The Results of Success

Note: This is a sequel to my previous Considering Chemistry, and hence is a sequel of sorts to An Apology in the Morning, The Education of Mrs Jones, Demagnetisation, and In Confidence. However, it should stand fairly well alone.

Fiona and Alan were strolling arm in arm through the town centre when they met Louise. She grinned broadly and hurried up to talk to them.

"Hi, you two," she said, "how are you doing?"

"Uh – fine, thanks," Fiona said, and Alan nodded agreement.

"Got your results yet?" Louise asked.

"Yeah," both the other two said, pretty much in unison, nodding.

"So – how did you do?"

"Oh, A-stars, Everything we needed," Fiona said quietly.

"You did? So you're all set for university and all?" Fiona and Alan nodded. "That's great – great! Come on – if you've got time, this deserves a drink to celebrate."

The other two didn't put up much resistance as Louise dragged them into a nearby pub, extracted drinks requests from them, and went to the bar. By the time she got back, they were settled at a table, and she handed over the beer and wine with another grin.

"So," Louise said, "does Gran know?" Fiona nodded again. "Oh, good – she'll be pleased for you. Sounds like my advice worked."

Alan coughed as he drank a sip of beer, and Fiona looked into her glass and blushed deeply.

"Ooh, sorry. I meant about being sure to relax a bit before the exam," Louise said, with a smaller but mischievous grin. "Though I guess that everything I said was part of that... No, sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's okay," said Alan, recovering. "And Fiona told me what you said to her – what you gave her that afternoon. Um, thanks. I – we – really should say that. Thanks."

Louise smiled again and took a sip of her own drink. "Always happy to help," she said. "And it all went okay for you two?" A pair of embarrassed nods this time. "Great! Well, here's to young love."

Louise raised her glass, and after a moment, the other two followed suit – but only after giving each other an odd look. Louise couldn't help but catch the awkwardness. "Oh, sorry," she said, "did I say something wrong?"

Fiona shook her head. "Not really," she said. "Just something we've disagreed about, I guess."

"Oops. I hope that it's not a big problem?"

"Not really," Fiona said, looking at Alan, who grinned very slightly, sheepishly.

"Well, if it's anything I can advise on," Louise said.

Fiona and Alan looked at each other nervously, then Fiona looked at Louise. "I guess that you are still about the only person we can talk to about ... stuff," she said quietly.

"What, your friends don't know about you two?"

"Oh, some of them. But, well, they don't know a lot more than us, I guess. And it's difficult with them, you know? They're people we've known since we were kids..."

Louise looked sympathetic. "I think I get the idea. You know, maybe you ought to talk to Gran. She's really good at ... No, maybe not," she admitted, seeing the stunned expressions on the other two's faces and remembering that, to them, her grandmother was the sweet little old lady who lived next door to Fiona. "Anyway, what's the trouble?"

Fiona took a deep breath, then leaned forward to keep the conversation private. "It sounds really stupid," she said, "but do you think that we're in love?"

Louise looked thoughtful. "I don't know," she said, sounding serious. "You're acting in the way that makes everyone else think so – and you seem to be very happy together. Which is great. But I do know what you mean, I guess. This is all very new for both of you, isn't it? And forgive me, but I assume that a lot of it is still about the sex, right?"

"Ahh – yeah," Fiona allowed, while Alan suppressed a momentary smirk.

"Well, that's really great too. So I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you. Enjoy it for now and see where you go. You've got your futures sorted for now, so just live for the moment a bit."

"Thanks," said Fiona uncertainly, and Alan nodded and took a gulp of his drink. Then, after a moment, he scurried off towards the toilets.

Once he was gone, Fiona allowed herself a broad smile at Fiona. "Do be careful with that one," she said. "He seems like a nice lad. You don't want to scare him off by sounding too serious too soon. He's just eighteen – it'd be..."

"Oh, it wasn't that," Fiona interrupted. "I worked that out for myself."

Louise frowned. "Then what was the problem?" she asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth – it was the first time he told me that he loved me..."

"And when was that?"

Fiona looked down into her drink. "It was also ... it was the first time we tried with me on top," she said quietly.

"Ooh," Louise said, "do tell... No, sorry, don't feel obliged if you don't want to go into gory details."

"No, well – it's fine, I guess," Fiona said. "It was just – he was looking up at me, and it was going really well, and he said that he loved me... Well, I liked it at the time. But then, a minute later, it occurred to me that quite likely what he really loved was, well, my breasts, or something."

Fiona was blushing deeply now. Louise noticed that she was wearing another baggy top today, but there was still no disguising that she had a pretty good bust. "Oh, that," Louise said. "I'm afraid that you were probably right – men will say anything sometimes. But it's not that they don't mean it – they just only mean it for certain at that moment."

Fiona grinned sheepishly. "Makes sense," she said. "I wish now I hadn't said anything afterwards."

"Oops. I hope you two didn't fight about it."

"Not much. Anyway, we kissed and made up." From the split-second expression that crossed Fiona's face, Louise guessed that the young couple had done distinctly more than kissed. "It makes me feel a bit stupid, when you put it like that, though."

"Why's that?"

"Well – I guess that I'm just the same. There's things I'd say at ... moments. Especially if I thought that it'd get me more of them," she added in a rush.

Louise laughed. "Smart girl. You're completely right." She took a sip of her drink. "So – be honest – do you think that you love him?"

"I don't know," Louise admitted. "Maybe. But loving someone means only wanting to ever be with them, right?"

"I guess. Oh – do you have someone else in mind?"

"No! Well, no one in particular. But we're going to different universities. And... It's just..."

"Yeah?"

"Alan is my first. And it's great. But now – I keep wondering what it'd be like with someone else."

Louise laughed again. "Well..." she said, "Ah – here he comes."

Alan returned to the table and sat down. Louise gazed across it at the young couple. "Excuse my asking," she said, "but do your parents know – you know – about you two?"

"Well," Alan said, "they know that we're going out together, of course. And I think that they've probably guessed about, well, everything else. They aren't going to get too worked up if they find out, I'm sure. But none of them are likely to say anything."

"I get it," Louise said. "you two are still their babies, right? So the thought of you getting your pants off and bumping uglies would be too much information, right? They'll just avoid the subject."

"Right," Alan said. "Actually, frankly, the thought of them knowing about – thinking about – us... That'd be a bit much for me."

"You'll all get over it," said Louise. "Though I admit, not everyone's dad is like Nick's..."

"Pardon?" Alan said.

"Long story," said Louise, although the other two noticed that she had a distinct smirk. "Anyway... So you're sneaking off together when they're out, staying up together when they've gone to bed?" The pair nodded. "Yeah, been there, done that. Tell you what, though – have you got some time free tomorrow afternoon?"

Alan and Fiona looked at each other and shook their heads. "We're clear," Fiona said.

"Fine, then – why don't you drop by my place? You can borrow the bedroom for a couple of hours. If you like."

Alan looked at Fiona, raising a cautious eyebrow. She grinned broadly back at him. "That'd be great," she said.

And so they arranged a time, and Louise gave them an address. But when Alan arrived at the place in question the next day, he was startled when his knock on the door was answered by a man. Before he could say anything, though, the stranger extended a hand to shake.

"Hi," the man said, "you must be Alan. I'm Nick. Do come in."

Alan obeyed, and a second later, Louise appeared from another room, greeted Alan with a kiss on the cheek – very quick, but her lips actually made contact, which made him jump a little, as the women in his family were given to air kisses – and drew him into the flat. She guided him directly to the bedroom, and began saying something about Fiona probably not being long, when there was another knock at the door – which proved indeed to be Fiona, standing hunched inside a jacket and looking uncertain. She brightened immediately when she saw Alan, though, and almost pushed him into the bedroom – although she paused for just long enough to say hello to her hostess and also to Nick. Alan realised that the pair must have met before, if only briefly.

Once they were alone together, though, Fiona suddenly paused again after discarding her jacket.

"God, Louise pretty much rushed me in here," Alan said quietly. "Not that I'm objecting, but it felt like, I dunno, she thought I'd tear your clothes off you the moment we met or something."

"I think that she was being polite, sort of," Fiona replied. "I mean, what sort of small talk would we be likely to make? We'd just have been standing around out there like frustrated lemons."

"I guess," said Alan with a grin, and took a step closer to her.

"And by the way, I wouldn't mind too much if you did tear my clothes off," Fiona added.

"No need for damage," said Alan, and embraced her. As he kissed her deeply, he ran a hand up inside the back of her T-shirt, and a second later, she realised that he'd unfastened her bra.

"Men!" she said quietly. "You've been practising."

"Thanks for giving me the chance," he said, as she stepped back from him a little and pulled her T-shirt off over her head. Her bra came with it, and she dropped both garments together on a chair. Alan smiled broadly at the sight of her breasts, and hastily pulled his own shirt off, then reached out and embraced her, kissing her again, deeply. She put her arms round him and fondled his buttocks.

"Nice," she said.

"Thanks," he said, and they looked at each other and separated for a moment. Reaching an unspoken agreement, they sat side by side on the bed to remove their shoes and socks, then stood up again to shed their trousers. Down to underpants and knickers now, they embraced again.

"Have you got – things?" Fiona asked.

"Yeah – trouser pocket," Alan said, indicating the clothes strewn on the floor. "But it looks like Louise has left a present for us anyway." He nodded towards the bedside table, and Fiona looked and saw a bowl holding a handful of condom packets there.

"Hey, yeah," she said. "But should we pinch those? They might just be, you know, hers."

"I bet you she expects us to use them," Alan said.

"I guess," said Fiona, and they sat and then lay side by side on the bed. For a moment, they kissed, while Alan fondled Fiona's breasts.

"Hey," she said when they broke the kiss for a moment, "this is Louise's room, right?"

Alan looked around for a second, then shrugged. "Must be," he said, "looks like it. Anyway, this is a small flat – I didn't get the impression there was room for another decent bedroom."

"So she – and Nick – they must have, you know – done it on this bed?" Fiona was looking oddly thoughtful.

Alan frowned very slightly, looking round the room. "I suppose so," he said. Then he looked carefully at Fiona. "Hey, I hope that doesn't put you off?" he said.

"God no!" Fiona grabbed him and squirmed her breasts against him. "Just a thought, that's all." She released him, but only so that she could run a hand down to his crotch and gently squeeze what she found there. "Take your pants off," she said.

Alan obeyed, and Fiona carefully caressed his cock.

"Hey," Alan commented, looking around. "Our first time on a double bed."

"Yeah," Fiona agreed. "Space to roll around a bit. Fancy trying me on top again?"

"Sure," said Alan, and Fiona took a packet from the bowl, extracted the condom, and carefully fitted it to Alan's erection as he'd shown her. Then she wriggled out of her knickers, and placed herself over him. They cooperated to line his cock up with her cunt, and then she lowered herself carefully.

They both gave moans of pleasure that were audible through the bedroom door. In the lounge, where Louise and Nick were sitting side by side on the sofa reading magazines, Louise looked up and then grinned. "Sounds like they're managing," she murmured.

"I'm sure that they are," said Nick. He looked at Louise, then put his arm around her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Then his hand strayed up to her breast, but she grabbed it and held it steady. "Now," she said quietly, "you know what we agreed."

"Yeah. I guess." Nick muttered.

"Don't complain," said Louise. "Anyway, tell you what – when they're gone, if you want, you can fuck me black and blue. If you want."

"Okay," Nick grinned.

"Arrogant sod," Louise muttered.

In the bedroom, Fiona was moving her hips in a careful circular movement. Alan looked up at her. "God," he said, "that's great."

"Works for me too," Fiona agreed, leaning forward slightly to look into his eyes.

"I love..." Alan began, but Fiona instantly put her hand over his mouth.

"Now," she said, "let's not spoil things by going there right now."

She took her hand away. Alan drew a breath. "I was going to say that I love your breasts," he said carefully.

Fiona smiled. "Sorry. Okay, I'll allow you that." She sat back slightly, and raised both her hands to cup her breasts as she looked down at them. "Really?" she asked.

"Oh god, yes!"

"Shhh. They'll hear us."

Alan said nothing more, but grasped her thighs and began moving inside her. She toyed with her breasts for a moment more, then giggled and leaned forward, resting her hands on the bed either side of Alan's head. He raised himself, craning a little, then grabbed one of her breasts and kissed the nipple. She laughed again and began to move faster on top of him; he moved his hips more in response, and shifted his mouth to her other breast. A moment later, he fell back, gazing up at her as he used both hands to fondle both her breasts. He saw that her eyes were closed, and guessed that she was concentrating on the feeling of what was going on at crotch level. He heard her breathing deeper and faster, until she suddenly gave a sharp, loud gasp, and went almost limp as she opened her eyes.

In the lounge, Louise and Nick heard the gasp and smiled at each other.

Fiona smiled at Alan, and murmured a thank-you. He grabbed her buttocks and drove frantically into her until she gasped again, less ecstatically but not unhappily. Then he groaned, and she felt a pulsing in his cock.

He drew a deep breath. Fiona laid herself down on top of him, straightening her legs. "That good, lover?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

After a moment, she carefully clambered off him, and he removed the condom, wrapped it in a tissue from a box by the bed, and delicately dropped it in a bin. Then the couple collapsed back onto the bed together, side by side. Alan put one arm around Fiona and fondled her breasts with his other hand. She smiled affectionately at him.

"I think that we're getting the hang of this," she said.

"Yeah," he said. "Though I really think that we need to practice more."

Fiona giggled. They kissed gently for a while. Then there was a tap on the bedroom door.

Fiona and Alan looked at each other, and then Fiona hastily got up, pulled her T-shirt over her head – it was just about long enough to preserve some kind of modesty – and scurried over to open the door a few inches.

Louise smiled at her through the gap. "Hi," Louise said, "but if you two aren't, errrrm," she waggled her eyebrows theatrically, "busy just now, I wondered if you'd like a cup of tea? Kettle's on."

Fiona looked startled, and glanced back at Alan, who shrugged bemusedly.

"I guess we wouldn't mind – thanks," Fiona said with reflex politeness.

"Come on out whenever you like," Louise said.

A few moments later, Fiona and Alan did emerge, now wearing T-shirts and jeans and looking only slightly dishevelled, to discover Louise and Nick in the lounge, Nick seated on the sofa as Louise bustled back and forth to the kitchen. Nick gazed amiably at Alan and Fiona. "I see that Louise's gran was right about you two," he remarked.

Fiona frowned. "Sorry, but what does she have to do with us?" she asked.

"She's a very shrewd old lady," Nick explained. "She spotted that you two were tying yourselves in knots with the just-good-friends thing, when you both wanted to be a bit more than that."

"God," said Fiona, "did she say that?"

"Yep," said Louise, arriving with a tray with four unmatched mugs on it. "And she liked the both of you. She was getting quite worried about you. But she was also worried that, if she said anything, you'd just think it was an old lady sticking her nose in."

"I'm sure that we wouldn't have said that," said Alan.

"No, maybe not – but..." Louise suddenly looked unsure what to say next.

"What?" said Alan and Fiona together.

"Well, she asked me to help," Louise said. "Don't tell her I told you," she added hastily.

Alan and Fiona looked at each other, and then burst out laughing, if a little uncertainly. "We won't, I promise," said Fiona. "Anyway ... well, thanks for helping her, I guess."

"Pleasure," Louise smiled. "Here's your tea."

"You do owe Louise's gran, though," said Nick, taking his mug.

"So you reckon we're made for each other?" Fiona asked.

"Maybe," said Nick.

"Like you'd know about that sort of thing," Louise challenged him.

"Hey, I know a bit," said Nick.

"Huh," said Louise. She turned to the other two. "Nick doesn't know anything about two people being soul-mates," she explained to them.

"Hey, I know about it," Nick protested, "in theory. I'm just not sure it ever happens."

"So you two aren't..." Alan asked uncertainly.

Louise burst out laughing. "Nick?" she said. "Nick's completely incapable of sticking with one woman, ever. He's always getting into bed with someone new. Or with old girlfriends, for that matter."

Fiona gasped. "And you don't mind that?" she asked.

Louise shrugged. "Nick's also the most honest and truthful person I've ever met," she said. "He makes sure that no one who sleeps with him can expect to tie him down. We all have to take him the way he is, or not at all."

"And you..." Fiona still seemed slightly stunned.

"Oh, I like what I get from him," Louise said. "And it's not like I'm a one-man woman. At least, he's not the one man."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, and then Fiona stared fiercely at Nick. "So," she said, "how many women have you slept with, then?"

"I don't keep track," said Nick coolly, sipping his tea.

"Are you saying that you've lost count?" said Fiona, sounding outraged.

"I'm saying that I don't keep count," Nick replied. "On principle."