"-- with immediate effect, all schools and universities are closed, and you must only leave the house for essential purposes -- food, medicine..."
I clicked the TV off with the remote, and exchanged glances with my step-daughter. "Well, Beth, looks like it's you and me for however long, then."
She nodded thoughtfully. "I kind of thought this would happen. You'll still be able to work from home, right?"
"Absolutely -- and because I've got a key worker pass, I can get into the supermarket, fetch food for us, no problem."
Beth grinned. "So it's Netflix all the way, then..."
I gave her a roll of my eyes. "They'll probably work out a way for you to do some study online, at least. And a bit of help in the kitchen would be really great once in a while."
"I was only kidding," she reassured. "Actually I quite like cooking, you might be surprised."
I got up from my chair. "I'll sort out the spare room, then. I don't suppose you brought anything in the way of clothes?"
Beth shook her head. "Well, I have spare panties in my handbag -- for just in case --"
Her face took on a distinct shade of pink. "I mean --"
"It's OK," I smiled wryly. "I was married, you know. Anyway, I can wash and dry your stuff whenever you want -- I'm sure some of my t-shirts are long enough for you, and you can always put on a dressing gown if you feel uncomfortable."
Another shake of the head. "T-shirt'll be fine, I'm not that shy."
I kept to myself the thought that Beth covering up a little might be more for my benefit, not hers -- she'd grown into a very attractive young woman, and even thinking about her in only a t-shirt while I put her more intimate items of clothing in the washing machine...
I'd obviously missed Beth's question while I was distracted. "Sorry?"
"I said, would you like me to make some more coffee for us?"
"Mm, yes, please."
She busied herself with the kettle, returning with steaming mugs and curling up on the sofa with her legs under her. "So what are you going to miss most about uni?" I queried.
Beth's embarrassment returned. "Well, there was this guy -- we weren't exactly going out, but we'd met a couple of times for drinks in the Union. When I got back, I was going to ask him to -- um, well, you know..."
I looked at her thoughtfully. "Beth -- can I ask -- would that have been the first time you...?"
She nodded. "Of course I've messed around a little -- for God's sake don't tell Mum -- but never all the way. Actually, not much at all, really."
Beth seemed to be wrestling with some inner decision. "I was pretty nervous, actually, even though I really wanted to."
I reached out to touch her hand reassuringly. "What were you nervous about? That it'd hurt, the first time?"
"Not really. More that he'd realise I didn't know what I was doing, that he wouldn't like it. That he wouldn't like me..."
I gave her another wry smile. "Beth, believe me, most guys don't want anything complicated. They want to see you with your clothes off, touch you, put their thing in you until -- you know, until it happens for them. If you offer to use your mouth on them one time, they'll think they've died and gone to heaven."
Beth's cheeks were bright red at my frank answer, but she nodded. "OK."
I frowned a little. "Beth, you know it's meant to feel good for you too, right?"
"I suppose. I hadn't really thought about it."
I pressed my lips together tightly. "In fact, if a guy would settle for just what I said before, I'd say he was pretty selfish."
I could see Beth starting to look thoughtful. "I've never heard anybody put it like that."
I hesitated before asking my next question. "Beth, do you -- do you touch yourself...?"
She shook her head. "Mum always said it was dirty."
I sighed. "Well, I wouldn't agree. And if you had, you might have a better idea what you'd be wanting from a lover in return."
Beth blinked at my choice of words, then looked down before she spoke again. "Tim -- you can tell me if this is out of order, but -- could you help me think about it? Like you said, you were married, so you must know, right?"
My eyes widened at the turn the conversation had taken, but I nodded. "OK."
"So where do we start?" Beth wondered.
"Well, let's imagine you're in your room in hall, it's late at night, nobody's going to interrupt you. You've not undressed yet, but you're lying on your bed, just the bedside light on."
"OK, I've got the picture."
"So when you think about being with someone, what comes into your head -- do you think about this guy you talked about?"
Beth didn't reply immediately, and I wondered what could possibly be in her mind that she might not want to confess. After all, she'd admitted her inexperience -- I found it hard to imagine what she'd think of doing, that would be difficult to talk about.
Finally she spoke. "Tim -- if I tell you, and you're really angry, I -- I can go to Mum's, it's not that far, I'm sure I wouldn't get stopped --"
"Beth," I reassured, "there is nothing -- nothing at all -- you could say that would change anything. I love you, remember."
She took a deep breath. "OK. When I think about -- well, like you said, being with someone, I think about -- you. I imagine you."
Despite my assurance to her, I blinked hard. "Beth -- that's... that's fine."
I managed a grin. "Really not sure why you would, though."
"Because -- you've always been kind to me, all those times you helped with homework, took me to the bird place at weekends. Stuck plasters on when I scraped my knee."
My mind tried to accommodate to this new reality. "OK."
Beth seemed to take control of the conversation a little more. "So I'm on my bed, like you said, and I'm picturing you in the room with me, you come over to the bed, but instead of tucking me in and giving me a goodnight kiss on the forehead, you bend down to kiss me on the mouth, and I can't help myself, my lips part for you..."
She shifted in her seat, and I found myself trying to work out how she'd managed never to touch herself, given that even after such a short time she was obviously more than a little turned on.
"So what then?" I prompted.
"Well, I know guys like girls' breasts, don't they, so I'm imagining you'd start to touch them with your hand..."
I nodded. "So try that now."
Beth's eyes were locked on mine as her fingers moved to her breast, squeezing gently through her t-shirt. "Nice?" I queried.
"Mmm."
She took a deep breath. "So I think you'd stroke them for a while, then -- oh -- my nipples would be hard, so you'd touch those with your fingers --"
She mirrored her words with her hand, her eyes closing as she pressed a nipple gently between thumb and forefinger. "Ohh, that feels nice."
Her hand moved to her other breast, and she gasped. "Mm -- I think this is where I'd want them to be bare to you, would that be OK?"