Fifteen Going on Grown Up (30 page)

“Mum gave us some cookery lessons. She helped us put together this menu, she kept it simple so we wouldn’t muck it up.”

Hally smiled and felt her heart swell and race at the same time and for the first time that day contemplated what might happen later.

Wes, Gregg and Rhys continued waiting on the girls for three more courses, raspberry sorbet followed by chicken breasts in a white wine sauce with baby potatoes and vegetables and a dessert of chocolate mousse with strawberries and fresh cream. They finished with a pot of coffee and after dinner mint chocolates.

“Phew, I don’t think I will eat chocolate for a month.”

Hally announced at the end of the meal. Corrinne and Clia gave her a scathing look.

“Well maybe a week.”

She told them.

“More like just about a day.”

Clia told them all laughing. This brought laughter from them all.

“Well, now it’s time for the clearing up. So, we’ll just leave you girls to it and go and watch the television.”

Rhys said standing and stretching.

“Ooof…”

Was all he could then say as Clia mock punched him. He started laughing as did the others.

“Suppose I deserved that.”

He told them.

“Come on girls, off to the sitting room and let us poor guys clean up this kitchen. Such slavery.”

Gregg announced kissing Corrinne on the top of her head. So the girls returned to the sofa.

A little while later Wes poked his head around the door and saw the girls settled together on the sofa.

“Um…could you three sort of sit on separate seats please?”

He asked unusually bashful. Hally looked over the top of the sofa and saw a shyness in him that wasn’t usually there.

“Ok, we will.”

She told him and he gave her a beaming smile. Hally stood up and moved to an armchair close to the fire and Clia turned to Corrinne.

“Where do you want to sit Corrie?”

“I’ll go to the chair, give you and Rhys some room for those extra ten pounds.”

Corrinne replied with a chuckle. Hally smiled at her friends loving them like they were sisters. They re-settled themselves and chatted for a while.

“When are you giving Wes his gifts?”

Corrinne asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, what about you two?”

“Well what if we go and get them and bring them down because it sounds like they have something planned if they want us on separate chairs.”

Clia said to them. They agreed and Hally popped her head around the kitchen door to let the boys know where they were going.

Hally and Corrine placed their wrapped gifts by the side of the chairs where Wes and Gregg wouldn’t see them. Corrinne had to hide hers under a cushion as all sides of the sofa were easily visible.

“Shoulda opted for a chair.”

She grumbled light heartedly. The girls chatted some more, the television playing to itself, and then the door opened and boys returned each carrying a gift bag. Wes turned out two of the wall lights leaving just a dim glow from the other two and the firelight. The boys then went to their respective girlfriends. Wes took Hally’s hand and gently pulled her out of the chair, then sat down easing her onto his lap. Rhys sat next to Clia and Gregg squeezed into the chair with Corrinne, she lifting her legs and draping them over Gregg’s knees.

Wes opened his gift bag and reached in taking a soft package wrapped in red paper and ribbons. He handed it to Hally who carefully but excitedly opened it. Inside she found a tiny pink teddy bear with a red heart on the chest. The words ‘Be My Valentine’ embroidered on. Smiling she kissed Wes and hugged the bear to her. Next he pulled a square package with the same wrappings and inside this one she found what was more like a book than a card, for it had several pages of Valentine messages and a hand written note that said.

Hally, the only girl for me. Your Wes. xxx

The last gift Wes pulled out was small and again in the same wrapping paper and trimmings. Slowly she unfolded the paper and found a small box. She lifted the lid and there laying on a bed of pink silk was a pair of silver earrings with a tiny red rose dangling from each. Hally stared in awe, unable to speak, not only had she never before received a Valentine gift but to find her first as beautiful as this was amazing. Wes took her silence as a sign of dislike.

“Don’t you like them?”

He asked worriedly. Hally immediately turned into his arms and hugged him tightly.

“I love them, they are absolutely beautiful. And the other things too. Here I have something for you too.”

She leaned over the side of the armchair and brought up the presents she had put there and gave them to Wes. He studied the two packages unable to decide which to open first.

“This one.”

Hally said pointing to a small soft gift. Wes gave her a questioning look then proceeded to unwrap the present. He peeled off the outer paper and found red tissue paper underneath.

“Mmmm… maybe there’s nothing in here.”

He teased. Hally gave a soft laugh as he gently separated the tissue and his expression on finding the gift made Hally burst into giggles.

“Hally Mackeller you are kidding me.”

This brought the attention of the other two couples.

“You too mate?”

Rhys called across the room and Clia giggled.

“And me.”

Said Gregg, Corrinne chuckling in the background. The boys each held up their gifts. Wes’ was a red pouch in silk with ‘Big Boy’ printed on the front. Rhys had a red and black silk thong with ‘Cheeky’ along the waistband and Gregg had a red velvet pouch with ‘Love machine’ printed on. The boys laughed with the girls for a few minutes and joked about when they were supposed to wear them. Then Hally turned Wes’ attention to her other gift which was a long thin package. Wes carefully unwrapped the gift and lifted the lid from a box. Inside he found an identity bracelet engraved with

‘Hally and Wes’

“Do you like it?”

She asked shyly. Wes leaned towards her and gave her a long kiss.

“I love it Hally.”

Finally Hally handed him the card she had bought and as he slit open the envelope she began to blush as she thought about the words she had written. For some reason she hadn’t thought she would be this close to him when he read it. Wes studied the card then looked up and gave her a soft loving look.

“Do you mean it?”

He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Hally felt her cheeks begin to heat up as she nodded then buried her face into his shoulder. He held her tightly and for some time they didn’t speak. After a while Hally mumbled to him.

“You know I think I will go and change out of this dress, it’s getting a bit uncomfortable now.”

“What you mean into something even more sexy?”

Wes replied. Hally looked up startled and quickly Wes murmured words of reassurance.

“Babe, I’m kidding. Honestly, just teasing you.”

His smile was warm and genuine, so relieved, Hally climbed off his lap. In the dim light she couldn’t quite make out what Corrinne and Clia were doing so she just called out.

“I’m getting changed, what about you two?”

Clia and Corrinne both mumbled something incoherent to Hally but then stood up and the three girls made their way upstairs.

“So did he like his present?”

Clia asked as they got to the top. Both Hally and Corrinne said yes at the same time making them all laugh.

“What about Rhys?”

Hally enquired.

“Well he hasn’t stopped snogging me since.”

She replied with a huge smile. Corrinne and Clia passed Hally to their own rooms agreeing to go back down all together. Changing didn’t take any of them long and soon they met on the landing togged up in their warmest pyjamas and fluffy dressing gowns with matching slippers.

“Bet they get a bit of a shock when they see us now.”

Clia joked as they made their way down. On re-entering the living room the girls noticed the boys had three sleeping bags rolled up on the floor and had also changed out of their smart clothes. They were all now wearing jog pants and T-shirts. Hally looked at Wes a frown asking the unspoken question.

“We told you we were on strict orders for best behaviour.”

Wes told them.

“The rooms are just for you girls, we are going to bunk down here.”

Corrinne jumped onto Gregg’s lap taking the wind out of him and Clia folded herself next to Rhys, tucking her feet under her. Hally kneeled on the floor in front of the fire and unrolled one of the sleeping bags and unzipped it.

“Could you pass those cushions please?”

She asked Wes. He did as asked and when she had them satisfactorily arranged settled herself on the sleeping bag and patted the space next to her. Wes joined her and together they snuggled.

“I don’t want to sleep in that room by myself.”

She whispered. Wes leaned on an elbow and looked down into her eyes.

“Hally, I can’t…”

Wes started to say, but Hally cut across him.

“I don’t mean that, even though I think it would be nice, I mean, I just want to stay here by the fire with you.”

Wes beamed at her then lowered his head and gave her a long deep kiss. Hally felt her body react instantly and she pressed herself close to him. Even through her dressing gown and pyjamas she could feel her breasts tingling as they touched his chest. She could also feel his body reacting too and this excited her even more. Wes kept his hands still, just holding her, but Hally took hold of one and moved it to cover a breast. She felt his kiss deepen as he gently rubbed her breast on top of her clothes. She thought she would explode, then he stopped and pulled away from the kiss.

“No Hally, not here, not now.”

He whispered, his body defying his words.

“But…”

She couldn’t speak, she wanted to cry, shout but hold him tight all at once. She desperately wanted him to do more, to touch her everywhere. She was burning, so she pressed harder into him. Wes held her but didn’t move, his own body sending messages to his brain and to Hally. Hally wiggled into him and then suddenly again that momentous explosion of feeling flooded through her. She bit down on her lip so as not to call out and at the same time felt Wes tense and a soft ‘Huh’ came from him.

As the feeling subsided Hally didn’t feel shy or embarrassed or confused this time. Instead she lay snuggled in the sleeping bag holding Wes with a smile of complete satisfaction on her face. Wes didn’t speak, nor move, he just kept his arms around her. Hally knew something had happened to him this time too and felt proud that she could do that to him. If he felt anywhere near what she had felt then that had to be a good thing, she thought. Wes moved slightly and Hally looked up into his eyes.

“Are you alright?”

He whispered.

“I feel absolutely wonderful. What about you?”

She whispered back, the television muting their conversation to the others.

“Hally, it felt very good even though it shouldn’t…”

Hally stopped his words with a kiss.

“It’s ok…I know how you feel about all of this and what just happened…well…it’s enough.”

Wes smiled and held her, she closed her eyes and they just lay snuggled in each other’s arms. As sleep began to envelope her, Hally thought about the words she had written in Wes’ card.

Wes, my Valentine because that is what love is.

He had liked what she had written, had asked if she meant it and today and especially tonight; she thought he had showed her that he felt the same. Content and feeling very grown up she let sleep take her.

The drive home seemed to be much quicker than the outward journey. The boys had made tea and toast for them all and cleaned and tidied before locking up and loading the car. Conversations were comfortable and normal and Hally guessed that meant nothing serious had happened between her friends and their boyfriends. In the end, all of them had simply stayed in the sitting room snuggled up sleeping as the fire gradually died down. Hally had awoken a couple of times during the night to movement and saw first Gregg then Rhys quietly pick up a sleeping bag.

They arrived at Hally’s house a little after eleven and Wes unloaded her bag carrying it through to the kitchen. The others were going home but Corrinne and Clia had arranged to come round to Hally’s later. Wes had to work at five, so he said he would spend a bit more time with her before getting off to see his family before work. The house was empty when they went in, but there was a note on the table from her parents saying they had taken Nathan to his football match. Hally switched the kettle on and as she took mugs out of the kitchen Wes came behind her and put his arms around her.

“Last night was great.”

He whispered as he nuzzled her neck. Hally smiled feeling a sense of power running through her.

“It was for me too.”

She told him turning in his arms. He kissed her deeply but didn’t let it linger too long. Then a sudden thought came to her and a question bubbled up and came out before she could stop it.