Claudia and James

(A WORK IN PROGRESS)

Claudia and James

I first met James when we were both 18 in the warm July soon after finishing our A levels at high school. It was a chance first meeting when I was relaxing in the local pub garden with my best friend Katie and her high school boyfriend Steve. It was a happy and laughter filled afternoon relaxing in the sun till my life life changed for the better when I first saw James standing at the bar through the open door. He was tall, certainly looked taller than me, I had always found it hard to find boys who were taller than me to date, I am 5ft 9 after all, skinny with a boyish haircut. His short, scruffy dark hair looked shiny as it caught the sunlight, and as I gazed in awe at his loose jeans and fitted t-shirt. Katie giggled when she caught me staring at him, I remember turning to her and told her to stop teasing me as there was no way a boy like that would be interested in me. Turning back to see if he was still at the bar my heart sank a little when I saw that he was gone, guessing that he must have gone to join friends elsewhere in the pub.

Putting thoughts of this boy to the back of my head I tried to enjoy the rest of the sunny afternoon with Katie and Steve. The sun was warm and the white wine was cold, a lovely combination when spending a lazy afternoon in good company.

A couple of hours and several glasses of wine later I excused myself and walked into the pub to use the Ladies. Walking back out into the bar area I had to skirt around a group standing laughing and joking in the middle of the room, I was not fully paying attention and as a result I didn't see James turning away from the group I walked straight into him, I got flustered and muttered 'I am so sorry' as I looked past the handbag I was holding and directly at the floor.

In his soft but masculine voice, which made him sound older than he was he said 'Don't worry about it' I looked up and saw his beaming smile and white teeth, a glass of lager in his hand!

'Im James' he said 'and you are?' Feeling a little taken back that he would even consider talking to me I told him my name was Claudia, it felt almost like I was watching myself talking to him and it wasn't even me there in that moment. Although it was totally out of the blue I was feeling good in that moment that this boy wanted to chat to ME! He offered to buy me a drink and I accepted, we got chatting and I learnt that he was 19 having just finished his first year of an art and photography degree at University and was back home for the summer. He was on one of the Universities football teams and also was also a regular at the gym. Hence the toned body I had first noticed, I giggled and blushed with embarrassment when he told me that he had caught me looking earlier at him, he told me it was cool and he didn't mind at all.

Over that first drink together we talked non-stop, I learned about him and I told him about me, I felt good, relaxed and at ease with James from that first moment! He told me he loved my height and my quirky hair style and was so different from the girls he had seen at University. He asked if I was sporty, I told him I was a swimmer and used to cross country run for the school at times, not that I had done that for a number of years to be honest. Time was flying in his company, I didn't realise it was getting late until I felt a Katie's arms drape around my neck and her chin rest on the top of my head.

'We're are off now babes' she giggled a bit tipsy 'I will call you later on OK?' I turned to look back at 'Cool babes, chat soon, take care.' I knew that her parents were away so she had the house to herself, which would allow the pair of them to fuck all night long with no difficulties. They had always been a very sexual couple ever since the night they first got together at Emma's party. I on the other hand was shyer and much more reserved and self-conscious. Not that I was a virgin at 18 but I certainly lacked the experience of many of my friends, or so I believed. So it was with some surprise in myself that sometime after I had said goodbye to Katie and Steve, I leaned forward and kissed James on the lips, just a little peck but a sign none the less. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the heat of the day, but something had gone to my head that evening. Next thing I knew I was sitting on his lap, his strong arm around my waist my favourite denim skirt had ridden up my thigh a little more, exposing the pale skin beneath. He kissed me this time with much more passion, sensuality and technique than I felt before. My mind and body felt so alive yet almost distant from me.

(TO BE CONTINUED)