(Part 01)
It was late afternoon on Christmas Eve at the Dancingdean Health Centre and Locum Doctor Kelly Spearman had one last patient to see.
Mrs Bramwell entered the room with her young daughter Kylie skulking in her wake.
“Come on Kylie the Doctor hasn’t got all day”
“Hello Mrs Bramwell, how can I help?”
“Kylie’s not right Doctor, very odd”
“In what way?”
“Well look at her Doctor you can see you doesn’t look right.
She starts the day feeling sick and ends it eating Pizza with sugar on. It’s no small wonder she’s put on so much weight”
“Well I’ll have to do a full examination” Kelly said
Kylie lay on the examination table and Dr Spearman gave her a thorough exam, asking questions as she did so.
When she had finished she told Kylie to redress and sat down at her desk and tapped at the keyboard until the girl was seated.
“So what’s wrong with her Doctor?” Mrs Bramley
“Well there is no doubt in my mind that Kylie is pregnant” she replied
“About five months to be precise”
“That’s absolute rubbish Doctor, Kylie can’t possibly be pregnant, ridiculous that is, she’s only 14 and I can assure you my daughter has never been with a man”
“There is no doubt” Kelly said as she took off her glasses
“Tell the Doctor, Kylie, tell her you’ve never been with a man”
“I haven’t Doctor I really haven’t, not even kissing” Kylie confirmed
Kelly looked at the girl doubtfully then stood up and walked to the window and stared out into the darkness shaking her head.
“So what’s wrong Doctor?” Mrs Bramley asked “it’s serious isn’t it?”
“Not at all, I just wanted to check the sky for something, because the last time a girl got pregnant without going with a man a bright star appeared in the East”
“Are you trying to be funny?” Mrs Bramwell asked
“No I’m not, I’m trying to make a point” she replied
“Whether Kylie says she has been with a man or not, she is definitely five months pregnant, so I suggest you think back five months and figure out where she didn’t have sex with a man”
“I don’t like your attitude Doctor if my daughter says she’s a virg…” she stopped in mid flow and turned to Kylie and said
“You dirty little cow, it was that boy you met on the beach at Sharpington wasn’t it”
At that the girl began to cry and Mrs Bramley bustled her out of the room admonishing her without acknowledging Kelly again.
Kelly was one of the cleverest medical students of her year and she was also one of the sexiest, a fact she had perpetually tried to play down.
She wanted to progress in her profession based purely on her abilities and not because she was “fit”.
She certainly didn’t want the distraction of having to fend off unwanted advances while she tried to qualify.
Her style of dress was muted, still feminine but understated, she wore her hair combed back severely off her and wore heavy framed spectacles.
A look she maintained long after qualification and all through her time at the Winston Churchill Hospital.
The result of which, being that after ten years she remained single and with a reputation for being cold and aloof.
As neither description was true she gave up a senior position at the Churchill to take up general practice, but she needed to learn the ropes as a GP locum, which was why she was working at the Dancingdean Health Centre.
(Part 02)
Kelly had completed her notes and packed her things away.
She was looking forward to getting home, she loosened her hair and shook it out before putting on her woollen hat and slipping on her coat and finally picked up her bag.
No sooner had her fingers curled around the door handle than the phone on her desk rang.
“Oh, so close” she said to herself and released her grip on the door handle.
There was nothing waiting for her at home except what she craved at that moment, peace and solitude.
But she had noticed the steady snowfall through her surgery window and she was not a lover of driving in the snow.
“Hello” she said
“Could you see one more patient Doctor?” the receptionist Lynn Cooper asked “It should be a quick one but it’s quite urgent”
“Of course send them through” she replied and slipped off her coat and sat down.
A few moments later there was a light knock on her door.
“Come in”
When the door opened a tall slightly built man of a similar age to herself walked in.
“Thank you for seeing me Doctor” he said “I’m sorry to delay you”
“That’s fine” Kelly replied
“I see you’re dressed for the conditions” he added
“I’m sorry?”
“Your rather fetching headgear” he explained
“Oh” she said with a laugh “I forgot I had it on”
“So what can I do for you? Mr Springthorpe”
“I need a repeat prescription for my Theophylline I have nearly run out” he said and she tapped at her keyboard
“Your last prescription was in October you shouldn’t have run out yet” she said
“I know but the water tank in my loft sprang a leak and brought the ceiling down which ruined everything in its path” he explained
“Your medication included” The Doctor said
“Yes” he confirmed
“Very well I’ll write you another one” she said
“Thank you Doctor”
“The pharmacy in Oakwood Road is open until 10 o’clock tonight” she said and handed him the prescription
“Thank you Doctor and Merry Christmas”
“Not to Merry I hope” she scolded “Happy Christmas”
The moment the door closed she quickly redressed in her out door clothes and left before the phone went again.
She ran the festive gauntlet of staff members, exchanging greetings in the time honoured fashion and emerged into the snowy car park and she was surprised to find exactly how much had fallen.
She got into her car and set off towards Mornington-By-Mere.
Kelly had only lived in Mornington for a few months, she wanted somewhere that was in striking distance of Shallowfield, Purplemere and Childean which were the towns she would be able to work as a locum.
Even Finchbottom and the Pepperstock’s were doable from Mornington at a pinch.
She had a rented a house in Military Row which was one of a number of good sized family dwellings originally built as Officers Quarters for the Officer personnel from the since defunct Mornington Airfield.
The original plan was to get a short time let and work as a Locum and then when she managed to secure a permanent position in a practice she would then move somewhere close to where she would be working but she had rather fallen in love with the village.
Despite the conditions she had made steady progress and had travelled about two and a half miles before she spotted the red tail lights and she came to a halt at the end of the queue.
There were three or four people milling around in the road so she got out of her car to join them in the hope of finding out what the problem was.
Just ahead of the queue of six cars there was a seventh car being reversed out of a snowdrift.
She made her way to the front and asked
“Is anyone hurt, I’m a Doctor?”
“No Doc, nothing hurt but his pride” An old country man replied
“A bit of a brown trouser moment though I shouldn’t wonder”
This induced a good deal of laughter as much from Kelly as anybody else.
“I take it the road is closed” she said when the laughter had subsided.
“Very much so Doc” Another bumpkin replied
“Then I shall wish you all a Merry Christmas and go in search of an Inn”
(Part 03)
She did a three point turn in the road and headed back the way she had come and hoped she wouldn’t have to spend the entire evening driving around looking for a room.
Kelly was not yet fully au fait with Shallowfield and its environs but she had stored several key landmarks in her memory bank but the only Hotel she could bring to mind was the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel by Teardrop Lake.
Which she thought was as good a place as any to start, if that failed she knew that a lot of her colleagues at the Health Centre lived in the area so she would try her luck with one of them.
Jonathon Springthorpe was due to have dinner on Christmas Eve with his oldest friend and business partner Richard O’Sullivan but he had to cancel it at the last minute when he realized he was almost out of his medication.
Although it was a genuine emergency and not an excuse he still felt guilty cancelling their dinner date because Richard was such a lonely cove.
He pledged to himself he would call round to Richards’s house once he had rectified his medical emergency.
He was very pleased to have caught the Doctor before she left for the Holiday, and even more pleasing was the fact she was so attractive.
After leaving the Health Centre he drove to the Oakwood Road pharmacy and was grateful he didn’t need to drive any further as the snow was several inches deep already and was falling exceedingly fast.
Under the circumstances he abandoned his plan to go and see Richard, so all being well he would be safely indoors for the night within half an hour and then the weather could do as it pleased.
Kelly parked her car and opened the boot, fortunately being a practical person she always had a change of clothes in the car for emergencies.
Unfortunately this did not include underwear so she would need to rinse through what she was wearing, provided of course she could get a room.
She went inside and straight up to the reception desk where a trim well-dressed woman was stood smiling in her direction.
“Can I help?” Mrs Brown said
“I do hope so” she replied dropping her bag to the floor
“I’m stranded in Shallowfield because of the snow and I’m hoping you have a room”
“You’re not the only one dear” Sheryl Brown said “But you’re in luck I have one room left”
“Thank you so much” Kelly said and she felt her shoulders relax
Sheryl Brown gave her a registration card to fill out and asked
“Is it just the one night dear?”
“Oh I don’t know” Kelly said “I hadn’t thought”
“Well look I’ll book you in for two nights, just in case” she suggested
“Ok yes, that’s a good idea” Kelly agreed
After all the formalities were completed and Mrs Brown had given her the key Kelly leant in close and whispered conspiratorially
“There was one other thing, I need to wash my underthings…”
Sheryl put up her hand and stopped her mid-sentence
“Don’t worry dear I have just the thing” she said and disappeared through a door marked private only to emerge 30 seconds later holding a small Tupperware box with a quantity of powder in.
“This is what you need”
“You are a Godsend” Kelly said “Thank you so much ...”
“Call me Sheryl”
“Thank you Sheryl”
“My pleasure” she replied “Now the restaurant is still open though under the circumstances it’s a rather improvised menu, but it will be hot”
“Hot will suffice” Kelly said gratefully
(Part 04)
Kelly went up to her room and quickly freshened up and then made her way back downstairs.
She smiled at Sheryl Brown, as she passed the reception desk, who was busy helping someone else.
She walked into the busy restaurant and found an empty table and had only sat down long enough to order a drink when she was asked.
“Do you mind if I join you doctor?”
It was Jonathon Springthorpe
“Not at all but please don’t call me Doctor” she replied in a hushed tone
“Why? Have you been struck off?” he said
“No” She replied and laughed “But if people know you’re a doctor they can’t help sharing the details of their ailments with you”
“Oh I see, so what should I call you?”
“Kelly will be fine” she replied “would you like a drink?”
“Just a coke please”
“Nothing stronger?” she asked
“No it reacts with my medication” he said and tapped his coat pocket
“Just testing” she lied
“So Kelly what brings you to the Shallowfield Lodge on a snowy Christmas Eve?” Jon asked
“You first” she said
“Well as I said earlier I have some water damage in my house so I’ve moved out while it’s being sorted”
He explained
“So what about you?”
“I was trying to get home but the road was closed by a snowdrift”
She replied
“And where’s home?” he asked
“I live in Mornington” she replied
“So do I” Jon said “I live in the Old Forge”
“Really I’m renting one of the houses in Military row” she said
“It’s a small world isn’t it?”
“So why here?” he asked after the waitress had taken their dinner order
“It was the first place I tried” she replied “but I wanted somewhere local because I’m on call from lunchtime tomorrow for two days”
“Oh bad luck” he said
“No not really I volunteered” Kelly said
“Why on earth did you do that?”
“Well everyone else has a significant other or a family” she said
“And you don’t?”
“No, I have no significant other and no family within easy reach, all my nears and dears are many miles away”
“So not married?” he asked
“No”
“Divorced?”
“No just never married”
“By accident or design?”
“A little of both I suppose” she replied enigmatically just as the food arrived
“So what about you?” Kelly asked
“Divorced” he replied
“How long?
“What married or divorced?”
“Both”
“Married 10, divorced 2” he said
After desert Kelly asked
“So why are you staying here?”
“I told you, my house is unliveable”
“Yes I know, but why here?” she persisted
“Oh I see, well I work in Shallowfield”
“And what do you do for a living?”
“Auctioneer” he replied proudly
“At O’Sullivan and Springthorpe”
“Oooh one of the bosses” she said feigning impression
“One of the partners” he corrected her “Of which there are a number”
“Still, name over the door” she said playing with him
While they were drinking their coffee Jon suddenly asked
“What are you doing for Christmas Lunch tomorrow?”
“I don’t know, whatever they’re serving here I suppose”
“I’m going to my parents for lunch tomorrow” he said
“Why don’t you join us?”
“Oh no I couldn’t impose” she replied
“Nonsense it’s no imposition”
“No I can’t and I’m on call anyway” she insisted
“It’s only in Shallowfield” he said “so it won’t affect you being on call”
“Wait a minute” she said “Your parents live in Shallowfield?”
“Yes”
“So why are you staying here why didn’t you stay at your parents?” she asked aghast
“Are you kidding, 36 years old and moving back in with the folks” he said
“I’d only be there for a day and Mum would start ironing my socks”
When they had stopped laughing Jon said
“So will you come?”
“Oh alright then” she conceded “But explain to your mother that if I have to disappear in a hurry it’s not because I’m not being rude”
They were to meet in reception at 10.30 on Christmas morning,
In the cold light of day Kelly questioned the wisdom of her decision to accept Jon’s invitation.
For a start she was not dressed as smartly as she would have liked but under the circumstances it was the best she could manage.
Fortunately when she arrived downstairs she found Jon had dressed down for the occasion, which made her feel much more comfortable.
“Happy Christmas” he said and kissed her cheek
“Happy Christmas Jon, are you sure I won’t be imposing?”
“Absolutely not” he insisted
(Part 05)
The snow was still falling though much lighter than the night before, so there was an eerie hush apart from the satisfying crunch underfoot.
If she hadn’t been on call they would have walked all the way but she needed her 4 x 4.
When they arrived at the Springthorpe’s home she realised his apparel was not as she had thought, coincidental, but was by design, as all of the family were in their best bib and tucker.
Jon had realised that morning that Kelly would have limited options for the day so deliberately dressed down so she wouldn’t feel awkward.
“Thank you” she whispered when she realised what he had done.
He introduced her to his parents, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, kissing cousins, two godsons and a brother all of them dressed to impress.
Including Kelly and Jon there were 19 for dinner, and seating and feeding that many people was no mean feat.
But Margaret Springthorpe did it in style, and everyone’s food was piping hot.
After dinner the gathering fragmented and Kelly volunteered to help with the clearing away, fending off the initial protests that she was a guest.
Just as the last plate was wiped up and put away Jon appeared
“Oh look perfect timing” Margaret said
“Dad won’t stop talking about the Golf game tomorrow so I just had to get out of there” he announced.
“It’s a shame you didn’t get fed up with it a bit sooner then you could have helped” Kelly said
“Well said” Aunty Victoria said
The reason for his father’s discontent in regard to the Golf was that the Annual, Springthorpe Family Cup competed for every year on Boxing Day had been cancelled for the first time since 1936.
Not even Adolph Hitler had been able to put a stop to it.
There had been snow at Christmas before and it had been possible to play the day after but this year due to the depth of snow on the ground the course was unplayable.
“Does it bother you that you won't be playing?” Kelly asked Jon.
“Yes. I love the Boxing Day game” he replied “But it’s impossible, Dad just won’t accept it”
“So why not play it on New Year’s Day instead?” she suggested
Jonathon opened his mouth to speak but seemed unable to find the words and closed it again.
He repeated this mime twice more then turned and left.
“Did you see that Margaret? She left him speechless” Victoria said
“Absolutely marvellous!” Margaret said
Kelly was roundly congratulated by the family for her solution to the Springthorpe Family Cup debacle and they were genuinely disappointed when at just after four o’clock she was called out.
She promised she would return as soon as she had finished but as it turned out she didn’t return until 7 hours later so she went straight to the Hotel where she found Jon waiting for her in the Hotel bar drinking hot chocolate.
“Come and have some” he said “it’ll warm you up”
“What I need is sleep” Kelly said
“Have a drink first, please” he begged
“Oh ok”
“You were a big hit with the family” Jon said
“Oh I don’t know about that”
“Seriously” he said “so much so that you have been invited to take part in the Springthorpe Family Cup”
“But I’m not family”
“You have been made an honorary member” he said
“How do you know I even play?” Kelly asked
“Well you do, don’t you?”
“A little” She said “maybe you can coach me”
They talked for about an hour before Kelly excused herself and went off to her bed.
The moment her head touched the pillow she was asleep and she slept very soundly, which was just as well because on Boxing Day she was bounced all over the district, dealing mainly with patients who have severely overindulged the day before.
(Part 06)
Kelly checked out of the Lodge on the morning after Boxing Day and that evening after surgery she was finally able to drive home to Mornington.
The first thing she did when she got home was to change her underwear, although she had washed them out every night before she went to bed, after wearing the same knickers for four days she still felt dirty.
She then had two wonderful days off in lieu of Christmas which gave her time to tidy her house and do some laundry.
But she was on call again on New Year’s Eve.
Kelly checked back into the Shallowfield Lodge after work on the 30th and that night she had dinner with Jonathon at the Phoenix Restaurant in Shallowfield but it had to be an early finish as she was on call from midnight.
Kelly was on call from midnight on the 30th until one minute past midnight on New Year’s Day.
It was a very quiet day she only had three call outs all day and it gave her plenty of time to think things through.
Kelly liked Jon, he made her laugh and feel sexy all at the same time, and he was kind and thoughtful.
But he or anyone like him was never in her plans for the future.
She had not moved from a senior position at the Winston Churchill into general practice looking for a man, however kind and thoughtful he might be.
But she didn’t think of him as just a man and she hadn’t felt that way about a man since she was studying medicine in Edinburgh.
However that had all ended very badly indeed and left her totally devastated and she did not want to repeat that mistake and feel worthless again.
Perhaps she should just nip it in the bud and not take a chance with him.
But why should she? Why wouldn’t it succeed?
She had always succeeded in her life when she put her mind to things, her recreation, her education, her profession, so why could she not succeed in a bright future for her and Jon.
The only fly in the ointment as far as she was concerned was that she wasn’t really sure how he felt about her.
He hadn’t even tried to kiss her, apart from a peck on the cheek on Christmas Day.
And she had wanted him too, after she found him waiting for her in the bar with hot chocolate.
She concluded that perhaps it was time for her to take the initiative.
On New Year’s Day Jonathon picked her up from the Hotel Car park.
It was a beautiful crisp winter’s day, no wind and not a cloud in the sky, she was standing by her car when Jon pulled up.
“Happy New Year” he said and kissed her cheek.
“Well that’s encouraging” she thought “but just on the cheek again”
But out loud she just repeated his greeting.
While he helped her transfer her clubs from her boot into his she was thinking that if was only going to kiss her on public holidays she would have to wait until Easter for the next one.
The Forest Ridge Golf Club was on the road between Shallowfield and Childean and the journey took about 15 minutes and all the way Jonathon was giving her Golf tips, her grip, her stance, her swing.
His coaching continued in the car park and on the walk to the clubhouse.
“Shut up Jon and kiss me” she screamed in her head
“The most important thing is to relax, don’t tense up” he said
“No the most important thing is that you take me in your arms and kiss me” she replied silently
Even if she’d said it out loud there wouldn’t have been time to act on it as they were soon surrounded by other members of the clan.
(Part 07)
Jon and Kelly were the last to tee off in a four ball with his younger brother Chris and his Uncle George.
“Don’t worry if you’re only a novice” he said as they approached the 1st tee “I can teach you as we go around”
“Ok” she said
Kelly was the first to tee off, it was a short dog leg par four, just under 200 yards to the turn so she selected her 3 wood and took up her position.
“That might be a little ambitious” Chris said
“Remember to relax those shoulders” Jon said encouragingly, agreeing with his brother about her club selection
Kelly took a couple of practice swings and then addressed the ball before hitting a crisp clean drive which sailed straight down the middle of the fairway.
“Whoa” Chris said “I thought you were a novice”
“I never said that” Kelly retorted
“You did say you played “a little”“Jon said
“I have only played “a little” since I moved to Mornington” she said
“You’re a bandit” Jon said and laughed
By the end of the 17th Uncle George and Jon were 5 shots off the pace and Kelly and Chris were all square.
After 3 shots Chris was on the green with a 20ft putt and Kelly was on the apron more than a hundred feet from the pin.
Chris was supremely confident as he watched Kelly chip to within 12 feet of the hole.
Chris however 3 putted and Kelly holed hers to win.
Jon was delighted partly because it gave him ammunition to rib Chris but mainly because he liked Kelly.
When all the scores were in Jon’s Cousin Mike won the day but Kelly was the highest placed woman and she won the nearest the pin on the par 3 7th.
There was a great huddle of bodies at the bar but she was stood in a quiet corner of the lounge admiring her little trophy when Jon joined her.
“So I wasn’t able to teach you anything today after all” he said
“I was trying to impress you and you ended up impressing me”
“That was my intention” she said
“To impress me?” he asked
“To get you to notice me” she replied and he looked puzzled
“You wanted me to notice you?”
“You have a lot to learn about women” she said taking a step towards him.
“Maybe you can teach me then” he told her looking into her eyes.
“There’s no maybe about it” She said and leaned her face towards him and touched her full lips gently to his.
He responded in kind and they were both lost in the magic of the moment.
As their lips parted they both opened their eyes.
“Would you like me to teach you some more?” she asked smiling.
“That’s a silly question” he replied and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close and their lips met again, but this time there was no restraint.
Thursday 12 January 2017
Wednesday 11 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (37) One White Christmas
(Part 01)
It was Christmas Eve and Samantha Dunlop, who worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in Abbottsford’s Phoenix Centre, was just on her way back to work after having had lunch with her boyfriend Darren.
“Bastard” she muttered under her breath as she entered the centre.
Sam was running the lunch time conversation through her head which was why she was so angry.
“You’re breaking up with me?” she asked in disbelieve across the table in McDonald’s.
“Don’t take it so hard babe” he said
“You’re breaking up with me on Christmas Eve?” she repeated
“I didn’t see why not I haven’t got your present yet so it was a win, win babe” he said
“You cheap bastard” she yelled and poured his chocolate shake over him
“I can see this is going to be another shit Christmas” she said to herself as she walked into Hanratty’s.
She went into the staff room and took off her coat and woollen had and shook her black hair like a wet dog.
The day before she had been passed over for promotion and then she gets dumped on Christmas Eve.
She was a 29 years old divorcee and she had worked for the department store in the cosmetics department for seven years and she was passed over for Abigail Subhan,
A 22 year old University graduate who had to take her head out of her arse to smell the perfume.
About 4 o’clock that afternoon a middle aged man entered the department and walked up to Samantha’s counter
“Good afternoon sir how may I help?”
"I would like to buy some perfume for my wife." he said
"Certainly sir" she replied. "What does your wife like?”
“I’ve no idea” he replied
“Do you have anything particular in mind?" she asked through gritted teeth
"Not really." he said "but nothing very expensive."
"I understand sir” she said and reached behind her “How about this one?"
He picked it up and looked it over and asked
"How much is it?"
"£150” she replied
“No, I did say nothing very expensive”
She place that bottle back where she had got it from and picked up its neighbour.
“This one is Eighty pounds sir”
"That's still too expensive" he replied
She presented him with a smaller bottle
“How about this one?" she said
"How much?” he asked.
"Fifty pounds sir."
"Do you have anything else?" he enquired.
"Well, there's this small bottle at twenty five pounds."
"Look love" he whispered "I want you to show me something really cheap"
Samantha smiled and said conspiratorially
“Come this way”
She led him to the makeup counter and said
“Just stand there and look straight ahead”
“What for?” he asked
Her green eyes narrowed and she said
“Because you said you wanted to see something really cheap, and that is as cheap as I’ve ever seen”
“Mrs Dunlop!!” Ms Subhan called “My office now”
So on top of missing out on promotion and being dumped by her boyfriend she was also sacked from Hanratty’s.
But then maybe saying to her boss that even with the biggest nose in Abbottsford she couldn’t tell the difference between Chanel and Dettol, didn’t really help her case.
Her first reaction was to go straight to the pub and get plastered but she was driving to Shallowfield that evening.
And the way her luck was going at that moment she was bound to get stopped by the police and lose her license along with everything else.
Samantha had phoned her best and oldest friend Emily as soon as she got back to work after Darren dumped her and Emily invited her to stay with her and her husband Matt for Christmas.
The Charlton’s had a Flat in East Cliff Lodge, on Teardrop Lake, so she went straight home after she was canned and packed a bag.
(Part 02)
As she left Abbottsford it started to snow and the snow that had fallen ten days earlier was still evident on the ground so the fresh fall quickly settled.
Samantha didn’t like driving in the snow, well she didn’t like driving full stop if she was honest, and so she was driving very cautiously.
The snow was obviously coming from the direction she was heading because as she was driving between Childean and Shallowfield the snow on the road was getting significantly deeper so she went even more cautiously.
But as she approached the last significant bend before the Shallowfield she lost control and after fighting with the steering she careered off the road into a ditch.
Richard O’Sullivan was in his mid-thirties and was one of the partners in O’Sullivan and Springthorpe Auctioneers in Shallowfield.
He had been driving in the same direction to Samantha Dunlop but then he received a phone call from his friend Jon cancelling their dinner date so he turned around and was heading back home when he witnessed her car briefly skidding across the road before disappearing from view.
He stopped the car and looked down into the ditch, the car was nose in and tilted upwards 20 degrees on the driver’s side.
The lights were on and the engine was still running and the driver’s door was open but there was no sign of the driver.
He got out of his car and shouted
“Hello”
He got no response so he clambered down into the ditch and approached the car.
He confirmed the car was empty and reached in and switched off the engine and killed the lights.
He could see footprints in the snow so he decided to follow them and resumed his calling.
After four or five minutes he found a young woman in a clearing blundering about in aimless circles.
“Are you ok?” he asked and she turned around towards him the snow was still falling and accumulating on her Wooly hat.
"It's Christmas Day. Shouldn't we be watching “White Christmas?”” she said
"No” he replied “it hasn’t started yet”
“I like “White Christmas”” she said
“Why don’t you come and watch it with me then?” he suggested and took her arm
“I wouldn’t want to miss it” she slurred and turned towards him which was when he noticed blood on her face.
He guided her slowly back the way they had come and helped her up out of the ditch and into his car.
Then he opened the boot and took out his torch and went back to her car, and located her handbag from the foot well and an overnight back and coat from the back seat and clambered back up to the road.
As he was only half a mile from his cottage and the snow was falling thick and fast he decided the best thing to do would be take her to the Old Mill Cottage.
After he settled her on the sofa he took a moment to look at her closely.
She had a bump on her forehead and a cut above her right eye but apart from that her face had a lovely shape and symmetry.
Richard got the first aid kit and cleaned and dressed her cut then he gave her another appraising look.
He noticed she had high cheekbones and flawless skin.
But her shinning black hair and wild green set her apart from every other girl he had ever met.
"My dad wants to play Monopoly" she said "Not me though”
“Quite right” he said and tucked a blanket around her legs and then he went to phone the Health Centre and was put through to the on call Doctor.
“Hello Doctor, its Richard O’Sullivan, there’s been a car accident, a young woman has banged her head, she has a bump on the head, a cut eye and she’s a little confused”
“Ok where are you?” Doctor Philips said
“Old Mill Cottage in Shallowfield” he replied
“I can’t get there myself, the roads are terrible and I’m stuck in Mornington” he said
“What should I do then?” he asked
“I will get to you when I can or failing that I’ll get someone closer to you to attend” he said
“Just don’t let her go to sleep”
(Part 03)
He hung up the phone and sat on the floor in front of her and had a nonsensical conversation with her until an hour later there was a knock on the door.
He got up stiffly and answered the door to find two snow covered figures.
“Hello Richard, where’s the patient?”
“Doctor Lutchford? Is that you?” he said “Come in, come in”
“It’s a bit Wintry” Claire said and stamped the snow off her boots “Where is she?”
“On the Sofa” he replied “Is that Peter under all that snow?”
“The roads are un-drivable” he said and shook Richards hand “so we walked”
“I guessed as much” Richard said
“It’s just as well we did there are two trees down so the Childean road is blocked”
“Come into the kitchen and let Claire do her thing” Richard said “I’ll make a hot drink”
Claire joined them in the kitchen about 10 minutes later.
“How is she?” Richard asked
“I’ve glued the cut and redressed it. The bump seems superficial and there’s no sign of a concussion”
“Good” he said
“Is it alright if you keep her here overnight?” Claire asked “Getting about is problematic at best”
“Of course it is” he said “Peter was just telling me what it’s like out there”
“Thank you Richard that’s very good of you” she said
“I’ve given her some pain killers, just let her sleep now, but keep an eye on her and call me if there is any change”
They stayed long enough to finish their drinks and then said their goodbyes and disappeared again into the snowy night.
Richard made himself another mug of coffee and went back to the lounge.
His houseguest was fast asleep on the sofa, he could have carried her into the bedroom but as she was a diminutive girl she fitted quite comfortably on the sofa, so he saw no point in moving her.
He did go upstairs and brought down the duvets, one he draped over her and the other he would use himself.
Before he settled down he put another log in the burner and picked up her handbag and rummaged inside until he found her purse.
In the front pocket of a rather gaudy pink purse was her driving license and he checked the photo and confirmed it was her.
“Samantha Dunlop” he said out loud and smiled
He also checked her mobile phone and noticed a lot of missed calls, all from the same number.
“Someone is worried about you” he said and dialed the number
He pulled the armchair closer to the fire and made himself comfortable and covered himself with the duvet.
That was the last thing he remembered until he awoke in the eerie light of Christmas Morning with a stiff neck.
He got up and stretched and then winced when he turned his head.
He checked first his watch and saw it was after eight and then his guest and found she was still sleeping peacefully.
So he revived the fire and dropped in another log and crept out of the room.
Showered, shaved and dressed he returned downstairs to the kitchen.
He looked out of the window and could see it was still snowing though much lighter than the night before.
He flicked on the kettle and turned his attention to lunch.
As he lived alone he didn’t bother with Christmas lunch and all the trimmings, not because he couldn’t cook, he was a very good cook, he just didn’t bother for himself.
In fact he hadn’t done Christmas lunch since his wife died.
Helena loved Christmas and everything that went with it and so did he.
But five years earlier his love of it died along with her.
And even though that was at a different time in a different house he still didn’t put up the decorations like Helena used to.
(Part 04)
First things first he looked in the fridge and the freezer and checked the cupboards and set about his task.
It wouldn’t be a Christmas Lunch per se but it would be a cooked lunch on Christmas Day.
Once he had everything prepared he made his drink and went back to the lounge.
It was 10 o’clock, Samantha had been asleep for more than 12 hours so he thought it was probably best if she began to come round.
He drew back the curtains and put on the radio, nothing too raucous he thought so he selected Christmas worship on the BBC, then he sat down in his armchair and drank his coffee.
Within ten minutes, helped along by a vigorous rendition of “O come all ye faithful”
She began to stir.
He was leant back in his chair as first her breathing changed and then her eye flicked open, a little at first, and then fully as her eyes tried to locate something familiar.
Eventually her eyes settled on Richard.
“Where am I?” she asked
“You’re in Shallowfield” he replied
“Have you kidnapped me?” Sam asked
“No” he replied and chuckled “You crashed your car”
She closed her eyes again and tried to remember
“How’s your head?” he asked and her eyes opened again
“Ow” she exclaimed after touching the bump
“Are you sure you didn’t bop me on the head and kidnap me?”
“I’m quite sure” he said “Merry Christmas by the way”
“Merry Christmas?” she said puzzled “I thought I’d already had that”
She sat herself up and asked
“Did I have a bag?”
“Two actually” he replied “Your overnight bag is in the hall, and your hand bag is here”
He leant over the arm of his chair and retrieved it and handed it to her.
“I took the liberty of checking your mobile last night after the doctor left”
“The doctor was here?” she asked
“Yes”
She closed her eyes tight and tried to remember.
“You’re friend Emily called you numerous times, she was clearly quite worried, so I called her and told her what happened”
“Emily” she said in a eureka moment “that’s where I was going”
She grinned broadly at successfully accessing the memory.
“They will come and get you when the roads are passable again” Richard said
“Why don’t you call her while I make a drink?”
“Ok” she agreed
“Tea or coffee?”
“Tea please” she replied and then as he was leaving the room she asked
“Who are you?”
“I’m Richard but my close friends call me Tripp”
He had had the nickname Tripp since he first started big school he was now 35.
It was all thanks to his namesake Richard O’Sullivan whose most famous character portrayal was of Robin Tripp in the shows “Man about the house” and “Robin Nest” and thanks to reruns of the shows when he was a schoolboy the name stuck with him.
While he made the drinks she made her phone call to Emily which dispelled her fears of being kidnapped and she was much happier.
He entered the room with the drinks and a pack of Paracetamol
“I spoke with Emily” she said “And I am now happy that I haven’t been kidnapped”
“Good” he said putting her mug down and giving her the pain killers
“Of course Emily and I could be in it together”
“No don’t say that” she said “my head is already messed up”
As she finished her tea she asked sheepishly
“Could I be really cheeky and have a shower”
“Of course you can” he said and laughed “I took your bag up and put it in the spare room there’s an en suite so you have complete privacy”
“Thank you Richard” she said
“Call me Tripp” he said
“But were not close friends” she pointed out
“That’s very true” he agreed “But we have slept together”
He watched her gingerly climb the narrow stairs and found himself once again admiring her.
He had not looked upon a woman in that way for a very long time, when his wife was alive he only had eyes for her and after her death he focused only on his work.
When she reached the top he said
“It’s the room on the left”
“Thank you” she called back and then she turned towards him and added “Merry Christmas Tripp”
(Part 05)
Richard smiled and walked into the kitchen and got on with the lunch
He was an ordinary looking man in fact he was so ordinary if he were to commit a crime the witnesses to it would supply a description that would fit half the population.
He was neither tall nor short or fat nor thin, his face was not unpleasant to look but it wasn’t handsome, his hair was mousy in colour and was unremarkable.
In summary he was not the type of man who would attract the attention of someone like Samantha.
In fact it occurred to him that only the particular chain of events that had already occurred could have brought them together on Christmas day.
“Apart from kidnap” he said to himself and laughed
While the Roast Potatoes were cooking he set the table in the dining room, he always ate at the dining room table, and it was a hangover from when Helena was still alive.
It was her Latin upbringing, she would always say
“Meal times are for more than just refueling”
After he’d laid the table he went into the lounge to check on Samantha and found her back under the duvet watching TV.
“Do you want more tea?” he asked
“Yes please” she said “can I do anything to help?”
“No, you just need to relax and enjoy the hospitality” he replied and returned to the kitchen
He was lacking too many key ingredients to make an authentic Christmas Lunch, Turkey, Cranberry sauce chestnut stuffing and Christmas pudding and brandy butter, so in lieu of a Turkey he cooked duck breasts, accompanied by Roast potatoes, and a selection of vegetables, desert was an apple crumble.
He had taken everything to the table, apart from the wine, which he retrieved from the fridge he then pushed open the Lounge door and said
“Luncheon is served madam”
“Oh goody” she responded
When she was seated at the table he said
“It’s not your usual Christmas fare I’m afraid, but I did quite a lot of it as I wasn’t sure how hungry you’d be”
“Wow it looks great and I’m absolutely starving” she replied “I can’t remember when I last ate”
Although she couldn’t remember at the time her previous meal was actually lunchtime the day before prior to Darren dumping her.
Richard needn’t have concerned himself about cooking too much because Samantha ate more than her share and still had room for two helpings of Apple Crumble.
Richard cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen and found Samantha stood running the taps at the sink.
“Hey what do you think you’re doing Samantha Dunlop?” he asked crossly
“I’m washing up” she retorted
“You are my guest and guests don’t wash up, now go and sit down”
“I can’t” she replied
“You can’t what?”
“I can’t sit down” she said “I’m too full”
“Ok then I’ll let you off”
(Part 06)
With the washing up done and two reviving mugs of tea made they adjourned to the lounge.
As the day wore on the snowfall had petered out and by late afternoon the skies cleared just as the light began to fade and the temperature dropped like a stone.
So Richard put on the lights and drew the curtains then he attended to the wood burner before sitting down in his chair.
“Would like music or TV?” he asked
“Is “White Christmas” on today?” she asked “Or did I imagine it”
“Yes it is” he replied “would you like to watch it?”
“Yes please, it’s one of my favourites”
“I know, I remember you saying”
“Really? When?”
He then explained the conversation they had in the woods the night before and she put her head in her hands
“Oh God how embarrassing” she said
“And then when we got back here you announced "My dad wants to play Monopoly””
“Now you’re making it up?”
“Not at all, you said, "My dad wants to play Monopoly, but not me though"”
“Because I wanted to watch White Christmas” she said “I was seven when that happened”
Samantha laughed at the memory and Richards’s rendition of her and then she shivered.
“Are you cold?” he asked and got up from his chair and retrieved the folded Duvet she had used the night before
“Here put this over you” he said unfolding it onto her lap
“Thank you” she said and smiled
“It’s definitely chilly I think I might get my fleece” he said
“We could share the duvet” she suggested and flapped the duvet aside
“Oh, ok, yes” he said and sat next to her on the sofa and she flapped it over him.
As he nervously fumbled with the TV control Samantha’s phone rang for which he was grateful as it diverted attention away from him.
“Hello” she said
“Hi Em, Merry Christmas”
Suddenly he wasn’t so grateful for the interruption once he realized it was her friend Emily presumably to arrange a time to collect her.
There was a long tortuous silence until she said
“Hold on I’ll ask” and Samantha turned her attention back to him
“Emily says the road is still closed so they can’t pick me up until tomorrow, and could you put me up for another night, or put up with me for another night”
“Of course, you can stay as long as you like” he said struggling to keep the delight out of his voice
“Ok Hun bye”
“I’m sorry” she said
“Whatever for?”
“Imposing on you”
“It’s no imposition Sam, it’s a pleasure” he said
“Now watch the film”
When he woke up on Boxing Day he was thrilled to see it was snowing again and settling fast on the frozen snow of the day before.
He showered and shaved and dressed for the day and went down stairs with a spring in his step.
When he got to the kitchen he found Samantha was up before him and was in high spirits.
“Morning Tripp” she said “It’s snowing again”
“Yes I know, it looks like I might have to put up with you for another night”
“Really?” she queried
“Well I can’t see them reopening the road today in this”
"How's the head?" Richard asked her
"Better," she told him
“Good”
“Do you mind?” she asked
“Do I mind what?”
“Being stuck with me for another day”
“Not for a second” he replied and she smiled
“In that case can I cook you breakfast?” she asked
“I don’t know, can you cook?”
“Go and set the table and then you’ll find out” she said
As she cooked the omelet’s she was feeling very happy with the situation and was not entirely sure why.
Richard O’Sullivan was not the kind of man who would normally show up on her radar, she went for a very different type, he was rather ordinary.
As she dished the omelets onto the waiting plates the thought occurred to her that, that was probably why she had never landed a good one.
Later that day they were playing cards in front of the log burner when Richard said.
“I bet this wasn’t how you envisaged spending your Christmas”
“No it wasn’t” she agreed
“So what was the plan?”
“Christmas dinner with my boyfriend’s parents” she said
“Oh” he said barely hiding his disappointment
“But that was before I was dumped by my skinflint boyfriend on Christmas Eve because he was too tight to buy me a present”
“Ouch”
“Then I lost my job because I embarrassed a miserly customer at Hanratty’s who was too mean to buy a £25 pound bottle of scent for his wife’s gift”
“Oh dear”
“So I called Emily and she invited me to stay and then I crashed the car in the snow”
“That I can verify”
“Me too” she said touching the wound above her eye
“You managed to pack a lot in to one day” he said
“Yes” She agreed “As Christmas Eve’s go, boring it was not”
“Indeed” he said
“Christmas Day on the other hand” she began and then they exchanged a smile.
(Part 07)
The road through Shallowfield was finally reopened on the day after Boxing Day so Emily and Matt Charlton arrived mid-morning to collect Samantha.
While Sam was upstairs getting her bag, Richard entertained the Charlton’s in the lounge.
“It was kind of you to take Sam in”
“It was nothing” Richard said dismissively
“It was my pleasure”
Just then he heard Samantha’s footfalls on the stairs
“We’re having a party on New Year’s Eve and you are more than welcome to come” Emily said
“Thank you but no I’m not much of a reveler”
“Oh do come” Sam said
“I’m not really much of a one for parties” he replied
“Well if you change your mind its flat 3 East Cliff Lodge any time after nine” Matt said and shook his hand
On the door step Samantha turned and kissed his cheek
“Thank you Tripp”
Samantha waved through the back window as he watched them drive down the lane and he felt a strange sense of loss.
Since his wife died he had lived in quiet isolation and he had grown content in his existence.
But Samantha had disturbed his calm and muddied the quiet waters of his life.
As Matt drove carefully along the snow covered roads, Emily chatted excitedly at a pitch that was only audile to dogs while Samantha was feeling lost and alone.
When he got up on New Year’s Eve the snow had all but gone and he still planned to spend it alone as had become the norm.
All day long he was content it would be business as usual for the turn of the year.
Samantha was in Emily and Matt’s spare room for hours getting ready for the party.
Hair, nails, legs, the whole nine yards she even borrowed one of Emily’s raciest dresses.
“You look gorgeous” Emily said
“Thank you” she replied “I thought I should make the effort”
“But you haven’t gone to all this trouble just for us, have you?”
“I don’t know what you mean” Samantha said adjusting her makeup.
“He probably won’t come you know” Emily said
“He doesn’t have to” Sam said
Richard was dressed in his smartest suit and was rushing around the lounge muttering under her breath, looking for his car keys when there was a knock at the door.
“Who’s that now” he said to himself
Abandoning his search he went to the door prepared to bark his disapproval in their direction but instead he found Samantha standing on the doorstep dressed to kill and carrying a bottle of Champaign.
“I thought if you won’t come to the party I’d bring the party to you”
She said holding up the bottle
“I was just coming to find you” he said
“Well I beat you to it” she said and smiled
“Shall we go to the party then?” he asked
“No let’s have a quiet night in” she said and closed the door behind her.
It was Christmas Eve and Samantha Dunlop, who worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in Abbottsford’s Phoenix Centre, was just on her way back to work after having had lunch with her boyfriend Darren.
“Bastard” she muttered under her breath as she entered the centre.
Sam was running the lunch time conversation through her head which was why she was so angry.
“You’re breaking up with me?” she asked in disbelieve across the table in McDonald’s.
“Don’t take it so hard babe” he said
“You’re breaking up with me on Christmas Eve?” she repeated
“I didn’t see why not I haven’t got your present yet so it was a win, win babe” he said
“You cheap bastard” she yelled and poured his chocolate shake over him
“I can see this is going to be another shit Christmas” she said to herself as she walked into Hanratty’s.
She went into the staff room and took off her coat and woollen had and shook her black hair like a wet dog.
The day before she had been passed over for promotion and then she gets dumped on Christmas Eve.
She was a 29 years old divorcee and she had worked for the department store in the cosmetics department for seven years and she was passed over for Abigail Subhan,
A 22 year old University graduate who had to take her head out of her arse to smell the perfume.
About 4 o’clock that afternoon a middle aged man entered the department and walked up to Samantha’s counter
“Good afternoon sir how may I help?”
"I would like to buy some perfume for my wife." he said
"Certainly sir" she replied. "What does your wife like?”
“I’ve no idea” he replied
“Do you have anything particular in mind?" she asked through gritted teeth
"Not really." he said "but nothing very expensive."
"I understand sir” she said and reached behind her “How about this one?"
He picked it up and looked it over and asked
"How much is it?"
"£150” she replied
“No, I did say nothing very expensive”
She place that bottle back where she had got it from and picked up its neighbour.
“This one is Eighty pounds sir”
"That's still too expensive" he replied
She presented him with a smaller bottle
“How about this one?" she said
"How much?” he asked.
"Fifty pounds sir."
"Do you have anything else?" he enquired.
"Well, there's this small bottle at twenty five pounds."
"Look love" he whispered "I want you to show me something really cheap"
Samantha smiled and said conspiratorially
“Come this way”
She led him to the makeup counter and said
“Just stand there and look straight ahead”
“What for?” he asked
Her green eyes narrowed and she said
“Because you said you wanted to see something really cheap, and that is as cheap as I’ve ever seen”
“Mrs Dunlop!!” Ms Subhan called “My office now”
So on top of missing out on promotion and being dumped by her boyfriend she was also sacked from Hanratty’s.
But then maybe saying to her boss that even with the biggest nose in Abbottsford she couldn’t tell the difference between Chanel and Dettol, didn’t really help her case.
Her first reaction was to go straight to the pub and get plastered but she was driving to Shallowfield that evening.
And the way her luck was going at that moment she was bound to get stopped by the police and lose her license along with everything else.
Samantha had phoned her best and oldest friend Emily as soon as she got back to work after Darren dumped her and Emily invited her to stay with her and her husband Matt for Christmas.
The Charlton’s had a Flat in East Cliff Lodge, on Teardrop Lake, so she went straight home after she was canned and packed a bag.
(Part 02)
As she left Abbottsford it started to snow and the snow that had fallen ten days earlier was still evident on the ground so the fresh fall quickly settled.
Samantha didn’t like driving in the snow, well she didn’t like driving full stop if she was honest, and so she was driving very cautiously.
The snow was obviously coming from the direction she was heading because as she was driving between Childean and Shallowfield the snow on the road was getting significantly deeper so she went even more cautiously.
But as she approached the last significant bend before the Shallowfield she lost control and after fighting with the steering she careered off the road into a ditch.
Richard O’Sullivan was in his mid-thirties and was one of the partners in O’Sullivan and Springthorpe Auctioneers in Shallowfield.
He had been driving in the same direction to Samantha Dunlop but then he received a phone call from his friend Jon cancelling their dinner date so he turned around and was heading back home when he witnessed her car briefly skidding across the road before disappearing from view.
He stopped the car and looked down into the ditch, the car was nose in and tilted upwards 20 degrees on the driver’s side.
The lights were on and the engine was still running and the driver’s door was open but there was no sign of the driver.
He got out of his car and shouted
“Hello”
He got no response so he clambered down into the ditch and approached the car.
He confirmed the car was empty and reached in and switched off the engine and killed the lights.
He could see footprints in the snow so he decided to follow them and resumed his calling.
After four or five minutes he found a young woman in a clearing blundering about in aimless circles.
“Are you ok?” he asked and she turned around towards him the snow was still falling and accumulating on her Wooly hat.
"It's Christmas Day. Shouldn't we be watching “White Christmas?”” she said
"No” he replied “it hasn’t started yet”
“I like “White Christmas”” she said
“Why don’t you come and watch it with me then?” he suggested and took her arm
“I wouldn’t want to miss it” she slurred and turned towards him which was when he noticed blood on her face.
He guided her slowly back the way they had come and helped her up out of the ditch and into his car.
Then he opened the boot and took out his torch and went back to her car, and located her handbag from the foot well and an overnight back and coat from the back seat and clambered back up to the road.
As he was only half a mile from his cottage and the snow was falling thick and fast he decided the best thing to do would be take her to the Old Mill Cottage.
After he settled her on the sofa he took a moment to look at her closely.
She had a bump on her forehead and a cut above her right eye but apart from that her face had a lovely shape and symmetry.
Richard got the first aid kit and cleaned and dressed her cut then he gave her another appraising look.
He noticed she had high cheekbones and flawless skin.
But her shinning black hair and wild green set her apart from every other girl he had ever met.
"My dad wants to play Monopoly" she said "Not me though”
“Quite right” he said and tucked a blanket around her legs and then he went to phone the Health Centre and was put through to the on call Doctor.
“Hello Doctor, its Richard O’Sullivan, there’s been a car accident, a young woman has banged her head, she has a bump on the head, a cut eye and she’s a little confused”
“Ok where are you?” Doctor Philips said
“Old Mill Cottage in Shallowfield” he replied
“I can’t get there myself, the roads are terrible and I’m stuck in Mornington” he said
“What should I do then?” he asked
“I will get to you when I can or failing that I’ll get someone closer to you to attend” he said
“Just don’t let her go to sleep”
(Part 03)
He hung up the phone and sat on the floor in front of her and had a nonsensical conversation with her until an hour later there was a knock on the door.
He got up stiffly and answered the door to find two snow covered figures.
“Hello Richard, where’s the patient?”
“Doctor Lutchford? Is that you?” he said “Come in, come in”
“It’s a bit Wintry” Claire said and stamped the snow off her boots “Where is she?”
“On the Sofa” he replied “Is that Peter under all that snow?”
“The roads are un-drivable” he said and shook Richards hand “so we walked”
“I guessed as much” Richard said
“It’s just as well we did there are two trees down so the Childean road is blocked”
“Come into the kitchen and let Claire do her thing” Richard said “I’ll make a hot drink”
Claire joined them in the kitchen about 10 minutes later.
“How is she?” Richard asked
“I’ve glued the cut and redressed it. The bump seems superficial and there’s no sign of a concussion”
“Good” he said
“Is it alright if you keep her here overnight?” Claire asked “Getting about is problematic at best”
“Of course it is” he said “Peter was just telling me what it’s like out there”
“Thank you Richard that’s very good of you” she said
“I’ve given her some pain killers, just let her sleep now, but keep an eye on her and call me if there is any change”
They stayed long enough to finish their drinks and then said their goodbyes and disappeared again into the snowy night.
Richard made himself another mug of coffee and went back to the lounge.
His houseguest was fast asleep on the sofa, he could have carried her into the bedroom but as she was a diminutive girl she fitted quite comfortably on the sofa, so he saw no point in moving her.
He did go upstairs and brought down the duvets, one he draped over her and the other he would use himself.
Before he settled down he put another log in the burner and picked up her handbag and rummaged inside until he found her purse.
In the front pocket of a rather gaudy pink purse was her driving license and he checked the photo and confirmed it was her.
“Samantha Dunlop” he said out loud and smiled
He also checked her mobile phone and noticed a lot of missed calls, all from the same number.
“Someone is worried about you” he said and dialed the number
He pulled the armchair closer to the fire and made himself comfortable and covered himself with the duvet.
That was the last thing he remembered until he awoke in the eerie light of Christmas Morning with a stiff neck.
He got up and stretched and then winced when he turned his head.
He checked first his watch and saw it was after eight and then his guest and found she was still sleeping peacefully.
So he revived the fire and dropped in another log and crept out of the room.
Showered, shaved and dressed he returned downstairs to the kitchen.
He looked out of the window and could see it was still snowing though much lighter than the night before.
He flicked on the kettle and turned his attention to lunch.
As he lived alone he didn’t bother with Christmas lunch and all the trimmings, not because he couldn’t cook, he was a very good cook, he just didn’t bother for himself.
In fact he hadn’t done Christmas lunch since his wife died.
Helena loved Christmas and everything that went with it and so did he.
But five years earlier his love of it died along with her.
And even though that was at a different time in a different house he still didn’t put up the decorations like Helena used to.
(Part 04)
First things first he looked in the fridge and the freezer and checked the cupboards and set about his task.
It wouldn’t be a Christmas Lunch per se but it would be a cooked lunch on Christmas Day.
Once he had everything prepared he made his drink and went back to the lounge.
It was 10 o’clock, Samantha had been asleep for more than 12 hours so he thought it was probably best if she began to come round.
He drew back the curtains and put on the radio, nothing too raucous he thought so he selected Christmas worship on the BBC, then he sat down in his armchair and drank his coffee.
Within ten minutes, helped along by a vigorous rendition of “O come all ye faithful”
She began to stir.
He was leant back in his chair as first her breathing changed and then her eye flicked open, a little at first, and then fully as her eyes tried to locate something familiar.
Eventually her eyes settled on Richard.
“Where am I?” she asked
“You’re in Shallowfield” he replied
“Have you kidnapped me?” Sam asked
“No” he replied and chuckled “You crashed your car”
She closed her eyes again and tried to remember
“How’s your head?” he asked and her eyes opened again
“Ow” she exclaimed after touching the bump
“Are you sure you didn’t bop me on the head and kidnap me?”
“I’m quite sure” he said “Merry Christmas by the way”
“Merry Christmas?” she said puzzled “I thought I’d already had that”
She sat herself up and asked
“Did I have a bag?”
“Two actually” he replied “Your overnight bag is in the hall, and your hand bag is here”
He leant over the arm of his chair and retrieved it and handed it to her.
“I took the liberty of checking your mobile last night after the doctor left”
“The doctor was here?” she asked
“Yes”
She closed her eyes tight and tried to remember.
“You’re friend Emily called you numerous times, she was clearly quite worried, so I called her and told her what happened”
“Emily” she said in a eureka moment “that’s where I was going”
She grinned broadly at successfully accessing the memory.
“They will come and get you when the roads are passable again” Richard said
“Why don’t you call her while I make a drink?”
“Ok” she agreed
“Tea or coffee?”
“Tea please” she replied and then as he was leaving the room she asked
“Who are you?”
“I’m Richard but my close friends call me Tripp”
He had had the nickname Tripp since he first started big school he was now 35.
It was all thanks to his namesake Richard O’Sullivan whose most famous character portrayal was of Robin Tripp in the shows “Man about the house” and “Robin Nest” and thanks to reruns of the shows when he was a schoolboy the name stuck with him.
While he made the drinks she made her phone call to Emily which dispelled her fears of being kidnapped and she was much happier.
He entered the room with the drinks and a pack of Paracetamol
“I spoke with Emily” she said “And I am now happy that I haven’t been kidnapped”
“Good” he said putting her mug down and giving her the pain killers
“Of course Emily and I could be in it together”
“No don’t say that” she said “my head is already messed up”
As she finished her tea she asked sheepishly
“Could I be really cheeky and have a shower”
“Of course you can” he said and laughed “I took your bag up and put it in the spare room there’s an en suite so you have complete privacy”
“Thank you Richard” she said
“Call me Tripp” he said
“But were not close friends” she pointed out
“That’s very true” he agreed “But we have slept together”
He watched her gingerly climb the narrow stairs and found himself once again admiring her.
He had not looked upon a woman in that way for a very long time, when his wife was alive he only had eyes for her and after her death he focused only on his work.
When she reached the top he said
“It’s the room on the left”
“Thank you” she called back and then she turned towards him and added “Merry Christmas Tripp”
(Part 05)
Richard smiled and walked into the kitchen and got on with the lunch
He was an ordinary looking man in fact he was so ordinary if he were to commit a crime the witnesses to it would supply a description that would fit half the population.
He was neither tall nor short or fat nor thin, his face was not unpleasant to look but it wasn’t handsome, his hair was mousy in colour and was unremarkable.
In summary he was not the type of man who would attract the attention of someone like Samantha.
In fact it occurred to him that only the particular chain of events that had already occurred could have brought them together on Christmas day.
“Apart from kidnap” he said to himself and laughed
While the Roast Potatoes were cooking he set the table in the dining room, he always ate at the dining room table, and it was a hangover from when Helena was still alive.
It was her Latin upbringing, she would always say
“Meal times are for more than just refueling”
After he’d laid the table he went into the lounge to check on Samantha and found her back under the duvet watching TV.
“Do you want more tea?” he asked
“Yes please” she said “can I do anything to help?”
“No, you just need to relax and enjoy the hospitality” he replied and returned to the kitchen
He was lacking too many key ingredients to make an authentic Christmas Lunch, Turkey, Cranberry sauce chestnut stuffing and Christmas pudding and brandy butter, so in lieu of a Turkey he cooked duck breasts, accompanied by Roast potatoes, and a selection of vegetables, desert was an apple crumble.
He had taken everything to the table, apart from the wine, which he retrieved from the fridge he then pushed open the Lounge door and said
“Luncheon is served madam”
“Oh goody” she responded
When she was seated at the table he said
“It’s not your usual Christmas fare I’m afraid, but I did quite a lot of it as I wasn’t sure how hungry you’d be”
“Wow it looks great and I’m absolutely starving” she replied “I can’t remember when I last ate”
Although she couldn’t remember at the time her previous meal was actually lunchtime the day before prior to Darren dumping her.
Richard needn’t have concerned himself about cooking too much because Samantha ate more than her share and still had room for two helpings of Apple Crumble.
Richard cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen and found Samantha stood running the taps at the sink.
“Hey what do you think you’re doing Samantha Dunlop?” he asked crossly
“I’m washing up” she retorted
“You are my guest and guests don’t wash up, now go and sit down”
“I can’t” she replied
“You can’t what?”
“I can’t sit down” she said “I’m too full”
“Ok then I’ll let you off”
(Part 06)
With the washing up done and two reviving mugs of tea made they adjourned to the lounge.
As the day wore on the snowfall had petered out and by late afternoon the skies cleared just as the light began to fade and the temperature dropped like a stone.
So Richard put on the lights and drew the curtains then he attended to the wood burner before sitting down in his chair.
“Would like music or TV?” he asked
“Is “White Christmas” on today?” she asked “Or did I imagine it”
“Yes it is” he replied “would you like to watch it?”
“Yes please, it’s one of my favourites”
“I know, I remember you saying”
“Really? When?”
He then explained the conversation they had in the woods the night before and she put her head in her hands
“Oh God how embarrassing” she said
“And then when we got back here you announced "My dad wants to play Monopoly””
“Now you’re making it up?”
“Not at all, you said, "My dad wants to play Monopoly, but not me though"”
“Because I wanted to watch White Christmas” she said “I was seven when that happened”
Samantha laughed at the memory and Richards’s rendition of her and then she shivered.
“Are you cold?” he asked and got up from his chair and retrieved the folded Duvet she had used the night before
“Here put this over you” he said unfolding it onto her lap
“Thank you” she said and smiled
“It’s definitely chilly I think I might get my fleece” he said
“We could share the duvet” she suggested and flapped the duvet aside
“Oh, ok, yes” he said and sat next to her on the sofa and she flapped it over him.
As he nervously fumbled with the TV control Samantha’s phone rang for which he was grateful as it diverted attention away from him.
“Hello” she said
“Hi Em, Merry Christmas”
Suddenly he wasn’t so grateful for the interruption once he realized it was her friend Emily presumably to arrange a time to collect her.
There was a long tortuous silence until she said
“Hold on I’ll ask” and Samantha turned her attention back to him
“Emily says the road is still closed so they can’t pick me up until tomorrow, and could you put me up for another night, or put up with me for another night”
“Of course, you can stay as long as you like” he said struggling to keep the delight out of his voice
“Ok Hun bye”
“I’m sorry” she said
“Whatever for?”
“Imposing on you”
“It’s no imposition Sam, it’s a pleasure” he said
“Now watch the film”
When he woke up on Boxing Day he was thrilled to see it was snowing again and settling fast on the frozen snow of the day before.
He showered and shaved and dressed for the day and went down stairs with a spring in his step.
When he got to the kitchen he found Samantha was up before him and was in high spirits.
“Morning Tripp” she said “It’s snowing again”
“Yes I know, it looks like I might have to put up with you for another night”
“Really?” she queried
“Well I can’t see them reopening the road today in this”
"How's the head?" Richard asked her
"Better," she told him
“Good”
“Do you mind?” she asked
“Do I mind what?”
“Being stuck with me for another day”
“Not for a second” he replied and she smiled
“In that case can I cook you breakfast?” she asked
“I don’t know, can you cook?”
“Go and set the table and then you’ll find out” she said
As she cooked the omelet’s she was feeling very happy with the situation and was not entirely sure why.
Richard O’Sullivan was not the kind of man who would normally show up on her radar, she went for a very different type, he was rather ordinary.
As she dished the omelets onto the waiting plates the thought occurred to her that, that was probably why she had never landed a good one.
Later that day they were playing cards in front of the log burner when Richard said.
“I bet this wasn’t how you envisaged spending your Christmas”
“No it wasn’t” she agreed
“So what was the plan?”
“Christmas dinner with my boyfriend’s parents” she said
“Oh” he said barely hiding his disappointment
“But that was before I was dumped by my skinflint boyfriend on Christmas Eve because he was too tight to buy me a present”
“Ouch”
“Then I lost my job because I embarrassed a miserly customer at Hanratty’s who was too mean to buy a £25 pound bottle of scent for his wife’s gift”
“Oh dear”
“So I called Emily and she invited me to stay and then I crashed the car in the snow”
“That I can verify”
“Me too” she said touching the wound above her eye
“You managed to pack a lot in to one day” he said
“Yes” She agreed “As Christmas Eve’s go, boring it was not”
“Indeed” he said
“Christmas Day on the other hand” she began and then they exchanged a smile.
(Part 07)
The road through Shallowfield was finally reopened on the day after Boxing Day so Emily and Matt Charlton arrived mid-morning to collect Samantha.
While Sam was upstairs getting her bag, Richard entertained the Charlton’s in the lounge.
“It was kind of you to take Sam in”
“It was nothing” Richard said dismissively
“It was my pleasure”
Just then he heard Samantha’s footfalls on the stairs
“We’re having a party on New Year’s Eve and you are more than welcome to come” Emily said
“Thank you but no I’m not much of a reveler”
“Oh do come” Sam said
“I’m not really much of a one for parties” he replied
“Well if you change your mind its flat 3 East Cliff Lodge any time after nine” Matt said and shook his hand
On the door step Samantha turned and kissed his cheek
“Thank you Tripp”
Samantha waved through the back window as he watched them drive down the lane and he felt a strange sense of loss.
Since his wife died he had lived in quiet isolation and he had grown content in his existence.
But Samantha had disturbed his calm and muddied the quiet waters of his life.
As Matt drove carefully along the snow covered roads, Emily chatted excitedly at a pitch that was only audile to dogs while Samantha was feeling lost and alone.
When he got up on New Year’s Eve the snow had all but gone and he still planned to spend it alone as had become the norm.
All day long he was content it would be business as usual for the turn of the year.
Samantha was in Emily and Matt’s spare room for hours getting ready for the party.
Hair, nails, legs, the whole nine yards she even borrowed one of Emily’s raciest dresses.
“You look gorgeous” Emily said
“Thank you” she replied “I thought I should make the effort”
“But you haven’t gone to all this trouble just for us, have you?”
“I don’t know what you mean” Samantha said adjusting her makeup.
“He probably won’t come you know” Emily said
“He doesn’t have to” Sam said
Richard was dressed in his smartest suit and was rushing around the lounge muttering under her breath, looking for his car keys when there was a knock at the door.
“Who’s that now” he said to himself
Abandoning his search he went to the door prepared to bark his disapproval in their direction but instead he found Samantha standing on the doorstep dressed to kill and carrying a bottle of Champaign.
“I thought if you won’t come to the party I’d bring the party to you”
She said holding up the bottle
“I was just coming to find you” he said
“Well I beat you to it” she said and smiled
“Shall we go to the party then?” he asked
“No let’s have a quiet night in” she said and closed the door behind her.
Monday 9 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (27) Better the Devil You Know
(Part 01)
It was mid-September when recent divorcee’s Matthew Charlton and Emily Waugh moved into Flat’s 3 and 4, respectively of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking the picturesque Teardrop Lake.
The view of the water from their flats was spectacular with its distinctive teardrop shape which gave the lake its name surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It was a modest body of water as lakes go, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, it really was a thing of beauty and was both idyllic and peaceful.
Matt was 32 years old with neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
Emily was five years younger than him and was best described as diminutive at 4’ 11”, with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
They had moved there because after the divorce they both wanted to start new lives, in an entirely different part of the county.
Also they had both been heavily influenced by friends who had recommended Teardrop Lake as the perfect place to begin again.
But fate definitely took a hand.
They only discovered their collective error when Matt knocked on Emily’s door to introduce himself.
Only a few months before he knocked on her door they had still been married to each other.
They divorced, not due to a lack of love but, but a lack of conflict.
Apparently he was too enabling,
He wasn’t assertive enough,
He was too accommodating, in short he was too nice.
Though he didn’t think it was true that he was too easy going, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had an opinion he would have put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
Over the weeks that followed their re acquaintance there were a number of chance encounters between them that led to an increase in animosity which culminated in the decisive meeting on Halloween.
It was at the big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge to which everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
It was the home of Peter Lutchford, and mine host was dressed as Herman Munster and his fiancé Claire Andrews, who was a Doctor, was dressed as Lily Munster and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch, her brother Peter thought was type casting.
It was a marvelous occasion and everyone had a wonderful time and although they didn’t know it at the time, due to its popularity it would become an annual event.
Emily was dressed in a monkey costume, the only costume she had ever tried that fitted her perfectly, so it was the only thing she ever wore.
But for variety she would accessorized it for the occasion.
She did so for Halloween by adding Vampire teeth and a cape and she went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt on the other hand had the pick of the costumers’ and went to the party dressed as Satan.
It was almost inevitable that it should happen so late on in the evening they bumped into each other again.
(Part 02)
It was while he was in the conservatory.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested but the protestations were short lived
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
That night Matt took her home, but not to hers, he took her to his and from that moment on they were effectively together again.
Over the following weeks they jointly decided how to decorate and re-carpet and then they moved everything of hers into his flat, their flat.
It came as a bit of a shock to their friends that they were back together but on the whole everyone was pleased.
Although there was some hostility from both sets of parents.
But they were happy and they settled down to a pleasant life together on the Lake.
(Part 03)
For New Year’s Eve, Matt and Emily had been invited to another fancy dress party this time at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Unfortunately just after lunch Emily started to feel the effects of a migraine coming on and decided not to go to the party, but she didn’t want to spoil Matt’s fun so she insisted he should go on his own.
“No it’s alright” he protested
“You must go” Emily said
“I’m really not fussed about going” he said “I’ll have a quiet night in”
“Nonsense, you must go”
“But…” he protested
But she wouldn’t take no for an answer and she made him promise.
“Ok I promise I’ll go” he gave in and then she went to bed.
About six hours later Emily woke up and was surprised to discover the headache had gone.
So, she got up and had a long relaxing soak in the bath and as she wallowed in the scented water she made a decision, she would go to the party after all and surprise her husband.
She got out of the bath tub and dried herself and dusted her skin with powder.
Emily slipped on her sexiest silk underwear and then the monkey costume which she accessorised with a Santa hat and some Led lights.
Then she jumped in the car and drove to the Lodge.
It was fairly close to midnight when she pulled into the car park and found a space.
Having parked she rushed off to find Matt so they could see in the New Year in together.
It didn't take her long to spot Matt in his Devils outfit, he was on the dance floor with a very leggy Cat Woman.
Emily was just about to go and cut in when the music changed and James Blunt started warbling out “Beautiful”
And the Devil moved in close to Cat Woman and then they wrapped their arms around each other’s necks and began kissing, very passionately, very passionately indeed.
Emily didn’t stay for the midnight countdown, she just ran out to the car sobbing and once she got to the car she broke down completely.
When she had finished crying she wiped her face on the sleeve of her costume and drove home and when she go inside she went to bed where she cried some more.
Emily couldn’t sleep and just lay there in the darkness, rerunning the picture of her satanic husband with his tongue down Cat woman’s throat.
It was about 1.30am when she heard the front door open and close and it was a few minutes later that the bedroom door opened quietly.
Emily lay silently in the darkness until he slipped into bed.
"Did you have a nice time?" she asked
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you” he said and kissed her forehead
“I bet you didn’t” she thought to herself but out loud she said
“So did you have a good time?”
"It was okay" he replied
"Only okay?” she pressed “Didn’t you enjoy the dancing?"
“You know I’m not much of a dancer” he said
“Well you seemed to be doing ok when I last saw you” she said inside her own head
“So you didn’t get carried along with the excitement?” she said and there was no response
“I have a confession to make” he said
“Oh God here it comes” she screamed in her head
"I didn't go” Matt said and braced himself
“What?” Emily retorted feeling the anger building, it was bad enough him kissing another woman in front of their friends and neighbours but now he was lying to her on top of his betrayal
“I know I promised Hun but I really didn’t fancy going without you”
“So where have you been all this time?” Emily asked
“I met up with Danny and Penny at their place and we had a few drinks and a catch up.
Danny Pellegrino was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
“Dan’s cousin Josh pitched up unannounced and he was the only one who fancied going to the party, so I leant him my costume” he explained “are you really cross with me?”
“So you didn’t go to the Lodge and snog Cat Woman?”
“What? No” he replied and was prevented from speaking again as Emily was kissing him.
It was mid-September when recent divorcee’s Matthew Charlton and Emily Waugh moved into Flat’s 3 and 4, respectively of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking the picturesque Teardrop Lake.
The view of the water from their flats was spectacular with its distinctive teardrop shape which gave the lake its name surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It was a modest body of water as lakes go, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, it really was a thing of beauty and was both idyllic and peaceful.
Matt was 32 years old with neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
Emily was five years younger than him and was best described as diminutive at 4’ 11”, with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
They had moved there because after the divorce they both wanted to start new lives, in an entirely different part of the county.
Also they had both been heavily influenced by friends who had recommended Teardrop Lake as the perfect place to begin again.
But fate definitely took a hand.
They only discovered their collective error when Matt knocked on Emily’s door to introduce himself.
Only a few months before he knocked on her door they had still been married to each other.
They divorced, not due to a lack of love but, but a lack of conflict.
Apparently he was too enabling,
He wasn’t assertive enough,
He was too accommodating, in short he was too nice.
Though he didn’t think it was true that he was too easy going, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had an opinion he would have put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
Over the weeks that followed their re acquaintance there were a number of chance encounters between them that led to an increase in animosity which culminated in the decisive meeting on Halloween.
It was at the big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge to which everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
It was the home of Peter Lutchford, and mine host was dressed as Herman Munster and his fiancé Claire Andrews, who was a Doctor, was dressed as Lily Munster and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch, her brother Peter thought was type casting.
It was a marvelous occasion and everyone had a wonderful time and although they didn’t know it at the time, due to its popularity it would become an annual event.
Emily was dressed in a monkey costume, the only costume she had ever tried that fitted her perfectly, so it was the only thing she ever wore.
But for variety she would accessorized it for the occasion.
She did so for Halloween by adding Vampire teeth and a cape and she went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt on the other hand had the pick of the costumers’ and went to the party dressed as Satan.
It was almost inevitable that it should happen so late on in the evening they bumped into each other again.
(Part 02)
It was while he was in the conservatory.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested but the protestations were short lived
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
That night Matt took her home, but not to hers, he took her to his and from that moment on they were effectively together again.
Over the following weeks they jointly decided how to decorate and re-carpet and then they moved everything of hers into his flat, their flat.
It came as a bit of a shock to their friends that they were back together but on the whole everyone was pleased.
Although there was some hostility from both sets of parents.
But they were happy and they settled down to a pleasant life together on the Lake.
(Part 03)
For New Year’s Eve, Matt and Emily had been invited to another fancy dress party this time at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Unfortunately just after lunch Emily started to feel the effects of a migraine coming on and decided not to go to the party, but she didn’t want to spoil Matt’s fun so she insisted he should go on his own.
“No it’s alright” he protested
“You must go” Emily said
“I’m really not fussed about going” he said “I’ll have a quiet night in”
“Nonsense, you must go”
“But…” he protested
But she wouldn’t take no for an answer and she made him promise.
“Ok I promise I’ll go” he gave in and then she went to bed.
About six hours later Emily woke up and was surprised to discover the headache had gone.
So, she got up and had a long relaxing soak in the bath and as she wallowed in the scented water she made a decision, she would go to the party after all and surprise her husband.
She got out of the bath tub and dried herself and dusted her skin with powder.
Emily slipped on her sexiest silk underwear and then the monkey costume which she accessorised with a Santa hat and some Led lights.
Then she jumped in the car and drove to the Lodge.
It was fairly close to midnight when she pulled into the car park and found a space.
Having parked she rushed off to find Matt so they could see in the New Year in together.
It didn't take her long to spot Matt in his Devils outfit, he was on the dance floor with a very leggy Cat Woman.
Emily was just about to go and cut in when the music changed and James Blunt started warbling out “Beautiful”
And the Devil moved in close to Cat Woman and then they wrapped their arms around each other’s necks and began kissing, very passionately, very passionately indeed.
Emily didn’t stay for the midnight countdown, she just ran out to the car sobbing and once she got to the car she broke down completely.
When she had finished crying she wiped her face on the sleeve of her costume and drove home and when she go inside she went to bed where she cried some more.
Emily couldn’t sleep and just lay there in the darkness, rerunning the picture of her satanic husband with his tongue down Cat woman’s throat.
It was about 1.30am when she heard the front door open and close and it was a few minutes later that the bedroom door opened quietly.
Emily lay silently in the darkness until he slipped into bed.
"Did you have a nice time?" she asked
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you” he said and kissed her forehead
“I bet you didn’t” she thought to herself but out loud she said
“So did you have a good time?”
"It was okay" he replied
"Only okay?” she pressed “Didn’t you enjoy the dancing?"
“You know I’m not much of a dancer” he said
“Well you seemed to be doing ok when I last saw you” she said inside her own head
“So you didn’t get carried along with the excitement?” she said and there was no response
“I have a confession to make” he said
“Oh God here it comes” she screamed in her head
"I didn't go” Matt said and braced himself
“What?” Emily retorted feeling the anger building, it was bad enough him kissing another woman in front of their friends and neighbours but now he was lying to her on top of his betrayal
“I know I promised Hun but I really didn’t fancy going without you”
“So where have you been all this time?” Emily asked
“I met up with Danny and Penny at their place and we had a few drinks and a catch up.
Danny Pellegrino was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
“Dan’s cousin Josh pitched up unannounced and he was the only one who fancied going to the party, so I leant him my costume” he explained “are you really cross with me?”
“So you didn’t go to the Lodge and snog Cat Woman?”
“What? No” he replied and was prevented from speaking again as Emily was kissing him.
Sunday 8 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (26) Christmas Mornings, Christmas Days
(Part 01)
There was a lot of love on Teardrop Lake that Christmas, some was old and had stood the test of time, and some had led to marriage already, while others waited in the wings.
Some loves were still in the first flush while others were mere embers that were yet to ignite.
And there was more than one person with the hope of love in their hearts.
The old loves on the Lake, like Patrick and Kay O’Neill were approaching 30 years of Marriage and Paul and Lynn Cooper were in their 35th year and both couples were blessed with children.
Chris and Jemima Harris had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Ellen and James Huston were in their 10th year.
Daniel and Winifred Travers were married for 40 years in a Childless union, but one that was overflowing with love and they were still a sublimely happy couple.
Even Rob and Sheryl Brown had survived the ups and downs of the hospitality business and remained married for 42.
So it was another year when the Lake had worked its magic and those who had no romantic love were blessed with familial love in its stead.
Some loves born on the Lake celebrated Christmas on foreign shores and others returned in time for the special day.
It was a week before Christmas and India Harris was waiting at the arrivals gate as the passengers from the Sydney flight came through.
She was there to meet her best friend Penny Davies who had been in Australia with her artist fiancé for over two months.
Danny had a commission piece to do over there and neither of them wanted to be without the other for so long so he took her along.
Penny came through the gate and squealed when she saw Indie and then her friend did the same.
On one of their trips in the woods, Penny’s fiancée, Danny had spotted something glistening in the water of the brook, so he braced himself against a tree trunk and reached down and picked it up, it was about the size of a pocket watch and was made of some kind of Perspex.
The sort used on world war two German aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably that had been shot off during a dogfight.
The aircraft that may or may not have survived, there was no way of knowing, he slipped the piece of Perspex into his pocket and he thought he could do something with it when he had a spare minute of two.
Well every spare minute he worked on the Perplex and he fashioned it into a number of small objects one of which he slipped on Penny’s finger as an engagement ring.
But on that day she wore a different ring on her finger and when India saw it the squealed again and then Indie showed Penny her ring they were off again.
Penny still proudly wore the Perspex ring on her other hand, and that would remain special to her forever.
Just then Danny appeared pushing the heavily laden trolley.
“It’s ok I can manage” he said before kissing and hugging Indie.
“Is Paul with you?” he asked
Paul was India fiancé Capt. Spreadborough of the Downshire Light Infantry.
“No he’s still on camp” she replied “He’ll be home for Christmas though”
“Did you come on your own then babe?” Penny asked
“No, Dad’s waiting outside” she said
On the Tuesday afterwards, paramedic Chris O’Neill took Karen Cooper out on their first date to a very exclusive restaurant in Purplemere called the Runcible Spoon and after all the attention he lavished on her she began to feel that she might be as pretty as her sisters after all.
On the following day it was his brother Fran’s turn when he when on his first date with the lovely Dakota Harris, but being a student he couldn’t afford a fancy restaurant their date consisted of bowling and a slice of pizza, but Dakota didn’t mind a bit.
(Part 02)
Danny and Penny found the whole week after their return from Australia quite exhausting.
As they went from one friend’s house to another, retelling the same tales of their trip down under to different audiences.
So when Christmas finally arrived it came as something of a relief.
After midnight mass at St Mary’s, Megan and Angel shared the peace with fellow worshippers and then went back to Angelika’s Cottage and made love, again.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Megan woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she kissed Angels shoulder and got up.
She dressed quickly and then loaded Paris, Angel’s chocolate coloured Labrador, into her car and drove “Harrison” home to her flat.
She parked the car and went inside and when she came out again she was carrying a bag containing two changes of clothes and the Christmas presents and Skipper was trotting along behind her.
She let Paris out of her car and then she walked the dogs back to the Cottage.
“Settle down you two” she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the fire, then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled up to Angelika.
“Merry Christmas Angel” Megan said as she kissed her lover awake.
“Merry Christmas honey” she replied sleepily and they cuddled up close.
“This is really nice but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” Angel said
“I did it already”
“Really? So nothing to get up for then” Angelika said and started nibbling Megan’s ear.
Admittedly Christmas morning was special for everyone but it was also different for everyone.
Olivia Shenton’s Christmas for example was the busiest she had ever known and her organizational skills were invaluable to steer her husband Ben through his numerous seasonal commitments and she loved every minute of it.
Practice nurse Kate Marston meanwhile spent her Christmas morning doing home visits, she had volunteered for duty because her Police Officer boyfriend Ian was on duty all day so they had their Christmas Day on Boxing Day.
That year, Kate’s colleagues Evangeline Christodoulou and Siti Shahara celebrated their first Christmas as a couple and their first one living together.
Siti’s wounds from the brutal attack by her estranged husband two months earlier, had all healed and the invisible scars would be cured in time by Eva’s love for her, which was abundant.
Siti’s estranged husband spent his Christmas Day in prison.
Dr Claire Andrews and film director fiancé Peter Lutchford were in California for Christmas and ate their holiday lunch in bright sunshine on the terrace at a house in Beverley Hills.
Penny Davies spent the night of Christmas Eve at Lake View Cottage with Danny and after beginning the day by making love they were nearly late picking up her aunts for Church.
After the Christmas worship they went back with Julia and Amanda and spent the day with them at East Side House.
Consequently they didn’t get to open their presents until the evening.
Paul Spreadborough only got home on leave from the army on Christmas Eve and he didn’t get a moment alone with India.
Paul, his sister Ellen and his brother in law James had all been invited to the Harris’s for Christmas Day.
Chris and Jemima Harris put on a wonderful dinner at Shoe Buckle House of tradition fare but Paul’s appetite had not been fully satisfied.
So after lunch Paul and India announced they were going for a walk but they only got as far as the house next door and spent the following hour and a half in his bedroom in Chapel House.
(Part 03)
Later on Christmas afternoon India’s younger sister Dakota also went out for a walk on the pretext of seeing her friend Karen Cooper but in actuality she met up with Fran O’Neil by the old Tower and they wished each other a happy Christmas.
Chantelle Dooney and Richard Grimwood residents of East Cliff Lodge were unaccustomed to sharing Christmases’ and so this one was a novelty so they had their Christmas lunch at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then they walked up to Lovers Leap and sat on the high ledge eating mince pies and drinking Mulled Wine as the snow began to fall.
Their downstairs neighbours, the Charlton’s, were away for Christmas and although they were over the moon at their recent reconciliation Matt and Emily’s Christmas was very hard work.
They had to divide their time equally between both sets of parents.
And neither set of parents were as thrilled with their reconciliation as the couple were themselves.
The atmosphere was at times tense and at others downright hostile but somehow they got through it.
Suffice is to say they were delighted when they returned to the sanctuary of their Lakeside home once again.
The Cooper and O’Neil families both had big family Christmas days full of loud voices and laughter.
But this year they were full of love as well.
Both families met briefly at St Mary’s on Christmas morning where Jane and Terry acted quite self-consciously around each other.
While Chris and Karen were quite conspiratorial, later during a lull in the festivities they snuck out of their respective houses and met down at the boathouse where they sat and held each other as they watched the snow fall on the lake.
Angelika and Megan finally dragged themselves out of bed and Meg walked the dogs again while Angelika put the bird in the oven and made breakfast.
After they’d eaten, they both needed to shower but time was running out.
“We’d better get in together” Angelika said
“Ok but no funny business” Meg said
“But you like the funny business” Angel pointed out
“I know but we don’t have time” Megan said
They made it to the service on time and when they returned to the cottage they got the lunch prepared.
Which was when they sat down with a large sherry and opened their presents.
Megan had never done Christmas presents before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the “funny business”.
She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Angelika entered the room
“Open this one first” Megan said and handed up a little gift bag to her.
“Ok but let me sit down first” she said laughing
When she was seated she took the package and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a gold and platinum angel pendant inscribed on the back
“Mijn engel van liefde”
To my angel of love
“It’s beautiful” Angelika said and cried “So, so beautiful”
And then she joined Megan on the floor and kissed her.
“Your turn” she said and reached under the tree and brought out a small parcel.
“I’ve never had a Christmas present before” Megan said
“Well you have one now” Angel said “Open it, open it”
“I’m savouring it” Megan said
When she had carefully removed the paper she put it on the floor and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold locket.
“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s lovely”
“Look inside” Angelika urged “Look inside”
So Megan opened the locket up and in one side, it housed a pearl and on the other there was an inscription.
“To my little pearl”
When they had first met Angelika had told her that Megan was an Anglo Saxon name which meant “Little Pearl”
“Oh Angel” Megan said “It’s so beautiful, I love you”
“And I love you too” she responded and they hugged
Soon Christmas was over for another year but the love expressed in its many guises would live on into the coming year and beyond.
There was a lot of love on Teardrop Lake that Christmas, some was old and had stood the test of time, and some had led to marriage already, while others waited in the wings.
Some loves were still in the first flush while others were mere embers that were yet to ignite.
And there was more than one person with the hope of love in their hearts.
The old loves on the Lake, like Patrick and Kay O’Neill were approaching 30 years of Marriage and Paul and Lynn Cooper were in their 35th year and both couples were blessed with children.
Chris and Jemima Harris had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Ellen and James Huston were in their 10th year.
Daniel and Winifred Travers were married for 40 years in a Childless union, but one that was overflowing with love and they were still a sublimely happy couple.
Even Rob and Sheryl Brown had survived the ups and downs of the hospitality business and remained married for 42.
So it was another year when the Lake had worked its magic and those who had no romantic love were blessed with familial love in its stead.
Some loves born on the Lake celebrated Christmas on foreign shores and others returned in time for the special day.
It was a week before Christmas and India Harris was waiting at the arrivals gate as the passengers from the Sydney flight came through.
She was there to meet her best friend Penny Davies who had been in Australia with her artist fiancé for over two months.
Danny had a commission piece to do over there and neither of them wanted to be without the other for so long so he took her along.
Penny came through the gate and squealed when she saw Indie and then her friend did the same.
On one of their trips in the woods, Penny’s fiancée, Danny had spotted something glistening in the water of the brook, so he braced himself against a tree trunk and reached down and picked it up, it was about the size of a pocket watch and was made of some kind of Perspex.
The sort used on world war two German aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably that had been shot off during a dogfight.
The aircraft that may or may not have survived, there was no way of knowing, he slipped the piece of Perspex into his pocket and he thought he could do something with it when he had a spare minute of two.
Well every spare minute he worked on the Perplex and he fashioned it into a number of small objects one of which he slipped on Penny’s finger as an engagement ring.
But on that day she wore a different ring on her finger and when India saw it the squealed again and then Indie showed Penny her ring they were off again.
Penny still proudly wore the Perspex ring on her other hand, and that would remain special to her forever.
Just then Danny appeared pushing the heavily laden trolley.
“It’s ok I can manage” he said before kissing and hugging Indie.
“Is Paul with you?” he asked
Paul was India fiancé Capt. Spreadborough of the Downshire Light Infantry.
“No he’s still on camp” she replied “He’ll be home for Christmas though”
“Did you come on your own then babe?” Penny asked
“No, Dad’s waiting outside” she said
On the Tuesday afterwards, paramedic Chris O’Neill took Karen Cooper out on their first date to a very exclusive restaurant in Purplemere called the Runcible Spoon and after all the attention he lavished on her she began to feel that she might be as pretty as her sisters after all.
On the following day it was his brother Fran’s turn when he when on his first date with the lovely Dakota Harris, but being a student he couldn’t afford a fancy restaurant their date consisted of bowling and a slice of pizza, but Dakota didn’t mind a bit.
(Part 02)
Danny and Penny found the whole week after their return from Australia quite exhausting.
As they went from one friend’s house to another, retelling the same tales of their trip down under to different audiences.
So when Christmas finally arrived it came as something of a relief.
After midnight mass at St Mary’s, Megan and Angel shared the peace with fellow worshippers and then went back to Angelika’s Cottage and made love, again.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Megan woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she kissed Angels shoulder and got up.
She dressed quickly and then loaded Paris, Angel’s chocolate coloured Labrador, into her car and drove “Harrison” home to her flat.
She parked the car and went inside and when she came out again she was carrying a bag containing two changes of clothes and the Christmas presents and Skipper was trotting along behind her.
She let Paris out of her car and then she walked the dogs back to the Cottage.
“Settle down you two” she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the fire, then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled up to Angelika.
“Merry Christmas Angel” Megan said as she kissed her lover awake.
“Merry Christmas honey” she replied sleepily and they cuddled up close.
“This is really nice but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” Angel said
“I did it already”
“Really? So nothing to get up for then” Angelika said and started nibbling Megan’s ear.
Admittedly Christmas morning was special for everyone but it was also different for everyone.
Olivia Shenton’s Christmas for example was the busiest she had ever known and her organizational skills were invaluable to steer her husband Ben through his numerous seasonal commitments and she loved every minute of it.
Practice nurse Kate Marston meanwhile spent her Christmas morning doing home visits, she had volunteered for duty because her Police Officer boyfriend Ian was on duty all day so they had their Christmas Day on Boxing Day.
That year, Kate’s colleagues Evangeline Christodoulou and Siti Shahara celebrated their first Christmas as a couple and their first one living together.
Siti’s wounds from the brutal attack by her estranged husband two months earlier, had all healed and the invisible scars would be cured in time by Eva’s love for her, which was abundant.
Siti’s estranged husband spent his Christmas Day in prison.
Dr Claire Andrews and film director fiancé Peter Lutchford were in California for Christmas and ate their holiday lunch in bright sunshine on the terrace at a house in Beverley Hills.
Penny Davies spent the night of Christmas Eve at Lake View Cottage with Danny and after beginning the day by making love they were nearly late picking up her aunts for Church.
After the Christmas worship they went back with Julia and Amanda and spent the day with them at East Side House.
Consequently they didn’t get to open their presents until the evening.
Paul Spreadborough only got home on leave from the army on Christmas Eve and he didn’t get a moment alone with India.
Paul, his sister Ellen and his brother in law James had all been invited to the Harris’s for Christmas Day.
Chris and Jemima Harris put on a wonderful dinner at Shoe Buckle House of tradition fare but Paul’s appetite had not been fully satisfied.
So after lunch Paul and India announced they were going for a walk but they only got as far as the house next door and spent the following hour and a half in his bedroom in Chapel House.
(Part 03)
Later on Christmas afternoon India’s younger sister Dakota also went out for a walk on the pretext of seeing her friend Karen Cooper but in actuality she met up with Fran O’Neil by the old Tower and they wished each other a happy Christmas.
Chantelle Dooney and Richard Grimwood residents of East Cliff Lodge were unaccustomed to sharing Christmases’ and so this one was a novelty so they had their Christmas lunch at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then they walked up to Lovers Leap and sat on the high ledge eating mince pies and drinking Mulled Wine as the snow began to fall.
Their downstairs neighbours, the Charlton’s, were away for Christmas and although they were over the moon at their recent reconciliation Matt and Emily’s Christmas was very hard work.
They had to divide their time equally between both sets of parents.
And neither set of parents were as thrilled with their reconciliation as the couple were themselves.
The atmosphere was at times tense and at others downright hostile but somehow they got through it.
Suffice is to say they were delighted when they returned to the sanctuary of their Lakeside home once again.
The Cooper and O’Neil families both had big family Christmas days full of loud voices and laughter.
But this year they were full of love as well.
Both families met briefly at St Mary’s on Christmas morning where Jane and Terry acted quite self-consciously around each other.
While Chris and Karen were quite conspiratorial, later during a lull in the festivities they snuck out of their respective houses and met down at the boathouse where they sat and held each other as they watched the snow fall on the lake.
Angelika and Megan finally dragged themselves out of bed and Meg walked the dogs again while Angelika put the bird in the oven and made breakfast.
After they’d eaten, they both needed to shower but time was running out.
“We’d better get in together” Angelika said
“Ok but no funny business” Meg said
“But you like the funny business” Angel pointed out
“I know but we don’t have time” Megan said
They made it to the service on time and when they returned to the cottage they got the lunch prepared.
Which was when they sat down with a large sherry and opened their presents.
Megan had never done Christmas presents before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the “funny business”.
She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Angelika entered the room
“Open this one first” Megan said and handed up a little gift bag to her.
“Ok but let me sit down first” she said laughing
When she was seated she took the package and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a gold and platinum angel pendant inscribed on the back
“Mijn engel van liefde”
To my angel of love
“It’s beautiful” Angelika said and cried “So, so beautiful”
And then she joined Megan on the floor and kissed her.
“Your turn” she said and reached under the tree and brought out a small parcel.
“I’ve never had a Christmas present before” Megan said
“Well you have one now” Angel said “Open it, open it”
“I’m savouring it” Megan said
When she had carefully removed the paper she put it on the floor and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold locket.
“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s lovely”
“Look inside” Angelika urged “Look inside”
So Megan opened the locket up and in one side, it housed a pearl and on the other there was an inscription.
“To my little pearl”
When they had first met Angelika had told her that Megan was an Anglo Saxon name which meant “Little Pearl”
“Oh Angel” Megan said “It’s so beautiful, I love you”
“And I love you too” she responded and they hugged
Soon Christmas was over for another year but the love expressed in its many guises would live on into the coming year and beyond.
Saturday 7 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (25) New to Life and Christmas Too
(Part 01)
In Coopers Hill Cottage on a cold, damp and foggy December afternoon Angelika Schmeltz and Megan Thomas lay naked beneath the duvet of the formers King-size bed.
And in its cosiness they were both silently contemplating their situation and reflecting that it was not how they had envisaged the day panning out.
Angelika was holding Megan, who had her head on her new lover’s chest.
It was Megan who finally broke the silence when she said
“That was quite a surprise”
“Which part?” Angelika asked
“All of it” she replied “but it was a very nice surprise”
“Which part?” Angelika asked
“All of it” she replied and giggled
“I’d never done it before” She confessed, in fact Megan had never done anything before, with anyone, she was a virgin in every conceivable sense of the word.
She hadn’t even touched herself very much.
“I know sweetie” Angelika said
“Do you mind?” the novice asked
“No of course not” she replied “You do know that I’ve done it before?”
“God yes” she replied and giggled again
“But I didn’t know you were a ….”
Angelika chuckled and kissed her forehead and said
“A lesbian”
“That’s right, because I automatically assumed Charlie was a man”
Megan explained.
Charlie was Angelika’s partner of 25 years until she died.
“Are you disappointed?” she asked
“What with?” Megan replied with another question
“The fact that I’m a Lesbian” answered Angelika
“Are you kidding? After what we just did?”
They both giggled and then Meg kissed Angel with warmth and passion.
“You realise that this means you are a Lesbian too now?”
“Really?” she asked “How exotic”
And she cuddled up closer still to her lover.
“What would my mother say?”
“Do you care?” Angelika asked
“Not for a second”
They lay quiet again for a few minutes before Megan said sheepishly
“I do have one question though”
“What’s that sweetie?” Angel asked
“I was just wondering when we might um…” she began
“You were wondering what?” she asked suspiciously
“Well when we could do it again?” she asked and buried her face in Angel’s chest to hide her embarrassment
“You little hussy” she said
“I know” Megan said without lifting her head
“Well as it’s a foggy afternoon and we’re all cosy warm in bed already I suppose we could do it again right now”
“Oooh smashing” Megan purred “I like the sound of that”
In the six months since her mother’s death, Megan Thomas had changed beyond all recognition.
She had moved to Teardrop Lake to fulfil a lifelong dream to live in the country, and she had fulfilled several other dreams along the way.
She was now the proud owner of a dog called Skipper, a car which she named Harrison, because it was a Ford, and a TV.
All things that her mother heartily disapproved of.
However at the age of 47 and with no life experience, the one thing she had dared not dream of was falling in love.
And quite frankly if she had thought of it at all or even if she had dreamt about falling in love, she doubted that that dream would have been to fall in love with a woman, and yet it happened anyway.
And was something else Mother would have disapproved of.
(Part 02)
Angelika Schmeltz on the other hand hadn’t dreamt of falling in love for a very different reason.
She had closed her heart to it, and drawn a line under such emotions.
For the five years since the death of her long term lover Charlie she never thought of love for a second.
It wasn’t just that she was reluctant to fall in love, she merely accepted that that chapter of her life was over and done with because she felt when Charlie died, part of her died too, and that she would never find another mate who would measure up to her.
And then she met a funny little red head wandering the woods with an American Cocker Spaniel and she felt alive again.
When Charlie passed, Angelika had pledged never to love again to protect herself against another broken heart.
But that was like living a half-life, yes there might be pain but the joy far outweighed the risk.
Since Megan had moved to Teardrop Lake she had discovered that life was actually rather wonderful.
She also discovered that there were things worth watching on Television and that there were some things in life that were even more enjoyable than “It’s a Wonderful Life”
One of them was Christmas and one of them very definitely wasn’t.
A couple of days after they kissed beneath the mistletoe and ended up making love.
Angelika managed to get Megan out of bed long enough to take her into Abbottsford to do some Christmas shopping.
“I’ve never been Christmas shopping before” Megan said
“Well there were several other things you had never done before and you seem to have mastered those quite nicely sweetie” Angelika said and Megan went Santa Red and giggled.
It was only a week from the big day and Angelika was unaccustomed to leaving it so late.
She liked to get things done early but she had got out of the habit.
It had been a long, long time since she had had to buy presents for anyone special.
But now she did have someone special to buy for so she took Megan into to Abbottsford to the Phoenix Shopping Centre.
The centre had been dressed for Christmas in tinsel and foil and twinkling lights almost since the beginning of October.
“My Goodness” Meg said “It’s huge”
“It is rather” Angelika agreed
“Have you never been here before?”
Megan began to speak but Angelika interrupted her
“That was a silly question wasn’t it?”
Megan nodded
“So look around and remember where you are and we will meet back here in an hour and a half” Angelika said
“Can’t we go around together?” Meg asked sounding very small
“Well not really Hun” Angel said “as we’re buying for each other, they are supposed to be surprises”
“Oh yes I see what you mean” she said she was going to add sorry but I’m new to this but Angelika took hold of her hand and kissed her which gave her strength.
“Ok then back here at 11.30” she said and they went their separate ways.
Angelika knew where she was going first, she knew exactly what main present to get for her.
So that wasn’t a problem, it was the little extras, the stocking fillers that took the time, those little things that made Christmas morning extra special.
For Megan it was yet another new thing she had to experience.
Because her mother Edith, didn’t believe in the commercial side of the holiday there were never any presents, no frivolity or festivities.
So no need for Christmas shopping, wrapping paper or gift tags.
They celebrated Christmas to the extent that they ate Christmas dinner and went to the Church services but only the religious side of the season was ever observed.
Church, faith and her love of books were the only thing she retained from her old life.
Everything else was new and fresh and rather wonderful.
So having never done Christmas before, buying presents and treats was totally alien to her and she didn’t know where to start.
Until she passed a dazzling shop window that held her entranced.
“That’s absolutely perfect” she said and her eyes fixed on the prize.
(Part 03)
They were to meet back where they had started at 11.30, Angelika was there first and Megan trotted up about five minutes later.
“I thought I’d lost you” Angelika said
“Sorry, I lost track of time” she said “It’s very exciting isn’t it?”
“Yes it is” Angelika replied and smiled at the little redhead loaded with bags.
“Once I got started I didn’t know how to stop” Megan said and giggled
“You’re really lovely” Angel said and kissed her
They went and had Coffee and a cake in the food court and assessed their progress.
It transpired they only had to get paper and bows and a few etcetera’s so they went off together to complete the shopping before they went home.
When they got back to Shallowfield they dropped off their respective purchases at their respective homes and took their respective excited dogs for a good long walk.
Then they went back to Megs to watch the Matinee “The Shop around the Corner”
And at the end of the film both women were in tears again
“That was another brilliant one” Megan said and then started laughing
“What are you laughing at?” Angelika asked
“Well the last time we watched a James Stewart film together I discovered I was a Lesbian” she said “And I just wondered what I was going to discover this time”
And then they were both laughing hysterically.
The week between the exciting Christmas shopping trip and Christmas itself was spent in the way that had become their accustomed manner.
Watching more classic films, and taking more long walks in the woods with the dogs and of course being cosy beneath Angelika’s duvet.
But in addition to the customary activities there were also presents to wrap, another first for Megan.
She had neither given nor received a gift in her entire life.
On Christmas Eve, Megan drove “Harrison” down to St Mary’s Church, she hadn’t been a regular at the Church since she’d moved there but she had attended three Sunday services, the Christingle and the Carol service.
She had asked Angelika to join her a couple of times but she hadn’t been to Church since Charlie passed, and she was still angry with God for taking her and she was quite unforgiving on the subject, and was totally unmovable on the matter, for now.
Megan thought she would probably wear her down eventually but she didn’t want to push it.
Although Angelika had decline for Megan Midnight Mass was an un-missable event, so she went alone.
Megan said a few hello’s and thought to herself that there was a good sized congregation for the service.
She always found the Midnight Mass very moving and quite atmospheric it was possible that as it was conducted in the semi darkness it added to the magic.
So she took her seat and settled herself and then she bowed her head, closed her eyes and took a few moments to pray.
When she opened them again she was not alone.
“You came” Megan said and took Angels hand and cried
“Don’t cry honey” Angel said
“But I’m so happy that you’re here” Meg said wiping her eyes
“I’m still angry with him for taking her” she said defiantly looking to the heavens
“But now I know he only took her so he could give me you”
Angel said and Megan was crying again
“I love you Angelika Schmeltz” she said
“I love you too” she replied “and I really want to kiss you”
“Well you’ll have to wait until later” Megan said and smiled before adding “Have a little self-control”
“I don’t believe it” she said “I’m being chastised by a hussy”
In Coopers Hill Cottage on a cold, damp and foggy December afternoon Angelika Schmeltz and Megan Thomas lay naked beneath the duvet of the formers King-size bed.
And in its cosiness they were both silently contemplating their situation and reflecting that it was not how they had envisaged the day panning out.
Angelika was holding Megan, who had her head on her new lover’s chest.
It was Megan who finally broke the silence when she said
“That was quite a surprise”
“Which part?” Angelika asked
“All of it” she replied “but it was a very nice surprise”
“Which part?” Angelika asked
“All of it” she replied and giggled
“I’d never done it before” She confessed, in fact Megan had never done anything before, with anyone, she was a virgin in every conceivable sense of the word.
She hadn’t even touched herself very much.
“I know sweetie” Angelika said
“Do you mind?” the novice asked
“No of course not” she replied “You do know that I’ve done it before?”
“God yes” she replied and giggled again
“But I didn’t know you were a ….”
Angelika chuckled and kissed her forehead and said
“A lesbian”
“That’s right, because I automatically assumed Charlie was a man”
Megan explained.
Charlie was Angelika’s partner of 25 years until she died.
“Are you disappointed?” she asked
“What with?” Megan replied with another question
“The fact that I’m a Lesbian” answered Angelika
“Are you kidding? After what we just did?”
They both giggled and then Meg kissed Angel with warmth and passion.
“You realise that this means you are a Lesbian too now?”
“Really?” she asked “How exotic”
And she cuddled up closer still to her lover.
“What would my mother say?”
“Do you care?” Angelika asked
“Not for a second”
They lay quiet again for a few minutes before Megan said sheepishly
“I do have one question though”
“What’s that sweetie?” Angel asked
“I was just wondering when we might um…” she began
“You were wondering what?” she asked suspiciously
“Well when we could do it again?” she asked and buried her face in Angel’s chest to hide her embarrassment
“You little hussy” she said
“I know” Megan said without lifting her head
“Well as it’s a foggy afternoon and we’re all cosy warm in bed already I suppose we could do it again right now”
“Oooh smashing” Megan purred “I like the sound of that”
In the six months since her mother’s death, Megan Thomas had changed beyond all recognition.
She had moved to Teardrop Lake to fulfil a lifelong dream to live in the country, and she had fulfilled several other dreams along the way.
She was now the proud owner of a dog called Skipper, a car which she named Harrison, because it was a Ford, and a TV.
All things that her mother heartily disapproved of.
However at the age of 47 and with no life experience, the one thing she had dared not dream of was falling in love.
And quite frankly if she had thought of it at all or even if she had dreamt about falling in love, she doubted that that dream would have been to fall in love with a woman, and yet it happened anyway.
And was something else Mother would have disapproved of.
(Part 02)
Angelika Schmeltz on the other hand hadn’t dreamt of falling in love for a very different reason.
She had closed her heart to it, and drawn a line under such emotions.
For the five years since the death of her long term lover Charlie she never thought of love for a second.
It wasn’t just that she was reluctant to fall in love, she merely accepted that that chapter of her life was over and done with because she felt when Charlie died, part of her died too, and that she would never find another mate who would measure up to her.
And then she met a funny little red head wandering the woods with an American Cocker Spaniel and she felt alive again.
When Charlie passed, Angelika had pledged never to love again to protect herself against another broken heart.
But that was like living a half-life, yes there might be pain but the joy far outweighed the risk.
Since Megan had moved to Teardrop Lake she had discovered that life was actually rather wonderful.
She also discovered that there were things worth watching on Television and that there were some things in life that were even more enjoyable than “It’s a Wonderful Life”
One of them was Christmas and one of them very definitely wasn’t.
A couple of days after they kissed beneath the mistletoe and ended up making love.
Angelika managed to get Megan out of bed long enough to take her into Abbottsford to do some Christmas shopping.
“I’ve never been Christmas shopping before” Megan said
“Well there were several other things you had never done before and you seem to have mastered those quite nicely sweetie” Angelika said and Megan went Santa Red and giggled.
It was only a week from the big day and Angelika was unaccustomed to leaving it so late.
She liked to get things done early but she had got out of the habit.
It had been a long, long time since she had had to buy presents for anyone special.
But now she did have someone special to buy for so she took Megan into to Abbottsford to the Phoenix Shopping Centre.
The centre had been dressed for Christmas in tinsel and foil and twinkling lights almost since the beginning of October.
“My Goodness” Meg said “It’s huge”
“It is rather” Angelika agreed
“Have you never been here before?”
Megan began to speak but Angelika interrupted her
“That was a silly question wasn’t it?”
Megan nodded
“So look around and remember where you are and we will meet back here in an hour and a half” Angelika said
“Can’t we go around together?” Meg asked sounding very small
“Well not really Hun” Angel said “as we’re buying for each other, they are supposed to be surprises”
“Oh yes I see what you mean” she said she was going to add sorry but I’m new to this but Angelika took hold of her hand and kissed her which gave her strength.
“Ok then back here at 11.30” she said and they went their separate ways.
Angelika knew where she was going first, she knew exactly what main present to get for her.
So that wasn’t a problem, it was the little extras, the stocking fillers that took the time, those little things that made Christmas morning extra special.
For Megan it was yet another new thing she had to experience.
Because her mother Edith, didn’t believe in the commercial side of the holiday there were never any presents, no frivolity or festivities.
So no need for Christmas shopping, wrapping paper or gift tags.
They celebrated Christmas to the extent that they ate Christmas dinner and went to the Church services but only the religious side of the season was ever observed.
Church, faith and her love of books were the only thing she retained from her old life.
Everything else was new and fresh and rather wonderful.
So having never done Christmas before, buying presents and treats was totally alien to her and she didn’t know where to start.
Until she passed a dazzling shop window that held her entranced.
“That’s absolutely perfect” she said and her eyes fixed on the prize.
(Part 03)
They were to meet back where they had started at 11.30, Angelika was there first and Megan trotted up about five minutes later.
“I thought I’d lost you” Angelika said
“Sorry, I lost track of time” she said “It’s very exciting isn’t it?”
“Yes it is” Angelika replied and smiled at the little redhead loaded with bags.
“Once I got started I didn’t know how to stop” Megan said and giggled
“You’re really lovely” Angel said and kissed her
They went and had Coffee and a cake in the food court and assessed their progress.
It transpired they only had to get paper and bows and a few etcetera’s so they went off together to complete the shopping before they went home.
When they got back to Shallowfield they dropped off their respective purchases at their respective homes and took their respective excited dogs for a good long walk.
Then they went back to Megs to watch the Matinee “The Shop around the Corner”
And at the end of the film both women were in tears again
“That was another brilliant one” Megan said and then started laughing
“What are you laughing at?” Angelika asked
“Well the last time we watched a James Stewart film together I discovered I was a Lesbian” she said “And I just wondered what I was going to discover this time”
And then they were both laughing hysterically.
The week between the exciting Christmas shopping trip and Christmas itself was spent in the way that had become their accustomed manner.
Watching more classic films, and taking more long walks in the woods with the dogs and of course being cosy beneath Angelika’s duvet.
But in addition to the customary activities there were also presents to wrap, another first for Megan.
She had neither given nor received a gift in her entire life.
On Christmas Eve, Megan drove “Harrison” down to St Mary’s Church, she hadn’t been a regular at the Church since she’d moved there but she had attended three Sunday services, the Christingle and the Carol service.
She had asked Angelika to join her a couple of times but she hadn’t been to Church since Charlie passed, and she was still angry with God for taking her and she was quite unforgiving on the subject, and was totally unmovable on the matter, for now.
Megan thought she would probably wear her down eventually but she didn’t want to push it.
Although Angelika had decline for Megan Midnight Mass was an un-missable event, so she went alone.
Megan said a few hello’s and thought to herself that there was a good sized congregation for the service.
She always found the Midnight Mass very moving and quite atmospheric it was possible that as it was conducted in the semi darkness it added to the magic.
So she took her seat and settled herself and then she bowed her head, closed her eyes and took a few moments to pray.
When she opened them again she was not alone.
“You came” Megan said and took Angels hand and cried
“Don’t cry honey” Angel said
“But I’m so happy that you’re here” Meg said wiping her eyes
“I’m still angry with him for taking her” she said defiantly looking to the heavens
“But now I know he only took her so he could give me you”
Angel said and Megan was crying again
“I love you Angelika Schmeltz” she said
“I love you too” she replied “and I really want to kiss you”
“Well you’ll have to wait until later” Megan said and smiled before adding “Have a little self-control”
“I don’t believe it” she said “I’m being chastised by a hussy”
Friday 6 January 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (23) Loves Christmas Dreams
(Part 01)
Karen Cooper thought of herself as a plump girl but in reality she was just a couple of dress sizes bigger than her older sisters.
In every other respect she was clearly a Cooper, the looks were unmistakable.
All the Cooper girls had Auburn hair and an abundance of freckle.
And each one of the sisters thought their siblings were much more attractive than they were, whereas in reality they were all very pretty.
Karen was a tall girl like Jane and facially she favoured Kath.
Although she wasn’t born by the lake she was only two when she moved to Coopers Villa and she had no memory of living anywhere else.
Karen also took the credit for being responsible for them being on the lake in the first place.
Because when she was a baby she contracted meningitis and had to be rushed to hospital, and it was her illness that brought about the reconciliation between her Dad, Paul, and Granddad Harry.
Apart from the Auburn hair and abundant freckles, another trait she shared with her sister was that they all possessed a propensity towards hard work, clearly inherited from their parents.
Whatever she wanted she would get because she was a hard worker, it had helped her through her education and it would help her in her chosen profession.
But there were limitation though even for a strong work ethic, for example hard work was not going to get her anywhere with Chris O’Neil.
She was convinced he didn’t even know she existed and she had been in love with Chris since she was 12 years old and she was now 18.
The Cooper girls may have been late comers to Teardrop Lake but the O’Neil boys were all Lakesider’s born and bred and whereas all the Cooper girls had Auburn hair and freckles all the O’Neil Boys had black hair and wild gypsy eyes.
Chris was 22 years old and worked as a paramedic.
He was the best looking of the O’Neil brothers and was as a result very popular with the girls, but the sort of girls who kept throwing themselves at him were not the type of girl he was looking for.
Like his elder brother Terry, what Chris was looking for was a girl he could settle down with, and a girl like that hadn’t yet thrown herself at his feet.
However Francis, the youngest of the O’Neil’s, who was 19 and was in his second year at University, studying English had other ideas.
Unlike his brothers he had no interest in a long term relationship, or settling down.
His plan was to get his degree and then travel the world with no burdens and no responsibilities to way him down.
Dakota Harris was 17 year old and she was the pretty girl of Teardrop Lake and she lived at Shoe Buckle House on the northwest side of the Lake, and she was a tall and slender girl with long dark hair.
She was on the outside at least ultra-confident and ultra-popular with the boys who she kept dancing on strings but they were only boys.
She was always immaculately turned out, painted, perfumed and powdered and ready to impress Mr Right.
But apparently he was never looking her way, whoever he might be.
But for all her big talk and bravado she was fast approaching 18 and hadn’t even been kissed.
Even her tomboy big sister was engaged to a gorgeous man, and an army Captain at that.
Because she was pretty and because she knew she was pretty, Dakota always talked big when it came to the opposite sex, and her friends bought into it.
But it was all bravado, if one of the men she flirted with actually came on to her she would have run a mile.
Outside she was sexy and confident but inside she was a shy and dowdy little mouse.
Karen Cooper’s hard work took the form of working multiple shifts waitressing at the Brown Windsor restaurant where her sister Jane was the Sous Chef.
But that was just in her spare time, the rest of the time she was serving an apprenticeship at the Purplemere Film Studios where she was training to be a makeup artist.
Peter Lutchford the renowned film director who also lived on the lake got her the position.
She also help her sister Jane with her home dining engagements as well as doing makeovers to the inhabitants.
That was how she first got to know Dakota Harris and they soon became good friends because of it and Dak let Karen practice her make up skills on her.
(Part 02)
Dakota was convinced she was never going to be kissed and especially not before she reached her 18th birthday.
She could quite easily get a kiss in time if she acted like a tart but she wasn’t a tart and she wanted her first kiss to be romantic, not desperate.
Meanwhile Karen was still dreaming of a romantic affair with her prince charming Chris Cooper but was resigned to the fact it would never happen.
On the Saturday before Christmas Karen had a rare night off and was around at Dakota’s house,
Dak’s parents were out to dinner and her older sister, India, was meeting her friend Penny at the airport.
So they had the house to themselves and Karen out did herself with Dakota’s makeover.
“Wow” she said “I look really hot”
“Not bad eh?” Karen said admiring her handiwork
“I look about 20” Dak said “Don’t you think?”
“21 maybe” Karen added
“Let’s go to the pub then” she suggested
Karen thought about it for a moment and said
“I don’t know” she said “I look rubbish”
“You can borrow something of Indie’s and I’ll do your make up” Dakota said
Karen reluctantly agreed so half an hour later they were laughing and joking and on their way to The Woodcutters Arms in Shallowfield.
At the same time Dakota was doing Karen’s makeup Chris and his brother Fran were just leaving Lakeside Villa bound for the same destination.
It was Chris’s first weekend off for a month and Francis had only got home from University that day.
The pair of them hadn’t been out for a beer together for almost a year so they thought a few jars at the pub might just fit the bill.
There were three pubs at the Teardrop Lake end of Shallowfield, The Woodman’s Axe, The Woodcutters Arms and The Foresters.
Ant the names clearly reflected Shallowfield’s dependence on forestry over the centuries, the pubs at the other end of town had more of an agricultural flavour in their naming, The Wheatsheaf, the Plough and the Farmers Tavern.
But all of those were too far to walk to so they decided very definitely to restrict their choices to the forest end.
Chris had drunk in all three at one time or another so he didn’t really have a preference and Fran didn’t care which one they went to as long as Chris was paying so they went to the closest the Woodcutters.
Dakota hadn’t been to the pub before and although she looked old enough to be in there after the makeover she had no ID so Dak went and found a table and Karen bought the drinks.
The girls were sat at a corner table facing back towards the bar.
“Look who’s just come in” Dakota said and Karen looked up and saw the O’Neil brothers standing at the bar.
As soon as she saw them Karen got all flustered and her cheeks flushed.
“What’s wrong with you?” Dakota asked
“Nothing” she said trying to look anywhere but at the bar.
“You fancy one of them don’t you?” Dakota probed “Which one?”
“Chris” she reluctantly replied
“How long have you fancied him?” Dak quizzed
“Since I was 12” she replied
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked
“Because nothing will ever come of it” Karen said definitively and took a drink then she glanced at the bar just as Chris looked across at them and smiled
“He’s looking over here” Dakota whispered
They both smiled back at him and then Karen said
“Well he’s not looking at me is he?”
“Well he’s too old for me” she said “I like Fran”
Karen spent the next 20 minutes sneaking glances at Chris as he laughed and joked with his brother, every now and then he would throw a glance at her and she would look away.
There were a number of girls who approached them but whatever they were after they left without it.
Dakota suddenly got up and announced she was going to the loo and almost as soon as she left there was movement at the bar at Chris started walking towards her.
“Hi Karen” he said
“Hello” she replied “Dakota’s gone to the loo”
“I know I saw her go” he said “it was you I wanted to talk to”
“Me?” she said incredulously
“Yes you” he replied
“Why?” she asked
“Blimey you don’t make it easy for a bloke” he said
“I don’t understand” she said
“I wanted to ask you something while Dakota was in the ladies” he explained
“Oh I see” Karen said with a sigh “you want her phone number I suppose”
“No” Chris replied with surprise “Why would I want her number?”
“Sorry”
“I wanted to ask you out” he explained
“Me?” she said incredulously
“Oh no not again, yes you” he replied
“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for ages but you’re always working somewhere or other and I never get a look in”
“Seriously?” she asked
“Yes” he replied “So?”
“Yes” she said
“Now was that a question or an answer?”
“Definitely an answer” she said and grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“Good” he said “now can I get you a drink?”
(Part 03)
Chris walked to the bar just as Dakota returned from the toilet and Fran joined his brother at the bar.
When he first walked to the bar and saw Karen sitting at the corner table he congratulated himself on his choice of venue and hoped Christmas had arrived early and seemed he was not to be disappointed.
“Well?” Dakota asked when she returned to the table.
“Well what?” she replied
“Did he ask you?” Dakota asked
“Yes” she said excitedly and they hugged
“But how did you know?”
“Fran told me” she replied
“But how did he know?”
“Chris told him?” Dakota said
“Oh”
“Anyway Fran told me” she said “and then he kissed me”
“Where?” asked Karen, wide eyed with curiosity
“On the lips stupid”
“No I mean, Where?” she explained “Where were you when he kissed you”
“Oh outside” Dakota clarified
“What were you doing outside?” Karen asked “Apart from being kissed”
“Well I went to the loo” Dakota explained “and when I came out Fran was there waiting for me and he told me no to go back to the table because Chris was asking you out”
She paused for breath
“Which was taking forever by the way, and we were blocking the door so he suggested we went outside and that was when he kissed me, in the moonlight, it was very romantic”
“Wow” Karen responded “And did he ask you out as well?
“Yes” she said excitedly and they hugged again
“Who’d of thought it, I have a date with an O’Neil”
Karen said
“Me too” Dakota squealed just as the boys and the drinks arrived.
As they reached the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel on the way home from the pub they split up.
Fran took the left fork so he could walk Dakota home and romantically kiss her in the moonlight once more.
Chris and Karen took the right fork and walked slowly hand in hand in the moonlight, they were in no rush to get home.
“Fancy that, Chubby Karen is walking hand in hand with Chris O’Neil” she said inside her head
While Chris was thinking to himself how lucky he was.
“Was that romantic enough for you?” Fran asked moments after his lips left hers
“It was acceptable” she said
“Perhaps I should have another go” he suggested
“Definitely worth a try” Dakota said obligingly
Francis O’Neil felt ten feet tall as he headed for home despite the fact that the evening had not gone as planned.
It was just supposed to be a few pints with his brother Romantic kissing was certainly not part of his plan at all but as soon as he saw Dakota Harris sitting in the bar trying to look all grown up, he was smitten.
Hook, line and sinker, smitten.
And this from the man who had no interest in a long term relationship.
His plan to get his degree and travel the world with no burdens and no responsibilities to weight him down was in tatters.
But then maybe he could take her around the world with him, she wouldn’t be too burdensome.
Chris and Karen still hadn’t reached either of the Villa’s by the time Fran came running along the road
“Don’t mind me” he shouted as he sprinted past.
When they got to the top of the path that led down to her house they came to a halt and he turned to face her and he kissed her soft lips, in a long and sensual kiss.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do that” Karen said
“Me too” he concurred
“How long?” she asked
“A couple of years, almost three to be precise” he confessed
“I was 12” she admitted “when I first noticed you like that”
“Was it worth the wait?” he asked
“It was for me” she said
And then her kissed her again which she took to mean “me too”
Karen Cooper thought of herself as a plump girl but in reality she was just a couple of dress sizes bigger than her older sisters.
In every other respect she was clearly a Cooper, the looks were unmistakable.
All the Cooper girls had Auburn hair and an abundance of freckle.
And each one of the sisters thought their siblings were much more attractive than they were, whereas in reality they were all very pretty.
Karen was a tall girl like Jane and facially she favoured Kath.
Although she wasn’t born by the lake she was only two when she moved to Coopers Villa and she had no memory of living anywhere else.
Karen also took the credit for being responsible for them being on the lake in the first place.
Because when she was a baby she contracted meningitis and had to be rushed to hospital, and it was her illness that brought about the reconciliation between her Dad, Paul, and Granddad Harry.
Apart from the Auburn hair and abundant freckles, another trait she shared with her sister was that they all possessed a propensity towards hard work, clearly inherited from their parents.
Whatever she wanted she would get because she was a hard worker, it had helped her through her education and it would help her in her chosen profession.
But there were limitation though even for a strong work ethic, for example hard work was not going to get her anywhere with Chris O’Neil.
She was convinced he didn’t even know she existed and she had been in love with Chris since she was 12 years old and she was now 18.
The Cooper girls may have been late comers to Teardrop Lake but the O’Neil boys were all Lakesider’s born and bred and whereas all the Cooper girls had Auburn hair and freckles all the O’Neil Boys had black hair and wild gypsy eyes.
Chris was 22 years old and worked as a paramedic.
He was the best looking of the O’Neil brothers and was as a result very popular with the girls, but the sort of girls who kept throwing themselves at him were not the type of girl he was looking for.
Like his elder brother Terry, what Chris was looking for was a girl he could settle down with, and a girl like that hadn’t yet thrown herself at his feet.
However Francis, the youngest of the O’Neil’s, who was 19 and was in his second year at University, studying English had other ideas.
Unlike his brothers he had no interest in a long term relationship, or settling down.
His plan was to get his degree and then travel the world with no burdens and no responsibilities to way him down.
Dakota Harris was 17 year old and she was the pretty girl of Teardrop Lake and she lived at Shoe Buckle House on the northwest side of the Lake, and she was a tall and slender girl with long dark hair.
She was on the outside at least ultra-confident and ultra-popular with the boys who she kept dancing on strings but they were only boys.
She was always immaculately turned out, painted, perfumed and powdered and ready to impress Mr Right.
But apparently he was never looking her way, whoever he might be.
But for all her big talk and bravado she was fast approaching 18 and hadn’t even been kissed.
Even her tomboy big sister was engaged to a gorgeous man, and an army Captain at that.
Because she was pretty and because she knew she was pretty, Dakota always talked big when it came to the opposite sex, and her friends bought into it.
But it was all bravado, if one of the men she flirted with actually came on to her she would have run a mile.
Outside she was sexy and confident but inside she was a shy and dowdy little mouse.
Karen Cooper’s hard work took the form of working multiple shifts waitressing at the Brown Windsor restaurant where her sister Jane was the Sous Chef.
But that was just in her spare time, the rest of the time she was serving an apprenticeship at the Purplemere Film Studios where she was training to be a makeup artist.
Peter Lutchford the renowned film director who also lived on the lake got her the position.
She also help her sister Jane with her home dining engagements as well as doing makeovers to the inhabitants.
That was how she first got to know Dakota Harris and they soon became good friends because of it and Dak let Karen practice her make up skills on her.
(Part 02)
Dakota was convinced she was never going to be kissed and especially not before she reached her 18th birthday.
She could quite easily get a kiss in time if she acted like a tart but she wasn’t a tart and she wanted her first kiss to be romantic, not desperate.
Meanwhile Karen was still dreaming of a romantic affair with her prince charming Chris Cooper but was resigned to the fact it would never happen.
On the Saturday before Christmas Karen had a rare night off and was around at Dakota’s house,
Dak’s parents were out to dinner and her older sister, India, was meeting her friend Penny at the airport.
So they had the house to themselves and Karen out did herself with Dakota’s makeover.
“Wow” she said “I look really hot”
“Not bad eh?” Karen said admiring her handiwork
“I look about 20” Dak said “Don’t you think?”
“21 maybe” Karen added
“Let’s go to the pub then” she suggested
Karen thought about it for a moment and said
“I don’t know” she said “I look rubbish”
“You can borrow something of Indie’s and I’ll do your make up” Dakota said
Karen reluctantly agreed so half an hour later they were laughing and joking and on their way to The Woodcutters Arms in Shallowfield.
At the same time Dakota was doing Karen’s makeup Chris and his brother Fran were just leaving Lakeside Villa bound for the same destination.
It was Chris’s first weekend off for a month and Francis had only got home from University that day.
The pair of them hadn’t been out for a beer together for almost a year so they thought a few jars at the pub might just fit the bill.
There were three pubs at the Teardrop Lake end of Shallowfield, The Woodman’s Axe, The Woodcutters Arms and The Foresters.
Ant the names clearly reflected Shallowfield’s dependence on forestry over the centuries, the pubs at the other end of town had more of an agricultural flavour in their naming, The Wheatsheaf, the Plough and the Farmers Tavern.
But all of those were too far to walk to so they decided very definitely to restrict their choices to the forest end.
Chris had drunk in all three at one time or another so he didn’t really have a preference and Fran didn’t care which one they went to as long as Chris was paying so they went to the closest the Woodcutters.
Dakota hadn’t been to the pub before and although she looked old enough to be in there after the makeover she had no ID so Dak went and found a table and Karen bought the drinks.
The girls were sat at a corner table facing back towards the bar.
“Look who’s just come in” Dakota said and Karen looked up and saw the O’Neil brothers standing at the bar.
As soon as she saw them Karen got all flustered and her cheeks flushed.
“What’s wrong with you?” Dakota asked
“Nothing” she said trying to look anywhere but at the bar.
“You fancy one of them don’t you?” Dakota probed “Which one?”
“Chris” she reluctantly replied
“How long have you fancied him?” Dak quizzed
“Since I was 12” she replied
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked
“Because nothing will ever come of it” Karen said definitively and took a drink then she glanced at the bar just as Chris looked across at them and smiled
“He’s looking over here” Dakota whispered
They both smiled back at him and then Karen said
“Well he’s not looking at me is he?”
“Well he’s too old for me” she said “I like Fran”
Karen spent the next 20 minutes sneaking glances at Chris as he laughed and joked with his brother, every now and then he would throw a glance at her and she would look away.
There were a number of girls who approached them but whatever they were after they left without it.
Dakota suddenly got up and announced she was going to the loo and almost as soon as she left there was movement at the bar at Chris started walking towards her.
“Hi Karen” he said
“Hello” she replied “Dakota’s gone to the loo”
“I know I saw her go” he said “it was you I wanted to talk to”
“Me?” she said incredulously
“Yes you” he replied
“Why?” she asked
“Blimey you don’t make it easy for a bloke” he said
“I don’t understand” she said
“I wanted to ask you something while Dakota was in the ladies” he explained
“Oh I see” Karen said with a sigh “you want her phone number I suppose”
“No” Chris replied with surprise “Why would I want her number?”
“Sorry”
“I wanted to ask you out” he explained
“Me?” she said incredulously
“Oh no not again, yes you” he replied
“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for ages but you’re always working somewhere or other and I never get a look in”
“Seriously?” she asked
“Yes” he replied “So?”
“Yes” she said
“Now was that a question or an answer?”
“Definitely an answer” she said and grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“Good” he said “now can I get you a drink?”
(Part 03)
Chris walked to the bar just as Dakota returned from the toilet and Fran joined his brother at the bar.
When he first walked to the bar and saw Karen sitting at the corner table he congratulated himself on his choice of venue and hoped Christmas had arrived early and seemed he was not to be disappointed.
“Well?” Dakota asked when she returned to the table.
“Well what?” she replied
“Did he ask you?” Dakota asked
“Yes” she said excitedly and they hugged
“But how did you know?”
“Fran told me” she replied
“But how did he know?”
“Chris told him?” Dakota said
“Oh”
“Anyway Fran told me” she said “and then he kissed me”
“Where?” asked Karen, wide eyed with curiosity
“On the lips stupid”
“No I mean, Where?” she explained “Where were you when he kissed you”
“Oh outside” Dakota clarified
“What were you doing outside?” Karen asked “Apart from being kissed”
“Well I went to the loo” Dakota explained “and when I came out Fran was there waiting for me and he told me no to go back to the table because Chris was asking you out”
She paused for breath
“Which was taking forever by the way, and we were blocking the door so he suggested we went outside and that was when he kissed me, in the moonlight, it was very romantic”
“Wow” Karen responded “And did he ask you out as well?
“Yes” she said excitedly and they hugged again
“Who’d of thought it, I have a date with an O’Neil”
Karen said
“Me too” Dakota squealed just as the boys and the drinks arrived.
As they reached the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel on the way home from the pub they split up.
Fran took the left fork so he could walk Dakota home and romantically kiss her in the moonlight once more.
Chris and Karen took the right fork and walked slowly hand in hand in the moonlight, they were in no rush to get home.
“Fancy that, Chubby Karen is walking hand in hand with Chris O’Neil” she said inside her head
While Chris was thinking to himself how lucky he was.
“Was that romantic enough for you?” Fran asked moments after his lips left hers
“It was acceptable” she said
“Perhaps I should have another go” he suggested
“Definitely worth a try” Dakota said obligingly
Francis O’Neil felt ten feet tall as he headed for home despite the fact that the evening had not gone as planned.
It was just supposed to be a few pints with his brother Romantic kissing was certainly not part of his plan at all but as soon as he saw Dakota Harris sitting in the bar trying to look all grown up, he was smitten.
Hook, line and sinker, smitten.
And this from the man who had no interest in a long term relationship.
His plan to get his degree and travel the world with no burdens and no responsibilities to weight him down was in tatters.
But then maybe he could take her around the world with him, she wouldn’t be too burdensome.
Chris and Karen still hadn’t reached either of the Villa’s by the time Fran came running along the road
“Don’t mind me” he shouted as he sprinted past.
When they got to the top of the path that led down to her house they came to a halt and he turned to face her and he kissed her soft lips, in a long and sensual kiss.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do that” Karen said
“Me too” he concurred
“How long?” she asked
“A couple of years, almost three to be precise” he confessed
“I was 12” she admitted “when I first noticed you like that”
“Was it worth the wait?” he asked
“It was for me” she said
And then her kissed her again which she took to mean “me too”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)