Guess Who I Pulled Last Night? (39 page)

Despite what most of them had been through over the last few
months, the conversation was quick and easy, even Bets, and Tom had struck up
some banter with each other at one point, arguing good heartedly over whose
round it was.

Suddenly, Charlotte screamed and pointed to the bar, at a
tall dark man.

“Bets look, its Willy Wonka!”

Bets and Kerry burst into laughter as they looked at the
direction that Charlotte was pointing.

“Oh God, fancy seeing him here,” cried Bets, covering her
eyes with her hand.

The men looked perplexed, and looked over to the bar. 
Dave turned to Charlotte.

“That’s Chris Simpson, I went to school with him.  Why
Willy Wonka?”

Charlotte turned and grinned at a slightly pink Bets.

“You may as well tell him,” cried Bets, taking a large sip
from her drink.  “You are going to anyway.”

“Bets got off with him once, when we were about
nineteen.  She went back to his place, and they started to get all
passionate. You were all for it Bets, weren’t you, until he whipped his boxer
shorts off?” Bets buried her head in her hands as Charlotte carried on. “He
threw them on the floor and said to her “have you ever seen anything this big
before?”  So Bets had a look at it, as you would, and then burst into
laughter, and fled through the front door.  She left so quickly that she
left a brand-new pair of six denier stockings behind.  Of course that was
another of Bets' romances down the drain.”

“Yes, but why the name Willy Wonka?” Amanda, and Dave
chorused.

“Oh sorry, because he had a wonky willy.  It has got a
bend in the middle,” explained Charlotte.

“Get lost,” Amanda exploded.

“True as I’m sitting here.  Isn’t it true, Bets?”

Bets nodded her head, her shoulders shaking as she started
to giggle.  “Yes, it’s true,” she sighed.  “It was just like a
banana, except it wasn’t yellow; actually, it was more like a boomerang now I come
to think of it.”

Everyone started to laugh, except Tom, who stood up
suddenly, making the drinks shake on the table.

“Who wants another?” He took the order, and made his way to
the bar followed by Kelvin and Dave.

“What is the matter with him?” Charlotte asked of her older
sister.  “He’s not said much, but mum reckons that he has been a really
moody beggar for weeks now.”

Amanda shrugged her shoulders as she finished the last few
drops of her drink.  “Don’t know, love sick maybe.  Anyway, Bets how
is your love life?”

Bets smiled nervously at Amanda.  “Me, oh I haven’t got
one,” she replied, feeling herself going red.

“Really, only Charlotte told me about some mystery man.”

“Amanda!” Charlotte stormed.  “I told you not to say
anything.   Bets, but Kerry and I think that you are hiding
something, well a man actually.” Charlotte grinned widely at Bets, hoping
that Bets wouldn’t blow her top.

Bets cuffed her gently on the arm.  “Well you got it
wrong didn’t you,” she smiled, desperate to hide her discomfort.  “There
is no romance, I’m afraid.”

“Oh well, we got it wrong Charlotte,” sighed Kerry. 
“We were convinced weren’t we?”

“Funny that, you would have thought that you two know her
well enough to get it right,” sighed Amanda, grinning widely.  “I don’t
know Bets, call themselves good friends.”

“Yes, anyway I need to go to the ladies, won’t be a
minute.”  Bets picked up her bag, and fled any further questioning on her
love life.

As she walked away, pushing herself through the throng of
people around the bar, Bets felt a pair of eyes upon her.  Looking around,
expecting it to be Tom, she was surprised to see that it was Willy Wonka.

“Hello Bets, long time no see.”

Back at the table Tom had spotted the meeting, and trying
hard to look like he was listening to Charlotte, kept an eye on what was going
on over by the bar.  He watched as Willy moved closer to Bets, and stroked
her hair, and as Bets placed a palm against his chest, and then he saw Bets
laugh, just before Willy moved in for the kill and started to kiss Bets for all
he was worth; this was all too much for him.

“Sorry Charlotte, I’m going to have to go outside for a
while, I feel a little sick.  I won’t be long.”  He stood up and
pushed past Charlotte and Kerry and made towards the door.

Over by the bar, Bets was also feeling a little
queasy.  “Urgh, get off me would you,” she cried as she pushed Willy
away.  “I told you once I’m not interested, particularly with someone with
a boomerang dick, so get lost!”  With that she strode off to the toilet.

“Lesbian!” he called. Bets turned, and gave Willy the
one-fingered salute.

A few minutes later she flopped back down on her seat, and
told the group all about her gross encounter.

“It was vile,” she shuddered, looking around at them all. 
“Where’s Tom, has he gone to get another drink, because I think I need a brandy
after that?”

“He’s gone outside he said that he felt sick.”  Amanda
nodded toward the doorway.  “Go and find him would you Bets, only mum will
kill me if I lose him.”

“He’ll be back soon,” chimed in Charlotte. “So Bets, you
don’t think Willy will be bothering you again then?”  Charlotte was eager
for more gossip.

“Charlotte, you may not care about your little brother, but
I do, please Bets go and have a quick look for him.  If Charlotte or I go
he will just think that we are being over protective.”  Amanda smiled
pleadingly at Bets, placing a hand on her arm.

Bets sighed, now she really did feel queasy; could she speak
to Tom in a one on one situation? She had no choice because if she kicked up a
fuss, everyone would want to know what the problem was.  Anyway, they were
just friends, so there was no problem.

“Right okay, I’ll go and retrieve your little brother for
you.”  She picked up her bag and smiled at Amanda, who, for some reason,
gave her a little wink.

Outside Tom was sitting on the cold floor, leaning against
the wall, people stepping over him as they used the side door.  Bets only
spotted him because she heard someone moaning about it being a silly place to
sit.  As she approached him, Tom’s head was hanging down, and his arms
were resting upon his knees.  Bets grabbed hold of one of his arms and
tried to pull him to his feet.

“Tom get up, you shouldn’t be sitting on the cold floor, and
you’re creating a hazard.”

Tom obediently did as he was told, and still holding onto
Bet’s hand, followed her to the low wall surrounding the car park.  They
sat down and faced each other.

“Is it something you’ve eaten do you think?” Bets asked,
trying not to look too intensely at his face.  “Perhaps you’ve had too
much to drink.”

Tom shook his head.  “I’m not pissed, just pissed off,”
he muttered grumpily.

Not able to help herself, Bets lifted his chin with her
finger so that his gaze met hers; his beauty making her stomach lurch with excitement.

“What are you so pissed off about?” she asked, instinct
telling her that it was probably connected to their “friendship” in some way.

 “Willy bloody Wonka, that’s what!”  Tom snatched
his hand away from hers, and ran it across his head.  “You kissed him and
it made me feel sick, okay, are you happy now?” He groaned and dropped his head
into his hands, making a groaning noise.  “Aaw, I promised myself that I
wouldn’t do this,” he scolded himself.  “I promised you that we would just
be friends, but I can’t Bets. I can’t watch you with other people.” He was
gabbling now.  “Especially when you look so bloody beautiful, I think that
I’ll have to move away.”

Tom stood up, but Bets pulled him back down by the waistband
of his jeans, revealing a pair of perfectly white boxer shorts.

“Sit down,” she sighed, wondering how they, actually she,
had got herself into such a mess.  “Firstly, I didn’t kiss him. He kissed
me, and it was putrid, secondly we promised each other that we would just be
friends, and thirdly, well thirdly; for your information, I can’t do it either,
and fourthly, if you move away I think that my heart would break.”

She rushed it all out without taking a break; knowing that
if she thought about it her bottle would go, and she wouldn’t say any of the
things that she wanted to say. 

Tom looked at her in silence for a moment, his long lashes
flickering as a small smile crept across his lips, then it became a large smile
that not only lit up his face but the whole of the car park.

“Do you mean that?” he asked. His black mood lifted.

Bets dropped her head and nodded, this time Tom lifted her
chin with his forefinger.

“So, what do you want to do?” he asked, desperately trying
not to kiss her.

Bets dropped her head and groaned.  “Tom we’ve been through
this before, I’m older, I’m your sister’s best friend…what do you want me to
say we should do?  To be honest I think that it’s your turn anyway.” 
She looked up and smiled at him, placing a palm against his cold cheek. 
“Because, you know something Tom, I’m all out of excuses.”

“Okay, well, in my opinion, there are some reasons why we
shouldn’t get together, and you are right they are just excuses, but they
aren’t insurmountable and there are plenty of reasons why we should get
together.”

“Such as?”

“Well I think I’ve fallen in love with you. I definitely
love your dog; we are really good mates. We've known each other for so long we
should know each other’s faults, so that won’t be a shock, we look great
together. We'd have wonderfully beautiful children. I think that we’ve both
reached a stage where we want to settle down, I think that I love you…” Tom
said, counting everything off on his fingers.

“You said that one,” Bets giggled.

“Oh right, well I do, but what else? Erm…”

“You’re good to your mum.”

“Yeah that too, but basically, we’re made for each other.”

Bets leaned forward, resting her forehead against
Tom’s.  “What about the age thing?” she asked, placing her cold hands on
his thighs as she moved closer to him.

“Four years, so what, anyway, I’m incredibly mature for my
age, and you are rather immature.” Tom winced, expecting Bets to thump him, but
she merely smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek.

“Tom sweetheart, I’m thirty and I know now that I’m ready to
settle down and start a family.  I’m running out of time, and I can’t
waste it on a relationship that might not go anywhere. I haven’t got time to
make another mistake, especially with someone who may just be fulfilling a
schoolboy fantasy.”

Tom looked shocked.  “Look I told Charlotte, that time
when I was thirteen, and she caught me having a crafty you know what, that
picture of you just happened to be on my bed…”

Bets put a finger to his lips as she giggled into the night
air.  “Tom stop, before you say anything else that you may regret.”

“Okay, but I don’t regret saying that I love you, because I
do, it’s not just a crush.  We’ve really got to know each other recently,
and I can’t believe that this hasn’t happened before.  We are so meant to
be together. It's unbelievable.  As for settling down, and having a family
that’s what I want as well.  I’m twenty-six, Bets. I'm not some kid
anymore who doesn’t give a toss about anything, apart from where the next party
is.  I’ve even asked Brian and Cameron about buying them out.”  Tom stopped
and looked earnestly at Bets, gently touching her cheek with his hand. 
“If we don’t try how will we know, how does anyone know that they’ve picked the
right person?”

Bets looked at his eyes and knew instinctively that he meant
every word.  He was right. What had she got to lose?  Although
nothing had gone on between them, he was the best thing that had ever happened
to her, it felt even more right than Stuart, it seemed strange that she should
feel this way about little Tommy.  It had crept up on her, but it felt so
right.

She took a deep breath and held Tom’s hands tightly in
hers.  “Do you know Tom if I’m honest I think I fell in love with you when
you saved Alfred, but couldn’t admit to myself.  So if we are going to do
this let's make a deal? If either of us want out at any time, we tell the other
one straight away, no cheating or lying, and certainly no staying for the sake
of the dog; agreed!” Bets held her hand out, and Tom shook it gently.

“Agreed.  So do we have our first kiss here then?”

“Hmm, I think we could, but let’s just keep it to a first
kiss hey. I think that we are both a bit too old to get fresh in a car park,”
she laughed.

“Agreed!”

He leaned in and tenderly kissed her lips, holding her face gently
as Bets clung to him with both hands on the small of his back.  Bets
groaned with pleasure as the kiss became more intense and as Tom’s hand moved
to her bare shoulders, she placed her hands around the back of his head,
running them up and down his short-cropped hair, pushing herself in closer and
closer until she was almost sitting upon his knee.  As they became more
passionate the quicker, their hands explored each other, until Tom finally
pulled away, leaving Bets panting for more.

“Bloody hell that was definitely worth waiting for” Tom
gasped breathlessly.

Bets smiled coyly, thinking about the pleasure yet to
come.  “You certainly have learned a lot over the years.”

“Yes well, we’ve both had a fair bit of practice.  I
think that we should go, don’t you, before we do end up getting fresh in the
car park?” 

Bets nodded and allowed him to pull her to her feet. 
As she stood upright, Tom stooped to kiss her once more, gently this time.

“I promise I will never hurt you.”

“Don’t promise Tom, in case you can’t keep it.”

“Okay, I promise I will try never to hurt you.”

“Okay and I promise too.”  Bets kissed him back, the
mere touch of his lips on hers, stirring her groin.  “We’d better let the
other know where we are,” she said pulling away, her breathing heavy.  “My
jacket is in there I need to go and get it.”