Running Rings

by Ruth G Juliano

  “No, I don’t. You always try so hard to be insulting to me, and yet, nothing,” Jake shrugged.

  “Perhaps you should use your powers for good instead of evil, and I would feel less insulted by you, and therefore be less insulting. That might be nice.”

  “I don’t do nice in the way you might expect. I already have you mostly figured out, Verity Sharpe. I will understand you entirely one day.”

  Verity didn’t believe that was true. There was only one man who really understood her and he was somewhere other than here. She smiled, wondering what he would think of Jake Horton. He would no doubt find him as fascinating as she did. They would be doing an analysis of their own. They would be making up wonderful stories about Jake’s life and laughing about it, waiting to find out which one of them was closest to being right. It would be him, he was always right. He was better at her than everything. So humble, so simple, and so very right.

  “So you are in love, that’s nice,” Jake said.

  Verity flashed him a smile and looked out the window, “Yes, I am.”

  “But there is distance between you two, and you will need solace until he returns,” Jake said, “Use it wisely.”

  Chapter 21

  The water was boiling so Verity dropped the fettuccine in, trying not to get splashed. She looked at the other items on the bench and picked up the salt. She tipped some onto her hand and emptied her hand over the pot. She picked up the bottle of olive oil and threw in a splash. She put the oil on the bench and leaned forward over the pot. “Why is it still attached like that?” she asked.

  “It might help if you stir it with one of these and separate it. The olive oil should prevent it sticking to itself.”

  “Oh,” Verity said, looking at the large plastic ladle with edges like a comb. She stirred the pasta and looked in the water again. She smiled. She stuck her finger in the saucepan. “Ouch.” And put her finger in her mouth. “That’s really good.”

  “It’s also hot. You could use a little spoon next time and maybe blow on it first.”

  Verity smiled and turned around, “I think you’re wonderful for teaching me how to cook.”

  He laughed, “I think it’s funny that I’m teaching you how to cook. My mum insisted we learn. She had three boys and it didn’t matter. She insisted that men should know how to cook and do all the domestic chores and she also insisted we should move out as soon as possible. I kind of think maybe she didn’t like us much.”

  “I’m sure she did, Brandon. You’re very likeable.”

  “So are you,” he replied, kissing her on the cheek, “You look good in a kitchen.” He opened a bottle of beer and handed it to her. “So, what else would you like to learn?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like I’m preparing to climb a mountain or something, like I’m in training for a life of domestic bliss. I’ve been buying takeaway meals to eat later or having sandwiches for dinner, but that’s not good enough. If I’m going to be a good wife then I should know how to cook properly. Buying the cookbooks wasn’t helping, so I’m really grateful that you were willing to give me a practical demonstration. I think I understand the practicalities a lot better.”

  Brandon shook his head, “I still don’t understand why you’ve never learned how to cook.”

  “We had a cook when I was growing up,” Verity shrugged, “And all my meals were prepared at university. My dad cooked when I lived with him. Living so close to the city there’s always food available, so I guess it just wasn’t a priority. I want to get married and be a good wife. He knows how to cook, his mum had three boys too and taught them all how to cook, but I want to be able to do this for him.” Brandon nodded and Verity looked at him. She knew him well enough to know that there was something he wanted to say but he wasn’t saying it. “Spit it out, Brandon.”

  “What? Nothing, I just, I don’t know. Does this guy really exist?”

  Verity laughed, “Of course he exists. I’ve shown you pictures of us. He’s out there somewhere and we’ll be together one day. I’m going to impress him with all the skills I’ve learned. He’s always been better than me at everything. I’d like to be able to at least compete instead of being blown out of the water every time.”

  Brandon nodded again and sipped his beer, “Look, Ver, you’re an attractive woman. You’re smart, and you’re funny, and you’re a bit crazy. What if this guy is already taken? What if he doesn’t want to be with you? I really like you and I don’t want to see you end up hurt. I don’t want you to sit around being a skilled-up old maid, pining for some guy who might never come back.”

  “He’s coming back,” Verity said.

  “Okay, sure he is, fine. I won’t burst your bubble, but I’m just thinking you should be prepared for that possibility. You’re a really good friend, and I like you a lot. In an ideal world, I would find someone I like as much as I like you, but who actually wanted to sleep with me, and I’d live happily ever after. How long are you going to keep doing this? How long are you going to just dream about him and talk about him and phone various companies trying to find out if he works there? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you knew he was already settled down with someone else and you were trying to stalk him. Is he in witness protection? Does he have an AVO against you or something?”

  Verity laughed. “You’re such a Policeman. And, for your information, I don’t not want to sleep with you, I just think that sex could ruin our friendship, like we talked about before. I can’t fall in love with anyone because I’m already in love with someone and if we fall for each other then what? Someone will get hurt. I just enjoy being your friend.”

  “Can we make out and see how it goes? I promise I won’t ask you for sex, but I really, really want to just find out what it’s like to kiss you properly. I don’t think that will ruin our friendship.”

  Verity smiled and put her beer down. “Okay, let’s try it.”

  Brandon had a sip of his beer and moved close to her. She closed her eyes and waited. Brandon’s lips came to hers and she opened her mouth a little. He moved some beer from his mouth to hers slowly as he kissed her and then moved his tongue into her mouth. She reciprocated, trying not to smile about the beer. Brandon ended the kiss and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

  He blew out some air and nodded. He picked up his beer from bench and had a sip. “So, what did you think?”

  “It was very sexy,” Verity said, picking up her beer, “You’re a sensual kisser, and it was definitely arousing. Kissing like that could absolutely lead to sex.”

  Brandon smiled, “Thanks, Ver. Can you keep an eye on the pasta while I go jerk off? I should be done before the pasta is.”

  Verity laughed and Brandon said he was serious. He put his beer down on the bench and left the kitchen area. Verity smiled and shook her head. She had another sip of her beer and watched the pasta boiling. She turned her head to the direction that Brandon had gone and wondered if he was really serious. He came back five minutes later and lit a cigarette. “So, do women masturbate?”

  “Sure they do.”

  “Really?” Brandon asked, “Why? Like what makes them want to do that?”

  “I can’t speak for all women. I get aroused by my thoughts sometimes, thinking about certain men and how wonderful they are. It’s happened from reading books too. I think it’s a less pervasive urge than it is for men. I don’t have an erect penis to contend with and it can be ignored, but sometimes I figure what the heck. Unfortunately, I tend to feel a little empty afterwards, so maybe I do it less than other women might.”

  Brandon smiled and offered Verity a drag on his cigarette. She hadn’t smoked since she was fifteen, but she figured what the heck. She took a drag on the cigarette and handed it back to him. “Thanks.”

  “I want to be a good husband. I want to be able to land an independent woman, make beautiful babies, and have her adore me like you adore your missing man. How can I do that?”

  Verity laughed, “You’re asking me like I sho
uld know the answer. I have no idea, none. I fell in love with how completely different he was to anything I had ever seen before. He’s surly, no, he’s not surly, he looks surly, but he isn’t. The first time I saw him smile, it was as if the sun had suddenly shone through the clouds. He looked so different and so adorable that I had this overwhelming desire to make him smile for the rest of his life. We’re in love. I know we’re apart, and I know what you said about maybe never being together, but as far as I’m concerned we’re still in love. I know that I love him, and I know that he’ll be the man I marry. If I’m not marrying him then I’m not getting married. People who are meant to be together will always end up being together. There’s a woman out there for you too, and she will be able to do all those things for you and more.”

  Brandon nodded, “I’m really glad I asked you out, Verity. I really like being your friend. I think you’re going to be an awesome wife, and I don’t think you need to try or train or do anything special. If he feels the way you do, then it’ll never be hard work.”

  Verity smiled and checked the pasta, “I’d like to be good in bed.”

  “Why didn’t you say so before I jerked off?” Brandon laughed, “I’m sure you’re good in bed.”

  “What makes a woman good in bed though? That’s what I’d like to know. When we made love it was under difficult circumstances and a result of getting carried away from how good the kissing was, but I’d like to be able to really show him how I feel about him and express my love for him like that.”

  “Well, according to Adrian, to be good in bed a woman needs to be confident and in touch with her passion. She needs to be in the moment, responding to what’s being given, and giving into her real feelings about it. I personally don’t notice any of that stuff because I’m too busy enjoying myself. But sex is something he knows a lot about from every angle. As a crime, as a biological urge, and fuck knows he’s had the practical experience. He’s my first port of call for anything sexual.”

  A smile snuck onto Verity’s lips. “There’s something really special about him. It’s not his sex appeal, it’s something else. I’ve only seen him around a few times, but there’s something really, really interesting about him and I’d like to know him better.”

  “In a carnal way?”

  “I’d like to be his friend, and get to know him better, that’s all. You know I can’t give my heart away.”

  “Your heart and your body aren’t always connected,” Brandon said, “I’ll set the table.”

  Verity didn’t know what to think any more. She did think about Adrian. She thought about him a lot. She thought about the love of her life every day, but she also found herself thinking about Adrian. He was in her heart too. It wasn’t just lust that she felt for him, it was something deeper and she didn’t know what she was supposed to do about it. She wanted to be his friend, with or without sex, and to be able to spend time with him. He said he didn’t do love, and he wasn’t interested in a relationship, and he didn’t seem keen on the idea of being friends last time she saw him. He didn’t want to feel owned or controlled, which is something that Verity absolutely understood. She missed him though. She didn’t want to control him, she wanted to be able to see him and to tell him wonderful she thought he was and to somehow be a part of his life. If they fell for each other though … then what?

  Chapter 22

  The taxi driver handed her the change and Verity put it in her wallet. She thanked him again and put her wallet in her small handbag before stepping out onto the footpath. The taxi drove away and she looked at her watch. It was two forty, so there was still time before the ceremony started. The massive sandstone cathedral was across the road and Verity admired how beautiful it was. She wondered how much blood, sweat and tears had gone into making it back in the day. There was so much of the city that she hadn’t explored and so much she wanted to learn about life. She hoped to be a woman of the world and then settle down with the man she loved living a very simple life of going to work, going home, and having lazy weekends. Someone was getting married today, but it wasn’t her. She’d been to one other wedding and it was a lot of fun. They were a happy occasion and it was nice to see families and friends celebrating together. She didn’t even know who she could invite to her wedding. She had more friends than she used to, that was for sure.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Verity turned around in surprise, “Wow, Adrian, you look devastatingly handsome in a tuxedo.”

  “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “Oh, sorry, I’m here for a wedding. Well, actually the wedding is over there,” Verity said, turning back to face the church.

  “You’re going to a wedding? I’m also going to a wedding. You’re not stalking me are you?”

  “No, but now that you’re here I can. You look so good that you’re definitely stalk-worthy.”

  “Whose wedding are you going to?” Adrian asked, folding his arms.

  Verity laughed, “Actually, I don’t know. Brandon asked if I wouldn’t mind being his date. I went to a wedding with him once before and it was fun, so I agreed to come again.”

  “Roberts? You’re here with Roberts?”

  Verity nodded, “Yes, I’m his date.”

  Adrian’s arms dropped to his side, “You’re here with Brandon Roberts and you’re wearing a dress like that?”

  “It’s a black-tie wedding, and it’s what I have. It was a gift from my boss and I’m determined to wear it everywhere I can to get value out of it, and I already owned the blue high heels.”

  Adrian looked at her from foot to head, and folded his arms again, “Are you his dial-a-booty?”

  Verity smiled, “No, that’s his dial-a-booty.” She glanced at a woman in a short black dress preparing to cross the road.

  Adrian looked where Verity had subtly gestured with her head. “Shit. That’s my date.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Brandon asked Jen if she was free and she wasn’t. I guess you got in first. I don’t mind being a second option to her. I know she has some talents like you do, and I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun together.”

  Adrian looked at Verity with raised eyebrows, “You know her?”

  “Yes, I’ve spoken to her a few times. She has some interesting views on the male appendages and how to use them.”

  “Hi,” Jen said, “You’re on the wrong side of the road.” She put her arm around Adrian’s waist and kissed him on the cheek.

  Verity turned and looked at Brandon coming along the sidewalk from the opposite direction. “Hello,” he said, “I’m obviously in the right place. I see familiar faces.”

  “I didn’t know this is where you were going, Don,” Jen said, “I already said I’d go with Adrian. I see you found another date though. Hello, Veronica.”

  “It’s Verity, and she was kind enough to be my date,” Brandon said, “I can’t wait to get you in there and show you off in that dress, Ver, whoa. You look like a beauty queen.”

  Verity smiled, “A beauty queen could be fun, but please don’t make me a paediatrician this time, Brandon. I’m a Financial Officer, just let me be that, I can talk about that. They had me diagnosing their ailments last time.”

  “It was funny. You made up some really complicated sounding conditions that had people squirming,” Brandon said, “Any more thoughts on when you’re moving in with me?”

  “What?” Adrian asked.

  “She’s my financial guru. I’m already making money. I’m trying to convince her to come and share my rent to add to my savings,” Brandon laughed.

  “It’s not a bad idea,” Verity shrugged, “So yes, I’m thinking about it.”

  “Hey, Don, any chance of a drunken lay after the wedding, or have you got one already?” Jen asked.

  Brandon laughed, “No, no, no, Verity and I are friends. We talk about cooking and she helps me with quiz questions, or accompanies me to formal occasions if I’m in need.”

  “That’s very true, and with
occasional coffee and chess,” Verity said.

  “And she’s already agreed to come to dinner with me when I’m promoted to Senior Constable,” Brandon said.

  “We can still have a fuck, Don,” Jen said, “Adrian already turned me down for a lay tonight. Boring. I’m up for one if you are.”

  “If you want to swap partners, I don’t mind, Brandon. I’ll be Adrian’s date,” Verity said, “Jen was your first choice for a reason, and Adrian and I can just be boring together.”

  Adrian gave Verity a little smile and she poked her tongue out. He narrowed his eyes and she batted her eyelids. He smiled again.

  Jen wrapped her arms around Adrian and talked into his face, “What do you reckon? Would you be offended if we swapped?”

  “If everyone else is happy with it, I’ll do whatever. We were told not to turn up alone due to the price of the reception and here we all are,” Adrian shrugged.

  “I know you don’t know Adrian, Verity, but I know you wanted to, so maybe we should swap. I can still dance with you and introduce you as a paediatrician,” Brandon said, “I’ll keep an eye on you though, and make sure he doesn’t put any moves on you.”

  “No problem,” Verity said, “I’m fine with that.”

  Brandon put his arm around Verity’s shoulder, “Maybe I shouldn’t. I feel bad. I’m the one who asked you to come and you probably won’t know anyone else here. You look stunning, so I’m sure you’ll have a few new friends by the end of the night.”

  “It’s fine, Brandon, honestly,” Verity said, “It was my suggestion, remember?”

  “You look really beautiful and the skin on your shoulders is very soft,” Brandon said. He sniffed her shoulder, “And you smell like cocoa butter.”

  Verity laughed and sniffed him, “You smell like you had a beer before you came. Jen will get her goods out for you.”