Thursday, 12 September 2024

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (182) St Stephen’s Day

 


It was Boxing Day and Dave Radcliffe and Charlotte Pickford were on their way to the Sword and Shield, and the reason they were on their way there was because they showed live football in the bar and United were playing Liverpool.

Dave was a Man Utd fan, from a long line of United fans and it was an important match, well to be honest it was always an important match when United played Liverpool, but this one was more important than normal.

“I have a confession to make,” Charlotte said.
“Oh? What?” he asked her “Are you married?”

“Not that I remember” she replied “and I would hope if I were, I wouldn’t be standing in a bus shelter kissing another man”

He thought about it for a moment, and she could have been married for all he knew, he hadn’t known her for long and they’d only had their first proper date on Christmas Eve, so there was a lot he didn’t know about her.

Her name was Charlotte Pickford, and she was new to the island, her family had moved into the house next door to his parents, two weeks before Christmas from somewhere in Downshire.

He liked the look of her from the first minute and asked her out the first chance he got, but it took him almost 2 weeks before he wore her down and she said yes.

It was kind of an instant attraction thing, certainly for me, and since the first attraction had gradually deepened, he was now head over heels in love with her.

But on Boxing Day they were on their way to the pub to watch the match when they stopped for an intimate interlude in the bus shelter.

“What then?” he asked
“I’ve been dreading saying this” she said, and Dave was really worried and wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but Charlotte took a deep breath, and he braced himself

“I’m a Liverpool supporter” she said and closed her eyes and grimaced, but it took a moment for the full implications of her statement to sink in.

“I think I would have preferred it if you were married” Dave said, so she moved close into him and asked

“Do you mean you would prefer a married woman to be in love with you rather than a Liverpool supporter?”

“She loves me” he said to himself, and he wasn’t sure if that shocked him more than the fact, she supported Liverpool.

“I'm sorry,” she said “Not much of a Christmas present for my new boyfriend I’m afraid”
But she couldn't have been more wrong, it was the perfect Christmas present, Charlotte Pickford loved him.

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