Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Girl at the Bus Stop by alan14 Copyright(C) 2021 by alan14 Chapter 1 It was an appalling day, the rain absolutely sheeting down, the wind blowing my umbrella around dangerously. I was almost home when I saw a girl sheltering under the bus stop. -Oh hey, - I shouted over the wind and rain, -you -(TM)ll be waiting a long time for a bus, they stopped coming down this road a few years ago. - -Ahh shit, - she cried, -I -(TM)m lost, I was hoping to get a bus to the train station. - -Where are you heading? - -Anywhere, I just need to get away from here. - -Listen, I live up the road, only a couple of minutes away, why don -(TM)t you come with me. You can get warm and dry, a hot drink and I -(TM)ll get you to the station. - -Ahh, I don -(TM)t know, I -(TM)ve no idea who you are. - -That -(TM)s a good point, do you have any friends you can contact? - -Well yes, I have a few friends back home. - -Great, take a photo of my front door, message a friend with my address, tell them to call the police if they don -(TM)t hear from you tomorrow. - She thought about this for a while, then nodded, -ahh, ok, anything to get out of this weather. - -Brilliant, - I held my hand out, helping her up off the bus bench, -I -(TM)m Alex. - -Thank you, I -(TM)m Poppy, and I -(TM)m really glad to see you actually, I -(TM)ve been sitting here for over an hour and not a single person passing was as kind as you. - -Ahh well, most of my neighbours are complete bastards. - As Poppy stood next to me I noticed her shivering, water dripping off her hair. -Oh gosh, you look freezing, quick, let -(TM)s get you up to the house and a hot drink inside you. - We were both absolutely soaking now, I collapsed my umbrella so we could move faster, and we ran up the road to my house. I stopped at my gate and tapped the code into the security box, it rolled slowly back, I motioned Poppy round the gate as soon as it was open wide enough for us to fit, and stepped through behind her. I tapped the close button on the other side of the gate post and the gate immediately started rolling back. -Wow, this is a nice house! - Poppy said. In truth it was a nice house, a double fronted detached house, 4 bedrooms, 2 sitting rooms, a library and gym. All to myself. It was a lonely life, but I enjoyed my solitude, and as I do most of my work from home, it was good to have defined work and home spaces. -Don -(TM)t forget to send a photo to your friends. I -(TM)ll stand by the door so they know who you -(TM)re with. - -Errr, I don -(TM)t have a phone, and well, I don -(TM)t actually have any friends either. - -Ok, so why did you just agree with me before about taking a photo and sending it to your friends. - -Well, it sounded like a sensible idea, and if you thought I had friends you weren -(TM)t going to kidnap me or anything. - -Fair enough, well, I -(TM)m not going to kidnap you whether you send a photo to friends or not, I just want to get you warm and dry for a little while. - -Thank you Alex, I knew I could trust you, you look honest. - I smiled to myself as I unlocked the front door, the warm air from inside greeted us like an old friend as I pushed the door open, Poppy gratefully stepped inside and I led her through to the kitchen, I popped my head round the door to the utility room and grabbed a couple of freshly dried towels for us both. As we both started to feel human again I switched on the coffee grinder and started to make a pot of coffee. A few minutes later we were sitting at my long farmhouse kitchen table with a mug of fresh, hot coffee to finish the process of making us human. We sat in silence as we enjoyed the first mug of warming caffeine. I watched Poppy as she held the mug in both hands, absorbing the heat. It was difficult to gauge her age, was she 18 but looked older, or was she early 20 -(TM)s but looked younger. I don -(TM)t know, but she was pretty, fresh faced, clear of make-up, her cheeks naturally rosy from the heat of the coffee. Her hair was probably blonde, but it was quite frankly filthy. I -(TM)m guessing she -(TM)d been sleeping rough, in a squat maybe, and had managed to wash her face and hands today, but hadn -(TM)t washed her hair in weeks. -So, - Poppy said as I refilled her mug, -you live here alone? - -How did you guess? - -One lot of crockery on the drainer, only one mug was out, you had to get my mug from the mug tree. - -Very observant Ms Sherlock Holmes. - -This is a big house for one person. - -It is, but I have guests around sometimes, and I work from home a lot, so it -(TM)s good to have a separate room as an office instead of using the kitchen table. - Poppy drank some more coffee, then she looked up, -can I be really cheeky Alex, I -(TM)m so hungry, I hadn -(TM)t noticed until I drank this coffee. - -Oh wow, I should have offered you food, my bad. What would you like? - -I -(TM)ve been looking at that loaf of bread, it looks so nice, do you have any cheese? - So I fired up the grill as I cut a couple of thick slices of bread. I had a big block of strong cheddar in the fridge, I put a couple of hefty slices of cheese on the bread and popped them in the grill. A few minutes later I watched Poppy eat the toast, she smiled with every mouthful. -You were hungry, - I laughed as I put the empty plate in the sink, she -(TM)d actually licked it clean before handing it over. -I -(TM)ve not eaten since yesterday, - she said. -Really, that -(TM)s not good at all. I was going to order a curry later, you -(TM)re welcome to stay and have a good dinner with me. - -Oh no, I couldn -(TM)t impose on you like that. - -You won -(TM)t be imposing, you will be company. - -Ok, I -(TM)d enjoy a curry, thank you. - -Well, as you -(TM)re stopping for a few hours at least, why don -(TM)t we get your clothes washed and dried, so you -(TM)re not travelling in damp clothes. I have some of my sister -(TM)s clothes upstairs, she -(TM)s a little bigger than you, but they -(TM)ll hide your modesty while I get your clothes clean. - I took Poppy upstairs and showed her into my sister Helen -(TM)s room. -There -(TM)s so many clothes here, and they -(TM)re all so nice, why all these clothes if she doesn -(TM)t live here? - -She has a lot of rows with her girlfriend, - I explained, -she -(TM)s here almost as much as she -(TM)s at home, so she keeps a second wardrobe here. - Poppy opened drawers and the wardrobe, looking at all Helen -(TM)s t-shirts, blouses, underwear, dresses. -Listen, why don -(TM)t you have a shower, there -(TM)s an en suite in here. I -(TM)ll step out of the room, you leave your clothes on the floor and I -(TM)ll pop back in a few minutes and take them down to the laundry room. - -Oh don -(TM)t bother with all that modesty shit, stay there while I strip off, I don -(TM)t mind. - I swallowed hard, I didn -(TM)t expect this, not that anything would happen, but it -(TM)s always nice to see a naked girl, especially one as pretty as Poppy. She was still bundled up in an old coat, so that came off first. Under the coat was a man -(TM)s shirt, deep blue, it was well cut, probably expensive at one time, but it hadn -(TM)t been treated well, it joined the coat on the floor. Next was a t-shirt, dirty grey, maybe white originally, under that was a tired looking bra, and under the bra were very nice, shapely breasts, a C-cup, maybe even a D, as she turned I noticed bruises across her lower back, some old, some new. Poppy heard me gasp, she turned back to face me, -yes, those are why I have to get away, -(TM) she said as she unfastened her jeans, she kicked off her trainers and dropped her jeans. Now she was standing before me in just a pair of boy -(TM)s boxer shorts. As much as I enjoyed looking at Poppy, I forced myself to look at the floor, and at the pile of old, tatty clothes. -Look Poppy, is there any point in me washing these? - -I can -(TM)t very well catch a train out of here naked, can I? -(TM) -(TM) -Well, obviously, - I replied, -but look how many clothes my sister has, help yourself to anything you like, she probably won -(TM)t notice. In fact, there -(TM)s almost certainly a few bags in here, grab a few changes of clothes, if she complains I -(TM)ll replace anything you take. -Seriously, just help yourself, you need clothes more than she does. - Poppy stepped up close and stood on tiptoes to kiss me tenderly on the lips. -You don -(TM)t even know me, and you -(TM)re being so kind, thank you Alex. - -Don -(TM)t mention it. - As I glanced in the mirror I could see myself blushing, I looked back down to the pile on the floor. -So, is there anything here you want to keep? - -Nothing, it -(TM)s all stuff I found around the squat anyway, none of it -(TM)s actually mine, we kind of shared stuff. Even the bra is someone else -(TM)s. - As I heard the shower start to run, and Poppy starting to sing as she hosed herself down, I collected her clothes together and carried them down to the kitchen. I thought I -(TM)d better check through the pockets before I threw the clothes away, so I grabbed a box of vinyl gloves from a kitchen drawer and checked the coat and jeans pockets, I found a book of matches, a little girl -(TM)s purse with £5 and a few coins, a small pocket torch and some tissues. I put the torch and purse to one side, the rest I put in a bin bag and left outside. I heard the shower stop as I disposed of the gloves and pulled a couple of takeaway menus from the pinboard by the telephone. My mind turned to the girl upstairs, what was her story, where was she running from, who was she running from. Would she tell me, and would I be ready for the story, because with the look of those bruises, it wasn -(TM)t a pretty story. My mind wandered further, she was a really pretty girl, it -(TM)s been a long time since I -(TM)d shared my bed with anyone. Would she be willing, if I say there -(TM)s no trains tonight. No, this would be taking advantage of a vulnerable person, I shouldn -(TM)t be thinking these things. Footsteps on the stairs, I turned towards the doorway, and, well, she looked different. For a start, Poppy -(TM)s hair was clean, it was blonde, and she -(TM)d wrapped it in buns on either side of her head. She was wearing makeup, she -(TM)d applied foundation to bring colour to her face, she -(TM)d also applied eyeliner and lipstick, a deep red lipstick, it gave her mouth a wonderful shape, and she was smiling. She -(TM)d picked out a green t-shirt, and over the top she was wearing a green silk blouse. She -(TM)d found a pair of Helen -(TM)s jeans that fit and a pair of converse pumps. Either Poppy -(TM)s bum was bigger than I imagined, or Helen was smaller than I remembered, because I didn -(TM)t expect her clothes to fit Poppy so well. -You like? - I involuntarily licked my lips, -I do, very much. - -I -(TM)m glad, it took me a while to pick these, I was hoping you -(TM)d like them. All your sister -(TM)s bras were too big, so I -(TM)m not wearing one. - -That -(TM)s ok, I -(TM)m hardly going to judge you for not wearing one. - She sat across from me at the table, and we went through the menus, then I ordered on a delivery app, it said the food would be an hour. -Would you like some wine while we wait? - -Oh, yes please! - -Red or white? - -Err, whatever you want. - -Don -(TM)t you have a preference? - -I -(TM)ve not had much wine, and generally don -(TM)t have a choice, so whatever you have. - -Oh, right. I think we -(TM)ll have white then. - I pulled a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the wine fridge, a nice crisp, dry wine from New Zealand. It was Helen -(TM)s favourite so I always had plenty in the fridge. If Poppy liked Helen -(TM)s clothes, hopefully she -(TM)d like Helen -(TM)s wine. I pulled the cork and poured us both a generous glass and put the wine back in the fridge. -Cheers - I said, raising my glass to Poppy -(TM)s. -Cheers, - Poppy answered, as she tapped her glass to mine. She took a sip and smiled again, she had simply the most wonderful smile. -Mmm, I like this Alex, it -(TM)s very tasty. - I took a long drink and put my glass down, I looked at Poppy and cleared my throat, -so, can you tell me about the bruises. - -I can, and I will. You -(TM)ve been so kind to me, you didn -(TM)t need to bring me to your home and feed me, and give me clothing, so you deserve the truth, but first, you tell me a bit about yourself and this lovely house. - -Ok, that -(TM)s a fair deal. Well I -(TM)m Alex, but you know that. I -(TM)m 32, I -(TM)m a writer, I write thrillers... - -Really, are you famous? - Poppy asked, all excited. -Kind of, but not under my real name, I write books under a couple of different names, depending on the market. - I told her the names I wrote Young Adult and Adult fiction under, sadly neither name registered, but she did recognise a couple of my Young Adult books that she -(TM)d read. -I -(TM)ve also been working on adapting my Danny Strong stories for TV. - -Sorry I -(TM)ve never heard of you, really. You must be pretty famous to afford a house like this. - -Strangely, it wasn -(TM)t the books that bought this house, I adapted someone else -(TM)s book into a film, - I named it and Poppy was suitably impressed, -I got a huge fee and moved out of a flat in Highbury to this big house, and my life improved almost immediately. A steady stream of book sales keeps the heating on and the lights working. - -Ahh, so I guess it -(TM)s my turn, - she lifted her glass and noticed it was empty, so I walked over to the fridge to get her a refill as Poppy started her story. -Well, I -(TM)m Poppy, although not really, that -(TM)s my street name, I -(TM)m really called Melanie, I -(TM)ve always hated that name, I was called Smellanie from my first day at school until I left for good when I was 14, I ran away from home and I -(TM)ve been living rough for the last few years. - -So you -(TM)re how old? - -17 probably, I -(TM)m not totally sure how long I -(TM)ve been living rough, I only know I left school in year 9. - -So where -(TM)ve you been living? - -Here and there, I was on the streets for a while, then this guy picked me up, not like you did, all nice and friendly. No, he literally picked me up and carried me to his squat. He hooked me on drugs and passed me around his friends, they used me and sent me on to someone else. It was like that for I don -(TM)t know how long. - I felt my stomach lurch as she described her life in nauseating detail. I took a sip of wine and regretted it as it tried to force its way back, but I managed to hold it down. -Then one day this man from the Salvation army found me, Jeremy was an angel, like you, he took me back to their church place, he gave me food and tea, it was wonderful, just soup and a cheese sandwich, but I -(TM)d not had any hot food for what seemed like months, he asked me my name, and for a while I couldn -(TM)t remember it, but he didn -(TM)t mind, it was him who called me Poppy, because it was remembrance week, and they had poppies for sale. -He put me in touch with a drug charity, and they got me off the heroin, that was so fucking hard, oh sorry for swearing, - I waved away her apology, no need, -weeks of sweating and screaming, but I come off it cold turkey and I -(TM)ve not done any drugs since, not even cigarettes. This wine is the strongest thing I -(TM)ve had since then. - -Oh shit, should you be drinking? - -Oh gosh, this isn -(TM)t a problem, they just told me to keep off any kind of illegal drugs. So when I was clean they hooked me up with this other group who found me a flat, but then that flat burnt down, and there was nowhere for me, I was still under 16, the council couldn -(TM)t house me, they tried to send me back to my mum, no fucking way, oh sorry again, I need to watch my mouth in polite company. - -Seriously Poppy, stop worrying about swearing in front of me. - -It -(TM)s just the Salvation Army people, they were forever teaching us about acting all polite, and I try, but I keep slipping back. Anyway, so I was back on the streets, and one night I meet this girl, not much older than me, and she takes me to a cafe, we -(TM)re having a cup of tea. - Poppy suddenly stops and puts her hand to her mouth. -My stuff? - -All I found is over there, a purse and a torch. There was a matchbook but it was all wet so I threw it away. - -Nooo, I need that matchbook. - -It -(TM)s fine, I -(TM)ll get it. - I brought the bin bag back inside and unfastened the knot, I rummaged around inside and found the matchbook, Poppy took it off me and opened it, holding it to her chest with a sigh of relief. -Oh thank you, I can -(TM)t lose this. - She slipped it into the purse and put it in her pocket. -Thanks Alex, sorry for going mad just then, it -(TM)s just this matchbook is important, I -(TM)ll tell you about it one day I promise. - I caught the -~one day -(TM) and it made me smile. Unconsciously Poppy is now counting me as her friend, I liked that. -This is her purse, Joanie, she was the girl I met, she -(TM)s dead now, - a single tear ran down Poppy -(TM)s face, I wiped it away with my finger, Poppy stopped me pulling my hand away, she kissed my fingers then let me go, -thank you, - she whispered before continuing, -so we were having a cup of tea and she tells me about these -~parties -(TM) - Poppy did air-quotes around -~parties -(TM), - and said I could make some money if I went with her. I knew what she meant, and I thought that seeing as what that bastard Parker, that was the first guy who got me on heroin, well seeing as what he and his mates had done to me I thought this could be no worse, and I -(TM)d get paid. - Poppy -(TM)s glass was empty again, mine was mostly untouched so I pushed it across and I poured myself a can of Guinness. -It was bad, they were rough, never hitting us where it showed, but they paid us, I was now at rock bottom. And that -(TM)s pretty much where the story ends, I was being fucked and smacked around and being paid, and you kind of get used to it. -Then I met Jeremy again, and with the patience of a saint he picked me up, literally, I was collapsed, in a heap, and he took me back to the hall, and started with the feeding and prayer again. And I was straight, I was fucking straight again Alex, I was, I thought it was all ok, then as I was out in town one morning and he found me, Kenzie, one of the guys who liked beating on us, he grabbed me by my hair, threw me in his van and, that was, I don -(TM)t know, three, four days ago. I escaped this morning and well, you found me. - I had no words, I was sick to my stomach, and then the gate buzzer sounded, the takeaway, just what I didn -(TM)t need right then. I picked up my phone and swiped across to the gate entry app, saw the regular UberEats rider on his bike and tapped the icon to open the gate. We walked together to the door to collect the curry. Opening the door, the delicious smell brought my appetite back. Poppy took the proffered brown paper bag and carried it back to the kitchen. -New girlfriend Alex? Well done man, - the delivery lad said as he pocketed his usual £5 tip. -Nah Neil, just a girl I rescued from the appalling rain earlier, she -(TM)d drying-off for a bit then she -(TM)s off to the train station. - -Yeah right, I bet she -(TM)s still here next time I deliver, - he said as he kicked off my doorstep and rode out of the gate. I closed the door slowly, thinking. I enjoyed living alone, I really did, but the times Helen was around, it was good to have someone to talk to, it -(TM)s just I never knew when Helen would be round, sometimes it was a few days a month, sometimes she stayed for a couple of weeks then I wouldn -(TM)t see her again for months. Would I enjoy having someone here all the time? I think I would. There was a spare room she could have, she could live her own life. I thought how casually she -(TM)d taken the food off the driver and walked back to the kitchen, she seemed comfortable here, that was a good sign. I decided to wait until after we -(TM)d eaten, see if she mentioned the train. I walked back to the sound of cupboards and drawers being opened, ha, she -(TM)s looking for plates. -Why do you need so many cupboards Alex, I can -(TM)t find anything useful to eat off. - -Haha, well, it -(TM)s a big kitchen, they put in a lot of cupboards to fill the space, and I -(TM)ve got to use them for something. That one there, - I pointed, -that cupboard is full of printer paper and pads, because I -(TM)ve got nowhere in my office to fit it, so it -(TM)s handy I have that extra cupboard. - -I guess, but where -(TM)s your frigging plates, - she said frustrated. -See the sink? Well, next to the sink is the dishwasher, then next to the dishwasher is the plates cupboard, then next to that cupboard is the cutlery drawer. Another minute and you -(TM)d have found them. - She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and skipped off for the plates, -I like you Alex, you -(TM)re the nicest person I -(TM)ve ever met, and that includes Jeremy. I never kissed Jeremy, it didn -(TM)t seem right. - Poppy made me sit at the table as she plated up the many dishes we -(TM)d ordered. A mushroom biryani with a Madras sauce for her, a Lamb Imli for me, naan bread, samosas, dips, the table for 6 was full with food for two. Before taking her seat Poppy poured herself the last of the wine and fetched me a fresh can of Guinness, then she toasted me and we tucked in. As she ate, she talked more about the good people she -(TM)d met on the streets, a girl called Flower who -(TM)d shown her a women -(TM)s squat where she was safe. She lived there for a few months, Max, an older woman and the mother of the squat, Evie, who taught the younger girls how to read and write, some of the girls were so young, runaways or girls born on the streets, she kept everybody safe, none of the gangs dared enter the Orchid House, that -(TM)s what she called it. -Why did you move away from there if you were so safe? - -Shit, like we had a choice. We were out one day, collecting some clothes from a street clothing project, we -(TM)d heard they had some really nice fabrics, Evie wanted to make us all summer dresses, nothing makes you feel prettier than a nice dress, even when your hair is filthy a nice summer dress cheers you up no end. -So unusually Max had us all leave the squat, which was an old warehouse on the edge of an industrial estate in Walthamstow. She normally left at least a couple of people in the place to guard our stuff, but she said we -(TM)d all be needed to carry the clothes, fabric and food back. -She was right, we had so much stuff. That blue shirt I had on, it was part of the swag from that day. It was a happy day, we had such fun digging through the piles of clothes the charity had set aside for us. - -I can get that shirt back if you like it, I -(TM)m sure it will come up clean in a full wash. The coat though, it -(TM)s a lost cause. - -Would you please, I love that shirt. - So while Poppy continued her tale between mouthfuls of curry and naan I put her shirt on a 90° wash with plenty of stain remover and fabric conditioner. It was a Ralph Lauren Oxford, she was right to like it, they -(TM)re well made shirts. -Anyway, we got back to the squat, and, it wasn -(TM)t there, the bastards who owned the estate, they -(TM)d heard we were all leaving that day, I -(TM)ve no idea who tipped them off, I bet it was the snide cow who ran the charity clothing project, I never really trusted her, well, whatever, they -(TM)d waited for us to leave then moved in with a crane and demolished the place, it was just a pile of rubble. -We just stood there in tears, we didn -(TM)t have much stuff, but it was all gone, everything buried under the bricks. We -(TM)d made that place really pretty, we even had flowers on the table Alex, and it was gone. - Poppy was properly crying now. I was at a loss, I -(TM)m not used to this, all I could think to do was give her a hug, so I moved round to her chair, knelt beside her and hugged Poppy to my chest while her tears dried. Eventually she pulled away, she absent mindedly wiped at my shirt, -awww, I -(TM)ve smudged makeup all over your shirt, sorry. - -Doesn -(TM)t matter, it -(TM)ll wash off. Are you ok? - -You know, for the first time since I lived in Max -(TM)s squat, I feel safe here, and I only just met you, I should be scared right now, but I -(TM)m not. - Again, I smiled, I realised I should be scared about my stuff. I -(TM)d invited a street kid into my home, but I didn -(TM)t. I had a good feeling about Poppy, she was a nice kid who -(TM)d had a bad start in life. We finished the food, where Poppy fit it all I -(TM)ve no idea, but she wolfed it all down. We cleared the table together, scraping the few remaining scraps into the bin and Poppy watched me load the dishwasher, taking notice of the settings and where the detergent pods fitted. -So, - I said, not sure what I wanted to happen next, -err, what now. - -I don -(TM)t know. - -Ok, let -(TM)s go to the lounge, the seats are comfier, and we can have a think and a talk. - Poppy got another can of Guinness and filled my glass, then she looked at her empty glass and bottle, -help yourself to another bottle if you want, or there -(TM)s soft drinks in the other fridge. - -I like your wine... - she said shyly. -Open another bottle then, I don -(TM)t mind. - -Will Helen mind? - -If she even notices I -(TM)d be surprised, and it -(TM)s not like I can -(TM)t pick up another case from Majestic tomorrow. - Poppy giggled as she struggled to work out how to use my waiters -(TM) friend, so I reached around and showed her how to use it. She pressed her body against mine as I popped her cork, it felt nice. We adjourned to the lounge, Poppy marvelled at my TV, which took up most of one wall. If there -(TM)s one thing I like to do in my downtime, it -(TM)s watch a film on a big TV with cinema style surround sound. This means the lounge could be lit by ceiling lights for a bright room, or for a more intimate setting, I had wall lights, it was these I chose for this evening. I felt Poppy had more to tell me, and she -(TM)d open up more if the room wasn -(TM)t lit like an operating theatre. -Do you want to watch a movie or listen to music? - I asked. -Can we have music? - Poppy replied. -Of course, you choose, it -(TM)s all on the iPad on the table. - I took a seat in my favourite armchair as Poppy scrolled through my music library, I picked up the main AV remote and turned on the Cyrus Amps and network streamer, they warmed up while Poppy spent an age choosing what she wanted to listen to, eventually she chose a Loyle Carner album and soon the music was pumping out of the 20 speakers around the room, I turned it down so we could talk more. Despite the numerous seats in the room Poppy chose to pull up a foot stool and sat by my knees. I reached forward and pulled the coffee table closer so we could keep our glasses off the floor. We sat in silence for a while, listening to Isle of Arran, as it faded out I asked Poppy, -so, this morning, you said you escaped, I -(TM)m guessing it was somewhere round here. - -You know, I don -(TM)t even know where here is. - -Ahh right, we -(TM)re in Wimbledon. - -Really, oh wow, are we near, you know, Wimbledon, the tennis place. - -Oh yes, quite close, that park behind the bus stop, if it wasn -(TM)t such horrible weather and if you -(TM)d looked across the park you could have seen the Centre Court. - -Can we go for a walk over there some time, when it -(TM)s not raining? - -Of course we can, but I just need to get something straight first. When I met you at the bus stop you were heading for the train. - -Yes, I was, - she replied, sadly. -But you only have £5 and change in that purse, that -(TM)s not even going to get you across the river to North London. - -There -(TM)s ways to get more money. - -Ok, I guess, but my point is, you were running away. - -Do you want me to leave! - Poppy cried, sounding alarmed. -Oh gosh, no. I definitely don -(TM)t want you to leave, I -(TM)m enjoying your company. I just want to know what you want to do. - -Ahh, right. I mostly want to stay somewhere warm and dry, then I want to get a job and go back to school. - -Would you like to stay here Poppy, as long as you like. - -Really, you want me to stay? - -Of course, this is a big house, and I -(TM)ve enjoyed your company this evening. Get yourself settled here, and when you feel ready, we can sort you some work, and there -(TM)s a college not far from here, if you want to get some qualifications. - -Oh man, this is so nice of you. - -But this doesn -(TM)t answer my first question. You say you escaped from Kenzie, that was his name wasn -(TM)t it? - -Yes, Kenzie, I -(TM)m sure it -(TM)s a girls name. - -Where did you escape from, can you work it out from where I found you? - -Why do you need to know? - -Well, I really like you Poppy, you -(TM)re a lovely girl and even only knowing you a few hours I -(TM)d hate for Kenzie to find you again and take you away. - Poppy went quiet and pale, -oh fuck, oh man, yes. - -So I guess there -(TM)s a few things we need to think about, where were you first, and then where did he snatch you from the other day. I guess I -(TM)m trying to see if he moves around and found you by chance, or he was looking for you. - -Oh shit, well, I was in Camden, that -(TM)s where I was with Joanie, where she got me into the parties and it was one of those where Kenzie first saw me. We moved around a lot, wherever people in the scene were, that -(TM)s where they took us. Kenzie wasn -(TM)t there all the time, but he was a lot. -Now, where was I when Jeremy picked me up again, it was near Finsbury Park I think, Jeremy was based in Hackney, he must have been visiting someone in Finsbury Park, it was lucky he found me. So he -(TM)ll have taken me by bus back to Hackney, and that -(TM)s where Kenzie found me, I was on Broadway Market. - -So Kenzie moves around, if we go for a walk tomorrow, do you think you could walk me around, to find where you were being held? - -Why! What if we see him? - -Well, he won -(TM)t be expecting you to be all clean and tidy and dressed up will he, so he won -(TM)t recognise you, and I want to see where he held you, to report it to the police. - -Oh, I don -(TM)t know, let me decide tomorrow. I -(TM)d like to go for a walk with you though, all dressed up nice, could we go to a cafe in the park for tea. - -Of course we can, and I -(TM)m sure you -(TM)ll be safe now, if we stay alert. - -I guess if I stay well clear of the dives and shitholes he frequents I -(TM)ll be ok. - -Definitely. Now I -(TM)m sorry, I need to get to bed, you can stay and watch TV if you like. - -No, that -(TM)s ok, I -(TM)m pooped. - I turned everything off and we went upstairs. -You can sleep in Helen -(TM)s room tonight, then we -(TM)ll sort out the spare room. - -Oh, - Poppy sounded downcast, -I was kind of hoping I could share your bed, if that -(TM)s ok. - -Ok, I just didn -(TM)t want to presume anything. - -I just want to sleep, that -(TM)s all, but I don -(TM)t want to sleep alone, not tonight. - -That -(TM)s absolutely fine Poppy, I -(TM)m sure there -(TM)s some pyjamas or an old t-shirt in Helen -(TM)s room. - -I think I -(TM)ll be warm enough without pyjamas. - Okay, just sleep, that -(TM)s all we -(TM)re doing, with a sexy teenager, that -(TM)ll be a test of my will power. Poppy went into Helen -(TM)s en suite to use her lotions to remove her makeup as I used mine for a quick wash, I was under the duvet before Poppy returned. I don -(TM)t normally wear pyjamas in bed, but tonight I felt the need to wear some sleeping shorts. I felt her crawling under the duvet, she snuggled up close, her naked breasts pressed against my back, -just a cuddle tonight, is that ok? - -That -(TM)s more than ok Poppy, it -(TM)s a long time since I just shared body warmth with anyone. - -Me too, this is really nice. - I dozed for a while, then Poppy -(TM)s voice brought me back. -Do you know why I ran away from home? -(TM) -No I don -(TM)t sweetheart, and only tell me if you really want to. - -My mum -(TM)s new boyfriend raped me, and she just sat there watching and laughing, that -(TM)s why as soon as they -(TM)d both passed out I grabbed my clothes and left them. - I rolled over and looked at Poppy, her lovely face just inches from mine, even in the dark I could see the tears in her eyes. -You -(TM)re safe now Poppy, you can stay in my house as long as you want to, I -(TM)ll never make you leave. You can sleep in my bed, or you can sleep in Helen -(TM)s, or the spare room, you can even sleep in the garden if you like, wherever you feel safe. - -I feel safe right here, can I kiss you Alex? - -Only if you really want to, I don -(TM)t want you to do anything you don -(TM)t want to. - -I want to kiss you, you -(TM)ve been so nice to me, and you don -(TM)t need to be. - We brought our lips together. Poppy tasted of pinot grigio and lipstick, I think I got the better deal here, because I probably tasted of spicy onions and Guinness. The quick touch of lips soon turned into a full on passionate melding of lips and tongues, Poppy rolled me onto my back and climbed on top, her hands on my cheeks as she kissed my lips, my nose, my eyes, then she moved down, kissing my chest, my stomach, my belly button and downwards. -You don -(TM)t have to do this, - I gasped, hoping desperately that she did want to do it. Poppy -(TM)s fingers slipped under the waistband of my shorts, she pulled them down, I lifted off the bed to help, -mmm, this looks nice, - she whispered as she stroked her hands up and down my cock, she kissed it, then she took the head inside her mouth and I let out a long sigh. Poppy blew me for a minute or two. She was good and could take my whole length into her throat. I -(TM)m not huge or anything, maybe a bit bigger than average, but not many girls have taken my whole length into their throat. -Just this tonight Alex, - she said in a quiet, sexy voice as she continued to massage my cock with both hands, -I -(TM)m not in the mood for sex at the moment. - -You don -(TM)t need to do this if you -(TM)re not in the mood. - -Oh I do, I need to thank you for your kindness, and I like doing this, I like it when I -(TM)m in control, I can make you happy this way, or I could walk away and leave you frustrated and annoyed. - She let go of my cock then and I let out a groan, she giggled -see, you -(TM)re all frustrated now -, then with her arms either side of my body she took my whole cock in her mouth, and brought me off hands free, I didn -(TM)t take long, like I said, it -(TM)s been a while, and when I came it wasn -(TM)t a minor event. -Oh my god! - I cried as I came, but Poppy didn -(TM)t flinch, she kept my cock inside her mouth and her lips tightly closed, she continued to bob her head as she swallowed every drop, I was drained. -Was that ok? - she asked. -That was more than ok, that was spectacular. - -Can I stay then? - -I already said you could, you don -(TM)t need to pay me with sex, honey. - -But I like sex, I like it when it -(TM)s nice anyway, and I -(TM)ve not had much nice sex. - -We can have plenty of nice sex Poppy. - -Thank you Alex. - And with that she crawled back up the bed and spooned me, her arm across my waist and cupping my cock, and within seconds we were asleep. Two things woke me, the first one was Poppy gently stroking my cock back to life, the second was the front door slamming and my sister storming into the room shouting -I -(TM)ve had it with Nita! -(TM), then her apologising and backing out of the room and heading back downstairs. -Who was that? - Poppy asked. -Guess? - -Oh, that was Helen, she -(TM)s pretty. - -She -(TM)s a pain in the arse at times. Come on, we -(TM)d better get dressed and go see what -(TM)s upset her today. - We dressed quickly in pretty much what we were wearing last night, as Poppy tidied her hair she said, -will Helen be upset I -(TM)m wearing her clothes? - -I -(TM)ll bet she doesn -(TM)t even notice. I -(TM)ll tell you what, if she notices you -(TM)re wearing her clothes I -(TM)ll give you £1,000, I -(TM)m that confident. - -But I can -(TM)t match that bet, I -(TM)ve got like £5 in all the world. - -You don -(TM)t have to match the bet sweetie, and right now you don -(TM)t need money. - Downstairs Helen was brewing a pot of coffee, which was a good sign, when she -(TM)s in a mood she often breaks things. -Oh, hey Alex, sorry about before, I, err walked in on a moment, that was rude of me. - -Don -(TM)t worry about that Helen, meet Poppy. - -Hello Poppy, I -(TM)m Alex -(TM)s sister, Helen. - Poppy stepped up and shook Helen -(TM)s hand, -pleased to meet you Helen, Alex has told me a lot about you. - -That -(TM)s nice, because he -(TM)s never mentioned you. - -That -(TM)ll be because we only met yesterday. - -Wooah, that -(TM)s fast work. Hang on a sec, that -(TM)s my blouse! - -Oh shit, - I laughed, -~I genuinely thought you wouldn -(TM)t notice. - -That -(TM)s a one-off Vera Wang, I -(TM)m hardly going to mistake it. - Poppy started to take it off, -I -(TM)m so sorry Helen, I just thought it was pretty. - -It -(TM)s ok hun, you can keep it, it suits you. I -(TM)m guessing the rest of those clothes are mine as well. - Poppy looked sheepish so I stepped in. -Look, Poppy -(TM)s clothes are in a bin bag outside, it -(TM)s a long story that requires coffee, so you tell me why you barged in here and we -(TM)ll tell you Poppy -(TM)s story, is that a deal? - Helen visibly deflated, -yes, I -(TM)m genuinely sorry for storming in here, I was angry about something Nita said, it -(TM)s actually of no consequence really when I think about it, so it doesn -(TM)t matter. I was going to sleep here a couple of nights to let her stew. - -Ahhh, - Poppy said, -~if you -(TM)re stopping over I need to tidy your room, I kind of made a mess picking an outfit that I thought Alex would like. - -Hahaha, I bet you did, I -(TM)ll tell you what, you can tell me all about yourself while we tidy up, and you can help yourself to anything you like, because to be honest, I -(TM)ve got way too many clothes here. - They headed off upstairs and I had a mild panic, -play nice now, both of you, if you break anything you -(TM)ll pay for it. - -Oh relax brother, if Poppy is sharing your bed I -(TM)m allowed to interrogate her. - I sat down and poured a coffee, it -(TM)ll be alright surely. After I -(TM)d finished my drink I poured them both a mug and took them upstairs, there was laughter, that -(TM)s a very good sign. I kicked the door, -knock, knock! Is it safe to enter? - -Come in Alex, it -(TM)s all fine. - Poppy was sitting at Helen -(TM)s dresser in a very pretty bra and pantie set, her face positively glowed, she was so happy. -Helen found a bra that fits me, isn -(TM)t it nice. - I had a lump in my throat, Poppy looked incredible in a pale pink satin lace bra, if she wasn -(TM)t so pale herself the bra would probably have been invisible. -You look beautiful Poppy, truly beautiful. - -I -(TM)ve spoken to Nita, - Helen said after she -(TM)d sipped her coffee, -about those bruises, she -(TM)s bringing her box of lotions over, she must have something that will help them heal, fuck knows how someone could treat anyone that way. - -So we -(TM)re all good? - I asked. -More than good, - Helen replied, -you -(TM)ve hooked yourself a proper sweetie here Alex, I -(TM)m a bit jealous if I -(TM)m honest. - -So it -(TM)s safe if I leave you here while I go do some paperwork, my editor is nagging me for an update. - -Absolutely, - Poppy said as I turned to leave the room, -I -(TM)ll bring you some coffee in a bit. - -You don -(TM)t need to wait on me you know. - -I know, but I want to, it makes me feel useful for once. - -Ok, but I don -(TM)t want you to feel like you -(TM)re my servant or anything. - There was more laughter as I climbed the stairs to my office in the attic, it -(TM)ll be good to let Poppy in here, now the leaves have dropped from most of the trees in the park it -(TM)s possible, if you squint, to see the Centre Court stands at the All England Club, I think she -(TM)ll be impressed by my tiny view of the place. I booted up my iMac, as I waited for the sign on screen I heard the gate sliding open, ahh Nita, Helen -(TM)s girlfriend, not my favourite person if I -(TM)m honest, Helen -(TM)s love / hate relationship with the dermatologist was frustrating to witness. I suspect it -(TM)s mostly Helen -(TM)s fault, she -(TM)s a typical fiery redhead and not one to tolerate fools lightly, and Nita can sometimes be a little, err, blonde. As I logged into my email I heard Nita -(TM)s distinctive Geordie accent cry, -holy shit, who did this to you pet? - Arghh, I couldn -(TM)t concentrate on work right then, so I went down to see what was happening, thinking as I did about how quickly Poppy had got under my skin, less than 24 hours and I think I loved her already. Poppy was lying face down on Helen -(TM)s bed, Nita was rubbing a lotion into Poppy -(TM)s lower back. -Ahh, Alex, just the man. How are you at massage? - -Not really something I -(TM)ve ever done. - -Well, now -(TM)s the time to learn. I -(TM)ve got two lotions here, you -(TM)ll need to buy more as I -(TM)ve only got small pots, you shouldn -(TM)t have much trouble finding them. First use this arnica, three times a day, rub it in well, use your thumbs like this, so you -(TM)re massaging the skin as well as rubbing the lotion in, do this for at least a week until all the fresh bruises are gone. After a week use this Aloe Vera morning and night for another week, if there -(TM)s any of the old bruises left after that, use vitamin K lotion, I don -(TM)t have any I -(TM)m afraid, and it -(TM)s not cheap, but wherever you get the arnica should be able to order some. - Nita turned back to Poppy, -how does this feel now? - -It feels so nice, I hadn -(TM)t realised how stiff I was until you started to loosen me up. Can you show Alex what to do please, so he can do me later. - I swapped places with Nita and put my hands where Nita had hers and massaged Poppy -(TM)s back, pressing in with my thumbs in a way that I was sure must hurt, especially given Poppy -(TM)s tender skin in this area, but she just gave out pleasurable groans as I massaged the lotion into her skin. -Ok, we -(TM)ll leave you now, - Nita said, -I -(TM)m taking this one home, because I -(TM)m sure you don -(TM)t need her in the way. If those bruises don -(TM)t start to clear in a couple of days, call me and I -(TM)ll get her into the surgery for some scans. - With that, we were alone, I continued massaging Poppy -(TM)s back, I think we were both enjoying this. -Move down a bit, - Poppy sighed. I started massaging her bum through her new lacy panties, she lifted herself up, -pull them off, they -(TM)re in the way. - I continued where I -(TM)d left off, massaging Poppy -(TM)s very shapely bum, my thumb straying between her cheeks every so often, and each time Poppy gave out a little sigh of pleasure. Gradually I ventured just a little further between her cheeks until my thumbs were teasing her pussy. -I can -(TM)t stand this anymore, stop teasing me you bastard! - She flipped herself over and spread her legs wide, so I grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards me, with her pussy within reach. I knelt at the foot of the bed and moved in. She smelled wonderful, like a young girl -(TM)s pussy should smell, fresh and clean. I was acutely aware that this poor girl had been so very badly misused over the last few years, and as recently as a couple of days ago. I could see bruising around her pussy, -did you show Nita these bruises? - -I did, she says we can -(TM)t have sex for a few days, because it will really hurt, but it always hurt before, so I don -(TM)t mind. - -I do mind, I want our first time to be pleasurable, so I -(TM)m happy to wait, in the meantime though, maybe this won -(TM)t hurt. - Carefully I pressed my tongue gently against her pussy lips and licked my way up to her clit, which was quite pronounced. -Oh shit Alex, I -(TM)ve never had a man do this, it feels so good. - -You -(TM)ve never had your pussy eaten? - -Not by a man, just Belle and Flower, and only then after we -(TM)d had a swim to get clean, so not often. Oh my, that -(TM)s sooo good. - I ran my tongue around Poppy -(TM)s swollen clit, she was getting very moist now, her groin writhing around under my tongue and lips. I shifted my attention back to her pussy, carefully parting her lips and moving my tongue inside. I licked the full length of Poppy -(TM)s pussy lips from top to bottom, spreading them wide with my tongue, plunging it deep inside her. Poppy grabbed my head, digging her fingers into my hair, she pulled my head into her groin, -fuck me hard with that tongue, fuck me Alex. - I did what she demanded, driving my tongue as deep as it would go, all the time breathing through my nose as best I could as my face was buried in her pussy. -Oh fuck Alex, keep doing that, I -(TM)m cuming, I -(TM)m cuming, shiiiitttttt. - Poppy thrust her groin into my face and simultaneously pulled my face hard against her pussy, I held my breath as I worked as hard as I could while Poppy rode her orgasm for the longest time before she fell back on the bed, her arms flopping by her side. -Oh man, - Poppy said once she -(TM)d got her breath back, -that was sooo good, I -(TM)ve not cum in months, thank you. - -Pleased to be of service. - -Can you kiss me, so I can taste my pussy, Belle and Flower never kissed me. - -Of course, anything for you sweetie. - I pulled Poppy to her feet and we hugged as we kissed, she was so full of love and passion, why did anyone feel the need to mistreat this girl? -You -(TM)re all hard again, oh my, I forgot, I got you hard earlier when Helen barged in, you -(TM)ll have blue balls if I don -(TM)t sort you out. - -It -(TM)s fine, really. I need to get some work done for an hour, why don -(TM)t you pick some clothes to wear, then we -(TM)ll go for a walk, find a chemist to buy some more of that lotion, then we -(TM)ll go to my bank, because I owe you some money. - -Oh, don -(TM)t be silly, you don -(TM)t need to pay me. - -A bet is a bet, I -(TM)ll honour it. While I -(TM)m thinking about it, we need to sort you with ID and a bank account, without ID you can -(TM)t get a job or go to college. - -Ohhh, yes. This is so weird, we never bothered about stuff like ID and bills, so I -(TM)ve no idea what to do. - -Don -(TM)t worry, we -(TM)ll get you sorted and on your feet in no time, now I have to get some work done, I won -(TM)t be long. When you -(TM)re ready, come up to my office, it -(TM)s up the stairs at the end of the hallway, I -(TM)ve got a gym up there as well if you ever want to use it - -Oh cool, that sounds like fun, I -(TM)ve seen gyms, but never been in one, girls look so sexy when they -(TM)re training and covered in sweat. - -You look sexy all the time. - -Do I, really? I -(TM)ve never thought of myself as sexy. - -Well you are, Helen thinks so as well, she said she was jealous. - -Oh, I -(TM)m not sure what to say about that, am I attractive to girls as well? - -You just said Belle and Flower went down on you. - -Oh yes, but that doesn -(TM)t make them, or me, gay, it was kind of necessity you know, like men in prison, they -(TM)re not gay because they bum each other, that -(TM)s why they wouldn -(TM)t kiss me, because it was too sexual you know. I really wanted them to kiss me though, just a hug and a kiss, even without the oral, a hug is so nice, it -(TM)s a sign you -(TM)re loved. - I held my arms out and swept her into a hug, -I -(TM)ve missed hugs as well Poppy, I don -(TM)t know how you -(TM)ve done it, but in less than 24 hours you -(TM)ve wormed your way deep into my heart. - -I think I love you too Alex. - I kissed the top of Poppy -(TM)s head as I pulled away, -I really have to send some emails, sorry. - -Can I come and watch you work? - -Of course, get dressed first though, I -(TM)ll be too distracted otherwise. - I dashed up to my office, adjusting my jeans to make my erection more comfortable, and got stuck straight into my work, I emailed my latest edits to Lois my editor, then I paid a few bills, then I checked my bank balance, moving £1,000 from my savings to my current account so I could withdraw it in cash in the branch later. By the time Poppy appeared, freshly showered and dressed I -(TM)d finished my work, and it -(TM)s lucky I had, she looked spectacular. Today -(TM)s outfit was a deep red dress, the waist pulled in with a silver rope-belt, she -(TM)d paired the dress with a red leather jacket and red shoes with a 2-inch heel, yes, spectacular. -She said I could have any clothes I liked, but she only has one bra that fits me, so I -(TM)ve not got one on again, I feel a bit weird without a bra, can we buy some today please? - Again with the lump in my throat, and in my pants. -Err, yes, we can buy anything you want honey. - -Are you ok? - -Of course I am. - -You just sound a little funny, like you need to cough. - -It -(TM)s just you look absolutely beautiful, and it -(TM)s affected me quite profoundly is all. - -I can fix that really quickly. - -Seriously, I -(TM)ll be fine, you don -(TM)t need to be servicing me every time I get a hard on. - -Don -(TM)t you want me? - she sounded genuinely hurt, it broke my heart to think I -(TM)d upset her. -Oh Poppy, of course I want you, I want you more than anything, but I just need you to understand that I didn -(TM)t pick you up yesterday to be my sex slave, anything you did in the past is in the past. I will have my balls explode before I make you have sex with me. - -Ok, I understand what your saying, so now understand me mister, if I offer sex it -(TM)s because I want to have sex. If I want to blow you, it -(TM)s because I want to blow you, not because I feel compelled to blow you. I -(TM)m my own person, no matter how nice your house is, if you lay an unwanted finger on me, not that I expect you to, you -(TM)re a nice guy, but if you do, I -(TM)m out of here. Is that straight? - I swallowed hard, I -(TM)d clearly underestimated Poppy -(TM)s strength of will, -yes, I understand. - -Super, now do you want a blowjob or not. - -Yes please. - Poppy got on her knees and crawled under my desk, she popped her head up between my knees and unfastened my fly. -Just imagine you -(TM)re in an office with people around, try to work while I -(TM)m doing this, go on, it -(TM)ll be fun. - Okay, I shuffled my chair forward a bit, so I could reach my keyboard. I opened a blank Word document and started to type, the first part of this story actually, I -(TM)ve obviously corrected it, because once Poppy got to work my ability to type largely disappeared. Damn she was good, she worked the head mostly this time, using her lips and tongue around the base of the head, and all the while massaging the base with one hand, and my balls with the other. Good god, this isn -(TM)t going to take long. I was trying hard to stay as calm as possible in my seat, maintaining the pretence I was working, but if this was a real situation I -(TM)m sure my colleagues would wonder about just why I was sweating quite so much on a cold November morning. I did well keeping quiet though, just emitting the odd involuntary groan and sigh. That is right up to the point where I came, I couldn -(TM)t hold back then, with a grunt I grabbed Poppy -(TM)s head and forced my cock deep into her mouth and let go a stream of hot spunk. I looked down, ashamed at how I -(TM)d just forced my cock into her face, but her eyes were still bright, looking straight up at me, and even with my fat cock in her mouth, I could somehow tell she was smiling. Letting go of her head I rolled my chair back slightly, Poppy pulled away, licking my cock like an ice cream, cleaning it thoroughly, she popped it back in my shorts and fastened my pants before standing. She had a mischievous grin on her face as she leaned forwards and kissed me, parting my lips with her tongue she swirled it inside, then I realised she still had a mouthful of my spunk, too late, she shared it with me, keeping her lips locked to mine until she was sure I -(TM)d had a good taste. -Did you enjoy that? - -Well, if I -(TM)m totally honest, yes, I did. - -All of it? - -That last bit was a surprise I -(TM)ll admit, but it was much less unpleasant than I expected. - -I -(TM)m glad, I thought if I got to taste my pussy, you should get a taste of your cock. I won -(TM)t ever do it again if you don -(TM)t want me to. - -Don -(TM)t make a habit of it, but I -(TM)m certainly not going to run for the hills if you do it again. - She kissed me again, thankfully now just the taste of her lipstick, -it -(TM)s difficult for me to trust people Alex, but everything about you just tells me I -(TM)m safe letting you into my heart, please, please, please don -(TM)t prove me wrong. - I stood upright, pushing my chair back as I rose, I hugged Poppy hard, -let me show you something, then we -(TM)ll go for a walk, and over tea and cake in the park I -(TM)ll tell you a story. - We stepped around my desk and moved over to the roof window, in her heels Poppy was slightly taller than me, she -(TM)d have a better view. -Look over there, through those trees, that green thing. - -Yes, I see it. - -That -(TM)s the Centre Court of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. - -Wimbledon? Really? - -Yep, so you see, you were quite close at the bus stop yesterday. - -Amazing. - -We -(TM)ll walk past it later, when we go to the park for tea. - -Fantastic. - -Ok, now, as amazing as you look right now, I think you need some slightly more sensible shoes for walking, those will kill you. - -I guess, they -(TM)re nice though aren -(TM)t they? - -They -(TM)re very nice, and Helen paid about £1,500 for them, so I think she -(TM)d be annoyed if you get them all muddy from the park. - -Oh fuck, £1,500 for shoes, why? - -Because she -(TM)s insane? That -(TM)s the best reason I can think of. - Chapter 2 It took Poppy 20 minutes to change shoes, because it also involved a change of clothing, to keep everything matching, she was back to jeans, a t-shirt and blouse, black Converse trainers and black leather jacket. I pocketed the two tubs of lotion as we left Helen -(TM)s room and we were set. I showed Poppy the gate code as we were leaving, you have to enter the code to open the gate from either side. There -(TM)s a phone app to do it, but Poppy doesn -(TM)t have a phone yet, so she -(TM)ll just have to remember the 6 digit code for now. We walked hand in hand up the road, even without the heels Poppy is pretty tall, it felt comfortable walking together, our hands were naturally at the same height. First stop was the shopping precinct. We visited a health food store for the lotions, they had large pots of both, I bought one of each then we went up the road further to my bank, where they dispensed £1,000 in a mix of £20, £10 and £5 notes. -A promise is a promise, - I said as I handed it to Poppy, she tried to refuse it, so I opened her jacket and slipped it into the inside pocket, -You -(TM)ll need pocket money - I told her as I zipped the pocket shut. -Ok, I -(TM)ve never had so much money before. - -Don -(TM)t go mad with it. - -Can we go buy some underwear then, now I have some money. - There was a quite fancy lingerie store in the area, but it was a bit staid, so I decided we -(TM)d pop into London and buy something from a department store, first though, tea and cake in the park, and a walk round the tennis club. It was too cold to sit at the outdoor seating, so we took a table inside. Poppy was almost overwhelmed by the choices on offer, after much debate she decided on 4 different cakes, millionaires shortbread, Key Lime Pie, Dundee cake and chocolate fudge cake. I -(TM)m certain she -(TM)ll have the lion -(TM)s share of them all, I just loved watching her eat. Kelly, the regular waitress came over to take our order. -Hello Alex, I -(TM)ve not seen you for a while. Who -(TM)s your friend? - -Hi Kelly, this is Poppy, my girlfriend. - That felt so good, calling her my girlfriend, Poppy liked the sound of it too, because she beamed as she looked up at Kelly. Poppy insisted on paying, handing a crisp £20 note over and refusing the change. I was so proud of her just then. Over cakes, washed down with mugs of tea I told Poppy about why I -(TM)d been alone for so long. -I was engaged to be married, we -(TM)d been dating for 5 years, and engaged for two while we planned an extravagant wedding, then a week before the wedding Beth, my cleaner, came to my office, she told me straight out that the day before she -(TM)d seen Tammy in bed with Ellory, up to that point Ellory was my best friend, and was to be my best man. -It must have been so difficult for Beth to tell me this, and I was so angry I threw my computer across the room, I -(TM)ll show you the damage later. Poor Beth ran away and didn -(TM)t return for a month. I doubled her pay as compensation for my outburst. - -Oh shit, I don -(TM)t know what to say. I take it you called the wedding off. - -Too right I did, I literally kicked Ellory out of the house, I never saw either of them again. Helen told me they married quietly a few months later and apparently are still together, which surprises me, as someone who can pull shit like that on their fianc(C) and best friend can -(TM)t really be trusted ever again. - -So, I guess the big house, it was supposed to be for a family. - -That -(TM)s right, we were supposed to live there together, as a family, but that didn -(TM)t happen. I couldn -(TM)t even face sleeping in our room after that. Helen has the room we were using, that -(TM)s why she has the biggest room and a nicer ensuite bathroom. She bought my honeymoon tickets off me, went with Nita, two weeks in the Maldives. - -So, is this why you have trust issues Alex, why you -(TM)ve been so careful that everything I do is absolutely what I want to do? - -Got it in one. - -Ahh, well, just so you know, despite my traumas, I love sex, there -(TM)s been a few people I -(TM)ve been with over the last couple of years who have been tender and nice, and I really enjoyed our sex, but they were in the minority. I want to have sex with you Alex, when I -(TM)m better, and I want it to be nice, and I want you to be the only person I ever sleep with, forever, because I can see in your eyes that you want me as much as I want you. - I had tears in my eyes as she said this, Poppy reached across and dabbed my eyes with a napkin. At that moment I made the decision, she was the one, the person I -(TM)d been waiting for these last 5 years since I ended it with Tammy. I reached into my pocket and took out my spare keys. -Poppy, I want you to have these, the keys to my house, I trust you, for the first time since then, I -(TM)ve found someone I think I can trust. I want you to feel you can come and go as you please. - -But, what about Kenzie? What if he finds me. - -Well obviously if you don -(TM)t feel comfortable going out, then you stay in, but you have keys, just in case you want to go out. - Poppy put her hand on top of mine, she looked deep into my eyes, -Thank you, for trusting me, it means a lot. - We finished our cakes, well more accurately, Poppy finished our cakes, and picked up all the crumbs, because I wouldn -(TM)t let her lick the plates. -I -(TM)ve never had anything as tasty as those cakes before, thank you so much - -No need to thank me, you paid for them. - -But without you, I -(TM)d never have had a chance to taste them. - We left the cafe to walk around the park, then across to the parts of the All England Club we could see from outside. Poppy was fascinated to see the club, so famous from the TV and media coverage, one of the world -(TM)s greatest sporting arenas, right here on our doorstep. Afterwards we walked over to the train station. I stopped in a newsagents and bought Poppy an Oyster card so she could use public transport without jumping the barriers as she -(TM)d been doing in the past. -Oh you -(TM)re so uptight and middle class, - she joked as I gave her the travel card. As we rode the train into central London I broached the subject of ID. -You know how I mentioned ID earlier? - -Mmmm yes, - Poppy answered. -Have you ever had anything, like a library card, or bus pass, or even a bank account? - -No, never. Mum really didn -(TM)t care about that stuff, I never had a bank account, and the only books I read were from the school library. - -That -(TM)s what I thought. I guess we -(TM)re going to have to start from scratch. Do you know where and when you were born? - -We moved around so much, I know my first school was in Tower Hamlets, maybe it was there. My birthday is 1st June, don -(TM)t ask me what year though. I only know my birthday because it -(TM)s the same as Marilyn Monroe, mum mentioned that a few times. - -Great, we can work with that, and do you know your full name, I know you mentioned you forgot your real name for a while, have you remembered it now. - -Yes, I know it now, but you can never, ever use my birth name. - -Not a problem, you -(TM)ll always be Poppy for me. - -Melanie Nichola Theresa Francesca Roberts. - -Wow, that -(TM)s a mouthful, and also pretty unique, should make finding your birth certificate easier. - -Can we change my name legally? - -Yes, that -(TM)s pretty simple, but until you -(TM)re 18 I think you -(TM)ll need your mother -(TM)s permission to do it legally, we -(TM)ll ask when we go to collect a copy of your birth certificate. With that we -(TM)ll get you sorted with a bank account and registered at the library, we can go and see the college tomorrow, or you can leave it for a while. - -Ohhh, this is too much to think about right now. - -Not to worry, we -(TM)ll take it at a pace you -(TM)re comfortable with. I -(TM)d like to get your birth certificate today though. We can do everything after that whenever you -(TM)re ready. - -Ok, I -(TM)m happy to do whatever you think is best. While we -(TM)re shopping, I -(TM)d like to get some hair dye, as a disguise. - -That -(TM)s a great idea, what colour are you thinking of? - -I was thinking pink, like candyfloss. - -Mmm, so to disguise yourself you -(TM)re going to make yourself more noticeable, an interesting concept. - -It will work, believe me. Anyone who knows me will be looking for dirty blonde hair. They -(TM)ll see pink, it will make my whole face look different, then if I -(TM)m wearing even a little makeup, like today, I -(TM)m hardly wearing any, but I rarely wore it before, so even a little totally reshapes my face. - -You -(TM)re the expert Poppy, you do whatever makes you feel right. - The train terminated at St Pancras, we transferred to the Underground, which is always busy at Kings Cross St Pancras station, the biggest station on the network, with a maze of passageways and about a dozen entrances. Poppy kept very close to me, holding my hand tightly the whole time we were in the station. She turned to me and spoke quietly in my ear as we walked quickly to the Victoria Line platform, -We used to beg in this station, I -(TM)m sure there -(TM)ll be somebody here I know. - -It -(TM)ll be a good test of how different you look now, even without pink hair, if you see someone and they don -(TM)t recognise you. - We walked through the underground maze between lines until Poppy squeezed my hand, pulling me up short. -That -(TM)s Flower and Belle, - she whispered, -they lived with me in Max -(TM)s squat. - I looked where Poppy had indicated. Two girls, both around Poppy -(TM)s age were sitting in a corner, well clear of the flow of people, they had a cardboard sign saying -~hungry and homeless -(TM) and a McDonald -(TM)s coffee cup to collect change. -Can I give them some money Alex? - -Of course you can, you -(TM)ve a pocket full of cash, it -(TM)s yours, you can do whatever you like with it. - -I don -(TM)t know how much to give them? - -How much is a night in a hostel? - -We hardly ever used them, we rarely had enough money. What if I give them like £20 each, is that enough, too much, I don -(TM)t know Alex, help me please. - -Most people just walk past, a few will give them a few coppers, maybe a pound, surely you know this. - -I do, I do, but now I -(TM)m on the other side, and I -(TM)m freaking out. - -£20 is probably way more than they -(TM)d expect to get, so give them a £20 note each. - -Come with me please, while I go talk to them. - -Are you sure that -(TM)s safe? - -Pretty sure, Flower was always lovely, and Belle is so sweet, look how pretty she is, even when she -(TM)s filthy, she -(TM)s gorgeous. - So we took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and forced ourselves through the crowd to the other side of the concourse. Poppy crouched down in front of the girls, at first they ignored her, probably readying themselves from some abuse from a posh girl, then the girl on the left, the prettier one, so probably Belle looked up, and after a moment or two she must have recognised Poppy, because her eyes lit up, and with a broad smile she cried out, -Oh man, Poppy, I am so glad to see you, we thought you were dead! - -Well, it was a close call, that fucker Kenzie nabbed me and did some damage, but a knight in shining Burberry found me. - -You look so good, - the other girl, Flower, said, -fancy clothes and shiny hair, you -(TM)ve done so well. - -Who -(TM)s the straight? - Belle asked. -That -(TM)s Alex, he rescued me, he -(TM)s so nice, so is all his family, his sister got her girlfriend round to help me with all the horrible bruises from Kenzie and his fuckers. - -I always knew you -(TM)d get lucky girl, you -(TM)ve always been better than the rest of us. - -I don -(TM)t know about better, but I did get lucky, and now I can pass some of that luck onto you, but you have to promise me one thing. - -Anything, - Flower said, -we -(TM)ll never let you down. - -You never saw me today, I -(TM)m out of the life now, I won -(TM)t survive if I go back, so I definitely don -(TM)t want Kenzie or Parker finding me. - -Fuck no, you -(TM)re gone girl, we never saw you. - -Thank you. I mean it, thank you, without your help I -(TM)d have probably died long ago, you and Max and Evie, you pulled me out of the shit. - -You deserved it honey, and you deserve your knight in shining burberry, - Belle said. -Have you seen Max and Evie at all? - -We -(TM)ve not seen Evie at all have we Belle, we bump into Max occasionally, she -(TM)s in a squat in Camden, there -(TM)s only 6 in there now, not like the Walthamstow squat, so there -(TM)s no room for us, we -(TM)re living down the tunnels, there -(TM)s like this old maintenance office, me, Belle and Suki, we share it, no-one else knows about it, there -(TM)s even power, so we -(TM)ve got lights, and a radio, and a cooker, it -(TM)s amazing. - -I -(TM)m so glad to hear it, you three need somewhere safe. Look, I -(TM)ve got to go, here -(TM)s some money, can you give some to Max please, when you see her next. - -Of course we will. - Poppy reached into her pocket and handed a pile of money to Flower, then she grabbed my hand, pulling me away as quickly as she could. I looked across and she had tears running down her face. Once we found another clear spot I stopped her, and gave her a tissue. -Thank you, I couldn -(TM)t stay there any longer, but I hate to leave them, they -(TM)re my friends, I can -(TM)t go back to that life though, and you can -(TM)t help everyone. Fuck, why did I have to see them, that was heart breaking, I didn -(TM)t expect that at all. - -Did you give them all your money? - -I did, are you angry? - -Good god no, why should I be angry, I -(TM)m pleased, you didn -(TM)t need to give them all that money but you did, that showed great kindness. - -I was worried you -(TM)d be upset, but I couldn -(TM)t in all conscience keep that money when my friends are living rough. - -Come on, let -(TM)s get the train, we -(TM)ll buy you some undies, then we -(TM)ll try to find the Tower Hamlets town hall so we can get a copy of your birth certificate. I -(TM)ll get you some more money later. - -I don -(TM)t deserve more money off you Alex. - -You just proved you do, I -(TM)d much rather you give my money away than spend it on shoes. - -Ha, I guess so. - We dashed to the platform just as a train pulled in, this service was fairly quiet so we managed to grab a pair of seats together. -I -(TM)m just thinking about those shoes Alex, how much they cost, £1,500 is a shocking amount of money for shoes she mustn -(TM)t ever wear. - -I can only agree, but you and I think very differently to Helen. - -What does Helen do, to be able to afford all those nice clothes? - -Oh, she -(TM)ll love you if you didn -(TM)t recognise her. - -Oh gosh, is she famous too? - -Not as much as she was, but a few years ago she was pretty famous. - -What did she do, so I can pretend I knew her all along. - -Ahh, where to start? She -(TM)s one of those people who ended up being famous for being famous, if you know what I mean. She started as a model, then she appeared topless in a lot of lad -(TM)s magazines, just a girl with her big boobs out on a page to distract from the lack of any real content in the magazine. - -Oh, you know something, I might have seen a poster of her in a squat. - -She won -(TM)t be embarrassed if you mention it, she -(TM)s quite proud of her figure and the pictures. I bet there -(TM)s some in her room, we -(TM)ll look, then maybe you -(TM)ll recognise her. Anyway, she did that for a few years, then all those mags closed down because the sheer amount of porn on the internet meant boys had ready access to boobs without spending £1 on a magazine. Since then she -(TM)s been on TV, some acting, some reality shows, she did Celebrity Big Brother one year, but she didn -(TM)t win, she does paid appearances at trade shows and stuff, they often provide revealing outfits to keep the men interested which she usually keeps. She works hard and probably earns more money than me. Plus, Nita is a very well known dermatologist, she -(TM)ll be pulling in a fair wage from consulting. - -So she makes money from her looks, I like that idea, I made money from my body for a while, it wasn -(TM)t much fun, but it kept us all fed in Max -(TM)s squat. - -Did Max, mmm, did she pimp you out. - -Oh fuck, no she didn -(TM)t! That was Parker, he used to pimp me out, and he kept all the money, that -(TM)s why I was glad when Jeremy got me out of there. Max let us keep our money, she didn -(TM)t care how we earned it, or even if we earned any, but if we did get some cash we had to chip in for food and other expenses. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s ok. So I guess we need to be on the look out for this Parker guy as well as Kenzie, and anyone who will report you to them. - -I -(TM)m thinking we -(TM)ll be ok. Belle is my closest friend, and it took her a little while to recognise me, when I change my hair I -(TM)ll be fine. - The train filled up on the way to Oxford Circus, and by the time we got there it was difficult to fight our way off the train and out of the station. -Ok Poppy, the world is your oyster, where do you want to go spend some money on undies and hair dye. - -But I -(TM)ve got no money now. - -Don -(TM)t you worry about money, this is my treat, after all, I -(TM)ll get to look at them and admire you in whatever you wear. - -Hahaha, yes, you will. - -I -(TM)ll get you some more cash out tomorrow, I -(TM)ve reached the daily cash limit on my account. - -Oh no, sorry, I shouldn -(TM)t have given all that money away. - -Stop worrying about it, you did absolutely the right thing, I -(TM)ll replace it, I won -(TM)t miss that money. - -It -(TM)s just I -(TM)m not used to this yet, we never had more than £20 or £30 at a time. - -Hang on, you sold your body and only got £20 or £30 a time? You seriously undersold yourself Poppy. - -I know, but we were filthy most of the time, no running water in the squat, so we couldn -(TM)t attract the high class clients. - -I -(TM)m sorry, I shouldn -(TM)t have said that, tell me to piss off if I ask you questions you don -(TM)t want to answer. - -I -(TM)ve no trouble talking about my past, I think the worst thing I could do is bottle it all up. It -(TM)s more important that you tell me if I -(TM)m talking about stuff you don -(TM)t want to hear, because I -(TM)m sure you didn -(TM)t rescue me just to hear gruesome details about my past. - -Oh gosh Poppy, if you need to speak about something, you just go ahead and talk, it might upset me, but it -(TM)s nothing compared to what you went through, so don -(TM)t be afraid of talking. All I -(TM)ll ask you is to be careful what you say if my neighbours are about, I -(TM)m sure some of those people will be very upset if they find out you lived on the streets. It -(TM)s absolutely nothing to do with them, you -(TM)re in my house, it -(TM)s my stuff at risk if my trust in you turns out to be misplaced, but some of my neighbours have extremely high opinions of themselves, and are liable to run some kind of campaign to run you out of town. - -I don -(TM)t think I -(TM)ll like your neighbours Alex. - -I don -(TM)t like them, but we live with them, so I just keep my head down and ignore almost everything they say. - -Why do you put up with it? - -Mostly because I love my house, and I love having the park across the road. - -I love your house Alex, so I -(TM)ll do my best to keep quiet. - We were halfway down Oxford Street by now, facing John Lewis, -so, shopping... - I said. -Oh no, no, we can -(TM)t go in there. - -Why not? - -We just can -(TM)t ok. - -Fair enough, so where do you want to go. - Poppy looked around, she looked lost and sad. -Oh fuck Alex, this is such a bad idea. I know I need undies, but I don -(TM)t want to spend a lot of your money. Can we just go to Primark or something, they -(TM)re like £5 each there. It -(TM)s not like I -(TM)ve got massive boobs or anything that need a lot of support. - -What -(TM)s wrong Poppy, you were looking forward to shopping a few minutes ago. - -Can we go somewhere off the street, just to sit down and chat. - I found a Caffe Nero just down a side street that had an empty table, I ordered a couple of Americanos and some fruit toast and we took a table at the back, away from the door. Poppy held her mug in both hands as she sipped it, her hands were shaking, as she put her mug down I took hold of her hands. -What -(TM)s wrong honey, you -(TM)re shaking. - -Ahh shit, I said there was stuff that might upset you, well here goes. We used to shoplift all the time, mostly on Oxford Street, some of it was stuff for us to wear, some was stuff to sell. I -(TM)ve been arrested loads of times, nothing ever came of it, the police would usually just take the stuff off us then let us out of the van at the end of the road, they couldn -(TM)t be arsed doing paperwork when all we -(TM)d get is a warning, so they just gave us a slap and sent us on our way. -The only shop that prosecuted us is John Lewis, we never went to court or anything, we gave false names, and no fixed abode meant they had nowhere to deliver the summons, but I bet if I walk back through that door they -(TM)ll have their security on me in seconds. - -But you said you look too different now for people to recognise you. - -That -(TM)s my friends, not trained security, they used to recognise us across a packed shop on Saturdays. It -(TM)s just not worth the risk. - I took a drink of my coffee and a bite of toast, thinking. -Right, so you can -(TM)t go to this John Lewis. I -(TM)m ok with that, what about other stores, anywhere else that -(TM)s absolutely off the cards? - -You -(TM)re not mad at me? - -Not at all, your past is in the past, I -(TM)ve already said that, I -(TM)ll only be mad if you steal anything from now on, because you -(TM)ve no need to steal anymore, not for clothes to wear, or to get money. I -(TM)ll provide for you, anything you need. You can get a job if you want, but you don -(TM)t need to. - -Can I work for you? - -I -(TM)m not sure what work I could give you. - -I could do your paperwork, your admin, fetch and carry. I could do your cleaning, and cooking. I can cook quite well. I -(TM)m pretty good with an iron, and Evie was teaching me sewing. - -I -(TM)ve got a cleaner, she -(TM)ll be annoyed if I sack her. - -Oh yes, you mentioned, - Poppy said, downcast, -if you -(TM)re giving me money I have to do something to earn it. - -Ok, I know what we can do. How are you with a computer? - -I -(TM)ve never used one, sorry. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s ok, that can be your first college course, you can learn how to use a computer, and learn how to respond to letters, and maybe a household management course. Then you can handle my correspondence, and my social media. At the moment I pay a publicist to do all that, when all they -(TM)re really supposed to do is handle TV, radio and advertising, you can do all that work for me. - -Awesome. - Poppy was smiling broadly now, the drama gone. -So, back to shopping, where should we avoid? - -Mmmm, Zara, can -(TM)t go there, Debenhams, There -(TM)s a couple of shops with Italian names, and there -(TM)s All Saints, and some others. It -(TM)s a shame about All Saints, I really like their clothes. - -So, is there anywhere we can definitely go? - -Well, there -(TM)s Primark, they -(TM)re so cheap, why would you steal from them, American Apparel, and they have some quite nice stuff, Ann Summers, they have nice bras, they also have really naughty stuff in there, can we go there? - -We can go anywhere you like. - So, with the dark mood gone, we set off and did some shopping. I decided Primark was out, for underwear at least, it was cheap like she said, but I don -(TM)t think it was good enough quality, she might not think she needs support, but she has really nice shapely boobs, quite full, and she -(TM)ll start to need support soon, so best to start buying decent bras now. American Apparel was better, quite plain, nice colours and pretty well made, and their 32D was the perfect size. We bought a fair few bras, lots of panties and some socks, and some nice t-shirts. Finally Ann Summers, I knew the store, but had never been inside, and frankly if I never go there again I won -(TM)t be upset. I gave Poppy my card and left her to it, waiting outside while she bought whatever she wanted. When she came out I put my card and receipt in my wallet without checking it, the bag she was carrying looked pretty full. -I -(TM)ve bought us some fun stuff to play with, and some sexy undies, and some nice undies to wear when I -(TM)m dressed up all pretty. - -Well done, - is all I could think to say, then I looked at the bag, with its prominent, and well known logo and my heart sank, our next stop was Tower Hamlets town hall, that bag really wasn -(TM)t appropriate, especially as I was coming to suspect Poppy was younger than we thought she was. -Mmm, as happy as I am with your shopping haul, I think we need to decant everything into a plain bag, because we -(TM)re going to look odd heading into the town hall to get your birth certificate with a carrier bag from what is essentially a sex shop. - -Oh yeah, hahaha I -(TM)d not thought of that. - The American Apparel bag wasn -(TM)t big enough, so we walked into the first souvenir store we found and bought a big I Heart London holdall and stuffed it with all Poppy -(TM)s shopping, then we walked back to Oxford Circus for the journey to East India Dock. From Oxford Circus we took the Central Line to Bank, changed at Bank to the Docklands Light Railway, where Poppy insisted we sit right at the front and pretend to be drivers of the driverless train, to Bow Church DLR station, and from there we walked to the Public Hall. In Bromley Public Hall I checked the board by the door and found the office of the register of Births, Deaths and Marriages. I had a feeling we really should have made an appointment, luckily the office was empty and we could see the registrar straight away. On the way we -(TM)d decided I was Poppy -(TM)s dad, and we needed her birth certificate for a passport application. I started to tell the story but the registrar wasn -(TM)t really interested, just asking for Poppy -(TM)s full name and date of birth, which we gave as 1st June 2003. -We only have one person with that name, and the date of birth is 2005 not 2003. - -Did I say 2003, I meant 2005, - Poppy said without missing a beat, -as if I -(TM)d forget what year I was born. - -No worries, it -(TM)s £11 for a reprint of the birth certificate. - I handed the guy £11 and he went into the back room to write out the certificate, as he came out Poppy asked, -how do I change my name, legally. - -You don -(TM)t like your own name? - -Not really. For the last couple of years I -(TM)ve been called Poppy and I like it much better. - -Well, if you want it changed legally you need to get your mum to sign the papers, your dad here can -(TM)t do it because his name isn -(TM)t on your birth certificate, and according to my computer you have no other legal guardians. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s no good, I -(TM)m not living with my mum right now. - -If all you need is evidence you want to be called Poppy rather than Melanie, you can do what -(TM)s called an un-enrolled Deed Poll, this is a self declaration, you just need two witnesses, which can be me and your dad. It -(TM)s not legal or anything, so you can -(TM)t use it on a passport, but banks normally accept them to change names on accounts. I -(TM)ll print out the wording, you just fill in the blanks. - He was back in a minute with a form, -look, I -(TM)m going on my break, so I have to close the office, I -(TM)m afraid you -(TM)ll have to leave. I -(TM)ll sign the second witness line, nobody has to know I didn -(TM)t see you fill in the form. In a couple of years when you turn 18 you can do it all legally online. - -Nice one, thank you. Oh sorry, we don -(TM)t even know your name. - -It -(TM)s right at the bottom of the form. - Poppy looked, -Oh yeah, sorry. Thanks Nigel, you -(TM)ve been so helpful. - I picked up the form and birth certificate, slipped them both into the envelope Nigel had left on the counter and we left the office. Chapter 3 On the way back to the DLR station we stopped in a McDonalds for a quick bite to eat, as we finished our food in the all but deserted upstairs dining room I slid the birth certificate onto the table. -Poppy, I don -(TM)t disbelieve anything you -(TM)ve said to me, so don -(TM)t get distressed, I just need you to make sure you have everything straight, because according to your birth certificate you -(TM)re only 15 years old, with your timeline I thought you were perhaps 16 or 17. If you -(TM)ve been on the streets for 2 years, you must have left in year 8, or even year 7, when you were 12 or 13. - -I don -(TM)t know, it -(TM)s all been such a mess Alex, I -(TM)ve totally lost track of time. - -It -(TM)s ok Poppy, really it is. Nothing has changed except that it would be illegal for me to sleep with you. - -Why? I don -(TM)t mind, I want to, and I -(TM)m mature enough to make that decision, surely my body is mine to do whatever I want, for the last couple of years other people have been doing whatever they want with me, now it -(TM)s my turn. - -Poppy, it -(TM)s fine, please relax, I only said it would be illegal, not that I don -(TM)t want to sleep with you now. It -(TM)s just one more thing we will have to keep secret from my neighbours, we -(TM)ll tell them you -(TM)re 18, nobody would guess, because you do look 18, in fact when we met I thought you might be in your early 20 -(TM)s. - -So you still want to have sex with me? - -More than anything Poppy, once you -(TM)ve healed properly down below, so you can enjoy it fully, and I -(TM)m not worried I -(TM)m hurting you, because that will so spoil the mood. - -What about Helen? - -What about her? Do you want to have sex with Helen as well? - -No, yes, no, that -(TM)s not what I meant, although I wouldn -(TM)t say no to her, she -(TM)s very pretty, how old is she? - -Err, a few years younger than me, 28 I think. - -Mmm, well, anyway, what I meant was, she -(TM)ll find out how young I am. - -How will she find out? I won -(TM)t tell her. - -I don -(TM)t know, maybe I -(TM)m over thinking, I just thought, if she -(TM)s around regularly, she might hear us talking or something, or next year when it -(TM)s my birthday, and I -(TM)m 16, you might say something. Oh I don -(TM)t know. - -She -(TM)s bright, is Helen, she might have already guessed how old you are, or Nita might have from looking at your skin and lady parts. But why worry about that right now, what we -(TM)ve got to do is pick you a name, because I want this deed poll form filling in ASAP so we can get you a bank account opened. - -Well, it -(TM)s Poppy, that -(TM)s what I want to be called, obviously. - -Just Poppy? No surname, no middle name. - -Oh yeah, hahaha, I never thought. What -(TM)s your surname, god Alex, we -(TM)ve nearly had sex and I don -(TM)t even know your surname. - -You had my credit card earlier, didn -(TM)t you look? - -No, I was too nervous trying to remember your card PIN. - -It -(TM)s Harrison, Alexander David Harrison. - -Do I have to have a middle name, is it like, law or something. - -Not at all, Helen is just Helen. - -I -(TM)d like to keep Francesca, but spell it with a K, it -(TM)s a bit more exotic, and for a surname, I -(TM)ll take yours, Nigel already thought you were my dad. I nearly shouted out you -(TM)re my boyfriend, not my dad, then I thought maybe that was a bad idea, so I kept quiet. - -I -(TM)m glad you did, because even though he was pretty relaxed about handing over a birth certificate without ID, he probably would have frowned about a 15 year old dating someone old enough to be her dad, he would have been well within his rights to contact social services. - -Poppy Francheska Harrison, I like that. - -Are you sure you want my surname, you can pick any name you like. - -I don -(TM)t know anyone else, so I don -(TM)t have any other surnames I could pick. What -(TM)s Nita -(TM)s surname? - -Oh, I don -(TM)t think you want her name, Nita -(TM)s dad is Sri Lankan, her surname is about a mile long and utterly unpronounceable. Helen uses the name Taylor professionally, how about that. - -No, I want your name, so Harrison it is then. - I -(TM)d picked up a pen from the Registrar -(TM)s office counter, so I passed it over to Poppy, who looked at the form, thought for a minute then she started filling in the blanks. I had to smile, because she was concentrating so hard to write, her tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth as she wrote her old and new names in the blanks. Poppy -(TM)s writing was very neat, though she obviously wasn -(TM)t used to writing, as it took her a long time to complete the form, but it was completely legible. She asked for a piece of blank paper to practice a new signature. I couldn -(TM)t find any, so I ran downstairs to see if they had any paper we could use, the manager happily handed over a few sheets of used printer paper. Poppy spent about 5 minutes trying different ways to write her new name until she eventually latched onto one she was happy with, she signed the form twice, in her old and new names then passed it to me to complete. I filled in my parts and we had proof of the name Poppy wanted to use henceforth I, Melanie Nichola Theresa Francesca Roberts of 28 Home Park Road, Wimbledon have given up my name Melanie Nichola Theresa Francesca Roberts and have adopted for all purposes the name Poppy Francheska Harrison. Signed as a deed on 12th November 2020 as Melanie Nichola Theresa Francesca Roberts and Poppy Francheska Harrison in the presence of Nigel Evans, Registrar, Bromley Public Hall, and Alexander David Harrison of 28 Home Park Road, Wimbledon. I signed next to Nigel -(TM)s signature, below Poppy -(TM)s old and new signatures, and slipped the form into the envelope with Poppy -(TM)s birth certificate. -I don -(TM)t remember ever being this happy, - Poppy said as she clambered out of the booth, -this really is my second chance isn -(TM)t it. - -It -(TM)s the first day of the rest of your life, how you handle the rest of your life is up to you Poppy. I don -(TM)t expect it to be 100% smooth, but you -(TM)ve got a safety net now, there -(TM)s me of course, but also Helen and Nita, they -(TM)ll be there for you if there -(TM)s stuff where you -(TM)d be better talking to other women. - -I -(TM)ve never really had a family before, this is all so new to me, it -(TM)ll take some getting used to. - -A day at a time, it -(TM)s a cliche, but it -(TM)s true. - -What are we doing now? - -I want to go back to the bank, then it -(TM)s whatever you want to do. - -Great, I want a wee first, then bank, then I -(TM)m going to cook you dinner. - -That will be nice, it -(TM)s been a long time since someone has cooked me dinner. - -I -(TM)ve no idea what to cook though, so have a think, but it has to be something in a recipe book, I don -(TM)t remember a whole lot of recipes any more, but I -(TM)m really good at following recipes and making little twists and stuff, so think of something and I -(TM)ll make it. Now I really, really need a wee. - Poppy dashed off to the toilet, I sat back in the booth and had a really good talk with myself about falling in love with a 15 year old girl I only met yesterday. Whilst I was mentally slapping myself my phone rang, I flipped it over and saw Helen -(TM)s name on the screen, I took the call. -How -(TM)s it going brother? - -I don -(TM)t know, there -(TM)s a bit of a wrinkle. - -Oh shit, what -(TM)s wrong, is she behaving badly. - -Just the opposite, she -(TM)s an absolute treasure, beautiful, delightful and pretty well behaved. She -(TM)s also got a great conscience, I gave her some money, as spending money, and she gave it all to a couple of homeless girls on the tube, they were her friends. So she -(TM)s a great kid. - -So what -(TM)s the problem? - -Well that -(TM)s it, she -(TM)s a kid. We -(TM)ve been to the registry office to get her birth certificate, so we can get her sorted with a bank account, and ID so she can go to college. - -So, that -(TM)s good, right, - Helen said, a note of relief in her voice, -you -(TM)ve got a birth certificate, she exists, the story she -(TM)s told you, it -(TM)s true. - -Oh yes, it -(TM)s just the dates are out. I -(TM)d been working on the assumption she -(TM)s 17, based on her leaving home at 14 and being on the streets for three years, which is what she thought was the case. - -And she -(TM)s not, I suppose. - -Nope, she probably left home at 12 or 13, she -(TM)s been on the streets for two years at least, because she remembers three winters, but she -(TM)s only 15, and I don -(TM)t know what to do. - -What -(TM)s the problem? - -Well, for a start, she -(TM)s under age, and we -(TM)ve been planning on having sex. - -Just do it, she -(TM)s mature, she -(TM)s sexy, and she certainly knows what to do. - -The second thing is that legally I should hand her over to social services, she -(TM)s a minor, she can -(TM)t just decide to live with me. - -Look Alex, I saw you this morning, this kid has wormed her way into your heart, you -(TM)re smitten. And I saw the way Poppy looked at you, you -(TM)re her hero right now. What you need to do is sleep with her, get it out of your system, then in the morning see how you feel. Personally I think you -(TM)ll be even closer, because I -(TM)ve got a good feeling, the chat we had this morning, she seemed like a really nice kid who -(TM)s been dealt a shitty hand. - -Could I ask you something, before I told you her age, what would your guess have been? I -(TM)m wondering what my neighbours will think. - -Honestly, this is what Nita and I spoke about when we got home. At first sight, we thought she was late teens, 18 or 19, but once Nita had examined her, before you arrived Nita had done a pretty thorough examination, checking her as best she could for internal bruising... - -Oh god, is everything alright internally? I can take her to my GP. - -Don -(TM)t panic, internally she seems fine, no kidney or liver pain, which is often a problem with bare knuckle punches to the lower back. She was treated brutally, Alex, but she -(TM)s tough and generally seems ok physically. Anyway, as I was saying, Nita strongly suspected she was under 16, maybe as young as 14 based on her skin and genitals. - -So you were pretty sure she -(TM)s underage and didn -(TM)t tell me. - -Well, I saw how much you liked her, and didn -(TM)t want to upset you. It -(TM)s been so long since Tammy hurt you, it -(TM)s way past time you had someone in your life to make you happy, and I really think Poppy is one for you, so frankly I don -(TM)t care if she -(TM)s underage, because she -(TM)s mature enough to make her own decisions in that area. - -Thanks Helen, and on the subject of my nosy neighbours, she -(TM)ll pass as 18? - -Definitely, she can easily pass herself off as older, nobody will notice, and I think she will charm the socks off all your neighbours. - -Thanks Helen, I feel so much better now. - -Oh yeah, one quick message from Nita, she says she -(TM)ll call round Monday evening to check out the bruising, she -(TM)s requested you both try to control yourself until then, because the vaginal bruising and tearing is worse than it looks. - -Ahh, ok. Poppy is kind of desperate, but I -(TM)m sure if I explain. Oh, she -(TM)s coming, speak later Helen. - -Before you go, I can speak to Poppy if you like, reassure her. - -Thanks, that -(TM)ll be great Helen. - Poppy sat down across the table, I passed her my phone, -it -(TM)s Helen, she -(TM)d like a word. - -Oh really, that -(TM)s nice. - She put the phone to her ear, -hey Helen. - I tried to listen to what Helen was saying, but the music in the restaurant blocked it out, all I could hear was Poppy -(TM)s side of the conversation. -Yes, oh yes I do ... really! Oh wow ... yes, I really do want to, he -(TM)s been so kind ... that long! Oh I don -(TM)t mind waiting, but that -(TM)s, like days away ... really, yeah that would be great ... oh thank you, and thank Nita, she was so kind this morning ... yes, I -(TM)ll pass you back. - I took my phone off Poppy, -everything ok? - I asked. -Seems she -(TM)s desperate, so I -(TM)ll see if Nita will take a look on Saturday, you -(TM)re a lucky guy, she -(TM)s a hot one, and so pretty. - -She said much the same about you... - -Really, that -(TM)s nice. Shame we -(TM)re both taken, ahh well, all the best ones are straight. - And with that she cut the call. -She wanted us to wait until Monday, I can -(TM)t wait that long Alex. - -Me neither, but we need to make sure you -(TM)re ok, no point rushing if we just end up hurting you more... - -Yes, she said that as well. You -(TM)ve no idea how much I need to feel you inside me Alex. - I heard footsteps on the stairs so I motioned for Poppy to lower her voice. -And do you know what? She said that although I look old enough, Nita had said I was probably only 14 or 15, and even though she knows I -(TM)m underage, she knows I -(TM)m mature enough to have a relationship with you. Isn -(TM)t that great, you have the best sister. - -Like I said before, she can be a pain in the arse at times, but most of the time she -(TM)s great. She was very supportive after Tammy, and just now she told me it -(TM)s time for me to let someone back in my life, and she was certain you were exactly the right person for me. - -Really! Oh that -(TM)s so nice. - We left the McDonalds and walked, hand in hand, to Bow Road tube station where we caught a District Line train across London to Southfields Station, and from there it -(TM)s just a short walk to my bank. On the tube we -(TM)d decided that Poppy would pretend to be my foster daughter. I couldn -(TM)t think of any other way to explain her sudden appearance, Poppy was happy with this and assured me she -(TM)d keep an appropriate distance at all times while we were in the bank. There -(TM)s an assistant in the bank whose only job is to show people how to use all the self-service machines. I asked her if I could speak to my account manager, we were shown to a small side office and advised Jeanie would be in shortly. The office had one of those pod coffee machines, so I made us both a coffee while we waited for Jeanie, who -(TM)d been my account manager for 5 years now, since I separated my accounts from Tammy -(TM)s, that was pretty messy, but Jeanie made the process as pain free as possible, which means I -(TM)ve kept her as my personal banker ever since. -I -(TM)m so sorry, - Jeanie said as she bustled into the office 5 minutes later, -I was on a call to another customer. - -Not a problem, we can -(TM)t expect instant service if we -(TM)ve not made an appointment. - Jeanie looked at Poppy, -hello, I don -(TM)t think we -(TM)ve met before. - -Oh no, I -(TM)m new to this area. - Poppy replied politely. -This is Poppy, my foster daughter. - ? -Oh great, you need someone to help you fill that house. - -Indeed, so we -(TM)re here to give you some work Jeanie, I hope that -(TM)s ok. - -It -(TM)s what I -(TM)m here for, so how can I help you both today. - -Well, Poppy has had quite a chaotic life up until now, she -(TM)s never had a bank account, a library card, a passport or anything, and I -(TM)m looking to rectify this. - -Ok, - Jeanie looked at Poppy kindly, -and so you -(TM)re here to open your first bank account. - -Unless you can sort me out with a library card... - Poppy laughed. Jeanie looked blankly at first, but she gave a little laugh, -Haha, sorry, I can -(TM)t help you there, but I can help you open a bank account. As I -(TM)m sure you understand, we -(TM)ll need some ID before we can open an account, unfortunately we have to follow the rules even for our most loyal customers. - -Of course, but all we -(TM)ve got at the moment is Poppy -(TM)s birth certificate, - I said. -And, I don -(TM)t want to use that name anymore, it -(TM)s linked to some bad memories. - -So, we filled in an un-enrolled deed poll while we were in the registry office, - I added as I slipped the birth certificate and deed poll across the table to Jeanie. -Ahh, normally we -(TM)d require an enrolled deed poll, or a court order for a minor, but I -(TM)m guessing by what you -(TM)ve both said that mum isn -(TM)t contactable to make this all legal. - -Err, no, I -(TM)ve not had any dealings with my mother for a few years. Right now I don -(TM)t know if she -(TM)s alive or dead, and frankly I don -(TM)t care one way or another. - -What about social workers, they can help with stuff like legal name changes. - -The only social workers I -(TM)ve dealt with wanted to take me back to mum, so no, I -(TM)m not involving them. - Poppy was sounding quite irate now and looked ready to leave, I gave her hand a quick squeeze and she calmed down a little. -Look, Poppy -(TM)s been on the streets for a while, I -(TM)ve agreed to help her get back on her feet, so is there anything you can do, please. - -I need to speak to the manager, see if we can use our discretion for a known customer such as yourself. I -(TM)ll be back in a minute. - Poppy looked really angry, she turned to me as Jeanie left -she seemed so nice, why is she now being awkward, we only want a place to put my wages. - -There -(TM)s all kinds of laws concerning bank accounts now, they need to be sure we won -(TM)t be using it for illegal purposes, like tax evasion, or for laundering illegal earnings, from drugs and prostitution and stuff. - -I guess, but they know you, they know you won -(TM)t be doing anything illegal. - -Let -(TM)s wait and see what she says when she comes back, Jeanie is very good, and very efficient, she -(TM)s done a lot of good work for me in the past, I -(TM)m sure we -(TM)ll be ok. - Jeanie was away for over 10 minutes, I refilled our coffees while we waited, Poppy started to fidget, bored of sitting around. Damn, I should really have bought her a phone while we were out, then at least she could play a game while we waited. Eventually Jeanie returned, her manager in tow, they both took a seat at the table. I -(TM)ve had very few dealings with the branch manager, after all Jeanie -(TM)s job is to keep the customers away from him, I couldn -(TM)t even remember his name, so it was handy that Jeanie introduced us all. -So, Mr Turnbull, this is Alex Harrison, he -(TM)s been a good customer here for several years, and this is Poppy, his foster daughter. - -Very good, and I understand you want to open an account for the young lady, but not in her legal name, is this correct? - -That -(TM)s correct sir, - I replied, -at the moment we -(TM)re in the early stages of rehabilitating Poppy into regular mainstream life, a bank account is a priority so she can learn to handle her own finances, she -(TM)ll be getting a job soon and will need a bank account to receive wages, and a debit card so she can spend them. - -Yes, yes, this is understandable, it -(TM)s the name we have a problem with, because you must realise banks have to follow the rules, and having an account in a made up name is strictly forbidden. - -And I appreciate that, but Poppy -(TM)s legal name holds bad memories of abuse, her mother is not contactable, so at the moment our only recourse is an unenrolled deed poll. - Mr Turnbull looked at Jeanie, -Can you vouch for Mr Harrision, Ms Fletcher. - -Yes, I can vouch for him. - -Very good, you can go ahead and open an account for the young lady. - Poppy actually cheered, -yayyy, thank you so much. - My Turnbull had no idea how to respond to her enthusiasm, so he just stood and left the room. -So, down to work. What accounts are you looking to open? - -Poppy will need a debit card, so whatever teen account will give her one of those, and I also want a savings account opening, I -(TM)ll pay in regular monthly amounts, and I -(TM)d also like her to have a duplicate of my credit card, for emergencies. - -Super, I -(TM)ll get all that sorted. I see you withdrew £1,000 this morning for Poppy, will you be using any of that to open the account? - -Ahh, no, - Poppy said, -I accidentally gave all of that to some of my homeless friends. - Jeanie looked shocked when she heard that. -It -(TM)s absolutely fine, - I reassured her, -I -(TM)d much rather she gave money to people who need it than waste it on expensive shoes or clothes or whatever. I -(TM)d like you to transfer another £1,000 out of my account into the new instant access account, and £10,000 into the savings account. - -Would you like to add your signature to the savings account. - -Absolutely not, it -(TM)s Poppy -(TM)s account, she has full control, if she throws it all away then it -(TM)s gone, that -(TM)s it. My only stipulation is the savings account is a notice account, so she -(TM)ll have to wait a week to make a withdrawal, I assume you can set something like that up. - -Oh yes, that -(TM)s a good idea, the notice accounts attract better interest payments as well. - -Great, I -(TM)ll speak to you later to arrange a regular payment into the account. - -Would you like a separate credit limit for Poppy -(TM)s credit card. - -Not at the moment, I -(TM)m starting Poppy -(TM)s new life on the basis of 100% trust. - We signed many forms, I had to sign for Poppy -(TM)s accounts, but I made sure that neither account required my signature for withdrawals. -Ok, I -(TM)ll get the accounts opened today, you -(TM)ll get all the paperwork and terms + conditions through the post in a day or two, the cards will follow a little later. - -Thank you so much Jeanie, once again you -(TM)ve gone above and beyond to help me out. - -If I didn -(TM)t help you out I -(TM)d never hear the last of it, you -(TM)re my boy -(TM)s favourite author, every night he asks me if you -(TM)ve been in. - -Well let -(TM)s give the lad a treat shall we, we -(TM)ll do a selfie for him - We stood either side of Jeanie as she used her phone to take a photo. -He -(TM)ll be made up with that, thank you, he -(TM)ll grill me for hours about your new daughter. - As soon as we were out of sight of the bank Poppy took my hand, -I can -(TM)t believe you -(TM)ve opened two accounts for me, and so much money. What -(TM)s the £10,000 for? - -It -(TM)s just in case money, if you suddenly decide this is all a huge mistake, you -(TM)ve got some money set aside to start afresh. - -Why would I even do that? - -I -(TM)ve been let down before, when Tammy left my life it was a horrible mess, we -(TM)d been together a long time, and we had a joint bank account, joint car loans, it was a real mess. So that savings account, it -(TM)s your safety net Poppy. I don -(TM)t want you to run away. I don -(TM)t expect you to run away, but neither of us have any idea what the future holds. - -I really think I love you Alex, for the first time in my life I see blue sky in the future, I see stability, I see myself happy with someone. I don -(TM)t want to think of a time when I -(TM)d throw it all away. - -I think the same, but I had my life torn apart before, so I guess I -(TM)m a natural pessimist. If you want to look on the bright side, you could use the savings account to buy a car, or to start a business, or to buy an expensive camera, whatever you like. - Poppy pulled me close, she hugged me tight as she kissed me, -right now, my life is perfect, I woke up this morning and felt warm and safe, I was snuggled up to you, I felt loved for the first time ever. You have no idea how much that means to me Alex. To endanger that would be like taking the Mona Lisa off the wall and pissing on it, a total desecration of perfection. - -Waking up with you hugging me was so special. I think I will always fear complete happiness, because of the worry it will be taken away from me. - -I think we -(TM)re going to spend a little while fixing each other aren -(TM)t we, but in the end it -(TM)ll be worth it. - -Helen said you were the perfect girl for me, and she -(TM)s never wrong. - -Us girls never are. - I kissed Poppy again then we walked hand in hand to Waitrose to buy the ingredients for our evening meal. Poppy wasn -(TM)t lying, she is a good cook, and she didn -(TM)t even need to follow a recipe. She quickly knocked together a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta bake. We ate it in the kitchen with the rest of the second bottle of Helen -(TM)s favourite pinot grigio we opened last night, it was wonderful. While we ate, Poppy spoke about her hopes and dreams for the future. Apart from learning a skill, and working for me, or someone else, she just wanted to be useful, she also wanted to help street kids like herself, so we talked about the kind of work that needed doing that perhaps other charities were missing. -Mmm, it -(TM)s a bit awkward talking about this, it -(TM)s still a little bit taboo talking about periods with men, and I don -(TM)t know why. Anyway, there -(TM)s real issues around periods on the streets. Tampons and sanitary pads are too expensive to buy, and hardly any charities distribute them to street girls. So I was thinking maybe that -(TM)s something I could set-up. - -That -(TM)s a fantastic idea, it -(TM)s definitely something we could look at. My publisher has an entire division that works with charities and non-profit organisations. I -(TM)m meeting my editor tomorrow, I -(TM)ll see if we can sort a meeting out with them, they can give us advice, and help with publicity. - -Birth control as well, as I -(TM)ve told you, street people have a lot of sex, and sometimes, despite poor diet and health, women fall pregnant, and a lot of people get STIs and aids... - I must have looked alarmed, because Poppy took my hand, -oh, don -(TM)t worry, I was tested the last time Jeremy picked me up, but maybe I should go back to the clinic, because of the last lot of rapes. I never thought of that. Is there a sexual health clinic around here? - -I -(TM)ve no idea, I -(TM)ll phone my GP in the morning. - -Thank you, there -(TM)s no point in me getting well enough to have sex if I go and give you something nasty as a reward. Anyway, as I was saying, I never saw any street programs that handed out condoms and other birth control. There -(TM)s plenty of charities give free condoms to sex workers, but not to street people, so we could do both. - -I think that -(TM)s a brilliant idea Poppy. - -There -(TM)s a load of groups we could work with, we -(TM)d need to work with suppliers to donate stock, or sell it to us cheap, you know like the food banks do, collect short dated stock, or even stock with good dates, but expired promotions. We could intercept the stock and distribute it to soup kitchens, or the Salvation Army and other groups who work with the homeless. Oh yes, I can introduce you to Jeremy, that -(TM)ll be great, he -(TM)ll be so happy to see me looking smart. - We finished the pasta in silence as we worked out plans for Poppy -(TM)s street girls charity. After dinner we cuddled on the sofa as we watched a couple of films, I was surprised that Poppy had managed to see so many recent films, -it -(TM)s actually quite easy to sneak into a cinema, especially when it -(TM)s busy, you just boldly walk in behind a group, most times staff won -(TM)t do anything, they -(TM)re not paid enough to risk getting hurt, not that we -(TM)d hurt anyone, if they confronted us we -(TM)d just walk out, no point getting arrested for something so silly. - -What if the cinema is full and there -(TM)s no seats left? - -Not problem, we -(TM)d just try another screen, or leave, it -(TM)s not like we -(TM)d paid to be there or anything. Sometimes if Flower or Belle were with us, we -(TM)d use them to distract the lad on the Pick & Mix and help ourselves to a bucketful. - -You -(TM)re much prettier than Flower and Belle, why didn -(TM)t you distract the boy? - -Thank you, although I don -(TM)t agree with you, Belle is gorgeous, besides, I -(TM)m no good at flirting, I used to burst out laughing, then the game was up. - We watched Toy Story 4 and Captain Marvel on Disney+, new films for us both, and we really enjoyed them, especially Captain Marvel, Brie Larson definitely looked like she was enjoying herself. The credits rolled on Captain Marvel and we waited for the mid and post-credit scenes, then I shut the TV down and we went upstairs to bed, tired after a long and productive day. After bathroom visits I rubbed the arnica lotion into Poppy -(TM)s bruises, which were already improving from the two applications earlier in the day. I took another photo on my phone so she could see the progression. We climbed into bed and just cuddled, I was big spoon today. We -(TM)d done a lot of walking, and despite our desire for more than a cuddle, we decided to leave it until morning. -Why did you take a selfie with the lady in the bank? - -Ahh, well, Jeanie is not allowed to talk to people about her customers, it -(TM)s a confidentiality thing. But if she has a photo she can show people she met me without having to say I -(TM)m a customer, and people will say, who -(TM)s the girl, and she -(TM)ll say, -~oh, that -(TM)s Poppy his foster daughter -(TM) and in a few days everyone will know who you are, saving me explaining it to anyone. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s clever. Why do you want everyone to think I -(TM)m your daughter? - -It -(TM)s the simplest way to explain having a new, extremely attractive girl in my house. One day, when you -(TM)re older we -(TM)ll be open about our relationship, but for now it -(TM)s dangerous for people to think otherwise. - -I guess, but do you know something, it -(TM)s really kinky thinking of you as my dad, with us cuddled naked under the duvet. - -Hahaha, yes it is. It -(TM)s Friday tomorrow, hopefully on Saturday Nita will give us permission to make love. Saturday night will be glorious, we can properly explore each other -(TM)s bodies. - -Oooh, you -(TM)re getting excited, I can feel you between my bum cheeks. - I shifted away a little, -oh sorry. - -Don -(TM)t be sorry, - Poppy reached down and slipped my cock between her cheeks, -it -(TM)s nice, I feel loved like this, just you thinking about the chance of making love to me has got you all excited. And you -(TM)re spreading my cheeks more than I -(TM)m used to, which is very encouraging for future excitement. - -Really, I -(TM)ve never thought I was anything special. - -You -(TM)ve got the biggest cock I -(TM)ve ever seen. It -(TM)s not something I should boast about at my tender age, but I -(TM)ve seen a lot of cocks. Kenzie, he thought he was something special, and because he was so fucking rough he used to hurt me a lot, but you -(TM)re definitely bigger than him, maybe not longer, but you -(TM)re bigger around, and for me, that -(TM)s what -(TM)s important. Too long and it doesn -(TM)t all fit without causing damage, so it -(TM)s not much fun for either of us, because I like it best when my body touches the boy, you know what I mean? - -Mmm, - I said, because I actually wasn -(TM)t sure what she meant, and I was somewhat distracted anyway, her voice was all husky and sexy as she spoke quietly into her pillow. -But a fat cock, I -(TM)ve not had many at all, not like yours, the fatter ones, they stretch me nicely, I could feel them all. Such a shame that the type of people wiling to pay a street girl for sex neither have the manners nor the stamina to satisfy their partner. I -(TM)m expecting a lot more in that area from you Alex. - -Mmm, - I said again, because now I was totally distracted, and had started to slowly hump her ass cheeks. From my position and movement there was no danger of penetrating either orifice. -Oh, this is nice, - Poppy said, -I -(TM)ve never done this before, it -(TM)s fun, I can feel your cock rubbing against my bum hole, oh my Alex, this is sooo good, go faster please, faster and harder - I did as she asked, and I slipped my left arm across Poppy -(TM)s body and cupped her sex, my thumb found her clit and I started up a slow, circular motion. Poppy started to writhe, not sure whether she wanted to push her pussy against my hand or her bum hole against my cock, either way, we both had fun and much sooner than I expected I felt the familiar pressure building up in my balls and I came, squirting an extra large load of cum between our bodies. As I came I clamped my hand hard over Poppy -(TM)s sex and pulled her tight to my body, this triggered her orgasm, and as she bucked against me I did something I -(TM)d never done before, I came again, not nearly as powerful as my first orgasm, but it was definitely more than a regular aftershock. All in all, after the walking around and the vigorous non-penatrative sex we were wiped out, we fell asleep where we lay, my cock between her cheeks, my hand cupping her sopping pussy, and between us a cooling, sticky mess of cum. I -(TM)d never have imagined such a sordid scene could be so pleasant and romantic, but it really was. My last memory of the night was me whispering -oh shit, I love you Poppy. - The next morning I was woken by Poppy moving against me, as I came to my senses I realised she was grinding herself against my hand, which was still cupping her pussy, and I also realised I -(TM)d somehow slipped two fingers inside her pussy as we slept. -Are you awake yet, - Poppy said in a low moan, -I need you to join in, rub my clit please, I -(TM)m nearly there. - I found her clit with my thumb, and with more coordination than I expected from my left hand so early in the morning I proceeded to work Poppy -(TM)s clit and finger fuck her pussy, and within a few minutes she was bucking against me as another tremendous orgasm spasmed through her young body. -Oh man, - Poppy sighed as she came back down, -I -(TM)ve cum more these few days than I have in months, and I -(TM)ve still not had your cock inside me, you -(TM)re amazing. - -I -(TM)m not sure what I contributed there to be honest... - -Just being there, it -(TM)s amazing how much easier it is to relax and properly focus on an orgasm when you feel safe and loved. - -I -(TM)ve never met anyone quite like you Poppy, someone so willing to talk openly about sex like this. Even when Tammy and I were most in love, we wouldn -(TM)t talk about sex. We had sex, quite often at one point, but we didn -(TM)t talk about it. I wonder if she talked about it with Ellory, or it was just the same with him, a bit of foreplay, a quick shag and then sleep. - -That -(TM)s so sad. Sex can be totally beautiful experience, but I -(TM)ve had so much bad, and painful sex. Just you being tender and gentle, that alone is amazingly erotic for me. Don -(TM)t get me wrong, once my pussy and bum are healed I -(TM)m going to want you to fuck me hard once in a while, but a long session of slow, beautiful, blissful love making on a Sunday morning, that -(TM)s my absolute dream. - -And a dream I -(TM)d like to make come true, but though I hate to bring the mood down, I -(TM)m really uncomfortable stuck to your back like this, I think we need to get up and have a hot shower. - -Hahaha, we do, and your sheets are a mess. - -Our sheets, - I corrected. -Oh yes, our sheets, that sounds so good, and scarily grown up. - I -(TM)d booked an appointment with the admissions office at the nearby girls -(TM) school for 10am, so after breakfast Poppy dressed in a white Ralph Lauren polo shirt under a white chunky v-neck sweater, a long navy blue skirt and navy blue Converse hi-tops. -I -(TM)d have worn a shorter skirt, but I think some of my leg bruises still show. - -That skirt is perfect, much shorter and it would be kind of inappropriate in school. - We walked to the school through the park. It was difficult to resist holding Poppy -(TM)s hand, but Poppy had agreed with me that whilst we were close to home, or visiting schools, banks etc, it was better for us to maintain a respectful father / daughter relationship. The school was very impressive, quite modern and the classrooms we passed looked to be well equipped. Poppy wasn -(TM)t so sure about the uniform all the girls wore, the student escorting us to the admissions office overheard Poppy and reassured her the 6th Form didn -(TM)t wear a uniform, although they were supposed to be smart, no t-shirts or jeans. She was happy with this news. In the office we were greeted warmly by Ms Preston, the admissions officer, as she led us into a small meeting room which had a view across the school grounds and the trees beyond. -Good morning Poppy, and Mr Harrison. I -(TM)ve read some of your books, they -(TM)re quite popular with the girls. - -This surprises me, I kind of aimed them at boys, maybe I should ask my publisher to market them to girls as well. - -Always good to be as inclusive as possible, that -(TM)s what we try to teach our girls. They don -(TM)t have to play with girls -(TM) toys, read girls -(TM) books, or watch girls -(TM) films. - After we were seated around the table Ms Preston looked at her notes before speaking, -I must say we got quite a surprise when we got your call yesterday, mostly because none of the staff knew you had a daughter, especially the Head -(TM)s PA, who lives on your road. - -Ah well, Poppy is fostered, she was living on the streets and was in a bit of a mess, her story touched my heart, so I decided to give her a fresh start in life. - -That -(TM)s wonderful Mr Harrison... - -Please, call me Alex. - -That -(TM)s wonderful Alex, - Ms Preston repeated, -and perhaps explains why we can find no mention of a Poppy Harrison amongst the Department for Education databases. - -Ahh, yes, Poppy Harrison as yet is not my legal name... - -So Poppy, can you tell us anything about your previous schooling, any exams you -(TM)ve taken, and what you -(TM)d like to do if we were to admit you to our school. - -Well, it -(TM)s been a little while since I -(TM)ve attended school, I ran away from home a bit back, I can -(TM)t even remember when it was, I thought it was year 9, but when we went to get a copy of my birth certificate yesterday I -(TM)m younger than I thought I was, so it might have been year 8 or even year 7. Living in squats and under bridges and stuff, time doesn -(TM)t mean the same there. - -So, you -(TM)re 15 I believe, and you -(TM)ve had no formal education for perhaps 3 years. - -That -(TM)s probably right. - -Now, and I apologise because this might seem an insulting question, but can you read and write? - -Oh yes, I can read and write, I used to read to some of the younger girls in one of the squats we lived in. I -(TM)m ok at writing as well. - -How about mathematics? - -I -(TM)m ok at counting, adding up and stuff. I quite enjoyed maths at my last school. - -This is all good, do you remember your last school? - -It was in Stoke Newington I think, ahh yes, it was, the school near the Tesco, Dean something or other. - -Ok, I know that school, it closed last year, but never fear, if you give me your real name and date of birth and Alex gives me permission I can search a database and see what we find. - -My full name is Melanie Nichola Theresa Francesca Roberts, and my date of birth is 1st June 2005. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s an unusual name, I don -(TM)t think I -(TM)ll find too many people in the database with that name, in fact there -(TM)s just one, and a matching date of birth. Could you confirm your mother -(TM)s name please? - -My mother was called Nichola Roberts, usually called Nikki. - -Fantastic, I -(TM)ve got you here, and yes, that -(TM)s the school you attended, you stopped attending in the Autumn term of Year 8 according to these records, prior to that your attendance was excellent I see. I don -(TM)t have any attainment records from that school, but I can see your Key Stage 2 scores were very good, which is amazing considering you appear to have attended 6 different primary schools... - -Yeah, that -(TM)s because we moved around so much, mostly my mum running away from loser boyfriends or drug dealers she couldn -(TM)t afford to pay, sometimes they were the same person. - -I see, so despite your rather disrupted primary school career your scores were 5a for reading and 5c for maths, that -(TM)s a solid 5b average, definitely putting you in the top 10% of girls in this school. - -Oh, I didn -(TM)t know that. Maybe I -(TM)d have tried harder if I -(TM)d known I was supposed to be clever. Ha! Who am I kidding, it -(TM)s my mum -(TM)s fault I ran away, not school -(TM)s. - -Ok, that -(TM)s an area I won -(TM)t pry into for now, but if you decide to join us I want you to know we have a full time counsellor on staff if you need someone to talk to. - -You say if I decide, does that mean you -(TM)re willing to accept me? - -Of course I am. - -But what about my past, my lack of schooling, my ... oh we won -(TM)t go there. - -Look Poppy, what I see before me is a bright girl, a polite girl, a girl who has respect for others, you show clear affection for your new father. I personally have no problems accepting you as a student. - -Oh thank you, I really want to learn skills to help me find work. - -So, on to a few technicalities. Alex, you mentioned you want Poppy to join the 6th Form to do some vocational courses, I -(TM)m assuming you mean next September. - -Yes, of course, - I replied, -she -(TM)s too young to join the 6th Form at the moment. - -Indeed, but this would leave her without formal schooling, and as a 15 year old that would be against the law, unless you are looking to home school her. - -Ahh, I hadn -(TM)t thought about that. - -You see, we have some basic requirements for students entering our 6th Form, you need good grades in Maths and English as a very basic minimum, strictly speaking you would need 5 GCSEs, but for some vocational courses we will ignore that if you have a decent skill set. - -Ahh, I see, - Poppy said, looking and sounding disappointed, -so I can -(TM)t join your school then. - -I didn -(TM)t say that, what I -(TM)m offering is a tailored programme to get you through your GCSEs in Maths, English and Science, we can work you into Year 10 and 11 classes, it will be hard work, but we -(TM)ll make sure you can do the work. Looking at the class schedules you should be able to attend all classes and have a morning and afternoon off for private study. You could do this at home or here in the Learning Centre. How does that sound. - -Oh, that sounds fantastic. - -So, what would you want to do next year, we could plan a home study programme to bring you up to speed so you -(TM)re not behind the other girls in your classes. - Poppy looked at me for help, so I spoke for her, -well, we have discussed Poppy becoming my assistant, so we were looking at some kind of business IT course, Microsoft Office, basic accounting, maybe some training in online marketing. We -(TM)re also setting up a charity to help girls on the streets, and that would need a similar skill set for organising volunteers, dealing with agencies and suppliers. - -Oh gosh, you will be busy. - -I just want to repay Alex for saving me, and trusting me, and I want to help the friends I -(TM)ve left behind, and others like them. - -I think the BTEC in Business Management will cover most of what you need, but you -(TM)ll need to learn the IT side of things at home I -(TM)m afraid, there -(TM)s nothing too onerous, it -(TM)s just the course assumes you have MS Office skills. I -(TM)ll book you an appointment with the course tutor, Mr Thomas, he -(TM)s free in a few minutes, he can tell you what you need to know. Then I -(TM)ll get someone to help you find some uniform from our school shop. Yes, I -(TM)m sorry, you -(TM)ll need to wear the uniform this year. - -Ok, I guess. It -(TM)s not as bad as some, and the blazer is a nice green colour. - -Super, so I -(TM)ll get all the paperwork sorted, you can pick it up after you -(TM)ve seen Mr Thomas. Just bring back the signed forms when you come in on Monday morning. - -This Monday? So soon! - Poppy said, surprised. -Oh yes, it -(TM)s best you get started as soon as possible. There -(TM)s a list of equipment you need in your welcome pack, and if you want school lunches you -(TM)ll need to register on our website today so you can put some credit on your lunch account before Monday morning. - -This is so amazing, thank you, - Poppy said as we left the room. -I look forward to watching you excel, Poppy. - Ms Perkins said as she shook our hands. Another student was waiting at the door to escort us across school to the IT suite, where Mr Thomas was watching his students file out. -Ahh yes, Mr Harrison and Poppy, Ms Preston just sent me a message, come in and we -(TM)ll chat about what you want and if it fits our BTEC Business course. - An hour later we left with a school branded backpack bulging with uniform, paperwork and a study guide for us to work through to bring Poppy up to speed with technology. Poppy carried the backpack with pride, a big smile on her pretty face as we walked through the park to the cafe. -So, how do you feel, now you are enrolled in a school and can start learning again? - -It feels a bit daunting, I just hope I -(TM)m not so far behind I don -(TM)t even understand what the teacher is talking about. - -Ms Preston said your tutors would help you catch up, it -(TM)ll be a lot of work, but you won -(TM)t be on your own, I -(TM)ll help you, and I -(TM)m sure you -(TM)ll find some new friends to help you out. - -mmm, friends, that will be strange. I hope the girls are nice to me. - -Why wouldn -(TM)t they be? - -Because girls can be absolute bitches, especially posh girls, if they find out I was homeless and a sex worker they -(TM)ll tear me apart. - -Well I guess you will have to be very careful about what you tell them. If they want to know where you -(TM)ve been for the past few years, say you -(TM)d rather not talk about it, then change the subject. It says on the paperwork the first person you -(TM)ll meet is a pastoral officer, I -(TM)m sure they -(TM)ll buddy you up with someone they can trust to be nice to you. - -I guess so, it -(TM)s just such a big step. Do you think I can pull off being posh? - -You -(TM)re actually very well spoken, your accent betrays your origins, but you -(TM)ve been working hard not to swear since we had that first chat, and Ms Preston was very impressed with you. I -(TM)m sure you -(TM)ll be fine. - -Is there a lot of stuff we need to buy? - I pulled the list out of the bag, -pens, calculator, laptop or tablet, backpack, definitely not a handbag it says. - -We -(TM)ve already got the backpack, it -(TM)s here. - -Oh yeah, silly me. - -I see from my timetable that I don -(TM)t have any PE, that -(TM)s a trauma I -(TM)ve been spared. - -Why a trauma? - -The changing rooms, that -(TM)s when the girls inspect each other, checking who -(TM)s got pubes, who -(TM)s got boobs, whose boobs are bigger. It -(TM)s so stressful. I was a late developer, even in year 7 some girls had boobs and pubes, and they tormented anyone with a flat chest, which was me. That -(TM)s another reason I ran away. Now I bet I -(TM)ve got bigger boobs than other girls and I -(TM)d be tormented for that. - -Oh wow, I remember boys would sneak a look at other boys -(TM) cocks, and the smallest boys would be teased. - -How did yours compare? - -I didn -(TM)t join in that kind of shit. - -Oh come on, I bet you looked. - -Well, maybe, but cocks are different to boobs. With boobs what you see is what you get, with cocks some are showers, some are growers. I -(TM)m sure you -(TM)ve noticed that. - Poppy looked at the table, a tear in her eye. -Oh, I -(TM)m sorry, - I rushed to apologise, -I didn -(TM)t mean to bring back memories. - -Oh, it -(TM)s not that. I -(TM)m just thinking what it would be like to be at school and still be innocent, still be a virgin, not to know about how some cocks are tiny but grow to be really big, and some can look big but hardly grow at all when they get erect. Am I a bad person because I was on the streets and a sex worker? - -Absolutely not, because for one thing, you did what you had to do to survive, and for another thing, there -(TM)s nothing wrong with being a sex worker. It -(TM)s an unfairly maligned industry, so many people use sex workers, both in person and consuming content online, but it -(TM)s still taboo to talk about it, and so many people look down on people who provide what is a vital service to many. - -Have you used a sex worker at all. - -Well, not in person, I -(TM)ve never been with a prostitute or visited a strip show, but I -(TM)ve watched porn like pretty much everyone else. - -Would you have any ethical problem with sleeping with a prostitute? - -Mmmm, interesting question. I -(TM)ve never really thought about it, never felt the need, you know. If I needed release I just had a wank. - -Ok, I can see I -(TM)ve made you uncomfortable now, so we -(TM)ll talk about something else. - -You -(TM)ve not made me uncomfortable, it -(TM)s a valid question, and to answer your original question, if I was ever out, and needed to find release, so to speak, and say I was in a hotel and there was a working girl at the bar, I can -(TM)t see a problem with paying her for sex. - -And based on our adventure last night she -(TM)ll have enjoyed your hypothetical time together. Even without penetration I had the best orgasm ever, I -(TM)m not lying, it was amazing, the absolute best ever, so if you can do that without sticking your dick inside me, you -(TM)re going to make my hair curl once we can do it properly. - -Anyway, to change the subject now there -(TM)s people arriving at the next table, we need to go shopping again, because you need a laptop and phone, we can -(TM)t use the main John Lewis on Oxford Street, how about the one on Sloane Square, you ever got kicked out of there at all. - -That -(TM)s the one with a different name isn -(TM)t it.? - -Yes, Peter Jones, but they -(TM)re the same company. - -Oh no, it -(TM)s too intimidatingly posh around there, we never ventured into Chelsea. - -Good, let -(TM)s drop the bag at home and go shopping again. - -We don -(TM)t need to drop the bag off, I -(TM)ll carry it, the school has quite a posh name, it -(TM)ll be a good disguise. - -Great, if we rush we can get a train in 5 minutes. -