Crisis Talks

What my friend neglected to mention was that his girlfriend Jane was already staying the night, just the same as me! I’d never have agreed to stop over if I’d known it was going to mean that sort of embarrassment, because when it was just my friend and me we were happy to laze around all evening in just the underwear and T-shirts we slept in. A girl seeing me dressed like that however was a very different matter!

Jane sat between me and my friend on the settee as we watched TV that night, which meant my fitful nostrils were constantly getting little snatches her clean white nightdress. That straight-from-the-tumble-drier laundry-smell was getting me really agitated. Naturally she’d put a clean nightie on because she was stopping over, she was just that much of a good girl – I thought to myself while steadily going out of my wits from distraction! I must have fidgeted at least twice a minute, and as she was sitting right next to me Jane eventually noticed.

“If you need a wee just go, it’s not my house!” she said out loud with a laugh.

My friend hopped to his feet at once. “Thanks!” he said to Jane gratefully, and hurried out of the room.

“Er, you make him wait for your permission?” I said to Jane, brow furrowed.

Jane however didn’t look like she much relished being talked to by me. Primly she stood up from the sofa – wow, that white nightie really was short – and with her back to me tossed her golden mane.

“Don’t be such a little missy!” I cried, indignant, jumping up from the sofa myself.

“My boyfriend will be back any minute,” Jane told me coldly. There was nothing to do but throw myself back down onto the settee, pink in the face. I landed with a bump, underpants first, as I’d not even cared to tuck my tee under me.

My friend bounced back moments later and she made a point of kissing him right in front of me. I burned with envy and longing. Then they sat again and she didn’t talk to me for a long time.

An advertisement for cheese came on. “I’d so eat all of that,” sighed Jane.

“That’s because you’re a cheesy girl!” my friend said cheekily, and they giggled.

Suddenly Jane was looking at me. I was stunned by her prettiness this close-up.

“Be sweet and get me the remote,” she instructed in an innocent voice.

Heart pounding I rose all in a flutter then spied the remote control, which was lying on the floor. I skipped quickly to it and bent to pick it up...too flurried by Jane, in fact, to think of what I was doing before it was too late. As soon as I heard her giggles though and I shot upright and whirled round, cheeks absolutely crimson.

“I’ve never seen a boy your age still in little white ones!” she declared.

I tugged my tee as far down as it would go in front, and blushed at the carpet.

Jane wasn’t that bad however once we’d broken the ice, because she’d just felt a need to show off at first. As there wasn’t much on besides ads at that time of night, pretty soon the three of us were chatting like children in the same class. Finally we got onto the subject of my new crush.

“I know her. From the West Mids and wears a short skirt?” Jane asked. I nodded mutely, still blushing.

“Well, Valentine’s coming up!” my friend chimed in. “You could take her out for a knickerbocker glory.”

The pair of them got the giggles again. I was scarlet!

“Don’t tease me!” I begged.

“Well, send her a card, then,” suggested Jane, serious now. “Something like…roses are red, violets are blue, and I’d like to get with you.”

Wow, Jane wasn’t just a pretty face, talent like that! I didn’t say it out loud though because actually I was growing fonder of her by the minute.

“Hon, I’d really like some cheese,” she said, turning to my friend. I had a feeling she’d batted her eyes! Somehow though, even though I wasn’t able to see her do it, it was my heart that skipped beats.

“Let me!” I cried at once, jumping up once more.

“He’s very well-trained,” remarked Jane, amused, but she let me do it. In a whirl of excitement I made myself very busy in the kitchen, so much so I almost didn’t have time to feel silly doing it in just underpants and tee! My friend’s phone happened to be there and Jane texted me on it:

Get me lots.

Clumsily I texted back:

Yes.

She sent me a kissy-face that nearly made me swoon!

“Keep up the good work,” Jane smiled to me when she finally finished the huge serving of cheese I’d brought her. Breathless I smiled shyly back, heart aglow.

Later that night though I was very jealous. Unable to stand lying still thinking about it I kicked off the covers and went sadly though to the kitchen in my underwear and tee. Next second however I was blushing all over again, because Jane was there!

“You can’t possibly want a midnight snack!” I exclaimed. “Or can’t you sleep for having bad dreams? I should probably warn you you’re in for about a week of those!”

“Your Brummie crush had about five cheeseburgers before bedtime once!” Jane exclaimed, wide-eyed. “She’s usually peachy but that night she was very cheesy too. I don’t know if she had bad dreams, but I bet she did,” finished the smug girl.

I felt weak. For some reason I suddenly felt I could say anything to Jane, and next second was pouring out my heart without even remembering to mention to her I was no longer talking about the latest crush but rather Jenny. Jane was sweet though and just listened patiently, only when I got to the bit about always losing when we played one-on-one she put in:

“So wanna have a game now? Bit of midnight mischief?”

The vision of this perfect girl in a gym skirt flashed into my mind. Breathless and speechless I let her know right away how much I’d like that.

“Go get ready then, I’ll wake up my boyfriend!” she beamed, and ran off.