Happiness for Hazel

by Pearl A Gardner

  “Oh, sorry, Petal. Didn’t mean to offend your pretty little ears.” He reached to stroke her left ear. “I should be more attentive to your sensitivities. You are such a delicate little flower.”

  “Am I?” His romantic words took her breath away. She shivered with pleasure at his touch.

  He lifted her chin with his fingers, and when his lips touched hers, she sighed. Waves of pleasure rippled through her, and she was disappointed when the kiss ended.

  Glenn lifted his head. “That’s better. Your kiss is like cool water to a thirsty man.”

  “Is it?” She giggled.

  “I could drown in your kisses, Petal.”

  “Could you?” She lifted her mouth to his, forgetting where she was and who might see her. She was with Glenn, and they were alone. Isn’t this what she’d been dreaming of for weeks?

  The kiss deepened, and Glenn’s hands clutched her to him, pressing her body to his so tightly she could feel the firm muscles of his chest against her breasts.

  “I can’t get enough of you, Petal. You’re driving me crazy. I’m in love with the most beautiful girl in the world.”

  A surge of pure emotion ran through Hazel’s body. He’d admitted that he loved her. “I love you too, Glenn,” she whispered into his mouth before kissing him again with renewed passion.

  Nothing else seemed to matter now. She was with Glenn, and he was romantic and nice to her. His kisses made her insides melt with pleasure. When he drew away, she felt a cloud had covered the moon.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Come with me.” He took her hand. “You look so good tonight, Hazel. You’re right about that dress. It really is special.”

  She shivered with delight at his words of praise. “I’m glad you think so.”

  “Does your underwear match the exterior?” He reached a hand to lift the hem of her dress as they walked, and his fingers playfully ran up the inside of her thigh.

  “Don’t do that!” She giggled but tried to push his hand away. “Please, Glenn.” She didn’t want him to think she was the kind of girl to give in easily to his advances.

  He guided her into a darkened shop doorway and with her back against the glass door, he lifted her dress higher and pushed his hips against hers. “No one can see us now. You don’t have to be worried about your reputation. It’s safe with me. I’ll always keep you safe, Petal.”

  “But everyone saw us in the square,” she reminded him, still trying to push his hands away from her thighs. “They will all know what you have in mind.”

  “And what do I have in mind, Petal?”

  His fingers were stroking the bare flesh above her stocking tops, and a fire was igniting in her lower belly. The secret place between her legs was pulsating with an intense sensation as his fingers moved closer.

  “Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop right now.” He breathed his warm, alcohol-infused breath on her throat and kissed the skin below her ear.

  She couldn’t help moaning with pleasure. Her body was throbbing with desire. She wanted more of his touch but knew she should stop him. “We shouldn’t, Glenn. We have to stop this.” Even to her own ears, her complaints didn’t sound convincing.

  “You want this, don’t you? I can tell.”

  His fingers slipped higher, and she flinched at the flare of electricity his touch ignited on her intimate flesh. Her body responded, but her head was clamouring for him to stop. She was confused and tried to clear her head. He was moving too quickly. Eunice’s warnings blazed into her mind. Was Glenn’s flesh now hard because he’d kissed her? Was that what she could feel pressing against her lower belly? Would he want to put it where his hand was busy exploring? Is that why he was breathing so heavily and seemed in such a rush?

  She couldn’t let it happen. Her body wanted him to continue, but she had to make him stop. She didn’t want to have a baby.

  “Please, Glenn!” she pleaded breathlessly.

  “I knew you’d like this, my Petal. Open up and let me in. I’ll show you pleasure like you’ve never known.”

  Somehow, she found the will to resist him. “No!” She snapped her legs together, trapping his hand tightly between them. “Not until we are married!”

  “What!” Glenn removed his hand, hastily dragging his fingers through the folds of her lovely dress. “Who said anything about marriage?”

  “I did!” she said defiantly. “If you want to make love to me, that’s the only way I’ll allow it. I mean it, Glenn. I will not ruin my reputation for a quick fumble in the darkness. I don’t care how much pleasure you might promise me. It isn’t worth it, Glenn.”

  His lips set in a firm line and he stepped away from her. “Hell will freeze over before that happens. No girl is going to trap me into wedlock.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was saying such hurtful things. Where had the sweet and caring man gone? She fleetingly wondered whether the drink had influenced his mood. He didn’t seem quite himself. She didn’t like the insensitive side he was showing her and felt the need to hit back at him. “You’ll trap yourself if you’re not careful.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t you worry about making a baby when you ask me to open my legs for you?” She knew she was wording her warning indelicately but was sure Glenn, in his present mood, would understand plain speaking.

  “You wouldn’t get pregnant if we do it standing up,” he boasted. “Anyone knows that.” His eyes met hers. “I wouldn’t put you in danger, Petal. You have to believe me. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

  She wavered. Eunice hadn’t said anything about how to avoid getting in the family way. Perhaps Glenn was right. What did she know about it anyway?

  He pressed his back against the shop window next to the door and took out a cigarette. As he lit it, he shook his head and blew the smoke into the street. “Girls don’t have a baby every time they let a man do it with them.” He laughed. “God almighty! The world would be overrun with children if that were the case.”

  Despite her reservations, Hazel could see sense in his words. “It’s just that Eunice said…”

  “You don’t want to listen to her. What would that lass know about sex? I doubt she’s ever been kissed, poor thing.”

  “Don’t talk about Eunice like that. She’s a good friend.”

  “You shouldn’t listen to her for advice about your love life. That’s all I’m saying.” He took another pull on the cigarette and blew smoke above her head. “We could have had a good time tonight, but you let her come between us, didn’t you? If it wasn’t for her poking her nose in and filling your head with nonsense, we could be enjoying ourselves right now. You know what I had planned for tonight!” His eyes looked sad, and his mouth drooped. “Don’t you love me, Petal?”

  “You know I do, but I’m not sure I want to let you do the kind of thing that only married couples should be doing.” She had his attention and pressed her point. “I’m a good girl, Glenn. I thought you respected me.”

  She watched him smoke the rest of his cigarette in silence, glad of the reprieve. She didn’t know how much longer she could resist him. Her heart was pounding, and her breath came in ragged gasps. Her privates were throbbing from Glenn’s touch, and her body wanted more. No matter what Eunice had said, and no matter how much her head was telling her she shouldn’t, she wanted him to make love to her. Her whole body clamoured for more of his touch.

  Chapter 11 – Passion

  Glenn threw his cigarette into the gutter and turned to her. “I do respect you, love,” he told her passionately. “More than any lass I’ve ever known.” He took a step closer. “You know I would never do anything to hurt you, but you are so tempting, especially in that pretty frock.”

  “Aren’t you enjoying being with me?” she asked, hoping to make him see she was more than a body with attractive packaging. She had to distract him, and hoped she could distract herself too. “It doesn’t always have to
be about kissing and stuff, does it? We can talk and spend time together, can’t we?”

  “We can do that anytime. I was hoping for more tonight. Especially as you went to all that trouble and dressed up like that for me.” He touched the ripped shoulder of her now wrinkled dress. “I liked the feel of those silky knickers too. You can’t tell me you didn’t have it in mind that I’d be touching them when you put them on earlier?”

  She shook her head in denial, even though that is just what she’d thought. She had imagined him stroking the silky fabric of her underwear. She couldn’t deny it to herself even though she had to deny it to him. “I wore them because anything else would have ruined the look of the dress.”

  She glanced down at the wrinkled fabric and felt tears spring to her eyes. “It’s ruined now.”

  “I’m sorry about your dress, Petal, but you should have thought about wearing something more practical. You must have known what I had in mind for our first night in town! Didn’t you realise that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on you? I thought you felt the same way.”

  “I wanted to make you proud of me.” She realised her romantic dreams were falling around her ears. The dress had seemed so special to her but hadn’t meant the same thing to Glenn. “I wanted you to look at me and think I was the most beautiful girl you’d ever seen!”

  “Oh, Petal!” Glenn grabbed her shoulders and lifted her chin, making her look into his face. “You don’t need a fancy frock to make me think that. Look at you! You could wear a coal sack and still outshine all the girls in town tonight.”

  “Really?” Hazel felt a thrill in her tummy to hear his compliment. This was the Glenn she knew. This was the man who had spoken kind words and whispered of love behind the kitchen of the café where she worked.

  “Really.” Glenn pulled her into the circle of his arms and touched his lips gently to hers. “Come here, Petal. You know how I feel about you, don’t you?”

  He kissed her again, and the flame of passion ignited immediately. She felt her insides liquefy. His hands slipped lower, and she didn’t resist this time when he lifted the hem of the dress to her waist. She wanted to feel his hands on her flesh. The damage was already done to her reputation and her dress. Everyone in town would already think the worse of her for going off into the shadows with Glenn. What more did she have to lose?

  “That’s more like it, Petal. Let me show you how to have a good time.”

  He used his special name for her again, and she shivered with pleasure. He stroked her intimate flesh, and she felt she was riding a storm. Electrical thrills ran from her privates through her tummy, and she was lost in a cloud of wonderful sensation that fogged her mind with pure bliss.

  “Touch me.” Glenn took her hand and guided it between their bodies.

  Her fingers explored, curiosity giving her courage to touch him, but she was instantly reminded of Eunice’s words of caution. She pushed the warnings away, shuddered with a wave of pleasure and anticipated Glenn’s next move. He wouldn’t get her pregnant. He’d given her his reassurance that making love while standing up would prevent such a thing from happening. She trusted him. He groaned, and she was encouraged to touch him again.

  “I knew you’d be good at this, but I can’t hold off any longer. Open up for me.”

  He pushed her legs, spreading them wider. Lifting her hips, he bent his knees, and before she knew it, he’d moved her silky underwear aside and was inside her. She felt a sharp pain that took her breath away.

  “Sorry, Petal. I should have warned you that your first time might be painful. Let me take the pain away.”

  He pressed his hand between the join of their bodies and reached to caress her intimate places. She was instantly on fire again, and her insides exploded in a radiant spiral of pleasure that seemed to go on and on.

  She felt lost in a whirlwind of sensation as he laboured against her, but his movements slowed and eventually, she felt him slip from her. They were both panting in the darkness as they slowly came to their senses.

  When he’d finished fastening his trousers, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. “That was amazing, Petal. How was it for you?”

  Glenn had worked magic and made her body come alive under his touch. “Incredible, Glenn. I had no idea making love could be as wonderful as this. You made me experience heaven right here on earth.”

  “Told you it would be good, didn’t I?”

  “You did.” She grinned and put her head on his shoulder, loving the warmth of him and feeling safe in his strong embrace.

  “We could do it again next week if you like.”

  Hazel sighed. She was glad he wanted to make love to her again but hoped he might want to do other things with her too. “Could we go to the picture house, do you think?”

  “If you like. The Pioneer House has double seating on the back rows. We can kiss and canoodle while the film plays and then afterwards we can finish off in a doorway, like tonight.”

  She sighed. Glenn seemed to have a one-track mind this evening. “Do you think we should get back? I’ll have to find Eunice.”

  “Bloody Eunice!” Glenn pulled away from her. “Can’t you forget about her for one bloody minute?”

  “There’s no need to swear, Glenn!” She felt a wave of disappointment crush the romantic mood. “She’s my friend, and we look out for each other.” She wanted to make him see how important Eunice was to her. “Don’t you look out for your pals sometimes?”

  His brooding face scowled petulantly, reminding her of her younger brother.

  She reached for him. “Our friends are important, aren’t they?”

  “I suppose so, but we don’t have to be joined at the hip to them every bloody second.”

  She hated to see him so sullen and tried to lift his sulky mood. “I have just enjoyed the most wonderful time of my life with you, Glenn. Please don’t spoil this lovely evening by being mean about my friend.”

  “I don’t know what you see in her. She’s a frump and will hold you back, you know.”

  “Hold me back from what?” She didn’t understand his comment.

  “From enjoying your life! From doing what you want to do. She was the one who warned you off having fun with me, wasn’t she? You’ll see I’m right. She’ll poke her nose in every chance she gets to spoil your fun.”

  “Eunice isn’t like that. She cares about me, and I care about her!” Hazel was beginning to feel annoyed with Glenn, but after what they’d just shared, it seemed wrong to be arguing, so she dropped the subject. “Let’s not fight, Glenn. Kiss me before we head back to the town hall.”

  “That’s more like it, Petal.” He wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. “We could do it again in a few minutes if you like. The old man is nearly recovered.”

  She giggled. “The old man?”

  “He needs a little rest after his shift up the shaft, but he’ll be ready to go again soon.” He nuzzled her throat.

  Hazel was shocked by Glenn’s terminology. It was such a turnaround from his usual gentlemanly and respectful way of talking to her. She didn’t like to hear him talking coarsely to her about their most intimate and wonderful experience. She was disheartened but tried not to let it show. “I see.”

  “What do you say, love?” He lifted the hem of her dress. “Would you like a repeat performance?”

  She tugged her dress down and stepped away from him. “I don’t think so, Glenn. I’m feeling quite uncomfortable down below.” She realised it was true. The pleasure had been replaced by a strange discomfort. She hoped he would understand. “It was my first time, after all. Perhaps I shouldn’t repeat the event so soon.”

  “All right, you win, Petal. I’m getting thirsty anyway.” He took her hand. “Let’s go back. I said I’d meet the lads and go for a pint with them after.”

  Hazel froze. “After what? Did you tell your pals what you were going to do with me this evening?”

  “I didn’t have to, love. One look at y
ou and they’d know what we had in mind. Any one of them would have given their high teeth to be in my shoes.”

  “Would they really?” She felt her stomach contract with humiliation and fear. Suddenly, the magic of her recent experience evaporated. Her euphoria was quickly replaced by wretched shame, and she dropped her head.

  Glenn took her hand. “Come on, Petal. Let’s go find your pal.”

  Hazel allowed Glenn to guide her back through the dark streets. They heard other couples indulging in lovemaking in the shadows, and she trembled to imagine what she would have thought about them before tonight. She was no better than they were. She was no better than a streetwalker, but she couldn’t go back and change what she’d done.

  “What’s wrong, Petal? Why are you so quiet?” Glenn squeezed her hand. “Anyone would think you didn’t enjoy what we did, but I know you did! You were more than willing.”

  “Shush, Glenn!” she warned. “Someone might hear you.”

  “Let them hear! We’ve done nowt to be ashamed of. Any lad would want to brag about having a lass like you.”

  Hazel shuddered. She wanted to tug her hand from his, but he was holding it tightly.

  The way Glenn was acting now, she began to think he might not be worth what she had given up to him but he was right. She had done it willingly. It wasn’t his fault that her eagerness to experience the forbidden pleasure was now haunting her conscience. It seemed obvious that his conscience was not bothering him one little bit.

  As they neared the brightly illuminated town hall steps, Glenn called to one of his pals. “Be with you in a tick, Gordon. Just need to find Hazel’s friend.”

  Hazel cringed inside knowing that his pals would know what she’d done. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

  “You don’t need to stay with me,” she offered, feeling as if she wanted to be on her own. “Eunice will come back here looking for me soon enough.”

  “Are you sure, Petal?” Glenn was already looking toward his pals.

  Hazel nodded, feeling more ashamed with every second that passed. She realised Glenn couldn’t care about her as much as she’d thought. If he did, he would ensure she met her friend before he left her, or at the very least he would stay and make sure she got home safely. “You go with your pals,” she insisted, pushing him away.