Mark found avoiding Karen was far easier than he thought it would have been. After about four days he started to wonder if Karen was, in fact, avoiding him too. The idea of that made him a little disappointed, he was not expecting to find Karen waiting round every corner trying to rip his clothes from his body but he had expected and truthfully, fantasised about standing in her kitchen or living room dirty hints being dropped, or lingering looks and smouldering smiles passing between them he knew the truth of the matter was what had happened between them was a one off and clearly something that Karen was quite keen not to be reminded of.
So it came as a surprise one afternoon when Mark came home from the library two weeks before he finally left for university to find Karen going through the fridge in his parents' house. Mark had opened the front door, called out to his mother who gave a reply from somewhere upstairs, he was in high spirits and a little nervous still as university loomed nearer and nearer. He threw his satchel without looking close to the coat hook and walked into the kitchen looking for a cool drink.
The fridge door was open so that all Mark could see was the tacky fridge magnets and a pair of dark blue jeans that clung to an ample backside that stuck out as Karen leaned into the fridge. "Hi!" was all Mark could say the dry click in his throat sounding louder than his salutation.
Karen stood upright quickly, her cheeks blushing, a small dollop of whipped cream on the corner of her mouth. Her blush deepened when she saw Mark, "I thought you were you Joan," Karen said her tongue poking out and retrieving the cream at the side of her mouth, "she makes a mean trifle." They both stood looking at one another for what felt like hours a silence between them that seemed to be thicker than the summer air about them, Karen bit her full lower lip and closed the fridge door, "How have you been keeping?" She asked.
Mark nodded dumbly then realising how stupid he must look said, "Yeah not too bad, just cramming in some study so I am at least ahead when they start piling it on at University." The words trembled as he spoke almost going high pitched at the end. He sighed and laughed and the pressure on him lifted when Karen laughed as well her own shoulders sagging as the tension lifted a little, "Sorry, I must sound like an idiot, I must come across as a bigger idiot I don't know why I have been avoiding you."
Karen's eyebrows lifted, "You've been avoiding me and I've been avoiding you." They laughed again, Karen motioned over to the kitchen table, she sat down in front of a half empty cup of coffee while Mark grabbed a glass off the draining board and filled it with water from the tap. "We should talk you know." It was only five words but it was enough to make Mark stop smiling, he sat down solemnly next to Karen.
"Look, the other night I guess it got out of hand a little," As he spoke Karen nodded, "I understand that it was just one of those things that got out of hand, I didn't mean to..."
Karen cut him off with a hearty chuckle, "well you might not have meant it but I certainly did," The look on Marks face was one of shock and incomprehension. "I've never done anything like that in my life you know, it was just knowing someone was there watching me," she placed an unsteady hand onto Marks own hand, "perhaps wanting me? I don't get the looks the young girls do it's nice to be noticed once in a while."
"You are worth noticing." Mark said the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them.
Karen smiled at him, "You know when I first realised you had a crush on me I was surprised," Now it was Marks turn to blush, "I think you were fourteen or so, I went out with your mom on a friends hen night, I think you almost broke your neck the way you were stretching it to see me." Mark remembered that night well, they had all dressed as school girls, short plaid skirts, stockings and too tight blouses. Marks cock had ached the following morning from the amount of wanking he had done. "I thought it was sweet, if a little misguided, but you have never stopped. I notice it every now and then a little look here and there," she leaned in all conspiratorial "A hasty photograph on the beach once in a while." Mark gasped, and Karen smiled reassuringly "I know I was screaming Mark but I could still hear the camera going off, was it a good picture?" Mark nodded slowly waiting for the trap to be sprung.
Karen's smile spread even wider and she sat back in her chair, her hand going from Marks to her coffee cup, picking it up and taking a sip. Mark's mind was a whirl of confusion he had kept his secret hidden for so long unaware that Karen had known all this time, for so many years yet said nothing, "Why? Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.
"At first I thought it was sweet, just a phase. But you never stopped and to be honest I liked the attention," They both lifted their eyes to the ceiling as they heard the upstairs toilet flush. "If I had said anything when you were younger you probably would have died of embarrassment. But now being older and clearly still infatuated with me, well..." she smiled at Mark, "Peter is working nights this week, why don't you pop over at about eight."
Mark could feel his mouth hanging open, his heart was beating too fast to count the beats, "James will be there."
Karen laid her hand on Marks thigh, her fingers only inches from his stiff cock, "That's not what I have in mind. I have a present for you."
Karen moved her hand just as Mark's mother Jean walked into the kitchen, "So sorry, my stomach has been terrible since that takeaway the other night."
Karen shrugged and started to stand up, "That's okay, I should be heading back anyway, Peter and James won't feed themselves, more the pity." She placed a firm, warm hand onto Marks shoulder, "See you later Mark." She said and followed Jean to the front door.
Mark sat in a state of shock, a present Karen had said but what could she possibly have for him? He tried to think but was still too out of it to fully comprehend what had happened and what possibly could happen. His legs still worked and he found himself almost floating as he headed to his room, his Mother asked him a question and whatever Mark had replied with seemed to be enough for her to let him go on his merry, floaty way.
Mark did not really need an excuse to go over to James' house, they had been friends since they were five years old and now at eighteen they were firmer friends. Peter had left only an hour before. James answered the door and let Mark in "I got a few episodes of Star Trek on if you want to watch them?" James said walking back to the living room he flung himself over the top of the settee landing with a dull thud on the soft cushions. "Pull up a chair but the settee is mine."
Mark sat down, he wiped at his forehead absently his fingers coming away slick with sweat his body felt clammy all over as if he needed a good shower to freshen up. He found he could not sit still for long, his eyes would focus on the television for a minute or so before they wandered to the door and to the stairs. "Where's your mom?" Mark asked and instantly regretted such a stupid question.
James turned to look at Mark, "Why you ask?"
Mark put one hand to his stomach, "I'm feeling a little sick I need to use your toilet." The truth was he was feeling sick and nervous and excited all at once.