Lost Girl: Julie's Story Ch. 02

After an enjoyable and extended necking session, Doreen said she'd be taking a day off work, Steven would be champing at the bit when he woke and she wanted to get the benefit, so with a borrowed top and a fresh pair of panties, courtesy of Doreen, I headed back to the office on my own, relaxed and actually clear-headed for the first time in weeks. The other girls noticed my changed attitude, as I returned their greetings with a smile and a cheerful 'Good Morning!' And I meant it; for the first time in weeks, I really did think it was a good morning.

I spent that day working with my office door open, letting everyone know I was back.

On the way home that evening I got a panicked call from Nia, so I detoured over to her place, to find her pacing around, eyes red from crying, kind of a norm for her these days.

I asked her what was the matter (this time!) and, as usual, it was to do with Jamie, and his lack of communication with her, and the fact that he was graduating soon, but had already decided to ditch his Graduation ceremony and come home early, and that he'd be home in a few days, what was she going to do, why did she feel so afraid to see him, the usual.

I could see it immediately, as could any one of her friends: she was obviously besotted with him, and that deep connection she had with him was causing her all kinds of grief because she'd elected to stay so angry with him for so long. I couldn't figure out what she had to be angry about; according to Mrs. Morrison, Jamie called home every few days, but Nia refused to speak to him, so this was kind of a problem of her own making, and she didn't want answers; she wanted to talk about Jamie, something I had no time or appetite for at the moment; discussing brothers was not somewhere I wanted to go right now; of course Nia didn't know, she'd never be so insensitive, but the whole area was one big open wound right now, and I had no wish to pick at it.

Asking Shelagh would have done her no good; any mention of Jamie Morrison in her presence started her off in swoon-mode, something that particularly irritated Nia, so I was the short option, but I had no answers, even though I could see where the whole Nia and Jamie thing was headed; tipping things strongly in their favour though was the fact that her parents were human, not anything like my lunatic mother.

Eventually I ended-up telling her that whatever she wanted to do about Jamie, she'd be best-off just doing it; either she made a pass at him and snagged him, or he blew her off, either way at least she'd know for sure. However it went, I couldn't help her make a decision like that, I could only wait to either applaud or help her pick up the pieces.

Nia was also intensely curious about my own situation, what had happened at home, and where Mark had gone, she never saw him around anymore. I was still too bruised to talk about it, especially if her situation with Jamie went along the same lines as with Mark and me, so I just asked her not to press me, it was a bad memory I had no wish to revisit, and she left it at that.

The next few days were uneventful. Doreen came back to work, looking very pleased with herself, giving me a couple knowing grins, and I started taking lunch breaks with the girls in the office, slowly becoming one of them again, putting more of myself into my job, probably so I would have less time for leisure; for me, leisure meant loneliness.

Doreen asked me a couple of times if I would like to go out again with her and Steven, but I passed on that; I knew where that would lead, and I wasn't interested in becoming the low point on a triangle; ménage a trois is nice in fantasies, but the reality is that someone always ends up getting less out of it than the other two, and I had no intention of ever again becoming that involved with anyone; once bitten, twice shy was now my motto.

Then, one day, I got a call from Nia, asking me if I would meet her at The Ministry of Sound, a club in The Borough, near London Bridge, and to bring Shelagh, and that Jamie would be there; that news alone would be sure to bring Shelagh scurrying along, I was fairly sure of that! I called up Shelagh, told her and I swear I heard her hormone levels jump over the phone! She had a big case for Jamie, which was a real pity, as he wouldn't even notice her, I would have taken bets on that...

We got the club at around 11:30, Nia and Jamie were already inside waiting for us. I'd forgotten just how attractive Jamie really was, and his calm, gentle personality seemed to be even more in evidence now that I was seeing him again after so many years. He'd obviously completely forgotten me, although he looked at me a couple of times like he was trying to recall something. I found that completely understandable in him; when Nia was around him, everything and everybody faded into the background. I was curious why Nia had asked us to come along, though; if she wanted a date with Jamie, why not just go on a date with him, why were we here?

After a little conversation, a slow number came on, and Shelagh jumped at the chance to drag him onto the floor, Jamie obviously reluctant. I just happened to see Nia looking at him, and I could have sworn she nodded at him, like she was giving him permission to dance with Shelagh.

It was embarrassing to watch. Poor Shel swayed and rubbed and undulated against him for all she worth, Jamie just looking more and more uncomfortable, and when the number ended, Shel grabbed his face and latched on for dear life. I saw the look Jamie gave Nia, and I saw the quick blaze of anger in her eyes, then sorrow, and ...satisfaction?

Suddenly, I saw the light. Of course, poor Shel, she'd just been showed why she could never have Jamie, and I was there to pick up the pieces. It was a smart move by Nia, some would say calculating, but I know Nia better than that; she really loves Shel, and this was the kindest, easiest way of letting her down; the alternative would be Shel trying it at some party where all our friends would be, and getting the same result, and just how humiliating would that have been?

Jamie led Shelagh back to our table, still quite oblivious to what had actually happened out there on the dance floor, and Nia took her off to the Ladies to have a cry while I decided to give Jamie a surprise.

"I saw what happened out there!" I said softly, and Jamie turned to look at me.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked, as I hadn't spoken to him yet that evening.

"Shelagh's had a thing for you for years, Jamie, hell, half our class feels the same way, but she's always had it big and bad," I told him, "I know what she was trying to do out there, and I saw her kiss you, and you just looked like she was invisible; she's probably crying in the ladies restroom right now!

Jamie kind of shrugged; I could see he was very uncomfortable with what had happened, and I felt sorry for him, he hadn't led her on or anything, she'd practically ambushed him.

"I also saw the look you gave Nia when Shelagh kissed you, and the expression on Nia's face. How long have you two been a couple, then?"

His eyes opened wide as he realised that cat was out of the bag.

"Look Julie, it's not like that at all..." he began, trailing off as I shook my head. I decided to ask him a direct question; I knew he'd answer me, he's always truthful, that's always been a major part of his innate attractiveness.

"Jamie," I began," She's had you buzzing around her all her life, holding her hand and being sweet, and I have to admit, you are kind of OK looking, and nearly everyone in our entire year at school has been drooling over you for years, so the only question I have is; why did it take her so long?"

Now Jamie looked puzzled.

"So you have no problem with Nia and I, you know...? Really? Why?"

I decided to share, let him know they were not as alone as they maybe thought.

"Because I know what's happening with you two. My older brother was my first, he said he loved me, I know I loved him, he said we would go far away, where no-one would know us, we could be a couple, have a family, the whole thing. My mum found out, talked him out of it, asked him to leave me and go, and so he fucked off, and he's never been back in contact with me, so yeah, I know what it's like for Nia, and no, I won't say anything; it's your business; you can't help who you fall in love with."

Telling him this made me well-up, and Jamie, concern in his eyes, and ever the gentleman, gave me his handkerchief so I could mop my eyes.

I started again. "Jamie, Nia's been my friend since we were 11 years old, and all she's ever talked about is you. She's been in love with you since she was a little girl, even if she never came right out and said it; we all got it long ago, how long did it take you to get it?"

Jamie looked like a man with a major discovery on his hands, that soft-focus look he always got whenever he spoke of or to Nia.

"I only found out yesterday, no, correction, admitted it to myself for the first time yesterday; Nia was always the most important thing in my life, and I always adored her, even when she was being a real pain; I promised mum I'd be a proper big brother, that I'd look out for her, and I kept my promise; it wasn't that hard, to be honest. When I saw her again yesterday, for the first time in three years, she showed me how she felt about me, something clicked into place, and I knew I felt the same way. I'm not leaving her behind again; wherever I go from now on, I'm taking her with me."

That was what I wanted to hear. The two of them had been inseparable inside their heads since early days, emotionally locked together all their lives, it was about bloody time they admitted and accepted it.

I reached over and took his hand.

"Good boy! Perhaps you should tell her that!" I paused. "I just got why she asked Shelagh and me along tonight, you're smart, you should be able to figure it out too. Oh, and one more thing; Shelagh's a nice girl, but she can be a vindictive cow, and you just blew her off, so don't let her know about you and Nia."

Just then, Shel and Nia came back, so I let him go for now, concentrating on my friend, who was making a good effort to act like nothing had happened. We all chatted like friends, but there was definitely a hollow feel about it, Shelagh was clearly needing to get away, but I needed to reinforce something with him, so I asked Jamie for a dance, noting the way he silently asked Nia for permission; good, he knew who was boss right now!

Once I got him onto the dance floor, I pulled his head down to whisper in his ear "Remember one thing, Jamie; Nia's one of my closest and oldest friends, if you hurt her, I WILL find a way to make you pay, make no mistake about it!"

He seemed a little taken aback, not to say bemused at being threatened by a small girl like me, but he took my point.

"Julie, I promise you," he said, " Nia's all I want, I know she's the one, so you can rest easy, whatever we do from here on, we're doing it together. Is that good enough for you?"

I knew Jamie was absolutely incapable of lying, and he plainly adored and worshipped Nia, so I thought I'd lighten the mood.

"OK, Jamie good enough for me; now for fuck's sake try and dance like you know what you're doing!"

He grinned that sweet boyish grin that had always made him so attractive, and made an effort to not look like he was trying to back a truck into a narrow space as he tried his best to dance with me.

When we got back to our table, Shelagh made an excuse to leave, so I went with her; she was hurting right now, and I wanted her to come home with me so she could cry, the way she'd done for me when I needed it.

Jamie hailed us a cab, and caught my eye as I got in, nodded slightly and grinned again that happy grin of his as he took Nia's hand; I knew there and then that there was no chance there of Nia going through what I did, Jamie was obviously and permanently in love with her, so my mind was at rest on that score.

Shelagh was in tears by the time we got back to my place, heartbroken over Jamie; I felt for her; she'd carried that torch since she was 11 years old, now, nearly 8 years later, she'd tried to light one in him, and she'd failed. I let her cry for a while, then she began hating him, which was healthier than sobbing, I supposed, telling me all the reasons why it would never have worked between them, how much she hated him, and dreaming up complicated revenge schemes. Her final word on the subject was a relief to hear.

"Jules, if I ever mention Jamie Morrison again, slap me, hard, OK? Promise?"

I promised her I would, and slipped in a little snippet about Charlotte Pryce's 'ferret-in-a hedge' brother who'd filled out nicely thanks to a stint in the Royal Marines, trained regularly at the local gym, was quite cute in a rugged, 'me-Tarzan-you-Jane' sort of way, and currently single. Shelagh's eyes lit up, and in a very short while, over a couple of large Sangria's, Jamie was almost forgotten as her new man-snaring scheme unfolded.

I left her watching TV, it had been a long day, and I needed to recuperate; also, Shelagh had started me thinking. Perhaps a new man was what I needed, a new start, with someone new, someone I could get to know, and who'd get to know me, move a little slower than I had with Mark.

The next day, I got a call from Nia again, she and Jamie wanted to spend the evening with me, they were telling their dad, and needed to be out of the house while their mum went to bat for them. It was an...interesting evening; Nia managed to get the whole Mark story out of me, in fact, I spilled my guts like a prison stoolie, which wasn't what I wanted, as it only brought my loss back into sharp focus

++++

The months went by, Nia started Law School at the London School of Economics, coincidentally opposite my office on Southampton Row, so most afternoons, if she was free or had a short day, she'd wander over to see me, and we'd get a sandwich or a Chinese together. Jamie was busily building his own business, contracting himself out to exploration companies, building-up his list of contacts and saving every penny he earned to start his own consultancy. I used to stay with Nia when he was away, her dad had given them the top floor of their house as their own space, a sort of apartment, which he referred to as 'The Sin Palace' and stayed away from, unless he heard Nia playing some of his old Stax, Philadelphia and Atlantic soul records, then the two of them would sit up there, eyes closed, leaning against each other, grooving and worshipping at the feet of Otis Redding and Al Greene while Jamie and his mum ate ice cream and watched cop shows, or listened to Jamie's Sam Cooke and Van Morrison CD's.

I met and dated a variety of guys, all of whom were nice, some were very nice indeed, but there was always something missing, something that failed to flick my 'he's the one' switch. Sometimes, one of the more romantic ones would leave a bunch of flowers with a card addressed to me on the step outside, always purple hyacinths, maidenhair ferns and orange blossom, with a single primrose in the middle, and I was always intrigued to know which of the guys I'd dated was sending me flowers, but I never found out. Then boutique chocolates on my birthday, again left outside in a package addressed to me, and again no clue as to the sender.

For two years, as Nia worked her way through university, I became increasingly a fixture in her house. Jamie was away a lot, his name was getting around, and he was becoming in-demand, so I spent a lot of time with Nia and her lovely, steely little mum, the only person I know who's shorter than I am...

In many ways, Mrs Morrison became a mother to me. She was someone I could have a mother-daughter conversation with about life, love, boyfriends, all the stuff I should have been doing with my own mother, and she gave me the advice that a mother gives her daughter -- also, she reviewed the various short-term boyfriends I managed to acquire, generally asking the questions about them that a mother would.

And then I met David.

The first time I saw him I thought he was bloody gorgeous; tall, dark blonde hair, bright blue china-doll eyes, sporty and fit, a smile that could melt through concrete, single, four years older than me, with a steady job and a clear career path with the Civil Service. I was in a haze when he asked me out, all I could focus on was that smile, those eyes, my God!

We went on several dates, David taking me to the West end to see 'Jersey Boys', romantic dinners, chocolates, flowers, the whole thing. I thought he may be the one, the one person who could wipe away the memory of Mark. Eventually, I gave in; I needed him, or rather, I needed a man, and as Shelagh pointed out, even if a guy's not Mr Right, why not at least let him be Mr Right-Now, and give myself a chance.

So I set up this whole seduction routine, decoying him into the bedroom so I could work him out a little, maybe scrub away the last little bits of Mark that still lurked in odd corners of me.

I started innocuously enough.

"So, David, what are you doing tomorrow?" I asked him as we sat in my place, having a post-pub sandwich.

He grinned at me. "Nothing much, for the first time in a long time, my Saturday is free; no Rugby practice, the cricket nets aren't open yet, and I don't want to go circuit-training, so I was going to lie-in, watch TV, and slob-out, and ask you if you would like to go to a wine bar in the evening.

I took a deep breath.

"You could do that here, you know, you don't have to go home tonight, after all, we've been going out now for...!"

He cut me off with a smile. "I accept, Julie, thank you, I was wondering when my manly charms would wear you down!"

He pulled me close and sat me on his lap, kissing me while his hands ran up and down my back. I moved and sat astride him, pulling myself closer so I could kiss him better, his hands dropping down to my backside and squeezing lightly, letting me know he was enjoying himself, enjoying me.

I broke our kiss and stood up, tugging his hand, and leading him to my bedroom, a place no man had been since I moved here over two years ago; I thought it was about time it saw some action.

David turned me as we entered the room, dipping down to kiss me as his hands slid over me, tugging at my top, pulling it out of my jeans as he began to undress me.

I fumbled with his sweater, pulling it up to unhook the waistband of his slacks, and David pulled his sweater off, then pulled my blouse over my head and popped the button on my jeans, sliding them down in one move. I grinned at him.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" and his answering smile literally lit the room up. He was such a beautiful man!

David peeled his clothes off down to his briefs, and I was intrigued (and excited!) to note the sizeable lump furled-up in the front there. I unhooked my bra and shrugged it off, David immediately catching me up and kissing me as his hands roamed over me and down into my panties, sliding them off as he cupped and squeezed my bum cheeks, walking me backwards to the bed and urging me onto it, not that I actually needed any encouragement!

I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his briefs and tugged them down, feeling a delicious tingle as his thick and handsome 7-inch cock sprang free, my pussy twitching in anticipation of what the night was going to bring.

David pulled me in close for another long, hot, powerfully arousing kiss, somehow manoeuvring me onto the bed, lying down next to me as his hands roamed over me, touching, caressing, fondling and squeezing.

I took hold of his impressive cock, wanting to feel the heat and pulse of it, my need for him almost overwhelming after so long. I kissed his muscular chest, licking and gently biting his nipples, making him tense his stomach, his abdominal muscles standing out in high relief as he gasped and bucked, before I moved down, kissing him lightly and fleetingly. I pumped his cock gently, feeling him flex as I kissed on down his abdomen towards his groin, eventually kissing and licking up the length of his cock from root to crown, making him gasp and smile, and licking once across the shiny purple head, tasting his maleness, his scent and taste strong and clean. His fingers gently massaged my pussy, sliding along my wet labia, feeling my readiness even as I slipped my lips over his velvety crown, hearing him gasp as I sucked him.