Just Good Friends

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It takes them a while to realise they're more than...
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Storm62
Storm62
354 Followers

When I posted my latest story I saw that I had never posted this one before. They have similar themes but this one is much older. I was challenged to write it without contractions, but it didn't look right so they went back in (mostly!).

****************

I had known of her for a long time, we lived in the same area as children, went to the same schools, even played together at times. I am a few years older, so we never really became friends. My friends played with her friends. Our parents were acquaintances, but that was as far as it went. After I left school I don't think I saw her again until she came to work for the same company where I had been working for a few months. Even then we had little contact with one another except on company matters, as I had long got out of the habit of talking to the female staff as women to date after one particularly brusque brush-off. We both got promotion eventually, both becoming section heads. As it was a small company, about fifty or sixty employees altogether, sooner or later we all came to know each other's business. Break-time gossip was one of the high points of the day, so when Teresa's marriage began to break up within days we were all talking about it. In retrospect this may have been one of the things that might have contributed to her subsequent health problems. Unfortunately we all thought we could see that the pair were incompatible. He was a big man, used to getting his own way, not afraid to speak his mind, but inclined to drink perhaps one or two too many. She could be abrasive, moody, stubborn, and obstinate and a complete bitch at times. Theirs was not a perfect match, but once they had thought they loved each other. By now though they had stopped trying to make it work. It was still a shock though when she announced that he was leaving her and they were divorcing. We all admired her strength of purpose and determination to carry on as if nothing had changed. How little we knew.

---

To this day I am not sure what it was that broke through Teresa's veneer and exposed her frailty to us all. Probably some chance remark by someone, maybe it all became too much for her. Anyway, during one coffee break she burst into tears and stumbled off. I heard a couple of people talking about it and wondered where she had gone. I thought she might need a friend and hoped I could be there for her. I found her sobbing in a darkened print room. Suddenly I was unsure about what to do. Whenever I'd offered to help before Teresa had politely but firmly turned me down. I quietly closed the door behind me and turned on the light. She looked up with tear-reddened eyes. I couldn't think what to say so I just offered her a tissue. She took it and dabbed at her face, smearing what was left of her mascara, murmuring her thanks. Inspiration suddenly struck me. I was taking a week's holiday soon. I planned to drive to some of my favourite places and then explore them on foot. Perhaps Teresa could come; she needed a break after all. I shuffled my feet and cleared my throat.

"I'm going away next week on a sort of driving cum walking holiday, and I was wondering if you might like to come too? I'm sure most of the places I've got booked will have an extra room, and if not we could find some other solution." She glanced up, a mildly shocked look on her face. I ran the sentence back through my mind. "I didn't mean .."

"I think I know what you meant." She said, a pale smile playing on her lips as she saw my discomfiture. "And it's a very kind invitation, but I don't think I should. After all the company needs me."

"The company can get on fine without either of us for a week."

"What about my leave entitlement? I used most of it up with.. Well, you know."

"Take some sick days, or get compassionate leave, you deserve it you know."

"I'm not sure I should."

"Come on. It'll do you good to get away from here for a few days at least."

She looked at me and asked in a little voice. "What will everyone think if we go away together?"

"Does that really worry you?"

"Not really, I thought it might worry you though."

"I couldn't care less to be honest. Everyone knows we're friends, we'll leave it at that, just good friends. So are you on for this expedition or not?"

She looked up at me through tearful eyes and came to a decision.

"If I do come, I pay my own way and do half the driving."

"Okay. Shake on it." I offered her my hand. She took it amusedly and shook it. An impish glint appeared in her brown eyes and she leaned forward and gave me a peck on the cheek and then left the room. I put my hand to my face, a little confused. I shrugged it off as a return to her normal high spirits, and followed her out.

---

The journey down was a little strange. While Teresa was driving she was talkative, almost her old self, responding to my conversational sallies, but when I was behind the wheel and had to concentrate more on the road she became less communicative. It was as if she had too much on her mind. Around this point that I realised that possibly I may have taken on more than I could handle. Not being an expert in psychology or managing relationships, my whole life was testament to that, but I felt I should be able to help her as a friend. I was just hoping that I wasn't going to make things worse.

We arrived at the inn where I had booked rooms and checked in. The rooms were not quite adjacent but were on the same landing. After a wash and change I went to see if Teresa was interested in going for a look around the village before the evening meal. She said she was tired and wanted to rest for a while. I shrugged and left her to it, not wanting to push her into anything yet. When I came back she was still in her room and seemed almost scared to come down for the meal, preferring to eat alone. Again I just shrugged and left her to it. I ate in the dining room but as I passed her room before turning in I paused. Through the door I could hear muffled sobs. Now it had become obvious I was going to have to be a little more cunning to gain her confidence, so before I fell asleep I spent a couple of hours devising a plan for the following days walk, hoping to try and find a way to get Teresa more involved in what was supposed to be a joint venture.

The walk, as a walk, was beautiful. The sun shone, there was a gentle breeze blowing across the moor, and the scenery was stunning. On my own that would have been enough, but I wanted more now. I needed the view to inspire something in Teresa, something that would start her talking to me. I desperately wanted to help her, but I needed at least a hint about how I could achieve this. With all this in mind, when we got back to the inn I was disappointed. She had been appreciative of the panorama before her, but it hadn't stirred her. Teresa retired to her room and again took her meal alone. This was not going as I had hoped. I did not hold out much hope for improvement tomorrow either as we were going to visit a museum. I briefly considered changing our schedule, but as this museum is one of my favourite places, I decided to carry on for now. In any case a sudden change to our agreed programme might tip Teresa off about what I was up to.

---

We booked out of the inn fairly early, intending to stop somewhere else that evening after visiting the museum. The journey took a couple of hours, mainly because we were not in any great hurry. Teresa drove most of the way, another attempt by me to get her talking. Once we were inside the building I forgot all of my plans and just started to talk. It was the first time I had been there with someone who had little knowledge of the subject of the museum. I suppose I was showing off unintentionally, but the sight of some of those exhibits and Teresa's innocent question as we entered the car park, ("What sort of museum is this?") set me off. For the next three or four hours I led her from room to room, pointing things out, explaining things, answering questions. My enthusiasm seemed to be catching, stimulating her interest almost in spite of her reserve. We also seemed to attract some followers, little groups trailing behind us. As I droned on they followed, trying to appear as if they were not listening. People tell me I can talk about this subject for a long time and I did. When we had covered the entire collection at least twice we retired to the café and ordered two teas and some sandwiches, and then sat down to talk.

"I never thought I'd be that interested in a museum." Teresa said.

"Well, I've never had someone listening to me with so much interest." I said.

"I wasn't the only one." She said, indicating with a little nod a couple of our followers who were seated nearby.

"I'm sorry about that. I got a little carried away, I have no idea what came over me." I grinned. We talked for a while before we left for the car, then again as we drove on to find our nights lodging, again an inn.

After checking in, Teresa went upstairs for a shower while I fuelled the car before I did likewise. Coming down for dinner again I stopped outside Teresa's room and asked if she would care to accompany me. To my surprise she came right out, as if she was waiting for me. After the meal we went into the lounge, but it was quiet and a little boring.

"I heard that they have a pool table here." Teresa suddenly said. "Do you fancy a game?" I agreed and we went off to find the table. When we found it some local lads were already using it. I was all set to give up on the idea but Teresa was not. "Play doubles when you've finished?" She asked. The lads looked at each other and then agreed. She turned to look at me. "Get some drinks in then." I shrugged and went to the bar. This was the start of an amazing evening. Teresa was the life of a small party. By closing time we knew the four local lads as if they were family. We talked all the time. They told us what it was like living in an area that relied on tourism, we told them what it was like living in an industrial area. By the end of the night we'd all become firm friends. I was playing a last game with the innkeeper's son, the other locals had left and Teresa had gone to bed. He asked me if she and I were "an item". I shook my head, almost sadly, and told him. "No. We're just good friends." He gave me a disbelieving look. "Honestly. She's been having a rough time of it lately so I thought a trip into the country might help." He still wasn't convinced, but he did tell me of a particularly spectacular beauty spot that might be worth a visit in the morning.

---

The following day I awoke fairly early and had a quick look around the village before breakfast. It was fairly quiet, but the weather looked encouraging. After buying a paper I returned to the inn and found Teresa waiting for me in the dining room. She looked a little down again, but perked up when I told her the weather looked good for the days walk. After breakfast we donned our walking boots and set out.

The sun was burning off the low-lying mist and the sky showed blue overhead. I tried a little bird identification, but was deliberately wide of the mark. Teresa corrected me straightaway, pointing out several differences between what the bird was and what I had identified it as. After a couple of ridiculous suggestions, she looked me straight in the eye and accused me of doing it on purpose. I shrugged my shoulders.

"At least it got you interested again." She thumped me on the shoulder, and laughed.

For the next two or three hours we walked and talked, pointing out birds and flowers, one or two unusual insects and the view in general. Off in the distance Teresa thought she saw a deer, but I was sceptical until it suddenly burst from cover and ran off in front of us. As the morning progressed I started to angle our route toward the viewpoint our host of the night before had suggested. If Teresa noticed the deviation she never mentioned it. We had been climbing for a while and just before noon we emerged from a wooded valley above the most beautiful looking little cove I had ever seen. It just stopped me in my tracks. Beside me I heard Teresa murmur 'It's beautiful'. Just beyond another small copse of trees below us, a deep blue sea lapped a beach of almost white sand. The cove itself was almost a complete circle, with just a narrow entrance. It was a truly exquisite place.

I looked at Teresa.

"Race you." She said, and was off. Laughing, I followed. She lost me in the trees, but I caught her up across the beach, and we hit the water almost simultaneously. "I win, I win." She cheered, just before she fell forward into the surf. I couldn't help laughing as she struggled to stand. I reached out a hand to haul her upright. "See how you like it." She cried, pulling me over. I splashed down beside her. We knelt in the waves and laughed like children.

"Now how on earth are we going to get dry?" I said eventually.

Teresa considered this for a moment and then replied.

"Well, I am going to take off my blouse and slacks and hang them over those bushes."

"But you'll be practically naked." I managed to stammer.

"Not at all. I shall wear my cagoule." She looked at me. "And I will still have my underwear on." The mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. "That won't bother you will it? After all you keep telling everyone that we're just good friends."

I swallowed.

"Yes, but I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea." I was blushing and knew it. Teresa took pity on me, and disappeared behind the bushes. When she emerged again she was wearing her plastic raincoat and carried her outer clothes over her arm. As she arranged them in the sun to dry she looked over her shoulder at me.

"Why are you still sitting in those wet things?"

"Because, Miss-always-prepared, I didn't bring my mac with me."

"Oh. Well at least take your shirt off."

Grudgingly I did so, draping it over a bush near where her clothes were now drying. Our boots and socks followed. I was acutely aware of how little clothing she was wearing so I wondered off down the beach and began to poke about in the rock pools, something I had not done for a long time. After a while Teresa came over and crouched beside me, asking what I was doing.

"Actually I'm trying desperately not to stare at you." I said.

She laughed and pulled the cagoule around her tightly.

"Better?"

"Well, a bit."

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked.

I looked into her eyes and decided to go for broke.

"I thought that under the right circumstances you might be able to confide in me, tell me what it is that is gnawing away at you inside. I might be able to help." She sat back on the rocks. Blown it, I thought.

"If I tell you, it goes no further. I don't want it bandied around in your little gossip group."

"You gossip as well." I protested.

"You swear that it goes no further." She was close to tears, but obviously wanted to unburden herself.

"I swear." I said, solemnly crossing my heart in the old playground symbol.

"It was about a year ago." She began.

---

It was all so simple, so stupid. Teresa's marriage was failing, but she didn't want to believe it. Her best friend from all the way back to school was a girl called Natalie, who tried to tell her what was happening. Teresa had accused her of trying to steal her husband. Natalie protested her innocence and Teresa had apologised almost straightaway, but the slur had been there. Now Teresa couldn't bring herself to ask her best friends advice, and she needed advice as the marriage crumbled. Natalie obviously held no grudge, as Teresa had declined an invitation to her own wedding. Months had now passed with barely a word exchanged between them. Teresa was afraid of what response she would get if she asked for advice again, Natalie, I presumed, was equally as bewildered as to what was happening, until they had arrived at the current impasse. At last I knew what was wrong, now I had to find some way to fix it.

"You mean all this depression is because you haven't got anyone to confide in?" I said, incredulously as she finished her tale of woe.

"It's not just that." She protested, but it was a feeble protest. "It's that everything all happened at once."

"All right, I accept that. It just seems a bit childish." As I said it, I regretted it.

Teresa turned away, and then stood up.

"I can solve my own problems, however 'childish' they may seem to others." She stalked off to where her clothes were drying and picked them up, going behind the hedge to put them on. I went over and picked up my shirt. It was almost dry, so I put it on. My boots were still damp too but I pulled them on anyway. As I finished lacing them up, Teresa emerged from the bushes. She sat beside me to put her boots on.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so horrible." I said.

"I know you're only trying to help." She sighed. "But it's hard for me to ask anyone but Natalie or my mum for help." What she said gave me an idea, but I needed a phone. I stood up.

"Come on." I said, offering her my hand. "Let's get back and get properly dry." She grasped my hand and I pulled, a little too hard. She bumped into me. "Sorry." I said.

"Are you?" She said. I wondered that too.

---

It took us nearly an hour to reach the inn. Teresa disappeared into her room again, but this time I was hoping for it. Down in reception I asked if there was a phone I could use. I knew where Teresa's mother lived, but not the phone number. A brief discussion with directory enquiries remedied that and I called the number I was given. After several rings Teresa's mum answered.

"Mrs Shaw? This is Derek Smith. Yes, the man who's taken your daughter away on holiday. No, nothing has gone wrong. She is a little less depressed most of the time and quite cheerful occasionally. I just wanted to ask if you knew her best friend Natalie's phone number? Well, it seems that Teresa misses talking to her, but is scared to contact her. So I thought that if I could do that for her maybe it would be a start. You don't know but you can find out? That will be fine Mrs Shaw; I'll call back in an hour. Thank you."

I went upstairs and had a shower. We had missed lunch, and dinner wasn't for a while, so Teresa would hopefully not be around while I was on the phone. I rang Mrs Shaw again. She had come up trumps, finding the number and telling me Natalie's married name. Now I just had to hope that Natalie was not holding a grudge.

"Mrs Williams? My name is Derek Smith. I don't think you'll know me now. Actually, who I am is unimportant. I'm calling for a mutual friend, Teresa Shaw. Yes, she has reverted to her maiden name. The point is, are you willing to talk to her? From what she has told me, you have every right not to. I have spent nearly a week trying to find out what is depressing her, and apparently it is the fact that she upset you and now she feels that she can't talk to you anymore. I am afraid I don't understand why she feels this way; perhaps you do, as you have known her longer than most people. You'd love to talk to her again! That's wonderful news, if you hang on I'll get her to the phone." Just as I said this, Teresa came downstairs, talk about luck. I handed her the receiver. "Someone would like a word." I said, and walked away, leaving a puzzled looking Teresa speaking into the phone.

"Hello, this is Teresa Shaw, to whom am I speaking?"

It was a good twenty minutes or so later when Teresa came over to me in the lounge.

"You swore to me." She began.

"I said I wouldn't gossip. What I did can hardly be called gossiping." I smiled. "Did you have a nice talk? Unburden yourself a little?" She nodded. "Feel better for it?" Again she nodded. "Well you don't have to thank me, but you could at least speak to me."

"I don't know as I should speak to you. You've been deceiving me all this time."

Storm62
Storm62
354 Followers
12