The serial: The Pepper Girls Day 25

Gotcha, Lexie Melville,’ he said aloud, ‘now let’s see how you feel when I reject you.’

Lexie could feel herself blush to the roots of her hair. Did he really think she was unforgettable?

Robbie took her arm and linked it through his, his fingers strong grip relaying their urgency. “I’ll walk you to the tram stop,” he told her, adding, “only if I may.”

Lexie was transfixed and all thoughts of Charlie Mathieson were swept from her mind. There was only one man in her world at that moment and that was Robbie.

No words were spoken as the couple walked arm in arm to the tram stop but their bodies were speaking volumes.

“I think we need to meet,” Robbie said, his eyes never leaving her face, “and soon.” Lexie nodded and he squeezed her hand in his. “Tomorrow night at seven,” he whispered, “at the park gates, just like in the old days.”

Lexie felt herself start to tremble, remembering what had happened then but this time, she felt more than willing to feel Robbie’s arms around her and his body taking hers.

“Seven it is,” she echoed as the tram trundled to a stop in front of her. Robbie helped her board and stepped back, his eyes watching her every move.

Lying

He had no doubt about the effect he had on Lexie and smiled to himself at the thought of her lying to that boyfriend of hers, Charlie Mathieson about where she was going on a Saturday night and why she couldn’t possibly be with him.

“Gotcha, Lexie Melville,” he said aloud, “now let’s see how you feel when I reject you.”

Lexie was in a blind panic by the time she reached home. She had to get word to Charlie that he couldn’t come over on Saturday as she was ill, no, not ill, he’d be concerned and come over anyway, that she had to comfort a sick friend.

Her eyes lit up, yes that was it, she had to spend Saturday with Sarah, who had a bad cold and needed her company.

There was no way in this world she wasn’t going to meet Robbie.

She had to see Sarah, get her help. She’d understand the urgency, how could she not, now that she had feelings for the man at the library.

For the second time in a week, Lexie turned up at Sarah’s door, looking even more flushed and bothered than before.

She hurried past Sarah and flopped down on to one of the beds in the bedroom Sarah shared with her two sisters.

“What on Earth is it?” Sarah squealed, “you’re behaving like a mad woman.”

Predicament

Lexie, her eyes glistening and bright with emotion explained her predicament. “So, I have to meet him Sarah, I just have to.” This wasn’t good. Sarah had seen Lexie in many different moods over the years but this one was different. She was almost out of control.

“Alright,” Sarah said, “all right. I’ll drop a note in to Charlie tomorrow on my way to the library and hope that he doesn’t ask too many questions.”

Lexie grasped her friend’s hands. “Oh, thank you Sarah,” she breathed, “I’ll never forget you for this.”

“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Sarah asked.

“After all, you and Charlie seemed so happy...” but Lexie wasn’t listening. In her fevered mind, she was already in the arms of Robbie Robertson and didn’t care about anything else, especially not Charlie.

Lexie made her way home from Sarah’s breathing in the cold air in an attempt to bring her heartbeat down and steady her breathing.

Her mother mustn’t see her like this and start asking questions again. She just had to hold it together until tomorrow night at seven o’clock, when she would meet Robbie Robertson and whatever he asked of her, she would surely do.

She thought she’d loved Charlie but what she felt for him was nothing compared to the desire she was feeling at the mere thought of Robbie Robertson.

At a quarter to the hour of seven, Lexie made her excuses to Euan and her mother, saying that she’d probably be late as Sarah would keep her talking about that boyfriend of hers.

Annie felt the palms of her hands begin to sweat as they held her knitting needles. “Don’t be too late,” Euan said, “church tomorrow.” “I won’t,” said Lexie, moving towards the door. Just another few steps and she’d be out of there and on her way to her tryst with Robbie.

Heart singing

Her heart was singing. How could she ever have let him go?

How childish she’d been. She saw that now but no more, now she was a fully grown woman and ready for the love of a strong man. She pictured Robbie in her mind’s eye again and no one was stronger than him.

The lamps were lit all along Arbroath Road as she neared the park gates. They were locked but it didn’t matter, Robbie would find another way in.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm in her skimpy coat and ankle boots. She could hear the chimes of a nearby church clock. Seven o’clock. He’d be here any minute. She looked around, it was quite dark now and there weren’t many people around, save for a dog walker who passed her without comment.

The cold was seeping through the soles of her boots now and her ankles were beginning to feel numb.

The church clock chimed the quarter hour then the half hour but there was still no sign of Robbie.

Lexie began to worry. Something must have happened to him, he must have had an accident, she told herself as she paced up and down in front of the gates.

But, by the time the clock struck eight, Lexie felt a deep foreboding in her soul as she realised the truth. Robbie Robertson wasn’t coming to meet her at all, not now, not ever.

(More tomorrow)