Clementine and her Stalker (standard:romance, 2296 words) [1/7] show all parts
Author: Brian Cross	Updated: May 16 2021	Views/Reads: 1408/966	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A chance encounter on Stamford Meadows changes Tony Williams' life in ways he could scarcely imagine.

CLEMENTINE and her STALKER 

Chapter One 

I was leaning on the railings when I first saw her. Just idly watching
the ducks paddle down the stream. Nothing on my mind, really, and 
perhaps that's why my attention became so transfixed on her as she 
sauntered across the meadows. Perhaps. She wasn't alone. I was soon to 
discover that she was rarely alone, she with the ringlets of 
corn-coloured hair that tumbled around and over her shoulders, 
seemingly reflecting the sunlight as she laughed and giggled with two 
friends that flanked her. 

And then from all of thirty metres away, she suddenly looked over and
caught me staring at her, and right there, right then on that sunny 
June morning on Stamford meadows, my world changed. 

Thirty metres became ten, and I realised with an accelerating heartbeat
that she was making directly for me. She exchanged words with her 
friends, perhaps a joke at my expense, who knew. 

And then she spoke, her voice slightly mocking, but smooth, confident,
cultured. 

“Penny for your thoughts.” 

“Pardon?” What I should have said was, Only a penny? Because she was
pretty, exceptionally so, and my embarrassment must have shown for I 
felt the heat in my cheeks, and it wasn't the warmth of the day that 
was causing it. 

She cocked her head to one side, the wind fanning her hair out in gold,
streaky ribbons. Her sky-blue eyes fixed on me, she crossed her arms 
and said, “Well, it's taken us a good couple of minutes to walk across 
here, and you haven't taken your eyes off me once.” 

I thought to respond with, Well, how would you know unless you were
doing the same thing? But she must have read my thoughts because she 
added, “According to my friends.” 

I shrugged, appearing to appear nonchalant, but aware that I was failing
dismally. “I'm not some kind of creepy stalker if that's what you're 
thinking.” 

Her fair eyebrows arched. “Maybe. I had a stalker once, but not for
long.” She raised a finger to me from the other side of the stream. “So 
be warned.” But her lips curved into a smile as she spoke, and I fought 
to resist returning it. 

“Oh, what happened?” 

“Let's just say he regretted it.” She shared a glance with her two
friends and then returned that spellbinding gaze to me. “We should go.” 
It was the girl on her left that spoke; tall, willowy. “Old Richards 
has warned us before about ...” 

“About being late back from break, well, that's a cardinal sin,” she
said with a mischievous glance at me. 

I looked down at her blazer and then saw the badge of the girls' public
school. 

“Ah ...” 

“Final year, anyway,” she said dismissively before I could speak. “Do we
care?” 

Her friends looked like they did care, but she just stood there, her
gaze locked on mine teasingly. 

I knew I had to say something, she was goading me to do it, and anyway,
my fascination for her was escalating, and if I didn't act fast, she'd 
be off with her mates. 

“What's your name,” I blurted out. 


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