by Bridy McAvoy
“So that’s what I am to you, then, somewhere dry if it rains.”
She looked up at me, frowning, then relaxed as she realized I was joking. She cuddled under my arm again and her reply was whispered rather than spoken. “I think I was wet enough already.”
I almost choked as I bit back a laugh. Penny was quite reserved and, although our sex life was pretty good, and she swore she enjoyed it when she came, she rarely made any sexual references out of bed, let alone out in the street.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“I’d rather your pussy had it.”
“Gareth!” Her outrage was part real, part feigned, but I didn’t care. I’d managed to render her speechless. Taking advantage of that I pulled her in close and kissed her hard again. She responded for a few seconds then broke it again. “Home, I have to get home.”
“You won’t let me try that.”
“Try what? Oh, never mind, I know what you mean. There’s a good reason why not.”
“Which is?”
She carefully checked we were alone on the street. We were. It was too early for the pubs to kick out, and even the late opening shops were shut. The occasional car whined past us, but nothing other than that. She thumped me in the ribs again. “Because I want you inside me, that’s why. By the time you’ve got my knickers off, I just want you in me.”
“Still… You might like it.”
“I might, and there again I might not.”
She’d been reticent about oral sex before. She’d rarely do anything to me, and then not for long. Me doing anything down there with my mouth was strictly off the menu.
“Come on. It’s nearly ten.”
“You’re a big girl, and they don’t clock watch you.”
“I know, but let’s keep on their good side, okay? Don’t want you barred from the house before the footie match, do we?”
She chuckled and I just shook my head. It was a big match coming up, and I’d been told I could watch it with them on their big screen TV rather than my little one. Given the chance to spend some quality time, naked, with Penny, I’d have missed the match quite happily. Penny, though, had insisted and I’d given in.
We walked the rest of the way in companionable silence. Penny was cuddled under my arm and kept trying to rest her head on my chest as we walked—which wouldn’t work in a million years, but she kept trying.
Her mum and dad didn’t treat me any differently when we got to her house, and I was quite thankful for that. As usual they stayed up to watch the news and then started to get ready to head to bed.
“Don’t forget the match tomorrow, lad.”
“I won’t, Mr. Lane. Um… Do you want me to stop and get some beer on the way? Or some nibbles?”
Penny’s mum laughed and smiled. “Don’t you dare. There’s enough beer in this house to launch a ship in it. You’re our guest.”
“But…”
“No buts, but thank you for the offer, it’s most kind.”
For the first time ever, she crossed the room and leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
“Goodnight, Gareth.”
“Goodnight, Mrs. Lane.”
“What have I told you?”
“Well… It doesn’t seem right to call you Caroline, or for that matter, Mr. Lane Jack.”
“He is such a sweetie, Jack.”
“Yep, Penny picked a good one.” He looked pointedly at his daughter and mouthed something that very much looked like keeper.
Both of us were blushing, I think me more than Penny.
“Find something less formal then. You calling us Mr. and Mrs. Lane is just as awkward for us as calling us Jack and Caroline would be for you.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. She patted my cheek and moved away. Penny’s father winked and walked over to allow Penny to kiss his cheek.
“He could always call you Mum and Dad like I do.” I think the words were out of Penny’s mouth before she’d thought them through. Her hand went to her mouth and the room fell into stunned silence. I had a lump in my throat the size of an egg and I could see everyone staring at me. Penny was horror-stricken, while her parents seemed to well with sympathy for me. They all knew I’d been in care since the age of nine, fostered for the last couple of years, and hadn’t seen my own mother for the last twelve years.
Mrs. Lane came back over to me and tousled my hair, obviously sensing I couldn’t speak at that moment. “Don’t sweat it, but we’d be honored if you did, okay?”
I nodded, trying to stop the tears I could feel welling up.
“Caroline, now!”
They both moved through to the hall and both Penny and I could hear them climbing the stairs. The moment she heard the first stair creak under the weight of one of them, she threw herself across the room, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her head in my chest. “Sorry, honey…so, so sorry.”
“Ssh…”
“I didn’t think. God! I’m such a klutz!”
“It’s okay.”
Somewhere above us a door closed and Penny lifted her head from my chest and started to rain kisses all over my face. After a minute or so, I had to grab her face to hold her still.
“Forgive me?”
“Nothing to forgive, silly.”
“Your face though… You looked like you’d just walked into the back of a bus or something.”
“I’m okay, honest. Took me by surprise. Nobody’s ever suggested that to me before.”
“Not even…?”
I shook my head. “Nah. My last foster mother told me to call her Janice. Her husband was always Mr. Graham, never Peter. They had four foster kids at a time, and none of us were allowed to call them Mum and Dad.”
“That must be awful.”
I shook my head and smiled. “Actually, I’m honored your mum and dad would think of it. I know you said it, but they were happy with the idea. I could see it in your mum’s face.”
She grinned at me. “Careful, they’re trying to make you one of the…” She trailed off but I’d worked out what she was about to say. It didn’t bother me the way she seemed to think it would. I moved my hand to her knee and slid it straight up her thigh, under her skirt.
“If they did make me a part of the family, I couldn’t do this, could I, sis?”
“Stop it!” She slapped at me, but she was talking about the banter, not what my hand was doing at the junction of her legs. Her legs parted, allowing me easier access, and she stopped the conversation by the simple expedient of lowering her mouth to mine again.
* * * *
I really needed a shower after work and, for a Saturday, it felt wrong to be in the flat on my own in the evening. Usually Penny was there, but since it had been raining for most of the day, I’d texted her to stay in the dry at home rather than walk down to my place. Given the kick-off time for the match there wouldn’t have been time to do anything, anyway. Her reply had seemed reluctant, but she’d agreed.
Walking up to her door and ringing the bell on my own seemed strange—I realized it was the first time I’d actually done that. Penny met me at the door with a smile on her face and threw her arms around my neck and kissed me soundly.
“Hiya, handsome.”
“Hiya, sexy.”
She giggled and pulled me into the hall, closing the door behind me. The rain had let up as I’d walked up the hill, but my coat was still damp as she helped me off with it and hung it on the coat hooks. She kissed me again then hugged me close. I felt her lips go close to my ear. “Frank’s watching the match too.”
I’d only met their neighbor a couple of times, but he’d seemed an okay kind of a guy. Not quite as old as her father, but a lot older than us. I could see she wasn’t too happy about it, but I had no idea why.
When we got to the lounge the match was about to start. Mr. Lane waved a hand in greeting and Frank nodded over the top of his already open can of beer. There were a couple of empties in front of each man, so I guessed they’d been watching the pr
e-match show. Heads talking football bored me almost as much as the match itself would bore Penny.
Her mum uncurled from her armchair and kissed me on the cheek again. “Hello, Gareth.”
I took a quick breath. “Hi…Mum.”
I was watching Penny’s face as I said it. She knew—in fact, I was sure Mrs. Lane knew—how much that had cost me. Penny’s eyes went wide and luminous, and I could see the way her breath caught in her throat. I turned my attention back to her mum who gave me the sweetest smile. “Let me get you a beer, you’ve got some catching up to do with this pair of reprobates.”
“Hey, not fair. I’m sure he’ll catch up.”
“I’ll get it for him, Mum. You sit down.”
Mrs. Lane opened her mouth to protest then caught the glance she got from her daughter and shook her head, trying hard to contain her laughter.
I followed Penny into the kitchen and, as soon as we were out of the doorway, her arms were around my neck again. “Thank you, honey. That was sweet of you.”
“That’s okay…sis.”
“Stop it!”
The kiss would have gone on longer if Mr. Lane hadn’t shouted through. “Come on, you lovebirds, they’re about to kick off.”
Penny rolled her eyes but we returned to the lounge, with me carrying a beer. Penny had refused one, but the look in her eyes suggested that was about the only thing she wanted to refuse tonight. I had to take the armchair nearest the kitchen door. Penny was sitting at the end of the couch nearest me, with Frank next to her, then her dad, and her mum was in the other armchair. Mrs. Lane had her head buried in what looked like a historical novel, while Penny had dragged one of her textbooks down so she could study. Frank and Mr. Lane were absorbed in the match already, and I tried to join them.
Given how short a skirt Penny was wearing, I’d have been much happier sitting next to her where my fingers could have done a bit of walking but, as the late–comer, I had no choice as to where I sat. Penny rolled her eyes at me again, but she couldn’t do anything about it either.
Ten minutes after kick-off, Frank rattled his empty can in front of Penny and my girlfriend fetched three more full ones from the fridge. She didn’t look too happy at being asked to be the waitress, but smiled when we all said thank you. Just before half-time the same thing happened again. By then I was almost as bored with the match as Penny and her mum had been from the start. It had nil-nil written all over it, and I guessed extra time after that. Frank and Mr. Lane were in there though, true supporters, cheering the Reds on and yelling at the ref every time he made a decision that went the Blue way. I think Penny was finding it more entertaining watching them than watching the match.
At half-time everyone needed to take a leak—just like at the real match, although there you had to drink the beer outside the stadium. There was good-natured jostling before Frank opted to go outside for a fag and the rest of us took turns. I guess he relieved himself when he came back in—I wasn’t paying attention to things like that.
Mrs. Lane put out some crisps and nuts but I don’t think any of us touched them bar a polite nibble to start with, and then the beer was flowing again. The routine was repeated at full-time with the score still nil-nil. I noticed both Frank and Mr. Lane were staggering a little by then. To be honest, I was starting to feel a bit drowsy, the match was such a stalemate. We came back through from the loo each carrying another can, but Mrs. Lane intercepted us before we sat down again.
“Jack, you’ve had enough.”
“I’m fine, lass.”
“Jack, enough. I can tell. Now, bed with you.”
She rounded on Frank. “Shame on you for letting him drink that much. Now don’t be overstaying your welcome with these youngsters. By all means see out the match, then off you go.”
After a round of goodnights, we watched her lead her almost comatose husband to the stairs. “Do you need any help, Mum?”
“No thanks, Gareth. I can manage.”
I’d hoped that Frank would take the hint and move to the vacated chair so that I could sit on the couch with Penny. Obviously Penny thought the same, but neither of us could say anything.
Frank’s attention was riveted on the boring match, but extra-time seemed just as bad as the first ninety minutes had been. I started to drift off, the beer making me sleepy. I must have had about six by then, far more than I was used to. I did rouse briefly when the Blues, the wrong team, scored, but after that bit of excitement I dozed off again.
Chapter 5
Something woke me, but I wasn’t quite sure what. Then I realized, without opening my eyes, that the TV had been switched off. I hoped that meant Frank had gone as well, and assumed Penny would have found a way to wake me up nicely, but she hadn’t. Then I heard Frank’s voice.
“Lightweight’s asleep, I see.”
“Leave him alone, he’s been at work all day.” Good for Penny, she was jumping to my defense.
“So, seeing as he’s asleep…”
What was this? My brain was coming alert, but I didn’t move.
“What?” Penny sounded put out.
“I was thinking of another show like a fortnight ago.”
I tried hard not to react. A fortnight ago I’d badgered Penny into letting me watch her undress with her curtains open because nobody else could see her window other than from her back garden. Or, now I thought about it, from her neighbor’s back garden. Obviously I hadn’t noticed Frank had been out there, but he must have been, and he’d seen her too.
“That was an accident. You weren’t supposed to see that.”
I opened my eyes a little, just a slit so I could see them both. They were still sitting on the couch, next to each other. Frank was half-turned toward her but there was a respectable gap between them. Penny turned to look at me, I guess gauging if I was still asleep or not. Frank was sitting such that he could see both of us without having to move his head. Sometimes his gaze would be on me, most of the time he was staring at Penny.
“So? You’d spotted me, even if lightweight here hadn’t.”
“Stop calling him that.”
“Okay, okay, Gareth, then. He didn’t know I’d gone out to see who the intruder was, and saw it was him looking up at your window. Can’t blame me for watching you, can you. You’re a pretty girl.”
“Stop it. What if he wakes up?”
Penny was fighting her corner, but something about her tone said she wasn’t fighting as hard as she should have been. I stayed motionless, my eyes slitted, just watching the conversation develop. I concentrated on keeping my breathing deep and even.
“He’s out for the count. He’ll only wake up when you jump naked onto his lap.”
“What the two of us do in private is up to us.” She sounded really prim. I had to force myself not to giggle or even snort.
“I don’t care about that. I just want to know what you did a fortnight ago after you closed the curtains, and then again on Wednesday.”
Wednesday? What the hell had happened on Wednesday?
“Sshh…”
“Oh, let me guess. Lover boy doesn’t know about that, does he? How many times did you cum once you’d stripped naked like that for me?”
“None of your business.”
That confirmed something had happened, something similar to what she’d done for me. He’d said naked though, so she’d obviously gone further. That was very unlike my Penny. She’d gone along with me that night, but didn’t seem like she’d enjoyed it that much, rather than done it off her own accord. She’d chickened out right at the end, because she heard someone else in the house moving around. Obviously, on Wednesday she hadn’t chickened out.
“Tell me.”
Penny bit her lip and turned her head to check I was still asleep then hesitantly held three fingers up.
God, she’d masturbated three times after stripping in front of this older guy. I wanted to jump up and thump him, hard, but Penny’s reactions were off somehow. She should have been spitting fur
y at him and kicking his ass out of the house, or rousing me to do so, even rousing her parents to help her kick the pervert out. She did none of these things. She just sat there, answering his questions.
“How about doing it again, then coming down here and jumping on him naked?”
“Get bent. Not happening.”
“Ah, I’m sure you’d enjoy it, and I’m damned sure lover boy would enjoy reaping the benefits too.”
“I am not going upstairs and stripping off for you again.”
“Okay, do it here instead.”
“No! What if Gareth woke up?”
The conversation was getting quieter and quieter as he put the moves on my girlfriend. I knew I should intervene, but I was also getting interested in where he was taking this. This man was clearly intent on seducing my girlfriend—at least into getting naked for him.
“How about outside?”
“It’s raining.”
“Then in the kitchen, you won’t get wet…on the outside.”
“No.” Her last answer seemed less assertive than it should have been.
Surely Penny wasn’t contemplating doing as he asked?
“Go on, I’m dying to see that beautiful naked body of yours again, this time at a closer range.”
She shuddered and when she looked around to check if I was still asleep she had that big-eyed look on her face. She only looked like that when she was aroused, or starting to get aroused.
God. She was getting turned on by this old guy!
“I’m not getting undressed where you can get your hands on me. I’m not stupid.”
“Well, how about the kitchen then? I’ll stay one side of the table, and you can stay the other side. I can’t get to you without making so much noise it’ll wake lover boy prematurely.”
“No.” Penny’s voice was quiet. Too quiet.
“Why not? You have such beautiful tits, and an ass to die for. It turns you on to know I’m looking at them.”
“It’s not possible.”
“He’s asleep. He’s out for the count unless you go jump on him.”
“Then I’ll just go jump on him.”