Love at the watermill (closed for wrytersyren and myself)

[Elision]

Tom tightened his tie as he walked down the stairs, his jacket lazily draped over his forearm. He picked up his car keys from the table by the front door and made his way outside. The spring air was fresh in his nostrils and the sun's weak rays were far from their peak at this time of the morning, but the birds sang pleasantly in the trees overhanging his small lawn, so he forgave the slight chill in the morning breeze. Opening his car's door, he threw his jacket onto the passenger seat and bid farewell to his little house by the river once again. Starting the engine and pulling out of his narrow driveway, he thanked his dedication to education; he now had a very good and secure job in the city, which had allowed him a few extravagances, the converted watermill on the edge of the village of Bournehampton being one of them.

The short drive to pick up his daily paper formed the next part of his weekday routine and as he parked up in the leafy lane next to the shop, he wondered what the day's headlines would hold. Making his way into the shop, he grabbed a copy of the Times and joined the queue for the till, fumbling momentarily in his pocket for the right change and then remembering that he had to pick up his magazine subscription at the end of the week. His turn at the till came, so he paid promptly and hurried back to his car. Heading over the bridge and out of the village, Tom set his mind to the journey ahead. No doubt the roads would be jammed with commuters just like him, but he was willing to pay this price for his dream home. All it needed now was a woman's touch.

The countryside rapidly changed into urban sprawl as he headed south into London and the roads were predictably choked with irate cabbies, parents on the school run and eighteen wheel monstrosities, belching their diesel fumes into everyones lives. Tom flipped on the radio for the travel report, which confirmed what he already knew, long delays were expected everywhere. Eventually the traffic crawled far enough for him to pull into the car park of High Barnet tube station and find a place to park. Locking the car, Tom slipped into his jacket and made his way to the platform. He flashed his rail pass at the station guard and made his way onto the already crowded platform, just as the train opened its doors, inviting the many passengers inside. Although it was still fairly early, you had to be a little lucky to get a seat and today, lady luck was smiling. Settling down he snapped open his paper and buried his nose in it, devouring the meat of the stories that the headlines had promised earlier. The train pulled away from the platform and bounced its way along the tracks as it usually did, being accompanied by at least one MP3 player being played too loud. Stop after stop drifted by until the train finally arrived at Goodge Street, disgorging its passengers onto the platform in a bustle of hustle. Tom tucked his paper under his arm and made his way to the stairs as best he could in the crush of bodies that is the rush hour.

 

[wrytersyren]

"Here you are Mrs. Sampson" Andrea said smiling as she handed the bagful of groceries to the elderly woman at the counter. "And I do hope Mr. Sampson is feeling much better. Give him my best, will you?"

Andrea smiled to herself as the aged woman waddled her way out of the shop. She had known the couple for as long as she had known herself. Bournehampton had been her home since birth, aside from a year and few months at Polytechnic College Andrea had never really been anywhere else. in the city Andrea had never really been anywhere else. She loved the quiet homely atmosphere of the quaint little countryside community, tucked far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As a child, Andrea had always helped her parents in their mini grocers at the edge of the village, so it was only natural the she had taken over once they had retired. While others may think she had wasted her life away in the small town, fact of the matter was she loved her life. The best part of her job was being able to see her neighbors and chat with them when ever she could. She knew almost everything about their lives, their joys, their sorrows. She found it fascinating the things people would reveal about themselves, if they found someone who was willing to listen.

At the sound of the door chimes jingling, Andrea's head snapped up.

"Right on time." she murmured to no one in particular as she glanced up at the clock on the wall.

Every morning promptly at seven-thirty, he'd come into the shop dressed to the nines in his dark suit and tie, to purchase a copy of the times. This one she hadn't quite figured out yet. Tom Walston was his name, that much she had learned from his magazine subscriptions. He had moved into the old watermill about a year and a half earlier, and still no one knew much about him, not even the best of the towns gossips. Andrea had him pegged as an intellectual and judging by his clothing and the car he drove, a very wealthy intellectual at that. His subscriptions to New Scientist and Astronomy, were a welcome change to the usual sport, auto and women's magazines she was used to seeing.

Andrea perked up as he stepped towards the counter, a cool distant look on his face. And what a face, Andrea marveled, as her eyes quickly scanned the well defined features of the man standing before her. She flashed a small smile, that went unnoticed as usual, before handing him his change. Stifling a sigh she watched as he left the shop. She wouldn't trade her quiet little life for anything in the world, but sometimes she couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be looked at by a man like that.

 

[Elision]

Tom finally made it into work and as he left the already noisy street, he was greeted by air conditioned calm. Signing in and exchanging a pleasant word with the receptionist, he sauntered over to the lift, pressed the button and waited for his 5th floor ride. The usual musak was playing in the lift, but he didn't have to endure it for too long. Stepping from the lift, his office was just a few paces down the drabbly coloured corridor and it wasn't long before he sat at his desk, listening to the faint hum of his PC as it stirred into life once more. The day was split into numerous meetings, so there wouldn't be much opportunity for any real work, but once the pontificating and posturing had been got out of the way, the real work could be done. The day passed as predictably as Tom thought it would and there were only two meetings that hadn't been brought to a satisfying conclusion, so they were rescheduled for conclusion tomorrow. On the plus side, the future's research had been mostly mapped out and at least Tom now had a sense of direction for himself and his team. Loosening his tie, he shut off his PC, tidied his desk and hurried for the door. If he was lucky he could make it home for somewhere near seven o'clock and that would give him more time to finish off the articles in his magazines, prepare a nice meal and maybe take a stroll before bedtime.

Slamming his front door behind him, Tom threw his keys on the table at the bottom of the stairs and cursed his luck. Flickng his gaze to the clock on the wall, it was quarter past eight and Tom cursed his luck once more, as well as cursing the tube train, the driver, his wife and their pet dog. Sighing loudly, Tom dragged himself into the kitchen and set about making himself some dinner. Throwing off his tie and loosening a few buttons, he rolled up his sleeves and got on with preparing a sweet & sour stir fry; it was quick and not much fuss to cook and that was just what Tom wanted right now. He flipped on the TV as he sat down with his meal and zoned out for a while, coming back to his senses when he realised that the place could do with some tidying up. So, forgoing his magazine articles for now, domestic chores stole the next hour of his life. At about ten o'clock he finally settled down with a whisky and a magazine, savouring the taste as he savoured the articles. Bedtime was soon upon him though and with a wistful thought concerning companionship, he turned his back on the darkened living room and trudged upstairs, bidding another day goodbye.

 

[wrytersyren]

"Still mooning?" Delia asked, noting the way Andrea's gaze followed Tom as he walked out the door. Turning to her friend, Andrea smiled at her teasing.

"Mooning over who? I've no clue what you're refering to." Andrea said brightly, before turningher attention to her next customer.

Delia stopped just in front of the counter on her way to restock the shelves, saying, "Who do you think you fooling Andrea? The man has been coming in this shop, everyday since he moved here. And everyday since then you get this wistful look on your face when ever you look at him."

Andrea stared openmouthed at her. " Don't try to deny it" Delia said quickly seeing the look on her face. "Why dont you just do like I said? Gather your courage and speak to the man."

Andrea closed her mouth before opening it again, a hot retort to Delias words dangling on the tip of her tongue. She thought the better of saying anything, realizing there were still a few early morning customers milling about in the store.

Without looking in her direction she said to Delia, "Don't you have work to do?".

"You know I'm right. I wouldn't hurt anything or anyone to talk to the man Andrea" she called over her shoulder, before walking away, and soft smirk on her face.

"Leave me be" was Andrea's only reply.

The rest of the day passed rather quicklyand without event, much like any other day. There was never a very steady flow of customers after the morning rush subsided, especially on a Tuesdays. Andrea wasnt bothered by the fact that her mornings were always busy, seeing as she was the last stop before the commute into the city. It usually gave her more time to relax in the afternoons, before she had to deal with the evening rush of housewives searching for that one special ingredient to make dinner that much more special.

All too soon it was closing time, bidding Delia farewell, Andrea made her way down the street. She hummed to herself as she strolled along, relishing the feel of the wind blowing across her face. This was always the best part of her day, the walk to and from the shop, surrounded by the silence of the early morning or late afternoon, her thoughts her only company.

As she made her way up the front porch of her small red brick cottage she smiled at the sight of her home. Stepping inside she closed the door behind her and slipped her shoes from her feet nudging beneath the hall table with her bare toes. After making a light meal, and watching the evening news on the telly, Andrea decided it was time for a warm bath and then bed. Even as she snuggled beneath her bed covers she wished she had someone to keep her warm instead.

 

[Elision]

Tom thumped his alarm clock into silence, flung back the duvet and swung his legs out of bed. He stumbled tiredly into the bathroom and with a yawn, turned on the shower. Stepping into the stream of hot water, he was brought abruptly awake and the soapy bubbles invigorated him for another day. Towelling himself dry, he makes his way downstairs into the kitchen and switches on the kettle for a cup of coffee; it wasn't his usual morning drink, but it felt like a coffee day. Being mostly dry when the kettle boiled, he made a cup and took it back upstairs with him, where he shaved and got dressed. Wednesday was dry cleaning day and so he packed up his dirty suits, ready to take them with him when he left for work.

With the boot loaded, Tom drove to the local shop for his morning paper. It wasn't crowded at this time of the morning, thankfully, which meant he could get in and get his paper quickly. There were things to do at work, things to finalise and people to brief and Tom's mind was on that this morning. The many and varied odours of the shop jostled for position as he entered and picked up his paper. Drawing out a pound coin from his pocket, he approached the till, raising his eyes from the type as he did so. Apart from the woman at the till, he was the only other person in the shop and she must've been happy for some reason, as she was smiling. Tom handed over his money, dropping his eyes to the headlines momentarily, looking back up as the till rang and holding out his hand for the change. Something drew his attention to that smile again, which was still very much in evidence and the woman's dark eyes twinkled, reflecting its good humour. Tom immediately thought that his flies might be undone and the paper dropped a little in his grasp, covering any further embarassment. He barely formed the word, "thank you", as he accepted his change and taking a step back, he turned and left the shop. Hurriedly. Settling into his seat in the car, Tom checked himself and finding that he hadn't embarassed himself in that way, thought back to what he might have done to provoke a smile. One thought crept into his mind, but he soon dismissed it; women didn't seem to think of him in that way, but she did have the most wonderful wavy chestnut brown hair he'd seen in quite a while. Anyway, work loomed and it certainly wasn't going to do itself, so Tom started the engine and set his course for North London.

 

[wrytersyren]

He had looked at her, he had actually, Andrea was sure of it. She stood silently behind the counter, her fingers trailing idly along her necklace, a small smile on her face. Maybe Delia was right, it wouldnt hurt if she tried talking to him. Then again, when she thought about it, the look he had given her wasnt exactly a come hither stare. But it was a look nonetheless, much better than him not acknowledging her presence at all like he had in the past. She couldn't get the image of him looking at her with those steel grey eyes, out of her head. There was something in those eyes of his when he had looked at her, something almost like shock or confusion. Perhaps he was shy, she thought to herself, had she make him uncomfortable by staring at him like an idiot with a big grin on her face.

Almost as quickly as the thought came into her mind she dismissed it, men that looked as good as Tom Walston did, were used to having women drool over them. maybe it was her, maybe he couldnt fathom why a plain jane like herself was looking at him as though she had a chance in hell at catching his eye. Scolding herself, Andrea banished the thought from her mind, she was attractive, in fact any man would be lucky to go out with her, what made him any different. With that final thought, she made up her mind. The next time he came into the shop she was going to talk to him.

 

[Elision]

For a change, everything had gone well at work; all the meetings had been conlcuded positively, the rest of the year's agenda was set and everyone new what they should be doing. For once, Tom had the opportunity to finish his newspaper on the train ride back to High Barnet, as opposed to finding stratagems for the problems of the next day. The train eventually reached the end of the line and tired looking people got up and walked to the exits. Whilst disembarking, Tom nearly bumped into a teenage goth; she was all black hair, black lips and black mood, but you could tell that she really was very pretty under all that makeup. Sat in his car, waiting for the car park to clear a little, Tom's thoughts drifted back to the dark twinkling eyes from this morning. Maybe he should pay more attention to the woman behind the counter, maybe he'd see that smile again; he wondered why he'd never really noticed her before, he had been living in Bournehampton for the last eighteen months and he had been buying his paper and magazines from her shop for all of that time. Dismissing that silly thought again, Tom turned the keys in the ignition and reversed from his spot, starting the drive home.

There was still plenty of light left in the day when he pulled into his driveway and he noticed that the lawn would need cutting again soon. The car popped and creaked as it cooled in the mild spring air and Tom sucked in a deep breath of clean country air. Sliding his front door key into the lock, he decided he was going to have a beer and sit on his patio tonight until the sun went down; some music would compliment that nicely too. After popping a lasagne in the oven, Tom threw open his patio doors, put some Radiohead on the stereo and sat outside in the last of the evening sun. The river idled its way past the bottom of his garden and the last of the day's insects buzzed and chirped their way to their resting places. Stretching out in his lounger, beer in hand, Tom felt at peace with the world; the music mingled with his thoughts and he frittered his time away watching the oranges and yellows of the evening sky deepen into blues, greens and finally purples. The feathery clouds high in the sky reflected the red of the dieing sun and the moon poked its silvery head over the hedge, steadily rising and bringing the stars, like errant school children, with it. The cooker pinged and Tom withdrew into his sanctuary. The music was nearly finished and Tom thought that it wouldn't be too long before the days would be warm enough to take a swim in the river, but not as warm as this lasagne, as he hastily reached for a glass of cold water. With a slightly burnt tongue, Tom decided to leave the washing up for the morning; so switching off the lights again, he retreated upstairs to his bed and another night of dreams.

 

[wrytersyren]

Andrea moved along the aisle slowly replenishing the shelves which were now almost devoid of canned fruit cocktail. God only knows why the canned fruit products were always the first to disappear from the shelves, she marveled as a passing thought. Andrea, herself, much preferred fresh fruit, but apparently her neighbors did not share the same enthusiam.

"Yes I will" Andrea mumbled to herself. She had spent the better part of the morning trying to convince herself that she would speak to Mr Walston whenever she saw him next. Mr Walston, even saying his name sent a shiver down her spine, it sounded so ... bold. Who was she kidding, a man like him would never give a woman like her the time of day. He was all big city slickness, power suits, fany cars and all, while she was quiet country days and stary nights. A more opposite pair had never existed, she didnt have a chance in hell.

"Enough!" Andrea scolded herself, running a hand furiously through her auburn hair. "The next time he comes in here, you are going to talk to him."

"Just who are you talking to love?"

The sound of Delia's voice, had Andrea spinning around so fast the she had to grab hold of the shelf behind her to keep from losing her balance, dropping a can just mere inches from her toe. After taking several deep breaths, Andrea opened her eyes to look at her friend, who was peering over the shelves at her in the next aisle.

"You startled me." Andrea said softly bending to retrieve the can she had dropped moments ago. Straightening, she smiled over at Delia before turning back to the shelves. "So did you collect the magazines?"

"No I didn't, they said the shipment may be late this month. But dont try changing the subject. Just who is this him that you're going to talk to the next time he walks in here?"

"What? Not again." Andrea groaned.

"Well? Who is this "him", little miss? Delia pressed.

"I've no clue what you're talking about" Andrea replied.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure you dont." said Delia, walking around the aisle until she was standing next to Andrea. "Let me guess, it's "the suit" is it?

"Dont you have work that needs doing?" said Andrea standing quickly after placing the last can on the shelf. She ignored Delia's use of their nickname for Tom Walston. He had been dubbed "the suit' by the two women shortly after he had moved into the village. Unlike all the other male residents who had one or two fancy suits that were usually worn only on special occassions, Tom Walston wore designer label suits every day.

"Yes I do but my boss wont mind if I start a bit late." She said following Andrea into the storeroom "Especially since im spending my time tending to her love life, or lack there of."

"Aww thanks Delia,You're such a good friend.." Andrea replied her voice dripping with mock appreciation "Dont you ever let up with all that?" she asked on a sigh.

"Nope, I dont. Because its true, you need some excitement in your life."

"I like my life the way it is, thank you. I dont need any added complications, like those that come with a relationship"

"Who said anything about a relationship? If thats not what your looking for fine. Why not have an affair or better yet a seduction. Now I'm sure you'd find "the suit" a willing participant if you ever found the nerve to approach him."

Andrea brushed past her friend as she heard the ringing of the door chimes. "I'm not listening to you, I have customers."

"Think about it, Andrea" Delia yelled after her.

"Would you stop already?" said Andrea, giggling at her friend "And get to work already."

Andrea dismissed Delia's words, knowing her friend was only thinking of her happiness how ever crazy and misguided her methods may be. But as she settled into bed alone once again later that night, she couldn't help but think delia might be on to a good idea.

 

[Elision]

Tom woke before his alarm that morning, stretching lazily under his duvet and yawning sleepily. He got halfway to the shower when it finally sounded, so he padded back, shut it off and headed back to the bathroom. He had a half day at work today and so he made plans as the water splashed on him. By the time breakfast was finished, he'd decided to mow the lawn and weed the backgrden this afternoon. Taking care of last night's washing up took a few minutes, but then Tom hit the work trail again, stopping off for his morning paper on the way.

Stepping into the shop, Tom's mind reached back to yesterday morning and the smile. Picking up his paper, he approached the counter, "good morning", he said with as much cheer as anyone can manage at that time of the morning. She smiled shyly he thought and as no hand came forth to accept his money, he put it down on the counter top. He looked away just as she looked up and by the time he'd flicked his gaze back she was busy with the till. Feeling a little confused, Tom accepted his change and the smile that came with it. Walking from the shop, he tried to make sense of what had happened; yesterday she smiled and today she had done too, but not in the same way. Obviously he was mistaken and put those thoughts from his mind. Starting the car and driving off, he focused his thoughts on the morning's work.

Stepping from the tube, he contemplated the morning's events at work; hectic sprang to mind. Hadn't they just sorted out the agenda? Anyway, he'd done what needed to be done and now he was going to enjoy his afternoon off. Driving back to Bournehampton was easy at this time of the day and he made good speed, but his sweet tooth was calling, so he decided to pull into the shop on the way home.

Straightening his tie, he pushed open the door of the shop and entered. The chimes sounded, announcing another customer to the owner, but nobody was behind the till. Unperturbed, Tom wandered in and went straight for the strawberries, his favourite when it came to sating his need for something sweet. Arriving at the fresh fruit section proved to be a little frustrating though. No strawberries. Tom's anticipation was cruelly blunted, but then, maybe they had some in the storeroom. Heading towards the door in the back wall, Tom called out, "Hello! Is there anyone there?"

 

[wrytersyren]

"Just a second, I'll be right out." Andrea called from somewhere in the depths of the storeroom. The sound of her muffled voice was soon followed by the sound of boxes crashing to the ground, "Goddamnit!!" she exclaimed before appearing at the doorway.

Hearing boxes crash to the ground, her customer stepped forward to see if any help was needed, but the Andrea appeared in the doorway before he had the opportunity to offer his assistance. "Uh. Hello", he said as he started to gesture towards the fruit section, "there's no fresh strawberries. Do you have some out there?" He pointed into the storeroom.

As she gazed up into his face she froze, there standing no more than two inches in front of her was none other than Tom Walston. What the devil was he doing here? she wondered. It took her a moment to realize he had spoken. "Um sorry what?" she said blinking at him "Oh strawberries .... uh right. Um ... I think... yes." She said on a deep breath. "I think i do have some. I'll just, i'll ...I'll get them for you," she said pointing over her shoulder before retreating into the sanctuary of the storeroom once more, knowing
that she had just sounded like a complete idiot.

 

[Elision]

Tom had obviously disturbed her, hence her odd and distracted manner. "Sorry to be a pain," he managed to call out, fairly feebly, "hope you didn't break anything back there on my account. I heard some crashing of boxes?" Well, that certainly wasn't an improvement over his previous words and he looked at his shoes waiting for a reply and feeling more than a little stupid.

"No, nothing broken I think. I was just startled is all," she called. "I should have been more careful," she said, coming back to the doorway where he stood waiting for her. "Here you are," she smiled handing him the container of strawberries he had requested.

There was that smile again. Not knowing quite what to do, he babbled something about getting some cream and that that was all that he'd come in for. Desperately trying to remember her name, he looked around a little, quite hopelessly, not knowing where the cream was.

 

[wrytersyren]

Why wasn't he leaving?, Andrea thought to herself suddenly anxious to have him gone. She didnt like the way her palms had grown moist at the sight of him nor the way her heart was fluttering in her chest. 'Was there anything else you needed?" she asked timidly, seeing the frown on his face as he glanced around the shop.

"Uh. Yeah. I need some cream," he said haltingly and indicated the punnet of fruit, "to go with the strawberries." He at least managed to step to one side to let her pass by.

"It's just over here" she said walking past him quickly. She knew the aisle and their contents by heart. Little had changed in terms of the layout of the store since her parents had been in charge. The cream was always in the seventh aisle against the wall, third shelf up in what passed as a freezer section, like all the other dairy products.

 

[Elision]

He couldn't help but look at her shapely legs as they receded down an aisle and he started suddely, remembering to follow. "Ah, thanks for this. I usually do my shopping out of town at one of those large supermarkets, but I just had to have some strawberries today." He was over explaining this and new it. He cursed his shyness.

She smiled at his words. "A sweet tooth huh? I've one of those myself," she said unsure as to why she had, she was never very good at small talk. "Well there you are," Andrea said turning around, realizing for the first time that he had followed her. "So... just pick which you want and bring it to the till and I'll ring you up, ok?" she rushed out in a single breath, before walking away from him as quickly as she could. She was babbling, she knew it, she always did when she was nervous. She decided she should say no more, Keep herself from looking like a complete ass in front of him.

"Thanks... Andrea," he said with relief at finally remembering her name. He picked up the first carton of cream his hand landed on and followed her to the till. Placing his items on the counter, he took out his wallet, withdrew a £10 note and handed it to her. He wanted to ask her how she indulged her sweet tooth, but couldn't find any words that seemed to fit. Resigning himself to a standard question, he asked, "i've got my monthly magazine bill to settle tomorrow, haven't I?"

 

[wrytersyren]

His monthly bill, oh yes she had almost forgotten. Had the month's end really come so quickly, she mused. "Mmhmm that's right she said as she quickly tallied his purchase bagged it and returned his change. "So I'll see you tomorrow then" she said softly, hoping she didnt sound too forward.

"You will," he said, before picking up his things and making his way over to the door.

She fought her hardest to keep back the faint blush that was now creeping up her cheek. "I sure hope so" she whispered as she watched him leave. As soon as he was out the door, she collapsed onto the counter, burying her head in her hands.

"I am such and idiot" she moaned to herself, thinking back to her behaviour only seconds earlier.

 

[Elision]

After getting home and putting his treat for later in the fridge, it was time to tend to the garden, so after getting changed, Tom was ready for action. The grass wasn't too badly overgrown, but with Spring advancing it would hit a growth spurt soon and then look very untidy because of it. Tom opened all the doors in the house to give it an airing and then headed to the shed for the mower. It was a nice afternoon, the sun was still high in the sky and it warmed his bare arms quickly. The usual hassle with untangling the power cable was quickly resolved and Tom took that as a good sign. The back garden wasn't too large, so it wouldn't take too much time, but he'd have to be careful about the river; it snaked along the bottom of the garden and then bent its way up the side of the house to where the old waterwheel dipped into it. The house and river were a spectacular sight in the Summer and that was what prompted Tom into buying it over the other houses he'd viewed a while back. He'd spent large parts of his youth in the countryside and loved it dearly and this house reminded him so much of those good memories that he just had to have it. Compared to this, the commute into work was easily worth it. After the garden at the back came the front and that was a five minute job at the most. The high hedge at the front of the house and on the opposite side to the river gave it a lovely feeling of seclusion and so Tom let it grow just that little bit more, solely for that purpose. After dropping off the cuttings on the compost heap, it was time for the weed killer and as he made his way back indoors to the sink for the water, the whole ground floor had that gorgeous aroma of fresh cut grass. It was time for some music too, so after slipping a CD into the stereo and cranking up the volume, out came the watering can, in went the weed killer and water and Tom was in the garden, making sure none of his plants were going to be choked by hideous weeds. Only the tidying up was left and with that done and the shed sealed again, at least for a few weeks, it was time for those strawberries.

Bowl and spoon were soon at the ready and with a mound of strawberries, liberally drenched in cream, it was time to savour the afternoon sun with more leisure. It wasn't until he got towards the end of his fruity delight that his thoughts, so delightfully distracted by the taste, texture and aroma of the strawberries & cream, drifted back to the shop earlier. And those legs. He wasn't quite sure exactly what it was about her legs, but they did curve superbly until they disappeared under the hem of her dress, which, now he thought about it, did cling exquisitely to her thighs and hugged her hips in a most suggestive manner, but only if someone was looking would they notice, and he had been looking. Staring down into his now empty bowl of strawberries, there was only a dribble of cream left, but he knew just exactly where he'd like to dribble it and exactly what he'd do after he had, but before things got out of hand, Tom decided it was time for some housework.

On went the dishwasher and in went some washing. The bed needed changing too and so it got attended to, but his thoughts strayed to the woman from the shop, every now and then, for the rest of the day.

The afternoon dwindled and the evening passed into night and as Tom nestled into his duvet that night, he found he was very much looking forward to buying his paper in the morning. Buying it from Andrea.

 

[wrytersyren]

Only minutes after her head connected with the cool counter top, the unexpected sound of the door chimes ringing had Andrea bolting upright. With her eyes still closed, she prayed it wasn't Tom walking back in, catching her in a most terrible pose.

"Why are your eyes closed?" came Delia's amused voice.

Opening one eye ever so slowly to peek at her friend, Andrea breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God. It's just you." she said opening her eyes fully, batting her eyelashes as her eyes adjusted to the lighting in the room once more.

"Well of course it's me. Just who did you think it was." Delia questioned.

"No one, I just..." Andrea racked her brain for an excuse that would justify her odd behaviour. The last thing she needed now was an inquisition from Delia. "I just hoped it wasn't one of my customers, seeing me lounging around on the job. Bad for business you know."

"Uh-huh, I see." Delia said her voice dripping with scepticism. "This behaviour of yours wouldn't have anything to do with "the suit", would it?

"No, not at all. Why would you ask a thing like that?" Andrea said turning away from her friend, not wanting her to see the bright flush that had crept into her cheeks.

"Oh I dont know, perhaps its because I saw him leaving the shop only seconds before I got here."

"Oh did you?" Andrea said trying to busy herself by tallying the amount of cash in the till.

"Yes I did, now why dont you just tell Delia what all this is about."

Walking around the counter, Andrea dismissively waved Delia off with one hand while clutching a stack of magazines to her with the other.

"There's nothing to tell Dee. He's just... a customer" Andrea sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders.

"Thats your problem, you know." Delia said slight annoyance in her voice. "You think life is so cut and dry. You know what you need? You need some excitement."

Andrea sighed, rolling her eyes.

Delia continued nonetheless. "You ought to have an affair. Better yet, you ought to have an affair with the suit." she declared.

"Delia!! Have you lost your mind?!" Andrea exclaimed, shocked by the suggestion. Though she wouldnt readily admit it, the thought of an intimate liason with the likes of Tom Walston sent shivers down her spine and had an old familiar heat spreading between her legs.

"No I haven't, I think I've just found it. I'm sick and tired of seeing you mope around this place. You've been this way ever since..." she let her voice trail off at the look Andrea cast her way. Delia sighed inwardly, she knew better than to speak of things that were long buried in the past.

"All Im saying is try to have a bit of fun love. You only get one life, seems like you ought to make the most of it, is all.

Andrea smiled indulgently at her friend. She knew deep down Delia was right, in the past few years her life wasnt even a shadow of what it had been. Perhaps some excitement was what she needed.

"Oh alright, I guess having a little fun couldnt hurt." her face relaxing into yet another indulgent smile. "But thats all it is, just fun. I'm not falling in love with him", Andrea added with a note of seriousness.

"I never said you were going to, luv" Delia said quietly.

"I mean it." she added on a whisper.


Andrea chose to close earlier than normal. The rest of the evening, was spent in Delia's company. Together the two friends devised a plan to aid Andrea in luring Tom into her grasp.

 

[Elision]

He woke with a start and was almost sat bolt upright in bed. That nightmare hadn't bothered him in years, so why had it come back now? Checking the clock, it was ten to six and almost time to get up anyway, but he lay back and took a few minutes to think before taking a shower. It was nearly the weekend and with the garden done, it was going to be easy street for a couple of days. And then there she was, walking away from him in that dress again, those shapely legs and deliciously rounded derriere tempting him from the confines of his imagination. It was definitely time for that shower.

Showered and shaved, Tom made his way downstairs for some breakfast; toast was all he fancied, so was toast was all he had. Swinging his car keys around his finger, he set off for the car, thinking about Andrea's legs and almost forgetting to lock the front door behind him. The sky was overcast and the clouds were trying their best to rain, but they could only manage a bitty drizzle. The wind was trying to get in on the act as well, but it too could only manage a half-hearted attempt. It seemed like the world couldn't really be bothered today and Tom hoped that that didn't stretch to the people as well.

He pulled out of his driveway smoothly and switched his windscreen wipers to their slowest setting, sweeping the dots of obscuring water from his vision. He'd be at the shop in a few minutes and for the first time in a while, he was looking forward to something other than the morning headlines. Pulling up in his usual spot he quickly switched off the engine, stepped out and hurried to the shop door; the drizzle was succeeding in its attempt to become a shower and he didn't want to get anything more than vaguely damp. The chime on the door signalled his ingress and he flicked his gaze to the counter as he strode over to the paper section. Sure enough, she was there, standing behind the counter reading a paper of her own. She looked up as he approached, paper under one arm, and he drew some change from his pocket a little self-consciously as she watched. He was feeling a touch on the nervous side, but he managed a small smile and said, "good morning, Andrea," and placed a pound coin on the counter. She took the money, rang up the transaction, got his change and as he held out his hand to receive it, her fingers contacted his.