Tybalt and Juliet Ch. 12

-

"You worked at the Stables long?" Simon asked. We'd stopped at the top of the escarpment to give the horses a long drink.

I shook my head. "It's my first day!"

He gave me a quizzical look.

"It was meant to be the owner and her son working today, but they had a family emergency, so they've gone up to Sheffield. Amy got called in on her day off and I'm from the farm next door, so I said I'd lend a hand. They'd have had to cancel your hack otherwise."

"Well thanks," said Julie. "I hope they're going to pay you!"

"Yes, they'll pay me," I replied. "I signed a contract very quickly this morning!"

I took a swig of water.

"You guys students?" I asked.

Simon nodded. "Yeah, Julie's at Exeter, I'm at Bristol. We're starting our third years now. You?"

"Starting at Cambridge in October," I said, trying not to sound too smug. But my curiosity had been piqued. Exeter and Bristol were about an hour apart by train - the two of them were in a long-distance relationship, as Amy and I would soon be.

"Sorry," I said, a little nervously "I don't wanna pry, but how do you guys manage? I mean, being at different unis? It's just my girlfriend and I, well, we'll be in the same boat soon."

A broad smile broke out across Julie's face. "Is it Amy?" she asked excitedly.

I blushed and nodded.

"I knew it!" she laughed, jabbing her boyfriend in the ribs. "You're cooking tonight!"

Simon grimaced and gave his girlfriend a sideways look. "We were together, what, eighteen months before we went to uni?" he said.

Julie nodded. "And I guess we'd heard how so many couples split up when they leave school. And we realised that if we wanted to stay together, we'd have to work at it and compromise far more than we'd ever done before."

"So we said we'd see each other two weekends out of three," Simon continued, "but we also said we'd try to do something together away from both unis, on one weeknight each week."

"And we both did Art A level at school, so we go to a watercolour group in Taunton - halfway between us. We have a meal together in a restaurant every Wednesday, spend two hours painting, then get on different trains back home."

"And we both ride, obviously," he added, "so a couple of times a term we go for a hack at a riding school near Tiverton. Actually there's a group of us who normally go - all couples, but, well, we might be the only couple left now." He gave a wry smile.

I nodded. "And did you find it easy to keep the routine going?"

Julie thought for a moment, she smiled. "I think we realised that as soon as we skipped a week, we'd skip another, then another and we'd end up drifting apart. Sometimes it's really hard to get on the train on a Friday night at the end of a long week, but I know if I don't, I won't get to Bristol until Saturday lunchtime at the earliest and that's a big chunk of the weekend gone."

Simon put his arm round his girlfriend. "The middle of the first year was hardest, but once we got through that, it was much easier. We're closer now than ever before."

"And happier," Julie added, kissing him on the cheek.

"Don't take each other for granted Jake," Simon said. "But if you put in the leg work and it's meant to be, you'll stay together."

-

Amy's POV

The third birthday party of the day had just finished. I was exhausted - 'knackered' as Jake would say.

The first one, Emma Curran and her friends, had been fine, but the two events in the afternoon for the eight-year olds, they were more stressful than anything else I'd done at the Stables.

There'd been the usual squabbles about who was going to ride which pony, but fortunately none of them had fallen off. You needed eyes in the back of your head for the younger ones. That was the worst thing, having the parents watching you from the side line, waiting to blame you if something went wrong. I couldn't ever understand how Jackie was so blasé about them.

The ponies had had enough as well. They'd almost overheated over the course of the afternoon, so I'd led them round to the back of one of the barns to stand in the shade and to cool them down under the hose pipe.

I glanced across the paddock towards the farm fields beyond. I could see three figures emerging from the heat, leading their horses towards the Stables. It was Jake and the two students.

The two boys were bare chested and had slung their riding tops over their shoulders. Simon was good looking, no mistaking that. His pale skin glistened with sweat and his pecs were well defined. There was a rugged wiriness to him, from the tight curls of his black hair to the lean sweep of his stomach. A body that most of the boys at school would have envied - and rightly so.

But Jake was something else.

Six feet of blond, manly magnificence; perfection from his broad shoulders to his muscular thighs. His skin was lightly tanned, a soft bronze which glowed like the polished armour of a demigod and his cheeks shone with the rosy hue, radiating strength and confidence.

A shiver of electricity ran through me and I felt the heat rising in my core. I was horny, so horny for him.

My eyes slipped lower to the bulge in his jodhpurs. How I wanted to drag him into one of the hay stores and impale myself on that glorious cock.

I sighed inwardly in frustration. I took a few deep breaths, fighting to bring my urges under control.

"Good hack?" I called.

"Yeah it was great," Simon replied. "Very hot though."

"We walked the final mile to let the horses cool down," added Julie.

The three of them had reached the back of the barn and were tying up their horses in the shade. My boyfriend gave me a beaming smile.

"Can you put the tackle away?" I asked Jake, fully aware of the double entendre.

"I'll give you a hand," said Simon, collecting up the helmets as my boyfriend lifted the saddles. The men disappeared round the corner of the barn.

"Can I do anything to help?" asked Julie, standing a little awkwardly as the horses started to drink.

"Actually, if you could help me take the ponies back to their field, that would be great," I replied. Then we can give the horses a wash and a rub down."

We grabbed two ponies each and began to lead them away from the paddock.

"You are one lucky girl Amy," said Julie, flashing an envious smile across at me.

I looked at her quizzically, not sure what she meant.

"Jake," she explained.

"Oh," I felt myself blushing. "He told you?" I felt a little confused and uncomfortable - Jake was normally super-discreet about our relationship, it was very unlike him to blab. He knew how I liked to keep things like that private.

"Well, we guessed, but yeah, he said you were going out when we asked."

I smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm really lucky," I agreed.

"You been together long?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Not really," I replied, a little uneasy with the direction that the conversation appeared to be heading in. "Six months - since Easter. It still feels very new. I wish we'd seen more of each other over the summer, but we've both had jobs. This is the first day we've worked together - he's normally up at the Campsite over the other side of the village."

"That chest!" she said, a little too dreamily for my liking, "I mean Si's pretty fit, but Jake - wow! And he's two years younger."

One of the ponies snorted as if in agreement.

I blushed again. I certainly didn't feel comfortable discussing my boyfriend's body with someone I'd only just met. I wasn't good enough for Jake, I knew that, Julie wasn't helping.

"And what he keeps in those jodhpurs, wow!"

I looked down, wishing she'd shut up. If she hadn't been a customer, I'd have snapped back at her and told her to mind her own business.

Julie looked across at me, maybe she realised she'd overstepped the mark. "Sorry Amy, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm not going to try and steal him off you!"

I smiled weakly. "No it's OK, I didn't think that. It's just we're going to different unis soon and, well, there's gonna be all these super-smart girls in Cambridge and, well, I'm worried he'll forget all about me. I've been trying to pretend for so long that I'm not in love with him, but I really am. I'm just frightened what's gonna happen next. He's perfect. Everyone can see that - even someone like you who's only just met him."

We reached the field where the ponies lived and removed their bridles to release them. They made a swift dash to the shade.

We turned to head back to the Stables and Julie put her arm across my shoulder.

"Has Jake ever cheated on you?" she asked, breaking the silence with the most direct question.

I shook my head, looking up at her in alarm at her intrusive questioning. "No, never."

"Other girlfriends before you?"

"No, I'm his first," I replied. "The girls at school thought he might be gay - he was that uninterested in them."

There was a pause, then Julie spoke again.

"Si and I have been together for four years. Two years ago, when we left school, I felt exactly the same way you do now. He's at Bristol, I'm at Exeter. I thought there was no way we'd last being at different unis. But we have. No, it hasn't been easy, but we're even more in love with each other now."

"Do you live together?" I asked.

Julie shook her head. "No. We're about an hour away from each other by train, the same as you and Jake will be. I know it feels such a long way at the moment, but it's nothing - it really isn't any distance at all."

"Really?" I asked. Maybe this was a lot more doable that I thought.

"Have you talked to Jake about it?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, we should have done," I began. "But, well, it's been a really difficult summer and I suppose we're just trying to live in the moment while we can."

"Oh!" said Julie quietly, as if doubting her earlier optimism.

"Did you see the scar on his arm?" I asked.

Julie nodded. "It must have been a pretty bad cut, and not long ago, by the looks of it."

"He was stabbed, back at the end of June - after our prom," I said quietly. "I was with him."

"Oh no!" Julie exclaimed in horror. "Who did it?"

"One of the other boys at school. He was drunk and he'd worked himself up into a fit of jealously," I explained. "He's on remand in a young offenders' institution. The trial won't be till next year."

"I'm so sorry," said Julie, shaking her head.

"We've just had to take each day as it comes. We just haven't been ready to talk about being split up at uni yet."

We were nearing the paddock again. Jake and Simon had moved the three horses round to the side of the barn and were showering them with cool water from the hosepipes.

"Jake loves you," said Julie simply. "We could tell, just by the way he was watching you. And the two of you, if you've come through all that, you'll be together for a long time, I know you will."

-

Jake was waiting for me in the car while I locked up the stables; I always kept him waiting. Jackie had phoned to talk about the bookings for the next few days.

"Sorry that took so long," I said as I jumped into the passenger seat. I kissed him on the cheek.

I was expecting him to turn the key in the ignition, but he didn't. He turned and smiled at me, a dreamy look in his eyes.

"You OK?" I asked.

"I was just thinking how much I love you," he said. "I really do. You were amazing today."

I felt myself blushing. "I love you too. I couldn't have done it without you."

He moved his hand up to brush my hair away from my face. We kissed deeply. I felt myself beginning to tingle.

He broke the kiss and he pressed his forehead against mine. His deep blue eyes mesmerised me. I was under his spell. He stroked my cheek tenderly. We kissed once more, then he turned and started the engine.

"How's Jackie?" he asked.

"She's OK," I replied. "But she's not going to be back tomorrow unfortunately."

"Oh no," he said. "So do you need me again? I don't have to be at the Campsite until two, so I can be with you up until lunchtime."

"Could you?" I asked. "I mean, we'd have to check with Jackie, but that would really help."

"Of course," he replied. He eased the car into gear and we edged out into the road.

"How was the hack?" I asked as innocently as I could. I was a little annoyed that Simon and Julie had found out that Jake and I were a couple and I wanted to get to the bottom of what he'd told them.

"It was fine," he replied. "They were both very good riders, much better than me in fact. We could have just given them their horses and a map and sent them off."

"You are a really good rider," I reassured him.

"Well, not really," Jake answered. "I've only ridden once since the end of May - that was with you on A level results day. I'm really out of practice. We had to take it easy because of the heat, but on a cooler day they might have got frustrated with how slow I was."

Jake was being modest of course, but I let it go.

"They worked out we were an item," he volunteered.

"How did they do that," I asked feigning surprise.

"I don't know," he replied. "I think Julie's the sort of person who makes it her business to notice things like that. There are a fair few people like that round here - no matter how hard you try, you let a clue or two slip."

"Hmm," I murmured non-committally.

"How were the last two birthday parties?" Jake asked, not noticing my displeasure.

"Exhausting," I replied. "You need eyes in the back of your head with the little ones. It was the ponies I felt sorry for - they can't cope with this heat."

We were approaching the roundabout on the ring road and I stayed quiet to let Jake concentrate on the traffic. Once we were clear of the junction, he spoke again.

"You going to miss the Stables?"

I nodded. "Yes, I think so. I don't know what I'd have done without it this summer. And Jackie's been such an amazing boss - so understanding." I paused. "What about you and the farm? You've lived there all your life."

"Yeah, I suppose," Jake replied. "I think I'm ready for a change though," he added. "Mum says that there'll be so much going on at Cambridge that I won't give the farm a second thought. I'm not sure that's true though."

"She's really going to miss you, your Mum," I stated.

"I think so," he said quietly, "Dad will too. I know he doesn't really say much and doesn't show his emotions, but I think it's gonna hit him quite hard. Especially when I'm not around for milking in the mornings - it's good to have the company when you're getting up before sunrise!"

Jake was right. I remembered the first time I'd met his parents, when I'd been invited to lunch at the farmhouse on Easter Saturday. I'd expected his dad to have a similar character to his son, but he was much quieter, almost shy. Jake had inherited much of his personality from his mum, that was clear, but shared his father's wry sense of humour.

When Jake had been injured, it had been his mum who'd been calm and had taken the attack in her stride. But his dad's face had been the epitome of agitation, his brow deeply creased with concern and anxiety. He'd insisted on remaining by his son's side through that first night, despite the hospital staff trying their best to discourage him.

And then, much to Jake's embarrassment, after A level results day and his university place was confirmed, his dad had told everyone he met that his son was going to Cambridge. The whole world, not just the village, knew how clever Jake was and what he'd achieved!

I sighed inwardly, conflicted. Jake's dad was so proud of him. I felt a little wistful. I had so many reasons to hate my own father, but deep down I hoped he'd have been proud of me.

"You OK?" Jake asked, shaking me from my inner thoughts. He turned the car into my road.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Sorry, just a bit tired after today. I need a cold drink and a cool shower."

-

I could hear the sound of running water as I tidied the dining room, clearing away the dirty glasses and cutlery from our meal the night before. Jake had looked a little disappointed when I'd dispatched him upstairs for the first shower after we'd arrived back, but I wanted a little time on my own for almost the first time that day, partly so that I could eliminate any visible trace of our amorous activities of the previous evening, but also to process, to take stock of the fact that I was no longer a virgin.

Although Jake had been as tender as he possibly could, having sex had hurt, a lot. I knew it would - my boyfriend was big. Thick, long and big. I'd imagined the first time would feel like being stabbed with a baseball bat, but it was a stinging, pinching sensation, not the bruising blows of a blunt weapon. Jake wasn't attacking me, his actions weren't the source of my discomfort, no the pain was the futile revenge of the innocence that I was casting aside.

I'd kinda expected to feel different when I woke up, as if released from my childhood bonds like a butterfly leaving its chrysalis. Maybe I wanted to feel different too. But I didn't, I really didn't. Perhaps that was a disappointment; the busy, unexpected day at work had felt much like any other. Jake was with me of course, but things had been so hectic, we'd hardly spoken and when we had, I'd been telling him what to do.

I picked up his shirt from the chair where I'd partially undressed him the previous evening, clutching the soft cotton against my bosom. I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent - intoxicating; I shook with anticipation.

I thought back to the previous weekend, when Jake had stayed over after James' party. Mum had heard us fooling around in the sitting room. I'd drunk a little too much that evening - that had been deliberate. Then, uninhibited, I'd changed into my new lace nightie and had jumped on Jake as he'd returned from brushing his teeth.

It had been such a special night - Jake had explored me with his mouth, caressing my lips with his tongue. Then I'd begged him to push his finger inside me for the first time. I'd cum so hard, shrieking and wheezing into the folded T-shirt he'd given me to hold over my mouth. No wonder we'd woken Mum up.

Then I'd dragged him to his feet, kneeling before him to take his glorious cock in my mouth, stretching out my neck. I'd retched and choked as the fat purple head had begun to slide down my throat - that was when I saw it - those bright blue eyes glazing over, surrendering to lust. Jake, the gentlest, kindest, most conscientious teenage boy, had lost control; had lost control, because of me.

I'd demanded that he cum on me, that he paint my face with his eruption. I'd felt his seed pooling against my nose, dripping down my cheeks to my waiting tongue. Then I'd taken him into my mouth again, sucking his cock clean. He'd bent down to kiss me, tasting himself, thanking me, loving me.

Mum hadn't said anything the following morning, but after lunch, once Jake had left, she'd dragged me into the sitting room to talk. She wasn't angry - just very disappointed. Disappointed that I'd spent the night with Jake, while the twins had been asleep upstairs. Disappointed that we'd flouted her rule. Disappointed that we hadn't waited until we were alone with no possibility of being disturbed.

And she blamed me. She knew me as she knew herself. She knew it was me who'd instigated it, the one who'd corrupted Jake. She'd found the lace nightie and knew I'd planned it all. My boyfriend was a saint as far as she was concerned - he'd never have suggested having sex downstairs with the rest of the family up in bed. She'd hoped we'd used protection.

And that was my cue to surprise her. Mum had been astonished when I'd told her that I was still a virgin. She'd assumed that Jake and I had planned our weekend in Dorset to have sex for the first time. I told her proudly that I'd wanted to wait until I was sure that the time and person were right. Yes, we'd played around a little, but Jake had never once complained that we hadn't gone far enough or tried to push me into taking the next step.