of Paul's visits, we had eaten dinner, had a few drinks, played a board game that had turned out not to be much fun. It was still only nine o'clock. The night was still young! Why did we not go to the Mayfair!
Paul was not keen at first. He did not have the right gear with him. I looked at him. I didn't like to tell him he looked a bit square. But if he took his jumper off his shirt would do and everyone wore jeans. He would be fine!
I did a bit of emergency repair work to my face and we headed out, using the taxi company at the top of the street so that we could get there quickly.

There was no queue when we arrived, so we got straight in, but had to pay nearly ten pounds each to come in late.
It had been a while. I revelled in the old familiar beats. I used to recognise most of the songs. Now I recognised only the oldies.
We managed to still get a seat. We settled in with our drinks. Paul had a dance, I had a dance, we danced together, then I danced on my own again.
Then suddenly out of nowhere, I was picked up and swung round.
"Where the hell have you been!" came a familiar voice.
I could not believe my eyes! It was Stephen! He had put a bit of weight on with his age, but so had I. There was no mistaking who he was.
We could not stand talking on the dance floor forever. We were getting in the way and we couldn't hear each other anyway.
I took him by the hand and introduced him to Paul. Stephen was wary of Paul. After all he could be my husband for all he knew!
After a bit of explanation Stephen relaxed when he found out that Paul was no threat!
The conversation was kept general. We did not want to make Paul feel left out. Then at the end of the night we exchanged phone numbers.

Paul went home the next day. I was not pushing him out. That had been the original plan after staying with me all week.
On Saturday night I got a telephone call from Stephen. At last we could talk!
He said he had not had any success in the music business, so he had left it to become a mountain guide!
What?! This had to be another one of his tall tales... but what if he had been a member of the North Yorkshire search and rescue team? Oh! It was all fitting into place now!
He said his parents had sold their house in Yorkshire and moved up to Newcastle. He lived in the same house with the ginger haired girl he had cheated on me to see. Most of the time they had the house to themselves, because his mam and dad lived in Oman. Indeed, I was lucky to have caught him because next week, he was going over to Oman on a visit. His parents were going to be paying for his ticket, so he was flying first class!
He still had the rock star look about him, still had long hair, although it was considerably shorter than it had been in the olden days. He said he was going to make them think he was someone to be reckoned with.
I had no doubt he would be able to do that. He always could spin a good yarn.
After spending a fortnight in Oman, he was going to fly on to India. He was going to travel around there a bit. He was actually hoping to get up to Everest base camp, but he did not know whether he would be able to as it was booked up until the year 2000.
He did not know how long he was going to be away because it depended on what he found in India and what he was able to do there. He said he might be six weeks, six months, or even six years... but he would give me a ring when he got back.
Well! If he though I was going to put my life on hold while he was away, hanging on the telephone for me to jump when he wanted me to jump, he was badly mistaken!
It was a whole load of tosh anyway! I didn't believe a word of it... and I told him so.
He said he understood why I was bitter. He understood why I didn't believe him. He didn't believe himself sometimes!
Well wasn't that saying something!

We broke our phone record that night! We talked for five and a half hours. Again it was an incredible conversation. We understood each other. We got on so well! Why could we not get on as much when we were face to face? I blamed myself. I was nervous in his presence. I still found him exceedingly handsome and sexy. Maybe I didn't want to say or do anything to offend him and chase him away for good.

He said his relationship with Gloria was good and strong. They had been together for six years. He had not cheated on her once... after me. She had gone up to Scotland on a working weekend. He had not been to the Mayfair for years. He'd been bored sitting in the house alone, so he thought he'd venture out to see if there was anyone he knew there. The last person he thought he'd see was me!

It had been such a coincidence to meet up again, because I had not been to the Mayfair in years either. We had only gone on the spur of the moment.

The conversation ended with him repeating his promise. He would ring me when he got back. It might be six weeks, six months or six years, but he would ring me.

Hmm, three sixes. Now what did that remind me of?
Naaa, he will have forgotten about me after a couple of days!