Chapter 11A: Friday February 11: Anne - Free At Last

Nathaniel Bristoll pushed his way through the small gap between the side fence and the beaten up old Volvo in the driveway.

'Has he done anything since that business with the Braithwaite girl?'

'No little brother he hasn't. It's been almost three weeks since that experience and he's gone so far as changing the course of his jogging in an attempt to avoid her. Naturally the change was an attempt to avoid further temptation, and it may have succeeded if he hadn't been at work when a certain lady, who just happens to be a regular customer at his uncles garage where he works, just happened to call in.'

'Did you have anything to... ?'

I still found this business hard to believe, found it hard to come to terms with the fact that I was watching Nathaniel Bristoll from the comfort of my own bed. Even harder to get used to was the knowledge that I would continue to hear every word that was said.

I watched Bristoll put a tape in his walkman and fasten the cover securely against the summer rain. Then he ran for a good fifteen minutes until he reached a football oval on the other end of town and a track around which he jogged until Anne, who was coming up behind him, began to run slightly faster in an endeavour to catch up with him. It was then that a thought suddenly occurred to me. 'I just realised this Bristoll lives around the corner from where Anne used to live, is it possible they could know each other by sight?'

'Absolutely out of the question, I guarantee it.'

"Do you mind if I join you? I hate running alone," said Anne holding out her hand as she jogged alongside.

"Nathaniel... er... Nathaniel Bristoll," he responded as he took her hand.

"My names Susan Dixon."

For the purpose of the exercise my brother and I had decided that would be her name and that where necessary Morrie Dixon and his wife Julie would play the part of her parents.

They began running and as they did so I saw Bristoll hang back maybe a half a step so that he could check out her bottom in the tight navy blue shorts she was wearing. She knew of course that he would be checking her out as Colin had me forewarn her of that fact.

I checked her out at the same time Bristoll did. Her fresh tanned complexion was complimented by her perfectly groomed blonde hair tied in a ponytail. With her slightly flattened nose accentuated by the roundness of her cheeks and a beaming smile she was pretty enough to make any fellow look twice, especially someone like Bristoll, or so my brother and I hoped. Then again there was what she was wearing, those navy blue shorts and the matching top of her, as I had found out recently, beloved 'Navy Blues'. (Nickname of AFL [Australian Football League] team Carlton located in Melbourne).

Then I realised something extraordinary. With all of the men that had fucked Anne I was jealous of this perverted bastard getting his grubby paws on her. 'Is this really necessary?' I asked feeling slightly aggrieved. 'Isn't there another way?'

'Maybe, maybe not. But you'll never know. You'd do well to think about whether you'd even have a girlfriend to be jealous of if it wasn't for me.'

'Okay, okay, I get the fucking point!' I thought irritably. Then I turned my attention back to Bristoll. He was still looking Anne over, he still looked as though he was mentally undressing her. 'But you could at least tell me what he's thinking.'

'How simple life would be if he could have a girlfriend like her.'

'I know exactly what he means.' It occurred to me that Bristoll was attempting something like normal conversation, a task which, from what little I was able to gather from his behaviour on that Monday night almost three weeks ago, he would have found difficult at best, so I decided to concentrate on what he was saying to Anne.

Bristoll was attempting a smile while he spoke with a slow deliberation as he tried his very best to minimise the stammering his nervous disposition had created. "I think it's me that should be asking that question... er... Susan. I mean girl's like you just don't... What I mean is it... er... it should be me that asks you if you'd mind me running with you."

Anne smiled. She was playing her part beautifully. "Well Nathaniel, I seemed to remember that it was my idea." She looked down at what she was wearing and laughed. "Mum gets worried, she says that with Melbourne being the way it is these days and with all these gangs of boys around that I'm asking for trouble being dressed like this, that even though it's just showing off what Mother Nature generously bestowed on me I might be encouraging some horrible boys to, well you know... I mean you know what these nasty gangs have been doing to girls recently. What do you think?"

"I think she has a point, you never know who you're likely to meet these days."

"Oh you can talk Nathaniel, the way you were staring at my bottom." She tried to sound serious, began laughing and was soon helplessly out of control. All in all if I didn't know this was a deliberate act she would certainly have fooled me.

'You know Anne is really good, she has him hooked beautifully. Not that that was ever going to be a major problem. He simply can't help but fall for her, I mean you don't have to worry about his intentions, as far as Anne is concerned they're entirely honourable. In fact when it comes down to the business she'll probably have to act really well to make him do anything. It's not that he doesn't want to but he's afraid to in case he offends her. All in all little brother I'd say that things are going splendidly, the one thing we need to take place seems to be happening without my needing to interfere, and that's for Bristoll to fall in love with her.'

Anne took his hand as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "Nathaniel I need to tell you something."

"Would you PLEASE call me Nathan, my parents used to call me Nathaniel."

She stopped smiling momentarily. "You said 'used to', don't you see your parents... ?"

"They're dead!"

Anne's expression changed to one of sadness and regret as she covered her face with her hands. My brother was right she was a natural, her reaction was instantaneous to whatever he said. "Oh Nathan I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I don't know what to say."

He took her hands away and held them in his own. "Say nothing, it's all perfectly simple really. I hated them and they hated me!"

She moved a little closer. "Oh Nathan, surely you can't mean that."

"I mean every word Susan. I'm better off and so are they."

The bitterness of that last remark had a clear effect on Anne despite her vague knowledge of the story as I'd told it to her.

She remained silent as Bristoll looked at her. "Some day if we're still together I might tell you the whole story."

She smiled again and pulled him even closer, close enough to put her arms around him. "That's what my confession is." She looked up at him and broke into a huge grin. "I made the first move because, well, I might never have got to see you again and you were in front of me and couldn't see me and well... you know..."

'If she didn't have him before little brother she's certainly got him now. Even though his hopes just continue to build he's thinking that he couldn't be so lucky. That even after his parents, his aunt and uncle and all of the setbacks he's experienced in life he couldn't be so fortunate.'

"I don't know what to say," said Bristoll.

"Don't say anything, just run with me."

He didn't and he did! They ran two laps of the oval, exited and slowly jogged to the market where Anne had parked the van.

'This should be interesting Winston. Anne's practically told Bristoll that she wants to go out with him, but I doubt it'll make any difference, his lack of expertise with girls will prevent him from doing what most other fellows take for granted. You know if it's possible he's had even less success at asking girls out than you have little brother. Now while that's perfectly understandable where you're concerned little brother, it is something of an anomaly for someone with his looks and physique. Not that he's asked many mind you, I mean he's barely managed a half-decent conversation with more than a couple in his whole life.

'Just listen to this little brother, for someone like Bristoll asking this question scares the hell out of him. But then he's only asking because the thought of what will happen if he doesn't, and the thought of never seeing her again scares him even more.'

I listened curiously to how Bristoll asked the question. "I don't suppose that you would... that you could... ? I mean Susan would you go out with me?" He went a deep colour of red but from his point of view at least the question was asked.

"Of course I will, you silly... I mean I came on to you didn't I." Anne's reply was perfect, it had just the right amount of quiet strength in it.

True to the script, and after a couple of moments of hesitation, Anne moved towards him. "Come here!" Once Bristoll moved closer she took his hands and pulled him near enough so she could get her arms around him. "How about we go out Sunday night?"

He couldn't help but grin broadly, his expression radiating the excitement he was feeling. "No! Oh God no. You mean you'll... ? You mean we're... ?" He couldn't finish either statement he was so excited.

She gave him a peck on the lips. "Of course I will silly." Then she kissed him again. "Where do you want to meet? What do you want to do?"

"Well we could have dinner. Maybe we could then go to the pictures and afterwards maybe we could go to Madison's nightclub afterwards for a drink and maybe some dancing. I mean I'm not that much of a dancer but I would try." He stopped suddenly and looked at Anne his nerves returning. "Of course If you have something else you'd like to do..." He left the rest unsaid waiting to see if Anne would offer any suggestions of her own.

'You know the bastard's really enjoying himself little brother, enjoying the feeling of having Anne in his arms. He's resisting the temptation to move his hands the short distance down to her bottom even though he's dying to, especially after seeing her sexy bottom in those shorts she's wearing. Don't worry though, he has enough self-control not to do it, and anyway even if he did it maul Anne's bottom with his hands it would be a small price to pay for the long term benefits that'll come our way.'

Anne shook her head so Bristoll continued. "Of course I will pick you up from your door."

'You know little brother this sonofabitch will have me in tears in a minute. He's telling himself not to be a fool, that this maybe his last chance for a normal relationship.'

"That might be a trifle difficult Nathan unless you have your own transport," replied Anne, "so I'll have to meet you. Which restaurant did you have in mind?"

"Well I guess that depends on what sort of food you'd like. I was thinking of Kontiki's Steakhouse near the mall. One of the mechanics from the garage where I work mentioned taking his girlfriend there once. He said the food was fantastic. Of course if you'd..."

"No Nathan that sounds good to me. There's nothing I like better than a nice juicy medium-rare steak. As for the pictures, can we go and see 'Million Dollar Baby'? Please!" When Bristoll nodded Anne continued enthusiastically. "And Madison's sounds great, the atmosphere and the lighting means you can be a little bit naughty and get away with it."

I caught the expression on his face, his imagination was obviously leading him to places, to situations he clearly didn't want to voice out loud.

'Well of course it is Fred. Now I might not have any fondness for the bastard but I can understand his reactions to that last statement. And yes, he is thinking that Madison's would be the appropriate place to... er... shall we say take further inventory of her delightful physique.'

"Now as for meeting you Susan. I'll pick you up in a taxi from your front door and I will not take no for an answer because tomorrow night is special. I don't think there is any more to say."

"Except the time. I think six-thirty would give you time to meet my folks don't you?"

Bristoll smiled and nodded his head. Anne gave him her — our — address and one final lingering kiss before she was in the van and off along Chesterfield Highway.