Growing Up

Ted staggered back against the wall, hurting his shoulder on a towel rack. He stared at her angry face…and withered.

"I wouldn't hurt you for the world," he said, tears standing in his eyes. "I would sooner cut off my arm than hurt you intentionally. I didn't know it would hurt."

Anna stared at him, but the anger faded from her eyes. She sighed. "You didn't hurt me, Ted. You fucked me, and you did a great job. You taught me what an orgasm feels like, and what it feels like to make love. But it did hurt. It hurt a lot, and it still hurts."

Ted helped Anne down and she sat on the toilet. He gathered their clothes, then dressed himself quickly and cleaned their mess from the counter and floor. Anne dressed, but couldn't tie her shoes, so he did it for her. Then he left her in the bathroom when she asked him to and returned to the garage.

Ron was still sprawled on the couch, snoring, and Max was sitting at the table, reading. Max looked up as Ted walked in and his eyes narrowed.

"You better clean up, Dude," he said, "You smell like you just left a whorehouse." Then he smiled. "Congratulations."

Ted waved off the praise and stumbled out into the alley for a cigarette. He was going to reflect on his experience, decide what the best thing to do would be, but by the time he stepped on his second cigarette butt he hadn't thought of a single thing.

He walked into the garage and saw Anne sitting in a chair with Max up next to her, his arm around her. Rage and jealousy raced through him and he cleared his throat.

"Calm down, Cowboy," Max laughed. "I was just explaining to your new lady love that she's going to have to take it easy for a while," he said. "Believe it or not, I've had a little experience with this sort of thing, and you two are probably the best match up I've ever seen."

Ted sat in the chair Max had left and held Anne. He whispered to her, whispered about how much she already meant to him, and how sorry he was that she was hurting. Anne looked up at him and smirked. "You see if you aren't a little uncomfortable if I cram a monster like you got up your ass. You think that might smart a little?"

When Ted looked stricken, she patted his leg. "No, Sport. You didn't hurt me. It was great! I've never imagined pleasure like that before, not even in my dreams. But you kind of changed my body around, and it's going to take some getting used to."

Max came back in and sat down again with his book. After a few minutes, he put it down again. "Why don't you two go back to Ted's place and enjoy the rest of the weekend in privacy?" When Ted made noises about the game, Max continued. "Look, this is a game we play because we don't have a real life. Yeah, it's fun. And we'll probably be playing again real soon, but right now, you've got some real living to do. Real life."

Leaving his books, dice, and papers on the table, Ted put his arm around Anne and walked her to his car. He opened the door for her and when she was settled, he closed it. He walked around to the driver's side and looked back at the garage.

Max stood silhouetted in the doorway watching them leave. He waved, and then closed the door.

Ted got into the car and started the engine, letting it warm up. He put his hand on the gear shift, and Anne put her hand on top of his.

As he pulled away from the curb, Ted thought about what he was feeling. He was pretty sure he was in love with Anne. Somewhere deep inside there was a regret that the game was over, but he had a feeling the adventure was just beginning.

He felt like an adult. He felt like he had grown up.

________________________

I invite everyone to send me feedback on this story. All input, good or negative, is welcome, as long as it is honest.