The Unfamiliar Duvet
Sunlight on my eyelids. The moment where I thought I was in my own bed was only very brief. With the sudden rush of last night's memories my eyes burst open to be greeted by an unfamiliar duvet and beyond that a carpet I'd never seen before. The heat at the back of my legs told me I was still sharing a bed. My head hurt. I wanted to try and think about what had happened last night but it was too much effort. The first thing my panicked brain reassured itself with was that we definitely used a condom – I couldn't help but remember being too drunk to open the packet never mind put one on. I have a feeling there were a few attempts, but that is of course better than no attempt. I didn't have too much memory of the sex itself, other than it all seemed to happen pretty fast – I think it was fair to say we'd both been eager participants.
I spent a few minutes building up the courage to turn round and face John. I hoped he was still asleep so that I could maybe get some clothes on and sort out my panda eyes before he saw me. Very slowly I wriggled my way onto my back and then my other side. Sure enough he was sleeping, looking somewhat less pin-up than he did last night, his mouth open snoring gently and his arm above his head revealing an adequately hairy armpit. I smiled. I was still feeling quite a bit of disbelief that it was me out of everyone who had ended up waking up with him. Suddenly his face screwed up and the snore became a low moan as he began to wake. Uh oh. What would he remember? What would he think of me the morning after the night before? How did he see things going from here?
His eyes opened and he looked towards me straight away.
"Morning gorgeous" he said, and to my surprise rolled to me and kissed me on the lips as if we'd known each other for years. I didn't know whether this was good or bad.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Erm.. yeh I'm good – bit of a headache but er…yeh fine. You?"
He nodded and stretched before slipping his arm back under the duvet and resting it across my still naked body. His head nearly touching mine, he closed his eyes and began snoozing again. This was weird.
I felt a bit like a stranger in my own body. I'd never woken up naked next to anyone before and here he was acting like we were long-term lovers. Well at least he was friendly I guess, and hadn't been repulsed by my morning face. Maybe everything was turning out all right.
Of course then my momentary sense of relief was suddenly ruined, by his mother opening the door to the side.
"MORNING!" She beamed. I screamed and clutched the duvet tight around my neck, trying to hide as much of me as possible behind John. This was not what I had expected. How was I not aware that he still lived with his Mum?! I thought students usually had their own place! This was going to be the most embarrassing experience of my life.
"Jesus Mum!" John moaned sitting up, "Bit early isn't it?"
"Well just thought I'd ask if you wanted some breakfast! Who's your new friend?" The lady didn't stop smiling - I was just stunned.
"This is er.."
"Rachel" I put in to save him the embarrassment of forgetting my name.
"Nice to meet you dear – can I get you a drink or some cereal or something?"
I wanted to shake my head in disbelief at the way this situation was going, instead of being shocked and appalled to see her son in bed with a naked randomer and scratching out her eyes before kicking me out of her house, this lady was offering me breakfast as though it would be rude not to. I thought for a second, and realising I may as well go along with this weird situation, said:
"Yeh, go on then - I'll have a cuppa please"
John apologised to me as soon as his mum had closed the door behind her.
"I've told her to stop doing this. I don't know what's wrong with her."
"You mean she's done this before?"
"Yeh every time."
"Every time … what?"
"Every time I bring a girl back, she's just so fucking nosey"
"I think she's… nice." I decided.
"Yeh? Well good 'cos most girls freak out and leave in a hurry at this point."
"You might wanna stop telling me about how many girls you bring back at this point." I said playfully. In honesty I wasn't that bothered, but nobody wants to sleep with a slag.
"Sorry!" he slipped back down into the bed and lay facing me again. He smiled a cheeky smile. "You're not having any regrets are you?"
I shrugged. "Nah don't think so. Struggling to remember enough of the night to regret it. You?"
He laughed. "Nah no regrets babes. Had a really good night."
I thought for a second. "Just so you know I came back with you on a purely one night stand basis and would completely understand, and in fact prefer, if we never see each other or speak again. Not that it wasn't nice and all. I'm just not looking for any more than that."
He looked a bit taken aback and gave me an astonished smile.
"You're really cool!" He decided, and started kissing me again. I endured his sloppy affections until there was a knock on the door. "Ah balls."
He jumped up and hunted around a drawer for some boxer shorts. In the light of day his body was just as fit as I remembered, though I was a little embarrassed to see his package just swinging around as he hopped from one leg to the other to put his underpants on. A little early for full frontal nudity. This already felt like an eventful day in the life of Rachel and it was only 9.30am!
He opened the door and received two mugs from his mum before telling her to get lost.
"Thanks!" I called as she left.
And so it was that I spent the morning after losing my virginity naked in bed drinking tea brought by my conquest's mother. Could have been worse really.
Eventually the thought arose that I would need to put clothes on, but that I did not want to walk down Lilac Avenue in last night's dress and heels.
"Er, I don't suppose I could borrow some clothes for my walk of shame could I?"
John smiled.
"Let me see…what do I have that would suit your sexy little ass…"
He again rummaged around his drawers and found some jogging bottoms and a sporty looking t-shirt.
"Hmm.. not what I would usually wear but good enough!"
He put the clothes on the chair at the other end of the room. I was puzzled.
"Er.. aren't you going to give me those things?" I asked as he just stood in his boxers, hands on hips, smirking at me.
"Why? Surely you can walk a few steps to go get them."
"But I… I'm not keen on getting out of bed when I'm all… naked and stuff." I felt so stupid. Clearly the girls he was used to laying were happy to wander around naked while being served cups of tea. He laughed a mean little laugh, but obligingly picked up the clothes and set them on the bed beside me.
"I'm just messing with ya. But seriously, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to showing off your body." I said nothing. I don't know why it felt awkward, I guess I just wasn't used to people seeing me naked.
"Would I be right in thinking not many people have seen you naked?" he was starting to get cheeky. I didn't bother replying and just pulled the clothes under the duvet with me so I could get changed in privacy.
"Oh whoa whoa! Come on now don't get all uptight, I'm sorry if it's none of my business!" He climbed back into the bed, pulled the t-shirt out of my hand and pulled me in towards him. I started to feel uncomfortable, unsure of what he intended to do with me. To my relief he just sort of cuddled me, stroking my back slightly with his long fingers. All the same I couldn't really relax.
"What are you doing?" I asked eventually, at the risk of sounding like a fool.
"You know, just some naked cuddle time. Just think you need to relax a bit about being naked. It's nice isn't it?"
"Er.. not really. No offence I just.. I'm not feeling it to be honest. I mean we don't really know each other and it makes the whole thing a bit awkward."
He laughed, "Ok fair enough I can see I'm not going to win this one. I'll let you get changed, I won't look I promise." He released me from his arms and rolled over, half-burying his face in his pillow.
I slowly crept out of the duvet and picked up the jogging bottoms – then I caught him peeking.
"OI!" I yelled, ashamed I had trusted him. I quickly pulled the trousers on.
"Aw man I shouldn't have done that!" He moaned and rolled back over.
"Damn right you shouldn't! you promised!"
"No it's not that, it's that I was already quite turned on and now seeing you naked has given me a proper hard on! And unfortunately I don't think I have the energy to do anything with it. Sorry!"
"Don't apologise for that dude, there's no way you were getting any more from me!"
We both laughed, but I don't think he realised how serious I was in my declaration.
"Right I'd better go – er, where am I?"
He laughed again. I think he was enjoying my helplessness. "I'll walk you to the bus stop. Come here and say goodbye first."
I reluctantly walked to him as he sat up on the edge of the bed. He reached for my hand and pulled me into straddling his lap, shifting my bum in towards him with his other hand. I could feel quite clearly that he was not lying about his erection, and certain memories from the night came back to mind. He cupped the back of my head with one hand so that I couldn't escape as he snogged the breath out of me, and with the other hand, had an extremely rigorous fondle of my bra-less boobs beneath his t-shirt. It was all very unpleasant. I was not at all keen on the way he treated me like some sort of doll that was at his disposal.
"MMMmmm" He grinned, finally ceasing the snogathon. There was something very controlling about him, something quite selfish.
We walked to the bus stop without saying much, me carrying my clothes in a Sainsbury's bag, him occasionally trying to put an arm round me or touch up my bum. Thankfully my bus arrived just a moment after we got there. He gave me a quick kiss goodbye which I found even more awkward in public. I didn't look back at him once I was on the bus.
Of course, as I rode home I was thinking about how jealous of me the girls were going to be. John was no knight in shining armour, but he was fit, and they didn't have to know the weird bits. I'm sure he wouldn't want me telling people about his over-hospitable mother anyway. In all I think John was no weirder than the average good-looking guy used to getting his way with girls.
I got off the bus and made my way towards home. I tried to decide if I felt any different, any more grown up, after the night's somewhat landmark events. My main feeling was one of even more confusion than ever in some respects, but also quite a bit of relief, as if I'd got a horrible exam out of the way, the results of which I didn't care about anyway. At least I'd gotten rid of that terrible term 'virgin' that seems to haunt girls of my age for whatever reason. I'm not sure it had ever really bothered me, I just felt like the time was right to enter into this mysterious part of the adult world.
Deep in thought, the walk had gone quickly. Soon I saw my house and of course Brian's. Still partially lost in the selfish little world of my own where I had been daydreaming, I didn't hesitate to give a friendly wave to Brian as I caught a glimpse of the living room curtains twitching next to his face. His face was peculiar. It struggled at hiding a peculiar sadness. The look he gave me seemed a very knowing one, as though he had deduced something immediately from seeing me. It was then I realised how awkward I must have looked in men's clothes. How obvious it must have been that they weren't mine, and that I was carrying my own in a bag, and that this implied I had at some point between last night and this morning been without my clothes and probably without my clothes with another person without any clothes who had lent me my current clothes. At least that's how I imagine Brian's train of thought may have gone. I hadn't really worked Brian finding out about me practicing into my master plan.
Bugger.