Three Dont Tango 28

I am sitting in the kitchen reading a book. Annabel is mooching around, restless.
"What's the matter with you?"
"I want to go out," she said irritably.
"Where? There's nothing on is there?"
"There's the festival at Pilton."
"I didn't think you were into all that sort of thing this year."
 "I dont know, I just want to go out. You don't want to go to Pilton do you?" It was clear from the way she looked at me that my answer was meant to be 'no'.
"Not particularly," I said cautiously.
She twisted around on one leg, and started fiddling with something off the windowsill. "I don't suppose Edwin would go," she said with a certain resignation.
"Ah," I said. "So what you really mean is that you want to go out with Edwin."
"If he had any gumption he'd ask me out."
"Perhaps he doesn't want to."
"He's scared to." She looked thoroughly disapproving.
"What? Scared of his wife?"
"No, just scared. That's the way he is. It's that stupid school he went to. Everybody who goes to one-sex boarding schools grows up weird."
"So you do or you don't want to go out with Edwin?"
"I just told you I did."
"It's just that you've been running him down a bit lately."
"Well....." She wandered into the drawing room, then came back again and sat down.
"Do you want me to ring him up?"
"What for?"
"To ask him if he'll ask you out."
"No." She stood up. "Well, you could ask him what he's doing tonight." She twisted about on one leg and pulled a face at me.
"Hmm. I'll tell him I was going to take you to Pilton but I feel a bit tired, and ask him if he fancies going. How's that?"
"Perfect." She beamed and gave me a big kiss.
"I don't know. Here I am making appointments for my wife to go out and get laid by some strange man," I muttered as I went off to the phone.
"Edwin isn't some strange man. And anyway, who said he was going to seduce me?"
I dialed Edwin.
I went back to the fidgeting Annabel.
"What's he say?"
"What do you think he said? He'll be round in half an hour to pick you up."
"You'll be all right on your own wont you? Don't wait up for me."
"I have no intention of waiting up for you. I am tired and I shall get an early night and sleep the sleep of the just. Don't wake me up when you come home. I assume you are coming home tonight?"
"Don't be silly."
And so I went up for an early night and Annabel went off with Edwin to the festival.


The village of Pilton is set on the top of a hill on the edge of the Mendips. The main road to Glastonbury roller-coasters along the top, takes in a pretty nasty bend and then lurches downhill, past a vineyard, and onto the Somerset Levels.
In the distance you can see the ruined church on top of Glastonbury Tor. When you stand on the top of the hill looking to the west you are on one of the ley lines of old, whatever that may mean. Supposedly you are standing upon hallowed ground. Supposedly you are tuned in to the old primeval forces.
To the south of the main road is a field sloping steeply down towards an orange coloured tent beyond all the other myriads of tents of all shapes and sizes. At the bottom of the hill is a pyramid.
The stage is lit with a whole promenade of colours. The sound of the band blares up from the speakers. The smoke from a small fire drifts across the track. It is cool, and in the gloom guys with long black hair are smoking joints under the stars. Someone is fingering a cheap Spanish guitar, made in Romania. Someone is staring, just staring, after having tried a little something made in Afghanistan.
Annabel is sitting next to Edwin together with a few hundred others, leaning into the hill, and listening to the band.
Now Annabel is sitting next to Edwin behind the hedge, with the tall grass all around them, and the lights from beyond are a sprinkle of tiny sparkles.
Annabel is lying back in the grass, and Edwin is stroking her legs, and lifting up her skirt.
Annabel is lying down in the billowy grass, and for some reason her knickers are screwed up a couple of feet away.
The music plays, the stars shine, and smoke from a thousand spliffs drifts up in the cool night air, while Edwin and Annabel play silly games.


The next morning I awake early as usual. Next to me is a sleeping Annabel. I let her sleep on for an hour or so then nudge her.
"Well? Have a good night out?"
She looks dozily at me, and smiles. "Yes."
"Well, tell me all about it."
"There's nothing to tell."
"Then it cant have been all right."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if there's nothing to tell, presumably you didn't have as good a time as you expected."
"Oh well, you know what Edwin's like."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She dithered, and waved a hand about, tossing off the bedclothes. "Well, he's such a wet."
"Oh dear." I turned over and hugged her and gave her a big kiss. "You mean he didn't manage to get round to it."
"He's just full of hang-ups. I don't know what's the matter with him. Are all people who've been to public schools like that?"
"It's no good asking me, I wasn't at one long enough to know what it does to your sex life, but I don't see why it should do any more damage than anything else."
"I'm not so sure. He's been brought up to have an absolutely absurd attitude to women."
"Why is it absurd if he doesn't want to seduce you? You know he just likes looking."
"Well, it's not natural."
"It obviously is to him."
She snorted and turned over. I sighed and got up, and as a special concession brought her a cup of tea in bed.

The next night we went to bed about eleven as usual. I got into bed and Annabel undressed by the window, looking out across the valley.
"What can you see?"
"Nothing, it's all black, but there are a few stars."
"You ought to draw the curtains."
"Why?"
"It's not fair on Edwin."
"Why's that?"
"Poor chap, he'll be getting all worked up looking at you undress."
"That's his problem." She took off her bra and stood right against the window, then took off her knickers, and stood in front of the mirror. "Anyway, you said that was all he wanted, so he shouldn't get worked up, should he?"
"Perhaps not. Maybe he isn't even down there."
"He is. I can see the car in the drive."
"I didn't hear him drive up."
"He always comes down the hill with the engine off. So as not to disturb us, so he says."
"Does he actually go swimming, or just stand on the lawn waiting for you to show your tits?"
"Oh I think he does go swimming."
"I didn't build that swimming pool so he could have an excuse for staring at us when we get undressed."
"He doesn't stare at us, he only stares at me."
"That's worse. And stop looking at yourself in the mirror." I put off the light. "You might as well get into bed now anyway. He cant see you with the light off."
She got into bed, making a dickens of a row shifting sheets about.
"Shsh!"
"What?"
"Shsh." I held up my hand and we waited, sitting in the dark. There was about forty seconds of silence, and Annabel was getting restless, and then we heard the car start, and quietly drive off up the hill.

---