How the hell I ever became the confidant of the young lady from the unit next to me is beyond my comprehension. Probably it was my own fault because I listen a lot and don't say much. Megan is eighteen and quite pretty, with what seems to be a reasonably active social life.
We'd see each other quite often going to and from work, school in her case, and initially we just started off saying hullo. Then one day we were both leaving at the same time and it was raining. This wasn't your typical spring shower, here one minute and gone the next, but a full on downpour, like standing under a firehose. OK, maybe not that bad but definitely soak-you-in-nothing-flat rain. I just naturally offered Megan a lift as that umbrella of hers wasn't going to do the job.
She accepted and sat in my car and talked all the way to her destination while I listened and made the appropriate noises at the appropriate times.
Subsequent to that little effort she'd stop and chat a little to me whenever we met. She'd tell me the good and the bad and I'd sometimes give her a little advice. Generally the advice could be summed up as do what is right for you. Chatting to her I got the impression that her parents rarely had the time to just sit down and talk to her. There again, it could be that it was just part of the natural rebellion against her parents that every teenager goes through. I did ask her at one stage if she wanted her tattoo because she wanted it or because her parents didn't. She gave me a nasty look for that comment and I don't know if she got one or not.
One Saturday afternoon and we were talking and she came up with a question I had no way of answering.
"How," she asked, "do you know when you're ready to go to bed with someone?"
"That depends," I said, speaking slowly. "If we're talking about a man then any time after puberty starts they're ready, willing, and waiting. For a woman I'm afraid I have no idea."
I gathered she already knew about the male willingness. It was the female willingness she was more interested in. I was a little surprised as I'd received the distinct impression that she wasn't a virgin, then it twigged. First new boyfriend for a while and she didn't want to make a mistake.
"Well, if you think you're ready but aren't quite sure, then you can do something that will help you come to a decision. I believe you said you were going to a party tonight?"
She nodded.
"Then go commando. Knowing you've got no panties on will tend to get you a little excited as you wander around at the party, especially when you're talking to any guys there. You'll be feeling a little naughty and you'll find it gets to you a bit. If at some stage you let the boyfriend know you'll find that he'll get quite turned on by that knowledge. After the party it will be up to you, but you'll probably find he is quite keen to check that you are actually commando."
"Oh, I couldn't," she said, giggling. "If Tommy knows that I'm not wearing panties I'll have to beat him off with a stick."
"Only if you want to beat him off," I pointed out. "That's the reason for the experiment. If you find that you want to beat him off then you won't be ready to go to bed with him for quite a while yet."
She giggled again, shaking her head, and shortly after that we separated, each going out own way.
By an odd coincidence when I got home that night Megan was there, just paying off a taxi. I strolled over to say hullo.
"Megan," I greeted her. "Things didn't go as planned?"
She gave me a nasty look. I knew straight away that it was because I was male and therefore evil at this point of time.
"You might say that," she snapped.
"Well, why don't you come inside, have a cup of coffee, and relax. You'll find it does wonders for your peace of mind."
I thought for a moment that she was going to refuse but then she gave a small shrug and followed me in. I made the coffee and we sat there drinking it. Finally I broached the subject.
"A taxi?"
I got the evil eye again and then she relaxed, apparently deciding it wasn't my fault.
"We went to the party and things were going great. We were all having a good time and just being ourselves. Tommy was very attentive but wanted to leave the party just after it had begun, which would have been rude, and I wanted to stay and talk with my friends. To cut a long story short when I did decide it was time to leave I found that Tommy had spent his time drinking. He'd had a few too many to drive and I told him so. I offered to drive, because I hadn't been drinking, but he wouldn't be in it. I flatly told him I wasn't getting into a car with him while he was in that state and suggested we get a taxi. He said, 'Fine. You get a taxi,' and the next thing I know he was driving off and leaving me behind."
Tommy was a total idiot in my opinion but I didn't think it would help to say so. I did point out that if he was over the limit then she'd done the right thing by suggesting they take a taxi.
She got up and put her mug on the sink. From the look of it she was nearly in tears. Still, there was something that was nagging at me. Ever been in a position when you wanted to know something, even though it wasn't strictly your business? That was where I was right then. I swung my chair away from the table while remaining sitting, reached out and caught Megan's arm and drew her a little closer to me.
"Excuse me for a moment, Megan," I said softly, took hold of the hem of her dress and lifted it nice and high.
Megan made a strange sound and tried to push her dress back down where it belonged but I had a firm grip.
"Stop that," I told her. "I just needed to check something."
"You stop it," she hissed at me, still trying to push her dress down.
