Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (09) Uniformity

 

Nerissa Gamboa was in her late twenties and was a legal secretary for

Barrowman, Clarke, Braithwaite and Edwards Solicitors in Finchbottom but on a grey overcast Friday in August she was driving through the perfect English countryside of the Finchbottom Vale on her way to Shallowfield for the bank holiday weekend. 

She was originally from Shallowfield but moved away after college and had lived in Finchbottom for close to eight years.

Although she no longer lived there she still had family and friends in Shallowfield including her best friend Victoria Johnson Higham who she first met at nursery who had been her best friend ever since.

They also went to a private Girls School together in Kettlewell and then onto Childean College and Abbottsford University.

 

While Nerissa was driving through the picturesque Vale, Jonathon Samuel was rattling around it on the 11.50 from Finchbottom as he travelled to Shallowfield to stay with his best mate Jeff Hammett.

Jeff was going to meet him at the station and then he was staying at Jeff’s house for the bank holiday weekend.

The reason he was on the train was because he never learned to drive, he didn’t really see the point, it wasn’t like he went anywhere to speak of and when he did he used public transport.

He lived within 5 minutes’ walk of work and 10 minutes from the station and everywhere else that was of interest to him was also in a ten minute radius of home.

Jeff always teased him about not being able to drive and being at the mercy of public transport but he didn’t mind the jibes, because travelling by train allowed him to indulge his passion which was reading.

 

Nerissa hadn’t seen her friend for about two months so she was a little excited as she pulled up outside Lyndon-Sanders Properties where Victoria worked.

Nerissa immediately jumped out of the car and the two girls hugged and jigged beside the car.

Nerissa was the older of the two by a few weeks, five foot seven, with Jet-black hair and dark dusky skin while Victoria was an inch taller with red hair and a pale complexion and was cutely freckled. 

But the one thing they had in common was that they were still gorgeous.

 

Although Jon and Jeff were both Shallowfield boys they both left after leaving Childean College to make their way in the world, neither of them fancied University so they both got jobs in Abbottsford with Here, There & Everywhere, who did Domestic and Business Removals but after ten years Jon ended up at the Finchbottom Furniture Palace where he was now the store manager and Jeff was back in his home town as assistant manager of the Shallowfield branch of HT&E.

As Jon emerge from the station he saw Jeff get out of the car.

People who didn’t know them often mistook them for brothers as they were both over six foot tall, dark haired and lantern jawed.

The pair did a brief man hug, exchanged jibes and got in the car.

 

Vicky and Nerissa drove in convoy to the formers house at the Childean end of the Village and after dropping her bags at the house they went on in Vicky’s car to Childean to have their hair done a Mazzone’s, because they were going to a wedding the next day.

 

After Jeff had driven Jon to his house they dropped his bags in the hall left the car and walked to The Woodcutters Arms and stayed there most of the day because they were also going to a wedding the next day.

Saturday was a glorious day coming at the end of an unsettled week, perfect for an August wedding.

It was very warm, for that late in the summer but it was the type of day that Shallowfield and England was made for.

However apart from being a very pleasant day it was also a very special day at St Mary’s church because the Vicar Ben Shenton was marrying college sweethearts Jim McArthur and Jana Fuller.

Jim was a longtime friend of Jon and Jeff having been through the school system together from beginning to end followed by two years of college.

While Jana had known Nerissa and Victoria since nursery and went to the same private Girls School with them in Kettlewell and then onto Childean College and Abbottsford University.

 

The Church was packed to the gunwales as the happy couple were both from Shallowfield and they were a very popular pair to boot and truly likeable people, the result of which was that it seemed like most of Shallowfield were there to celebrate the day with them.

 

Jonathan Samuel and Jeff Hammett were also friends of the bride as well as the groom, and had been since their school days, although they didn’t attend the same schools but they were well known to the Fuller family as they were neighbours.

 

The Fullers were a wealthy family in Shallowfield so there was a big reception on at the Claremont Hotel to celebrate the nuptials of her daughter and son in law but the numbers of revelers were much reduced from those in the church congregation however the numbers would swell again in the evening where there was a free bar so subsequently a good deal of alcohol would be consumed.

 

Nerissa and Victoria were bridesmaids so were among the first to arrive at the Claremont and were in the grounds having pictures taken when Jon and Jeff crossed the terrace.

Mother of the bride, Amanda Fuller was sitting at a table by the door of the terrace entrance, some people with money can be standoffish however she was not one of them, she always made a point to make everyone’s acquaintance and spoke to everyone.

“Hello Mrs. Fuller” Jeff said

“Hello boys” she replied as she shot to her feet and launched herself at the pair for a rather untidy embrace.

“I’m a bit squiffy” she slurred “to tell the truth”

“Why shouldn’t you be” Jeff said “you should be so proud”

“Oh I am dear” she replied

 

After the wedding breakfast was over, there was an hour and a half to kill before the evening reception began.

The easiest thing to do would have been to sit in the bar but by early evening a combination of too much beer and not enough food would have taken its toll so Vicky and Nez where considering getting a cab home and getting changed but then another option presented itself.

 

As it was unbearably hot the boys decided to go back to Jeff’s and get changed out of their suits and they had just stepped out onto the terrace when they were hailed by their ex-college friends Nerissa and Victoria, who were slightly the worse for wear, they turned to see them tottering towards them across the grass, shoes in hand dressed as bridesmaids and ever so slightly tipsy.

 

Jeff knew the girls had always been best friends and were quite inseparable and although he hadn’t seen them for a while he could see were very obviously still gorgeous.

When they knew them at Childean College they were lovely but now they were in their late twenties they were even more so.

 

They were both really nice girls at college but they were in a different league to them so they were never more than friends, and looking the way they did now it would appear that they were still out of their league.

Jon preferred Nerissa who was an inch shorter than her friend and had Jet-black hair and dark dusky skin.

While Victoria, who was the younger of the two by a few weeks, was five foot eight, red hair and pale complexion and cutely freckled, was Jeff’s personal favourite.

That day the still stunningly beautiful girls were also wearing low cut bridesmaid dresses.

 

The truth of the matter was that although Jon and Jeff considered the girls as unassailable at college, both Nerissa and Victoria had crushes on them, so they considered them as unfinished business.

Although it was almost ten years since she had last spoken to him the moment Nerissa saw Jon at the church the old feelings she had once had for him resurfaced.

She had seen him a few times around Finchbottom over the years but only from a distance, but now she had him in her sights and as she was a little merry she thought she would take her opportunity.

 

They tottered up alongside the boys each taking an arm, Nerissa took Jon’s and began flirting outrageously as Victoria slipped her skinny pale arm through Jeff’s.

“Can we come back to yours Jon?” Nerissa said

“Well I live in Finchbottom, so it’s not really practical Nez” he replied

“So where are you going then?” she asked

“We’re going to mine” Jeff replied

“So can we come?” Nez asked “Come on we are house trained”

“It’s not like we’re drunk or anything” Victoria chipped in

“Can we?” Nerissa said again

“Please Jeff?” Victoria begged

“Ok” he said, “as long as you behave”

“What will you do if we don’t?” asked Nerissa

“Will you spank us?” Victoria said and giggled

“I’m completely reassured” Jeff said

 

It was a bit of luck latching onto them when they did as Jeff’s cottage was only half a mile from the Claremont Hotel, while Victoria’s was at the Childean end of the village a good half an hour yomp in sensible shoes and neither she nor Nerissa were wearing anything remotely like sensible shoes, the fact that she fancied the pants off him was a bonus.

 

“This is a stroke of luck” Victoria said

“I know” Nerissa agreed

“Let’s stick with them at the party” Victoria suggested innocently

“Oh ok” she replied and giggled already having decided to do just that.

 

Jon thought all his birthdays had come at once, Nerissa Gamboa was flirting with him of all people however in his excitement he spilt aftershave down his trousers and had to blow-dry his crotch which was the last thing you wanted to do on a swelteringly hot day.

So when he returned downstairs 30 minutes later he was looking a little hot and bothered when he joined the girls on the patio.

Nerissa smiled broadly and Victoria’s head drooped as Jeff went inside to get changed.

“So do you two not live in the village anymore?” Jon asked

“I do” said Victoria “but I’m down the Childean end”

“What about you Nerissa?” he asked

“I’ve got a flat in Finchbottom” she replied “But I’m staying with Vic for the weekend”

 

“Do you two want to freshen up before we go back for the party?”  Jeff asked when he returned.

“If you don’t mind?” Victoria said

“Me first” Nerissa said and ran into the house giggling.

Nerissa was in the bathroom for half an hour doing her make-up and freshening up her perfume and doing something with her hair.

 

Nerissa returned and Victoria slipped away unnoticed to freshen up herself.

Jon began gathering up the dirty mugs and Jeff went inside to run a sink of hot water to wash them up.

When the washing up was done they sat at the table with Nerissa.

“So what are you two doing for the rest of the weekend?” she asked but her eyes were on Jon.

“We haven’t decided yet” Jeff replied and then he heard Victoria behind him and he turned to look at her and when he saw the sun setting her hair ablaze he was lost for words.  

“What haven’t you decided yet?” Victoria asked

“I asked what plans they had for the rest of the weekend” Nerissa said

“Oh” she replied

 

They walked back to the Claremont Hotel as the shadows were lengthening but Nerissa’s flintiness had deserted her so she and Jon were not arm in arm, and Victoria was similarly restrained.

 

Nerissa had hoped to have Jon’s undivided attention for the evening but as the four of them had so many friends at the party they were all distracted at every turn and apart from an occasional dance she wasn’t able to get to grips with him as she would have liked.

As a consequence Nerissa and Victoria drank more than they planned or was good for them which resulted in them sitting in a corner for the last hour of the party in a state of inebriation.

 

“Come on you two” Jeff said “it’s time to go”

“Where are we going?” Victoria slurred

“Home” he replied and pulled her to her feet

“Oooh lovely” she replied

“Phwoah” Nerissa added

 

The temperature had dropped away during the course of the evening and as they left the Hotel Nerissa and Victoria both shivered so Jon and Jeff lent them their jackets for the short walk back to his cottage.

 

Once they got inside Jon was desperate to use the toilet so Jeff went upstairs to get some bedding for the girls but by the time he got back they were both asleep, one on each sofa, so he draped a duvet of each of them, turned off the light and went to bed.

 

On Sunday morning the dawn chorus was deafening, at least it was to Nerissa, it also hurt her head, Although dawn had broken, the room was still in semi darkness due to the heavy drapes so she ignored the birds and went back to sleep.

She had always been a heavy sleeper and could sleep anywhere, she once fell asleep standing up on a bus.

The next time she woke up it was very abrupt when her head thumped heavily on the arm of the sofa.

“Ouch” she exclaimed

“Sorry Nez” Victoria said as she tiptoed out of the room.

If she didn’t know better she would have thought Victoria had yanked the cushion from beneath her head.

She opened her eyes as wide as she could and tried to focus on something in the room in order to get her bearings.

The best she could manage was to look from one sofa to the other and back again and then the penny dropped.

“Victoria doesn’t have two sofas” she thought and tried to figure out where she was.

“Where the hell are we?” she said out loud

She gingerly sat herself up and swung her legs out from beneath the duvet and put her feet on the floor.

She was relieved to see that she was fully clothed even if she was still wearing the horrible bridesmaids dress.

So at least she hadn’t ended up in some man’s bed, like some sad old slapper, waking up in a strange place and having to do the walk of shame.

She had never been that kind of a girl and at 28 years of age she wasn’t planning on changing any time soon.

Victoria returned as Nerissa tried desperately to identify some point of reference in the room and failed miserably.

The problem was that the brain processes what you can see and then fills in the blanks with things from your memory bank.

I.e. when your eyes become more accustomed to the darkness a sleeping dog on the floor becomes a dressing gown discarded the night before, or a sleeping child on the chair becomes a sweater dropped haphazardly.

Unfortunately Nerissa’s brain wasn’t working properly so she was really struggling to identify any point of reference that would identify her location.

“We’re at Jeff’s” Victoria said and it all came flooding back to her, the party, the free bar, the walk and Jeff’s cottage and then the passing out.

“Oh” she replied “Oh God have we blown it?”

“Probably” she replied

“Shit” Nerissa said

“Quite” Victoria agreed “Now get yourself moving”

“What time is it?” Nez asked

“5.30” she replied “So we might get home before all the decent people are up and about”

“Why would they care?” Nerissa said “It not like we’ve done anything”

“Yes but they don’t know that” Victoria pointed out

 

Nerissa went to the loo while Victoria folded the duvets and put them neatly on the sofa and then when she returned they let themselves quietly out the front door.

 

It was very quiet as they walked along the Childean road, fortunately everyone in the village appeared to have started the day late, they didn’t talk much and when they did it revolved around their missed opportunities, but at least they managed to get home without being seen by anyone of any consequence.

 

Nerissa and Victoria stepped through the latter’s front door just after 6.30am and the first thing Nerissa did was to sit down in the lounge while Vic put the kettle.

 

Nez was sat snoring in the arm chair when Victoria walked into the lounge with a mug of coffee in each hand which she set down on the table and said loudly

“Wake up!”

And Nerissa woke with a start and said.

“Why did you do that? I was having a lovely dream”

“Really?”

“Yes Jon was just about to snog my face off” she said

“Unfortunately I think that ship has sailed” Vic retorted

“Oh don’t say that” Nez said “if they didn’t like us they wouldn’t have looked after us”

“They were just being nice” Vic pointed out

“Because they are nice” Nez remarked

“I know they’re nice, that’s why I’m so cross with myself” she replied

“We embarrassed ourselves Nez, and I don’t know if I could face him after that”

“I think you’re wrong, I don’t believe for a second they will think any less of us” Nerissa said very definitely and then she added “and now I’m going to take first dibs on the shower”

 

Nerissa was in the shower for an absolute age as she reran the conversation with Victoria in her head.

“I know I’m right” Nerissa said when she was stepping out of the cubicle.

“And I’m not going to give up”

 

By the time she finally arrived back downstairs Victoria was starving so she suggested to Nerissa that they have a cooked breakfast and she agreed.

They were both ravenously hungry so Victoria went the whole hog, egg, bacon, sausage, fried bread, mushrooms and tomatoes, and they polished off every last morsel and as soon as the last mouthful was consumed and the cutlery was laid noisily on the plates Nerissa said

“Right go and get showered and we can go to St Mary’s”

“I’m not in a mood to rush Nez” she said “you go ahead and I’ll see you there”    

 

“Are you sure hon?” Nerissa asked as she stood by the front door

“Yes, I want to have a leisurely shower and not have to rush around” she replied “I’ll be about half an hour behind you”

“Alright then, I’ll see you soon hon” she said, kissed Vic on the cheek and left.

 

She drove straight to St Mary’s Church and pulled into the adjacent carpark.

Being a Shallowfield girl she knew a lot of the congregation and she recognized a lot of other faces from the wedding and the reception the day before.

But she also spotted a face in the crowd that she wasn’t expecting to see.

In the end seat on the third row from the back on the left hand side of the aisle was Jonathon Samuel.

“Hello Jon” she said

“Nerissa! Hi” he responded

“Is that seat next to you vacant?” she asked

“Yes” he replied and moved along to make room for her.    

“Are you on your own?” she asked

“Yes, Jeff got called out to the yard by the police” he replied

“What happened?”

“Some sort of break in” he said “And where’s Vic?”

“She was feeling a bit jaded this morning, but she’ll be a long before the end of the service” Nez replied

 

It was during Reverend Shenton’s sermon that Nerissa’s phone vibrated in her bag to alert her to the fact that she had a text.

She resisted the temptation to read it until a particularly dull part of the Vicars sermonizing when she discreetly opened the message.

“Hi Hon, change of plan, going up to the lake, see you later Vic xxx”

A moment later Jonathon felt the tell-tale hum in his pocket and when he checked he also had received a text which read. 

“Going sailing, Jeff”

He returned his phone to his pocket and then turned to look at Nerissa, who had already turned to look at him.

“Do you want to go to lunch?” they asked simultaneously.

 

After the service at St Mary’s was over Nerissa and Jonathan mingled briefly at the back of the church before they ambled their way outside.

“So where would you like to go?” she asked “I have the car so we can go wherever we want”

“I think we should go and park the car at Victoria’s and walk to 

The Farmers Tavern, that way we can both have a drink”

“That’s a great idea” she agreed

 

“I was surprised to see you this morning” Nerissa said as she drove them towards Victoria’s house.

“You were surprised to see me up and about so early you mean” he asked

“No I meant in church”

“Really? I go every week” he said

“I didn’t know that, do you have a regular church?”

“Yes” he replied “St Martha’s”

“You’re kidding, I go to St Martha’s, and I’ve never seen you there”

“Do you go to the 11 o’clock?”

“Yes” she replied

“Well I have to open the store on Sunday’s remember so I have to go to the evening service” he explained

“Well that would explain it” she said “perhaps we could go together sometime”

“I’d like that” Jon said

 

During lunch they took the opportunity to catch up on what had happened in their lives over the ten years since they left college.

They covered all the ups and downs, both personal and professional.

But as they sat at the table drinking coffee after the meal the excesses of the previous night and the lack of sleep began to take its toll.

As it turned out, neither of them wanted the lunch to end but equally neither of them wanted to start yawning and send out the wrong signals.

 

Jonathon walked Nerissa back to Victoria’s house in relative silence having enjoyed immensely the time they had spent together but were both unsure how to proceed and all the while she was thinking the same thing.

As they approached the house and time was running out, Jon summoned up the courage to ask

“I thought maybe the four of us could go out tonight?”

“Oh yes” she said “Count me in”

There was a moment when they were face to face on the doorstep when they could have kissed, they both wanted to, but Jon lost his nerve and unfortunately Nerissa was also hesitant and all of a sudden the moment was gone.

So it was with mixed feelings that Nerissa went inside the house and sat down in an armchair and promptly fell asleep.

 

“Nez!” Victoria called as she walked through the front door

“You’ll never guess what’s happened”

“Nez!” She repeated and then went into the lounge where she found her asleep and snoring in the armchair so she gave her a good shake.

“Wake up sleepy head” she said excitedly “Guess who I’ve been with today and guess who kissed me?”

“You’ve been snogging?” Nez asked rubbing her eyes “Who?”

“Jeff Hammett”

“That’s not fair, you’ve been snogging Jeff’s face off while I’ve been taking a siesta, you lucky swine” Nez said

“Well if you snooze you lose”

 

About ten minutes later when Nerissa had fully woken up, Vic brought her a coffee. 

“Oh I almost forgot we’ve been invited to a party tomorrow” Victoria said “Fancy dress”

“Where?”

“At one of the big houses up at Teardrop Lake”

“Who do you know up at the lake?” Nez asked

“I don’t know anyone” she replied “But Jeff does”

“And?”

“Peter Lutchford”

“What the film director?” Nez said

“Yes that’s the one” Vic replied

“Oh damn I don’t have a costume” Nerissa said crossly

“Your school uniform is still upstairs in the wardrobe”

“Is it?” she asked “how come?”

“You left it here after Cassie’s hen weekend” she replied

“Oh yes I forgot”

 

That night the four of them were still a bit tired so they settled on pizza and a movie at Jeff’s place.

The only downside to that was that she and Jon were at opposite ends of what seemed like a very long sofa.

 

Peter Lutchford was well known for his Fancy Dress Parties he had them every Halloween and New Year’s but he would also throw an impromptu one at almost any time.

And the August Bank Holiday party fell into that category and it was a typically theatrical affair.

Whereas the Halloween and New Year’s Eve parties were very much grown up occasions the Holiday weekend party was aimed at the younger element as well and as a result it began at midday.

 

On the morning of Bank Holiday Monday Victoria was up early and driving to Jeff’s house before 7 o’clock. 

They had decided to sneak off and spend some time on their own and so after she had picked him up they drove up to Teardrop Lake and walked up to Lovers Leap in the coolness of the day.

 

Lovers leap was a rocky outcrop above the cliffs, and the cliffs that created the leap were an extension of those that formed part of the northern side of Teardrop Lake and were the natural border between the Teardrop estate and the Dancingdean Forest proper.

Lovers Leap was so called because it was where desperate and broken hearted lovers would leap to their deaths although there was no evidence that anyone actually had but it made a good story.

And on that beautiful August day the view across the Dancingdean Forrest was quite spectacular however Victoria and Jeff had eyes only for each other.

 

Nerissa was also up early that morning although not as early as her friend and her reason wasn’t to go out for a timely assignation with her beau.

Nerissa wanted the extra time to wash, wax, pluck, tweak, and perfume and powder herself to perfection and make herself irresistible when she saw him that afternoon.

 

Meanwhile the object of her desires was back at Jeff’s and he was packing.

 

After spending a couple of hours together in quiet isolation on Lovers Leap they reluctantly headed back to civilization.

They stopped briefly at Jeff so he could pick up his rather unimaginative costume, which consisted of an Abbottsford Knight’s football strip.

 

When they arrived at Victoria’s they were greeted by a rather excitable Nerissa wearing her school uniform. 

“Where’s Jon?” Nerissa asked craning her neck to see if he was following on

“He’s not coming” Jeff replied

“What?” she said in disbelief

“He’s got to get the train back to Finchbottom this afternoon” Jeff said “So he’s not coming”

“He has to come” she insisted

“I’m sorry but he’s not coming” Victoria added

“That is not an option” Nerissa ranted “Four bloody hours I’ve spent getting ready this morning”

“But…” Jeff began

“You don’t think this happens by accident do you?” she said and waved her hands in a sweeping head to toe gesture

“He’s not going anywhere until he has feasted his eyes on the fruits of my labour”

She grabbed her handbag and car keys and headed towards the door

“Where are you going?” Victoria asked

“Where do you think I’m going” she retorted “I’m going to find Jonathon”

 

There was no way on earth the Nerissa Gamboa was going to let Jonathon Samuel return to Finchbottom before he’d had a good look at her in her sexy schoolgirl outfit.

She raced down the Childean road and parked the car hurriedly outside Jeff’s house and then ran to the front door.

Knocking loudly several times she got no response and started to panic.

“Oh shit” she cursed “he’s gone already”

“It’s not fair” she muttered to herself “Victoria got her man, why can’t I get mine?”

She knocked again even harder than before but still got no response so she trudged back towards the car but before she got in she looked both ways down the street and spotted a man that bore a striking resemblance to Jonathon.

“It’s him” she screamed “I haven’t missed him”

And then Nerissa started running in his direction.

 

Jonathon was meandering his way along the footpath separated from the road by an avenue of Plane Trees when he heard a voice behind him.

“Wait for me Jon” it, said, “wait for me”

He stopped and turned around but he couldn’t see who it was

“Wait for me” the voice continued shouting a little louder this time and then crash.

A schoolgirl had come running around a Plane Tree and hurtled straight into him and they both ended up on the floor and he was surprised to see it was Nerissa Gamboa.

“Ouch” she said rubbing her left knee, and Jon got a quick flash of white knicker against her dark skin as she pulled her knee up towards her.

“Are you ok?” He asked as he helped her to her feet.

“Just scrapped my knee a bit,” she said laughing

“I didn’t think I was that close to you”

Jon was overcome in that moment when he was looking at the very pretty girl, he’d had a crush on since college.

Five foot six with Jet-black hair and dark dusky skin, her father was Spanish and her mother was from the Philippines but whatever the origins Nerissa she was a beautiful girl and a beautiful colour.

“Why are you dressed like that by the way” he asked

“We’re supposed to be going to the fancy dress party up at Peter Lutchford’s” she said “Why aren’t you going?”

She looked very cute in her straw boater with the burgundy and yellow band, even cuter when she was being stern.

Nerissa was wearing her full school uniform consisting of black knee length socks, a black and white plaid skirt, burgundy jacket with yellow trim, white blouse and a burgundy and yellow tie, oh and the boater of course.

“I have to catch the train” he replied “Where did you get the outfit?”

“It’s mine from school, and it still fits me” she said boastfully

“I’m bigger around the bust but apart from that I’m the same size I was ten years ago” she replied

“I noticed that” he said

“Which part?” she said flirtingly

“Both” he replied and she blushed

“Why are you getting the train so early?” she asked

“I’m not” he replied “I was just going to the shop to get some milk, my trains not until four”

“Oh I thought you were going to the station” she said

“What without my bags?” he pointed out

“Come on you can keep me company”

“Yes ok”

When they reached the corner shop her knee was bleeding so he fished out a hankie from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Use that” Jon said “that will help for the moment”

Nerissa dabbed at the cut and winced as Jon went inside and emerged a few minute later holding a carrier bag.

“Come on, come back to the house and I’ll clean up your wound”

 

Jonathan and Nerissa went into Jeff Hammett’s house and Jon said

“Bad luck cutting yourself like that”

“Oh no it’s quite apt” she said “I always had scabby knees when I was at school, my friends always teased me”

“Talking of friends, where’s Victoria?” he asked Victoria was her best friend after all and she was staying at her house for the weekend.

“I left them to come and find you” she said “We’ll see them up at the party”

“I really can’t go I have to catch the 4 o’clock train” he said “now go and sit on the sofa and I’ll get the first aid kit”

“Do you want a drink?” he shouted from the kitchen

“A glass of water please” she shouted back as she took off her hat.

He walked back into the lounge with a drink in each hand, the first aid kit under his arm and a towel over his shoulder.

Jonathon handed her the drink of water, knelt down in front of her and opened the first aid kit.

“You don’t have to catch the train you know” she said as he irrigated the wound with water and cleaned it with a cotton wool pad

“I’m driving back myself tonight”

“That’s very kind” he said “but I couldn’t impose”

“It’s really no imposition” she replied “I live in Finchbottom as well you know”

“I don’t have a costume anyway” he said trying to draw a line under it and before he had chance to reply he changed the subject

“So how old were you when you last wore that uniform to school?”

“16” she replied as she sat perched on the edge of the sofa

“This might sting a bit,” he said as he applied the antiseptic

“Ooh” Nerissa winced

Jon had his right hand under her knee as he applied the plaster “So sweet sixteen….” he said rubbing the corners of the plaster with his thumbs

“…. And never been kissed” she finished as she reached forward and kissed me him on the mouth, more of a peck than a kiss and she went terribly red.

Jon wasn’t expecting that, it came right out of left field, he wasn’t complaining it’s what he would have done had he had the courage.

He moved his hand from her knee up to her crimson cheek, which was burning with embarrassment and he stroked it gently as he pulled her face towards his.

“Do it like this” he said and put his lips to hers once, twice and then a third time when their mouths gently sealed on each other.

It only lasted a few moments and when their lips parted everything in their lives had changed.

 

Suffice is to say that Jonathon didn’t catch the 4 o’clock train to Finchbottom and nor was Nerissa able to persuade him to go to the Fancy Dress party.

Instead of rubbing shoulders with Peter Lutchford’s well healed locals or arty types from the film industry, he and Nerissa stayed at Jeff’s where he was able to undo all her fine work in making herself look sexy.

They weren’t missed at the party though as Victoria and Jeff never left her house.