by Nicki Elson
“Whassuuuup!” her friend bellowed.
Jen laughed. “Did you time travel, too? I thought people stopped saying that a decade ago.”
“People will never stop saying that.” Background music blared through the phone.
“Sounds like you’re having fun.”
“I’m on a boat, muthah fuckah!” Chris went on to sing several lyrics from the Lonely Island song, and then said, “So come on, send me pics of Big Delicious in a Speedo.”
“He doesn’t wear a Speedo!”
“Fine—I’ll accept naked shots.”
“You wish.” During the conversation, Jen took several large gulps of her drink, and soon it was empty. She sucked on the ice cubes after hanging up, laying back and daydreaming about hot margarita models with crystalized salt across their pecks. A shadow crossed over her body, blocking the heat of the sun’s rays.
“Something about that smile makes me think you’re up to no good,” D said.
Jen squinted up at him, getting an idea. “Let’s do body shots!” She was up and off the lounger, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand and attempting to pull him toward the building.
D stood rock still. “Yup, I was right—no good.”
“Come on. We’re young. It’s spring break. We have to be at least a little bit naughty.”
“And if my parents walk in while I’m sucking tequila out of your belly button?”
Jen giggled, walking her fingers up his chest and leaning into him. Rising onto tiptoes, she tickled her lips against his ear, whispering, “It’d be worth it.”
“Y’know what you need? “ D asked, scooping an arm behind her knees and lifting her.
“What?”
“This.” He walked over to the pool and tossed her in.
Jen barely thought to suck in her breath before her body submerged in the icy liquid. She broke the surface, spluttering. The only verbal response she could muster was an indignant grunt.
“Sorry, beautiful. I did it to preserve your dignity.”
Jen doubted very much she was any kind of dignified as she swiped a clump of hair from across her face and hauled herself up the wobbly ladder. It had been stupid for her to think she could make a move on D in the midst of a Spencer family vacation.
***
When Jen woke on their last full day in Florida, she stepped into the great room to find D crunching on a bowl of cereal. His parents stood near the door, wearing hats and sunglasses.
Mr. Spencer said, “We’re taking a walk down the beach and will stop in at Miller’s Market to have them pack us a picnic lunch. You’re about to be introduced to our annual beach hop, Jen. We visit all of our favorite beaches in one day, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way and ending at the northern tip of Captiva for the sunset. We should be back by eleven, so be ready.”
“Yep.” D nodded with a mouth full of Cheerios.
Jen poured herself a bowl. “I’ll get ready as fast as I can. What about Tim and George?”
“They’re down at the pool.”
As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Spencer left, Jen wolfed down her cereal and went straight to the shower. D jumped in after while she went to her room and put on her bikini. When she stepped back into the hall, D called to her from the doorway to the den.
“Hey, babe, could you help me with my lotion?”
“Sure.” Jen skipped down to him, taking the open bottle of sunscreen from his hand. The room already smelled like coconut oil. When she pressed a pool of lotion to D’s back, he stiffened. “Sorry,” Jen giggled. “Let me warm that up for you.”
At a quick, rhythmic pace, she worked her hands over the solid muscles of his back. The lotion heated as it blended into his warm skin. She poured more into her hand, not wanting to miss an inch of his beautiful, smooth flesh. She’d been rubbing lotion onto him all week, but always on the crowded beach or amid family at the pool. All alone in his makeshift bedroom, the act suddenly felt twenty times more intimate.
Jen wondered why he hadn’t waited to lotion up at the beach like he had the other days. She set the bottle onto the desk and massaged with both hands, pressing her thumbs up his spine and then dragging her fingers down the meat of his back. The white streaks of the lotion had been absorbed. Only a thin sheen of oil glistened on his bare skin, yet she didn’t stop—and he didn’t ask her to.
Her hands lingered at the base of D’s spine. Growing bolder, she stretched her fingers and sauntered to the sides of his waist, her fingertips rotating, moving microscopically forward. D stood near enough to the door to shut it, and without a word, that’s exactly what he did. Jen’s hands pressed forward, and she laid her palms flat against his stomach. The fingertips of her right hand skimmed the top of his bathing suit. D’s breathing became noticeably heavier.
Jen couldn’t believe he hadn’t stopped her yet. “I guess your parents could be back at any minute, huh?”
In a thick voice, he answered, “Miller’s is a long walk. We’ve got time.”
That sounded like permission to her. She dipped her fingertips under the waistband. D grabbed her other hand, pulling it to his mouth and kissing it.
Jen dove into his trunks, grasping onto him with her warm, slick hand. He was as solid as a steel pole. D pressed her other hand to his chest and groaned. Jen clung to his pectoral as she stroked his erection. He let out a strangled moan while she pumped.
She moved around to face him. Besides gaining better leverage, she wanted to get a good look at what she was working with. What she felt in her fist couldn’t be real. Her fingers stretched around him as she continued jerking at a smooth, easy pace. She slid her other hand down his abs to nudge the waist of his trunks lower. Glancing down, she let out a squeak at the sight of the impressive vessel in her hand.
They didn’t call him Big D for nothing.
She’d intended to kneel and take him into her mouth, but the hooker comment Dave had made after she’d sucked him off flashed through her mind, causing her to pause. She wasn’t ready to show D everything she knew just yet. Plus, now that she saw him in his full splendor, she wasn’t sure she could even open her mouth wide enough to fit him in. Instead of dropping to her knees, she lifted onto tiptoes and sucked on his more manageable tongue.
While she pulled his huge appendage back and forth against her bare stomach, he entwined his fingers into her hair, making funny little sounds of pleasure. Jen brought her other hand into the action and worked the three-piece set. After several minutes of kissing and massaging and pulling, D’s body jerked. His hot ejaculation spilled across her belly. She pumped a few last times to squeeze out the remaining drops and D rested his forehead on hers, exhaling gusts of air. His fingers remained tangled in her hair.
He pulled her face to his and pressed his lips onto her mouth in a firm kiss that felt like gratitude. Then he reached for a towel, stroking it across Jen’s stomach.
“A guy who cleans up after himself. Nice.” Jen pelted him with baby kisses, giddy about the barrier they’d just busted through.
D ditched the towel in the laundry bag in the corner, and he and Jen walked hand in hand into the kitchen. Tim and George were there, scarfing down huge bowls of cereal.
“What’s up?” George asked, dribbling milk out of his mouth as he said it.
“You two look awfully happy,” Tim observed.
Big D stepped behind Jen, wrapping of his arms around her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek.
“You know what we were thinking?” Tim asked.
“Not much, I’ll bet,” D said.
Tim ignored the comment. “We were thinking since it’s our last day, you should be a good big brother and get us some liquor for tonight. You know Dad keeps an inventory of all of his bottles.”
“No way, Little T,” D said.
“Come on, man,” George whined. “That’s what cool big brothers are supposed to do.”
“Not if that cool big brother wants to keep the down payment his parents are giving him for a new car after graduat
ion.”
George turned to Jen for help. “You were once a lowly freshman. You understand our plight. I beseech you to use your persuasive skills on our behalf. I’m sure he’ll do whatever you say after you did whatever you just did in there.”
Jen flushed, shaking her head back and forth. She didn’t see why D couldn’t pony up a few beers for the lads, but there was no way she’d get involved in the family argument.
Their parents soon returned, and the subject was dropped as they headed out the door on their beach crawl. They moved as a happy group along the coast of Sanibel Island and onto Captiva. I wasn’t until they’d reached the end of the island that Jen and D got a chance to talk privately. He grabbed her hand and led her to the water and down a curve of beach.
As the sloshing waves licked her toes, Jen curled into D’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist while he wound his over her shoulders and rested his chin lightly atop her head. She stared out at the horizon, surrounded by her boyfriend and feeling like they were alone at the edge of the world.
“Why was that okay back at the condo?” she asked, not daring to look at him. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
“Beautiful, I’ve been restraining myself for months, ever since you told me how innocent you are. But looking at you in that bikini all week…I don’t think anybody in this world could expect me to resist having your hands on me any longer.”
Jen pressed her burning cheek against his chest.
“You were okay with it, right?” he asked. “It seemed like you were into it, too.”
“I loved feeling that close to you. But what if George and Tim say something—will your parents be mad?”
“Don’t worry about my parents, anymore. They like you, and they know we’re good together. Now all they care about is that we’re happy.” His hand moved to under her chin, tilting her face so that they stared at each other. “Are you happy?”
Jen burst into a smile and nodded. He bent his mouth to hers, his lips parting ever so slightly. In a near whisper, he told her, “I’m falling hard, Jenny.”
She hugged him harder, pressing the side of her face back to his chest and returning her eyes to the sea. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they’d exchange I love you’s, and then…
She had to tell him about what she’d done with David. It wasn’t as if D had written her a bibliography of his own experience, but he’d told her he’d had sex with a few girls. Jen didn’t know whether “a few” meant three girls or ten—she didn’t need to know. But holding him close, she realized the difference between three and ten was microscopic compared to the difference between one and zero. She couldn’t let him keep thinking she was still a virgin.
Chapter 8
The heat of Jen and D’s intimacy went from tepid to tropical after they returned from spring break—always behind a firmly closed and locked door, of course. His touch would start gentle, growing stronger and more adventurous each time they were together. Jen often found herself throwing a firm hand against his beefy chest to halt him when things threatened to get out of control. She was delighted.
The family vacation hadn’t been the right time to tell him about her lack of virginity. She hadn’t found a good time after returning to campus, either. But she’d tell him. Eventually.
Big D’s amorous declarations grew along with his physical boldness. He constantly told Jen how lucky he was to have her, how wonderful and beautiful she was. His steely blue eyes melted into liquid metal whenever he looked at her. As they sent resumes out to the greater Chicagoland area, he analyzed how each position and location would impact their future together—would they live in the suburbs or the city? Could they commute together by train? Jen sometimes found his attentions daunting. She cared about D, and that affection grew daily, but not as rapidly as his seemed to be. Part of her wondered if maybe the secret she kept held her back from opening her whole heart to him. She had to tell him. Soon.
Kate returned one Sunday evening from a weekend in Chicago with Jake. She entered the apartment carrying her weekend luggage along with a garment bag. “I brought back two of my dresses you can pick from for formal,” she said to Jen, who sat with her legs kicked over the side of the armchair as she read her Global Marketing text. Before Kate had left for the weekend, Jen had told her about her plans to go with D to the upcoming Sigma Chi formal in Indianapolis.
Jen swung her legs off the chair, and dropped her book to get up and help Kate carry in her things. “That’s so nice! But me and some of the other guys’ girlfriends decided to wear blue and gold—Sigma Chi colors.”
“Oh. One of these is red and the other’s silver. But they’re both really pretty.”
“I’m sure they are, but don’t worry about it. We’re going on a shopping trip next week when all the guys have their Seniors Night.”
“You’re going to buy a brand new dress when you can wear one of these for the cost of an alteration?” Kate asked.
“I think D would like the House colors.”
Maria snorted, stepping from the kitchen where she’d been washing dishes. “House colors? Listen to you.” She turned to Kate. “I guess we should feel lucky she’s not dating one of the Tau’s—then she’d be doing steroids.”
Kate snickered. “Yeah, right.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jen asked, feeling like a cat with its fur prickling.
Kate tilted her head and arched a blond eyebrow. “You know you’re a total chameleon when it comes to guys.”
“What?” Jen yelped.
“Let’s review,” Maria said. “You were a punker wannabe with Dave last year, and now you’re a total frat girl.”
Kate smile as she laid the dresses over the back of a chair.
Jen’s anger swelled. The accusation didn’t hurt half so much as seeing Kate and Maria paired up against her. They’d obviously discussed Jen’s supposed puppy-dogness behind her back. That stung. Her instinct was to sting back. “Oh, yeah, Kate, I forgot how independent you are. Running up to Chicago every weekend to live Jake’s life. He’s really made an effort for you, hasn’t he? Seriously, I’ve never even met him.”
Kate’s baby blue eyes flashed, opening wide in surprise. Her eyebrows pulled together. “He’s coming to graduation.”
“We’ll see,” Jen responded dismissively.
“That’s not fair,” Maria said.
“Right. You’re the complete opposite of Kate, aren’t you? You’ll never bend to a guy because your specialty is getting them to willingly wrap themselves around your little pinky.” Jen narrowed her eyes before adding, “Even if you already have a perfectly wonderful boyfriend waiting for you back home.”
Maria glowered at her. “I can’t believe you’d bring that up.”
“Why not?” Jen asked. What she was about to say had been waiting in the wings of her mind for a long time. “Was Tom not as proud of you for scoring a hot Daytona Beach plaything as you’d expected?”
“How dare you!” Maria hissed.
“No! How dare you and Kate gang up on me! Why are you putting me down for finally being in a great relationship?” Jen’s gaze flickered back and forth between her roommates. “Oh, my God! That’s it, isn’t it? You two are the ones who’re in perfect relationships, and I’m the friend who’s never supposed to get it right. I’m just the comic relief.” She was close to tears and clamped her mouth shut.
“Things haven’t been perfect with Jake and me,” Kate said in a quiet, conciliatory voice.
Jen was too worked up to take Kate’s olive branch. Instead, she snapped it. “That’s true. And when you did get some freedom, what did you do? You clung onto some other poor guy and pretended to like him way more than you really did just so you wouldn’t have to be single.”
The front door swung open, and Chris bounced in. “Hey, dudettes!”
Without a word, Kate turned and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
“What’s with her?” Chris asked.
&nbs
p; “Ask Jenny,” Maria spat and stormed into her room, banging the door shut.
Jen turned toward Maria’s room, screaming “Bite me!” Then she stalked into her own room and slammed the door. She threw herself onto the bed, burying her head under the pillow. She couldn’t believe all of that had just happened. The question she kept trying to avoid asking was: Do they have a point? Last year while she’d hung out watching bands with Dave, she’d never have been caught dead near a fraternity house. Yet since she’d started dating D, she hadn’t once attended what used to be her favorite monthly event—the anti-Greek Romans parties.
Emotionally drained, she fell asleep in the sweats she’d been wearing. When she woke the next morning, Kate and Maria had already left for their early classes. Jen went about her own day in a glum fog. Sleep had shuffled her emotions, replacing anger with regret at the terrible things she’d said to her roommates. A heavy weight pressed down on her as she reentered her apartment later that afternoon. Kate sat at the kitchen table, keeping her eyes on her notebook.
“Kate, I’m so, so sorry.” Jen walked over to the table and lowered to her knees. “I didn’t mean the things I said. I was just surprised and hurt and mad. But that’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. That wasn’t nice of us.” Kate turned sideways in her chair and bent forward, throwing her arms around Jen.
Jen hugged back. “I was way meaner.”
The front door swung open. “You guys!” Maria flung down her book bag and ran over to drop to her knees and join the hug.
“You two are right—frat colors are stupid.” Jen sat back on her heels, wiping away relieved tears. She’d been afraid she’d done permanent damage to the friendships. “Kate, I’d love to borrow one of your dresses, assuming I can squeeze into them.”
The girls got up, all smiles now that they were past their first big fight in the four years they’d been freinds. Jen tried on the silver dress first. Kate and Maria cooed over her.
“I hope you know the things we said last night have nothing to do with how we feel about D,” Maria said. “He’s a great guy.”