Chapter 19

Before they left Northolt that evening, Amber and Toby arranged to see each other the following day. For a change, they agreed to meet up at lunchtime and Amber decided that she was going to do the driving. She arrived at Doctor Green’s Lane at about midday. It was a pleasant morning and she had the top down on the Spitfire. She was wearing a pair of painted-on red jeans and a matching tee shirt and Toby was delighted to observe an enticing jiggle as she jumped out of the car, so she obviously wasn’t wearing a bra.

‘My,’ he said, taking her in his arms and giving her a tender kiss, ‘You look more beautiful than ever. Mind you, it is rather difficult to recognise you with clothes on after yesterday.’

‘Oh Doctor Green, what a flatterer you are,’ she mocked.

‘It’s the quickest way to win a girl’s heart,’ he retorted.

‘Vanity thy name is Amber,’ she quipped.

Their trip to the city seemed to pass in an instant. Amber drove like a rally driver and Toby marvelled at the second woman that he had come across who knew how to handle a sports car. Nevertheless he wasn’t about to let her know what he thought.

‘Praise the Lord, firm ground,’ he said, getting out of the car which was parked in the shade of the Cathedral, and pretending to need the support of a nearby tree.

‘Why do men always criticize female drivers?’ asked Amber, ‘Your ego would be far too frail to take a crack like that, I’m sure.’

‘It’s a well-known fact that all men are firmly convinced that the two things they’re best at are driving and you-know-what,’ laughed Toby, ‘Though not necessarily in that order.’

‘So which order is it for you?’ Amber asked, an amused smile playing round her lips.

‘I couldn’t say,’ replied Toby enigmatically, ‘You see I am still one of the world’s innocents.’

Amber looked at him disbelievingly but refrained from commenting. Hand in hand they sauntered round the shops for a while until Toby suddenly spotted a diaphanous long-sleeved Indian cotton top on a manikin in a boutique window. It tied beneath the bust-line, leaving a most attractive margin of bare midriff. Dragging Amber into the shop he found one on a rack and sent her off to the changing room to try it on.

‘I thought so, it’s stunning,’ he said as she returned to model it for him.

‘But you can see my nipples through it,’ she protested.

‘And very nice nipples they are too,’ he chuckled, much to the amusement of the shop assistant, ‘I’m going to buy it for you.’

‘You can’t do that,’ declared Amber firmly.

‘Oh, but I want to. If you don’t let me then I shall scream and scream and scream until I’m sick. And I can.’

‘OK, Violet Elizabeth, pay for it,’ sighed Amber.

‘You’re even better read than I thought,’ laughed Toby as he produced his wallet.

‘If it’s a book and it’s got writing in it, then I’ll read it,’ said Amber simply, ‘I don’t even mind particularly if it’s not in English.’

‘That’s how you got onto Greek is it?’

Amber nodded.

‘I just had to find out what all those funny little letters meant.’

‘I’m surprised you don’t fancy learning Arabic in that case.’

‘I’m thinking about it.’

Toby believed her.

They left the shop happily, Amber carrying her red tee shirt in the carrier bag as Toby insisted that she wore her new top.

‘I feel naked,’ she protested as they continued on down the street.

‘It didn’t seem to bother you too much yesterday,’ laughed Toby.

Amber laughed and began to enjoy the admiring glances that she quickly realised that she was getting from passers-by.

They finally decided on a small Bistro, that Amber had visited once before, as being a suitable venue for lunch. She chose beef bourgignon from the menu while Toby stuck unadventurously to steak and chips. They had a lovely meal, once again enjoying the simple pleasure of eating together.

‘What would you like to do now?’ asked Toby as they eventually finished and left the restaurant.

Amber looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

‘Since you’re one of the world’s innocents, I don’t think you’d understand,’ she replied.

‘Ooh,’ said Toby, his pulse rate increasing considerably, ‘Well I suppose that you could always teach me, providing that you promise to be gentle.’

Amber giggled, ‘I’m an innocent too, so I don’t think I could.’

‘I tell you what,’ suggested Toby, ‘Let’s go round to the library and see if they’ve got any books on the subject. After all, you’re good at reading and I can always look at the pictures.’

They stopped in the middle of the street, looked at each other and absolutely roared with laughter.

‘Is your mother in this afternoon?’ asked Toby casually.

‘Yes. Is yours?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ sighed Toby.

‘And to think that I was in just the right mood to lose my virginity,’ declared Amber and Toby’s legs turned to jelly.

‘Don’t say things like that Amber. You’ll turn me into a nervous wreck.’

‘What can we do? Where shall we go?’

‘I don’t know. Let’s go for a drive. We can always stop somewhere quiet and have a snog for a bit.’

Toby drove up into the hills and they stopped in a deserted spot overlooking the valley.

‘I love the car,’ he said as he turned off the engine, ‘It’s such fun to drive.’

Amber nodded.

‘It was a wonderful birthday present. I’m a very lucky girl.’

‘And I’m a very lucky boy having found you,’ he said and leaning over they kissed gently.

‘I think that Daddy must have known what he was doing when he chose the Spitfire for me,’ observed Amber after a while, ‘Because I’ve just realised that it’s virtually impossible to do anything interesting in it.’

‘It’s not the easiest,’ laughed Toby, who had a pain in his left arm, ‘Do you want to go and lie in the grass?’

‘No, I don’t think so,’ replied Amber drowsily, ‘Grass would tickle. I want to go somewhere comfortable.’

‘Just now I really appreciate how lucky the Stevenson twins are,’ sighed Toby.

‘In what respect?’

‘Where did you undress before you swam yesterday?’

‘In Emma’s bedroom.’

‘Did you notice that it had a double bed in it?’

‘Yes, so it did.’

‘It isn’t actually Emma’s bedroom. Well, yes it is when she’s there and I suppose that’s most of the time. It’s actually Andrew’s room.’

‘Oh my.’

‘Natasha’s bedroom is just the same.’

‘They really are awfully lucky,’ agreed Amber, ‘Mummy and Daddy are wonderful, but not that wonderful.’