Another Roll in the Hay

Josie promised me one day -- 'when I was ready'. I wasn't sure I ever would be, but part of me hoped.

Once the festive rush was over, it was back to the tried and tested Sunday routine. Many a time I had joked with Daisy that I would love to see what they got up to. Then, one gloomy Monday morning in February at our coffee break, she surreptitiously handed me a memory card.

She gave me a little wink. "Just so yer know, like. Strange to think of a lad wankin' off to me gettin' it on if nothin' else!"

A few days later, when I told her it was wonderful, she hugged me. "Right -- now delete it, promise me? And Leo -- it might be great fun wi' Josie, but yer need a lass yer own age."

I had to agree with her, but that was easier said than done. At least the days were getting longer again and the cricket season beckoned. I resolved to get myself a girlfriend without really believing I would succeed. I just didn't know at that time how close I was to making a few more dreams come true.

I never enjoyed the Cricket Club annual dinner and awards ceremony. It was held a few weeks before the start of the new season in late March. For a start, I never had anyone on my arm, and secondly I was never up for an award.

It was always held at the Belvedere Hotel. It was the only place of any size in town, and until a recent facelift transformed it, had always looked a little seedy and down at heel. Now it looked modern and chic and though the food was always good, that had improved a couple of notches too.

For me, it was the usual excruciating evening of applauding the success of others and wondering how many rejections I would get on the dancefloor. I tried not to drink too much but failed as ever. At one visit to the bar between courses, I tried to engage Leanne in conversation, but she seemed on edge for some reason. She went back and re-joined her table, made up largely of members of the women's first team, and was soon in earnest conversation with Tess, her best friend.

I glanced around the room and Ryan Smith, her boyfriend was on a separate table. His usually glowering demeanour seemed even more venomous than usual and as ever, my heart went out to Leanne. Something seemed amiss, but I was distracted from my thoughts as the main meal arrived. At least there was something to enjoy in an otherwise desolate evening.

It was much later, as I returned from the restrooms that I saw Leanne rush out of the hall in some distress and head for the hotel garden. I had never seen her so agitated and followed her out. She sat, slumped on a bench, oblivious to the light drizzle that had begun. As I approached, I was appalled to see her puffing distractedly on a cigarette. I had never seen her smoke before and recalled that she hated even emptying the ashtrays on the tables outside the pavilion when she worked behind the bar.

It was clear she had been drinking heavily and her mascara had run. She didn't look in a good place at all and something told me Ryan Smith was at the bottom of it.

"Everything OK Lee?"

She jumped as I spoke. "Fuck, can a girl not have some privacy? Fuck off, Downes. Leave me alone."

Her words were badly slurred and it was so unlike her. "Lee, look, if there's anything I can do..."

She pulled on the cigarette and grimaced. "Fucking hell, why am I doing this? It's so fucking gross!" She looked up at me, her hair and face a complete mess. She had looked so lovely back at the bar in all her finery. Now she looked like Shadow had dragged her behind him halfway across the county. Her voice softened a little but her words were still slurred. "Leave it Leo, I'm fine honestly."

It was my turn to jump at a soft voice behind me. "Thanks Leo, but don't worry - I've got this."

Tess had followed us out, her long red hair shining in the garden lights. She inclined her head back towards the hotel. "Please?"

I nodded my understanding and made to go, but instead stepped into the shadows to hear what was about to unfold.

"Come on, Lee. This isn't you. He's not worth it. He's not worth the tears, the hangover you'll have tomorrow and certainly not worth smoking those bloody horrible things for. The bastard's done you a favour, though you won't see it until you're sober. I've prayed you'd be rid of him ever since you started up with him."

The sound of Leanne being copiously sick echoed around the pretty garden area. A nice little present for one of the ground-staff in the morning. She burst into tears and I had to strain to hear her she was crying so hard and slurring her words.

"Put them in the bin for me, Tess please. I am so fucking stupid." The state she was in, it sounded more like, "Puddem inder bin f'me Dezz bleez. I am zo fuggin' stoopid."

Tess seemed to relax. "Yes, you are. Good girl, give them here. Never again, yeah?"

"Never, I promise, Tess. Horrible. Horrible like me. Stupid little me. Stupid horrible, drunk little me."

It almost sounded comical, but my heart went out to her. Then it occurred to me that this moment would pass for her, but if what Tess had said was true, at least she was free of Ryan Smith.

And maybe I could dream.

Then she was sick again and I thought it was maybe time to leave them to it.

As I made to go back indoors, the last words I heard from her gave me some hope. She sounded a little less slurry now a lot of what had been inside her was outside. "I know it's a blessing really, Tess. I'm more pissed off at myself for letting him dump me publicly instead of doing what I should have done ages ago. Fuck, this is going to hurt in the morning!"

I decided I'd had enough. I headed home and hoped she wouldn't be too bad, but I'd been there myself a few times and knew my hope was forlorn.

That was borne out two weeks later when we had the annual pre-season working-party weekend. Dozens of us descended upon the club and set about getting it out of winter mothballs and ready for the new season. It was always a time of excitement and hope with the thought of cricket only a few weeks away.

I was on paint duty so I grabbed a pot of some horrible, smelly outdoor stuff and headed towards the groundsman's hut. I had only gone a few yards when I was stopped in my tracks.

"Think an apology is in order."

I turned to see Leanne grinning sheepishly at me. She looked a little different to the last time I had seen her and as ever, my heart melted at the sight of her in her shocking pink cricket shirt, her auburn hair piled on her head in a delightfully unruly tangle.

I shook my head. "No apology necessary, Lee. Hope you were OK afterwards."

She pulled a face. "Erm, that's a big fat 'no'. Weekend written off. Luckily for me, I don't remember much about it, but Tess said I was a car crash. What was I thinking - I hate smoking with a passion!"

"We all do daft things, Lee. You OK now?"

"Yeah, much better thanks. Sorry you had to see it. Just glad he's out of my life. Like when I did my shoulder last year, you just live with the pain and discomfort and get used to it. Then when it's gone, you realise what you've been through."

"Won't it be awkward when the season starts?"

Her smile lit up the dull morning. "Haven't you heard? He's left to go and play for a club over Eastbourne way." She punched the air. "Yay, double whammy - he left me and Amberdown!"

I grinned. "We'll have to feed Henry raw meat for a week before we play them. Get him to knock his two-timing head off."

Her face contorted in a wicked scowl. "I'd rather he aimed a bit lower. Nothing going on in that head to damage. But his bollocks... oh yeah!"

We chatted for a few more minutes before we went about our allotted tasks. It was great to have the old Leanne back. When I had heard she was going to Uni locally in Brighton at the end of the previous season, I was made up. The club just wouldn't be the same without her around. She still lived at home in the village near the stables and commuted in for her studies.

She was still local. Ryan was off the scene. I still had hope.

Later, as I finished slathering the thick, viscous paint onto the rough boards of the hut, I glanced over and saw Leanne talking to Josie next to the pavilion. The now very familiar, pink Confection Confidential van was pulled up out front and Izzy unloaded boxes of their sponsored shirts for the women's teams. Leanne was co-captain for the season and it was a feather in her cap at just nineteen.

Izzy headed off to put up new sponsorship flyers around the ground and I made my way over for a well-earned drink. There was no bar service, but a table was always set up with beer and soft drinks as a thank-you for the work we did.

As I grabbed a beer, Josie and Leanne transferred the boxes into one of the changing rooms. I went back out to see if any of the lads were finished and maybe fancied a practice session. As I went around the side of the building, their voices carried through the open window.

For the second time in two weeks, I stopped to eavesdrop on Leanne's conversation.

And for the second time in two weeks, she dropped a little bombshell into my life.

It was obvious the conversation was covering the same subject as our earlier discussion. I had almost forgotten Josie and Izzy were at the dinner with all that went on. It seemed Josie had seen the state Leanne had been in and was concerned. As I began to listen, the girl was reassuring her she was fine and no lasting damage was done.

"Glad to hear it. So no-one else in your life since then?"

"No, taking a break from his toxic memory. Uni is a bit full-on and I'm keeping myself busy. A few weeks of celibacy will do me good."

I tried to imagine the look on Josie's face. "Celi... celib... what was that word, Leanne? I don't speak that language!"

They dissolved into laughter, then Leanne went on. "Trouble is, there's no-one at Uni floats my boat and I don't really want another cricket club romance. Besides, there's no-one here fancies me, especially after Ryan."

When I heard Josie's next words, I almost swore out loud. The silly, interfering woman!

"Well I happen to know that one lad here has been carrying a torch for you for so long, he's in danger of burning his fingers."

There was genuine shock in Leanne's voice as she responded. "Uh? Who?"

"Leo. The lad from Amberdown stables. Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"Shit, Leo? I had no bloody idea. I thought he was just a friend. We get on well, but I never..."

"So it's not mutual then?"

"Fucking hell, Josie! Of course it is! He's bloody gorgeous but he's too shy to see it. I thought he wasn't interested. That we were just mates that chatted about cricket across the bar. Oh my God, that is a shock and a bloody game-changer."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Oh my God, I'm in shock. I have no bloody idea."

"Well I have one. Come on, let's go and grab a drink."

The next few days were very uncomfortable indeed as I waited with bated breath to see what Josie's idea was.

If, of course, Leanne dared to follow it up.

Almost a week after I had overheard them, nothing had come of it. Late on the Friday, I was making plans to head home for the weekend. As I had a few things to carry home -- like washing for my Mum - I decided on getting the train. The station was on the road back into Amberside village a few hundred yards away. I was just about to message Ian and the guys about Friday night beers when Daisy came out of the farmhouse.

"See you Monday, Daze -- have a good weekend."

"Ey up, not so fast, young'un. Just had a call -- got a five o'clock lesson. Beginner. I'll just saddle up Tia for yer and put lights on in the ring."

I held my hands up. "Aw come on Daze. Can't you take it? I'm supposed to be meeting the lads."

She shrugged. "Sorry Leo. If I'm not at the Tanner's by six, me life won't be worth livin'."

She began to get Tia ready and I cursed once more. The village station didn't get much footfall after commuting times and the number of services reduced drastically after six o'clock. I didn't much fancy forking out for a cab, so maybe it would be back to my faithful mountain bike.

I let Daisy get off for her weekend of whatever passed for fun at the den of iniquity near Amberdown Station and put the finishing touches to Tia's girth. As I straightened up, someone came in through the kissing gate at the village end of the yard. The majority of people used the main carpark at the other end, on the road into the village. Whoever she was, she was already helmeted and booted, though from a distance, both looked a little too big for her.

Tia snorted and I realised her girth was still loose, so I turned back to her. As I tightened the leather strap under her belly, I heard a quiet voice from behind me.

"Erm, hello. Leanne Ellis here. Aged nineteen. I'm here for the beginner's lesson at five."

My heart skipped a beat as I turned once more. She looked cute as a button in her oversized boots and hat, a pair of black leggings with jean shorts over the top. Her hair emerged from the helmet at all angles and I nearly turned into a puddle on the yard floor at the sight of her.

She gave me a big smile. "Oh it's you! Fancy seeing you here!"

I calmed my nerves. "Yeah, fancy eh? Who'd have thought it?"

"Who indeed. These are my Mum's old things -- a bit too big for me, but they'll do for starters, eh?" She pointed behind me. "Is that my horse?"

I patted Tia's rump. "The lovely Tia. Looks a bit odd but she's good as gold and great for beginners."

"She looks like a horse drawn by a six-year-old."

It was the best description I had ever heard of our dear old Tia. She was a multi-coloured patchwork with huge hooves and a rather distorted muzzle, but she was a gem.

"Please madam, do not diss Tia. She is gentle and kind and a lovely horse."

Leanne patted her on the nose. "Sorry Tia. Cute but odd. A bit like me then!" She looked back to me. "Help a girl up then. I'm not paying to stand around."

I quickly grabbed a mounting block and showed her how to mount the horse. She made a bit of a thing of it and I ended up having to almost man-handle her into the saddle. Given that I knew what had passed between her and Josie, I rather thought it may have been deliberate.

She straightened in the saddle and pulled a face. "Ooh, feels a bit powerful and big. Not going to gallop off, is she?"

I tried to put the thought of powerful, big things between Leanne's thighs out of my mind. "No. If you want, I can stick you on Josie's best horse. You'd be at the cricket club in two minutes."

"Pass. Tia will do nicely. What do I do now?"

"Sit tight until I get you into the ring."

I led her into the centre of the ring and showed her how to hold the reins. I walked her round the perimeter a few times to get used to the feel, then returned to the centre.

"Ready to have a go yourself?"

"Yeah go on then!"

"Right, just squeeze her gently and she should move forward. Pull back on the reins gently and slowly to stop. Try it now -- about ten paces then stop her."

She did it perfectly and let out a little squeal of delight as Tia stopped dead in her tracks. The rest of the lesson went by in a blur and she learned quickly.

She was bouncing as I helped her down. "Ooh, that was awesome! Can't wait to do it again." For a moment I thought I was going to get a hug, but she seemed to check herself. Something told me that she had made the first move in coming for the lesson. The next step should be down to me.

"Hey Lee -- I'm just going to see to Tia and close up. Quick shower. Don't suppose you fancy a drink afterwards?"

She looked as if she was weighing up my offer, head bobbing, a glance at her watch. "Yeah, could do with a quick tidy up. Just gone six now. Say half-past in the village pub?"

That was music to my ears.

Like the lesson, the next few hours passed in no time. At least there was none of the 'what do you do, like, dislike' things to get past as we knew each other so well. We drank beer and cider, ate burgers and laughed and got along like a house on fire.

The only impediment to our evening was my last train home. Trains ran into Amberdown from London and Brighton into the early hours. But not from Amberside. The last train was just before ten. I was pleased to see she looked disappointed when I said I needed to catch it.

Her home was on the way back to the station and it was all I could do not to hold her hand or put an arm around her as we walked down through the village in the moonlight. All too soon, she stopped at a garden path, the station a few hundred yards in the distance.

"Well, this is me. Thank you for a very informative lesson and a lovely evening."

"Yeah, I enjoyed both. Erm, Lee -- I'd very much like to do it again."

She was silent for a moment. "Yeah, so would I. But..."

Oh, here we go again. The inevitable, 'Sorry Leo, but there really is someone else,' story. My heart sank.

"But what?"

"Well, I suppose it depends on what happens in the next couple of minutes."

Maybe I just wasn't used to this sort of thing or couldn't believe my luck, but I stood there almost mute.

Leanne shook her head. "God, you can be such a numpty at times, Leo Downes." She took hold of both of my hands and placed them on her hips, then took a deep breath.

"Right, what was it again? Oh yeah - just give her a gentle squeeze and she should move forward."

I gave her a gentle squeeze and true to her word, she moved forward.

The difference was that this time, she didn't give out a squeal of delight. We both moaned in pleasure as we fell into each other's arms and she began to suck on my bottom lip. The intensity of her kiss took my breath away as she ground against me, her hands roaming, breasts pressing against my chest. My hands were in her hair, on her buttocks, her waist. I felt myself harden and was delighted when she slid her hand down there, moaning into my mouth.

We were at it for a long time before we parted. She looked up at me, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. She was a million miles from the wretched girl I had seen so recently in the hotel garden.

Her voice was breathless. "Why did that take so bloody long?"

So was mine. "I don't know Lee, but we got there."

"Wanna do it again."

"Oh yeah."

Our second coming together was even longer than the first and I was only dimly aware of the sound of the last train pulling into the station away to the south.

I hugged her to me. "Damn, looks like a taxi, but it's been worth it."

She broke my clinch. "No taxi required, Leo. My folks are away tonight. There'll be another train in the morning."

I would have gone with her in a heartbeat but I didn't want to spoil anything. "Hey, let's take it slow, eh? Maybe another date. See how it goes."

She closed her eyes. "No Leo. Let's not take this slowly. Let's go at it like the world's about to end. Your taxi could crash. My house might burn down. You could fall off a horse. We've both obviously wanted this for so long."

She dragged me towards her front door and I knew she was right.

Ten

She rolled over and began to nibble on my nipple. The sun was barely above the horizon across the village green. "That was the best night -- ever, ever, ever!"

I stroked her tousled hair. "Enjoy it, did you?"

"Yeah, just a bit. You?"

"You were amazing, Lee. Thank you for persuading me to stay."

"Yeah, like you needed much persuasion."

She was so lovely, so cute and I was delighted to find she was also a very naughty girl. She loved to talk dirty and some of the things she suggested, I would have associated more with Josie. I shivered as well-trimmed fingernails raked gently down my chest. "Josie was right -- you're a fast learner. Seems she taught you well."

She knew about me and Josie? I almost choked as she burst out laughing. "Hey, I'm the team captain and ladies' secretary. It's my job to liaise with the sponsors and keep 'em sweet."