Rating: NC: 17
Warning: This story contains scenes of graphic consensual sex between a man and
a woman. If you are under 18, this offends you, or is illegal where you live
please read something else.
Disclaimer: The characters of Scotty, VJ, Maxie, Pippi and Paul are taken from
the Kiwi Comedy Playhouse episode of "Flatmates" and belong to South
Pacific Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.
Scotty stretched his large body as he slowly woke from sleep. He looked at the new digital clock next to his bed. The numbers blinked 1, 2, 0, 0. It took his eyes a moment to realize what he was seeing. His alarm clock was wrong. He knew he'd set it before he went to bed, carefully following the instructions that came with the complicated clock radio. Shit. He was gonna be late to work. Mr. Keever hated it when he was late. He was scheduled to make another TV commercial and he didn't want to do anything that might piss Mr. Keever off and blow that.
Scotty quickly dressed. He threw on a pair of faded blue jeans, a light blue Henley and his Doc Martens. He rushed out of his bedroom and into the lounge where he discovered Paul sleeping on the couch and Pippi and Maxie relaxing in beanbags on the floor. His brown eyes opened wide with surprise and he ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. "What's this, then?" he asked.
Pippi and Maxie exchanged glances and began to giggle. Paul continued to snore on the sofa. Finally, as Scotty stood there looking lost and confused; Maxie took pity on him and answered. "What are you doing dressed? It's only 1 AM."
"1 AM?" Scotty echoed with confusion. He looked at the two girls, looked at Paul and then sank down in his favorite brown chair. "It's not . . . I'm not . . . It's 1 AM?"
Pippi rose in one fluid graceful motion from her beanbag and went to pat Scotty on the shoulder. "Maxie and I just got home. What are you doing up and dressed for work?"
Scotty shook his head. He wasn't gonna tell them. They'd think he was an idiot. "Couldn't sleep," he mumbled uncomfortably. "Anyone want coffee?"
"I'm going to bed," Maxie yawned. "I suggest you do the same, that is if anyone can sleep through Paul's snoring besides Paul. Scotty," Maxie added gently, "the café won't open for another six hours. Go get some sleep."
Scotty shrugged. "I can make coffee here. If anyone wants to join me," he added hopefully.
"Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to make coffee?" Pippi inquired softly.
Scotty felt his face begin to redden with embarrassment. "I . . . it wasn't my fault," he stuttered finally. "Nobody told me that you had to use a special filter." He paused and then added, "I know how to do it now."
Pippi patted Scotty on his shoulder again and remarked, "I'm shagged out, I'm off."
Maxie rose from her bag, gave Scotty a smile and agreed, "Me too. See you in the morning, Scotty."
Scotty nodded to them and shifted in the chair uncomfortably. He was afraid to go back to bed. Afraid he would oversleep. Instead he wrapped his arms around himself and curled into his comfy brown chair. He'd stay there where he was sure his flatmates would wake him in the morning.
Scotty was late to work anyway. Pippi and Maxie didn't get up until ten. Paul got up at seven. He saw Scotty but assumed incorrectly that he had passed out in the chair. He didn't bother to wake him. Maxie shook Scotty awake at ten after ten. He looked wildly around the room when he realized that once again his best-laid plans had fallen apart. He rushed out of the flat and to the clothing store where he worked.
When he arrived late and disheveled Mr. Keever asked, "Did you sleep in your clothes?"
Scotty shook his head and flushed with embarrassment. He fled to the back of the store determined to work with the stock all day. He obviously was a complete and utter screw-up who shouldn't be allowed to deal with the public. Even his minor minute of fame as spokesperson for the store was going to be over. Mr. Keever would never let him do another advert now. He was nothing.
Scotty hid in the back room from staff and customers. He opened boxes, unwrapped packages, and hung two piece suits on a long rack according to size.
At noon, the store became busy and Scotty was forced to come out of hiding and help customers. Even the man who specifically asked for him as the guy in the TV ad didn't cheer him up. Scotty's sunny and amiable disposition was not much in evidence that morning. That was until SHE walked in.
Winter in Auckland wasn't very cold, but some people, and obviously she was one of them, couldn't handle temperatures below 65 degrees. She wore blue jeans and a parka. Her face and body were almost completely hidden beneath the clothes. She had the hood of the parka up. As she walked toward him all Scotty could see of her face were her eyes behind her thick glasses. They were really nice eyes though a beautiful shade of blue, dark blue, like sapphires.
"Gidday," he greeted her. "May I help you?"
She was so startled by the sound of his voice that she jumped and bumped into him. Their heads banged together. She jumped back a foot. "Excuse me," the girl mumbled uncomfortably. She shook her head and added, "I'm always bumping into things."
Scotty smiled. So was he. He grinned. "Me too. Are you looking for something in particular?"
The girl let her eyes wander over the man who stood in front of her. Now that she was close to him, she could see he was probably exactly what she was looking for. He was quite tall and dressed in a wrinkled blue shirt and blue jeans. He had thickish brown hair that needed a trim. It curled somewhat wildly around his head. His face was handsome, with lovely brown eyes, a strong jaw and a lush mouth surrounded by an adorably scruffy beard. The body, even beneath the casual clothes looked big and muscular. He was grinning and the grin was at once shy, sweet, and diffident.
"Not anymore," she muttered in an undertone. He looked confused at her words, as if he had heard them but hadn't understood. She gave him her most disarming smile and requested, "I need a tie," she paused and then amplified, "for my father. For his birthday. As a gift."
"We have that. Ties I mean," Scotty acknowledged. "Lots of them." He gestured toward a rack near the back of the store whereupon reposed hundreds of ties in a rainbow of colors and patterns. "Do you have a preference?"
As the girl, whose name was Mary, followed Scotty whose name she didn't yet know, towards the ties, she thought she did indeed have a preference. He was tall, good-looking and walking right in front of her. Clearly, he had no clue the effect he had on healthy females. She was so intent on watching his backside move that she collided with him. This time her entire front end smashed into his entire back end.
Mary had never felt anything so hard in her life. She thought he had to be composed of one hundred percent muscle. It was like slamming into a brick wall. Only this brick wall had a body temperature of about three hundred degrees.
Scotty felt her crash into him. He gripped the tie rack to stop his fall but unfortunately, it wasn't made to support his weight. He felt it collapse beneath his hands and he fell into the rack with the girl falling too. He ended up flat on his back buried in ties with the girl on top of him. Her expression was even more startled and surprised than his was and he began to laugh. So he wasn't the only klutz in the world.
She began to laugh too. The front of him felt just as hard as the back had. Well maybe not all of him was as hard, but she bet it could be. In fact, as she lay there she realized that that part of him was now getting hard too.
The girl was in an awkward position across him and the pressure of her body was arousing Scotty. He felt his face immediately turn beet red with embarrassment as he tried to wiggle out of the mess. Only the girl didn't seem to want to move. Then in a flash she was off him and up on her feet offering her hand to help him up.
Scotty gripped her hand and began to rise from the ocean of ties surrounding him. Unfortunately, his feet were tangled in the metal poles of the tie rack and instead of getting up he ended up pulling her back down. Again, she landed on top of him.
Mary began to laugh even harder and suggested, "Don't you think we should be properly introduced before we do that again?"
Scotty's blush deepened and he stuttered, "I'm . . . Scotty."
She smiled and pushed back her hood. "Mary. Pleased to meetcha, Scotty."
Scotty sucked in his breath. Her face was lovely. Her eyes, those sapphire blue orbs, were partially obscured behind the thick glasses, but they still seemed to twinkle. She had a cute little button nose and a small rosebud mouth. Her hair was straight, long and brown. "Mary?" he repeated. "That's a nice name."
"You think?" she echoed quizzically. "It means bitter," she explained. She paused, eyed him speculatively and then added, "If I get up first and get out of the way, you should be able to escape your jail."
He nodded gratefully. "Bewdy," he exclaimed. Then he waited.
Mary rolled off him and out of the sea of fabric. By now, they had attracted quite a crowd. She could see an older man dressed in a polyester suit was coming over. He looked extremely put out by the situation. She stood up and this time didn't offer Scotty a helping hand suspecting that it would only land her back in his lap. Not that she would mind returning there, but she didn't want him to get into trouble.
Scotty after several false starts and stops managed to disentangle himself from the snaky ties. When he got to his feet, he saw the crowd. He looked around as if wondering what the fuss was and then seemed to realize they were watching his fiasco. His face, which was already red, got redder. He ran his hands through his hair making it stand wildly on end. Mary thought he looked adorable.
The older man stepped forward with his mouth open. Mary thought he looked as if he intended to give Scotty a good scold. Before the man could say a word however, Mary stepped between them. She gave the man a hard look and then observed to Scotty in a grateful tone of voice, "Thank you so much for saving me. If you hadn't been there to break my fall, I might have been hurt." She paused and added now looking at the man, "Hurt bad enough to sue. But I'm fine." She turned back to Scotty and asked, "Perhaps now you can help me pick out a tie for my father?"
Scotty turned toward her gratefully.
Mr. Keever, who had indeed been coming toward Scotty with murder in his eye, faded away.
"Do you want silk or cotton?" Scotty asked. When Mr. Keever was out of earshot, he whispered, "Thanks. I think you saved my job."
"No worries," she replied. "Now how about saving mine?" she murmured an undertone. At his blank look, his hearing obviously better than she thought, she shook her head and muttered, "Never mind."
Scotty helped Mary pick out two ties. As he began to discuss the merits of silk vs. cotton, wide vs. thin, patterned vs. solid, his confidence increased. If there was one thing he knew about, it was ties. He might not wear them, but he knew ALL about them. Mary seemed impressed with his knowledge and between that and their shared experience he felt really comfortable with her.
Much to his surprise and her pleasure, he suddenly blurted out, "Would you like to . . . go out with me tomorrow night?"
She'd been wondering how best to approach him with her request, but that made it simple. "I'd love to," she confirmed.
He was thrilled when she accepted and even more thrilled when she suggested a pub he'd never heard of. They agreed to meet at eight the next night. She left the store with her purchases and Scotty set about fixing the tie display. As he worked, he thought about how cool their meeting was.
The next night, Scotty stepped into the lounge to find all his flatmates hanging out. Pippi, Maxie, VJ, and Paul were sitting in front of the telly. They obviously didn't have plans for the evening. Somehow, that made him feel good about his own plans.
"Oh my God," Pippi exclaimed. "Scotty, what the . . . why are you dressed like that?"
Scotty looked down at himself. What was wrong with the way he was dressed? He had on a white suit, true he hadn't worn it since the last time he had a date, but he didn't think it was that bad.
Maxie without missing a beat asked dryly, "Are you going to a costume party?"
"Costume party?" Scotty echoed. "Why would you think that?"
"Cause," VJ retorted, "you look like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever."
Scotty felt his knees begin to buckle. Had it really been that long since he was on a date? "Yeah, that's right, costume party," he mumbled quickly. "And I'm already late so I gotta go." He bounded over the couch and ran for the door.
Once outside the flat he didn't quite know what to do. He felt like an idiot. If he went back and changed clothes, his flatmates would know he'd lied. If he didn't change, Mary would think he had no sense of style. Of course he had to admit despite working in a clothing store, he didn't. At least not about his own clothes.
Finally after standing there indecisively for five minutes, he shrugged and decided to brazen it out. She probably wouldn't like him anyway once she got to know him so it really didn't matter what he wore. Feeling insecure and more than a little stupid Scotty went off to meet Mary at the pub she had suggested.
Mary sat at the bar waiting for Scotty. When he had asked her out in a tone of voice that sounded as if he expected her to refuse she had been charmed. For a man as good-looking as he was to have zero self-confidence amused her greatly. In her job, she was used to dealing with gorgeous men who had egos the size of South Island. Scotty was every bit as gorgeous as her usual playmates, but he didn't seem to have an ounce of ego. In fact, he seemed rather shy, insecure and altogether too adorable for words. A challenge if there ever was one, and Mary loved a challenge.
She sipped her beer slowly. She wasn't overly fond of beer but she assumed Scotty was and that if he spied her drinking a martini it might make him nervous. The last thing she wanted was a skittish Scotty. She giggled at the joke. She was still giggling when he tapped her on the shoulder.
Her mouth dropped open in an O when she saw him. He was dressed in 80's retro and it actually suited him. The white suit he wore would have done Tony Manelli proud. He'd slicked back his hair with some kind of gel and he'd trimmed his scruffy beard a bit. He looked . . . good enough to eat.
"How did you know this was a retro club?" Mary asked curiously. "When I mentioned it you said you'd never heard of it."
Scotty grinned. It was gonna be okay. Mary looked great. She wasn't wearing her glasses and now he could really see how lovely her eyes were. She wore a clingy blue dress the same shade as her eyes. It was cut in a low vee and he could see her cleavage. Scotty liked boobs. Hers looked nice and big. She was kind of hippy, at least she looked that way sitting down, but that was cool. She had long legs, although she wasn't very tall, about average height. She'd done something weird with her hair, it looked like it had been folded into pieces and then unfolded but it kinda suited her.
He'd asked her out because she seemed to be as much of a klutz as him AND because she'd been so nice about the tie thing. He hadn't really given a thought as to what she might look like underneath her big bulky parka. His body had responded to her body automatically, but now his body was responding to her because he thought she was beautiful.
"You like the suit?" he asked as he slid on to the stool next her. "You look really nice."
"Best modern version of that suit I've ever seen," she mused. "And thanks."
"Best modern . . . " he began to repeat her words and then he stopped. It took him a minute to work out her meaning. She thought he had done it on purpose. Thought he had just bought the suit! "What do you fancy?" he asked.
'You,' she thought. Aloud she said, "I've already got a beer."
"You like beer?" he repeated happily. "Bewdy." He tried to get the bartender's attention, but he wasn't having any success.
Mary offered him hers. "Here, take this. I'm not really thirsty anyway."
He accepted the brew gratefully. He was beginning to feel nervous again. What was he supposed to say or do now? It HAD been a long time since he'd been out.
Mary could sense his unease, so she set about trying to relax him. The last thing she wanted was for him to run off before she could make her proposition. "Tell me about yourself, Scotty. Are you from Auckland?"
He nodded and sucked down as much of the beer as he could, which made him begin to choke and sputter. Mary patted him on the back, feeling the firm muscles beneath his shiny slick suit. God, he really was incredible. That naked body would be something, she was sure. Now, how to see it?
Scotty managed not to strangle himself and the bartender appeared. He ordered two more beers and began to feel in the pocket of his suit for his wallet. He went through every one of his pockets and shit! No wallet. He turned to Mary, his embarrassment extreme. "I . . . um . . . you're not going to believe this, but . . . I," he stuttered.
"No worries," she reassured him. She had watched his movements and figured out immediately what the problem was. She reached into a little blue purse and pulled out a sheaf of bills. She dropped a twenty on the bar and then turned back to him.
"I can't believe I did that!" he muttered miserably to himself. "I'm such an idiot."
She was beginning to realize that Scotty wasn't the brightest bulb in the world, but then, she wasn't interested in him for his brain. "It's okay, Scotty. Honestly. Rather refreshing in a way. This way, you'll owe me one."
"Owe you one?"
"Yep," she confirmed. "You'll have to take me out at least once more so you can prove you actually HAVE a wallet."
"Take you out again?" his face brightened considerably at the remark. "You mean . . . hey, you want to dance?"
"Dance?" she echoed faintly. She was an awful dancer. In the spike heels she was wearing and without her glasses she'd probably step all over him. Then again, he was a klutz, what kind of dance did he mean?
He pointed to the wooden floor where there were several couples already moving to the disco beat. Mary was far-sighted, so she could see the dance floor just fine. It looked like the people on it knew what they were doing. "I'm a terrible dancer," she confessed. "The worst. I'd embarrass you."
His face lit up with the most amazing smile she had ever seen. His huge brown eyes seemed to glow with pleasure, then they crinkled up and two beautifully round, beautifully perfect dimples popped out on his cheeks. She sucked in her breath as he revealed with pleasure, "Really? Me too, bad I mean. I just thought, as long as we were here, we might give it a go."
He liked that they were both bad dancers? Too weird, but, well, what did she have to lose and it WOULD get those arms around her. "If you're sure? I'll probably step all over you."
His smile grew even broader and he insisted, "I have big feet. They can take it."
Her eyes were drawn immediately to the body part he mentioned. He DID have big feet, and big hands AND a big nose. She wondered idly if it was always true what they said about men with big . . . She sighed, and rose from the stool. "I'm game if you are."
He looked puzzled for a moment, then seemed to grasp her meaning. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. The music changed from pulsating discoing Bee Gees to something soft and slow, something almost romantic. Scotty stood there looking at her and then with a dramatic flourish, grasped her hand tighter and put his other arm around her waist. She put one hand on his shoulder and then, they were away, doing of all things, the box step. Scotty was trying to lead and she was trying to let him, when she heard him mumble, "One, two, three four."
"Scotty," she whispered, "don't try so hard. Just kind of pull me close and sway."
He didn't need to be told twice, he pulled her tight against him and then just held her. He found, after a moment, their bodies did manage to sway in almost unison and it felt nice. Her head came up to his shoulder and he could feel her arm sliding down his back. He sniffed her hair; it smelled funny, like chemicals, but not too awful. She felt good in his arms. Then something magical happened. She raised her head from his shoulder and smiled at him. Their eyes met and a sort of weird electrical surge seemed to flow through his body and he knew, suddenly, he could dance.
The music changed to Bee Gees again and he turned into John Travolta. He had learned all the steps, who hadn't, and though he had never been very good at them, suddenly, he was. He began to move, point, toe kick, spin the girl, pull her back and they were now the center of attention and it was fabulous. Scotty danced like he had never danced before or ever would again. Through one amazing Bee Gees number, he was the star attraction on the dance floor along with Mary. When they finished their dance, they looked at each other and sensing that it was a once in a lifetime moment, took their bows and went back to the bar.
They were both laughing. "I've never," they said at exactly the same moment. "Me either." Then they both dissolved in laughter again. Things were easy after that, they chattered away like old friends, drinking beer and getting to know one another. Finally, much to their surprise, the barkeep called last call. Time to end the magical evening although neither of them wanted it to end.
Scotty and Mary left the pub together and as they began to walk out, Scotty tentatively put an arm around Mary's waist. She leaned into him, letting him know the attention was welcome. They reached the exit and went out into the night. The sky was like velvet coated with stars; the air was filled with a soft gentle breeze and more magic. The club, like most of Auckland was near the water. Mary tilted her head and asked, "Want to take a walk?"
Scotty nodded, almost afraid to speak. He felt as if the night was touched by something he had never felt before. As if HE was touched by something almost mystical. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun, felt so good, and been so happy. He never wanted it to end.
They walked for a few blocks until they arrived at a bridge overlooking the water. Then they stopped. Mary looked up at Scotty, her original agenda and proposition forgotten in the magical evening. He was studying her with something like awe and confusion on his face. She touched his cheek lightly, brushing over his scruffy beard and then tracing his lips with her fingers. She knew, instinctively that he wouldn't make the first move, but if he thought it was welcome . . .
He felt her touch and it was arousing him to a fever pitch. Should he? Her eyes were looking at him curiously, with interest; like she maybe wanted him to . . . He bent his head tentatively and brushed his lips lightly over hers. She immediately pulled his head to hers and pressed her lips against his. She DID want him to! He put his arms around her and began to kiss her again, lightly, softly, gently, his hesitancy as much from inexperience as it was from fear of rejection. Despite his supposed good looks, he just hadn't gone out that much. He didn't like aggressive women; they scared him to death, like the waitress in the coffee bar. He was simply too shy to be more forward when it came to asking girls out or to making any kind of sexual overture to them once he WAS out. Mary seemed different and the way her body was melting into his, he was beginning to lose all train of thought.
Mary thought his lips were soft like a satin ribbon as they caressed her mouth. She had her arms around his neck and her fingers began to tangle in the curls of his hair as she returned his kiss. She felt as if her body was liquefying from the molten heat of his. She could feel her chest on his chest; hard meeting soft and it felt like heaven. She moaned softly and let her hands drift down to caress his arms. God, they were hard, so hard, all of him seemed like a rock. She could feel him now, against her thigh and that was like a steel rod, pulsing with heat. The kiss began to deepen, the pressure of his lips, her lips, harder now, more demanding. Her arms moved down to his back and tightened around him. His arms were around her hips, then her waist and they tightened as well. Now they were pressed together so tightly it was hard to determine who began where. Their bodies began to rub as Scotty's tongue tentatively teased the tip of her mouth. She opened her mouth for it willingly, wanting to feel him explore.
He moaned, as his tongue tasted hers, as his hands almost without his knowledge began to run up and down the curves of her body, tracing the outsides of her breasts. She arched into him, pressing herself against him, pushing against his groin and his erection. He pulled back panting. She was panting too.
"Mary?" he whispered her name like a thousands questions and one question.
'Damn,' she thought. She wanted him, but he couldn't come to her place. It was a dead giveaway and she didn't want him to know. Not yet. He said he lived in a flat with four friends and that would NOT do. She doubted he'd be willing to go to a hotel either. Damn! "Scotty," she whispered back, her voice just as full of questions.
"I . . . um . . . I had a really good time tonight," he stuttered.
She laughed softly into his neck. "Me too. We should do it again."
"Really?" he echoed with surprise. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."
"Me too," she confirmed. "Whatcha doing tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" he repeated. "What day is it?"
"Saturday."
"Saturday?" he reiterated. He always had trouble keeping the days of the week straight and now he was in such an erotic daze, he wasn't sure he could remember what his name was.
"Yes, Saturday. Day after Friday. Day before Sunday," she remarked her voice full of amusement.
"I'm off. I think. Yeah, definitely, I'm off."
"Excellent. Want to go to the beach?"
"The beach? Won't it be cold?"
"Well," she whispered seductively. "I bet we could keep each other warm. Besides, it won't be crowded either. I know a lovely little spot, blue water, rocks, sandy beach. I can pack a picnic with some beer. It'd be choice."
He tried to think about it, but her body was so close to his and it was distracting him. He really wanted to have sex with her, right there and then, but he knew people didn't do that anymore. STD's and such. Besides, they hardly knew each other. "Okay," he agreed. "I can pick you up."
'You already did,' she thought to herself, 'even if you don't realize it.' Aloud she retorted. "I'll come get you. Tell me where you live and I'll pick you up about eleven. And don't forget to wear your bathing suit."
"My bathing suit? Why? The water will be cold."
"If we get as hot tomorrow as we are right now, we'll need that cold water," she teased with a giggle.
"Oh," he muttered without at first understanding. As her words sunk in, he repeated, "Oh. Oh."
She laughed and caressed his face. "I'm just as excited as you are," she murmured. "I just want to take things slow. I'm not . . . that is . . ." she let the words trail off and prayed she had put enough nervousness and embarrassment into them to make him feel comfortable.
He looked at her face. So she was nervous too! That made him feel much better. He hugged her tight and then released her. "Tomorrow then?" he confirmed.
She smiled. "Yes. Walk me back to my car?" He nodded. "And you need to give me your address, too. Don't forget that."
"Oh yeah, right." He gave her the address as well as extremely complicated directions that she knew were wrong but she wrote it all down anyway.
When they reached her car, she stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "See you tomorrow," she assured him.
He nodded and in a daze, went off to his own car. He couldn't believe it. She was beautiful and smart, funny and she actually liked him. She hadn't asked him for money or a ride or for anything. She just liked . . . him. Scotty drove home on cloud nine.
"So, whatcha think?" Scotty asked his flatmates as he again found them clustered around the telly.
There was stunned silence as the four friends looked first at him and then at each other.
"Well, it can't be another costume party, can it?" Pippi asked of no one in particular and everyone in the room.
Maxie found her voice next. "Um, Scott, did you, by any chance, accept a drink from someone you didn't know?"
"Mary bought me a few beers cause my wallet went missing. By the way, any of you seen it? It's not in my suit, or jeans and it's not in my room either."
"Oh, sorry," Pippi confessed not even sounding contrite. "I needed to borrow a few dollars and I brought it out here." She picked a black leather wallet up off the coffee table and tossed it to him. "Although where you expect to put it in that getup is beyond me."
The getup was a black Speedo bathing suit and nothing else. The suit wasn't very large and Scotty filled all of it. Paul and VJ were amazed at his muscles and envious of them. Of course, neither of them would ever have been willing to work out as long or hard as Scotty did to achieve it. The two girls were, well, they were flatmates, best NOT to think too hard about any of it or look too long either.
"She said to wear my bathing suit," he insisted.
"Yes, well," Maxie suggested, "I expect she meant under your clothes."
"Under . . ." Scotty's brain finally clicked in and he muttered, "Shit!" and ran for his room as the doorbell chimed. "Someone get that. I'll be right back."
The flatmates exchanged smiles and then as a group rushed for the door. They couldn't wait to see whom Scotty had gone out with the night before. VJ was sure she'd be a babe, Paul suspected a super model and Pippi and Maxie were worried she'd break Scotty's tender heart. They hadn't expected Mary.
Maxie opened the door to find a woman dressed in baggy jeans and a loose cream colored cable knit sweater standing on their doorstep. She had long straight brown hair and huge blue eyes hidden behind thick glasses. She wasn't thin, she wasn't fat, she wasn't tall, she wasn't short, she was just average. This was the woman who had Scotty in a tizzy? Maybe she should pay more attention to him; he obviously was capable of looking beyond the physical.
"Gidday," the woman declared. "I'm Mary. Is Scotty here?"
"He'll be right out," VJ snickered. "He just went to . . ." the rest of that was muffled as Pippi put her hand over VJ's mouth to shut him up.
"He forgot something," Pippi commented. "Would you like to come in and wait?"
Mary hesitantly stepped over the threshold. So these were Scotty's friends. They seemed very nice, very normal. She didn't really like to know as much about people as she now knew about him. Didn't want to know their friends, because it often made things more difficult. Still, there was no help for it. Things had progressed as they had progressed. She just had to go with the flow and hope that the beach would do the trick.
As Mary stood there waiting, she could feel the women critically studying her. She knew she looked completely non-threatening, completely safe. She'd had years to perfect her technique. She smiled sweetly at the flatmates and looked around the cluttered room. The furniture was well used but looked comfortable. There were huge beanbags on the floor and it was chock full of the kind of things more often found in a University dorm. It had a cozy relaxed feel to it. She could see they were a tight knit little group, an ersatz family and she could feel their concern, like a palpable presence, that she would somehow change the dynamic. She felt a moment's qualm at her plan, but then Scotty appeared and her qualm vanished as she scrutinized him.
Scotty wore jeans and a black muscle T-shirt. For the first time, she could see the bulging biceps that she had only guessed at. See under the tight fitting shirt the well defined pecs and abs. She sucked in her breath and felt her body respond with excitement, both mental AND physical. She remembered his touch; his kiss and felt a surprising warmth spread through her loins.
"Gidday Mary," he announced with a grin.
She found herself grinning back at him like a fool. "Um . . . hi, Scotty," she could barely get the words out.
They stood there grinning at each other for what felt like a week until someone, Mary thought it might be Maxie, remarked with amusement, "Weren't you two going somewhere?"
"Oh yeah, right," Scotty conceded with embarrassment. "I'll just grab my jacket." He turned away and began searching through a pile of clothing in the corner and the spell was broken.
Mary mentally shook herself. 'Can't get attached,' she reminded herself. 'Never get attached.' Still, there was something about him . . .
"Here it is," Scotty exclaimed gratefully. He held a jean jacket in his hands. "We're off, then." He walked over to Mary and tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders.
Mary looked up at him, smiled, and then seemed to regain some of her senses. "Right." She turned toward the others and remarked, "Lovely meeting you."
"Have a good time," VJ smirked. "And don't do any . . ." Again Pippi's hand covered his mouth.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste," Pippi commented ironically. "Off you go."
Scotty looked puzzled then turned to Mary and led her out of the apartment. As they left, the four flatmates shook with laughter. "Scotty's definitely found a match in her," Pippi announced. "She doesn't know how to dress either."
Mary's car was an old American convertible. Scotty fell in love with it at first sight. It was cherry red and she had the top down. The weather was smiling on them; it was sunny and not too cold. Scotty didn't even need his jacket. With the top down it was too noisy to talk, so Scotty just snuck looks at Mary's profile as she concentrated on driving them to this beach of hers. It was great not to be the one doing the driving.
It took about thirty minutes and then Mary pulled off the motorway and drove down toward the water. She parked the car on a bluff overlooking a beach. The water was blue; there was sand and rocks, just as she had said. It looked completely deserted. "Well?" she asked softly.
"Looks nice," Scotty confirmed. "Want me to get the basket?"
"That'd be great," she agreed. "I've got some other stuff I need to get out of the boot."
She popped the boot and took out a big beach bag and an umbrella. Scotty was already out of the car. He had the picnic basket in one hand.
"Shall we?" she asked.
Scotty nodded and followed Mary over the bluff and down toward the sand.
It was empty, completely barren of people and almost anything else. Mary set the bag down and began pulling things out of it. Scotty watched fascinated. Finally, he observed, "You're like Mary Poppins."
"Like who?" she asked distractedly. It wasn't possible, was it? She couldn't have forgotten the most important thing? She kept digging in the bag, bringing out item after item, but not finding the one she most wanted. It HAD to be here. She never went anywhere . . . oh yes; there it was, buried under a towel on the very bottom of the bag. She patted it as if it was a magical talisman, but left it where it was. When the time was right, she'd get it.
"Mary Poppins. You know, a spoonful of sugar."
"A spoonful of sugar?" she echoed doubtfully.
"You HAVE to know who I mean," he insisted firmly. "In the movie. She has a carpetbag FULL of stuff, no matter what she needs; she just pulls it out. And she's magical too." He paused then confessed, "I always had a bit of a pash for her."
Mary looked up from her task and smiled. "That's very sweet, Scotty."
"It's not too . . . stupid?" he asked with concern.
"Not at all." She began to put things back in the bag, leaving out a blanket, some towels, the suntan oil, a few magazines and a book. Then she turned to him. She handed him the blanket and suggested, "Doesn't the sun feel good? I do believe it's warm enough to have a bit of a bathe."
He took the blanket and dutifully spread it on the sand. He looked at her curiously.
Mary grinned, kicked off her sandals and began pulling off her sweater, to reveal a lush upper body encased in the top half of a very tiny bikini. Her full breasts strained against the fabric and she noticed Scotty's eyes were glued to her ample cleavage.
Scotty swallowed hard twice and tried to make his eyes move from her boobs. Oh boy, they were great! He got excited just looking at them. Then he watched as Mary slowly unzipped her jeans and slid out of them. The bottom of the bikini was just as small as the top and the rest of her figure was nearly as good as her boobs. She was voluptuous rather than skinny, a full-figure all curvy and rounded. She looked soft, like a pillow and he wanted, quite desperately to drown himself in her chest. With an effort, he made himself look at her eyes. She was taking off her glasses and sliding them into a case.
She turned to stare at him. She put her hands on her hips and challenged, "Well?"
He swallowed convulsively and wondered, well what? Was he supposed to say something? Do something? He sat there lost in confusion.
"You did remember to wear your bathing suit, didn't you?"
He heaved a sigh of relief. So that was what he was supposed to do! He was supposed to strip like she had! He could do that. Suddenly shy and embarrassed by his hard-on he turned his back and pulled off his T-shirt.
Mary sucked in her breath at the sight of his back. She saw a beautiful expanse of golden skin, his spine arched, his shoulders hunched slightly and the muscles in his forearms flexed. She couldn't wait for him to turn around. If the back was this good, oh lordy, what would the chest be like? It was taking him an awfully long time to get his pants down; she wondered what the problem was.
Suddenly he turned to her, his handsome face beet red. "I'm a little cold," he mumbled uncomfortably. "Think I'll keep my pants on for a bit."
At first, she was too distracted by the sight of his chest to answer. She had never seen anything like it. His upper body was a work of art. Michaelangelo would have painted him on the Sistine Chapel. Rodin would have sculpted him. Any healthy woman seeing it would lust for him. It was quite simply, the most perfectly formed upper body she had ever seen and she had seen a LOT of upper bodies in her time.
The pecs were clearly defined, the abs washboard flat, every single muscle in that chest rippled as he moved. It was awe-inspiring and to make it even MORE attractive, he was covered in a light furring of lovely dark curly hair that disappeared like a pointing arrow into the waistband of his pants. She swallowed hard and then his words filtered through her mind. Keeping his pants on? No, she needed to see the rest of him! Why? Then she saw his pants were stretched tight. She guessed he was embarrassed by his erection! How charmingly adorable. "Sure, no problem," she mumbled.
She lay down on the blanket on her stomach. Maybe if she gave him a different view, he could calm down and take those damn pants off.
Scotty breathed a sigh of relief that his lie had passed muster. Truth was, he COULDN'T get his pants down. Somehow the bathing suit had gotten stuck in the zipper and the only way to get the pants off would be to get naked. Maybe if he calmed down . . . He looked at Mary's back. She had a great ass, full and round and it looked like each cheek would fit nicely into one of his hands. He actually blushed at his thoughts and felt his erection grow stronger.
He plopped down on the blanket, also face down, then had to turn over, that was WAY too painful a position in his present predicament. He turned over on his back, looked up at the sky, and felt the sun beat down.
Mary said nothing. The sun was warm. She'd give Scotty about ten minutes and then she'd try another tactic.
Scotty liked it that Mary didn't feel she needed to talk all the time. Or that HE needed to talk all the time. Sometimes he found it difficult to make small talk. He wasn't good at it and he knew he wasn't very smart, or at least not smart like she was. He'd learned the night before that she had traveled a lot, held many different jobs and that she liked to read books, something he hadn't done since school. He realized suddenly, that he didn't have much of a life. He had work, and his friends, but other than going out to the coffee bar, picking up take-a-way or watching telly, he didn't do much. It was a very small world.
"That sun sure is hot," Mary murmured.
"Yeah, it is," he replied. He was getting awfully warm in his jeans. The thick denim was acting like a vacuum sucking all the heat on to his legs. Still, he felt a little calmer now; maybe he could try again. He sat up and tried the zipper again and wonder of wonders, it came down! He slithered out of his jeans.
Mary heard that welcome sound and rolled on to her side to see what she could see. Her first thought was OH MY GOD all in caps. The bathing suit was tiny but Scotty sure wasn't. He was no longer fully erect, but she thought he was about halfway there. His hips were slim and that lovely dark hair did go all the way down. His legs were a bit scrawny but still, he was a beautiful man. Now, how was she going to get that bathing suit off him?
Inspiration struck. "Scotty," she asked almost tentatively, "do you think you could help me?"
"Help you?" he repeated. "I guess," he answered doubtfully. "What do you want me to do?"
"Well," she requested with what she hoped sounded like a nervous little giggle, "I don't want to get burned. Could you put suntan oil on my back?"
"Sure."
She could tell, even without looking, that he was grinning from ear to ear. She sat up; making sure to give him a nice long look at the way her breasts fit or rather didn't really fit into the top of her suit, and then picked up the bottle. His face had flushed and his breathing seemed to be a bit uneven. She handed him the bottle and then turned her back. She could almost hear his sigh of relief at the change of view.
He unscrewed the cap of the bottle and poured a little of the lotion on to his hands. Then he began to very tentatively touch her shoulders, as if he was afraid.
Mary hadn't expected such a visceral reaction to his touch. His fingers, so light against her hot skin, were arousing her. Well, she knew she wasn't immune, he'd gotten to her pretty good the night before with his kisses. But today was supposed to be all business, NOT fun and games. Still, as his fingers moved over her neck and shoulders and then began their hesitant journey over her back, she found herself physically aroused with more power than she thought possible. A soft sigh of pleasure escaped her lips.
Scotty thought her skin was soft; it felt nice beneath his fingers all warm and silken. She seemed to like it when he gently touched her, so he kept on doing it, even after the oil was all rubbed in. He heard her sigh and decided to get a little bit bolder. He moved closer and lifted her hair off the nape of her neck. He hadn't put any oil there, so he bent his head and placed a tentative soft kiss there, just because he'd seen it in a movie one time and it looked like the female liked it.
She moaned his name and her whole body shivered. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I shouldn't . . ."
She turned at the sound of his voice. "Oh yes, you should," she gulped. She studied his eyes for a moment and then touched his face lightly, brushing her fingers over his lips. God, he had a GREAT mouth, what would it feel like if . . . She swallowed hard and gave in. It was no use, business was forgotten, she wanted him now, wanted him so badly she ached for him. "Scotty," she whispered his name like a plea.
He smiled, his dimples popped out and then he captured her face in his hands and bent his head. His lips brushed hers lightly. She moaned his name again and he grew even bolder. He released her face and pulled her into his arms, his mouth moved back to hers and he kissed her a little harder, his mouth slightly open. He felt her hands tangle in his hair and then she pulled his face tighter to hers and kissed him. Hard. It was like the night before all over again, their kiss started gentle and then grew and grew and grew. Only this time, they were barely dressed and already half prone.
Within seconds, they were rolling together on the blanket, their bodies rubbing against the other, their hands exploring. Their tongues were dancing, licking lips, licking teeth, and licking each other. Their mouths were hungry, demanding, urgent, the pressure hard, then soft, then hard again. They rolled back and forth, as they kissed, the excitement growing to a fever pitch for both of them.
Scotty could feel her breasts through the bikini rubbing against him, could feel the heat of her womanhood through her bottoms. His tiny Speedo was stretched to its limit, his erection pulsing painfully in its jail. He groaned her name and rolled off her. He sat up panting, trying to catch his breath in large gasping gulps.
She lay flat on the blanket looking at him as her chest heaved with passion. She breathed, "Scotty?"
He turned to look at her, embarrassed by his lack of control. He was SURE you didn't do this anymore. Sure that other men wouldn't be so randy, so desperate. He was fighting with himself not to go faster or further, sure that it was the completely wrong thing to do. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.
"Scotty," she whispered, "don't you . . . I mean . . . what's wrong? Why did you stop?"
He shook his head as if he was ashamed and then he turned away.
Mary sat up and gently turned his face to hers. He looked as if he was going to cry. "Scotty," she asked gently. "What is it?"
"I really like you," he mumbled. "I mean, really, I do. So . . . I mean . . . Shit . . . I'm . . ."
What was going on here? What was he trying to say? "Scotty, you do fancy me, don't you?"
He nodded miserably. "Then what's the problem?" she asked. "I fancy you too."
"You do?" he asked incredulously. "Really?"
He sounded so surprised that it took everything in her not to laugh. That would probably cut him to the quick. "Of course I do," she replied. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I dunno. It's just . . . I don't . . . well . . . go out much," he ran the last three words together in a rush, embarrassment emanating from every pore of his body.
"Oh Scotty," she murmured tenderly. "Is that all? No worries. I like you too. And I DO fancy you. Right now would be good."
"You're not . . . upset?" he asked missing the last part of what she said.
"No," she murmured. Then she took the bull of by the horn, so to speak and ran her fingers over his erection.
He groaned and grabbed for her. She came to him willingly. This time, there was no stopping either of them. Once again, their mouths connected and the kiss was world-class. Their mouths were open, urgent and their hands were everywhere. Before she knew it, Scotty, now that he knew his attentions were welcome, had her top unsnapped. His beautiful dark head moved down and buried itself between her breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth and began to lustily suck it while his other hand caressed the other mound of flesh. She moaned and ran her fingers over the powerful muscles in his forearms.
He licked and sucked that nipple in his hot mouth until she felt her clit throb so hard she thought she would explode. Then he switched to the other nipple. She arched up and moaned his name loudly. He raised his eyes. They were wide with surprise. "Did I hurt you?" he asked nervously.
She shook her head. "No," she moaned. "Not at all."
"Bewdy. You have great knockers," he muttered as he once again buried his face in her chest.
She moaned and spread her legs, hinting that she wanted something else to happen. He shifted his body and then she felt his erection press against her mound. She pushed up against him, wanting to feel him inside her. She had already soaked her suit.
Scotty seemed to get the message. He released her breast and then kissed his way over her soft belly. He stopped near her belly button and just lay his head there for a moment. She looked down and felt the oddest wave of tenderness waft over her. He looked like a little boy, sweet and innocent. He lifted his head and slipped her bikini bottoms off. Then he rose and took his own suit off and he no longer looked like a little boy at all.
Christ, he was gorgeous there too and PERFECT for the magazine. That was her last coherent thought for quite sometime, because he dropped back down, hovered over her for a second and then gently pushed himself inside her. She groaned as he began to fill her and arched up into him.
Scotty moved as deeply inside her as he could and then paused. He looked at her face, her eyes were open and she was staring at him. He grinned happily. She grinned back and then she pulled him down against her, shoved her legs between his and pushed up. He began to thrust slowly, gliding in and out, taking his time. Well, for about two and a half minutes, then the heat and warmth of the sun, the sound of her moans, and his own sense of urgency took over. He began to thrust harder and faster, he felt her hands on his butt, her nails began to dig in and then she tightened up around him and hot liquid hit him and it was over. His balls tightened up; he ground into her one last time and climaxed, shuddering and trembling. He collapsed against her after he came, his head buried in her breasts.
She stroked his hair. "Wow," she whispered. "Wow."
He lifted his head from her chest, his breathing still labored. He touched her face and then rolled off her. He lay next to her and continued to stroke her face in wonder. "That was pretty extreme," he confessed when he could finally speak without panting.
"Yeah, it was," she agreed.
Scotty looked at her, looked at the water and then asked, "Feel like a swim?"
"A swim?" she echoed.
"Yeah . . . I feel . . . reckless. I've never been skinny dipping in my life. Want to try?" The expression on his face of innocent joy was overpowering.
She studied his beautiful face and body and knew, quite suddenly, that her plans were for naught. She doubted he would ever agree to pose for her. Now there was no way she'd do what she originally planned which was to take the pictures of him without permission and use them anyway. Sometimes, having a conscience sucked! "I'd love to," she replied.
Scotty smiled, got up, pulled her to her feet and the two of them ran for the water. They played and laughed in the icy water, splashing like children until they couldn't take it anymore.
Then they ran back to the blanket. Mary tossed Scotty a towel and picked up one for herself. She was about to dry herself when he surprised her.
Emboldened by the already choice sex and her response to it, Scotty dropped the towel and grabbed Mary from behind. He slid his hands around her waist and pressed against her.
She could feel that rock hard chest and his almost hard shaft rubbing against her back and she leaned into it and him. His lovely mouth began to nuzzle her neck while his hands flitted up from her waist to cup her breasts. She luxuriated in the feel of his body and the sensuality of his touch. His fingers were massaging and kneading her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples. She moaned and felt the dampness spreading between her legs again. She dropped the towel and reached back to grip his hips.
Scotty kissed her neck as he rubbed against her. Her body was soft, lush, and welcoming. Her ass pressed against his groin cushioning his shaft like a pillow. Her boobs felt great just a little over a handful and he loved how her nipples got so hard. He wanted to taste them again. He turned her in his arms and grinned.
She grinned back and ran her hands over his chest, her fingers tracing the muscles lightly and tangling a bit in the curly hair. When they had been in the water, he had dunked himself completely and she had watched him rise out a sort of male Venus on the half shell. It had been an incredibly erotic sight and she wished she'd had her camera out to capture it. Now he was staring at her with lust in his eyes and that too was incredibly erotic.
She began to kiss and lick his neck and shoulders. Then her head moved lower, her lightening fast tongue traced the outline of his pecs as her fingers splayed over his waist. She kissed around his nipples, then flicked her tongue at them. He moaned. He moaned even louder as she began to lick and suck first one little nub and then the other.
She could feel his excitement. His skin was heating up like a house afire. She could feel the racing of his heart and the pulsing of his erection. His hands were alternating between tangling in her hair and stroking her face. Then he pulled her face up.
Now he bent his head and buried his face in her breasts. He caressed those firm mounds as he rubbed his beard between them. The hair on his face was both coarse and soft and it tickled so enticingly. His tongue sort of tap-danced there too. He continued to rub her nipples as he kissed around the bowls of her breasts as she had done to him. Then that mouth was once again lustily sucking. She pulled his head tight as she felt a mini-orgasm course through her. She moaned his name and began to sink down on the blanket her knees buckling from the pleasure.
They fell together in a laughing passionate tangle of hands and legs. Scotty sat up and pulled her into his lap, his erection sticking almost straight up. Mary straddled him and stroked him once, then raised her hips and slid down, feeling him move into her warmth with a deep thrust.
Scotty pulled her tight and their bodies rocked together. She put her arms around his neck and clung to him. Scotty began to thrust up while Mary ground herself down and the friction and heat just kept building and building. They rocked back and forth as if they were on a seesaw, the need for release growing ever higher. Scotty bent his head and captured a nipple and Mary groaned his name and felt her body explode. He thrust up hard into her spasming sex and climaxed as well. They both sighed with pleasure as the tremors shook their bodies.
They clung together and then Mary slipped off him and rolled on to her back. She could feel their combined juices running down her legs. Scotty sat there a dazed and bemused expression on his face. He studied her as if he wanted to say something, but no words seemed to come out. Then he just began to run his hands up and down her body with wonder.
Mary closed her eyes and reveled in the sun and his touch. His fingers were gentle, soft, like the sun, warming and relaxing. His caress lulled her to sleep. She had no idea how long she was out, only that it was now getting dark. "Scotty?" she mumbled. He was watching her, that curiously bemused expression still on his face. "Why didn't you wake me?"
He shrugged. "You looked pretty."
She smiled. "What did you do while I kipped?"
"Watched you," he admitted with a grin.
She shook her head. "Too sweet." She looked at the gathering dark and added, "We should probably go."
He nodded agreement. He'd already put his suit and clothes back on. He watched with regret as Mary got dressed. He liked her naked body; still he didn't think she could drive back to Auckland that way. They packed up and went back to her car.
After they got in, Mary put the key in the ignition and then paused for a moment. She turned to Scotty and said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he confirmed happily. He had never had such an amazing day before in his life.
"How do you feel about nudity?"
"Nudity?" he echoed with confusion. "Isn't that what we just did?"
"No, I mean, like in a magazine. You know, like men posing nude for pictures."
"Oh. I guess it's okay for some. I wouldn't do it though. I mean, my parents might find out. Can't have that, it would embarrass them."
"I thought as much," she acknowledged with a sigh. She started the car and drove Scotty home. He leaned over and kissed her thoroughly before he exited the car. She watched him walk into the building before she drove away.
When Scotty walked into the flat, his face was a study in bliss. Everyone was there, watching the telly, and they wanted to know about his day. He just smiled and said he'd had a lovely time, but was shagged out and he'd see them tomorrow. He went to his room, stripped and went to bed, forgetting to set his alarm.
Mary waited outside the clothing store for Scotty. She had intended to leave him a note, but decided that was the cowardly thing to do. Besides, he was SUCH a sweetheart; she didn't want to hurt him. She didn't think his ego could take it. She just wished he would come out, she didn't want to miss her flight. Finally, she saw him. She rushed over and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from his co-workers.
Scotty was surprised to see her. He'd forgotten to ask for her phone number or anything. In a way, their two "dates" had seemed like a dream. Especially the beach. If it weren't for a slight case of sunburn, he'd still be wondering if it really happened. Things like that didn't happen to him. "Hey," he asked as he saw the concerned look on her face. "What's wrong?"
She studied him. He looked as if his day had been full of agitation; his hair stood wildly on end. His clothes were disheveled, but his eyes were full of warmth and concern. Damn. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Scotty," she mumbled, tugging him down the street, "I need to talk to you."
"Sure," he agreed amiably as she pulled him along. "Only, stop though, eh?"
She stopped as requested. "Scotty, I . . . shit . . ."
"Hey," he murmured as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
She nestled against him. She couldn't tell him. Not the truth. That she was a photographer of male nudes. That she'd come into the shop looking for a new model. That she'd scraped acquaintance with him, cause she thought he'd be perfect. That she started out only professionally interested in his body, but had instead . . . No, she couldn't tell him any of that. It would hurt him. But she guessed she could tell him part of the truth. "I'm leaving," she said finally.
"You're what?"
She lifted her head from his shoulder. "I got a job offer. In the States. Long before we met. My flight leaves in two hours. I don't know when I'll be back."
"Oh," he answered. "Oh . . ."
"I wish I didn't have to go," she mumbled into his neck, suddenly realizing it was true. "But I do. It's a great opportunity."
"You should do it then," he remarked slowly.
"I really like you, Scotty," she confessed. Then she added with surprise, "I'll miss you."
His face lit up like a Christmas tree at her words. "Well, maybe you'll come back?"
"Maybe . . ." she smiled up at him and then whispered, "A kiss for luck?"
His smile grew even brighter and he bent his head. He kissed her lightly, gently, tenderly goodbye and then she left him.
Scotty shook his head over the unfairness of life. Just when he'd finally met a girl he liked who liked him too. Well, it wasn't her fault she'd gotten a job somewhere else before they'd even met. He couldn't ask her not to go, just cause he liked her. Still . . . she might come back someday. You never knew. The thought made him smile. Scotty was still smiling as he walked to his car and drove home.
The End