Kinky Confessions

Chapter 20

For the second week in a row, Christy woke me long before dawn on Sunday.

At least she was consistent and did it with a handjob. That was just common courtesy as far as I was concerned.

“Sorry,” she said, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“S’okay. What time is it?”

She raised her head to look. “Almost three.”

“You been awake the whole time?”

“I slept a little but then woke up thinking.”

“’Bout what?”

“This and that,” she hedged.

“Talk about it? Never mind. Dumb question. Gimme a sec, I’ll try to wake up. In the meantime, you wanna—?”

“Yes and no. I always want to, especially when you’re hard like this, but do you mind if we talk first? Just this once?”

“No problem.”

“At least I know what I want to say. I’ve been thinking about it for hours.”

“Another of those conversations?” I said. “Where you interrogate me with the Hughes Lie Detector?”

“No,” she said indignantly. Then she softened her tone, “I mean, not exactly.” She drew a deep breath. “I have a confession… When I woke you up last week and asked about Erin, I wasn’t entirely honest about why I was so horny. I— Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself.”

I was tempted to tease her and tell her to take her time—she was still

holding my dick—but something about her tone made me think twice. I gave her a reassuring squeeze instead.

“Okay, here goes,” she began hesitantly. “I’m gonna start from the beginning. Well, not the beginning-beginning, but when I first— Ugh! I’m getting ahead of myself again.” She paused and then said, “I’m just gonna start. You’ll figure it out.

“So, after Vaughn moved away, things kind of fizzled out between Peter, Lani, and me. We all wanted to keep doing it, but none of us had the guts.

Then Lani and I had a sleepover, about a month after Christmas. We stayed up late and talked, serious best-friend stuff. And we picked up where we’d left off. With… you know… making out and playing with each other.”

“I kinda figured,” I chuckled.

“Right. And then one day I was hanging out at their house after practice.

She left Peter and me alone. He started hinting about what we’d done with Vaughn. Lani must’ve told him how much I liked it. Anyway, she came back and told us she had to run down the street and do something for her mother.

She’d be gone about half an hour, she said.”

“Sounds like a setup.”

“Totally. I knew it at the time, but I only figured out later what she’d really done.”

“Which was?”

“You know. I can feel it.” She stroked my hard-on. “She snuck back and watched. Peter must’ve known too, ’cause he came really fast. He wanted me to keep going, so I did, and he came again. Lani ‘coincidentally’ returned after he put his penis away and we straightened up.”

“Yep, a total setup.”

“Mmm hmm. And a couple of days later, he said he had to go do something at the neighbor’s. Oh, Paul, I was so naïve back then. I had no idea. I just thought Lani wanted to fool around like usual. But we normally did it in her room or mine, never out where someone might see.”

“But you did it in the living room, didn’t you?” I said. “Because Peter wanted to watch.”

“Exactly. I wasn’t a total idiot, though, so I figured it out. Lani and I got in a big fight about it. But then we made up and did it again. It was… really exciting, especially knowing that Peter was probably watching. Lani wanted us to take all our clothes off—”

“Hadn’t Peter seen you before? With Vaughn?”

“Uh-uh. We always kept them on. Vaughn felt me up through my shirt and bra, and a couple of times under, but he never saw me naked. I was so skinny and flat-chested that he probably didn’t care. But… it was different with Peter. He asked me to take my shirt off. He was sweet about it. And he was kinda rough when he played with my nipples, which I liked.

“I also felt really naughty when I realized he and Lani were watching each other as much as me,” she said. “It was kinda weird, though. We all pretended not to know what the others were doing. But sometimes she’d let things slip that she couldn’t know unless she’d seen.

“Still,” Christy continued, “we did it any time their mom was at her volunteer job. I think that’s when my mom figured out what was going on, although she probably thought Lani and I were kissing and experimenting, or something silly like ‘playing doctor.’ I don’t think she had any idea what we were really doing.”

“Probably not.”

“Besides, she thought Peter’s part-time job started right after swim practice. I… um… might’ve let her think that even though I knew better.”

“You’re a sneaky little thing.”

“I had to be! Even without my brothers watching over me, I still had my dad’s stupid rules.”

“I’m just teasing,” I said. “Although I’m going to have to pay more attention. You did the same thing with me when you and Wren started fooling around in Siobhan’s office.”

“Yes, but I told you about that.”

“Eventually.”

“Like you ‘eventually’ told me you were talking to Gina instead of Sara?”

“Ouch!”

“See,” she said, still a bit testy, “I’m not the only one.”

“Fair enough. Anyway, I’m sorry I interrupted. What happened next?”

She shrugged. “We didn’t have as many excuses to see each other after swim season ended, but we did it every chance we could. And all through the spring and summer, any time we weren’t surfing or hanging out at the beach.

But then school started again and I realized things were different. With them, I mean.”

“They’d started fooling around with each other.”

“How’d you know? Never mind. I forgot who I was talking to. Of course you’d know.” She kissed my chest and gave my stomach a friendly little

caress. “I never saw them do it or anything,” she continued, “but Lani bragged about a secret guy she was ‘seeing.’ She told me she was giving him blowjobs. She was even thinking about going all the way.”

“How’d Peter handle it?”

“That’s how I figured out who it was. He stopped doing anything with me and became really weird. He worked more and avoided me or was angry whenever I saw him. I think he felt guilty.”

“Incest isn’t something you do casually,” I said. “Society has a huge taboo about it. I mean, I used to feel guilty too, especially about my fantasies.

I don’t anymore, but I’m an exception to the rule that incest is bad. Still, a lot of people think about it.”

“You can say that again,” Christy said under her breath.

I heard it but didn’t think anything about it till later. Instead, I continued,

“My situation isn’t unique, but it’s pretty rare. I mean, Erin and I were kind of encouraged to experiment, although not necessarily with each other. We knew about sex and the consequences—not just physical, but emotional too

—so I probably adjusted better because I was raised like I was.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Christy said softly. “Peter didn’t do so well. Lani didn’t really change, which was weird in its own way, but he turned into a jerk.”

“He probably liked what they were doing but felt guilty about it. No clue what was going through her head.”

“I… think I know. One of the things girls worry about most is ruining our reputation. Lani knew Peter couldn’t brag about what they did, so it was perfect for her. She could do things with him and no one would know. That’s a big part of why I do things with you. I love you, but I also know you won’t tell anyone.”

“No, definitely not. But what happened with them? Did things ever go back to normal? Or did they get worse?”

“Sort of worse. They eventually went all the way—I was up close and personal with Lani, if you know what I mean. I saw her before and after.”

I chuckled. “So that was your introduction to the hymen?”

“Yeah. I knew what it was—every girl does, a cherry—but not for real, not till Lani lost hers. And for the record, she didn’t ‘lose’ anything. It was just this little piece of skin that tore. I never even knew it was there or what it was. I just thought it was part of her, until it was different. And I probably wouldn’t’ve noticed if I hadn’t been suspicious already.”

“Did she change in other ways? Emotionally?”

“A little. She was more secretive, maybe, but I didn’t really notice at the time. Peter changed a lot, so that’s what I paid attention to.” She shrugged.

“We didn’t hang out as much because of it. I was really upset. I mean, I had no idea what was going on. Not at the time. I’m pretty sure I do now, but…”

I nodded and stroked her back as she fell silent. She’d stopped playing with my dick sometime during her story, and she simply held me as her emotions settled.

“How’d things end?” I asked after a while.

She drew a deep breath and plunged into the story again. “Peter quit the swim team. He got a new job and worked every day right after school, for real. In the spring he applied to go to school in Hilo instead of Honolulu. I think he wanted to get away. Duh.”

“Not just from the guilt,” I said, “but from the temptation too.”

“You’re probably right.” She sighed. “Lani and I were still friends, but things were never the same. We were real intense for a couple of weeks when my dad got a new command and we knew we were leaving for San Diego, but that was probably the one time I was happy to move.

“I felt really guilty about it, though. I mean, Lani had been my best friend. And Peter wasn’t really my boyfriend, but he was the closest thing I’d ever had to one.” She fell silent and thought for a moment before she said, “I guess what I felt most guilty about—at the time, at least—was that I couldn’t stop thinking about them doing it. I mean, I never saw it, but I must’ve imagined it, like, a million times.”

She slid her hand down my stomach and found my manhood. She sighed as she massaged it. “I thought you’d like that. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. And this won’t surprise you, but Brooke helped. She didn’t know she was doing it, but still.”

“No wonder you couldn’t sleep,” I said. “You had all this going through your head?”

“Just wait. You only know half of it. I’m still really scared to tell you the rest, but I’m pretty sure I know how you’ll react. Like you were about Erin.”

She laughed at herself. “Exactly like that, so you probably figured it out already.”

“Maybe.”

“I think you have, but I’ll tell you anyway. You like when I say naughty things.”

“I like learning more about you. Besides, we usually have sex after—”

“We do not! Well, not my kind of sex. Your kind, maybe.”

“Oral sex is still sex.”

“Fine,” she play-grumped. “We have sex afterward.” She stroked my erection. “It’s a good thing I love you.”

“A very good thing,” I agreed. “Anyway, as I was saying… I like getting to know you—the real you.”

“I’m glad,” she said softly. “Because I’ve never told anyone these things.

Not even Brooke, and definitely not Wren. I’d never trust her with something like this. But I’m stalling. So, here goes.

“My mom had a bunch of tricks for getting me out of the house to make new friends each time we moved. That’s how I started ballet, gymnastics, swimming, et cetera. She signed me up for stuff. When we moved to San Diego, it was summer diving camp, and that’s where I met Brooke. Her family had just moved from Dallas, so we were the new girls. She was kind of quiet at first, but we started talking and found out we were both going to Uni when school started.”

“Hold on… going to what?”

“Oh, sorry,” Christy said. “The University of San Diego High School—”

“Ah, right!”

“—but everyone called it Uni for short. Anyway, Brooke and I hit it off immediately. ‘Like a house on fire,’ she used to say. They lived near us and had a pool, so we hung out there after camp ended.”

“Lemme guess,” I said, “one thing led to another?”

“Paul, I swear! She had my swimsuit off and was between my legs before I knew it.”

I chuckled.

“She did!”

“Little Bit,” I said gently, “I know you. You play at being innocent, but you aren’t. Wren’s pretty sure you seduced her.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied.

“Uh-huh.”

“Ugh! I can feel your eyebrow doing that skeptical thing. It’s so annoying. Okay. Fine. I might’ve seduced Wren. But she started it! I didn’t seduce Brooke, though. I promise. I’ll swear on a Bible if you want.”

“No, I wouldn’t want to put your soul in jeopardy.”

“What?” she squawked. Then she sat up and stared me down. “Take that

back! My soul wouldn’t be in jeopardy! I’m telling the truth!”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Paul Dean Hughes, I did not seduce Brooke. She seduced me! I swear.”

“Sorry, I’m mostly teasing you.” I stroked her back and waited.

“Yeah, okay, but it’s the principle. Brooke seduced me.”

“Brooke seduced you,” I agreed seriously.

“You still sound like you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you. But the important thing is that you ended up in bed together.”

“For your information, Mr. Smarty-pants, we were in the pool.”

“Right, you said swimsuit. Sounds like fun. Sex with Brooke in the water…”

The covers had fallen back when Christy had sat up, so I pushed them out of the way and reached for my semi-hard shaft.

“Darn it,” she complained, “why can’t I stay annoyed at you?”

“Because you love me. And I love you.” I aimed my hard-on at her. “He loves you too.”

“He loves anyone who’ll pay attention to him.”

“These days, that’s you and only you.”

She snorted a laugh but allowed me to guide her head down. She relaxed as she sucked, although she still had her mind on her story. She stopped after a couple of minutes and returned to her still-warm spot by my side. I pulled the covers over us.

“Better?” I said.

“Much. Thank you. I always feel better with something in my mouth.

Usually it’s a pencil or my thumb or something, but a penis works too. Laugh all you like,” she said before I could, “but you benefit from it.”

“I do.”

“Not till the wedding. Now, where was I? Right, Brooke. Her family isn’t Catholic but her parents sent her to private schools, so that’s why she was going to Uni. She likes girls, duh, although she’s into guys too. And she’s the baby of the family, like me. Her sister’s a lot older, but she and her brother are five years apart.”

“Just like you and Laurence.”

“Mmm hmm. And she totally had a crush on Hunter, her brother.” Christy squeezed my dick. “You know where this is going.”

“I think so.”

“But you want me to say it.”

“Yep.”

“That’s okay. I knew you would. Why do you think I couldn’t sleep? Do I wanna tell you or not?”

“You know you do. You wouldn’t’ve brought it up if you didn’t.”

“I know, but I’m still scared. I’ve kept it hidden for so long.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I can do this. Like me and Laurence.” She let his name hang there for a moment before she worked up the courage to continue, “I had a crush on him. I wanted to… do things. You know… what I like.”

“Mmm hmm, I do. And that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Something else is hard, but telling you wasn’t. And it feels like a huge weight’s been lifted.”

“It has,” I chuckled. “Remember what you said about secrets? They aren’t so dark and dirty when they’re in the light.”

“I know, but I didn’t think it’d be like this.”

“Well, you know I’m not going to make you feel dirty. Besides, real incest is rare, but the fantasies are pretty common. Unless you and Laurence

—?”

“Oh my gosh, no! But… I really wanted to. Only, sometimes I’m glad nothing ever happened. I mean, I can’t help but think of Lani and Peter and feel sorry for them. They used to be so happy and normal. But they… I dunno how to describe it.”

“They couldn’t resist their urges. And they couldn’t handle the guilt afterward.”

“Urges,” Christy mused. “That’s a good word for it.”

“Yeah. We both know what it’s like.”

“You can say that again,” she said softly. Then, “It feels weird talking about this. Brooke and I did, sort of, but not really. She never knew how I felt.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I said. “I mean, why did she tell you her fantasies?”

“Just… because,” Christy said obstinately.

“Did you get excited?”

“You know I did.”

“And maybe she noticed? Even if you didn’t say anything aloud?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Hmm.”

“She didn’t!” She fell silent and sulked.

“To thine own self be true,” I said after a moment.

“Now I wish you’d never said that.”

“Well, I did. Shakespeare said it first, but he isn’t here at the moment.”

“Thank goodness! I’m still scared that you know how I felt.”

I stroked her back and let her calm down.

“No, I take that back,” she said eventually. “I’m scared that you know how I feel.”

“Ah. Present tense.”

“I knew you’d get it. And I think you’re probably right—Brooke knew.”

Christy paused again to gather her thoughts. “She had a stash of her mother’s old Variations, and one issue had a whole section about family. Not family-family, but stepfathers and sisters-in-law and people like that. One letter was from a woman who did it with her stepbrother. They were going to a wedding and were supposed to have separate rooms. The hotel had a convention and a mix-up with the reservations, so they only had one room left.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.”

Christy sighed as she remembered. “Brooke gave me the magazine and told me to read that particular letter. She knew how excited I’d get. I guess it was sort of a test, ’cause then she told me about her and Hunter.”

“What happened between them? Anything serious? Or just the usual fantasies?”

“Nothing serious, but more than just fantasies. He lived at home for college, when her family was still in Texas. The bathroom connected their bedrooms, so she spied on him. He had a stash of magazines too— Playboy and regular Penthouse—and she watched as he looked at them and jerked off.

“Sometimes she did the same thing. Not with magazines, but she played with herself on her bed with the bathroom door ajar. I never did anything like that with Laurence,” Christy added, “but I… um… tried to see him whenever he was home from school. And we had to share a bathroom in Japan. I was too young to be interested in boys, but I saw him. Nude, I mean. And once…”

She thought about it for a long time before she cleared her throat and continued. “Once, he was home for Christmas. We’d been doing figure drawing in my art class at UCSD, so I asked him to pose for me.”

“Did he do it nude?”

“Oh my gosh, no! Never in a million years. I was his sister. But… he only wore a towel, one of the smaller ones we used for swimming. It covered him fine, so I guess he didn’t even think about it. He was sitting on the bed in the guest room. You know, the one where you stay.”

I nodded and pictured it in my head.

“He was leaning back with his legs crossed at the ankles. I guess he got comfortable, ’cause he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Then he fell asleep and moved his knee. His towel parted, and I… I could see his penis. He started dreaming and got really hard.” She paused and waited for me to react. “You don’t think I’m a horrible person?”

“You know I don’t.”

“Then why’m I still so nervous?” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I knew I shouldn’t look,” she continued, “but I couldn’t stop myself.

I felt so guilty, especially when I realized how excited I was. I wanted to…

you know.”

“Go down on him.”

“More,” she said in a hoarse whisper. “I wanted to go all the way.” She cleared her throat and said in a normal voice, “Are you shocked?”

“Not really. Maybe a little,” I teased, “’cause you’re my goody-goody girlfriend—”

“I’m not a goody-goody.”

“—but I’ve had the same thoughts about Erin.”

She nodded, reassured. Then she squeezed my erection. “I can tell.”

Treacherous organ, I thought.

“I know what you just called him,” she laughed. “In your head. That’s okay. I’m glad he’s treacherous. I mean, he tells me all sorts of things. And…

he makes me feel better about my fantasies. It’s a huge relief to talk to someone who understands.”

“Are we still talking about my penis?”

“No, you.” She kissed my chest. “I’ll talk to him later. Right now you’re more important.” We fell silent as she thought about everything she’d told me. Then she sighed and said, “You’re very good for me.”

“I’m glad. You’re good for me too.”

“I can tell. I like telling you my fantasies. And I like hearing yours. I get so hot when I think about you and Erin.”

“Are you ready to—?”

“Yes, please.” She immediately disappeared under the covers.

I moved them aside and let her fantasies kindle mine. I pictured Erin on her back, her legs spread as I fucked her slowly. Christy knelt over her and moaned as Erin licked her. My fantasy took off as Christy began sucking for real. I lasted about thirty seconds before I pushed her head down. She moaned in surprise when I erupted down her throat. After I finally stopped shooting, she rolled away and coughed.

“Oh my gosh,” she panted, “that was fast. I thought I was going to choke.”

“Sorry.” I closed my mouth to moisten it and realized I was breathing hard too. “I was thinking of you and Erin. Together.”

“Warn a girl next time.” She cleared her throat. Then she massaged my balls and tentatively moved toward my cock. “Is it safe?”

“I think so. Round two?”

“Round one, as far as I’m concerned. I barely got to enjoy the first one.”

“Sorry ’bout that,” I chuckled. “I couldn’t help it. We’ve been talking about sex, and then I started thinking about you and Erin, and… well… you know the rest.”

“You tried to drown me in semen.”

“I promise I’ll give you more warning next time.”

“Yes, please,” she said as she began sucking again. “Mmm, tha’s more like it.”

I rubbed her back as she slowly fellated me. I lasted longer the second time and she enjoyed herself. Afterward, I gently pushed her to her back and climbed over her.

“My turn.” I kissed her and tasted myself on her lips. Then I spent a couple of minutes biting and sucking her nipples before I moved lower. I held her wrists at her sides as I settled between her thighs and nudged them apart with my shoulders.

Her juices coated my cheeks, and she writhed as I licked her. She didn’t last long either. She stiffened after only a few minutes and thrust her pussy into my mouth. I rode out her orgasm and let her calm down. Then I crawled up her body and settled atop her. She hooked her legs over mine and languidly ran her hands up and down my back.

“Happy Birdy?”

“Very happy,” she agreed. “I like it when you call me that. Not all the time, but… sometimes.”

“When you’re thinking about Laurence.”

“Yes.” She fell silent for a moment. “Does Erin have a nickname for you?”

“Dork. Dweeb. Doofus.”

“That’s ’cause you are!” she laughed. Then she grew serious. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“No, go ahead.”

“Are you with me because I remind you of her?”

“Erin? No. Not consciously, at least. Most of my girlfriends have been brunettes. Although…” I grinned down at her. “I don’t know if you realized, but all the ones last spring were blue-eyed blondes.”

“Hmm, I wonder why,” she said archly.

“Maybe I knew back then that I wanted you. I just didn’t realize it.” I shrugged and added, “In reality, I’m attracted to anyone with a healthy attitude about sex. I didn’t think that was you at first, but…”

“You came to your senses.”

“Yep.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Same here. And I’m glad Wren and I were late to class that day. You might never’ve noticed us.”

“Oh, I think I would’ve. You’re hard to miss. You’re a little piece of sunshine.”

“Thank you.”

“What about you?” I said. “Are you with me ’cause I remind you of Laurence?”

“At first, no. You don’t look anything like him. Maybe your general shape and coloring, but he was smaller. Shorter, too. But now that I know you better? Yes, a little. Your personalities are similar. You’re always so positive. It drives me crazy sometimes, but… you make me smile like he did.”

“I can live with that.”

“I hope so,” she said.

“I know so.” I lingered over a kiss and then looked at the clock. “Okay, it’s almost four thirty. Do you wanna try to go back to sleep, or…?”

She grinned. “Or what?”

“Trade bodily fluids for a couple of hours and then hit the slopes?”

“Yes, please. Bodily fluids.”

Damon and Alexa drove us to the airport in Elkins after lunch, and Carolyn rode along. She clearly hadn’t adjusted to the idea that her daughter wanted to fly. Christy sensed her reluctance and started chatting about how her brothers had learned and what they did in the military. The teens and I left them in the relative warmth of the FBO waiting area and headed out to the flight line.

I didn’t know what to expect from Alexa when we reached the plane. I thought she might be nervous or shy or wouldn’t take it seriously, but she was just as focused and even quicker than Damon. I reminded myself that plenty of women had been pioneers in aviation, starting with the Wright brothers’ sister, Katharine. So, note to self: ditch the preconceptions about women and what they could or couldn’t do.

I let Damon fly copilot first, since he was older and had more experience.

We spent an hour in the air going over the axes of motion, control surfaces, and how to use them for basic flight maneuvers. Alexa watched from the back and absorbed everything.

We returned to the airport so the teens could switch positions. I parked on the ramp and shut down the engine to give Alexa the same experience as her brother. She surprised me when she asked if she could go through the checklist by herself.

“I don’t see why not,” I said. “It’s slightly different, though, since the engine’s hot.”

“What’s different?” she asked.

“You lock the primer instead of pumping it.” I hid my surprise when she mentally went through the list and slotted the new information into place.

“Okay,” she said. “I think I have it.”

I flipped to the Engine Start (Hot) checklist. Then I handed it to her and deliberately folded my hands in my lap. She went through the entire sequence without looking at the card once.

“Showoff,” Damon muttered over the intercom. He knew as well as I did that she hadn’t missed anything.

“That was good,” I told her, “but use the card next time. It’s a good habit to get into.”

“Why? I know it already.”

“If you’re ever in a real emergency, you might miss something in the

confusion. A checklist forces you to slow down, pay attention, and do it right… which might save your life one day.”

She nodded seriously.

“And it makes your instructor happy.”

That earned a shy grin.

I was tempted to let her try her hand at takeoff, but I didn’t want to throw her into the deep end too soon. Besides, it was muscle memory more than the mental kind. I let her announce our intentions on the radio, though, and she repeated my tone and cadence almost exactly. She wasn’t quite as confident when she took the controls once we were in the air, but she learned quickly.

And, like her brother, she was hooked from the start.

We returned to the airport after another hour, and they helped me refuel the plane before we went inside. Carolyn seemed to wilt when she saw her daughter’s expression.

“Oh, Alexandra,” she said, “seriously?”

“Mom, it was amazing! I flew the plane and everything. We…”

Christy slipped her arm through mine and beamed up at me. “If it’s okay with you,” she said quietly, “I asked Carolyn if we could come back in two weeks.”

I counted forward. “First weekend in March? Yeah, that should work. But only if we get our projects done on time. They’re due the following week, and exams start the tenth.”

“I know, but… I want one more weekend alone before the end of the quarter and spring break. Wren wants us to go to Florida with them.”

My eyebrows rose. “Oh? And when were you going to tell me?”

“I said she wants us to go, not that I’d agreed. I told her I’d have to talk to you first. So there!”

“Oh. Okay. Then I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little suspicious when it comes to Wren.”

“Me too. So don’t worry. I won’t make the same mistake twice, of committing us to anything without talking to you first. Which is why I asked about coming here in two weeks. What should I tell Carolyn?”

“We’ll be here.”

Christy beamed with excitement and waited for a break in Alexa’s conversation with her mother. We thanked them, said goodbye, and told them we’d see them in two weeks. Alexa watched longingly as we headed out to the plane.

“That girl isn’t boy-crazy,” I said to Christy as I helped her onto the wing.

“She’s plane-crazy.”

“I wasn’t boy-crazy at her age either. That happened later, when I met you.”

I grinned and climbed up after her.

“Now I’m sex-crazy.”

I lowered myself into the cockpit. “Didn’t you get enough this morning?”

“You know me.” She sank into the seat and closed the door. “My metabolism and libido. Speaking of which…” She triumphantly pulled a baggie of grapes and cheese from her jacket pocket. “Now, if only someone could satisfy my carnal desires.”

“If only,” I muttered as I reached over her head to secure the door.

“You keep me very satisfied,” she said with a laugh. “Mmm, very, very satisfied.”

“I might not survive, though. You’re like a sexual vampire.”

“I vant to suck your cock.” She grinned and popped a grape into her mouth.

“I’ve created a monster.”

“Mmm, but a cute monster. Will you take me to your lab? Strap me to a table? Do naughty experiments on me?” Her eyes flashed. “Ooh, ooh! I know! Throw me in the dungeon and use me in perverted sex rituals. Over and over, till I succumb to your dark desires.”

“Ha!”

“I was on a roll. So sue me.” She batted her eyes and nibbled a cube of cheese. “Or use me, Dr. Penis-stein.” She collapsed in a fit of giggles.

I shook my head in amusement—with her and at her—and started the engine.

“Oh, I love you,” Christy sighed through the intercom when she recovered enough breath to speak.

“I love you too, but… you make me a little nervous.”

“Why?”

“You like sex as much as I do.”

“Maybe more. I’m an overachiever, you know.”

“Help,” I said plaintively, to no one in particular.

Christy ate her cheese and quietly radiated happiness.

Life continued back in the real world, which was how I’d begun to think of Knoxville. Christy focused on her Kanagawa series with new energy. In a single day she created a clay maquette of thirty-something Delilah’s body with middle-aged Sayuri’s features. I was on schedule with my own project, but I needed to pick up the pace if I wanted to finish early so we could spend one more weekend in Snowshoe.

Trip and Wren were just as busy, although dinner with Christy and me had become a semi-sacred ritual, even if we had to run out for pizza at nine o’clock. Our first order of business was to make plans for spring break. Wren wanted the four of us to spend a week at her family’s condo on the beach in Florida. Her parents rarely used it anymore, she said. Her father was busy with his new mistress, a woman only a few years older than her, while her mother and special friend hardly ever traveled.

Wren tried to act blasé about her parents’ relationship, but it bothered her that they’d grown so far apart and now led mostly separate lives. I thought theirs was a practical arrangement, a lot better than a divorce and court battle over money and business interests, but Christy disagreed.

“I don’t ever want to be like that,” she said later, in the privacy of our bedroom. “I love Wren, but I’d never choose her over you.”

“Well, lucky for us, you don’t have to,” I said.

“Thank you. But just so you know, you’d win.” She finished with her lotions and potions and gave herself a critical look in the mirror. I hid a smile when she lifted her breasts and released them to see how much they sagged.

(Answer: not much.) She looked at them in profile and frowned. Then she turned the other way to get a different perspective. She was far more critical of her body than I was.

“You’re beautiful,” I reminded her. “And not just on the outside; on the inside too.”

She blushed when she realized I’d been watching. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, come to bed.” I set my book on the nightstand and scooted over to give her room.

She turned off the light and slid under the covers. “Mmm, I love doing this. I feel all tingly and warm when I take my clothes off and climb into bed with you every night. I still can’t believe I don’t feel guilty. Part of me thinks I should, but…” She shrugged. “I haven’t told Marianne we’re living together. She thinks I still have my own room and we only spend the night together once in a while.”

“It’s none of her business,” I said mildly.

“I know, although I’ll tell her eventually. Speaking of which… I don’t want to be like her and Harry either. They only have sex two or three times a week. I haven’t had the guts to tell her you and I do it that many times a day.” Her hand found my dick. “What can I say? A girl has needs.”

“Some more than others,” I chuckled.

“I still prefer when you take charge,” she said as she began massaging my cock, “but I know you like it when I make the first move.” She concentrated on making me as hard as possible, which didn’t take long. “And… I’ve been thinking. I’m ready. To go all the way, I mean.”

“You’re ready?” I said, half in shock.

“Yes.” She blocked my grab with a playful laugh. “Not tonight, Mr.

Eager Beaver.”

“More like Eager for Beaver.”

She squeezed my rock-hard shaft. “Be patient. I’m talking about spring break. I started a new calendar just for this, and the timing should work.”

“Hold on, what timing?”

“With my period. I need to be ready.”

“Um… by ‘ready,’” I said, deliberately neutral, “you mean ‘on the pill.’”

“Oh my gosh, no!”

All of a sudden I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Calendar,” “timing,” and “not on the pill” all pointed to one thing, and not one that set my mind at ease.

“It’s against my beliefs,” Christy explained.

“So is sex outside of wedlock,” I snapped. Then I shook my head in irritation. “You know what they call people who practice the rhythm method?

Mommies and daddies.”

“No, it really works. Marianne’s been telling me. She—”

“Has four kids! And a husband!” I closed my eyes and tried to find an island of calm. It sank. “You need to be on the pill,” I said tersely, “or I need to use condoms.”

“Paul, I… I don’t believe in artificial birth control.”

“And I don’t believe—” Anything I said would’ve made things worse, so I shut up.

“Don’t believe what?” she said at last.

I took another breath and exhaled slowly. Don’t rush to judgment, I told myself. Always be mindful. “Easy for you to say,” I muttered to Glen,

wherever he was.

“What is?”

“Nothing,” I said at last. “I’m just—” I tried to ignore my frustration and think in positive terms. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Christy said in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to start an argument.”

And I can’t believe we’re even having an argument, I grumbled to myself, much less about this. “It’s okay,” I said aloud. “Baby steps.”

“I thought you’d be excited.”

“I am. But I’ll be honest… I really don’t like the idea of having sex without protection, without the pill or condoms.”

“And I don’t want a pill to come between us. I don’t want some rubber…

thing… either. I want to feel you.”

I didn’t need much imagination to hear “as God intended” in her tone.

“That’s why I started a new calendar for my cycle,” she insisted. “That’s how Catholic birth control works.”

Ah, yes, I thought with acid sarcasm, and it’s forced on women by celibate old men who’re afraid of progress and, more importantly, don’t bear a shred of responsibility when their so-called “birth control” doesn’t work because of basic human nature!

Christy felt my silent tirade, although she was remarkably calm about it.

“I know you think it’s stupid,” she said, “but it really works. I promise.

And… it’s the only thing I can do. If you don’t want to—”

“You know I do,” I snapped. Then I took a firmer grip on my temper and pictured my frustration level as a big thermometer. I counted down from ten and imagined the temperature falling. When I reached zero and could think clearly, I tried to see things from her perspective. I tried to be mindful. And I tried not to rush to judgment.

I didn’t like the situation any better, but my temper had cooled.

“Do you want to…?” Christy asked. She didn’t wait for an answer before she reached for my penis, which had gone soft in protest.

“Not really.” I grimaced at my tone and added, “I’m not angry. Not anymore. I’m…” Brooding? Sulking? Moping? “Feeling thoughtful.”

“Oh. Okay. I wasn’t sure. I thought…”

“I know. Do you mind if we’re just friends tonight?”

“Are we? Still friends, I mean.”

“We are,” I said, “but I’m not in the mood to fool around. Sorry.”

“Okay. But…”

“But…?”

“I might have to wake you up in the middle of the night.”

“Sure,” I said with a smile that only took a little effort.

“I have needs too, you know. And I’m very determined.”

“You are, which is one of the things I love about you. It’s also one of the things that drives me crazy. Yin and yang, I guess.”

“I’m sorry I’m so difficult.”

“Nothing worthwhile is easy.”

“Thank you. For thinking I’m worthwhile.”

“I know you’re worthwhile. And we’ll find a compromise that works. In the meantime…” I gently urged her to roll over. “I love you,” I said as she turned and scooted her hips toward me. She fit neatly in the curve of my body. “We’ll make it work. Together.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so.”

“You’re always so confident and positive.” She gave my thigh an experimental caress. “I can’t wait for spring break.”

“We don’t have to wait,” I suggested hopefully. I pressed my soft cock into her pussy from behind.

“Oh my gosh, no!” She shot forward and blocked me with her hand.

“This is danger week. I’m right in the middle. Of my cycle, I mean.”

“What about this weekend?”

“Better, but still dangerous. You’d have to pull out, and I don’t want that.”

“Okay, next week sometime.”

“No, we both have class and projects and everything else going on. I hate that we’re so busy, but…” She shrugged.

“Next weekend, in West Virginia.”

“No. I… can’t explain it. I love the inn, but I don’t want our first time to be there.”

I was running out of options and patience. “Why not?” I said as evenly as I could. “The bed there is ‘ours,’ more or less.”

“I know, but…”

I closed my eyes, exhaled slowly, and tried to calm down. Again. I told myself I couldn’t force her. Still, I was tired of waiting, tired of arbitrary excuses. She must have read my mind.

“I know I’m being silly,” she said, meek but undeterred. “If it makes you feel any better, I thought about this before I said anything. A lot. I even double-checked the calendar, just to make sure I hadn’t messed things up.

The first time that really works is next month.”

The little head wasn’t having it, and he prodded me into another attempt.

“You think waiting till spring break will be better?” I said. “We’ll be with Wren! We won’t have any privacy at all.”

“That’s the last part of my plan. You wouldn’t let me tell you before.”

“Then tell me now.”

“We’ll have privacy if we stay here. Let Wren and Trip go to Florida before us. Then we can join them later. I know you think I’m bad at planning, but— Hold on.”

She stretched toward the nightstand, turned on the light, and rolled to face me.

“Look,” she continued, “I’ve really thought about it. This weekend doesn’t work because of the timing. Next weekend we’ll be in West Virginia.

The weekend after that is bad because I’ll probably be on my period. Besides, it’s the end of the quarter and we’ll have exams, so we won’t have time to enjoy it.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. Her Christy-logic was frustratingly sound.

“Wren and Trip want to leave for Florida on the fourteenth,” she continued. “You and I can fly down on the sixteenth. That’ll give us two whole days. Alone. In our own bed. I have my little calendar. I can show you.” She started to get up, but I held her down.

“No, you’re right. I’m just… tired of waiting.”

She stroked my face. “So am I. That’s why I went to all the trouble to plan it. I know it’s even more waiting, but… you said I’m worth it.”

“You are,” I said immediately.

“Thank you.”

“Still,” I added, “what happened to ‘you’re the man, it’s your job to decide’?”

Her brow furrowed. “But… you said we’re partners. Equal partners, remember?”

“I didn’t think it’d come back to bite me!”

“Are you upset?”

“No, not really,” I lied. “Besides, we waited this long. What’s another…?” I paused to count, but Christy’s sudden grin stopped me.

“What’s so funny?”

“Twenty-three,” she said. “Days. I don’t know how many hours or seconds, but I’d probably mess up the math anyway.” She reached between us and massaged my libido back to life. “I know it seems like a long time, but in exactly three weeks and two days, you can do whatever you like, as many times as you like. Six, ten, whatever!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think you have an exaggerated notion of my stamina.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind if it’s only five times.”

“Only!” I scoffed.

“Don’t worry,” she added with a grin, “I’ll probably lose count anyway.”

“Yeah, well… in the meantime, you can forget about just being friends tonight.”

She tried to look innocent. “Oh?”

“Mmm hmm. You need to suck me off. Now. But don’t worry, I’ll probably lose count after five.”

Her eyes flashed. “I won’t.”

Judo wasn’t the same without Glen. I had plenty of friends in the club, and any of the sensei would have sparred with me, but none of them had his temperament. My morning run was all about peaceful contemplation; judo was the exact opposite, a pressure release for frustration and pent-up aggression. I had more than I could handle at the moment, and I didn’t want to explode and hit someone random.

D’you hear that, Rich? I thought. I chuckled dryly and wondered how he’d deal with my current dilemma. He couldn’t force Christy to use modern birth control any more than I could. Worse, I couldn’t say anything to her without making an ass of myself. It was her body, after all, and her faith. If she didn’t want to compromise them, it was her decision.

So I had to decide whether or not I was willing to live with the consequences of unprotected sex. As usual, the big and little heads were on opposite sides of the issue. Fortunately—or un fortunately, depending on whose perspective I listened to—I had a few weeks to think about it. Twenty-two days, to be exact.

I wasn’t in the mood to work on my design project, so I decided to do something else. I left a note at home for Christy, grabbed my sunglasses and a windbreaker, and headed to the airport. Earl and his cronies were hanging out in the FBO lounge, as usual.

“Well,” he boomed genially, “what brings you here?”

“Time to get serious about my multi-engine rating,” I said. “And I want to become an instructor. So, let’s get started on that as well.”

His grizzled eyebrows went up. “You tryin’ to put me out of a job?”

“I’ve been teaching some kids. Basic stuff, but I want to keep doing it. I need the instructor certificate if I want to sign their logbooks.”

“You’ll need your commercial license first. And more ground school.

Pass a couple of FAA tests and you’re an instructor.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “Get started on the multi-engine first? Then go over what I need for the rest?” He nodded and still didn’t move, so I gestured impatiently.

“What, you mean now?”

“Is that chair gonna fly away without you?”

His cronies hooted. Earl glared, but they were immune, so he stood and hitched up his pants.

“All right, hotshot, let’s go.”

A few days later I returned home to find Christy at the kitchen table with her arms folded and her head down. She heard me come in but didn’t look up.

“You okay?” I said as I opened the fridge for a drink.

“No,” she grumped.

I closed the fridge, grabbed two apples instead, and took down the peanut butter. I quietly fixed a snack while she sulked in silence. Then I set the plate next to her, slid into a chair, and peeked under her curtain of hair.

“Leave me alone.”

“Sorry, no can do. Now c’mere.” I waited her out and then snapped my fingers. She sat up with a jerk. I moved her onto my lap, where she curled up with her head on my chest. “Eat first,” I said gently, “then talk.”

She shook her head.

“Eat.” I held up an apple.

She obediently took a bite and chewed quietly. Then she took another bite. Her energy gradually returned as she ate the first apple.

“More?” I said.

“Yes, please.”

So I fed her the second one. Afterward she dabbed her lips with a paper napkin. She grinned when I used my finger to wipe up stray peanut butter from the plate. I held it to her lips and she sucked it clean.

“Better?”

“Much. Thank you.”

“Good. I need my sunshine girl.”

She smiled up at me and then nuzzled my chest.

“So, tell me what’s going on,” I said, soft but firm.

“School. Project. Brooke.”

I knew about the first two—we all did—so I focused on the last. “What’s up? She okay?”

“No. She’s having guy problems.”

“Ah.”

“She told me about them today. And now I feel guilty for telling her how good things are with you and me.”

“I see.”

“She’s been dating this guy, Fletcher, for about a year. But now she thinks he’s cheating on her.”

“Does she have reason to? Or just vague suspicions?”

“No, she has reason. He’s been acting weird and won’t tell her where he’s been sometimes. Last week she found an earring in his bedroom. Today, a pair of panties.”

“And they weren’t hers.”

“No.”

“She going to break up with him?”

Christy shrugged. “She wants to work it out. She says she loves him. And I didn’t know what to tell her. I mean, you and I have such a weird relationship. I didn’t feel like I could give her advice.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know if I can explain it.” She thought for a moment. “Before I met you, I’d’ve said break up with him. But now… I was thinking about how I’d feel if you had sex with someone else. Without telling me, I mean.”

My eyebrows shot up.

“Exactly,” she said when she felt my surprise. “I know you’re going to do it with Wren, but that doesn’t really bother me. Not anymore. I know it’s just sex with her.” She laughed, in surprise as much as a release of tension. “It feels weird to say it like that, but that’s how I feel.” She swatted my chest, light and playful, which was at odds with her mood otherwise. “You’re a bad influence.”

“Or a good one.”

“Very good,” she agreed. “But yeah… I know you’re going to have sex with other women, especially if I work up the nerve to become a swinger.”

“Probably, yeah.”

“But what if you do it without telling me? I mean, I did the same thing with Wren, although that was different.”

“Right.”

“I think I’d be upset, but I’m not sure. Is that my autopilot or for real? I don’t know anymore. So that’s why I didn’t know what to tell Brooke. She’s a lot like me, but she doesn’t have someone like you to explain it.”

“Her boyfriend probably isn’t like me either. I know the difference between love and sex.”

“Exactly. You love me, but it’s just sex with the others. Except for Leah.

But I think I understand the difference between her and me.”

“I’m committed to you.”

“You always know how to say what I’m thinking,” she said with a smile.

“Anyway, I didn’t know what to tell Brooke. Still don’t. I feel bad for her, but worse that I can’t help.”

She fell silent, so I simply held her. Then we heard the front door open.

Trip and Wren came in together and immediately headed upstairs. He and I hadn’t been to the gym together all week. He had a study group for his accounting final, and I used the extra time to get ahead on Joska’s project.

Wren was working on her honors thesis (for real), so she and Christy hadn’t spent as much time together either.

“Do you know if they’re going out tonight?” I asked her.

“Yeah. Date night. Wren was talking about it this morning at the pool.

They’re going to that steak restaurant he likes.” She shivered in revulsion.

“And then he wants to see a band for his dad. He’s getting pretty good at picking them. Wren said the record label signed two of them. Trip gets paid for those. It’s pretty good money. He’s gonna need it if he wants to keep her happy.”

“You aren’t so cheap yourself,” I teased.

“Ugh. Don’t remind me. My dad keeps lecturing me.”

“Maybe you should listen?”

“Please don’t start,” she said. “I’m feeling bad enough as it is.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

We listened to muted thumps from the ceiling in the living room. Then the water hammer rattled when one of them started the shower.

“I wish the timing didn’t stink for this weekend,” Christy said. “I looked at my calendar again and called Marianne and everything. But she said absolutely not. Too bad. I could use a good distraction.”

“So,” I ventured, “she knows about…?”

“Us? Going all the way? Of course. I had to ask her for help with birth control—”

I compressed my lips so hard that it hurt, but Christy didn’t notice.

“—but she’s your biggest fan these days. Bigger than Wren, even. She thinks you’ll start looking elsewhere if we don’t.” Christy laughed softly, but with irony rather than amusement. “She doesn’t know. About you being a swinger, I mean, or that I’m thinking about it. She thinks I need to sleep with you before you ‘get away.’ That’s what she did with Harry,” she added. “I know she loves him, but sometimes she talks like she had to trap him.”

“That’s one of the major problems I had with religious girls,” I said.

“Back before you and I started dating.”

“I know. That’s how most of us were brought up, though. Sex is something you only do because you have to, with your husband. It’s dirty otherwise.”

“But you know different now?”

“You know I do. You can feel it. And that’s why I wish we could do it this weekend. You know I want to make love to you. Have sex and fuck too.”

She looked up at me and ventured a smile. “All of it, everything.”

“We can use condoms,” I said, but she immediately shook her head.

“I want to feel you. The real you. Inside me. And I don’t want you to have to pull out when you come. Not the first time. Not ever, really, but Marianne said that’s one of the things we need to do sometimes.”

“Then how about next week?”

“We’re too busy. I told you.”

“Okay, next—?”

“We already talked about this.”

“We did, but—” I growled in frustration. “I’m ready now.”

“I know. And I’m really sorry. I know you think West Virginia would be perfect, but I don’t. Besides, I want to do other things there. Things we can’t do here.”

“We can do anything we want here!”

“No. I want to go out in public. And I want you to tie me up. Maybe blindfold me too. We can’t do any of that here.”

“Why not? Hold on. Never mind. What’s to stop me from just tying you up and fucking you next weekend? I know you want it. Besides—”

“Please don’t,” she said immediately. “What’s that dumb word? Bacon!

Right, bacon. Please promise me you won’t do anything next weekend. I’m serious, Paul. Bacon serious.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I was still frustrated and not likely to get what I wanted any time soon, but the absurdity of “bacon serious” was just too much.

Christy grinned too, which was exactly what we both needed.

“Okay,” I said at last, “I promise. I won’t do anything.”

“Thank you.” She smoothed my shirt against my chest. “I know you’re upset, but… I’ve thought about this a lot. I want our first time to be perfect.”

“You know it won’t be. Life isn’t like that. It’s always sexier in your head.”

“I know, but I really want to try for this. I already talked to Wren and told her we’ll be staying here a few days and will join them in Florida later.”

“How’d she take it?”

“She was annoyed. They’ll have to drive down instead. Or pay for plane tickets.”

“Did you tell her why?”

“No! It’s none of her business. But… I think she figured it out.”

“She isn’t stupid.”

“No. Unfortunately. So she knows, but we’re pretending she doesn’t.”

I laughed at the things we were all willing to believe when it suited us.

“I know, right?” Christy said as she read my mind. “It’s silly, but…” She shrugged.

Rattling pipes reminded us that we still had company upstairs.

“I still feel kinda bad about Brooke,” Christy said. “Do you mind if we have a quiet night tonight?”

“Not at all. Life’s full of ups and downs.”

“Well, I really wish the ups and downs could be on your cock, but— Oh, please! Don’t look so surprised. I have naughty thoughts too.”

“Yeah, but it’s still a shock to hear you say them aloud. And so explicitly.”

“Well, get used to it, mister. You’ll be hearing them a lot, especially if you’re going to be my future husband.”

I smiled, kissed her, and then simply held her.

“Maybe you can read to me tonight?” she said after a while. “Poetry? The one about the girl like a golden flower?”

“Cleïs.”

“You said her name was Sappho.”

“She’s the poet. Her little blonde daughter is Cleïs.”

“Well, whatever her name is, I like her.”

“She has a way with words, all right.”

“And you have a way with me.” She glanced up and ventured a smile.

“Thank you for being patient with me and putting up with my nonsense.

You’re right, I’m probably being silly trying to plan our first time and make it perfect, but… I don’t want it to be in the back of your car or a quickie because Wren and Trip’ll be home soon.”

“I know. Neither do I.”

“And I don’t want it to be in West Virginia. I can’t really explain that either. I want it to be ours, someplace permanent. Not some… hotel room…

no matter how much we like it.”

“I understand.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t do other things until then. Like, soak in the bath while you read to me? Then suck you until we fall asleep?”

“I thought you wanted a quiet night.”

“I said ‘quiet,’ not ‘dead.’”

The next week passed in a blur, and I privately admitted that Christy had been right: we were both too busy to enjoy anything more than passing encounters. Oh, we could’ve had sex any time, but it would’ve been an hour at best, interrupted at worst.

So we enjoyed each other’s company as much as we could and spent

several evenings working together in my studio. She’d already finished the maquettes for the first two Kanagawa sculptures, but she still needed to create a series of detail studies for her portfolio review in the spring. So she sat in her favorite chair with a big sketch board on her lap and hummed quietly as she drew.

One evening I startled her with a laugh. I’d just noticed her reply on the little love-note drawing, the one where I’d replaced her “CMC” with “CMH.”

She’d written, You have to ask. Out loud. I stretched over my desk and unpinned it from the wall. I replied with, I will. When I’m ready, and returned it to its spot. She watched the whole thing and then stood to see what I’d written. She added a smiley face with hearts for eyes and then sank into her chair with a happy little grin.

We were usually pretty worn out when we finally went to bed, but we managed to have some fun anyway. She offered to model some of her lingerie for me, and I jumped at the chance. I knew she had a decent collection, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the reality of it.

In addition to her special occasion drawer in our room, she had another full drawer in her old bedroom. She had fancy bra and panty sets, garter belts, stockings, bustiers, camisoles, babydoll nighties, a couple of peignoirs, and even a sheer crotchless bodystocking.

Part of me simply goggled at how much it all must have cost, much less where she’d found a few things in her size. I couldn’t imagine a Girls & Young Misses department with a selection of crotchless bodystockings, for example. But mostly I enjoyed the show and had fun picking out which sexy little nothing she’d wear to bed. And, of course, I enjoyed them again in the morning when I had to step over them on the floor where they’d ended up.

On top of everything else, we also had to plan our spring class schedules and submit them for advance registration. So dinner one evening involved two large pizzas, several bottles of wine, a couple of dog-eared UT General Catalogs, and at least seven copies of the Spring Timetable.

Three of us had an easy time of it, but Wren had a real challenge to build a schedule around two classes she needed to graduate. She made it work, but her Tuesday-Thursday schedule would be brutal. She had four classes

without a break and then an honors seminar on Thursday evenings.

“My brain’s gonna be mush by the time I’m done,” she said.

“It’s kinda mushy now,” Christy teased.

Wren was so exhausted that she didn’t even fire back.

“That’s okay,” Trip said as he put an arm around her, “we’ll take care of you.”

“Yeah, we will,” Christy said. “I’ll help organize your notes and type your thesis and anything else you need.”

“Thanks,” Wren said.

“That’s what friends’re for.”

“I dunno what you’re lookin’ at me for,” I joked. “I still want a four-course meal every night.”

Wren smiled tiredly.

“Be nice,” Christy said.

“Yeah, all right, I’ll help. Sheesh! You’d think a guy could be a selfish jerk once in a while.”

“Don’t worry,” Christy said to Wren. “I’ll set him straight.”

“Thanks,” Wren said as she leaned into Trip’s embrace, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The next day I called my parents and talked to Mom. When I complained about our workload in general and mine in particular, she reminded me that she’d been pregnant with me her final semester of college.

“I was the size of a Studebaker! But I still went to class, did my own work, and typed all your dad’s papers.”

That put my problems in perspective, so I changed the subject and told her about our spring break plans—the Florida part, at least.

“Erin’s break starts a couple of days before yours,” she said, “but she’ll be home.”

“Really? I thought she’d go to the beach with friends or something,” I said. “I mean, it’s her senior year, time to cut loose and have fun.”

“She’s trying to save money for Europe this summer. Grandma and Grandpa said they’d help, but this is the grown-up Erin.”

I laughed.

“She’s always been tight with money,” Mom said. “Unlike you.”

“I’m not a spendthrift!”

“You are compared to her. But you also earn your own money these days, so it isn’t the same.”

“True,” I agreed. Then I looked at my watch. “I should probably go.

Christy’ll be home soon, and it’s our night to fix dinner.”

“What’re you having?”

“I dunno. I haven’t decided yet.”

“Doesn’t she cook?”

“She does, but I’m a little more organized than she is, so I usually plan things.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed, Mom,” I said. “She’s great in other ways.”

“I’m not disappointed. I just think—”

“That a woman should cook for her man.”

“Well, I do,” she said defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I love you, Mom, but you’re a bit old-fashioned sometimes. It’s the eighties. Christy and I have a different relationship.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

“I am. Very. Now, I’d better get going.”

“Okay. I love you, honey.”

“I love you too, Mom. Bye.”

I hung up and grinned to myself. Sometimes Christy couldn’t be bothered to eat, much less cook. She’d have wasted away to nothing if Wren and I didn’t take care of her. As it was, she was hovering at ninety-six pounds, and Wren usually had to remind her to take the baggies of fruit and veggies she made for her.

But what Christy lacked in size and common sense, she made up for in energy and creativity. She was constantly looking over my shoulder and making little suggestions for my building. I’d already had to go back a half-dozen times to add things to my drawings or the model. I’d also had to admit that I was too logical and a little too predictable on my own, while Christy added something special to everything she touched, including yours truly.

So I didn’t really care that she didn’t cook, left her clothes on the floor, never balanced her checkbook, and only had a vague sense of time. Those things didn’t matter in the big picture. She made me happy in other ways, and that was fine by me.

Damon and Alexa were both waiting for us on Friday when we landed at the airport in Elkins. They’d just finished a flying lesson themselves, and they introduced us to their instructor, a thin, sour man in his sixties with a full head of snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes. He was an Air Force vet who’d flown cargo planes in China and India during World War II. We made small talk for a few minutes, and I told him I was working on my instructor’s rating.

“Well, you kindly taught ’em the basics,” he admitted, “but don’t interfere with my training otherwise.”

“I won’t,” I said as politely as I could. “For now I’ll give them time at the controls and let them build their confidence.”

He gave me a look that said I might not be capable of even that, so I forced a smile and told him we’d better get going. I asked the teens about him on the ride to the inn. Damon shrugged and kept his opinion to himself.

Alexa wasn’t as reserved.

“I think he’s mean,” she said. “And he stares at me.”

She had her mother’s beauty and the promise of a figure to match, but without the maturity to deal with men who ogled her.

“Do you want me to say something to your parents?” I asked.

“It won’t do any good,” she said. “He’s the best instructor around.

Everyone says so.”

“Well, ‘everyone’ isn’t a teenage girl who looks like you. Does he stare at your mother too?”

“No,” she said sullenly.

“Okay, so he only does it to someone who can’t do anything about it.

Right. He sounds like a first class lech.”

“She’s just overreacting,” Damon said. “It’s fine.”

“No, it isn’t,” I said firmly. “She has a right to feel comfortable around someone.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is. So he stares? It isn’t like he touches her.”

“How would you feel if I stared at your crotch?” I shot back. “What if I did it all the time? So what? It isn’t like I’m touching you.”

He squirmed as he imagined it.

“See what I mean?” I said. “It makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it?

That’s how Alexa feels, but she has to live with it every day, and not just from guys like your instructor.”

Alexa nodded silently from the back seat.

“She shouldn’t have to put up with that crap,” I said to Damon. “And you shouldn’t make her feel like it’s her problem. It isn’t. It’s yours and mine, dude.”

He was too polite to come right out and disagree with me.

“You don’t think so? You think she wants guys to stare at her?”

“No. But so what? It’s flattering.”

“Oh, really? So it’s flattering when I stare at your crotch?”

“No. It’s gross. And rude.”

“Ah, I get it,” I said sarcastically. “Alexa doesn’t deserve the same respect you and I take for granted. So it’s all right to stare at her but not you.

I see.”

“I didn’t say that,” he protested.

“Yeah, you did, dude, when you said she’s overreacting.” I paused to let that sink in. “Fair is fair. Alexa has a right to feel comfortable, to not be stared at. The same as you do.”

In the back seat, Alexa was fighting back tears.

Christy touched her hand and squeezed. “I’ll say something to your mother and tell her he was staring at me.”

“No,” Alexa said. “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

Alexa shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I’ll tell her.”

I gave Damon a pointed, expectant look.

He hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes on the road.

I stared harder.

“Yeah, all right,” he said eventually. “I’ll back her up.”

“Good. That’s how a real man treats women.”

Christy had brought a special outfit for dinner: a matching blue plaid skirt and jacket with a white blouse. I didn’t realize what was special about it until she unbuttoned the jacket. The blouse was transparent, meant to be worn over a camisole. Her breasts were clearly visible until she grinned and re-buttoned

the jacket, which turned her into a proper young lady again.

“Oh, that’s clever,” I said appreciatively.

“Thank you. I thought you’d like it. I know you’re still upset about this weekend—”

“I’m not upset,” I said. “I’m just… eager. Very, very eager.”

Her eyes flashed with a smile. “I know. I can tell, Mr. Trouser Tent.”

“What can I say? He’s eager too.”

“Maybe after dinner he can take me to that little side street?” she suggested. “You know, the one where—”

“Oh, I know the one.” I chuckled. “We both do.”

“I was hoping you would.”

“What about later?”

“I brought some scarves and a blindfold, and… um… Wren’s Polaroid.

With extra film this time.”

“Oh?”

Her eyes flashed with eagerness. “I wanna see what I look like tied up.”

“You are a kinky little thing.”

“But only for you.” She slipped into my arms and looked up at me. “Do you need a little attention now?”

“What do you think?”

She sank to her knees and unconsciously moistened her lips as I unzipped my fly and carefully extracted my hard-on.

“Hello, Mr. Big,” she said earnestly. “I know you want to meet Miss Kitty, but you have to wait. Are you okay with that?” She pretended to listen.

“What’s that? ‘Only if I suck you a million-billion times?’” She laughed playfully. “I dunno about a million-billion, but I think I can manage five or six.” She listened again. “Stop talking and start sucking? Mmm, okay!”

I rolled my eyes.

“He can be very insistent,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Then you should do what he wants.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

The next morning we hit the slopes when the lifts opened and skied until they closed. Then we returned to the inn, where we soaked up warmth in the big

claw-foot tub until I was too waterlogged to stand it any longer. We went out for a quiet dinner at a nearby bar and grill. No one could really tell that Christy was braless under her sweater and turtleneck, but we knew, which was enough to keep her at a simmer through the whole meal.

Back in our room I used her long silk scarves to tie her spread-eagle to the four-poster bed. She’d brought a black satin blindfold as well, and I slid it over her head to cover her eyes. Then I spent nearly an hour teasing, tormenting, and taking pictures. She came quickly the first time, mostly from pent-up desire and anticipation. I let her calm down and then slowly worked her up to a second major orgasm.

I still hadn’t come myself, and the little head was in rare form. He wanted to fuck her senseless, to hell with what she wanted. The big head knew better, but I could almost feel his resolve crumbling.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was planning to do when I knelt between Christy’s spread thighs and teased her pussy with the head of my cock. She gasped and squirmed but didn’t say anything to stop me. I lubricated my glans in her channel and then slapped her clit.

I spent several minutes teasing her with my hard-on and rubbing it through her folds without ever going too far. Still, I thought of excuses in case I “accidentally” entered her for real. I waited for her to use her safe word, but she never did.

Do it! the little head shouted. She’s practically begging us to.

Christy strained against her bonds and whimpered when the head of my cock nudged her clit again.

See? She wants it. Give it to her. Now!

I finally shook off the fog of lust and came to my senses. I slid my rod along the top of her slit. My balls touched her pussy itself, and the base of my cock pressed down on her clit. Her stiff nipples strained toward the ceiling as she arched her back.

I began to dry-hump her. Her juices and my own pre-come lubricated the underside of my shaft as it slid along her clit. I held her hips and thrust like I was fucking her, until the friction finally overwhelmed me. My dick twitched and spurted hot semen onto her stomach and breasts.

She squeaked with a mini-orgasm and her chest heaved as she caught her breath. Pearly white drops covered her from neck to navel, and my cock was still very stiff where it rested on her smooth mons. A trickle of semen oozed from the tip. I groped for the camera, and she listened to it click and whir as I

took a picture.

I still wasn’t done with her, so I climbed up to her head and aimed my dick at her mouth. She sucked eagerly, especially when she heard me take another picture. After ten minutes or so, I pulled out and started stroking myself with my left hand. I aimed the camera with my right. Christy moaned and tried to recapture my cock, but I held it just out of reach.

The pressure built until I came with a grunt. The first spurt left a white trail along the black satin mask and into her golden hair. I adjusted my aim and took a picture as the next one hit her mouth and cheek. The camera whirred and spat out a fresh print. I finished spurting and let her suck the head and swallow the final gushes.

I pressed the camera button again but it was out of film. The final Polaroid was still in the slot, so I turned the whole thing and watched it develop slowly. It was a little out of focus but clear enough to see what was going on. Christy’s mouth was open like a baby bird. Semen and saliva glistened on her lips. A string of white droplets arced toward her from the tip of my cock.

“You’re gonna like this one,” I said as I sat back on my heels. My dick swayed and started to droop.

“Unh! Where’d he go? Come back!”

“Greedy little thing,” I chuckled, “aren’t you?”

She sucked the remaining come from my shaft and then spent several minutes trying to keep me from going soft. She eventually released me, and my cock flopped limply as I sat back again.

“You give up?” I said.

“No. Never. And for the record, I like sucking you, even when you’re soft.”

“Oh? Then why’d you quit?”

She grimaced. “I love your come on my face, but I can feel it cracking and drying out my skin. It… really bugs me. Sorry.” She tugged at her bonds.

“Do you mind untying me so I can clean up?”

“What’s the magic word?” I teased.

“Please? I’ll suck you all night, I promise. Just let me wash my face.” I freed her wrists, and she took off the mask. “Oh, what’s this? Mmm, a little snack!” She wiped off the satin and grinned as she licked her finger. “Not as good as fresh, but still yummy.”

I began untying her ankles. “You’re insatiable.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

“Come on, Little Bit, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Can we look at the pictures after?”

“Sure.”

“And then I owe you a bunch of kisses. Oh, and another blowjob or ten.”

“Sounds good.”

“And… um…” She blushed and looked down. “Thank you for not going all the way. I thought I might have to bacon you.”

“So that’s a verb now?” I laughed. “Bacon?”

“Of course! It’s from the Latin baconare, to pork. As in: ‘No, no! Bacon!

Please don’t pork me!’”

I blinked and then collapsed in a fit of laughter. After a moment Christy threw herself on top of me and grinned from six inches away.

“I love you,” she said when I could breathe again. Her eyes flashed and she kissed me.

I tasted semen but didn’t care. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me.

“I can’t wait for you to pork me for real,” she said when the kiss ended.

“Ten more days. I counted this morning. I mark them off on my calendar.

Ten more days,” she repeated wistfully.

“We don’t have to wait.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, we do. We’ve talked about this. Like, a million times.”

“A million?”

“A million-billion.” She sighed and said, “I know I’m being silly, but—”

“Ten days?”

“Ten days,” she agreed. “And we’ll be so busy you won’t even notice.

Then we can take all the time in the world. You can use me for real, any way you like.”

“Any way I like?”

“Any way you like.”

Back in Knoxville we began the last week of the quarter. Christy didn’t have anything major to turn in, but I did have a project due. Fortunately, I’d put in

plenty of extra hours and finished most of the work the week before.

On the day of my presentation, I took my model to the A&A building along with thirty or forty other students, including some from Professor Joska’s fourth-year design class. Their models were much larger and more elaborate than ours. They also worked in teams, which explained how they could produce skyscrapers and shopping malls and even a multi-structure office complex.

Their class was before ours, and their presentations must have run long, because Joska arrived late and out of breath for ours.

“We will begin,” he said without preamble. “Mr. Boyle, to the front.

Quickly, quickly.”

Melvin tripped, and his model hung in the air for a sickening moment. He scrambled and caught it but then stumbled into Rosemary Finkle’s desk. She barely saved her own model before it slid out of reach. Freddie leapt up and ran to her. Her design write-up had gone flying in the chaos, and he gathered the sheets from the floor.

“What are you doing?” Joska snapped, as if he hadn’t started the whole mess. “Sit down, Mr. DeFeo!”

Freddie ignored him and finished arranging Rosemary’s papers. She gave him a look of pure affection. He returned to his own desk next to mine.

Rosemary blushed when she realized I’d seen her expression.

“Yes, yes,” Professor Joska said to the room, “we must begin. Now. Mr.

Boyle, if you please.”

Melvin rushed his presentation and flubbed his answers to Joska’s questions, but I couldn’t blame him. Joska was in a foul mood and had asked some doozies. Freddie made it through his own presentation, but not without some acid commentary as well.

Then Rosemary took her model to the front of the class. Freddie’s eyes never left her, and she nervously glanced his way several times. Joska clearly wasn’t impressed with her design and said so. Freddie looked murderous but kept his mouth shut. His expression softened when Rosemary looked at him and smiled, and I silently wished them all the happiness in the world.

Gracie was up next. Her model was fine, but her design was atrocious. It was a Russian Revival-style office building with multicolored onion domes and everything. For once I thought she should’ve done something Brutalist instead. She stumbled awkwardly through her presentation and then Joska tore into her.

He finished with a scathing critique, “Not your best work, Miss Fisher,”

and even I felt sorry for her.

He’s known for weeks what she’s been working on, I thought angrily.

Why didn’t he give her some guidance before?

I pulled out a piece of paper and scrawled a note. Joska called my name as I was still writing, so I held up my left hand to forestall him.

“Mr. Hughes,” he said again, more insistent.

“I heard you the first time.” I finished writing, grabbed my model and write-up, and placed them on the table in front of the class. Then I deliberately walked to Gracie’s desk and set the note on top of her model.

Joska frowned. “What is this, Mr. Hughes? Passing notes? Please share with the entire class.”

“You asked for it,” I muttered. Then I spun on my heel, grabbed the paper, and defiantly read aloud, “Forget Joska. He’s just in a pissy mood. I thought it was a great design. Very Revolutionary. Ha ha! Get it?” I ignored Joska and held Gracie’s eyes instead. I set the note on her model once again.

She blinked back tears and looked away to hide them.

I met Joska’s arctic stare and returned it as calmly as I could, even though my heart was racing. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d kicked me out of class then and there. Instead, he looked around and sensed the mood of the room. I was a popular and talented student. At the moment he was a very unpopular professor. Still, he had to reassert his authority.

“We will talk after class, Mr. Hughes.”

“Of course.” I gestured at my model. “May I begin?”

He nodded to say that the floor was mine.

A small part of me wondered if it would be my last presentation for him, but something about impending doom gave me confidence. I nailed it. Even Gracie was nodding along by the time I finished and asked if anyone had questions.

Joska read the room again. They were all on my side and he knew it. He asked a couple of softball questions and then we were done.

“Mr. Ivey,” he said next. “Please share your project with us.”

“Damn,” Freddie said under his breath as I slid into my chair. “That was a blaze of glory.”

“Fuggedaboutit,” I whispered back.

His grin could’ve spanned the Hudson.

I waited after Joska dismissed the class. Freddie and Rosemary were the last to leave, and they walked out together. He gave me a thumbs-up in solidarity before he pulled the door closed.

“What, exactly, do you think you were doing?” Joska said after a moment.

“Standing up for a friend.”

“Miss Fisher? Your loyalty is admirable but hardly appropriate.”

“Your comments were asinine and hardly constructive.”

“I will not be made light of in my own class!”

“I wasn’t ‘making light’ of you. Besides, you were the one who wanted me to read my note in front of the class.” I had him there and he knew it, although it didn’t matter. He was the professor and I was the student; he could do whatever he wanted. But still, I’d scored the point.

“Mr. Hughes, do you think you deserve special treatment because you show promise?”

“Absolutely not. I deserve the same as anyone else. But praise in public, Professor, criticize in private. You broke that rule and you know it.”

“And you did not?”

“I did. So we both need to do better.”

His eyes narrowed at the familiar phrase.

“I’m sorry I criticized you in public,” I said. “I won’t do it again.”

He gave me a hard stare and weighed my future.

I was still feeling surly and defiant, but I didn’t let it show. I’d learned from the best, after all, so I kept my emotions in check as I waited for the proverbial ax to fall.

“See that you don’t,” he said at last. “Good day, Mr. Hughes.”

Christy was on the phone in her old bedroom when I came home. I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard her tone. I eavesdropped for a moment. She was talking to Brooke, so I poked my head in.

“Everything okay?” I asked softly.

She looked startled but shook her head and turned her attention back to

the conversation. I pulled the door closed and headed upstairs to my studio.

She came looking for me about twenty minutes later and surprised me by simply climbing into my lap and curling up.

“Oh, Paul,” she said miserably, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell me what’s the matter and we’ll figure it out.”

“Fletcher broke up with Brooke. They had a big fight yesterday and he ended it today. He said some really nasty things.”

“Was he cheating on her?”

She nodded glumly. “Almost the entire time they were dating. He got tired of hiding it, he said. He didn’t care anymore, had never loved her. He was only with her for the sex, he said, and even that wasn’t worth it anymore.”

“Ouch. He sounds like a jerk.”

“You can say that again.”

“What’s she going to do?” I asked.

“She doesn’t know. Neither do I,” Christy said, despondent again. She avoided my eyes and said hesitantly, “She wants me to fly home. To San Diego, I mean.”

“I knew what you meant,” I said neutrally. Then I took a deep breath to get my frustration under control. “Doesn’t she have friends there?”

“She does, but…”

“None like you,” I said heavily.

“No.”

I could only think of one way to avoid being the bad guy. “Go see her.”

“I can’t. I have exams. I won’t graduate if I miss them.”

“Then after your last exam. Go. Brooke needs you.”

She looked up in surprise. “But… next week? It’s only six days. I promised…”

“I’ll survive until you get back.”

“You could come with me.”

“I… think I’d be a distraction,” I said diplomatically. It was the last thing I wanted, but I knew how bad Christy would feel if she completely abandoned her friend.

“No you wouldn’t,” she argued. “You’d—”

“Just get in the way. You need to spend time with Brooke.”

“But I don’t want you to think I’m choosing her over you. I said I’d never do that.”

“I’m choosing her over me,” I said softly. Then I realized that I actually meant it. “Go. Take care of Brooke. You and I can spend time together when you get back.”

“What’ll you do? Will you stay here?”

“I’m not sure.” I thought about it. “I don’t want to go to Florida with Trip and Wren. I’d be a third wheel there too. And… I don’t really want to stay here by myself. I guess I’ll go to Atlanta.”

“I could meet you there, after I see Brooke.”

I shook my head. “A breakup like that doesn’t suddenly get better after a day or two. What if she needs you?”

“I’ll tell her that you come first.”

“Why don’t we compromise?” I said. “You spend a few days with Brooke while I visit my family in Atlanta. Then I’ll fly out to San Diego and spend the rest of spring break with you and your family. I can meet Brooke—if she isn’t sick of guys, that is—and it’ll be a good distraction.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that you and I can distract her from her ex-boyfriend. We can hang out at the beach or pool or whatever.”

“You really wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not. She’s one of your best friends. In a way, she’s still your girlfriend—”

Christy nodded.

“—so it’s important that you’re there for her. I know you don’t want to choose her over me, but it’s okay if I make the choice.”

“I still want to… you know… what we planned.”

“Go all the way?” I grinned. “We have the rest of our lives.”

“That’s still the worst line ever.”

“What can I say? It’s true, though. Besides, who says we won’t find time while we’re in San Diego?”

“Oh my gosh, no! We’ll be staying with my parents. We can’t!”

I chuckled and kissed her. “Little Bit,” I said, “I guarantee I can fuck you five or six times a day and your parents’d never know.”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“Seriously. Your dad’ll be at work, and your mom can’t watch us all the time. It’s a big house. Heck, it’s a big town. We’ll find someplace if we’re determined enough.”

“But… I don’t want to ‘find someplace.’ I want someplace that’s ours.”

“Christy, my love, anywhere we are is ‘ours.’ We don’t need a consecrated bed. A kitchen table will do nicely.”

“Not for our first time!”

“No,” I agreed, “but it’ll work for the second or third. Or pretty much any time, now that I think about it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Guys’ll do anything to get lucky.”

“Yeah, we will. And I’m willing to wait a bit longer to get lucky with you. Well, luck ier. I’m already lucky. But you know what I mean.”

“I do.”

“Not till the wedding,” I said automatically, and we shared a grin.

She reached up and caressed my face. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“You were a naughty girl, and I’m your punishment.”

“I’m looking forward to being naughty for real. Very, very naughty.”

“Me too,” I said. “Now let’s figure out how to make spring break work for you, me, and Brooke.”

“Later. Right now I need you to hold me.”

I called my mom the next day to ask if I could visit for a couple of days.

“Of course,” she said. “What’s going on? I thought you were going to Florida.”

“Plans changed.” I told her about Brooke’s breakup and Christy’s decision to spend a few days with her. “Then I’m going to fly out to visit her in San Diego. I can fly standby since it isn’t a holiday.”

“Why not just fly out with her in the first place? Never mind. I think I understand.”

“Yeah. I don’t want Christy to feel bad for spending all her time with Brooke. This way, they get a few days together without any hurt feelings.

Then I’ll join them, and Christy and I can distract Brooke from her troubles.”

I chuckled. “It isn’t quite a soap opera, but pretty close.”

“It sounds like Christy’s a good friend.”

“Well, they were more than friends in high school, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah. I understand. But…”

“But…?”

“It also sounds like Christy’s more like us than you thought.”

“She is. She hides it well, but she’s pretty open-minded. About… lots of things.” I tried to keep the surprise out of my voice, but Mom could read between the lines. “She still has a few hangups,” I finished, “but she’s coming around.”

“So you think she’ll be…?”

I glanced into the hall and then shut the bedroom door, just in case. “A swinger? Too soon to tell. But if I play my cards right… yeah.”

“Wow. That’s a surprise. You’re right, she hides it well. I never got a hint that she was anything other than a Catholic schoolgirl, albeit a semi-adventurous one.”

I chuckled. “She hates it when I call her that. She actually liked Catholic school.”

“Your dad didn’t.”

“Well, Christy’s a quiet rebel. Dad doesn’t have her… um… ‘restraint.’”

“No,” she laughed. “He’s never been one to hold back.”

“Exactly. Anyway, Christy and Brooke need some girl-time. So, she’s gonna fly out as soon as she finishes her exams. I’ll come to Atlanta for a few days and then head out next weekend. Will that work?”

“Of course. You don’t even have to ask.”

“I sorta do,” I laughed. “I mean, I don’t have a bedroom at home anymore. Heck, I don’t even think of it as ‘home’ these days. Anyway, thanks for letting me crash for a couple of days. I know it’s short notice, but… thanks. I figure I’ll drive down next Wednesday. Sound good?”

“Sounds good. And you’re always welcome.”

“Thanks. In the meantime, I need to study for exams, so I’d better let you go.”

“Okay, honey. See you next week. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom. See you next week.”

I hung up and stared at the ceiling. Things were becoming more complicated with Christy, and a niggling part of me wondered why I put up with it.

Because she’s worth it, you idiot.

What do you know? You’re just a penis.

I’m you, dumbass. Now quit dithering and find a way to fuck that girl!

Christy’s period arrived right on schedule. She climbed into bed wearing everyday cotton panties, which I’d noticed the month before, although I hadn’t paid attention to the timing.

I’d better start paying attention, I told myself, especially if our “birth control” is the rhythm method.

“I’m pretty regular,” she said. “Unless I lose weight. Then they stop altogether and I stress out, which only makes things worse.”

“No kidding.” I put my arm around her and adjusted my attitude as she snuggled close. “You forget to eat when you’re preoccupied.”

“That’s why you and Wren have been lifesavers the past few weeks.

Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It’s what we do. We’re nurturers.”

Christy laughed. “Maybe you are. I think Wren is secretly a Jewish mother. ‘What do you want to eat?’ ‘You need to eat more.’ ‘Here, eat this.’”

“I’m surprised she doesn’t weigh a ton.”

“Why do you think she swims and does aerobics? She’s completely insane about keeping her figure. I thought I was bad? No way, Paul. I do it

’cause it’s fun and I like dancing. Speaking of which… I’d like us to start taking lessons. Oh, please! Don’t act so surprised. I’ve never had a boyfriend I could really dance with.”

“You still don’t.”

“You aren’t a bad dancer. You aren’t Harry, but you haven’t had lessons.

UT has a ballroom dance team. Did you know that?”

“Oddly enough, I didn’t,” I said with gentle sarcasm.

“It’ll be fun. Besides, I’ll get to wear my fancy dresses and nice shoes.”

“This is one of those things where I should just let you have your way, isn’t it?”

“I could do like my mother and manipulate things behind the scenes.”

“No, no,” I said immediately. “I prefer this way, where you come right out and ask.”

“I thought you’d see it my way.”

I chuckled. “Did I have a choice?”

“Not really. But I’ll make it worth your while. Hey, where’re you going?”

“To join the dance team. It’s only midnight. I’m sure they can sign me up tonight.”

She rolled her eyes but then gave me a suggestive look. “Come back to bed. I… um… need you.”

My eyebrows shot up.

“I’m a lot more affectionate when I’m on my period. And I mean, like, a lot.”

I chuckled and stepped up to the bed. Then I hopped over her and slid under the covers. She rolled to face me and reached for my cock.

“Mmm, I still love that you shave. You’re always so smooth and soft.

Perfect for fellatio.”

“Perfect for other things too,” I hinted.

“I know. I promised. I really want to, but I don’t know how it’ll work at my parents’ house.”

“Maybe we can come home early, before Trip and Wren get back from Florida.”

“That might work. In the meantime, I… um… need to tell you something about me and Brooke.”

“Oh? Something I don’t know already?”

“Yes. And no. I was talking to her today.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. She has papers due and stuff like that, so she’s been pretty distracted. But that’s not what I need to tell you. Hold on, let me start at the beginning. She knows about you and me—that you’re my boyfriend, I mean

—but that’s never been a big deal with us.”

“How do you mean?”

“When we were in high school. We both had boyfriends, but that never stopped us from… you know.”

“Having sex.”

“Ugh! Why is everything so easy for you? I really hate that I still can’t talk about this stuff without feeling guilty.”

“Well, get over it.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t raised in a strict Catholic family.”

“Neither were you.”

“I was too!”

“Catholic, yes, but not strict. Sure, your father had rules, but that’s just how he is. Your mother helped you get around them. And she knew about your girlfriends.”

“She didn’t know, but… yeah, she sorta did.”

“Exactly. So it wasn’t that strict.”

“Okay. Fine. I get it. Now. But at the time I thought it was pretty strict.”

“I understand. Anyway… you and Brooke?”

“Yeah. So, you have to understand that I still don’t think of what girls do as sex. Not sex-sex, like you and I are gonna do.”

“It is,” I chuckled, “but I know how you are. Penis in vagina—”

“Exactly.”

“—that’s sex. Everything else is fooling around.”

“Right. So you understand. And before you start, I know you’re different.

You probably think my fantasies are ‘mental sex’ or something silly like that.”

“How about ‘anything that involves an orgasm’ is sex?”

“Yeah, okay, whatever. So… Brooke probably wants to have sex. Um…

actually… I know she does. She told me. I know she isn’t my girlfriend-girlfriend—not like Wren—but I was kinda hoping the same rules might apply.” She cringed and looked at me through one cracked eyelid, like she expected me to explode.

I laughed instead. “So you’re asking permission to have sex with Brooke?”

“No! But… yes. You said I don’t need to ask permission, but that was for Wren. Do I need to for Brooke?”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t think I should, but I don’t really know how this works.”

I changed the subject slightly. “You said you had boyfriends in high school, but that didn’t stop you from having sex with her.”

“Right. That wasn’t cheating, ’cause it was another girl.”

“Cheating is emotional more than physical,” I said.

Her forehead wrinkled.

“That’s a longer conversation than I want to have right now. Although,” I mused, “some of our best discussions happen when you wake me in the middle of the night.” I thought about it and decided against it. I had an exam at eight o’clock the next morning. “Okay, so you want to have sex with Brooke. You don’t think it’s cheating, but you still thought you should ask.”

She nodded.

“I don’t have a problem with it. But…” I paused to let her think about it.

“What about me?”

“What d’you mean? What about you?”

“Well, you get to have sex with your girlfriend. Do I?”

“Get to have sex with Brooke?”

“No,” I laughed. “With one of my old girlfriends.”

Her eyes flew wide at that. “Oh my gosh! I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Mmm hmm. What’s good for the goose…”

“…is good for the gander,” she finished.

“Right. So, you’re going to San Diego for a few days to visit an old girlfriend. What about me? I’m going to Atlanta for a few days…”

“Hold on,” she said, suddenly suspicious, “are we bargaining for sex here? You said you didn’t like that.”

“Ha! All right, you got me. We are bargaining for sex. Sort of. But I’m not going to say you can’t have sex with Brooke if I can’t have sex with, say, Leah.”

“Oh.” She thought about it. Then she frowned.

“What?”

“Do you want to?”

“Of course. You know I do.”

“Yeah, but…” She paused and tried to decide how to put her thoughts into words. “I guess I don’t like the idea of you doing it with someone else.

Before we do, I mean.” She thought about it some more. “But if I want to have sex with Brooke, shouldn’t you have the same rights? Isn’t that what you were talking about last week? With Alexa?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

“And if I don’t think it’s cheating with Brooke,” she continued, “then I can’t really say it’s cheating for you and Leah.”

“Exactly. So… you and Brooke? Me and Leah?”

She had a sudden thought and frowned.

“What?”

“This’d be a whole lot easier if I’d gotten it through my stupid head a month ago that I was ready to go all the way with you.”

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “I don’t have to do anything with Leah.”

“I wasn’t saying that. Besides, I… um… thought of someone else.”

My eyebrows rose with a question.

“What if you do it—go all the way—with a certain… um… family member?”

I burst out laughing.

“I’m serious! I wouldn’t mind if you did it with Erin.” Her eyes flashed with excitement. “Then you can tell me about it!”

“Oh, boy. Little Bit, I never in a million years thought you’d be as kinky as you are.”

“I know, right? I’ve had to hide it from pretty much everyone.”

“And now I’m kicking myself for not realizing it sooner.”

“You should be. Think of all the things we could’ve been doing!”

“I know! Bondage. Sex in public. Wild orgies.”

She rolled her eyes. “I used to think you were kidding when you talked about your ‘nefarious plan.’ But you make it so easy. To be naughty, I mean.

One minute I’m pure and innocent, the next I’m part of an orgy with a half-dozen people. You said that to me once. D’you remember?”

“No, but it sounds like me,” I chuckled.

“How was I s’posed to know you were telling the truth?”

“I’ve always told you the truth.”

“Even when I didn’t realize it,” she agreed. Then she kissed my chest and sighed with affection. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“So it’s settled? I can… um… have sex with Brooke—”

I nodded at her deliberate wording.

“—and you can have sex with Leah?”

“Or a certain family member?” I added with a grin.

“Oh my gosh, yes! You’ll have to tell me if you do. And now I’m all worked up thinking about it.” She raised her head and looked at me. “See? I told you I’m more affectionate when I’m on my period. And by ‘more affectionate,’ I mean horny. There, I said it!”

I chuckled and started to say something, but she cut me off.

“Sorry, can’t talk now.” She pushed the covers down. “Need to suck.”