Steamy Dorm

by Kristine Robinson

  Shane nodded. Chelsea knew that Shane was one of those people who loved nature but, like nature itself, wasn't loud about it. There was plenty of time for people who got to know Shane to realize that she really did loves trees and grass in a way that many people considered to be a little bit hippie dippy. There was always going to be something that people found to criticize, though, Chelsea knew. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

  Chelsea was sure that somehow the way that Shane was accelerating into the curves would get back to her father. And whatever they did when they stopped was going to get back to her father. The whole entire episode would. That was just the way it went, it felt like, but out here in the backwoods it didn't seem like that big of a deal.

  So Shane gunned the car forward, making sure to look especially brave and determined when it seemed like there was a chance that they'd both end up flipping with the car. But they never did. There were a few times when Shane flew over hills so fast that their wheels spun the gravel out from underneath their tires like a snow blower.

  For the longest time Chelsea wasn't sure where Shane was taking them, and then it became clear. The lighthouse on the horizon, where the state touched the coast, but just barely. That was the thing about where they lived, there was all kind of weather and terrain. There were even mountains, but they were in the opposite direction for a few hours. They were only about twenty minutes away from the lighthouse. It was a popular spot for people to go, and Chelsea had been wanting someone to take her there for some time.

  Shane kept looking at Chelsea out of the side of her vision, and Chelsea barely noticed. Chelsea knew that Shane had to be thinking what she was thinking: that the entire thing was too much fun and she couldn't wait to get to the lighthouse. But what would they do when they go there? It was always hard to tell what would happen when stuff like this went down. A big part of her wanted to chicken out, and another part of her wanted things to go as planned. It was hard to tell what part would win out, but Chelsea didn't think she'd be getting off the hook easy with Shane. Not that Shane would do anything weird, it's just that she would turn on the heat and then Chelsea would really have to withstand getting come on to by a woman she thought was sexy.

  Chelsea knew that she wouldn't be able to hold out for long. When they got to the lighthouse and made their way round and round the staircase that circled the structure, all the way to the top. That was where Chelsea would find out whether or not she was going to fool around with Shane beyond just a little kiss or two. Chelsea didn't think that anyone would be out at the lighthouse, especially on a night like tonight when there was so much happening elsewhere—it wasn't just her father who was having events, after all. There was a major league baseball game, and a horse race that had been hyped for months. There were a few movies that had come out as well. All in all, if Chelsea had to pick a night that she was going to go out to the lighthouse to fool around with someone, especially Shane, then this would be the night.

  The air whistled through the trucks grate softly, making Chelsea think of a childhood memory as they crested the last hill, the slope of which led down to the ocean and the lighthouse. Of course there was little time to change her mind now about going, but there was part of her that was afraid and wanted to ask Shane to just go back. She wanted to tell Shane that they could come back another night, any night, and then they'd come down to the lighthouse and see what there was to see.

  That wasn't going to work on the finally stretch, especially because Chelsea was so turned on. There was something about coming to a place that signaled boats that really made Chelsea think about how exciting what they were about to do was. And as Shane parked the truck, then helped her out of it, Chelsea smiled big. They made their way round and round the stairs that circled the tower. When they finally made it to the glass, greenhouse like top, Chelsea was excited.

  “Here we are!,” Shane said. “You know, I've never been here before. And I mean that, before you get all cynical and think that I must say that to everyone.”

  “No, no,” Chelsea said. “Not at all. I don't think that. This is my first time out here as well. It's sure a hell of a romantic spot.”

  “It really is,” Shane said. “I'm surprised that more people don't know about it.”

  Shane moved behind Chelsea and wrapped her arms around her. Chelsea couldn't believe how good it felt to be inside the lighthouse's giant glass chamber for a top while having Shane's arms wrapped around her. Shane started pecking at Chelsea's neck, kissing her lightly. Chelsea couldn't believe how gentle Shane was being, and how much she loved it. Every time Shane touched her body it was like something ran through them that was hard to describe. Something between lust and longing.

  There was a certain intensity in every move that Shane made. It was as if Shane had been out in the desert and Chelsea was the oasis. Every touch and caress Shane made was like something precious being laid on the alter of God. There wasn't a wasted movement, and everything Shane did she did with Chelsea, not too Chelsea. It was as if they vibrated together, and then as if they were slipping and sliding against each other like someone had poured oil on them.

  Neither of them saw the police officer come up the stairs and freeze, watching both of them with his jaw hanging open. He technically took too long getting about the business of arresting them, in fact, he might have watched for a good amount of time. Chelsea and Shane didn't notice, not one bit. Of course the officer had had the decency not to take any photos, but, while he waited for the two women to notice that they were no longer alone, he did pull out his phone and shoot off a text to his boss letting him know that there would be some trouble looming on the horizon if this wasn't handled the right way.

  Chelsea finally saw the officer standing somewhat meekly at the top of the stairs, waiting for the women to come back down from the clouds to planet earth so he could speak with the.

  “So,” the cop said. “I know this is a bit awkward, but you're both fairly famous. Not only that, but we don't really want to have to deal with the bad press. In fact, I'm not even going to tell your father. My boss says that if one of you is sober enough to drive then there really isn't a problem and you can both go.”

  “We're both sober,” Shane said. “In fact--

  “Thank you, officer,” Chelsea said. “I know that you certainly don't have to think about what it would do to Shane's career, or my father's career, but I thank you for doing so. I know that you've got a tough job, and there are times that you probably get a lot of shit for being a 'bad guy,' yet here you are, cutting us a break.”

  The cop nodded, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked at the floor.

  “It would have been some jail time,” he said. “For both of you. And I know that sounds a little but ludicrous, maybe because it is, but you the amount of trespassing going on and all of that. I'm sure you can both appreciate what kind of predicament you'd be in if the DA was interested in some kind of entanglement.”

  Chelsea nodded, and both women quickly stood and pulled all of their clothes back into the proper fitting position. Without so much as saying anything else the officer was gone. Chelsea was so thankful that neither herself or Shane had been arrested. It would have pissed her father off so much, and as much as she loved to do just that, she hated the idea of having to sit in jail and wait for her father's heart to soften enough that he would get her out. Maybe Shane would have been able to get her out, who knew. In any event, they'd lucked out.

  “Do you always get away with things? It's sexy,” Shane said. “I want to do it with you now that he's gone.”

  Chelsea laughed.

  “I can tell you do,” Chelsea said. “But we really need to get out of here. If that officer comes back and we're doing the exact same thing as we'd been doing, I think his attitude might shift a little bit.”

  Shane smiled and lead the way back down the circling stairwell to her truck.

  “Well I still had fun,” Shane said. “I don't care if the cops showed up to po
o poo what we were doing. People come out here all the time to fool around and everyone knows it. Maybe that's why they have a cop come out and check now. That's no fun, though. I mean, what's it really hurt to add a little bit of excitement to the lives of people trying to have fun?”

  Shane's word blended in with the rest of the background noise: the wind coming through Shane's window opened just a hair, the radio barely audible, the murmur of the tires against the pavement, and the occasional jet overhead. There was a lot going on in the world around them, although it wasn't what either of them really recognized as what was going on. They were both so into each other that at that moment there was nothing else but what they were doing, no other way but there way. It didn't matter to either of them that their night had been spoiled by authority. For Chelsea it had been enough to leave her father's stupid dinner with Shane. She knew that was going to cause her some grief, but she also knew that it was something that she'd been wanting to do for ages.

  To often her father had taken for granted that she was a real person with wants and desires. Too often he'd looked the other way while one of her needs went unmet. And now he was going to give her all kind of bitching and moaning because she was a woman with needs, and goddamn it it why was it so bad if she did the exact same thing a man would do? Just because she was a woman? It all seemed to archaic to her, but at the same time Chelsea knew it was part of the game that made her father somebody, and allowed him to give her money and provide for her in the material sense.

  Even if he'd been a lousy father in every other regard, at least Chelsea had never had to want afor anything. But at the same time, hadn't that hurt her in some ways? She'd never had to struggle a day in her life, or work, either. For her everything had just coasted along at a nice pace, and she didn't have to do anything to make that happen. But that was about to change, she thought. She wasn't going to back down on the Shane issue. She knew that her father was going to make all sorts of demands and try to get her to do what he wanted, but she just wasn't interested in that at this point.

  “What are you thinking about? Anything neat,” Shane said. “I hope it's something that's a secret so you can tell me!”

  Chelsea laughed, and then lied, telling Shane it was some dirty little secret about something she'd never done with a woman sexually. Shane laughed and looked at Chelsea with such lust in her eyes Chelsea wondered if they were going to make it back. But they did make it back, safe and sound, and when Chelsea crawled into bed, she wished Shane was there with here.

  Chelsea drifted off to sleep, already knowing that tomorrow she'd have to answer for leaving early, and maybe even the antics afterward. She hoped that none of that would get back to her father, but at the same time it wasn't something she was very hopeful about. People liked to gossip, and to tear each other down. That was just the way of the world, it seemed like, sometimes anyway. Chelsea didn't know if that would be the case this time, or if the officer would actually hold to his word. She knew she'd find out in the morning.

  The next morning, when Chelsea woke up still groggy from partying with Shane the night before, her father was furious at her.

  “What in the hell did you think you were doing?” he hollered. “Leaving last night with that lesbian and going to smoke pot.”

  “We didn't smoke any pot, dad,” Chelsea said. “I know that you think everyone in college is a pothead hippie, but it's really not that way anymore, if it ever was.”

  Her father scoffed.

  “What the fuck do you mean you didn't smoke any pot?” her father said.

  They were sitting at the kitchen table. Chelsea was cradling her head in her arms in front of her. She hated it when she didn't remember what she did the night before. She barely recalled any of it, but as far as she could tell she hadn't smoked any pot. But what if she had? What did it matter? It wasn't as if what she did in her own private, off time was anyone's business but her own.

  “What do you mean you didn't smoke pot?” he repeated.

  He swung his hand up from behind him, and in it was the days paper. On the front page, there Chelsea was, smoking a big fat joint with Shane.

  “You'd better believe I'm calling the college football team to have a long talk with the coach,” her father said as he threw the magazine down between them.

  “It's not even football season,” Chelsea said. “Why in the world would you call the football team? And do you really think that they're even going to care? It's college we're talking about here, not some monastery.”

  “I don't care what in the fuck you think about it, little girl,” her father sneered at her. “You think you have some kind of special privilege because you're my daughter?”

  Her father was fired up.

  “Do you have any idea what kind of trouble this is going to cause me? I just got done with a scandal, and here we are, just handing the press more shit to throw,” he said. “I know you don't give a flying fuck about anyone but yourself, but please, for the love of fucking God, try to think of what your actions could have the potential to turn into. I don't want to have to worry about this shit anymore? Do you got it?”

  Chelsea rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah dad, got it,” Chelsea said. “I'll be sure to keep all of my little shenanigans to myself from now on, and be sure to do them behind liked doors as if I'm some kind of spy playing war games.”

  “You need to shut the fuck up,” her father said. “And seriously, listen to me! This is the kind of stuff that could make it harder for me to provide for you. I know that you think you'll be a super rich girl forever, and I now you've never thought about what it would be like to have to pay for college on your own, or to have to do anything on your own. You really don't understand what I'm saying, do you? All right, let me put it this way. I love you, OK? And I know that right now you just want to make it hurt for me, but please, pretty please, try to think about what you do before you do it? All right?”

  “Fine! Dad! Fine! But for the love of fucking God, dad, stop talking,” Chelsea said. “You just drone on and on. You aren't ever interesting. You never have anything funny or uplifting to say. It's always just you droning and droning.”

  “You're one to talk,” her father said. “Aren't you? You're one--”

  Chelsea got up and left the room. She didn't care what her father thought, so it just didn't matter what he had to say. With the way he'd just treated her mother, Chelsea wasn't going to sit there and listen to an old self righteous prick prattle on and on.

  Chelsea pulled out her cell phone and called Shane.

  “Hey Shane,” Chelsea said. “What are you up to right now?”

  “I'm hanging out with my best friend, Billy,” Shane said. “You could meet us at the bar and have a couple of drinks. The place we're going to hang out at is way relaxed and chill, not a place where the usual college crowd goes to gets blitzed. If you want we could all play pool or something.”

  “That sounds great! I'll be on the road soon,” Chelsea said.

  When Chelsea got to the bar she was totally surprised to find that Billy wasn't a guy, but a very cute boyish lesbian. Billy was slim, but still had all the curves where she needed them. Her hair was fire engine red, and her eyes were green. She was the kind of girl that Shane liked bringing around straight, curious girls because Billy was just the right right kind of sugar and spice that made people interested for more.

  “How has your day been so far, sweet thing? Well, I hope,” Shane said. “And I hope you enjoy Billy. She's a dream to be around. Always so funny, and in good spirits the vast majority of the time.”

  Of course Chelsea was smitten with Billy. Billy was beautiful, with her short black hair. It was nice to see someone so comfortable in their own skin. Not only that, it was amazing that she was such a peach to everyone. She was so nice, even though she was so beautiful. It made Chelsea think about why she found this so surprising, and it made her realize that she thought that way because so many hot straight girls made it a big deal that they
were attractive.

  The lesbians that Chelsea liked to be around were just like Billy and Shane. They were brilliant, successful, and good looking. They weren't afraid to be themselves, because who they truly were would blow you away. There wasn't any reason for them to worry about slipping up and embarrassing themselves in public because they weren't embarrassed of who they were on the inside. That was what really counts, and Chelsea knew it.

  “Hey Billy,” Chelsea said. “Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do? That sort of thing.”

  “Oh, well,” Billy said. “I'm from New York. I moved here to live by the ocean. The Gulf Coast is one of those places you move to and then you fall in love with it, not the other way around, so I'm glad that I made friends and ended up calling it home. I also like how the locals are friendly enough. What I don't like is all of the conservative thought that seems to seep to the coast from midland Texas. I didn't think that this part of Texas would be afflicted with that strain of thought, but I guess that's how life works.”

  They all laughed at this while Shane racked the balls on a nearby pool table.

  “I like the way you think, Billy,” Chelsea said. “Shane, why didn't you tell me that you had such an amazing friend a long time ago?”

  “Well,,” Shane said. “I mean, I guess because Billy really is a special friend to me. I mean, sometimes, we even do the nasty together.”

  Chelsea could feel her face turning read.

  “I love how you're blushing,” Shane said. “It makes me think you're even cuter than I already do.”

  She walked over and kissed Chelsea on the lips. Chelsea responded by pulling Shane close and quickly groping her ass before pushing her away.

  “I love the way that you feel,” Chelsea said. “I know that we have to stop because everyone is staring at us, but I want you to know that you make me so hot that I can barely contain myself sometimes.”