The Songbird and the Soldier Page 9

  The sun was shining on her face, making her beauty even more ethereal. He heard the post landing on the doormat and footsteps walking briskly away. Andy looked up and noticed the curtains still open from the night before. He looked back at Sam and couldn’t help but touch. He couldn’t tear himself away from her if he tried.

  He stroked the back of his hand down the outside of her exposed arm and she stirred. Quickly he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Sam opened her eyes and saw him. She looked around for her clothes, but there were none in reach. Andy smiled inside. He had already assessed the situation and knew exactly what Sam would be thinking. She looked at the time. The day had already started. Outside people were talking and driving up and down the street, only a couple of feet in front of the unclothed living room window. He felt Sam look around her as furtively as she could and then she seemed to fix on something. Very carefully she reached out across Andy to the top corner of the futon, but in an instant, Andy grabbed her, flipped her onto her back and pinned her down beneath him.

  Sam gasped.

  “Never make a move on a sleeping soldier,” he said, smiling down at her.

  “I was trying to-”

  Andy’s head lowered and he started to kiss her. “What?” he muttered between kisses.

  Sam moaned with pleasure and he sunk his body against hers. Lost in the moment, Sam seemed to temporarily forget about their lack of privacy. But not for long. She broke away. “The curtains are open.”

  Andy barely paused to speak, but continued to kiss her neck. “I know.”

  “People will see.”

  “Mmm, so what? Let them.”

  Sam wriggled free and hid under the covers.

  Andy smiled broadly and spoke to the mound of blanket next to him. “So, what do you plan to do about this?” Sam was quiet. “I vote we stay under your lovely big blanket all day, having wild, uninhibited sex, until it goes dark and then you can sneak out without anyone noticing.”

  Sam’s face popped out. She seemed to be considering this at first, but then her smile faded.

  “No.”

  “Well unless you want to take the blanket and leave me here, on display in your living room, strutting about stark bollock naked…”

  Sam gave him a look.

  “No? Then you want to get out and run naked through the house yourself? Well I’m all for that. But I give you fair warning; I might have to give chase.” He flashed her a wicked grin.

  Sam let out a sigh of frustration and buried her head in the pillow. She rolled over and lay looking at the ceiling. “You could always do the chivalrous thing and pass me your T-shirt over there.”

  Andy considered this. The sight of this beautiful woman in his shirt would be a wonderful thing. But what was it worth?

  Chapter 7

  The sound of footsteps close by made Sam jump. Andy seemed to find the whole situation rather amusing. He offered Sam his T-shirt for the price of a kiss. Sam had experience of his kisses now and knew this to be a dangerous proposition if they were ever going to get out of there. She raised an eyebrow at him.

  “I promise; just a kiss. I’ll keep my hands behind my head.” He raised his hands to the pillow.

  Sam considered. She moved across his naked body under the blanket, kissing and caressing his chest and abdomen and emerged on the other side. She grabbed the T-shirt and quickly pulled it on and leapt up out of the way.

  Andy looked at her incredulously.

  “What?” she said. “You never specified where I had to kiss you.”

  Andy slumped over onto his front and thumped his fist into the pillow, groaning.

  Sam smiled. “I won’t be long,” she said and skipped off upstairs to the bathroom.

  By the time Sam got back down, the living room had been put right, a small pile of beautifully folded bedding poked out of the far side of the futon and Andy was standing in the middle of the room, wearing a pair of grey jeans and looking through a handful of Sam’s CDs. “Tea?” he asked, holding out a cup for her.

  Sam sipped her tea and moved closer to Andy. He wrapped a strong arm around her and she rested her head against his chest. She breathed in his scent. “When do you have to go back again?” she asked.

  Andy almost choked on his tea. “Oh dear, was I that good?”

  “No. I mean yes. It was… well, fabulous, but-”

  “You can’t wait to get rid of me.” He chuckled, putting down his cup on the little table nearby. “I have to leave on Tuesday; if that’s not too long?”

  Sam shook her head and, putting her cup down too, she clung to him and he held her back just as hard. Sam wondered at how much he had come to mean to her in such a short space of time. “Just four more days,” she said, pulling away and looking deep inside those inky blue eyes of his. “Well, we’ll have to make the most of them, won’t we?”

  “My thoughts exactly. Come on, get that tea down you. We’re off to buy a new bed.”

  Sam gave him a look and then realised that he was serious. “I can’t.”

  “Of course you can. Now where’s that place that delivers by teatime? What’s it called?”

  Sam was uneasy. “Andy, I really can’t. I’m sorry, but I’ve already looked at them and they cost a lot of money. I-”

  “Bugger the money. I’m paying. Now where is it?” Andy rifled through the Yellow Pages he found lying underneath the telephone.

  Sam put a hand on Andy’s arm. “I can’t let you do that, Andy. It’s too much.”

  Andy pulled her against him and spoke softly into her hair. “Sam, beautiful Sam, I work my butt off in the stifling heat halfway around the world under the constant threat of life and limb. But I’m happy, and you are the only one responsible for this. It has been your letters that have kept me sane while I’ve been out there. Let me do this, please.”

  Sam’s eyes began to fill up, but she rapidly blinked the tears away, and after he had kissed her she was left with only bright, devoted eyes smiling back at him compliantly.

  “Good. Then that’s settled. Now get some food down you while I hop in the shower. I won’t be long.”

  “Yes, Sir!” Sam saluted. She received a look for her efforts and she immediately acted contrite. Andy walked away, a smile playing on his lips and Sam sniggered and went to get some breakfast.

  Sam followed Andy around the bed shop, as he asked her which beds she liked and they sat on them all. “What is it, Sam?” he asked when they were about half way round. “Are you still worrying about this?” Sam bit her bottom lip and looked at him through troubled eyes. Andy shook his head and smiled. “God, you look cute when you do that,” he said. He patted the bed next to him and beckoned her to sit down. She sat. “Okay, is it the money or the fact that it’s a bed we’re buying?”

  “Well, both really.”

  “Would you feel better if we said the bed was mine? Because I wouldn’t be lying if I said I’d like to sleep in a sumptuous bed for the few days I have left over here. And then maybe, when I come back…?”

  “I thought you said you could sleep on anything?” Sam said, afraid of saying anything about their future that might sound too needy.

  “I thought so too, till I met your futon.” He nudged Sam in the ribs playfully. “Now can we hurry up and find me a bed, or it’ll be too late in the day to get it delivered by tonight.”

  Sam nodded, but then in lowered tones she said, “But can I just have it on record that the lack of sleep last night had nothing to do with my lovely futon.”

  Andy grinned. “Come on.”

  Another dozen beds were tested and finally they agreed on the perfect one. It had, by this time, passed midday and so Andy set about talking to the sales lady to try and persuade her to give him a same day delivery. Eventually, he landed a promise for later on that afternoon.

  At about 4 o’clock, the doorbell rang and the deliverymen arrived with the new bed. Sam kept out of the way while two burly men lugged a double bed and mattress up her small staircase, al
ong the landing and into her bedroom. After they had gone she went inside to take a look. Andy was busy screwing the base together.

  “It’s certainly bigger,” she said. She looked closer. “Wait a minute; this isn’t the mattress we ordered.”

  “Yes it is,” he said.

  Sam looked at him.

  Andy held his hands aloft. “Okay, I ordered the nicer one. Shoot me. But it was so much comfier than the other one.” He lowered his hands and looked at the expression on Sam’s face. “Hell, I wouldn’t want to come face to face with you in battle. Those searching eyes of yours would get me every time.” He clutched at his heart and pulled her towards him. “Pass me that slat, would you?” Sam helped him put it together and they lifted on the mattress. “What do you think? Shall we try it out?”

  Sam looked at the big bed and then stopped. “Bedding!” she said. “We need to get some bedding. None of my stuff will fit it.”

  “Bugger the bedding,” he said, pulling her against him.

  But Sam was firm. She shook her head. “We’ll never get any sleep without some sheets at least.”

  Andy shrugged, not entirely sure sleep was on his agenda.

  But Sam looked at him through large pitiful eyes. “Please. We’ll have fresh bed linen, summer days and not a bagpipe in sight?”

  Andy groaned and gave up the fight. “Oh, come on then. We can probably make Argos before it closes.”

  Sam beamed. “I’m ready.”

  “You’re a bloody slave driver, that’s what you are.”

  When the bed was finished, Sam stood back and looked at it. “There. What do you think?” she asked.

  “It’s a bed,” he said. “You’re not meant to look at it, you’re meant to lie on it.” He walked around and lay down on the bed. “Yep. It looks great from here.” He patted the bed beside him and Humphrey hopped up. “Not you, you daft mutt. Come on, have a go.”

  Sam lay down on the big soft bed and smiled. “It’s lovely and comfortable,” she said.

  Andy picked Humphrey up and plopped him down on the floor. “It is now. Go on, Humph, scat.” Humphrey trotted off to the room next door to sulk and Andy got up to close the door behind him and found Sam getting up as well. He leant back against the door. “Oh no you don’t. Haven’t you heard it’s unlucky to give someone a bed without christening it?”

  Sam smiled and tilted her head. “Isn’t that purses and money?”

  Andy walked slowly towards her speaking softly. “Those too,” he said, and took her in his arms and they christened the bed… thoroughly.

  Later on, when they were lying together under the covers, Sam’s stomach began to rumble. “Was that you?” Andy asked.

  Sam was sleepy and tucked into his side, comfortable and warm. “No,” she said into the pillow.

  It happened again. “It is you.” He rolled her onto her back to face him. “You need to eat.”

  “No,” Sam protested, “I need to sleep.”

  Andy rolled his eyes, kissed her shoulder and slipped out of the bed to get dressed. Humphrey met him on the landing. “You hungry too, huh? Come on then.” Humphrey trotted down the stairs following Andy into the kitchen and then watched as Andy searched around the cupboards until he found the tins. “Cesar?” he asked and Humphrey’s tail wagged eagerly. Andy leaned down and grimaced as he picked up the slightly cruddy bowl and set about cleaning it thoroughly. When it was shining, he opened the tin and forked out some food. Humphrey pounced on it. “Well that’s one of you happy, at least. Now let me see.”

  Andy spent some time clearing away all the new bed packaging and stacked all the parts of the old bed against a wall in the study. He hunted through the numbers on his mobile phone, in search of a pizza delivery service.

  A little later they arrived, hot and steaming at the front door. Andy paid the deliveryman and then fished his little camera out of his rucksack. Grabbing some cold beers from the fridge, he went back upstairs, leaving Humphrey happily pottering around below.

  Outside the bedroom door Andy put down the pizzas and beer and crept inside. He found Sam sleeping in their new bed and he felt more at peace than he had ever felt before. She was lying on her front, with her hair spread out all over the pillow and the duvet slung low across her back. Andy couldn’t take his eyes off her. He took a photo, quickly, before she awoke. It clicked. Nothing; she didn’t even move. He took a couple more just to make sure and then hid the camera away again in his trouser pocket, before going back outside to reclaim the beer and food.

  Andy put the pizza down on the floor beside the bed and with a delicate touch, traced small circles with his middle finger across her naked back. Sam stirred. “Hello, Beautiful,” he said.

  Sam peered up at him and wiped a few stray hairs from her face. She smiled and then sniffed the air. “What time is it?” she asked.

  “Nearly nine,” he said.

  “Nine? You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.

  “I didn’t really have a say in the matter,” he said. “You were out for the count.”

  Sam slumped back onto the pillow and hid her face. “I’m Sorry. I blame that uncomfortable futon of mine,” she said.

  “Quite right too. Are you hungry?”

  “Famished.”

  “Good. I hope you like pizza.” Andy passed up the boxes and handed Sam a beer and then lay out on the top of the bed himself.

  “My hero,” she said. “Better mind the covers though.”

  “Sod the covers; I’m starving.”

  That night Andy and Sam stayed in, curled up together on the much-maligned futon with Sam’s music playing quietly in the background. They talked and touched, leaving little room for air between them and wantonly living every moment within each other’s lives.

  The following morning they were woken by Andy’s phone. Andy took the phone call downstairs and when he came up again, he was carrying two cups of tea. He suggested that they do something fun that day and Sam was definitely up for that. She had been worrying that she wasn’t making his time back home much of a break. So far she had dragged him round shopping and little else. She nervously agreed to meet with some of his mates from the rear guard, who had not been sent out on tour, to go go-karting. Andy assured her that she would love it and promised to try and get at least one other girl for her to talk to on their trip. Sam expressed some concern that the other guys would not like an outsider tagging along, but again Andy told her not to be silly and sent her off to get dressed.

  When she returned, Humphrey trotted in. “What do you think, Humph? Should I join in and make a complete fool of myself in front of a load of Andy’s mates?”

  Humph yapped excitedly and wagged his tail.

  “Good man, Humph,” Andy said. “That’s settled then.”

  “I can’t believe it. You’ve even got Humph on your side now.”

  Andy smiled, scruffed Humphrey’s fur and walked outside to make some more calls.

  It was a beautiful summer’s morning so Sam made the breakfast and they ate it in the back garden. She handed Andy a plate of buttered toast and he mouthed a thank you back to her. Soon after, he put away his phone and tucked in. “Well it’s all sorted,” he said. “Steve’s kids are at their grandparents’ for the weekend, so they’re both up for some grown-up fun. He and Helen will pick us up around twelve and drive out and we’re going to meet Luke, Dave and possibly Tina at the track.

  As it turned out, Sam needn’t have worried. Andy’s mates were a friendly bunch and she had great fun on the go-karting track. Tina and Helen in particular could not have been more welcoming and seeing Andy larking about with his mates and still being a great guy was just wonderful.

  On the way back to the cars afterwards, Tina pulled Sam aside and told her how pleased she was that Andy had found someone nice like her. She said she’d never seen him looking so happy, and reassured her that he was definitely smitten.

  “Do you really think so?” Sam asked. “I hope so.”

  “Of c
ourse he is. It’s obvious. I haven’t seen him this full of fun in - goodness - forever. You’re really good for him, Sam. Poor thing had a rough time when his marriage fell apart - you know all about that, right? - But look at him now. So all’s well that ends well, eh? How about you? Are you into him?”

  Sam beamed, happiness shining through her eyes. She nodded. “Yes, I think I am.”

  “Great. I’m glad you said that, ’cause the amount of stick he’s going to get from the guys when word gets out that the Prof has been walking hand in hand with a girl, as under the thumb as it gets, it had better be something pretty special.”

  Andy came up behind them. “And what are you two gassing about?”

  “You, of course. I’m just doing my best to warn poor Sam off,” Tina said.

  Andy grabbed Sam to him and covered her ears. “Don’t you dare.”

  Tina winked. “It was good to meet you, Sam.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  The others said their goodbyes and went off to their respective cars.

  “So, how did you like karting then?” Andy asked in the back of Steve and Helen’s car on the way home.

  “It was great. I was nowhere near as fast as you lot though.”

  Steve turned round from the passenger seat. “No,‘Driving Miss Daisy’ here must have set a new record for the slowest lap ever.”

  Helen thumped him. “Don’t you listen to the cheeky sod, Sam. A few more times out here and you’ll be giving them a run for their money, I’ve no doubt.”

  “Why don’t you challenge Steve to a rematch on your terms, say at the Crown and Anchor in a couple of weeks?” Andy said. “Sam’s a great singer.” Sam gave him a stern stare, but that only seemed to egg him on more.

  “What? Like karaoke?” Steve asked.