David Leggett was first
mate on the Empress Victoria ferry and remembered the time, not so long ago
when his sister-in-law, June Stonard, much the worse for drink, offered herself
to him on a plate at Christmas, an offer which he rebuffed, so when she phoned
him and invited him to a party, he was about to refuse until she mentioned that
the rest of the family were going to be there, plus another ten guests, because
it was a Christening party, so he accepted, albeit reluctantly, because his
wife would not have been pleased if he stayed away.
David lived in Pipershaven
with his wife Janis, who was sadly terminally ill, and was bedridden, and had
good days and bad days, so he attended the party on Beaumont Island on his own,
because even on a good day, travelling was no longer possible.
June lived on the Island, in
Saxvirdan, and was unhappily married to John who was an islander.
David arrived late, as he
wanted to make sure it was in full swing, and when he got there, she was well
away, much as she was when they had their drunken near miss a few weeks earlier.
On
this occasion he was coming out of the cloakroom, and she was rushing to the
toilet, and they came untidily together, ending in a bit of a bear hug.
“I’m
so sorry” he said. “Are you hurt?”
“Only
my pride” she replied. “But that happens when you’re rejected.”
“Like
I said, I’m sorry.”
“Anyway,
I have things to do” she said as they parted company, and he was left with the
smell of her scent in his nostrils and erotic images in his head.
As
he sat at his wife’s bedside that evening and recounted the details of the
party, he recalled how good June smelt,
so the next day he phoned her.
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