“Nope.”
Adrienne folded her letter up and pulled herself up into a sitting position, “You've got to come, we've been paid, we've got a full day’s pass, and we're allowed off the base.”
Lily collected her things together and walked over to stow them back in her locker.
“Tell her Lily. She's got to come.”
Lily glanced over her shoulder towards Adrienne who was prompting her with her head, sighing and rolling her eyes, she turned round to face Helen.
“You should come.”
Helen raised her eyebrows slightly at the tone of Lily's voice, for the first time in two weeks there was the sound of genuine care there. Lily shrugged, “What else you going to do?”
Marjorie and Lucy burst through the door to the bay giggling carrying two buckets with ice in them.
“One of the girls says that Casablanca is playing in Abilene,” Lucy gasped between giggles.
“Now you have to come,” Adele said picking up her pillow and tossing it towards Helen.
“What do you mean?” Lucy asked confused before turning to Helen with a confused tone. “You weren't coming?” She stopped staring at Helen to check the clock, wishing that the minute hand had reached twelve so that their official leave could start and they could get off the base.
“Of course she's coming,” Marjorie smiled, picking Adele's pillow from Helen's bed and throwing it back.
Helen huffed before sitting up and spinning her legs off the bed. She glanced up at the clock, “Well we have two minutes before our leave starts, we should get ready to go.” She slapped her thighs and stood up, smiling towards her friends, evading Lily's stare as she did so.
***
“I remember when I shopped for girly things,” Lucy mused, as she swung her brown package containing her newly purchased long johns.
The girls laughed as they paid their entry to the Paramount movie theatre and entered through the wooden doors, making their way towards the theatre where their matinee would be playing.
Helen hung back hoping that she wouldn't have to sit next to Lily. However, her ploy backfired as the other women edged their way into the row leaving them at the end. She gave Lily a small smile and held her hand out to indicate for her to go first, then slipped in behind her.
They watched the film in silence, each transported to Rick’s Café and enchanted by the love story unfolding before them. Lily stiffened in her seat as she shifted slightly causing her bare arm to rest against the hot skin of Helen's arm. She closed her eyes tightly, listening to Ingrid Bergman tell Humphrey Bogart how much she loved him and still loved him.
Lily tried to control her heartbeat, which was racing at the most innocent of touches. The sensation of Helen's skin next to hers had restarted the fire inside her that had been ignited when she'd been held in Helen's arms. A fire that she could not comprehend and was trying desperately to quell, swallowing she opened her eyes as Rick and Llsa kissed.
Helen glanced down at their arms and returned her eyes to the screen, silently cursing herself that she so desperately craved the touch of Lily, that she was unwilling to move an inch in case Lily withdrew her arm. Despite her promise to be the best friend that she could be to Lily, the circumstances were too much for her to deal with. Being around Lily was just too hard, pretending not to feel what she felt was exhausting, and she had consciously withdrawn to protect her heart. However sitting next to Lily, feeling the warmth of her skin against her own, her resolve was all but gone.
Lily heard a gasp beside her as Rick told Llsa that she was to go with her husband and board the plane. A small sob escaped from Helen as Rick lied to protect Llsa's relationship with her husband. As the movie theatre filled with the all too familiar sound of airplane engines Lily moved her arm to open her purse. She plucked out a small white handkerchief, flapping it slightly before handing it across to Helen. She
Adrienne folded her letter up and pulled herself up into a sitting position, “You've got to come, we've been paid, we've got a full day’s pass, and we're allowed off the base.”
Lily collected her things together and walked over to stow them back in her locker.
“Tell her Lily. She's got to come.”
Lily glanced over her shoulder towards Adrienne who was prompting her with her head, sighing and rolling her eyes, she turned round to face Helen.
“You should come.”
Helen raised her eyebrows slightly at the tone of Lily's voice, for the first time in two weeks there was the sound of genuine care there. Lily shrugged, “What else you going to do?”
Marjorie and Lucy burst through the door to the bay giggling carrying two buckets with ice in them.
“One of the girls says that Casablanca is playing in Abilene,” Lucy gasped between giggles.
“Now you have to come,” Adele said picking up her pillow and tossing it towards Helen.
“What do you mean?” Lucy asked confused before turning to Helen with a confused tone. “You weren't coming?” She stopped staring at Helen to check the clock, wishing that the minute hand had reached twelve so that their official leave could start and they could get off the base.
“Of course she's coming,” Marjorie smiled, picking Adele's pillow from Helen's bed and throwing it back.
Helen huffed before sitting up and spinning her legs off the bed. She glanced up at the clock, “Well we have two minutes before our leave starts, we should get ready to go.” She slapped her thighs and stood up, smiling towards her friends, evading Lily's stare as she did so.
***
“I remember when I shopped for girly things,” Lucy mused, as she swung her brown package containing her newly purchased long johns.
The girls laughed as they paid their entry to the Paramount movie theatre and entered through the wooden doors, making their way towards the theatre where their matinee would be playing.
Helen hung back hoping that she wouldn't have to sit next to Lily. However, her ploy backfired as the other women edged their way into the row leaving them at the end. She gave Lily a small smile and held her hand out to indicate for her to go first, then slipped in behind her.
They watched the film in silence, each transported to Rick’s Café and enchanted by the love story unfolding before them. Lily stiffened in her seat as she shifted slightly causing her bare arm to rest against the hot skin of Helen's arm. She closed her eyes tightly, listening to Ingrid Bergman tell Humphrey Bogart how much she loved him and still loved him.
Lily tried to control her heartbeat, which was racing at the most innocent of touches. The sensation of Helen's skin next to hers had restarted the fire inside her that had been ignited when she'd been held in Helen's arms. A fire that she could not comprehend and was trying desperately to quell, swallowing she opened her eyes as Rick and Llsa kissed.
Helen glanced down at their arms and returned her eyes to the screen, silently cursing herself that she so desperately craved the touch of Lily, that she was unwilling to move an inch in case Lily withdrew her arm. Despite her promise to be the best friend that she could be to Lily, the circumstances were too much for her to deal with. Being around Lily was just too hard, pretending not to feel what she felt was exhausting, and she had consciously withdrawn to protect her heart. However sitting next to Lily, feeling the warmth of her skin against her own, her resolve was all but gone.
Lily heard a gasp beside her as Rick told Llsa that she was to go with her husband and board the plane. A small sob escaped from Helen as Rick lied to protect Llsa's relationship with her husband. As the movie theatre filled with the all too familiar sound of airplane engines Lily moved her arm to open her purse. She plucked out a small white handkerchief, flapping it slightly before handing it across to Helen. She
Similar Books
