Roommates Page 3

“So, we’re still on for our runs together and sitting together in class?” I asked him.

  “Of course,” he said. “Right now I have some other things to take care of, though. You two enjoy lunch.”

  A to-go bag of food was brought to our table and placed before him. He chugged the rest of his Coke and water. Then he kissed Rebecca’s forehead and my cheek and left.

  “Well, you two must have worked things out last night when you didn’t come home. I think this is the most happy and relaxed I have seen you, much less the two of you together,” I observed.

  “Yes, we broke up. Want to split a large nachos and a quesadilla?” she asked.

  “What?” I said, choking on a swallow of water.

  “Split something? I can’t decide what I want, but we could narrow down to two or three things we would both like and split it,” she said.

  “I got that part, but you two actually broke up?” I said sitting back in my chair.

  “Yes, I recently figured out something that he has known for a while,” she said.

  I nodded.

  “I was hoping you might help me figure out a bit more,” she said.

  There was a look similar to the confidence she had shown when she played pool at the men’s dorm the night before.

  “That’s flattering, but like I told you, I’ve kissed a lot of girls, but some boundaries I only cross when I know its love,” I said. “Or I want it to be.”

  “Well, I knew I loved Scott. I wasn’t in love with him. I know that I like you. I know that even if Scott is right and I’ve always looked at girls differently, even when I didn’t know what I was looking for, you are the only one I felt close enough with to do something about it,” she replied.

  That was true. She had kissed me and amicably broken up with her lifetime boyfriend.

  “Did I misread our friendship? I have never kissed anyone besides Scott, but I thought you kissed me back,” she said.

  Her confidence faded a bit. With this new, slightly pouty, braving-the-worst look, she was that much more appealing to me. I wanted to kiss her again.

  “No, I could see us getting to be close and being like the other couples we see in our dorm, but I don’t know that the instincts you want to act on should be encouraged so quickly in your first same-sex relationship,” I replied.

  “Then maybe we can just spend time together and see what happens,” she replied.

  So we did.

  Chapter 9: Rebecca

  Ethyl moved her seat back to the table it came from and sat in the booth on the seat across from me. We talked and laughed over our meal much like I had on dates with Scott. The difference was I found myself thinking about the kiss from the night before and if she might kiss me when we went back to our dorm.

  After we ate, we walked around the plaza. After our fingertips grazed a few times, she held my hand. I stopped and looked down at our fingers laced together. My hands were delicate with chipped nail polish. Hers were womanly, but strong. We held loosely at first, but eventually as we walked each of our clasps became more snug, but natural.

  We did kiss. We kissed trying on clothes, during a movie, and back at our dorms.

  “I really don’t think you need to rush. You just came to terms with your sexuality,” Ethyl said.

  We had been making out on my bed since we returned to our room.

  “I know, but in a weird way, I feel like even as quickly as this is all happening, it is right. I feel like I have closure with Scott and I want to dive into things with you with both feet,” I replied.

  I kissed Ethyl again. Each kiss felt more and more perfect. I could tell she felt it, too.

  “Yeah, but to break up last night and have someone new today? To not want to make the virginal leap with him over years and feel ready with me immediately?” Ethyl asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t explain. I feel like now that I’ve unshackled this part of myself, I need to just experience life as it comes to me. I’ve maintained my virginity because I was waiting for a spark. Not something between me and a man, a spark in myself. A spark I only felt for a few women. I want this and I want it with you. Think of it as educating me. You’ve done well so far,” I teased.

  I hoped it worked.

  Ethyl looked at me. She looked like she was having her own internal debate.

  “Well, I’ll take it easy on you this first time,” she said. “After that, I can’t make any promises.”

  She leaned in and kissed me again, this time soft and slow. As she did, she eased me back on the bed and slid a careful hand up my inner thigh.

  I wasn’t sure where to put my hands and didn’t want to be awkward, so I followed her lead.

  “Do whatever comes naturally to your body. If you want to slow down, speed up, or stop, it’s fine. The most important thing about sex is two partners who can listen to their own bodies and each other’s,” she whispered between kisses.

  I kissed her back, nodding. Her fingers were under my dress and rubbing outside my underwear. I put my arms around her and ran my fingers through her hair. Her lips were softer than Scott’s. She tasted sweet, like fruity Burt’s Bees.

  As her fingertips danced their way inside me I immediately felt myself open and wet for her. Scott always received more of a clenching response, though we had only played this way a few times. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and felt more assured that this moment was what I wanted.

  I moved my body back and forth on Ethyl’s hand as she slid another finger with the first two. She played deep and kissed the low collar line of my dress. My hands worked the buttons of her blouse until she stood and removed it. As she lay back down with me, she unzipped my dress as we kissed. I wiggled out of it without leaving the bed.

  I was in my underclothes and took off her jeans to even our playing field. My lacy bra and bikini-cut underwear flattered my hippy figure. Her athletic body was complemented by her sports bra and boy shorts. She had more curves than her usual workout wear or jeans and t-shirt would lead one to imagine.

  She kissed me a few minutes more as she returned her hands to their previous work.

  “Could I?” I asked.

  I gestured the rest of my question. I thought I should be doing the same to her.

  “This time, you just enjoy,” she said.

  She placed her hands on the outsides of my hips and began to kiss her way down my body. Her touch and kiss to my breast was different than Scott’s. She knew what made me feel good. She knew just how to lick, massage, and squeeze to turn my nipples into tiny mountain peaks.

  She moaned at her handiwork and the squirming that she had begun in me. Then, she stood one moment more to remove the last of her garments. As she kneeled back on the bed, she slid down my underwear, the last of my own clothing.

  She kissed and licked up and down, back and forth, from one thigh to the other. All the while, she worked he fingers steadily, keeping me rocking and moving in her rhythm.

  Just as I started to pant and moan steadily, she gave me a quick kiss between my legs. I arched from the pure surprise.

  She looked up from between my legs.

  “Relax. I’m going to take it easy on you,” Ethyl said again.

  This time, her seductive smile was for me.

  I leaned back and closed my eyes. After a moment I felt her breath in close again. She spread my legs slightly wider, then kissed the same place again. She kissed with a small suckle. Then she licked her tongue in one long stroke from the top to the bottom of me and back again.

  I felt my hands clutch at the sheet beside me. My hips rolled a bit, then shifted down more onto her face. I was ready for wherever this would lead.

  She sat back for a moment and I heard her take a breath. Then, it felt as if she were making out intensely with every inch that her tongue could touch or reach. She was right, my body knew what to do when the time was right. I writhed and wriggled and grinded. She kissed and licked and sucked.

  Then she sat back and scooted her body t
o mine with our legs and pelvises entwined. I continued the motions I had already begun and she returned them with better experience. I made the bed and sheets around us a wet mess and she only moved her body into mine more.

  The rest of our night continued this way.

  Chapter 10: Ethyl

  Over the next few weeks things began to feel like before with Rebecca, Scott, and me, but better. Scott started talking about a girl or two from classes that he was thinking of inviting out.

  “Would I approve of either of these girls?” Rebecca asked.

  “Better yet, would I approve of these girls?” I asked.

  We all laughed.

  “I hope so, but then again I may be better off not introducing any of you,” he said.

  We all laughed harder. Scott noticed a girl passing by and we all looked at her for a moment. We laughed again.

  “Scott, seeing as you’re the only one on the market I guess you have dibs,” I said.

  “We can be your wing women,” Rebecca added with a smile.

  “I think I can handle this one on my own. You two shouldn’t be looking anyway. You have each other,” he said, teasing.

  He left to introduce himself to his next potential girlfriend. We watched and smiled when we saw his apparent success. She seemed to be putting her number in his phone. They talked a moment more. He winked back at us over his shoulder as he walked his new friend to her destination, or closer to it and farther from us.

  When I looked back at Rebecca, she looked troubled again, but not as much as when I first met her.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Well, I never thought about him dating someone else too,” she said.

  “And?” I asked.

  She brightened, “I know she will be great.”

  Dana’s Discovery

  1.

  Dana sat on her plush sofa and looked at Steve scrolling through his phone. Periodically it would ding or make a beeping noise. When he would feel her staring at him, he would look up and quickly put the phone back in his pocket. They were on one of their few date nights and had decided to spend the evening together cuddled up on the couch, eating Chinese food and streaming an old movie. She looked into Steve's deep blue eyes and felt a shiver of longing. He was what most girls would have considered classically handsome. He was tall with blond hair and built solidly. He worked out every day and took care of himself. Steve was athletic and, despite nearing his mid-thirties, was a personal trainer at the gym in town. Dana looked at Steve and smiled. She considered herself lucky to have found a good man with a good job. He was kind to her and normally had a good disposition and a great sense of humor. He was always pulling practical jokes on his coworkers at the gym and would tell her all about it. She loved his smile and the way he always made at least a little time for her during the course of the day.

  Remembering the day he walked in to the insurance office she worked at, she smiled. He was getting a new policy on an SUV he just purchased, and his boyish exuberance had shown. He was so struck by her beauty that he stopped mid-sentence asking about prices. When he finished his transaction she could see him trying to work up his nerve to get her number. It was then Dana took the initiative and handed him a bright pink card that had her information on it. She smiled at him, sensing his nerves, and just said, “You call me whenever you feel like it, Steve. I get off work at five.” She then turned back around in her chair to her computer and began typing up some emails, running her fingers through her long, blonde hair. She smiled and blushed, already wondering if the handsome stranger would call.

  Arriving home from work, she greeted her faithful Lab mix, Spark. Spark ran up to her, wagging her charcoal-colored tail and sat down while Dana cuddled and pet her. She had gotten Spark from the local animal rescue organization to go with her when she walked or jogged in the park and Spark quickly found her spot in Dana's heart. Grabbing Spark's leash, she looked at the happy dog and said, “Spark, let's go for a walk. There's a lot we need to talk about. I met someone at work today and he may be coming over later.” Spark just woofed in response and they exited the apartment. Dana walked Spark to the small park a few blocks away and they quickly made a few laps, taking in the sights and sounds. On the route back, Dana's phone rang. It was Steve, and they made dinner plans. Dana was pleased he had called her so soon. “Spark, that was Steve. We're going out tonight. Isn't that wonderful?” The lab just woofed and wagged her tail as they walked home.

  Steve became a permanent fixture in their lives from that night forward and Dana blossomed in her new relationship. She always had a penchant for picking men who had troubled pasts. She wanted nothing more than to fix them. Steve was different, though; he was kind, generous, smart, and good-looking. She deserved a break and thought Steve was her reward for all of her previous terrible relationships.

  Looking at her, Steve sighed deeply as his phone beeped once more. “I'm sorry, honey. These clients are non-stop tonight. I think I better call it an early night.” She tried sliding closer to him on the couch and putting her hand on his thigh. He moved away from her, and Dana frowned.

  “Are you sure you can't stay?”

  “Nah, babe. I've got some meetings early in the morning.”

  “Oh, well...you should let me take some of that stress off of your mind.” She gave him wink and a devilish smile, indicating that she wanted him for more than a sleeping companion that night.

  He got up from the couch then and walked towards the door. As he did, he pulled his phone out of his pocket once again. Dana stood up also, following him to the door. “Who are you texting anyway?!”

  “Really, babe, it's nothing you need to be concerned about.”

  “If it's taking time away from us and our relationship, it's something I need to be concerned about.”

  She reached for his phone then, and he jerked it away, but in that movement, she saw the client he had been talking to. It was a woman much younger than herself. The “client” definitely was more than a professional contact, as she saw the picture that Steve had been sent. The attractive woman was clad only in a skimpy black thong and most of her body was exposed.

  “Babe, really it's--”

  Dana's eyes filled with tears and her voice shook with anger. “It's what?! Nothing?! Oh my God, how could you do this to me?! We have a future together!”

  “Babe, I'm sorry...she was at the gym, and it just...happened. I don't know what to say.”

  “Go. Get out. I'll send your things.”

  Steve didn't say another word. Instead he just walked out the door. Dana went and sat back down on the couch, and sobbed while Spark went and lay by the front door, whining pitifully. Dana took the next week off of work and packed up Steve's things. She would pause occasionally when picking up one of his baseball caps, or one of the sweatshirts he'd left for her, stopping to inhale his scent. She allowed herself a few tears before she folded the items and placed them in boxes.

  2.

  Dana was nearly finished packing Steve's belongings and ready to have them shipped. One day at the end of the week, however, she went to get Spark's leash for their daily walk but Spark didn't respond. She didn't come running and wagging her tail like usual. Dana called out for her repeatedly, but the dog didn't come at the sound of her voice like she always had. Dana panicked and went from room to room calling to her furry friend, and the dog still didn't respond. Walking into the bedroom, she found Spark lying on the foot of her bed, despondent. She bent over the dog and patted her head while talking to her in a soothing voice. “Hey, honey. I was calling for you. What's wrong, baby?” The dog merely looked up at her with sad, brown eyes and didn't even wag her tail. Concerned, Dana felt the dog's nose, it didn't feel warm to the touch, so it didn't seem to be a fever. She stroked the dog's fur and tried to provide her comfort. The dog didn't even lick Dana's hands. Dana left the room and came back with a couple of treats. Spark didn't attempt to eat the treats, just sniffed them and laid her head back down.


  Dana had never seen Spark behave this way in all the years they spent together. She decided that she didn't want to chance Spark's health. She called her vet's office and made an appointment. The office had just had a cancellation, so Dana had the opportunity to take her in immediately. Looping the leash through Spark's collar, she coaxed the dog from the bed and out to her car. Spark was normally excited to go for a ride, but today she just obediently hopped up in the back seat and lay down. “Oh, sweetheart, we're going to the vet. We're going to get you taken care of. I hate seeing you sick, my Spark.” Dana took off and looked worriedly in the rearview mirror at the dog. She hoped Spark would be okay. She honestly didn't know what she would do if something happened to her bestie.

  Dana pulled up to her vet's office and noticed that it was mostly empty. She was fortunate that the day's appointments had been taken care of and they were able to work her in on such short notice. She coaxed Spark out of the car and led her by her leash into the office where she stood and checked in. The receptionist took her information and Dana handed her a credit card for payment. When she was signed in she took Spark and sat in the waiting room. She talked to Spark reassuringly and patted her on the head, then stroked her sides. The dog was still despondent, and Dana frowned.

  A petite, red-haired vet tech came to the window and called out for Spark to come to the examination room. The tech ran her hands through her hair and gently took the leash from Dana. Dana felt their hands brush and felt an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She thought to herself that the week must have taken a toll and her nerves were acting up. The vet tech noticed Dana's worry and smiled at her reassuringly as she picked up Spark and put her on the exam table. “Don't worry. We'll get your pal fixed up. Hi. I'm Alex. I'm a vet tech, well, vet-in-training. I'll be seeing Spark today. Dr. Summers had to leave for an emergency in the country a few minutes ago. Apparently there's a colt being born.”

  Dana extended her hand again, when Alex offered hers in greeting. “I'm Dana. It's nice to meet you.”