When I awoke for the first time in Kathleen's bed I was happy; in hindsight I was happier than I should ever be again it seems. After the lesson she had given me in cunnilingus had culminated in our first face to face intercourse and that extra intimacy had caused our mutual orgasm she was full of warmth and lovingness. This was the first time I had shared her bed, indeed it was the first time I had shared any woman's bed and I had woken frequently with her restless movements and had just as frequently fallen asleep again to her loving words and her renewed embrace until in the morning I finally woke in an empty bed. Used to sleeping under sheets and blankets I had been sceptical to her enthusiasm for her continental quilt but having slept embraced by both her and the duvets warmth I swore I would never use anything else again.
I lay asleep as she brought tea and awoke to the rattling of the cups. Bending over me to kiss me again, her heavy silk gown fell open and an engorged breast spilled out and I kissed and suckled eagerly.
"Oh, that's lovely darling but we will have to wait until this evening."
I continued suckling and biting gently and reached for the other breast certain I could encourage her to repeat the excesses of the previous evening but she would not be budged;
"We cannot make love my sweet; I have just showered. I have an appointment with the gynaecologist before lunch. I cannot have an examination with the smell of you down there, silly."
I drew the duvet back so she could see what I had and she leant over as if to caress me before quickly slapping my erection playfully.
"Get down boy! Get down and drink your tea."
And afterwards, with her hands still warm from cradling the tea pot she wanked me to the edge of orgasm. Bending over me she quipped;
"We mustn't stain the sheets."
And with that she quickly took me and my orgasm in her mouth.
The examination was straight forward; all was as it should be. The gynaecologists guess was that she would go full term and the baby would arrive in a couple of weeks. Kathleen was happy and relieved and as we left she pulled the same stunt as before; stopping me in front of the receptionist's desk and while kissing me she exclaimed;
"I'm sure you'll be a wonderful father my dear," for all to hear before leading me to her favourite coffee shop and a long discussion about my future.
Sitting us down at a corner table she began what seemed to me to be a full blooded attempt to crush all the dreams she had created in me.
"There will be other women in your life my darling, and girls your age and younger; have you thought about that?"
Horrified, I denied the thought, I would remain faithful to her; couldn't she see that?
I kicked against the idea that anything could come between us and sulked childishly as she tried to discuss the subject. But her kindness and her caring voice soothed me despite her somewhat brutal description of the reality of our situation.
"I shall be travelling to South Africa when the baby is ready for the journey. Your brother has leased a house for us as the project has led to his promotion and more work. I have negotiated a job at the local university. We must part and you will have other lovers. I know you will be as kind, considerate and accommodating for them as you have been for me and that will stand you in good stead in your relationships with other women."
I tried unsuccessfully to hold back the tears and she, seeing that, took hold of my hands over the table;
"But life must go on my dear," she said and began to sniff as well.
"Do you want to go home and discuss this in private?"
I didn't trust myself to answer and taking that as a wish to sit longer she ordered lunch.
Kathleen was clever at deflecting the pain the news of our parting had caused in me and we were soon discussing irreverently a widely variable range of other subjects.
"What do you think of that girl over there; the blond in the blue jumper, she's more your age."
"Not interested, I have had you, I am spoilt for anything else."
She answered challengingly;
"Ok, that's nice of you to say that; but tell me, will you still find me attractive after I've given birth?"
She paused a while before continuing in a faltering and somewhat vulnerable voice;
"Will my body return to normal after the birth, will I still be as good in bed?"
And it was my turn to console her and eventually the need to be alone together forced us to drive home.
The afternoon was spent discussing the future and I began to reconcile myself to the fact that we were soon to be parted. We both cried and laughed in turn and for the first time we discussed the fast approaching birth. Kathleen had decided to come home to Bristol for the birth and had arranged for Lydia, her best friend and neighbour, to accompany her to the hospital when the time came. Later that afternoon she came round to visit and her arrival was heralded by a great shout from the hall as she let herself in the front door.
"Here I am my dear, here's your bit of black!"
And amidst peals of laughter they flung themselves together in a warm embrace. I studied them surreptitiously; Kathleen small, big breasted and pregnant and Lydia; African, black, tall and curvaceous and with long runners legs she was obviously well trained and healthy. Turning from Kathleen to me she shocked me with a startling white smile.
"Hello, I'm Lydia; you must be the Peter I've heard so much about."
"Lovely" was the word that came to mind and I was shocked. What Kathleen had said was true; there were other desirable women in the world and here was one and she was getting to me already. I saw in my mind's eye that unfaithfulness was not only possible but desirable. Had Kathleen planned this meeting to demonstrate the truth of what she'd said? That thought was quickly erased by a gut wrenching realisation; Lydia was stroking Kathleen's backside!
For all my newly learnt sexual experience I was still young and unsure. I had barely seen a coloured person before, let alone met and talked with one so intimately as I now found myself doing and the newness of it all made me stutter awkwardly. Embarrassed I turned away looking for reassurance from Kathleen. She smiled a quick smile and then left me to flounder in the warmth of Lydia's friendliness.
As I answered Lydia's questions somewhere in the back of my mind there echoed another question; a question that for all the unlimited openness Kathleen and I shared still remained unanswered; how did Kathleen know how it was for a man to perform cunnilingus? When she had taught me all the tricks she and her girlfriends had defined in their crazy cunnilingus manifest she had seemed to have an inexhaustible insight to the problems and challenges for getting ones tongue in and around a vagina. How did she know how to give as well as take? Had she and Lydia practised together and developed techniques she later had preached? Seeing them, embracing happily, glad to be together again had me wondering and I was firmly convinced I should find out.
Despite their efforts I kept myself in the background for most of Lydia's visit; I left them to their catching up, to their friendly jokes and their obvious intimacy; I withdrew to a safe distance, I made the tea, washed the dishes and I eavesdropped on their conversation until later in the evening I heard Lydia taking her leave.
As she left Kathleen's parting embrace she turned in the doorway and glanced over at me for a second before whispering to Kathleen; should she stay? Kathleen turned and her glance caught mine and I looked away in embarrassment.
"Go on home silly; we two want to be alone." And with that she ushered Lydia laughingly out of the door and waved goodbye. Turning, she leant back against the door and pushed it firmly closed with her bottom. We stood in silence and looked at each other. She grinned and said quietly, as much to cover her uncertainty as to have something to say;
