outset. However, she couldn’t help feeling that Vinny’s views had changed
since then and no matter how much she told herself that she was doing no wrong,
she still felt guilty. She hadn’t promised Vinny any commitment, but she knew
that if he ever found out that she had been on a date with someone-else, he
would be hurt.
Secondly,
she was bothered by Norma’s words of warning although these didn’t concern her
as much as her feelings of guilt about Vinny. She knew about Mike’s reputation
but it was something that she chose to ignore. Julie refused to spend her time
worrying about what might happen. She recalled the old saying, ‘nothing
ventured, nothing gained’, and decided that it was appropriate. If she didn’t go
out with Mike then she might spend the rest of her life regretting it.
The third
reason why Julie felt she shouldn’t go out was because of her present state of mind.
She felt bad that she was going out so much and enjoying herself when Amanda
had just died, but she convinced herself that Amanda wouldn’t want her to sit
at home moping. Anyway, it would be a good way to take her mind off things and she
couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Men like Mike were few and far between and
now she finally had the prospect of going on a date with him. Just the thought
of him sent a tingling sensation through her body.
In addition
to all of these concerns, Julie was feeling nervous. Mike was in a separate
league to the men she usually went out with. Most of her previous boyfriends
had been a disappointment as they hadn’t had the vision to see beyond their own
little worlds. But Mike was different. He was sophisticated, educated and had
travelled. He was interesting, amusing and probably came from a different
background to hers. His family might even be loaded for all she knew.
Julie finally
decided that she would go on the date. To hell with her concerns! After all,
wasn’t this the opportunity she had been waiting for?
--------------------
Thursday
26 th June 1986
They met in
a pub near work, one that they were both familiar with. Mike had offered to
pick Julie up from her home but she had declined. She preferred not to let her
parents know who she was going out with. Julie had had enough grief from Rita
and Norma about seeing Mike and didn’t relish having to explain the position to
her parents as well. She also preferred not to let Mike see the area where she
lived just yet as she didn’t want to give him any cause to go off her before
they had even got to know each other. For the same reason she had decided not
to tell him about the events of the previous weekend. There was nothing more
likely to send a man running than the thought that he might be dating a
murderer, she thought.
Julie
figured that Mike would soon find out about what had happened. It was
unavoidable as the news was spreading through the office like wildfire. She
knew that he hadn’t been in the office much this week as he had a diary full of
customer visits, so the chances were that he hadn’t heard the rumours yet. “ Fine, ”
she thought. “ I’ll leave off telling him for now and cross that bridge when
I come to it. ” At least that way she would have a chance of him getting to
know her without any pre-judgement.
Mike looked
even more gorgeous outside of work than inside. His appearance was less formal
but still smart. He wore a pair of slacks and a very fetching shirt, and she
could tell that he was freshly showered and shaved. As he approached her she
caught a whiff of his expensive aftershave. They made small talk, complimenting
one another on their appearances as they drank. Then, when they had finished
their first drink he guided Julie out of the pub and into his car.
‘Come on,
let’s go!’ he suggested.
‘Where are
we going?’ she asked.
‘Wait and
see, it’s a surprise, but I just hope you didn’t have a big tea before you left
home.’
Julie
smiled and relaxed in the comfortable seat of his
since then and no matter how much she told herself that she was doing no wrong,
she still felt guilty. She hadn’t promised Vinny any commitment, but she knew
that if he ever found out that she had been on a date with someone-else, he
would be hurt.
Secondly,
she was bothered by Norma’s words of warning although these didn’t concern her
as much as her feelings of guilt about Vinny. She knew about Mike’s reputation
but it was something that she chose to ignore. Julie refused to spend her time
worrying about what might happen. She recalled the old saying, ‘nothing
ventured, nothing gained’, and decided that it was appropriate. If she didn’t go
out with Mike then she might spend the rest of her life regretting it.
The third
reason why Julie felt she shouldn’t go out was because of her present state of mind.
She felt bad that she was going out so much and enjoying herself when Amanda
had just died, but she convinced herself that Amanda wouldn’t want her to sit
at home moping. Anyway, it would be a good way to take her mind off things and she
couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Men like Mike were few and far between and
now she finally had the prospect of going on a date with him. Just the thought
of him sent a tingling sensation through her body.
In addition
to all of these concerns, Julie was feeling nervous. Mike was in a separate
league to the men she usually went out with. Most of her previous boyfriends
had been a disappointment as they hadn’t had the vision to see beyond their own
little worlds. But Mike was different. He was sophisticated, educated and had
travelled. He was interesting, amusing and probably came from a different
background to hers. His family might even be loaded for all she knew.
Julie finally
decided that she would go on the date. To hell with her concerns! After all,
wasn’t this the opportunity she had been waiting for?
--------------------
Thursday
26 th June 1986
They met in
a pub near work, one that they were both familiar with. Mike had offered to
pick Julie up from her home but she had declined. She preferred not to let her
parents know who she was going out with. Julie had had enough grief from Rita
and Norma about seeing Mike and didn’t relish having to explain the position to
her parents as well. She also preferred not to let Mike see the area where she
lived just yet as she didn’t want to give him any cause to go off her before
they had even got to know each other. For the same reason she had decided not
to tell him about the events of the previous weekend. There was nothing more
likely to send a man running than the thought that he might be dating a
murderer, she thought.
Julie
figured that Mike would soon find out about what had happened. It was
unavoidable as the news was spreading through the office like wildfire. She
knew that he hadn’t been in the office much this week as he had a diary full of
customer visits, so the chances were that he hadn’t heard the rumours yet. “ Fine, ”
she thought. “ I’ll leave off telling him for now and cross that bridge when
I come to it. ” At least that way she would have a chance of him getting to
know her without any pre-judgement.
Mike looked
even more gorgeous outside of work than inside. His appearance was less formal
but still smart. He wore a pair of slacks and a very fetching shirt, and she
could tell that he was freshly showered and shaved. As he approached her she
caught a whiff of his expensive aftershave. They made small talk, complimenting
one another on their appearances as they drank. Then, when they had finished
their first drink he guided Julie out of the pub and into his car.
‘Come on,
let’s go!’ he suggested.
‘Where are
we going?’ she asked.
‘Wait and
see, it’s a surprise, but I just hope you didn’t have a big tea before you left
home.’
Julie
smiled and relaxed in the comfortable seat of his
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