Chapter 9

Jon was up the following morning before Karen, but still managed to find John and Alison in the kitchen.

“You two are up early,” he said, “did you sleep well?”

“Not a wink,” Alison said, smiling, “There was this big lump in the bed and I had to batter it until it was softened.”

John had the good grace to blush.

Jon made the morning coffee and poured four mugs, ladled one sugar and poured a little milk into one of them and turned to Alison.

“Could you take that to Karen in the bedroom please?” I asked, “and while you’re there, you might ask her about the moisturiser she sometimes uses.”

“Moisturiser?” John asked when Alison closed the bedroom door behind her.

“Sometimes, when we get a little over-enthusiastic, she gets a little sore, it helps soothe it.”

“Jon,” John said, quietly, “aren’t you going to start interrogating me?”

“John, did I ever tell you anything about what Susan and I were doing?”

“No, never. In fact I still don’t know for certain whether she was a virgin, when she, you know?” he answered

“She wasn’t if it helps to know. But I’ll never tell you, or anyone else the details. And I expect that you’ll never discuss details of anything you and Alison may, or may not, get up to.”

“That would be wrong, wouldn’t it” John asked.

“In my view, that’s about as wrong as anything could get,” Jon answered, “do you remember a conversation you and I had when you first realised that Susan and I loved each other”

“You mean the one where I told you I didn’t know how long it would last, but that I’d severely damage you if you hurt her when it ended”

Jon nodded.

“That one, yes,” Jon said.

“Point taken,” John said quietly.

“Tell you what, why don’t we take our ladies breakfast in bed?” Jon suggested.

“Don’t tell me she’s got you serving her in bed too,” John said.

“Only when I’m feeling romantic,” Jon replied.

They quickly put together a breakfast of Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and toast, with orange juice and coffee, loaded them onto two trays and carried them into their bedrooms.

“Thanks big bro,” Alison said as she reached for one of the two trays I carried.

“John has yours next door,” I told her, after which she climbed off the bed where she’d been sitting with Karen and headed out of the room.

Their ladies were delighted at the romantic gestures of their men, but in at least one case a little too sore from the last night’s endeavours to thank them in the time honoured fashion. Alison, however, thanked John with a searing kiss, and a promise of more action to come.

“Your brother suggested that you speak to Karen about some sort of moisturiser that she uses,” John told her.

“I know, I already asked her it does help,” she said, softly, “thank you John.”

“For what,” he asked, adding, “specifically.”

“For loving me,” she answered, “and for making my first time special.”

“Ali, darling,” he said, a serious look on his face, “I’m going to do my damnedest to make your every time special.”

In the other bedroom Jon handed Karen her tray.

“Thank you darling,” Karen said, “I don’t usually get this sort of treatment.”

“John decided he was doing it for Alison, so I thought I’d better do it for you,” Jon replied.

“And they say you’re not romantic,” she answered, “but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, or at least a gift breakfast. However, if this is the result, I wonder how many more times your sister can share her virginity.”

“Well not knowing the details of last night, I don’t know, but I’d guess not more than two.”

“Jonathan Todd, shame on you even thinking of your little sister like that,” she scolded.

“I understand that you’re the one who gave her the cream to ease the soreness,” he replied.

“But I’m not the one who’s her big brother,” she answered, “now let me eat in peace, you go and get yours before it goes cold”

“I’d much rather have my breakfast then come back and get mine,” he said as he left the room.

“Sometimes, Jonathan Todd, sometimes,” Karen called after his retreating back, shaking her head as he left.

After breakfast, showers and dressing, which inexplicably took longer for John and Alison than it did for Jon and Karen, they walked the half mile or so to the University, where they gave them the guided tour.

After lunch in the student refectory, they drove over to Leith and visited the Royal yacht, which was now a major tourist attraction for the area, then back to the flat, where Karen cooked dinner, before they all joined her in walking round to the Heid to work, and stayed there having a drink, while she slaved behind a busy bar.

There was a moment of tension around nine-thirty when the door opened and Sarah walked in, accompanied by another girl, who looked to be about Alison’s age, with mousy brown hair and glasses.

The two walked up to the bar and waited their turn.

“What can I get you?” Jon heard Karen ask, pleasantly.

“You can get you out of my face bitch,” Sarah spat, “and get me someone to give me some drinks.”

“I’m sorry madam,” Karen answered, politely, “but this establishment has a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse of staff, verbal or physical, I must ask you to leave.”

“Who’s going to make me?” Sarah asked, “you?”

Karen nodded to where Jon and John were approaching the bar.

“I think the young lady asked you nicely to leave,” John said quietly.

“And who the fuck do you think you are to tell me to leave?” Sarah spat.

“Her lawyer,” John said.

“And I think I’m the owner of this establishment,” the voice of Mark said as he came out of the back, “and I’m telling you, you’ll no get served in my bar. You’re barred. Now, leave or I’ll call the police, and I understand you’re not their favourite person.”

“Come on Mandy,” Sarah said, mustering what little dignity she possessed, “let’s go find somewhere where gay people are welcome.”

Mandy had the good grace to blush and as they left, she turned and mouthed ‘sorry’ to them.

“Sorry about that,” Karen said to Mark as the two left.

“Not your fault kid,” he replied, “and for the record, gay people are always welcome here. And those who swing both ways.”

He smiled and went back into the kitchen.

Jon and the others finished their pints and stood up. Before they left Jon wandered over to the bar, which wasn’t very busy.

“I’ll come back at midnight and walk you home,” he said, before giving Karen a soft kiss and turning to join the others to walk home. True to his word, Jon turned up at eleven fifty-five, and escorted his girlfriend back home, where he made hot chocolate for the two of them and they sat quietly holding hands, listening to the sounds of the night, mostly provided by his sister.

“Well,” Karen said as they walked through to the bedroom, “Alison certainly seems to have taken to it like a good ‘un.”

“It helps when you have a decent fellow to help you along,” Jon replied.

“Yes,” she said looking at him with a smile, “it does.”

The following morning after breakfast, Alison went back into the bedroom to make a phone call. Fifteen minutes later she returned, handed the phone to John and said, my mother would like to speak to you.

John got a worried look on his face, and Alison just smiled at him.

As he spoke to Jon and Alison’s mother he turned pinker and pinker.

“She told you about that?” he asked, incredulously, and then turned a deeper shade of pink.

“He’s been Mum-slapped,” Jon said softly to Alison.

“Mum-slapped?” Karen asked.

“It’s when Mum suspects something we’re not telling her,” Jon explained, “for example. I suspect that Mum suspects that she knows what Ali and John have been doing in our spare bedroom the last couple of nights.”

“OK,” Karen agreed, “you’re probably right.”

“So she’s just spoken to him about it, as though she already knows.”

“And she only suspected, but now he’s confirmed it?”

“Precisely,” Jon agreed.

John finished his ‘chat’ with Mrs Todd, and handed the phone back to Alison, who now took her turn to look worried.

“Yes, Mum,” she said, a not of impending doom in her voice.

She listened for a short while until her Mum stopped talking.

“You’re going to what?” she asked, incredulity in her tone, “Mum, I love you.”

She ended the call and John looked at her quizzically.

“What did she say?” he asked.

“She says that when we get back, we’re going shopping,” Alison replied.

“What for?” Jon asked.

“A bigger bed for my room,” she said, a huge smile on her face.

They spent Sunday at Edinburgh zoo, had dinner out on Princess Street, paid for by John, who insisted on the grounds that he was the only one actually earning anything, then on Monday John and Alison did the tour of the school of architecture, while Jon and Karen were in lectures. The two new lovers caught the five-thirty train back to York, and, after saying their goodbyes at the station, Jon and Karen went back to the flat. After the visit the rest of the term went quietly, both Karen and Jon took their end of term exams and both did well, and after the last day of the winter term they arrived home together. It was a week and a half to go to Christmas, and they had a choice of parties that they were invited to.