“And this is our Head of Operations, David DeCosta,” my boss said as he introduced me to the new employee. “Dave, this is Jake, he’ll be starting with us at the start of next month as regional director for the south.”
“Pleased to meet you, Jake," I said, offering my hand.
“The pleasure is mine Mr DeCosta, I’m looking forward to the challenges this new job is offering.”
“Dave, please. It’s only Mr DeCosta if you’ve screwed something up.”
“But I’m always Mr Armstrong,” my boss added. “Please give Jake the two-bob tour of Ops. then bring him back to my office.”
“No problem, boss.”
“That works too,” Mr Armstrong laughed as he walked away.
At five-foot-eleven, I'd never considered myself short and with a forty-four-inch chest never thought of myself as slight. That is until I met, Jake, ironically his full name was Jacob Small, the gods do have a sense of humour. I got a crick in my neck when I had greeted him as he towered over me by eight full inches and it seemed that everything else was proportionally bigger.
Jake waited until my office door was closed then lowered his voice, “Is Mr Armstrong as much of a hard arse as he comes across?”
“On one hand, yes he can be, but so long as you do your job and don’t bullshit him, he’s a great man to work for. In my twenty-five years here, I’ve never once thought about moving on. Though I swear Mr A will be here twenty years after I’ve retired too.”
We spoke some more as I talked about what my role and department did. I told him how I had joined the company as a pot washer in one of the restaurants at sixteen and applied as an office junior when I had finished my A-levels at eighteen. Mr Armstrong who owned the chain of restaurants and hotels had seen something he liked and taken me under his wing and guided my career almost from the word go.
Jake had gone a different route and got a degree in hotel management and after a couple of years of work experience had completed his HCIMA professional hotel and catering qualification. From there he had become the youngest area manager for one of the big hotel companies at twenty-seven and now three years later was getting ready to start with us. Even in a company the size of Armstrong's, Jake was still very young to take on the role of regional director, but age never stopped Mr Armstrong from giving a job to someone he saw deserved it.
Despite his achievements, he came across as incredibly humble, even when disclosing his other activities there was nothing brash about the man. Gold Duke of Edinburgh award; was selected for the GB Modern Pentathlon team for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 before an injury sidelined him and he also had picked up a black belt in karate along the way. Ultimately it does not matter how humble someone is, when the list gets to a certain length you inevitably feel that little bit of sick at the back of your throat. It was not like I was a slouch, I had got top marks in my exams and had represented the school in a couple of sports, winning several medals and trophies along the way. I had also won the heart of and married the most beautiful, vibrant girl in my home town ahead of bigger, more handsome and far more eligible competitors.
~~~~~
I first met Nicola at the bus stop when she started at senior school, I was starting my fourth year so did not notice this new girl much, but apparently, I had been nice and let her on the bus before me, even with my nose in one of my books. This carried on for about eighteen months, progressing to good mornings and good nights, we had even exchanged names too. Then one day as I was leaving school, I saw that someone was talking to her and as she went to walk away, he blocked her path. Even though she was defiant and stood with her hands on her hips, her shoulders back and stared him in the eye; she was no match for the guy and his friend. Although we were not friends, we were friendly and I would not stand by and see her, or anyone intimidated like that.
“Hey Nicola, you not catching the bus today?” I called as I got closer.
This was the first that the trio had noticed me and they all turned to see who was coming. As I have said, I have never considered myself short or slight and then I also had the arrogance of youth. On top of all of that, I had the arrogance derived from being in the top year of that part of the school and being on a couple of the sports teams. In my head I was invincible. Luckily for me, the two guys talking to Nicola decided that discretion was the better choice and started to move away, though not before one had pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at me, I guess to mean he would be watching me.
Nicola ran up to me and looped her arm in mine and then froze.
“Er… thanks, David. Erm… do you mind?" she asked, as she squeezed my arm a little.
“First it’s Dave to my friends and second, I don’t but my girlfriend might.”
It was pretty nasty, but I did chuckle out loud as Nicola tried to pull her arm from mine like she had been scalded.
“It’s a good job I don’t have one at the moment, isn’t it?”
That was the first time that Nicola hit me, her playful slap to my chest barely registering as she slipped her arm back through mine. I had a quick glance over my shoulder as we started to walk to the bus stop and noticed the other two were watching us.
“And if you want to call me Nic, I’d like that. Though please not Nicky,” she shuddered, “I hate that!”
Life went on and Nicola and I talked a lot more from that day on, though it was generally limited to the bus and on occasion, she would join me if I was on my own at lunch. My friends found it, amusing for the guys and cute for the girls, that I had a bit of a fan club. They had even more fun when one of them noticed she had turned up and was watching the end of one of my cross-country races, cheering me on to another win, though she did not hang around after. The next home race I had, Nicola was there and again I did not see her and once more she disappeared as soon as I crossed the line. On the Monday following the third time, I asked her about it on the bus into school.
“Here Nic, some of my friends have spotted you at the last few home races I’ve had, but you’ve vanished before I’m changed. Have I done something wrong?”
She flushed red and looked into her lap before answering, "No, it's not that, I mean, well…" she looked up at me her eyes pleading. Some may call me a shit, but I learnt something that morning; if you do not say anything others will fill the void and she did, "Well, after, you know? And we got talking more, I wasn't doing anything so thought I would come and see what you did." As she spoke her confidence seemed to grow, "I have actually seen the start and finish of your last three races. But there has always been some of your friends there and I don't, didn't know how to say hi in front of them."
“You could try, ‘hi’ or something like that.”
“Yes, but your friends…” I cut her off.
“You are one of my friends. After, you know; I told you that.”
“Yes, but they are all so much older and I’d feel out of place and…” she ran out of steam.
“I’m so much older,” I mimicked. “Listen to me Nic, we’ve talked a lot, you’re fun and intelligent you act more like sixteen than…” I paused as I didn’t know when her birthday was.
“Thirteen,” she helped me out, “my birthday is in January.”
“Ooh, close, I’m February,” I said. “But yeah, you don’t have to worry, they may look old and scary, but they’re a nice bunch. If ever you’re at a loose end and your crowd aren’t about, don’t be afraid to join me for lunch. Not just the times when I’ve been abandoned in favour of their training or studying.”
Nicola never did join me for lunch nor did she hang around after my remaining races that year, but she did not hide and waved before and after them. This got me even more flack from my friends about my fan club. As we got close to the end of the year, I did not have to go in so much except for revision and if I needed to use the library. After that, it was our exams and then we were just about finished with the main school. The only thing left to do was the end of year prom and while I had had several girlfriends through school, I was single and had been since just after my birthday. I probably could have asked any of the single girls in my year and had a date for the evening, but there was one girl who my mind kept flitting back to. She was fun and intelligent, but she was also the most beautiful person I knew with her long flowing red hair and brilliant blue eyes, add to that the beguiling Irish lilt in her voice and I was just about smitten. It didn't stop there, as I had got to know her since we started talking, I found she was just as beautiful underneath. She was very modest about herself and blushed almost the colour of her hair when I complimented her. She also spent all her Sundays volunteering at the local animal shelter.
“You’re joking, right?” was Nicola’s response when I asked if she would be my date for the prom.
Followed by, “I don’t know if my dad will let me, not this year.”
“I’m happy to ask him and if he wants you home before it’s finished, I’ll make sure you’re on time.”
I knew it was asking a lot and looking back it makes me smile that the three years between us now are nothing, but back then, they were like a canyon the size of Valles Marineris on Mars. It was not unheard of for people from the year below to go as dates, in fact, the previous year my girlfriend at the time had split up with me because some guy from the year above invited her. Much to her chagrin, I refused to get back with her after he had dumped her. It was unheard of that someone from two, let alone three years below was asked.
“Come in,” I was instructed by her father. I knew better than to sit down when he did and remained standing until I was invited to sit. I was not invited.
“So, you want to take my daughter to the prom?” I nodded.
“Pardon?”
“Yes, I do," after he just raised an eyebrow, I finished, "please, Sir."
“Hmmm. A bunch of out of control sixteen-year-olds and my precious little girl."
“I promise she won't be out of my sight unless she's in the loo and then I'll wait by the door. I'll also make sure she's home safe at what time you want." Another raised eyebrow followed by, "Sir."
“Let me ask you, David, do you value your balls?" I heard Nicola chuckling behind me.
“Erm, yes Sir.”
“If you really do, you will fulfil that promise and have her home by ten.”
“Daddy!” This was my first experience of a daughter winding her father around her finger.
“Okay as school will be finished, eleven, but no later.”
Well, we finalised arrangements and at six-thirty sharp on the evening of the prom, I knocked on Nicola's door. She looked beautiful, but then she always did; her dress was the epitome of modesty, but it was perfect. As we walked into the hall, I felt her squeeze my arm tightly and then tighter as my name was called by my friends. Introductions were made and we had a wonderful night, she was brought out of her shell by the other girls at the table, even joining them for the group visits to the loo. I must admit I failed on that promise, but she was never on her own. A couple of the other guys asked her to dance, but she refused only dancing with me and we danced a lot in those couple of hours. When it was time for us to go, she was hugged and kissed by everyone at the table and we walked to the door hand in hand. None of my friends joked about the fan club ever again after that. As I walked her up the path to the front door of her house, the porch light came on but before I knocked, she grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek.
“Thank you, Dave, it was a great night and your friends are so nice."
As soon as I knocked the door swung open and Nicola’s father stood to one side to let her in and then he surprised me, he offered me his hand.
As I shook it, he said, “Good, I like a man that can keep to his word.”
He later told me that he had seen the hug and kiss and noticed how I let her lead and did nothing more; that and getting her home on time had made a huge impression on him.
Through the summer Nicola and I spent a lot of time together, mostly with my friends if there were others about, but I did make a point of spending time with hers. Although she had expressed a preference for my friends, finding hers a little dull now, I reminded her that she must not dump her friends for a boy, be it me or anyone else, though the thought of it being anyone else felt like a knife twisting in my stomach.
All too soon summer was over and we were back at school, I was now in the sixth form, my final two years and Nicola a year higher. After the prom and summer, it had become accepted that we were a couple and there was a little merging of our groups of friends, but more it was one of us moving between them a bit like during the summer. I did constantly remind her to make sure she kept her balance with her friends. Nicola came to watch me when the school team were playing at home, even on the most vile days and I saw she would join my friends if they were there. In turn, I started to volunteer, all be it only once a month, at the animal shelter. I did notice that during that year she carried herself with far more confidence, which I loved, and I did often see guys talking to her, which I hated. Nicola laughed about it, more than once telling me that she had had to shoot someone else down in flames.
The year came and went and the summer and then I was into my final year. Much like before, we spent as much time as we could together, this was made easier after I passed my driving test and got my first car as summer ended. Still, people were hitting on Nicola, she even said a few girls had asked her out, I was not quite so upset about those requests and must admit the wandering pervert in my head distracted me a few times. Once again exams loomed and then they were done and it was my final prom, again Nicola was my date, though this time she did dance with some of my friends, as I danced with some of the girls from our group. I was given until midnight to get her home, her father now trusting me more and was treated to a fairly passionate kiss on the lips.
The next year was Nicola's first set of big exams and we spent a lot of time together revising. Then the topic of her prom came up and I knew that I would not be allowed to attend as I was no longer at the school. At first, she said she would not go, but I insisted as it was part of her rite of passage. In the end, she relented but only on the promise that a couple of her friends were going and all three were going without dates. It later transpired that those friends were actually a couple, but no one batted an eyelid at the three of them dancing exclusively all night. Until apparently, one prospective suitor asked Nicola and then her friends to dance only to be turned down by all three. His retaliation was to announce that they were all just a bunch of dykes anyway.
While Nicola did not worry too much about people calling her names, she defended her friends vehemently and without hesitation she stepped up to the suitor and slapped him hard across the face. To prove his masculinity, he had to be restrained from hitting her and it was only a reminder of who her boyfriend was that made him walk away. This shook her up and she was allowed to make a call from the school office and I was there to collect the three of them as soon as I could.
Two more years passed and Nicola and I were just getting stronger and stronger as a couple. I had been working as an office junior for just under three years and was enjoying my work. Nicola had finished her final exams and was hoping to get enough to confirm her place at Cambridge University, studying law. With the exams came another prom and I was allowed to attend this one and her father had not given her a curfew time either as she was now eighteen.
It was the best night we had had together, when I picked her up she looked stunning. Gone was the modesty of the first prom, replaced by a confident sexy woman. Her dress was still a ball gown, but there were no sleeves or shoulders and it dipped at the front and back to show more than a hint of what lay beneath. Nicola's alabaster skin was in complete contrast to the black of her gown. Her boobs, which I knew from experience were a good handful were lifted up and held in such a way I swear I could have rested my glass on them. Her back was exposed enough to show off her shoulder blades as her hair was tied up on the top of her head. Her five-inch heels meant Nicola was still six inches shorter than me, but also that I would not have to lean over so far to kiss her.
