While I Was Shopping: Part 20

Chelsea rolled over in bed, her mouth dry and furry, and her head pounding a thousand decibels in her head. She berated herself the mountain of vodka she had drunk the night before, and she tried to remember what had happened last night. And then it all came flooding back to her. The pub, the club, the restaurant…a violent image of Michael and Annabel screwing each other against the club wall smashed its way into her mind and she blinked shut her eyes until it had dissipated. She turned over towards the window and opened her eyes.
 
And almost shot out of bed in shock.
 
Eric’s sleeping form, in her bed, had appeared out of nowhere. How had he gotten there? But even Chelsea’s rampant hangover couldn’t kill the images that were suddenly reappearing in her mind now. She remembered him kissing her, his mouth hot and his tongue soft in her mouth as they kissed. She remembered leading him to the bed, and then…she blinked but nothing happened. She couldn’t remember what happened next, and as hard as she tried to remember, she just couldn’t recall the images.
 
She silently cursed herself for her stupidity. If she had slept with Eric last night then she would have done something entirely insane. Eric was an attractive man, and he was a lovely guy as well, but sleeping with him just to get some kind of pathetic revenge on Michael was too shameful to contemplate, and she hoped that she hadn’t for all of their sakes.
 
But of course there was only one way to find out wasn’t there?
 
Looking down at herself she saw she had her nightdress on, and she still had some underwear.
 
Glancing up at Eric’s sleeping form she gently lifted the covers and took a peek at what he was wearing. What she saw made her head snap up and her cheeks flush with colour, and suddenly she felt like a pervert, spying on a sleeping, naked man. But that was the point wasn’t it? He was naked. This was not a good sign.
 
 “Stop frowning, it’s too early in the morning.” Eric said without opening his eyes, making Chelsea jump and then flush dark red. She made to say something but found she couldn’t.
 
Eric continued to keep his eyes closed. “And stop blushing.”
 
Chelsea found herself pulling the covers up to her neck and creeping towards the edge of the bed.
 
Eric opened first one eye, and then the other and, after stretching, leant his head on one hand and smiled.
 
“Good morning.”
 
Chelsea looked a little alarmed, ill and wary all at the same time as she felt her stomach flip.
 
“Is it?” she croaked, her throat begging for nourishment.
 
“Hmm, very much so.” He said as she began to sit up in bed. “And not a bad night either.”
 
Chelsea felt her heart sink. She had slept with him.
 
“Didn’t you enjoy it?” he asked innocently and she glanced up.
 
Eric laughed gently and sighed. “I’ve never had such thrilling sex with someone before. Especially when they snore and hog the duvet after passing out half dressed.”
 
Chelsea cocked her head and looked quietly at Eric.
 
Eric shook his head and looked out of the window. “Nothing happened, Chelsea. You passed out and I put you to bed.” He motioned towards the sofa bed. “And I wasn’t sleeping on that thing again.”
 
Chelsea looked puzzled. “But you’re…you’re…”
 
“Naked?” Eric asked with a small smile and a shrug. “I can’t sleep any other way.” He said matter-of-factly.
 
Chelsea slumped on her pillow and sighed. “I don’t mean this to offend you Eric, but I’m glad.”
 
Eric leant his head on his hand and looked at Chelsea’s frowning form. “What is going on Chelsea? What’s happened to Ed?”
 
She continued to stare at the ceiling and she shut her eyes.
 
“It’s obvious something’s bothering you, and I can guess what that is.” He said before pulling himself up in bed.
 
“Ed and I are divorced.” She said quietly and Eric looked shocked. He had been the one who had kept in constant contact with her since Barbados, the one who had always asked how she was, who had tried to keep her informed about the Pythons, and had always asked about Ed. And she had kept this all a secret from him? He couldn’t help but ask himself why.
 
“Since when?”
 
“For about a year now.” She turned to him. “I’ve wanted so many times to tell you, but I didn’t want anyone to know.”
 
Eric’s brow wrinkled. “And you thought I’d say something?” he folded his arms and looked slightly hurt. “You know if you wanted to keep it a secret all you had to do was ask. I’ve kept things quiet before now.”
 
Chelsea nodded and touched his arm with her hand. “I know, but it was difficult for me. I just want to move on from Ed now.”
 
He looked down at her lying on her pillow and saw a tear course down her cheek. He wiped it away and she looked up gratefully towards him.
 
“What happened, Chelsea?” He pushed himself down in bed and rested his arm on his pillow, placing his head in his hand. “Start from after we left you guys at the airport.”
 
Chelsea sighed. Somehow she knew Eric was the right person to tell. He was one of her greatest friends and she knew that if she told him he may be able to help her, or at least listen as she got it off her chest, without reprimanding her afterwards. He was a good listener, and gave some great advice when she needed it.
 
“We went home and tried to get on with our lives.” She said slowly. “At first we made a real effort with each other. I’d spend my time preparing food, cleaning the house and we’d spend as much time together as we could.” She sat up in bed, and looked at her hands. “We even continued to…you know…sleep together….”
 
Eric nodded and watched her closely.
 
“And I even started getting some work in the city, and you know how it is in show business. Once you get one good deal, and another comes in and that’s that. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of you, and you’re up to your eyes in work.” She smiled gently at Eric. “And you know me, never one to shy away from work.” Her face clouded over. “But Ed said I was shying away from him, and when I mentioned getting a flat in the city he went berserk.” Her face crumpled slightly and she looked away, a wobble in her voice. “He said I was going to meet up with Michael and make myself more a whore than I was already.”
 
Eric’s jaw dropped and he instinctively put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and wiped her eyes with her hand.
 
 “So I bought the apartment anyway and left Ed in the countryside to keep the farm up and running. He wouldn’t move and I needed to be nearer my work. And one night I came home and found him in bed with a farm hand called Mandy.”
 
Eric couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He would never have suspected Ed would do such a thing, but he looked down at this woman in his arms and grinned wryly to himself. It was amazing what some people would do for love.
 
“What did you do?” he asked gently.
 
Chelsea sighed. “I moved out completely. I took all of my belongings and left. We weren’t a proper couple anymore, and we both knew it. It wasn’t until months later that he turned up on my doorstep and we ended it permanently.”
 
“And you’re divorced, I mean, properly?” Eric asked.
 
She nodded. “All signed, sealed and delivered.”
 
Eric looked at her sad eyes and smiled at her gently. “Another chapter over.” He said softly and she grinned up at him.
 
And it was in that sober moment that Chelsea reached up and kissed his mouth, ever so lightly. For some reason sense had over ridden her and she felt so emotionally charged that she had to release it somehow, and Eric was a good man, someone who listened, who honestly cared and who was willing to be there for her.
 
Astonishingly, it was Eric who pulled away.
 
“You don’t want to do this Chelsea. There’s still so much you have to sort out with Michael.”
 
Chelsea looked puzzled and then slightly angry. “There’s nothing left to say to him. It is over.”
 
Eric cocked his head and touched her cheek gently. “As much as you hate to admit it, you still love him, and have loved him ever since you fell into his shopping basket years ago.” He looked into her eyes and smiled. “And as much as I’d love to make love to you, I can’t on that very principle. You are in love with my best friend and I could never live up to that.”
 
She looked at him and sighed. Of course he was right, and there was nothing that either of them could say to change the circumstances. But as much as she was starved of physical affection right now, she knew that ultimately she could never go through with sleeping with Eric, drunk or sober.
 
“I’m sorry Eric.”
 
He patted her arm and smiled softly, before kissing her head. “Don’t worry about it. We all need a little comfort sometimes.”
 
She smiled sheepishly. “Yeah but I’m an adult, and I should know the limits.”
 
 He grinned as he leant out of bed and picked up a pair of trousers, trying to stealthily put them on. “We all know the limits, but some of us like to expand them a little.”

   *************************************************************************************************************

“Ah ha!” cried Terry as Michael’s dishevelled and tired figure entered the breakfast area and sat heavily down at the table. None of the other Pythons were up yet and Terry had spread what seemed like a thousand newspapers out on the table.
 
“Wondered where you’d gotten to last night.” He said with a wink and a nod, and Michael grimaced and began to sup the coffee that had been placed before him.
 
“I had a late night that’s all.” He croaked, his throat like sandpaper and his head throbbing from the amount of alcohol he feared he had consumed.
 
Terry peeked over a paper and raised his eyebrow. “I’ll say! So late in fact, that you didn’t return to your hotel room.” He took a sip of his tea. “So who was the lucky lady, or do I need bother ask?”
 
Michael leant back in his chair. “Anna offered me her sofa.” He said, but Terry grinned as he saw the tell tale signs of Michael’s lying creep into his face.
 
“You never were a good liar.” He said and bit a piece of toast, offering it to Michael, who frowned and shook his head.
 
“So do you like her?” Terry asked, chewing with his mouth open.
 
Michael frowned again. “What kind of question is that? Would I have slept with her if I didn’t?”
 
Terry pointed and shouted, “Ah Ha!” again. “So you did sleep with her. John owes me some money.” He said and winced as Michael scowled.
 
“Joking aside Michael…” he began, and placed his toast on his plate, “I don’t want you rushing into anything you aren’t prepared for.”
 
Michael scoffed. “Don’t worry Terry. I have protection.”
 
It was Terry’s turn to scowl and Michael smiled gently. “I know what I’m doing.”
 
“Ah but do you?” Terry asked. “Tell me, how many times did you sleep with Annabel?”
 
Michael smirked. “That is none of your business.” He said, and as Terry stared at him he shrugged. “About five.” He said.
 
Despite raising his eye brows Terry continued. “And tell me, how many times did you superimpose Chelsea’s face onto hers as you watched her come?”
 
“Terry!” Michael said, astounded at his friends remark. He had never thought Terry could think of such things, let alone be capable of saying them out loud. Usually it was Eric who said such things, and usually about his exes.
 
“Tell me!” Terry said, his face in no way demonstrating that this was funny.
 
Michael sighed. “At least three.” He said and Terry nodded. “But the other two were…” Michael said before biting his lip and frowning. “The other two I did from behind so I couldn’t see.” He finished and felt his face flush red. Never had he really spoken about this to Terry before, and he was surprised to find himself so candid.
 
“There you go then.” Terry said matter-of-factly. “You cannot keep seeing Annabel if you still love Chelsea.”
 
Michael put his hand firmly on the table. “I can’t not see Annabel.” He said. “Chelsea and I are finished. She’s married and she made it very clear that she doesn’t want me, or love me anymore. So what do you want me to do? Wait around until my heart becomes so old and shrivelled that I can’t love at all, let alone for Chelsea? Because I know that I am going to love her all my life, with all of my soul, and there’s nothing you, Chelsea or Annabel can do about it. So if I find a little comfort in the arms of a beautiful, intelligent and funny woman, who are you to stop me? I don’t need to love her to be in her arms do I?”
 
 Terry frowned. “Michael, you know that this isn’t you. You aren’t the type to live a lie.”
 
Michael’s smile was rueful. “Terry, I lived a lie before remember. And it was the happiest time of my life.” He stood up, signalling his departure. “I’m sure I can do it again.”
 
And with that he left, leaving Terry more than slightly disturbed about this revelation, and certain that something would have to be done about it.

    ***********************************************************************************************************

“So?”
 
Chelsea felt her arm tugged as she came off stage and Graham’s pipe smoke waft into view. They had been rehearsing all day and she felt tired and bored and sick of saying the same lines over with Terry yelling at her to get them right, even though she had the first time.
 
“What?” she said irritably as Graham lead her to the backstage area, and secreted them both behind a rack of costumes.
 
“How did it go with Michael?” he asked eagerly and quietly.
 
Chelsea frowned. “Was that before or after I found him in a compromising state with Annabel?” she asked pointedly and he winced.
 
“It didn’t go well?”
 
Chelsea slapped his arm more than playfully.
 
“What did you say?” he asked.
 
She looked around. “Nothing, I didn’t stay that long.” She smiled in mock humour. “You know, three’s a crowd and all that.”
 
Graham looked at her reproachfully and she stopped smiling. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. I don’t know why I bothered listening to you at all. ‘You may be pleasantly surprised’. Yeah, it was certainly a surprise to see them…to catch them…” she couldn’t finish and looked angrily up at Graham who studied her with his pipe.
 
“I know this is a blow Chelsea.”
 
“No it isn’t, Graham,” she looked around again. “This isn’t a blow at all, not to me anyway. It just confirms everything I always suspected and knew in my heart. Michael and I are not meant to be together and that’s final.”
 
And before he could respond she walked off towards the dressing room.

   **********************************************************************************************************

“One more day to go guys, do you think you’re ready?” Annabel asked as they all sat around the table in the business suite of the hotel, papers, pens, photographs, stage directions and set up notes spread out before them all, along with a good few bottles of water, beer and coke, empty packets of crisps and chocolate bar wrappers, along with a couple of half eaten sandwiches Gilliam had brought with him.
 
 “I think we’ve got it covered.” Terry said, the spokesman for the group. “There’s really not a lot left to do now.”
 
She smiled at the group, not realising that Chelsea had put her board up in front of her face to avoid having to look at her.
 
“Good, well I think that concludes our meeting for this evening.” She said and began to pack up her things into the small carry case she took with her everywhere.
 
“Do you guys have any plans for this evening?” she asked innocently.
 
There was a general rumbling of no, and she smiled again, making Chelsea want to smack her in the mouth.
 
Eric pinched her leg under the table with his hand, causing her to jump and make the pencils on their side of the desk roll about, and she murmured a grinning apology to them as they cast her wary glances.
 
Graham watched her with interest and noted exchanged looks between Eric and herself as she began to push her paper together on the table top.
 
“Well I wondered if you would all like to join me in town.” Annabel asked. “I know of a wonderful club we could go to.”
 
“I bet you do.” Eric said under his breath and Chelsea tittered like a school girl.
 
“Pardon?” Annabel asked, her face a little red. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
 
Eric looked up innocently as Chelsea stifled a giggle. “Sorry Miss?”
 
Annabel scowled at him, but maintained her composure and continued. “So who’s up for it?”
 
There were a few “yes’s” and Michael smiled up at her with all of the awe of a child, affirming openly that he was in fact seeing their American ambassador, and John, Gilliam and Terry all nodded their approval. Graham raised his hand in agreement, and it was obvious that they were waiting for Eric and Chelsea’s answer as the room fell silent.
 
Chelsea looked down. “I have a headache.” She said. “I’m going to head off to bed.”
 
Annabel didn’t look at all bothered, and her voice showed this. “Oh what a shame.” She said. “Eric?”
 
“I’m afraid I have a hot date.” Eric said loudly and the other Python’s rolled their eyes.
 
“Who’s it with this time Eric? Another easy floozy?” John asked.
 
Eric feigned insult. “How could you say such things John?” He smiled openly. “She’s very lovely actually, and much better company than you lot any day.”
 
“Well bugger you then.” Said Terry as he put his pens into his bag.
 
“I think that’ll be her job.” Eric retorted, and received a round of groans for his trouble.
 
“Doesn’t it bother you?” Gilliam asked loudly and Chelsea’s head snapped up, suddenly aware that people were looking at her and asking her a question.
 
“Pardon?”
 
“Doesn’t it bother you that Eric’s bringing back virtual unknowns to the hotel and sleeping with them in your bed?”
 
Chelsea scoffed. “Do you think I sleep in the same room while they do it?” she asked.
 
The group laughed gently.
 
“No,” she said, “I sleep in the same bed Gilliam. There’s nothing I like more than to see the expression on their faces when they realise they’re not alone!”
 
John choked on his drink and Terry and Graham’s faces looked at her in astonishment.
 
“Get out!” she said, teasing them. And they looked from one to the other, not quite sure of what she had said and not sure whether they wanted to ask.
 
The suite began to empty, the piles of paper thrown into a cardboard box and left on the table for the final days’ preparation, and as they were filing out Terry grabbed her arm.
 
“Have you heard from Ed?” he asked pointedly and she looked a little taken aback.
 
“What?”
 
“Has Ed called you?” he asked.
 
“Um…no…not for a few days.” She said, uncertain of what or how to react.
 
Terry’s face fell. “Well if he does, can you ask him to call me. My cousin has been having a problem with her lambing this year and I know Ed’s in that area isn’t he, farming I mean?”
 
Chelsea nodded slowly, wondering why she felt faint all of a sudden.
 
Terry looked at her and grimaced, before touching her forehead with a hand.
 
“Yeah I think you’d better go for a lie down and a rest.” He said slowly. “You’re looking suddenly very ill.”
 
She smiled gratefully at him as she made her way down the corridor and was stopped by his calling after her, “lets’ hope you’re not pregnant hey?”
 
When Chelsea made her way back to the hotel room she shut the door tight behind her and closed her eyes. There wasn’t much more of all this question dodging she could take, and knew that very soon she would have to reveal her secret to them.