Saturday, 11 August 2017
***
She wakes up with the sun
She asked me what is all the fuss
As she gave me more than she thought she would
(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister – The Stone Roses
***
Graeme put the pillow over his head and mumbled an obscenity at his wafer-thin curtains. Their feeble resistance to the rising South London sun meant he was wide awake, and hungover, four and a half hours after going to bed.
Kicking off the duvet and wriggling free from his boxers, he stretches out and lets the sun warm his body. A softly spoken Scotsman from the Highlands, the heat’s intensity surprises him and conjures up memories of holidays on the Med. And Graeme is on holiday – kind of. His second day living in London awaits him, a city of millions in which he only knows a handful of people. Revitalised by the promise of starting his life anew, he reaches down to discover he’s knocked his glass of water over in the night. It was going to be that type of morning.
Reluctantly rolling out of bed and putting his feet on the sodden carpet, Graeme imagines walking to the kitchen nude and feels a surge of illicit, exhibitionist desire. Tying his dressing gown over his naked body, he heads downstairs. Swiftly drowning two paracetamol with a pint of water, he puts the kettle on and surveys the room. It is undoubtedly too small for the six people who share the house, and smaller even than the kitchen in the two-bedroom flat Graeme had all to himself in Scotland. However, it does have unmistakable signs – a lipstick-stained mug, kicked-off high heels under the breakfast table – that he will have female company in the house. He is grateful for this discovery as the possibility of sparks flying over the dinner table thrills him, and because living with five other men is a depressing prospect. Swiping a croissant on his way out, he heads back upstairs through the silent house.
He deposits the piping hot mug of tea and contraband pastry on the bedside table, clambers into bed and shrugs off the dressing gown. He’s worked his socks off at the gym in the months leading up to the big move, and he’s pleased with how muscular his arms, chest and thighs are – he even has 15% of a six-pack taking shape. Typically for a hangover, he is ridiculously horny and unable to focus on much beyond the thought of spending the day fulfilling the needs of a gorgeous, curvaceous and exceptionally demanding woman.
Picking up his phone and finding it dead, Graeme spends the next five minutes on his knees, ransacking his suitcase for his charger. Finally locating it already plugged in beside the bed – something he must have forgotten doing the night before – he collapses, heart thumping and light-headed.
He wakes 30 minutes later to a cold cup of tea and a rejuvenated phone. Graeme hoists himself up and logs into the dating app. It is still only 7.45am and, as he expected, there aren’t many women showing up online. One profile, however, gives him a jolt. Cheeky, confident eyes gaze up at the camera, a knowing grin creeping across her face. Her hair is blonde and tied up, and she’s wearing a faded pink jumper – the pic cutting off just below her shoulders. It’s the classic girl next door look, and Graeme loves that.
Bringing up the profile, he is disappointed to find no other pics and scant detail. However, there are a few exhilarating tidbits: Lauren (35) lives less than one kilometre away and has specified herself as ‘Curvy’ in the obligatory body-type category. Deliberating, Graeme settles on a message that he suspects makes him sound like a huge dork, sinks his cold tea and heads for a cool, refreshing shower in the en-suite.
***
Lauren groans and pulls down her eye mask when her phone rumbles on the bedside table. Her plan to kick the weekend off with a big sleep has been ruined by an inconsiderate twat (Lauren is prone to swearing in the early hours) crashing around the house in the early hours. She’d slept fitfully afterwards, and even the eye mask and a herbal tea had failed to work their magic.
In truth, she is upset and pissed off with herself for being upset. Three weeks earlier, her boyfriend – a self-professed feminist – had called it off while they were lying in bed. He’d thoughtfully set out some of the ways she could have kept him, including wearing her scruffs less often and wearing make-up more often. By the time he’d finished, she felt furious and humiliated in equal measure. He had, of course, managed to get one last fuck out of her the day before his big reveal, breathing a heartfelt ‘I love you’ into her ear before shuddering and rolling over.
Ripping off the eye mask and throwing it across the room, she picks up the phone. She rolls her eyes at a notification from the dating app she’d joined the minute her ex had skulked out of her life. Since then, she’d received scores of messages running the gamut from bland to lewd while skipping interesting and charming. It was exactly as her friends had warned her, but still utterly depressing.
Opening the message, she is surprised to find that a modicum of effort had gone into it and that the author is semi-literate.
‘Hi Lauren, up with the morning sun too? I’m Graeme and new to London – it’s literally my second day here. I’m Scottish so if you like incomprehensible accents and men in skirts, I’m the man for you! Expect you’re ready to embrace the weekend rather than lolling about in bed like me – what do you have planned?x’
Pulling up his profile, Lauren finds herself looking at a man in an anorak, beaming ear-to-ear on top of a mountain. His glasses are partially steamed up and he is wearing a woolly hat, so she can’t really tell if she fancies him or not. However, the puppy-like joy emanating from the photo is endearing – albeit unlikely to survive repeated jostling into assorted armpits by arseholes on the tube.
There are three other pictures – a good sign – featuring Scottish Graeme: in an old man’s pub, on a field having a picnic on an overcast day, and taking a selfie of himself in his bedroom (fully clothed – again, a good sign). Each photo displays the ‘I’ve just won the lottery and as I’m such a nice guy, I’ll donate half to charity’ smile and round John Lennon glasses that he just about pulls off. He has a dark and rigidly gelled block of hair on top of a rather square face, and the overall effect is of a benign Lego man.
She sends a message back and regrets chucking the eye mask.
***
Towelling off, Graeme returns to a room that is at least 5 degrees hotter than he’d left it and stinks to high heaven of excreted booze. Instantly clammy, but feeling surprisingly perky, he throws open all the windows. He picks up his phone to find a message.
‘hi Graeme, welcome to the city – I can picture you now – shorts, socks in sandals and camera round your neck, ready for ur open top bus tour. am also a little insulted – do I look crazy enough to be out of my bed before 8 on a saturday’
Stretching out on the bed, he crafts a reply and presses send just before his glasses steam up completely.
***
Graeme’s reply pops up as Lauren is lusting over Dyson fans and contemplating adding to her credit card debt. The bedroom is disgustingly hot already and her twin hand-me-down fans, despite their whirring, barely ruffle her hair.
‘Thanks for the reply Lauren and I’m glad you’re still in bed, an early start 5/7 days of the week is surely enough! Socks in sandals is a great look, thanks for helping me choose today’s outfit 🤓 Tbh, my biggest challenge today is meeting my new housemates without smelling like a brewery (night out with new team from work last night). How are you coping with the heatwave? G x’
Again, top marks for effort, although, like the John Lennon glasses, she can’t quite reconcile the breezy ‘G x’ with the goofy guy she is sure is behind the profile. Or maybe she is overthinking things? Besides, something else has piqued her interest, and she decides to investigate.
***
Trying and failing to pay attention to his book, Graeme pounces on the phone as soon as it pings.
‘am coping OK thnx – i have a fan either side of me and a man wafting me with a palm leaf. ur housemates are in for a treat, did u move in yesterday, is it a big house?’
Sitting up, Graeme tries to decipher how suggestive the message is. On the one hand, Lauren may be wittily planting a seed that she’d like a submissive man in her bedroom – possibly wearing a toga. On the other hand, she’s fired off a two-sentence reply to be polite, and Graeme is, as usual, getting much too excited.
Deciding to risk being risqué, Graeme presses send and wonders how to make a toga out of bedsheets.
***
As expected, her message was read on arrival, and a reply sent in a matter of minutes – Graeme is certainly enthusiastic.
‘Lol, I love the set-up you have going on there, is he peeling grapes for you too? And how can I apply for the job?! Yeah in yesterday and then straight out with my new team so today’s going to be interesting 😅 And yeah it’s a big house, why do you ask? G x’
Lauren raises her eyebrows and feels her body come alive. Graeme’s response has all but confirmed her hunch while awakening an urge that surprises Lauren with its existence. Glancing about the room, she winces at the mess and worries about how she smells after the hot, airless night. She writes a response and has a quick tidy before heading for the shower, all the while convincing herself that she will not, under any circumstances, do anything stupid.
***
While continuing with the weird estate agent vibe, Lauren’s next message makes Graeme do a little groan.
‘im just curious about the house, want to make sure uv made a good choice. how close is it to the tube? and im afraid the job comes with very strict criteria and a rigorous evaluation process – r u sure ur up to it?’
Worried that he’s misreading things and about to blurt out some horrendous perversion, he’s happy the house question allows him to divert the conversation away from the increasingly suggestive flirting.
***
‘To be honest, right now I’m not sure I’m up to making it down to the kitchen for another cup of tea! But I’d certainly be eager! Err I guess the tube is really close by – I live just around the corner. Do you live nearby too? You’ll have to send me some recommendations! G x’
Lauren closes her eyes and tries to calm her nerves. She has a decision to make, and she is worried the wrong part of her body will make it. But, as her original plan for the morning was to scrub out the mildew from her shower, she decides her brain can take a running jump and give her pussy some power.
***
‘its a shame ur not up to making it down to the kitchen…’
***
‘Lol err why is that? I do need to hydrate!’
***
‘not to scare you but… im 95% certain im in the room above you 🙀’
***
‘Oh wow 🙈are you sure! It’s on Newtown Road… near the Tesco’
***
‘yeah thats us. im in the penthouse suite up top. you woke me up when you came in last night you know… i hope ur going to be a better housemate than that from now on’
***
‘I’m so sorry, I don’t usually drink that much anymore. I honestly have no idea what I was doing when I got home 🙈 Does it bother you that I live here, I don’t want to make you feel awkward on my first day!x’
***
‘im sure i can cope with you living here as long as you behave a bit better. now… how are you going to make up for waking me up in the middle of the night?’
***
‘Oh um I’m not sure – I could get you some bubbles or chocolate maybe? I am sorry!x’
***
‘u could get them but theyre not going to do me any good now… im a tired and grumpy lady. why dont u get urself downstairs and make me a cup of tea?’
***
‘I could definitely do that 🙈 how do you take your tea? Shall I just leave it by the door? I’m going to be so shy actually meeting you now you know 🙈xx’
***
‘are you seriously going to make me get out of bed for the tea? u can come in but keep ur eyes to urself. as for how i take my tea u can guess… u can always pop downstairs to make me a new one if i don’t like it’
***
‘OK, I’ll give it a go! I guess I’ll see you in five minutes or so… eek! 🙈xx’
***
Graeme waits a few moments for a reply and then stands up, feeling as volatile as a teenage boy at his friend’s sister’s 21st birthday pool party. If he has read the signals right – and he is pretty confident he has – he is heading into the hottest date of his life a shell of a man. As well as being hungry and hungover, there is a serious risk he will spontaneously ejaculate into a cup of tea.
On the other hand, he knows nothing about Lauren and has only seen one picture. He has also listened to enough true crime podcasts to conjure up grisly fates for himself. The naive Scotsman who delivered himself to a depraved maniac, armed only with a cup of tea and a raging erection. Frontpage of the Daily Mail, easily.
While this is unlikely, he realises that ‘Lauren’ will bear no resemblance to the person he’s feverishly imagining – meaning an extremely awkward encounter and Graeme having to find a new place on the other side of the city. He also isn’t conceited enough to know that he could be just as big a letdown for Lauren, which is only slightly less terrible than being murdered.
Nevertheless, he has committed himself, and all that is left to decide is his outfit. Pulling on the robe and looking in the mirror, he’s disconcerted to see the prominent and protruding mound his erection makes in profile. While the size of it does seem flattering, Graeme is also aware that he looks completely ridiculous. Conscious that minutes are ticking by, he rifles his suitcase for his best pair of underpants (one of his better finds in TK Maxx – a pair of black, tight CK boxers), gym socks and a light, white t-shirt. Throwing them on, and tucking his hard-on in the waistband of the CKs, Graeme re-robes and heads back to the kitchen again.
***
A brew in each hand, Graeme passes his door, and that of an unidentified neighbour, and heads up a narrow flight of stairs to the top room. The stairs turn out to be creakier than an 18th-century galleon and Graeme becomes increasingly nervous as each step telegraphs his arrival. Arriving at the top with his (mercifully, navy coloured) dressing gown damp and warm with tea, Graeme nudges the slightly ajar door open with his shoulder and enters.
The room is bathed in bright light, filtered through a partially drawn blind. In contrast to the sour afterglow of a night’s boozing percolating through Graeme’s pit, the sweet aroma of favoured perfume hangs in the still and stuffy air. Despite two fans chugging away either side of the bed, the room is roasting – a malignant receptacle for all the heat of the house.
Looking cool and serene, Lauren is sitting up in the bed, impervious to the inferno around her. Her long, blond hair is damp, and square reading glasses with a black, thick rim just about fail to hide tired and slightly puffy eyes. She’s caught the sun the day before, and her nose is a little pink. Graeme is relieved that she is just as pretty as her picture.
Lauren’s hair falls down onto plump, bare shoulders, which Graeme immediately registers to be unadorned of straps of any kind. A sheet is pulled just under her armpits and the undulating yumminess of her body, accentuated through the thin material, causes Graeme’s hard cock to give an exuberant push against the waistband of his boxers.
Her knees are pulled up, circled by her arms, and Graeme glimpses a deep and ample cleavage where her breasts have been squished together. The bunching of the sheet where she sits offers a tantalising glimpse of a big and luscious bottom.
“Oi, I thought I told you to keep your eyes to yourself.”
Graeme’s reverie is interrupted by a broad Lancastrian accent, laced with admonishment. Glancing up, he is relieved to see a grin on Lauren’s face.
“Oh, ahem, um, I’m sorry.” His cheeks burning up, Graeme imagines Lauren telling her pals about some sweaty, beetroot coloured Scotsman who delivered half a cup of tea, while ogling her. Realising that Lauren expects him to finish his sentence, he asks where the teas should go. Nodding at her bedside table, she then invites him to pull a chair in the corner of the room beside the bed.
Hyper-aware of his erection, Graeme crosses his legs on sitting down, inadvertently causing the dressing gown to slide over his knee and down his thigh, in a way that may have been seductive had he not been wearing white, calf-hugging gym socks. Lauren, still silent, is observing him with an amused look on her face.
“It’s really hot in here,” said Graeme, weakly.
“So take off all your clothes?”
“Really?” Graeme’s mouth is suddenly very dry.
“I’m kidding, it’s that Nelly song.”
“Oh! OK, yeah, of course!” Lauren continues to watch him. “I, um, hated that song at uni.” She continues to watch him. “There was that song, Ignition Remix, Mr Brightside and that Fatman Scoop one – every night.”
“And Summer of 69.”
“Oh god, Summer of 69, I’d pay to never hear that again.”
Lauren smiles, “Well, at least I know I’m not going to have Bryan Adams’ greatest hits being pumped through my floor and pissing me off.”
“Oh no, I’m not a fan of Mr Adams.”
“Probably preferable to clattering about in the middle of the night though.”
“I’m so sorry about that. Is that how you knew?”
“That you were underneath me?”
Graeme feels his cheeks prick again. “Yeah.”
“Well, I knew we had someone new moving in and that he’s a boy and Scottish. So seemed a safe bet.”
“It’s such a coincidence isn’t it!”
“It is quite. And if I was wrong, it was fun imagining you barging into someone’s room with a cup of tea.”
“Mean. I could have got in trouble.”
“I was hoping you’d walk in on some early morning nookie”, Lauren said, dropping another sexual reference and enjoying Graeme’s squirming.
“They probably would have enjoyed some refreshment in this heat,” Graeme said, amazed he’d come up with a vaguely witty retort.
“A mid-intercourse tea break? Are you sure you’re not English?”
“Aye, positive. Although I do love a tea.”
“Shall we?” said Lauren, nodding to the steaming mugs.
“Definitely, I need to defeat this hangover.”
Drinking their teas offers a chance to take stock.
Graeme, peeking over the rim of his cup, sees Lauren hold the sheet over her breasts with one hand and reach over to the table with the other. The conversation has flowed, and he’s not mangled his words which, considering the circumstances, is miraculous. She’s gorgeous and self-assured, and he wants to quit while he’s ahead. He resolves to finish the drink and get out of her hair. Hopefully, she’ll agree to a drink sometime that weekend – his treat for being a drunken oaf the night before.
Lauren sips the tea and dribbles it back into the mug. Graeme, for all his virtues (and she has to admit, there seem to be a few), for some reason considers a brew to be best served laden with sugar. First impressions are good. He’s a big, bulky boy and the heft of his presence feels strange after the minuscule dimensions of her ex. She was initially worried that his nervousness is a sign of chronic diffidence. Pleasingly, he’s now relaxed a little and isn’t shaking too badly. Glancing up, she sees hungry eyes frantically divert away from her breasts and feels surprisingly in control of the situation.
“So, Graeme…”
“Yeah?”
“Talk me through the outfit.”
“Mine?”
“Do you want to talk about my outfit? It won’t take long.”
“Well,” said Graeme, shifting in his seat and reverse crossing his legs, “I guess I wouldn’t know because of the, erm, sheet. But, in terms of what I’m wearing – it’s classic morning loungewear, um, ensemble. I guess.”
“It’s a little risqué though, isn’t it? I mean, meeting a girl for the first time and you’re in your undies.”
“To be honest, I did think about that for quite a while, and I concluded that coming up in a shirt and jeans would look a bit silly.”
“But you wore those socks?”
“I do regret the socks. But I still think they beat my hairy toes.”
“Good point. And thanks for confirming you’re just in your pants under that minging dressing gown.”
“Ahem. Well, I thought my leg being on display made it obvious. And I’ll have you know I’ve had this dressing gown since uni.”
“That’s not something to boast about. And aren’t you melting?”
Graeme is indeed extremely hot. A combination of the mercury-busting room temperature and his proximity to bountiful female nudity has left his thighs clammy and trails of sweat dripping down his back and from his armpits. So, when Lauren tells him to take off the gown, it does come as a relief. A moment of terror admittedly, but boy is he hot.
Lauren settles back into her pillows to watch Graeme disrobe. She had expected some kind of protest about her first tentative foray into being bossy in the bedroom – but he’d simply mumbled his assent and stood up. Whether this is due to the heat (he is going awfully pink) or because, as she suspects, he likes it, she isn’t sure.
Taking off the dressing gown, Graeme swiftly turns away from Lauren to fold it on the arm of the chair. This makes him bend over slightly, presenting a firm, chunky bottom in tight black CKs. His legs are excessively hairy for Lauren’s taste, but his thighs and calves are pleasingly muscular – perhaps proof that his profile pic on a mountain top is actually a genuine insight into his interests (a previous date had turned out to be a xenophobic arsehole, despite having a ‘postcards from Europe’ theme going on in his pics). After folding the dressing gown, Graeme does an awkward pirouette into the chair and folds his legs again.
“What was that?”
“What do you mean?” said Graeme, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking a bit flustered.
“I think Tom Daley would be impressed with how you dived back into that chair. I was worried it was going to fall apart.”
“Charming.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way – besides I’m not one to talk. I’m just disappointed, is all.”
“Why?”
“Well those little black boxers wouldn’t look out of place on Tom Daley either, and I barely saw them.”
“Oh.”
“Are you going to stand up for me then?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I want to see. I did get a glimpse of your bum before your little manoeuvre, and I was impressed, but I feel a little short-changed.”
“Short-changed?” said Graeme, smiling.
“Well you know, inviting you into my room and taking you under my wing – least you can do is a little twirl.”
“Well, since you put it that way I guess it would be polite of me, wouldn’t it. Although I think you’re forgetting I brought you a brew.”
“That was an awful cup of tea,” said Lauren, wrinkling her nose.
“Oh no, really? I guessed you like sugar.”
“I know you guessed I like sugar, I usually prefer some tea with it though.”
“Ah, that’s bad, I’m sorry,” said Graeme, looking genuinely contrite.
“It’s very bad Graeme,” Lauren said, causing a frisson of excitement to ignite between them. “You definitely need to stand up for me.”
Graeme stands up hesitantly and, feeling completely exposed, puts his hands rigidly to his sides. Looking down at Lauren, he notices her sheet has dropped slightly, uncovering soft, pale skin untouched by the sun and the sides of her breasts curving ever outwards. Bathed in the morning light, she looks like one of those classical paintings of nude women, back before ‘beach body ready’ was a thing. He quite wants to tell her this, but he has no idea who painted those pictures (Rembrandt, possibly?) and he doesn’t want to appear both corny and a philistine at the same time. Besides, a more pressing concern is his erection, abruptly revitalised and filling out his black and, Graeme has just realised, very easily stained boxers.
“Um, can I sit down now?” Graeme said after a few moments, “please?”
“Nope, not yet. Besides, I think you’re enjoying it.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It literally seems to have a mind of its own at the moment, unfortunately.”
“Perhaps it’s the heat? Shall I put an ice cube down there?”
“If you have ice cubes I will pay you lots of money for them.”
“I’m afraid not, this room is a hostile environment for anything associated with cool beverages. I felt all smug having the top room, but it’s so fucking hot. Sorry for swearing.”
“Well it is nice to meet a fellow housemate. We’re obviously meeting in a really weird way but lovely to meet you nonetheless.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance Graeme – and your friend there.”
“Yeah, he’s still there, isn’t he. He’s never been this prominent when I’ve met other people before.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Would it be possible for me to sit down yet?”
“Please?”
“Please.”
“Yes – on one condition.”
“Dare I ask?”
“Take the t-shirt off.”
“Really?”
“Yep, it’s only fair.”
“Why fair?”
“Well, I’m only wearing my knickers so we’ll be even.”
“Oh, wow. But you have your, um, sheet?”
“Did you bring a sheet Graeme?”
“I didn’t know it was required.”
“It’s all about preparation Graeme. Now, let’s get that t-shirt off like a good boy.”
Once more demonstrating pitiful resistance, Graeme begins to pull the t-shirt off, revealing a soft lower tummy and little, chubby love handles poking over his boxers. Inexplicably for Graeme, he finds that his head has grown larger, leaving him flustered in the folds of the material while trying to yank it off. Increasingly disorientated, he leans forward for leverage and gives it one hard tug, removing the t-shirt and dislodging his glasses in the process.
As Graeme scrambles for his glasses and slips into a surprisingly thick brogue seemingly reserved for profanity, Lauren’s eyes wander from firm thighs to buttock-cheek hugging boxers. Once more coveting a substantial bum, she also has time to admire a plump pair of balls, showcased as Graeme bends over. Graeme then stands, red, ruffled and freshly bespectacled. Lauren notes approvingly how his doughy midriff firms and hardens into muscular chest, shoulders and arms. A thick cluster of chest hair reassures her that Graeme’s grooming routine doesn’t involve regular waxing, while a charm on a gold chain nestling in the hair adds another layer of intrigue to his character. But, at this exact moment, all of these details seem a little superfluous when the outline of Graeme’s hard, thick cock is clearly visible through his black briefs.
Jumping in before Graeme can sit down again, Lauren tells him to fetch her eye mask off the floor and to take his time while bending over. The look of tremulous doubt, undershot with unfettered desire, that washes across his face further emboldens Lauren to dictate how Graeme will be spending his morning. She watches him walk awkwardly across the room and then bend over with an exaggerated slowness that makes her feel like she should be slipping a note into his waistband. By the time his cock, closely followed by Graeme, is heading back towards her, Lauren’s hand has crept inside the soft cotton of her knickers, and her sheet has slid down off her breasts.
If Graeme was a cartoon character, steam would now be coming out of his ears. He turns round to see Lauren biting her lip and half-naked. She is beautiful, and the sight of her big, natural breasts and surprisingly dark and large nipples sends him swirling deeper into a vortex of lust. Sitting down in a daze, he completely forgets about the eye mask in his hand until Lauren orders him to put it on.
“Really, I have to wear this?” said Graeme, with a cursory protest.
“You so have to wear that.”
“I feel like that’s very unfair, to be honest.”
“Because it stops you staring at my tits?”
“Well, they, I mean you, well – you are gorgeous. So, it’s difficult not to look. But I also don’t really know where to look.”
“So, put the mask on – last chance.”
“…OK.”
“Good boy”, said Lauren after Graeme had donned the mask, “hope you’re not peeking though.”
“I’m not, I can’t see a thing. You’re not going to kill me, are you?”
“Are you scared?”
“I’m feeling many things – to be honest, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t think you’ll kill me, but a heart attack isn’t out of the question.”
“I really don’t want you having a heart attack in my room.”
“Thank you, I’ll make sure I crawl out if I do.”
“You’re very considerate. You look very fetching in the mask too by the way.”
“Thank you. Can I ask a question?”
“Sure”
“Have you done this, um, kind of thing before?”
“What are you insinuating?”
“Nothing at all. It’s obviously nothing to do with me. I just ask because, well, you’re very good at it and I’m probably very bad.”
“You’re doing amazing Graeme and believe me, this is not a normal occurrence for me. I don’t really know what’s come over me, to be honest.”
“A more childish man would say something crass now, you know.”
“I’m sure he would. Luckily I’m with a sophisticated gent.”
“Precisely.”
“So, I did want to say a few things. And I think I’ll find it easier to say with the mask on”, said Lauren.
“Sound ominous.”
“It’s not. I just wanted to say that this is very unlike me. I still can’t believe I have a blindfolded man I barely know sat next to me on a Sunday morning. So, well I kinda mean don’t get the wrong impression, but that’s stupid because what other impression am I giving? And why should I care about the impression I give?”
“I agree.”
“I think you’d agree with anything I say at the moment, Graeme.”
“That’s probably true, but I think I know what you mean. Why can’t you do something exciting without feeling bad about it or being judged for it?” said Graeme, immediately regretting his gibberish.
“That’s kinda what I mean. But what I really want to say, is that this is just a moment. It’s a really, really hot moment but I don’t want it to become a thing that I owe you something afterwards like you have a claim on me.”
“So we just go our separate ways after this? Whatever this is?” said Graeme deflated.
“No, sorry I didn’t mean like that. And I’m sorry I’m being blunt – I just need to get this off my chest. I’d really like to get to know you more, I know that much – and we live together now so we’ll definitely see each other. I just don’t want you to think that this is some kind of guarantee that you can pop upstairs whenever you want.”
“I’m not like that. I’d really like to take you for a drink, that’s all I want Lauren.”
“I’d like that too. I’m sorry I’ve sucked all the spontaneity out of this haven’t I?”
“No, it’s nice to talk. It’s funny the mask has helped hasn’t it?”
“It certainly has, you’re a good sport. You’ve also been getting some very positive comments on Facebook Live, by the way.”
“Wind-ups have to be a bit believable, remember – the comments would not be favourable.”
“It’s true! Lauren in London has written: ‘Nice pants Graeme, but they’d look better on the bedroom floor’.”
“Has she now?”
“She has.”
“She’s not very original, is she?”
“Not really, she’s written something about tossing the caber too.”
“She’s let herself down there.”
“If I’m being honest, I’m quite distracted.”
“Are you sending pics of me to your mates?”
“No, I’m playing with myself.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Is that bad?”
“Absolutely not”, said Graeme before adding, with a thump in his chest, “Is there anything I can do to, um, help?”
“You can be a very good and obedient boy”, said Lauren, trying to control her voice. “Is that something you can do?”
“I’d love that so much.”
“OK then. The first thing I need to do is kiss you. Sit on your hands and tell me how much you want me.”
“Please come and kiss me – Miss,” said Graeme, quickly shifting his hands underneath his bum, “You’re so gorgeous, and I want you so much, and you make me so hard.”
“I’m Miss, am I?”, said Lauren as she slides from the bed.
“Is that OK?”
Placing her hands on the armrests of the chair, Lauren leans over Graeme and brushes her lips against his. The crackle from their first touch cuts the cords of their inhibitions, and they succumb to a frantic, lustful kiss. Lauren’s hands grip Graeme’s shoulders and arms as he strains against his self-imposed constraints. With eyes closed and their groans growing more pleading by the second, their embrace is interrupted by Lauren almost pushing Graeme backwards off the chair.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry.”
“That’s OK. We got a little carried away didn’t we”, said Graeme, relieved to not be flat on his back.
“We did. Well done for keeping your hands under control.”
“It was hard.”
“I can see.”
“You make me so hard, Lauren. I wish I could see you.”
“You’ve seen my breasts.”
“Well, it was more of a snippet.”
“How much do you want the blindfold off?”
“More than you can ever imagine.”
“You’ll be a good boy then and do what I say?”
“Definitely Miss.”
“And what if I want you to be a dirty boy?”
“Definitely Miss”, said Graeme with an involuntary moan.
“OK, give me a moment.”
Reclining on the bed, Lauren slides off her knickers, opens her thighs and shudders on touching her clit. Seeing Graeme, tense as a coiled spring, react to her moan and direct his unseeing gaze towards her, she opens her legs wide and slides her fingers inside her wet pussy. After enjoying a moment, she stands up and tells Graeme to open his mouth. Immediately obeyed, Lauren places her fingers on his tongue and watches him devour them.
“Taste good?”
“Mm yes, Miss.”
“Want more?”
“God, yes, Miss.”
“OK, give me a moment.”
“What should I do Miss?”
“What did I tell you to do?”
“Um, nothing.”
“Well, what should you do then?”
“Nothing?”
“Bingo.”
With a close eye on Graeme to monitor his hand movements, Lauren reaches into her bedside drawer. The vibrator had been purchased the weekend before in a Shoreditch sex shop she’d felt unnecessarily embarrassed visiting. Her first experiences with it had been tentative, mainly because she was paranoid about the noise both she and it made. The irony of using the vibrator in the same room as her newest housemate is not lost on her as she flicks it on.
“Um, may I ask what that is Miss?”
“What do you think it is?”
“Is it a vibrator?”
“It is, a new one actually.”
“Have I been usurped already?”
“No, I think you’ll be good to keep around, you’ll have your uses.”
“What would they be Miss?”, enquired Graeme.
“Well, the vibrator does get very messy.”
“Would it need cleaning Miss?”
“It will need cleaning very shortly. Will you do that for me?”
“Mm yes please, Miss. Still with the blindfold on?”
“Yes, with the blindfold on. Now be a good boy and give me a minute.”
Laying back on the bed, Lauren is a little disconcerted to realise that Graeme has found his bearings and is directing his attention straight at her. Fighting the urge to slip back under the sheet, Lauren opens her thighs and begins to massage her clit with the tip of the vibrator. Unable to control her moans and falling back onto the bed, she holds the vibrator in place a little while longer before sliding it inside her, concentrating hard on not getting carried away.
“Fuck”, she exhales.
“That sounds so hot Miss.”
“I’m so close, what have you done to me, Graeme?”
“I’m not sure I can take any credit for what I just heard.”
“Well it didn’t do this to me last time, I can assure you.”
“Is it, um, messy Miss?”
“It’s very, very wet, yes.”
“Does it still need cleaning then Miss?”
“Do you want to, really?”
“Yes Miss, if that’s OK?”
“Tell me what you want to do.”
“I want to lick and suck your toy clean, Miss, so I can taste you again.”
“You dirty boy, you.”
Lauren stands above Graeme and grips his chin with her hand. Telling him to open his mouth, she inserts the tip of the toy and watches him hungrily suck as she pushes it in deeper. She resists the temptation to make him gag and feels shocked that it’s something she’d want to inflict on him. After some vigorous sucking that surprises both Lauren and Graeme with its intensity, she throws the gleaming vibrator onto a pile of clothes and tells him to stand.
Taking his hands, she pulls him towards the bed and sits on it, her legs on either side of Graeme and his hard cock directly in front of her face. Starting from his knees, she runs her hands up his thighs. She brings them together over his boxers, gripping his cock and provoking another slip into profanity-flecked brogue.
“So Graeme”, Lauren said, sliding her fingertips inside the waistband of his boxers.
“Yes, Miss” said Graeme, his voice quivering.
“I’m guessing that you’re a boob man, are you?”
“Well, I’m not sure I would, um pigeon-hole, myself like that Miss.”
“So you like a bum too then?”, said Lauren, peeling the boxers down slowly.
“Oh fuck”, said Graeme. “And yes, I love a gorgeous big bum.”
“Well I happen to have plenty for you to love”, said Lauren, working Graeme’s boxers down his thighs while taking the time to inspect his pleasingly thick cock.
“You’re so hot, Miss, I could see your body through your sheet, and it’s so yummy. Please may I see?”
“And what”, said Lauren, making Graeme jolt as she takes his cock in hand and strokes it, “will you do once the mask is off?”
“Mmm, I’ll get on my knees and say thank you for letting me see you. And then I’ll kiss your feet and enjoy looking at how curvy and gorgeous you are until you tell me what to do.”
“Oh my, that is a good answer – OK, take it off.”
Graeme, blind and overwrought, flings aside the mask and is momentarily startled by the morning sun now flooding the room. Blinking to acclimatise, he looks down to see Lauren pushing herself back across the bed. Sinking to his knees, he recalls the day he saw the job advert that took him to London and decides to celebrate it like a birthday. Her face betrays a hint of anxiety: anxiety he wishes he could dispel forever by being able to find the words to tell her how beautiful she is. She is now propped up amongst an array of luxurious pillows, one leg over the other and completely naked. She is heavenly: the breasts he’d seen all too briefly resting on a soft tummy, her hips a stunning curve hinting at the bountiful booty behind and creamy, soft thighs leading up to… well, he can’t see as Lauren has her hands there. Realising he is gawking, he remembers his manners.
“You,” said Graeme, kissing a toe decorated with chipped, red nail varnish, “are amazing – thank you for letting me see you.”
“Well, I suppose it’s only fair,” Lauren, replies, “I have had an eye-full myself.” Despite a nagging concern that she is breaking several rules instilled in her two decades ago in sex ed, she feels calm and in control. And so, so fucking horny. Increasingly emboldened, she carries on: “How are you going to thank me, Graeme?”
“By doing anything you tell me?” Graeme’s response is instantaneous and servile.
“I need better than that. It’s a bit of a lazy answer, to be honest.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Um, I was thinking I could kiss these beautiful feet and suck your toes and then you could tell me…”
“Graeme, you could spend five minutes indulging your foot fetish or you could think about my needs, couldn’t you?” She is really beginning to enjoy the look of confused and desperate desire that flashes across his face when she says things like this.
“Yes, Miss, of course.” Graeme swallows his fears and goes for broke. “Please may I kiss up your beautiful legs and kiss and lick your pussy?”
“Will you say thank you after?”
“Yes, definitely.” Graeme has to stop himself from nodding vigorously.
“OK,” said Lauren, before succumbing to a final inhibition, “and you’re aware that I am very turned on right now and, um, extremely wet?”
“That sounds amazing,” Graeme is massaging her calves and looks her in the eyes with a look of pure sincerity when he says this, which Lauren finds hot and funny at the same time.
She nestles into the pillows, closes her eyes and, for once, lives for the moment. Reluctant to go full-on centre-fold, she lets Graeme take the lead. He kisses and strokes her calves (he finds them shapely and sexy – she’s never liked them) before kissing her thighs and sliding them open with gentle firmness. Taking his time, Graeme kisses and licks inside her thighs and then, making her gasp, slowly pushes his tongue inside her. Lauren sinks further back as he slides his hands underneath her and gives her butt a firm squeeze and finds her clit with his tongue. Instinctively, she reaches down and holds him by his shock of black hair, opening her legs wider and pressing his face to her now soaking pussy.
Graeme is lost in heaven when Lauren pulls his hair a little more sharply and tells him to kiss her. Reluctant to let his lips leave her body, he kisses her outcrop of dark pubes, savours her chubby tummy and brushes his lips across her breasts. Falling into the pillows next to her, they share a long and indulgent kiss, Lauren’s tongue lapping up her own juices, and nearly sending Graeme over the edge.
To stop something foolish from happening, Lauren suddenly sits up and looks down at Graeme. He’s red and flustered and still miraculously wearing his glasses.
“Is everything OK?” he asks.
“Yeah, of course,” she smiles down at him, “it’s just that I really need you to put a condom on.”
“Oh god, I’m sorry I didn’t bring one, I didn’t really expect…”
“It’s OK, I have one – top drawer.”
Enjoying another survey of his bum as he leans over to the drawer, Lauren runs her hand up his leg and strokes his cock as he fumbles around.
“You’re taking your time.”
“That’s cruel!” said Graeme, trying to concentrate on sifting through the detritus of Lauren’s drawer.
“Should I stop?”
“Maybe it’s more of a cruel to be kind scenario.”
“Do you need me to come over…”
“Found it!” Graeme is triumphantly holding aloft a battered Durex she’d originally bought for shitty sex with her weedy ex.
“Don’t put it on yet,” said Lauren, enjoying the size of him in her hand and how hard and helpless he is lay before her.
“OK,” said Graeme, his hand tracing the curve of her back and hips and sliding over to indulge in the substantial contours of her chunky bum. “You’re amazing.”
“Mmm and you’re so hard, I’m going to need your cock in me very soon,” said Lauren, suppressing the urge to sit on it there and then.
“I’ll do whatever you want Lauren.”
“I want you to fuck me hard.”
“Mmm, where, I mean how?” said Graeme, tripping over his words.
“From behind – and now.”
Manoeuvring Graeme out of the way, Lauren makes herself comfortable in the pillows and pokes her bum in the air. Graeme, fiddling with the condom wrapper, looks up to see Lauren’s voluptuous ass and immediately drops what he’s doing. He gazes at her beautiful pussy, framed by soft thighs, while running his hands up her legs. As he takes hold of her by the hips, Lauren’s hand appears and starts to rub her clit, her moans responding to his touch. Caressing her bum, Graeme gives each cheek a hungry kiss and enjoys the jolt of delight that shudders through Lauren’s body. Pulling her cheeks slightly apart, he once again kisses her and hears her moans get louder and sees her fingers move from her clit and into her pussy. Now exposing her with his hands, he kisses around her tight, perfect hole and she pushes her bum closer to his face and lets out a ‘fuck’.
Face buried between her luscious cheeks and feeling like the luckiest man alive, Graeme suddenly feels selfish. Reaching into the folds of the duvet, he hopes he can make Lauren cum again and again; forever holding himself off, like some selfless sex monk. Retrieving the condom and putting it on, he looks up to see Lauren and realises he’ll be lucky to last a minute.
She is still rubbing her pussy, and he takes her hand away, replacing her fingers with the tip of his cock. She lets out a loud moan, and he fucks her slowly, his cock deeper inside her with every motion, his hands all over her ass and hips. She pushes her head into the pillows and pokes her bum further in the air, helping him to fill her completely. Gripping her more tightly, he fucks her hard. Suddenly, everything gets louder: the slap of his thighs against her butt and the thump of the headboard against the wall failing to drown out their moans. Lauren, banishing all thoughts of how she will face her other housemates after this, enjoys a profane and noisy orgasm. Hearing her moan and swear and seeing her grip the pillows is too much for Graeme. He cums too, leaving his cock deep inside her and letting his hands drop from her hips to her tummy, adoring the fullness of her body.
Collapsing next to one another, clammy and contented, Lauren and Graeme share a look of bafflement at what just happened. Leaning in to kiss her, Graeme diverts from her lips when he remembers what he’d been doing a few minutes earlier. Kissing her neck, he slides a hand down her back and over her bum and guides her leg over him. Nestling into her soft shoulders and mumbling “you’re amazing” he almost succumbs to sleep before Lauren pinches his bum.
“You’re a right one, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well popping into my room, saying hello, having your way, then having a kip in my bed.”
“I’m sorry,” said Graeme sheepishly while nestling closer to her.
“I guess it’s OK,” said Lauren, stroking his hair and enjoying the cuddle, “but does this mean that the attentive man I was promised disappears as soon as he’s got what he wants?”
“No,” mumbled Graeme, “but he does need a little bit of time.”
“I know he does,” said Lauren, smiling, “but I need to visit the bathroom so you’ll have to move, I’m afraid.”
Pulling himself up to a sitting position, Graeme watches her hurry to the en-suite and hopes he hasn’t blown it. He’d love to take her out for breakfast, but the heat and the after-effects of his late-night are making him woozy, and he needs sugar and sleep desperately. Looking down, he realises his condom is still on. He decides to take it back to his room rather than leaving it as a mortifying memento in Lauren’s paper basket. She comes back into the room in a short and silky dressing gown, and he hopes to god he hasn’t blown it. He’s sat on the edge of the bed pulling his boxers on, and they both suddenly feel like what they are; two people who have known each other for a couple of hours.
“Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run off then,” Lauren said, to fill the silence.
“It’s OK.”
Lauren climbs back into bed and props herself up in the cushions. Graeme is holding his socks in his hands, seemingly debating whether to put them back on.
“What are you thinking?” she asks.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“That I’m so tired,” he laughs, “but also I’m hoping we’ll be able to meet up again and do something a bit more, um, normal.”
“Well I’m sure we’ll meet again Graeme, you live downstairs remember.”
“At least it’s a short walk of shame.”
“I do have one question, though – if it’s OK. It’s quite a serious one.” Lauren’s face is suddenly sombre.
“What is it?”
“Is this how you’re going to introduce yourself to all the housemates?”
“Of course,” said Graeme, with a relieved chuckle, “I’ll have a wee nap and pop next door this afternoon.”
“IT Andy,” grinned Lauren, “excellent choice, Graeme.”
Graeme groans. “I’m not sure I can face meeting other people today. You’ll have to tell me what to expect.”
“I’m sure I can do that. But I think we both need to freshen up now don’t we.”
“Yeah, of course, sorry,” said Graeme, relieved to be released but apprehensive about the caginess creeping into the conversation.
Graeme puts his dressing gown on and heads for the door. Turning around, he finds Lauren looking at him curiously, resplendent in the summer sun.
“Well, thank you for a lovely morning, and it’s really nice meeting you,” said Graeme, instantly regretting the formality.
“Delighted to make your acquaintance Graeme,” she smiles back.
“I’ll, um, hopefully see you soon,” said Graeme, faltering between a question and an assertion and coming up with nothing.
“I’d really like to see you again Graeme,” said Lauren, deciding to put him out of his misery, “now go and sleep and make sure you’re fully clothed the next time you come up here.”
“OK, thank you, hope you have a good morning.”
“You too.”
***
Five minutes later, Lauren is enjoying respite from the heat with a cool shower. The en-suite is an ingenious arrangement of sink, toilet and coffin-shaped shower cubicle – all in a space the size of a roomy cupboard. Despite the tepid temperature of the water, the en-suite has the ecosystem of a rainforest and condensation is forming on every available surface. She recalls her ex slipping under the water with her one morning – only to beat an awkward retreat when she accidentally elbowed him in the ribs while he washed her bum. This elicits a gleeful chuckle.
Massaging shampoo into her scalp, Lauren tries to cast aside thoughts of steam-powered mildew further colonising the shower cubicle (a worrying sign that her mum’s OCD tendencies are creeping in). It’s a job that needs doing and the bottle of bathroom cleaner outside the cubicle is a reminder of the mundane morning she might have had. Rinsing her hair, her thoughts turn to Graeme and the morning she did have. Resisting the temptation to stage a full-on inquisition into her behaviour, Lauren settles on enjoying the afterglow of her orgasm and dwelling on the chemistry that was undoubtedly there between them.
Back in the bedroom, Lauren decides she needs a boozy lunch and chat. Running through her mental Rolodex, she settles on Hannah as her least judgemental and most-susceptible-to-lunchtime-wine friend. Hannah replies quickly and they arrange to go for a Mexican, Lauren in the mood for spicy food and cocktails with a kick. Pleased to have a plan, she falls naked on the bed and savours the prospect of an hour’s free time before she needs to get ready for lunch.
Sinking into the bed with her eyes closed, Lauren wonders how significant this morning will be. She certainly feels transformed from the woman who opened her eyes to the one lying there now, just a couple of hours later. She feels confident and desired and a bit like Samantha in Sex and the City – which is no bad thing.
Tempting fate, she allows herself a fleeting glimpse into the near-future. A drink at the local, were they get on great. Calling her mum on the way home from work and name-dropping Graeme, from the Highlands. Getting the seal of approval from her friends after he’s charmed them at Natasha’s wedding in October. Him not in the process of texting his mates, bragging about bagging a housemate 24 hours after moving in.
She wishes for an omen, something to reassure her that her morning of abandonment wasn’t a mistake. The hours after a first date are always painful, waiting for the verdict to be delivered by text: ‘you’re great but…’ or ‘can I see you again?’. And, even if you both like each other, there are the unwritten conventions of internet dating to navigate. Message too quickly and you seem overly eager, message too late and you’re aloof and not that interested. Just as she decides she’d love a message from him right now, she hears a deep, earthly rumbling emanating from the floor. Bewildered, she hears her phone and sees a text from Andy from downstairs.
‘Have you heard the new boy? He snores like a f**king train 🤬’
Sighing, Lauren decides to leave the interpretation of that particular omen to Hannah. With 55 glorious minutes of unclaimed time remaining, she dozes off, thinking they will definitely need to fabricate an alternative first date when telling people how they met.