Chapter 5: Coming of Age

We were sitting at a picnic bench in the common on an early April afternoon, discussing trivial things when she shocked me, as she often did.

"You're a virgin, aren't you Ian?"

I wasn't ready for the question, so without even thinking, I told the truth. "Yes, I am."

"I thought so. That's unusual for someone your age. Especially someone who is a hunk like you."

"A hunk? I don't think of myself as a hunk." I remembered a similar comment from Rhonda Stallings a couple of years ago.

"Then you better look more closely in the mirror. You are good looking, a nice face, nice dark brown hair cut medium, good complexion, lots of muscles that you like to show off when you can," she grinned, "and you're a nice guy. It was very easy for me to become your friend."

"Uh ... thanks. It's funny, I don't think of myself that way."

"That's good too," she added. "You don't go around preening for the girls. You don't need to either. They all know who you are."

I was shaking my head. "I doubt that. Anyway, how did we get on this topic?"

"I told you I was sure you were a virgin. I'm curious why. I've just listed all your attributes, but you don't seem to be conscious of them. You aren't queer are you?"

"Hell, no!" I was irritated by the question. "What gave you that idea?"

"Just checking. Don't get all upset. Just for the record, I'm not a virgin. I haven't been for a few years, in fact."

There was nothing I wanted to say about that, so I just nodded that I understood.

"Who was your last girlfriend?" she asked after a few moments silence.

"Well, I've been out with two or three young ladies over the last couple of years, but my last true girlfriend was Kelsey Barnes. Her parents moved back east at the end of grade ten and I haven't seen her since."

"So, do you miss her?"

"Yeah ... I do. We had known each other since fourth grade, so we knew nearly everything about each other. She was good looking and we hung out together, but I never got past second base. I wasn't trying that hard. I liked her too much and I didn't want to lose her because I was being a jerk."

Symphony was nodding. "That's about what I expected. Your parents brought you up to respect girls and you did. It must have been hard sometimes, pardon the pun," she grinned.

"Yeah, especially that last few months she was here. When she was gone, I did some dating, but it just wasn't the same. They were nice girls and pretty, but I couldn't get into it. They just didn't click."

"You were pretty young, Ian. I'm not surprised, but it says something about your character that they were nice girls and you didn't push them into something uncomfortable for them."

I nodded. She was right and I appreciated that she recognized it.

"I think I might want to push you into an uncomfortable area, Ian," she said after we had sat for a while.

I looked at her carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when it comes to relationships with women, you are a blank page. Let me ask you a question. What do you think are the most important things in a sexual relationship?"

"I'm not sure," I said, trying to think of something that would make sense. I sighed in frustration. "I don't know, Sym (I had taken to shortening her name and she didn't object). I don't have a clue. Being careful, I guess. Not doing something that will hurt her. Making sure we are both safe ... you know ... condoms and stuff."

"Yeah ... you're right. You don't know. Let's face it, Ian, there's more to sex than just being safe and careful. That's just the starting point. The real issue is how you feel about each other. Do you both want to do it? It can't be a one-way thing. But let me give you my take on it. I think good sex ... even great sex ... is about giving. I mean, each partner is trying to give a good experience to the other. Guys can be very selfish in this regard. They just want to get off and that's all. Most of the time, that doesn't do it for the female."

I was nodding. It all made perfect sense to me. "What do you do to find out what your partner wants?"

She laughed. "What do you think? You ask, dummy."

"Oh ... yeah ... I guess so. But what would I ask ... I mean ... how would I ask?"

She sat there, obviously thinking about something, so I didn't interrupt her, hoping she would answer my question. Finally, after what seemed a long time, she turned to me.

"I like you Ian," she began. "I like you a lot. I think we could be good together. But, I have needs and I'm sure you do too. So here's what I'm suggesting. I'm willing to teach you what I know. I'm pretty sure that when you learn what I have learned, you'll be a very good lover. You have the look and the temperament to capture just about any woman you'd want. But you need to know how to use what you've got. Are you interested?"

I thought about it. It was an offer I never imagined, and it was hard to absorb just what she was suggesting.

"So ... you and me ... together?" I asked. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend would?"

"No, Ian," she said, shaking her head. "Not like boyfriend and girlfriend. Like man and woman ... lovers."

"Oh. And you're okay with this"

"Of course I am. I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't. The big question is -- are you okay with it?"

I looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. I'm nervous about it, but I'm okay with it. I guess I have to start sometime, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with than you, so ... yeah, I'm okay with it."

That brought a smile to her face and she leaned in and kissed me. It was our first kiss. It felt nice, and I was happy with my decision. Nervous, but happy.

It didn't take long to discover that I was truly a blank page when it came to sex. But Sym was a bright girl and she knew just how to get started. We began at her house in her bedroom. Her parents were away for a couple of days at some concert or other. We had the place to ourselves. I asked her about condoms and she said not to bother, she was on the pill and she was sure I was clean. She told me that whenever possible, women much preferred natural feeling sex, but that didn't mean they didn't want protection.

"We're going to get undressed now," she told me. "I want you to do that for me, then we'll get you ready too."

By the time I'd got Sym down to her panties and bra, I was rock hard in anticipation, which she noticed when she insisted on removing my boxers.

"Wow, Ian. You are well equipped to satisfy a woman, and I can see you are just bursting to get going," she giggled. "I think I had better take the edge off you first. I'm sure you've never been fellated before, so this probably won't take very long. When I'm done, I'll want you to return the favour."

I nodded, struck speechless at the thought of what she was planning. She pushed me back on the bed and took my erection in her hand, putting the knob and an inch or so more in her mouth. I almost came right then and there.

"Be careful, Sym. I've got a short fuse," I warned.

"I know," she said, "I expected that. Just lay back and relax and when it happens, it happens. Don't worry about me. This is for you."

I followed her instructions and lay back, closing my eyes for some reason. She went back to work on me and I could feel the end was going to come very quickly. I tried to warn her, but she didn't pay any attention to me and when I let go, I was scared I had ruined it for both of us.

When it was over, I realized her mouth was still fastened onto my cock and she was licking it carefully, top to bottom. I also noticed that I hadn't shrunk to nothing as I expected. I was still semi-hard. I don't think that had ever happened before.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Oh yeah. I'm just fine. And look at you, almost ready to go again. I'm impressed. Now, how do you feel about returning the favour?"

"Okay, but I don't know what to do. You'll have to show me."

"Well, I can't very well show you, can I? I can tell you what I want and how I'd like it to be, so why don't we start there."

"Yeah ... okay." We changed positions and Sym lay back with her head on the pillow, watching me as I arranged myself between her legs. I noticed that she had shaved her pubic hair, leaving just a small triangle above her slit. I'd seen something like that in a magazine, but it surprised me that Sym looked like that too.

"Okay, Ian. Now I want you to use the top and tip of your tongue on me. You see that little nub at the top? That's my clitoris, and it's very sensitive. If I want to get myself off, that's what I rub. So, you can use your tongue or fingers on that, but not until I say so, okay?"

"Yeah."