Well I have been rewriting ‘Womaniser’ the follow up to the soon to be released Fire Starter.  So I decided to post the new first chapter.  I love feedback so if you feel so inclined...

Chapter One
Isabelle

Isabelle rubbed tired eyes as she stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the tap.  Splashing water on her face, she attempted to wake up fully. She lifted her face to the mirror and rested her hands on the basin.  A scowl appeared when she noticed the dark smudges under her eyes and the toll of life etched into her face. Her beautiful face. Just as well she didn’t have a shoot today; her money-earning face wasn’t looking the best. Beauty could be a curse but Isabelle needed her curse to support her family.

Jesse had kept her up most of the night and you could tell. She needed to sleep better tonight or she would look like hell tomorrow. Isabelle swept up her hair and went over the brief for the following day. A closer scrutinising glance into the mirror reminder her that a facial should be scheduled and as soon as possible. The usual glow on her high sharp cheekbones was absent and her olive complexion looked sallow. This only reminded her that her exercise regime had been a bit slack of late too. A run today or after the shoot tomorrow was in order.

A reluctant sigh burst from her lips and she shook her head. This wasn’t where she wanted to be. To disallow regret to seep in she thought of Jesse.  He was all that mattered. University, a life, love and all the other things she wished she’d done before falling pregnant at twenty-one, could wait. 

The light happy sound of her son drifted into the bathroom from the kitchen.  Their cramped living space entailed every sound being heard throughout the apartment. The appetising sound of cooking beckoned so Isabelle turned from the mirror, pushed aside her worries and smiled. Jesse always managed to bring a cheer.

A familiar sight greeted her when she walked into the kitchen from the short hallway. Her mother, Carol, was attending to toast and upon spotting Isabelle popped two more slices into the toaster.

“Morning, honey. Coffee’s hot.” Carol pointed to the pot sitting on the bench.

“Thanks for getting up with Jesse this morning,” Isabelle said, pouring a much needed cup of caffeine.

“I get up early anyway.” She shrugged.

Peering through the gap between the bench-tops and shelving in the narrow kitchen, Isabelle studied her son. Pink coloured his cheeks and he dove into his cereal as though he hadn’t been sick at all. The resilience of children. Life would be easier if she was as resilient.

Jesse sat at a small square table in the compact room that served as a dining room and living area.  His blonde curls bobbed as he ate.  When his blue eyes caught Isabelle’s he smiled and she was reminded of his father as she was every day.  The ache over Adrian had subsided over the years but she still missed him.  Although they had only been ‘friends with benefits’ his death still cut her deep.  Life was that much harder without her best friend.

Burying the sting she returned her son’s smile and helped Carol finish breakfast before joining her son.

“Are you feeling better, honey?” She asked him running her hand through his tangled curls.

“Yes, Mummy.  I don’t like being sick.”

“Me neither.”  They shared another smile and the usual warmth associated with motherhood spread over her.

“Are you working tomorrow?” Carol asked joining them.

“Yes.  I’m working with a photographer I haven’t worked with before.”

“Is this the campaign that is going on the main billboard near the city square?”

“Yes it will be up for a month.  I’m lucky to have gotten this job, it will help my uni fund nicely.”

“I still haven’t gotten used to having a famous daughter.”

Isabelle laughed.  “I wouldn’t go that far, Mum.  People may know my face from magazines but they don’t know who I am and I plan to keep it that way. The last thing I want is to be a famous supermodel.”

“Well you know I’m proud of you. You have been working hard, you deserve a break.”

“And a life.” Isabelle tried to hide the bitterness in her voice. It certainly wasn’t Jesse’s fault that both Carol and Isabelle struggled most of Isabelle and Jesse’s life.  No you could blame her absent womanising father and the cruel twist of fate that took Adrian.  With resolution she pushed aside her loneliness, there was no use dwelling on what had passed.

“So what do you want to do today, Jesse?”

“Go to the park.”

“What do you say?”

“Pleeaassse.” Out of the corner of her eye Isabelle saw Carol stifle a laugh.

“Sure we can but no leaping off the top of playground, it scares Mummy.”

“OK, Mummy.” It was Isabelle’s turn to stifle a smile. If he was capable of rolling his eyes he would have.

They finished their breakfast and while Carol prepared lunch Isabelle organised her son. As it was a short distance to the park they decided to enjoy the spring sunshine and cool breeze and walk.  Jesse ran ahead jumping over cracks in the footpath while Isabelle and Carol both lost in their own thoughts strolled not far behind. As predicted by the weather forecast on the news the previous evening the breeze teased at Isabelle’s straight black hair and took the sting off the sun.

They located a shady spot under a group of trees, set out a blanket and made themselves comfortable, apart from Jesse who had raced off to play on the equipment. Still deep in thought Isabelle watched her son play and a sigh escaped.

“Something bothering you?” Carol asked.

Isabelle turned to her mother and found a concerned frown wrinkling her brow.  “Don’t look so worried it’s nothing serious.  Just the usual.”

“The usual being how lonely you are?”

“Yes, my lack of love life, a male role model for Jesse.”

“I know how difficult it is to meet someone, especially when you have a child but don’t give up, just keep your mind open to possibilities.”

“I do but it can’t be just anyone or a fling. Jesse needs stability.”

“I know how lonely it can be. When your dad left I craved male company but over time I got used to it. I guess working a lot helped fill the time.” Carol’s smile was filled with reassurance but Isabelle grimaced regardless. She knew how hard her mother had worked to support them. Her womanising creep of a father had seen to that. “Don’t frown, Isabelle, it wasn’t that bad. I have a few male companions and it is all I need. I was older than you too so it will be easier for you to meet someone. It is a long time to be alone.”

“That’s what scares me. All I do is work, sleep and spend time with Jesse, which I wouldn’t change for anything of course but it makes it really difficult to meet anyone. The men I do meet through work are not the kind of men I want around Jesse. I don’t go anywhere else so the chances of meeting someone are slim.”

“What about here?” Isabelle followed the sweep of Carol’s arm with her eyes. “It is a goldmine of single dads and dog walkers.”

“You could be right but what am I going to do? Just walk up to them and say hi. Besides how do I know if they are single? Then there is this,” she gestured to her face, “men are either intimidated or think I’m a pretty conquest.”

“The curse of being beautiful.”

“It isn’t funny, Mum.” A wry laugh surfaced despite her feeling anything but humour.

“Fate has a funny way of making things right.”

“I hope so.”

Isabelle perused the park to discover that perhaps Carol was right, there appeared to be a smorgasbord in the crowded park. When her eyes reached the playground she spotted Jesse as he did exactly what he said he wouldn’t do before running over to them.

“Jesse, what did I say?” She asked with a laugh.

“Sorry, Mummy.”

Instead of chastising him further as it would do no good, Isabelle picked up the ball beside her and took off at a slow jog.

“OK, smart guy, see if you can catch me.”

A gleeful laugh followed her as he ran after her the way only pre-schoolers can. Letting her son win by pulling her down and jumping on her caused delight to warm her blood. Did she really need anyone else when she had a supportive mother and a beautiful boy? This question along with many others she had no answer for swirled around her head as they walked home in the cool afternoon. Was there a man out there who wasn’t judgemental? Who wasn’t a player just looking for a good time? Someone who would love Jesse as well as her?