Cherry Orphan

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It seemed like he'd only drifted off to sleep for a moment when the delightful intrusion occurred. Silently Calley slipped into his room. She walked slowly over to the place under the window where he lay and looked down at his outstretched form.

"I'm so sorry," she said in a hushed voice. "I had no right to behave the way I did."

He drew aside the bedclothes as if to invite her into the small single bunk.

The girl did something with the belt of her beige raincoat and it wafted open. The leotards were gone. With a slight shrug of the shoulders the coat fell to the floor, leaving her purely naked. She went to her knees beside him and the window light from the street glinted in her teary eyes as she cried softly. "Can you ever forgive me, James?"

There'd never be any doubt that he could. Calley offered herself, her body, in all its magnificence, totally—unconditionally. He reached out to take her face in his hands, but she shied away, suddenly, crying louder and shaking her head. "No, what am I thinking; it's not right. We're cousins, James. Why did it have to be you?"

He tried to say something that would make it right. Make her come to him as she first intended. He'd never been good with words. Despite only meeting her once, she represented the only real girl he had ever known. He leaned further, trying to draw her into his arms—

"Oh, BUGGER!"

The straw mat hurt when he landed on his face. A few moments later a loud, urgent rapping sound came from his bedroom door. "Master James, are you all right in there?"

"Yes, Mrs. Blackwell. It's nothing. Please go back to bed."

Shuffling feet. Door closing. A bed creak. A few grunts and coughs.

Blessed silence.

He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, feeling like a monumental fool.

***

About the middle of the noon rush the bar phone rang. James picked up as everyone else looked run off their feet.

"James Nameth, please." Female voice, but not the one he expected.

"Speaking."

"Hello, James. Dorothy Sandista here. Calley Nameth wants to see you again, but she's unable to get away at the moment. She asked if you could come to the office and wait for her."

"Will she be there?"

"Yes, later. She'd like you to see the showroom and talk to Christopher. He's the Sales Manager. Don't worry, he won't try to sell you a car."

"Good. I can't drive."

He heard that infectious chuckle again. "Believe it or not we have sold cars to people who can't drive. They pay someone else to do it. So you'll come?"

"Yes I think I'd like that." Sod the cars.

Once again Dorothy seemed to move her mouth closer to the phone. "What did you think of her?"

"Think of her? Do you mean the car or Calley?" Dumb! He couldn't believe the total loss of mouth control.

This time she emitted a throaty laugh. "Uh oh. She is a bit overpowered, isn't she? Do you know how to get here?"

"Not really."

"Go to the tube. Get off at South Kensington. Take a taxi to King's Road at the corner of Oakley Street. The showroom is on King's Road, but the office is around the corner on Oakley. There's a sign, just come in. We will pay the taxi driver. Do you have it?"