Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Choice Tales from the Vale – (004) The Girl in the Red Stockings (Part 03)

 

Faced with a direct question I couldn’t back track, so I took a deep breath.

“Well let me see that would be since about the time you were seven” he replied

“Since I was 7?” she exclaimed in disbelief

“What did I do when I was seven that had such a profound effect on you?”

“You showed me your knickers in Belldon Wood”

“I did not” she protested

“Yes you did” I said adamantly, “they were white with little blue periwinkle flowers on them”

Samantha gasped and said

“I remember those knickers”

“So do I, vividly”

“Oh God I did show you my knickers didn’t I?” she said, she would have gone red at the remembrance had she not still been crimson from showing me everything else.

“Yes” I confirmed

“So it was actually my knickers you thought were gorgeous” she said

I hesitated before answering, I could have agreed with her and simply laughed the whole thing off, because if I told the truth then the genie would be out of the bottle and I wouldn’t be able to unsay it.

“That’s not true” I replied deciding to bite the bullet

“I think you’re gorgeous now and you’re not wearing any”

“Don’t remind me” She said blushing crimson again and hiding her face behind her blanket.

“So you’ve fancied me ever since I was seven?”

“Pretty much” I confessed

“You really fancied me all that time?”

“It’s worse than that I’m afraid!” I admitted

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked emerging from cover.

“I never knew how” I replied

“I was just a passing fancy then” she said dismissively

“Not at all” I corrected her “I’ve always wanted you, but because you’re so special to me, and you’re such a good mate I didn’t want to risk losing that if you didn’t feel the same about me”

“So did you ever get close?” she asked softly

“Once or twice”

“And?” she queried

“You were in between completely unsuitable boyfriends who didn’t deserve you at the time” I said

“But I dithered around for too long so I wasn’t even able to catch you on the rebound”

Once the cat was out of the bag I thought I might at least get closure, for good or bad, but as it turned out I didn’t get to hear her response.

Samantha’s mouth opened but before she could speak there was a loud bang on the door.

“Who is it?” Sam yelled crossly

“It’s Loz you grumpy bint”

How ironic that my sister of all people would turn out to be the killjoy, she had been encouraging me for years to tell Sam how I felt.

“The door is open” Sam said

Lorraine opened the door and walked in and I was the first one she saw.

“Hey Mark, I’ve been looking for you” she said and then her eyes fell on Samantha

“Oh dear me, you look really rough” Lorraine said and laughed

“Shut up and have some respect for the dead” Samantha responded

“Well I suggest the corpse gets its zombie arse into the shower and then get your glad rags on” Loz instructed   

“Why what’s going on?” Sam asked

“We’re all going into Sharpington for lunch” Lorraine replied and then turned to me

“And you, we leave in an hour, come on”

She started out the door and was expecting me to follow.

But I stood in the doorway and turned to look at Sam

“I liked it when you called them my treasures” she said

“You’re the real treasure” I responded and she smiled and just before I closed the door I said

“Wear your lemon dress, you always look stunning in that dress”

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