WARNING: This includes sexually explicit material.
Please note any unfamiliar spellings and phrases may be due to the
fact I am English, not American.
I would like to thank Morgan for all his help
Any and all comments, including constructive criticisms, would be
most appreciated. Please send to artemis55@hotmail.com
This work is copyrighted by the author. You may download and keep
one copy for your personal use as long as my byline and e-mail
address and this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting or
reposting on a website or to a newsgroup requires my permission
first (but I'll probably say yes). This should not, under any
circumstances be used to make a profit by anyone other than the author
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IOU
Chapter 2
Ellie looked at Carl in stunned disbelief. "Have you kept this all
these years?"
"No. Yes. Not on purpose at first. I found it when I moved into
Jim's room when he joined the army. And I kept it ever since just
in case."
"Just in case what?" Ellie demanded, trying not to shriek at him.
"Just in case you might honour it." He lifted his head for the first
time since he had given her the IOU. "It's okay. I didn't really
expect you to say 'yes'. But I had to ask just in case there was a
chance."
"This is insane. Next you'll be telling me you've avoided having sex
on the off chance I'd go through with this." Carl turned bright
and began staring at the table again. "Come off it. You don't need me
to tell you that you're cute. I refuse to believe that in the last six
years no has come on to you."
"Well of course I've had girlfriends. I've just never, you know, gone
all the way."
"Why not? Please don't tell me it was because of this IOU." Carl just
shuffled in his seat. Ellie glared at him in baffled silence. "I
don't get it. This just doesn't make sense. Why are you so fixated on
going to bed with me?"
"Are you kidding? There's not one male in this town - in this county
probably - who wouldn't do anything he could for the chance to go to
bed with you." He grinned at her, getting a bit of his confidence
back. "Come on, you don't need me to tell you that you're drop-dead
gorgeous."
"Don't think flattery will help you." Ellie told him severely.
"Look, I know I've sprung this on you. And I know there's probably not
a snowball's chance in hell you're going to go to bed with me. But can
you just take one day to think it over before you tell me to get lost.
Please?"
"Okay, if that'll make you happy."
"Thanks Ellie. You're brilliant."
"Hmm, well you're a toe-rag. Go on, get out of here, Carl."
Elli spent the rest of the day pottering around the house, trying to
give it a more lived in atmosphere, but throughout the day Carl's
surprising proposition kept nagging at her. In the end she gave up and
went round to Lizzy's earlier than they had planned.
Lizzy was helping her get things ready in the shop. Ellie lent
a hand, the familiar tasks comforting in a strange way. Dragging the
potato sacks into the back and filling the machines didn't leave much
breath for talking so Ellie had to wait until they were sat at the
bench preparing the vegetables. Then she found she had no idea how to
bring the subject up. Fortunately Lizzy unwittingly led the
conversation where Ellie wanted it to go.
"So are you looking forward to meeting Beth's boyfriend tonight?"
"Of course I am. Do you think we'll like him?" Ellie asked.
"Well, if he's the way Beth described he's a demigod and we'll have to
fall down and worship him."
"Don't be mean, Lizzy. She's always like this when she gets a new
man."
"Sorry. It's just that she always sees the worlds through
rose-coloured glasses. No is ever as wonderful as she thinks he is
in the beginning"
"I know. This has been going on for nearly ten months though. It
could be serious this time," Ellie pointed out
"You never can tell. I thought you and Tim were going to be together
forever. I couldn't believe it when you said it was over."
"To be honest neither could I," Ellie replied, trying to smile.
"Oh Ellie I'm sorry," Lizzy said contritely. "I thought it had been a
mutual thing."
"I know, I tried to give that impression. That's pride for you. I
didn't want to say he dumped me."
"That's what friends are for though Ellie. Giving you a shoulder to
cry on and telling you that he wasn't worthy of you."
"I know," Ellie blinked back the tears. "I'm still a bit raw though.
He seemed to presume that I knew I was just something to keep him
amused while he was at Uni'. Turns out he had a girlfriend back home
all along."
"What! But you've been going out with him for the best part of two
years. He could have mentioned it somewhere along the line."
"I know. I really thought he was the one, Lizzy. I would have done
anything he wanted." Despite her best efforts the tears were trickling
down Ellie's face. Lizzy put down her knife and got some tissue to
wipe them away.
"It's okay, Ellie. You're better off without him. Of course you don't
think that now, but you will."
"I know. I don't know what's wrong with me. I always seem to pick the
losers. Every I know seems to turn into a bastard as soon as he
gets near me. Even Carl. He was such a sweet kid, and now I've not
been near him for ten minutes and he's trying to get me into bed with
him."
"Carl! Carl Robinson, Beth's little brother!" Lizzy exclaimed. "You
can't be serious."
"He is," Ellie told her. She looked over at Lizzy's mum who was busy
chopping meat. "How much English does your mum know now?" she asked,
not really wanting to go into details in front of her.
"She knows now." Lizzy realised why Ellie was asking. "Don't
worry, she's not listening to us, she's got her Walkman on. Come on
tell me all about it."
"He's got this IOU I gave him, it must be about six years ago. I
promised to go to bed with him if he was still a virgin when he was
eighteen. So now he's eighteen and he wants me to go through with it,"
Ellie explained.
"You're telling me Carl is still a virgin?" Lizzy asked sceptically
"From what he told me, yes."
"How do you know he's telling the truth?"
"Well I don't," Ellie admitted slowly. "But he seemed truthful enough.
You know his ears always used to turn bright when he lied."
"He might have grown out of that." Lizzy pointed out.
"Do you think he would have lied?"
"If he had a chance to go to bed with you? Yeah I think he would lie
through his teeth. I would think you would just about fulfil any
teenage boy's fantasy."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Ellie inquired suspiciously.
"Whichever you'd like it to be. You look more like Pamela Anderson
than Pamela Anderson does."
"I thought she had blue eyes."
"I'm sure if she had the choice she would prefer to have green eyes
like yours."
"I think you're insulting me. I don't know if calling me Pamela
Anderson is a step up or a step down from calling me a Barbie doll."
"Oh come on, you like that look. I bet you've got a swimsuit
exactly like the Baywatch ones."
"I might have," Ellie admitted, laughing. "Still doesn't change the
fact you meant it as an insult."
"Got you laughing though, so it was worth it. Anyway, what are you
going to do about Carl?"
"I don't know. What if he has stayed a virgin just on the off chance
I'd honour my IOU? It's a big compliment, in a weird kind of way."
"Yeah but it doesn't obligate you. After all when you signed that IOU
you didn't intend to have sex with him."
"I might have subconsciously wanted to." Ellie suggested. "He's
always been very cute."
"So what are you going to do?" repeated Lizzy.
"I'm not sure. Try to figure out a way to see if he is still a virgin,
I guess."
"And if he is?"
"Then I think I might just do it. Does that make me a slut?"
"No," Lizzy answered. "It just makes you soft-hearted. What I want to
know is what you're going to tell Beth"
"As little as possible. Speaking of Beth, you'd better hurry up with
those water chestnuts. She'll be here soon and neither of us are
ready."
It had been a long time since Ellie had been out on the town with Lizzy
and Beth. The three of them together formed a study in contrasts that
turned most men's heads. Lizzy was small and dainty, with big dark
eyes and shiny black hair cut in a short bob. Ellie was the complete
opposite with her tall curvy figure and mane of wavy hair. Beth
fitted comfortably halfway between them in height, streaking her brown
hair whatever colour took her fancy. Squashed in the back of Carl's
rusty Ford Escort on the way to Newcastle they were soon giggling
together like schoolchildren.
The evening quickly became a blur to Ellie. People she only half
remembered were hugging her and buying her drinks. They went from one
smoky over-packed pub to another, pausing once for fish and chips, as
they worked their way down the Quayside. Somewhere along the way Ellie
had lost sight of Beth and her boyfriend, but Carl and Lizzy were still
with her. They made their way into yet another pub to find that this
one was having a '70's night. Lizzy was at once asked to dance and
gestured wildly at Ellie to follow her onto the dance floor. More than
willing, Ellie grabbed Carl and joined her. Neither of the left
the dance floor for the next hour or so as they went from partner to
partner, some of them dressed in bizarre '70's costumes. Eventually
they decided they had had enough and they joined the queue for the
toilets.
As usual the majority of the were more interested in the mirror
than the facilities but Ellie finally managed to elbow her way to the
front. The next to her was obviously drunk and leaning heavily on
Ellie.
"Hey don't I know you?" she asked groggily.
"You might do," Ellie answered briefly as she washed her hands.
"Weren't you dancing with Carl Robinson?" the drunk persisted.
"I did for a bit, yes."
"You're wasting your time with that one," the told her
confidentially. "I used to go out with him, you know." Ellie's eyes
met Lizzy's in the mirror, as they both suddenly became interested.
"What's wrong with him?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know. No one knows. He just won't give it up. He told me at
the beginning he wouldn't but I just thought he was shy. Six months I
tried but I just couldn't get him to fuck me."
"Maybe he didn't fancy you, you cow," another interjected
aggressively. "If you've finished get out the way, will you. There's
people waiting back here."
"Cow yourself. Anyway it wasn't just me. There's not one of his
girlfriends ever got him into bed."
"So maybe he's gay. Who cares, just move."
"I've finished," Ellie said quickly, hoping to avert the fight that
seemed to be brewing.
"Me too," added Lizzy and they both thankfully wriggled their way out
of the crush.
"Well that was a piece of luck, meeting one of Carl's ex-girlfriends
like that." Ellie observed.
"Do you think she was telling the truth?" inquired Lizzy.
"Yes, don't you? After all she had no reason to lie and I don't think
she would have been capable of it, the state she was in."
"So now you reckon he's a virgin are you really going to pay your IOU?"
"I think I will. I hate being in debt, you know." Ellie laughed
recklessly.
"Well that's as good an excuse as any, I guess." Lizzy remarked. "Now
all you have to do is tell him."
The pubs and clubs were all beginning to close so they all began to
make their way back to their cars. It was easy enough for Ellie to
have a few private words with Carl as they waited for all the
passengers to arrive.
"I've decided to do it," she told him abruptly.
"Do what?" he asked bemusedly.
"Redeem my IOU," she giggled, the alcohol in her system temporarily
removing her inhibitions. "Take you to my bed and take your virginity.
Fulfil every wet dream you've ever had." He swallowed hard, staring
mesmerised into her eyes.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Very. Come round tomorrow evening to my house, and don't forget the
IOU."
All the way home Carl's eyes kept meeting Ellie's in the rear-view
mirror. He seemed unable to believe she was serious. In her slightly
intoxicated state Ellie found this very amusing. She kept giving him
teasing smiles, running her tongue provocatively over her lips, then
dissolving into giggles. She was still laughing to herself when she
unlocked the front door. There was something different in the
atmosphere of the house that sobered her up. She kicked off her shoes
and padded through the downstairs rooms, trying to work out what it
was. At last she realised what had changed. The vases full of bright
flowers that she had arranged to alleviate the monochrome décor had all
been removed. There was only one conclusion to draw: her had
returned home. She would have to cancel her plans for the following
evening.
Copyright 1998 Vickie Morgan
E-mail artemis55@hotmail.com
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