“Oh sweetie, I’m sorry. But you knew it would turn out something like that, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Let’s eat Hol, I’ve finished crying.”
Holly started the car and headed towards the restaurant which was about ten minutes away. She was pleased that there were no tears. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t have held her tight until they stopped but it was an indication that Jessica had sorted out some of the issues herself and that was gratifying news.
“You know, what really helped was that restaurant you took me to last weekend. I kept reminding myself that there were people my age in there, having fun. They weren’t injecting drugs like my parents suggest, or having sex in the booths or attacking each other. They were just being friendly, eating together, talking.”
“I’m glad it helped, I hadn’t really considered that it would be therapeutic.”
“Yeah. During the week, before I knew about the scholarship, I was thinking about how it all happened. What’s the probability of it happening like it did?”
“Um, I’m not sure, you mean Neil and me meeting you?”
“Yeah. So for it to work out my parents had to be away for the weekend. Let’s say that’s one weekend a year, so minus holidays and those sorts of times let’s say that leaves forty weekends. Then there needed to be something that trapped you in the house otherwise you’d have both gone home. Ice storm, prison breakout. I’d say the ice storm has a higher probability with an event you might get one every five years, so call that two thousand days. So already you’re looking at a probability of forty times two thousand, or one in eighty thousand. Then there had to someone who could help me get a place at Witney, plus someone who’s super cute and another who is handsome and unattached. I’d say the odds are about one in half a million of it coming together.”
“Hmm.”
“Sorry, Hol. It’s how I think. So this one chance came up and it’s working out so far and I just can’t ignore it, it would never happen again in my lifetime!”
Holly laughed and turned right then right again before pulling up at the restaurant. She leaned over and kissed Jessica’s lips. “It’s your life, you’re in control, you’re driving!” Holly jumped out of the car and they walked into the restaurant.
The hostess behind the reception counter looked up and beamed delightedly at Holly and shrieked with pleasure. “Holly, hooray!”
“Christine, how are you? Hey, this is Jessica.” Christine, a tall, dark haired girl who had no doubt been chosen as hostess for her looks shook Jessica’s hand happily then looked back at Holly.
“You’re not working tonight are you? Haven’t seen you for ages!”
“No, not tonight. Can we have table 16, over by the fire?”
“Ah, table 16, sure” said Christine, tapping on the screen. “If you‘d like to follow me madam?” she said jokingly as she led the way. They sat and Jessica immediately stared at the menu, absorbing everything that was on offer.
“So you used to work here?”
“Yeah, for about two years until I joined Millsum’s. Remember that I said I would see if I could help you get a job here?”
“Yeah, oh yeah, I remember.”
“The great thing is that it’s on the bus route from Foley Road so you don’t need to be able to drive.” Jessica reached across the table and squeezed Holly’s hand, a look of happiness and gratitude on her face. She said nothing but for Holly the touch said it all. “Hey, you’ve still got your phone, right?”
“Yeah. At one point I was poised to press ‘Factory Reset’ because I thought they would demand to look at it but perhaps we’re beyond that now, I don’t know.” Holly nodded in sympathy and looked back at the menu.
“They do Chicken Lettuce Wraps which are a great starter, want to try?”
“Yeah, anything, it’s all new!”
“I’m going to have the Jumbo Fried Shrimp for a main course,” said Holly, folding the menu back up.
“That sounds nice. I can’t decide.” Jessica stared a little longer, turning from the fish page back to meat. “OK, I’ll have the barbeque ribs, they sound tasty!”
They ordered and Holly asked if Charlie, the manager, was on duty. When she learned he was she thanked the waitress and said that she and Jessica would pay him a visit later.
“You still OK to see Neil this Sunday?”
“Oh yeah, I can’t wait. I know he’s looking forward to it.”
Holly smiled and took her hand again. “Just take it slow Jess.”
“I know Hol, really I do.”
“There will be loads of people that you met in uni and you never know what could happen.”
“Neil’s nice!” said Jessica defensively.
“Oh believe me he’s wonderful, really he is, Jess. I just meant that I think he will give you room to breathe, so you should do just that. He’ll always be there for you, you know that.”
“Yeah, sorry. The more we email and text the more I miss him.”
“You know you’ll need to find yourself a doctor soon, and one that doesn’t know your parents.”
Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking about that. I hinted to Neil that I wasn’t on the pill. He assumed I wasn’t so he’ll take precautions until I am.”
“Good, it would be a disaster if you got pregnant while you were at uni.”
“Yeah. My mother is going to harp on at me for the next four weeks about being a loose woman.”
Holly frowned at her. “Do you think they waited for their wedding night?”
“I’ve never really thought about. I suppose they might have done.”
“I doubt if many people wait these days, it’s such an important part of a relationship, whatever your beliefs. But everyone should have that choice, right?”
Jessica nodded, looking at the napkin containing her knife and fork but her mind far away. “I said to my mother during the first few minutes after I’d told them about the place on the Physics course that I wanted to study the formation of the universe and look back over the billions of years since its formation. She went wild, screaming at me, saying that the Bible says it’s only six thousand years old and how I was wasting my time!”
“I didn’t think people still clung to that six thousand number?”
“Yeah, older people do I think. Then they went really crazy when I said I was moving out. That hit them the hardest, I think, more than the Physics course. My father suggested I was doing it to become a slut.” Jessica shook her head and Holly noticed the pain as her chin trembled lightly. “How can a parent even think that let alone say it to his daughter?”
Holly looked down at the menu again, wondering about those words. They might apply to her in recent months, having Ricky as a boyfriend yet jumping into bed with four other people including the innocent young girl in front of her. And if Jessica’s father had any idea about what had happened that weekend then he might have had very real grounds for his comments and the corruption that Holly and Neil had brought upon his daughter. Moreover, she was planning on delivering her to Neil the following Sunday so they could have a day of sex. She wasn’t sure what constituted being a slut but being unfaithful to her boyfriend probably set her on that course. She resolved to be faithful to Ricky going forward. And to Mr. D. of course.
A man’s voice boomed across the placid dining area. “Holly Craig, it really is you!” She turned, grinning as the short, bearded man came over to their table. She rose and hugged him.
“Charlie, it’s been too long!”
“Yes, you look well, how’s real work?”
“It’s fine. Hey, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is Charlie, he owns the restaurant!”
Charlie nodded and shook her hand, appraising her carefully. “Very nice to meet you Jessica.”
“Charlie, if you have some time later I wondered if you could talk to Jess. She’s the lady I mentioned when I called who’s interested in waitressing if you have any openings.”
“I remember, delighted to, drop by my off
ice when you can, Jess, after you’ve eaten of course, then we can chat. I do have a couple of shifts that I need to fill.”
Charlie went back to the reception area and their starter arrived a couple of minutes later. By now Jessica was scanning the dining room, watching people as she and Holly picked at the stuffed lettuce leaves and chatted amiably.
Jessica leaned forward and whispered “Hol, those two over there, the girl and the guy. You think that’s her father, taking her out to celebrate something? That’s so sweet.” Holly looked over discretely and saw an older man of about fifty with greying hair dining with a young dark-haired girl in a summer dress who looked to be about Jessica’s age. “That’s what I never had,” said Jessica, “dinner with my father at a restaurant.”
They ate in silence for a short while and as the waitress cleared away their plates another young girl arrived with the main courses. She too was dressed in the same way as Holly had been when she worked at the restaurant, white blouse, short black skirt and stockings. Jessica stared at her mound of rips and salad and sighed.
“Oh wow, I’m never going to be able to eat all this!”
“Yeah, there’s always a lot but you can get it wrapped to take home if you like.”
“So I’d need to get a black skirt and some stockings then if I worked here?”
“Yeah, don’t you have them already?”
“No, never had any need. Maybe we can go shopping some time?”
“Sure, I’m always happy to go shopping!”
“And I could try the skirt on before I bought it, in a changing room?” asked Jessica, grinning.
Holly understood her meaning, bit her lip then nodded happily. “And the stockings.”
“Oh good!”
They worked their way through their meals, talking a little more about the university and what clubs and societies it offered, what it might be like in the dorm for the first year and what other expenses she might have. Twenty minutes later they had both finished and after the waitress cleared the table, Holly showed Jessica to Charlie’s office then returned to her seat. She checked her phone and sent a text to Ricky, noticing as she pressed ‘Send’ that the man and his young guest had gone. Her plan for the remainder of the evening was to take Jessica to her house and introduce her to Suzy, then take her home. There would be no trip to the bedroom this time.
She brought up her LinkedIn account and scrolled through pages of drivel that were supposed to be articles of interest, ‘recommended for you’ or ‘a company like yours’ until she came across an announcement from Chloe, her roommate at university. She had won a prestigious banking award and Holly smiled with delight. There was a picture of Chloe looking radiant on a stage, shaking the hand of an older lady as she held a framed certificate. She would give her a call one evening in the week and catch up.
The waitress returned with the receipt for Holly to sign and asked her to drop by Charlie’s office when she was ready. Round the back of the reception desk was a corridor of brown doors and Charlie’s was the first. Holly knocked and entered.
“Holly, I think we can have Jess start whenever she’s settled in her new lodgings. But, the problem is I can’t just let her start without training and I have nobody now who can train her, unless you could help out?”
Holly wasn’t happy with the idea as she knew it would eat up parts of her precious weekend but agreed with a smile and said they would be in touch once the move had taken place to select the first Saturday. They bid Charlie goodbye and got into Holly’s car. Jessica leaned over and rested her head on Holly’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Hol, once again for everything.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Holly, dearly wishing she could kiss the girl but not willing to risk it outside a restaurant where she was well known. They turned out of the car park and headed back to Foley Road as the darkness descended over Witney. “Hey, you’ll need to start thinking about how you’re going to move out of Cypress Drive, boxes, transport and so on.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a list of things, mainly clothes, my PC, books.”
“I can help shift stuff if you like. It would be better for me to do it than Neil I think.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s going to be another horrible day.”
“I know, I’m sure it will be. But you’ll let them know where you live, and you’ll keep your phone number, right?”
“Oh, that’s a point, I’ll need to open my own phone account, right?”
“Yeah, it would be better so you have full control. I should think that from mid-March until September you’ll be taking as many shifts at the restaurant a possible?”
“Yeah, need to build up some funds, although I do have savings already.”
“That’s good. You need to try not to alienate them, like I said before, one day this will blow over and they will admire you for what you are.”
“Oh I hope so, Hol. But you’re right, I just need to stay calm and be nice but firm.”
“We’re here,” said Holly, switching off the engine.
“Wow, it really is close to the campus, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, just a few minutes’ walk up there and take a left by the Red Lion.”
They went in and as usual heard the sound of the TV from the lounge. Suzy greeted them and while Holly sat on the easy chair, Jessica joined Suzy on the sofa.
“What’s on?” asked Jessica.
“Actually, nothing much, just sitting here surfing.”
“Hey Suzy, Jess will be moving in about a month from now, after I’ve completed on the house.”
Suzy smiled and held out her hand to Jessica. “Great, congrats and you’ll have fun here, it’s a pretty good place to stay.”
“Seems close to uni too, right?”
“Yeah, five minute walk. Just don’t scream too loud, OK?”
“What?” asked Jessica.
“Last Sunday, sounded like someone fell to the floor and screamed!”
“Oh,” said Holly, jumping in, “they sent her confirmation of admission to my email and I gave her the letter,” said Holly, smiling at Jessica. “She freaked out when she saw it in writing.”
“Oh, nice, good for you Jess,” said Suzy, looking slightly mollified but apparently still not convinced about what had happened that afternoon. Holly had no idea that Suzy had even been in her room but was very relieved now that she hadn’t coming running in.
“Hey Jess,” said Holly, “we could also bring stuff over sort of a box at a time, slowly move you in and then it would just be your PC and stuff in the final load.” Jessica nodded, approving the idea.
Suzy stood and smiled at them both, something in her eyes suggesting that she knew she was in the way. “Well, I’m going to go up the gym, probably meet Kathy up there.” She shook Jessica’s hand again. “Great to see you again Jess, let me know if I can help in any way.”
Jessica nodded, smiled and thanked her. Once Suzy had left Holly grabbed the channel changer and sat next to Jessica to get a better view of the TV. She knew they had only about an hour left but having the girl sitting next to her without touching was driving her crazy. But it was Jessica who moved closer, turning so that she laid her head on Holly’s thighs, ignoring the TV and looking up at the poorly painted ceiling.
“One day, Hol, this sort of thing won’t be different. But right now just lying here, dreaming, relaxing, it’s new. And that’s sad, right?”
Holly nodded. “Yeah, it is sweetie. Hopefully every day will bring something new, but these things are what we do all the time. You’re going to find it weird I think. People will assume you’ve done stuff when you haven’t.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Even catching the bus to the restaurant.”
“I think I can manage that, it’s people that will be difficult. I won’t know what they’re really saying or talking about. Even tonight at the restaurant I had to parse what Charlie was saying, sort of translate it then process it to get the sense and meaning. And I was watching t
hat girl at reception, dealing so nicely with all those people who kept arriving. That would be so difficult for me.”
“I think you’ll manage, one table at a time. And you’ll soon find out which people are willing to take their time with you, those who want to be your friends,” said Holly, touching her face.
“Like you?”
Holly smiled. “Oh Jess, of course, always!” The young girl smiled up her and Holly slipped her hand behind her neck, raising her mouth towards hers. Jessica leaned up, supporting herself with her arm on Holly’s shoulder and they kissed gently until their arms ached and Jessica slowly dropped back onto Holly’s lap. She looked at the girl for some time then breathed out quietly. “It’s always such a thrill, kissing you!”
Jessica took hold of her hand and squeezed it tight. “It’s what I remember the most Hol. Kisses, restaurants and driving.”
“We should get going soon,” said Holly, marking the end of their embrace for the evening, hoping that their love-making was included in the kisses experience.
“Five more minutes?”
Holly laughed and nodded. “Sure.” Jessica curled up closer to her, facing the waistband of Holly’s jeans. The long blonde hair cascaded down over her sweater and Holly knees, a dash of colour that Holly touched and smoothed gently with her fingers. How simple it would be, she thought, to swing round so they faced each other along the length of the sofa and to kiss. She could pull that sweater up, unbutton her blouse and suck her nipples for ten minutes just as she had done for her.
Holly cut short the five minutes as her mind continually tried to rationalize taking her upstairs. She swatted her buttocks playfully and guided her to her feet. “Time to go sweetie.” Jessica nodded, used the bathroom and they left.
“Hey,” said Holly, turning into Cypress Drive. “Do you want to try to drop of a box of stuff this Sunday on the way to Neil’s, after running?”
“Yeah, let me gauge the political atmosphere and maybe I will.” She looked up and the house and noted the parted curtains. “Oh Jeez, they’re peeking out, watching for me and timing me.”
“I’m sorry Jess, but we’ll see each other on Sunday morning, right?”
Holly Heats It Up (Holly Craig Erotica) Page 15
