"Caught" drabbles by Neville Hunt
P. S.
Caught #61
So that was that.
Or was it? What do you think?
And they both lived happily ever after...
You reckon?
And back in the real world...
Everyone took to Juliette, especially Mark's parents. Juliette's own father really liked Mark, albeit telling him he was a 'brave man', whilst her mother, unsure about the union, took him aside to recommend coping strategies for the future.
The wedding was a riot and a Bride's speech articulated her ground rules for wedded bliss! (Frequently broken of course!)
A few years on, and two feisty daughters are also running rings around Mark.
Poor Sod!
Affirmative
Caught #60
“My turn,” she said. “I can’t let you go, because I love you too. I just had to know that you really felt the same way. Sorry if you felt used, confused and rather badly treated, but I need someone I’m completely sure of...and you have really passed the test!”
“And will I marry you? You bet I will, yes, yes, yes... but I can’t promise to change completely, so you’d better watch out mister!”
There’s an American proverb that says that a man chases a woman until she catches him. At that point, Mark was well and truly caught.
She-eeesh!
Caught #59
But, to his complete amazement, she kissed him full on the mouth, taking the breath out of him once again. She stopped for just enough time to take a breath, but not to say anything before she kissed him again, which, this time, he joined in, at first tentatively, still half expecting a painful sting in the tail, or somewhere else, and then enthusiastically.
Both needing to recover, they finally stopped, but once again the small but determined young woman kept the initiative by ‘shushing’ him as he attempted to speak and she put her right forefinger over his lips.
Tiger, tiger...
Caught #58
Juliette leapt at him like a tiger, winding him briefly and prompting him instinctively to close his arms around her tightly, if only to try and control the impending onslaught. He feared a physical attack – her record so far indicated that, and adrenalin kicked in and he was as ready as he could ever be. He was unsure which part of his anatomy was at most risk and how he could minimise the risk to vital organs, skin, limbs, eyes and ears.
It seemed that the only way to protect himself was to hold her as tight as possible....
Or what?
Caught #57
Once again, Mark was completely confused by this strange conversation which could so easily prompt yet another kickback from this fascinating, adorable, but terrifying woman. But he had been boxed into a conversational treadmill that was too difficult to hop off. And somehow he didn’t want to hop off anyway.
“Well will you marry me then?” he said bravely.
“Or what?” she said defiantly.
‘Oops, here it comes’ he thought, ‘deep breath, there’s no turning back now.’
“Or let me go!” This was his final roll of the dice, but Juliette's response took the wind quite out of his sails.
All the way
Caught #56
“All the way? All the way? Is this what I think you mean? Now look here, I’ve warned you before, I’m not some kind of a quick-bonk-babe!”
Mark instinctively backed away, fearing some savage retribution might be meted out by this diminutive she-wolf.
“I meant marriage, but that’s kind of stupid!”
“Stupid, stupid... how come? Am I not good enough for you?” Once more a touch of aggression.
“Of course you are, but I know you’d never say yes.”
“I never would say anything if you never asked!”
Would this girl ever give him an even break?
Fessing up
Caught #55
“So... you scare the hell out of me. I never know where I am with you. You seem to like me, want to see me, but kick back any time I remotely try to get close to you. You confuse me. You mesmerise me; I adore you, I’m no longer interested in any other women and I’ve never even so much as kissed you. But I wouldn’t dare try to take it any further.“
“How much further would you want to take it then?” Juliette demanded, a touch aggressively and clearly back in control.
“Well all the way of course.”
So?
Caught #54
“So what?” For the first time since he had met her, Juliette seemed to be on the back foot.
“So...so I think we have to stop meeting right now and try to stop this witch-hunt.” There, he’d said it. The cat was out of the bag.
“And I thought you liked me.” Juliette’s expression was unusually quizzical and a touch hurt.
“Of course I do. In fact, for some crazy reason I actually love you. We wouldn’t be here now if I didn’t... I'd have run a mile. But I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“So?”
This was it.
Pushy mum
Caught #53
Mid-stroll, recounting the weekend at his folks Mark suddenly said.
“Look Juliette, things were starting to get difficult with my folks at the weekend and they aren’t going to get any better. My Mum's like a Jack Russell and she’s going to make my life a misery and probably yours too. She's already been on the phone waxing lyrical about you and trying to winkle out of me more than there is. She won’t stop.”
“Well I really liked your folks and if your Mum is a bit pushy, who cares?”
“Well I do actually!” was Mark’s curt reply.
It's just a stroll in the park
Caught #52
Mark's decision to call a halt to their relationship, such as it was, would be challenging, but he could no longer bear this impossible situation. Scary though it might be, in all honesty he had to let Juliette know why he couldn’t see her any more. To raise the issue in the car in such close quarters was very risky, based on her past performance, so he suggested they meet up again in their lunch hours during the week, weather permitting.
Weather did permit on Wednesday following the weekend at Mark’s parents. Another stroll in the park seemed safe enough...
Full stop!
Caught #51
Little did Victoria know that Mark was already hurting. It seemed that every time he was with Juliette the more intense and desperate his feelings for her became.
And as serious as his feelings were, the further away she had seemed to put herself from him. That sharp put-down when his mother had suggested that they share a room ratcheted up the emotional barrier between them. His non-relationship with Juliette had become quite unbearable and yet again he decided that for his sanity, and thinking about it possibly his safety too, he would have to stop seeing her.
Lots of spirit
Caught #50
When Mark and Juliette left Victoria and Ted's house on Sunday evening, nothing more had been said or hinted to them about their relationship. After they had driven off, Victoria did comment to Ted that she wasn’t sure what was going on with them, but was sure that Mark was desperately in love with Juliette. It had all gone right over Ted’s head though.
“Really? What makes you think that?” was all he could say, “nice girl though, lots of spirit!”
“Oh never mind!” was what he got as a reply from Victoria, and “I hope Juliette won’t hurt him.”
Compassion.... Tension
Caught #49
Victoria also saw the compassionate side of Juliette which pleased her as it demonstrated a balanced personality. Victoria wasn't 100% sure though about the dynamic of her son’s relationship with the girl. Juliette seemed to get on well enough with Mark but managed to keep him in check if and when he might speak out of turn.
However, Victoria was indeed 100% certain that Mark was head over heels in love with the girl, despite his protestations. She would keep her counsel though as she sensed emotional tension and she was sufficiently sensitive to know that she should tread carefully.
Unconvinced
Caught #48
“Hardly”, said Mark “I’ve never so much as even kissed her; we’re good mates, just like I told you on the phone Mum; but you didn't care to believe me, we're just good mates.”
“Oh!” said Victoria, clearly surprised, probably disappointed but also unconvinced. “Well, we’re not short of bedrooms here anyway.”
Remaining unconvinced, Victoria avoided any direct approaches or questioning over the weekend but relied upon her sixth sense and clues that were inadvertently offered. She was impressed with Juliette’s confidence and polite assertiveness. She felt that the girl could hold her own and that was to be admired.
Not in the pink!
Caught #47
Arriving at Mark’s parents house in Berkshire together in Mark’s car, Juliette was warmly greeted by Victoria.
“Pleased to meet you Juliette. I’d love to say I’ve heard a lot about you, but in truth I've been told nothing, except from Sarah, who spoke very highly of you. Getting anything out of Mark though is like getting blood out of a stone!”
The pleasantries over, the inquisition started almost immediately as Victoria skilfully tested their relationship straight away.
“I’ve put you two in the pink room” she tried.
“Absolutely not if you don’t mind!” said Juliette, “we’re not sleeping together!”
Nobody expects the family inquisition
Caught #46
"Anyway," Juliette continued, "I think your mum will take some convincing. Of course I could play the complete slapper to put her off me if I go on my own, but I’m not sure her opinion of you would go up as a result!”
Yet again, Mark was wrongfooted and had no idea what to do, but he was rather delighted that this time Juliette had called him rather than vice versa. Not knowing whether to blame or bless Sarah for interfering, it surely must have been her, he agreed to join Juliette for the family inquisition in two weeks.
You choose!
Caught #45
“Mark, I should warn you that your mother called me the other day to invite me over to stay. Did you give her my mobile number or was it Sarah? It came as a bolt out of the blue, but I think she’s got some idea that we’re an ‘item’. She wrapped it up in some claptrap about me helping them with their fitness regime, but I wasn’t fooled. Caught on the hop I agreed to visit the weekend after next. You can either join me and try to put your folks straight about us or stay away. You choose."
Need to know
Caught #44
But Mark wasn't going to have it his way. Victoria quickly picked up the phone again and called Sarah, whom she easily persuaded to provide Juliette’s mobile number.
Shortly afterwards, without mentioning it to Ted, thinking he might side with Mark, Victoria called Juliette to invite her over, with or without Mark. When Juliette hesitated, Victoria suggested that she might be able to help them devise a fitness regime for herself and Ted. Duly persuaded, Juliette agreed to visit for the weekend n two weeks’ time..
Juliette hadn’t spoken to Mark since Sarah’s party, but this he had to know!
Just a friend
Caught #43
“Sarah tells me that this Juliette is someone I must meet, so you must bring her home this weekend or next”
“OK, OK, so I know someone called Juliette, but she's just a friend, that’s all, and I have absolutely no intention of bringing her home for you two to give her the ‘once over’. Absolutely not!”
“Oh well Mark, have it your way, but I do wish you would get on and meet someone before they send your Dad and me to a retirement home”. And with that, Victoria changed the subject and soon after put the phone down.
Probing
Caught #42
Mark's concerned parents wondered if he would end up a ‘confirmed bachelor’ and produce no legitimate heirs. They were sufficiently avant-garde in their thinking even to welcome illegitimate heirs. On hearing from Sarah about Juliette, Victoria immediately got on the phone to Mark and started probing. Mark denied that he had any girlfriend but had the wind blown right out of his sails when his mother played her trump card.
“She’s called Juliette, she’s petite, brown-haired and lots of fun, so don't you try denying that Mark!”
“Who has been giving you all that?” was Mark’s hasty response.
