Chapter 4: Thursday 12th March.
By Thursday morning I was beginning to give up any notion of getting the room when the office telephone rang and I picked up the receiver.
“Hi, It’s Marcie” the voice said as my heart raced with renewed anticipation.
“I’ve got some good news for you and some bad news.”
There was a pause before Marcie eventually said.
“We have decided to reserve our judgement until we could all meet you and satisfy ourselves that it is a good idea.
Would you like to come to tea tonight and meet the gang?”
This sounded like an offer I could not refuse.
“What time?” I enquired.
“Would six o’clock be okay?”
“Sure, no problem, I’ll be there.” I could hear my heart racing as we said goodbye and I went to lunch with a renewed spring in my step.
Leaving work at 5:30 I felt strangely nervous as I sat in my car contemplating my ‘plan of attack.’
“I shall be friendly - but not too familiar, Jovial – but not a joker, serious yet sincere. I shall try to be simply ‘one-of-the-girls’.
Let them see a ‘man-about-the-house’ can be an asset to any home,” I smiled, “It’s never let me down before.”
On Tuesday when I nervously inspected the house I had expected to find it was not to my liking and purposely played down the prospect so as not to disappoint myself.
Now, after reflecting on the initial set-up, I was determined this flat was the perfect place for me.
I resolved to try a lot harder to endear myself to these girls in the hope they could accept me.
At exactly six o’clock I drove the last hundred yards to the house and parked up. I considered stopping to buy some flowers, which I thought might impress them, but decided against bringing any gifts as it may not be considered appropriate.
Nervously I pressed the doorbell.
Marcie opened the door wearing the same sweatshirt and jeans I had seen her in previously and greeted me with the same welcoming smile, which I had come to associate with her.
“Hi, come on in,” she beckoned, “the gang’s all here.”
I confessed to her that I was quite nervous about meeting the rest of the ‘family’ as we crossed the hallway towards the living room door. She opened the door ushering me inside.
“This is Brian.” she announced as I cautiously entered the room to find three females seated at the table, all smiling, yet quiet.
I figured they were just as nervous meeting me as I was meeting them as I was escorted to an empty place at the end of the table to be formally introduced.
“To your right,” Marcie began, indicating each girl in turn, as she slowly made her way to the opposite end. “Lynda you met earlier.”
I extended my hand and again the plastic bangles rattled as she shook it amid a mutual “Hi.”
Lynda was 23 years of age with short dark hair recently ‘streaked’. She wore a black polo-neck jumper, which, in the dimness, hid her slim figure expertly.
“Next to her is Rachel,”
She was 27 years old with very long jet-black hair, which, I later discovered, extended beyond her waist. She had slightly tanned features, wore a white silk blouse with a thin black tie, and looked every inch the no-nonsense businesswoman I later found her to be.
She raised her right palm from the table giving me a little wave as she said “Hi.”
“To your left we have Debbie,”
Marcie indicated the 22 year old blonde girl I had met on my first visit who was seated to her right dressed in a white tee shirt with ‘I’m a good girl’ emblazoned across her chest.
She also waved to me imitating Rachel’s movements.
“And Aleesha,” Indicating the kitchen door behind me I turned to see a black teenager, with short black curly hair, leaning, arms folded, against the kitchen door who also said “Hi,” as the others had done, before retreating into the kitchen.
Marcie sat at the opposite end of the table from me amid complete silence – except for the news from the television – all eyes were on me, which only made me more nervous.
We sat in silence for a few moments until a tray with six plates landed between Debbie and myself supported by Aleesha’s two black hands, which then put a plate before everyone.
While everyone thanked Aleesha they collected cutlery from the silver wired receptacle at the centre of the table - Lynda selected cutlery for me laying a knife and fork before me, which I thanked her for.
When Aleesha was seated between Debbie and me, Marcie broke the silence by asking; “Well Brian, tell us a little about yourself?” as she proceeded to cut through her meal.
“What can I tell you?” I began.
“I’m a 28 year old Finance Manager from Glasgow. I recently got transferred here and need somewhere to stay.”
Forcing myself to smile throughout I had decided to come straight to the point of my visit.
“I realise that you would be wary of a guy living here, but can assure you I have lived with three sisters all my life and if you treat me like a brother I can’t see there being any problems.”
As everyone else had started to eat I took up my cutlery and ate a small mouthful of the pie as Marcie again broke the silence, which followed. “Well, anybody any questions?”
There was total silence - except for cutlery on china.
“I suppose I’d better start then.”
“I have lived here,” Marcie began, “for over 15 years and as the longest here I am officially the householder.
I see no problem with you living here, but you would be the first male to live under this roof, although, we have seen a few weirdoes come and go in the time I’ve been here.”
All eyes immediately went from me to Lynda who took no notice and continued with her meal. I was intrigued, but decided to say nothing. “Okay,” Marcie continued, “Rachel, you’re up.”
Rachel looking Marcie in the eye lowered her knife and fork to her plate very slowly. Clearing her mouth with a sip of water she transfixed me with her gaze and began to speak.
“I work for a law firm as a conveyance assistant and am originally from Glasgow too and have lived here for about six years since qualifying from Strathclyde University.
I have no objections to you living here as long as you keep yourself very much to yourself.
The fact is, I play in a band and am out most nights, so, as long as you don’t cause me any problems we should get along just fine.”
Rachel stopped, immediately lifted her knife and fork and resumed eating while looking at Debbie - giving a slight nod in my direction.
All eyes went to the blonde girl whose movements matched Rachel’s. Looking Marcie in the eye she began. “I’ve not got much to tell.” she turned her gaze towards me.
“I’m Debbie, I’m 22 and work as a teller in a bank, and at the moment I’m taking my banking exams.
If you could help me I think having a finance person in the family is a great idea and I’m all for it.”
Debbie spoke with such enthusiasm that her chest began to heave. “I’m originally from Berwick and have been living here for five years now and I see absolutely no problems in a guy living here and I hope you get the room as I like you.”
She placed her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment as she realised she may have sounded a little too enthusiastic.
Looking bewildered at Marcie she sought reassurance and comfort.
“We all know what you mean.” Marcie smirked assuredly as again silence fell.
All eyes now wandered towards Lynda, who sat strangely, quiet since the earlier reference to ‘weirdoes’.
Raising her head as the others had done, Lynda looked at Marcie before turning her gaze towards me where I found myself looking into a pair of emerald-green eyes adding to the mystery surrounding this particular girl. “Well,” Lynda began raising her hands to clasp them under her chin.
“I??
?m Lynda”, she smiled, “and I’ve got very little to tell.
I work as a secretary for a car dealer in the city centre.”
She spoke in a low sultry voice heightening the mystery surrounding her.
“I’ve been here just over four years now and that’s all there is to know about me.”
When Lynda had finished she looked across the table towards Aleesha, hoping the gaze would be diverted when the black girl began to speak.
I found I could not take my eyes from Lynda as she looked desperately towards the African, Marcie, then back to me.
After a few moments she bowed her head to stare at, and continue with the meal before her.
After another few seconds silence Aleesha spoke in a deep African accent using broken English. “I am Aleesha,” she began slowly and deliberately, “I am nineteen years and am student at University to study Mechanical Engineering diploma, and I am living here in this house for six months since I come from Kenya.”
I could tell this girl was the most nervous of all of them being the youngest and living in a strange country she probably felt most threatened by my presence.
She was sitting at my left-hand side and when asked by Marcie, in a very sympathetic tone if she minded a man living in the house, she looked at me for a few seconds, with her very dark brown eyes, and eventually replied. “If nobody mind – I not mind.”
I thought she sounded unsure so I whispered “thank-you” placing my left hand on her right arm. To my surprise she immediately recoiled as if it had some disease.
My gaze reverted to Marcie who was undoubtedly in control of the household.
“Does anyone have any questions?” she enquired of all of us.
There followed another few moments of complete silence in which I looked at each girl in turn whilst they looked at each other, except Lynda who looked at the television uninterested.
There was definitely something about this girl’s eyes which fascinate me.
I felt I knew as much as I needed to know about the others, but the mysterious Lynda intrigued me greatly.
Marcie again broke the silence, “Okay, all those in favour of Brian joining us indicate in the usual manner.”
Marcie, with her elbows on the table, raised her left hand to shoulder height as Debbie immediately followed suit.
Rachel spoke. “I suggest we give him a trial period of a month or two to see if there are any problems.”
“I second that,” Marcie confirmed as Rachel’s right hand joined the other two at the far end of the table in the raised position.
Aleesha slowly raised her left hand in confirmation and all eyes again turned towards Lynda who remained leaning with her chin upon her right hand.
She turned her green eyes towards me and without moving raised one finger slowly, smiled and again transfixed me with her gaze like a wild animal that could paralyse its prey.
I was completely at her mercy until Marcie, again, broke the spell on me by loudly thumping her hand upon the table declaring,
“Carried unanimously.”
With the tension of the moment gone, Rachel suddenly jumped from her seat and ran from the room shouting, “Welcome to the mad house!” before slamming the door behind her.
Lynda got to her feet, patting me on the arm she left the room much slower than Rachel had done; she smiled but said nothing.
Aleesha raised herself from the table and slowly disappeared from sight to sit on the sofa to watch television, leaving Marcie and Debbie with me at the table in silence.
After a few seconds of indecision Debbie began to clear the plates from the table onto the tray that was propped against the table leg beneath Aleesha’s chair and then disappeared into the kitchen with them.
“I’ll show you to your room,” Marcie broke the silence again.
I followed her from the room as I did on my first visit, but I didn’t want to argue with her.
Once inside my room, Marcie leaned backwards onto the door closing it firmly.
“Now that you are in I hope you enjoy living here,” she began, “but,” she suddenly looked very stern indeed as the smile ran away from her face to be replaced by a look I had not yet seen,
“There are a few things I must say to you.”
I listened intently as she continued.
“Firstly, I am responsible for the welfare of my girls, and so, if I hear any complaints then you’re out. Do you completely understand me?”
“Yes ma’am,” I replied solemnly.
“You are here on a month by month trial at the moment and you can move in on Saturday if you like.” She then moved from the door surveying the room. “I’ll get you some bedding,” she indicated towards the bed, “and a shade for that light.”
“If there’s anything else you need tell me,” as she crossed the room to open the wardrobe to check the coat-hanger stock,
“If you need more hangers or anything let me know and I’ll get them, but once you’re settled we can discuss the finer details, okay?”
“Sure,” I confirmed, “I’ll move in on Saturday and I hope I’ll be very happy here.”
“You’d better hope we ALL will be happy here,” she interrupted sternly, “we are all pretty liberal-minded, but if you cross the line I’ll personally murder you.”
Marcie crossed the room to where I stood placing her hands upon my shoulders. She looked me straight in the eyes while pressing her very large bosom against my chest and spoke very quietly, but firmly and sincerely.
I had no idea what to do with my hands so clasped them behind my back as I filled my nostrils with her sweet perfume.
“They are all good girls and if you play by the rules we should all get on famously, Okay?”
Her words faded to a faint whisper as I whispered a reassuring “Yes ma’am.”
“I know I can trust you,” she whispered as she crossed to the door where her welcoming smile returned. “Now get out of here and we’ll see you on Saturday.” she laughed as she opened the door ushering me out, “and stop calling me ma’am – I’m not royalty.”
As I emerged into the fresh spring air I turned towards Marcie and laughed “Thanks for everything, I won’t let you down.” as sincerely as I could.
“Oh, I know you won’t.” she called slamming the door in my face.
“In this chapter, Emily, I’m trying to convince you I was a really nice guy who had managed to get this flat with these girls and they all fascinated me.”
“I was excited as I thought of the possibilities before me.”
“I had taken the first steps in the most exciting period of my life and hoped the months ahead would keep getting better and better.”
“These were exceptionally nice girls – why they would consider me joining their ‘happy family’ I couldn’t fathom, but I had passed their examination and I was in.”
In my car I waited a few minutes until the tension in my bones subsided as I smoked a cigarette and heaved a long sigh.
Turned on the ignition and made my way home to tell my parents I was intending to fly from their nest.
I couldn’t help thinking about Marcie’s figure and warm seductive eyes, Rachel’s intriguing beauty, Debbie’s enchanting innocence and Lynda’s mysterious green ‘cats’ eyes as I drove along the M8 motorway.
I arrived home just before 9 p.m. joining my parents deeply engrossed in a drama series on television.
Waiting a few minutes, until it had finished, I decided to begin breaking the news of my impending departure from the flock.
“I’ve been thinking,” I began to get their attention proceeding as cautiously as I could, “all this travelling to Edinburgh is costing me a fortune in petrol, so, I figured it was time I should get some lodgings through there.”
They looked at each other in amazement and then Dad smiled,
“We were wondering when you were going to realise you would be better off there.”
“Have you been looking for somewhere? Mum cautiously
asked.
“As it happens,” I replied, “I’ve managed to get a room in a small flat near the City Centre and I’m hoping to move in this weekend.”
“I’ll help you to pack,” Dad smiled getting up from his armchair,
“I think we should have a cup of tea to celebrate,” he laughed as he crossed the room to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“I take it you’ll be quite happy to get rid of me then?” I smiled jokingly.
“I wonder whatever could give you that idea?” Dad laughed.
When he had gone I looked towards Mum who was smiling broadly at my father’s actions as she asked for more information.
“Well,” I began, “I will be sharing a house with five other people, but, I have my own room, which is about the size of my room here, and I get all my meals cooked for me.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she smiled amazed, “what are the other people like?”
After a short pause, I said, “That seems to be the only snag,” I continued, “they all appear to be very nice young ladies.”
I emphasised the ‘young ladies’.
Dad, returning from the kitchen, placed a mug of tea on the coffee table before me. He resumed his position in his favourite armchair, handing a mug of tea to Mum as he did so.
My 53-year-old father was always smiling endearing him to everyone with whom he came into contact.
As a sales-agent for a lingerie company he had a very humorous personality, which he needed to cover any embarrassment in his job, which he often referred to as ‘Travelling in ladies underwear’.
Mum, who was one year younger used to be a schoolteacher and was the more dominant partner in their relationship, although Dad appeared to make all the ‘important’ decisions.
“I was just hearing,” she said to Dad once settled, “he’s sharing a house with five young ladies.” she smiled looking at Dad as his eyes lit up.
”FIVE!” he exclaimed, “Surely one is enough for any man,” we all laughed and then he asked, between sips of tea,
“And what does Tracey think of this?”
Dad was well aware of my often-turbulent relationship with my girlfriend, Tracey Collins.
After a pause I told them they were the first to know, which raised a few eyebrows, while we settled down in silence to concentrate on the ‘Nine o’clock news’.
“You mean to tell us Tracey doesn’t know anything about these five young ladies?”
“Not in so many words.” I smiled.
This deal struck between Marcie and me had happened so fast that I had not spared any thought for what Tracey would think of me moving into a house with five girls in it.
Until the time I met her I hadn’t much to do with women, and in the five years since we had several ‘ups and downs’, so I knew of her jealous nature and often violent temper which had caused a few arguments in the past.
I was still thinking what I should, and should not tell Tracey when the ‘telephone in the hallway began to ring.
“That’ll be her,” my father smiled, “Good luck, Son.”
“I’ve a feeling I might need all the luck I can get.” I quipped as I got up to answer the ‘phone rather apprehensively as Tracey had the habit of calling at the same time a few nights each week.
“Hi, how are you doing?” Tracey asked cheerily.
This was her usual greeting so I replied, “fine.” as usual.
“Are you coming out to play?” she enquired.
I arranged to pick Tracey up a few minutes later, which, I figured, should give me enough time to rehearse what I should tell her about Marcie’s gang.
Ten minutes later I pulled up outside the semi-detached home she shared with her elderly parents and she came out to greet me wearing a white V-neck sweater, which showed off her slim 34B-24-34 figure to perfection.
She, as usual, wore a short white tennis skirt, highlighting her bronzed legs and white ‘sneakers’ on her feet.
To the rest of the world she could have given the impression of going to take part in a game of Tennis, but the games we regularly played had nothing to do with the sport.
27 year-old Tracey Collins was all I ever wanted in a girlfriend.
She had blonde hair, which almost reached her bust and a slim figure with which I had no complaints. As she entered the car I kissed her lips passionately for a few seconds before putting the car into gear to drive to a wooded area, a few minutes away, often frequented by courting couples.
Arriving at our favourite spot Tracey lifted the handle at the side of her seat to recline fully backwards with a familiar passion in her eyes to await the usual encounter.
I killed the engine and switched off the lights, to immerse us in pitch-blackness, but instead of joining her I switched on the interior light and remained upright.
Sensing something was wrong she turned onto her right buttock resting her head on her right hand asking, “Whatever is wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I quietly assured her solemnly, “it’s just that I’m going to have to move to Edinburgh.”
“Oh, is that all?” She sighed reclining herself again,
“For a second there I thought it was something serious.”
It seems she too expected this news.
Switching off the interior light I reclined my seat to join hers, embracing her in a passionate kiss for a few minutes.
When I eventually came up for air I whispered, “It means that we won’t be seeing each other as frequently as we do now.”
“But,” she whispered in reply, “it also means we can get together in a nice warm bed, instead of sneaking up here, in all weathers, in the dead of night, a few times a week.”
She pulled me to her again and we resumed our passionate embrace.
Tracey, obviously, regarded the move to the capital as an excellent idea and I figured a few well-chosen words of reassurance from Marcie would be all that were needed to allay any fears she may have.
I decided it was better not to tell her about my new ‘flatmates’ at this time.
It also had not occurred to me that the stern warning from Marcie applied to the others and until the situation changed I sensed I had a prospect of the best of both worlds.
“I suppose,” I asked Emily; “You don’t want to know the gory details of my nocturnal trips to the Hareshaw Forest with Tracey?”
“Not at the moment,” Emily replied, “if you don’t mind.
We can always add some ‘spice’ later if the plot needs any.”
Her mention of spice reminded me we hadn’t eaten and that I had neglected to offer my guest any refreshment. “Are you hungry?” I asked.
“A little,” Emily replied, “but we should get on with the story.”
“Indeed,” I agreed, “here we are talking about adding spices when we’re hardly past the appetiser.
We still have a long way to go before we get to the Main course.”
Emily agreed as she asked if she could use the bathroom.
“Sure,” I asked, “there’s a Chinese menu beside the ‘phone, if you give them a call they will deliver in about 20 minutes?
Order anything you like, and ask for my usual meal ‘B’, they can deliver any wine or whatever you want, there’s beer and soft drinks in the fridge if you’d prefer?”
“I’m driving,” Emily advised, but I will order a meal for us.
Don’t you dare stop,” she warned, “I don’t want to be here all weekend.”
Once Emily had vacated the room I resumed my tale into her recorder.
“The reason I’m telling you about this night with Tracey is while we were making love in the car there was a deafening thud on the car bonnet.”
I opened my eyes suddenly to see these two, curious, green eyes staring in at us.
Tracey turned her head quickly, staring bewildered at these mysterious green eyes looking in at her as I, instinctively, pressed the car horn and the eyes vanished into the darkness.
Once we
were both fully clothed I turned on the engine and the fan to clear our perspiration from the windscreen as Tracey sighed deeply before being the first to break the deftly silence.
“What, in the name of God, was that?” she asked pointing to where the eyes had been.
“Probably just a cat” I assured her.
“Nearly frightened the shit out of me.” Tracey hissed with obvious emotion as she opened the glove box to find the hairbrush she had placed there several months earlier and began to run it through her blonde hair.
Tracey did not swear as a rule as she knew I strongly objected to any form of profanity and did not swear myself, but I dismissed it as possibly justified in the heat of the moment.
It seemed these eyes I had seen earlier were beginning to haunt me as I began to think about the mysterious Lynda again.
“So,” I continued, “I take it you don’t mind me moving to the other side of the country?”
“Not at all,” she replied, “if tonight’s anything to go by.
I guess we could get used to a nice warm bed and that cat can go and bother somebody else.”
Outside Tracey’s house, as she returned home a few minutes later, a wicked smile came to her lips as we kissed lightly and she got out of the car, repeating. “Oh, yes, I think it’s an absolutely wonderful idea.”
“I felt really guilty, Emily, about not telling Tracey of Marcie’s gang, but Tracey was already fantasising about nights of passion and I didn’t want to arouse any suspicions, so said nothing.”
“Anyway, Emily, so far there was nothing to tell her.
What Tracey doesn’t know couldn’t hurt me.”
Emily had her doubts.