I BELIEVE IN SOUL MATES

 

I believe in soul mates

Whom you can sense long before

They come into sight

I believe mine is close

ANONYMOUS ANGEL HIDDEN FROM VIEW

I saw you this morning

As I walked to work

You were a little in front of me,

For part of the way,

And you fell beneath my gaze.

I noticed your feet first,

Clad in sporting wear

Your shoes were sexless,

Indeterminate in gender

The only distinguishing feature

Was that they were small, But that was all.

Your black trousers were baggy

And gave nothing away

As was your sweatshirt

Which was large, long and grey,

Reaching down to cover your bum

Your brown hair was medium length

Of no particular style

So could have been masculine or feminine.

Had the necessity not arisen

For you to reach into your back pocket

I would not have noticed

The shape of your buttocks

The movement of which,

As you walked, gave you away

You were most definitely a girl

As I got closer the wind moved your hair

And through the fine brunette strands

I glimpsed in the delicate lobe

A simple feminine stud in your ear.

You continued walking head down

Watching your sexless feet

Afraid to look the world in the eye

Or afraid the world would notice you?

Either one might be true

I was level with you as we reached the kerb

And you looked up in my direction

To check if the road was clear

And I glimpsed your face,

A pretty face, a lovely face,

Briefly our eyes met

Beautiful soft blue eyes

But I could not hold your gaze

And you looked back at your feet

Withdrawing again into your shell

But I know you’re in there now

So tomorrow morning

I will look for you again

Mornington-By-Mere – (19) April Love

 

Mornington-By-Mere was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale.

And although the village was the hub it was the surrounding farms and hamlets that were its life blood.

One such Farm was Mereside on the Southern side of the village.

The Hoddinott family had farmed the land at Mereside Farm for five generation and with fair winds and following seas they would do so for the next five.

The head of the Hoddinott’s was Clive, at least that was what his wife Suzanne allowed him think.

But they were in their mid-fifties and were looking forward to be able to hand the reins’ on to their offspring.

There were three children the eldest was Robert Hoddinott 27 who they knew they could safely rely on to take over the running of the farm to such an extent that the handover would be seamless but they were less sure he would pass on the family name, as he appeared to have no inclination in finding himself a wife.

The second child was Amy who was 23 years old and had no interest whatsoever in becoming a farmer or a farmer’s wife for that matter, not that she hated the farm or indeed farming but she just loved her chosen path more which was teaching and she was a Teacher at the village school.

The youngest was 20 year old April who by her own admission wasn’t a natural farmer like her brother but her contribution to Mereside was invaluable as she was a jack-of-all-trades and there was nothing she couldn’t turn her hand to.

 

If there was ever a job on the farm that seems hopeless or impossible then April was the “man” for the job.

Nothing phased her, she could look at a problem and instantly see the solution while everyone else stood around scratching their heads and once the job was begun she was relentless in taking the job to its conclusion.

 

In the years before Mornington Field returned to the stewardship of the St George Family, accommodation was always in short supply and there was always a shortage of quarters for seasonal workers at harvest time.

So many of the villagers would rent out a spare room if they had one or a summerhouse, just to fill a need and earn people an extra shilling or two.

On the farms unused out buildings or stables were often put to the same use.

Those farmers or small holders who were fortunate enough to have a suitable building and the resources could convert them sufficiently to let out to holiday makers as summer lets in addition to harvest time requirements.

On Mereside Farm they were blessed in that regard as there was an old tack room that they could rent to itinerant workers as well as a disused rustic cottage tucked away in a secluded thicket.

It hadn’t been used for anything other than storage since Clive was a boy but the structure and the roof was sound.

Other than that it was in a fearful state when Clive first broached the idea.

 

On Mereside Farm they were blessed in that regard as there was an old tack room that they could rent to itinerant workers as well as a disused rustic cottage tucked away in a secluded thicket.

It hadn’t been used for anything other than storage since Clive was a boy but the structure and the roof was sound.

Other than that it was in a fearful state when Clive first broached the idea.

“It’s a hovel” Suzanne remarked

But in response Clive said

“April will soon get it ship shape”

Just at that moment she emerged from the barn with unruly hair and a dirty face

“That’s as maybe” her mum remarked “but she’ll never get a husband looking like that”

 

Twenty year old April and her older sister Amy, although two years apart, could easily have passed for twins.

Though they didn’t resemble their brother Robert in the slightest he was his father’s son and they took after their mum.

They were smaller than their brother, leaner and wiry.

Like their mum they had the fine strawberry blonde hair that all of their mums side of the family possessed, as well as her cool blue eyes.

 

Where April and Amy differed from each other however was that April had always been a tomboy since the moment she could walk and her sister was a proper girlie girl.

When they were children her sister was always playing with dolls but April would be out playing football with the village boys or climbing trees or riding her bike at breakneck speed along the lanes.

So she spent her teenage years with grazed knees and bruised shins while Amy was indoors painting her nails.

But apart from not wearing frocks and dressing like a teenage boy she was amazingly skilful with her hands and could turn her hand to practically anything.

But as competent as April was around the farm she lived to some extent inside a protective bubble on the farm that kept her safe in her comfort zone.

She had been protected from the harsher realities of the world but in truth April was the best suited to cope with adversity, it actually made her stronger.

When her dad had first spoken to her about making the old cottage habitable she found that she revelled in the challenge.

 

However when she began the work her brother Robert thought it was too big a job for her to complete in the time scale her dad had in mind, so he persuaded his dad to employ a local guy called Calvin Chance.

Robert had worked with him a couple of times in the past on Estate jobs and spoke very highly of him but she didn’t know anything about him.

Even though he had lived locally for about 5 years and had built up a reputation locally as a solid and reliable worker.

 

There were a number of cottages and small houses on the Purplemere road and Dulcets Lane which formed the part of Mornington Village known as Manorside and Calvin lived at Corner House with his Aunt Kay and Cousins Paul and Stephanie.

Calvin had lived there for about 5 years and had built up a reputation locally as a solid and reliable worker.

 

Apparently he had all the necessary skills to get the job done but April wasn’t keen having some stranger working with her no matter how good he might be.

“I really don’t need any help” April insisted

“But there’s a lot of work” Robert said

“And I’m quite capable of doing it” she retorted

“Well when he gets here you can tell him you don’t need him”

He suggested “And here he is now”

So she span around on her heels to say exactly that.

He was five years older than her, six foot tall with dark curly hair and crystal blue eyes and she thought he was buff.

“This is Calvin” Robert said and smiled as he saw her jaw drop

“Ok Calvin let’s get started” she said

 

It was the beginning of October when they started on the cottage and right from the start Calvin and April worked very well as a team, she was a great planner and time manager and had good instincts and vision but he knew how to get the job done and they both liked to get their hands dirty.

And even the fact that they both fancied the pants off each other didn’t slow them down.

 

They tackled the outside first clearing all the shrubbery and undergrowth so they had full access to all four sides of the cottage.

This meant they could attend to any problems with exposed masonry, guttering and windows before the worst of the weather arrived.

They also discovered that the top of the Chimney needed rebuilding which was essential if they were to get a log burner installed.

 

Neither of them could devote 100 percent of their time to the project as they both had other work to do, but they managed two days a week every week up until the turn of the year and increased it to three days from January through to march.

 

Once they were satisfied the exterior was completely weather proof and the drains were clear they turned their attention to the interior which was in a much worse state of repair than the outside was.

Floor boards needed replacing, two ceiling had come down and the stair case was rotten.

That was on top of the work they knew needed doing, new bathroom and kitchen, the whole place needed to be completely rewired as none of it was up to 21^st century code and the plumbing needed attention on top of which there was no central heating of any description installed.

But first job was to empty the place of 30 years of stored clutter.

“So what are we going to do with this lot?” he asked as they looked at the mess of wood, cardboard, broken furniture, old pallets, clothes, paper and general tatt.

 

April and Calvin’s first inside task was to empty the place of 30 years of stored clutter.

“So what are we going to do with this lot?” he asked as they looked at the mess of wood, cardboard, broken furniture, old pallets, clothes, paper and general tatt.

“Bonfire” she replied “Let’s have a bonfire party”

It was a sensible suggestion with November the 5^th just around the corner, they already had a reasonable start with the trees and shrubs they had already cut down.

“Great idea”

 

On November the 5^th all the Hoddinott’s were present, plus a few friends from the village and Calvin and his family.

Clive grilled burgers on the BBQ and Suzanne made hot chocolate. 

April and Calvin had built a brilliant bonfire and come the day he gave her the honour of lighting it.

 

After igniting the blaze April stumbled on the rough ground and would have fallen had Calvin not rushed to her aid and in the melee he almost held her hand, but it was momentary and soon passed, but it was a nearly moment.

 

After the food and drink was consumed and the fire had burned down to a glow they all made their way to the Bonfire night party held in the grounds of Mornington Manor although there hadn’t actually been a public bonfire lit in the village in living memory but the fireworks were quite spectacular and people came from every corner of the Vale to see them.

But despite the crowds Calvin and April stood in close proximity and watched the display together.

 

April had a friend in the village, John Cooper, who was an electrician as well as an ardent admirer, so she managed to enlist his help with the wiring and she and Calvin did the fetching and carrying and the labouring side of the work.

He was 4 years older than she was and although he was a good looking lad and very personable she didn’t fancy him in the slightest but she liked to flirt with him in front of Calvin in the hope that it might spur him into action.

 

But by Christmas Calvin still hadn’t taken action and April was not alone in her disappointment.

Both families were growing increasingly frustrated with the pair of them, who clearly fancied each other like mad, for not sorting themselves out. 

 

So the Hoddinott’s made the decision to intervene in their daughter’s love life in the run up to Christmas.

Although “love lives” wasn’t really an accurate description as they had no love in their lives save for what they held for their families and the unspoken love between the hapless couple.

 

The incident occurred just after the Christmas decorations had gone up in the farmhouse.

It was a bitter cold day and there was still no heating in the cottage so Suzanne went over and told them to come over to the farmhouse for a hot drink. 

 

It was a bitter cold day and there was still no heating in the cottage so Suzanne went over and told them to come over to the farmhouse for a hot drink. 

They didn’t really want to trudge up to the house as they were getting on so well with the work and neither of them noticed the cold they just noticed each other.

But her mum was not going to take no for an answer so they reluctantly complied.

But despite their misgivings it was much less onerous than either of them had expected and the hot drink and a mince pie was very welcome.

But it was as they were exiting the kitchen and putting their coats back on when her mum said

“Oh look you’re under the mistletoe”

“Christmas kiss time then” Amy added

“Don’t be daft” April retorted feeling her face colour up

“Its bad luck if you don’t” her father said

“Since when?” she asked

“Shut up and kiss” Amy said

“No” she replied firmly but looked at Calvin who was also blushing.

“They’re not going to shut up if we don’t” he said

“Alright then” she conceded just to shut them up, but neither of them put much effort into it and the result was so fleeting it was barely a peck.

“Ok then back to work” April said

“Definitely” he agreed

 

And as they trudged silently across the yard they both shared the same though.

“That was not the first kiss I was hoping for”

 

They pressed on with the work at the cottage until the end of the year and never spoke of the embarrassing mistletoe incident but on New Year’s Eve they both made the same resolution to ask the other out before midnight.

There was a big party on at Mornington Manor and they were both invited independently, or so they thought, so they were both determined to take advantage of it.

 

Calvin Chance was very cross with himself for dilly dallying so long, he had after all fallen for her the first moment she said

“Ok Calvin let’s get started”

But what had held him back was a cautionary voice in the back of his mind, not regarding his feelings for her they were steadfast.

No his concern was that if he asked her out and the worst happened, and she said no, it would make it impossible for him to carry on working with her and he would rather admire her in silence than not be able to see her at all.

But on New Year’s Eve he decided he could stay silent no longer.

 

The same niggling doubts had crossed April’s mind as well but after the mistletoe “non kiss” she had decided it was worth taking the risk.

She had never believed in love at first sight but that first day in October when she turned around and saw him she fell hard.

However having made the decision to speak out proved to be the least difficult part as every time she was about to broach the subject with him they were interrupted, either by her sister Amy or her parents or John Cooper or by a phone call.

Which was why she had drawn a line in the sand and aimed to strike at the New Year’s Eve party.

 

At the New Year’s Eve party the same problem that had plagued her for weeks arose again, because at 5 to midnight when they stood alone on the terrace and faced each other.

They were both about to just blurt how they felt when a girl came bursting out on to the terrace and threw up into a planter.

“Steph?” he asked in disbelief and rushed to help her,

Stephanie Richardson was his cousin and they lived together in Corner House on the Purplemere road in the area of Mornington known as Manorside.

“Oh Cal I don’t feel so good” Steph slurred

“She’s drunk” April said somewhat stating the obvious

“But she doesn’t drink” he said

“That’s as maybe but she’s definitely wasted” she pointed out

“I can see that, I just don’t understand why” he said

“Some uninvited guests have been spiking drinks” A strikingly good looking young man said “They are being invited to leave as we speak, I can only apologise”

“No need for that milord” Calvin said to Baron St George

“No need for formalities” he said “Are you alright to get her home Calvin?”

“Yes sir” he replied

“I’m sorry I have to get Steph home” he said to April  

“That’s ok” she replied “I understand”

“We’ll look after April” The Baron assured him

“So much for the big plan” she said as she walked home alone.

If the night had taught her anything at all it was that it was clearly not meant to be between them.

Time to draw a line under the whole business, they got on well, they worked well together and liked each other’s company, but despite all of that it was self-evident to April there would never be anything else between them.

 

With the New Year came the snow and a lot of it and along with it came the realisation for Calvin that what he wanted to happen between him and April wasn’t meant to be.

They got on well, they worked well together and liked each other’s company,

But despite all of that it was self-evident to him there would never be anything else between them.

 

After a week when the snow had thawed Calvin and April resumed work at the cottage and the atmosphere between them was as cold as the January weather.

But by the end of the month that coldness had once again turned to the warmth of longing.

So they secretly pledged to try again with Valentine’s Day just around the corner.

They carefully selected Valentines Cards and posted them.

Unfortunately because everyone close to them knew the disposition of their hearts, they all sent them cards.

Her brother and sister, her parents, his Aunt and his cousins all send cards, but they got so many cards they both ignored the one card among the many that counted.

So once again all they had was the work.

 

Over the months they worked together they saw each other at their best and their worst as they laboured away and as each problem presented itself they solved them one by one with their combined grit.

But by the time the month of April came around as the job came to a close the one problem neither of them could solve was how to make the transition from work mates to lovers.

He had tried to ask her out countless times but always lost his nerve at the last minute and now time was running out and things were getting desperate and he still lacked the courage to act.

 

For her part though it was now obvious to her that he was never going to ask her and it seemed that fate had conspired at every turn to prevent her from asking him.

“So be it” she said and stuck her chin out resolutely.

 

“Well you two have done a wonderful job” her father said as they stood outside the cottage

“You should be very proud, I know I am”

“We are” April replied but was feeling too sad to appreciate the compliment.  

“So in gratitude, I’ve booked a table for the two of you for tonight at the Old Mill Inn, my treat” Clive said and handed an envelope to Calvin.

“Dinner?” April said suddenly catching up with the conversation “With Calvin?”

“Yes, is that a problem?” Her mum asked

“Nnno” she stammered “that’s fine”

“Good” Suzanne remarked

“Hooray” Her brother Robert added

“Halleluiah” His dad remarked and the group broke up leaving Calvin and April alone.

Calvin was distinctly encouraged by April’s reaction to the announcement of Dinner at the Old Mill Inn that she felt as he did but he wasn’t sure until April said

“I can’t believe we’re actually going out on Saturday night?”

“Yes but its only dinner” Calvin retorted teasingly, “it’s not like it’s a date or anything”

“Oh no Calvin Chance it is not just dinner” she snapped “it’s definitely a date”

“Ok it’s a date” he said and laughed

“I hate you” she said when she realised what he had done

“No you don’t” he said

“No I don’t but that’s not the point” she said

“Is it that important to you then?” Calvin asked

“Yes it’s important” she replied

“So why didn’t you say something?”

“I tried” April replied “Why didn’t you?”

“I tried too” he said “Still it’s done now”

“Yes but you had to get my dad to ask me” She pointed out “And you had to get my dad to pay”

“I prefer to think that he had to pay me to take you” Calvin said “But I could take Katie the doctor’s receptionist instead”

“You’d better not” she retorted “although I could go with John Cooper he fancies me like mad”

“So do I” he replied

“Do you?” she asked earnestly

“Yes”

“So it’s definitely a date then” April concluded

“Yes it’s a date” he confirmed and then they sealed the deal with a kiss.

A PERFECT DAY

A perfect day

Spent with you

The two of us

That’s my view

No one else

Just us two

A perfect day

Spent with you 

I AM DEFINITELY READY TO SAY IT

 

I am definitely ready to say it

I hope she is ready to hear it

How will she take it, who knows?

I take a deep breath and here goes

I stutter and I stammer thru

She said “I know and I love you too”

THE HOLD OUT

 

You are so cute and fit

But you don’t seem up for it

Is there a reason you won’t play

Do you swing the other way?

Are you playing hard to get

Or haven’t met the “one” yet

It will take more than charmers

To get into your pyjama’s

Because I think for a start

They must get into your heart

Mornington-By-Mere – (18) Standing in the Shadows of Love

 

Twenty three year old Megan Murray lived at number 3, The Close, in Mornington-By-Mere with her parents and younger brother David.

She was tall, a few inches short of six foot, with Caucasian features, coffee coloured skin and short brown curly hair courtesy of her father Phil, who was white and was a child of the Finchbottom Vale and her black mother Lully who was from Jamaica.

Megan also had a heart as big as a house and felt blessed to have 4 particularly good and longstanding friends.

 

Apart from the fact they all lived in Mornington and were all 23 years old, the five girls also went to Abbottsford University together.

And it was while they were at University that Lisa Kincaid-Smith, Megan Murray, Carina Crockford and twin sisters Cordelia and Corliss St George performed as the Jackson 5 for the first time.

It was during rag week on their first week when they donned gold lame flares and black wigs and sang “I want you back” and from that moment it became their party piece and one that had been repeated on many occasions since.

So when they signed up for the Sharpington Day Parade on Bank Holiday Monday, a Charity event which raised tens of thousands of pounds every year, much of which was collected by volunteers rattling tins along the route whilst in fancy dress, it was a forgone conclusion who they would dress up as.

Sharpington-by-Sea was a traditional seaside resort complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the tame compared to a 21^st century roller coaster but still fun.

But on the August Bank Holiday Monday it wasn’t the Fun Park people were interested in.

It was the parade that attracted people from all over Downshire and beyond and Carina had an idea to make their Jackson 5 homage even better by having all the girls professionally made up to match Megan Murray’s skin colour which was dark caramel due to her mixed race heritage.

However much to her consternation her suggestion wasn’t greeted with universal approval.

That was mainly due to the fact that the St George girls were very white with pale skin and blue eyes and Lisa was a proper ginger who actually ended up paler when she went out in the sun.

Although their concerns centred more on not wishing to look ridiculous rather than the fear of any offence they might cause.

 

However their fears were soon put at ease when Carina explained what she had in mind. 

Since leaving University Carina Crockford had worked in the makeup department at the Purplemere Studio’s and it was there where she had charge of a group of trainee make-up artists and among them were Karen Cooper and Ivana Holubova, and it was they who Carina had persuaded to make the girls up.

Also she had co-opted the help of Sue Moss and Lisa Mendez from the costume department.

As a result the girls reluctantly agreed to go along with it but reserved judgement on whether they would allow themselves to be seen in public made up and costumed.

 

As it turned out the makeup and costumes were so good that on the day of the parade no one realised that only one of the Jackson 5 was actually black.

It was only at the very end of the day as they were getting into the car when Lisa’s wig fell off to reveal her ginger hair that a member of the public realised something was amiss.

There was however no public outcry though they got a mention in the Sharpington Courier and there was talk of a Police investigation but nothing came of it and the tale of the Jackson 5 passed into modern folklore.

 

When Megan Murray left University she had no idea what she wanted to do with her degree so she took a temp job as receptionist at the Oak Dale Retirement Village and Nursing home in Dulcets Green.          

But she enjoyed the job so much she was still there two years later.

Dulcets Green was situated between Mornington and Purplemere it was only a small hamlet quiet and sleepy, which was how the inhabitants liked it.

The population of the hamlet was more than quadrupled by the inhabitants of Oak Dale Retirement Village and Nursing home when it opened.

Oak Dale had been built in the late Victorian period by one of Baron Gabriel St Georges’ ancestors for his wife to live in when he got sick of the sight of her, it was never used for that purpose however as he went mad and shot himself before she moved in.

During the First World War it had been used as a hospital for wounded soldiers from France, in between the wars it was used as a TB hospital, it was used again during World War two as a hospital again at which time additional buildings were added.

After the war it fell into disuse, the Estate maintained it to keep the weather out but didn’t really have a use for it.

That was until Alexandra Barrileau approached Gabriel St George with her plan to turn Oak Dale into a retirement village and nursing home.

Megan liked Alexandra very much and she was part of the reason she had stayed there so long, but mainly it was the people.  

Reception was the hub of Oak Dale and that was the place that was her domain, where she saw all of life and an occasional glimpse of Jimmy Chapman.

 

James Chapman was the same age as Megan and also lived in Mornington and they had known each other since they were kids but they were never friends, in fact he used to pick on her.

When she was at school she was a shy girl, however she was always taller than her peers and with coloured skin she tended to stand out which was the last thing you wanted to do when you were shy and socially awkward.

Jimmy was the son of a farm labourer and was merciless in his teasing but when Megan went off to college and University Jimmy followed in his father’s footsteps and started working on Windmill Farm so they rarely crossed paths after that until the day she started working at Oak Dale.

 

Apart from being a farm labourer at Windmill Farm, James also did some general maintenance at Oak Dale to earn some extra money.

She was surprised to see him, in fact she didn’t recognise him at first, it had been six years after all, but he recognised her instantly and he was so embarrassed, he still remembered how he had treated her at school, how he teased her mercilessly, she thought he was so mean to her so he thought she would never forgive him.

Even though the reason he teased her so much was because he had a crush on her but because he was young and stupid and a boy he thought the best way to get her attention was to pick on her.

 

The first time she saw Jimmy at Oak Dale she did indeed feel animosity towards him for the way he behaved to her when they were kids, so she was distant and aloof but she eventually warmed to him and those feelings of disdain soon evaporated when she studied the fine looking muscular man that the mean spotty youth had grown into, who was so kind and caring that it was difficult to imagine it was the same person.

 

James Chapman on the other hand continued to wear a hair shirt for two years as he looked at her from afar.

But without the other realizing it, the two of them looked forward greatly to the days he was at Oak Dale.

 

So imagine her disappointment when he didn’t turn up when expected one day at the end of September, it was particularly galling for her as she had bought a new skirt and blouse at the weekend and had worn it especially for his benefit.

 

Disappointed but not downhearted she said to herself stoically “There’s always tomorrow”

But tomorrow came and went but James Chapman didn’t.

Nor did he the day after or indeed any day that week.

 

On Friday afternoon, having given up all hope that she might see him that week she discreetly made enquiries to her boss about him.

 

Alexandra Barrileau was a small unremarkable looking woman with short blonde hair and green eyes, not unremarkable in an unattractive way but in that she was small and slight and often underestimated because despite her diminutive stature she was possessed of great strength of will and an unshakable resolve.

Which was why after only six years Oak Dale was thriving under Alex’s leadership.

She had turned what was a burden to the Mornington Estate into an asset, which had brought employment to the people of Dulcets Green as well as the outlying areas.

She had achieved this success despite having had no experience in either nursing or care.

Her area of expertise was venture capital and she gave up a very successful career in the field to open Oak Dale.

Her motivation for such a drastic career change was the quality of care her elderly mother received at the end of her life.

In fact Alex found it so indifferent that she chose to do something about it, she couldn’t believe that it wasn’t possible to do better, and she had proved herself correct.

She was fast approaching fifty now and she found her new life very rewarding and found herself on the brink of marriage for the first time, something she had never envisaged when she had been a career woman through and through.

She never regretted it either at the time or since, but now in the quiet hours she had a kindly man to share them.

 

So when Megan sidled up to her and began a casual conversation she knew exactly what was on her mind which was confirmed when she asked.

“I haven’t seen Jimmy all week, is everything alright?”

 

“I haven’t seen Jimmy all week” she said “is everything alright?”

“Yes” she replied “one of his chums broke his arm, so James is needed on the farm”

“Oh” Megan said trying and failing to show her disappointment “That’s good that he’s ok though”

“We’ll just have to get along without him for a couple of weeks”

“Another two weeks?” Megan exclaimed

“You could just go and knock on his door, he only lives a street away from you” Alex said jovially

“I don’t erm… I mean I was just wondering…” Megan stammered and blushed to her roots.

“Nonsense” Alex said “you’re always looking at him doe eyed”

“No I’m not” Megan snapped a little too forcefully

“You fancy him like mad” Alex pointed out

“Well I wouldn’t say that” Megan blustered

“And he’s just as bad”

“I…” Megan began then looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing “Do you really think so?”

“Yes I do” she replied

“I just can’t believe one of you hasn’t made a move yet, after all it’s been two years” She said in disbelief

“It’s not that simple” Megan said with a sigh

“Of course it is” Alex said sharply

“Look I don’t know what it is that’s holding him back, but there’s nothing stopping you”

“What do you mean?” Megan asked

“What I mean is that it’s the 21st century, a woman doesn’t have to wait to be asked anymore” 

“I can’t just ask him” Megan said

“Of course you can”

“No I really can’t” Megan reiterated “What if he said no? I would be mortified”

“Honestly Megan you’re a beautiful confident young girl, just ask him” she said squeezed her hand “He’s not going to say no”

 

Megan spent all weekend mulling over what Alexandra had said and she decided she would take her advice but she drew the line at knocking on his front door.

So she chose instead to wait until they were at Oak Dale where she felt more confident.

 

The following two weeks passed at an alarming slow pace but pass they did. 

But the weekend following those tortuously slow two weeks seemed to last even longer, but by Sunday evening she knew exactly what she was going to say and where she was going to say it.

 

However come Monday morning when she woke up she had a fever with a temperature of 102.5, dizziness, sore throat, aching muscles, chills and ringing ears.

She got out of bed and went downstairs but as soon as her mum saw her, she sent her straight back to bed and called the doctor.

Because of the flu and a subsequent ear infection she didn’t return to work until the last Thursday of the month only to find out that James wouldn’t be in for the rest of the week but to add insult onto injury he had been in at least some of the time on every day she had been ill.  

Megan decided that it was a sign, the universe was telling her that she should stop mooning about over James Chapman and move on.

It clearly wasn’t meant to be and that was that.

And nothing would change that despite what Alexandra had to say on the subject.

 

It was Halloween on Saturday and her friends persuaded her to go to the Halloween party at the Church Hall.

The early part of the evening was more for children, with traditional games but later on when the beer arrived from the brewery it was all about the adults.

There were hot dogs and burgers for all age groups courtesy of the restaurant staff at the Old Mill Inn, the pub was closed to diners on special occasions like Halloween.

Megan was there right from the beginning helping with the games and playing with the little ones, which distracted her until they were taken home.

She had a burger and a couple of beers with Carina Crockford and the St George twins but she still wasn’t feeling a hundred percent so she made her excuses and headed towards home.

She was feeling more depressed than ill, if she was honest, had she seen any sign of James at the party she might have stayed but he wasn’t, another sign from the bloody Universe obviously.

 

She walked back along the wooded path that meandered along beside the River Brooke.

Her eyes weren’t quite accustomed to the dark so she wasn’t making particularly speedy progress but she was within sight of the bridge and only five minutes from home when she was knocked off her feet by a figure in the dark.

“Excellent” she thought to herself “What now Universe?”

Her assailant ended up flat on their back and she finished up laying on top of them, using her phone as a torch she shone it in their face and was surprised to see it was James Chapman but not as surprised as he was when she kissed him full on the mouth.

 

What brought them to that undignified position was James’s eagerness to get to the church hall because his sister Lorraine had told him she had seen Megan at the party and he wanted to see her.

But he was so eager he rushed headlong through the darkness and collided with someone and that someone was lying on top of him and kissing him so he did the only thing he could do and that was to kiss her back, whoever she might be, although he had a clue, he thought he recognized the perfume, he just hoped he was right.

 

“Nice one Universe” she thought as they continued to kiss, and what a kiss it was, a deliciously gentle kiss to which James responded in kind, she just hoped he knew it was her.

So when she came up for air she turned her phone torch on herself and hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed with what he saw.

There was little chance of that and in response to her revelation he pulled her face towards him and kissed her again.    

 

As their sensual embrace had been so long awaited neither of them were in any hurry to curtail it.

But they both stopped abruptly, startled by a noise along the wooded path, and quickly stood up and Megan backed into the shadow of an old twisted oak and he joined her there and they huddled together in close proximity saying nothing, the only sound being their breathing which was quick and shallow.

The group of revelers passed only feet away from them and when they were out of earshot they kissed again.

 

They walked hand in hand across the East Bridge silently, content they had both been granted their most fervent wish, and when they got to the top of the path that led down to her house they came to a halt and he turned to face her and they smile before he kissed her soft lips, in a long and sensual goodnight kiss.