Fourteen

Brian had been living on his nerves all day. He had drunk at least five cups of coffee. The caffeine had left him agitated and unable to settle to his work. He stared at his computer screen, like an artist that had lost his muse, desperate for inspiration

“That’s the eighth time today” commented John as he left for the toilet.

The source of his worry wasn’t difficult to pin point. Firstly there was the previous night. At the time he was elated, running on adrenalin. Now in the cold light of day the magnitude of his folly gnawed at his guts like an acid. How could he have been so stupid? Running around the streets stark naked. Anyone could have been passing, coming home from the night shift, or a party. A police patrol could have come by. The list things that could have gone wrong was as endless as the Pacific and Brian could have spent all day worrying about it if he hadn’t another more pressing concern.

It was too late to hope that Isla would back out of her protest. The deed was done. A bight and breezy text message from Isla confirmed to Brian that his daughter’s bare body would soon be available to the whole world courtesy of the Internet. He was now waiting with all the fatality of a truant outside the headmaster’s office for her naked flesh to drop into John’s inbox. He had managed a snatched phone call with Marion, who didn’t seem the least worried, but given her hobby Brain could see why.

“At least she didn’t get arrested” his wife had told him.

“That’s not the point, Marion, pictures of her in the nude will be everywhere, everyone she ever meet from now will know precisely what’s under her dress ”

“You sound just like your mother.”

Brian slapped his hand on his forehead, “What the hell did you phone her for?” he demanded.

“I didn’t. Isla did”

The day was going from bad to worse. Brian was about to remonstrate further when Jan and John came back into the office.

“Got to go now” he said quickly and hung up.

Marion had been a trifle nonplussed by this, but a ring at the door stopped her pursuing that line of thought. She padded off towards the front door, just remembering to pull on a long shirt that came down to her knees before she opened it.

“Hi Marion, it’s only me” said Linda, stating the obvious, and without pausing for an invitation, stepped into the hall. “It’s so hot” she complained, I nearly went for a drive just to put the air con on”

Marion spotted an opening and went for it. “That would upset my daughter” Linda stopped, put her head on one side and gave Marion a quizzical look. This was the chance she had been hoping for. So without further preamble Marion explained Isla’s protest.

“So she was the naked angel” was Linda’s only comment.

“Couldn’t be” replied the real naked angel, “Isla was in college a the time, besides, you know there was nothing in that story”

Linda looked long and carefully at Marion and a sudden thought popped into her head.
“Marion can I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course” she replied, expecting some question on the morality of Isla’s protest.

”What have you got on under that shirt”
Caught unawares Marion answered truthfully.

“Nothing,” before qualifying herself, “well er it’s so hot I er”

“I know” continued Linda, “I’m finding this weather unbearable, and let me let you into a little secret,” she leant forward confidentially, “I’ve actually been wandering around in the buff”

Marion was speechless. This was what she was supposed to say.

“Don’t say anything” continued Linda, “I know it’s not the done thing, but … it was so hot and something just came over me.” She looked at her friend and pouted “you don’t think any less of me do you?”

“Er no, not at all” said Marion who was thinking that Linda had stolen her clothes, in a manner of speaking.

“Have you ever thought of trying it?” Linda whispered

“I….I”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Linda leaned forward and took Marion’s hand. It felt warm and claddy as she pleaded “Just, please don’t tell anybody”

Marion, the real naked angel, pulled herself together and told her friend haltingly that she’d screw her courage to the sticking post and give it a go. Linda beamed in the knowledge that her secret would be safe. Marion smiled at her friend’s naivety. Her secret would be safe until Brian came home.

Marion was about to remove the shirt she had been wearing for all of ten minutes when Linda took charge.

“I’ve set up a secluded sunbathing area in the garden, why don’t you come over?”

Marion, paused, once again wrong footed by her friend. “Well, right, I’ll just get my phone in case there’s more developments on the Isla front.”

And so wearing just a long shirt and a pair of sandals Marion followed her friend out of the front door. Amazingly she felt exposed in her knickerless state. ‘Pull yourself together Marion’ she thought ‘the last time you went for a walk outside you were stark naked’

“Cold drink?” enquired Linda as she led the way into her voluminous kitchen.

“Yes please”

“Lemonade?”

“Perfect” replied Marion as she took the proffered glass.

Linda held hers and proffered a toast. “To us”

Marion responded. “To us”

Linda put her glass down and grabbed the hem of her short summer dress.

“Ready?”

Marion laid her glass on the cool, grey, marble work surface of Linda’s kitchen, crossed her arms and took a firm grip on her shirt.

“One, two, three go” shouted Linda. And then they both stood there staring at each other’s bare body for the first time. Marion’s eyes swept over her younger friend’s small breasts with the puffiest nipples she had ever seen, the stretch marks left by her two children on an otherwise perfectly flat stomach, her wide hips and an oddly rectangular patch of well trimmed pubic hair. She suddenly remembered her manners and whipped her eyes back up to meet Linda’s. She needn’t have worried for while Marion had been inspecting her friend’s birthday suit, Linda had been giving Marion the once over, and it was with perfect timing they both brought their gaze back to eye level. In unison both women broke into wide grins which dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“Let’s go outside” Linda said picking up her glass and leading the way into the bright mid morning light.