Games Lovers Play (3 page)

Sam uncurled himself and stood up. His face was streaked with oil, but even so when he smiled at Connie she felt her heart beat a little faster.

‘There you are! I wondered what time you'd come.' He kissed her gingerly on the cheek. ‘Sorry, but this is a pretty messy job, as you can see.' He took a rag and wiped his hands. ‘Where's that bloody tea then, Tom?'

His mate grinned at him. ‘Just you be patient, my lad, it's coming up. Here, Connie, give these cups a rinse, will you?' He handed her three cups and pointed to a sink she'd not seen.

She willingly did as she was asked, and when she'd finished Sam and the other man, Harry, whom she'd hastily been introduced to at the race meeting, washed their hands.

‘That's better,' said Sam, ‘now we can stop for lunch.'

‘I've brought you some sandwiches,' she told him. ‘Egg and cress. I hope that will be all right?'

‘You beauty!' Sam cried and hugged her. ‘That's really nice of you.'

‘Yes, you can come again,' Tom said with a laugh, and Harry beamed his approval.

They sat on upturned boxes, and with her sandwiches, plus the ones the boys had brought with them, they sat down to a veritable feast.

Part-way through lunch the sound of a motorcycle engine made the men stop eating and watch the garage entrance. Connie immediately felt the atmosphere change. There was an air of tension, and she wondered why. None of the men spoke, they just watched as the sound grew nearer. A motorcyclist drew up outside and gazed in, but when he saw the men staring at him, he drove away. She looked over at Sam and saw his eyes narrow and his lips purse as he looked at his friends. But no one said anything, and although she was filled with curiosity, she kept quiet.

As they finished eating and drank the tea, Sam explained that the vehicle in the garage was a different racing car he was working on for forthcoming races.

‘It's more powerful than Gracie, my other one. I'm hoping to clear the board with it,' he said.

Tom chimed in. ‘He should be able to do so too … as long as no one interferes.'

Sam looked at him and frowned. Tom didn't say any more.

‘You'll be my lucky mascot,' said Sam and leaned over and kissed her cheek.

‘Oh my word,' she said quickly. ‘What if something goes wrong? You'll blame me!'

His look of affection dispelled her fears. ‘I'd never do that, Connie. Any race has its chance of things going wrong. Things that happen unexpectedly – however carefully you've planned a race – can change everything. It's all part and parcel of the game.'

‘Don't you worry about Sam,' said Tom. ‘He's a great driver; I told you so on Sunday.'

‘Did he?' Sam asked, looking really pleased with the compliment.

‘Yes, he did.'

‘And of course he's right,' Harry said. ‘Are you going to stick around, Connie, and see if Tom's right?'

With eyes sparkling, she said, ‘I certainly am! I wouldn't miss it for the world.'

‘That's my girl! We'll have to get you a pair of team overalls, I can see.'

She was delighted. But as she walked home alone after, she wondered just what was going on, because something certainly was. The motorcyclist had come for a purpose. But what?

Sam was working away the following week, and Connie felt restless, and when John Baker walked over to her counter, she greeted him with a smile.

Quietly, he said, ‘My wife's taking our daughter away for the weekend to stay with her mother.'

Connie felt her heart thumping as she waited to hear what was coming next.

‘I thought we could go down to Bournemouth on Saturday night after work, book into a hotel, have dinner somewhere nice and come back on Sunday. What do you think?'

She felt a moment of excitement – then panic. Here was the opportunity she'd been waiting for, but now it was a reality she felt scared. So far during their clandestine meetings, she'd kept him at bay, teasing him, but in a hotel room she'd be expected to have sex with him.

Sensing her dilemma, he gazed into her eyes and said softly, ‘I can't wait to hold you in my arms without worrying about being seen. I'll take good care of you, Connie. I promise you'll enjoy it as much as I will.' He waited.

She stood looking at him, wondering what to do. This man had such a hold over her that she found it hard to resist his invitation. Then he smiled at her, and she was lost. Taking a deep breath, she said, ‘I'd love to.'

There was a look of triumph in his eyes. ‘That's wonderful. Bring a case with your things on Saturday, and after we close go to the station, I'll meet you there.'

She watched him walk away, now nervous but also thrilled about the prospect of the weekend ahead.

Betty sidled up to her. ‘What was all that about then?'

‘Nothing, just telling me about some stock due in tomorrow,' she said, and she moved away.

Betty frowned. Connie was lying, she was sure. She didn't trust John Baker one little bit, and she was concerned for her friend, but business was brisk and she didn't have time to question Connie further. By the time she'd finished and collected her things from the staff room, Connie had already left the building.

During the following days, Connie fended off any further questions from Betty, and as Saturday loomed, she began to wish she'd refused to go to Bournemouth – yet at the same time, as she tried to sleep at night, she couldn't help trying to visualize being in bed with John. She had already told her mother she was staying with Betty over the weekend. This didn't raise any questions, as she'd done so many times in the past. It was a much-needed break from the unwelcome attentions of her grandmother, who loudly voiced her concerns about the lack of morals of the young people of today, which were pointedly aimed at Connie.

On Saturday morning, she picked up her small case in which she'd packed the new nightdress and underwear she'd bought during the week and a new pale green dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt. When she'd purchased these things, she couldn't help but be thrilled, feeling she was being really risqué and grown up. She'd leave Southampton a virgin and return a woman! But at the same time, she was worried about her lack of experience in such matters. Would John Baker find her a disappointment? How dreadful that would be.

She hardly saw John during Saturday as the shop was busy, but as she walked towards the staff room at the end of the day, he passed her and winked. She put on her coat and hurried outside before Betty emerged from the ladies' room. She didn't want her friend to see the suitcase. Betty was a bright girl and would immediately guess what was happening.

During the walk to the station, she almost turned back, but curiosity and anticipation overcame her fears and she waited outside the station entrance for the man who was to be her lover. She thought of him as that over and over in her mind. Her lover! How sophisticated that sounded. Whilst she was thinking about this, she saw the man in question striding towards her, smiling as he came closer.

‘For one awful moment, I wondered if you'd change your mind,' he confessed.

She lowered her head and looked up at him, coyly. ‘Why ever would I do such a thing?' she lied.

Putting his arm around her, he led her into the station. ‘I bought the tickets yesterday,' he said. ‘We only have ten minutes until the next train, and if there had been a queue, it would have been a rush.'

‘You're well prepared,' she observed.

He held her tighter. ‘I want you to remember this time we spend together as something very special. I didn't want anything to spoil it.'

They made polite conversation throughout the journey, and when they arrived in Bournemouth they took a taxi to the hotel. Connie watched as he signed the register.
Mr and Mrs J. Baker
. She tucked her left hand into her pocket, aware of the fact she didn't have a wedding ring. Then, taking the key to the room, he led her to the lift. As the doors closed, he took her into his arms and kissed her until she was breathless.

The lift stopped and the doors opened. Looking at the sign upon the wall, he led her along the corridor.

Connie felt the soft carpet beneath her feet as she walked with him, her heart in her mouth as he stopped. He put the key in the door, opened it and led her into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He took her case from her and led her over to the window.

‘Look, darling, we can see the sea from here.' As they both gazed out at the beach and beyond, he slipped the coat from her shoulders and gathered her into his arms from behind, his hands enclosing her breasts as he kissed the back of her neck.

‘Oh, Connie, I've longed for this moment,' he whispered as he turned her to face him. His mouth crushed hers, and she felt the tip of his tongue slip into her mouth.

It was as if all her fears evaporated in a second as she returned his kisses.

Before long they lay on the bed together. ‘Relax darling,' he said as he began to undress her.

He cupped her bare breast in one hand and took the nipple into his mouth. She let out an involuntary moan as his other hand caressed her. A million strange sensations seemed to invade her body, and she writhed beneath his expert hands. Never in her wildest dreams did she think sex could be like this. She no longer was worried about her lack of experience. She was being led by a man who knew his way around the female body and who knew exactly what he was doing, and when eventually he was above her she couldn't wait and begged him to take her.

He chuckled with delight. ‘Connie! Oh, Connie, I just knew given the chance you'd be a little ball of fire. You are wonderful!' He thrust himself inside her.

After, he held her in his arms. Connie lay still, confused but elated. Confused because she hadn't been prepared for the sudden pain, but elated as her passion surfaced and she responded to his whispered words as he reached his climax. Yet something was missing. She felt unfulfilled but in her innocence she couldn't understand why.

‘Never mind, darling,' he said. ‘It takes a while. Next time will be better.'

She wondered how.

Eventually, they dressed and, leaving the room, took the lift and walked out through the reception. Connie looked down, feeling embarrassed, as she passed the desk, wondering if the girl behind it guessed what had just happened. But walking along the front, and stopping at a small restaurant for dinner, soon dispelled such feelings. It was so good to sit at a table with an older man who seemed so sure of himself.

They decided not to have a starter and ordered steak with mushrooms and chips.

John smiled as the waiter left with their order. ‘I still can't get used to being able to order meat after so long. Thank God they derationed it last year! I think it was the thing I missed the most.'

She laughed at him. ‘That's typical of a man. My dad was always complaining about the same thing. He kept chickens, but in the end he was sick of eating them.'

John flattered her during the meal, boosting her confidence, telling her how lovely she looked, how thrilled he was that at last they were able to be together away from prying eyes, and how happy she made him feel.

‘If it wasn't for my daughter, we could spend the rest of our lives together,' he said as he took her hand in his. ‘But you do understand my situation, don't you?' he asked. ‘After all, I have been honest with you from the beginning.'

What could she say? He'd never led her to believe he could offer anything other than an affair. ‘Yes, I do understand,' she replied. But deep down she wished he was free.

That night, when they made love, she had her first orgasm and understood how much better sex could be.

When they arrived back at the station in Southampton, he caught her by the arm. ‘I'm off to the gents,' he said. ‘We can't be seen leaving together. I'll see you in the shop tomorrow. Here's your ticket.' And he walked away.

His sudden departure took her by surprise, and she felt abandoned and deflated. Miserably, she trudged to the exit and walked up Commercial Road and home.

John Baker emerged from the gents, put his suitcase in the left luggage, went through the exit, bought a platform ticket, re-entered the station, sat on the platform and waited. Half an hour later he got to his feet as the next train steamed in, and when he saw his wife and daughter alight from the train, he walked forward and met them. He kissed his wife, Kay, then picked up his daughter, gave her a hug and said to Kay, ‘Hello, darling. Did you have a good time?'

‘Yes, thanks, it was lovely to spend time with Mum. She was so pleased to see us. What have you been doing on your own?'

‘Not much. I missed you both, the house seemed very empty.'

Connie put her key in the front door and let herself in, and the first person she saw was Madge, her grandmother.

‘Well, did you and Betty have a good time together?'

Connie felt the colour flush her cheeks as she answered, ‘Yes, thanks, Nan.'

Madge studied her granddaughter. ‘Why are you looking so shifty, girl? What have you been up to? Nothing good, I'm sure!'

Connie turned on her. ‘Why do you always look for the bad in people? We had a good time doing nothing in particular. We just had fun, but you wouldn't know anything about that would you, Nan?'

‘Don't you speak to me like that young lady,' Madge snapped. ‘You show me a little respect!'

‘I might say the same to you,' Connie retorted and walked out of the room, fuming as she made her way to her bedroom. Putting down her case, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't look any different. The fact that she'd recently lost her virginity didn't show, thankfully. Lying on her bed, she closed her eyes and relived the days and nights of the past weekend. At least she wouldn't get pregnant, John had taken precautions. She wondered when he'd take her away again. Then she thought of Sam. What would he think of her if he ever found out about her trip to Bournemouth? She didn't think he'd like it, but after all, she told herself, she was free to do as she wanted. She was young and wanted to enjoy life before she got old and miserable like her grandmother. She chuckled softly. No matter what happened to her as she grew old, she'd
never
be like that!