Crystal Clear

Chapter Six

Ava slipped on some black fishnet tights and pulled up her black pencil skirt. Brushing the fabric down with her hands she hoped that the finished black ensemble would good enough in front of Richard’s family but still look good enough to impress. She buttoned up the black silk blouse and walked downstairs to put her shoes on. Hopefully, she thought, she wouldn’t snag her tights too much during the day. Her black high heels felt odd with fishnet tights on, but Ava knew that it was far too hot in the July heat to wear anything else, and bare legs wouldn’t look right on her with a skirt like she had on and she wanted the tight fabric to smooth some lumps and bumps on her legs. She put a few last-minute items in her small black clutch – including a few more pins for her hair which was pulled back into a loose bun. Brown strands were already falling out of place and no amount of hairspray was helping hold them in. She glanced out of the window, Richard was due to pull up outside in his Caspian green hatchback any minute now and pick Ava up to take her to the funeral before he drove to Dan’s to drive to the funeral in the cortege limo. Ava was busy searching through a drawer in the hallway for a lipstick when she spotted the mottled shape of a green car through her front door. Damn it she thought, as she decided to leave without it, lip balm would have to do. She didn’t want to risk being in the limo with Richard and Dan, she ideally wanted to be in a crowded room where she could avoid Dan and the eye contact that might look suspicious.

Richard’s car pulled into the crematorium; it was a small brick building with a chimney, surrounded by beautiful gardens and a car park to the left. “I’ll see you in a bit” called Richard as Ava closed the car door behind her. She wandered over to the group of people waiting to enter the building, she didn’t see anyone she recognised so it was a long wait in the strong summer sun before the hearse and limo pulled up. A small, grey-haired man walked over to Richard when he got out of the limo, and Ava overheard him asking Richard to be a pall-bearer and the man pointed over to where a small group of men in tuxedos were stood next to the car containing the coffin. Ava watched as Richard’s face turned pale and he then lightly placed a kiss on her lips and he walked over to the black hearse, it’s black paint work shining in the glorious sunshine. Ava followed behind the now moving funeral attenders’ group, teetering in her heels over the different floor types of the crematorium building. Ava found a seat at the back, then shortly after the music started and the coffin came in and the service began. Ava watched Dan and Richard as they sat down at the front. Richard dabbed his eyes at intervals during the service with the handkerchief she’d packed for him last night, Dan sat next to him, dry-eyed and looking like he was made of stone. She’d forgotten how alike they looked until they had sat next to each other, the only difference these days was their hair styles.

When the service ended, and everyone went to the wake in the nearby pub, Ava felt eyes on her as she ordered some drinks. Richard was busy talking to a group of people in the beer garden, so she suspected if it was anyone it’d be Daniel. Her gut feeling was correct when she felt an arm around her waist.

“I’ll get that” Dan told the barman as the drink was placed on the bar.

“Thanks,” Ava said shyly, hoping that Richard wouldn’t walk in.

“You look stunning by the way, just as I suspected. The only problem is, where’s that stuff that makes your lips that nice red colour you’ve worn before?”

“You mean lipstick, and I couldn’t find it earlier, so I’ve had to go without. Thanks once again for the drinks” Ava replied, as she attempted to get away from him quickly. But Dan reached out for her wrist before she could leave. “Ouch, you’re hurting me!” she muttered to him in a pained response.

Dan loosened the grip on her wrist but didn’t let go and asked, “I just want to know why you’re with him, when you could be with me?”

Ava thought for a moment, “You’re drunk. You said you’d stay away.” she tried to wriggle her wrist out of Dan’s grip until a voice behind them both scared her.

“Ave, is Dan bothering you?” Richard’s voice from behind Dan questioned the two of them.

Dan looked guiltily around the room as he turned to face Richard and Ava’s gaze was at the floor.

“I guess I better tell him, Ava and I… we were together a while back. I was just asking her if she wanted to leave you and come back to mine” Dan lied audaciously in reply to Richard.

“What?!” Ava scoffed at Daniel, annoyingly realising she’d yet again lied to Richard by not telling him the whole truth.

Richard looked peeved and within a split second his fist collided with Dan’s face. Dan’s hand clasped around his cheek after the blow to the face, it was now bright red with pain. Ava gasped, and Dan pushed Richard over, so he tumbled over the back of a chair at the bar. He stumbled to his feet and rugby tackled Dan away from the bar and against a low wall. Dan kicked Richard off him and then hit him back. Everyone in the pub stood back and watched the two of them fight. Ava wanted to pull Richard way, but she didn’t want Dan to think he’d won and if she pulled Dan away, she didn’t want Richard to think she was siding with him. So instead she just watched, horrified to see the two men punching and hitting each other. The bar manager then rushed over, pulling the two men apart yelling “No one fights in my pub!” and with that, a team of people pulled Dan and Richard outside and onto the street.

Ava scouted around the room for her clutch bag and then went outside to see Richard when the crowd had dispersed. “Are you ok?” she asked him.

Richard shouted, “OF COURSE I’M NOT ALRIGHT!” his face turned pink as he turned around and punched the wooden fence next to him. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d dated him? He’s my bloody brother for god’s sake! I was bound to find out one day!!”

Ava put her hand up to her face and sighed, “I’m sorry”

“SORRY! SORRY! Ha! Did you ever want me or did you just like me because I was second best? He’ll do, he looks just like the man I couldn’t get to commit so I’ll take him instead!” Richard spat.

“No… I mean, maybe at first…. I thought that but I got to know you better and you are the better brother!” Ava stumbled upon her words, hoping they would be what Richard wanted to hear – instead she feared she sounded pathetic. The truth was pathetic, and she hated the sound of it leaving her mouth.