This is a true story with only location and name details changed. I don’t know why I agreed to house sit for a weekend but when I turned up on early Friday afternoon, John and Jill were both ready to leave. He was off to Ireland with the lads and she was going to her friend in the country, both looking to take advantage of the warm autumn weather, and their dogs needed looking after. I had known John since college and was happy for him when he met Jill, an ordinary girl with no frills and graces. They had been together for 20 years and we were regularly meeting on a vanilla basis….socials only and no hint of anything else. Their kids were staying at the grandparents and the house would be empty except for the dogs and me.
I rang the bell of their house. It was a reasonably well kept 3 bedroomed semi detached house in Kent’s suburban belt. I had parked on the road and intended to move my car onto the driveway after they left. The door opened and Jill was standing there in front of me. She was looking her usual, slightly dowdy self, loose brown trousers, loose cardigan, slightly messy mousy hair and a pair of flat, slightly worn shoes. Her clothing covered what I always considered to be a slightly round, characterless body. But while she didn’t hold an attraction sexually, she was a really lovely lady and had a wicked sense of humour. As I entered, we pecked each other on the cheek as John came down the stairs with a grin.
John explained that he had stocked up with beer and that I could empty the fridge if I wanted to. I already had plans to spend the weekend catching up with some work and feed myself on takeaways. He also showed me what to do for the dogs….food, walks, dog toys etc. He then gave me a set of house keys and we put his small backpack and her overnight bag into the back of his car. He was going to be dropped off at the station and Jill would be going on with the car.
Within half an hour, they had gone. I moved the car onto the driveway and took my bag and my work into the house. I made myself at home and worked throughout the afternoon. By 7 o’clock, I was getting hungry and so I decided to take the dogs for a walk and pick up a takeaway at the same time. I went out with them, crossed the road, walked across the park let them have their run and picked up some fish and chips on the way home. I settled into the evening after feeding the dogs, had a single beer, watched a DVD and went to bed before 9. I was using Jill and John’s bed and the clean sheets felt great. I was soon asleep as it had been a busy week.
I was woken by the phone next to the bed which rang with an electronic tone playing ‘Swan Lake’ at around 1015. I hadn’t been asleep for long.
“Hello?” Being someone else’s phone and just having been woken, I wasn’t quite all there yet.
“Mark, it’s me,” Jill’s voice was a little reticent. “I am at the services on the M6. Someone hit the car in the car park and I am waiting for the AA to bring me back.”
I asked if she was alright and Jill said that fortunately she wasn’t even in the car, but the front had been ‘clobbered’ and that the recovery vehicle was due within the hour. It would drop the car off at her garage and she should be in at about three in the morning. I asked if she wanted me to come and get her but we both agreed that there was little point. I reminded her that I was sleeping in her bed and she said that she would hop into one of the kid’s rooms. By then I was fully awake and said to her that if she wanted a coffee or something else, she should call when she was 20 minutes away and I would get something ready. She said that she would probably pass on that and simply go to bed as it had been a long day.
I went back to bed and slept until the phone woke me at about 2.30. It was Jill.
“Sorry to wake you but I need a drink and some company for a while. I will be home in about 15 minutes”. I had often popped in to have a drink and a chat with either Jill or John. I put on a pair of tracksuit trousers and a t-shirt, went downstairs and waited for Jill to appear. Not long after, I saw the glow of a set of headlamps reflecting against the thin curtains. A few seconds later, the key went into the door and Jill let herself in. After the initial greeting, she sat down and I poured her a Gin and Tonic, her favoured tipple. She looked pitiful but happy to be home.
We started to chat. She was glad that she didn’t have to come home to an empty house as she hated that, especially after the incident with the car. I asked if she had spoken to John and she said that she had. He was prepared to come home but they both agreed that there was nothing that he could do about it and that he should go and enjoy the weekend.
She then started to tease me about my lack of a long term relationship, a common theme when we chatted. I told her that I was not after a relationship and that I had been lucky enough to find the odd friend to fulfil those ‘special needs’. Jill then said that she had a friend who was just like me. One day she would pair us up together and see where things went. Upon hearing that, I smiled, said that I was going to retire and went upstairs. As I stripped off and got back into bed, I heard Jill in the bathroom cleaning her teeth and then retire to one of the kid’s bedrooms across the landing. I soon went to sleep.
I do not know what time I was disturbed but it was still dark outside. I could feel something moving on the bed……….
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