Chapter 2: Jousting and sparring

I managed to get quite a lot of work done although it was difficult. Ann's teasing remarks kept coming back. She had always been a quick-witted girl, with a sense of fun, happier to laugh than be serious. Yet the new Ann showed signs that life had knocked some of the gaiety from her. I could not make my mind up if her teasing was just that, or contained a kernel of truth. I had a problem, probably I was fantasising, but the idea that Ann could possibly view me as a prospective man in her life kept running around in my head. I dismissed it every time the thought came to me, as nonsense, but it kept recurring. That last remark; no, not the one about a hard-on; but when she gave me her telephone number. "There's my number, call me!" There was an imperative in her voice when she said that, as if failure to call would be viewed as an indication of disinterest. With great difficulty I left it over the weekend, then phoned.

"Ann Selby." I noted that. Selby was her maiden name.

"Hi Ann, it's David."

"You left it for three days, David. My allure cannot be as irresistible as I thought."

"Oh it is, believe me. I have spent hours under a cold shower."

"Ugh. You must be all wrinkled like a prune."

"Oh I am, but at least it got rid of the hard-on." She was laughing.

"Well we shall have to see about that. Want some more dancing lessons?"

"Nice thought, but I have been going to ballroom dance classes every week for three years now."

"Have you? Well you must be good now. If I can't give you anymore lessons, then we shall at least have to have a dance sometime, see if my magic still works."

"How opportune, I was going to ask if you would like to have dinner one evening, perhaps there could be dancing as well."

"As well as what?"

"Ann, you do so enjoy winding people up, don't you?"

"Yes, David I do, but you were always perfect for me as you always reacted so well by blushing, I couldn't resist. I'm sorry, I gave you a hard time. And that was not intended as innuendo."

"Apology accepted, especially if you don't resist."

"Oh!" Ann giggled, quite a nice sound too. "You're not so bad either." I decided to change topic, else this could get a bit too intimate.

"I see you have gone back to your maiden name."

"I wasn't a maiden for long, your brother saw to that."

"Ann!"

"Sorry, sorry. Yes, after the second I couldn't make my mind up whether to be Cole, Adams or Selby. I wasn't Cole or Adams for long enough to grow into either of them, so I decided to be Selby again."

"That makes sense."

"So when do you want to take me to Dinner?"

"It will have to be next week sometime. I am off up north for the rest of this week. What about Sunday next, would that suit?"

"That will be fine, it gives me time to go out and buy a really glamorous dress, and some very naughty undies." The laugh was back in her voice.

"You don't have to go to that trouble, I was just going to wear my gardening Jeans and a sweatshirt."

"David, that I will not believe. You were never one for scruffy clothes. Rob used to make fun of you which I thought very hurtful and probably jealousy, because you were always in a suit and tie. So you can wind me up if you wish but I am certain that on the day you will dress to make me proud to be with you."

"Nice of you to say that, but I was actually asking about the undies." Ann burst out laughing, it was sometime before she got her voice back.

"Like it, David. We are going to have a really good evening, I can tell. And the thing about undies is that they make a girl feel good." I waited as I knew there would something more. "And sometime it makes the man feel good as well." She put the emphasis on the word 'feel'.

"I knew there would be a suggestive line there."

"Sorry David. I must stop doing that, being suggestive, but you know it's good to be able to do it with someone who understands my sense of humour. That hasn't happened for years. And David, it is just humour."

"I understand that. Was Rob really jealous of me?"

"I think he was. You were the brainy one, you got to dress smartly and work in a clean office. Although he was earning more than you, he realised that one day you would outstrip him. I suspect that he also knew that I was more than a little fond of you."

"That's interesting, but I think a topic for some other time."

"You are probably right. Can I say one thing, please David?"

"Go on."

"I did like you, perhaps more than a sister in law should. But it was possible that was because I was unhappy anyway. I am not unhappy now, so if anything happens between us, David, it will be because you are you and not a substitute for your brother."

"Thank you Ann. I'll call you when I get back from Newcastle."

"Yes please, David."

I had forgotten about Ann's sense of humour. When I first knew her she liberally filled any comment with innuendo and sometimes even ribald comment. It was not an indication of her morals though. She just loved to wind people up. With me she had an easy target and would render me dumb with embarrassment at times. She would always apologise afterwards, but the next time take up where she had left off. After she married Rob, I noticed that the cheeky side of her nature had gone. I suspect that he, not being quick-witted and not able to keep up had got angry with her thus putting an end to her witty, suggestive conversation.