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 WARNING: This story includes sexually explicit material.

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   =======================================

   Time of Her Life by Vickie Morgan

   PART THREE

   Bill pulled up in front of the hotel just as Verity came out the front
door.  He pushed open the passenger door and she jumped in.

   "Sorry about the mess," he apologised, scooping up some of the clutter
from the floor and tossing it into the back.  "I'm not very good at keeping
things tidy."

   "Don't worry about it, I don't mind" Verity reassured him.  "Does this
car belong to you?"

   "Not entirely," Bill admitted.  "I share it with two of my brothers. 
Still, it's not a bad old banger, I guess."

   "I always wanted to learn to drive," Verity said with a sigh.

   "You should learn, it's easy enough," Bill said.  Then a thought struck
him.  "Verity, you are old enough to drive, aren't you?  I mean, I never
thought to ask and you look old enough but please say you aren't a school
kid or anything like that."

   "Relax, I'm definitely old enough," Verity assured him.  "Both to drive
and to have sex.  I just never found the time to take lessons."

   "If we can find a deserted track somewhere I'll give you your first
lesson if you like," Bill offered.

   "That would be fun.  Your brothers probably wouldn't be too pleased if
they found out you let an amateur drive their car."

   "Don't worry, I won't tell them if you don't.  OK, settle back," Bill
suggested.  "I thought we could go up the A1 to the Washington Monument.  I
know a Little Chef near there that makes great bacon butties.  I thought we
could watch the sun come up, there's a wonderful view from there."

   "You're just an old romantic softy, aren't you," Verity teased.

   "You've found me out.  Just don't tell anyone, OK," Bill requested. 
"What kind of music would you like?"

   "I like the old stuff.  Elvis and Dean Martin, the Beatles and the
Kinks, stuff like that."

   "Golden oldies.  You're in luck, I think TFM plays that kind stuff in
the wee hours."

   "It's definitely my lucky day," Verity agreed, smiling at him.

   The motorway was quite busy, even though it was still early.  Bill
missed his turning for the service station and had to double back but they
still reached the Monument before sunrise.  They left the car in the
car-park and walked through the gate and up the slope.  The Monument
crouched on the top of the hill like a baby Pantheon.  The fat pillars and
triangular roof were silhouetted against the lightening sky as they
approached.  They settled down between two pillars with their legs dangling
over the side.  Bill dug into his small knapsack and produced the bacon
sandwiches and a thermos of coffee.  Below them was the fast moving queue
of car lights travelling along the motorway and the sprawling lights of
Newcastle.  Even though it was only a small hill they seemed to be very
remote from the bustle below.  All around them was the pre-dawn sky with
the far away Pennines blurring the horizon.

   "It's funny, I always thought it would be really dark before the sun
came up but it's not," Bill commented.  "It's actually quite light
already."

   "Yes, the sky's all purpley, isn't it?" Verity replied dreamily.

   "Look at these pillars," Bill said in disgust.  "They're covered with
graffiti.  None of it's even anything original, just 'Tim woz here'."

   "I suppose it's just a desire to leave some permanent mark so people
will know you were here, that you existed," Verity mused.  "When I was
younger I used to carve my name on trees but apparently that's not good for
the trees.  If I had some kind of knife I'd be tempted to carve my name on
here."

   "You're just a little vandal, aren't you?" Bill asked.  "Defacing public
monuments and damaging old trees."

   "What's this a monument to?" Verity inquired.

   "I don't actually know," Bill admitted.  "The only thing I know about
this place is that the girls say if you can't shuffle round the outside of
the pillars then your bum's too big.  Hey, look, we're facing the wrong
way. Come on, grab your coffee, we need to be on the other side." They
crossed to the other side of the Monument just as the sun began to rise.

   "Wow!" Verity said eventually.  "I didn't actually think it was going to
be anything that special but that was spectacular."

   "All the purple bits of sky have turned orange, isn't that weird," Bill
remarked.  "And see where it's glittering over there, that's actually the
sea."

   "The sea, really?" Verity asked excitedly.  "We can see the sea from
here?"

   "Yes.  Anyone would think you'd never seen the sea before?"

   "Don't be mean," Verity said defensively.  "I just haven't been to the
seaside for years."

   "So why don't we go there today," Bill suggested.  "Stop off and get
some picnic stuff and go walk along the beach.  Do you have a lot of
shopping to do?"

   "No, I just wanted to get some new clothes.  I'm sick of my old stuff,"
Verity explained.

   "We can swing past the Metro Centre, they open early.  Get clothes and
food all in one stop and it shouldn't be too busy this early," Bill said.
"Then we've got the rest of the day to spend at the coast.  I have to be
back for seven to play football and I'd kind of arranged to spend the rest
of the night at the pub.  They've got some kind of Halloween karaoke night
tonight.  Do you fancy that or not?"

   "Sounds great to me," Verity agreed.  "Come on then."

   Bill couldn't believe how fast the day went.  They raced round the Metro
Centre, which was eerily empty and echoing at that time in the morning. 
Bill helped Verity pick out some new clothes.  They found themselves in
agreement about what food to get but completely disagreeing about wine so
they got Verity's choice since Bill was driving.  Then they drove to
Saltburn, packed the bread, pate, cheese and wine into Bill's backpack and
caught the train to Redcar.  They wandered back along the beach with the
wind at their backs, stopping among the shelter of the sand dunes to eat
their lunch.  They reached the car again with plenty of time to drive home
before Bill's football match.

   Bill found himself distracted during the match.  He had wanted to play
really well to try and impress Verity but he kept stealing glances at the
viewing gallery to see how she was getting on with the other girls.  He
didn't really take part in the usual changing room post-match analysis but
hurried through his shower so he could meet up with Verity as soon as
possible.  She seemed to be enjoying herself and she was happy enough to go
the pub with the rest of the team.  They stopped off on the way at the chip
shop and Bill was fascinated to watch Verity devour her portion as if it
was a religious experience.

   The pub was decked out with pumpkin lanterns and witches' hats and the
karaoke was already in full swing.  Their group took over one corner of the
bar, spreading themselves over a couple of tables.  Bill settled down at
the end of a bench with his arm around Verity, explaining the jokes and
conversation.  She cuddled in close next to him and rested her head on his
shoulder.  He could feel the length of her body pressed against him and he
was conscious of every slight movement she made.  It was Bill's turn to buy
a round and Verity went with him to give him a hand.

   "We're up next for the karaoke," Bill told her.  "What do you fancy
singing?"

   "Hey, back up a minute," Verity said.  "There's no way I'm getting up
there and singing."

   "Come on, it's fun," Bill protested.

   "No way.  I'm tone deaf and I'm not getting up there and making a fool
of myself," Verity stated firmly.

   "No one can sing, that's why it's fun.  Come on, we're going to do it
together.  We'll pick one of those old songs you like."

   "Bill, you're not listening.  I'm not going to sing.  You didn't even
bother to ask me before you put my name down.  What did you think you were
doing?"

   "Come on Verity, there's no need to get so worked up," Bill said.  "For
goodness sake, I never thought we'd have our first argument about karaoke
of all things." Verity looked at him open-mouthed for a long moment, then
threw her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss.  "What was
that for?" Bill asked in bemusement.

   "We were arguing," Verity said with a big grin.  "A real honest, normal
argument."

   "And that's a good thing?"

   "You only argue with someone if you care about them and their opinion."

   "You really are the most extraordinary girl," Bill told her.  "I'll have
to remember to argue with you more often."

   "OK.  After all, according to 'Cosmo', make-up sex is supposed to be
fantastic."

   "You know, I'll have to start reading 'Cosmo'," Bill said.  "Since we're
not singing, would you like to get out of here?"

   "Oh come on, let's go sing your stupid song," Verity offered.  "After
all, everyone should make a fool of themselves at least once in a
lifetime."

   "Are you sure?" Bill asked.  "Because this is our turn if you're sure
you want to do this."

   "Lead the way, Elvis," Verity replied.

   "OK, here's the list of songs," Bill said.  "Which one do you like?"

   Verity scanned down the list.  "Do you know this one, 'Days'?  It's my
all time favourite song and it's not too difficult to sing."

   "Remind me, how does it go?" Bill asked.

   "The Kinks did it originally but stacks of people have covered it
since," Verity told him.  "It goes: 'Thank you for the days, those endless
days, those sacred days you gave me.  I'm thinking of the days, I won't
forget a single day believe me.' Remember it?"

   "Oh yeah.  I didn't know that was the Kinks, I thought it was some
woman," Bill said.  "OK, Verity, here's your mike.  You stand here and the
words will come up on that screen there.  Ready?  Here we go."

   Bill was pleased to discover Verity had picked a good song.  As she had
said, it wasn't too hard to sing and it was a song most people vaguely
knew, which always helped.  She was also right about not being a very good
singer but for some strange reason he found that endearing.  They got a
generous round of applause when they finished, which increased when Bill
gave Verity a long kiss.

   Flushed and giggling, they left the stage to the next performer and
headed back to their table and Bill's friends.

   "You were right Bill, that was fun," Verity admitted as they pushed
their way through the crowd.

   "Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Now grab your coat and let's leave this
rabble.  It's nearly closing time anyway."

   "What, it's not that late already is it?" Verity asked in surprise.  "I
leave in less than an hour!  I've got to get back to the hotel and get
packed yet.  Not to mention we've got make-up sex to fit in yet."

   "Do you have to leave at midnight?" Bill inquired sadly.  "Can't you
catch a later train?"

   "No, I wish I could but it's impossible," Verity replied.

   "We'd best get a move on then."

   They said a hasty goodbye to Bill's friends and headed out to the
car-park.  There was a horrible moment when the car struggled to start but
the engine eventually caught and they raced back to the hotel.  Verity
tossed her clothes on the floor and pulled Bill onto the bed.  They tumbled
across the mattress, attempting to remove their clothing without stopping
kissing.  Verity clung to Bill with an almost desperate urgency that took
him by surprise.  She wouldn't let him build her arousal with tender
foreplay as he had before.  Instead she grabbed hold of him, her hands and
mouth roaming over his body demandingly as she slid him immediately inside
her.  Bill didn't think she had actually climaxed before she came but she
didn't seem to mind.  She lay breathless on top of him while the sweat
cooled on their bodies and Bill could have sworn he felt a tear trickle
down onto his chest.

   "I wish I didn't have to go," she murmured.

   "So don't.  Stay here with me, at least for another day," Bill pleaded.

   "I can't.  I wish I could but I have no choice," Verity said in a
muffled voice.  She scrambled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom
with her face averted.  A few minutes later she reappeared with
suspiciously red eyes and a fixed smile pinned to her face.  She began
picking up her clothes and stuffing them into her bag.  Bill didn't comment
on her tears, as she obviously wanted to pretend she hadn't been crying. 
Instead he helped her collect her belongings together.

   "When can you come back?" Bill asked.

   "Not for ages," Verity replied.  "Three years and four months, in fact."


   "What!  That's far too long," Bill protested.  "I want to see you again
as soon as possible.  Can I come and visit you maybe?"

   "That's not going to be possible," Verity told him.

   "Three years, that's so long.  Will you at least write to me this time?"


   "I can't do that either," Verity said abruptly.  She turned to face him.
"Just forget about me, Bill.  We had a wonderful day, but that's it."

   "That's it?" Bill echoed in disbelief.  "What's going on here, Verity?"

   "Nothing.  We had some fun, now it's over.  Accept it."

   "No," Bill said baldly.  "I'm not stupid, Verity.  You don't want to go
any more than I want to leave.  So something must be forcing you to do what
you don't want to do.  Since it affects me too I'd like to know what it is.
Are you married or on parole from jail or a member of some royal family? 
Whatever it is you can tell me."

   "You wouldn't understand, Bill.  Why are you making such a fuss?  You
hardly know me and in a few months you will have forgotten all about me."

   "I know you, Verity.  We've connected in a way I've never known with
anyone else.  You know we have."

   "What do you actually know about me?" Verity challenged.

   "Lots of things.  You enjoy your food, you can't sing, your favourite
song is 'Days', you make little high pitched gasps when you're about to
come, you can't drive, you are generous and you make me feel like the
luckiest person in the world when you're with me.  And even though I didn't
speak to you for eight months I couldn't forget you."

   "OK, I'll do you a deal," Verity offered.  "If you don't forget me this
time and you meet me here again just after midnight on Thursday, February
29th, 1996 I'll answer any question you want to ask me.  But for now,
please don't let's spoil the few moments we have left.  Just walk me to the
station, kiss me goodbye and just remember the fun we had today."

   "There's nothing I can say to change your mind?" Bill asked.  Verity
shook her head, unshed tears filling her eyes.  "All right, give me that
bag.  We might as well get going."

   Verity stopped at the desk to complete the checkout formalities, then
they crossed the road to the station entrance.

   "We've got just over ten minutes," Bill remarked, checking his watch.

   "Can you forgive me?" Verity asked.  "I never meant to hurt you."

   "It's OK," Bill reassured her.  "So what can we cram into ten minutes?"

   "Not much, I guess.  It's not even long enough to play twenty
questions," Verity commented.

   "We could give it a try," Bill suggested, pulling her into his arms and
resting his chin on the top of her head.  "Question one, what's your
favourite book?"

   "That would be 'Watership Down'," Verity replied, slipping her arms
around his waist.

   "Really?  That's one of my favourites too.  Question two, why is 'Days'
your favourite song."

   "I don't really know.  I guess I just identify with the lyrics and it's
a great tune," Verity said.  "How about you, what's your favourite song?"

   "I'm useless at questions like that," Bill confessed.  "I can never pick
just one song and I'm always hearing new songs I really like.  Right now my
top five would probably be 'Creep' by Radiohead and Oasis's 'Supersonic',
'Animal Nitrate' by Suede, 'Screamager' by Theraphy and that song on the
Levi 501 advert by Stiltskin or something like that.  Right question three,
what's your favourite film?"

   "I'm not really much of a film buff," Verity admitted.  "Either
'Casablanca' or 'Indiana Jones', I suppose."

   "I like the Indiana Jones films, too," Bill said.  "They're great fun.
The last one was the best though."

   "Do you think so?" Verity asked, wrinkling her nose.  "I didn't really
like all the creepy-crawlies and that priest who kept ripping people's
hearts out gave me the creeps."

   "No, that's the second one," Bill informed her.  "The last one had Sean
Connery as Indy's dad."

   "Oh, I've not seen that one."

   "It's been out on video for ages," Bill said in surprise.  "I think it
was on TV last Christmas as well."

   "I'll have to watch out for it.  So Bill, what's your favourite film?"

   "I told you I was no good at picking just one favourite thing," Bill
reminded her.  "I like pretty much anything with Jimmy Stewart in it and
all the old Hitchcock films.  I like Spielberg's films too, though I'm not
really a fan of his serious stuff.  I don't feel comfortable watching films
about concentration camps or the atrocities of slavery as entertainment. 
Sharks and dinosaurs ripping people apart on the other hand, they're great
fun.  Do you get what I mean?"

   "I think so.  I don't really like films with people running around
killing each other, but if it's an alien or a robot it's completely
different.  I think it's maybe because ones more realistic, people have
actually suffered like that," Verity suggested.  "But things like 'Jaws'
and 'Alien' aren't realistic at all so they're just mindless fun."

   "Exactly," Bill agreed.  "I'd never watch 'Schindler's List' again, it's
far too upsetting.  But I love 'Jurassic Park' even though it did make me
jump out of my seat."

   Verity nodded her head as if she agreed but she looked slightly
confused. "None of this is answering the question though Bill," she pointed
out.  "What's your favourite film?"

   "OK.  'It's a Wonderful Life', 'North by Northwest', 'Jaws', Terminator
1 and 2', 'Die Hard', all three Indiana Jones films, 'Jurassic Park' and
'Bladerunner'.  How's that?"

   "That's not even a top five," Verity protested laughingly.  "That's even
too many for a top ten.  Right, no more 'what's your favourite' questions
for you," Verity said.  "Question four, if you could do anything at all in
the world, what would you do?"

   "That's a difficult one," Bill replied.  "I can't make my mind up what
degree course I want to do, let alone what I want to do with the rest of my
life.  What would you do?"

   "I'd like to have a yacht and sail all over the world until I'd visited
every corner of it at least twice," Verity said dreamily.

   "I wouldn't mind that," Bill commented.  "A boat just big enough for
two. Otherwise I'd end up with half my family hitching a lift."

   "You know you are so lucky having a big family," Verity told him.  "I'd
have loved to have a brother or a sister and you've got lots of each."

   "You would probably think differently if you'd grown up sharing a room
with three brothers," Bill informed her.  "Don't get me wrong, I love my
family.  I just wish sometimes I could get a bit of distance.  If I sneeze
when I wake up, by the time I get downstairs there's a glass of orange
juice and a vitamin tablet waiting for me and my Dad is telling me to wrap
up warmly.  It gets to me sometimes.  I live with my family, I work with
them and I've got two brothers at 'Uni with me, who are both doing far
better than me, of course."

   "Are you still doing engineering?" Verity inquired.  "I thought you said
you didn't like the course."

   "I don't really," Bill admitted.  "I've thought about packing it all in
but my Dad would go ballistic."

   "Bill, I don't know much but one thing I have learnt is that life is too
precious to waste it," Verity told him earnestly.  "Don't throw away your
time doing something that makes you miserable.  Every day could be your
last day, you don't want to look back and regret the way you spent it."

   "This is one day I have no regrets about, that's for sure," Bill said
smiling down at her.

   "Me too," Verity agreed.  "Oh Bill, look at the time, I've got to go. 
I'm so sorry."

   "I'm tempted to keep hold of you and never let you go, then you'd have
to stay," Bill suggested.  "You wouldn't be too happy about that though, I
guess.  Can't you possibly get back a bit sooner than three years?"

   "If I could, I would," Verity replied regretfully.  "Don't feel bad when
you start to forget me Bill.  I don't expect you to be here in three years'
time.  It's too long."

   "So don't go," Bill said again.

   "I've told you, I have no choice," Verity repeated.  She reached up and
gave him a long kiss.  "Thank you for today, this endless day, this lovely
day you gave me," she sang softly.  "I'm thinking of the days, I won't
forget a single day believe me.  I bless the light, I bless the light that
shines on you believe me.  And though I'm gone, you