by A B Turner
"Well, look at you, any guy with half a brain cell wouldn't let you go," he answered, for a moment, I wondered whether this was some kind of chat-up line, but as I checked his expression, there was nothing flirtatious there, just pure curiosity.
"Well, you see that was the problem, he didn't have half a brain cell," I joked, but Tom frowned,
"Then why were you with him?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he shook his head and quickly apologised for asking a personal question and he hoped I hadn't been offended, I assured him I was fine and explained I had been young and maybe a bit naive when I'd married. As I talked, the frown disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, as he visibly relaxed again.
"Anyway, enough about me, how is it you haven't been snapped up by some gorgeous woman?" I asked, noticing an almost playful tone in my voice, making me question whether any flirtation between us was actually coming from my side of the conversation. Tom grinned,
"Oh I've been snapped many times, by some gorgeous women too, it's just perhaps not the right one."
"How will you know who's right?" I said, looking straight at him, while taking a small sip of wine.
"Oh I will know," he answered firmly, he put his hands behind his head,
"This is so nice, great food, sunshine and great company," he said, his eyes glanced behind me, as if something had caught his eye,
"Let's get more comfortable, we could stretch out more under the trees," he suggested, I readily agreed, not really knowing what I was doing now, but also not really caring. We walked to the far end of the garden and he flopped down on to the soft grass, I kicked off my shoes and sat down next to him. He rested his head on the crook of one arm and allowed his eyes to close, I laid down next to him, close but not touching, and gazed up at the blue sky, through the gently swaying branches above. The combination of the warm sun and the wine we had with lunch, started to make me feel drowsy, despite every effort to stay awake, my eyelids felt heavier with each passing moment. My head must have leant back, as I felt Tom's arm around my shoulder,
"Here, you'll be more comfortable," he murmured and he eased me on to his chest. A small voice at the very back of my mind seemed to suggest this was far from being a good idea, but I felt so comfortable, it was easy to ignore and so I drifted off to sleep.
A sudden crash of broken glass woke us both and, almost in unison, we sat bolt upright, while rubbing the remnants of sleep from our eyes,
"Sorry about that folks," an apologetic voice called from the other end of the garden, as my eyes focused, I could see a waitress looking sadly down, where a tray covered with the shattered remains of a wine bottle covered her feet. I felt Tom shiver slightly before he stood, after stretching his arms wide and yawning, he offered his hand to help me up,
"Come on, let's go somewhere less dangerous."
I took his hand, which, as soon as I was standing, I unintentionally released so I could slip my shoes back on, almost immediately I felt unbalanced, so I made a grab for his arm. He laughed,
"You should have waited before you let go, Carrie."
I felt a slight flush of embarrassment colour my cheeks, but I hoped he would think it was only the sun, but I looked away from him and focused on my shoes. We ambled back down the garden, the sun was lower in the sky now, causing everything to have a slight golden glow. The air was thick with the heavy scent of the flowers combined with the delicious aromas from the kitchen, I knew I wanted to stay in this moment. But as soon as we emerged from the wrought iron gates, our senses were instantly assaulted by the sights, sounds and smells of the city. After the welcoming grass, the pavement felt cruel and hard underfoot, the roar of the traffic drowned out any other sound. I looked at Tom, his expression had changed from the peaceful relaxation of the garden, to a more intense focus, on forcing a path for us through the crowds of people, all seeming to be heading in the opposite direction. I took his arm , not wanting to get separated from him, he barely acknowledged this gesture, his eyes were now fixed ahead. Finally, we reached the station and it was a welcome relief to have some space around us, I looked up and the timetable and my train was due to leave in ten minutes, so I would just have time to make it to the right platform if I ran. I turned to face him,
"This has been such a lovely day, thank you Tom," I said, he smiled shyly,
"So perhaps this whole wine-tasting thing might not be so bad, after all?" he grinned.
"Well...I wouldn't go that far," I laughed, "We don't know just how bad the stuff is going to be yet."
"Oh it's awful, believe me," he began with mock seriousness, "In fact, when it's not wine, they use it to clean engines."
"That good, eh?" I answered, "Should be easy to sell then."
"For us, no problem," he replied firmly, the sound of the word 'us' made me blush slightly, so I quickly glanced up at the clock.
"I have to run, my train leaves in a few minutes."
I lightly kissed his cheek
"Thanks again, and I'll see you on Saturday."
"See you Saturday, Carrie," he replied quietly, we exchanged smiles before I raced through the station and just managed to get to the right platform before they shut the gates. I bounded on to the train and breathlessly plonked myself into the first available seat. As the train rattled through the changing landscape, my mind seemed strangely peaceful, I knew I liked Tom and I was fairly sure he liked me, but I had done the right thing for once. I had left, I hadn't suggested going back to his place and, best of all, I hadn't done something seriously stupid like have sex with him, which considering we were due to work together, could have caused all kinds of problems.
Later that evening, when Kat called, she sounded genuinely impressed at what she described as my 'unnatural restraint'.
"I've seen him around," she added, "He looks like a nice guy."
"He is," I answered, hoping I didn't sound too keen, "he's good company, you know? Easy to be with."
But Kat wasn't so easily fooled,
"Just be careful sweetheart, you know what they say about doing stuff on your own doorstep."
"I will be careful, although wasn't it you who told me to have fun?" I teased, I heard her laugh.
"Oh have fun, just make sure it stays fun, that's all I'm saying."
"Yes, Mum," I joked, we said our goodbyes after I promised to keep her fully informed. I took a long shower and started to prepare for bed, it was only as I switched off the bedside lamp, I noticed the house didn't seem so lonely and dark any more, perhaps, at last, life was returning to these wall.
On the day of the promotion, the rhythmic blast from the opening chords from some AC/DC song almost threw me out of bed. I cursed my previous self for arranging this deafening start to my day, I had been worried about sleeping in, so I thought perhaps some music would raise me from sleep. As it was, I hadn't checked the volume control and so subsequently, my morning wake-up call could have raised the dead. I stumbled into the shower, pausing only to glance at my reflection with some horror, as I was far from looking my best and I knew I wanted to, especially today. As the warm water cascaded over my body, I thought about Tom, the way his hair flopped over his eyes, his easy laugh, and how good it had felt to be resting on his chest as we had dozed in the garden. As I slowly massaged my skin with the soft, creamy shower soap, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to feel the gentle contours of my body. My fingertips lightly eased around my full breasts, circling closer and closer to the eager nipples anxious to be touched. I rested back on the cool shower wall, just allowing myself to enjoy the deep, tingling sensation rippling through my body. Almost without thinking, I parted my damp thighs and slid my hand down, my fingers slipped over my lips, causing me to quiver slightly with anticipation. I felt my heart starting to beat faster, my breathing more shallow, as my fingers played and toyed with my body, almost teasing it until I could stand it no more. As they finally slid deep into me, I gasped at the sheer intensity of pleasure which coursed through me, I pushed harder and harder
against my hand. Water was still pouring over my body, every droplet felt like a soft kiss on my skin, further and further, I drove into myself, with every movement, there didn't seem to be a single cell that wasn't flooded with some kind of divine electricity. At last, unable to resist any more, I gave in to the rush and felt the warm, stickiness of cum streaming over my hands, as my body shuddered. For a moment, I couldn't move, I suddenly felt dizzy and slowly opened my eyes, hoping if by regaining one sense it would help the others to be restored. I switched off the shower, as the steam cleared, I felt my breathing slow back down, taking my rapid heartbeat with it and so I slid open the door. The cool air of the bathroom somehow managed to cure the momentary confusion, so I grabbed the waiting towel and wandered into my bedroom. I sat down on the edge of my bed, trying to remember what had caused this beautiful and yet unexpected reaction. Within only a few moments, I had my answer, I had been thinking about Tom, not only in the shower, but practically since we had met. As I continued to prepare for my day, I made myself a promise to try and remember Kat's warning about doing things on your own doorstep also, I had to accept he might not even like me as anything more than a work colleague. After all, just because I was having some kind of fantasy about him, didn't mean it was reciprocated. By the time, I was ready to leave the house, I had decided this would be the focus, as he didn't think about me as a potential lover, I had to stop even imagining being with him.
"We work together, that's all," I said to myself as firmly as I could manage, but as I carefully closed the front door, I was sure I could hear a tiny, mischievous voice from the very back of my mind whispering,
"For now."
About an hour later, I arrived at the supermarket, as I walked past the huge advertising hoardings, I could see Tom perched on a low wall. As soon as he saw me, he waved and stood up, my 'sensible' voice spoke again,
"Now come on, be friendly but professional, remember he doesn't see you as anything other than a fellow employee."
But as he half-ran towards me, I could feel my heart quicken and my mind could acknowledge nothing but how good I had felt in the shower, imagining his hands bringing all that pleasure. I found myself drifting back, but was quickly brought back to the present,
"Morning Carrie," he said, pushing his hair back from his face, "You're looking good this morning."
I smiled up at him,
"Hello Tom, you're looking good yourself."
He beamed, but there was the merest hint of shyness about his expression which made him even more endearing, as we walked together through the large doors, I knew that promise I'd made earlier was going to be infinitely harder to keep.
We found the stand in a small, corridor, just off the main shop floor. Our first task was to carefully apply the ready glued advertising banners to three sides, smoothing out the more stubborn air bubbles. After several minutes, we stood back to admire our handiwork,
"Well, I think that looks alright, wouldn't you say?" Tom asked, I quickly agreed, not really caring as I was far more focused on trying not to stare at him.
"I will go and find a corkscrew," he began, "Are you okay with setting out the cups? I shouldn't be long, I've worked here before and the manager is usually pretty helpful."
Before I had answered, he left through the small, swing door and I was alone. I broke open the polythene wrapping and started arranging the cups in neat rows, while admonishing myself for behaving like some starstruck schoolgirl.
"For God's sake Carrie, get a grip woman," I said angrily, unfortunately I had been so lost in my own thoughts, I didn't notice Tom coming back. I had hoped he hadn't heard me, but one glance at his concerned expression made it clear he had,
"Are you a bit nervous Carrie?" He asked, carelessly tossing the corkscrew on to the table, I felt so embarrassed I wanted the floor to suddenly open and swallow me whole. When I didn't speak, he put his arm gently around my shoulders,
"You'll be alright, I know you haven't done this job for long, but don't worry, okay? I'm here."
As I looked up at him, I felt the overwhelming urge to just reach up and kiss his soft mouth, but instead I mumbled a slightly-awkward thank you. He squeezed my shoulder, pulling me closer to him,
"There you go, after all, how hard can it be? Dishing out this horrible stuff to a load of customers who are getting free booze."
Despite all the other feelings invading my thoughts, I couldn't help but smile,
"You make a good point, let's hope they don't have any tastebuds," I replied, he grinned back,
"If they do now, they won't have...not after a couple of mouthfuls of this."
We both laughed and I felt easier again, at least for now.
We carefully pushed the stand out through the door and on to the now busy shop floor. We had barely reached the wines and spirits department, before a small group of customers appeared, all anxious to sample the wine. As quickly as I filled the cups, more people arrived at the stand, Tom effortlessly talked and joked with them, while mentioning every detail which had been in the brief. He seemed entirely in control of the situation, even when faced with a couple of boys who were clearly not even out of school yet, who angrily insisted they were twenty-one. As the morning turned to afternoon, I felt myself relax more and actually enjoy what I was doing for the first time since I had started the job. Finally, as a customer drained the last cup, Tom insisted we took a break and, much to the dismay of several customers who had visited the stand at least three times each, we wheeled the stand off the floor.
At his suggestion, we bought a sandwich and drink, then wandered outside to a small garden area outside the shop. We sat and between mouthfuls, we laughed and talked about anything and everything, as before, being with him was so easy and comfortable, but somehow, my mind had managed to switch off any other feelings than just being friendly. The lunch hour flew by way too quickly and it was soon time to return to work, as we walked back through the doors, we passed the magazine section. Tom stopped suddenly,
"Hold on, can I just have a quick look?" He said, pointing at the display, I nodded and watched him walk purposefully towards one particular magazine. He flicked through the pages, a slight frown of concentration changed his normally-relaxed expression. As I looked, I felt a sharp dig in my side and spun round, only to see a small, grey-haired lady wrestling with the handle of her trolley,
"Sorry love, this thing seems to have a mind of its own, I hope as didn't hurt you."
I took a step back, as I could see the trolley hadn't come to a complete stop,
"No I'm fine, you barely touched me," I assured her, she nodded and started to push again, the trolley veered again causing me to move again.
"You'd think in this day and age, all that technology they're always banging on about, someone could make a trolley that goes in a straight line," she said sadly, as she moved unsteadily away.
"Take care," I called after her before turning back to see where Tom was, but instead I came face to face with Vanessa. While trying to avoid the wayward trolley, I had stepped back further than I'd realised and was now practically on one of the magazine displays. Owing to the size of the cover picture, Vanessa looked almost life-sized which made it feel as if she was really there. I stood transfixed, staring into those all too familiar almond eyes, trying to somehow remind myself, I had really known her and not as a face on a magazine, but so much more. I felt Tom by my side,
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" he said quietly, I didn't move or turn to face him,
"Yes she is," I replied, wanting to stand there for longer and just drink in every feature of her, but instead I broke away,
"Anyway, we had better get back to work, that wine won't sell itself," I said briskly, Tom grinned,
"That wine couldn't sell itself, it's just that bad."
The afternoon was even busier than the morning, which was a blessing in so many ways, it kept me from thinking about Tom or Vanessa's unexpected appearance and made me focus on the job of selling wine. At the end o
f the day, after Tom and I had cleared the stand and safely returned it to the small corridor, we walked slowly out of the store. There seemed to be some kind of awkwardness between us, as if someone wanted to say something, but neither of us seemed to know what to say, so we just joked about the wine and some of the customers who had stopped by the stand,
"I'm sure that guy with the hat came round twice, once with it on and then off the next time in the hope we wouldn't recognize him," I said, Tom chuckled,
"What about the one who wanted us to fill up his hip flask?" he added.
"Oh I liked him!" I laughed.
When we reached the street, we paused, I didn't know what it was I wanted to happen next, I was only really sure, I didn't want him to walk away, so I suggested we might go and get something to eat. I tried to sound as casual as possible, but almost as soon as the words left my mouth, one glimpse at Tom's awkward expression made me wish I could just grab them and put them back in my mouth.