Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
LEWIS
Age eighteen
The University of Glasgow’s main building is like something out of a fairy tale—or Harry Potter . Its towering spire looms high above countless turrets, a beacon of knowledge stretching into the sky. Were some Gryffindor kids to hurry past on their way to potions class, I wouldn’t even bat an eye. But there are no witches or wizards to be seen—just a bunch of students milling around, even though it’s evening and lectures must be over for the day. I can’t help but feel a bit like a muggle as I stand among them waiting for Iona.
And then I see her. She approaches with two other girls, but I barely notice them because my attention is fixed on my best friend. In just a few short weeks, her entire look has changed. Her hair is thrown up in a messy bun, and she’s sporting a retro patchwork jacket, ripped jeans, and combat boots. She looks incredible in the mismatched ensemble, and yet different from the lass I’ve known my whole life, who left Bannock not so very long ago.
Her face lights up when she spots me, and she sprints the rest of the way before launching herself into my arms. I hold her tight, breathing in the sweet, familiar smell of her strawberry shampoo.
“Lewis! It’s so good to see you. Three weeks—it’s the longest we’ve ever been apart.”
I pull back a little and smile down at her. “It’s good to see you too. You look amazing.”
“Aye? Well, you’re not so bad yourself. Oh! Let me introduce you.” She steps back and gestures to a tall girl with dark hair. “This is Charlotte. And this”,”—she signals a shorter girl with a beanie hat—“is Erin. They’re studying veterinary medicine too.”
“Nice to meet you both,” I say.
“And you,” Charlotte replies. “Iona has told us so much about you.”
“Er, she has?”
“Yep!” Erin nods eagerly. “She talks about you nonstop. It’s been very... illuminating.”
For some reason the pair of them giggle at this, and Iona rolls her eyes. It must be some sort of in-joke.
“Anyway, thanks for sharing your best mate with us.” Charlotte slings an arm around Iona. “She’s an absolute riot.”
“Yeah, after a few drinks, she’s a hero on the dance floor.” With zero shame, Erin recreates some of Iona’s moves for me. She throws her arms up and shimmies her shoulders, drops into a deep squat, then twirls with exaggerated elegance as though she were performing in a ballet.
“Stop it!” Iona laughs, hiding her face with her hands.
Wow, I thought I knew everything about Iona, but in just a few weeks Charlotte and Erin have already seen a side of her that I never have. I nudge her shoulder with my own. “You never did much dancing in Bannock. I’ve obviously been missing out.”
“You have!” Charlotte agrees. “Anyway, we’ll leave you two to catch up. Erin and I were just being nosy—we wanted to see you for yourselves.”
“Iona kept on going on about how handsome you are, so we had to come check you out,” Erin explains. “She wasn’t kidding. You are one good-looking guy.”
“ So good-looking,” Charlotte echoes.
I scratch behind my ear. “Er... thanks?” I’m not used to my appearance being openly assessed like this, like an animal at a livestock show.
“All right, it’s definitely past time you two left.” Iona shoos them away, and they laugh as they go, promising to have a proper chat with me another day.
I stick my hands in my pockets and grin at Iona. “They seem like fun.”
“They are! Quick question: would it be weird if I give you another hug?”
“Nope! Go for it.”
Her arms wrap around me, and it feels so nice having her close like this. I’ve missed her. I don’t know where we stand exactly—we’ve exchanged messages since she left for uni, but neither of us has brought up that night at the loch. Still, I’ll never turn down a hug from her.
“So,” she says when she finally disentangles herself, “let’s grab a bite to eat, then I can show you where my classes are and where I’m staying. Sound good?”
“Aren’t your classes in there?” I nod at Hogwarts.
“Nope, that was just an easy landmark for you to find—you can’t really miss it. Veterinary medicine is actually on a different campus, a little further out of the city. It’s on a huge estate with lots of greenery and woodland areas. I reckon a country boy like you will like it.”
“A country boy like me? Are you a city girl now?”
She winks. “Anyway, even though we don’t have classes here, Erin, Charlotte, and I are always visiting on account of all the cool pubs, cafés, and shops in this area. Let’s go find somewhere that does good grub.”
We sit in at an Italian place and feast on some delicious pizza. Iona does most of the talking, filling me in on everything that’s happened, both on her course and on her nights out and weekends. I’m happy to listen, not having nearly so much news to share. Bannock is much the same as it’s always been, save for the absence of Iona.
Afterwards we grab a bus to the other campus, which, just as Iona said, is set in a vast leafy park. She leads me to her halls of residence then up to her room, which is pretty compact, with a single bed, a desk cluttered with textbooks and stationery, and a wardrobe.
I plop down on the bed. “Well, I take it this is where I’ll be sleeping, me being the guest and all. You’ll be okay on the floor?”
“Always the gentleman.” Flopping down next to me, she sticks her tongue out.
I test the bed’s bounciness. “I imagine this has seen a lot of action since you got here. Am I right?”
“Oh, you know me—I take home a different guy every night. Sometimes two a night, when I’m really horny. Usually one after the other, but now and then, both at once. It depends on my mood.”
“The poor bed. How do you all fit?”
She grins. “Advanced acrobatics and a lot of imagination.”
“I’m impressed. Unless, of course, by ‘a lot of imagination’, you mean it’s all in your head.” I nudge her shoulder teasingly.
“Damn it, you saw right through me. Yes, the truth is, I still haven’t lost my V-card.”
I’m relieved by this news, but I try not to show it.
“I doubt you have either,” Iona adds.
“You’re right.” I sigh. “We’re both so utterly tragic. What if we grow old and wrinkly without ever having sex? If only there were a way to prevent that from happening...” I glance at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
She meets my gaze, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “Any suggestions?”
“Hmm . . . well . . .”
We’re obviously joking around, but how will she react if I take things a step further? Only one way to find out. I lean forward, moving my mouth tantalisingly close to hers but halting just before our lips touch. The ball is in her court—she can either close the gap or push me away.
She closes the gap, her lips meeting mine, and just like the last time, the kiss quickly becomes passionate, our tongues dancing and exploring. She edges closer, her tits pressing eagerly against my chest, her heartbeat syncing with mine, both of them pounding fast.
As before, I feel myself getting hard, only this time my cock gets trapped in my jeans as it grows. Wincing, I have to reach down and adjust myself. If there’s a subtle way of doing that, I’ve not learnt it—she notices, of course.
She giggles, breaking apart. “It never takes you long to get in the mood, does it?”
At the loch I was embarrassed, but I’m not today. In fact, when her eyes drift down, far from feeling self-conscious, a thrill shoots through me. I enjoy watching her study the contours of my jeans, like she’s trying to decipher a secret code. There’s curiosity in her gaze and perhaps a hint of amusement on her lips.
“We agreed it was a compliment, remember?” I remind her. “And anyway, your eyes aren’t complaining.” I can’t quite keep the smug tone out of my voice. She’s still not torn them away, and I’m revelling in her attention, experiencing a surge of masculine pride. Throughout most of my teens, erections have come at inopportune moments and have been things to conceal. There’s an exhilarating freedom in finally showing off my bulge without shame.
“Staring isn’t nearly as fun as touching,” I add cheekily.
It’s this that causes her to look up and meet my eye. I stare right back at her, holding her gaze, not backing down. I can’t quite believe I had the guts to say that, but my cock is straining against my jeans, aching for her touch.
Iona bites her lip, glances away for a moment, then makes eye contact again. “Lewis,” she says hesitantly, “did you know that in the animal kingdom it’s usually the male birds that are bright colours?” She pauses, as if second-guessing herself, then continues, “They’re also the ones who perform fancy dances to impress females.”
“Er... okay?” Given a million chances, I’d never have guessed she’d reply with that. Am I not thinking straight because all the blood in my body has gone south? What am I missing?
“If there’s going to be any touching involved, there’s something you need to do first.” She opens a drawer and takes a small packet out.
“A condom? Aye, no problem, I can put that on. Protection is a good idea.”
“It’s not just any condom. It’s... a glow-in-the-dark one.”
I raise an eyebrow and sit up a little straighter. “Aye? Why have you got that?”
“It was a present. From Erin. As a sort of... joke.”
“All right, you’re going to have to explain.”
“Well, Charlotte and Erin were sharing stories about things they’ve been getting up to since they got here—encounters with boys, I mean. Then they turned to me, and... being a virgin, I didn’t have a lot to discuss. But I felt I had to offer something , so I told them about how you kissed me at the loch. I mentioned that you got an erection and that we had a bit of a laugh about lightsabers.”
Ah, earlier Erin said something about how meeting me was quite “illuminating”. So that was another lightsaber pun.
“You told them about our night at the loch?”
She grins sheepishly. “Sorry! But honestly, compared to some of Charlotte and Erin’s anecdotes, mine was so tame. You got a hard-on—so what? It’s perfectly natural. Anyway, a couple of days after I told that story, Erin handed me this. She dared me to try to get you to put it on the next time I saw you. So I was thinking... ” She tosses me the condom, and instinctively I catch it. “How about it?”
“Wow, this is a bit... left-field. I’ve had a lot of sexual fantasies—many of them involving you, actually—though none have ever gone like this. But... okay, let’s say I put it on. Can we then get down to it?” I shoot her a mischievous smirk. That seems a fair deal to me.
“Not quite. Going back to my chat about male birds... the condom will give you the bright colour you need, but you’ll still have to perform a courtship display.” I frown in confusion, so she adds, “A dance, Lewis. In the dark. With the lights off. Just your... thing waving about.”
I throw my head back and laugh hard. “This is a wind-up, right? It’s a good one. Very funny.”
“It’s not a wind-up. But if you don’t want to do it, that’s fine. We can both remain sexually frustrated virgins. Your choice.”
I narrow my eyes, thinking through this incredibly strange offer. “All right, just hypothetically, let’s say I do this. Do we then get to... ‘mate’?”
“Well, maybe not mate —at least, not today. I’d rather work my way up to full-on sex. But I could definitely have some fun with... you know...” She nods at the bulge in my jeans.
A pulse of heat surges through me down there. I lick my lips, imagining her soft, warm hand wrapped around me, stroking and teasing me. Fuck!
“That sounds... good,” I say, struggling to keep my voice steady. “But it’s not enough. If I dance for you, your clothes will be coming off afterwards. I will strip you naked and inspect every inch of you. Every... inch. ” To drive my point home, I lower my gaze to her tits and drink them in, picturing how beautiful they’ll look when I unclasp her bra. Never before have I stared at them so brazenly, but given she openly studied my hard-on, it seems only fair.
“Deal.”
I glance back up to find a playful smile dancing on Iona’s lips. I blink, scarcely able to believe my luck. “Really?”
“Yes, but you have to go all out with the dance. I want to see some real creativity.”
Wow. If I’m going to get to see her naked, then making a fool of myself is a small price to pay. To hell with my dignity. Iona took a courageous step when she left her old life to come to Glasgow. Now it’s my turn to show I can be daring too—and also spontaneous, fun, and a little bit silly.
“All right, how does this thing work?” I lift the condom wrapper and inspect it.
Iona’s face lights up with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. “You’re really going to do it? This is going to be the best thing ever. So, you have to hold it up to a light for thirty seconds. Once you’ve done that, we get this room as dark as possible, and then... you can begin. Unless you chicken out, of course.”
“Not going to happen. But are you sure you want me to do this?”
I study her. Yes, there’s an eager, playful glint in her eyes, but this act—daft though it may be—will represent a major shift in the dynamic between us. If we go ahead with this, our relationship—one we’ve had our whole lives—will never be the same again.
“I’m sure,” Iona confirms.
“Okay, then let’s do it.”
I turn on Iona’s desk lamp then tear open the wrapper and hold the contents to the bulb. Iona, meanwhile, draws the curtains and shoves her dressing gown at the bottom of the door to block out any slivers of light. Once we’re ready, we flick a few switches, plunging the room into darkness... save for a green glow that shines from the wrapper in my hand.
“Wow, it’s really bright,” I say.
“Time to stick it on. And don’t just drop your jeans down to your knees or whatever. I want you to take everything off.”
I squint at her. I can just about make out her outline—she’s sitting on the bed—but nothing more.
“It’s not like we can see each other,” I say. “What difference does it make?”
“I want to know you’re naked, Lewis. And I’m the one setting the rules. You’re just the guy who has to follow them.”
I chuckle. “All right, fine.” I put the condom wrapper on the desk then kick off my trainers, yank off my socks, and pull my T-shirt over my head. I drop my jeans too then hesitate. What are you waiting for? I ask myself. Just do it! And so, taking a deep breath, I tug my boxer briefs down and discard them. Now I’m standing naked, just a few feet from Iona, with a throbbing erection.
“I can’t really see you,” Iona whispers, “but... I can tell you’re not wearing anything.” She giggles.
“If this is a practical joke, this is your last chance to say so. Otherwise, the condom is going on.”
“It’s not a joke, so stop stalling. Get it on your dick already.”
Her words send a thrill through me. Hearing her say “dick” instead of some euphemism is a total turn-on, and the fact she just commanded me to do something with it is scorching hot.
“All right. Here goes nothing.” I remove the condom from the wrapper, position it at the tip of my erection, then carefully roll it down my length.
There’s a sharp intake of breath followed by stunned silence.
“Bloody hell,” I murmur, glancing down. “My cock looks radioactive.”
At this, Iona erupts into laughter—rolling waves of it that fill the room. “It does!” She gasps for breath. “You know, in the opening of The Simpsons , how Homer leaves the nuclear reactor with a glowing rod stuck in his clothes? It looks just like that!” She’s laughing so hard it almost sounds like she’s crying.
I don’t quite know how to react. Do I join in with her laughter? This whole situation is utterly ridiculous, but I know Iona well enough to be confident she’s not mocking me. She’s just having a good giggle, and that’s okay, I suppose.
“No need to put on a hazmat suit before touching it,” I offer.
“Oh, good one!” Iona’s silhouette inches closer. Is she coming in for a better look? “It’s kind of... big,” she observes.
“Aye?” In the dark, my chest puffs.
“I mean, I’ve nothing to compare it against, but... it’s bigger than I imagined it would be. Crap, I shouldn’t have said that. I can’t see your face, but I can already sense the smugness radiating from you.”
“I feel like a footballer who’s just scored a hat-trick,” I confess. Her approval causes some primal part of me to surge with pride—an instinctual, almost caveman-like satisfaction in knowing that she’s impressed by my size. “Now you strip.”
“What? No way! My clothes aren’t coming off until you strut your stuff.”
Shit, I forgot about that.
“All right, but...” Maybe it’s too late to redefine the terms of our deal, but I decide to try. “I don’t just want to see you naked,” I confess. “If I do this, I want to touch you too.” In the safety of darkness, it’s a lot easier to admit this desire than if I were looking my best friend in the eye.
“You won’t be seeing or doing anything unless you start dancing,” she points out. “And I’m growing impatient.”
“Fine,” I mutter, steeling my nerves. “But you better brace yourself because this performance is going to blow your mind.”
And so, squaring my shoulders, I begin my courtship display.