Unlikely Places (19 page)

“You know if she sorts herself out you could have a really
good relationship”.

“Maybe....if she ever does......have you thought about
contacting your mum?”

I flashed her a look shocked by her question, my eyes
narrowed she was using my own deflection technique on me. “Um.....since we lost
dad I did think about it briefly but she hasn’t made contact with me.....and I
know she was informed when he died....so I guess I’ve got no reason to”.

“Do you think Nat is still in contact with her?”

I forgot I had told her that, I smiled at her good memory.
“Yes....but I don’t think they’re close....when we were growing up Nat was
always closer to mum while I was closer to dad....the divorce was harder on Nat
than me, as we got to live with dad”. In truth I couldn’t think of a reason to
contact her.

Thinking it was time to change the subject to something a
little lighter, I pushed on. “Anyway.....dirty bomb? Where did that come from?”

With the drama of the last few weeks behind us we had
settled in to a quieter more enjoyable routine spending our evenings more
sedately, working and chatting something I truly treasured. As I edited the
last page of my work I looked over the screen to see Sam’s furrowed brow as she
beavered away on her notes, I nonchalantly continued my observations as her
frown dissipated before my eyes. So beautiful, I felt my stomach flutter as I
continued to look on, I tried to focus on the screen but it was impossible. She
was right there in front of me, with her hair tied back in a loose pony tail
long strands escaping down her lovely long neck. Her clothes looked warm and
comfortable, sitting with one foot on the ground, while the other was resting
on the seat of the chair, her knee providing a suitable chin rest. Flipping
through books and documents making notes on her legal pad I felt the breeze
from the pages across the table. She looked so focused totally unaware of my
staring, until I nearly jumped out of my skin when she broke the silence
without even looking up.

“You know neither of us will get anything done if you keep
looking at me like that”.

Busted. “Like what?” I asked innocently making an effort to
move looking over at her. 

I watched her raised eyebrow before she looked up locking
her eyes on mine, unable to hold her gaze I quickly looked away. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about.....I am very busy here thank you”. I said trying
desperately to suppress a smile.

I continued my surveillance in silence taking in the detail
of the pen sucking leaving both her hands free to rummage through paperwork.
The taming of stray hairs securing them behind her ear in a proficient way
before pulling at it again winding it round her finger as she read. Finally she
had enough, assembling her books and paperwork to create a ‘Leaning Tower of
Pisa’ she looked over catching my eye. “I’m going up, will you be long?”

“Ummm”. I reply.

I watch out of the corner of my eye as she stands stretching
exposing her smooth flat belly as her t-shirt rides up her body. Making her way
around the table towards me I felt her warmth as she cuddled me in my chair,
letting her arms drop down my body gently stroking as they worked their way up
to my breasts, her warm breath on my neck as she softly drops kisses around it.

Her breath tickles in my ear. “You’ve been working for hours
you need a break.....come to bed”.

Moving my hand to cover hers, I peeled it off my breast
kissing the palm before replacing it where I found it. “I’ll be two minutes”.

Turning to see her leave the room slightly deflated as I
remained at my computer, I refocused my attention on the screen saving all
changes to the last page as quickly as possible. My phone vibrated across the
desk as the laptop finally shuts down, flashing up with a message from Sam.

‘I’ve started without you’.

Smiling at the text, I made my way up stairs turning off
lights as I went. Reaching the bedroom I found Sam lying in bed the covers
resting just below her belly button, her beautiful soft breasts exposed. I
could hear my pulse throbbing in my head as I focused on one arm under the
covers gently moving back and forth, her breathing heavy. I shivered with anticipation
as I imagined her long fingers circling her moist hardening clit, her eyes were
shut as I moved to the foot of bed quickly taking off all my clothes along the
way. Once naked I slowly lifted up the covers and stealthily moved up Sam’s
spread legs softly kissing and licking the insides as I went, reaching her
thighs I focused my attention on her actions on her clit. Softly nibbling her
lips then moving my tongue to delve in to her wetness exploring without
interfering with her fingers, plunging my tongue into her as she thrusted her
hips towards me. Slipping my hands underneath her buttocks I pulled her closer
as my tongue slipped in and out of her with ease. Her groans encouraged me
more, as I retrieved one of my hands from behind her replacing my tongue with a
finger gently circling her entrance, before slipping it deep inside in rhythm
to her own movements on her clit. Trailing my tongue towards her clit I inhaled
her wonderful musky scent as I began softly trailing kisses around her clit, I
waited for her to remove her hand before softly sucking it in to my mouth and
caressing it with my tongue. I felt the wetness ouseing between my own thighs
as her breathing became more ragged and her moans louder, her hips started
thrusting off the bed as I moved with her rhythm. Her hands tangled in my hair
as she arched her back releasing violent spasms around my finger, remaining in
position caressing her, I drained every last drop of her orgasm.

Slowly removing my finger, I wiped my chin on the covers
before traveling up her body leaving a trail of kisses to her breasts. Moving
my legs to straddle her waist, I removed the pillow she had placed over her
head to stifle her noise, revealing a red faced giggling Sam. I bent down
kissing her neck working my way to her ear whispering.

“That was hot”.

Her hands moved across my inner thighs. “I can tell”. She
responded in a slightly husky voice as her hand slid through my wetness,
knowing I won’t take long. Taking control she flipped me over on to my back,
lying between my legs her body pressed into my wetness as she forced her hips
down grinding against mine. I almost exploded as she slipped her thigh between
mine making me grown as she kissed me deeply, gasping for air as I felt the
tension building in my whole body. Just as I am about to tip over the edge I
felt Sam pull away bringing herself to her knees, gently kissing me she
whispers ‘not yet’ against my lips.

Pulling away she could see the confusion on my face
responding with a cheeky grin showing her dimples, kissing my neck she moves
her hands gently rubbing my already erect nipples. I wanted to push her towards
my throbbing clit but I knew she wouldn’t be rushed as she kissed along the
line of my ribcage heading down to my wetness. Settling between my legs she kissed
my clit on her way down to my aching pussy, using her tongue to traces her way
back to my clit.

“Your killing me”. I whispered gasping for air. 

I swear I felt her giggle as she sucked my clit into her
mouth gently sucking it with her tongue after only a few seconds I was floating
away as the orgasm finally claimed me sending my body into contractions.
Releasing me I felt her trailing her lips caressing my body as she settled on
top of me, as I opened my eyes to see her smiling green eyes looking back at
me.

“That’ll teach you for making me wait”. She giggled rolling
off me heading for the bathroom.

The aroma of our sex filled the room and covered my body it
was the best perfume in the world to me. I knew I would wait till the last
minute to shower off the odour in the morning.   

“You’re so mean to me”. I shouted after her as I lie spread
eagled on bed feeling totally sated.

“Really?....Well maybe I shouldn’t tell you about some
graffiti someone told me about today?”

I sat up with renewed energy. “Where was it?”

“Am I still mean?” She came back kneeling next to me on the
bed.

I stroked her thigh. “Well....I guess not”.

She pounced straddling me pushing me back on the bed with my
hands pined above my head. “You guess not?....You’ll have to do better than
that if you want to know where it is”.

I struggled to speak through giggles. “Okay okay you’re not
very mean at all”.

Grinning she took great pleasure in towering over me. “Not
very mean....I see”. She flicked her eyebrows before dipping her head towards
me, I hoped for a kiss but instead I felt a warm flat wet tongue make its way
up the side of my face from my jaw to my forehead.

I struggled to free myself to no avail. “Arrrgh you bastard
you wait....“.

She cut me off grinning even more. “Now.....is that the
behaviour I can expect from someone who wants information?”

I stopped struggling against her as she eyed me
suspiciously. “You’re quite right.....you’re not mean at all....in fact you’re
turning me on”.

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?....Me too”. She dipped
towards me placing a soft kiss on my lips all the while making sure she was
just out of my reach no matter how much I lifted my head towards her. I pulled
away frustrated only to see her grinning from ear to ear.

I laughed at her grin. “You’re such a top”.

Wednesday

I stepped into the dark rook to load the camera before
leaving the house, I was enjoying reacquainting myself with the process of
developing and printing my own photographs. It seemed juxtaposed alongside my day
job of desk top publishing, I enjoyed the manual process the possibility of an
unknown aspect that didn’t materialise until it was fully developed and
printed.

Handling the Bronica always gave me a good feeling partly
due to the quality of the cameras mechanics and partly due to the fact that Sam
had given it to me, to draw out my latent creativity.

Parking up near the location Sam had given me, taking my
rucksack I spent time looking around for the best view to take the photos from.
The area was a mix of small industrial side streets mostly deserted and empty.
Eyeing the variety of graffiti in the area I ascertained the best images I
could make from it, taking out my light meter I took several readings.
Adjustments made I began taking pictures with the Bronica, creating images of
the buildings textured façade with its varied mix of offensive and mundane
script, making sure the large prose of ‘suck it’ was an aspect of many of them.

With the Bronica running on empty, I replaced it with my
trusty SLR taking a number of colour images of the same building. Taking the
opportunity I looked around the other streets in the area finding a couple of
smaller sites of interest. Taking a final picture, I turned at the sound of
several voices heading in my direction. Three interlopers were on the opposite
side of the road heading in front of my current subject, instinctively turning
my back to them so as not to incur any undue attention.

“Barratt you prick, why did you park all the way up
here?” 

I turned at that outburst, they were almost parallel with me
when I saw Frank Barratt pushing another member of their group as they walked I
assumed to the only car parked on the street. I was dumbfounded, he was out?
Well of course he’d only got eighteen months so he should be out. Still I
couldn’t believe he was there right in front of me, I lifted my camera to get a
closer look it was him Frank Barratt, F.B. fucking bastard. I hadn’t seen him
for such a long time but I would never forget his sneering face filled my view
finder, he strutted towards his car - he was driving again. Automatically
taking several photos as he continued down the street, zooming in on his face I
started to feel very sick as a sour taste appeared in my mouth. I continued to
take more shots of him getting into his car and driving off.

I stood there staring still in disbelief as the car sped off
in the distance, glued to the spot it was several minutes before I headed back
to my car. I sat there still unsure of what to do, I took out my phone uncertain
who to call. Looking at the call list I tapped Nat’s first hoping she would
shock me back to reality making sense of what I had just seen, it went straight
to answerphone, I hung up. Dialling Sam’s mobile it rung several times before I
hung up, I was almost glad she hadn’t answered I wasn’t even sure how to start
this conversation. I was numb and confused about how I felt seeing him, should
I have followed him? I was starting to feel anger rise in me I had to get out
of here, I needed to feel safe, and I needed to go home.

Arriving back home I went straight up to the darkroom to
begin developing my wares all the while thinking of Barratt and his sneering
face, sealing the door I was grateful for the darkness and the need to focus on
my task. With both films sealed in canisters I pulled on the red light to
prepare the required chemicals, checking the clock as the films started their
development. I glared at the clock as the time slowly ticked away, my mind
developing the photographs in my head, I could see Barratt’s face with suck it
written across his forehead. I spent the next few hours developing selected
images from the neg sheet, I couldn’t resist printing a few of Barratt, just to
see if his face was as smug as I remembered it.

Taking a break from the chemicals, I let the photographs dry
as I took in some much needed fresh air, grabbing a beer on my way out. Heading
back up I picked up two folders to separate the images writing the date and
location the photos were taken on the folders. Placing the dried photographs in
separate folders, on my way to the dining room to add them to the growing stack
I was surprised by a knock at the front door. Checking the time on the way I
frowned if it was Sam, she would have used her key. A second knock sounded as I
neared the door, I was met with a wide grin as I opened the door.

“Sorry I forgot my keys”.

I smiled in reply, she placed a soft kiss on my lips as she
made her way in. “It’s okay.....I’ll let you off”.

“Ah....you’ve been working I see”.

I looked at the folders in my hand. “I have”. I focused on
trying to sound normal, not wanting to think let alone talk about Barratt.

Sam followed me down the hall to the back room, as she
unloaded her briefcase I surreptitiously hid the Barratt folder at the bottom
of the stack. Struggling to cover my shock of the day’s events, I was worried
what Sam would say if she saw the photos of Barratt.

“I’m just going to take a quick shower....I stink of
chemicals”. I said making an excuse to leave the room. I felt her eyes on me
but I couldn’t meet them.

“Can I look at the photo’s you took today?”

“Sure...they’re in the top folder on the desk”. I said over
my shoulder as I left the room.

I made my way upstairs hoping Sam did not see the strained
expression on my face, trying to keep my anger under wraps I didn’t want to be
like that in front of Sam. How could he just be walking around laughing with
his buddies without a care in the world after what he did to our family? I let
the hot water wash away my tears at the memory of my father and how he was
taken from us. Returning from my shower I felt slightly more relaxed, comforted
in my pyjama bottoms and soft t-shirt. Walking back into the dining room I
found Sam stood at the large table with today’s photo’s spread out all over it.
Walking up behind her I placed my arms around her waist nestling into her neck,
breathing in the scent of her warm skin it made my head spin. Opening my eyes I
could see the photos of Frank Barratt on the left hand side of the table.

She moved her head towards me gently whispering. “Who’s this
guy in the photos?”

Struck dumb again for the second time today, how did she
find them? I put them in a separate folder away from the graffiti images I’d
developed today. She turned to me levelling her gaze at me.

“Al...who is he?” Her voice is a little more insistent now,
not quite demanding but not far from it.

“Nobody just someone I thought I knew....so I took a few
shots”. I reached to turn them over I couldn’t stand to see his face looking up
at me. Sam was still stood in front of me her green eyes flashed to the
upturned photos before fixing on me.

“Who?” She demanded.

I tried to look her in the eye but I couldn’t hold it I
blinked away a tear that had welled up in my left eye.

“Alex please what’s going on.....your different...what
happened today?”

“He....he’s the guy.....the guy that killed.....my dad”.
Tears were now streaming down my cheeks.

She snatch up a photo from the table scrutinising it.
“WHAT?...Holy shit....how?”

“I....I was just taking pictures of the graffiti you told me
about in the city and he appeared with his friends walking along the road....I
couldn’t believe it I recognised him straight away but I.....I couldn’t stop
shooting him...he looked so happy..I...”. I thought about what I had just said
‘shooting’ would I?, could I?

Dropping the photos on the table she glared at me. “Alex
please tell me you’re not stalking him?”

“What?...No...he was just there in front of me...I”. She cut
me off.

“Alex...you know if you do anything you could go to prison
you know that right?”

“I know....I wasn’t going to do anything...I”. She cut me
off again, not that I knew what to say at this point.

“Why have you got a picture of his car?” She demanded.

“I....I..it was just a shot I took as he was leaving I
wasn’t going to...”.

“TO WHAT....smash up his car....attack him...WHAT?” Her eyes
were blazing into me full of anger and tears.

“I....I don’t know...I”.

“JESUS CHRIST ALEX PLEASE TELL ME YOU WEREN’T GOING TO DO
ANYTHING”. Her voice was so loud it deafened me I couldn’t think straight.

“NO....I don’t know....I was just so shocked to see him”.

“You can’t do this Alex you’re throwing it all away”. I
could see her hand gripping the back of the wooden chair next to the table her
knuckles were almost white as I looked up I saw tears slide down her face.

“STOP TELLING ME THAT......I wasn’t doing anything wrong”. I
moved away from her trying to defend myself against what I wasn’t sure, in
truth I don’t know what I wanted to do about Barratt. It was a genuine shock I
hadn’t thought about him at all lately, I needed some time for it to sink in.
Sam was still shouting she couldn’t believe this was happening, god I just
needed some quiet to think straight.

Before I had a chance to engage my brain I blurted out
“Leave me alone....please just leave me alone”.

The shock and pain on her face was awful to see I had to
look away at the floor as tears continued to fall, she moved by me taking great
care not to touch me. Hearing the front door close a few seconds later I was
left in silence and an insatiable thirst for alcohol.