Part 6
The last week of term was a reading week, so I didn't need to go into college at all. I had a lazy day on Tuesday, and spoke to my brother, Marcus, on the phone saying that I would be home sometime this week. He had just finished the first year of his PhD and would be at home potentially for the whole summer.
"Be good to see you for a while at last, we haven't spent much time together for ages."
"Yes, it will be nice to catch up."
I said, after all he had been away much of the time for some years at various colleges.
I went to the park again on the Wednesday. It was bright bit not too hot, just a lovely lazy kind of mid-summer's day and I took a backpack with some lunch and a flask and one or two books. I had on my short denim skirt and a yellow t-shirt, with a cardigan in my bag, matching socks and my canvas shoes and I found my usual spot and sipped at my coffee as I opened up my book and lay flat on my stomach reading.
I must have nodded off for a while as I woke up with the sun fully on me. It was pretty hot now, and it had made me quite dozy. I pulled out my sunhat from my bag and turned onto my back laying parallel to the woods, hat positioned over my face and fell asleep again. I had quite an erotic dream as I lay there; I was at a slave market watching people being paraded on the college stage as people bid for them, then the next thing I knew two men grabbed me and said, "You're next Jane." And I was taken up the stairs to the stage and I suddenly realised I only had my underwear on but at least I had a veil over my face, so nobody knew who I was. Tony and Ray were both bidding for me and saying, "I'm sure that is Jane." And everyone was laughing at me.
Suddenly I woke up with the usual confusion, I could hear laughter and groggily removed the hat from my face, and I saw two guys sitting down drinking bottles of beers and talking and laughing a little way from me. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see I had been asleep almost an hour. I sat up and poured some coffee and looked up again at the two guys, they weren't that old, maybe in their early 30s, one of them had his top off and looked quite fit. They looked over at me as I sipped my coffee, and I quickly looked away.
They started to then throw a frisbee about and one of them, the topless one was now stood in front of me just down the hill. I was slightly peeved as they could probably have found somewhere else to play but as I watched the guy in front of me, I realised he was actually quite nice looking, with dark short hair and his bum looked fit in his light-coloured shorts. I must admit to having some naughty thoughts again as I just sat there sipping my coffee in the sunshine daydreaming.
The frisbee then took an erratic turn in the air and made me jump as it bounced just next to me, and I squealed slightly. Suddenly the handsome guy was next to me looking down at me his face full of apology,
"I'm so sorry, Miss, are you OK."
"I'm fine thanks, a near miss, it just made me jump."
He looked over at his friend and back at me and said,
"It's Howard, he's useless at this!"
I smiled up at him and he called back to his friend as he walked away.
"Hey, watch where you're throwing it you dickhead!"
I smiled again. He seemed like an OK sort of bloke. They carried on and I picked up my book and set my coffee down and started to try and read, surreptitiously taking the odd glance over at the two guys who were now both topless and just in their shorts. Nice legs too. Suddenly there was a thump and the frisbee landed on its side and wheeled towards me knocking over my coffee spilling some on my foot. It was a bit hot but not enough to burn me thankfully. I was a bit irritated this time though. The guy came over again.
"I'm so so sorry!"
"It's OK, not that bad."
I said tutting and looking at my damp sock.
"Shit, did it burn your leg?"
"No, no, my sock's just a little wet."
I took off my shoe and lay the damp sock down on the grass, and then took off my other sock too as it looked a bit silly sat there wearing just one sock.
"Dammit, sorry."
"Not to worry, I have other socks."
He looked at me and smiled realising I was taking the piss a little and I smiled back at him.
"Would you like a drink, on us?"
"No, I'm fine really, but thanks."
"Howard!" He called over to his mate, "bring the bag."
"Please, let us at least apologise."
His friend was already walking over with the bag and their shirts over his shoulder so I thought oh why not, a little company might be a laugh. Howard arrived and apologised profusely to me. I said it was all fine and he handed me a beer. I thought about it for a second and then said thanks as I took it. Howard was not as good looking as his friend who told me he was called James, a little geeky with his round glasses and spikey short blond hair, but he was OK. We introduced ourselves and sat in a little circle and chatted for a while. They were both local and worked at one of the pubs in town mostly in the evenings, so they often had time off during the day. As we chatted for some time I suddenly felt my head was a bit swimmy and looked at the beer in my hand.
"Gosh, is this really strong or something."
"Oh, yes it is, it's Belgian, might be a bit strong if you're not used to it."
"Right, I thought so."
But we all laughed it off and then Howard produced a joint and said.
"Any one fancy a smoke?"
"No thanks, I don't smoke."
"Well you don't have to be a smoker to smoke this."
"Oh I see!"
I said, suddenly understanding in my naivety what it was. Howard lit the joint and passed it to James who took a long drag and passed it to me.
"I've not had this before, I'm not sure I should really."
"Oh it's OK, just have a little puff, it just chills you out nicely in the sunshine, when in Rome do as the Jamaican's do, they are very wise people!"
I smiled and thought, oh why the hell not, after all I had done a few things recently that the old plain Jane would not have done! I took a drag and breathed in and immediately started coughing like mad and looking like a steam train as it bellowed out of my mouth.
"Wow, easy there."
Said James passing me my beer, and I took a swig just to stop coughing.
"I think you took a much bigger drag, just take a small puff."
I looked at the joint again and was determined not to appear a complete prude, and it was still very dry on the back of my throat, but I held it in for a couple of seconds and then blew it out audibly.
"Yes, that's better!"
Said Howard smiling at me and passing over another beer. I took it without thinking really as my throat was so dry and started on my second bottle. We chatted again for a while and they were quite good fun, and I was feeling relaxed, in fact I was starting to feel very relaxed indeed. I had turned down another puff of the joint and it was probably a wise move as my head really was swimming a bit, but my body and mind felt really relaxed and my eyes were a little droopy.
