Fast Fiction: Only Natural
Richard Mallinson's tells a teasing tale about a young lady who finally takes the plunge.
'We don't have to talk,' she said. 'We can sit quietly here.'
'And share our silences?'
'Well, why not? We've already shared everything else.'
I looked at her, reproachfully.
'Not quite,' I said. 'Oh, please don't start that again.'
'Don't start what again?'
'You know what.'
'Well, can you blame me? It's only natural, isn't it?'
'Please don't go on. You know it upsets me just to think about it.'
*
'There,' I said a few weeks later, 'it wasn't so bad after all, was it?'
She reached across to me.
'I was terrified at first,' she said. 'I simply hadn't a clue ... I didn't know what was expected of me ... Then, surprise, surprise, everything began to go smoothly and before long I was enjoying myself and - '
'Let's hope it will be the first of many times.'
'Hm, let's hope so,' she said, kissing me. 'I'm glad that you talked me into it.'
'Well,' I said, 'as you've seen for yourself, my parents are nice old things ... I can't think why you were so scared of meeting them.'
