by Chris Watt
This was all going through her mind at the moment she received this friend request of her own. She clicked on the request and a box popped up.
‘SEAN LEWIS SENT YOU A FRIEND REQUEST.’
‘CLICK HERE TO ACCEPT.’
‘CLICK HERE TO IGNORE.’
Jodie couldn’t help but turn her head and look out her window, where she saw Sean sitting in his room, his back to her, typing on his computer. Jodie smiled a little to herself, thinking why not? She clicked on ‘ ACCEPT.’
‘YOU ARE NOW FRIENDS WITH SEAN LEWIS.’
Jodie closed the pop-up and went back to Rob’s picture, still trying to decide whether she should send a friend request. She didn’t get very far; as a small beeping noise indicated that one of her friend’s was online and wanted to chat with her. She clicked on her friends online box and up popped
SEAN: Hi there. Thanks for the add.
Jodie turned her head and again looked across to Sean’s room. He still had his back to her, but she could just make out the Facebook logo on his computer monitor.
For a moment, she considered going offline and not replying. But then manners got the better of her. After all, it was a Friday night and she was sitting on the internet. What else was she planning to do? And so she replied.
JODIE: Hello. That’s okay. It seemed rude not to accept, given that I can see you.
Jodie turned her head to see Sean slowly turn around and wave at her. She waved back at him, feeling a little bit like a dork in doing so. Sean turned back to his computer and replied.
SEAN: I could shut my curtains?
Jodie chuckled.
JODIE: Go on then.
She watched as Sean stood up and walked to his window. He moved slowly, as if to emphasize how goofy they were being, before drawing his curtains across and blocking their view of each other. He then returned to his monitor.
SEAN: Better?
JODIE: Much.
SEAN: So, No plans for tonight?
Jodie knew what he was getting at. In truth, there was solidarity in his comment, the fact that he was doing the exact same thing as she was giving her a strange sense of comfort, as if she wasn’t just some sad, seventeen year old whose mother had left her to look after the house while she went on a date. Of course, that’s exactly what she was.
JODIE: Another exciting Friday night. What about you? Where’s Laura?
SEAN: At home probably. Unless she’s hiding at yours?
JODIE: Not here.
SEAN: There we go then.
Jodie then stalled. She’d run out of things to talk about, so looked about her room for inspiration, her eyes eventually landing on the book at her side. That would do.
JODIE: How do you like ‘Jude the Obscure?’
SEAN: The single most depressing thing I’ve ever read.
What do you think?
JODIE: That sounds about right. How far in to it are you?
SEAN: I finished it.
JODIE: Really? You’re a fast reader.
SEAN: Not as fast a typist as you, though.
Jodie took the compliment and was about to type a response when suddenly she was faced with
SEAN: Can I ask you something?
Intrigued, she replied
JODIE: Sure.
SEAN: Why do you act so strange in class?
His question caught her slightly off guard, as if she had been caught cheating on a test or something, and for a moment, she wondered if Laura had mentioned something to him about Rob, about how she felt towards him. If that was true, then the question he asked was pretty specific. However, she couldn’t be sure, so continued with a cautious JODIE: What do you mean, strange?
SEAN: I don’t mean to sound rude. I’m just curious. You always seem pretty distant.
For a moment, Jodie felt a little offended, as if she was being given some cod-therapy. So she kept her reply sarcastic but curt.
JODIE: Four weeks and everyone’s an expert?
Sean sensed a hostility building up, so decided to ditch what had been his honest enquiry.
SEAN: Just tell me to piss off. I’m too forward for my own good sometimes.
Jodie relaxed a little and decided to let it go, feeling that Sean had merely been concerned. That said, she did have a question of her own for him and decided that after his being so forward, that she would give it a shot.
JODIE: It’s fine. Can I ask you a similar question?
SEAN: Shoot.
JODIE: Is Laura even your type?
There was a pause. Sean hesitated, wondering whether this was a trap or not, set up between best friends to try and catch out their boyfriends, or get them to confess something.
SEAN: Maybe.
JODIE: Well?
SEAN: Well what?
JODIE: Why did you agree to go out with her?
Sean then took Jodie’s cue, with a reply that would allow her to read between the lines.
SEAN: It’s nice to meet new people...that and she’s got a nice arse.
Jodie rolled her eyes and didn’t reply. It was a good minute before Sean decided to clarify his last comment.
SEAN: That was a joke by the way.
But Jodie could sense his reluctance to discuss his relationship with Laura much further, at least over Facebook, so decided to back off.
JODIE: I should mind my own business.
SEAN: Your best friends. I’m sure she’ll tell you everything anyway.
Jodie suddenly felt like she had been interrogating him and, feeling guilty for it, decided to make a gesture.
JODIE: Open your curtains again. This is silly.
Jodie looked across to see Sean re-open his curtains. He had a wry smile on his face, which was illuminated by a car driving slowly past, before returning to his monitor.
SEAN: So, what now?
But before Jodie could answer, she heard the doorbell ring. She looked across to her bedside clock. It was ten thirty p.m. A bizarre time for the doorbell to go off on any night.
Feeling slightly concerned, she stood up and went to her window. Peering out, she could just about make out the back of a parked car, but her window being at the side of the house, meant that she couldn’t see any further than the garden gate.
She looked across at Sean, who, she felt must’ve heard the bell too, as he waved at her.
She went back to her laptop and typed
JODIE: Somebody at the door. Got to go. Will you keep an eye out in case it’s a psycho?
Jodie turned back to Sean, who gave her the thumbs up before standing up and walking to his window to keep watch. Feeling more comfortable now, Jodie stood up and went to get the door.
TWENTY-FOUR
By the time they had left the restaurant, Katy and Rob had eased into each other’s company. The awkward silences had been replaced by jokes and laughs and, while she may have been reluctant at first, Katy had thoroughly enjoyed herself.
Rob, meanwhile, felt that he had been on top form. He always stressed over whether he came across as too smooth for his own good, or even pretentious. He knew it had put off women in the past, women who didn’t take the time to get to know the person behind the act. And it was an act, a defense mechanism that worked just as often as it failed.
Katy had just been enjoying the ride, feeling refreshed to have managed to have had a proper, adult conversation with someone other than work friends and her family. She didn’t resent this fact, on the contrary she loved her family and had always been grateful to the girl’s at work, many of whom had husbands, kids and families of their own. It’s just that she knew, more than most, the rarity of talking to someone about something other than problems. In truth, she just liked the notion of having someone to shoot the breeze with. And with Rob, after a slow start, she felt that perhaps he had more potential than she had first given him credit for. Any man, she felt, that didn’t bolt for the door at the first sign of a child being thrown into the equation, was worth exploring a little further. That and the fact that she q
uietly enjoyed the notion of being the older, more experienced member of this scenario.
Indeed, this may have been the first time in years that she actually enjoyed being in her thirties, allowing herself to be flattered by the attention this handsome twenty something was giving her.
That said she remained cautious enough to continue to throw little tests at Rob, just to see if his interest in her was genuine, the first of which being whether or not he would offer to drive her home.
After a brief chat in the doorway of the restaurant, he passed the test and they walked slowly to the car park, enjoying the last of the summer night air, in full knowledge that such a walk wouldn’t be possible in another six weeks, at least not without thermals.
At the car, Rob opened the door for Katy, unbeknownst to him, passing another test. He passed two more when he got into the car, turning the radio volume down and the air-con up. Katy was quietly impressed. Rob clearly had manners.
During the drive, Katy grilled Rob on his music tastes, flipping through his in-car cd collection with the same sort of fascination that a historian might have for an ancient map. Now in her mid-thirties, she felt completely out of the loop as far as music was concerned, so took any opportunity she had to peek into the contemporary tastes of those younger than her, even her daughter. In truth, Katy felt slightly embarrassed by this. Her music tastes hadn’t really changed too drastically in the last decade. She had even found herself partaking of the cardinal sin of the thirty-something: the compilation disc.
Rob, however, shrugged off any confessions she made about her musical inadequacy, even going so far as to point out the embarrassing, dad-like albums he had buried deep in his own collection. I mean, Dire Straits were one thing, but, really, Status Quo?
“Let’s call it the sins of the father being revisited on the son,” Rob quipped. Katy smiled, but the joke hadn’t quite hit home, so Rob, sensing this, added, “Just stop me before I make a prick of myself, okay?”
“Too late for that,” was Katy’s dry response. Their eyes met and they both shared a laugh.
“You know, I really enjoyed this,” said Rob, recovering from the sarcasm, “Am I allowed to say that?”
“I’ll allow it,” Katy nodded, “...just.”
Katy was flirting now and she knew it. Maybe it was the wine, or perhaps it was Rob, but something was making her feel less restricted this evening.
By the time Rob pulled up in front of Katy’s house, she was surprised to find herself more than ready to invite Rob in for a coffee. This wasn’t like her, but there was something about Rob that had made him trustworthy in her eyes. Sure, he was a teacher, but also, his age made him feel less of a threat. Katy was also pretty sure that she would be able to take him in a struggle...and not the fun kind. It was only when she looked up at her house and saw the light of Jodie’s bedroom was still on, that she reconsidered her position. It was like crashing down to earth and back to reality. She turned to Rob and gave him a sympathetic look.
“On any other night, I’d invite you in for coffee,” she said. But Rob didn’t need her to explain.
“It’s fine,” he smiled, “You don’t have to make excuses for my benefit. I get it.”
This almost made Katy weak at the knees and she felt that if she had been standing up when Rob had said that to her, she might have fallen to the ground. She shook her head in quiet disbelief.
“What?” he asked, intrigued.
“Nothing. It’s just...I’m so used to having to play the single mum card that it’s refreshing to have the man take the lead.”
Rob took this in, before replying,
“Well not to worry, It’s probably the last grown up, mature thing I’ll ever say, so there we have it.”
They shared a smile. Rob then took off his seatbelt and opened his car door.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” he said. Another test passed.
He got out of the car and walked round to the passenger side to let Katy out. He then walked her all the way up her path to her front door. Katy, her back to Rob, rummaged in her bag for her front door keys. That is when she felt something lightly rest against the back of her neck. She froze for a moment, trying to figure out what it was, before turning to see Rob’s arm adjusting the collar of her coat. Their eyes met for longer than both thought would have been possible tonight. For a moment, Rob thought he should apologize and so attempted one.
“Sorry, I was just...your coat was slipping.”
Katy stared at Rob for what seemed like an eternity, but he didn’t look away.
And then she leaned forward and kissed him.
It was just a light kiss, but it took both of them by surprise. For Katy, the surprise was that she had actually leaned forward and instigated it at all. But more surprising still, for her, was that this was not the wine acting on her behalf. She was lucid and knew exactly what she was doing: what she wanted.
For Rob, the surprise was that he hadn’t been the one to make the first move. It had always been his role in the past, but now, on this doorstep, the responsibility had been someone else’s, a feeling he had never experienced before, the experience of someone wanting him as much as he wanted them. That was the difference for both of them, really.
They both knew that there would be no sex tonight, but they were both more than happy to take it to this level, even after only one date.
Their lips parted and for a good ten seconds no one said a thing, but their eyes never broke their stare. It was only when the neighbors’ cat meowed that the silence was finally broken and Rob mustered up the courage to say anything.
“Um, what was that?” was the best he could offer. He could smell Katy’s perfume, the wine on her breath, the taste of her lipstick. Katy stepped back towards the door and shook her head.
“Can we put that down to an impulse?” she asked, but even she wasn’t buying that one.
Rob stepped forward to keep their bodies close.
“An impulse?” he asked.
Katy nodded.
“Nothing more?”
Rob moved closer still.
“Is that what you think it was?” he asked.
Katy pretended to think about it, but really, she was thinking about kissing him again.
“Maybe,” was all she could say, before she grabbed him and they kissed again. This, again, took Rob completely by surprise, and they stumbled against the front door. This time the kiss was more intense. Rob tried to keep his balance, grabbing onto the doorframe with his left arm and allowing his right hand to come up to touch Katy’s face as they kissed. Katy’s arms remained around Rob’s waist where she had grabbed him, but the kiss became so intense that Katy ended up leaning against the door to keep herself steady. As the kiss broke, Rob stepped back, his head spinning from the sensation of what had just taken place. He tried to compose himself enough to say something, but, for once, words were failing him. Katy wasn’t sure what would come next, but she couldn’t help but start to smile. She felt sixteen again, making out with the boy she had always fancied in school, who had finally asked her out. For tonight, at least, it didn’t matter that she was nineteen years late for her own dream date. Now it was here, she’d take it, any way it came.
“That was pretty...” she searched for something poignant to say, something that would keep them in the moment, but alas, the sixteen year old girl was still fighting to have her say, “...pretty cool.”
Rob smiled and they both started to laugh, a laugh that meant something different for both. And there they stood, a man and woman, with so much potential and so much to give each other. And it was a feeling that probably would have served them for a good five more minutes of kissing, had it not been followed by the front door being opened by her daughter.
TWENTY-FIVE
For a moment, Jodie saw only the back of her mother’s head and thought that she had simply forgotten her keys. She sighed and was about to search her brain for the right comment with which to mock her mother, when Rob
took a step back and Jodie’s eyes met his.
They both froze. At first, it took Rob a few seconds to register where he recognized Jodie from. When he did, however, he felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach, which coincidentally was exactly what happened to Jodie also. Katy turned to face her daughter, still a little light-headed from the kiss.
“Oh, sorry honey. I must’ve pressed the bell by mistake.”
Jodie said nothing and Katy realized that something was up. She surveyed her daughter’s face, looking for clues. Jodie, meanwhile, had not broken her eye contact with him.
Confused that she was getting no response from her only child, she turned to Rob, only to find the same look plastered on his face.
“Are you guys alright? What’s going on?”
“Ro...” Jodie stuttered before correcting herself, “Mr. Peer?”
Rob’s eyes then snapped to Katy’s, looking for the reaction that he was sure was coming.
When it hadn’t arrived, Rob tried his best, but found words hard to come by.
“Katy...um, this is...?”
“What?” asked Katy, a slight panic building in her belly, “You two know each other?”
“This is your daughter?” asked Rob, which seemed an almost redundant question to ask at this point. He already knew the answer, but was just delaying the moment.
“This is your date?!” Jodie snapped, with more force and jealousy in her voice than perhaps she had intended. Nevertheless, it did the job on Katy, who now finally had a grasp on the situation, if not the answer to it. So she just reacted as appropriately as she knew how to with
“Oh shit.”
Nobody spoke. A pin could have dropped and it would have been heard. It was only once Katy had allowed her brain to process what had just happened that she spoke again, directly to Rob.
“So, this is my daughter, Jodie. And, I’m guessing, you’re her new English teacher?”
Rob felt like a child being talked down to, but he had no game plan for this sort of situation, so replied as meekly as possible.
“That’s me.”
“Right,” said Katy, before pausing and then repeating, “Right.”