Good Vibration Read online

  Four

  ‘‘Good Vibration’?’ Finlay said, laughing out loudly in his mother’s office and noticed her green eyes glare back at him. ‘Seriously mother?’

  ‘I didn’t say anything at the time because… well, you’re always so preoccupied with something or another. For the past five years you’ve been flitting here and there. Thank god for technology or I’d never have any contact with you,’ his mother sniffed and he knew she was getting defensive, mainly through the guilt of not telling him about the secret venture. ‘It’s another company and it didn’t take that much to set up as they use some of the same suppliers we have, like web designers and the support companies.’

  ‘I think selling high end luxury retail products isn’t the same as vibrators!’ He let out a loud laugh. ‘Why didn’t you tell me what the company was really called? Jesus! You know Piers can’t do a run to the supermarket without it going wrong.’

  ‘That’s your stepfather you’re talking about.’

  ‘Come on! And Toby? What’s Toby doing working there? He never said a word and I expect he was told by the pair of you to keep quiet. And that’s a big long secret for over two years. I’m sort of impressed but not totally.’

  ‘Your brother needed some direction and I thought working for your father would be good for him.’ Alice folded her arms and scowled for a second. ‘He seems to like it.’

  He stood up and walked around her desk before sitting on the side looking down at her. Finlay smiled at his mother’s perfectly styled hair and tailored two piece suit.

  ‘I’m going to be around for a while so maybe, just maybe, I can find out a little bit more about the den of iniquity Piers Caplin has taken on,’ he said.

  ‘Where’s Juliette?’

  Finlay hadn’t set eyes on her in three weeks and didn’t want to tell his mother the whole sordid situation, so he smiled for a second before standing up.

  ‘We’re taking time apart,’ he eventually answered, seeing his mother’s eyes widen for a second before she looked at him quizzically. ‘It’s nothing serious.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really.’

  Finlay walked towards the sofa and sat down, grinning widely mostly to hide his real devastation, as his mother shook her head furiously for a moment and seemed to be chanting something to herself. He watched her get up and sit directly opposite him.

  ‘Finlay Chambers, I know you think I’m a fool but reasonable people don’t just take a break on marriage,’ she said, before crossing her legs. ‘What happened?’

  ‘If you’re worried about the business, nothing changes there. We’re not going to sell ‘Le Font’ as I own a majority of the-.’

  ‘I don’t give a fuck about the shoe business and I really don’t know why you let her put her name on it!’ his mother said, which startled him as she never usually swore. ‘All I care about is you! Marrying a bloody socialite wasn’t one of your wisest moves, was it?’

  ‘She’s more than that, she’s a fantastic shoe designer and successful to boot,’ he replied, riled by his mother’s comment. ‘And let’s not forget, she’s from a good family.’

  ‘How can I?’ Alice frowned for a second. ‘How much more perfect can you get?’

  ‘If you’re not going to be nice then-.’

  ‘There’s more to life than being perfect you know! Finlay you’re an intelligent and, not forgetting, extremely handsome man like your father. You’re only thirty eight years old, for goodness sake! You could do so much better, you know you can and she-.’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it. I told you now let’s draw a line under it.’

  Finlay stood up and ran his fingers through his short wavy auburn brown hair before trying to compose his breathing.

  ‘I just want you to be happy,’ she said gently and he could never stay angry long with his mother.

  ‘I’ll tell you what will make me happy? To find out what exactly your husband’s plans are for that sex factory he’s set up.’

  ‘Did Juliette Le Font upset you?’

  Finlay knew the way she delivered his wife’s name had a similar sound as to how Toby would use an alternative, ruder, version.

  ‘Something like that.’

  ‘Will you forgive her?’

  ‘I’m not sure,’ he honestly replied. ‘It’s not that easy.’

  ‘If you really love her, it is,’ his mother said gently. ‘You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I just want you to be happy.’

  ‘I am,’ he said, unable to smile.

  ‘Once upon a time I thought everything had to be just so. The perfect life and people around you then I made a few misjudgements and-.’

  ‘Piers?’ he laughed seeing his mother smile.

  ‘That was probably one of the most perfect things I did as well as Toby and yourself.’ Alice took a deep breath and smiled for a moment. ‘There’s no point staying in an unhappy marriage just because it all looks good on the outside. I did that with your father and then… it just didn’t work out. You know if he was alive now he’d tell you the same thing.’

  ‘I love her,’ he said quietly and stared straight at his mother. ‘She’s all I ever really wanted.’

  ‘But are you all she ever wanted?’

  Finlay immediately knew the answer.

  Five

  After just missing being run over by Dan driving the fork lift truck, Sylvie walked towards the new boxes being delivered and watched them being unpacked then put on the shelves. Since speaking to Piers the previous week, she was uncertain what the plans were for the company.

  Two and half years she’d been working there, just before it was set up, and it was with relief she walked into the job knowing Piers needed help and she needed a focus.

  The last thing she wanted was for the place to close down but they needed an injection of cash and some guidance, both of which Piers couldn’t give.

  ‘Sly!’ someone called out and she looked up at Stephen who was grinning at her.

  ‘Great,’ she mumbled.

  Stephen Seas was the company’s accounts person as well as a research statistician. His fascination for figures would often give Piers and herself a headache but he was good and she knew he had a little crush on her, even though he was with a long term girlfriend. He had a big toothy grin and wild curly black hair. He was the ultimate North London Jewish geek though Sylvie knew he wasn’t the best looking one by far.

  ‘Don’t look so happy,’ she heard the Scottish voice of Marianne standing behind her, her black hair tied back, betraying her true blonde colouring at the roots. She dressed like a Goth and was tall. ‘He’ll only think ya interested in his bloody numbers. That man should come downstairs and try packaging up this stuff.’

  ‘Now don’t be mean,’ Sylvie laughed. ‘He takes the products home to try, then tells me figures based on what he likes. Have you noticed Muswell Hill, where he lives, is very into S&M?’

  ‘Sly are you coming upstairs?’ Stephen shouted again.

  ‘Och, he wants to make you come,’ Marianne whispered before she laughed.

  ‘I have to help with deliveries!’ she shouted back up to him and heard Marianne snigger. ‘I’m needed. I have to go soon.’

  She turned around and pretended to gather some things waiting to hear him walk away before seeing Marianne shake her head from side to side. Then she realised what she had in her hand and dropped it back down.

  ‘Aye, that’s good ya know,’ said Marianne as Sylvie shook her head. ‘A friend of mine said it felt like someone was going down on you with the tongue and that.’

  ‘Right,’ she replied while her eyes looked around the shelves stacked with toys, sprays, lotions and various things even she couldn’t fathom out what they were used for.

  ‘You need to try the product. Go on!’ said Marianne, forcing it into her hand as Sylvie pushed it back.

  ‘I prefer the real thing.’

  ‘And ya not been gettin’ that for a while.’

 
‘Because,’ was all she could say while walking away and letting out a miserable sigh.

  It was nearly noon and she went to get her bag and jacket before stepping out into the September sunshine. The leaves hadn’t started to fall, though the autumnal colours looked more like brown than the perfect red and gold she preferred. Her maroon coloured twenty year old Ford Fiesta was parked just outside, as she waved to a few of the people loading the vans.

  She drove off, out of the sex toy warehouse in Brentford and down the road back to the semi-sanity of B&Q in Chiswick to pick up another supply of things she needed to decorate her manky maisonette.

  Six

  Finlay laughed when he saw Toby sitting in his mother’s living room, cramming crisps into his mouth while engrossed in something on television.

  He stood to the side and looked at his little brother, the light brown hair, blue eyes and chiselled jaw supporting stubble. When he had his mouth closed, the young man was stunning though totally oblivious to his stonking good looks. Then Toby did a double take and suddenly jumped up and ran towards Finlay.

  ‘Bro!’ he shouted excitedly and within a few seconds, Toby was hugging him so tightly Finlay was finding it hard to breathe. ‘When did you arrive?’

  Stepping back, he looked into Toby’s face, the crisp crumbs around his mouth and smiled.

  ‘I’ve been in town for a while,’ he laughed, genuinely feeling love for his little brother while wiping the remnants of his snack away. ‘You know she’s going to go ballistic if she finds out you’ve been eating on her expensive white leather sofa.’

  ‘Mumsy doesn’t really care,’ he innocently shrugged. ‘And I use a dust buster before she gets home. Any why didn’t you visit sooner?’

  The only way Finlay would be able to describe his brother’s personality was to compare him to a sweet teddy bear. Toby wasn’t clued up to the world whereas Finlay knew everything there was to know but never did he belittle the young man. He realised they were opposites. The only way to describe Toby was that his heart was large and full of pure love, which Finlay needed more than ever right then, as his own heart was currently cold and reducing in size by the day.

  His mobile vibrated.

  It was Juliette again.

  She’d sent about ten texts.

  ‘Where is she?’ Toby asked looking around as Finlay noticed the look of despair on his brother’s face. ‘Julie Lefuck.’

  ‘That’s my wife you’re talking about,’ he replied sharply as Toby’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. She was the only person Toby had ever been mean about. ‘Just because you and the rest of this family don’t like her, I’d still appreciate a little bit of respect.’

  ‘Sorry Fin,’ he guiltily replied and gave Finlay another bear hug. ‘It’s just she’s such a stuck up French tart!’

  Finlay tried not to laugh at his brother’s justification and pushed him off before sitting down on the sofa. He realised he was watching some reality programme on MTV and immediately turned it off.

  Toby came bouncing towards him and sat down.

  ‘Why are you back? You never come to London unless mumsy calls you in for a meeting. Is something wrong?’

  ‘She needs me to look at some of the businesses,’ he sighed and immediately noticed his brother’s shifty expression. ‘And there’s one business I’ve only been told about which I thought was a new facilitating house for the delivery of her products for the past few years. Only to find out Piers is running a company.’ Finlay laughed as his brother screwed up his face. ‘And you work there?’

  ‘Yes.’ Toby shrugged for a moment. ‘It’s a wonderful place with fantastic people.’

  ‘You’re not going to get rich by selling sex aids on the internet. There are lots of other companies doing it better and the market is saturated. Surely Piers would have thought about this and why did mother let him do it?’

  ‘We’re making money, just not that much.’

  ‘And what do you do there?’

  ‘I film the products and make videos showing how to use them.’

  Unable to hide his shocked expression, Finlay grimaced.

  ‘Use them? You know you can’t go filming porn and-.’

  ‘No!’ laughed out Toby. ‘God no! We film the product and one of the presenters, who is also one of the testers, then talks about the item and what it’s good for. You think I’d film something like that!’ He started to laugh as Finlay watched his cheeks go red. ‘Mumsy would go mental if we even suggested it.’

  Examining his brother closely, he realised it was the first time he’d seen him happy about working as he had done numerous jobs, all eventually ending up with him getting sacked. Even family friends didn’t have the gumption to offer the young man work as a personal favour.

  ‘You like it there then? Working in sunny Brentford?’

  He tried his hardest to hide his utter look of disgust on saying the name of the town, a place he’d often drive through for Heathrow Airport but always thought the tower block flats and surrounding areas spoilt the river views.

  ‘It’s not West Hampstead but it’s very interesting,’ defended Toby, now looking at Finlay as if he was stupid.

  ‘I’m sure working surrounded by dildos is fun. And talking about dildos, where’s Piers?’

  ‘That’s just mean,’ huffed Toby before smiling. ‘He’s really working hard on this. He doesn’t want to let anyone down.’

  ‘But it wouldn’t be a first time, would it, if he did?’

  All four of them sat at the dining table. For all his faults, and Finlay could see many, his stepfather was a loving and kind man. He’d married his mother when Finlay was eight and soon Toby arrived. It was evident Piers and Toby were nothing like his mother or him.

  He guessed his mother had told them not to ask about Juliette as Toby spoke about people they knew. Every time Finlay looked up he could see his mother staring at him, knowing she was trying to figure out what happened between Juliette and him. It was painfully apparent from her expression.

  ‘You’re a wonderful chef,’ Finlay smiled brightly as Piers grinned at the compliment while his mother eyed him suspiciously. ‘I’m surprised you find time to cook considering you’re running a business.’

  Piers, in the middle of serving Toby again, dropped the spoon and turned to look at Finlay then at Alice.

  ‘Your mother told you?’ he asked quietly as Toby grabbed the spoon and helped himself. ‘I suppose we should have mentioned it ages ago but I figured you wouldn’t approve plus you’re always so busy flying around the world with one thing or another, you’d simply not care.’

  ‘Well, I mean, I effectively run and own part of ‘Chambers Caplin’ and it would’ve been good to be consulted.’ He noticed his mother flash him a warning look. ‘But I trust mum’s judgement.’ Clearing his voice for a second he took a sip of wine, trying not to smile. ‘And why, may I ask, did you want us to move into that sort of field? The other areas of the business are retail led and yes… well how can I put it?’

  ‘Classier?’ added Piers before cutting up his meat quickly.

  It was obvious his stepfather hated the comparison to the other companies they owned. Again, Alice scowled.

  ‘Did you do much research?’ Finlay asked with a smirk. ‘Surely this didn’t just pop into your head, did it?’

  ‘Finlay,’ sighed Piers, putting down his knife and fork. ‘We know you’re exceptionally talented when it comes to business and, let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for you the companies wouldn’t be as successful as they are today. But not everything can be perfect, like you. Some things we need to make our lives perfect and sex toys are now an acceptable part of-.’

  ‘Dildos?’ he said disdainfully. ‘It’s just something we would never have ever considered.’

  ‘They’re very good quality,’ said Toby enthusiastically. ‘And we’re incredibly discreet. You know the other day I had to film a butt plug and it was round, like a door handle. But it sells! Can you believe tha
t?’

  ‘No,’ Finlay said flatly as he caught the glint of Piers’s eye before hearing his stepfather laugh and, again, seeing his mother trying to hide her grimace regarding the current topic of conversation. ‘Mum have you ever-.’

  ‘Can we just change the subject?’ she said, clearing her voice. ‘We never speak about business at the table.’

  ‘You know, we can give you some things to take back to Julie,’ continued Toby with a cheeky grin.

  ‘Juliette,’ Finlay corrected and noticed Piers glance at his mother. ‘And so you know, as I expect mother has told you, Juliette and I are living apart for the time being.’

  ‘What!’ exclaimed Toby. ‘You’ve dumped that old trollop?’

  ‘Tobius, do you mind!’ snapped Alice as Piers laughed into his napkin.

  Finlay shook his head for a moment before continuing to eat, knowing they were now silent as they waited for him to elaborate.

  ‘Why?’ Piers asked quietly, leaning over to fill up his glass with wine. ‘I thought you had the perfect set up?’

  Even Finlay knew that comment smacked of sarcasm but he bit his tongue so as not to cause the first family quarrel since his return.

  ‘I want to spend time with my ‘perfect’ family in London,’ he eventually answered and forced a smile.

  ‘You’ve never wanted to before,’ his brother said.

  ‘Well I do now. Is that a problem?’

  ‘No of course not,’ shrugged Piers. ‘But if you’re going through a bad time, walking out is never the best option.’

  ‘How long will you stay for?’ asked Toby. ‘Are you moving back home? Oh please say you will!’

  ‘That’s very sweet but I’m staying at my old flat.’

  ‘We’ve got plenty of room here,’ his mother said gravely.

  ‘I need my own space. And Piers, I’m coming to your office on Wednesday to look at the business.’

  ‘What?’ His stepfather put down his knife and fork before double blinking. ‘Why?’

  ‘I want to make sure it’s a success,’ Finlay replied insincerely and immediately caught a small look of horror on Piers’s face, which only made him keen to find out how useless the business really was. ‘Are you going to come with me mother?’