"Caught" drabbles by Neville Hunt

Two minds

Caught #21

"You seem such a nice guy, but something in me is trying to drive you away which I have to fight. Please let’s not let this get in the way of a friendship.” Juliette said this in such a rational, pleading way that Mark would have been churlish to walk out of her life at that moment. Nonetheless, for the rest of the journey back to work nothing more was said.

A week passed and neither of them made contact. Mark was still in two minds whether he should simply walk away, but something about Juliette had grown on him.

I am not amused!

Caught #20

The walk back to where his office and the gym were located was rather strained.

“I can’t believe what you just did...mate!” Mark was not amused but had to admit that this was the most exciting woman he had ever been out with. “Is this what you do to all your men friends?” he added.

“Look Mark, I’m sorry, I really am. The thing is I’ve been mucked around and used by every Tom, Dick and Hooray Henry I’ve met. I simply have to keep men at bay now and I can be pretty forthright when I need to be!"

Managing expectations

Caught #19

“No, I’m just managing your expectations the best way that a short, dark, plain woman with a big nose can. Sorry if I hurt you, but I’ve been badly hurt in the past myself.”

“But I was right, wasn’t I? I am getting to you! Admit it” she added.

“You’re getting to parts of me I wish you hadn’t!” he said, still nursing aching balls.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do that again, I promise,... if you promise not to fall for me.”

“You’ve gotta be mad if you think I’d fall for a lunatic with psychotic tendencies.”

But he had.

Right... that's it!

Caught #18

“Okay, okay, whatever you want, but let go!” Mark was in a state of pain and shock.

“I want you to stop getting any silly romantic ideas” she said again as she gave a quick final squeeze and let go of him.

“Ow, you really are a ball-breaker aren’t you?” Mark was holding himself and rubbing his crotch to try and recover from this latest shock. Juliette had been right, he didn’t see that coming.

“Right”, he said as he backed away from her, “that’s it, I can’t deal with this. Are you some kind of a schizophrenic... woman?”

Squeeze!

Caught #17

“I’m getting to you, aren’t I?” she accused.

“No, you’re just a mate, like we agreed” parried Mark, not expecting her opening remark.

“We agreed nothing... and anyway that’s not how it’s going is it? You’re getting interested in me aren’t you?”

“Do you think you're some psychic amateur shrink?

“This is what I think!”

With that, she quickly stretched out her hand and grasped Mark’s crotch, not remotely sexually, but aggressively, causing him to flinch with the pain and sudden shock of it.

“In case you’ve got any ideas about me like that, I’ll squeeze them out of you!”

Challenge

Caught #16

The next time they met was in the park the week after. They were going to have a sandwich together for lunch as the weather was fine. It was all fixed up on Facebook during the morning.

In the intervening week Mark couldn't somehow get her off his mind. He tried to analyse what it was that caused this. He put it down to the challenge she represented... and he couldn't resist a challenge!

As they strolled round the back of the lake in the centre of the park, Mark casually tried to take Juliette’s hand, which she quickly rejected.

No you won't!

Caught #15

"Maybe," Mark replied. "But mate or date, it would be good to meet up again. Next time though, I’ll be ready for your shock tactics!”

“No you won’t”, Juliette countered, “no you won’t!” With that a taxi pulled up in response to her outstretched hand and it was a quick peck and a rapid but very warm stroke of his cheek and she was off.

The evening had given Mark lots to think about, and think about them he did in the taxi home and the following day and the day after. This woman was strangely getting under his skin.

Date-a-Mate?

Caught #14

Juliette called for the bill at around 10.30 and despite Mark’s protestations paid it efficiently as any modern woman would.

“Just because I got the bill, doesn’t put you under any obligation for another date, particularly after my earlier rant” she said as they stood outside the restaurant waiting for cabs, “but I like you and if you want to meet up as mates, then that would be great.” Juliette was taking the lead again.

“I've no idea why, but I like you too." Mark replied. "I've certainly never met a girl like you!

"And never wanted to?" she laughed.

Recovery

Caught #13

Juliette couldn’t have been more charming as she asked him about his day, what he did and broader questions about his family, upbringing, friends and his interests. She balanced this with some information about herself, touching his hand occasionally.

Mark was still recovering from what seemed to be mixed messages coming his way, but he eventually relaxed and they had a real laugh as the wine did its trick. An earlier intention to finish this date as soon as possible completely disappeared as he started to enjoy his evening with this unusual combination of forthrightness and friendliness sitting opposite him.

Missed opportunity?

Caught #12

"Now we can enjoy the meal, for which I’m paying by the way, It’s the least I can do...” announced Juliette.

Mark, still reeling inside, wondered how he would be able to enjoy the meal after the verbal slapping he had just received. He had never experienced such a tirade from any girl and certainly not as a preface to an evening out. He was too confused to challenge this girl’s assertion that she would pay the bill. He was in a fight or flight situation, but like a rabbit transfixed in headlights, he stayed put.

Missed opportunity? Who knows?

What's what

Caught #11

“Now where’s that waiter with my drink?” she said, turning to look for the waiter as if to close that particular opening chapter. As quickly as she'd turned away, she turned back to face Mark, reached out her left hand across the table and gently touched his right hand which was pressed on the table in front of him as though trying to prevent the table from levitating. Such was the shock he was experiencing.

“Sorry about that”, Juliette said warmly, “but I felt I had to get that off my chest straight away so we both know what’s what.

Slapper

Caught #10

Mark was for the second time shocked, as Juliette gave this rapid analysis of his preferences....which rang rather true!

“What’s brought that on?” he asked, trying to deal with his shock and
give himself time to think.

“Well you haven’t denied it, so I’ve hit the nail on the head, haven’t I? I know I’m not your type, I’m not many guys’ type. Not tall, blond, pretty... but don’t get any ideas about gracing me with a sympathy shag later, then disappearing from my life... right?”

“Right!” was all he could say as Juliette's words slapped him round the face.

Boney

Caught #9

“I’m not your type” was the first thing Juliette said to Mark after they'd placed their orders.

“How do you work that one out?” was all Mark, who was rather taken aback by the comment, could reply.

“You like blonds; tall, skinny blonds who drink skinny lattes just for the calcium to keep their bony frames intact. Sex with them, if you ever get it, is quick and noisy, which isn’t their bones rattling, but an attempt to make you think they’re enjoying it, because that’s what modern girls do, when really they’re thinking about their holidays in the Maldives.”

Who nose?

Caught #8

Thinking about it later, Mark realised Juliette really wasn’t his type. He’d been out with relatively few women, but they'd all been tall, blond and pretty. In every case, they'd dumped him when he got too clingy.

Juliette was dark, quite short at five feet two, with a tendency to plumpness and her nose was her prominent feature; too prominent he thought. On Wednesday while waiting for her in a modest fringe city centre brasserie, he wondered why and how he was there to have dinner with someone he wouldn’t have hooked up with had she not been so pushy.

Date

Caught #7

At around 6pm, when the bar started to fill up with the after-work crowd, they each went their separate ways after Mark rather awkwardly suggested they go out for dinner. Juliette politely refused, saying she had to work, but added that she was free on Wednesday if he was free. He was.

Mark had a date, not one he'd planned a few hours before, but one he strangely looked forward to. Juliette, wasn’t at all his type, but he really liked her sassiness and tactility. Wednesday’s date would show him if there was more to her that he liked.

Tough days

Caught #6

Mark was a bit taken aback at the forwardness of the woman who had introduced herself as Juliette, but she instantaneously leant out and touched his forearm, saying “Sorry, Mark, I’ve had a pretty tough day...and you look like you’ve had one too!”

That did the trick and they both laughed not at all nervously but naturally and they chatted and exchanged the problems of their respective days. They had another drink, bought by Juliette at her insistence this time to underscore the fact that she was not a prostitute, of which, by that time, Mark was pretty convinced anyway.

Fit Chick?

Caught #5

The woman immediately sensed what he was thinking and, laughing out loud, she quickly added “What must that sound like; what must you think of me? Don’t tell me, I already know!”

“Let me put you straight Mark”, she continued, recovering from her laughter, “I’m a fitness instructor at the FitChix gym a couple of doors away. I genuinely do need my energy, particularly if I’m going out later.” But she couldn’t help another laugh as she added “who knows what I might get up to later!”, followed by “oops, there I go again!” as she tried to compose herself.

Hookered?

Caught #4

“Thank you.....?” She left the question hanging, waiting for him to provide a name, which out of instinct he did.

“Mark” he offered.

“Juliette”, she provided in return, and with that simple exchange of names, the ice was broken.

“Vodka and Red Bull?” Mark questioned, adding “that’s a potent pick me up!”

“I need energy in my kind of work” she responded.

'Whoaah', thought Mark, “I’ve just bought a drink for a hooker!” He didn’t want to follow up on her comment. He didn’t want to know what ‘her kind of work’ was; he was pretty sure he already knew.

P-leeease!

Caught #3

“You [pointing at him] look like I [pointing to herself] need a drink”, she reiterated. Then, seeing his confusion she went straight to his rescue saying “Oh just buy me a drink, p-leeease!”

“Okay” was all he could think to say. He stretched out his hand and the guy serving behind this rather empty city centre bar came straight over. Before he'd been able to say a word, the woman helped out once again asking for a vodka and Red Bull. The bar wasn't usually busy at 4.30 in the afternoon, and being a Monday, it was pretty empty.

Huh?

Caught #2

The woman was not entirely unattractive. He seen better; he’d been out with much better, but it was surprise that hit him and prompted a chain of events over which he would have little control.

It was surprise and slight confusion he experienced as he was rather jolted out of thinking through what he was going to do following a tough meeting with a capricious client. It was surprise at the approach and confusion as to what he was hearing and what the young woman meant. He didn't think it had made sense, which he expressed with a quizzical “Huh?”