by Carla Blake
“ Of course.” Skye said, opening the door wider to let her in. “ What took you so long?”
1 New Message
Tina sat in a window seat of Gerard’s restaurant and impatiently drummed her fingers on the pristine, white tablecloth. In front of her, an almost empty wine glass stood testament to the amount of time she’s been waiting, that and the half burnt out candle the snotty waiter with contemptuous look in his eye had deigned fit to light for her.
And she had been waiting, for nearly a whole hour now and yet still there was no sign of Sophie.
It was not unusual. Sophie, her girlfriend of seven months could, without a moment’s thought or regret for how it might make other’s feel, be late for anything. She’d already excelled herself this year by turning up late for a wedding, a mate’s fortieth birthday party, given on board a luxury yacht in which their host, to Tina’s utter embarrassment, had actually waited for Sophie to pitch up before casting off, and worst of all a funeral. She’d missed that completely, only putting in a very bemused and apologetic appearance once the poor sod in question had been prayed over, cried for and then rolled into the fire.
Tina had been livid. Sophie had merely blamed London transport and some tourist with a rucksack getting in her way, before asking where the wake was being held?
And now here she was, late again and Tina had had enough.
She was tired. Of Sophie’s complete inability to keep track of time and of the way their relationship had been going these past couple of weeks. They had grown stale, that was the problem. Nothing was new anymore, nothing was exciting. She knew exactly how Sophie was going to react to any given situation and she was becoming increasingly irritated by Sophie’s lack of effort when it came to running the flat. The bills were always Tina’s to sort out, the laundry always Tina’s to load into the washing machine. Sophie couldn’t even be bothered to let her know when they were running out of essentials in the kitchen cupboard and she was absolutely sick of it.
It was time to give Sophie the final ultimatum. Either pitch in and shape up on the time keeping, or it was over.
Problem was, if it came to splitting up, it wasn’t going to be easy. Not when they shared a flat. Carving it in half and sharing it evenly was going to be a logistical nightmare, and she couldn’t see how it could be done without at least some wailing and pulling of hair, but they might have to try, because quite simply, she couldn’t take this any longer. Sophie’s lethargy and tardy time keeping was no longer a joke or a cute trait that made Sophie, ‘ Sophie.’ It was an irritant, a humiliating personality default that was starting to impinge on her life more and more often. She was also sick of having to make up excuses for why Sophie wasn’t there and then having to take most of the blame herself. It wasn’t fair.
The waiter appeared at her side, holding an opened bottle of white wine nestled inside a white napkin. Courteously he enquired whether ‘madam would care for another?’ But Tina could hear the sneer in his voice.
He thinks I’ve been stood up, she thought, allowing him to refill her glass. Well, he can think what he likes. Sophie will get here – eventually- and then he can take his ‘being stood up’ and shove up his arse.
God, I hope she doesn’t start crying.
Another ten minutes ticked by with all the speed of a growing tree. Frustrated, Tina gazed out of the window for a while, watching the commuters rush off towards their respective homes, and then got up to use the ladies, leaving her jacket over the back of her chair and her glass on the table.
The ladies was lit with the fluorescent lighting from hell and looking at her washed out reflection in the mirror, she delved into her handbag for her lipstick and then ran a comb through her raven coloured hair.
Ten more minutes, she decided, returning her possessions to her handbag and preparing to leave the ladies. If Sophie isn’t here then, I’m going home and I’m going to lock the bloody front door. She can kip on the pavement for all I care.
But when she got back to the table, Sophie was waiting for her.
“ How did you know this was my table?” Tina asked in surprise, sitting herself and reaching for her wine. Sophie, she noticed, looked more than a little disheveled. Her clothes were the same ones she’d worn to work this morning, so she clearly hadn’t had time to go home and change, and she’d hastily pushed her hair behind her ears, something she only did when she was extremely upset or frightened.
“ I recognized your coat.” Sophie said, beckoning to the waiter to bring her a glass of whatever Tina was having. “ And I’m sorry I’m late.”
“ Yes, well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Tina began.
“ But I’ve been getting these weird texts. Like all day.” Sophie went on as though Tina hadn’t spoken. “ Like this one.” She said, pulling out her mobile. “ Read that.”
I’m watchin u.
Tina read it. “ Okay,” she said, “ I agree, it’s weird and a little freaky, but it’s probably kids mucking about, dialing numbers and sending random texts, you know what they’re like round here, nothing better to do. Now, what I wanted to talk to you about…”
“ And this.” Sophie pushed the phone towards her again.
I saw u kissin. :x
Again Tina dismissed it. “ Kids.” She insisted, waiting for the waiter to pour Sophie’s wine and rewarding him with a ‘told you so’ smile before continuing. “ If they think they’ll get a reaction, they’ll keep on. Ignore it.”
Sophie pushed her blonde hair behind her ears. Her face looked flushed.
“ Alright, how about this one then? Read that and tell me not to fuckin’ worry!”
I knw where u live. It read. It then gave their address, the colour of their front door and the fact they had a hanging basket outside with pansies in it.
Tina paled. “ Okay,” she swallowed. “ I admit, that one is a trifle more worrying. But are you sure it’s not someone you know, trying to wind you up? What about Patrick, I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like this, he can be a right little toe rag sometimes.”
Patrick was Sophie’s younger brother. He worked on a building site and had been tormenting Sophie ever since he was old enough to reach out of his pram.
“ It’s not Patrick.” Sophie insisted. “ I already spoke to him, just to make sure, and he doesn’t know anything about it. He did offer to knock the bloke’s head off though, when we found out who it was.”
“ How do you know it’s a bloke?”
Sophie shrugged. “ I just assumed and it sounds like a guy, don’t you think? Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? You sounded kinda serious on your message. You’re not sick, are you?”
Tina smiled. “ No, I’m fine, Soph, and it doesn’t matter. We’ll talk about it later. Drink up and we’ll get off home.”
It was evening by the time they arrived home and letting themselves into the warmth of their flat, Tina couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder at the myriad of shadows that had gathered on the other side of the street.
Anyone could be watching, she shivered, staring hard at a particularly dark patch of shadow lurking between two houses. How do I know someone isn’t hiding behind the bins or watching from a window? And what the fuck am I doing, standing out here in the cold worrying about it for? It probably is just Patrick, bladdered out of his skull and trying to put the wind up his big sister, the little prick.
In bed, Sophie’s phone went off again.
She had it set so every time a text came in, her phone warbled like a startled sparrow. Sophie thought it was cute. Tina wanted to throttle it.
“ What’s it say?” Tina asked, once Sophie had finally emerged from the bathroom to read it. “ More crap?”
“ Worse.” Sophie said, “ read this.”
r u goin 2 fuck 2nite?
“ Nice.” Tina said, handing it back. “ And obv
iously from someone who isn’t getting any. Any ideas?”
Sophie blinked at her. “ Is that all you can say?” She cried. “ How can you be so calm? This, whoever it is, obviously knows us! Knows that we’re gay. Knows that we’re in bed!”
Tina took a deep breath. “ Look at the time?” She reasoned. “ It’s half eleven. Most people would be in bed by now, especially on a week day and the whole block of flats knows we’re gay, so that’s hardly a big secret is it? It’s probably someone who lives here. All we have to do it work out who’s got a dick the size of a peanut and you’ve probably got your secret text messenger. Now turn that bloody thing off and come to bed.”
Sophie turned her phone off. “ I wish I felt as confident as you.” She said, slipping under the duvet and reaching out for Tina. “ But I just feel sick. And before you say anything, I know it’s probably a load of rubbish, I know that, but it’s really rattled me.”
“ Then I’m sorry I was so flip.” Tina replied, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. “ But I’d put money on it being some loser with nothing better to do. Now come here and let me give you a cuddle. You can even have a kiss if you like. And is it my imagination or are your nipples starting to get hard?”
Sophie smiled. “ It’s not your imagination.” She breathed. “ I want you babe.”
Tina kissed her, long and deep. Her hands roaming across Sophie’s body; over her breasts and across her stomach. Her mouth found her neck and kissed her there, light fluttery embraces that quickened the pulse in Sophie’s throat. She kissed her nipples, sucking them and teasing them with her tongue. Sophie groaned and Tina reached up to cup her other breast, playing her thumb across the nipple until it was as hard as the one in her mouth. Then she let go and lying her hand on Sophie’s stomach, felt the rise and fall of Sophie’s growing desire as she slowly delved lower to stroke the soft down between her legs. Heat rose, inches from her fingertips, and at Sophie’s insistence, she pushed her way in, gliding along the moist, warm channel before inserting her finger into Sophie’s vagina as far as it would go. Sophie groaned and in response moved her hips, inviting Tina to fuck her deep.
In and out, her fingers moving effortlessly inside her. Fucking her, taking her, feeling Sophie’s muscles twitch as she held onto the finger inside her.
“ Please.” She whispered and Tina withdrew her finger, bringing with it the delicate scent of musk. “ Please.” Sophie urged again and Tina, her mouth still busy at Sophie’s breast, followed the slick, sticky path up to Sophie’s clit and began to rub.
The next morning, Tina was racked with guilt and whilst Sophie took her shower, she crept downstairs and put the kettle on, chiding herself for having taken advantage when a few hours previously she’d been intending to give her the big ‘ shake up or ship out’ speech.
But when Sophie came down a little while later, wrapped in a towel and with her phone in her hand, all it took was one look at her face for Tina to know another message had come in.
“ What’s it say this time?” She asked, spooning coffee into Sophie’s favourite mug and adding hot water. “ More abject stupidity?”
Sophie shook her head. “ They know we fucked last night.”
“ What?”
Tina took the phone from her. This message was different from the previous texts inasmuch that it was nearly a paragraph in length and also described worryingly well exactly what they had got up to bed.
Handing the phone back to an ashen faced Sophie, Tina ordered her to drink her coffee and then took the stairs two at a time to their bedroom. The curtains were open, just as they been all night. Tina didn’t like sleeping in total darkness, and now she walked over to the window, trying to work out which of the windows opposite had the best view of their bedroom.
When Sophie came up, she found her looking along the length of a ruler.
“ What on earth are you doing?” She frowned, joining Tina at the window. “ Why the ruler?”
“ I’m using it as a line of sight.” Tina explained. “ See which window our little perv is ogling us from. I reckon it’s that one. With the blue curtains.”
“ Do you? If you say so, but what do we do about it? Aside from making bloody sure the curtains are closed from now on.”
Tina threw the ruler on the bed. “ Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m going over there. Confront the little bastard.”
Sophie looked shocked. “ What?” She cried, “ you can’t do that! What if you’re wrong? What if they call the police?”
“ Why would they do that?”
“ I dunno. Harassment?”
“ Harassment?! It’s them that’s harassing us or more to the point, you. Look, we have to nip this in the bud Soph, or we’ll never get any peace. Now are you coming or not?”
They crossed the road together. Both were wearing their coats, not only because it was still chilly this early in the morning, but also because Sophie had insisted on tucking a rolling pin into the waistband of her trousers in case there was trouble.
Tina knocked on the door. Sophie stood behind her. The absence of a doorbell merely served to confirm Tina’s suspicions that they had the right place. Who didn’t have a doorbell, she pointed out to Sophie. Unless they were unwilling to accept visitors.
A little old lady opened the door. Still in her dressing gown, she peered at them through the gap left by the security chain and pushing her glasses further up her nose asked Tina what she could do for her?
“ Erm, I’m sorry to trouble you so early in the morning,” Tina began, “ but is your grandson in? He gave us a lift last night and I think I’ve left my coat in his car.”
“ You’re wearing a coat dear.” The old lady said.
Tina smiled. “ Yes, I know. This is another coat. Is he in?”
The old lady blinked at her. “ I don’t have a grandson.” She said, “ or not one that lives here. He lives in Basingstoke. I could give him a call if you like, see if he has your coat, though I don’t know why he would, he hasn’t been out much at all since the baby arrived. No sleep he says, though she’s such a dear little thing. Rosie they called her. Isn’t that a lovely name?”
Tina agreed it was and followed up by apologising for disturbing her.
Once back inside their own house and with the rolling pin back in the drawer, Sophie came out with the obvious and announced that their visit had been a waste of time.
Tina rubbed at her eyes. “ Tell me something I don’t know.” She sighed. “ Can I see the message again?”
She read it through twice. “ Okay,” she said at last. “ Here’s how I see it. I agree, it does describe how we made love, but it could just be a coincidence, because let’s face it, all they’d have to do was watch a girl, girl porn movie and then make an educated guess. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what we get up to.”
Sophie nibbled a fingernail. “ I suppose you could be right.”
Tina smiled. “ Course I am.” She insisted. “ And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. And I still reckon it’s someone who lives in this block. I reckon one of them has the hots for you, knows he has absolutely no chance and is taking out his frustrations by sending you ridiculous texts. I’d even be willing to bet that sooner or later he’ll pretend to have heard about your ‘problem’ and turn up to offer his ‘support’. Then you’ll have him.”
Sophie looked doubtful.
Tina laughed. “ Oh ye of little faith.” She teased. “ It’ll be fine. Tell you what, meet me after work at Gerard’s again and we’ll have another stab at eating. And babe.”
“ Yes?”
“ Do NOT be late.”
Sophie was late. Again.
Seated at the same table but fortunately without the same smug git of a waiter, Tina sipped on her white wine and stared out of the window at everyone but Sophie.
It was no good, she sigh
ed. Nasty text messages or not, she was going to have to say something. She couldn’t keep spending large portions of her life waiting for someone who couldn’t be bothered to show.
An hour later and three glasses of wine down, the third practically gulped down in abject fury, Tina got up to leave. Sod it, she thought, paying the bill and grabbing her coat and bag, I am not going to wait around any longer. If Sophie can’t be bothered to show, I can’t be bothered with her. She can find some other mug to stare at an empty chair.
Still fuming, she stormed into the ladies and almost collided with another woman coming out.
Apologising, she shut herself inside a cubicle.
When she came out the other woman was still there, re-applying her lipstick in the mirror. She smiled when Tina joined her at the basins.
“ You alright?” She asked, dabbing at her lips with a tissue. “ You seem a little agitated.”
Tina took a deep breath. “ Girlfriend troubles.” She said.
The woman raised an eyebrow. “ Friend or lover?” She asked.
“ Lover.” Tina replied, not caring if the other woman was shocked or not, though she couldn’t see why she should be, she’d brought it up. “ Keeps standing me up.”
The other woman nodded sympathetically. “ I know how you feel.” She said. “ I had a boyfriend like that once. Turned up for, I don’t know, one in every three dates. Makes you feel so bloody humiliated.”
“ I know.” Tina agreed, fishing our her own lipstick and applying it brutally. “ And it’s not as if she’s even very sorry when she does show. It’s like I should expect it now and just put up with it, but it’s driving me mad!”
“ Dump her then.”
“ Oh, I’m trying.” Tina almost laughed. “ But she won’t show up so I can tell her.”
The other woman laughed with her. “ I see your predicament.” She smiled. “ You could always try sending her a text?”
Tina rolled her eyes. “ Believe me, that is not a good idea at the moment. Shit! This bloody lipstick, it’s always smudging!”