The Look of Love

by David George Richards

  Victoria was now fully equipped with pens, paper and files, which she pulled out of a new looking hold-all. She sat behind Louise and Angela, and all through the lecture, Louise was conscious of her presence. She could smell the shower-gel. It made Louise smile. This must be the first time that she had seen Victoria when she was clean.

  After the lecture, Louise couldn’t help being amazed. “How do you do it?” she asked Victoria. “How can you be in such a mess one minute, and look so wonderful the next?”

  Louise realised almost immediately she had spoken that her choice of words could have been better. But Victoria didn’t seem to notice. She smiled brightly. “Practice!”

  Jo and Chrissy came over, and Chrissy still looked upset.

  “You better be good tonight,” she said to Victoria.

  “I’m always good!” Victoria replied mischievously.

  “You know what I mean!” Chrissy’s words were unexpectedly harsh. “If you mess up again, if you get us into trouble, I’m finished with you!”

  Victoria looked genuinely hurt. “Oh, Chrissy! Don’t say that!”

  “I mean it! You always mess everything up! We want to have a good time tonight. Even Louise is coming. So behave! Remember it was Jo that asked you, not me! If it was my choice I’d leave you behind!”

  “Why are you being rotten to me?”

  “Because I know you too well! Jo and Angie might still think its fun, but I can see through your little games! And I don’t think it’s funny at all!”

  There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Jo said, “Oh stop fighting you two. You’re making a scene! If you’re going to be like this tonight we might as well all go to the library and revise all night!”

  “Yeah! Pack it in!” Angela added.

  Victoria smiled half-heartedly at Chrissy. She held up her hand as if swearing an oath and said, “I promise to be good, alright?”

  Louise could have hugged her right then and there, but all Chrissy did was shrug.

  “Huh! We’ll see!” she said finally, and walked away.

  Jo shook her head in exasperation and hurried after her.

  Victoria turned to Angela and Louise and said, “I better go after her, too. Chrissy will calm down by tonight. I’ll get round her, you’ll see. I always do!” She quickly stuffed all her things back into her hold-all, said, “I’ll see you both tonight!” then before Louise could say anything, she hurried off as well.

  The rest of the class soon dispersed, and once again Louise was left alone with Angela as they packed away their things. After what Chrissy had said, Louise was having second thoughts about their evening out.

  “Will everything be alright tonight?” she asked Angela.

  “Yes, don’t worry! Tori’s right. By tonight, Chrissy will be fine, you’ll see!” Angela saw the expression on Louise’s face and became more serious. “You are still coming, aren’t you?”

  Louise had to think for a moment before replying. There was so much going on in her mind, it was all too confusing. But there was one thing she had to get out of the way before tonight. And now that they were alone in the empty classroom, Louise knew that she wouldn’t get a better chance.

  “Angie,” Louise began slowly. “You know how you’ve asked me to go out with you, Chrissy and Jo before, and I’ve always said no?”

  “Yeah? So? You’re a stick in the mud, so what?”

  “It’s not as simple as that. There’s a reason why I always said no. And before I decide to come tonight, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  “You’re a dyke,” Angela said very bluntly.

  Louise stared at her, her eyes wide. “You know?”

  “Of course I know! I’m not stupid! Look, Louise, it doesn’t bother me. I know you don’t fancy me, I’ve seen how you go all gooey-eyed whenever you see Tori to know that! And I think you’re okay! I like you. And Jo and Chrissy will get to like you too, if you let them. All you have to remember is that the three of us are all into boys, so if that doesn’t bother you, I don’t see why your idea of an ideal date should bother us. Okay?”

  Louise was completely stunned. But she wasn’t to be so easily convinced. “You can’t be so sure they won’t be upset. People take things differently–” Louise stopped abruptly when all of Angela’s words finally sunk in. “What do you mean, I go gooey-eyed over Tori–I mean Victoria! Oh God!” She held her hands over her face to hide her embarrassment. “Is it that obvious?”

  Angela began laughing. “It’s as clear as day –to me, anyway! I think it’s cute!”

  “Oh, no! I feel so embarrassed!”

  Angela continued to laugh as she pulled Louise’s hands from in front of her face. “It’s not that bad,” she said. “I’m sure I’m the only one that’s noticed. Anyway, it’s Tori you have to tell, not me!”

  Louise stared at Angela in despair. “But what happens if I tell her and she hates me for it? I like her lots, Angie! You said so yourself, I go all gooey-eyed! I’m a fool I know, but if I tell her, and she hates me, I’ll feel awful!”

  “She won’t hate you! She might be a wreck most of the time, but Tori’s not like that! You’ll see tonight. And if you tell her and she does say no, then you’ll get over it. So stop worrying.”

  “How can you be so confident? And why are you almost pushing me into this?”

  “Because Zach’s a scumbag!” Angela looked as if just saying his name brought a bad taste to her mouth. “I hate him. Everybody hates him. Only Tori likes him, and that’s only because he gets her the booze when she needs it. He’s slowly turning her into an alcoholic. He’s always getting her drunk and in a mess. I think he likes it that way. If you can get rid of him, you’ll be the best thing that’s happened to Tori in years! So, are you coming, or not?”

  Louise didn’t hesitate. “What time are we meeting?”

  Chapter Six

  A Night on the Tiles

  “Are you really sure about this?” Rosanna asked as Louise looked at herself in the mirror.

  “No,” Louise admitted. “But I’m going anyway!”

  Rosanna had helped Louise with her hair and then waited while she got dressed. Louise was wearing almost sheer tights, heels, and a low cut, sleeveless blue dress that stopped just above the knee. Her hair was up, and with her make-up carefully applied and a couple of items of favourite jewellery to set it all off, Louise was all ready.

  Rosanna sighed. “Well, I hope she likes you. Because if she doesn’t, all the boys will be queuing up to take her place.”

  “Rosie!” Louise exclaimed, not impressed with the idea.

  “It’s true! You look really lovely. It’s such a waste!”

  “Stop it! You’ll be telling me your cousin’s such a nice boy next, and setting up the introductions!”

  “I would if I had a decent cousin!”

  “You know how I feel,” Louise said more seriously as she turned towards Rosanna.

  “I know! But you can’t blame me for trying! But you do look lovely!”

  They smiled at one another. There was the sound of a car horn.

  “That’s my taxi!” Louise said. She grabbed her coat and put it on. “Will you lock up after me?”

  “Yes, don’t worry! And don’t forget your bag!”

  “Oh, yes!” Louise quickly picked up her handbag.

  Rosanna hugged her when they got to the door. “Be good,” she said. “And remember, you’re much better than all them sluts!”

  “Rosie! You’re terrible!”

  Louise made her way down-stairs and trotted to the front door. In a few moments she was in the taxi and on her way.

  Louise was smiling and full of anticipation all the way to town. But nagging inside, she was just as anxious as always. Would Victoria like her? Would she even be interested? Would she even turn up? Or would Victoria hate her? That thought worried her the most. She hardly knew Victoria, and the only things she did know about her suggested that she was straight. The more she thought about it, the more Louis
e realised that this was all a mistake. She was going to make a fool of herself, she knew it. But she couldn’t stop herself.

  Louise had promised herself one thing. No matter what happened tonight, she was going to tell Victoria her feelings. Sam had been right. Everything had to be out in the open. Angela already knew, and they were still friends. And Louise couldn’t be happier about it. She felt relieved, and more relaxed. Victoria had to be next. And if Victoria hated her, then that would be that. At least it would all be over with. She wasn’t going to be silly anymore.

  The taxi dropped her off in Piccadilly, and Louise made her way to Edward’s Bar. She could see through the large windows that it was already full. It didn’t take long for Louise to realise that she was over dressed. If a gnat had sneezed in the bar, the blast would have unclothed most of the girls there. Yes, there were a few dressed like herself, but the vast majority appeared to have come out in their nighties, or worse, their underwear. There was a lot of skin and legs in sight. Louise sighed. At least she would be in for a good view. She went inside.

  It was hot and very noisy in the bar. There was music, and the babble of many people talking and laughing. It was also full of smoke. It caught at the back of Louise’s throat and stung her eyes. It made her realise just how long it had been since she had been out on the town like this.

  She spotted Jo first. Like all the other girls in the place, she was scantily clad in a low cut and extremely short dress. She was chatting and laughing with a young man by the bar. Then Louise noticed Chrissy standing with another man nearby. Her hair was down and she was wearing tight silvery pants and a very small top. The outfit revealed an awful lot of her stomach and chest, but at least she was wearing a jacket that protected her back and shoulders. Compared to the other girls in the bar, the overall effect was very sophisticated and grown up.

  The man with Chrissy seemed to be trying to chat her up. Chrissy didn’t look impressed, she kept shaking her head. Her hair was thick and wavy, and Louise couldn’t help staring at her. She hadn’t realised at Uni just how beautiful Chrissy was. But Chrissy always wore such baggy outfits, it wasn’t surprising, really. Louise was just admiring her shapely body and legs when Chrissy turned away from the man she was talking to, saw her and waved. Louise waved back and quickly hurried forward. The man moved away, looking disappointed.

  “Hi! You made it, then?” Chrissy said with a smile.

  “Yes! But I don’t half feel old!”

  “Oh, I know! It’s terrible to think like that when we’re only just old enough to vote, isn’t it? But I’m sure the average age of the girls in here must be sixteen!”

  Jo turned and stopped chatting with the young man she was with just long enough to say, “You’re only as old as the boy you feel!”

  Both Louise and Chrissy groaned, and Chrissy said, “Now that’s dead old!” She pointed to the bar and asked Louise, “Do you want a drink?”

  Louise nodded. And the young man with Jo quickly said, “I’ll get these!”

  Jo glared at him, stroking his face with her fingers. “Oh, I see! One girl not good enough for you, now? You want all three, do you?”

  “I only offered to buy them a drink!” he protested.

  Chrissy said, “Leave the poor man alone! If he wants to throw his money about, let him! Mine’s a vodka and tonic!”

  The man turned to Louise, waiting for her to state her choice. For a moment she didn’t respond, temporarily distracted by Jo’s long blue fingernails. Then she realised and quickly said, “Oh, just an orange juice for me!”

  Jo raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, “Wow! There’s going to be no holding you back tonight!”

  Louise felt embarrassed, but then Chrissy said, “If she says she wants an orange juice, then get her an orange juice! We’re going to find a table.”

  As Jo and the young man ordered the drinks, Chrissy led Louise away to find an empty table.

  They had to push their way through the crush of people, and they hadn’t got far when three young men got in their way. One of them stepped in front of Chrissy, held out his arms, and exclaimed, “Gosh! It’s an angel come down from heaven! Save me!”

  “Gosh!” Chrissy replied. “It’s a school boy dying to lose his virginity!” and pushed passed him.

  Everyone around laughed, and the young man clutched at his heart and staggered.

  There were hardly any free tables left. But then a group got up from one almost right next to them and moved away, and Chrissy pounced on it. There were several empty glasses on the table, and Chrissy moved them to one side as she and Louise sat down.

  Louise stared at Chrissy in admiration. “I don’t know how you can think of something to say like that so quickly.”

  “Vicky and I used to practice put downs all the time. It keeps the lads on their toes!”

  That reminded Louise, and she suddenly felt anxious. “Where is Victoria? And Angie? Are they not coming?”

  “Oh, they’re already here!” Chrissy replied. “They both went to the toilet together just before you came in. Some poor lad probably had the audacity to proposition them on the way, and Vicky’s put downs are far worse than mine!”

  “Is she alright? I mean is she behaving alright?”

  Chrissy shrugged, her smile fading a little. “So far. But the night is young, as they say.”

  Louise then asked, “Who’s Jo’s friend?”

  “Oh, yes, we didn’t do the introductions thing, did we? Well, his name’s Max. He’s been Jo’s boyfriend for the last two weeks. He’s got a brother and some mates coming to meet him here tonight. I think they are under some illusion that we are all going to pair off together. Fat chance!”

  Louise was pleased to hear Chrissy’s firm dismissal of the idea, but she wondered why. “Aren’t you interested, then?”

  Chrissy shook her head. “I want somebody older, wiser, and much richer!”

  Jo and Max then appeared. They weren’t alone. There were three other young men with them.

  As Max handed out the drinks, Jo said to Chrissy, “Thanks for telling us where you were! We could have been wandering around for hours!”

  “With your bat-like ears, you’d have found us sooner or later!”

  Jo put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, thank you!”

  Max then made the introductions. His brother was called Scott. He was twenty-two, and three years older than Max. He was also the tallest at just under six foot. Both brothers had fair hair, blue eyes and were obviously quite fit. They looked very much alike, too, with the same strong features and square jaw-line.

  Max’s two friends were John and Andy. John had brown hair and eyes, with a thin, wiry body. It made him look taller than he actually was. Andy was quite the opposite. He obviously liked his food. Although he wasn’t fat yet, he was well on his way. With jet black hair and brown eyes, he was also the shortest of the group.

  As Max introduced them to Louise and they each shook her hand and said hello, she was instantly given a quick glimpse into their characters. Max was easy going, casual and polite. Scott was very focused; he hardly took his eyes off Chrissy the whole time. John was very intense. Louise felt that he was trying to read her mind as he stared right into her eyes. Like Max, Andy was very casual, and he also seemed to have a constantly happy disposition.

  As soon as the introductions were over, Scott made an immediate move on Chrissy. Sitting down next to her he said, “Where have you been all my life, gorgeous?”

  Chrissy looked disdainfully at him and replied, “Boiling an egg.”

  “Ouch!”

  Max laughed. “I told you not to bother! Unless you’ve got a Porsche or a Mercedes, you’ve no chance!”

  Chrissy looked offended. “Are you suggesting that I can be bought?” She spoke very harshly, and the smiles faded from everyone’s lips.

  “No…” Max began hesitantly, and then he looked up and stared.

  Like everyone else, Louise followed his gaze, and found herself staring at
Victoria and Angela, or more correctly, at Victoria’s body.

  Victoria was wearing an even smaller and far more flimsy top than Chrissy wore, and unlike Chrissy, she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath it. She was also wearing a skirt that could only be considered to be a skirt because it was too wide to be a belt. Although it was slung low around her hips, it was far too short, but it still had a dart revealing even more thigh. Both skirt and top were a sparkling gold, as were her sling-back heels. With her long blonde hair all fluffed out, the whole effect was Hollywood Hooker Barbie.

  The last time Louise had seen so much of Victoria’s body, she was naked and wet in the shower.

  In comparison, Angela was dressed almost conservatively. She wore a short, blue skirt, a white blouse, and a blue waistcoat. Like Louise, she was wearing sheer tights and heels. She also had a jacket, which she held over her arm.

  While Scott, John and Andy stared at Victoria in what could only be described as lust, she stared back at them in what could only be described as distaste.

  “I see we’ve been invaded,” she said in a grim voice.

  Jo quickly introduced them. “It’s alright Tori! Put your claws away! This is Scott, Max’s brother, and his mates, John and Andy, from work. Boys, meet Tori and Angie!”

  Victoria’s expression softened, and she grinned. “That’s alright then!”

  Scott immediately stood up, and Victoria sat down next to Chrissy. She didn’t say thank you to Scott, or even acknowledge him. He sat next to her on the other side, shoving John out of the way.

  Angela smiled at Louise and came to sit next to her. Jo sat on Max’s knee to make room for her. Everyone was now squeezed in at the little table.

  “Are you glad you came?” Angela asked Louise.

  Louise nodded. “So far!”

  Victoria noticed Louise for the first time and immediately looked startled. “Louise! I didn’t recognise you! Don’t you look nice!” She reached across the table and touched Louise’s hair.