Free Sand Glass by A M Russell Page B

a
payment for her favour.’ Alex said.
    ‘That’s not
true.’
    ‘Yeah, it is.’
He replied, ‘Same mistake you always make…’
    ‘What’s
that?’
    ‘Underestimate
the opposition.’
    ‘Janey?’
    ‘Quite. The
unexploded bomb. Just waiting for the lighting of the fuse.’
    ‘Do you mean
she is the answer to all this?’
    ‘She’s volatile
and hard to predict. Why would anyone want someone like that
around?’
    ‘Good
question.’
    ‘What would
anyone be doing, wanting to listen to what she says? But I suppose
the sexy curves really do make you want to hang on her every word;
even if you have no idea what she is actually saying.’
    ‘Alex, you’re a
genius!’ I said
    He raised he
bottle to me, and lifted one eyebrow; ‘Finally you have me. “You’re
training is complete Luke”!’
    ‘That’s not the
right quote.’
    ‘I don’t care.
It’s in my words genius-in-training, so be humble before your
master.’
     
*****
     
     
Five
    ‘Janey….’ I
whispered, ‘Janey? Do you hear me?’
    She rolled over
in her sleep towards me. I knelt by the bed in the spare room. The
house was still and quiet. I couldn’t sleep. Then, with a start of
realisation I felt I must tell her what had happened while were out
there the first time. Alex’s idea seemed alright. They were
expecting her to arrive tomorrow for her “first” session and show
round. We’d got to her first. She didn’t know the layout, but she
did know a little about all of us.
    I reached out
and touched her cheek. She stirred then, and moaned in her sleep.
Her eyes flickered slowly open.
    ‘Davey? What
time is it?’ her voice cracked and heavy with disorientation made
me feel guilty for rousing her.
    ‘It’s
three-twenty…. Sorry, I need to tell you something.’
    She pushed
herself onto one elbow; ‘That’s three-twenty in the morning?’
    ‘Yes. I’m
afraid so,’ I kept my voice low, ‘I’m worried about tomorrow…’
    That was an
understatement. I seriously thought I might be dead by teatime, in
what was now the same day.
    Janey beat the
pillows into submission and sat up. Despite the obvious opportunity
afforded by the situation, I felt more in need of reassurance to
settle my whirling thoughts than anything romantic. And since Janey
made no move in that direction, but blinked and waited for me to
explain myself, I felt I ought to get it out quickly.
    ‘I think I’m
going to die.’ I said
    ‘It’s just a
bad dream.’ She pulled the duvet up at the side, ‘hop in, you look
frozen.’
    I was shivering
in that early morning everything’s-not-good way.
    ‘Budge up
then.’ I said. She wriggled sideways, and I cautiously slid in next
to her.
    ‘Why are you
wearing jeans?’ she asked.
    ‘I always wear
them.’
    ‘In a sleeping
bag?’
    ‘I slipped then
back on…. Alright, I haven’t been to sleep, I admit it.’
    ‘Take them
off.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘No?’
    ‘I barely know
you. You are pretty scary you know.’
    ‘I’m only
asking you to make yourself more comfortable. Then you can tell me
about it all.’
    ‘I’m cold.’
    ‘Let me warm
you up.’ She put her arms round me.
    ‘Janey…. I
can’t…. I, please, you make me felt nervous. I’m sorry…’ I squeezed
my eyes shut, in an effort to contain my sense of helpless
petrifaction.
    ‘You really are
nervous of it all,’ she said in a gentler tone, ‘I didn’t know how.
I honestly thought you were just being clever, and not being
pushy.’
    ‘No… I am a
total lettuce.’ I said, glad that she did get it, ‘I have never….
That is to say; I’m….’
    ‘Shh! It’s ok.
Just cuddle to warm up. No pressure.’ She rubbed my arm absently,
‘I’m not exactly at my best at this time in a morning either. But I
think I can manage to listen.’
    ‘Umm… of
course. Sorry.’
    ‘Will you stop
apologising? Just talk ok.’
    ‘Thanks Janey.’
I said, and carefully slid out of the jeans and shoved them out
onto the floor. We got comfortable. I