Sunflowers & Sins

Chapter 4

It was inevitable, and no surprise to Eve, but one day Jessie found she was expecting. Both families had thought that this turn of events might be the making of Jessie, but they were to be disappointed. Jessie just thought that life could go on as before, relying on friends and relatives for some baby-minding...of Daniel, a placid little lad totally unlike his mother. And once again, Josh, in fact the whole family, wondered about the paternity and who might be 'Daddy'. The truth? Even Jessie could not herself with any degree of precision, have named his father.

Eve knew a little about Jessie's background as occasionally they would meet up...or there would be a family gathering necessitated by a wedding perhaps of a member of the extended family – or when they once went to see a concert. But mostly Eve would get a reasonable running commentary on Jessie's antics via her own parents and from the odd snippets of conversation she would hear...like the time she punched both the PE teacher and the headmaster because she didn't like PT and cross-country running...and the silly costumes they had to wear.

'Keep this to yourself Eve, won't you,' her dad had said to her.

No, the scandalous gossip mustn't go outside the family.

And then Jessie decided she wanted to hit the 'Hippy' scene - or was it the 'Goth' scene - and disappeared off to a commune 'up north' somewhere she'd heard about. She had phoned later saying she was having 'great fun' with a bunch of like-minded rebels at this gathering in the north of Scotland, not far from Inverness, and almost next door to some noisy air base.

It didn't last. She came home within six months complaining that because she was the prettiest girl in the establishment she was always 'picked on' or 'frozen out' by the usual ugly sisters - and that the 'blokes' – well, all they wanted to do was smoke pot, sing daft songs, loud songs on account of the base....and get their 'leg over' – that's if they could remember where it was.

And she got the pox into the bargain.

Often, whenever she had seen or spoken with her cousin, Eve had the impression, judging from the look in her eyes that she was permanently semi-stoned. There were many other 'anecdotes' relating to Jessie's behaviour she gleaned from her own parents' calls and conversations.

Eve also detected a changing personality in Jessie over the few years when they had become closer and was unsure whether it was the company she had kept, the other raddled females who were ever present in the 'dive' - or the w**d - or both. Eve often thought – 'If only I had more time...' she could help her cousin who, it had to be admitted, possessed knock-out looks that went with a knock-out body; just a wee, little envy there.

Great assets...but wasted, so thought Eve.

Jessie - as we've determined already - was no doubt pretty and indeed, liked the attention that came her way. What her cousin did not know was that Jessie would secretly smirk in quiet satisfaction whenever she and her cousin walked into any establishment together, into any pub but usually a pub like The Murderer's Arms , and see the men look up and notice her ...without even a second glance at Eve - at least not immediately. And Eve soon realised that for Jessie, the attraction of the other s*x seemed to be the very mainspring of her being. But this did not bother Eve for two reasons...one was that she was just plain too busy to become entangled, the second was that strangely, she was never short of attention in her own right, although some might say that she did convey a lack of vanity outside of the business. We could add a third perhaps: - that she had not yet encountered any man of the right mould...so far.

. . . . . . . .

One is not to suppose, reader, that Eve was unattractive although your eye would not be drawn to her first among a crowd of other women; however, there was the indefinable nexus of power, a charisma and confidence, the unblinking, soft gaze and the captivating but intriguing reserve...these were the quiet, almost hidden attributes she possessed in an understated way. Where Jessie provided the immediate and pleasing appearance when your eyes arrested upon her, Eve was without any insistent or excessive femininity, but nevertheless was feminine to the core. She had a quiet gentleness about herself combined with a certain nobility in the way she moved and spoke. She could not match Jessie's figure - she was a little fuller around the waist with a generous fullness of the breast - and when you added the 'power' suit she wore – and that would be a small 'p' – that contributed to her appearance, one would understand and realise that there was an overall attraction that worked by slow seduction in her manner and speech - that rendered her not at all unpleasing; very different from the ready allurements of her cousin. And overall, she had an instinctive sense of the value of dress and presentation. But running the business over the years had also provided her with a hidden steeliness; nor was she in any hurry to become 'entangled'.

In social conversation she was never over-voluble...unlike her cousin. For some reason the men liked talking to Eve even if she was not really interested because she would not, overtly, display any rudeness...although she occasionally recalled not without some embarrassment, the Lattins incident involving a bar of chocolate not long ago.

'How did that happen? Over the top! Must have been my hormones that day,' she told herself. It was an unusual and rare deviation from her normal character. Nonetheless, Evelyn was a listener – her interested and inquiring look when people spoke to her invited them to pour out their stories.

As for Jessie, Eve noticed that she had a habit of displaying limited discretion while often laughing out too loud at the various silly jokes that men shared with them, which should only have elicited a polite smile. Where Eve would inwardly cringe at some of the toilet humour, Jessie would often let out a throaty guffaw.

But for reasons beyond Jessie's ken – and to her extreme irritation, some men, regardless of jokes or topics, would slowly and inevitably drift towards Eve like weak gravity, into settled conversation, often leaving Jessie on the side-lines listening in...and feeling both frustrated and angry; she had no answer to it that she could immediately think of.

This gravitation towards her cousin slowly became a source of annoyance and irritation to Jessie. Whether at lunchtimes or when they would venture out for the evening, just the two of them, the male flies would quickly be attracted to these two ladies and circle the sweetest honey-pot...Jessie; a couple of not unattractive women, in smart work-clothes, often putting the world to rights, but usually discussing either 'work'- or men.

Inevitably, the result was nearly always the same...Jessie would be chatted-up heavily to start with leaving Eve with the also-rans in the charm and 'looks' department...but eventually, on subsequent gatherings, either the conversation would dry up or the men would slowly redirect their attentions towards Eve, that quiet, soft magnet. This evident failure on Jessie's behalf to keep the bees to herself increasingly irked and fretted her. Possessing a shallow temperament, she smouldered with unhappiness and envy and was convinced that Eve’s family, especially Eve, looked down on her.

An indefinable resentment grew.

This was a pattern that could not continue as far as Jessie was concerned, but what could she do? She was more attractive...anyone could see that! Her figure was more pronounced, her hair was more glamorous than Eve's...it could mean only one thing.

Eve's money and position! Yes, that must be it...and because she had a company...because she was a 'boss'... top banana as Jessie was wanted to call them.

As we know, of the pair, Jessie provided the visible attraction, but that after a while, when they had engaged in chit-chat...and found out who was boss, who had the money and the power - or so Jessie thought - well, no wonder they would drift towards Eve...while she was just the b****y secretary!

“Oh – I just answer the phone and make appointments for the boss...Evelyn Barnswell, of Barnswell Holdings !”

This occasionally entered into their conversations until one day Jessie challenged Eve, with Jessie realising that there was, always had been, an element of envy on her behalf. She had an idea - an idea that would prove it was Eve's position as management that's the magnet for these stupid men, she told herself.

'Eve...I have an idea,' she said to her unsuspecting boss one morning.

There was a pause...Eve looked up. 'I'm listening - so what's this idea of yours then Jessie?'

'Well, we have 'Role-Reversal' week coming up, haven't we? But I actually want to inject an additional element to it.'

'Which is...?' Eve adopted a look of concern...what's she up to now she wondered?

'We swap...whenever we are out, I'll become Evelyn Barnswell , the boss, the 'rich b***h' - and you become Jessie Curzon, the mousey secretary. I know enough about what goes on in the Care Home to hold a conversation about it all. We swap identities.'

'What?' Another pause. 'What's made you think this up Jessie?' Then the penny dropped. ' Ah...I see. Is it to do with men?'

The Swap

'So…you want to change places with me... you become the boss of Barnswell Holdings and I be your secretary? Just for a while - until you can get your clutches into some poor unsuspecting soul. But he's going to find out one day isn't he...?' suggested Evelyn.

'I'll worry about that when the time comes,' was the firm answer from Jessie.

Eve was amused. She could have told Jessie what her problem might be, that it was probably a combination of 'good form' combined with an appealing, listening temperament that was attractive, and not being coarse and over-opinionated – which she thought Jessie often was, her brain indifferently controlling her tongue when ‘in company’.

'You are attractive, you have a figure to die for...you have a sense of humour, of sorts Jessie, but...'

'But what...? Tell me tell me.'

'Please don't be offended if I tell you. Do you really want to hear what I have to say?'

'Yes, I do...go on then...I promise I won't be offended.' Jessie knew she'd be offended.

'Well, Jessie, you have no shame. I think you try too hard. And not every chap likes a woman who is always wanting to be 'one of the boys'. You should be more subtle cousin. Do you know what I mean? Then there are the outfits you wear...'

'Oi! What do you mean...what's wrong with my gear?' Is she saying I’m ‘common’ or a slapper? What a snobby b***h thought Jessie...she’s telling me I dress like a tart! She stored that insult... pay-back in the future sometime. Jessie was like that.

Eve continued, ''There is a subtle art Jessie...where 'less is more'; do you know what I mean? Don't show too much flesh. Show less...and those 'Bingo' tops you wear.'

'Bingo-tops? What do you mean?'

'Eyes down, look in.... that's what I mean. Oh yes...they'll be attracted to it with their base instincts, but you can see that anywhere. Remember, it's all about a hidden seduction process. If you've got it, indeed flaunt it...but in a different way. They then have to use their imagination otherwise you'll be just like any streetwalker...a tart. Don't get me wrong. You are an attractive girl, probably the prettiest woman around. It's just the packaging can be altered...slightly, well, a bit,' added Eve.

'It's alright for you...you can afford nice stuff to make you look the 'bizz' – to look cool and all that. Look at your watch...and look at mine – some El Cheapo crap from Benidorm.' Jessie knew Eve's watch cost a bomb - a wonderful looking timepiece perched on her cousin's wrist but hidden away under her sleeve. What's the point she asked herself if you couldn't see it?