Lettuces and Cream by John Evans Read Free Book Online Page B

couple of years ago they had nearly split up and he felt guilty about having such thoughts. But of course, people you meet become part of you-in your mind, in the memory, and intimate moments with others cannot easily be eradicated. Indeed why should they be?
    ‘Ooh, it’s a bit nippy,’ Jan shivered, slipping her nightdress over her head.
    Once in bed Jan turned her back to Mike and he snuggled up to her, pushing his body against hers.
    ‘Why are you always so lovely and warm.’
    ‘It’s my manly body heat,’ Mike joked, fondling Jan’s breast through her nightclothes.
    Jan was enjoying the warmth radiating from Mike and didn’t want to pull away. Instead, she wriggled her bottom against him, a signal that Mike knew. He eased the nightdress up to her waist, and his fingers began gently touching and exploring, his hardness growing awhile until, eventually, he entered that warm and sensual place, giving a low moan of pleasure as he did so. Jan liked this position; she could let him have his way and didn’t have to make any effort or pretence. He would be content, and she could, if she wanted to, satisfy herself at another time.
    He was well muffled against the cool night air , and as the light from the bedroom was extinguished he clambered down from his vantage point high up on the hedgerow bank, zipping up his trouser front as he did so. Carefully, and as quietly as a spiders whisper he crossed the silent yard and disappeared into the intense countryside darkness.

F IVE
    ‘Right Mr Jones, that’s the first tunnel up, and we should have the others sorted by tonight.’
    ‘Great, I should get an early crop of lettuce planted before winter gets here, right I’ll leave you to it then. If you want a cup tea or anything come down to the house okay?’
    ‘Righto Mr Jones, thanks, we will.’
    To save time Mike had ordered the first four poly tunnels before they had moved from town. He had chosen a company in Somerset, and opted to have them erected by them. It cost a bit more because the two workers had to be paid and stay somewhere overnight. Fortunately they had sorted that bit for themselves, which had been good news because Mike and Jan had nowhere in the house suitable. Anyhow, now that he had seen how the things were put together, Mike could erect the next batch on his own. But, at sixty-five feet long and fourteen feet wide, they were a huge intrusion on the landscape and he felt a bit guilty about spoiling the wildness of the place. But there was little he could do about it because they had to make a living. The much smaller propagating glasshouse, some forty feet long, was already up and stocked with the first batch of lettuce seedlings. But this house was made of wood and glass and blended into the country scene with ease. However getting the all the wooden frames and glass down the rough access track had been an enormous and tiring task. The delivery people had refused to attempt driving down to the yard and had left everything at the top of the track and driven off. So every single piece of wooden framework had to be carried by hand, including each large pane piece of glass, the sharp edges of which had lacerated Mike hands, and it had taken some time for his hands to recover.
    Overall his ideas were proving much harder to prepare for than he had planned, and far more costly. It had taken two whole days just getting all the parts to the yard before he could think about putting the thing up. Jan had done what she could and worked hard, but didn’t have the strength for many of the tasks. So she had concentrated on smaller, but necessary jobs, like tidying up in the yard and barn.
    Lunchtime, and Mike was back in the kitchen.
    ‘It’s hard to think, Jan, that we’ve only been here for three weeks and we’ve already done so much.’
    ‘I know, but it’s so quiet now with the kids back in school. I wonder how they’re doing?’ Jan said rather absent mindedly, putting his lunch on the table in front