Claire

[cpower36]

As much as I would have loved things to have been different, they have always been the same.

Witnessing a moment of self doubt or nervousness has always been worth far more to me than a hundred meaningless drunken conquests. Modesty over conceit. Embarrassment over confidence. Always.

So it was with Claire, a girl of about nineteen, who I worked with in the mid nineties. I say I worked with her, but she was, despite her tender years, in the lower reaches of management. Aloof, driven, and assertive to the point of rudeness, to say that I actually liked her would be less than truthful. Claire was also, to my eyes at least, rather beautiful. The conflict of enjoying her looks immensely and yet finding her personality equally unattractive always held my interest like a stone in my shoe.

The first thing that struck anyone when they first met Claire was her physical stature, or more accurately perhaps, the lack of it. She was truly tiny, perhaps only five feet two, and as slender as the word itself. Her breasts were small, domed, but were at least present and attractively high, whilst her wrists and ankles looked like they would surely snap in a moderate breeze. Claire’s natural blonde, summery hair was usually tied back in a ponytail, but a complex French plait sometimes made a welcome change. Her pale skin was as smooth as a pebble, and was sprinkled with a dozen golden freckles either side of her nose.

She wore the plainest outfits for work, a black pencil skirt and black tights teamed with various white blouses that always seemed to allow her white bra strap to be visible to those who wished to look.

Claire was a constant source of fascination. She would enter each day at Eight o‘clock sharp, sit down without a word for anyone, and begin drinking a mug of tea that almost seemed bigger than she was. It was often an hour before anyone spoke to her, and I never once witnessed her instigate a conversation. I would usually be able to watch her across the canteen at lunchtime, alone as always, frowning over her paperback while dabbing crumbs away from her delicate pink lips.

I was the only one who bothered to watch her leave too, awkwardly pulling on her raincoat before whispering ‘Goodnight’. No one ever seemed to summon enough effort to reply before she was well out of earshot.

To watch Claire each day was like watching rainwater pouring down a storm drain. Boring yet captivating. Tiresome yet enthralling.

Things were, however, about to change.

[cpower36]

Friday began in a cold, horrible atmosphere and went downhill from there. Just before nine, everyone raised their head to witness Claire being extremely rude to the lovely office junior Sarah, blaming her for a mistake in the diary. I could have stepped between them and ushered Claire away of course, but as usual shrunk away from the responsibility, finding myself open mouthed and paralyzed at the spectacle. Quiet tears were shed, and the office stuttered on, with girls shuttling from the office to the ladies loo, consoling and whispering. Everyone felt for the poor girl, except Claire of course, who soon immersed herself in her work again, ignoring the hubbub around her. Even when the mistake was found not to be Sarah’s, Claire successfully resisted the need to apologise, making the whole episode a thousand times worse. The day dragged on until five when everyone filtered away silently.

Saturday meant one of our frequent nights out for someone’s birthday. Claire surprisingly attended, although I was probably the only one pleased to see her, and looked absolutely breathtaking in a simple black dress that sparkled under the city’s lights. She had chosen my favourite French plait too which drew even more attention to her elfin features.

A pleasant enough night followed, but as could be expected after the previous days incident, most of the girls gave Claire the cold shoulder and as our group dispersed to various parts of the bar, she found herself alone in the corner, swirling a glass of white wine.

It was then that I noticed Claire gazing at two of the office girls and their boyfriends far across the bar.
Claire’s eyes looked away, misty and forlorn, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. I knew that look as soon as I saw it.

I know that look better than anyone.

[prototype01]

LOL - this is brilliant....

[Krst]

Originally Posted by cpower36

Friday began in a cold, horrible atmosphere and went downhill from there. Just before nine, everyone raised their head to witness Claire being extremely rude to the lovely office junior Sarah, blaming her for a mistake in the diary. I could have stepped between them and ushered Claire away of course, but as usual shrunk away from the responsibility, finding myself open mouthed and paralyzed at the spectacle. Quiet tears were shed, and the office stuttered on, with girls shuttling from the office to the ladies loo, consoling and whispering. Everyone felt for the poor girl, except Claire of course, who soon immersed herself in her work again, ignoring the hubbub around her. Even when the mistake was found not to be Sarah’s, Claire successfully resisted the need to apologise, making the whole episode a thousand times worse. The day dragged on until five when everyone filtered away silently.

Saturday meant one of our frequent nights out for someone’s birthday. Claire surprisingly attended, although I was probably the only one pleased to see her, and looked absolutely breathtaking in a simple black dress that sparkled under the city’s lights. She had chosen my favourite French plait too which drew even more attention to her elfin features.

A pleasant enough night followed, but as could be expected after the previous days incident, most of the girls gave Claire the cold shoulder and as our group dispersed to various parts of the bar, she found herself alone in the corner, swirling a glass of white wine.

It was then that I noticed Claire gazing at two of the office girls and their boyfriends far across the bar.
Claire’s eyes looked away, misty and forlorn, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. I knew that look as soon as I saw it.

I know that look better than anyone.

You write so beautifully, cpower! I'm looking forward to your next post.

[cpower36]

Although it felt almost painful to move to sit beside her, feeling everyone’s eyes burning, I overcame the awkwardness, and was rewarded with the faintest hint of a smile.

‘Hurts to watch sometimes, doesn’t it?

‘Yep.’ Her tiny features disappeared again into her glass.

Inwardly delighted that for once in my life I was right, I launched into several other Christmas cracker platitudes.

‘It will happen for you Claire..I’m sure it will’

‘Yeah right’

‘Of course it will. Just look at you’

She shook her head, but still managed to cast me that familiar sideways glance that says ‘Go on then. Tell me some more’

‘For what its worth, I think you’re the most beautiful girl here. It’s not even a contest’

‘So that’s why I’m sitting here on my own then is it?'

She did have a point. Even though I knew her frostiness to be the problem, getting her to thaw was
always going to be a much bigger one.

‘Perhaps I’m just able to see what no one else does’

‘And what is it you see exactly?'

I offered one last cast, praying it would catch my little fish.

‘Oh I don’t know.. It seems to me that you’re always trying to show how tough you are, but it just doesn’t come naturally to you. Its just an act. Inside you’re just as lonely and vulnerable as the rest of us’

I wasn’t really sure whether I believed a word of it, but it sounded quite good at the time. I left it at that and wandered back to the others, but my eyes never really strayed far from her as she finished her wine.

As the landlord began to usher people away, I lost sight of her in a crowd that seemed to be twice as tall as she was. I could feel a panic sweep over me, until I felt a tiny little tug on my shirt.

‘Would you..er…like to go for a coffee or something?

[cpower36]

The taxi was warm and silent, as they all are after a night on the town, and the long back seat gave me the chance to look at Claire’s smooth, unmarked legs as she fidgeted away next to me.

‘Just to let you know’ she eventually began. ‘I don’t want to DO anything tonight. I just want someone to…you know….just be with’

‘Of course. Absolutely. No problem at all’ I replied.

I suppose I should have felt disappointed, but I wasn’t at all. Typically of me, her reticence was only serving to intrigue me further. Had she thrown herself at me in that taxi, I doubt I would even bother recounting this tale.

She fumbled for her keys as the taxi rattled away into the night, and we were soon inside her narrow townhouse. We sat side by side on her sofa, Claire cradling one of her huge teas, me wincing my way through one of her coffees. She had soon kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs under herself, and I stole looks at those lovely little calves and her modest cleavage as her eyelids began to drift towards sleep.

As her head dropped onto my chest, I felt certain she would be able to hear my heart beating above the muted music, but it was the ending of the final song that made her stir.

‘Are you about ready then?’ she whispered, raising herself up. ‘You do remember what I said though don’t you?

‘Of course. We’ll just have a nice sleep. Don’t worry’

I followed her up the stairs gazing at her derriere and those wondrous little calves, and looked up at the ceiling every time she turned around to check on me. The bedroom was lit only by two bedside lamps, casting pale green light subtly around the room.

Claire began one of those bedtime routines that all girls seem to have, taking off her minute wristw*tch, impossibly thin gold necklace and earrings, before placing them safely on her dressing table. She picked up differing bottles of products in a well practiced order and applied them gently over her arms and hands. She turned her back to me as she continued this ritual and I took a moment to drink in the enormity of whatever was to come. Eventually Claire turned to face me as she rubbed yet another cream into her forearms and smiled a weak, tired smile.

As she did so I unbuttoned my shirt, laid it on the floor, and undid my belt, letting my trousers fall to the ground abruptly. I saw her stare as I did so, her eyes looking down at my white boxer shorts. Knowing she was looking, I lowered them too, making no effort to hide myself as I did so.

‘Oh. OK. Right’ she gasped, struggling to take in sufficient air. ‘I didn’t realise you would be going totally..’

The next word seemed to stick in her throat and was never said.

I made no effort to get into bed, and simply stood before her. I could see her eyes looking into mine before darting quickly downward and then up again. I could feel myself stiffening rapidly, and was intent on prolonging her discomfort for as long as I could.

‘I hope youre not expecting me to sleep naked. I have my nightie under here’ she said assertively, trying to recover from the shock.

I declined to answer her of course, and just let her continue, fretting and mumbling away to herself.

Once she realised I was never going to reply, she sn*tched the garment from under her pillow like a lifejacket and turned briskly away.

She continued turning and twisting, laying her nightdress on the bed and picking it up again several times, before finally reaching agreement with herself. She turned away once more, and in one rapid, fluid motion lifted her sparkling dress right over her head. I was surprised to learn that she had not been wearing a bra under her dress, and I was treated to my first sight of her creamy white back, bare and speckled with a few tiny freckles on her shoulders. My eyes quickly scanned downwards, where a pair of minuscule black panties struggled to contain the cheeks of her petite bottom.

Claire’s legs were of course short by model standards, but no less beautiful for that. Drawn from bone china, they tapered gently from her dainty ankles all the way to her thighs, a yard of pure heaven. The satin fabric of her panties interrupted the pleasure of looking at them, so I was forced to start all over again from the beginning.

I could feel my erection springing up harder and higher as I continued to watch her get ready for bed. Reaching behind her blindly, and managing to screen her breasts from me, she picked up her nightdress and placed it on her dressing table. I fully expected her to pull it over her head as quickly as she had removed her dress, but was delighted to see her lower her panties first, exposing those cute little cheeks to my eager eyes. She stepped out of her panties carefully, and as she bent over to pick them from the floor, my eyes feasted on the graceful curve of her bottom. She straightened up again before pulling the nightdress over her blonde hair, down her back and over her rear, ending my pleasure for the moment at least.

Straightening her nightdress, Claire strode over to the bed and stripped back the bedclothes as I fervently tried to see more of her through the pale pink covering. Sadly though, my effort went unrewarded, and she slipped under the covers undiscovered.

I followed her into bed, and she immediately attached herself to me like a little limpet. Her head rested weightless on my chest, and I could feel the softness of her little breasts against my ribs. She rested her hand gently on my stomach, uncomfortably near to where I wished her to rest it. I could also feel where her nightdress ended and her bare, smooth legs began, and the feeling of her warm thigh touching mine did nothing to aid my sleep.

I had promised her though, and a promise was a promise, however difficult it was to keep.

‘Night then’ she said, stifling a yawn.

‘Goodnight Claire. I’ll see you in the morning’

Or at least I hoped I would.

[cpower36]

Sorry Lue- Im not quite with you. Are you saying my story isnt a true one?

[chesney78]

Originally Posted by cpower36

Sorry Lue- Im not quite with you. Are you saying my story isnt a true one?

Who cares what he thinks, I'm loving it, please carry on

[Esq2K]

Originally Posted by chesney78

Who cares what he thinks, I'm loving it, please carry on

I agree -- I come here every day looking for the next installment. I love your story, the way you write it and I can't wait to see what happened next.

[milocool]

"‘And what is it you see exactly?'

I offered one last cast, praying it would catch my little fish.

‘Oh I don’t know.. It seems to me that you’re always trying to show how tough you are, but it just doesn’t come naturally to you. Its just an act. Inside you’re just as lonely and vulnerable as the rest of us’"

Brilliant xD and sooooo recogniseable!
This is what seperates the boys from the men.

Your writing is very very nice, and i have no problem at all believing this is not fiction.
go on