Writing for Fun
July 2015
Deception - Bob Wendelkin
John and Brian had been friends ever since they were seated together at Infants School; now they had grown up and matured and were now young men. They had reached that stage of life that they were now enjoying parties and a few drinks.
John had a small business where he traded in antiques. Brian was more conventional and he had a job in an insurance office. The friends would meet up every weekend to enjoy a drink in the pub and then on to a party at one of their friend's house.
John, whether because he was a small business man or because of his nature, was always tight with his money. He would always be the last one to buy the drinks at the bar and never contribute to the petrol when they went on any long journey.
Brian was a different type, he was he was easy going and perhaps, because he had a salary, he was not mean.
John had, for a long time, practically since he started his business, employed a young woman to help him with the antiques. Carol had some skills she had learnt from her father on how to restore and present antiques to their best so as to attract a customer.
Carol was of a similar age as John and Brian but she had already been married and divorced and now had a young daughter called Charlotte, Charlie to her friends. The three became friends and quite regularly on a Saturday night after they had been to the pub John and Brian would go back to Carol's place. Carol was restricted in going out because she had to look after her daughter.
Occasionally when the friends got back to Carol's place she would be there with a man friend called Jacko. Carol had met Jacko when she and Charlie were walking their dog. As with many dog walkers a friendship was struck up between her and Jacko. Often he would visit Carol in her home. Only very much later did Carol find out that Jacko was a married man.
For John and Brian this case of affairs continued for quite a time, a Pub, a few drinks, off licence to buy a bottle or two, then back to Carol's. Over a period of time other of Carol's friends used to join them for a night of listening to records, dancing and a few drinks.
They were friends; no one was trying to change the relationships with one and other. Then quite suddenly this changed; Carol made it quite obvious that she wanted to have a stronger relationship with Brian.
Brian was quite taken aback by this change, he was not prepared to go forward and change their relationship. But Carol was coming on very strong and it was clear what she wanted from Brian.
Carol made sure that Brian's glass was filled to such an extent that Brian was becoming quite drunk. Whether it was arranged between John and Carol but John escorted one of Carol's friends back to her home. This left Brian and Carol alone in the flat.
At this point the inevitable began to happen; without any encouragement from Brian, Carol's actions began to become more obvious as she began to divest herself. More than that she also started to divest Brian.
In Brian's drink befuddled mind it didn't seem right; something was wrong. Carol's actions didn't seem right. He felt it was his job to lead not the other way round.
The action continued until the inevitable was about to occur but at this point the effect on Brian of Carol's plying him with lots of drink and his uncertainty took its effect. In some circles what happened may be known as 'Brewers Droop'. But Brian couldn't manage it.
Brian's emotional makeup took a heavy knock as a result of that night, with a feeling of inadequacy. However it did make some recovery when he found out that Carol had been in the very early stages of being in Family way when she had turned her full attention on Brian.
The deception on her part was as she would become an unmarried mother so she set about gaining financial support for herself and the new baby and Brian seemed a good candidate for this post. Carol never regretted her actions as she had a degree of desperation but she always regretted that she had fed Brian just too much drink that night.
In the fullness of time Carol had a little girl and it turned out that the father was Jacko – it seemed they didn't only just walk their dogs together. Eventually Jacko obtained a divorce and married Carol and they went on to have other children together.
For Brian and John their Saturday evenings never seemed the same again. For Brian he became a virtual T. T. John continued to be the last one to the bar.