STAND 3

At the restaurant we’re just telling one anecdote after another, we all laugh but I fear poor Lara might get tired soon of all our private jokes. As a matter of fact she asks “I don’t understand how you could follow them for an entire tour. Where did you find the money? Did you parents agree in letting you travel across Europe following them? I mean, you were only 15!”
Howard hears it and spits his drink all over the table “WHAT?”
I give him my ‘ooopsss’ face.
He’s as white as a ghost; his voice is really low “you said you were 17, almost 18…”
I give him my puppy eyes “it wasn’t technically a lie, I was eventually going to turn 18… in three years time” *please don’t kill me Diddilydougie*
He grabs my arm, “we need to talk”
“What’s going on?” Jason looks worried
“None of your business Jay” he hisses back
“Howard, there’s no need to get mad. It was so long ago”
He understands I’m not willing to leave the table. *You won’t dare talking about it in front of all these people and procrastinating the unavoidable is my major skill*. He sits back and looks into my eyes “15!” *Shit! He dares* “Do you have any idea what it could have happen if someone knew about it? Do the words ‘statutory rape’ ring a bell into your empty mind?”
*did he just said it out loud?* I blush and I realize Lara, Maddi, Gaz, Mark and Jason especially are staring at us like we have just killed Bambi’s mother. I don’t dare looking at them, so it’s Howard the first to talk.
“Don’t give me that look! It’s her fault! She showed up to my door the last night of the tour and she basically jumped into my bed!”
“HOWARD!’ Jason is so mad at him
“Jason” I hiss
“TITTI” Howard is begging me to say something
“HOWARD” Jason repeats
“Jason” he answers back
Gaz has a wicked smile on his face and tells his wife “Lara look at them, doesn’t remind you of the scene in Shrek 2 when Fiona, her parents, Shrek and Donkey are arguing at the table?” and he does his magic since they all laugh.
I take the bull by his horns and I add “to tell you the truth I wanted Jason, really bad”. Mark rolls his eyes. “But he said I was too young. Most boring speech ever telling me I should wait for the right guy and make it really special. Yeah right! My hormones were in overdrive. Besides I knew it could be the last time I saw all of you and I was very much determined to have sex for the first time…”
“YOU WERE A VIRGIN?” Howard is loosing it again
“Sorry Diddilydougie…”
He rests his head on the table “I’ll wake up and find out it’s nothing but a nightmare…”
“So I went to him” and points at a very distraught Howard.
He turns to me, his cheek resting near his plate “so I was your second best TT member”
Gaz pats his head “not really mate! She knocked on my door too, and I guess it was before jumping into your bed. But I was busy…and I know better than having sex with underage girls”
Howard is back sitting straight “Thanks Gary, you’re a true friend. So I was your third choice?”
“Not really” I say with a very innocent voice “I thought Mark was cuter but there’s no messing with a girlfriend’s man. And Robbie had left the band”
His eyes are wide open “I was fifth out of four men? How could it happen?”
“Hated your hair, really, I thought they were gross.”
I notice Jason’s eyes are dark blue, *am I detecting a hint of jealousy there? Happy dance, now!*
He clears his throat, he wants to change subject fast “Lara, I was surprised too, but her parents were really understanding and let her come to us. Her father also called me to thank me for taking care of her.” He turns to me “but why did you disappear? I tried to contact you when we split up but I couldn’t get hold of you and I haven’t heard from you since the day we all went back home for the holidays”
Maddi looks at me and nods, I take a deep breath “it was long ago and we are among adults. So I have something to share. The man who called you Jason was not my father. He was the guy selling flowers at the stand at Embankment. My parents are divorced. My mother thought I was staying with my father and vice versa. They don’t talk to each other so it was pretty easy to fool them. All you need is a German friend who can forge any signature she wishes to and be creative with the computer writing fake letters from headmasters and professor so they think everything is just fine.” Jason is staring at me like he wants to kill me, I swallow hard “Until they found out I sold everything I owned to support me during the tour and I lost an entire school year. Maddi convinced me to go back and talk to them. As a result they grounded me to graduation. They sent me to a boarding school run by nuns. No telephone, no computer. Classes and prayers. That’s it, for 3 long years. No hard feelings Maddi.”
“You’re so not becoming a role model for my children” Lara says
“When she called me 6 years ago I could not believe my ears. She came to visit me in Germany and we decided to move to London together. I got a job offer and she got into the Paleography program at King’s College” she says
“So what do you do now?” Lara asks
“I work for the British Library, rare book collection. Buy manuscripts, study them. If you need someone to read Carolingian minuscule, Gothic, old English, I’m the woman you look for!”
“I used to work too, but now, with four, I’m sorry Gary ~ Freudian slip, three children I don’t even have time to take a proper shower”
“Do you have pictures? Can I see them?”
Lara shows me the picture of three beautiful blond, blue eyed babies “this is Ella, she’s 5, Sophie is 3 and Taylor, our little boy is only 1”
“They’re so cute” Maddi says “it must be hard work…”
Mark looks at the three of us “whatever! It sounds sooo interesting. Old books and children… let me warn you, if you start talking about diapers changing and some maternal instinct I’ll leave” he looks at Maddi in the eyes “this lady here is a fine chef. She’s gonna make me so fat. I think we should avoid dance routines in the upcoming tour. We can just seat on stools and use our voices”
“Which means we can just kiss Jason goodbye, it was nice meeting you again after all these years” Gary adds
I look at him grateful for taking the attention off my humble person while Jason tries to make a very scary voice “you’ll pay for it. I would start running if I were you. Silly me, you cannot run, you’re too heavy to do it!”
“Guys! Stop the madness please” Lara says “that’s not the way adults behave”
“Adults? I don’t see any” and Howard starts throwing bread at her
“Howard stop it! It’s not funny! What would the kids say?”
“The same thing they say over and over: Uncle Doug rules!”

Jason and I are sitting very close during the dinner and we gradually grow more comfortable with each other. I guess the turning point for me was when I surprised him looking at my cleavage. It was just a glimpse but it was enough *Maddie 100 – Rules 0*
I find myself smiling and leaning across the table as Jason’s hands constantly move with grace while telling us about his travels around the world. While he’s talking to Gary I can’t help but noticing his blue eyes are much deeper and more penetrating than I remembered and his calm, gentle voice matches an equally calm, confident man. Every once in a while he leans his face close to me and asks “everything’s ok?”
And I simply nod, smiling at him. He is so relaxed into his seat, one arm stretched across the back of my chair, listening patiently as I talk to Lara about my job.
“It sounds boring. You used to be such a lively kid. Why did you decide to bury yourself in a library Dr. Piggy?” Howard ask
“FYI I am still very much lively and I didn’t bury myself in a library but in THE library. It’s a magic place and if you could just understand the way books can talk to you…”
He looks into my eyes “I stopped listening after FYI”
“You…” and I cannot find the words while Jason allows his arm to come around me and slowly starts to move his hand over my back in small circular motions.
My heart is pounding *I swear, if he is jealous I am going to quit chocolate for a month*. I swallow and try to speak without betraying herself. “You don’t deserve it, but I’m officially inviting you to visit BL”
“No thanks, that day I will have my wisdom tooth out”
I turn to Jason “would you like to come and see where I work?”
“I would love to” and our eyes lock and if you can day of a happy heart I’m in serious trouble.

The waiter finally brings our desserts. Jason looks at his apple pie while I’m already eating my tiramisu.
“It looks good” he says
“It is” I reply “not as good as Maddi’s but still…”
“Wanna share?” and pushes his apple pie closer to me
“I don’t share food, not even with you. You can order your tiramisu if you want”
“I already ordered my dessert. I don’t like wasting food”
“It’s a hard life” and turn my back at him while eating.
Howard laughs “here, you can have mine. Apple pie reminds me of home, and now I remember why I call her miss Piggy”, I look at him and I scratch my temple using my middle finger. Howard grins and gives me a killer look while trading plates with Jason.
“Thanks Doug, you’re a true friend” he says

We all overdo the drinks. At about 1 am Gary and Lara call it the night. “We need to go back home and make sure the house is still standing. We have a new nanny and we fear Ella and Sophie might have played few tricks on her. Those two are just like George Bush and Dick Cheney, minus the atomic arsenal. Night guys”.
“I’ll call you tomorrow” Lara tells us.
After half and hour Mark stands up and says “you are a great company, and I love you very much but the drunken nonsense is getting into my nerves. I’m out of here and I’m taking the chef with me. I know you’re all ready for a nice relaxing week-end but Maddi has to work tomorrow”
She looks at him and giggles standing up and grabbing her handbag.
“Not so fast lady!” and I squeeze her hand “need to tell you something” and I gesture her to get closer to me. “Closer, I cannot say it out loud; it’s secret girl talk”
“Whatever it is, make it fast!”
“You might need my book. Rule number 5 …I think…the first three visits are really nothing more than three dates... and on the first three dates we DON’T have sex with a man or have him stay at our place overnight”
She looks at me “should I tell you exactly what to do with your book or do you think you can figure it out all by yourself?”
I hide my face in Jason’s chest “don’t let her hurt me!”
He gives me a bear hug and laughs.
“I trust you make sure she gets back home safe and sound Jay. Night guys” and Mark and Maddi leave together holding hands.
“I want that” is say pointing at them
“Maybe we should go too” Jason suggests standing up and grabbing our coats. “Doug, are you coming with us?”
He looks at him “Two’s company, three’s a crowd, mate”
“What are you talking about, she’s Titti, she’s no fly zone”
“I saw the way you were looking at her and believe me, she is more than ready to give you permission for landing”
“Aren’t you the most romantic man alive?”
“I wouldn’t know” and stretches his arms “but I’m going home to my supermodel now, so I would say I’m pretty much settled.”

The driver stops in front of my apartment building, my head is spinning, I’ve drank too much. Jason opens the door for me and places an arm around my shoulders to walk me to my apartment. He fishes the keys off my bag and opens the door for me. We stand in the corridor, *kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me*
He stares at me, thinking about what to do next. He rests his hands on my shoulders for a moment, drawing his palms lightly down my sides. I look into his eyes, I know he wants it as much as I do. I slightly part my lips to invite him. Lowering his head, he gently brushes his lips against mine. Instinctively, I tilt my chin up. His lips are smooth, warm; his kiss tentative at first. The touch of his tongue against my teeth set us off. Jason’s kiss is demanding, provoking, intense. I forget to breathe. His grip around my waist tightens, our kiss deepens. My mouth fells small beneath his, and our kiss is long, natural, and perfect. He brushes his nose against mine “oh god, that felt good”
I moan smiling faintly.
"If I'd known you kissed like that, I'd have done it long ago."
“I tried to tell you…but you wouldn’t listen to me Jay” I purr. I place my right hand under his leather jacket and on his chest while I slide my left hand underneath the mass of his dark hair to the back of his neck, I lock my fingers into his hair pulling them gently and I open my mouth again, hungry against his. Our tongues slide across each other in a warm embrace. I lean forward to press my body more firmly against his. I know what he’s thinking, I cannot let his feelings for the 15 year old me take over. I slowly slide my hand from his chest down to his groin *fuck the rules*. My fingertips are no more than a half-inch from his erection He gives a long, yearning moan but his hand covers mine and stops me. He closes our kiss gently. He smiles at me then releases me and steps back. He rests his forehead on mine “if we don’t stop now I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself”
“That is fine by me” I pant
“I want to do this right. You drank too much, I want to make sure you want it too”
“I do” *don’t go Jay, please, don’t*
He sighs and kisses my hand. “I better go. I’ll call you tomorrow. Sweet dreams honey”
And I stand there, watching him walking down the stairs, fists clenched at my sides. I push the door open with my foot, let my bag fall on the floor and crash on the sofa “HE WANTS ME!”