I got the idea of this story as I walked down my lane taking Tink for a walk and looking at the cars that would pass me. Let me know what you think.
Tilly
Amy looked down at her hands and remembered an old teacher explaining to her once, that as you grow older the elasticity goes in your skin. As you age, he had said, when you pinch the back of your hand the skin will stay in that pinched state for an ever increasing amount of time. She had always smiled at this thought and from time to time had pinched the back of her hand to reassure herself that the skin indeed jumped back into place and aging was in the future. She also remembered how sad she had felt, that on her thirtieth birthday she was sure it had taken longer to bound back to its youthful form and in the years since, the recoil indeed had slowed down. Now there was little skin to pinch and if it didn’t bruise it was a bonus. He had not warned her about that now, had he!
Her hand now was skeletal with thick blue raised veins passing through the age spots that littered her frail and arthritic fingers. That is when she could see them. Her eyes were as bad as her skin, aging and failing. Another amusement flickered across her face, could you say failing eyesight was an upside to getting old? Not being able to see your true reflection in the mirror was a good thing in her opinion! The better vision was kept in her minds eye.
She looked out of the car window and her heart fluttered as it often did when they passed the big old oak the place where it happened, all those years ago.
It had been a very cold, wet and bitter winter but Amy had loved it. Gone from her life was the idiot of a man and the father of her two children, she had rented a very small and quaint cottage and she and the children were having a ball.
Rushing from work one lunchtime, to take the dog out for a walk. The snow and ice had begun to slowly melt and everywhere was a muddy mess. It was still cold but the sun was out and the hint of spring could just be smelt on the air. They had just left the house when Elli, who owned the cargo business just around the corner had slowed down to have a word but traffic on both sides of the one track lane, could not wait for a conversation to take place. As the cars passed Amy put her hand up in a phone position and mouthed ‘I’ll give you a call’ and carried on with her walk. She envied the trendy car owner. She had a tranquil location for her growing business, two fun children who wanted for nothing but most of her envy was for her new friend’s gorgeous and very smiley husband.
She often saw him taking the children to school or with their friends going off somewhere even at lunchtime he would pass her while she was out for a walk. He would always give her a warm smile and wave. He never looked grumpy. Amy often wondered how easy life would be without the burden of the school or social runs, how nice it must be to share that time consuming travel. She had been made to feel it was her responsibility alone and often found herself frazzled and without a social life.
She had never spoken to him or met him in person; to be honest she had avoided anything to do with him and when ever she talked to his wife, she would steer the conversation away from the subject of partners, in fear of giving away how she felt about Ellie’s husband. Her close friends knew she liked a guy but not who. Not that they knew Ellie or her husband she supposed, but you never know in a small village like theirs. She didn’t even know the man’s name; he could be a moron for all she knew, she liked the daydream of him so she kept him a secret.
Amy was now walking in that dream world of shared responsibility and the comfort that it could bring. How pleasant parenthood would be with the right man in her life.
Enjoying, as she always did the walk with Buddy. The breeze chilled her face making it tingle and the sun’s beams gave a glow to the countryside around her, adding to the reflective sate of her mind. She had reached the big old oak at the top of the hill, which marked the start of the trendy and very friendly couple’s property. It was then she heard a shout of welcome which startled her. She looked up and was completely thrown as the man of her thoughts started to walk towards her. Buddy Boy rushed to meet and greet pulling her off balance; she slipped on some ice and landed in a puddle of the thickest coldest mud she had ever felt. Mud squelched through her buttock cheeks. Marvellous! She thought. Here stands Mr Trendy the first time I ever gets to meet him and where am I, looking sexy with my arse covered in mud, legs akimbo! She pulled to free her hand from the gloopy mess that acted like sinking sand. As her hand was released mud splattered everywhere making more of a mess. Her hair was in her eyes and as she tried to wipe it away with her coat sleeve, ended up smearing the mud all over her forehead and most of her face.
Embarrassed and flustered she scrambled desperately trying to salvage any dignity she could from the situation but the gloop had sucked her bum so tight she couldn’t move. Buddy Boy was now excitedly licking her to encourage her to get up. Mud flung from his paws and tail as the young Great Dane got more and more excited at his owners joy of mud.
Amy pleaded in her mind for the immaculate dressed icon of her daydreams, to stay away from the calamity but she could already smell his aftershave. Her knees turned to jelly as the heady aroma of him rendered her fight to free herself a futile struggle. Amy was not the type who was normally given to romanticise and of all the days to dip into the dream world she chose now!! Great Amy, just bloody great! A married man, you like his wife and you have to give up your soul and dignity to have a quick fantasy. His worth it though! Get a grip Amy! She tried to snap herself out of it and to control her thoughts. As he stretched out his hand to help her, she could see white cuffs poking through the sleeves of his tailored suit, with exquisite cufflinks and she was horrified.
‘No, No don’t worry you’re suit will get ruined, honestly I’ll, I’ll be fine. I just need to get a proper hold of something’ mostly of my mind. Focus Amy!
‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to get out of this on your own.’ He lifted his eyebrows as amusement tippled from them down to his now smiling mouth. He was some sweet sweet eye candy…. If Amy had any bootstraps, where ever they were, she was tugging on them to pull back her decorum out of this mess but was more probably tying them together, tripping her dignity further from grace.
‘Don’t fuss about the suit.’ He stated this with that good humoured and calm manor. Straddling the puddle he grabbed her under her arms and was gaining some headway until he looked down and saw the face Amy was making. Buddy now sniffing on top of her head frothing at the mouth with excitement, then looking intently at him liked him with gusto, he began to laugh. Buddy boy bounded around him, covering him in mud. At this moment, lost in the slobber he lost his grip on her and she sloshed back into her mud bath. Even though she felt soar and self-conscious she couldn’t help laughing too. Buddy had a way of doing that spreading fun. He looked so ungainly, gangly legs going in all directions loving life.
Amy now took her coat off turned it inside out so they could at least have something other than mud to hold onto. Flinging the over half to her knight of the mud puddle so they could tug her out. Slowly they pulled but as her bottom was extracted from the mire it squelched the sound that you get from a really good Sunday trifle. The noise had them in a fit of giggles. He lost his grip and she lost the will to live. Buddy was in seventh heaven at the new game they were playing, mud flew through the air with exuberance from his tail and paws.
Cars were going past and Amy though embarrassed and bruised decided to enjoy the experience after all it’s not every day you see a woman in a muddy puddle surrounded by an excited elegant blue Great Dane covered in mud with his front paws on the shoulders of a suited man as though they were waltzing.
They took a breather for a second or two to calm Buddy down and in that time Amy began to shiver with the cold and the increasing pain. At the third attempt, with Amy twisting and turning she was finally free. The exertion had irritated her injury and as he held her, she had turned into a silent trembling manikin. The lingering and much appreciated warm embrace brought a deep colour to her cheeks. What it is to hold your daydream she inwardly smiled and closed her eyes.
He was apologising for causing all this trouble as he rubbed her to get her warm. She told him he had more than compensated for just saying a polite ‘hello’. Anyhow, it was her fault for daydreaming.
Introducing himself, Chris insisted on taking her back to her house. It was the least he could do, he said. He supported her all the way back to his house, which was quite a distance. They came to the converted barn and Amy was surprised to see that it was separate to the old and elegant thatched house. From the road they looked joined. They went through a walled garden gate and entered a large orangey.
He got a throw from one of the wicker sofas and wrapped her up to keep her warm and found another for Buddy to dry off with. Rushed and found some painkillers. Had changed into more casual clothes picked up his car keys and another throw and helped Amy out and into his car. Bloody hell, he was going to take her back in his lovely brand spanking new car, in this state! With Buddy too, she hopped Buddy would be good. Buddy just lay down in the back and went to sleep. Amy breathed with relief.
Now driving along in his masculine and robust county vehicle she could feel the pain rise in her Coccyx. With each bump they took, a sharp reminder of her fall, without grace pinged. Perhaps the pain will concentrate her mind she hoped as she knew not whether her body or mind was the muskiest. When they got back to her home he insisted making her a coffee while she showered.
She slowly went upstairs and felt excitedly foolish. As she stepped into the shower her sensibilities came back. She could not and would not fling herself at a married man no matter how desperate she was but she was not certain her arms or the rest of her body would comply. It was a sad fact but a true one! She had castigated her ex for not having morals now she had to walk the talk she gave him. Bloody morals!
Here she was with the man of her many dreams making a very concerted effort not to do the very thing that was done to her, two wrongs don’t make a right choice or a happy one, Amy! Maybe not but they would make for exciting times, she deserved exciting times. Five minutes of pleasure for a lifetime of regret was not worth it. How about a life time of fun?
She jumped out of her skin when he knocked on the door making her foolish quarrel evaporate.
‘Are you ok?
‘Er, Yep!’
She was now out of the shower and looking in the mirror and marvelled at the great big bruise that was forming across the small of her back and down her right thigh. There must have been a branch or something as it looked gruesome, no wonder it hurt so much.
‘Ready for your coffee?’
‘Oh, I’ll just get dressed and be down in a mo.’ she groaned with every movement.
‘Sounds as if you have hurt yourself ’
‘Must have had a branch or something in the puddle, I’ve got a big bruise forming on my bum’
‘Can I see?’ A long pause came into the atmosphere of possible innuendo. Was there humour in his voice or had her daydream got the better of her? She wished he hadn’t said it though; her imagination had gone into over drive. Should she reply?
‘I don’t think you’d want to see’
‘Oh I think I do’ He was, he was flirting with her! Ecstasy tinged with outrage.
‘Think its best kept well hidden believe me’
‘Oh I won’t take your word for it, I have to see for myself to believe it’ Bubbles of delight dance all over her. The joy of flirtation has to come to a stop! Ok Mrs. Sensible.
‘well ya gonna have to take my word for it!’
‘Shame’ he chuckled ‘but do you need to go to the doctors to get it checked out?’
Deflation was a sucking sensation and her ego ebbed out of view. She felt barren of womanhood, silly, foolish and close to tears. He was just being a concerned gentleman not flirtatious. Life’s’ a bit of a bugger really, she told herself.
Covering her faux pas she answered his question. ‘Nar just bruised ego, nothing major’
‘Ok I’ll go and leave you in peace.’
Amy finished dressing, the warm shower and the tablets were having an effect. Going to her room which was across from the bathroom, her bedroom door was open and the ironing board was in full display with clothes stacked on it nearly as high as the ceiling. Buddy’s bones and toys littered the small landing. What must he have thought?
Now she would have to face the embarrassment of it all. Fall from grace, faux pas and untidiness. This day was going to be marked up as one of the worst embarrassing times, ever. She gingerly went down stairs dressed in old jogging bottoms as they were the only comfortable option she had. No time to do her long hair so had quickly put it up but bits hung loose as her uncontrollable curls always fought to do their own thing. Nearly falling down the stairs jolted the injury once again, he came running to find her and helped her to sit at the kitchen table. It was no good the hard chairs hurt too much. Trying to get up to move Chris could see her discomfort and immediately jumped to her aid again. He held her around the waist as they manoeuvred through the narrow doorways to the sitting room. She tried to hide how she felt about him? The softness and warmth of his body was worth the pain she thought you bad, bad woman Amy!! She laughed to herself.
‘What’s funny?’ He asked. He held her hands as she lowered herself into the sofa. Looking for the first time into his clear blue eyes it was his way that seduced her. His way of being, calm, gentle and relaxed. Letting go of his hands she melted into the form of the soft comfy cushions. Took a deep breath and took a sip of the excellent coffee he handed her and purred inwardly. Avoiding eye contact and his question.
‘I’m so sorry’ He said with a tenderness she had never really experienced.
‘What could she say, what should she say? Floundering she took another sip of the delicious coffee and smiled deeper.
‘It wasn’t your fault. I was daydreaming I should have been more alert.’
‘Daydreaming about what?’ he asked she went red and put her head down quickly. ‘Sorry that was rude, I didn’t mean to pry’ he started to chuckle
Oh please stop, she inwardly pleaded. It was the way his mouth parted and he looked sideways that turned her on the most, the tone of his face and the meaning within his eyes that made her want to throw her morals out of the lovely sunny window where they could dance on the fresh air and leave her alone with. Stop right there sunshine!!! She pulled herself up by the scruff of her neck metaphorically speaking.
‘About going to somewhere warm for a holiday’, she lied ‘I feel such a fool’ there she had done it got over the crippling school girl crush and entered adulthood where she could put intense feelings to bed, she shouldn’t have used that term ‘to bed’ as that’s exactly what she wanted to do!! Bugger!
There was a knock on the door and in walked Elli. Amy’s heart was pounding and felt sure the lust she felt for Elli’s husband was written in her face. If you had any sense you would take your husband out of the clutches of this wanton hussy Amy shouted in her head but all she managed outwardly was a weak smile.
‘Are you ok Amy’ she asked with true concern. More than I deserved to be, Amy told herself.
‘Yep just a little taken a back more embarrassed than anything.’
‘You look dreadful, whitish gray.’
‘Glad I have Fridays afternoon off, but honestly I’ll be fine, just have to rest I gues.’
Please take your husband home or I won’t be responsible for my actions.
‘I think it would be a good idea if you stayed for a while Chris.’ Chris nodded his agreement.
‘How about if we got the kids together and we had dinner this evening’ they both looked at Amy. Do you fancy, Chinese?’ She asked.
Amy was a little confused to who or what was being asked. But Elli was not waiting for an answer anyhow. ‘I’ll pick all the children up and take them back to mine. Chris was smiling and nodded like a secret conversation had just taken place. She beamed at Amy. Then like a whirlwind of excitement she was gone.
Amy felt as if she had her mouth wide open so she closed it, how bazaar! Why the sudden rush with excitement? Uncomfortably she shifted.
‘Are you ok about me staying? Or would you rather I left you alone? Though I think she’s right about me staying for a while. My sister runs at full speed not really accounting for other people thoughts or feelings some times, takes control, her hearts in the right place though.’
Amy coughed her shock. Had she heard right ‘his sister?’
‘Oh Elli is your sister?’
‘Yep, He looked confused and looked at her face intently. Why, who did you think she was?
‘Your wife’
It was his turn to splutter; he laughed and looked at her with his amused gentle face. ‘Why married?’
‘Oh’ Amy looked up and saw that smile that she swooned for.
‘Living at the same place, both of you taking the same children to school, that sort of thing.’
‘Ah, I see, yes that would do it I guess. Elli does have a habit of not fully explaining herself.’ Could she see a hint of a blush on his face? He looked awkward, shy and bashful with a hint of a guilty secret. He slowly sat down next to her. He chuckled with reverberating pleasure.
‘What’s the secret?’
‘Oh I’m so going to love to tell her this one’.
‘What’s the secret?’ She persisted. He looked at her with those blue eyes that refreshed her soul.
‘What secret?’
‘The secret that’s written all over your face, I have to tell you I’m an expert at extracting the truth.’ She could see the embarrassment build up and decided to give him a little time before he told her.
‘I won’t let you tell Elli about me reading your relationship wrong, I’d be too embarrassed. I feel stupid enough as it is! And I’ve changed my mind. it was all your fault I ended up in a cold muddy puddle legs akimbo with people laughing at my expense and a big old burse on my bum that really really hurts’ she put on her hurt face.
‘I can’t promise not to rub it in a little, the relationship you had supposed, not your bum, though I would, rub your bum that is. She was supposed to be helping me out not miss leading you. They could hear the children excitedly coming in.
‘Helping you out?’ Amy hated riddles yet loved them all the same, they vexed her but Chris jumped up as Katie came running in.
‘Mum you ok??’ Her teenage daughters face was full of anxiety as Amy winced when she tried to move as Andy came swaggering in. Seventeen suited him.
‘I’m fine, just a big fat bruised ego’
‘You tell us to look out for potholes’ He chastised in his ever deepening voice.’ and to take our earphones out when we’re walking on the road, what was your excuse? Have you seen the state of Buddy?’
Amy rolled her eyes at her own words being used against her and smiled at her son’s obvious enjoyment. Ellie said you needed time; he looked at Chris and then back down to his mum and added…to recover, so we’re going to Ellie’s house, no worries about T we’re having Chinese. Oh’ He now articulated slowly ‘Elli’s brother will be staying with you to make sure your ok!’ Loaded with innuendo that was as subtle as a sledgehammer he nodded affirmation to Amy. Bemused she looked into those meaningful eyes full of youth and the beginnings of understanding. ‘So we will leave you in piece for a couple of hours or more, so you can….. you know rest!’ Ellie’s boys were laughing with him as they all bundled out of the small room.
Amy just shook her head. They could hear the draws being opened and pilfered. Awkwardly they looked at each other as Ellie’s shout came as a goodbye. With loaded whispers, shuffles and laughs ‘oh and we’re taking Buddy’ slamming doors barking and then quiet as the car drove away.
Chris sat down next to Amy and silently chuckled to himself shaking his head. ‘Ellie rang me so I could meet you casually while you were on your walk. Don’t suppose this as done my chances any good at all.’
‘Chances?’
‘I’ve been trying to get to meet you for weeks; this was not what I had in mind though. Ellie said you were quite evasive but thought you liked me’ He turned to face her ‘I’ve been admiring your smile for a long time’.
‘Oh I’ve been having an affair with you for quite a while now. Hence the evasion’ She couldn’t believe she had just said that, her innermost thoughts blurted out in that way. Slowly his arm pulled her towards his soft succulent chest and she melted towards him.
‘An affair?’
‘Oh, just a daydream one, which is just as bad really. I like your sister.’
He laughed at her way of thinking. She looked beneath her hair trying to hide. What on earth must he think of her now?
‘Would you have had an affair with me?’
‘It made a great daydream but I know from bitter experience that it would’ve turned into a nightmare for everyone.’ She looked sadly sideways on at him as he squeezed her softly and kissed the top of her head.
‘Can we still have an illicit affair?’ He smiled down kissing her forehead. ‘I was married once’
‘Oh there is a dark side to you, what with your sinister secrets?’ Their humour made his face glow. She wanted to see more of that glow and be part of the making of it.
‘Fine one to talk Lady of the daydream affair.’ Just as she opened her mouth to retaliate he kissed her.
As Amy looked across the back seat of the car at that man she fell in love with those sixty years ago she laughed to herself he had always shut her up that way ever since, even in front of the children and he had this afternoon. It was expected of him really, his party trick and it always took her by surprise even after all these years, how silly but oh how splendid. He squeezed her hand as he often did as they passed their spot. They looked at each other both knowing what the other thought, as that day had indeed gone down in family history, discussed from every angle and view point. Their affair had lasted all these years. Exciting each other like lovers would, making each other laugh and crying together has kept them strong. All through life’s trials and tribulations of which there had been many, life can be sad she thought. As you grow old you see many things that make you sad, everything changes but is always constant. Humans don’t rally change much, what ever century you belong to. Would she want time to stand still? If time had stood still, in that endlessness they would never have seen their children grow nor had any of the pleasure of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. On that day, that fateful day she had wondered what it must be like to have that man by her side with the smiles, wonderful suits and the lifestyle of the trendy couple. As they sat on that sofa she can remember thinking as though it had happened a few days ago, that she wanted to grow old with him. Well now she had.
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