Naughty Girl Ch. 08

'She has a boyfriend, and that seems to keep her out of trouble,' Susan said.

'What do you mean?' he asked.

'She brings him back here,' Susan said.

'What? To her room? Why did you let her do that?' he crossly asked.

'She's an adult and can make her own decisions, maybe,' she said.

'Maybe is right. I guess so. Do they have sex?' he asked.

She didn't answer him, but gave him an old fashioned look. Damn! Bernice was a married woman, sleeping with a boy from school. What in hell was he going to do with her? He hadn't expected her to last long in that school. She was too old and looked it when she was dressed in business attire. In the kitchen just now she looked young enough, and acted the part too well.

'Does she always talk and behave like that?' he asked.

'Like a kid you mean, yes, she does,' Susan said.

It looked as though he would have to keep up the pretence until figuring out what to do with her. They were both caught up in a web of lies. Bernice now believed in the farce, or so it looked. He went to her bedroom to try and figure out what to do with her.

'How are you?' he asked.

'OK,' she said, and continued to leaf through a girly magazine.

'School alright?' he asked.

'Yea. Oh! I forgot, like, I'm going to be in the school play, fab, eh?' she enthused.

'That's great. What part to do you play?'

'It's all about a girl who runs away from home and gets into trouble. I'm her friend, and let her stay at my place,' Bernice gleefully told him.

'That's nice, sounds great. Is your boyfriend in the play?' he asked.

'Yea, it's like funny, cause he's my boyfriend in the play,' she said, then realised she'd admitted having a boyfriend.

'It's OK. You're entitled to see who you like,' he said.

'Sure it's OK? Like, you don't mind, uncle?' she asked.

'Sure it's OK. You are careful aren't you,' he said, before he'd realised what he was saying.

'Yea, of course. Like really, Susan put me on the pill,' she returned.

'Oh! OK then, I guess. Is he nice, does he treat you well?' he asked.

'Your cool, uncle Paul! He's fab. He cares about me, like really. He's gentle, you know.'

Paul wasn't too sure he wanted to know what she meant. He had been dragged into the conversation, responding as though she were his young niece.

'I care about you too. I want to do what's right for you.' He sat on the bed next to her.

'Your house is up for sale. It means you don't have a place to go to,' he clumsily said.

The look of pain on her face had him responding, by putting an arm around her.

'It's OK! You can stay here for as long as you like. I'll look after you, promise,' he said.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. 'Thank you uncle. You've been so kind to me, I promise to be a good girl,' she said.

The little girly voice was more pronounced than before. He was drawn to the expressive sincerity. He wanted to protect her, though what from, he was unsure about. It was so difficult to think of her as a mature woman, pretending to be young again. She had carved out the role for herself from necessity, then found it convenient, and comforting. At least that was what he figured, and what he told Susan.

'When are you seeing your boyfriend? What's his name?' Paul asked.

'Seeing Jim tomorrow. Didn't think you would approve so he stayed away,' she demurely said.

'I'd like to meet him. I'm sure he's a nice lad, if you picked him,' he smiled at her.

'He is. Thanks for everything uncle. You're so cool,' she said, and kissed his cheek.

'Well, you had better do some studying, or something,' he awkwardly said.

In the doorway he turned to look at her. She looked up at him, and gave him a big smile. He hadn't notice before, but her hair and makeup was in the style of a young girl. She was in her twenties, but with baby-face features she got away with it. The flat shoes and short skirt fitted the image, which she had carefully crafted over the last three weeks. Someone who didn't know here wouldn't look too closely so they would be fooled.

'Be good,' he said, and gave her a smile.

'Like yea, uncle. I'm your happy little girl, uncle,' she giggled.

In some ways it was disturbing. As an act it was good, but she believed it, which was bad. So, what to do with her now?