Our Time Is Now 3

By Thomas Weaver

Tommy’s and Mary’s love was powerful, but stronger still was their overriding lust for each other and their insatiable sex drives. As the shadow of war came relentlessly closer, now threatening to affect civilians across the UK and, in particular, those like Tommy and Mary living close to the docks in Liverpool, their lives and plans for the future seemed threatened. The conventions and moralities of pre-war Britain still played a major part in limiting their physical relationship, but surely the lust was too strong for anything to hold it back? What they had imagined, the fantasies and extremes of all variations of sexual activity, must become a reality for them, and soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Strict Publishing International
• Release date: Oct 2, 2010
• ISBN: 9780857791191

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Our Time is Now

Book Three

by Thomas Weaver

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Thomas Weaver

Published by Strict Publishing International

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Prologue

War.

There was no doubt about it. Until now there had been little to affect civilians, although the threat of being called up into the armed forces was always present for most young men.

Now it was different. The bombing had started, and in the Liverpool the docks, not too far from where they lived, would inevitably be a prime target. Tommy and Mary’s love for each other and their recent engagement was too new for them to be certain that it would stand the test of the coming months. Certainly they had plans for the future, and certainly neither of them could imagine life without the other, but no one could predict what would happen and the strain that living in wartime Britain would put on their relationship.

Chapter One: Better Things To Come

When Tommy got to Mary’s, the front door was open but the vestibule door shut, and Pat had the hall light on which showed through the glass.

Pat will have that A R P chap chasing her up if she doesn’t watch it, I said. Remember the officious bloke that knocked on the door that night we were having it?

Mary sharply drew in her breath. Tommy you shock me sometimes being so blunt. Can’t you put it a bit more, well you know… different?

I can say it in a posh voice, I volunteered.

No silly, I meant… Oh, never mind, I’ve said it before, and you would not be my Tommy if you were different.

I smacked the right cheek of her bum with my right hand as we went in.

Oops! Mary said. Careful. A girl could get to like that.

Before I could say any more, Pat came out into the hall. Hello. What’s all the commotion? Had a drink, have you?

No, Pat, Mary said. We’ve been to the pictures and you were showing a light through the vestibule window. The local A R P man has already given us a notice about it while you were out the other day, and he said it’s a fine next time.

Oh, don’t worry about him, Pat said. He’s pulled me up a few times, but a bit of flannel and a wink and he’s eating out of my hand.

Have you heard the Germans are bombing London? I asked her.

Yes, but that’s not here, is it?

Erm! No kidding this time, I told her as we went into the kitchen. It’s going to get bad all over.

Thanks, Tommy, Pat said. You know Joan and I are going down London way some time and it maybe next week. Couldn’t you have brought better news?

It’s not Tommy’s fault, Mary said. Don’t get snapping at him.

I’m not, said Pat. I’m getting impatient, is all. We waited weeks for today’s interview and now it’s probably weeks before this next one. It’s just I’d like this interview to be tomorrow. I am looking forwards to it, but all this waiting I could do without.

Where are you going exactly? I asked.

To Reading for the test, but the job is somewhere else, so I am told.

Well, I know Reading. It’s not in London. It’s at least thirty-five to forty miles outside the city centre.

I’ll still have to get the London train, won’t I? Pat said.

Not necessarily. Maybe get a train to Oxford or get off the London train at Oxford if it goes there and get a local train into Reading. That way you will miss London altogether.

Can we do that?

It’s not definite, but you can always ask at the information desk, I suggested.

I had no idea whether the trains went that way or not, or even if any train was scheduled to go that way, but it seemed to relieve Pat and that was important at that moment.

Right, that’s what I’ll do, Pat said. You’re not just a pretty face after all, Tommy.

I can guarantee that, Mary said. I’m going up for that bath. Are you going to wait a while?

I’ll stay the night, if you want. Just in case of a raid. I can call at our house on the way to work for my working gear. As you can see, I have not got my gasmask with me.

I never bother with that either, Pat said. They are more trouble than they are worth.

The government must think they are important, I said. And they won’t let you into work without one now.

There was a lull in the conversation, and then Mary said again, I’m going up for that bath. I’ll see you later.

Not before I’ve been to the bathroom, Pat said getting past Mary and going to the stairs.

While you’re up there, I told Mary, I’ll go and ’phone mum and let her know I’m staying. Something else, while I think on it: when am I going to see you, you know, like we said?

Mary looked puzzled for a moment.

You’ve forgotten, I said, but within seconds it dawned on her what I was talking about.

No I haven’t forgotten and we could not this week anyway, could we? It seems somehow that I’ve seen less of you this week than any other, but I know I haven’t. It’s got to be work first, and ‘the other’ has been getting in the way.

Well not tonight then? I said, and then thought better of it. No, I don’t want to put any pressure on you. Leave it, I said, and meant it.

I have been thinking about it, Mary said. And I had the idea earlier when Pat said about going away for that interview maybe something could happen then, but I’ve also been asking myself if I am ready or even willing.

And are you? I asked.

We’ll just have to wait and see, Mary said.

* * * * *

While Mary was having her bath, I went to the ’phone and called mum and told her I’d be staying the night at Mary’s. I also told her that I’d forgotten to pay her my keep and I would do in the morning when I picked up my work clothes and gas mask.

When I got back, Mary was still upstairs, soaking, I surmised, but Pat was in the kitchen.

Mary will be making up the bed in the spare room for you when she gets out of the bath. You want a cup of cocoa or anything?

No thanks, I’m okay, I said. But if you don’t mind my asking, what is this job you and Joan are after? You seem a bit more into it than you were about Dunnings.

At first, Pat said, It read as a secretary’s position, but after we did this first interview today which included algebra tests among other things with blocks and colours, they offered Joan and myself something ‘more interesting’ than just secretarial work. We have to go down to this place in Reading for the ‘next phase’, I think that’s what they called it.

Sounds mysterious, I said.

Not really. They told us a bit more about it and said its M O D work. We might have to leave here and work in the London area, but that’s not necessarily so either because of the area we live in and the dockland.

Well, I suppose Reading could be classed as the London area, I said, But are you willing to leave here and work miles away?

I don’t see why not, Pat answered. You and Mary are going off at your first chance, and how far away is London anyway? It’s not the ends of the Earth like Australia or America, is it?

No, that’s true, I said. Without any hold ups, from here to London is probably a little over four hours,

Mary came into the kitchen in her white fluffy dressing gown and a towel around her head. Your bed’s all made up, but you won’t be going up just yet will you?

No, I’ll wait up a while and go down the garden and check over the air raid shelter. Does it get damp at all?

Not that I’ve noticed, Pat said. But Mary has insisted that we put the night light candles in there anyway. She says your mum does it and it keeps dry and warm.

Yes, Mum swears by that method, I said, and took a torch off the shelf as I headed down the garden to the shelter. As it happened, it did smell a little damp in there, so I lit the nightlights and looked around. There was, of course, the electric light, but no sign of an electric fire and there was not a lot of room on the floor for one anyway.

It does feel a bit damp in here, I heard Pat say as the door opened, which must have swung shut behind me and I had not noticed it.

I was wondering if I should bring some bedding, but I don’t think I’ll bother, she continued. It’s bad enough coming into here while it’s damp without damp bedclothes as well.

You might not need them yet, I told her. No one has said there would definitely be a raid, but it won’t harm to make sure the place is comfy. That plant pot is getting very hot already, so don’t touch it.

We went back to the house. Mary was brushing her hair and I did not miss noticing that her dressing gown had opened at the top and I saw one beautiful breast. I had hoped, of course, that Mary would follow me down the garden, but even though I kept hoping, I thought it would be unreasonable to expect her to after just having a bath. Also, I felt that Pat might be watching for something, but on the other hand it might have been that I just had a guilty conscious.

It’s a bit damp down there at the moment, Pat said. So we’ll leave the bedding on the settee and if anything starts take it with us then.

It was getting on for eleven twenty-five, Mary said. Are we going to go to bed or waiting up for a while longer?

If you want, you two can go to bed, I told them. And I’ll sit up a while but I’m not going to lose any sleep. I’ll go up about twelve after I’ve been out and had a word with the A R P and see if there is any more expectancy of a raid than there was earlier.

A peck on the cheek from Mary was all I could expect with Pat being there, but I did not mind. I had almost had a promise of better things to come.

* * * * *

I stood at the front door looking up at the sky. It had been a mostly cloudy day, but it had cleared and it was a starry night and quiet, so quiet it was like everything and everyone was taking advantage of the silence and sleeping. Although, not quite everyone, because the silence was broken by the A R P’s heavy boot fall on the pavement as he slowly pounded his beat.

Evening, officer, I said, being polite to the man who had threatened Mary with a fine.

All quiet on the western front? I asked lightly. Are we still threatened with raids tonight.

I don’t know any more than anyone else, he said. If nothing happens by three, then I guess it won’t.

Well, I kind of figured that bit out for myself, I said. But there is no threat that you know of?

No special orders, no, but if anything starts I’ll come and bang up the ladies first, he promised.

‘Fat chance,’ I thought, ‘The dirty old sod’s making innuendos.’

Okay, I said, But leave the door on its hinges, won’t you? Goodnight. I went indoors and after checking the house over, I went to bed and slept until seven-thirty.

* * * * *

Good morning.

I woke to feel Pat shaking me awake. Tea, she said and went out of the room. Come on, Mary. Wakey, wakey. Don’t let your tea go cold

I heard Mary say, Is Tommy up yet?

No, but he’s got a cup of tea as well.

I raised myself up in the bed, leaning against the headboard, and I sipped my tea.

Move over, Mary said, sitting with her legs alongside me on the top of the covers.

I shifted over almost onto the edge of the single bed.

No raid last night, thank goodness, Mary said as she sat next to me drinking her tea.

No. I went out and had a word with the A R P and got him to redirect the Germans to the middle of the North Sea.

Stop kidding. What did he say?

"He said he knows no more than anyone