A Bitter Coincidence

Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

After I got home, I took a quick shower and phoned my Grandmother, since it was still early in the afternoon, George wasn’t home from work for another few hours so I had time before starting dinner.

“Hi Grammy”

“Skylar girl! Are you okay?” The sound of her voice alone but a smile of my face.

“I’m okay, I’ve just got in and now I’m just relaxing a bit before I make dinner. How are you? How’s home?”

“Oh I’m great baby, I’m just getting ready for my Wednesday reading club meeting. Nothing different happening up here in the hills.”

“What’s the book this month?”

“It’s called Fifty shades of Grey and let me tell you it’s nothing about any shades of grey.”

I snorted so loud at her statement that I couldn’t breathe whilst asking her if she was joking.

“No, I’m not. I’m sure the women at the club wanted a more… sensual book to read and Paula decided to read this one.” She was giggling too which just set me off again, I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed it, there’s two more books after that one.” I could just picture her face. “And let me tell you, they get more graphic.” I giggled.

“Oh lord, at this rate I’ll be giving John from the Post Office a nice time in the what do you call it… the SACK?”

“Grammy!” I exclaimed “Please, for the love of all things holy, take pity on your granddaughter’s mental state, DO NOT talk to me about what you do behind closed doors.”

“Who says my door is closed…” She replied back, snickering away.

My Grammy wasn’t someone who looked like her age at 63, she could pass for late forties , early fifties she looked that fabulous. She was a small, curvy woman that had a funny and comforting personality but had the mental age of a teenager sometimes. She was often a fun person to be around and had no issue helping and loving anyone or anything that needed her. Sally jones was a gift from God and considering what she’s gone through in her life, I’m grateful she’s the way she is. After my parents died, she didn’t think twice about taking me in and raising me. She continues to shower me with love, to humour me and push me to be independent that you would get from a hundred parents.

She was still laughing on the phone and asked “What’s new with you? How’s the big scary city?”

“It’s not all that scary Grammy, remember that designing opportunity I talked about last week, I had the interview this morning and got the job!” I exclaimed.

“I knew you would bag it! I’m so proud of you, is it in a nice building?”

“Yup, new and everything. It’s almost all glass and the walls are just waiting for me to get started. I can’t wait to get started, it’ll be a lot of work but completely worth it.”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m so happy for you. Maybe once it’s done I’ll come and see it for myself, though don’t mind me if I s**t my pants on the underground.”

I laughed, “I wouldn’t let you do that, but I would love for you to come here, George misses you.”

“How is my adopted son doing?” She loved George, I introduced them when George came up to York with me for Christmas and it was like those two knew each other for years. Sally had no concerns about peoples s****l orientation or race, she’s always stated ‘it is what it is’ and continued to show the same love to everyone who deserved it from her.

“He’s awesome, he’ll be home soon, I’ll him you said hi. You should have seen him on the weekend though, his dance moves are worse that yours.”

“ME?? I can bust a move thank you, I taught that boy all he knows.”

“Exactly why he’s worse.” We both laughed. “ I miss you, I’m not sure when I’ll be home next.” I never went more that 3 months before seeing my Grammy and it’s now been since 4 months.

She sighed “I miss you too my girl, you’re busy and that’s okay, I understand.”

“I know, I just hate being away from you for so long. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Do you need anything? Need me to send anything or anyone?”

“You would think I was 90 and incapable of looking after myself with the way you are with me.” She tsked “I am fine, in fact I need to get going for the book club and then we’re going for a drink in the local.”

“Okay, I’ll let you go, if you need anything, call me, I mean it.”

“What are you gonna do? Grab a 5 hour train and come straight here? I am fine, like I said I have John from the Post Office…”

“OKAY I’M GOING!” She was laughing harder on the other end of the phone, the minx. “I love you and stay safe. Have fun in the pub and have a drink on me.”

“I love you more Sky, ring me soon and keep me updated about the job!”

“I will, bye Grammy.”

After I hung up, I sat there thinking about where I was now and how much my life has changed. When I was ten years old, my parents and I we’re involved in a car crash and unfortunately, they didn’t make it. I was in a coma for a week before I was told I was an orphan and my ten-year-old heart shattered. I was in pain from the broken arm and I suffered massive blood loss when a part of the car speared through my abdomen, causing internal and external bleeding. During 2 operations, I died for 6 minutes before the doctors got my heart running back up. It’s a miracle I’m evening sitting here and without many long-term complications, just an ugly scar running across the right side of my body. My Grandmother didn’t think twice about raising me as well as dealing with the loss of her daughter too it was just something that I would forever be grateful of.

Ebony and Peter Black were teenage lovers and grew up loving each other so much they got married and had me when they were only eighteen. They should have had a long life but the universe had other plans. Sometimes my arm would stiffen from the break and the scars were a reminder of that terrible accident. I also had this fear of hospitals for a long time before my Grams said it was a place that healed me. It was a reminder of horrible memories but luckily after years of therapy and my Grammy, I was able to sort myself out. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do this hospital job that I was so excited about. I sighed and looked at the clock and jumped from the couch to start dinner.

"YOU WHAT?" George exclaimed.

"Yup, Sam is the guy from the park and the club."

"The tall, sandy hair, truck of a man that was practically dribbling down the front of his two thousand shirt?"

I c****d my head to the side "how do you know his shirt is worth that much? Anyway, that's besides the point, he was not dribbling but he's my boss now. I can't... no I WON'T do anything whilst on this job."

"f**k, I think I want to work there now. Does he have any brothers?" George winked.

I shrugged "I haven't a clue but I bet I'll find out soon. I'm sure he said he ran the company with his brother, ever since his dad past away he was given it to either carry it on or sell it." I sighed and sat back on the couch. George came in and after we both tucked into a chicken pasta bake, we decided on wine and chat time on the couch. "Whenever we touch, it's a strange feeling. It feels...Fuzzy. Either there's chemistry between us or he's a walking electric pole."

"He's a walking pole alright." George murmured and laughed when I hit him in the head with a cushion. "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I'M JOKING! But I'm super happy for you babe, you deserve this opportunity."

"Thank you, I just can't help but think something bad is gonna smash it up to pieces. My therapist used to say that whenever I get overwhelmed or anxious I need to think of the positive outcome of it and if not, then I shouldn't be doing it."

"You can't think that way anymore and I know how hard it is and you're a solider for going through what you did and are going through but you have so much talent and brains that you know you won't mess up. People won't be hiring you if they thought that about you." He took a large gulp of wine and looked into my eyes. "If something moves forward with this Mr.Anderson-."

"Sam."

"Sam. What are you going to do? What if he asks you out, makes a move, shows a bit of loving..."

I huffed and looked into my wine glass. I had no idea what I'd do, I wasn't exactly experienced and the thought of getting intimate with something, showing them what's underneath my clothes and skin completely terrifies me. In the past, I've had guys make moves, I've even kissed them, but whenever they suggest to getting further in the sheets or personally, I've backed off. The thought of opening up to someone and having them turn away, which I'm convinced they will, makes me want to vomit. Having anxiety and zero confidence sucks. "I don't know George, I really don't."

"Okay. That's okay Sky, you're allowed to not know now. I think you will if it ever gets to it. Just listen to what your heart tells you and not your head." He finishes his glass and refills his and mine before continuing, "Just see how this job goes, show him the fun, sarcastic b***h I know's in there somewhere." He elbows me and we both laugh.

"I'm only a b***h to you." I mumble. "He'll be crazy to ever want to go there with me. He's probably got a billion girls waiting for him and I'm just making it up in my head." That's exactly how I thought and it was depressing as f**k.

George was shaking his head before I finished "You can't think that way. I get it's years of bullying and trauma but you deserve a time in your life where you meet someone and something good happens. It might not be this Sam bloke or Dave from the corner shop, but you'll get someone who will love you for you and hopefully you'll accept it. Just take your time."

I didn't respond and George turned on the T.V and Titanic was playing in the background, it was the part before the ship hit the ice-burg. George was right, I know he is every time we talk about this. I just can't seem to come to terms that I could be attractive to anyone. I'm average looking at the best of times, I'm an introvert, workaholic and socially awkward and not all sexy or mysterious.

I'm just me.