Summer Ch. 07

It was Tuesday and another sultry evening in that never to be forgotten long hot summer. We had decided to go to the cinema and to this end we had all arranged to meet at a prearranged time outside the largest of the picture houses in town. Having some things to attend to I had made my own way there. Sue was already waiting by the time I arrived, looking around and searching the faces of the people in the street, looking for her friends. She smiled when she saw me. "Are the others with you?" She asked immediately.

"No, aren't they here?"

She shook her head. "I thought they'd be here by now." She glanced at her watch. "They've got another 20 minutes or so before we have to go in."

"Many people inside?" I asked.

"Almost empty I would guess. Hardly seen anyone go in. Probably too warm for the flicks; and it is Tuesday."

I nodded. "Fancy a quick drink?" I indicated the pub across the street. "If we sit by the widow we can see them when they come."

Sue nods and we stroll across the road to the pub. Even the traffic is light, 'Tuesday nights' I think to myself.

I buy two drinks; a pint of beer for myself and a half for Sue and we settle ourselves in a window seat where we can see the front of the cinema.

"Think they've stood us up?" Sue asks at last.

"Possibly; but if they're not coming there's a good reason." Sue nods and continues to drink her beer. "How's Jackie?" I ask.

"Wondered when you'd ask," she smiled over her beer.

"Well, you've got to admit she stole the show the other day.

"Not shy in coming forward my sister, showing what she's got!"

I laughed, "I think we all saw everything she's got."

Sue raised an enquiring eyebrow. "That's not a complaint is it?"

"Not at all. I think you both performed wonderfully! Couldn't have ever asked for anything better."

"Good."

"Didn't see her over the weekend. Thought she might have come out with us."

"I'm not enough now? You need my sister as well?"

"Not what I meant," I said squeezing her knee under the table, "you will always be all I ever want," Sue looked down and blushed, "I was just wondering where she was. The guys were asking."

"She had other things on over the weekend." Sue said, a darker shade entering her voice, making her frown.

"What is it?" I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she smiled again. "Just a little unfinished business we have on that's all." She drained her beer, "Shall we go? They can join us inside when they come; they know roughly where we'll be sitting."

I drank my beer and we sauntered back across the road to the cinema. The main feature was an 'A' rated film, which meant the film had 'mature themes' and that minors (under 18) had to be accompanied by an adult. I was legal and it never occurred to me that we would have any problems; that is until we tried to buy the tickets.

The woman in the kiosk was obviously having a bad day. "Can I see some ID please?" She almost snarled.

I looked at her as if she was insane. "What? ID? I'm not carrying any ID. Who carries ID? I've never been asked before!" I bristled with indignation.

The woman sat back in her seat and looked at me, she took a drag on the cigarette that was burning in a battered old ashtray next to her. She was totally unconcerned by my indignation. "Then you can't come in unless you find someone who will take you in... sonny." she added smiling maliciously through the smoke haze.

I began to argue but suddenly a very soft and cultured voice from behind me cut in "It's all right. They are with me." The ticket lady looked up in surprise and, I thought, disappointment at her fun being spoilt. A very smartly dressed, middle aged man eased his way between us. He positioned himself in front of the woman in the kiosk, politely but firmly moving me aside, out of the potential conflict zone. She looked him up and down with obvious disapproval. "I said 'they are with me'," he said again.

The woman hesitated for a moment, her hooded eyes glaring at the stranger, looking for all the world like a heavily made up lizard in a smoke filled glass cage. She hissed at him, "Circle or stalls? You know that If they come in with you then you will have to stay together." she added indicating at Sue and I standing behind him.

"No problem," the stranger said smiling sweetly. "Circle or stalls?" He asked over his shoulder to Sue.

"Circle," she answered.

"Three for the circle please," he instructed and paid the money across, much to the woman's obvious displeasure.

We moved inside into the large and spacious foyer. The cinema suffered from pre-war delusions of grandeur, a throwback to the golden days of cinema; a neo-classical monstrosity of marble pillars and sweeping staircases, dusty cut glass chandeliers and stained, threadbare, red velour seating. Its days were numbered and it knew it full well but it seemed determined to go out in its own inimitable, faded style. An Usher in a badly fitting uniform waited indifferently in the background to inspect our tickets and direct us to our seats.

Standing together in the large vaulted foyer we bought some mints for the show and paid the stranger for our tickets. He glanced at the lizard lady in her glass kiosk who was signalling to the Usher and then pointing at us. "Looks like I've upset the silly old bat," the stranger said, "I think she's going to make sure we sit together. Sorry," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No problem," I answered, "thanks for the help. She wouldn't have let us in without you." I looked at the stranger closely for the first time. He was of an indeterminate age, mid-forties to early fifties, smartly dressed in collar and tie; no condescension to the warm weather. He carried an overcoat and wore a trilby, the very epitome of a middle aged and affluent English gentleman in the sixties. He spoke softly, expressing himself easily with his well manicured hands. His hands looked surprisingly strong with long tapering fingers and his eyes were exceptional, a deep rich hazel surrounded by web of fine laugh lines. As he moved a wedding ring softly caught the subdued light.

He was good company and spoke confidently and easily with a well modulated, educated voice. We discovered that he was the manager of one of the more prominent banks in town and that his wife had died some years ago, he had not remarried and one of the ways he helped fill his evenings was through these regular, solitary, visits to the cinema. I was quite surprised to hear Sue, who is usually quite reserved and shy, chatting away to him, telling him about herself, about her school, her hobbies, her family, etc. The stranger listened with interest, asking the occasional question, gallantly offering the opinion that if Sue's sister were anywhere near as good looking as Sue then she must indeed be well worth meeting. Sue blushed and finding a sudden interest in her shoes she smiled the compliment away.

The stranger looked at his watch. "Perhaps we had better make a move to find our seats, the programme is about to start."

We showed our tickets to the Usher who directed us up a small side staircase towards the circle seating upstairs. As we entered the twilight world of the cinema the stranger half turned and said "I don't mind sitting on my own if you two want to be alone."

Sue brushed aside the objection. "No, please, don't worry. It would be our pleasure to have you sit with us. Wouldn't it?" She asked, turning to me as I followed on behind. I shrugged noncommittally and mumbled something about it being OK. The stranger was too far ahead or simply didn't hear my somewhat surly answer and accepted Sue's offer with thanks. I had to admit that I didn't really mind, I found the stranger pleasant enough and Sue's obvious enthusiasm for such a stray dog was quite endearing. I had hoped to be able to play under Sue's skirt during the film but I wasn't too put out, there would be plenty of time on the way home for a little fun.

At the top of the stairs we entered the corridor that ran the length of the back of the circle. Curtained doors led off the corridor to the circle itself. In that dimly lit half world the 'upstairs Usher' lived. He had a small cubicle let back into the wall, curtained off, where he sat and read newspapers until the film changed or he made his 'rounds' to check that all was well in his small upstairs domain.

He was waiting for us as we reached the top of the stairs. He took our tickets and inspected them thoroughly as if expecting to find that they were forgeries and that we were trying to perpetrate some deception on the cinema. Eventually satisfied he roughly tore the tickets in half and returning them he led us through the heavy curtains into the seating area.

The 'circle', a semi-circular balcony with a couple of hundred or so overstuffed red velour seats, was virtually empty; not many people had ventured out to the cinema on a hot Tuesday night for what looked like being a fairly average film. The seats at the very back were 'doubles' for courting couples and the Usher led us passed those to some a few rows down the aisle and then, lighting the row with a wave of his small torch, he stepped back to let us in. The stranger led, followed by Sue and then myself. The stranger led us a few seats down into the row and then stopped; asking Sue if these particular seats were OK. Sue nodded and we settled ourselves down, the stranger carefully folding his coat on the seat next him and placing his hat neatly on top.

Sue and the stranger exchanged some small talk I could not hear for a few moments and then the house lights fell and we settled ourselves down in the darkness.

The first film, the 'B' movie was an old film, a predictably awful remake of some even older classic; and even the occasional glimmer of light from the odd late arrival did nothing to enliven the proceedings. I looked around me in the darkness. The occasional cough or glow of a cigarette was all there was to mark the presence of other people in the semi-deserted cinema.

After a while Sue leaned over and took my hand. Drawing me closer and putting her mouth to my ear she whispered that the stranger was stroking her arm. I leaned forward and looked passed her. The stranger was sitting back watching the film. I asked her if she was OK and she whispered back that she was fine, he was not doing any harm, "It's quite soothing really, quite sweet," she added almost as an afterthought.

If he had heard any of the exchange the stranger did not show it, instead he turned slightly and catching my gaze, he smiled. I smiled back and returned to half watch the dismal parade of characters on the screen. As the film continued its dreary course the stranger slowly stretched himself before relaxing, casually placing his hand, face down, on his knee.

As he watched the film he slowly relaxed and as he did his legs fell open slightly and eventually the back of his hand touched Sue's knee. I saw her start a little at this first contact but she never moved or gave any sign that she had noticed, remaining slouched down in her seat, eyes seemingly firmly fixed on the movie. The stranger remained totally motionless, the back of his hand touching Sue's knee, his eyes fixed upon the screen, as though completely unaware of the warmth from Sue's young skin that must have been burning through the back of his hand.

I eventually saw him stretch his fingers, leisurely, almost innocently, until they were touching the side of her knee. He was moving slowly, carefully, so he could claim it was an accident if Sue objected. Sue passed me a quick glance to see if I was watching but said nothing, made no movement to either stop or accept the growing intimacy.

With elaborate deliberation his finger moved slowly against her skin, first touching, then stroking, the outside of her knee; gently, casually, as though it has no intention of ever being so personal. Yet Sue carried on watching the film, as if unaware of the opportunistic finger that was now blatantly stroking the side of her leg.

The finger continued its stroking for a while, before the movement became more obvious, more predetermined, the finger bolder in its intent, moving from the accidental to the deliberate, openly stroking the side of Sue's knee; until finally, gaining courage from her lack of reaction, the stranger very casually reached across and placed his hand flat on her knee; the movement so normal, so easy, that I almost missed it.

Sue could not have missed it; despite the fact that she never moved a muscle, never showed any sign that she was aware of the intimate change of circumstance, I knew that every iota of her attention was focused on the hand that now rested easily and blatantly on her knee.

The hand did not move for a while, remaining stationary, as if expecting at any moment to be discovered and chased away; but no such cry of outrage, of offence, was uttered and the hand remained, unchastised, the undisputed possessor of Sue's knee. Leaning forward I watched him pretending to watch the film, his eyes straight ahead, relaxed, as if the hand that rested on Sue's knee was totally unrelated to him, not his at all; and then I looked at Sue, also pretending to be engrossed in the film, for all the world as though the hand on her knee did not exist.

If Sue had said anything at that point, made any sign that she was alarmed or uncomfortable I would have intervened, said something, stopped it; but she didn't and so I remained silent, a voyeur, simply standing by and watching events unfold.

Having received no objection to this first direct advance the stranger slowly began to explore the knee he had just taken possession of. Small movements to begin with, testing the water, a gentle movement of the fingertips, feeling the skin and the shape of the knee beneath his hand. Although obviously aware of the tentative exploration Sue did not react; so he gently spread his fingers, covering her knee, touching and caressing. Slowly he reached further afield before his hand slowly moved down below her knee towards her shin.

After touching and stoking softly below her knee the stranger slowly, deliberately, changed direction, moving back up over onto the top of her knee before moving slowly higher, touching the soft, smooth, skin of her thigh. I wondered if he knew that I am watching, ready to stop him if Sue gave me any sign that she was unhappy. If he was aware he either did not show it or did not care; and still Sue sat with her eyes glued to the screen while his hand slowly stroked the soft skin of her thigh just above her knee.

He moved slowly, tracing small leisurely circles on her skin, moving the hem of her skirt up an inch or so as he explored higher up her thigh. After each upward movement he rested, gently stroking the soft skin, before moving on, each small movement moving her skirt slowly higher up her leg. Sue never for one moment took her eyes from the screen, never acknowledged the steady movement of his hand and her skirt, up her thigh.

He was now making no effort to hide his actions from me, he must have known that I was watching but despite that, or maybe because of it and Sue's lack of response to his advances, his boldness grew. His movements were no longer hesitant; his hand moving easily up her thigh, pushing her skirt before it.

Hiding just below the hem of her skirt his fingers moved with infinite slowness, inch by inch up her thigh, pushing her skirt with it. Sue squirmed slightly, just a gentle movement as his fingers, an inch or so under the hem of her skirt, finally reached the edge of her knickers. His hand stopped, as if it had reached the end of its instructions and was not sure what it should do next. There was a small intake of breath from Sue, almost a gasp of surprise, as the strangers hand reached the top of her leg. She looked down briefly and seemed shocked to see that her thighs were now completely laid bare, her skirt high up, bunched on his hand.

She blinked as the strangers hand began to move again, audaciously exploring the edge of her knickers, tracing along the elasticated seam at the top of her thigh. His fingers skirted tantalisingly along the edge of he material, moving from warm skin to warm cotton and back as they dipped briefly down towards the soft skin of her inner thigh and her mound. Sue held her breath as the fingers slid towards her sex before veering away down her inner thigh. Sue let loose her breath as his hand flattened out on the skin of her thigh, caressing the length of thigh from hip to knee and back; his fingers trailing back up on the soft sensitive skin of her inner thigh. He paused for a moment at the top of her leg before slowly disappearing again beneath the hem of her rucked up skirt. His hand paused again at the edge of her knickers before, in one audacious movement; he brushed her skirt up high onto her tummy, fully exposing her white, flowered, knickers. He smiles at his handiwork, his fingertips briefly grazing the warm, white material.

Sue sat in silence as the hand retreated, sliding slowly back down her thigh to her knee. At every step he was giving her time to react, to stop him. His hand lingered for a moment, stroking her knee before slowly gliding back up again; a long, slow, deliberate stroke that causes Sue to shiver and gaze in growing disbelief at her increasing exposure and the growing boldness of the stranger's hand.

Sue has by now slid so low down in her seat that she is almost horizontal; the lack of room and the seat in front forcing her legs wide open. Her legs are completely naked, her skirt bunched up high on her tummy; the pattern on the thin white material of her knickers standing out clearly in the semi darkness. The strangers hand began to move again, exploring the sweet, sensitive skin of her inner thigh, high on her leg, just below the point where her thighs meet. Sue licked her lips and, almost as if what was happening between her legs had nothing to with her, she fixed her eyes back on the screen again.

Looking at the young woman laying beside him, his hands moving with increasing intimacy over her, the stranger knew that the first phase of the seduction was coming an end and he was hopefully moving to a much more intimate stage. Half turning in his seat to face Sue he changed hands, his right hand now replacing his left at the top of her thigh.

His fingers again traced the elasticated seam at the leg of her knickers, his fingertips briefly dipping under the edge of the material, touching the secret skin beneath, watching Sue carefully for a reaction to each advance. Slowly, almost tentatively, his hand moved up onto the front of her knickers, his fingers spreading wide, exploring her tummy. Sue drew a small, tentative, breath but never moved. He moved across her tummy, cautiously avoiding her mound which was now clearly visible under the thin cotton. He moved upwards, fingers spread wide across the soft, warm material, his hand pushing her skirt ever higher.

Sue glanced briefly down as the hand moved across her tummy, pushing her skirt up and out of the way, exposing more and more of her body. Despite her increasing vulnerability she never moved, made no objections to the increasing liberties that this stranger was taking with her. He smiled at her silence, gaining even greater confidence from it. Taking his time he carefully folded her skirt up at her waist, smoothing it flat, a sliver of skin visible between the waist band of her knickers and the skirt now bunched up carefully at her waist.

Satisfied that her skirt would stay in place, out of his way, he slowly smoothed his hand down over the soft material of her knickers until his hand rested flat on her stomach. He flexed his fingers, feeling the soft skin and firm muscle beneath the pale, flowered, cotton. He moved again, the warm, smooth, material rippling beneath his fingers like water. He paused for a moment, his fingers exploring from side to side across her tummy, like a dog on the hunt, which I guess in a way they were; before, as if finding the scent, they moved gently down, across white expanse of her tummy, until, approaching her mound, his fingers come to rest on Sue's soft, crinkly, pubic hair, clearly discernable beneath the yielding fabric.