Can't you at least call my dad? He's bound to come to some sort of deal where you could make money."
Assam took a large gulp of his own drink then leaned back. "You know, you confuse me. Your portrayal of the little schoolgirl at home with mummy and daddy doesn't ring true. How about you clear a few things up before I give you an answer?"
"Like what?" she asked.
He smiled then drew a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, before lighting one slowly. "I'm a simple man, Karen. I'll ask the questions, you answer and then, perhaps later, I'll answer some of yours."
She shrugged. "If you want, I've all night. In fact I've all my life according to you."
A flicker of a smile crossed his face. "We'll see, Karen, we'll see. Anyway let's see how it goes shall we? Did you have a boyfriend?" he asked indifferently.
She grinned. "Yes, but why do you want to know about him?"
"I said I'll ask, you answer. So what about dancing, did you go to many dance clubs?"
"Of course I did. How many girls of my age don't?"
"You like to dance then?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"How old was your boyfriend, did he go dancing with you as well?"
She shook her head. "I'd go with my girlfriends. Grant, my boyfriend, is twenty-one and wouldn't be seen dead in the discos we go to."
Assam pretended to look concerned. "If he wouldn't go dancing, which you say you loved doing, why did you stay with him?"
"Why not?" she asked, "it's really cool to have somebody of that age who wants to go out with you, besides, my friends were really jealous," She sniggered. "Their boyfriends were from the boys’ school; had no money to take them out and more often than not they'd just hang round the streets, while Grant told me when he got a weekend off, he'd take me to some really expensive place." She frowned, adding a sigh. "He hasn't taken me as yet, you see he works late at weekends and I could only stay out on Saturdays till eleven. The rest of the week I'd loads of homework, or when I did get out, I'd have to be in for ten. Mind you, that will change in July when I leave school. You see we're getting engaged... or," she hesitated, "we would have done."
Assam smiled to himself, the drink was relaxing her; she was moving closer into his trap. "Let's not go down that route, Karen. But this guy interests me, lads at that age, taking young girls out, are more demanding, aren't they? They wouldn't be interested in just holding hands. Wouldn't they expect more?"
She looked confused. "How do you mean, more?" she asked.
He said nothing for a minute, watching her sip the drink. "I suppose I'm saying, what have you to offer him as a girlfriend? You've said it was difficult to go out in the week and he wasn't really available at weekends. Where was this relationship going?"
Karen grinned mischievously. "I didn't say we never saw each other in the week. We did… you see Grant would pick me up from school at least three times a week."
Assam nodded, as if understanding. "But wouldn't he feel a bit stupid walking home with a girl wearing a school uniform? All his friends would rib him for cradle-snatching."
By now Karen was feeling decidedly tipsy, beginning to giggle. "Grant liked me in my uniform; actually he preferred my skirt shorter. So I'd turn the waist over a couple of times. That shortened it a few inches. My mum would have gone mad if she'd known, so I only did it after leaving school and when I was meeting Grant. It was a little short though; I always had trouble not showing my knickers when I sat down."
Assam pretended to laugh. "You mean he's a bit kinky and liked to see your knickers?" he teased.
She looked indignant. "No, Grant loved me. He just said I had nice legs and should show them off."
"How do you know he loved you?"
"He told me loads of times."
Assam lit another cigarette and leaned back. Karen had taken the opportunity to drink more of the vodka, even though she already felt light-headed.
"So this boyfriend, who kept saying he was in love
Assam took a large gulp of his own drink then leaned back. "You know, you confuse me. Your portrayal of the little schoolgirl at home with mummy and daddy doesn't ring true. How about you clear a few things up before I give you an answer?"
"Like what?" she asked.
He smiled then drew a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, before lighting one slowly. "I'm a simple man, Karen. I'll ask the questions, you answer and then, perhaps later, I'll answer some of yours."
She shrugged. "If you want, I've all night. In fact I've all my life according to you."
A flicker of a smile crossed his face. "We'll see, Karen, we'll see. Anyway let's see how it goes shall we? Did you have a boyfriend?" he asked indifferently.
She grinned. "Yes, but why do you want to know about him?"
"I said I'll ask, you answer. So what about dancing, did you go to many dance clubs?"
"Of course I did. How many girls of my age don't?"
"You like to dance then?"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"How old was your boyfriend, did he go dancing with you as well?"
She shook her head. "I'd go with my girlfriends. Grant, my boyfriend, is twenty-one and wouldn't be seen dead in the discos we go to."
Assam pretended to look concerned. "If he wouldn't go dancing, which you say you loved doing, why did you stay with him?"
"Why not?" she asked, "it's really cool to have somebody of that age who wants to go out with you, besides, my friends were really jealous," She sniggered. "Their boyfriends were from the boys’ school; had no money to take them out and more often than not they'd just hang round the streets, while Grant told me when he got a weekend off, he'd take me to some really expensive place." She frowned, adding a sigh. "He hasn't taken me as yet, you see he works late at weekends and I could only stay out on Saturdays till eleven. The rest of the week I'd loads of homework, or when I did get out, I'd have to be in for ten. Mind you, that will change in July when I leave school. You see we're getting engaged... or," she hesitated, "we would have done."
Assam smiled to himself, the drink was relaxing her; she was moving closer into his trap. "Let's not go down that route, Karen. But this guy interests me, lads at that age, taking young girls out, are more demanding, aren't they? They wouldn't be interested in just holding hands. Wouldn't they expect more?"
She looked confused. "How do you mean, more?" she asked.
He said nothing for a minute, watching her sip the drink. "I suppose I'm saying, what have you to offer him as a girlfriend? You've said it was difficult to go out in the week and he wasn't really available at weekends. Where was this relationship going?"
Karen grinned mischievously. "I didn't say we never saw each other in the week. We did… you see Grant would pick me up from school at least three times a week."
Assam nodded, as if understanding. "But wouldn't he feel a bit stupid walking home with a girl wearing a school uniform? All his friends would rib him for cradle-snatching."
By now Karen was feeling decidedly tipsy, beginning to giggle. "Grant liked me in my uniform; actually he preferred my skirt shorter. So I'd turn the waist over a couple of times. That shortened it a few inches. My mum would have gone mad if she'd known, so I only did it after leaving school and when I was meeting Grant. It was a little short though; I always had trouble not showing my knickers when I sat down."
Assam pretended to laugh. "You mean he's a bit kinky and liked to see your knickers?" he teased.
She looked indignant. "No, Grant loved me. He just said I had nice legs and should show them off."
"How do you know he loved you?"
"He told me loads of times."
Assam lit another cigarette and leaned back. Karen had taken the opportunity to drink more of the vodka, even though she already felt light-headed.
"So this boyfriend, who kept saying he was in love
Similar Books
