Daylight

Joe’s POV

God, the whole evening’d been great so far: dinner, relaxing, the movie….
…The snogging.

Oh sweet Jesus, Pet was fucking amazing in that aspect. Her mouth, her hair, her skin, was so soft, just how I like it. I mean, who wouldn’t?
And was it my imagination, or did she seem a bit…shy? I mean, that was alright with me, I hardly know the girl, after all.

What I meant was: she was shy…till she was sittin’ on me, about to pull off her top. Shite!

I grabbed her wrists to stop her. “Wait,” I said.
She looked hurt straightaway. I let go her hands and pulled her fingers gently from the hem of her top.
“What’re you doing?” I asked her.
She looked away, looked about to cry. “I-I…I thought….” she stuttered out. “I thought, you’d…you’d want me to…that you’d want….”

She didn’t finish, but I knew where she was goin’.

I slid her down a bit so I could sit up; I didn’t wanna dump her over.
“Do I want you to? Sure,” I told her softly. “Do I want you?” I chuckled a bit. “I’d be daft not to, I mean look at you, Pet. But am I goin’ to? No.”

Her pretty mouth dropped open, and she got off me lap. She looked shocked, tell the truth.

“You don’t want me?” Her voice was tiny. Now she really looked like she was goin’ to cry.
I shook me head. “I just said I do, Pet,” I answered. “I’m a bloke. But wantin’ to, and goin’ to, are two different things to me. Aren’t they to you?”
She turned scarlet. “Well, yeah…of course…” she seemed at a loss. “I guess I just…thought….”
“That I wouldn’t be able to refuse, if offered?” I guessed.
She nodded, not looking at me.
“And who convinced you o’ that?” I questioned her. “Have you been talking to me brother, then?”
She fluttered her hands in the air. “No, no, not Tom,” she said. “It was…Mo and Sal.”
I grabbed me top and pulled it back on. “Your mates? Why would they think that? They don’t even bloody know me!” I growled.
She let out a long, heavy sigh. “I-I don’t know, exactly,” Pet answered, “I guess maybe they thought you liked me…saw how you were looking at me, maybe…and then you invited me here….”
I was bloody gobsmacked—and right pissed off. “So, did you not want to come along with me tonight? This,” I swept me hand over at the bed, “was all their idea? Shite.”

She didn’t answer right away, and when she kept quiet, I could see she was cryin’.

“Pet, I’m sorry, I just…” I started.
“No, Joe, this isn’t your fault, please, don’t,” she held up her hand. “I wanted to be here, I just… didn’t know what to expect.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve never done this before.”
I didn’t get her meaning right off. “What, snogged someone?”
She let out a tiny laugh. “No, that I’ve done.”
I was puzzled. “Never stayed in a hotel room?” I guessed.
She looked up at me, wiping her face. “You’re getting warmer.”

It couldn’t be…I thought, and then looked her straight in the eyes. She raised her eyebrows just a little.
And then I got it.

“Shite,” I swore again. “Jesus…not even once?”
Pet shook her head. “Nope.”
“And your mates, what, sent you off with me because…?”
She cleared her throat. “They see…it…as something that needs to be…fixed.”
I sat back from her. “And how d’you see it?”
She looked at me direct again. “It’s never an issue unless I’m with them,” she said almost sadly.
“D’you feel like you’re missin’ summat, Pet?”
She considered carefully. “Yes and no…I mean, I’m 24…but I’ve never been in a big hurry, you know? But they convinced me you were interested when you asked me to come here with you.…”
“As a roommate, Pet, not as a lover,” I said as kindly as I could.
She nodded. “I get that now,” she sighed. “I’m sorry I ruined everything. I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”
I leant forward and kissed her.
“The only way you could’ve disappointed me,” I advised her, “was for you to do summat you didn’t want to do…or wasn’t ready for.”
She looked at me direct again. God, but what a sight she was; so lovely. “Really?”
I nodded. Then I got up and offered her a hand. “Are you tired, Pet?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “I’d probably be asleep now except for…”
I smiled. “Me too, luv. So which bed d’you want?”
Now Pet laughed. “Doesn’t matter, does it? As long as I can have my pillows back.”

We settled ourselves as best we could and turned out the lights. There was silence for a bit, and I thought maybe Pet’d fallen asleep.
Then I heard her voice: “Joe?”
“Yeah, Pet?”
“Where did you…how did you…” she trailed off.
I waited for a minute. “How did I what?”
She hesitated. “You have…so much respect for women….”
I chuckled. “And that’s not usual?”
She sighed. “You don’t know the guys I’ve met.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’m as bad as the rest, maybe more so,” I responded.
“…so where did you get it from?” Petula asked.
I settled back on me pillow. “Oh, well, I guess that would have to come from Louisa, Charlotte and Veronica…better known as Lou, Charlie and Ronnie.”
I heard her laugh. “Who are they? Maiden aunts?”
“No,” I said, smiling in the dark, “me older sisters. Tom and me are the babies o’the family. And if our sisters ever found out I was abusin’ me privileges with a young lady, well, let’s just say I’d rather not have been born.”
Pet laughed. “That’s wild.” Then she paused. “Should I call to thank them?”

I rolled onto me side; I could see her shape turned towards me too. “No, I think maybe you’d want to wait and meet them in person,” I joked. “But I think we better get some rest, eh? Long day tomorrow as always.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Then goodnight, Joe. Sleep well.”
“You too, Pet. Sweet dreams, luv.”

There was silence then, and we finally fell asleep, me with her taste still on me lips.