by Lily Morton
Viv laughs out loud. She has the best laugh like a deep cackle and I see Seth look at her. “Oh my god, I remember that. We were talking and she wasn’t paying attention to him so when he gave her the case she thought he was trying to show her the CD so she turned it over to look at the front, and the fucking blow went all over the carpet.”
Everyone bursts out laughing and Mick snorts beer out of his nose. “I can still see that little wanker calling her a bitch and trying to shovel it off the shag pile.”
“That wasn’t the best bit though,” says Viv smiling broadly and Mick nods.
“Geneviève, you are right. The absolutely best bit was when Charlie threw him through the French windows.”
Everyone laughs and Charlie says indignantly. “I couldn’t have him getting my Mabe all smacked up.”
“Dude, you’ve met her mum. I think her brain’s been pickled by that shit.”
Charlie doesn’t even bother to look at me to see if I’m okay with this, because my mum’s stoner status is well established within this group.
Bram pipes up, considering this statement. “Dude, I don’t think you can get pickled by weed.”
Mick looks at Sid who in turn looks indignant. “What? Don’t look at me. What am I, the resident drug expert now?”
“Whatever, Janis Joplin,” says Mick dismissively. “She might not be pickled but she’s certainly laid back. Do you remember when she got the wrong house and fell asleep naked on Jen’s sofa?”
“I don’t think mum was bothered by it but the vicar was a bit taken aback,” says Charlie piously, to a roar of laughter. I join in which may sound surprising but everyone here helped with my mum at one time or another. Then he stokes my knee and I shudder slightly. It’s like a live wire running under my skin. “Alright sweet?” he asks in a low voice.
“Brilliant babe,” I reply, and he smiles and calls for another round of drinks.
“No, no,” shouts Mick. “Let’s do the embarrassing shot game.”
“No,” shouts everyone except for Ray who enjoys this one.
However, Mick continues undeterred. “It has to be a new embarrassing fact though. You can’t use the same old shit that you always use.”
Everyone groans and Ray triumphantly produces a tray of tequila shots for the men and the usual peach schnapps for Viv and I who are total wimps when it comes to shots. The game is that you recite something embarrassing that’s happened to you or take a shot. I have to say the shots might be a bad idea for me as I’m feeling quite mellow now and I’ve no desire to pass over into the drunk and vomiting stage.
As you would expect the potential for embarrassing yourself increases exponentially the more famous you are, so it’s hard to top the men’s stories. However, in my opinion Viv comes close by relating how she attended a senior partners’ meeting with her skirt tucked in her knickers.
Finally, it’s my turn and I loll back against Charlie considering. He smirks and kisses me on the cheek. “Maybe you should do the embarrassing fact,” he says laughing. “I don’t want this night to end up with me holding your hair back.”
“Like you’re any good at that anyway,” laughs Sid. “Once, when I was sick you threw up too in the bath. You’re just not that reliable with vomit.”
“I’ll put that on my CV,” Charlie mutters.
“Right,” I say holding up my hand. “I have come to a decision and it’s an embarrassing fact. A few months ago I had to go to the doctors.”
Viv looks at me and then laughs out loud holding her sides. “Oh, I know this one,” she says laughing so hard now that she has tears in her eyes.
“Go on, go on. Make it good,” says Mick transfixed. “Was it gynecological Mabes?”
“Jesus,” mutters Charlie.
“Actually, Mick you are correct. It was gynecological. It was for a smear test,” and here I pause while he gasps in delight. “Yes, I had to go for a smear test and because it was winter I was all bundled up against the cold. Anyway, I got my lower half undressed apart from my socks and I got up on the table.”
“Oh my god,” shouts Mick, pretending to breathe heavy. “Can I record this?”
“Anyway,” I continue over the laughter. “The doctor asked me to spread my legs and got down there with the speculum. The only problem was that I was wearing my musical socks. When she moved my legs into the stirrups it pressed the button and as she bent towards my vagina all we could hear was the sound of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’”
There’s a pause and then a roar of laughter during which Charlie manages to spit beer all over the table.
“What did the doctor say?”
“She didn’t say anything, just ignored it, but I like to think that she thought I had a magical, musical vagina.”
Mick manages to speak somehow. “Mabel from the bottom of my heart I thank you. I shall add that to the multitude of spank bank material that you’ve given me over the years.”
Charlie is now laughing so hard that he loosens his grip and promptly drops me on the floor.
This causes another round of laughter during which I can hear Seth musing. “I want Mabel saying she’s got a magical, musical vagina for my ringtone more than anything.”
Nine
We burst through the door an hour later all three of us giggling madly. Sid is so out of it that he walks straight into the newel post at the bottom of the stairs. Reeling back slightly he struggles for a few seconds trying to get his jacket off. Finally succeeding, he tries to throw it over the post but instead just throws it on the floor. “Fuck I’m out of it,” he slurs, staring at me. The fact that I’m not actually standing where he thinks I am certainly backs this up. “I’m gonna go to bed and get some sleep. Night both.”
We both echo goodnights and then watch him stagger up the stairs with occasional mistreads. When he disappears Charlie looks at me challengingly. “Another one I think Pearson.”
“No,” I say pleadingly, as he tugs me into the kitchen and starts rummaging through the drinks cupboard.
“Aha!” he says holding up a bottle of peach schnapps.
“Charlie, you don’t even like that,” I say protesting. “It’ll make you sick.”
“Rubbish,” he says, snatching two shot glasses and leading me into the lounge where he pulls me down next to him on the sectional.
“Haven’t you had enough?” I ask laughing. I’m tipsy but I’m not that drunk owing to the fact that I truthed rather than dared, and it takes an awful lot to get Charlie drunk so I don’t think he’s too bad either. “Seriously Charlie I’m ready for bed.” It’s dangerous to be here alone together at the moment because he’s been sending some seriously mixed signals lately and my poor little heart honestly can’t take much more of this.
“I just want to sit with you for a bit. Is that so bad?” he says petulantly, picking up a remote from the coffee table and soon music cascades out of the stereo. It’s Florence + The Machine’s ‘Heavy In Your Arms’ which I love.
“Okay,” I say suddenly worried and leaning into him. “What’s the matter Charlie? Is it Noa?”
I stroke a hand through his soft waves and he leans into it like a big cat. “No,” he scoffs. “I could give not one shit about her.” Diverted by the music he listens for a second. “God, I love this song,” he muses and I nod before blushing when he finishes. “This is the perfect song to fuck someone to.”
I’m definitely ignoring that conversational avenue. “If it isn’t Noa then what is the matter?”
“Do you really want to know?” he says, turning to me with eyes dark with secrets, and when I nod he fills the shot glasses and hands me one in a challenging way. “Tonight’s game gave me an idea,” he says slowly. “Imagine this incredibly disgusting drink that you like is actually truth serum and when we drink it we have to give each other an honest answer to a question.”
“So, I ask you a question and you’ll answer truthfully?” I say. Honestly, this has bad idea written all over it but it’s as if I can
’t stop this. I’m in a car with no brakes and I sense that everything we’ve ever been to each other has been leading to this one simple truth game.
“Okay,” I brace myself and accept the glass. “Who’s going first?”
“Ladies first,” he says, holding his glass in a tight grip.
“Why did you invite Noa here?” I ask finally in a low voice.
“I didn’t,” he says simply, downing a shot and grimacing at the sweetness. “She invited herself.”
“But you were so happy to be picking her up?”
“Is that a question Mabe?”
“No,” I say, flushing because I definitely sounded jealous. “Just an observation.”
“I’ll answer it anyway. I pretended to be happy because you’d told me about John and I wanted you to be jealous.“ Before I can recover from this he speaks again abruptly. “Okay, my turn,” and suddenly he seems full of dark energy. “What’s going on with this John bloke?“ He pauses, swallows hard and then adds reluctantly like it’s dragged from him. “Are you sleeping together?”
I look at him and see a tick going furiously in his jaw. Can he be jealous? I hardly dare believe it. I slam my shot down and feel the sweetness burning my throat. “No.”
He sags slightly. “But you said ……………….”
“I was angry with you for sounding like it was impossible for me to have anyone special or be doing anything dirty in my bedroom.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he says earnestly. “I was just joking, because the thought of you with another man makes me ……..”He trails off.
“Makes you what?” I say, and despite the music there’s a hushed silence between us.
“Crazy mad,” he finally whispers and downs his shot instantly.
I wait a second. “Why would you be jealous when all you wanted was for us to be friends?”
He looks at me for a long second and then takes another drink. “I don‘t think I ever wanted that Mabe, it‘s just what seemed like the best option for you, plus it scared me shitless.”
“What scared you?”
“Oh no, my turn Mabe. That was two questions.” He pauses and I clutch my shot glass tightly. I feel we’re finally reaching the point that he wanted us to get to. His next question comes quickly as if he can‘t wait to get the words out. “Do you want to fuck me?“ The question is so quiet that I almost can’t believe he said it but then I look at his face which is stony apart from his madly ticking jaw.
“What?” I say in disbelief, and I have to admit to a massive dose of anger brewing. Do I want to fuck him like I’m some sort of groupie bimbo? That’s all I am to him now, just someone to fuck. I start to move off the sofa wanting to be anywhere but sitting next to him but he grabs my waist tight and keeps me sitting next to him. Struggling wildly I hit him on the shoulder. “Do I want to fuck you?” I shout. “Well I don’t know Charlie. Surely I should take my dress off and let you autograph my tits first. How fucking dare you!”
He pushes my arms down and gets hold of both my hands in one of his big ones. With his spare hand he brushes my hair back from where it’s come out of my chignon. In a distant part of my brain I notice that his hand is shaking wildly.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he says over and over. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m such a twat sometimes. It’s because this means so much to me for the first time in my life. I swear I’m normally more suave than this.”
I stare at him and still my struggles gradually until I’m sitting trapped in a hold I have zero desire to break, and then I really look at him for the first time in what I think is weeks. He’s trembling slightly and tense and there’s a vivid slash of colour over his cheekbones. It’s then that I realize with a shock of lust that clenches my core that he’s turned on by me. Suddenly, I recall all the little incidents over the years that I’ve dismissed as him wanting to be friendly and me reading what I wanted to see into them. Could I have been wrong and could Charlie have wanted me all this time?
“Why?” I ask in a harsh voice, and he flinches slightly and sighs, suddenly looking weary.
“It doesn’t matter Mabe, it’s just me being silly. I’m drunk, forget about it.“
I slowly get to my feet and retrieve my shot glass.
“Where are you going?” he asks in a panicked voice.
“Ask me,” I say calmly.
He looks at me confused. “Ask you what?”
“Ask me again,” and just like that I can almost feel a pulse beginning to beat between us, the air heavy and still. The music echoes this with its driving beat that Charlie is right about. It does sound like fucking.
His hands clench by his side and with a thrill of desire that makes me want to moan out loud I see that he’s fully erect, his cock pressing against his suit trousers.
“Do you want me to make love to you Mabel?” he says deliberately, and his voice is harsh and grating like he’s speaking through a mouthful of glass.
I down the schnapps in one and for a second it’s like standing on a cliff with the wind tearing at me but then I decide to just do it.
“Yes.”
For a second he doesn’t do anything and I wonder if he really has changed his mind but then he moves so quickly he’s on me before I know it. Clutching my face between his palms he looks at me for a second and then his mouth falls on mine and we’re lost. We kiss for what seems like weeks, swaying together as if that cliff wind has caught us. It’s not gentle or kind, it’s wild and almost animalistic as our heads twist this way and that way. He still holds my face and our tongues entwine forcefully, our mouths only separating far enough to allow panting breaths or moans to escape.
“Mabe,” he finally says brokenly. “Stop me now if you don’t want this.”
I can’t talk anymore so I just pull his head back down to me and he groans and takes me down onto the wide settee, rolling his hard body over me. My legs part automatically and he falls into the cradle of my hips and I feel his rock hard cock against where I need it most and I throw my head back and groan uninhibitedly. “Christ Mabe,” he says feverishly. “You feel so fucking good. Got me so fucking hard,” and he punctuates his words with firm thrusts of his narrow hips, until we’re rubbing against each other frantically. He allows it for a few seconds but then he pulls back and attacks my dress. He’s too impatient to get it off properly so he settles for undoing the zip as far as he and I can reach and then pushing it down until it falls away displaying my breasts to him in my nude push up bra.
“Baby,” he groans low and then he falls on me like a wolf on prey and before I can say anything he grabs my bra and pulls the cups down until my breasts are plumping up over the top for him. Falling forwards he wastes no time and takes one nipple in his hot mouth and starts a heavy suction. I think I scream. I can’t be sure. All I know is that his mouth feels like it’s burning me and the pleasure is so intense that it’s like he has a main line to my pussy. Unable to stop myself I start to writhe against him and he grunts in agreement and reaching his hands down he starts to gather handfuls of my dress and pull it up towards my waist. Divining his intentions I immediately help him. He releases my breast and sits back opening my legs wider and staring at my lace covered pussy.
“Oh baby,” he groans. “I can’t wait to be in there,” and then he shocks me by reaching down and palming himself roughly like he can’t help himself. I throw my head back moaning and then immediately look at him again, at the sheer eroticism of Charlie masturbating while looking at my pussy. I spread my legs wider in a mute invitation and he groans loudly. When he looks at me again I gasp because it’s like he’s lost all control now and he seems almost angry in his arousal. He reaches up and removes his tie and then tears at his shirt frantically, buttons popping until his tanned, lean torso is bare and gleaming in the low light.
“I can’t wait,” he groans, and starts to pull my knickers down. I close my legs to help him but as soon as they’re clear of my feet he shoves them wide again and set
tles back between my legs kneeling up while he frantically unzips his trousers and forces them down his thighs. When his cock springs free as he isn’t wearing underwear, I gasp. I’ve heard rumours over the years that he’s got a big cock but I can see the proof here. It juts out from a neat nest of blonde curls and it’s long and almost angry looking with a long vein pulsing along its length. He fists it roughly and a bead of pre come appears. I stretch out my fingers almost dreamily and run one through the gathering moisture and then, feeling like an alien has invaded my body, I reach up and start to suck the finger clean. Charlie stares with feverish intensity at my mouth and groans. “Yes love, yes. You like that? Do you like my come?”
I nod and reach out my hand again marveling at myself because I’ve never been this uninhibited and he half laughs. “No,” he gasps pushing my hand away. “Not now Mabe or I’ll blow my load all over you. “ I moan, and incredibly even the thought of Charlie coming on me arouses me and I feel myself getting wetter. I’m so wet I’m almost dripping and I can smell the scent of my arousal drifting up between us. Charlie scents the air and closes his eyes.
“Fuck Mabe I’ve gotta ….…,” he groans and I hold my arms out to him.
“Do it now Charlie,” I urge. “God, just fuck me please.“ I break off with a choked cry as he does just that. Falling onto me, holding himself up with one hand, he uses the other to position himself groaning at my wetness coating him, and then he forces his way in with one slow slide. We both pause, me getting used to his size and him obviously getting some control. He taps my face with one long finger and when I open my eyes I find him looking at me with the most tender expression of wonder I’ve ever seen on his face. Bending his face he rubs his nose against mine in an adult version of the Eskimo kisses we used to give each other as kids. “Hey you,” he whispers, and suddenly this intense, overwhelming lust transforms into a tsunami of feelings, because this is Charlie, my best friend and the love of my life, and we can never go back from this.
“Charlie,” I say in wonder and he smiles in a strained way before uttering a choked groan.
