The Waltzers Part 2

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The ride stopped and before I could get up I felt her whisper in my ear.

‘Shall we go for a walk,’ she said. I looked at Tom who seemed to be lost in a world of Donna and nodded. We crossed the road, leaving the noise and the neon behind but we didn’t go to ‘Lover’s Lane.’ Instead we slipped down on to the promenade. Here it was dark and eerily quiet, there were shadowy figures dotted around. Maybe Tom and Donna were one of the couples coupling happily in the dark.

Maria kissed me, I was glad she did because I’d never kissed a girl before and wouldn’t have known where to begin. Her lips felt warm and soft. She smelt of candyfloss and cheap body spray; I could taste the sugar on her tongue. My hand went up her jumper instinctively. I was expecting to be slapped away but she allowed my fingers to roam, touching the lacy bra and the breast cooped up inside. She was smaller than I expected up there.  My head was spinning, my heart beating, but this wasn’t a fairground ride. If I am honest, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. My hands roamed aimlessly, my tongue battling hers for supremacy. She kissed my neck, sucking my skin like a hoover, while I tried to figure out how to unclasp her bra. I gave and concentrated on trying to get my hand under it instead, touch the soft fresh skin and kneading the poor things like a hot crossed buns.

‘Shit’ she said. ‘What time is it?’

My 1980’s digital watch had a small light.

‘10.35’ I replied. My heart sunk, I was going to be late.

‘Shit,’ she said, ‘the camp closes at 10.30.’ She gave me one last kiss.

‘Meet me here tomorrow,’ she said as she walked off. ‘7pm.’

‘Okay,’ I agreed, fighting the urge to shout I love you.

The Island Road, a road I’d walked 100 times before, was eerie at that time of night. It was like riding the ghost train; I expected ghouls and ghost to emerge from the darkness at any given moment. Instead women in various stages of undress leered at me, while shifty looking men hung around waiting for 14-year-old boys to pass by, so they could resume their business negotiations.

I managed to get home at 10.50, just 5 minutes late. Surely my parents would give me 5 minutes grace. To my relief they were already in bed.

My night was restless. I couldn’t believe my luck - I’d not only kissed a girl for the first time but also touched her breasts. I couldn’t wait to see Maria again, to taste her lips and battle her tongue. If I’d got to the breast on the first date, who knew where a second date might lead? But I knew I had to convince my parents to let me go and that would be easier said that done.

‘Did you have a good time last night.’ My mum said without turning around to look at me. She was cooking bacon like she did every Saturday morning.

‘Brilliant,’ I said, ‘sorry for being 5 minutes late.’

‘That’s okay love, Bacon Sandwich?’

‘Yes please,’ I said, laying the table and making a pot of tea.

‘Mum,’ I said, thinking it would be better to get a yes out of my mum, before dad came down to breakfast.’

‘Yes.’ 

‘Could I go again tonight?’

‘I don’t see why not love,’ she turned around to look at me for the first time that morning and immediately dropped her spatula. ‘What’s that?’ she said, a look of horror on her face.

‘What’s what?’ I said checking the mirror that hung in the kitchen. My neck looked like I’d had a lucky escape from the Boston strangler.

‘There’s no way you are going anywhere tonight.’ She said. ‘Or any night in the near future.’

So I never saw Maria again, never got to taste those lips or explore her body further. I wondered how long she’d waited for me before she went off and found some other lucky victim.