Colleen's night

Cowering in a small almost empty darkened room just beyond the “staff only” doors Colleen heard her friends call for her and the night club’s staff forbid their entry. She wept bitterly, quietly feeling vile, loathsome as she thought “if that’s what they think of Sharon who is only a slut when she's drunk what will they think of me? Gary and I fucked twice today and I only met him today and he’s with Bernie. Perhaps I’m only a toy a convenience to him. Perhaps I am a slut but I don’t want to be. I want someone to love me to be kind and sweet to me”. Her mind kept running over these thoughts like a broken record as she sat curled up in a foetal position as if to keep the whole world out.

After what seemed an age but was less then 20 minutes the door opened and John Trelawney from the band walked in turned on the light and exclaimed in surprise “who on earth are you and what are you doing in our band store?” Then coming closer he looked closer at Colleen he recognised her and called out louder “Jim Hawkins come here will you, that girl you know is crying in the band room”

Hawkins came in “Now look John if you gossip about this I will be very angry”

“You know me you can trust me”

“Yes I do know you and I know you talk too much. Don’t do it this time”

He approached Colleen extending his hand to her “come on Colleen you can’t stay here and you’d be better off somewhere quiet and comfortable. Come with me” He took her hand, helped her up and led her back to the bar now closing. “Just a moment while I tell your friends you’re alright” He soon returned with a towel and damp washer “ Now sit down wash your face and I’ll get you coffee you have had quite enough **** tonight”

Colleen gulped down the coffee when it arrived “I don’t know where to start”

“But I do, for you're thinking you’re worthless because you had sex with that man you were dancing with when he is going out with someone else”

How the hell do you know that? Colleen was astonished

“Elementary my dear Colleen. Simply deduction from the observed facts for I saw you dancing with him then you disappeared from the room for a while you came back looking flushed, smoothing down your dress and he was smirking and tucking his shirt in. Now I know he’s going out with someone else for I spoke to them a few moments ago. I also saw you rush off- it was when that girl started to strip I suppose your friends made some comment about her. By the way the bouncers had to subdue her a bit."

Colleen began to cry again, the next she knew was being enfolded in Hawkins arms just like she had been by her father when something had gone wrong as a little girl and just as then she began to feel better. She looked up at him “Jim” she began

“Yes Colleen”

“Will you take me home. I don’t want to drive. And could I ask another favour. Is there any place I could have as shower and freshen up? My parents wont like the state I’m in at the moment”

“Well only my place I guess, um if you don’t mind I suppose”

“You don’t want me there do you? You don’t like me do you” she began to cry again

“Hush its not that, I’m just wondering what my flatmate will think if I come home this late and make a noise. Well let’s see. I have to pack a few things and I’ll be back”

As she waited for Jim, Colleen began to think on what had happened. Nothing that night had gone the way she expected or hoped. She was surer then ever that Hawkins must be gay no straight guy would act that way well not unless he was as old as her parents were. But as they drove off the cool night air and his gentle talk revived her. About 10 minutes later they arrived at an old warehouse that had been done up into apartments.

“I’m sorry I have the loft and there's only stairs” said Hawkins letting her inside.

HE opened the loft door “Davie there's someone you’ll have to meet” he called out then as another man about his own age came” Colleen Flannagan meet Davie Balfour who shares this with me. He’s another foreigner – we stick together”

David smiled and greeted her in a broad Scottish accent. Colleen showered then Jim let her use his bedroom while he made tea for himself and Davie and coffee for Colleen. She looked at his room –books everywhere and a computer desk and on that a picture of a rather plain girl in a frame and some other photos too. Jim knocked and entered as Colleen looked at some. "That’s my family" he said as she held one up then as Colleen looked at some others “that’s the university waterpolo team – we were runners up that year in the Australian and New Zealand inter university competition."

“Who's the girl- your sister I guess” she said pointing to the plain girl in the picture

Jim flushed and said “No that’s why I’m here. Jen was a girl I met on the net from Sydney and then I met her in real life and she was everything to me and then I got an e-mail from her saying she was going out with some other bloke and I couldn’t handle teaching in Napier NZ anymore so I applied for this exchange and here I am”

All Colleen could think was “she's rather ugly. I look a thousand times better then she does” but said nothing.

Jim blinked a few times and said, “Ok coffee then I will take you home”

He said very little more until he dropped her at her parent’s house.

“Don’t I even get a kiss on the cheek” Colleen said as he stood by his car.

“Oh alright then” he kissed her but Colleen thought very reluctantly and got back in is car and left leaving Colleen with a lot of questions