by Edina Davis
Philipp Harris raised his head and looked at Carolyn favourably. “Yes, we know, Lynn. You were always very tidy, wasn’t she, Debbie-Darling?”
Debbie Harris grudgingly replied: “Yes, that’s right. Well then, I wish you both a nice day. Since Daddy and I will be back very late tonight, we’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast. Take care of yourselves, girls.”
When their parents had left, Carolyn asked her sister: “What are you really planning, Carina? You can tell our parents your cock-and-bull story about wanting to read and tidying up your things, but not to me. So, come on, tell me.”
“Wonders will never cease.” Carina’s face showed a mysterious smile. “Just take care of your own business, sis. And keep an eye on your Benny.” With that she turned on her heels and ran upstairs.
Carolyn stood motionless for a moment, before taking her bag and going to the bus stop. She went into town and after looking around for a while found a pair of tight black drainpipe jeans and a cream-coloured, slightly shimmering blouse, which was a wonderful fit for her golden brown, hip-length hair. Carolyn turned around in front of the mirror and liked what she saw. So, she just kept the new things on and looked forward to Ben’s face when he would see her in the skintight jeans.
She happily left the shop and went to the train. Ben and her had planned to drive back to Eastbourne after their meal at the De La Warr Pavilion and go to Ben’s. Oh, the last weeks with him had been just heavenly. He was as nice and affectionate as never before and an intimacy had developed between them which she wouldn’t have thought possible some weeks before. It must be because Ben stood by her even though he had met Carina, and Carolyn now felt safe and secure with him.
By now she had met his mother and her second husband Bruce, who had invited her to tea a few times. Evelyn Gibson-Wilding was a likeable woman in her early forties, who seemed quite girlish for her age. Carolyn liked her very much. With her she felt relaxed and could be herself.
Ben was glad that the two most important women in his life got along so well and Carolyn soon truly felt a sense of belonging.
Yes, Ben loved her and even Carina couldn’t change that.
CHAPTER 24
After Carolyn had left the house, Carina got busy. She took the paper with Ben’s phone number, which she had secretly copied shortly before, from her pocket and dialled. The phone rang three times before the call was answered.
“Wilding’s. Benjamin Gibson speaking,” Ben’s voice said. Carina tried to let her voice sound like her sister’s.
“Hello, Ben, it’s Carry. What do you think about meeting at my place today? My parents are at the motor show in London and won’t be back until late at night.”
There was no reply and Carina felt slightly anxious. Did Ben know that it was her and not Carolyn? No, that was impossible. She had imitated her sister’s voice perfectly. Besides, there was no way Carolyn could already be with him. She had left the house at eleven thirty, but wanted to go shopping in the town and the two of them wanted to meet in Bexhill at two, so …
“What about your sister?” Ben now asked and Carina heaved a sigh of relief.
“What if she comes home earlier and sees me there with you? I think we should leave everything as planned and make ourselves comfortable at my place later. My parents won’t be back before tomorrow evening and I don’t have a sister who could suddenly appear. I’ll be good again, promise.”
My, my! Carina’s face twisted into a derisive grin. My dear sister wants to get “comfortable” alone with Ben tonight and he wants to be good again … how sweet! Would he be able to stay good for much longer? I’m coming in just at the right moment. So, my sweet, innocent sis, you’ll wait and see what a surprise you’ll get today.
“Oh, Ben, my sister never gets home before ten,” Carina now begged and tried very hard to sound like Carolyn when she begged for something. “If you’re here at three, we’ll have plenty of time to ourselves. I’d love to show you our house and my room. We could spend some time in the garden and enjoy the sun. The weather is so nice today and who knows how many sunny days we’ll get. After all, it’s already October.”
“We can also enjoy the sun on our terrace,” Ben countered.
“Oh, Ben! You need to see my home as well. Now, come on, don’t be a wet blanket!”
“Well, okay. I’ll come.” He wrote the address down and promised to be there at exactly three o’clock.
Carina was pleased with herself. She had planned everything perfectly. If Ben didn’t show up in Bexhill at the agreed time, Lynn would wait approximately ten minutes. Then she would find a phone box and call Ben at home. In vain, though, because Ben would already be out. If Carina knew her sister well, she would wait another five minutes and then return home sadly. She would assume Ben stood her up. She would arrive home at around quarter to four, run up the stairs to her room and then …
Carina smiled when picturing what her sister would then experience. It would be hilarious fun! Just fabulous!
She didn’t like her sister, had never liked her, because she was completely different from herself. She hated Carolyn’s unquestioning obedience towards their parents, her eagerness at school, her meticulous tidiness, and the fastidious fulfilling of all duties. All these “virtues” really rubbed Carina the wrong way. But most of all she abhorred Carolyn’s seemingly high morals. She always put-on airs as if she were superior and Carina was completely depraved … pshaw! After all, when they were children Carolyn had just like herself, witnessed how wildly intense their parents were at it! But while Carina had watched and listened in on their parents with a then unfamiliar, strange tingling feeling, her sister had stood there, frozen with horror and with an agonizing expression, crying quietly. What a drag! Today she would be taught a lesson she would never forget.
In a good mood, humming cheerfully, she now went to work. First, she put the secretly purchased sparkling wine in the kitchen fridge and put out the cooler. Then she ran back upstairs and washed her hair with a brown hair dye that covered her blonde highlights. After she had dried her hip-length hair, she observed with satisfaction that it now shone in its natural golden brown colour again. She clipped it together with a golden hair slide high up on her head. Then she put on make-up, but more discreetly than usual, like Carolyn tended to do. She lined her eyes with brown instead of black liner, put on only a little mascara on her lashes and applied a light shimmering golden brown lipstick. Wonderful!
She put on her tight brown silk dress, which was the same shade as her natural hair colour and shimmered golden or brown, depending on the light, then she added high-heeled light brown sandals. She had bought these items only recently and secretly for the disco. The knee-length dress was waisted and had a slit on one side. The smoothly falling fabric parted with every step, revealing her long, nicely shaped legs. The cleavage was cut in an especially sophisticated manner, so it revealed hardly anything from the front but quite a lot from the side.
Carina vainly turned in front of the mirror and thought she looked just dazzling. She blew her reflection a kiss and looked at the clock. It was two thirty now and she had enough time to turn the girls’ room into a cosy love nest. She put the silver candle holders and sparkling wine saucers she had nicked from her parents’ cabinet onto the table, lit the candles and drew the curtains. The candlelight cast a warm, golden glow over the room and Carolyn looked at her creation with satisfaction. Now Ben could come!
First, he would think that it was Carolyn in front of him. Carina hadn’t chosen this subtle make-up and sacrificed her beloved blonde highlights for nothing. He would be surprised about the dress and the fact that Carolyn was more forthcoming than usual, but he would not immediately get suspicious. She would lead him upstairs and seduce him with the greatest finesse. Of course, she would let him know whom he was really dealing with, shortly beforehand. But then it would be too late for poor Ben, Carina was sure of that. She knew he
r effect on the male sex only too well. She smiled at her reflection with self-admiration.
Now only the sparkling wine and soft romantic music were missing. She put the record player on and ran downstairs to get the sparkling wine from the fridge. She took some ice from the freezer compartment, put it into the cooler and added the bottle. She quickly tottered back upstairs and put the cooler next to the glasses. Now everything was perfect!
She glanced impatiently at her wristwatch. Ben should be here any second.
CHAPTER 25
The doorbell rang shortly before three o’clock. Carina peered through the spyhole. Yes, it was Ben. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.
Ben stared at her in both disbelief and admiration. Wow! He had never seen his Carry in such an outfit before!
“Come in, Ben. I’ve been yearning for you so much,” Carina whispered and pulled the bewildered boy into the house. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Ben, still in complete surprise, allowed Carina to lead him upstairs.
“Have a seat,” she prompted him and pointed to the chair next to her bed. She filled two glasses with sparkling wine and held one of them out to him. He couldn’t stop being amazed. What was going on here? What had gotten into his Carry suddenly? After they had both emptied their glasses, Carina pulled him up from the chair.
“Come on, let’s dance, Ben.”
She ignored Ben’s weak protest that they had planned to sit in the sun in the garden. Instead, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. They danced closely to the slow music and kissed. Ben felt a strange arousal. Somehow his girlfriend’s kisses felt unusual.
“I hardly recognize you, Carry,” he said hoarsely, when the girl’s mouth moved away from his after what seemed like an eternity. “You’re suddenly so completely different, so … as if you …” He stopped, confused.
“As if I what?”
“I … I don’t know,” the boy muttered in embarrassment, “just different … somehow.”
The girl’s eyes took on a strange expression.
“Which version of me do you like better?” she asked quietly.
Ben wasn’t certain. Everything seemed so unreal to him, so … he didn’t dare formulate the word in his thoughts. And still, it rose to the top of his mind … construed … yes, everything was construed! And nonetheless …
“I like you the way you’re now, so … sexy,” he whispered. He tenderly caressed her back and hips, which were moving provocatively with the music. The girl pressed closed to him and Ben’s heart started to hammer wildly.
“I love you insanely, Carry, do you know that?” His own voice suddenly sounded unfamiliar to him.
“I know, Benny, and I love you, too. So, what are we waiting for?”
Again, Ben was confused. Carry must be drunk! That was the only explanation for the sudden change. She had also never called him Benny before. However, he didn’t have much time to think about it because during their dance she led him to the bed, gave him a slight push and he sat on the bedspread.
“Let’s have another little drink beforehand.” She filled the glasses and lifted hers in his direction.
“To the two of us, Benny,” she said and emptied her glass at once, while the coaxing voice of the soul singer vibrated through the room.
Whenever you need my love, I am always there for you …
“I love this song!” the girl raved, coquettishly moving her hips to the music while singing along.
Take me any way you want, I can take it all night long …
She glanced into his eyes meaningfully, while she moved her hands over her body provocatively.
Ben watched her with pride and admiration, like it was the first time he’d seen her. His Carry … how beautiful she was! The long brown curls, that shimmered golden in the candlelight, the flawless, lightly tanned skin, the nicely shaped legs, which appeared even longer in the slit dress, the way she moved … it all seemed like a dream to him!
But was that really his girlfriend? Or was it her … He didn’t dare finish that thought.
His dream woman slowly danced towards him, until she was very close and he could smell the scent of her skin. She looked at him with an inscrutable expression in her large brown eyes and a lascivious smile played around the corners of her mouth, while she opened her dress, still dancing slowly, and let it slide to the floor.
Ben stared at her as if hypnotised. She looked simply breathtaking! Before he knew what was happening to him, she sat on his lap and kissed him.
Ben felt hot and cold, and the thought that this could be Carina let him freeze. At the same time however, this thought and the way she kissed him awakened an unwanted desire in him.
“Now, don’t be so shy, Benny-Boy,” Carina suddenly said with the husky undertone that was typical for her.
Ben startled as the last doubt was now definitely dispelled. With painful certainty he recognized who was really sitting on his lap.
“You’re not Carry,” he gasped, breathing heavily. Strong arousal had taken hold of him and he suddenly heard his blood rushing in his ears.
“Of course, I’m Carrie,” she whispered into his ear.
“I’m the Carrie who wants to please you.”
“You’re Carina!” Ben groaned in desperation while undertaking a last but futile attempt to push her away, get up and escape.
She held him back with soft force and pushed his head onto the pillows.
“But you knew that much earlier, Benny-Boy, why don’t you just admit it?” she whispered, smiling. “And you like it, don’t you?”
He had to get away, immediately! He couldn’t do this to Carry, no way!
But there were the fondling hands and those wonderfully sensuous lips that caressed his ear tenderly. A pleasant shudder ran through his body. There was no turning back!
Tell me anything you need, I can make it better …
He returned the demanding kisses, touched the silky-soft skin, and moaned with desire.
He locked the truth deep in his heart. He couldn’t and wouldn’t admit to himself that he had sensed right away that this couldn’t be his Carry, as much as he’d wished it was.
Yes, that was it! Ever since he had seen Carina for the first time on the beach, he’d secretly been wishing that Carry were a little more like her.
But this insight was unpleasant and hurtful. He couldn’t and wouldn’t let it rise to the top of his mind without feeling like a traitor, and so he pushed this unpleasant thought away before it could take shape.
No, it wasn’t his fault. He’d been tricked and now it was too late!
Baby, I need your love, I need you now …
The moment’s magic captured him, and every unwelcome thought was eliminated.
Baby, I need your love, I need you right now!
The double meaning the song had had for him at this moment didn’t become clear to him until much later.
CHAPTER 26
About one-and-a-half hours earlier Carolyn went to the railway station to return home, her shoulders sagging, tears on her face.
Ben hadn’t come! She had tried calling him, but nobody had answered. Where was he? What was going on? They hadn’t had a fight, on the contrary, they got along better than before. Whatever had happened?
Carolyn cried quietly. When she finally sat in the bus, she calmed down a little bit and concentrated on seeing reason. Something must have happened. Ben wouldn’t stand her up without a reason, he had never done that. Everything would work out. Maybe he had already tried calling her in the meantime at home. Yes, that had to be it! He would surely try again. Now, Carolyn could hardly wait to get home.
At twenty to four she had finally reached her street and ran the last steps to the front door. She quickly unlocked the door, stormed into the hall and straight to the
phone. There she stood for some seconds, stared at the phone as if her eyes could make it ring. Then she realized how stupid that was, and that it would be better to go upstairs to her room first. From there she would hear the phone ring anyway. She really hoped that Carina hadn’t stayed at home. Carolyn wasn’t in the mood for her nosy questions and her gleeful face.
She hung her bag up on the hall-stand and slowly went upstairs to her room. When she had almost reached the last landing, she heard quiet romantic music from the girls’ room, and a suppressed moaning. She tiptoed to the door, stopped closely in front of it and listened tensely. She heard Carina’s voice, which had a strangely hoarse sound, but couldn’t understand what she was saying. Then she heard a male voice that seemed strangely familiar and was murmuring something. Then only a soft moan could be heard.
Carolyn was startled. Was her sister so brazen as to bring a boy to their room? What was she thinking? Carolyn was just about to put her hand on the door handle when she heard the male voice again, sounding strangely hoarse and excited, and which she suddenly recognized. A piercing pain shot through her body when she heard the familiar voice stammering wild endearments … and a name which resounded in her head like an echo.
For several seconds Carolyn stood frozen before she quietly opened the door.
***
“Carry, please calm down,” Laura called out. “Here, have a glass of water.”
Carolyn obediently drank a little before she started sobbing wildly again.
“Carry, please … I can’t understand a single word if you don’t calm down.”
“Ben and … and Ca… Carina,” Carolyn sobbed, “they did … they were …” Now Carolyn started crying loudly.
Laura was scared. What had happened?
“Carry, now just stop crying for a moment and tell me slowly what happened.” Her voice now sounded strict. “Did I understand correctly that Ben and Carina were together?”