This is the response to a challenge I set on Find the Lady about two years ago. I know there is one other person that will also be writing a response to the challenge. This is very much still a work in progress, although I think I know where it's going eventually.
I was waiting for the shower to warm up when my phone rang, looking at the screen, I realised John was video calling me
"Yes John?" I sighed as I answered my phone
"You coming down the pub?"
"I will be in about half an hour" I carried on getting undressed
"You're getting in the shower?"
"Have you got a problem John?" I took off my underwear
"Erm…..No, I'll call you back, Don's watching"
"Alright" I smiled as John hung up.
I got into the shower singing along with the radio, I jumped as my phone rang again, reaching out I hit the answer button and carried on singing
"So you do sing in the shower!"
"Nooo…." I trailed off unconvincingly "Although I do sing when I make coffee, but not at work"
"Ah, you do, I've heard you, very nice"
"You shouldn't be looking!" I grabbed the nearest towel "Is the team there yet?
"Everyone's here except you"
"What time's it start?"
"Seven thirty, you've got twenty minutes yet, don't rush"
We both fell silent as I began to get dressed
"I'm going though you coming?"
"You'll need to carry me" John laughed
"Some how I don't think I could carry you, some days I struggle to get out of bed"
"It shows" It was my turn to laugh, I grabbed my phone and strode into my room to find some clothes
"I don't know why I bother talking to you, you always poke fun at me"
"You love it really, the blue one is best"
"You like the blue one better than the red one?" I asked
"Much better"
"Blue it is then" I put on the blue shirt and sat down to do my makeup, I couldn't be bothered to put on foundation and blusher so I settled for a reddy brown eye shadow and pinky red lipstick."
"You don't wear that much face paint to work" John said suddenly
"Honey, I wear twice as much make up to work, you just don't notice it" I said sweetly
"What did you just call me?!" John said incredulously
"I don't know what did I just call you?" I tried to play innocent
"You said 'honey'"
"I remember now, you don't mind do you honey?" I made sure I drawled the last word
"No, no of course not" John stuttered
"Are the team categories sorted?" I stood up and squirted on some perfume
"Yeah, Don's got food and drink, Deakin's taken classical music, Duncan's got opera, Kerry's science and IT, Mickey's taken general sport, I've got rugby, you've got celebs and we're both sharing general knowledge"
"That's fine, seating plan?"
"Deakin, Don, Me, You, Duncan, Kerry and Mickey, that alright?"
"What is it with you and any seating plan? I always end up next to you"
"Is that a problem?"
"No, I love sitting next to you, means I can lean on you" I smiled as I slipped on my shoes
"I figured you wouldn't want to sit next to Don, the original line up had you next to Don"
"You were right, hang on phone's ringing" I put down my coat and grabbed the home phone "Yeah?"
"Claire, we're waiting on you, are you coming?" Mike asked
"I was just putting my coat on when you rang, hang on my other phone's ringing" I picked up my work mobile, not recognising the number I answered it cautiously;
"DS Stanton?"
"Claire, it's me, are you on your way?"
"I am Kerry, see you in three mins" I hung up "Sorry about that Mike, I'm on my way"
"Sure thing, you've got fifteen mins yet anyway"
"Is John with you?"
"Nope, he's outside the pub on his phone"
"Thought so, he's video calling me" I laughed
"Kinky!"
"Very, you'll get details when you next come over, be there in a while" I hung up and returned to my bedroom
"What's kinky?"
"Oh Mike thinks you VC'ing me is kinky"
"It would be if I was watching you in the shower or sat at home in my boxers"
"John! Now I've got an image of you on the couch in your boxers in my head"
"Is that where you want me to be?" John smiled and winked
"Nah, now if you'd have said, sat on the bed…." I trailed off letting John finish the sentence
"Now who's getting kinky?" John laughed "Meet you on the corner?"
I turned away, if only he knew I thought, we were best mates, closer than a lot of blood relatives are. I wanted us to spend an evening drifting from cloud to cloud together, waking up to him beside me. I also knew that sleeping with your best friend is never a good idea.
"Are you alright Claire?...CLAIRE?"
"Sorry, was miles away"
"I said I'll meet you on the corner"
"I know you're desperate to come to my place again, just come here"
"Alright, see you in a few minutes" John hung up and I sat down to think of what I was going to say to him.
I had the door open even before he was halfway up the driveway
"It's not going to happen Claire, you're my best mate. If we slept together and it didn't work out, we've ruined a wonderful friendship; there can be no going back. I'm not loosing you over a night of passion"
"Its not going to change anything John, trust me"
"I'm not going to risk everything just 'cos I want to shag you, sorry Claire" He looked at the floor "I'd rather have you as my best mate than not have you at all"
I sighed and began turning off the lights, I was brilliant at getting John to change his mind but this time I couldn't get him to budge, the one thing I wanted more than anything in the world was to feel John in my arms as a lover, not as a best mate.
"Right lets go then" I said briskly, grabbing my coat off the rack, slamming the door behind us, I strode off down the street
"Claire wait….please?"
I hesitated allowing John to catch up with me;
"What?" I snapped
"Look you know how I feel about you, but I can't risk everything for one night, no matter how much I think of you" John took my hand "Come on we have a quiz to win"
I sighed as we ambled hand in hand down the street towards the pub.
Completely cheesy fluff this one...sorry!