Sunday, 8 September 2024

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (084) Life Begins at 40

 


After leaving the hospital Johnny Lemon indicated right, which would have taken him back to St Joan of Arc’s in St Pierre, but he hesitated and turned left which took him to Spaniards Creek, and the Galleon Coffee Shop. 

 

He parked down by the river and walked up and when he entered, he saw the reason he had come to the village, Rachel Hanson, the owner, and he was in love with her, and had been for some time.

But he was just about to turn 40, and as the saying goes, life begins at 40, and he wanted his to start with her.

She was a striking looking woman with a mass of flaming red hair, chemically aided as she was now 42 years old.

But she looked fabulous, and as she was about to take a bike ride, she was wearing a Lycra outfit which did nothing to hide her shapely assets.

But he thought she was too good for him, and he completely overlooked the fact that he was a man, and she was a woman and that bird’s bird and bee’s bee, and he convinced himself that his feelings were unrequited, he didn’t know that she felt the same way about him, which was why she gave him a beaming smile as he walked in.

“Hey Johnny, what’s this, the head teacher playing hooky?”

“I have permission, I can assure you” he retorted

“Well it’s nice to see you on a school day, sit down I’ll get your coffee”

“Thanks, I don’t want to hold you up though”

“Don’t be silly I’m the boss I can take my ride whenever I please” she said

 

She brought his coffee and joined him at the table

“What are you doing for your birthday?” she asked

“Nothing planned” he replied

“Nothing at all for the big 4 0?” she asked amazed

“Obviously there will be drink involved, but nothing out of the ordinary” he explained

“Scandalous” Rachel said “I’m not having that”

“What do you mean?”

“The weather is supposed to be good on Saturday, why not come mountain biking with me?”

“Mountain biking?” he retorted distaste

“It’ll be fun, we can make a day of it, I’ll pack a picnic” she said

“Ok I’d like that, but two conditions,” Johnny said

“Which are?”

“Firstly we finish up having dinner” he said “somewhere indoors”

“Agreed” she said, “And second?”

“I’m not wearing Lycra”

“Why not?”

“I won’t look as good as you do”

“Oh you think I look good, do you?” she said making him blush “that’s progress”

Then she added

“I agree to your terms”

 

Kevin put 12 stitches in the wound below her knee and applied a dressing.

“There you go, all done” Kevin said “Come back in 7 to 10 days and I’ll take the stitches out, or whoever is on duty” 

“Give me five minutes and I’ll get your discharge pack”

“So can I call my lift back?”

“Sure” he replied “Or I can drop you off”

“When do you finish?”

“About an hour ago” he replied

 

“Do you want another coffee?” Rachel asked

“I’d better not” he replied and then he received a text

“Oh it appears I’m not needed for a lift so yes I would love another coffee”

 

“So where do you want dropping?” he asked

“Just drop me at the school” she said

“You really need to keep off your feet” he said

“I know but my kids will be worried” Marion explained

“I won’t stay all day”

“Well I don’t think you should turn up at school looking like that” He said

“What do you mean? what’s wrong with me?”

“Well you have one leg that’s stunning and shapely, while the other one could easily belong to Nora Batty” he pointed out

She looked down at her semi naked leg with one of her tights legs settled around her ankle.

“Oh, I see what you mean” she said and giggled

 

So Kevin drove her home and she directed him to a small block of flats between St Pierre and Saxvirdan.

“Thanks for the lift” Marion said as she opened the car door

“I’ll wait for you” he said

“I should be ok now”

“No way, I'm not having you walking all the way to St Joan's and back again” he said “I’ll wait”

 

Johnny Lemon got back to the school about ten minutes before Marion did and he was feeling very pleased with himself, as he had been given an early birthday present.

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