Ardent

“So James and I will come to meet you in work, then are we off to a club or something? Kayleigh stared at Keira; she hadn’t been herself all morning. Quite and moody looking, Kayleigh wasn’t sure what had happened.
”What?” Keira asked, breaking her stare from the TV.
”James and me, we’ll meet you?”
”Sure, fine, yeah”
”James was saying this morning..”
”Oh James, James, James, why don’t you just marry him”
”Excuse me”
”I could go a day without hearing about him, hell I could go a day without seeing him” Keira shouted, stomping upstairs, “I’m getting dressed for work”
Kayleigh smiled, completely satisfied that something had occurred last night. Biting her lip she grinned, this was perfect. Way back when Keira had introduced James to her Kayleigh had noted how close they seemed. Now she was certain they would be a great couple, and Keiras behaviour hinted that she was getting closer than she would like. All she had to do was talk about Keira more than necessary tonight and see James reaction. “How dare she not inform me of last nights events” Kayleigh fumed, hiding on of Keiras textbooks.
”See you later darrrrrrrling” she screamed as she left the house, walking down toward the University, she had 2 lectures and then James was picking her up in the car.

Keira watched her swank down the road to the bus stop and sighed, falling backwards onto her bed, she landed in a star shape, her eyelids felt heavy. No matter what they said, she wouldn’t be going out after work today, she was too tired. It had taken her hours to drift off to sleep last night, and when she did it was a mixture of strange images that flicked through her brain, not really a dream at all. Nor was she rested, she felt uneasy and worried about seeing James, not that she knew why. It wasn’t like they had done anything wrong, but he left, he left and he didn’t say goodbye so maybe she had annoyed him in some way. Or perhaps she was paranoid, why did she care anyway it was only James! Heaving herself back up she pulled on her uniform, and threw some mascara on her tired eyes before jumping down the stairs and walking the opposite direction from Kayleigh to the pub. It was bitterly cold outside. “A lazy wind” Keira muttered. “Wont go around you, it cuts right through you”. Pulling her coat tighter around her, she felt a dollop of rain and ran the rest of the way.

”The problem with working in a bar” Keira laughed with some regular customers, “Is you don’t know whether a beautiful man is giving you the eye because he wants you, or because he wants his pint first”
The old man laughed, holding tightly to his bitter, “Well love I cant answer that one for you”
The pub was dead, there was 7 people in there, all sat around in their separate groups eating or drinking. All elderly, and regular, Keira knew them all by face, name and humour. Sat in front of her was Ted, he was a dear soul, and always up for a laugh.
”However that gentlemen over there seems to be staring at you a lot”
Keira spun round and met James’s eyes. “I don’t think so Teddy boy, its only James. God isn’t that kind to me, I ask for a beautiful man and he sends me James”
Keira left Ted laughing and walked to the other end of the bar.
”Where’s Kayleigh?”
”She didn’t turn up, I called her mobile and she said she was caught up, so I figured I would come alone” James smiled, plonking him self on a stool and glancing around the pub. “Well it’s a rave in here as usual, is Wayne here?”
Wayne was the owner of the pub, and a close friend of James’s.
”Yeah he’s upstairs, I’ll give him a shout if you like?
”No, it’s nothing urgent. I’ll have a Guinness please”
Keira walked to half pull the pint, and then leave it to settle, while waiting she took his money and served another person who had appeared. Walking back to his pint she finished it and passed it to him.
”From me to you” she grinned, “May is ruin your liver”
”I thank thee dear lady, listen I have a job” he grinned, sticking out his chest and looking proud.
”Bin man?”
James swayed on his stool and had to grab the bar to steady himself, “Who told you?” he laughed, “No m’dear this week I am a stand up comic”
”Really” Keira shouted, “Oh James you would be brilliant, have you ever done this before?”
”Well no, but how hard can it be? Anyway I’m going to write a 10-minute set then I’m testing it around a few pubs and then onto clubs. That’s what I wanted Wayne for, I want to hijack Karaoke night this week”
Wayne appeared at the door and looked around the pub, “Meeh, you can go if you like Keira, I doubt we will be any busier than this today”
”Don’t have to tell me twice” Keira laughed, throwing off her apron and sitting beside James. “Red wine please sir” she smiled at Wayne, who snarled at her. “Alright, I’ll get it my bloody self, god the service in here” she laughed, grabbing a bottle of the house red and helping herself. “On my tab Wayne” she grinned.
Turning back to James, “Look I don’t want to go out tonight, I;m really tired. I don’t feel like it.” Keira held her breath and then finally got the sentence out, “I didn’t sleep too well last night”
James tried to choose his words carefully, “Well I woke and went the toilet, when I came back you had stolen the space so I covered you and left you. You looked all sweet asleep” he laughed, “I didn’t want to wake you up and ruin the dream that you are sweet, when in fact your rather vicious”
Keira grinned, relieved he hand woken up and ran away. James downed the rest of his pint, hoping that lie was convincing, in actual fact he had woken and automatically leant over and kissed her cheek, blinking wildly he realised where he was and who with. Jumping to his feet he had left in fear, he couldn’t have feelings for Keira. This morning he had woken in a foul mood when he realised it wasn’t the damn wine last night at all, he still had that fluttery feeling whenever he saw her. It had to stop.
”Why are you staring into space?”
James shok his head and looked down at Keira who was watching him with a confused expression on her face.
”Sorry” he smiled, “I was just thinking about. Things”
”Things”
”Things, my things. Things for me” he stuttered, “Anyway, I’m off”
”Where? Why are you leaving?”
”I have a few things to do.”
”Are you coming to ours tonight?”
James looked down at her, her eyes shone with anticipation for his answer, inside he was crying, “no, not a good idea, you need to stay away from her for a while” but his heart was melting as he stared at her, he could hear his own voice agreeing and saying he would be there for eight, even though his head was insisting he stay at home and eat crisps. Walking over he hugged her tight, and then walked out.
Wayne and Keira stared after him, Keira was gob smacked, “Did I deserve that?”
”I don’t think anyone deserves a hug off him” Wayne joked, “I wouldn’t wish that on an enemy”

Hours later, Keira sat at home, tucked up and snuggled in her pyjamas and bit socks, she cuddled her blanket further to her. ‘Coronation Street’ had just finished, and she was thinking of what to do next. James would be here soon, he had already called to say he would bring pizza, and Kayleigh had gone out on a date. Throwing the remote in the air, she caught it a few times, and then flicked around the channels. It was a horrible night, typically English, Keira thought. Vertical rain and biting winds, winter was creeping up, but Keira didn’t care she had her hot water bottle, it was better than a man she was certain. Pete hadn’t been bothering her again, finally she felt safe in her own house.

James peered through the window; she looked so warm and inviting. He waited a few minutes getting more and more wet, but he liked to watch her. Eventually when she looked settled, he rapped on the window as hard as he could, laughing as she jumped with shock and then fumed and ran to the door.
”One more time James, I swear I’m going to kill you, I’ll end up with a heart defect”
”Pizza dear” he smiled, offering her the box, “There’s chips and coke her too” he pointed at the carrier bags, and shook his head, so the water flew from his hair and all over Keira. Placing the box on the side she reached out and grabbed a huge handful of his hair, and ragged him upstairs.
”Ow, fucking hell, shit, stoppit its attached you know”
Keira threw him on the toilet, and he smacked his head against the wall, reeling from the pain of that he snapped his head up and was facing with her running at him with a towel. Grabbing his head and wrapping the towel around it she rubbed his hair wildly, attempting to dry it.
”Argh you’re pulling” he shouted, jumping to his feet and shoving her backwards. Keira laughed and pulled on the towel, ripping it from his head. His hair was all sticking up in odd places, while other parts lay stuck to his face with the water. Keira doubled up laughing and threw the towel at his face, running like mad she made it to the staircase until he grabbed her and stuck his fingers in her hair, messing up it frantically he fell backwards onto the landing beside her and laughed at the state of her head. Keira pulled at her hair, and attempted to put it back in a ponytail, then lay backwards on the landing beside him.
”Keira, you realise we are two mature, well adjusted adults don’t you”
”I do”
”So mature we are lying on a landing floor, in between a bedroom and bathroom with destroyed hair. We are both over 20 for gods sake”
”Yeah but only physically” she laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. “Food time”

After eating Keira sat on the sofa in-between James legs, while he brushed her hair through, he had no idea how he had started doing it, he had used the excuse that he had messed it up and now he should fix it. But he was enjoying running his fingers through it, he loved the smell, and how easy and smoothly it fell back into place. Leaning forward he suck his face in it and leant against her back.
Keira laughed and turned around to pass him some pizza, “You want me to move?”
Inside James knew he could feel stirring in his penis, but he didn’t want her to leave. “No, I’m cold, hang on let me get a cushion though, I don’t want you crushing my family jewels.” James stuck a cushion between his legs and pulled her closer. Wrapping his arms around her they sat in silence watching TV. Allsorts were whizzing through Keira’s mind, “Did other friends cuddle? Did they spend all day and night together? Could she feel something under that cushion?”
James sat perfectly still save his hand, which was trailing through her hair. Keira turned to face him, “Do we need to talk about something?” she asked, “I mean is something going on here that I’m unclear about?”
”No” James said, pushing her off him, “I have to go home”
”Why? Its only 9, we have a great episode of ER to take the piss out of yet”
”I really cant stay here, I cant be here with you, I must leave” he cried, grabbing his coat.
”With me? What have I done? James?” Keira ran after him to the door and watching him disappear into the night. Leaning against the doorframe she grabbed a handful of her hair and ran it through her fingers, twirling it round and round, it was something she did when stressed, as a child she used to chew it. Keira shook her head and closed the door, hearing the thunder rumble; she hoped he got home ok. The rain hadn’t given up. She hated storms. AS she glanced out the window once more she saw lighting strike down, it couldn’t have hit far because all the electricity suddenly shut off. Keira cried out in shock, only lighting flashes lit up the house. A childlike fear of the dark crept through her. Backing toward the window, she sat on the built in sidepiece that was covered in cushions and curled up. Her eyes widened as she saw a figure appear in the garden, who ever it was walked up the path, and rapped on the window. It was James, nobody else ever rapped on the window. Running to open the door, she looked up at him; lighting struck once more filling the dark house with a second of light. Within that second James lips found Keira’s.