Janet sighed. “That’s ridiculous. Why can’t he just ignore other people?”
“It’s not as easy for others as it is for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that you’re strong and fierce and you can handle a lot of things that Ethan might not be able to handle.”
“He had no problem trying to ruin my life initially,” Janet said, bitterly.
“Are you still holding a grudge over that?”
“Of course I am! He never apologized for that.”
Kan sighed. “I think you should talk to Ethan about this. Honestly. Be straight up about it.”
Chapter 10 – Attempted Confrontations
Janet sighed.
She had paid Ethan a visit at his house with the purpose of confronting him about the issues they had been facing recently, but she found herself in a compromised position with Ethan.
“Would it help if I sat up?” Ethan said.
Janet nodded. It was a completely new position for her and she had no clue what to do but Ethan was guiding her patiently and her ignorance didn’t bother him. His muscled torso rose from the mattress as he caught Janet’s hand.
He guided her hips up as her hand grasped hold of his erection and positioned it for her to slide down. She failed to connect them and sighed in frustration. She was reminded again of how experienced Ethan was and felt clumsy and stupid compared to all the other girls who had pleasured him. What she didn’t know was that Ethan didn’t care about her inexperience. He found it amusing at times and cute at other times. But in particular, he didn’t really care. Ethan sensed her apprehension and murmured words of encouragement. His hand rested on her nervous one for which Janet was grateful. His other hand adjusted her hips slightly and made small adjustments before his erection gently pushed in.
Janet panicked, gripping his legs.
“Shhh, it’s alright,” Ethan whispered. “Slowly.”
She sank down according to his instruction, whimpering at the new feeling. He still remained seated with her, guiding her hips up and down. Her head rested on his shoulders as he did most of the work for which she was grateful. He lay back down, taking her with him. Her bra clasp was released as she sat up on her own. Ethan pulled down the straps down her arms, a throaty groan escaping his lips as Janet began to set a slow pace. His fingers played with her nipples as her breasts moved gently with her pace.
“You can lean on me, Janet.”
He took her hands and placed her palms on his chest to alter her position forward which made it easier for her to ride him.
His palms slid down to her hips again, setting a pace she had been unable to achieve. He lifted his hips to meet hers and she instantly titled her chin to the ceiling, pushing her chest out as she leant back on his thighs.
“Fuck, you’re so hot,” he groaned.
She bit her lips to stop the uncontrollable moans escaping her lips. As they both rode down their highs, Janet screamed his name for the first time which left Ethan feeling pleased.
As they lay in bed later, Janet felt extremely conscious.
“Was that alright?” she asked him.
“You did well, babe,” he replied, pulling her closer.
“I’m sorry,” she said awkwardly. “I’ve never done it before so—”
“Shhh,” he whispered pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You did really well.”
The truth was, Ethan liked the element of uncertainty when he had sex with Janet. The fact that she was new to it made it even more exciting and alluring.
Janet was content as she lay quietly in his arms. And then she looked up. “There was a reason I came to talk to you today.”
“I know,” was all Ethan said. He wasn’t looking at her. He was staring up at the ceiling but his arm was still wrapped around her as she lay on his chest. “Can it wait till tomorrow?” he asked softly. “I don’t want to ruin the moment.”
And in that moment, Janet realized that Ethan thought their little relationship had come to an end. He was trying to cherish what he thought were their last moments together.
Janet wondered if that were true. But she would have to wait till tomorrow. For now, she just wanted to lay in his arms and forget about the impending conversation that might be their end.
Chapter 11 – Revelations of the Past
Any hopes of confrontation were deferred when Ethan got a call early morning from his father who wanted him present at a meeting as his replacement. Ethan had to rush to get dressed and left the house before Janet was fully awake. The touch of his goodbye kiss lingered on her lips as she roamed around the house, a while later.
In the kitchen, she was greeted by a middle aged woman named Chef Bufe. She was setting up a breakfast table and insisted that she will set up a separate one for Janet up in the living room but Janet could not understand why they couldn’t dine together. In the end, Chef Bufe reluctantly agreed but asked her not to tell Ethan.
“Why?” Janet asked surprised.
“He asked me to make breakfast for you and serve it in the living room like we serve all the Reeds.”
“I see,” Janet said slowly. Suddenly, she had an idea. “What’s Ethan like?” she asked. “I mean what do you think of him?”
“He’s very good to us,” Chef Bufe replied. “Looks after all our needs. Gives us extra money. Makes sure all my children get Christmas presents. He’s very good kid.”
Janet frowned. Why was he such an asshole to me and the general school population then?
“Are you his girlfriend?” Chef Bufe asked hesitantly.
“Oh no,” Janet said. “Just a friend.”
The older woman nodded. “Ethan only ever had one girlfriend in the time I’ve known him. And that was put an end to by his parents.”
“What do you mean?”
“They thought she isn’t good for him.”
“Was she… not rich?” Janet asked cautiously.
“Oh she was rich. Very rich. But she belonged to a rival political family. I think that really affected Ethan adversely.”
“What did his parents do?”
“They broke them up. Threatened her and her family. I don’t exactly know the whole story but Ethan was distraught.”
Janet looked at the assortment of foods in front of them. She had never had such a rich breakfast. Five different types of breads, several cold meats and spreads, vegetables and fruits, all types of eggs, croissants, puddings, cakes and pastries.
“This is all too much,” she pointed out, mostly so she does not have to answer Chef Bufe talking about Ethan’s past.
“I thought it’s too less…” the woman trailed off. “Ethan asked me to make everything. I still missed out some cereals and porridges.”
“Ethan is crazy,” Janet concluded picking up a piece of bread and coating it with honey.
Chef Bufe gave her a suppressed knowing smile but didn’t say anymore.
“I hope Ethan’s meeting is going well…” Chef Bufe said as an afterthought.
In fact, it was going quite well. Ethan had filled in for his father several times, a fact his mother did not appreciate owing to the dangers associated with entering politics. Ethan wasn’t sure how he felt about campaign meetings which all basically discussed marketing strategies and how to manipulate people into giving Mr. Reed their vote. It could be interesting in a manner but most of the time it felt wrong to discuss methods of manipulation. Ethan frequently thought politics wasn’t his cup of tea but at other times he thought he would do well in politics and enjoy it immensely.
Ethan shook hands with the other attenders of the meeting as they gathered up their belongings to depart. Once he was safely in his car, he pulled out a cigarette. He had unconsciously cut back on smoking ever since he had met Janet. Perhaps it had something to do with her sunshine and rainbow personality. Or maybe he was trying to match her innocence at some level. Whatever it was, Ethan Reed didn’t smoke anymore. He rolled the cigarette around in his hand
s, contemplating his choices.
He knew what Janet wanted to talk to him about and he also knew that he would not have an answer sufficient enough for her. He had no real explanation for why he couldn’t call her his “girlfriend”. Janet was the closest to a girlfriend he had ever had. He had had many flings in the past and one serious relationship which was brutally ended by his parents but in a way, he was happy it had ended. He had sometimes thought he was looking for a way out of it anyway.
Janet had also seemed angry over something else which he couldn’t quite comprehend. Perhaps he should stop avoiding the confrontation and get it done with. But the truth was Ethan was afraid. Afraid that Janet would end things with him and he knew she would have no problem with that. And since he had never let them become anything official, he didn’t even really have a say in it if Janet said she no longer wanted to do what they were doing. After all, she wasn’t his girlfriend. How was he supposed to stop her?
Ethan sighed. Perhaps he really should smoke that cigarette. But then he rolled down his windows and the cigarette was thrown outside.
Chapter 12 – Ultimatums and Decisions
His lips were soft against hers as they moved in a rhythm she had grown accustomed to, yet it never failed to make her weak at the knees. His hands were on her hips, squeezing occasionally and rubbing gently. They were standing outside the door of her apartment with nothing but a few trees concealing them. If anyone walked right up to the path that led to her door, they would discover them. But a passerby walking on the street would not see them.
He had come to drop her off and their goodbye kiss had become prolonged. When she felt his hands push up her skirt, she thought of stopping him but his lips were warm and his hands were gentle and there were butterflies in her stomach and her heart was fluttering. Her head rolled back as he kissed her neck. His hand trailed over her underwear and she moaned with the anticipation of his inevitable touch. He pushed her against her wooden door as his kiss became rougher.
“Ethan,” she moaned. “Maybe we should- move this somewhere else.” Her words were separated with gasps as his hands had now hooked her underwear to the side and his fingers were pumping in and out of her.
“Why?” he smirked against her neck. “Don’t you like a bit of adventure?”
She moaned and clutched his shirt as he rubbed her clit. He knew how to render her speechless.
“W-what i-if s-someone sees us?” she sighed as he continued his gentle touches. How was he managing to do this?
“We should give them a good show then,” Ethan responded.
When he removed his hand, Janet was able to regain some of her senses. She watched as he brought his fingers to his lips and sucked.
“Mmm, you taste so good.”
Janet blushed.
“I can’t wait to taste you properly.”
“What?” Janet said, panicking again. It was a little ridiculous to panic at this point, considering they had had sex but she panicked every time he tried something new. His sexual advances were too bold for her as she struggled to keep up with them. Ethan smirked, pecked her on the cheek before kneeling down. He pushed up her skirt and pulled down her underwear, removing it from one leg and then another.
He laughed as she attempted to close her legs in her panicked state.
“Relax, babe,” he said. “Open up.” He gently guided her legs so she was standing wide legged. His mouth teased her entrance and Janet gripped the door knob, hoping desperately that no one would walk up to her doorstep. Her other hand gripped his hair as his tongue swept over her. Janet had still not fully recovered from his previous touches before she felt him lift her right leg and bring it over his shoulder. She pressed her back into the wall so she wouldn’t fall over but it was unnecessary as Ethan’s strong hand supported her hips. His tongue delved into her this time and Janet no longer cared if anyone saw or heard them. She desperately wanted more as her cries filled the air. Her legs threatened to give way but Ethan still supported her hips.
“Mmm,” she heard Ethan from below. “You’re amazing.”
When Ethan was done, he brought his face level with hers again.
“You okay?” he smiled casually, as if he had not just made her come on her doorstep. Janet was still breathless as she gripped his arm to remain standing.
“I need to sit,” she whispered.
“In a minute,” he winked. He started to lift her up but Janet stopped him.
“Other side of the door, please,” she said.
Ethan complied, opening the door and shifting their positions so they were now inside. He pushed down his trousers and Janet saw his erection momentarily before he lifted her up and brought her down to meet him. She could scream freely now, without fear of neighbors hearing and she did, loud and desperate. Ethan’s thrusts were gentle enough to not hurt her and rough enough to pleasure her.
When he set her down, minutes later, Janet was breathless. He led her to the couch where she lay down trying to recover from the pleasure this boy had just given her. A part of her knew this was unacceptable. Every time it seemed like it was the perfect time to talk about their impending issues, Ethan distracted her with his kisses and one thing always led to another.
This had to stop. But for now, Janet was content. And happy.
The next day, she made sure she met Ethan at a place where there were enough people around that it was unacceptable to end up having sex, though she would not put it past Ethan. The library was their chosen place of meeting.
“We need to talk,” Janet said as soon as Ethan sat down.
“Okay.”
“And we’re in the library so you can’t kiss me to avoid any talking.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“And even if you do kiss me, we can’t end up having sex here so after we’re done kissing, we can talk.”
“Are you asking me to kiss you?”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t, surrounded by all these people.”
“What do you mean?”
“You only kiss me in secret.”
“Janet, the whole university knows we’re- we’re-” he trailed off unsure of what to say.
“We’re what, Ethan? What are we?”
Ethan was silence.
“Am I just some girl you sleep with?”
“No!” Ethan was genuinely shocked at the suggestion.
“What am I then, Ethan?”
“You’re… a very special friend,” Ethan said carefully.
“A very special friend,” Janet repeated. “Right.”
“Janet, I like you. Really, I do. But this past month has been crazy and I just- I just need time to figure out what you mean to me.”
“You know Ethan, it’s alright if you don’t want me to be your girlfriend till you can figure out what you want. I don’t care about that. I’m not a clingy girl. What bothers me is that the reason you don’t want to ask me out is because I’m not from the same rich, elite and political class as you are. If that doesn’t make you a complete asshole, I don’t know what does.”
“That’s not true,” Ethan said unconvincingly.
“Then what is it?”
“Okay that’s partly true but you have no idea of the consequences if we make if official! For you and for me!”
“Please explain.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “The fact that- that you’re not from my class,” Ethan winced as he said that. “Means absolutely nothing to me. But my parents- they- they can end whatever we have in seconds. They’ve been trying to set me up with daughters of rich politicians for ages. They won’t be able to accept this. And in order to stop us, they can do anything to you. And I won’t be able to stand that.”
“So this is for my sake?”
Ethan was silent. He was staring at the table between them.
“If all this is true, why are we even together? Oh wait, we’re not together. Why are we whatever it is that we are?”
Silence.
“I’
m just some way to pass time for you?”
Ethan glanced up at her but still remained silent.
“Then it’s over,” Janet concluded. “It’s funny because ‘it’s over’ means I’ll no longer sleep with you. What was I even thinking when I agreed to do so in the first place?”
Janet shook her head and stood up, collecting her books.
“Janet,” Ethan spoke. His voice was pleading. “You’re not just some way to pass time.”
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”
“I have no choice. I want you around and I don’t know how else to keep you.”
“Then make up your mind Ethan. Figure out if you want me around enough to be able to stand up for me when your parents find out.”
“Janet,” Ethan began again.
“Until then, it’s over.”
Janet gave him one last look and noticed how torn he looked before she exited the library. Ethan felt emptiness as he watched her leave. When he tried to imagine a life without fierce and bold Janet in it to lighten it up, it seemed dull and ordinary, but practical.
Where did this girl come into my life from? It was so perfect before she did.
How wrong can a person be?
Chapter 13 – Of Regrets and Realities
“A glass of wine,” the male voice broke through her reverie. Janet nodded as she poured a glass behind the bar and handed it to the man standing in front of her. She smiled as he thanked her and noticed for the first time that he was quite good looking. She thought back to the conversation she had had with George and Kan the night before.
“Try to forget about him,” George had advised her. “Loosen up, date other people, have fun. Maybe it will make him realize what he had.”
“Yeah and we can set you up with anyone you want,” Kan had winked as he said that.
Romance: The Campus Player: A College Romance Page 18