Chapter 5. Linda is woken by a surprise visitor.

I woke up to a banging on my door. Stumbling downstairs as I pulled a dressing gown over my pyjamas I opened the door a crack and saw Wishes standing there looking stunning in a long white skirt and green blouse.

She grinned at me and held up a bag.

"I got some breakfast, you hungry?" she asked.

As the smell of bacon reached my nose my stomach growled loudly.

"I guess that answers that." She laughed as I opened the door for her.

"Um, thank you, come in, uh how did you know where?"

"Where you lived?" she laughed again, I loved that laugh, a silvery sound with a throaty undertone that just rang with pure joy.

"I asked Miss Price at the shop. She knows everything and everyone. So I asked her if she knew of a guy called Pearce who had died A few years back and she told me who and where."

Again that laugh, I could have stood there all day listening to it as we stood in my hall.

"Shall we." she indicated the open door to the kitchen with the bag. "Before they get cold."

Apologising I led her quickly into the kitchen and got her seated at the old table. She dug out of the bag a couple of takeaway cups of coffee and some wrapped bacon sandwiches.

"Why, uh sorry, thank you for taking the trouble, how did you know I hadn't got any food in yet?"

I felt I was beginning to make her think I was the new village idiot. I had almost never said "um" or "uh" before and since I had met her I don't think I had managed a sentence without one or the other.

"You told us last night remember. You said you had to come out to get some food because you only got here last night and hadn't had chance to shop yet."

"Oh yes. I remember. Thank you it's very thoughtful of you."

We must have chatted for about an hour. I learned that she was about to start working on her doctorate in genetic research at the local university after the summer break. I heard all about her mother and her twin brother Agrian. She grinned at me as she told me her brothers name.

"You're just about the only person I've told my name who hasn't made some smart comment or think that I was joking." She said laughing softly. "Thank you."

"I think that probably had more to do with not being able to think of anything clever or witty to say." I said chuckling.

"I know, I noticed. Um, did Carrie say anything to you?" Wishes looked a little bit embarrassed.

"That you're not interested in girls. Yeah she warned me off." I blushed and looked down at the table.

"Sorry about that, she comes on a bit strong with it. She's convinced she can turn any woman gay if she gets the chance and is frustrated that I've never been with her." Wishes laughed and I wished I could be as free about things like that as her, well now my, generation was.

"So, if you don't mind hanging about with the straight girl I could help you with your shopping." again that laugh that I was falling in love with.

"Thanks I'd love that, let me go and get dressed a minute." I said still flushed and rushed upstairs.

I quickly washed and brushed my teeth then brushed my hair before putting on some clean knickers and getting dressed in yesterdays clothes. While I was dressing I heard a knock at the door and called down to ask Wishes to see who it was.

By the time I came downstairs three men were just leaving one of them shoved a clipboard in my face.

"Sign here please miss." he said. I saw that I was signing for three boxes and gave him back the clipboard.

"This your stuff from your old house?" Wishes said looking at the three large packing cases in the front room.

"Um, should be." I said cautiously not really sure what was in them.

The guys had levered off the lids from the chests before they left so it was easy to open the cases.

Most of them seemed to be clothes and Wishes offered to help me unpack before we went shopping. It took about two hours to unpack the three boxes. At the bottom of the last box Wishes found an envelope of photo's and started leafing through them.

"Hey who's this guy with you?" she asked and held up a photo of me kissing a man.

"Uh, that's Peter." I said not too sure how I knew that he was from my fake past but certain that it was him.

"Well that sure don't look like a brotherly kiss." Wishes was looking at the photo and seemed a bit confused.

"So who's Peter?" she asked.

"Yeah, sort of my ex." I went red again.

"Oh shit I'm sorry, you know I was certain you were gay from the way you were looking at me, I'm so sorry you should have said something, you know put me in my place sort of thing just now when I was spouting off." she looked so embarrassed, I guess she felt like she had insulted me. "I'm talking too much now aren't I?" she finished.

"That's ok, I know why you got that impression." I sighed deeply and sat on the bed. "I don't know what I am, I am pretty certain I couldn't go with a guy and can't help looking at women. I just don't know I am so confused." as I said the last I burst into tears and Wishes sat beside of me and held me to try and comfort me. I found myself crying into her neck as she rocked me and murmured comforting words. The confusion and anxiety of the last two days came streaming out in my tears and I just couldn't stop. All the time I was so aware of the scent of her soft skin and the tender way she held me as I cried, that just added to my confusion and stress.

When I had calmed down a little she grabbed a tissue from a box on the dresser and dabbed at my wet face.

"So what happened with Peter." she asked softly.

I couldn't bring myself to speak and couldn't think of anything to say anyway so I just dug out the letter from my bag and handed it over to her. She read it quickly and hugged me again.

"You poor dear, did you get that just before you came here."

I had worked out a rough answer for that as she read the letter so I was able to answer her.

"Just before yeah. I was going to come down here and sort everything out then go home. When Peter dropped that one on me I had nowhere to go so I decided to come down here to live, make a new start."

"So what are you going to do now that you're here?" she probed.

"I don't know, I don't have to find a job straight away so I may take a few months to find my feet first." I tried a shaky grin. "If I get too lonely I can always give Carrie a ring, she passed me her number last night."

Wishes looked seriously at me.

"Linda, I wouldn't recommend that. I've known Carrie for years and I love her like a sister, but she's can be a bit of a slut. She is off with a girl one night and then be getting off with some guy the next. You seem to be in a bit of a sensitive state to be messed around by her."

"Well I'll think about it for a bit before I decide whether to give her a ring."

"Do that, do you want to go and freshen up before we hit the shops."

"Okay" I said and slipped into the bathroom.