The Shack series

chapter 73

Six Hundred Million Pounds Sterling plus."

"What!"

"I kid you not, I'm now Life President, I get shares in Maxco and the Six Hundred Mill, I am a pig in s**t at the moment."

"Lester, are you kidding me? Is this your idea of some sick joke, because I'm not at all happy about it. Are you here to rub my nose in it again?"

"No I'm not, I'm here to make amends for that faceful of s**t I gave you when we split. I want to say sorry to you and Elizabeth and to try to give you something back for that and for the years of marriage I dragged you through before that."

"Lester, it wasn't all bad, but yeah you did pour a crock over me when I left."

"Thank you, I just need to have some way of repaying the years of pain I gave you and Elizabeth. I know I can't just throw money at it, but I want to somehow contribute, I want to at least get you to trust me again and see me as a friend, do you think you could do that?"

"Lester why are you doing this? Oh what the hell, come back with me after lunch and lets's see where it goes."

"Thank you Charlotte, you always were kind and generous. I miss that and I know it will take a while, but I want to be helpful and for you to know you can on lean on me when you need to."

"Okay Bill Withers I'll lean on you, eat your starter."

They smiled and raised their glasses as he waiter served the entre.

After lunch they took a cab to Charlotte's gallery, Lester helping her out of the cab.

"Well this is home,"

"You live here too?"

"Small flat upstairs, all I can afford as a working woman. All the surplus get's ploughed back into the business."

Lester look at the floor and then grabbed her hand.

"Confession time."

"Again, I don't think I can take much more."

"I spoke to the agents, the people who manage the letting, you know McCarthy's."

"I know who you mean Lester"

"Don't be angry with me, but I paid your rental, for the next five years."

"You did what?"

"I said don't be angry and now you're angry."

"Of course I'm b****y angry, how dare you do that without consulting me first."

"I thought it would help."

"Of course it helps Lester, but I might have wanted to ask you myself,"

"I thought you'd be pleased."

"I am pleased it's a major headache off my mind but goddamit Lester ask me first next time."

She hammered her fists against his chest, but they were only light blows. He grinned and stopped her then impulsively kissed her cheek. She grinned and wrested herself free, digging into her handbag for the key. He grinned and followed her in.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's meeting her partner for lunch."

"Her partner, I didn't know she had a guy?"

"Girl."

"Pardon?"

"Her partner is a girl, her names Perdy and she's stunning."

"Are you saying Elizabeth is gay, she's a..."

"Lesbian, yes I am. Oh! and everyone calls me Lizzy now Lester, so you might as well too. Hi Mum"

Lester turned and saw two stunning willowy blondes walking in. He stared in fascination, as Charlotte smiled and raised a hand.

"Wow, look at you, wow. Just wow. Well introduce me to Perdy then?"

Lester walked over to the taller girl and stretched his hand out. Her blue eyes sparkling and her grin broadening she appraised him thoughtfully.

"Ah! you must be Lestertheshit, if I'm not mistaken," she said as she held her hand out.

"Absolutely correct," he said grinning and pumping her hand vigorously.

He turned to Lizzy and moved his arms wider, hoping for an embrace. Lizzy moved forward and they came together awkwardly. Lester hugged Lizzy and she relaxed and draped her arms round his back.

"Hi Lester, I'm surprised to see you here, lost your job?"

Lester leaned back and gazed into her steel blue eyes, taking in the sheer perfection of her skin and the cheeky grin on her face.

"I love the way that grin crinkles your nose." He countered.

"Hah! nice try, but really what brings you to this neck of the woods."

"You and your mother. I wanted to have a chance to talk to you, I want to make amends for the total s**t I put you through."

"Ah bless. You got a conscience at last. Okay I'll buy it, what happened Lester, why now?"

"Because I finally saw what a complete f**k up I made as a husband and a father. I now have the time and the money to do some good. I want at least to be your friend, even if I can't be a father to you."

"Hmm, interesting, so you have money. Okay Lester, how much money do you actually have then?"

"A shade over Six Hundred Million,"

"How much of a shade?"

"After some payments I made to the people who worked for me and your Mum's rent, about say Six Hundred and Twenty Million and loose change."

"You're shitting me?"

"Nope, sold the company, made a mint."

"How's Rachel taking this?"

"Rachel and I split. I made some demands on her that were unreasonable and unjust. So she let rip and told me exactly what she thought of me and my life. Made it quite clear she wouldn't piss on me if I caught fire."

"I've never met her, but she sounds nice," Lizzy quipped.

"Yeah she has your style too. But she also made me think about what I was doing and I spent last night going through my life. I realised just what a total s**t I'd been. It wasn't pleasant believe me and if I could undo it I would. I can't do that but I can try to make up for it going forward. That is if you and Charlotte let me."

"Won't be easy I'm afraid, since you screwed up my teenage years but good. I can't switch it off straight away and be nicey-nicey with you, do you understand."

"Completely, but I mean it and I just need you to let me try to prove it."

"Okay, well can't waste any more time, there's loads to do. Hey can you go over to the Printers and pick up the exhibition catalogues, that would help me no end."

"Sure, got the address, I'm glad to help."

Lizzy scribbled the address and handed the note to Lester. He grinned and rushed out the door. A silence followed as they each wandered in their thoughts.

"Mum, are you buying this sudden change of heart. I mean what's come over him?"

"I don't know but I'll play along with it for a while. I can't speak for you, but I'm going to hold a little bit back, until I can see which way this is going."

"Agreed, nice but not open arms. What do you think babe."

Perdy smiled, and hugged Lizzy.

"I like him, he's a whole bag of contradictions, this should be fun."

"You minx, don't you stir him up, I know what you're like."

Perdy kissed Lizzy's nose,

"Trust me, you know you can."

Lizzy grinned and they smacked lips.

"You're a terrible woman but I love you dearly."

"Love you too."

Charlotte smiled and went back to her list, as the girls hugged and exchanged kisses.

"Sorry Mum, what's next."

They worked through the list rapidly until about an hour later,

"Oh I think we're almost there, no wait the caterers, we need to ensure they're here before five so we can set up the buffet."

"On it." Perdy lifted the phone and dialed the number from the book on the desk. She spoke softly, then winced and said OK.

"Err guys we got a problem, the Caterers transport's died, they have the food, but they're stuck trying to get it here. It's almost too late to get a replacement hire vehicle. What can we do?"

"Err, err,.."

Lester staggered in with a box and dumped it on the floor.

"here okay?"

He looked round and saw the concentration on the faces of the girls.

"What's up?"

"Caterers van's died they can't get the food here at the moment."

"Give me the address, I'll sort it, you deal with the rest."

Lester grabbed the hastily scribbled note from Perdy's hand and disappeared out the shop.

The three stood there speechless, then quickly looked at the list and busied themselves with the rest of the set up.

Lester caught a cab and reached the Caterers. He ran in and explained who he was and asked how much they they had to move. Not only were there food boxes, but also utensils and and cutlery, plates and glasses. Additionally the four Caterers were also coming as they were serving the food. Lester thought and then dug his mobile out. After two calls he grinned and told the Caterers the transport would be here in ten minutes.

Sure enough ten minutes later two Parker Industries Transit vans drew up, clean inside and out the vans were spotless. The drivers helped the Caterers load the vans and they set off for the gallery. Once they had arrived, the food was swiftly unloaded and set up. Lester dropped a fistful of notes into the drivers hands, they thanked him and left.

Lizzy caught the exchange and whispered to Perdy, she grinned and patted Lizzy's bottom. Moving to Lester she stood next to him as he put his coat down on a chair.

"Want to put that in the cloakroom. might be safer, and tidier."

She grabbed his coat and hand and dragged him into the rear of the building. Perdy spun Lester around and pressed him against the wall, her knee softly nudging his groin, just to let him know not to make any sudden movements.

"OK Lester, what gives? you come in here and turn Charlotte's life upside down, not to mention Lizzy's, I love them both, I won't see them hurt."