Chapter 12

We had all enjoyed an amazing weekend together - of real friendship as well as great sex - and Julie and I most reluctantly caught the old-fashioned stopping train back to Cardiff late on Sunday evening, in order to be ready for our studies on Monday morning.

We walked down the corridors of a couple of carriages until we found an empty compartment, and we were able to pull down the corridor blinds for privacy, and sit on the bench seat with our arms around each other, to chat and kiss as the mood took us. We were tired but happy.

While we were on the bus to Temple Meads station, I had thought again about introducing Julie to my parents. I decided that I wanted to do it because I loved her, and wanted to show her off to them, not just because they were curious about her.

Her reaction to my talking about her meeting them had suggested that perhaps she still wasn't quite sure of my long-term intentions towards her, and I realised that I needed to make them a little clearer. I KNEW that I wanted to marry Julie and have my children and grand-children with her, but she was clearly wary of making such a big commitment so soon.

I knew that I had made a REALLY big mistake suggesting that she had a one-night-stand the weekend of the Freshers Ball, and that I had a lot of ground to make up. I had been trying far too hard to prove that I had her best interests at heart, and had ended up totally ignoring her likely point of view.

With hindsight, especially after her question about whether I was bored with her, I realised that I had come very close to losing her. She hadn't liked what she heard, and if she hadn't already known that I wasn't really like that, our relationship might well have been fatally damaged. I mentally kicked myself again, for being so damned stupid.

Julie just wasn't the type to have casual sex or a one night stand, and my suggesting that she should try it had obviously come close to putting me in the camp of those who approved of casual recreational sex even when you were in a committed relationship - and I didn't feel that way at all. I had messed up big time.

It wasn't quite yet the moment for my grovelling abject apology for that hurtful behaviour, but I wanted to take a big step towards getting back to the way we had been.

I moved a little so that I was facing her, and I took both her hands in mine, and looked her in the eyes.

"You know, Julie, I really do like that flat of the twins - the Georgians clearly knew a thing or two about building. It has so much natural light, even in November, and the space works so well. Do you think you and I might buy a Georgian house one day?"

She squealed as she realised what I had said.

"You mean us together? Is this a proposal?"

"No, my darling, I'll save my formal proposal of marriage to you for when we aren't on a grubby smelly old late-night train, and I can get down on my knees without getting someone's discarded chewing gum on my trousers, and make a proper job of asking you. Can we call it a statement of intent, say getting engaged to be engaged?"

"So I'm Adrian's official girlfriend, but only your fiancee designate?"

"Something like that!"

"Then I'll say yes in principle, and wait for you to make me a much better offer!"

"I do love you!"

"I'd ask you to demonstrate how much, except that I think we'll probably stop at the next station before we'd be finished!"

"I wonder how much sex went on between stations in the good old days before they introduced corridor carriages?"

She sat on my lap and we kissed and held each other. I felt great with her in my arms, and she seemed to like being in them. We only just noticed when the train slowed down for Cardiff - we had no idea whether or not it had stopped at Newport, so engrossed had we been in each other.

Not a lot of sex went on after we got home that night; we had both overdone it with the twins by taking too much advantage of the privacy and variety on offer. We had a companionable goodnight kiss and hug and spooned our naked bodies together, our minds still racing with the excitement of being unofficially engaged.

I was very glad that I had taken that step; just telling her I loved her hadn't quite done the business, but talking about buying a house together had made her realise that I really did want to be with her for ever.

I knew that I couldn't stand the thought of being without her; she made the blood pump faster in my veins, and it was just such a good feeling coming back home to her in the evening, and seeing her face light up as she saw me come through the door. If those were symptoms of being in love, then we both had a terminal case.

We slept soundly until the alarm clock went off at half past six on the Monday morning.

Then we did make love to each other, very slowly and very gently. I looked her in the eyes all the way to her climax, watching them change as she got more and more aroused.

As we cuddled afterwards, I made my long-overdue apology.

"Julie, my darling, I'm so very sorry that I tried to persuade you to fuck someone else at the Freshers Ball; I was being incredibly stupid and not thinking straight. I've finally realised that you actually only enjoy making love and aren't the slightest bit interested in casual sex, and I've done you a huge injustice. I'm only a man, and we can be very dense and stupid sometimes. Please forgive me, my love?"