Closed Off To You (Singing Star Trilogy #1) (5 page)

Chapter Five

The family home sat in its usual place in a town just outside London. The tall townhouse was painted white and had concrete steps to its front door.

My mother opened said front door with a flourish.

The smell of roast meat filtered through the hallway, and into my nose, tempting my rumbling stomach.

“It’s about time. We’ve been waiting,” my mother said, taking my coat and hanging it on a hook.

I trudged after her into the dining room. She had deliberately told me to get to her house at three o’clock. Sunday dinner was always at three o’clock. Apparently, today would be different. The food was already laid out and people were sat in their places.

“What’s going on? I can’t believe dinner can be any earlier than it usually is.” I grinned at my brother, Charlie, as he stood and gave me a hug. My head bent back as I looked into his light brown eyes. His hair flopped over his forehead, almost covering them.

“Martin is here for dinner,” my mother said by way of explanation.

Turning to face the other man that sat at the table, I grinned as my spirit lifted. My brother’s friend had been away for a year; we weren’t expecting him back for another month. He had always been around the house when we were growing up. I had ignored them both, being five years older than them.

“It’s good to see you,” Martin said, getting up from the table.

I waved him to stay put and hurried around to his side. He had grown. Or it seemed like that, anyway. Maybe his year of travelling the world had made him more mature.

“You’re looking good.” He wrapped his arms around me.

I sniffed him unintentionally as the angle of the hug made my nose press against his neck. He went still. I pulled away quickly, conscious of my reaction to him. I had never sniffed my brother’s best friend before.

“Thanks. So do you.”

My mother huffed and gestured for me to sit down. I did as I was told, like always. She had been single since our father had left twenty years before. She refused to let any man in. She had been too hurt and didn’t trust that she wouldn’t be let down again.

“You’re looking a little flushed, sis,” my brother said, smirking.

I pulled a face at him, determined not to let him embarrass me. He had obviously noticed how I’d stuck my nose against his friend. Not that I had meant to.

“This is lovely, Mum,” I said.

Picking up my knife and fork, I started to help myself to the food laid out in front of us.

Our mother was a traditional mother who liked to cook for her children. As long as we liked what she cooked. If we didn’t like it, we would go without.

“What’s new with you, then?” Martin asked.

It was nice that he was interested in my life. Most people ignored me. To be fair, I always sat back and let others take the lead. It was much easier.

“I’ve just got a new contract with an online publishing magazine.” I glanced at my mother as she shook her head.

She had never approved of my chosen career. She thought that freelance writing was code word for lazy. She’d worked in an office until we were born, and when we were old enough to go to school, she went straight back. The way she saw it, women should work as receptionists, if they worked at all.

“That’s excellent, well done,” Martin said.

Looking at him sideways, I took note of the slight dimple in his cheeks. The smile that he gave me was different. His lips were not too fat and not too thin either. His hair was similar to my brothers. It was long on his head but darker than most. His skin was slightly tanned where he had been abroad, travelling the world. His eyes were green. I had never noticed how piercing they were. They looked at me, really looked at me.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake the unfamiliar feeling. Reaching for my glass, I took a sip of water, spluttering when it went down the wrong hole.

“As smooth as ever.” My brother laughed.

I glared at him before getting up and going into the kitchen. I didn’t want to cough over everyone’s food and interrupt a nice meal.

Maybe Lizzie was right. Maybe we were stuck pretending to be younger than we were. Martin had certainly looked at me differently.

“Are you okay?”

I plastered a smile onto my face when the man I had been thinking about strode in. He was taller than my brother. His presence loomed quite a bit larger than my own.

“Yes. I’m fine, thank you.”

I stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked down at the floor. My jeans were tatty, ripped at the knees. My top was floaty, like most of them. At least I knew how to dress my figure.

“It’s good to be back. I’m actually thinking about starting an online business. Maybe you could help me?”

When it came to work, I knew what I was talking about. I nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Martin had somehow got me tongue-tied. Even though he was only a little baby. Or, he used to be. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. He was my brother’s friend.

“Of course. I would be happy to help.”

My mother hollered from the dining room so we re-joined my family. Martin held out my chair for me before he sat at the table.

“What happened with you this week, dear?” My mother asked, dumping a load of veg on my plate. It was her way of telling me what I should eat.

“I got trapped in a bra in a changing room.”

My mother’s fork clattered to her plate, which pleased me. I liked to shock her. My brother studied me open mouthed, his half chewed food sitting on his tongue. Martin’s eyebrows were raised but in curiosity more than anything.

“Yes. A handsome man had to help me out of it.”

It was Charlie’s turn to cough. I smirked at him when he shook his head at me.

Mother huffed and dumped yet another spoonful of vegetables on my plate. I snatched the spoon from her and put it back in the bowl.

“Lucky man,” Martin stated.

We all started to laugh, except for my mother. My brother didn’t look as mortified as I thought he would.

“Are you going to explain how this happened?” my mother ordered.

It was interesting that she wanted to know. Maybe there was still a part of her that could have fun. She had never been intrigued before. I loved her dearly, but her ways were pretty hypocritical. She didn’t want to let a man in, yet, when we were teenagers, she had plenty of them. They visited the house when we had gone to bed. Then left her pretty soon after they’d arrived.

“You know me. I find it easy to get myself into these things.”

I took a mouthful of meat, defying my mother and her perfectly prepared vegetables.

“We want details. Who was the man?” Charlie asked.

Martin reached over and topped up my drink. I smiled my thanks, ignoring Charlie’s request.

“Thank you, Martin. That’s very kind of you.”

Martin smoothed the collar of his shirt as he glanced at my brother. Charlie frowned as he looked between us.

“Will you stop flirting with my sister?”

My mother tutted and slapped Charlie’s hand. The knife he held clattered to his plate. The meal was not going to plan. My mother’s plan, anyway.

“Will you both grow up? You’re old enough to start acting like adults.”

Our family dynamic was typical. My brother had always been the favourite. He knew how to manipulate my mother so she did everything for him. He had lived at home his whole life, only leaving when he went travelling as a student. My mother had paid for him to see the world. She hadn’t extended her generosity to me. Not that I had ever had the guts to go off on my own.

“Come on, tell us what happened?” Charlie pressed.

I shoved a forkful of food into my mouth and chewed. I shrugged at my brother, winking when he growled at me.

“She doesn’t have to tell us if she doesn’t want to.” Martin was kind. He sat back in his chair, relaxing his shoulders.

His physical form wasn’t as impressive as Nathan’s, but he had certainly grown up. The intense looks he darted over to me made my cheeks grow warm.

“You’re so boring,” Charlie moaned.

Mother finished her meal and stood to clear the plates, even though we hadn’t finished. Charlie hung on to his, wrapping his hands around the edges, and not letting her take it. Martin offered his thanks as my mother whipped his dinner plate away. I shovelled as much meat and potato into my mouth before she got to me.

“Why are you clearing the table this early?” I whinged.

Ignoring me, she went out of the dining room and left us alone.

“Come on, sis, tell us what happened while she’s not here.”

It would be less uncomfortable to tell them without my mother listening. “I got trapped in a bra and an assistant had to help me. Unfortunately, the assistance’s good looking brother called her away to an emergency before I could get free. He decided he was going to help me. He managed to get the bra off, but in the process he saw all my wobbly bits.”

“Were you naked?” Martin asked.

He stared at me, his cheeks slightly flushed. I tried not to feel too pleased that I had caused a reaction in him. An ego boost from my brother’s best friend wasn’t a good way to make myself feel better.

Charlie sat back, crossing his arms. “You’re right. That is so typical of you. Was he very handsome? I bet you were mortified.”

Martin’s chin wasn’t as square as Nathan’s. The movement at the corner of his jaw made me wonder why he bit down on his teeth.

“All I can say is that it was an interesting day. Very interesting.”

Interesting didn’t even come close to describing the day I had met Nathan. It had been four days ago, yet, I hadn’t had a friend request on Facebook. He obviously didn’t research me enough. Or, maybe I was being a bit unrealistic. I never did give him my full name.

My heart skipped a beat when Martin leant forward and placed his hand on mine. He squeezed quickly before pulling away. “These things happen. Just remember in future to take someone to assist you in that department.” Martin’s gaze made it obvious that he meant himself.

A napkin floated towards Martin from Charlie’s direction. I stopped gawping at my brother’s best friend long enough to see Charlie snarl when his chosen method of attack sunk lamely to the floor. He was about to grab his spoon when my mother shuffled back into the room.

“Just… Don’t.” Charlie huffed.

My mother handed steaming bowls of chocolate pudding to the boys before giving me my own plate. A fruit salad sat in its own liquid in front of me.

“Mum, that’s hardly fair.” Charlie stuck up for me.

Pushing my seat back, I got to my feet. For thirty years my mother had treated me with contempt. I was sick of it. “Martin, it was good to see you again.”

I didn’t give anyone a chance to try and talk me into staying. I managed to escape from the room before they knew what was happening. My mother tutted as I left the house, slamming the front door behind me.

Why I let my grey-haired witch of a mother get to me, I didn’t know. No one had loved her for many years. No one had loved me for many years, either. Maybe I was more like her than I thought.

“Melissa, wait up,” Martin called.

I paused on the side of the street on the way to my car. Martin’s cheeks flushed as he approached. His gaze connected with mine as he stopped next to me. “I’m sure she didn’t quite mean it like that. She must have your best interests at heart.”

My snort wasn’t very ladylike. Martin raised his eyebrows but kept a straight face otherwise.

“She hates me. I don’t know why. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the way she treats me, but she hates me.” I sighed, probably a little too dramatically. “Everything about me repulses her.”

Martin reached for my hand and squeezed my fingers. “I’m sure that’s not true. Maybe she just relates to men better. Charlie has a great relationship with her.”

I pulled away and turned towards my car. The baby blue hatchback had raised eyebrows when I’d first bought it. It suited my independent lifestyle.

As I looked at it, I realised it represented my singlehood. It was the perfect symbol of the spinster woman of modern times. A car big enough for myself and me.

“Melissa, can I take you out sometime?”

Martin put a hand on my back. I quickly stepped away. Charlie would kill me if I agreed to go out with his best friend. He was a nice lad, a really nice lad. In fact, he was no longer a lad. He had blossomed into a lovely man.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Getting my keys out of my bag, I unlocked the car.

I didn’t give Martin the chance to persuade me otherwise. In my current state of mind, my current
spinsterhood
state of mind, he would easily win me over. Anything to not feel like I had failed at relationships. Even though I had.

“Only as friends. I meant only as friends. I know Charlie wouldn’t be happy with anything more, and to be honest, neither would I.” He spluttered when he heard his own choice of words. “I didn’t mean it like that.”