Madeleine meets Cassie
It was lunch time at university and Madeleine was sitting on her own at a table in the refectory, eating a sandwich, and reading a textbook.
"Hello," said a voice from above. Madeleine looked up at the girl who had just approached her table, and the girl went on to say, "Could I talk to you for a moment, please?"
"Sure," replied Maddy. "Sit down," she offered with a welcoming hand gesture. When the girl was seated, Maddy said, "You're Cassie aren't you - Jake's ex-girlfriend?"
"Yes, that's right" replied Cassie, and Madeleine saw her eyes become watery, as if she might cry any moment.
"I'm sorry, Cassie", said Madeleine, briefly covering her hand, as she realised it must have been the 'ex-' that upset her. "That was thoughtless of me. It looks like you still carry a flame for him, huh?"
Cassie
was
close to tears, as Madeleine had guessed, and simply nodded her head in agreement, and then looked down in embarrassment. Then, after a pregnant silence, during which time Madeleine simply waited, Cassie eventually composed herself and was able to say, "I was a silly, silly girl, Maddy. For two whole years we were madly in love, and then, when we thought it was time to take the next step, I buggered it up because I didn't know what to do."
"Are you up for a bit of girl-talk?" asked Madeleine.
"Sure!" said Cassie. "I don't really know why I came over to your table, but deep down I was hoping you wouldn't give me the cold shoulder. I'd love to talk - thank you."
"Okay, well since we're prick relatives, let's not beat around the bush..."
Cassie interrupted her by repeating the words: "Prick relatives?"
Madeleine laughed and said, "That's an old saying of my father's. It means either, two women who have shared the same prick, you know, cock, or two guys who have had sex with the same woman."
"Oh, I see," replied Cassie, "So it
is
serious between you and Jake. I mean, you
are
having sex?"
"I don't know about being
serious
, but yes, we're having sex... well, at least some of the time. Most of the time we,
make love -
much better description!" said Madeleine, and then noticed Cassie's eyes well up again. "What's wrong, Cassie?"
"I'm sorry, Maddy. I'm being silly. I suppose you just confirmed what one of my girlfriends told me - you really
are
his new girlfriend."
"What did your friend tell you?" asked Madeleine.
"That she saw you and Jake walking arm around waist, and then stop in a private corner and have a cuddle and kiss - according to her, not just a hello-goodbye type of kiss, but the real thing. I know you're in fifth year and Jake's in second year, so I was hoping you two were just friends, until she told me that, but then you can't trust gossip, so I wanted to hear it from your own lips, and I just did," and this time a tear did escape her eye, and ran down her cheek.
Madeleine leant across the table and wiped the tear away with her thumb and said, "You're quite right in not taking your friend's gossip as gospel. She probably did see what she said she saw. Jake is a very warm person and likes to cuddle, and with him I enjoy it too, but we don't do it in public because we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. I didn't actually say, to you, that we were. All I admitted to was the sex."
"I don't understand," said Cassie, desperately wanting to, because something in what Madeleine just said suggested there might still be a chance for her.
"Jake and I met in the library, and then kept bumping into each other there. We became friends and started having coffee together in our breaks, but as you quite correctly pointed out, I'm four years older than he is - I had a gap year, in case you are wondering - so it's just friendship, but we do have one thing in common."