My Good Girl 9

"What would you decide in my place?" Lilly asked, frowning, her azure eyes looking up at me questioningly.

I heaved a sigh. "Lilly, you have to make that choice yourself. I can't decide for you; you must do what you feel best about."

Lilly dropped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. "But I don't know!" Her voice sounded plaintive. I chuckled because I had expected her answer. I knew Lilly through and through; we had grown up together. We had met in the gymnastics club, and even though she was two years younger than me, we had clicked from the first moment. We had been inseparable ever since. Coincidentally, we lived just a few hundred metres from each other, so we hung out regularly outside training sessions.

Lilly had just turned eighteen, finished high school and now had to choose what to study. But, as always, she wavered between what her parents expected of her and what she wanted.

Her parents wanted her to study medicine, just as they had done. Lilly, on the other hand, had a passion for photography. In my opinion, the choice was obvious, but I knew her parents would never approve.

"What is your greatest passion, and can you major in it?" I asked nonchalantly, knowing what her answer would be.

Lilly lifted her head and looked at me sadly. Even with this facial expression, I realised Lilly was quite pretty. "Damn it, Jim, you know the answer to that question, and you also know that my parents would never agree to that." Lilly sat up straight and crossed her legs underneath her. She sighed again.

I shrugged. "It's your life, Lilly." I replied quietly.

"That's easy for you to say. Your parents themselves would even agree should you not study." I could hear the jealousy in Lilly's voice; she lowered her head. Her shoulder-length blonde hair fell in front of her face, hiding her expression.

I sighed again, sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulder. She was right; my parents supported every decision I made, no matter how absurd. Lilly rested her head on my shoulder. "Would they agree to your choice if you could prove that your studies did offer prospects?" I asked in a calm tone.

Lilly lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me questioningly. "How do you propose to do that?" She sounded hopeful.

Frowning, I thought, something I should have done better before asking the question. I could see that I had given Lilly hopes that I might not be able to fulfil. I decided to answer playfully. "You take some nude photos, and we sell them on some websites. I'm sure you can make some money from that."

Lilly looked at me in surprise; it took her a moment to realise I didn't mean what I said. Then, she laughed and playfully pushed me away when it dawned on her. "You're an idiot!"

The force of her shove made me lose my balance. I held her shoulder tightly and pulled her along in my fall. Lilly let out a scream as we both fell backwards. Lilly half landed on my chest; I let my hands slide to her ribs and started tickling her. "I'm just trying to help, you know." Replied I playfully again.

Lilly cackled. She fought to get out of my grip. "Stop it!" She Brought out in her laughter.

I smiled and stopped tickling her. Lilly looked at me, smiling before she laid her head on my shoulder and nestled against me. Then, with a deep sigh, she said. "What would I do without you?"

I hugged her and pulled her close. Lilly responded by putting her leg over my hip and taking a firm hold of me. "Presumably going to study medicine?" I said softly. Lilly sighed, and although I couldn't see her face, I knew she was turning her eyes.

I laid my head against hers and breathed in the minty scent of her shampoo. I could enjoy these moments endlessly. Then again, it was the only form of female affection I had. I was not exactly popular with the opposite sex. My looks probably played a part in that. I looked somewhat nerdy. But the most prominent cause was that I was socially incapable in front of people I didn't know.

We cuddled for about ten minutes before Lilly broke the silence. "You're right, it's my life, and I should study what I like." She raised her head and looked at me. "Will you help me convince my parents?" She had a pleading look in her eyes

I smiled at her. "Of course, you know I will do everything I can to help you."

A smile formed around her lips that made my entire being glow. "Thank you." She brought out softly before laying her head back on my chest.

#1 week later #

"It's the first time I saw them excited about photography," Lilly said euphorically. "Your idea of taking a holiday job with a photographer was perfect. It's like they finally realise that you can make a living of it!" The smile on Lilly's lips was heartwarming. It had been a long time since I had seen her so happy.

"So they agreed that you will study photography?" I asked curiously.

Lilly nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, on the condition. That I'll study medicine anyway if I don't get a job after my studies within the month."

I looked at her in surprise. "That deal doesn't seem fair; it's not easy to find a job immediately these days."

Lilly shrugged; my comment did not dampen her enthusiasm. "At least there's a chance!"

I smiled at her. "There is," I replied, grabbed Lilly's hand, and dragged her into the coffee bar we had just passed. "Come, let's drink one on that." Said I cheerfully.

The clerk at the counter looked at us, smiling. "Welcome to Moonbucks; what would you like?"

I suddenly regretted my impulsive decision, the lady behind the counter looked straight into my eyes, and suddenly I couldn't form a single word. "Eu- Eu- fo-" I brought out, stuttering.

Lilly squeezed my hand once, and suddenly, I realised I was still holding her hand. I knew her squeeze was meant to be encouraging, but the realisation that I was holding Lilly's hand in public had the opposite effect. I felt my cheeks burn and clammed up completely.

"For me, a latte." Said Lilly cheerfully. I tried to loosen my hand nonchalantly, but Lilly held it firmly.

The waitress looked at me again, rolled her eyes annoyingly, and asked Lilly. "And for your boyfriend?"

"A double doppio watered down to a grande," Lilly replied equally cheerfully. I felt my cheeks glow; this had to be a new low in my social skills. Couldn't I order my own coffee anymore?

As we waited for our coffee, I tried to loosen my hand from hers again. Lilly let go of my hand this time, only to immediately hook her arm into mine. I looked at her in surprise. Lilly stood on her tiptoes and whispered lightly and compellingly. "Just work with me now, please?"

Unexpectedly, she kissed my cheek. Her kiss gave me goosebumps all over, and a shiver ran down my spine. I was flabbergasted; She kissed me!

I knew Lilly would never do this for no reason, so I tried to hide my surprise and smiled forcibly at her. Lilly smiled back, and a moment later, we got our coffees. Once back on the street, I could no longer contain my curiosity. "What was the point of that?"

This time Lilly's cheeks ran red. "That guy at the counter has been trying to get a date with me for a while." Lilly's step quickened, and she looked at the ground. "I had already said no a few times, but he kept insisting, so I made it seem that you are my boyfriend."

I roared out, not because I thought it was funny but to hide my insecurity and the painful reality. "As if he would have believed that!"

Lilly's sigh confirmed my suspicion. "No, he didn't believe it, which is why I tried to prove it. Sorry if it felt uncomfortable."

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter; I was just surprised. And I doubt he'll believe it now. Let's face it, who's ever going to believe I can get someone like you."

Lilly abruptly stops pacing. "What do you mean? Someone like me?"

I shrugged again. "Eu-," I brought out hesitantly; Lilly's question surprised me. "You know, social, popular, handsome-"

"Stop it!" Lilly's suddenly violent reaction startled me; she looked at me angrily. "There's nothing wrong with you! There'd damn well better be some more men like you!"

I frowned; I knew Lilly's mood could suddenly turn, but never without reason. Something had to be bothering her, and given the subject, I suspected it had something to do with that guy at the coffee shop. Lilly regularly used self-deprecation to demystify a sensitive topic, so I decided to do the same. "You're right; we need more socially incapable men."

Lilly sighed and rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth subtly raised in her suppressed smile. "Idiot," I smiled, knowing my intent had succeeded. But, almost immediately, she continued. "Do you fancy a movie?"

I nodded, "Always. Did you have something in mind?"

Lilly looked at me with big innocent eyes. "A chick flick or a rom-com?" She said innocently.

I smiled and playfully rolled my eyes. "Fine, if we watch a sci-fi next time, then."

"Deal." Lilly replied cheerfully, and for the second time that day, she hooked her arm in mine as we continued our way home.

After a walk of about ten minutes, we arrived at her house. We decided to watch the movie there because her parents were on holiday and we could use the home cinema. Something we rarely had a chance to do.

"Do you mind if I put on my pyjamas first?" Lilly asked as soon as we were inside.

I shook my head. "No, feel free to make yourself at home." Replied I playfully.

Lilly giggled and ran up the stairs two steps at a time. Meanwhile, I stepped through the corridor into the living room. I dropped into the best seat on the sofa, right in front of the television. I took the remote and switched on the TV.

A few minutes later, Lilly entered the living room. She wore loose salmon pink pyjamas, butterflies decorated the shirt, and the three-quarter trousers seemed too long or too short. I could not contain my smile; the contrast with her usual trendy clothing could not be more significant. Lilly smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you like it?" Then, playfully, she turned on her axis.

"It suits you," I replied teasingly. "You could set a fashion trend that way."

Lilly giggled and plopped down next to me on the sofa. She pulled her legs under her body and took a blanket from the corner of the seat. She draped this over both of us and leaned against me. "I don't care if it doesn't look good. It's comfy."

I put my arm around her shoulder and offered her the remote control. "That's what matters." Lilly took the remote and started scrolling through the list of movies. I continued hesitantly. "I meant it earlier; you look quite nice in your pyjamas." Lilly pressed her head against my chest in response.

"This one?" She asked, and I nodded in agreement. I cared little what movie we were watching. For me, Lilly's closeness was the highlight of the evening. Lilly sighed and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Sorry for being so short with you earlier. But sometimes, it's so unfair; you don't deserve people thinking about you like that."

A heavy silence followed for a moment before she continued, mainly because I didn't know what to say, not wanting to direct her words. "I meant what I said, too; there should be more men like you."

Because Lilly didn't look at me, I knew she hadn't said what was on her mind. Instead, I sensed more behind her words and that she needed a push to tell me what she really meant. So I stroked her back and asked softly. "Why do you say that?"

Lilly paused the film but still didn't look at me. "Simply stated? You are sweet and caring; you accept me as I am. I can tell you anything, and," Again, Lilly paused for a moment. "You don't simply see me as a lust object."

I sighed and stroked through Lilly's hair. "That guy in the coffee shop?" The question was redundant, but it was necessary to encourage Lilly to continue her story. She nodded and lowered her head into my lap. She turned on her back and looked at me, her eyes watery. Suddenly I worried about her state of mind.

"It's just not fun anymore. You should see my simtagram. For every picture I post, I get several DMs. Like that guy, too: You look delicious; you wouldn't need to ask twice. It's driving me crazy."

Her voice was shaking, and there were tears in her eyes. "And when I say I'm not interested, I get the response: You don't know what you're missing; I'll show you every corner of the room." She shook her head. "It's just disgusting! I sometimes feel they just want to get into my panties."

Lilly took a deep breath and continued her monologue. "That's also why I said you were my boyfriend. And then he started laughing and making mean comments about you. And you just don't deserve that; You're a good guy. I felt so powerless. I almost have an aversion to men these days."

I let my hand slide through her hair and gently massaged her scalp. Lilly's eyes turned away, and a smile appeared on her lips. She fell silent, and I felt a shiver start at my fingertips. She sighed deeply and looked at me. "Thank you for not being like that."

I smiled, a little embarrassed. Lilly had been the centre of my sexual fantasies on several occasions. I had mentally undressed her more than once when I thought she wasn't looking. I felt my cheeks turn red and pushed the thought away. Shyly, I replied. "You're welcome."

Lilly shifted her attention back to the television and resumed the film. We watched the movie silently for half an hour while I stroked through her hair and occasionally stroked along her neck. Then, a bit later, Lilly moved a little higher up on my lap, took hold of my hand, and placed it on her stomach, where she held it for a while. Without thinking, I resumed my stroking. Then, after a few minutes, Lilly turned on her back and looked at me with an expression I didn't recognise. Suddenly I realised that I had been stroking her belly for a while and pulled my hand away, startled.

"Sorry." I stammered.

I was almost sure I sensed it wrong, but it almost looked like Lilly was disappointed. "It's no big deal; I liked it." She smiled and placed my hand back on her tummy before turning her attention to the screen again. Slowly, I resumed my caressing motion over her slim belly. I slowly followed the lines forming her abdominal muscles from her hip to her midriff and back along the other side. I repeated the pattern several times until suddenly, returning to her hip, I felt my fingers on her skin. My heart skipped a beat, her skin felt soft and warm, and I slowly stroked along the narrow strip of bare skin between her trousers and shirt. Lilly inhaled deeply when my finger was amidst her belly. I continued my movement as she slowly exhaled until my fingers were again at the level of her hip.

I let my fingers slide along the same trail several times, gradually exposing more skin each iteration. Lilly was no longer watching the film; she lay on my lap, her eyes closed, clearly enjoying the caresses. Each time my fingers slid along the edge of her trousers, she breathed deeply and sighed as my fingers slid up along her belly again. Her reactions excited me, and I fervently hoped she wouldn't shift her head so she could feel my erection. But I was too integrated by her expression to stop.

The film had already finished when her shirt came just below her small breasts. Lilly's breathing was deep and beginning to become more irregular. I decided to stop before she began to find it annoying. I let my fingers slide up to her plexus one last time and placed my hand flat on it. Slowly, I let my hand slide down the middle of her belly. Lilly took a deep breath and retracted her slender stomach. I let my hand stop in the middle of her abdomen and gently tapped her belly before raising my hand.

Lilly sighed and frowned before slowly opening her eyes. She sat up straight and pulled her shirt down, moving back and forth restlessly as if something was bothering her.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly, hoping I hadn't done anything wrong.

Lilly took a few deep breaths before answering. "Yes, everything okay." Her expression seemed almost accusatory, and it made me feel uncomfortable.

Trying to reverse the charged atmosphere that suddenly hung in the room, I asked. "Is that photo shoot still on tomorrow?"

Lilly sighed again before her eyes narrowed, and she replied. "Yes. Are you coming?"

I nodded enthusiastically. Lilly seemed less enthusiastic than usual, which surprised me. Suddenly she straightened up and said. "I am tired; I would like to go to sleep."

I nodded, followed her example and stood upright too. "Then I'll go home. 10 am tomorrow?" I asked her. Lilly nodded and walked out of the living room. I felt sure I'd done something wrong, but I couldn't place what. Confused, I closed the front door behind me and walked home.

As I lay in bed, I went over the day's events: the coffee shop, her story, and the movie.

I smiled, thinking about how she reacted to how I stroked her belly, how adorably she inhaled as my fingers slid over her stomach. I closed my eyes and imagined her reaction. My penis became hard again, and I stroked my belly as I had done to her. I inhaled and let the arousal flow over me.

I stopped abruptly. Suddenly it dawned on me; I sat up straight. Had my touches had the same effect on Lilly? Had I aroused her for almost two hours? I cursed loudly; how could I be so stupid not to realise what I was doing? After everything she had told me, had I done the very thing she indicated she loathed?

I slept very restlessly that night, waking up the following day as if I hadn't slept. Then, with some nervousness, I got ready to pick up Lilly. Half an hour later, I rang her doorbell.

Lilly opened the door and smiled. She was wearing a blue sleeveless a-line dress. The dress accentuated her waist, and the cleavage ensured that her relatively small breasts came fully into their own. I must have stared longer than I should have because Lilly playfully turned on her axis, "Do you like it?"

I nodded. "Yes, it looks perfect on you."

"Hold on; I'll quickly grab my material." She said before happily walking down the corridor. I was relieved; she was not behaving any differently from usual. Maybe I had worried for nothing?

Seconds later, Lilly appeared in the hall with a rucksack full of camera equipment. "Come, we'll have to hurry to get there on time."

Lilly's photo shoot involved an extension of a professional model's portfolio. She had her employer's studio at her disposal, and as the day progressed, I was increasingly amazed by Lilly's professionalism.

With minimal adjustments to her camera, completely different photos appeared on the screen, each photograph unique and beautiful. I could hardly believe my eyes. The shoot lasted about an hour, after which the model thanked Lilly and left. Lilly looked at me smiling and said. "We're done here; I just need to edit the photos to fine-tune and eliminate a few mistakes."

"Lilly, I don't know how you manage, but those photos are perfect, in my opinion." I Brought out admiringly.

Lilly beamed. "It's really not that hard, though; I can teach you a few things if you'd like."

"Gladly, maybe then I'll be able to take a nice photo once in a while." Said I cheerfully.

Lilly giggled and stood in front of the exposure screen. "Fine, just take some pictures of me then; I will give you instructions."

I got behind the camera and pressed the shutter button. The first picture appeared on the screen, and Lilly tilted her head to the side. "We will start with some portrait shots; turn the lens until you only have my face in focus." I followed her instructions, zoomed in on her face, and pressed the shutter button again.

Lilly looked at the screen and nodded. "Good, the camera is currently set to automatic; turn the dial on the top right until it points to the M."

I followed her instructions and pressed the shutter button again. The picture on the screen was suddenly overexposed and hazy. Lilly smiled. "On the screen, you can set the ISO values; this determines the sensor's light sensitivity. Please set it to 800, which is usually a good indoor value. The less ambient light, the higher this value should be."