Old Friends in Paradise Ch. 02

Instead I thought about me laptop session from Friday night.

"I was going to message Rachel and tell her I'd met up with you - is that OK?"

"Of course," he said, "It was years ago Chrissie, there's been a couple of girls since you know."

"REALLY?!" I said grinning and rolling my body towards him again, "do tell!"

He told me about a girl he'd started dating at the PTI school, suggesting about her physical elasticity rather than actually talking about the sex, then a local girl he'd met at the pub in Lympstone and had dated for a while but no real detail.

It wasn't as bad as hearing about him and Rachel making love for the first time on a summer afternoon in the woods, but I still wasn't sure if I was jealous or not!

I threw in about my love-life which seemed as limited as his, and mentioned Paul and his dumping me once he completed the CP course - I added that I was even less of a fan of Close Protection trained soldiers than before.

"Oh," he said with a grimace, "Present company accepted?"

"You've done the CP course?!"

"Yeah, most Royal Marines Police Troop guys do it. Was good fun and the weapons training, driver training and attack drills was bloody brilliant, but," he waggled his shoulders and grinned, "I've done the commando course, so it wasn't THAT tough..."

I grinned as he grinned, rolling onto my front again shaking my head.

"All you boys and your toys!"

He smiled that easy sexy smile of his raised his eyebrows. Fuuuuuuuck, he was soooo turning me on!! BASTARD!! Did he know!?!

We stopped for lunch and I was sorely tempted to go topless so he could see just how much effect his looks and gentle touches were having on me, but I was still a police acting sergeant and that kind of thing really wasn't an option.

It was like the day before, we had lots of long chats about inconsequentialities, about extended family, and more about our military service. Places we'd been and people we both knew and even some of our old 'in-jokes' about our mutual neighbours, teachers, the lovely lady that ran the local 7-11 shop and her equally awful husband and the years just rolled back.

I was so comfortable with him that I completely forgot all of the posing for effect I'd been doing the day before. I mean if he hadn't noticed my body now he never would.

Our day finished and he took my hand as we walked over a sandy/rocky section then continued to hold it until we reached the bus stop again.

Sat on the bus, he turned to me,

"Thank you so much for looking after me Chrissie," he said with a big smile, "I was a bit concerned I would be the odd man out being the only Royal, but you being here was such a blessing and a real delight, chatting with you over the last few days has been great too." He looked serious for a moment, "us talking like this, I feel like I've actually dumped some baggage I'd been hanging on to for too many years, you?"

"Oh hell yeah," I said brightly, "I..." I slipped an arm through his, "I always felt so embarrassed because of how we treated you, or how you were treated and I did nothing to stop. Knowing that you came through it and you... well, hopefully you might have started to forgive me... a bit a least."

"All sins forgiven Chrissie," he said with a smile and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. Had I been quicker I would have tilted my head so he could reach my lips but that, evidently, was it. "Thank you for spending the weekend looking after me mate," mate? FUCKING MATE!?! "but you can return to your normal life without having to worry about looking after me."

"No..." I said with just a hint of the desperation I was feeling, "no... really, we can hang out as much as you like, your shift runs a few days behind mine and your duties will... well they won't clash too much with mine, and we can... well... you know."

"Hey Chrissie!" he said squeezing my hand that was now clutching his arm, "All I meant was you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before I turned up and ruined it all."

"You haven't ruined anything Chris," I said, "it's so great having you in the unit, it's like having family here!"

Shit...

Shitshitshitshitshit...

"I mean it's like..." the bus hissed to halt just inside the base and we all trooped off, me still feeling trapped in that brother/sister space that we'd always lived in.

"Meet you in the bar later?" I asked.

"Probably," he said, "I'm being taken out for a drive tomorrow by Colin and one of my new section so I can learn the ropes, thought I'd better do a bit of a pre-read beforehand."

I saw some salvation,

"Bring your notes to the bar, I'll talk you through it."

And so we did. Over a few beers and in the comfort of one of the long sofas I sat up close to him, shoes off and feet up and we chatted about life on the Island and the occasional complication that occurred - occasionally. We were joined by a few mates and the banter continued - by now our story had traversed the entire unit that we'd been friends from birth and we'd even let slip about the falling out with a suggestion that Christina had beaten up Big Sergeant Chris from the Royal Marines.

Again for the third night in a row he walked me back to my block and kissed my hand. I had it so bad for him but he wasn't doing anything about it!

Monday morning was soon upon us and Chris was out in a patrol car learning the patch and our regular hot-spots with one of the MP sergeants and a lance corporal, while I was back to my two days of straight duty while Penny took to her bed to sleep off hers.

I saw Chris regularly over my two duty days, normally in the cookhouse and I took the spare seat opposite him or next to him whenever I could.

On the Tuesday lunchtime it was his turn to sit next to me,

"Hi Chrissie!" he said with a beaming grin that I was very pleased to see and I could only smile back.

"Hi Chris!" I said so genuinely pleased to see him again. I looked across the room to where my dating critic Sean was having his lunch with some colleagues after his first morning of re-training, "So did you give special attention to Sean like you said on Friday?"

Chris turned round and looked at the table he was sat at, he smiled and gave a big thumbs up.

"Oh yeah," said Chris, "I said I understood that he had an issue with Royal Marines. Twat could barely speak without tripping over his tongue!" he giggled, "as you can imagine all of his colleagues were remarkably supportive and didn't stop laughing all day!"

I leaned forward a touch.

"Oh Chris, you weren't mean to him were you?" I smiled and for badness Chris sneaked a hand across the table to lay it gently on mine. I simpered to him leaning even closer, "he's looking a bit worried Chris," I put my head to one side, "Do you think if I was to grin softly, wind my finger softly in these few loose hairs and giggle, it would make him even more uncomfortable?"

"Oooh yeah!" he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to match mine and smiled softly to me. OK. I knew that we were playing but still blushed uncontrollably. He was so gorgeous!

He finished his meal and said "Coffee?"

"Yes please!" I said back to him and this time the simper was quite real and I didn't have to put it on.

He was away and chatting with some of that day's class at the drinks area and I just stared across the big room to him, thinking about how I'd felt like death a few days before when he did the same thing, this time I knew he was coming back.

I knew we were still mates and I really wanted to see if we could move beyond this cosy friendship we'd fallen back into after ten years apart.

He came back with coffee and I cleared my own dishes and quickly came back to our table to find Penny sat there and as she saw me coming back started wagging a finger at him as if giving him a hard time.

Bugger.

I had wanted to talk to him about perhaps having another evening out where it was just me and him, I'd thought about meeting him in the gym or for a run the next morning, but I'd be surrounded by my mates and couldn't get the kind of contact and have the kind of small talk that I really wanted.

Penny saw my look and read it straight away, flashing a 'go on then' look with her eyes as she stood and headed for the drinks area herself, mouthing 'get a room' to me.

"Right," he said downing his coffee and standing up and turning to face the two tables of lads in gym kit and carrying their equipment belts, "I need to get this clutch of hopeless bloody reprobates back to the gym and get them to DO SOME BLOODY WORK!" he added with a shout, "STAND UP!" he called out to the clutch of lads who seeing his look at Sean leapt to their feet, the Redcaps standing taller and straighter, shouting 'Sir-yes-sir' like a bunch of US Marines. I found out later this was pre-arranged just for Chris who of course loved it and played to his crowd.

As the lads started to file out I saw that Sean was at the end, and I stepped closer to Chris gently tucking fingers around his arm and looking up and into his eyes. Again, there was no play acting on my part.

"Chris," I finish my duty days tomorrow morning, would you look to go out for a meal tomorrow evening?"

He looked at me with some surprise,

"Again? On a school night?"

"Yeah," I took a deep breath, "I just really enjoyed getting to know you all over again, and... well... perhaps we could... do it... again, I mentioned to my Mum that you were here and well..."

"I'm really sorry Chrissie," he said and really did look it, "I have to go to Dhekelia tomorrow night, I have a section there I'm training Wednesday and Thursday, I'll be back Friday though, perhaps we can have a chat then?"

"F... fine!" I said as brightly as I could, "I'll see you then!"

Oh shit.

I felt myself being eased into the friendzone and I felt really bad about it. I finished my shift and went to bed the next morning. A few tears but not too many, I kind of got a grip of myself before Penny got back and saw my red eyes. My lovely mate Chris had been in country for nearly two weeks, he had another 24 to go. I had time.

I hadn't seen Chris since Wednesday lunch and was looking forward to an evening sat in the bar with him and catching up when he returned the next day.

I was on one of my two 'available for duty' days and was in my MTP uniform and leaving the cookhouse after my evening meal, when I saw Christian climbing out of one of our minibuses after his trip back. He'd said Friday!

I'd come on that morning and was feeling a bit emotional anyway and stood and stared at him for rather too long as my brain started to draw inappropriate conclusions that were probably wholly wrong and to which I had no right to draw in the first place.

He was wearing his MTP uniform as well and carrying a small rucksack from his two night stop-over and I wanted to run to him and tell him about my day, ask about his and just hang out - the way we used to when we lived almost next door and in each others pockets.

I stopped myself with a 'no Christina, you're an acting Sergeant of the Royal Air Force Police in uniform and on duty, not a bloody schoolgirl, walk!'

I walked along the pavement towards the CJPU station bubbling inside as I got closer, then seeing him and what he was doing I stopped dead. It wasn't just that I was menstrual, I was ripped up out of sheer jealousy, he was chatting with a girl almost the second he climbed off of the minibus!

Five days had passed since he'd been rubbing my virtually naked body with sunscreen, a massage that was so sensual I was terrified I'd start to orgasm if he touched my bottom, the sides of my breasts or God forbid my inner thighs; and here he was, chatting and smiling at another pretty girl like they were old friends, the bastard!

My tired and hormonal mind started to rush - was this it? Was this why he'd kept his distance from me? Was this his girlfriend? Was this his revenge on me for two years of misery? Was he now going to just blow me off and be 'mates' with ME while the hot, rough and tough marine PTI screwed his way around the sovereign bases with all of the other women?

I stepped back into the cover of the police station and watched as he chatted sweetly to the girl in the working 'hospital' uniform and grey beret of Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps.

Oh fuck, it was a nurse - all men went for nurses.

She dipped slightly and blushed deeply and I was only waiting for her to twirl her fingers in her hair. I was almost ready to go storming over to the pair of them when she reached up and put a hand to his cheek.

Bastard!

I wasn't sure whether to run back to my room and cry or go and start remonstrating with him. Had he REALLY not picked up on my body language over that weekend? He'd stripped off his shirt for me, I'd pulled my dress tight so he could admire my arse, both of us pretty much admitting it was lust.

We'd spent two days together - TWO FUCKING DAYS - wearing virtually nothing and holding hands and touching each other!

With folded arms and pursed lips, I slowly started walking towards the pair when I saw him taking a pen from his sleeve pocket and writing a number on her hand. He turned and saw me,

"Chrissie!" he said with a big grin, "Just been talking about you!"

I stared at the girl I'd been telepathing daggers to, trying hard not to glower at either of them.

"Christina!" she hissed, "I KNEW it was you!" she screeched, jumped forward and hugged me, "I saw you at the hospital about six weeks ago after I first arrived and I was SURE I recognised you!" I looked up at Chris with some surprise.

"You must remember Amy!?" he said. I took a step back.

I ran my mind back through all the Amy's I'd known over the years, and mentally un-aged the pretty, blonde-highlighted brunette girl before me. Amy... Amy...

Thankfully it came to me.

"Amy Fergusson!" I screeched back, seeing the soldier before me as the girl I knew from the year below us in school.

"Yes!" she beamed a grin at me, "Amy White now, married a couple of years back." She held up her left hand and the two rings on her third finger.

Chris stepped in,

"I met young Lieutenant White here at Musgrave Park Hospital having plastic surgery done on this," he pointed at his scarred face - where she had touched him a few moments before!

"I'm a surgical nurse," she said, "saw his name on the list for that day, couldn't believe it!"

"Mam was kind enough to hold my hand when they put me under!" he grinned at me, then straightening up a little, gently pointing out that our old school friend was a commissioned army officer! I could now see the two army pips on her jacket tab.

Amy had been in the year below ours but in the same house at school and although quite plain then, she had blossomed.

She explained how she studied to be a registered general nurse and on qualification was tempted into joining the army and going straight to Sandhurst for a short course.

"Only a newbie second lieutenant in those days at MPH, but Christian recognised me! Then again when he brought some drunken Tom into the hospital on Monday morning, and we only had time for a quick chat. I said I was sure I'd seen you around and he said that he'd just arrived and you two had spent the weekend together - that's so sweet!" she almost screeched.

My face flushed the tiniest bit, Chris had told someone we were 'going out' - sort of. I took a very long breath and relaxed and any remaining anger dissipated instantly.

We were just short of the police station,

"Mam," I said, "come into the station and grab a brew."

"Amy please Chrissie!" she said picking up from Christian's term of endearment and she followed us into the side door of the station.

Our entry to the crew room was greeted by the scraping of chairs as many of the shift stood recognised the officer both from their own hospital visits, most of them dropping off or collecting, and the embroidered cap badge on her beret that indicated her commission now her jacket was folded over a chair.

Chris looked across at the young redcap just come on duty,

"Davie, could you grab a coffee for Lieutenant White please mate," he indicated to the young Redcap that was on his shift.

He did so with a grin, pouring from the jug under the filter machine we all paid into. He stepped across and handed the mug to Amy with a smile and a 'Mam'.

She smiled back and thanked him.

The few in the break room disappeared and we chatted some more about the old times.

"So you two been going... hanging out long?" she hissed pouring a splash of milk into her mug and waiting for the other unit members to be well out of earshot.

"Couple of weeks," I said with a grin at Chris, "since GI Joe here first arrived."

"Not before?" she said with some surprise.

"Not seen each other since the last day of school," I added sheepishly.

"After the fight?!" she said biting her lip with an excited grin.

"The very same," said Chris.

"You knew about that?" I said.

"Yeah!" said Amy, "EVERYONE knew about it, wouldn't have missed it for the world!"

"Wha..." I was stunned, I could remember there being a clutch of kids around us and cheering each of Christian's moves and whenever Simon had taken a fall, but not who or for how long. "You where there?"

"Of course, with about sixty others!" she giggled like the schoolgirl she was remembering, "but it was a bit of a 'Woodstock' moment really, over that summer and into the next year everybody said they were there."

"But... it was just a scrap between a couple of schoolboys."

"It was talked about for months!" said Amy, perhaps toning down some of her evident glee.

"But..." I shook my head, "but it was just... us!"

"Oh come on Christina!? You, Rachel, Jenny Reese, Francesca, Sophie, Dotty P, Debs, Susan, Julia and whoever your boyfriends might have been - Gavin, the two Pauls, Russell, Thick Steve, Dilip, Ryan and James, that idiot thug..." she closed her eyes, "you broke his nose in the hall after he kicked you."

"Brett!" said Christian.

"Brett Cox! Oh what a ruffian that boy was! But the rest of you Chrissie, you were our own royalty - all of your gang were like the school's very own soap - we were all glued to what shit you got up to!"

"Really?!" I cringed. Even I had forgotten the names of some of 'that ol' gang of mine', but not Amy evidently.

We had indeed strutted about like we owned the place, but I never thought for a moment that our progress was being followed by the rest of the school.

Oh fuck; and here was one of my viewers, laughing brightly about my gang of mates like we were reality TV stars she'd just seen re-runs of.

"Yeah!" she carried on with the same delight that people normally keep for discussing the last boxsets they watched, "It was generally what new gear the rugby captain, your boyfriend at the time Christina..."

"Simon..." Chris and I said as one.

"Yeah!" Amy looked at me, "Always had the best clothes, we all had to wear standard school uniform while he had the designer stuff, think the school let him get away with it because he won so many sports prizes." She paused, "He was never the sharpest pencil in the box for other things though, and no disrespect Christina, other than that he was a bit of a knob wasn't he; and the smacking he got from Christian was a long time coming and well-deserved."

This was just like Goggle-Box...

"Oh don't remind me," I said with a hand over my face starting to feel bad about the scrutiny me and my mates had been under without even realising it, the scrutiny we had done nothing to discourage. Here was a girl I didn't know THAT well but it seemed she'd known me and my friends in great depth.

"You remember Gavin Mills?" We both nodded, "we were at the same college for a year and I went out with him for a while. He went on to Manchester to study education and it was just emails and text messages after that, he invited me up to stay in his halls of residence in his first year but my Mum and Dad wouldn't let me go. We still met at holidays and Christmas but a year later I went to study nursing at Sussex and that was that." She went quiet for a moment, "he's a primary school teacher out West Dorset way these days - he talked very fondly of you Christina, think he may have had a bit of a crush on you."