I1
My name is Isabelle Edgar, and at the time of this story, in 1990, I had just turned 19 years old and had enrolled at a College in London for a year to gain a few more qualifications in the hope of going on to further studies to become a PE teacher (Physical Education). I am 5' 5" and keep pretty fit being keen on swimming and running and have a good slender figure with 34b breasts which are quite pointed and a pretty cute firm bottom if I do say so myself. I have straight dark hair to my shoulders and a pretty face with delicate features topped by my dark round rimmed glasses. I could easily be accused of being a little spoiled by my middle class parents being the only child and I never really wanted for much, although my face could hide that well as I have never smiled easily, not that I have a resting bitch face, well, maybe a bit, but more that I have always been fairly quiet and a little insular, and maybe because I don't have any siblings, have always been a little shy.
The concern of how expensive my education was going to be was somewhat tempered by my parents who had a slightly older friend, Guy Downing, who owned an antique shop and also a little corner shop in London and they rented the little flat above it for me. My parents transferred the money every week to me, and I paid Guy in cash. The flat was pretty basic but neat and self-contained. You came in the back door through a tiny kitchen and past the door into the shop in a small corridor strewn with stock and then up the stairs to my flat, which was just a small living room, bedroom, bathroom etc, but at least I had my own space. I had been there barely a month when I had some really bad news. I had been really missing my boyfriend, Ian, and phoned him that evening as usual, hoping to arrange a time for him to visit as I couldn't wait to get my hands on him again! We had been together for about a year, but to my horror he told me he was going abroad to study and didn't think a distance relationship would work and dumped me. I was shattered. I started to drink more than usual to take the edge of the disappointment. I had never been much of a drinker, but I was pretty devastated, I had really been missing him as it was, both emotionally and sexually. I was so shocked and upset I didn't know what to do. A couple of days later in the evening when I finished the beers in my fridge and was feeling a little drunk and still so down I thought of going for a run just to shake out my anger a bit but when I got down the stairs into the little corridor and passed the boxes I noticed that Richard, the shop manager, had left the key to the shop in the door.
I paused briefly and then tried the handle and it opened into the dark room. I said 'hello' into the darkness just in case someone was still there but there was no answer, so I turned on the light. It flickered into life, and I wandered in just out of curiosity really. I had been in there during the day a few times, but something came over me as I stood there all alone, tears still drying on my cheeks. I sniffed loudly and glanced at the drinks. Gin! Dammit, I really fancied a gin and am ashamed to admit that in my distressed and slightly drunken state I grabbed a half bottle and then noticed the cigarettes. I didn't really smoke either but it suddenly felt like a good idea as I thought it might relax me and so I picked up a packet and a box of matches and then looking around the shop again, I turned off the light, locked the door and went back upstairs to indulge myself and try to forget my woes.
The next day I woke up with a bit of a hangover and feeling quite depressed still so didn't go to college and just had a lazy day at home. Richard, or sometimes Guy always shut the shop about 6.00pm, and a little after, that evening, I was surprized to hear footsteps on the stairs and Guy calling my name. I panicked for a moment as although I had at least showered in the morning I just had on my dressing gown with my long pink nightshirt on underneath and just a pair of white knickers. He knocked on the door and I got up and opened the door to him looking a little surprised.
Guy was quite tall and well dressed as usual in a light tweed suit. He was quite well-preserved for a 61 year old with his grey hair neatly combed back and his lightly tanned and well-preserved face smiling at me, his dark grey eyes looked me up and down a moment as he paused, I think he was slightly caught off-guard by the appearance of my night clothes and my dressing gown which just covered the tops of my thighs.
"Hello Guy". I said slightly curious.
"Ah, Isabelle! Not unwell I hope?"
"Oh, no" I said laughing slightly, "Just having a lazy day. Do you want something?"
"May I come in a moment, I want to ask you something please?"
"Sure."
I said, and he nodded, looking a little serious and came in and sat down on a chair next to the TV. I followed him in and noticed he was carrying something in his hand. I thought it was a book for a moment, and then I realised it was a video, and I thought maybe he had come to lend me a film perhaps, although that seemed a bit odd. I sat down on the sofa in front of him and wrapped my dressing gown around me tucking it over my bare legs and feet, covering myself as much as possible. Guy was an old friend of my parents, but I didn't know him that well and it felt a little strange wearing so little in his presence.
He looked at me still a little seriously and held up the video. I just smiled back as best I could looking a little puzzled and said.
"What's that?"
"It's a video Isabelle."
"Oh, is it for me?"
He smiled wryly and went on.
"Well, it's something I want you to see."
"Erm really, is it a film?"
He looked at me suddenly quite sternly and then he noticed the half empty gin bottle on the table along with the ashtray full of butts and looked back at me without smiling and I felt a little uneasy and blushed slightly.
"Well it's no epic, but it does change things dramatically."
I watched in puzzlement as he leant over to the TV and put the tape in the player. I was genuinely a bit confused by now and a little nervous, I really didn't know what to expect. He sat back and looked directly at me, not the screen, watching my reaction. I looked blankly at the screen which was just black apart from a timer and date up in the corner, which I noted had yesterday's date. Then the screen flickered in a flash of light and the shop was illuminated, and my heart sank as I watched myself walk into the shop. My mouth opened and my heart pounded, and I nearly wet myself. I knew how this film ended. I glanced at Guy who was still staring at me looking stern. I sighed as I watched the inevitable scene play out on the screen. There I was plain as day stealing from his shop.
"The shop has a security camera you know! Well, evidently I'm guessing you didn't know, we only put it on at night in case of intruders, and look who is intruding, little Miss Edgar my very own lodger helping herself to my drink and cigarettes!"
I blushed like mad and covered my face with my hands out of shame and tried to apologise.
"I'm so sorry, Guy, the door was open..."
"...and!"
"I know, I know, I'm so sorry, I was going to pay for the items."
"Precisely why I left it until the end of the day just in case you might manage to come down the stairs and do just that, but no, you are here all day nursing your hangover no doubt."
I went a bit cold and just swallowed.
"Look at me when I am talking to you Isabelle!"
He said sharply. I looked up at him blushing deeply still, my stomach in knots, I had never felt so ashamed, I had never stolen anything in my life, and I couldn't believe I had been so stupid even though I had been so upset at the time and clearly not thinking straight, and I just said sorry again.
"OK, today is Tuesday, I want you out by the end of the week, gone. Clear?"
I started to shake a little in total fear. That would be the end of college, and what the hell would I tell my parents? I sat up and leant forward and began pleading with him, and I actually clutched my hands together almost praying as I pleaded with him.
"Please Guy, I am so, so, sorry, my boyfriend dumped me, and I really wasn't thinking straight, I was in a complete mess, and I was a bit drunk, I have never done anything like this before, and I certainly won't do anything like this again. Please give me another chance."
He seemed to soften slightly as he looked at me appearing so pathetic. He sat back in his chair and glanced at the cigarette packet.
"Pass me a cigarette please Isabelle."
"Sure!"
I said, anxiously grabbing the packet and passing him one as he leant over to me and then sat back again. I grabbed the matches and shakily struck one and had to stand and step over to him and held the trembling flame out towards him as he inhaled. He studied me as I stood there not knowing what to do, and he glanced down at my bare legs and feet, as he breathed in deeply and slowly let the smoke out again and said.
"What would your parents say about this I wonder?"
"Oh Christ, they would kill me! Please don't tell them, it won't happen again, please, I'll do anything, just don't throw me out, please don't tell them!"
I couldn't believe the panic I was in, shaking like a leaf, and the tears gathering in my eyes as his outline misted over in front of me.
