“I’ll only be away for two days,” my wife said. She had already spent ages explaining how her mother had asked that she come up and help her with the Christmas shopping now that her own eyes had become so bad.
“I don’t mind, honestly. With all the food in the freezer I could last a month.”
“Now, are you sure you don’t mind?”
I was thinking, “
What part of the word ‘No’ don’t you understand?
” but only replied,
“Really Wendy, I don’t mind. I have a load of things to catch up on for work and you will enjoy the break.”
She left after lunch on the Friday and telephoned me about three hours later to say she had had a good journey and had arrived ten minutes ago. It stopped me worrying and I made some coffee.
I don’t know about other men but although I love my wife dearly, I do enjoy the odd evening alone. They are evenings of my choices: how much to drink, whether to stay in or go out and which programs to watch on TV. I opened a nicer bottle of Chilean Merlot and prepared a light meal before settling down in front of the early evening news with a plate on my lap.
The next couple of hours passed pleasantly as I read and sipped at the wine until about nine o’clock when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find my elderly and evidently, agitated, neighbour looking up at me.
“Oh, John. I don’t like disturbing you but the overflow on my water tank is running constantly and, as you fixed it last time, I was hoping you could do the same again. I really am sorry to bother you.”
I raise a hand, “ It won’t take a minute Mary and don’t fret, I don't mind at all.”
Closing my own door behind me I led Mary back to her house, collecting a stepladder from my garage en route. I expected the problem to be the same as before – a sticking ball cock valve on the header tank and it was. A few sharp up-and-down actions of the lever arm and the thing functioned properly again and the water stopped streaming from the feed pipe.
“There, it’s OK now," I said, climbing down the ladder to join the old lady at its foot. However, since I had ascended a second face had joined the old lady’s. It was a similar, but younger and a much prettier face framed in straw coloured hair.
“ You know Cathy, don’t you John?”
“ Of course, but it must be six or seven years since I last saw you.” I stammered as I took the proffered hand and starred into the most beautiful cornflower blue eyes.
She smiled naughtily, making her face even more beautiful and took a little too long to pull her hand away from mine. I followed the two women down into the hall and was about to say goodbye when Mary asked,
“If your wife won’t miss you for ten minutes I will make you a coffee. Please go through to the lounge.”
“Actually, she’s gone to her mothers’ for the weekend,” I responded automatically as she disappeared into the kitchen
“If you don’t have to go straight away then let me get you something stronger,” laughed Cathy. That twinkle was still in her eye.
In the main room I sat in the chair she indicated and she took the one opposite me. She examined me quizzically and with some amusement as I nervously adjusted my position in the chair.
I had not really known Cathy very well. We had moved into the house next door to her mother the year after she had married and moved out, although I had seen her to speak to when she visited her mother.
I had not realised that she was actually staying with her mother at the moment.
“You are just visiting, are you Cathy?” I asked.
“You haven’t heard have you John? I am single again and I am staying with mum until I find a place of my own.”
“ I am sorry,” I said and left it at that.
The coffee arrived and Mary sat down.
“Are you not having one, Mary?” I asked.
Cathy volunteered, “ The truth is John, Mum is usually in bed at this time and had already taken her sleeping tablet when we called you. The excitement has kept her awake but she will be asleep any minute now.”
Speaking to her mother she said, “Go on up Mum, John won’t mind.”
“Do you mind if I go, John?” Mary asked by way of confirming Cathy's statement, “Only I will drop off if I don’t go soon.”
“Please, don’t mind me. Go on up. I’ll be off just as soon as I have drunk this.”
I took another gulp of coffee. She apologised again and left Cathy and I alone.
We sat drinking in silence watching the, until then, unnoticed TV when Cathy said,
“I’ve sat here every night for the last week on my own watching TV. It is nice to talk to someone after nine o’clock.” she laughed again and her blue eyes sparkled.
“If you don’t have to get back, would you like a glass of wine?” she rose to fulfil the order without waiting for my reply.
“That would be nice,” I said to her departing back.
Moments later she returned complete with bottle and glasses and placed them on the mantelpiece above the fire. She picked up a box of matches and lit candles in the hearth and others scattered around the room before switching off the main electric lights.
The fire, despite being gas, was a realistic log fire which, together with the candles, made the room feel cosy and intimate and I began to get very comfortable in my soft chair.
Sitting on the hearthrug before me, Trudy poured two glassfuls of wine and offered one to me. I took it and thanked her. She smiled again, said nothing and leaned back onto the chair behind her, sipping slowly at the red liquid in her glass.
We watched the TV again and I was able to steal glances at her, unnoticed. She was tall and slim and the designer, blue denim jeans looked made-to-measure. Her top was a simple cotton semi- translucent shirt with small white pearl buttons down the front. Several of the top ones were unfastened so that I could see a low cut white bra that held apricot breasts which rose and fell rhythmically. She was elegant, right down to her tiny pale ankles.
