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\par On Friday, at seven o\rquote clock on the dot, Simon rang Marianne\rquote s number. A strange voice answered.
\par 
\par \'93Hello. May I help you?\'94
\par 
\par The voice was cultured, assured, deep yet feminine. Simon realized it must be Marianne\rquote s mother.
\par 
\par \'93Oh, hello. Um, it\rquote s Simon, can I speak to Marianne, please?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Hold on a moment, I\rquote ll see if she\rquote s here,\'94 came the answer. Simon thought it odd that her mother wouldn\rquote t know if she was there or not, but let it pass.
\par 
\par \'93Wait a moment, she\rquote s just coming to the phone,\'94 he heard. Then he heard the handset being passed over, before Marianne\rquote s voice came to him.
\par 
\par \'93Simon, hi! Right on time, I see!\'94 she told him, chuckling.
\par 
\par \'93Yes, well, you did say tonight at seven,\'94 he answered.
\par 
\par \'93Uh-huh. Look, I\rquote ve got a surprise for you. Can you pick me up here in an hour?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Surprise? Er, sure, I\rquote ll be there at eight then.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I look forward to it!\'94
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s41\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par Simon had to scramble to be ready in time to catch a bus that would get him there on time, but he made it. He was actually five minutes early, but didn\rquote t think Marianne would mind overmuch.
\par 
\par He rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened and he was greeted by an older, still attractive lady.
\par 
\par \'93Hello, you must be Simon. I\rquote m Marianne\rquote s mother, but you can call me Tina. Come in, she\rquote s nearly ready.\'94 
\par 
\par He was shown into the small entrance hall. She looked him up and down for a moment. \'93I can see why she\rquote s taken with you. You\rquote re a lucky young man.\'94 Tina excused herself, saying she was watching \lquote The Sweeney\rquote 
 on television, and he was left to himself for a moment.
\par 
\par The Simmons\rquote  home was small but neat, clean and tidy. There were pictures on almost all the walls, the wallpaper was flowery and the carpet a deep pink. Simon wondered if there was a Mr. Simmons at all \endash  the place seemed very feminin
e. He also wondered what Mrs. Simmons (\lquote Tina,\rquote  he reminded himself) had meant\'85
\par 
\par His speculations came to an abrupt halt when Marianne started down the stairs. He saw her legs first, well, her feet (clean, nearly new trainers) and calves (muscular yet femin
ine) before the denim skirt came into view. She wore a violet cotton top that hugged her figure, showing off her wonderful bosom. She ducked her face to see him sooner as she descended, a bright smile lighting up her face as they saw each other.
\par 
\par As soon as she was off the stairs she skipped to him, putting her arms around him. They kissed, and once more Simon felt the world slip away unnoticed.
\par 
\par She broke the kiss, pecked him again and stepped back. \'93Here, take this,\'94 she told him, handing him a bag that was in the corner at the bottom of the stairwell. \'93But don\rquote t look inside,\'94 she admonished, as he started to do just that, 
\'93it\rquote s part of the surprise!\'94
\par 
\par Marianne called out, \'93I\rquote m off then Mum!\'94
\par 
\par Her mother answered, \'93Have a good time then, Marianne. Be careful!\'94
\par 
\par Marianne rolled her eyes at Simon, grinning, but replied, \'93I will Mum. See you!\'94 and opened the door, ushering Simon out.
\par 
\par Once outside, he asked her, \'93Where are we going?\'94
\par 
\par \'93To start with, back to your place. You\rquote re going to need a few things.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Such as?\'94 asked Simon, confused. He\rquote d just come from home!
\par 
\par \'93Oh, a toothbrush, underwear, stuff like that. I have the key to my friend Julie\rquote s flat. She\rquote s gone up to her mother\rquote s in Manchester for the weekend. The flat\rquote s just up the road from you, the other 
side of the traffic lights, we can be there in five minutes after you\rquote ve picked up your stuff \endash  and we\rquote ve got it all weekend!\'94
\par 
\par Simon\rquote s jaw dropped! Marianne just watched him, eyes challenging him to say something. Then what would happen over the weekend registered, and his eyes lit up.
\par 
\par He closed his mouth. \'93That\rquote s cool,\'94 he said, \'93I\rquote m off duty this weekend. Which is lucky, by the way.\'94 Marianne\rquote s smirk told him luck had little to do with it. \'93Okay, so you checked. Let\rquote s go catch a bus.\'94
 Marianne nodded in approval, and they set off. She extended her arm, and Simon took her hand. They walked to the bus stop like that, hand in hand.
\par 
\par \'93Who\rquote d you speak to at the station?\'94 Simon asked.
\par 
\par \'93Duh! I asked Patty, who checked with John, of course.\'94 She pecked him on the cheek. \'93Dope!\'94 she called him, but she smiled to reduce the sting.
\par 
\par Once at the bus stop, he asked, \'93What\rquote s in the bag?\'94
\par 
\par \'93I told you, it\rquote s part of the surprise and I won\rquote t tell you what\rquote s in it!\'94 she answered. Then she moved up close to him, put her ar
ms around him and tilted her head in a clear invitation. Once they began kissing, all thought of the bag and it\rquote s contents flew out of Simon\rquote s head.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s41\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par Simon almost }{\cs25\i barged}{ his way through the door, shouted \'93Only me, Mum!\'94 and dashed up t
he stairs. He grabbed a bag and started rummaging through his drawers for underwear, pillaging his wardrobe for a spare shirt and jeans. He practically ran into the bathroom and picked up his shaving kit and a washcloth. He was about to leave when he reme
mbered soap!
\par 
\par \'93So this is what your room looks like,\'94 came Marianne\rquote s silky contralto. Simon felt like he\rquote d jumped about three feet, then he saw her, just inside his room. It was a mess, with the drawers open and clothes everywhere. \'93}{\f1 Er\'85
\'94
\par }{
\par \'93That\rquote s okay, it won\rquote t take two ticks to clear things up. I\rquote ll hand them to you and you can put them away,\'94 she said, apparently calm, but Simon could tell she was almost bubbling over with laughter \endash  it was in her eyes.

\par 
\par Sooner than he\rquote d have expected the room was tidy. Marianne stood up straight and looked around the room.
\par 
\par While it was definitely a young }{\cs25\i man\rquote s}{ room, at least he\rquote d taken down the Led Zeppelin posters, and the somewhat cheesy \lquote girly\rquote  pictures \endash  all safely clothed, but }{\cs25\i revealingly}{ so \endash 
 had come down too. Football posters, including one large one featuring the West Ham United star, Trevor Brooking, had replaced them.
\par 
\par Simon\rquote s Fire Brigade kit was safely put away, except for his helmet, which was on the table next to his bed. There were several shelves of books, and several more with LP\rquote s and cassettes.
\par 
\par The pallid sunlight came through a small window directly onto Simon as he stood there. Marianne looked at him again, and she said, \'93Goodness, you look wonderful when you\rquote re highlighted like that!\'94 and stepped close to him.
\par 
\par \'93How many girls have you had up here, then, Simon?\'94 she purred. One hand went around his neck, pulling him closer, the other went to the front of his jeans.
\par 
\par \'93One or two,\'94 he said. \lquote }{\cs25\i Only}{ one or two,\rquote  he thought, but Marianne whispered, \'93I\rquote ll bet\'85\'94 into his ear as she pulled him to the bed.
\par 
\par \'93We can\rquote t \endash  I haven\rquote t shut the door!\'94 he told her and she giggled as he broke free. \'93Don\rquote t forget to lock it!\'94 she told him.
\par 
\par He shut the door and turned. \'93There\rquote s no lock. Mum knows that she\rquote s to knock if it\rquote s closed,\'94 he told her with a rakish grin. He advanced towards her and she lay back on his bed, watching him through lowered lashes.
\par 
\par With a growl he leapt on her and she squealed in delight. Quickly their kissing became an all-out groping session. He wo
rmed a hand under her top and felt her breasts through her bra. She undid the clip of his jeans and felt inside his underwear, investigating his semi-erect manhood \endash 
 which instantly reached full staff. She moaned appreciatively into his mouth as they kept exploring each other.
\par 
\par She broke the kiss. \'93Too many clothes!\'94 she told him and whipped off her top. He didn\rquote t answer except to begin stripping off his clothing too.
\par 
\par His first sight of her bosom took his breath away. Her breasts jutted firmly with upward-pointing dark nipples that }{\cs25\i begged}{ for attention, begging that Simon couldn\rquote 
t resist. He leant forward and kissed first one, then the other, before pulling back and looking at Marianne with some embarrassment for a moment. She grinned and pulled at his jean
s again, so he stood, whipped off his T-Shirt, kicked off his trainers, turned his back (\lquote }{\cs25\i Why }{did I do}{\cs25\i  that}{?\rquote ) and dropped his jeans and underwear in one.
\par 
\par He turned back around to find Marianne in only her dainty white cotton panties. She was smiling, a s
mile that grew broader as she saw his stiff penis for the first time. Few young men are able to resist that sort of appreciation, and Simon was certainly not one of them.
\par 
\par \'93Come here, big boy!\'94 she growled at him, beckoning.
\par 
\par Simon stood still for a moment, and then burst into laughter. \'93Big boy!\'94 he guffawed, and then she put her hand over her mouth and giggled herself. The mood was shattered, and they fell against each other on the bed, laughing at one another. Simon
\rquote s erection fell and Marianne\rquote s nipples retracted. The two of them ended up lying on the bed next to one another with broad smiles, just enjoying being next to each other.
\par 
\par \'93That has to be one of the worst clich\'e9s of them all!\'94 he told her.
\par 
\par \'93I know, I know, I just couldn\rquote t stop the words!\'94 she giggled. \'93I suppose it could have been worse. I could have said something about your big fire-hose!\'94 That set them both off with more giggles.
\par 
\par But then Marianne reached out and down to feel Simon\rquote s penis. It was half-hard as, after all, he }{\cs25\i was}{ lying next to an almost naked girl. She stroked it, lightly.
\par 
\par \'93It }{\cs25\i is}{ quite big, though,\'94 she told him.
\par 
\par \'93No, it\rquote s not, really,\'94 he replied, once more secretly pleased that she would say so. He reached across to her breast, cupping it, sliding the palm of his hand ov
er the delicious curve it presented. He felt her nipple perk up and stand straight under his palm. \'93Your, er, your breasts are lovely, too, you know.\'94
\par 
\par She looked at her tits. The way she was laying, on her side, gravity pulled them towards the bed of course, but not much. Her large dark nipples stood proudly erect. \'93I like my knockers,\'94 she said, abstractly. \'93They\rquote re not }{\cs25\i too}{
 big so that they get in the way, but they\rquote re definitely }{\cs25\i there}{. For a long time, until I was almost sixteen, I wondered if I was going to get much there at all. Is it like that for guys, Simon?\'94
\par 
\par \'93You mean for cocks? Yeah, I guess. I mean, I\rquote ve always }{\cs25\i had}{ one, of course. Well, }{\cs25\i duh!}{ But it did get bigger as I got older. It\rquote s not }{\cs25\i that}{ long, though.\'94
\par 
\par Once more, Marianne giggled. \'93Looks and }{\cs25\i feels}{ long enough, buster! Besides, it\rquote s the width, not the length. Hasn\rquote t any girl told you that before?\'94
\par 
\par Simon rolled closer and kissed her. \'93Not }{\cs25\i as such}{, no. But I\rquote m glad you like\'85\'94 He growled deep in his throat, and kissed her again, a kiss that she 
returned with equal and increasing fervour. Hands began moving, legs slid over each other and pelvises were thrust\'85
\par 
\par \'93Let me get these off, Simon,\'94 Marianne whispered into his ear. He nodded, and she briefly disengaged to slide her panties over her smooth,
 lovely legs. He watched, fascinated, as she briefly twirled them around a finger, then tossed them over the side of the bed.
\par 
\par Conflicting needs warred within Simon. He wanted to make love to her, so badly, but Marianne hadn\rquote t said she was on the Pill and he had no condoms. He could try to pull out\'85 but he didn\rquote t think he could control himself that well. He }{
\cs25\i really}{ didn\rquote t want to chance making her pregnant \endash  but he really, }{\cs25\i really}{ wanted his dick inside this insanely sexy girl. Now. He }{\cs25\i had}{ to ask\'85
\par 
\par \'93Marianne, are you on the Pill?\'94 he asked, dreading the answer.
\par 
\par \'93Silly boy, of course I am \endash  I\rquote m a modern girl!\'94 Her expression changed, her own need evidently as bad as his. \'93Please, Simon, make love to me?\'94 she said in a smaller, more hesitant voice than he\rquote d heard from her before.

\par 
\par His fears banished, Simon waited no longer. He rolled on top, placed himself at her entrance and pushed inside Marianne. She was wet and open, but still he found her hot and tight, and could only enter her }{\cs25\i slowly}{.
\par 
\par It took him several short thrusts but he finally felt her soft curly pubic hair against his groin. It felt like his cock was inside a steam bath, one that gripped and rippled against him. Marianne smiled up, pupils dilated in pleasure, and murmured, \'93
Mmmm. Wonderful. Now, make love to me, Simon. Please!\'94
\par 
\par Slowly at first the two moved against each other, finding a rhythm, and then with increasing passion Simon began pounding into her. Marianne met every thrust of his with her own, grinding herself against him at each peak. He 
felt his blood pounding, his vision narrowing, he felt his cock moving deeply inside her hot, wet sheath with each thrust. Quickly, far too soon, he felt himself reaching the point of no return, and he began to grunt and force himself as deeply into her a
s possible.
\par 
\par Finally, with a cry that came from deep within, he held himself deep inside her and felt his orgasm pulse, eyes screwed tightly shut. He held himself like this for several seconds before the almost spastic impulse left him and he drew back, rol
ling to one side to take the weight off his partner. He held her as she held him, tightly at first, then relaxing until his arms merely held her gently to him. He stroked her back, kissed her, then wiped an errant strand of wet hair away from her forehead
.
\par 
\par \'93Thanks, Marianne.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Mmm. That\rquote s okay, Simon.\'94
\par 
\par They lay quietly together for a minute or two.
\par 
\par He felt her hand on his manhood again. It was still wet and slippery with their combined juices, and she stroked it, lightly at first.
\par 
\par \'93When do you think you\rquote ll be ready to go again, Simon?\'94 she asked him. \'93Only, you left me a bit, well, sort\rquote ve high and wet, here.\'94
\par 
\par Simon was almost dozing alongside her, but forced himself to wakefulness.
\par 
\par \'93Gah. Huh?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Oh, I\rquote m just astounded by your breathtaking wittiness!\'94 she snarled. Then she smiled apologetically at him. She pulled her hand from his penis and swirled it around in his sparse blonde chest hair. \'93Sorry. }{\f1 Um}{
, delicate question. You\rquote re not all that experienced, are you?\'94 He opened his eyes fully and looked at her warily. \'93I mean, it\rquote s okay,\'94 she went on quickly, \'93It doesn\rquote t matter. But, well, I didn\rquote 
t come, but I got close. And now I really }{\cs25\i need}{ it\'85\'94
\par 
\par Now Simon felt }{\cs25\i bad.}{ He felt the frown on his forehead, heard the concern in his own voice as he asked her, \'93What do you want me to do, Marianne? Just tell me, help me, and I\rquote ll do my best.\'94
 He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger.
\par 
\par \'93Mmmm. Just stroke me to begin with, and play with my tits a bit. We\rquote ll see what comes up after that\'85\'94 she smiled.
\par 
\par Soon she went back to stroking what had come up. \'93Hmm, quick recovery. I like }{\cs25\i that\'85}{\'94 she whispered into his ear, just before she licked it. To Simon, it was }{\cs25\i insanely}{
 erotic, the slow, sensuous feel of her tongue at his sensitive earlobe was delicious.
\par 
\par He heard her whispering into his ear again, \'93Now, I\rquote m getting pretty worked up. There are other places that\rquote ll do it for me \endash 
 I love to have my ears stroked, my neck nuzzled and there are a few other places you can try and discover sometime. But now, I want }{\cs25\i this}{,\'94 wiggling his erection, \'93inside me. But I\rquote m going to be on top, this time.\'94
\par 
\par \'93On }{\cs25\i top?}{\'94 Simon asked, but followed Marianne\rquote s cue and rolled to his back. Marianne straddled him, took his dick in one hand and wiped the head of his cock against her ope
ning again, thoroughly coating it in the wetness there before inserting him. She sank, deliciously slowly, down onto him. To Simon, it seemed the journey would take forever. Marianne finally sighed with pleasure once her groin came to rest against his.

\par 
\par \'93Let\rquote s take this slowly, okay?\'94 she told him. She began to rock slowly back and forth on him, grinding the top of her slit against the root of his erection. She kept this up for some time before asking him, \'93
Please. Please, Simon, feel my tits, oh, feel me\'85\'94
\par 
\par Simon reached forward and began to play with her breasts, stroking, pulling on the nipples, gently. \'93Harder, Simon!\'94
 she urged, and he pulled a little harder. Marianne, her face, neck and the top of her chest flushed a vivid pink, took her nipples in her own fingers and pulled, twisting harder than Simon }{\cs25\i ever}{
 would have. He ran his fingertips over her sides, from her shoulders slowly down to her waist. Marianne began to lift herself up and then plunge down again, still grinding against him, stimulating herself against him on each thrust.
\par 
\par \'93Oh! Oh! }{\cs25\i Oohhh!}{\'94 she cried, still moving, and Simon could tell she was getting close. Her vaginal walls were fluttering against him as they moved. He began to thrust upwards against her as she descended, and within a few 
minutes she stiffened, silently rigid in her ecstasy. Simon kept forcing himself into her hot liquid depths, feeling her internal muscles gripping him in spasm and he could hold back no longer. With a deep, heartfelt groan he poured himself into her befor
e she fell onto him, spent. Simon was himself incapable of movement, relaxing, enjoying that wonderful after-climax feeling, and just enjoying the sensation of her sweat-slick flesh against his.
\par 
\par Eventually she rolled away from him. Their combined fluids drained from her, quickly wetting the top cover underneath her. Simon rolled to his side, panting, caressing her flank with one hand while gently kissing her face.
\par 
\par  \'93Wow,\'94 Simon said, his throat thick, once he had recovered.
\par 
\par \'93Yeah, wow.\'94 They lay there, Simon cuddled up against her side, while she got her own breathing under control.
\par 
\par \'93Can you get me a glass of water, please?\'94 she croaked. Simon dutifully rose, donned his jeans and padded out to fetch two glasses.
\par 
\par His mother was in the kitchen. She looked up from the pot she was stirring as Simon padded in, bare-chested and barefoot. She caught Simon\rquote 
s eye and lifted an eyebrow, a slight grin on her face. Simon ducked, blushed but grinned at his mother as he poured the water.
\par 
\par \'93Well, you finally brought a girl }{\cs25\i home}{ then,\'94 she said.
\par 
\par \'93Yeah, it kind\rquote ve just\'85 happened,\'94 he told her. She chuckled, saying, \'93I thought it might\rquote ve done!\'94
\par 
\par Simon went even redder. \'93}{\cs25\i Mum!}{\'94 But she waved him away. \'93Better get back to her, Simon. She\rquote s obviously thirsty!\'94
\par 
\par Red in the face and muttering under his breath, Simon did as he was bid. Returning to his room he knocked, called \'93Only me!\'94
 and entered. He found Marianne, still naked on top of his bed, her top held against her with one hand while the other covered between her legs. Her face lit up when she saw him, and she tossed the top back onto the floor and sat up.
\par 
\par They drank, savouring the cool water. Finally Marianne looked at the mess they\rquote d made of his bed.
\par 
\par \'93Oops! We\rquote d best change that. Where\rquote s your mum keep the bedding? Where do you put the washing?\'94 She stood. \'93Oh, and I guess, can I use your bathroom first? You sort\rquote ve filled me up, if you see what I mean.\'94
 Indeed, her thighs were damp and Simon could see the results of their lovemaking trickling down one of them.
\par 
\par \'93Best put some clothes on. Mum\rquote s downstairs, but she could come up at any moment \endash  she saw me in the kitchen, and worked out what\rquote d happened.\'94
\par 
\par Marianne chuckled again, that delightfully deep throaty chuckle that Simon was already coming to love hearing. She started to get dressed, leaving off her underwear. \'93It wouldn\rquote 
t have been difficult, Simon, with you dressed like that, and smelling so strongly of sex!\'94
\par 
\par Simon went red, again.
\par 
\par \'93What, you didn\rquote t think she\rquote d recognise the smell?\'94
\par 
\par \'93I just don\rquote t think of my mum \lquote n dad doing it, that\rquote s all!\'94
\par 
\par \'93Duh! They obviously }{\cs25\i have}{ done! You got any brothers or sisters?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Just me,\'94 he replied, \'93and yes, I know they\rquote ve done it at least once, and in the abstract I know they\rquote ll have done it more than that. But these are }{\cs25\i my parents}{, you know?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Hah! If you\rquote re anything to go by, I bet your mum \lquote n dad do it every night \endash  twice!\'94
\par 
\par \'93Shut up!\'94 he laughed, throwing a pillow at her. She dodged it, and once more asked where the bathroom was. \'93Second door on the left!\'94 he told her, and flopped back onto his bed \endash 
 only to stand up once more when he felt the wet patch on it.
\par 
\par When Marianne returned, Simon had stripped the top cover off. Marianne had located the washing basket (in the bathroom) and wordlessly took it from his arms. He grabbed another cover from his drawer and put it on, Marianne returning to help.
\par 
\par \'93Well, now, isn\rquote t this a picture? Normally }{\cs25\i I}{ have to make your bed, Simon!\'94
\par 
\par Simon turned in shock to find his mother in the doorway, leaning against the frame, a smile on her face. \'93}{\cs25\i MUM!}{\'94
\par 
\par But his mother just looked at Marianne, smiling. \'93Hello, my ignorant son hasn\rquote t introduced us. I\rquote m Jackie, his mother.\'94
\par 
\par Marianne glanced at Simon, grinning at his discomfiture. \'93Hi Jackie, I\rquote m Marianne. Um, I hope\'85\'94
\par 
\par \'93Oh, you\rquote re }{\cs25\i fine}{. It\rquote s lovely to see a girl with him, to be honest. I }{\cs25\i think}{ you\rquote re the first one he\rquote s brought home. Unless he\rquote s sneaked some in that I haven\rquote t found out about. But I
\rquote m fairly sure I\rquote d have noticed.\'94
\par 
\par \'93MUM!\'94
\par 
\par \'93Oh, you would have done, I\rquote m sure,\'94 Marianne returned, \'93if it wasn\rquote t the smell, or the noise, it would have been that sappy, satisfied I\rquote ve-just-got-laid grin he has on his face. It\rquote d be a dead giveaway.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Marianne!\'94 
\par 
\par But he }{\cs25\i was}{ grinning, now. \'93You two are far too much for me. My feeble masculinity is going to wilt under the attack, so I\rquote m just going to surrender and go make some tea. You both want some?\'94
\par 
\par The two ladies in his life both nodded. Simon left, leaving them to make fun of him on their own.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s41\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par \'93I can\rquote t believe you and my mother,\'94 Simon told Marianne as they walked to her friend\rquote s flat.
\par 
\par \'93Well you\rquote d better believe it. She\rquote s all but issued a formal invitation; you\rquote re allowed \endash  almost }{\cs25\i commanded}{ \endash  to have me stay over whenever you want. Though, of course, in practice that means whenever }{
\cs25\i I}{ want!\'94
\par 
\par Simon walked on in silence for a while. They came to the door of the flat, Marianne hunted for and }{\cs25\i eventually}{
 found the key in her handbag, and they went in. Marianne deposited the bag she was carrying in the kitchen, while Simon took their overnight toiletry bags into the bathroom. If Marianne noticed that Simon was brooding she didn\rquote t say anything.

\par 
\par He was in the bathroom looking at his reflection in the mirror when he dimly heard Marianne\rquote s voice saying, \'93I\rquote m all set up in the kitchen, we can eat in an hour or so. It\rquote s just a casserole with some salad, nothing spec \endash 
 what\rquote s wrong, Simon?\'94
\par 
\par The last was said as she rounded the doorway into the bathroom to find him just standing there.
\par 
\par \'93Simon?\'94 she asked, again, this time with considerable concern.
\par 
\par \'93Ah, it\rquote s okay,\'94 he eventually answered, turning to face her, opening his arms to embrace the lovely brunette. \'93It\rquote s just what you said on the way here, and the way you and mum were talking. It\rquote s just\'85
 I felt like I was being taken for granted, you know?\'94 Marianne began shaking her head, but he persisted, \'93You wouldn\rquote t like it if it was me taking }{\cs25\i you}{ for granted.\'94
\par 
\par She pulled back a little to look at him.
\par 
\par \'93Simon, I\rquote m sorry. I guess we were taking you for granted, a bit. It\rquote s kind\rquote ve assumed that you guys will always take an advantage of an offer like that \endash  sure sex \endash  but I guess that you\rquote 
re not always in the mood, either.\'94
\par 
\par \'93No.\'94
\par 
\par Marianne made a moue: on her it looked sweet and lovely, }{\cs25\i almost}{ innocent.
\par 
\par Not }{\cs25\i quite}{ innocent, though. Her eyes gave her away. She was in the mood for some loving, and meant to get it.
\par 
\par Marianne stepped back, put her hands behind her, arms straight down, tilted her head down slightly and with knees tucked together swayed slightly from side to side. She looked up at Simon through her long eyelashes.
\par 
\par \'93No, not now, or no, just sometimes? Because if it\rquote s okay, mister, I\rquote d like some more\'85\'94
\par 
\par Simon rolled his eyes. \'93Witch! Spells such as that would\rquote ve had you burnt at the stake three or four hundred years ago!\'94 he said, then reached 
for her. Marianne playfully swayed out of the way, but he lunged again and caught her around the waist with one long arm.
\par 
\par \'93Gotcha!\'94 he cried.
\par 
\par \'93Whaddya gonna do to me, mister?\'94 Marianne asked in a quaking voice.
\par 
\par Simon grinned like a shark. \'93I\rquote m going to have my wicked way with you, of course!\'94
\par 
\par Laughing, the two of them ran into the bedroom.
\par 
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\par 
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