by Billie Rae
Summer Fling
By Billie Rae
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © April 2012, Billie Rae
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Special Note: This book contains UK spellings
Chapter One
“This is just great.” Lorraine’s sarcasm was evident as she walked to the large window and stared into the thick rain that beat against the glass. Her pretty brow wrinkled into a frown as she turned desperately to Donna, her best friend. “We decide to go out and have fun, and the weather decides to turn out like this,” she said, sweeping a dainty hand towards the window.
“It won’t rain for long,” Donna replied, not taking her eyes off the magazine she was reading. She lay on the floor in front of the open fireplace, on her stomach, her legs bent at the knees. Her bare feet tapped in the air in time to the song that played on the large stereo in the corner of the room, and she flicked silently through the magazine. Her shoulder length, brown hair fell about her neck in long dark strands as she lifted a smiling face to meet her friend’s. “Hey, don’t worry,” she said as her pretty green eyes saw the look of anxiety painted on Lorraine’s china doll face. “Who cares anyhow?” she said. “If it’s still raining, we’re going into town no matter what you say.”
Lorraine smiled. “I’m being stupid, I know, but it’s been fine all week and now it decides to rain.”
“Trust me, by four o’clock the sun will be shining.” Donna lowered her face and continued to read the article on Bradley Cooper that she had been reading.
Lorraine turned to the window and bunched the lace curtains into her hand. Great tears of rain slid down the glass to fall into a puddle below the window. The day before had been superb. A temperature of 30 degrees had brought blue skies and hot summer days, and the two girls had happily made their way into the town centre for the day.
Having two weeks break from school was bliss for the two seventh formers who were on holiday in Christchurch. It had been hard for Lorraine to convince her father to let her travel down from Blenheim, where the two of them lived alone, but finally he had given in, realising she was no longer the young girl he had so carefully raised as his daughter.
They had travelled by train and were staying with Donna’s sister and brother-in-law in Spreydon. The recently married couple had bought a house there and were only too happy to give them a place to stay for the week they were to be in Christchurch.
Lisa had promised them the car for Friday night, so they were going into town for a few hours.
As Donna predicted, by four o’clock the rain had stopped. The sun was far from shining and the sky had grown grey very quickly, but it wasn’t raining.
One point to Donna, Lorraine thought as she dried her freshly showered body. She could hear Donna now, in the shower, singing at the top of her lungs, and the radio as it blared from the living room.
She looked at her watch on the dressing table. It was 4.35. Lisa would be home soon and she had more than likely forgotten that she’d agreed to lend them the car.
“Shit, sorry, Donna, we need the car,” Lisa tried to apologise as she made dinner.
“But you promised we could have it,” Donna pleaded.
“I know. Listen, I’ll drop you into town myself, that way I’ll feel better, knowing you’re safe on foot.”
Donna looked questioningly at Lorraine, who smiled and nodded in approval. “It’s better than nothing.”
“Sure is,” Lisa agreed. She turned and watched the girls race upstairs to their bedroom. “I’m leaving at five-thirty,” she yelled after them.
They dressed quickly, Donna in a red mini skirt, while blouse and a stone-washed jacket, Lorraine in a pair of black skinny jeans, white tee and black cardigan. She let her long black hair out of its clips and it fell to her waist. Brushing it as she stood before the full length mirror, it was obvious she was trying to decide how she would wear it for the night.
“Leave it out,” Donna suggested as she stopped behind Lorraine and ran her hand through her shiny mane.
Lorraine turned, brush in hand, her glowing face framed with black. “Why not,” she said. Smiling, she winked at Donna, who took the brush and placed it on the table.
“Come on, we’re going to be late.”
Donna had only lived in Blenheim for two years and prior to that had lived in Christchurch most of her life. She knew a lot of people around what had once been her home town, and tonight she was dying to introduce Lorraine to all her friends.
The guys will just love her, Donna thought as she studied Lorraine’s pretty face. She had beautiful blue eyes with long black eyelashes and shapely eyebrows. She had high cheek bones, a perfect nose, rosy red lips and a white smile. To Donna, she was almost perfect. She tried to think about who would be a good match for her best friend but came up blank. Nobody was good enough for Lorraine. She deserved someone special.
Donna already had her man. Tony Pascal was tall, part Italian, with crystal clear blue eyes and a thick, deep voice. He was totally devoted to Donna and visited her as often as possible while she was in Blenheim.
When Donna tried to think of all of Tony’s friends (which were many), she couldn’t think of one that would suit Lorraine.
She needed someone like Tony, but blond – Lorraine went crazy over blond men.
“There you go, girls,” Lisa said as she stopped the car near the town square.
“Thanks.” Donna slipped from the car and Lorraine followed.
“So, where’s this boyfriend of yours?” Lorraine asked. She had met Tony twice before, but never in Christchurch.
“He said he’d be here at six,” Donna said, looking at her watch. “We’ve got twenty minutes.”
“Where does he live?” Lorraine asked.
“Main South Road in Hornby,” Donna said a she gazed about them. “He shares a house with another guy, Scott.” She smiled. “Come on, let’s go see him.”
“Huh?” Lorraine followed Donna’s swishing skirt to the glass double doors of a picture theatre. It was obvious that the movie had already started as only a few people milled around outside. “Donna, where are you going?”
Donna smiled. “In here. Come on, follow me.” She led Lorraine up a set of dark stairs.
“Are we allowed in here?” Lorraine asked in a low voice.
“No, silly. Shut up.” Donna climbed another small flight of stairs, even darker than the first, and knocked on a red door.
“Who is it?” A deep, male voice sounded muffled through the wooden panel.
“Scotty, it’s Donna.”
A small panel in the door slid back but Lorraine was unable to see the face on the other side.
“Shit, girl, you’ll get killed if you get caught up here. What are you doing here?”
“You sound pleased to see me,” Donna replied.
All Lorraine could see was Donna’s backside and a small shaft of light that floated past the side of her head. But the voice on the other side sounded friendly and inviting, even though he was surprised they were there.
“Hey, I am pleased to see you. Tony told me you were in town. I should have expected this, huh? Where is he?”
“We’re just going to meet him now,” Donna said.
“We?”
“Yeah—uh—sorry, Scott. I’ve got a friend staying with me. This is Lorraine.” Donna giggled. “You probably can’t se
e her but that’s because my fat head’s in the way. She’s there. Say hi, Scott.”
Lorraine heard a rumble of laughter from within. “Hi, Lorraine,” he parroted. “Tell your friend here I’ll get shot if I get caught.”
“Thanks, Scotty.” Donna took a step back. “I get the message.”
“See you later,” Scott said as they turned and raced back down the stairs to the safety of the foyer.
“I guess that’s Tony’s flatmate,” Lorraine said.
“Sure is,” Donna replied as she lowered her frame into a chair by the door.
“He sounds old,” Lorraine said as she recalled his voice. It had been soft, yet deep and cheerful.
Donna laughed. “Wait ‘til you see him,” she said.
From that, Lorraine expected a man in his late twenties or early thirties.
They left the picture theatre temporarily to go and meet Tony. Then they went back to the theatre, as Scott was about to finish his shift.
Lorraine watched the large procession of people rush out of the double wooden doors. She found it amusing to watch people like this, bustling about and completely unaware that they were being observed. A mother with three children struggled to keep them all under control as the crowd tried to swallow them all whole in turn. A young couple held hands and walked contentedly out of the theatre, completely unaware that anything else around them existed. Two dishevelled but good looking guys laughed and joked with each other as they disappeared out onto the street. Lorraine’s gaze followed them until they were out of sight.
Nice.
But her concentration was soon broken.
“Sorry I took so long,” said the same voice that Lorraine had heard in the projection room.
Donna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her other hand still gripping Tony’s. “Scott, now I can officially introduce you. This is Lorraine.”
Lorraine looked up to stare into chocolate brown eyes that smiled from deep within. Scott was tall with sandy blond hair that faded to brown at the short back and sides. He had a well-defined jaw and small dimples that cut grooves into his smiling cheeks. His long eyelashes framed a good looking picture, complete with broad shoulders and a thick chest. He was much younger than she had estimated by his voice, maybe only a few years older than her and Donna.
She recovered from her surprise and smiled. “Hi, Scott,” she said.
“Lorraine, we didn’t get a chance to meet before,” Scott said as he cuffed Donna lightly on the ear. His eyes never left Lorraine’s face as he studied her carefully, smiling at her all the while. “That’s funny, Donna. I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned Lorraine to me before.”
“Well, I would have,” Donna said mischievously, “but you were always too busy with all your other girlfriends, that I thought—”
“Trouble is, Donna, you don’t think,” Scott interrupted.
“Hey, watch it,” Tony said playfully.
“Come on,” Donna dismissed them as she walked to the double doors. She and Tony disappeared hand in hand and Lorraine was left with Scott.
They stared at each other wordlessly for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds.
“Well, I suppose we’d better go,” Scott said finally as he ran a large tanned hand through his short mop of hair. He rattled a set of keys next to his hip and Lorraine turned instinctively to the doors. Once outside, she waited for Scott to lock the doors, then walked with him to the car.
“So, you’re from Blenheim?” Scott asked.
“How did you guess?” Lorraine teased. She looked up at him and smiled.
“You’re just as bad as Donna,” he said. “I can see how the two of you get on so well.”
“How do you mean?”
Scott changed the subject quickly. Despite what Tony thought of Donna, Scott was not fond of her. She was pretty, he would give her that much, but she was also a flirt, who was into dope smoking, drinking—anything under the sun as long as it involved guys, her favourite past time.
“So, are you into the same things as Donna?” He hoped his question was not too transparent.
“That all depends on what you’re implying.”
Scott looked down at the pretty girl by his side, who was smiling up at him, her rosy cheeks sparkling under the busy street lights.
She continued. “I drink, but doesn’t everybody? As for drugs, which I assume you mean, I’ve never touched them—never will touch them. Just because I’m Donna’s best friend, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we do the same things. We’re two different people.” She dug her hands deep into her pockets.
Scott grinned. “I’m pleased about that.” Then as though it was more an internal dialogue than anything else, he added, “Finally someone with brains.”
Chapter Two
Lorraine laughed as Scott opened the passenger door of his car for her. She slipped into the car and turned to Donna, who was already snuggled into Tony’s side on the back seat.
“I think I just got the third degree,” she said, watching Scott walk around to the driver’s side.
Tony laughed. “Don’t worry about Scotty. He means well.”
Lorraine took the time while he was driving to study Scott carefully. A line of concentration creased his broad forehead as he navigated the busy city streets out to the sparser suburbs. Street lights flickered across his face and through his shortly cropped hair. In this enclosed space he suddenly seemed very big. She let her mind drift to the lineal muscled shape of his arms and wondered what it would feel like to be in them. She shook the thought from her mind. Hadn’t Donna indicated he had a string of girlfriends?
Worse luck, Lorraine thought to herself as she turned to the window, trying to distract her current train of thought.
“Hey, Scott, let’s have a party tomorrow night?” Tony suggested through the dark silence.
“I have to work,” Scott shot back.
“Come on, Scotty. One night off won’t hurt,” Donna said as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder. There was no reply from him but they could all tell that he was thinking about it.
“It’s too late to organise a party,” Scott said.
“Bullshit,” Tony said. “We’ll ring everybody tomorrow.”
“I could swap shifts with Marty,” Scott said. “But I’m not buying the booze. They can all bring their own.”
“That’s my boy,” Donna said as she gave Scott a quick pat on the back.
Once back at Tony and Scott’s house, the four went inside to organise the party. They sat on the floor in the living room trying to figure out where all the furniture could be shifted to.
“The sofa can go out in the hallway,” Donna suggested. “It’s wide enough.”
Tony nodded. “And the two chairs can move into my room for the evening.”
“Where’s the tv going to go?” Scott asked.
“Why can’t it go on the kitchen table?” Lorraine asked.
“Okay, how about the coffee table?” Scott asked, his piercing gaze lighting on Lorraine.
She smiled. It was obvious he was trying to stump her.
“Out on the back porch. It’s covered in and if it rains the table won’t get wet. Then if you have food we can put it out there.”
Scott flashed her a smile. “Takes brains, I suppose.”
Lorraine felt the pull of his chocolate gaze, her eyes tracing the shape of his mouth as it curved teasingly.
The telephone rang and Tony got up to answer it. He returned a few moments later.
“Telephone, Scotty.”
As soon as he was out of the room, Donna pounced on Lorraine.
“He likes you,” she said as they shared a secretive smile.
Lorraine felt her face go bright red. “Now, I bet he’s friendly to all your friends,” she said.
Donna shook her head. “He doesn’t usually like any of my friends. He’s a nice guy and they normally don’t like naughty girls.”
Lorraine laugh
ed. “But, didn’t you say he was ‘busy’ with somebody else?”
“He’s fighting to keep them off,” Donna said. “But they’re all like me. And that’s not what he wants.”
“But I’m like you,” Lorraine protested. “We’re best friends—”
“No way, girl,” Donna interrupted. “We may be best friends, and maybe you see a different side to me when I’m in Blenheim, but we’re as different as chalk and cheese.” Donna threw her arms around Lorraine’s shoulders. “You stay that way.”
Lorraine smiled deep into Donna’s eyes. “But—”
At this stage, Tony joined in on the conversation. “Scotty hasn’t got a girlfriend. He doesn’t believe in them. But if you treat him nicely he’ll show you a bloody good time while you’re in Christchurch.” He winked playfully and pulled both girls onto his knee. “Just don’t expect any commitment from the guy. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”
Lorraine giggled, and as Scott walked back into the room, she slid onto the floor in front of Tony.
“I have to go out for a while,” Scott said, a worried expression painted clearly across his features.
“What’s up?” Tony asked.
“Tracey needs me,” Scott said hesitantly. “I’ll be back quite late I think.” He turned and strode from the room.
Lorraine watched him go, wondering who this Tracey person was. A girlfriend? Hadn’t he said that he’d be back quite late? Lorraine guessed that he probably wouldn’t be back at all that night.
Her guess proved to be right. The two girls ended up staying at the flat all night.
Donna rang Lisa and explained, and Lorraine was given the sofa to sleep on while Donna disappeared into Tony’s room. She came back long enough to toss Lorraine a large shirt of Tony’s to sleep in, which she quickly slipped into. But as soon as she laid down to sleep, she found that she wasn’t tired.
She switched on the small reading lamp on the coffee table and sat silently beside the dim light. Her thoughts kept turning to Scott. All she could see was his smiling face as he crept into bed with Tracey, whoever she was.
