Another stand-alone story, but one which fits with the previous 'Frank' chapters. Feel free to enjoy this 'as is' or in conjunction with the other chapters. Please comment, and vote – I enjoy the feedback!
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Simon's mother, Joanna, picked us up off the coach, saving us waiting an hour for a bus or wasting money on a cab. I learnt that Simon's parents lived in Upchurch, right at the Southern end of Weston, where the flat landscape of the town gave way to rocky hills, surrounding the natural bowl that was one of England's oldest resorts.
Joanna was a very smartly dressed lady, and I could see where Simon's painfully obvious middle-class attitudes came from straight away:
"I do wish you'd take the train, Simon." She said. "It's so much more civilised than those horrid coaches."
Simon turned to me in the back seat and rolled his eyes. I had to stifle the snorting laughter that I wanted to let out loud at his mother's snobbery, which he was obviously equally embarrassed about.
"Mother, would you rather collect us from Bristol?" Simon replied. You know as well as I that the train connections are appalling from London and you wouldn't see us till midnight."
"True" his mother conceded. "That wouldn't be good. Of course, with more notice I'd have rostered myself off, but I have to work tonight."
Simon's mother was head nurse at drug rehabilitation centre, dealing with those addicts who still had enough wealth, or enough family, to afford to be able to go cold turkey in style, and have the psychological support to help them through. Reading about this today, you might think of Marian Keys' books, although her attempts to describe what happens are, I'm assured, rather lame and tame.
We reached Simon's home, where his father was busy uncorking a rather decent French red, glasses to hand. I thought straight away that his attention to guests was second to none! Simon took my bags upstairs while his mother waited to garage the car and I was left in the kitchen with his father, Derek.
"Kate, Derek" was his rather gruff introduction as he shook my hand, but his twinkling eyes belied his manner, and I knew instantly where Simon had got his understated sense of humour from. "Heard all about you, as the young fellow never shuts up when he phones home."
Derek stood around six feet. He was obviously a young father, looking around forty at best, still trim for his years, of lean frame, slim-hipped and dark-haired. His smile was the same as Simon's too, and I found myself instantly warming to him as he passed me a glass of wine.
"Cheers." He said. "Let's hope you can survive the onslaught of Mother Teresa." He jerked his head toward the garage and I knew he was gently mocking his wife's career.
"Cheers, Derek." I replied. "Here's hoping I'll never need her ministrations!" Our glasses clinked, and I knew I'd made just the right response as the laughter lines round his eyes creased in amusement.
I was instantly attracted to this older, more self-assured version of my current bed-buddy, and I felt my nipples responding as I took my glass back, sipping delicately. Watching him, I saw his eyes travel down, then back up my slim frame, taking in my perfectly proportioned breasts, bullet-nipples point toward the sky, my flat stomach and shapely legs. If I'd had a moment I'd have given him a twirl so that he could appreciate my great little bum as well, but time was against me as first Simon, then Joanna, walked through the doors to the kitchen.
Derek dragged his eyes from me, passing glasses to the others, and we toasted life together, making small talk.
"Ooops! I'll be late if I don't hurry, and I really don't think my patients will appreciate the smell of good Cabernet!" Joanna had to quickly disappear to work, and she made her excuses rapidly, apologising to me but promising to make it up the next night when she'd be at home.
As Derek, Simon and I chatted over the wine, the front door opened, and a voice floated through to the kitchen.
"Hi! Si! Lovely you're home! See you in a minute. Gotta change. Back in a mo!" The rapid speech, the tone, the staccato voice, spoke volumes.
"Felicity?" I queried.
Both Simon and his father rolled their eyes as they nodded!
Simon checked his watch.
"Kate, we'd better hurry if we're going for a beer. Some of my friends are in and I want to...." His voice tailed off, but I knew he was thinking that if I walked into the pub on his arm his friends would be forever jealous.
Si had the fortune of living opposite the pub, which I learnt much later had the family nick-name "The Short Stagger". We left Derek at home to go for a drink, his sister shrieking at us from her room upstairs to wait for her.
In the bar it became clear that the 'Stagger' was very much a locals' pub, and that Simon knew most of the patrons. We did a quick round before finding a place to stand almost directly in front of the large open fire, where I was glad that I'd kept to my shirt and skirt, without changing to anything heavier.
Moments later the pub door opened and a vision of loveliness walked in. She stood barely five feet tall, breasts disproportionately large to the overall frame, but still slim, and with beautiful copper blonde hair, alabaster skin, an English Rose complexion and full lips. Her wide emerald green (so green!) eyes told me instantly that this was the fabled Felicity, Simon's younger sister. Her eyes flicked quickly across the room before alighting on her brother, and their widening and brightening told me that her brother's love for her was totally reciprocated. She ignored the lanky young male walking toward her to fling herself into Simon's arms as she squeaked a welcome, dignity totally lost.
"Kate, meet Fliss" Simon said, as he tried to disentangle himself.
I could tell that Fliss was trying hard to act maturely, demurely, ass she composed herself.
"Kate." She said formally. Simon again rolled his eyes at his family ties as Fliss tried hard to reach up and kiss my cheeks, French-style.
Simon went to buy another round, leaving me with his sister. Immediately her eyes went flat, diamond hard and focussed, belying the ditzy teenager of a moment ago.
"If you screw my brother over I'll find you and make your life hell." Was all she said.
