lowblow emma
Star
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2013
- Location
- London
The couple stood on the veranda of the cabin near the edge of the lake. There were another 24 cabins scattered around the shore, but the site had been landscaped so that none could be seen from any of the others, allowing the illusion of solitude and privacy. The day was still warm but the leaves were beginning to turn and, with the reflection in the still water, the picture before them was one of dazzling colours. But they were not looking at the view. They were standing just a few inches apart, looking at each other. Both were in their mid-40s. He was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and trainers, all new. She was wearing a simple but well tailored dress in pale grey and black patent heels. Her legs were bare and shining in the way that newly waxed flesh shines.
‘I thought it would be good to spend a few days on our own, getting familiar with each other again.’
‘That was very thoughtful of you, Maggie, very kind.’
Their bags were still in the car. Maggie had unlocked the door and led the man out to admire the view. These were the first words they had spoken since they had arrived. Each had chosen their words carefully. There were things that needed to be said and it was important to get them right – chose the right words, set the right tone. Careful, one step at a time.
Maggie took the lead; she felt it was her place.
‘Jim,’ she licked her lips and coughed slightly, ‘Jim, there’s something I want to tell you.’
Jim waited.
‘You remember the last time we, that time, the night before- Well, the night before you were sentenced. When we held each other and I promised you I would wait for you, however long it was.’ The words were flowing now, in the way she had rehearsed them so many times. ‘Not that either of us ever imagined it would be 18 years.’
‘My lawyer was incompetent,’ the bitterness was still raw in Jim’s voice. ‘He said I’d only get a few years. And that judge was one first class bitch,’ he spat.
‘Neither of us ever imagined we would be apart for so long. But I want you to know that I have kept my promise.’
The man looked her in the face for the first time, searching for a sign to confirm what she was saying.
‘I would never have held you to that promise. It was never intended to be for so long. And you’re only human after all.’
‘Well, I did hold to my promise, Jim. I’ve not taken any man to my bed in all that time or joined any man in his. No man has seen me naked or touched my bare flesh. No man has even held me in his arms.’ There, she had got the words out.
She looked at her husband as she spoke and watched the tension drain from his face and shoulders.
‘I’ve been so afraid,’ he admitted at last. ‘I’ve lain awake imagining who you might be with, what you might be doing. I felt sure that John would make a move on you as soon as I was out of the picture.’
Maggie laughed. John had done just that, but had been rebuffed in short order and sent packing.
‘John? He never stood a chance. Compared with you? Never.’
John had not taken his rebuff as final and had pursued her, even coming close to breaking her resistance. He was the reason why, in the end, she had moved across the State and made a new life in a new town.
Silence again descended. Maggie had hoped that at this point Jim would have something to say, something to reassure her, because she was desperate for reassurance. But he said nothing. Perhaps he was waiting to show her. More likely, he was just thinking of himself like he always had. As it had always been, so it was now – it was up to her to spell it out for him.
‘I’ve been afraid too, Jim.’
‘Really?’ he was genuinely surprised.
‘It’s been a long time and, well,’ she smoothed her dress over her hips, ‘I’m not as young as I was. I’ve been afraid that you’d be disappointed when I’m not, well, not like I was when we first met.’
‘You shouldn’t have worried, luv, you look fine, just fine, really you do.’
It was something, but not exactly the passionate reassurance that she had hoped for. And still no physical contact, not a touch, not a kiss. She sighed inwardly. It has been her dream that he would take the initiative after being in prison for so long and throw her onto their bed and … She was sure he would do that and sure too that she had to let him do that in order to regain his pride and self-esteem.
Maggie had no intention of spending their first hours together standing on the veranda or talking. So she took his hand and glanced at the stairs that led to the loft and the bedroom.
‘Shall we?’
Jim followed.
‘I thought it would be good to spend a few days on our own, getting familiar with each other again.’
‘That was very thoughtful of you, Maggie, very kind.’
Their bags were still in the car. Maggie had unlocked the door and led the man out to admire the view. These were the first words they had spoken since they had arrived. Each had chosen their words carefully. There were things that needed to be said and it was important to get them right – chose the right words, set the right tone. Careful, one step at a time.
Maggie took the lead; she felt it was her place.
‘Jim,’ she licked her lips and coughed slightly, ‘Jim, there’s something I want to tell you.’
Jim waited.
‘You remember the last time we, that time, the night before- Well, the night before you were sentenced. When we held each other and I promised you I would wait for you, however long it was.’ The words were flowing now, in the way she had rehearsed them so many times. ‘Not that either of us ever imagined it would be 18 years.’
‘My lawyer was incompetent,’ the bitterness was still raw in Jim’s voice. ‘He said I’d only get a few years. And that judge was one first class bitch,’ he spat.
‘Neither of us ever imagined we would be apart for so long. But I want you to know that I have kept my promise.’
The man looked her in the face for the first time, searching for a sign to confirm what she was saying.
‘I would never have held you to that promise. It was never intended to be for so long. And you’re only human after all.’
‘Well, I did hold to my promise, Jim. I’ve not taken any man to my bed in all that time or joined any man in his. No man has seen me naked or touched my bare flesh. No man has even held me in his arms.’ There, she had got the words out.
She looked at her husband as she spoke and watched the tension drain from his face and shoulders.
‘I’ve been so afraid,’ he admitted at last. ‘I’ve lain awake imagining who you might be with, what you might be doing. I felt sure that John would make a move on you as soon as I was out of the picture.’
Maggie laughed. John had done just that, but had been rebuffed in short order and sent packing.
‘John? He never stood a chance. Compared with you? Never.’
John had not taken his rebuff as final and had pursued her, even coming close to breaking her resistance. He was the reason why, in the end, she had moved across the State and made a new life in a new town.
Silence again descended. Maggie had hoped that at this point Jim would have something to say, something to reassure her, because she was desperate for reassurance. But he said nothing. Perhaps he was waiting to show her. More likely, he was just thinking of himself like he always had. As it had always been, so it was now – it was up to her to spell it out for him.
‘I’ve been afraid too, Jim.’
‘Really?’ he was genuinely surprised.
‘It’s been a long time and, well,’ she smoothed her dress over her hips, ‘I’m not as young as I was. I’ve been afraid that you’d be disappointed when I’m not, well, not like I was when we first met.’
‘You shouldn’t have worried, luv, you look fine, just fine, really you do.’
It was something, but not exactly the passionate reassurance that she had hoped for. And still no physical contact, not a touch, not a kiss. She sighed inwardly. It has been her dream that he would take the initiative after being in prison for so long and throw her onto their bed and … She was sure he would do that and sure too that she had to let him do that in order to regain his pride and self-esteem.
Maggie had no intention of spending their first hours together standing on the veranda or talking. So she took his hand and glanced at the stairs that led to the loft and the bedroom.
‘Shall we?’
Jim followed.