Number seven, Tina.
Although they spoke in hushed tones, I caught enough of their conversation to know I could be of help. I stood up, and as I went past their table I drop a card. The two women looked at me without saying a word. Their faces looked quizzical. I smiled and nodded slightly, and then I carried on to the door, and went out into the hustle of the busy town. As I walked past the window of the café both women stared opened mouthed, watching me merge into the throng of people going about their business.
I can imagine the two women talking to each other about my card. Just two words on one side and mobile phone number on the other. Below the phone number, the word, seven. This is the 7th card I've played, the third, and sixth phoned the number on the card, just curiosity, which gets the best of a lot of people, although they never played. The first and fifth never phoned, it was numbers two, and four, who played.
On the front of the white card is a question mark in red print, above the question mark are two words, also in red and in capital letters, the card asks, DARE YOU.
...............................
Two days passed and my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello," I replied.
"You left that card, on the table in the café, what do you want?"
"What is your name?" I asked ignoring the woman's question.
"My name is Tina, so why did you leave the card?"
"Well Tina, the question is what do you want? I overheard you and your friend talking. I thought I might be of some assistance. You are the woman who was facing me, right?"
"Yes, now look here. Do you always eavesdrop on other people's conversations? I mean it's bloody rude for a start."
There was a slight quiver in her voice. She wasn't fully confident, and maybe she had her friend there, egging her on.
"Tina, I just want to help."
"Help with what exactly? Is this some strange thing you do to try and pick up women?"
"Do you want to be picked up, Tina? What was it you said to your friend? Oh yes I remember now, you said, my life is so bloody boring since Colin left. Well Tina, perhaps I can help you there."
"God, I can't believe I even phoned you."
"Then hang up if you want to. Oh I'll be in the café at 9 tomorrow, if you fancy a chat."
She didn't turn up.
Two weeks later I was minding my own business, and doing a little shopping in the supermarket, well, we all have to eat, don't we. There she was, just staring at me. She came up to me looking a little angry for some reason.
"Are you following me?"
"No, why on earth should I want to do that?"
"Well, I mean what are you doing here?"
I lifted the basket I was carrying. She looked at it, and then it seemed to dawn on her that I was actually shopping. I could see by the expression on her face that she was trying to think of an apology, even though she didn't want to say sorry. Finally words came from her mouth, which I think even surprised, Tina.
"What did that card mean the one you left on the table in the café?"
"The one I left for you, you mean?"
She looked round a little nervously, and then back to me and nodded.
"It is an invitation. I heard probably more than you thought I did that day in the café. So I thought, perhaps I could offer you a little, guidance shall we say?"
"What exactly...did you hear?"
"You're 31, divorced for 6 months, and haven't had a fuck since he dumped you."
Her eyes opened wide, "My god, you're forward, and rude, "Anyway, I didn't mean that."
"No, that really didn't interest me. What did was your little confession to your friend, about the thought of having a man take control of your sex life, making you do things, forcing you into situations which would embarrass you. You didn't like her giggling about that did you? Tina, you chuckled too, and then tried to make out it was just a stupid fantasy, but I could see in your eyes, just how hurt you were when your friend called you, silly."
Again she looked round the shop, fearing someone might have overheard what I was saying. She looked back at me and licked her lips nervously, "What....well what do you know about it, if I was that way inclined I mean. I'm not saying I am it was just a, well a thought."
"Did you notice on the back of the card, the number under the phone number?"
"Yes, it had a seven on it."
"You are the 7th woman I've given a card to."
"I see, so I bet it was a shock when someone actually phoned your number?"
"You're not the first and I'll admit two never phoned, one did then hung up, but I did have success, two of the women started taking instruction. Meet me on Thursday in the café, and we'll have a coffee and chat about it."
Once again she looked round, and then brushed her hair off her face, "I don't know if I can, I'm supposed to be meeting, Jayne."
"Fine, enjoy your shopping."
The phone rang that afternoon. She told me that Jayne had to cancel, and because she had nothing better to do she would meet me. Whether she was telling the truth about Jayne didn't concern me.
I watched from across the street as she walked towards the café. She stopped at the next shop and checked her watch, and then she peered into the estate agent's window. She brushed her fingers through her hair, and even from across the street, I could see her shoulders lift as she took a deep breath. She checked her watch again, and then went into the café. I watched her look around the café, and then she disappeared out of sight for a few minutes. She returned to a window seat, and went to sit down. She stopped and looked behind her, and then moved to the last table against the wall, but still in the window, the same seat she had sat in when I had first seen her in.
The next 20 minutes went past and she sipped her coffee, occasionally looking at her watch. Her head turned every time the door opened. I was late, nearly 10 minutes late.
She sat fidgeting with her necklace, as the 10 minutes grew to 15, and then 20 minutes, her restlessness began to grow. I watched her open her bag and she pulled out her phone. She reached in and pulled out something small, which was my card. I watched her start to look between the card and her phone. I touched my phone in my pocket. It didn't ring.
I was now 25 minutes late, and Tina, was becoming more impatient. When I saw her flump back in the seat, and throw my card in her bag, I could almost feel her disappointment. As she started to slide across the seat to leave, I rushed over to the door. I was now 32 minutes late. The door opened and she walked out with her head down, and bumped right into me. I held her shoulders and she gasped looking up into my eyes.
"Would you like a coffee?" I asked, as I slowly took my hands from her shoulders.
"You're late," she mumbled slowly.
"Coffee?" I repeated.
We sat and chatted for an hour at the corner table. In that time she told me of her husband running off, and with a passion how she wanted something different to happen in her life. I sat listening mostly weighing things up. Yes I wanted to fuck her, but if that did happen it would happen much later.
I explained a little about what I had done with two previous women and a few others in the past, before I started with the dare cards. Her eyes went wide at times, but she kept listening. My last words to her were these, "Tina, you make the final decision tomorrow, and then phone me. You know the levels and roughly what they entail, there will be scares along the way, but hopefully ones which will thrill you, and then it is your choice to move up to the next level. If ever you want to stop it is your choice, but if you do that will be it, game over.
