WARNING: This includes sexually explicit material.
Any comments, including constructive criticisms, would be most
appreciated. Please send to artemis55@hotmail.com
I would like to thank the Denny for all his help.
This work is copyrighted by the author. You may download and keep one
copy for your personal use as long as my by-line and e-mail address and
this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting or reposting on a website,
other than the archive, or to a newsgroup requires my permission first (but
I'll probably say yes). This should not, under any circumstances be
used to make a profit.
=======================================
The Time of Her Life by Vickie Morgan
PART FOUR
Bill never expected to be stood outside the station in the middle of the
night waiting for Verity again. As she had said, three years and four
months was a long time to wait for someone. At first, Bill had lived in
hope that she might change her plans and suddenly appear in the restaurant
one day. After a while, he accepted that she had really left and he got on
with his life. He would sometimes find himself counting off the months
until February 29th, 1996 even though he knew it was unlikely that she
would actually arrive as she had said. After all, train schedules changed
regularly and unexpected events could change anyone's plans. Nevertheless,
he found himself sat in his car at the appointed time, watching the station
entrance and feeling like a complete fool.
He was so surprised to see Verity actually emerge from the station that
he sat stupefied in his car. She cast a quick look around and he could see
sadness cloud her features. She put her head down and concentrated on
dragging what looked like the same heavy bag across the street to the
hotel. She looked exactly the way Bill remembered, right down to the
clothes she was wearing. He was stunned to see her and discover that just
the sight of her still affected him. He was so busy staring at her that he
hadn't moved by the time she reached the hotel and realised it was no
longer in business. She dropped her bag on the pavement and collapsed on
top of it. Bill started his car, drove up beside her and rolled the window
down.
"Looks like you need somewhere to stay," he observed.
"Thank you but I'm fine," she replied stiffly. Then she lifted her head
and looked at him. She stared at him in amazement for a long moment, and
then began to smile. "Bill, is that you?"
"Last time I checked," Bill confirmed. "We had a date or did you
forget?"
"Are you insane?" Verity asked in disbelief. "You should be in bed
somewhere with a lovely or girlfriend and totally forgotten about me
by now?"
"I know, I must be crazy," Bill confirmed. "I did try to forget you.
The trouble is, I found I had to forget you every single day. I've been
haunted by a with eyes like smoke on a winter's evening and a
beautiful, bewitching smile. So here I am, waiting for you."
"What a lovely thing to say," Verity said softly.
"Well I've had plenty of time to think of what to say," Bill pointed
out. "I've thought and thought and tried to think of the words that would
make you stay this time. I've even been writing poems, would you believe?"
"I'd love to read them," Verity said.
"They're pretty awful, to be honest. I'm also a big Kinks fan now,"
Bill admitted. "So what are your plans? I've got a flat about half an
hour away or I can drive you to a hotel. But it's trying to snow, so don't
you think you should get in?"
"Yes, of course," Verity said. She threw her bag into the back and sat
down in the passenger seat. "You've got a place of your own now? I can't
wait to see it."
"Don't get too excited," Bill warned her. "It's nothing special."
"It must be lovely to have a home of your own," Verity remarked
wistfully. "Somewhere you can decorate and arrange the furniture to suit
yourself."
"I haven't done much to it. My ex-girlfriend was far too fond of pink
and the only thing I've done is paint over the pink."
"Ex-girlfriend?" Verity inquired, looking fixedly ahead.
"Yeah," Bill confirmed, feeling ridiculously pleased that she sounded
jealous. "We were together for fifteen months and we lived together for
seven."
"So what happened?"
"I came home one day to find she had cut her hair short," Bill
explained. "It's not something that I particularly bothered about, the
length of a girl's hair. The trouble is, when she cut her hair, she no
longer reminded me of you. It wasn't until then that I realised that's why
I was attracted to her. It didn't seem fair on either of us to carry on
the relationship once I understood that."
"Poor girl," Verity said.
"I didn't tell her that," Bill reassured her. "I let her think it was
the hair cut, so she now thinks I'm the shallowest around. She's found
someone else anyway, and last I heard they were planning on getting
married."
"Oh, I see." A silence fell while Bill negotiated a couple of tight
turns and a roundabout.
"Have you eaten?" he asked. "Only there's a really good I know
that will probably still be open."
"Chinese?" Verity asked with interest.
"Let me guess, you've never had before," Bill asked with a grin.
"Pass me the mobile, I'll phone and order so hopefully it will be ready
when we get there."
"Mobile?" Verity asked in bewilderment. "Mobile what?"
"The phone, right there on the dashboard," Bill said. "Don't worry,
I've got it. I'll order some of everything, let you sample the whole
range." He punched in the number and placed his order. Verity watched him
in fascination, and when he finished she took the phone and examined it
thoroughly.
The order was ready when they reached the shop and Bill dived in and
collected it. He opened the bag of prawn crackers and smiled as he watched
Verity nibble cautiously on one. It wasn't far to his flat and he grabbed
Verity's bag while she carried the food. Verity stood in the middle of his
sitting-room, examining his home. Bill was glad he had tidied up and he
left her to her own devices while he opened the food containers. The smell
of the food caught her attention and she came to see what he was doing. He
dipped a chicken ball in some sweet and sour sauce and gave it to her. He
smiled as he watched her consume it and lick her fingers.
"I have never known anyone appreciate their food as much as you," he
said. "You treat every meal as if it was your last."
"Hey Bill, can we eat this food in bed?" Verity asked.
"In bed?" Bill echoed questioningly.
"Yep," Verity confirmed. "You see, I can't decide what I want to eat
first, or Indian, I'm sorry, Pakistani."
"You don't actually think you're funny, do you?" Bill asked, advancing
on her.
"Only a little bit," Verity replied. "So was that a yes?"
"You needed to ask?" Bill inquired in disbelief. "I'll bring the food,
you grab that wine and glasses." Bill led the way to his bedroom and they
deposited their on the floor by the bed.
Verity moved into his arms and they began kissing passionately,
exploring and discovering each other's mouths anew. They fell on the bed
and assisted each other with the removal of their clothes. Bill ran his
hand over her skin, marvelling at how well he had remembered the silky feel
of it. He had fantasised about having her in his bed like this and he
could hardly believe that she was actually real. Then she smoothed her
hand along his chest hair, following the path it made down over his belly
and then closing her hand around his throbbing arousal. The touch of her
hand was definitely real and he pulled her close to him, burying his head
in her neck and filling his senses with her. She moved willingly against
him, wrapping her legs around his waist and urging him to enter her. Bill
slid into her welcoming warmth and her hips moved encouragingly. Her hands
were everywhere, moving restlessly over his back, tangling in his hair when
he moved to nuzzle a taut nipple, tracing the shape of his mouth and
digging into his shoulders.
Bill rolled onto his back and pulled Verity on top of him. She
straddled him, momentarily confused. Then Bill flexed his hips under her
and a smile grew across her face. She leant forward until her were
dangling in his face. He reached up to nuzzle and was surprised when she
boldly thrust a nipple into his mouth, sighing as he on it. She
adjusted her hips and sat back so that he slowly penetrated her. Her
breasts were now out of reach of his mouth but he compensated by cupping
them with his palms, rolling the taut nipples between his fingers. She
sighed again, arching her back to completely fill his hands. She shifted
her hips, experimenting to see which angle gave her most pleasure. Bill
grazed a nail along the inside of a thigh, making her shudder. Then his
finger wormed its way under her until it found the sensitive tip that was
its quarry. Her eyes opened wide at the added sensation, then drifted
close as she stretched her arms above her head and began to move. She
lifted and lowered herself in a slow tantalising rhythm, rotating her hips
just as he fully filled her. Bill watched her move on him, admiring the
clean lines of her body, the sway of her and the smooth movement of
her muscles as she gradually built towards her orgasm. Her whole body
stiffened, she threw her head back and ground her hips almost violently
against him as the shudders ran through her. When she had finished, Bill
tumbled her onto her back and, after only a couple of thrusts, he came too.
Relaxed and content, he rolled back over and pulled Verity against his
chest, pressing a kiss against her hair. She gave a contented sigh and
settled down comfortably against him.
"So how about that food?" she asked eventually. Bill jerked himself out
of his doze and reached down for the tray.
"Typical woman, never satisfied," he said as he checked everything was
still warm. Fortunately he had left the lids on everything and the
containers had insulated the food. He had forgotten forks but Verity
didn't mind, digging into the containers with her fingers. Bill followed
her example, finding choice morsels and feeding them to her. Her tongue
slipped out and licked his fingers clean, sending shivers down his spine.
He scooped up some noodles and dangled them above her mouth. She giggled
and reached up to snap at the noodles, them uninhibitedly into her
mouth. Then she tipped some of the sweet and sour sauce onto his chest and
dipped the chicken into it, licking up the remains with her tongue. The
warm sticky spread of the sauce contrasted with the darting flicks of her
tongue, sending electric along his nerve endings. Bill dribbled wine onto
her and enjoyed licking them clean, then he licked lower,
relearning the taste of her passion. Soon they forgot about eating the
food, instead each became engrossed in arousing the other. This time their
lovemaking was composed of slow movements and languorous murmurs. Bill
marvelled at how easily she aroused him and how openly she responded. Then
she bit his earlobe and he forgot about thinking and concentrated on
feeling.
When they had both climaxed again, they rested on the bed as the
shudders died out of their muscles. Bill idly stroked Verity's hair,
fanning it out across the pillows as he tried to motivate himself to change
the sheets.
"Would you like some more food?" he inquired. "Or do you fancy a
shower? I'll scrub your back, if you scrub mine."
"I seem to remember that you were a pretty good shower assistant,"
Verity said with a smile.
"Well you have lots of interesting bits. And after all, it's in my
interest to ensure they are clean as hopefully I'll get to taste them again
later."
"Mmm, Jeremy and Patrick and Florabelle and Tiffany have missed you,"
Verity told him.
"I've missed them too," Bill said. "In fact I missed all of you. But
before we get that shower, I seem to remember you promised to answer any
question I asked you. And I've got quite a few."
"Do you really want to do this now?" Verity asked sombrely, sitting up
and wrapping her arms around her knees.
"Yes," Bill said firmly. "I can't go through all this again without
knowing what's going on. For instance, how long are you planning on
staying this time?"
"I have to leave at midnight."
"Great, twenty-four hours again. So how long before you come back,
Verity?"
"Eight months."
"And if I begged you to stay, would it make any difference?"
"It's not my choice, Bill. I wish I could stay longer but I can't."
"Why can't you?" Bill asked. "Tell me why you keep disappearing on me."
"You won't understand," Verity said.
"Try me," Bill pleaded. "Are you married, is that it?"
"No, of course not," Verity replied indignantly.
"So where have you been? In prison? Another country? The moon?"
"If I tell you, you probably won't believe me," Verity told him sadly.
"Verity, you promised," Bill insisted. "Do you know what it does to me
when you just walk in an out of my life with no explanation. I fall in
love with you more and more each moment I spend with you and you won't tell
me why you leave me."
"You think you're in love with me?" Verity "We've hardly spent any time
together."
"I didn't think I could fall in love in twenty eight hours either," Bill
admitted. "But I have. You obviously don't feel the same way yet, but you
must realise there's something special happening between us."
"It's twenty six and a half," Verity said. "You were gone playing
football for an hour and there was half an hour when you went to get your
car."
"You've counted?"
"Of course, silly," Verity said. "You think I don't feel the same as
you? I remember every second I've spent with you."
"So why can't you trust me enough to tell me what's going on? You never
know, I might be able to help," Bill offered.
"It's a long story," Verity began. "No one knew my was pregnant
with me. She hid it from my grandparents completely. She went into labour
and I was born just after midnight on February 29th."
"It's your birthday today?" Bill asked in surprise. "Happy Birthday!
How are you?"
"This is my twenty-fourth birthday."
"So you're the same age as me?" Bill remarked. "It's funny, I thought
you were than me for some reason. Sorry, go on with your story."
"Well for one reason and another, no one found my and me until
just before midnight, twenty-four hours later. There had been no one to
cut the cord or help with the afterbirth or anything and my died
moments after they found her. I was surprisingly healthy, my had
drained the last of her strength to take care of me."
"I'm so sorry darling," Bill said, taking her hand.
"The strange thing was, as my took her last breath and the clock
struck midnight, I disappeared. My grandparents didn't know what had
happened and they had enough on coping with the death of their daughter.
Then four years later, when Leap Year came around again, I suddenly
appeared, right on the spot where they had last seen and only a year older.
When it got to midnight again, I disappeared once more. Every year the
same thing happened, every February 29th I would appear out of the blue for
twenty-four hours. I only ever aged a year each time I appeared. As I
grew older, I became aware that during a Leap Year I was vaguely conscious
of the real world. Halloween is the same day as the Celtic celebration
of the end of summer. They believed all laws of space and time were
suspended during that day, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with
the living. I don't know how true that is, but I found that if I
concentrated I could wake up on Halloween, but only during a Leap Year. So
I got two days a year instead of just one."
"This is unbelievable," Bill said in wonder.
"See, I told you that you wouldn't believe me."
"I didn't say that," Bill protested. "I've just never heard anything
like this."
"Neither have I. You've no idea who horrible it is," Verity told him.
"Imagine trying to cram your whole year into two days. That's all I ever
get. You laugh about me enjoying food but I've only ever had one hundred
and thirty four meals in my life ever. I never got to make friends or go
to school and I don't read or write very well, just enough to get by.
"Watership Down' is my favourite book because it's the one my Granddad used
to read to me. He died before he could finish it. All my are dead,
including my cousin who I remember being born in 1932."
"So exactly when were you born?" Bill asked.
"February 29th, 1900," Verity informed him. "I've seen almost a whole
century in brief snatches. I was only four during the First World War so I
don't remember much but I was ten during the second one and I remember my
uncle in his uniform. The worst thing is never knowing what I'm going to
find, never know how much things will have changed. For me it's just a
moment, for everyone else it's months or years."
"There must be a way to break this cycle," Bill suggested "What have you
tried?"
"There's not a lot I could try. Grandma had a theory that my was
a Romany and this is all some kind of gypsy curse," Verity said. "She
tried all sorts of weirdoes who claimed to be able to lift curses but
nothing worked. Granddad tried to hold onto me once but he started to fade
with me so he let go. Anything I'm holding or wearing disappears with me.
To test it I tried holding onto a once. He disappeared with me but
didn't reappear, who knows why not. It wouldn't serve any useful purpose
to take anyone with me when no one really knows where I go. So there you
go, Bill. Why would you want a relationship with someone who's not going
to be around most of the time?"
"Funny, that's what my girlfriend used to say to me," Bill commented.
"She did. Why?"
"Because I work on an oilrig," Bill explained. "I live on the rig for
months at a time, come home for a month, then go back again. It suits me
perfectly. I get to see my in small doses, the money is great and I
actually enjoy what I do. And it's all thanks to you really."
"Me, I never said anything about an oilrig. I don't know anything about
them," Verity said.
"No, it's what you said about not wasting your life," Bill told her. "I
realised I hated my course because I had no real interest in it. I was
just going through the motions to please my family. So I chucked
university in and went and got a job I did want to do. I tried a few
before I started working the oilrigs. But I'm happier than I've ever been
doing anything else."
"I'm so pleased for you, Bill," Verity said sincerely. "You're such a
wonderful, caring person you should have a good life."
"So what now?" Bill asked. "Since you only have one day, is there
anything in particular you would like to do?"
"You mean you believe me?" Verity asked in surprise.
"Well it's a pretty incredible story," Bill admitted. "But in a weird
way it makes sense."
Verity threw her arms around Bill in a spontaneous hug. "You don't know
how happy you've made me. I thought you would think I was a liar or a
nutcase and never want to see me again. You're the only person left in the
whole world that actually knows I exist and I needed you to believe me so
much."
Bill held her tight, trying to come to terms with what she had told him.
It was a relief to know she really hadn't had any choice but to leave him.
At least she hadn't been somewhere else with another man, laughing about
what a fool he was to wait for her infrequent visits. But their
relationship didn't seem to have much of a future if he only got to see her
for two days every four years. Yet holding her and being with her made him
happier and more contented then he had been on any of the days since he
last saw her. The time he spent with her was so special it was almost
worth the empty days without her. In the end he decided that the best
thing they could do was to simply enjoy the time they had right now and
deal with the future when it happened.
"Right, what are we going to do today?" he asked again.
"You know, I'd really like to do normal couple things?" Verity said
thoughtfully.
"What, like argue about whose turn it is to wash up?" Bill inquired
teasingly.
"Only if we get to have make-up sex afterwards," Verity replied with a
laugh. "I actually meant things that probably seem everyday activities to
you but I never get a chance to do. Like buying some paint and decorating
a room, or rearranging furniture, or doing some gardening or just going to
a supermarket and getting some shopping. My always spent every
moment they could when I appeared teaching me basic life skills like
reading and maths. I've never so much as dusted a room or used a hoover."
"I'm sure we can manage to do some of that," Bill said. "Believe me,
I'm not going to object if you want to clean and decorate my flat. No pink
though, OK."
"No pink anywhere," Verity agreed. "I do need to stop by my bank
sometime. I always have to go in and reactivate my account because they
hibernate it if it's not been used for so many years. The last year I was
here it was a Saturday both times so my account hasn't been used in nearly
eight years. Still, I should have a nice bit of interest built up. I also
would like to stop off and check the register of voters, just to see if I
can confirm what happened to my cousin."
"I can't see any problem with fitting any of that in," Bill observed.
"There's one thing I want to do as well: get some photographs of you so
this time I have more than my memories to remember you by."
"I've not had my photograph taken in years," Verity said. "Can you get
them in colour now?"
"Yes we have colour now. And cameras to take moving film," Bill
informed her. "Why don't we start by doing some shopping, pick up some
paint and do a bit of decorating? I'll teach you how to make my world
famous lasagne, then you can help me finish the pond I started making in
the back garden. You should be knackered by then, so I'm going to take you
to my gym and we can go in the sauna and the steam room and the pool. I've
bet you've never been in a sauna, have you?"
"No but I've heard of them," Verity said. "I'd love that. I get so
tired of winter; it's all I ever see. There's an occasional sunny day but
it's never really hot. I can't swim though and I don't have a swimming
costume."
"Don't worry about that, we'll buy you one," Bill said. "I'd love to
see you in a bikini. Anyway, after the gym I'm going to take you to the
cinema. The half nine showing will finish in plenty of time to get you
back before you disappear."
"I've never been to a cinema," Verity told him excitedly.
"Well this is going to blow you away," Bill told her. "They've got
surround sound and awesome special effects that you are not going to
believe. So how does that plan for the day suit you?"
"Perfect, just like you," Verity said.
"Come on then, let's hit the shower, flatterer," Bill suggested. "And
afterwards, you can clean it out if you like."
"Can I really?" Verity asked. "I didn't know you had to clean showers."
The day went more quickly than Bill could ever imagine. Verity was
interested in everything and found even the most ordinary things
fascinating. Bill found her enthusiasm rubbing off on him and he ended up
enjoying things he had previously regarded as irritating tasks. Verity
turned everything into fun. Washing up ended up with soap bubbles
everywhere because she kept adding more washing up liquid. She wanted to
try every paint technique she could from sponging to hand prints so they
both ended up covered in paint and laughing at each other's efforts. They
had divided the spare room walls up into sections for each different paint
effect and the finished result was definitely unique. Bill knew that he
wouldn't redecorate though, as every inch reminded him of Verity. They had
ended up making love against one wall and that bit of wall was definitely
Bill's favourite. He could see the outline of Verity's body smeared in the
paint and it was a tangible reminder of their passion.
They seemed to spend the majority of the day wet, one way or another.
Verity's inexperience in gardening led to lots of mud being tossed about
and when it started raining she refused to go inside until they had
finished. By the time the pond was full and the fountain turned on the
rain had washed most of the mud off them. A quick shower finished the
cleaning job and they made love while they washed, splashing water
everywhere so Verity got a chance to use a mop.
The sauna at the gym soon banished any lingering chills but Bill had
trouble keeping his hands off Verity. She had taken some convincing at
first that a bikini was an item of clothing it was acceptable to wear in
public. When she emerged from the changing rooms in her bright bikini,
Bill found himself getting hard instantly. Verity spotted his arousal and
took every opportunity tease him. Bill thought he should have been sated,
as they had made love four times already that day but his body seemed to
have other ideas. She looked adorable in her skimpy bikini and Bill
touched and kissed her every chance he got. She loved the heat of the
sauna and the steam room, and the sight of her stretching out languorously
as the warmth seeped into her bones stirred his blood even more. There
weren't many other people in the gym but Bill resented the few who were
there. He wanted Verity all to himself and found himself irrationally
jealous when a cast an appreciative glance over Verity's soft curves.
Verity noticed his scowl and, feeling like a fool, he told her how he was
feeling. Instead of being irritated, as he had expected, she was flattered
and rewarded him with a big kiss in the middle of the swimming pool. Since
the gym had strict rules regarding conduct and a pool attendant was heading
their way, Bill decided it was time to leave.
Verity was as overwhelmed by the cinema as Bill had hoped. The
multiplex was fairly new so everything was shiny and clean. Bill brought
her every possible thing to eat, from popcorn and hotdogs, to milkshakes
and nachos. He wanted her to experience everything she possibly could.
They were early but Bill knew the ticket collector who let them through the
barrier early. They sneaked into a couple of the films already playing so
Verity could see the variety of films available. In the end they decided
to watch 'Romeo and Juliet' which Bill hadn't been too sure about but
Verity wanted to see, as she had studied it. The film had updated the
original play and they both ended up thoroughly enjoying it. On the way
out they bought the soundtrack and they sang along to it all the way back.
Bill parked the car in front of the station and felt his spirits drop
instantly.
"Do I have to leave you here?" he asked. "Can't it be somewhere else,
like my flat?"
"What if you aren't in your flat next time I arrive?" Verity pointed
out. "I'd either be locked in for the day or I'd give the new owners a big
shock."
"I'll make sure I'm there."
"You can't guarantee what you will be doing months from now," Verity
said sensibly. "The station is good because no one really notices people
coming and going. I just walk in this entrance and how is anyone to know
where I've gone."
"I want to stay with you right to the last moment this time," Bill
insisted.
"I thought you might," Verity replied. "The logical part of your brain
doesn't quite believe my and you want to see for yourself that it's
true."
"Verity, it's not that I don't believe you," Bill protested.
"Bill, it's OK," Verity reassured him. "If I was you I would be a bit
sceptical as well. Come on, it's nearly midnight. I never know how
accurate that station clock is so I like to give myself a few spare
minutes."
Bill followed Verity in to the station. She found a quiet corner of a
platform behind a pillar and took her bag from Bill.
"This is it," she said. "I'll maybe see you on Halloween."
"No maybe," Bill corrected her. "I'll be here, and if for any reason
I'm not I'll send one of my brothers to meet you instead. Aren't you going
to kiss me goodbye?"
"Too late," Verity said. Bill stared in amazement as she began to fade
away right in front of him. Within seconds she was so faint he could see
the station wall through her body, then she disappeared altogether. Bill
slumped down on the nearest bench in shock. He had more or less believed
her but, as she had guessed, his rational mind had insisted that her couldn't possibly be true. Now that he had personally seen her disappear
he had to accept her tale.
Copyright Vickie Morgan, 2000 E-mail artemis55@hotmail.com Website,
still in the process of being completed:
http://members.tripod.com/VickieMorgan/
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