Storiesonline.net ------- E-Beth by bluedragon Copyright© 2009 by bluedragon ------- Description: I'm busty, beautiful, and bisexual. Why can't I find a quality boyfriend? E-Beth from The Book of David searches for her own unique brand of happiness. My first story written entirely from a female perspective. Codes: MF FF Mult cons dru bi inc bro sis group oral anal toys preg creampie BBr ------- ------- The following story is a spinoff from "The Book of David". This story assumes you know the primary characters from it, so background explanations on them will be brief, if at all. Familiarity with that story IS a requirement, although you needn't have read it recently. But if you haven't already read it at all, don't bother trying to read this one. This story includes group sex, female bisexuality, anal, sibling incest (although not a focus), and toys. If any of that bothers you, find another story to read. Disclaimer: While I come from a technical background, Chemistry is not my forte. If you find any errors, well, I told you so. ------- Chapter 1: After the Asshole October 2006 "FUCK YOU you stupid, ungrateful MOTHERFUCKER!" I stood in the doorway between my bedroom and the living room, yelling at the top of my lungs. Over by the door, my boyfriend crouched down, one knee on the floor as he cowered in abject fear of further damage. The picture frame that had just recently bounced off his arm now lay in two pieces on the floor a few feet away from him. The miniature wooden dutch shoes I'd picked up in Amsterdam had hit him square in the back and were now next to his right ankle. Presently, the stupid turd looked up and realized that I no longer had any missile- shaped objects in my hands. So the cowardly bastard took the opportunity to half-crawl over to the door and then flee out of it lest I stop to reload and continue my aerial assault. "Good fucking riddance!" I yelled a final time. And just for good measure, I grabbed my cell phone off the DVD cabinet beside me and sent it hurtling toward the now-closed door. The flimsy piece of plastic and electronics shattered quite prettily against the hard wood, coming apart in three distinct chunks along with a variety of tiny little plastic and metal bits. Only then did I stop and take a deep breath, hunching forward with my hands on my knees for support. If my boyfriend were still in the room, he would've had a magnificent view of my fabulous tits hanging down in my scoop-necked top. 34DDs, firm, and perfectly shaped: my boobs were my best asset and we both knew it. But he wasn't here. And he couldn't see them anymore. Never again. Serves him fucking right. I suddenly felt very tired. My shoulders slumped. I panted from the recent exertion. And shaking my head, I turned and headed back into my bedroom only to flop haphazardly onto my back across the bed. Once comfortable, I let my arms splay out to the sides as I caught my breath and stared at the ceiling. I suppose it was partially my fault. I never should have invited that cute blonde Melissa into our bed. I mean, yeah, I was horny and craving some pussy. But maybe I should have just left it as the one time stand. I should have known it would be a mistake to invite her for a repeat. But she was just so fucking... tasty ... that I couldn't resist wanting an encore ... and then another ... and then another. Or maybe I just should have picked a less attractive girl. I know I'm not a knockout babe and Melissa IS prettier than me. I'm a size 6 and she's a size 2. It is what it is. I should have known my boyfriend would start fantasizing more about her instead of me. After all, it had happened before. My first boyfriend was now engaged to my ex-roommate, the "hotter roommate". And on top of being the prettier girl, Melissa was "new pussy", always more alluring to a male than the old pussy. Still, Chad should have known better. We talked about Zodiac-Astrology all the time. I'm a Taurus. I'm stubborn, dedicated, sensual, and loyal. I'm slow to anger, but once you really get me going, I can get fucking ENRAGED. We were together almost a year. He knew this about me. He knew all he had to do was be honest and mature about it. Hell, I would have LET him fuck Melissa on the side if he'd just TOLD me about it instead of trying to hide it! But nooo, Chad tried to hide his affair. Getting together as a threesome every couple of weeks wasn't enough for him. He had to tell me he was out bowling with his buddies when he was actually sneaking her into his apartment. FUCK! If you're that fucking horny, just invite the damn girl over to MY place! I suppose I should have known better. I always want to see the good in people, especially handsome men. I always want to believe they're mature adults who can handle my sexual peccadilloes. I'm horny. I like girls. I like sharing girls. And I'm always horny! You'd think a guy would bend over backwards to keep someone like me! But no, Chad was a narcissistic moron. He did nothing to make me happy and everything to make himself happy. Yeah, he was handsome and had a big dick and could screw for hours on end. He'd even fucked me quite well last night, back before I knew he was a lying, cheating bastard. But all he ever cared about was himself, oblivious to how he might be upsetting his girlfriend. Hell, he wasn't even smart enough to keep from upsetting Melissa, which was why she called me this morning to tell me she'd been sleeping with my boyfriend behind my back. That was when I picked up the picture frame and started throwing things at him. Actually, this was all David's fault. My first boyfriend, the one who'd given me the nickname "E-Beth", had spoiled me. He'd treated me like a queen, and still does. He made me believe men could be wonderful and considerate and caring. And he balances his multiple lovers in a way that makes it seem so easy. Even after we'd broken up, the way David has treated me around his girlfriends always reassures me he hid nothing from me, nor ever needed to. Am I so wrong to expect the same level of honesty from every man after him? Is it really my fault none of my subsequent boyfriends could measure up? Is it really so bad to dedicate myself to pleasing my man and expect him to do the same? I exhaled slowly and rolled my eyes, finally getting off the bed and looking around for my purse. I was already late for work. I found my car keys, one of the few things within reach that I hadn't thrown at Chad on his way out the door. Hmph. Those woulda hurt if I'd thought to throw them. I then figured I should probably call my boss to let him know I was still coming into the office. But I sighed and looked at the broken pieces of my cell phone on the floor. Well THAT wasn't my most brilliant decision. I stooped down and extracted my SIM card, making a mental note to stop by the cell phone store to pick out something new. I then left my condo and headed for my car. And on the drive to work, I made a resolution: 'No more, ' I told myself. No more handsome hunks with more charm than sincerity. No more bad boys who think they're God's gift to women. I was tired of coddling them and being the very best girlfriend I could be. My NEXT boyfriend would be a man who prioritized ME. He would be considerate and attentive, even if he wasn't the kind of guy who made me wet between my thighs at first sight. I was twenty-five, old enough to know better now. Yeah, for my first couple of years after graduation, I'd had my fun, dating different guys and bedding different girls. I'd traveled around the world, mostly for work but with some time for pleasure. Then last year I decided for myself that I would scale back on the dance clubs and experimental life. Part of it was because I'd gotten promoted and work was keeping me really, really busy. But I'd also made a conscious decision not to be so casual about my sex life. Hooking-up no longer interested me; I wanted to feel some emotional connection with a boyfriend, long-term. I'd thought that I felt it with Chad. But it turned out he was just as much an asshole as most other guys I'd dated before. I didn't want to settle down now, get married, or have kids right away. But I was getting to the point in my life where I should start looking for men who I could be with long-term, men I could form a lifelong partnership with, instead of men who looked like they'd be dynamite in bed. Yeah, it was time for ME to grow up and be mature about this. I set my jaw and held my head high as I walked through the employee entrance of Argen Laboratories, waving my badge at the RFID security gate. I was a beautiful, successful, intelligent young woman in the prime of her attractiveness. I had risen to my position faster than anyone in the history of my company. I was both smart enough and strong enough to take charge of my relationships. And I would no longer let a man's charm and sex appeal get in the way of my own eternal happiness. ------- "Hey, Stella," I greeted in a friendly voice to the department admin, whose cubicle was just outside my office. "Hi, E-Beth," the pretty, young blonde smiled at me as I headed for my door. "Alfred was looking for you. I called your cell but it didn't go through." I paused and shrugged nonchalantly. "I broke it this morning. Found out Chad was cheating on me." "Ooh," Stella winced sympathetically and looked down. I shrugged and Stella paused to take a long deep breath before she added, "I'm sorry." "Don't be. Chad's history and I'm already over it." She looked at me skeptically. "Really?" "Really," I said quite firmly. "Well, your timing is perfect." Stella cracked a smile and popped her eyebrows. "We just met the new guy in Marketing and he is such a hunk." The girl was practically drooling. I giggled and smiled casually. In a company full of middle-aged men, I always felt more 'girly' when chatting with Stella. "Really? Sorry I missed him." "Oh, you didn't miss him." Stella blushed and nodded her head sideways, glancing to her left without actually turning her head. "He's over there, by Alfred's office." I turned my head to look and sure enough, a tall, strikingly handsome man was standing next to my boss in front of his office, about thirty feet away. Alfred saw me and then gestured in my direction; and the two men started walking over. Stella blushed again, glanced straight at me with a knowing look, and silently sank down into her chair, stifling another giggle. I chuckled beneath my breath and stiffened my spine, turning to face my boss and the new guy in Marketing. Alfred, my boss, was a graying gentleman in his early-60s and the man who'd hired me. With a kindly smile he gestured toward me and introduced, "This is Elizabeth, one of our rising stars, who is creating the products that will define our company for the next several decades." I paid absolutely no attention to Alfred's praise. All my focus was on the new guy as I realized I was in serious trouble. The new guy was tall. Looking to be about 30, he was also quite handsome, with dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes that bored into me with infinite depth. He carried himself with an easy confidence, and charm literally oozed out of his ears. His eyes dropped briefly to my exposed cleavage, clearly checking out my rack before drawing his steely gaze up to meet mine. And in the smokiest, most masculine of voices, he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Grant. Very pleased to meet you, Elizabeth." I smiled almost bashfully and shook the hand he was proffering to me. The instant our palms met, a little lightning bolt of electricity shot up my arm, across my tits, and down to set off a miniature explosion in my pussy. It was all I could do to maintain my composure as I pumped his hand and managed to say, "Please, call me E-Beth." "E-Beth. What a cute name." He flashed a smile full of pearly white teeth and my knees went weak. My panties were getting wet, too. Oh yeah, I was sooo in trouble. ------- "Teddy, my eyes are up here." The young stockroom clerk blinked twice and pulled his gaze up from my chest. My white lab coat was unbuttoned, exposing my jeans and scoop-neck top so that my firm 34DD tits were on nice display. The shirt wasn't obscene or anything, but I wasn't shy about hiding my breasts. I knew they were my best feature and even though I strove to maintain a professional appearance at work ... well ... I LIKE getting a little attention. At 5'6", I wasn't the tallest of girls. I'm not fat by any means — I spend too much time working out to ever let that happen again — but I'll never be the skinniest of girls either. I'd like to think I have an attractive face — and David always assured me that I did — but I know I'm no supermodel, either. I have ordinary brown eyes and ordinary brown hair with some natural curls. All in all, I'm just a plain Jane except for my tits. So I work with what I've got. And Teddy didn't seem to mind what I've got. I couldn't blame him. The kid was younger than me and full of male hormones. If I didn't want him looking, I wouldn't have worn the damn shirt. The cute boy with the messy hair blushed sheepishly and looked up at my face. "Sorry, E-Beth." Then he handed over the vials of colored liquids I was requesting from the stock room, along with the usual paperwork. The vials contained controlled solutions, one of them an exotic mixture I'd created myself two years ago. I signed off receipt of the chemical solutions before handing the vials over to Steve, a middle-aged lab technician who I'd been working with forever. I handed over a set of instructions I'd created, based on my computer analysis from work done on the human genome. Hopefully the primary compound would inhibit our target G-protein-coupled-receptor which could then point us to a pharmacophore and allow us to develop a new wünderdrug. The bespectacled, slightly-balding man smiled at me and nodded. "You got it, E- Beth." "Thanks, Steve," I gave him one of my warmest smiles. I liked Steve. He was one of the few people who would call me "E-Beth" and one of the few people at Argen who hadn't been condescending or downright mean to me on arrival, probably because I'd known him back to my days as a college intern. The vast majority of scientists working here had their Ph.D's, which mean they hadn't entered the workforce until their late 20s if not 30s. They'd had years and years of chemistry theory under their belts before going to work creating the latest designer pharmaceuticals, while I was considered a 25-year-old upstart who had gotten lucky with a few mad-scientist concoctions. Maybe I had gotten lucky. It started while I was still in college. Drug discovery was very much a hit or miss process, despite advances in technology and in understanding of biological systems. Anytime ANYONE did something new it was considered to be "mad scientist". Heck, even David still thought I was a pure Chemist, just making shit up and seeing if it would blow up. But my particular field of biochemistry had me spending more time in front of a computer than in the lab. Significant work was being made on the human genome project and because I'd spent three years of internships experimenting with new methodologies to put the genome research to use, I'd been hired right after getting my bachelor's degree, bypassing all the years and years of extra education that was usually required to get a job as high-profile as mine. All the middle-aged men in the Discovery department really didn't like that. Radinsky downright despised me. The job he and others had studied seven-plus extra years for, I'd gotten at the tender age of 22. And since Chemistry by its nature is just a very male-dominated industry, there weren't even many women around I could bond with. Plus, I was introducing a completely different approach to the tried-and-true processes they'd been performing forever, and the old- timers didn't like how I was shaking up their labs. On the other hand, I was a young female with great tits. So rather than get 100% resentment from the department staff, I got about 50% resentment and 50% patronization. Half the staff tried to have absolutely nothing to do with me; the other half treated me like I was their 8-year-old granddaughter. Of course, that would make some of those forty-something men QUITE the perverts the way they kept hitting on me. I just wished there were more people like Steve who would just treat me based on the work I delivered. I could always tell who the friendly ones were since they actually used the "E-Beth" nickname. At least the company wasn't entirely scientists and lab technicians. Outside the labs, there were departments for Human Resources and Accounting and Sales and Marketing just like any other big corporation. There were younger girls like Stella with whom I could go out to lunch or meet up for drinks after work. And THOSE girls made life working at Argen bearable. It was Stella who came to knock on my office door at 5pm. "C'mon, E-Beth. We're going down to Monahan's." I sighed and tore my eyes away from my oversized LCD monitor. The idea of hitting the bar and getting plastered sounded great, but I didn't want to drown away my anger over Chad. I wanted to be stronger than that. "You guys go ahead. I'm going to stay late and keep working." "This isn't a request," Stella glared at me, looking quite awkward as she did so. The bubbly blonde was the very definition of cheerleader perky and looking stern just wasn't a natural expression for her. "You're coming with us." I laughed at her attempt to appear serious. "No, really. I'm fine. I can skip a week." Stella just marched into my office and tugged on the back of my desk chair, wheeling me far, far away from my keyboard. "E-Beth, it's a Friday night. You just found out this morning that your boyfriend was cheating on you. And the girls and I are NOT going to let you wallow in your misery staring at DNA strands or hypermolecules or whatever it is that you do. Comprende?" She spun me around to face her and I sighed, a lopsided smirk on my face. I suddenly felt more tired than ever. Well, I suppose the 'getting drunk' route would work, too. "Fine." ------- "I think the new guy likes you." Stella grinned at me. I frowned into my beer. "Yeah, right. We only talked the one time." "You mean Grant? Oh, isn't he dreamy?" Audrey, a 27-year-old married brunette sighed. The pretty girl from Procurement was quite happy in her marriage and would never think of straying, but she was always the first of us to check out cute guys and comment on how good-looking they were. "Yeah," Stella confirmed. "And his eyes were all over E-Beth here this morning." "No they weren't." I shook my head. "Why would any guy ogle me when they could stare at you?" I ran my eyes up and down the perky blonde's body. Stella was 23, a size 2, cute as a button, and had a very nice rack of her own. I'd even had a fantasy or two of my own about her, harboring stray thoughts about pinning the petite girl beneath me while I ravished her little hardbody. But all the signals I'd gotten throughout our friendship told me she was straight as an arrow. "There you go again," Stella groaned, her green eyes flashing in annoyance at me. "When are you going to realize that you're freakin' hot, E-Beth? You never believe me when I tell you cute guys are checking you out." I rolled my eyes. Stella was a good friend, and as such she constantly complimented my looks. But I knew better. I wasn't anything close to the hot babe she claimed I was. "Ohmigod. Look who's here!" Audrey gasped as she sheepishly turned away from the door. I looked up from my beer and turned my head to see Grant walk in with three other guys from the Marketing group. Monahan's was quite close to the Argen offices and it wasn't unusual to run into others from work. But right now, the last thing I needed was for HIM to come talk to me. Which of course meant that the instant Grant saw us, he gestured to his new co- workers and led them over to our table. I felt a little flutter in my stomach at his actions for two reasons: One, despite being a brand new employee, the guy had the balls to take charge of the three guys with him and direct them on where to go. And two, for some reason he was coming straight for me. "Well, fancy running into you ladies tonight," Grant said magnanimously. How the hell did he make me feel like he was talking directly to me? "It's the closest bar to the office," I shrugged and looked away, drinking my beer and fixing my attention on Paula, the fourth member of our Sex and the City- esque group. I didn't need a distraction like Grant around. He was just another handsome, charming, and flirtatious man. If I just ignored him for a while he'd zero in on some other hot, single girl soon enough. Maybe he'd even focus on one of the other girls with me. Audrey had her wedding ring, but that didn't always stop a guy. Stella had a boyfriend, though she wasn't above some friendly flirting. And Paula was a bottle-blonde knockout in her own right, and single to boot. "Maybe, maybe," Grant conceded. "But that doesn't make us any less pleased to find you. Would you ladies mind if we joined you?" "Of course! There's plenty of room!" Stella quickly chirped and gestured to the open table beside us. Inwardly, I groaned as Grant nodded appreciatively and motioned for his guys to sit. The section of the pub we were in had a long, booth-style bench seat running the length of the wall, with multiple tables for four arranged in front of it. Stella and Audrey were in the two chairs while Paula and I sat on the bench seat. One of the marketing guys who knew Paula went around to sit next to her and chat about legal stuff, since she was from our Contracts Department. And only then did I realize that a devastatingly handsome man was about to sit right by my side. "Hello again. E-Beth, right?" Grant said in that smoky voice from about ten inches away. I winced inside. I should never have told him my nickname. Keeping things more formal would have been much better for my plan not to start anything remotely resembling a relationship with this man. I turned to reply and caught his gaze dropping momentarily down to my breasts, feeling a little sexual thrill shoot through me as he did so. And uncontrollably, I flashed him an inviting smile and replied, "Right. You remembered." "Hard to forget such a unique name for such a unique girl." My eyes narrowed, and I tamped down on my sexual thrill. Ooh, trying to flatter me already? We'd just barely met. Well, I'd long ago figured out that the fastest way to kill a conversation was not to participate in one. I simply gave Grant a little smile and turned back to my beer, willing myself to calm down. Yeah, he was exactly my type. Yeah, he turned me on just looking at him. But yeah, I had resolved to myself not to turn into an air-headed bimbo around smooth-talking, predatory guys anymore. Stella, on the other hand... "So how was your first day, Grant?" He flashed a perfect smile full of pearly white teeth to Stella. "Illuminating. And I have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't have expected a stuffy, boring chemical company to have so many ... friendly ... people." And then his gaze slid back over to me, steadily and confidently looking deep into my eyes as if he could transmit sexual arousal telepathically. The word Grant used was 'friendly', but the innuendo in his voice implied something else. And at the same time, his eyes once again yo-yoed down to my tits almost imperceptibly. I had to be watching for it to notice, and the heat of his brief gaze set fire to my loins. I was getting turned on, and I didn't want to be. I was starting to regret wearing this shirt. "'Stuffy, boring chemical company'?" I smirked at Grant. "Not much of a marketing genius, are you?" He barked a laugh and smiled radiantly at me. "Stuffy and boring is your reputation on the street. That's what I'm here to change. But I'm full of hope. You certainly aren't stuffy and boring, are you, E-Beth?" "Tonight I am," I said somewhat gruffly and looked away, raising my beer mug to my lips. "You'll have to forgive, E-Beth," Audrey put in. "She just dumped her boyfriend this morning." "Audrey!" I hissed, glaring at my so-called friend. Exactly why would she be telling a complete stranger my life history? The married brunette hiccupped and gave me a goofy grin. Oh, that's why. She's already drunk. And when Audrey gets drunk, she goes straight into matchmaker- mode. She might be settled down and married, but she hooked up with other guys vicariously through us. "My sincere apologies on behalf of the entire male race," Grant said generously. "But I will admit to being pleased that morons like your ex-boyfriend are sending more extraordinary women, like you, back into the dating population." Extraordinary? Again, the guy barely knew me. But as we settled in and ordered a few more rounds of drinks, that lack of familiarity certainly seemed to be something Grant wanted to change. ------- It didn't really hit me that I was single again until I got home. Whether I liked it or not, Grant's flirting at Monahan's had stirred the horny, sexual creature inside of me. Guys get turned on by naked skin, cute giggling, and lots of eye contact. They're like buttons that have defined, unavoidable reactions when pressed. Well, I get turned on by husky voices, perfect smiles, and lots of eye contact. Grant had been doing all three with quite a bit of focus on me, and I couldn't help but become aroused. But now I was home. I was drunk. I was horny. And I no longer had a boyfriend to come take care of the problem for me. Fucking Chad. Why did he have to turn out to be such a loser asshole? Not only did he cost me my boyfriend, but he cost me Melissa, too. Yeah, she turned out to be a skanky bitch in the end, too; but fuck she could eat pussy. At least I had little Davie. Feeling thickheaded, I managed to strip off my clothes, leaving them wherever they happened to fall. I was 100% single now. There was no one else coming to my condo who would care what dirty laundry was on the floor. In the shower, I had to brace myself against the wall lest I fall over. This was always a weird and yet pleasant sensation, feeling drunk and dizzy and wet and naked and horny. My skin was crawling and the sensation of warm, wet pulses splattering against my big tits made my nipples stand up despite the heat. And they weren't about to go down once I started lathering myself with soap, running my hands all over my nude, curvaceous body. Afterward, I took my time drying off, perhaps spending a little too much time on my breasts and between my legs. It was only 8pm, but I dressed in my pajamas and crawled alone into bed. And from my bedside table, I then pulled out little Davie. "Hi, there. Remember me?" I asked my vibrator. He hadn't gotten much use lately. The last time little Davie had come out to play, I was using him to fuck my pussy while Chad was behind me, filling my tight ass with his big dick. But since then, I'd had Melissa around to double-team me when I really needed it. And as much as I enjoyed little Davie, there's simply no replacement for a live human being. So as I slid little Davie beneath the waistband of my pajama pants and put him to work, I laid back and thought about the live human beings in my life. Chad was history. He'd been a fun, if inconsiderate, boyfriend. But I was very good at erasing men from my thoughts and I would never again fantasize about him. Melissa, either. Then there was Grant. I wondered if he had a nice cock. I wondered how it would taste as I orally pleasured him, and how it would feel throbbing on top of my clit. I groaned and shifted little Davie into a better position, sliding him lightly along the crevasse of my labia. I wondered how Grant's dick would feel stretching my tight cunny. But I didn't want to think about Grant. The LAST thing I needed after Chad was to fall for another guy. I needed a break. I needed some E-Beth time to collect myself before jumping into any new relationships. And even if this was just a fantasy, to be fantasizing about Grant now would only make it harder for me to ignore him tomorrow and in the future. So I switched to fantasizing about my favorite two people in the world: David and Amber. David: my first boyfriend, my first lover, and all-around greatest guy in the world. I'd always felt a spark of chemistry with him but never a spark of love. But he was both sexy and strong and dependable. And he could make me orgasm like no one else. And Amber: gorgeous blonde goddess, my college roommate, and David's fiancée. We'd spent many, many long hours rubbing our naked bodies together over the years. She'd been my first Sapphic lover, the one who taught me the pleasures of the female body. She had a wickedly good tongue. And she would be my best friend forever. I imagined lying flat on my back, my ass at the edge of the bed. David would stand between my thighs, holding my legs and undulating his body back and forth, his ab muscles rippling as he sawed his thick cock in and out of my willing body. I would have Amber kneeling over my face, letting me shoot my tongue up into her sweet-tasting pussy while my hands reached up to squeeze and caress her glorious breasts, perhaps the only pair of tits even better than mine. It was about then that I wondered: Why the fuck am I HERE? Why don't I just go visit them for the weekend and actually FEEL David's thick cock splitting me open and actually TASTE Amber's sweet pussy? So it was decided, I would go get the real thing. I wasn't in a relationship anymore. It was only an hour's flight away to the old college town. And my two best friends would always have room for me in their bed. Sighing, I pulled little Davie out of my pants and licked him clean. Sure, I was still drunk and horny; but now that I had a plan to get well and truly laid, self-pleasure just wasn't going to cut it. I would wait. The waiting would just make the real thing that much more satisfying. I reached out to my bedside table to grab my phone and call Amber. My hand flailed out, flailed again without finding it, and I finally turned my head to look. No cell phone. Oh yeah, I'd destroyed it this morning. Rolling my eyes and wrinkling my nose in annoyance, I sighed and looked at the clock. It was way too late to go out and get a new phone at this hour. I didn't have a landline (Who does these days?) And I didn't even have the energy to open my MacBook and send an email. Oh, well. I exhaled slowly as my heavy eyelids drooped and the inky blackness of sleep started to creep around the edges of my consciousness. David and Amber would just have to be surprised when I showed up tomorrow morning. They always did love my surprise visits. ------- I stood on the doorstep of a neat suburban home, admiring the grass lawn and bay window in front of the living room. It was impossible sometimes not to feel jealous of my best friends. Amber was my age, only 25, and David a year older, but they seemed to have their lives so completely put together. They'd each found their soulmate and were getting married in two months. They were scoping out real estate and planning to buy a permanent house right after the wedding. They had stable, high-paying jobs. And there were even matching BMWs parked in the garage of their rental place. Plus, I was sure their babies would soon be on their way. Heck, David already had little Ellie with Cherys a few months ago, and Amber was certainly hoping to get knocked up during the honeymoon. I, on the other hand, had yet to hold down a boyfriend for more than a year. I'd been cheated on three times by losers I should have recognized from the beginning. And I had absolutely no idea how to find Mr. Right so that I could settle down and start a family. I couldn't help but feel that this could have been my life. David was my boyfriend first, and he was totally in love with me. Well, he said he was totally in love with me; I think we both knew he was still hung up on his dead girlfriend at the time. Still, it might have been me instead of Amber. But I couldn't begrudge my friends their happiness. David wasn't "the one" for me and I knew my guy was still out there somewhere. And besides, I wasn't even sure I wanted to settle down and start a family. Still ... It would be nice to know that I'd found someone I could truly depend on... But anyway, that was a long-standing wish. I was still only 25 and I had plenty of time to figure out my life. Right now, I just wanted to be with my friends and get properly laid. Nobody answered right away, but just as I was reaching to ring the doorbell a third time, the door popped open and David stood before me. "E-Beth!" the 6'1", ruggedly handsome young man greeted me warmly. Wearing a bathrobe over plaid pajama pants, he opened his arms for a big hug. Gleefully, I exclaimed, "Surprise!" And then I jumped into his arms. Lifting me easily, David spun me around and then set me back onto my feet on the expensive wood flooring in their foyer. He kicked the door closed behind him and grinned. "What are you doing here?" "Isn't it obvious?" I grinned, jutting my hip out and thrusting my chest forward. David's eyes obediently dropped down to my tits, his irises lighting up. I'd endured the cab driver ogling me in the V-neck I'd chosen to wear specifically to watch David's face as he visually feasted on my breasts. He'd always been obsessed with my tits. Back in the day, when I was still a sexual novice, my poor blowjob skills weren't always up to the task. But letting him fuck my tits ALWAYS ended with happy smiles and a face covered in cum. "Yes, it's obvious," he answered my chest. But then he picked his eyes up and smiled at me warmly, holding onto my waist. And despite the obvious booty-call nature of my visit, he could still tell that something was bothering me. "It's a long story," I answered the unspoken question in his eyes. "Kind of spur-of- the-moment. I just decided to hop a plane and visit you guys." "Didn't even call?" "I broke my phone when I threw it at Chad." I pressed myself back against his chest, inhaling deeply. And that's when I finally caught the scent. David smelled like sex. I tilted my head up and a saucy grin spread across my face. "Did I catch you two at a bad moment?" "Not at all," Amber answered from the hallway. She was wearing a red silk robe that contoured around her curves, making it quite clear she was completely naked beneath it. "I think you arrived just in time." ------- I could have been jealous of Amber. After all, while I would never be mistaken for a supermodel, she easily could. Amber was a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with an absolutely incredible figure. Standing four inches taller than me at 5'10", she nevertheless weighed about as much as I did, with a tiny waist and a perfect complexion. Plus, she was marrying David. But I was never jealous of her. When we first met, I had David, and her obvious jealousy of me let our relationship as friends and roommates flourish despite the obvious disparity in our raw attractiveness. And now that we were the best of friends — and occasional lovers — her exquisite loveliness just made it that much more exciting to have sex with her. Besides, she and David were currently making my fantasy come true. I was lying flat on my back, my ass at the edge of the bed while David stood between my thighs. Holding my legs, he hooked my calves over his shoulders and began leaning in, pressing the thick mushroom head of his cock into my body while I gasped in excitement at the penetration. And I moaned happily as he pushed his way deep inside me. At the same time, Amber was kneeling over my face, letting me shoot my tongue up into her sweet-tasting pussy while my hands reached up to squeeze and caress her glorious 32D breasts, so perky and firm. Plus, I got a bonus: Amber still had David's previous load of cum inside her, and I eagerly began lapping it out. "Mmm, I missed you E-Beth..." Amber sighed. "Nobody knows how to eat me quite like you ... Eep!" Amber giggled and twisted around to glance at her fiancé. David had reached around to pinch one of her nipples, a mock annoyed expression on his face. And the gorgeous blonde rolled her eyes. "Different but equal, honey." David just chuckled and focused on fucking me. I showed my appreciation by crossing my ankles behind his neck and tugging him into me. "Oh, fuck me, David..." I cooed into Amber's crotch. And David complied. He was quite the stud, regularly satisfying three hot babes, including his own sister. I'd only recently been clued into THAT particular delicious bit of information. But the point was that he certainly knew how to induce pleasure in a woman's body. I mean, it was as if his cock had the skillful dexterity of a hand, and right now he was hitting all my pleasure spots right when he needed to. "Oh, shit!" I grunted when he started rubbing his dickhead against my G-spot. I tensed my stomach muscles and really started humping my hips against him. I didn't do a hundred ab crunches every day for nothing. And my hard work was paying off as lightning bolts of pleasure were rapid-fire shooting up my spine. "Fuck me, David! Harder! Fuck me!" I mumbled, gripping tighter onto Amber's thighs. With her pussy smothering me, I'm sure it came out more like, "Fkmm, dbd! Hddb! Fkmmee!" He got the message anyways. The strong stud picked up the pace, drilling himself in and out of my clenching cunt faster and faster and faster, sending my mind into a dizzy orbit while I felt the explosion of a powerful orgasm building inside me. Meanwhile, my spastic mumbling into Amber's crotch was not lost on her. Even when I wasn't trying to tell David to fuck me harder, my lips were in constant motion as I bobbed and weaved around my best friend's labia, teasing every sensitive nerve and licking up and down her slit until I finally just wrapped my tongue around her clit and sucked hard. "Aaaahhh!!!" Amber threw her head back and yelled out her climax, dumping a load of girl-honey onto my face as she jerked and shuddered on top of me. I gripped her thighs even tighter to hold on for the ride and felt David's cock boring down on me right about the same time. And then it was my turn. "Mmmpphhh!!!" I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut and feeling the glorious, heavenly release of tension throughout my entire body as the orgasm exploded inside me. My hips bucked up to meet David's next thrust. My left hand slid around to cup Amber's asscheek. And I pulled my head away from her crotch to exhale as a blissful peace settled over my body. And then I felt it. Hot, wet, and powerful, David was jetting his cum into my body, splattering my inner walls with his thick cock cream. My lower body shuddered as a second, smaller orgasm quickly overtook me. And I giggled happily as I felt my first ever boyfriend, the man who'd taken my virginity so long ago, filled me up once again. I was right: Waiting made the real thing MUCH more satisfying. ------- David came out of the kitchen and handed me a frosted mug, this time filled with a strawberry smoothie instead of beer. He also handed one to Amber before settling himself into the armchair. On the couch, I was using Amber as a backrest, with my head pillowed on her bosom as she stroked my hair soothingly. I took a sip of the smoothie and then set my head back down, exhaling slowly. "Shouldn't I be feeling something? Anger? Sadness? Right now I just feel ... nothing..." "Stage One denial," David pointed out. "Even if you claim not to feel anything, obviously you're feeling something since you flew out here." "And we're always here for you," Amber stroked my head again. I sighed contentedly and snuggled tighter into Amber's embrace. This was why I'd come. David, in typical guy fashion, would analyze the situation and help me think rationally. Amber, in typical girl fashion, would be emotionally supportive. And today I needed both. I looked over at David. "Obviously I'm too close to it to really know, but this doesn't feel like Stage One denial to me. I mean, I really don't give a flying fuck that Chad and I are done. He was ... fun. But he wasn't special to me. I mean, we were dating for almost a year and we weren't getting any closer to each other than we started. I was more concerned with my work. The relationship was dying. And even bringing another girl in didn't seem to put the spark back in." David pointed out, "You were pretty upset when you found out he'd been cheating." "ANY girl would be upset just on principle," Amber clarified. "Even if you don't have strong feelings for someone, a betrayal just plain hurts." I nodded. "Chad may have been the longest of my recent boyfriends, but I don't think this breakup is really so different than the rest. I think I was more relieved than hurt when those relationships were over. Actually, I haven't been upset over a breakup since Jeff back in college, even though I've now been cheated on three times." "Maybe you're dating the wrong type of guys," David sighed. "David!" Amber scolded. He looked over at her and shrugged his shoulders as if to ask, 'What?' "No, David's right." I looked up at the pretty blonde and then sat up straight, lifting myself off her body. I leaned against the backrest and dropped my hand onto Amber's thigh. "I was already telling myself I need to change the kind of guy I'm going after. I need to meet a different kind of guy." "What kinds of guys ARE you meeting?" David cocked his head. "What qualities have you been looking for?" I sighed, and for a moment, my brain went straight to Grant. "Handsome, charming, mysterious, dangerous, and sexy." David's eyebrows went up and Amber gave me a skeptical look. "Bad boys," Amber drawled. I exhaled, "I know, I know. I can't help it. Those are the kinds of guys that turn me on." "There's nothing wrong with that," Amber pointed out. "There's nothing RIGHT with that, either," I replied. "Every guy since graduation fit that mold and all turned out to be loser assholes. The handsome, charming bad boys are exciting and all; but I need to start thinking about more than just sex." "So let's put aside the bad boys that turn you on." Amber patted my leg. "Let's think about qualities that don't have to do with sex. What other qualities do you want from a guy?" I furrowed my eyebrows and thought about it for only a second. "Someone like David." Amber giggled and smiled at her fiancé. David himself blushed before frowning and complaining. "Hey, does that mean I'm not handsome, charming, or sexy?" It was my turn to giggle. "Sure you are. But you were never mysterious or dangerous. You were open, upfront, and totally honest with me." "See, you ARE hurt," David crowed triumphantly. "Huh?" He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. "It's not just a momentary anger in the immediate aftermath of betrayal. You're tired of getting cheated on, period. And when you say you want a guy like me, the key traits you pointed out were openness and honesty." I sighed and nodded. "I guess I never prioritized those traits in guys before. I wanted excitement, not safety. I think that's why we broke up, David. You were safe and secure and I was too young and too reckless for that kind of relationship back then. I was barely nineteen! You were the kind of guy a girl could settle down with, and I was nowhere near ready to settle down." "And you are now?" Amber asked. I sighed. "I'm not sure. I AM still only 25." "So am I," Amber smiled. "That's different. YOU found your soulmate and you two have more than enough excitement in your relationship." I rolled my eyes. "But the point is: I'm willing to try meeting guys I can settle down with and see if they make me happier. And even though I still feel too young, aren't we supposed to get married before we turn 30? Hell, my parents were popping out kids when they were 22. And the bad boy route obviously isn't doing it long-term for me." "Sounds like you already know what to do." David nodded sagely. I snorted. "Yeah, right. There are a million girls trying to figure out how to find and keep Mr. Right. And I have no idea where to begin." "Just you watch," Amber encouraged warmly. "Just be yourself and a wonderful guy will come to you." I snorted again. "Easy for you to say. You're so gorgeous, men have ALWAYS come to you — even my ex-boyfriend here." I jerked a thumb at David. "Oh, E-Beth," Amber sighed. "First off, David and I didn't exactly have the smoothest beginning if you'll remember. I had to knock him upside the head to make him realize I wanted him. And seriously, when are you going to realize you're a gorgeous babe!" I shook my head to wave off her attempt at complimenting me. I knew better. "Look. You're one day removed from Chad," David said rationally. "Give it time, okay? Give it time and we'll help you figure it out however we can. You'll find the right guy for you." "And in the meantime..." Amber purred. She slid her hand up my leg toward my crotch and hugged me from the side, nuzzling her nose sensuously against my neck. "We'll satisfy your cravings until you do." ------- "Hi, E-Beth..." Teddy's voice cracked nervously and he valiantly tried (unsuccessfully) not to stare at my tits as I came to a halt at the stockroom window. I couldn't really blame him. What, you think I wear these low-cut tops because I don't want the attention? I gave him a bemused smile and waited patiently for the poor kid to regain his composure. And once he managed to get his hyperventilating under control, I handed over the CCRF (Controlled Compound Request Form), signed by Alfred. I'd already submitted the list of supplies I was requesting through the company's intranet, and given the stockroom staff plenty of time to put together my order. But one of the compounds I was requesting was extremely rare (and extremely expensive), so I'd needed my Director's approval to use it in my latest round of testing. Teddy didn't even look at the form. He just took it and then turned away to fetch my order. But then Teddy continued his turn, spinning all the way around until he was facing me once again. And with a little smirk, he tapped his clipboard and asked, "What's up with so much Methylphenidate?" "Excuse me?" I popped my eyebrows in surprise. "I'm just curious. Are you working ADHD or Narcolepsy?" I blinked twice. "ADHD." He glanced down at the form and then looked up at me, arching an eyebrow. "Aren't you not supposed to use a monoamine oxidase inhibitor like tranylcypromine, then?" I grinned and then leaned over the ledge separating the two of us, looking to the CCRF and tapping it with my finger. "That's what this guy is for. It should keep down the plasma concentrations." Leaning over the ledge put my tits in an even better angle for viewing, but to my surprise, Teddy didn't even look over. His eyes were on the page, his lower lip tucked to the left and beneath his upper teeth as he scrutinized the words in front of him. I swear I could actually SEE his brain working. And then rocking back on his heels, he stood up straight and grunted, "Huh. I never woulda thought of that." Standing up straight myself, I crossed my arms beneath my breasts and smiled. "That's why they pay me the big bucks." Teddy chuckled and nodded. My smile tugged even higher on the right side of my face. "How'd you know that anyways, about the tranylcypromine? It's not the sort of thing a typical stockroom clerk is read up on." Teddy blushed bright pink. "Ah, well, maybe I'm not the typical stockroom clerk." "Clearly." I nodded. "Did you take some chemistry courses?" Still blushing, he nodded and looked down nervously. "Um, uh-huh." "How many?" Still nervous, he admitted. "All the way. I majored in Chemistry." I raised my eyebrows again. "From where?" Almost bashfully, he admitted, "Harvard." My eyes popped open. "Chemistry major from Harvard? What the hell are you doing in a stockroom?" I practically barked in surprise. Teddy's blush now ran from his forehead all the way down his neck into his white lab coat. "Uh, long story." "Elizabeth!" a booming voice echoed down the hallway from behind me and to the right. Instinctively, I turned to look and stood up straight when I recognized the man striding purposefully toward me. It was Edward Reed, CEO of the entire company. "Afternoon, Mr. Reed," I said politely and nodded my head as he approached. The mid-fifties man with Just For Men(TM) dark brown hair with a touch of gray at the temples smiled charismatically, coming to a stop right in front of me. "I got your report from the last round of testing. I'm very pleased with your progress, and Alfred says this will be your biggest hit yet!" I blushed and glanced down modestly. "I'm not done yet, sir. There are still a lot of things to work out. The ethanol interaction is still a big one to solve." Mr. Reed leaned forward, patting me gently on the shoulder. "And I have no doubt in your abilities to solve it, Elizabeth." He flashed me another proud smile and then stood up straight. Only then did he notice Teddy on the other side of the counter, and almost as an afterthought he offered a polite, "Hello." Looking to be scared shitless after being greeted by the CEO, Teddy managed to warble, "Afternoon, sir." Mr. Reed just turned back to me with a final smile. And then he turned and walked away. Once he was around the corner and out of sight, I glanced back to the stockroom clerk, who was still staring down the hallway as if in shock. "Those compounds aren't going to get themselves off the shelves, Teddy." The poor kid just blinked and glanced back at me, "Oh right, E-Beth. Sorry." ------- "And so ultimately, what compound 327 provides is the same ADHD functionality of Ritalin, but without the insomnia side effects." I waved my hand at the final slide. "Any questions?" It took a few seconds before the first hands were raised. I always lost my audience in the middle section when talking about various chemical compounds and the way they interacted, and I knew it always took them a second to wake up once I got to the end results. I, personally, found the chemical reactions to be absolutely fascinating. But my audience was made up of the Sales and Marketing teams, people who really didn't care HOW it worked as long as they knew that it worked. "What's the raw material cost compared to Ritalin?" was the first question. "Raw material cost is 50% higher," I admitted. "But based on the way Ambelose ran at the new facility, I think we can get a similar gross margin. Honestly, you'll have to ask the Production Department on that one." "What's the legal status?" was another question. "I don't know yet. But I would think it would fall under Schedule II like Ritalin. I'm drafting the classification report to submit to the DEA." Further questions took about twenty minutes. Then we wrapped and several people came up to offer their congratulations. Alfred was the last one, and when it was all over, I tottered in my heels while gathering up my materials. I absolutely couldn't WAIT to sit down. But before I could actually head back to my office to collapse, one man hung back and approached me. Oh, of course. "Word of advice," he began with a charming smile. "We 'sales-y' types don't like the word 'Features'. We like 'Benefits'. A customer may or may not care what features you've got. But they're definitely interested in what benefits you can give them." I chuckled and nodded. "I'll try to do better next time." "Oh, I'm not criticizing," Grant said lightly. "You're a natural presenter." Yeah, right. I'm a chemist, not a public speaker. "Thanks," I replied politely, cognizant of my sore feet and yet almost magnetically drawn to continue talking to the handsome man. "Been working on it over the years." "Years?" Grant barked a quick laugh. "You're just barely out of college, right? How many years can you have been here?" I smirked and raised my eyebrows. "You asking a woman her age? Tsk, tsk." Grant chuckled and shook his head. "I meant no offense, madam. Can't an old fart like me compliment a young woman on her polished presentation?" "Old fart," I snorted as I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I felt the impulse to stay and keep bantering with the guy, but the angel on my right shoulder reminded me that I was staying clear of men like him. Besides, I was tired and I wanted to sit down. So shaking my head, I nodded to Grant and started walking out. And of course, he walked right out with me. I turned left at the hallway, and he followed right along, despite the fact that the Marketing Department was off to the right. "So do you have any plans coming up?" Grant asked, that same warm, welcoming tone in his voice. It sounded like honey. "Right now, all my plans center around getting back to my office and taking off these shoes. I feel like I've been standing all day." "If it would make you feel better, I'm told I give excellent foot massages." My eyebrows rose. "Now Grant," I said in an amused, slightly flirtatious voice. "I don't think that would quite be appropriate workplace behavior." "So maybe I'll give it to you after work." He flashed me a toothy grin. "After work?" I chuckled. "I'm a chemist. We sleep here on weekdays. Didn't you know that?" Grant laughed and shook his head. "Workaholic type. I get it. Maybe Friday then. I know you've been out to Monahan's at 5 o'clock on a Friday night at least once." "That was a fluke. Stella dragged me out because she felt sorry for me that day." "Ah, so I can count on Stella to help persuade you to come out and enjoy some company." I shook my head. "Something tells me you don't need any help finding company, Grant." He flashed me another perfect smile. "And what if the only company I want is you?" That brought me to a dead stop in the hallway. Grant stopped with me and turned to give me his full and undivided attention. "Excuse me?" I asked, my voice a breathy whisper. He instantly held a hand up. "I'm sorry. That just came out. But I'll admit that you intrigue me, E-Beth. You are both beautiful and remarkably intelligent. And I really would just like the opportunity to get to know you better." "Are you asking me out?" "Would you say 'yes' if I did?" I blushed and turned back to face the hallway, feeling a quiver run through my entire body. No more, I reminded myself. I'd made a decision, a decision that my best friends in the world had already backed. And with an apology on my face, I turned and said, "Grant, I don't want to lead you on. I just got out of a bad relationship and I don't think-" "Hey, hey..." he interrupted, then reached forward and cupped his hand around my shoulder. "I'm not demanding anything of you. I'd just like to get to know you better; that's all." And then further relieving the pressure, he gestured down the hallway and started walking. I found myself relaxing as he moved away, while at the same time feeling the urge to close the gap. Without knowing exactly why, I liked being around him and I hurried to follow. And in relative silence, Grant walked me all the way back to my office. At the cube just outside my door, Stella poked her head up, her eyes going wide at the sight of Grant walking beside me. I shot her a stern look and she quickly sank back down out of sight. And then at my office, Grant stopped at my doorway while I went inside and sank down into my chair in relief. I quickly pivoted my feet back onto the heels, wiggling them to get the circulation going. Grant nodded down to my feet. "Remember my offer for that foot massage," he said with a charming smile. "Seriously, I promise you'll feel like you can walk on air once I'm done with you." That little bolt of electricity shot through my loins again, giving me a tingle between my legs. I felt my skin flush. And I stole a glance up to see the handsome man's strong jaw and deep green eyes staring right at me with heated intensity. Grant's voice was dripping with innuendo and the thought of floating away, walking on air once he was "done with me", had my heart threatening to burst out of my chest. And then before I could say anything, Grant flashed me that perfect smile as he stated flatly, "Friday after work. Monahan's. No pressure. Just a few drinks with a colleague, okay?" Blinking, I was astonished to find my head already nodding up and down, giving him my silent agreement. Grant smiled even wider, a twinkle in his eye. And then he turned and strode away. Sighing, I sank deeper into my chair once he was out of sight. I closed my eyes and mentally cursed myself for not completely shutting Grant out. I had made a decision and I knew I should stick to it. I was smarter than this. I had a Genius- level I.Q. I had all the top test scores. But around a hot guy, my brain just turned into jello. Why? I liked hot guys flirting with me. I really, really liked it. I mean, out of all the girls at this company a hunk like Grant could be going after, he was coming after me. It was really quite flattering. It meant that he considered ME a catch. It meant that he considered ME to be attractive and desirable. I sighed. Was this why I always ended up with handsome bad boys? Not because I thought they were good for me, but because they made ME feel more attractive just to be with them? That they made me feel I wasn't such a Plain Jane? A girlish giggled from my doorway made me open my eyes. And there was Stella, leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her chest and a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "So did he ask you out?" "Stella..." "Did he?" "Well..." "Ooh!" The perky blonde quickly turned and closed my office door, shutting the world away. And as she slid into the wing chair across from my desk, she asked excitedly, "Gimme all the details!" ------- "By the bar. Second stool. He's wearing the-" "I KNOW what Grant looks like," I hissed beneath my breath. I struggled to control my breathing and forced myself to smile when I realized that Grant had also seen us, and was raising his beer in greeting while flashing me that perfect smile. He was alone, without any other Argen colleagues around him. He was waiting just for me. "You're with me, right?" I asked out the corner of my mouth. "Absolutely," Stella replied warmly right before nudging me in the back with her elbow and then immediately turning in the other direction. "Hey Audrey! Hey Paula!" And then my betraying bitch of a friend deliberately walked away from me. The nudge had knocked me forward and toward the bar area. I glanced to my right and fought the impulse to screech, 'STELLA!' I held my composure ... barely ... and then turned and walked over to where Grant was clearly waiting for me. "Can I buy you a drink?" he greeted warmly. "Oh, is that how the game is played?" I asked with raised eyebrows. "I prostitute a few minutes of my time in exchange for a six dollar cocktail?" "Oh, she doth wound me!" Grant mimed as if I'd stabbed him through the heart, a comical expression on his face. And then as he sat up straight, he gave me an honest look and asked, "Are you really so jaded?" I sighed, thinking of how all the bad boys I'd known had hurt me over the years. "Maybe," I moaned morosely. "Ahhh..." Grant sighed. "Beautiful, intelligent, AND vulnerable. Now you've got me really intrigued." That got me to crack a smile and sit at the bar. One look at my cleavage and the male bartender was right in front of me. "Tanq & Tonic," I told him. The guy glanced at Grant, who nodded, and then he was off to mix my drink. By the time the glass tumbler arrived, Grant and I exchanged a few more flirtatious comments. I have to admit, I was still a little defensive, and when he found a clever way to slip in a new compliment about my looks, I raised my eyebrows and snapped rather testily, "That kind of comment often get you into a girl's panties?" His eyes tightened, and I immediately felt bad for my reaction. As patient as Grant was being, he didn't deserve my scorn. I sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to come off like such a bitch. I-" "Don't worry about it," he soothed, leaning forward. "I get it. You're coming off a bad breakup with a callous boyfriend. A girl has every right to be extra cautious after that." My eyebrows raised and I glanced down, where he'd put his hand on my knee. He took the hint and pulled his hand away. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." "You were just talking about 'caution'..." "Fair enough." He leaned back against the bar and rested his elbow on it, taking a sip of his beer. "Like I said, I didn't come here to put any pressure on you or anything. I really just want to get to know you better." I shook my head. "But to what end? I told myself I wouldn't go out with guys like you anymore." "Guys like me?" he asked curiously. I sighed and flashed him a wan smile. "Handsome. Charming. Sexy." He couldn't help but grin, with a twinkle in his eye. "'Sexy'?" "Shut up. You know you're sexy." I exhaled again and frowned. "Guys like you always end up hurting me." Slowly, deliberately, and with enough obvious intent that I could see him coming all the way, he put his hand over the back of mine and rubbed it gently. "Not all guys are alike. Won't you at least give me the chance to prove it to you?" I waffled. "C'mon, are you really going to hold my appearance against me? If I were short, fat, and bald, would that make you happier? Would you let me get to know you then?" I cracked a smile and bashfully glanced down. I wanted to believe him. Yeah, handsome, charming bad boys had already taken me, used me, and spit me out. I liked his type. They couldn't ALL be bad, could they? And if I'd really found the Mr. Right, the kind of guy who LOOKED like my ideal AND had a heart of gold, would I ever forgive myself if I missed him? I wanted to believe. So taking a deep breath, I slid my right hand out from under his and cocked it in a handshake grip. "Hi. My name is Elizabeth. I'm 25. I graduated from Uni three- and-a-half years ago, and I've worked at Argen ever since. I'm a workaholic chemist and my dream in this life is to develop a cure for cancer." A smile slowly slid onto Grant's face. And after a moment's thought, with that twinkle in his dark green eyes as he looked at me, he shook my proffered hand. "Hello. I'm Grant. I'm 31. I was engaged, up until she broke my heart last year and called off the wedding. And now I'm here, in a new town, looking for a fresh start." I shook his hand, feeling my heart flutter ... and my panties dampen. "Pleased to meet you." ------- -- NOVEMBER 2006 -- "Have you slept with him yet?" "Of course not!" I hissed beneath my breath. I darted my eyes to the left, looking to the open door to make sure Stella and I were alone in the coffee break room. "We're not even dating." Stella bumped her hip into mine, an appraising look on her face. "You said the two of you went to The Steakhouse Friday night." I blushed. "Yeah..." "Alone." "Yeah..." "Honey, that's called a 'date'." Stella bumped my hip again. "One date. That's not 'dating'." "And you met at Monahan's the Friday before." "That's the bar." I rolled my eyes. "With everyone ... including YOU ... around." "Are you saying you just haven't had the proper opportunity?" Stella giggled. "No. I'm just not ready yet." "Why not?" "Seriously?" I glared at my friend. "This soon after Chad?" Stella shrugged and rolled her eyes away. "I'm just saying ... You've been pretty wound up lately. You just seem like a girl who needs to get laid..." I stood up straight, stirring my coffee. "Goodbye, Stella." She smirked and sipped at her own mug as I turned and walked away, heading back to my lab. "Go get 'em, honey." ------- "2 milliliters." "Got it." Steve twisted the stopcock, carefully letting out exactly 2 milliliters of the solution out of the burette. When he closed it again, the bespectacled, slightly- balding man looked up at me and remarked off-hand. "So word around the building is that you're dating the new guy in Marketing." My fingers tightened around the beaker I was just about to pour, and after steadying my hand, I tilted the beaker back upright and set it down. And with raised eyebrows, I shot a glare at Steve and asked, "Excuse me?" My middle-aged lab technician was struggling to contain a guffaw as he looked at the expression on my face. With mirthful eyes, he finally grinned and shrugged. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger." "Where did you hear that?" "In the lunchroom. C'mon, E-Beth. It's a big company but news still travels fast." "We're not dating." "But you have been out with him, right?" Blushing, I looked down and nodded. "Just once." "Hey, hey." Steve reached over and patted my back. "No need to be embarrassed. It's not like either of you report to the other. You're not breaking any rules." "I know..." I sighed. "But dating a guy in my company?" Steve snorted. "Where else are you going to meet guys? You spend all your time here." I chuckled lightly at that. "I go out," I said defensively. "Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Grant's a nice guy. Did I tell you he joined the softball team? Good pitcher. We've needed one ever since Karl busted his knee. And you'd look good together." I raised my eyebrows. "Look good together?" Steve smiled and reached up to pat his own balding head. "Grant's tall, young, and handsome. You're beautiful, E-Beth. Yeah, you two look good together." Now I was blushing again. And then I sighed. "I don't know. It's only been a month since Chad." Steve shrugged. "Hey, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But you deserve to relax a bit. When's your next date?" I exhaled and reached up, running my fingers through my hair. "Tomorrow night." My lab technician smiled. "Have fun." ------- "Up here, Teddy." The cute boy with the messy hair blushed sheepishly and pulled his gaze up from my chest. He tapped his clipboard with his index finger and grinned. "Sorry, E- Beth." Feeling naughty, I crossed my arms beneath my breasts and squeezed, just a bit. The movement had the effect of pushing my boobs together and upwards, and as I leaned over and dropped my elbows onto the countertop, Teddy must have been given a spectacular view. The clipboard hit the floor with a clatter. And an embarrassed and panicked Teddy quickly bent over to scoop it back up. "Uh, sorry," he reflexively apologized. I grinned, a twinkle in my eye. "Don't be." Oh, it was too easy to tease this boy. He was definitely cute in his own dorky sort of way. But he was also three years younger than me, just a kid barely out of college. A couple of minutes later, he returned with a tray of vials. And almost nervously he stated, "So I hear you're dating the new guy in Marketing." I chuckled and looked down. "Guess you could say that." "You guess?" I rolled my eyes. "Why is everyone at this company so obsessed with my sex life?" Teddy's eyebrows popped up and he raised his hands. "Whoa ... wasn't asking about your sex life," he stammered defensively. "Just saying that people said you two were dating." I sighed, and cracked a smile. "Fine. We're dating. Well, it's been exactly two dates. Our third one is tonight." Teddy whistled, a gleam coming into his eyes. I caught the gleam and shot him a look. "What?" Blushing, the poor kid stammered again, "Oh, nothing, nothing." "Teddy, what?" Still bashful, he winced and looked down. "Really, I don't mean anything by it." My voice rose a few decibels. "Mean anything by what?" Teddy exhaled slowly and then looked at me with a little smirk. Finally, he shrugged. "Third date. Guys usually look forward to that one because it usually means they're gonna get lucky." I crossed my arms again, this time over my breasts to block the view. "Do guys seriously think that?" I asked coldly. Teddy's blush now ran from his forehead all the way down his neck into his white lab coat. "Sorry. Really, I don't mean anything by it. I'm sure that you and Grant are ... I mean ... What you guys do is your business..." Setting my jaw, I frowned and shook my head. "I'm NOT sleeping with him!" I barked. And then I snatched up the tray and spun on my heel, marching away. ------- I stood outside my front door on this Friday evening. The November air was cold, a gust of wind rushing up to send a chill into my bones. But I didn't feel it. For one thing, I had a second thick coat wrapped around me, an oversized men's peacoat that did wonders for insulating me from the unexpected frost. And for another thing, the owner of the coat currently had his arms wrapped around me, his lips pressed firmly against mine. It had been a productive date. Grant and I had spent the first two dates getting to know each other, waxing philosophic about where we were in our lives and the things we enjoyed doing. Both of us had stayed away from hot-button issues like politics, religion, and past relationships, careful not to offend the other at this early stage while we were still feeling each other out. But this date had gotten a lot more personal. The taboo topic of past relationships was broken, and long after our meals were cleared away, the two of us had stayed in our intimate booth reminiscing about past loves. I told Grant about being an ugly, chubby nerd growing up as a teenager. I'd lived a pretty sheltered life, and not really made any effort on my physical appearance while preferring to concentrate on my academics. I told him the story of my first boyfriend, and I made Grant laugh as I recalled the infamous pH balance chemistry lab experiment where David managed to spill acid into his own face. I talked about David pulling me out of my shell, then dating in college before we broke up and he ended up getting engaged to my college roommate. In fact, I spoke so highly of my ex-boyfriend that Grant started complaining a bit, only half- joking that he was sick of listening to me spout David's praises. I wasn't the only one talking of past loves. It took a little persuasion on my part, but Grant told me the story of his ex-fiancée. He'd met Maggie in a bar at Mardi Gras, actually. She'd told him her name was Tiffany, at the time. What began as a one-night stand turned into something more. They were together for three years and were ready to walk down the aisle when he came home one day to find her mid-coital with his brother, of all people. And after the fallout, he'd been so distraught he decided to just pick up his entire life and move. The Director of Marketing at Argen had been an old friend, and gave him the new opportunity. And when Grant spoke in such a haunted voice about being all alone in the world, scared to trust anyone ever again, the maternal instinct inside made me want to take him home and show him a world of love right then and there. We got pretty close. I'd had Grant bring me home, and now here we were, standing on my doorstep in that picture perfect post-date embrace. I'd shivered upon exiting the car, and my date had immediately taken the coat off his own back to bundle me for the short walk up to the door. But chivalry and male bravado weren't enough to keep Grant warm against that gust of wind. He shivered in my arms, and I could tell it wasn't only from our kiss. Giggling, I pulled away and then started to pull his coat off my shoulders. I held it out to him, and almost gratefully he took it from my hands while shrugging himself into the heated fabric. But at the same time, I caught the look of disappointment flickering across his face. And impulsively, I asked the question I knew he was hoping for. "Would you like to come inside?" There was no misunderstanding the grin that spread across Grant's face. And even though his jaw must have wanted to chatter due to the cold, he managed to calmly reply, "I'd love to." They say a guy on a date is always wondering whether or not he's going to get lucky; the girl already knows. Well, despite what "they" say, I honestly didn't know. I mean, I wanted to, but I really didn't know if I was going to go through with it. So despite the husk in my voice when I'd invited Grant inside, I played it coy for the next few minutes. I didn't grab a bottle of wine; I'd had enough of it at the restaurant already. Instead, I made us both coffee and then returned to the couch, purposefully sitting myself down with a good foot of space between us. The simple fact was: despite my impulsive decision to invite Grant inside, and thus lead him to believe everything else such an invitation implies, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Oh, I was horny. Grant had that unique quality of rugged good looks and natural charisma that made me weak in the knees and damp between my thighs. He carried himself with a smooth confidence and kissed me with such passion and skill that I just knew he'd be dynamite in bed. And I certainly wanted to get laid. I'd found out long ago, courtesy of David, that sex can be really, really fun and feel really, really damn good. I hadn't gotten laid since that time I'd spontaneously decided to fly out to David's and Amber's place. And my entire body was quivering in anticipation of getting a royal shagging. But I was nervous. It had only been about six weeks since I'd kicked Chad to the curb. It seemed long enough, but was that ever enough time to get over a relationship? I knew I liked Grant. He was witty, charming, and made me laugh every time we went out together. He obviously appreciated my physical beauty, and the way he undressed me with his eyes every time he looked at me made me feel wonderfully attractive. I always worried that my hips were too big or my thighs too thick and my face not beautiful enough. I knew I was no supermodel, like Amber. But the way Grant looked at me made me believe I just might be pretty close. Yeah, Chad had hurt me. So did Vic before him, and Marcus before him. All were handsome, charming, silver-tongued devils, like Grant. Already I'd promised myself 'No more'. But I just couldn't help myself when Grant had started his pursuit. To be fair, Grant himself had done me no wrong. Yeah, he'd pressed a little bit, physically, getting kinda touchy feely with the goods at whatever opportunities he'd been presented. It was a bit like being in school again, attack and defend, with a boy clearly interested in getting me naked as soon as possible and me playing the gatekeeper. I couldn't blame him for it. He was an aroused male. And it turned me on to know that he was aroused by me. Grant further proved this point when he set his coffee down and took my cheeks in his hands. I felt a flutter in my stomach as he brought our faces together, his lips burnishing mine before parting them slightly and pressing his tongue into my mouth. My senses were awash with the amusing juxtaposition of his male muskiness filling my nostrils, his warm fingers on my cheeks, and the flavor of French Roasted Kona pushing against my tongue. I heard the keening moan welling up from the bottom of his throat as his passion increased. And with a powerful, urgent strength, he pushed me against the backrest while pivoting his body to loom over me. I said before that I'd been wondering whether or not Grant was going to get lucky tonight. I had my answer a few seconds later. And the answer was: no. My blood had been boiling and my panties were damp. But then I felt the hand that had been on my ribcage slide upwards to cup the rounded curvature of my left breast. A second later, Grant's palm was directly over my boob, rubbing against the erect nipple. His fingers closed around it with a harsh pressure that betrayed just how close this strong, aroused man was to losing control. And the simple fact was: I didn't know what would happen if he did. "Grant-Grant-Grant," I stammered in a "stop" tone, pulling my face away from his. With his eyes still closed, the panting man continued to maul my breasts for an extra few seconds, enough that I had to reach down with my own hands to grip his wrists and pry him off me. "Ohh, E-Beth..." he groaned pitifully. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm not ready for this." "E-Beth, please," he rasped, desperation in his voice. He quickly jerked his wrists free of my hands, snapped up my wrists just as suddenly, and pinned my arms back against the backrest. "Grant!" I cried in a panic as I realized I'd lost control. "You promised no pressure," I whimpered, my eyes wide. "Fuck that! We've been dancing around each other for weeks! We're not children! I mean, come ON!" he seethed, gripping my wrists a little harder and pressing them deeper against the backrest. "Grant!" I whined pitifully, pushing back with my arms to ward him away from me. And in a quieter voice, I simpered, "Grant, you're hurting me..." Grimacing, he didn't let go of me right away. Instead, he bent his head, growled deep in his throat, and physically shoved my wrists against the backrest one final time. But as soon as he did so, he let go of me and then quickly whirled off the couch, getting to his feet. I immediately felt bad. Yeah, I'd started to freak out when he'd begun manhandling me, but I still felt like it was entirely my fault. I'd led him on this entire time, invited him into my house even. And I was perfectly aware that men can only control their impulses so much. So even though the skin of my wrists felt rubbed raw and maybe even bruised, I was the one who sat up and apologized. "Grant, I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this yet. Please ... please, understand." Standing a few feet away from me, his left arm across his chest and the knuckles of his right hand mashed to his chin like Rodin's "The Thinker", the tall, well-built and handsome man had his eyes closed as he took deep, elongated breaths to calm himself. He didn't respond right away. "Grant ... Please..." "It's okay. I get it," he finally replied, not looking at me. "You kept telling me that you needed time after getting out of a bad relationship. I didn't listen. And I know I've been pushing you a bit. I'm sorry." "It's not your fault." Looking up at the ceiling, he took a deep breath and then wordlessly went over to the coat rack, retrieving his peacoat. "Grant?" I queried, a worried tone in my voice. "I'll see you at work," he replied a little brusquely. "Grant?" I asked in the same worried tone. "Are we okay?" Shrugging into his coat, he glanced at me only momentarily before shrugged. "Sure." And then grimacing once more, a world of disappointment on his face, he turned to the door. "I'll see you later." And then he was gone. ------- "So you STILL haven't slept with him?" "No." "But what happened?" "I said drop it, Stella." "Aren't you horny?" "Of course!" I hissed and dropped my forehead into my open palm. Stella and I were in the privacy of my office. But even with the door closed, I felt just a little uncomfortable using words like "horny" at my workplace. Stella, on the other hand, had no such qualms. She casually leaned back into the wing chair, smirking and shaking her head. "Little Davie must be getting quite the workout." I rolled my eyes. "I should never have told you the name of my vibrator." Stella giggled. "I just find it funny you named him after your ex-boyfriend. And to call him 'little'. Mine's named 'Kong'." "I know, Stella," I groaned. Stella giggled again and shook her head. "What's the holdup? It's not like you're a prude about sex, honey." I picked my head out of my hands and reclined back, sagging deeper into my desk chair. Exhaling, I then propped my right elbow on the armrest and planted the side of my head against the open palm. "I don't know. I still ... I mean ... I told myself I wouldn't get involved with this kind of guy again. I promised myself." The pretty blonde's eyebrows scrunched together. She gave me a quizzical look and then chirped, "So why are you dating him then?" "Because!" I blurted, before pausing to exhale slowly once again. "I like him." "You like him because you enjoy his company? Or you like him because he's smokin' hotttt?" I blushed and bit my lower lip. With a little twinkle in my eye, I shrugged. "A little of both." "So again," Stella leaned forward with raised eyebrows. "What's the holdup?" I shook my head, and looked at my monitor, which by now had blacked itself out to the screen saver. And in a haunted voice, I replied, "I'm scared." I really was scared. Too many times I'd let my guard down and gotten burned for it. Too many times I'd let a guy into my life, into my body, and only later found out that he didn't respect me the way I deserved. I thought Grant might be different. Listening to his story of pain after getting cheated on, like me, made me feel like we were kindred souls. But I was scared to trust in someone again. "I'm scared, Stella. And I'm not sure I'm ready for this. We're girls. Yeah, we get horny, but sometimes we need to feel that level of comfort and trust before spreading our legs, right? This isn't about me just getting laid. And no matter how nice a guy Grant is to me, I'm not going to sleep with him just because he made it through three dates with me. I want this. I really do. But..." I exhaled. "I just don't know..." The two of us had gone quiet. I breathed in and out slowly, waiting for the inevitable pep talk from the peppy blonde about facing my fears and taking a chance and just "going" for it. After all, Stella was just a 23-year-old girl herself, enjoying her life to the max. But to my surprise, the young blonde got out of her chair and walked around behind mine. And then with a gentle grace, she bent over and hugged me from behind, wrapping her arms around my neck and tilting the side of her head against mine. "Okay, honey. Take your time. Make sure you're ready." I shivered, and then reached a hand up to touch Stella's wrist. There was nothing sexual about her embrace, just the comforting hug of a friend who cared about my well-being. I patted her arm, and leaned against her cheek, enjoying the friendly warmth. "Thanks." ------- -- DECEMBER 2006 -- "Ah, Elizabeth! Good to see you, my dear." Alfred, my boss, released his wife's hand and opened his arms to me. With a little smile, I balanced forward in my three-inch heels and stepped into his embrace. It was the company's Holiday Party, and Alfred was looking smart in a dapper black suit. I hugged him briefly and then stepped back, brushing a speck of lint off his shoulder and then patting it. "Why Alfred, one would think you hadn't just seen me a couple of hours ago at work." Alfred chortled and then stepped back. His wife immediately stepped up and we hugged each other as well. "How are you, Cindy?" I asked politely. "I'm doing well, thank you," the genteel older woman smiled before stepping back and looking me up and down. "You look beautiful tonight, dear. I would never have thought you'd been in the labs today. Is that a new dress?" I blushed, nodded affirmative, and smoothened out the fabric around my hips. The Holiday Party's dress code was officially semi-formal, and I'd stuck to it by wearing a floor length dress instead of something more cocktail-y. This one was a red wine-colored gown, with a ruffled bustline to both show a little cleavage and also keep my tits from being too obvious. This WAS a company event, after all, and I wanted to play it a bit conservative. And continuing my conversation, I smiled and admitted, "Actually, I left the labs early. It takes a lot of hours to get me all dolled up like this." My arms went up to gesture from my hair in updo curls all the way down to the floor. The three of us made small talk as we went through the doors into the hotel ballroom where our party was being held. My eyes immediately began scanning the crowd, specifically looking either for Grant or one of the girls from my usual posse. And to my relief, Stella found me first. "E-Beth! Hi!" Unlike me, the perky young blonde was wearing a cocktail-length dress, in dark green. Then again, she had both the youth and the legs for it. It wasn't that I was much older, but given the choice, I'd rather cover up calves that I thought could use some thinning out. "Hi, Alfred. Hello, Cindy," Stella greeted politely. She stepped forward for the annual Holiday Party hugs and then stepped back. "Mind if I steal her?" she asked while holding onto my arm. "Not at all," Alfred replied graciously. "Have a good evening, you young'uns." Stella beamed and then dragged me away. As it turned out, she and Audrey had already staked out a table with eight chairs. And as we approached, I smiled and got ready to continue the greetings with the girls' respective significant others. First there was Jin, Audrey's husband. And then there was Chuck, Stella's boyfriend of the past six months. I shook hands with the guys and had a quick hug with Audrey. And then I settled into a chair, conspicuously aware that so far, everyone I'd met had a partner by their side. "Where's Paula?" I asked. The fourth member of our group was also single, and at this moment I felt like having at least one other person around who was flying solo. "I don't know," Stella replied. "Guess she's not here yet." I nodded, and then thinking of Grant, I put my hands onto the armrests and pushed myself back up to a standing position. "Well, I think I'm going to go get a drink." "Ooh, I'll go with you," Stella volunteered. But as she got up, she turned back to Chuck and asked, "Want anything, babe?" Chuck and Jin had been chatting about basketball, and Chuck glanced up momentarily before reaching out to his plastic cup and shaking the ice in it. "Another one of these." "Sure thing," Stella replied. And then she hooked her arm through mine as we turned and walked away from the table in the direction of the makeshift bar. On the way, I continued scanning the room, looking for Grant. It wasn't easy, since almost every guy in attendance was wearing a black suit. And if Stella wasn't holding onto my arm, I think I might have smacked into somebody. "Haven't seen him, either," my friend volunteered without me asking. "Of course, I haven't been up and about much." I just nodded and kept scanning, ultimately in vain. "I would've thought you'd have made plans to meet up before coming here," Stella asked just as we were approaching the bar. We got in line behind the other employees queuing up. Since it was an open bar, I was sure the bartenders would be busy for the next couple of hours. I sighed and admitted, "We didn't. Actually, we haven't talked much all week." "Been busy?" "Partly," I nodded. "But ... I dunno. We just haven't run into each other as much as we used to." "Newsflash, honey. You two weren't accidentally bumping into each other. Grant kept seeking you out." I blushed and smiled. But immediately the smile vanished beneath a sense of worry. "Then why would he stop?" Stella frowned. "He hasn't stopped entirely, has he? When was the last time you saw him?" "Yesterday. We were passing each other in the hall and we both stopped to chat for a minute before going on our ways." "Hmm..." Stella frowned as she processed that. "He's not acting weird?" I blinked. "No. Nothing I've noticed. Just... less, that's all. But like you said, we've both been kinda busy." Stella shrugged and gave me a hopeful smile. Just then, we reached the front of the line and placed our orders. Stella went first and scooped up two plastic cups, a Vodka Cranberry for herself and a Seven & Seven for Chuck. I collected my usual Tanq & Tonic. And then I bent to take a quick sip before following my friend back to our table. But we had just gotten moving when Stella came to a dead stop, abruptly enough that I bumped into her back and nearly spilled my drink all over her. I was about to yelp a complaint when I picked my eyes up, looked past her shoulder, and saw them. A pretty bottle-blonde was seated about twenty feet in front of us. The slender beauty was wearing a cocktail dress, with spaghetti straps and a low-cut top that showed off her good-sized cleavage. She'd crossed her nicely shaped legs, which ended in strappy 4-inch stilettos. And of all things, the cocktail dress was the exact same red wine color as my own. "That bitch," Stella growled beneath her breath. I bit my lip and blanched. The bottle-blonde was Paula, our friend. Sitting beside her, with his hand on her knee, was my Grant. And from the way the two of them were leaning together, chuckling flirtatiously while he rubbed his hand on her knee, the two weren't having a completely innocent conversation. Right then, Grant saw us. He picked his head up, and at the shift in the handsome man's attention, Paula turned her head around to glance at us as well. But rather than blanch in embarrassment or apology, the pretty girl simply flashed us a smile. For his part, Grant met my eyes, a wistful expression on his face. And shaking his head slightly, he just shrugged out an apology and then returned his attention to the pretty blonde in front of him, once again rubbing her leg with intimate intent. I turned and stomped away. ------- Grant made absolutely no effort to approach me for the rest of the night. If nothing else, that would've been enough to tell me he wasn't the kind of guy I'd thought he might be. How could he? How could she? True, Paula and I weren't exactly close friends. We never hung out together outside of work, and even then we were really just lunch buddies with the occasional trip to Monahan's after a long day. But still, what kind of girl goes and poaches a friend's man? Then again, maybe it wasn't Paula's fault. I knew, firsthand, that Grant could have quite the silver tongue. It was charming when he was using it to find little ways of complimenting me. But in retrospect, I wouldn't have put it past him to say something that would convince Paula she wasn't committing the heinous betrayal that I thought she was. Or maybe she knew perfectly well she was stealing my man. If that was the case, I was ready to stalk over to their table and claw the fucking bitch's eyes out. "Breathe, E-Beth..." Stella rubbed my arm soothingly. We were on a couch in the hallway just outside the hotel ballroom. I'd actually gone out to the patio first before finding it full of smokers, and then retreated inside, looking for a quiet corner where no one could see me. Stella's admonishment reminded me that I hadn't taken a breath in a while, and while frowning at her I stopped and made a deep inhalation, feeling my body rejoicing as precious oxygen filled my lungs for the first time in over a minute. But soon after my hands clenched together again. And the next thing I knew, I was lowering my plastic cup back down into my lap. Somewhere along the line, I'd just about drained my cocktail. "It's okay..." Stella rubbed my arm again, trying to placate me. But I wasn't in the mood to be placated. And without quite looking at her, I held up my semi-empty cup and barked, "Get me another one. Two, actually." "E-Beth-" "Go!" I interrupted her harshly. And then my shoulders slumped and I turned to her with drooping eyes. "Please?" Biting her lip, Stella nodded and then slowly stood up. She still had both hers and Chuck's drinks in her hand, and she first handed me her Vodka Cranberry before returning inside. I started chugging the cocktail right away. And as the burn ripped its way down my throat, my analytical mind went to work. Why are you mad? Because I saw Grant hitting on Paula. And Paula was reciprocating the attention. Why did that bother you? Because he's MY Grant. Is he? Of course he is! We're dating. We're getting serious. Everyone in the company knows he's mine! So you're like, married, or something, right? Well of course not. At least committed? Well ... ah ... we never actually talked about commitments... So if he's not committed to you, is he really yours? Uh, well ... We were getting there! Were you? It seemed like you were getting close, but then you rejected him. I didn't reject him! I just wasn't ready yet! He's supposed to wait for me! And in the meantime, he's still exclusively mine! Does he know that? He fucking should! FUCK! 'Should' is different from 'is'. So? You don't go romancing one girl and then hit on another one right in front of her face! Not if you ever want to be with the first girl ever again! You're right. You don't. So I guess this means he doesn't want to be with you anymore. More to the point, he never was with you. You rejected him, remember? But ... but... He doesn't want to be with you, E-Beth. He'd rather go after Paula, now. But he was mine... No he wasn't. He never was. You went on a couple of dates. You made out a few times. But you never talked about going steady. You never mentioned the words 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'. You just ... went out. And apparently he doesn't want to go out anymore. I had no mental response to that. I just put my head down and cried. "E-Beth?" Through bleary eyes, I picked my head up and then instantly wished I could crawl underneath a rock. Before me was Teddy, stockroom clerk extraordinaire, although tonight he was dressed in a pretty sharp charcoal suit with subtle pinstripes instead of his usual lab coat and jeans. And even though it was just Teddy, he was a guy, and no girl ever wants to look the way I did in front of a guy. "You okay?" He reached down to me, but stopped short of actually touching me. "What's wrong? What happened?" I didn't answer. My eyes fixed on the cup in Teddy's other hand; and without thinking about it, I reached out, snatched the cup away, and promptly started chugging its contents. "Whoa, whoa, E-Beth!" Teddy had both hands up now, waving them defensively. "Uh, that shit's kinda strong!" It certainly was. Tasted like Hennessey, though, straight up. How the hell did he get Cognac at this party? But I just squinted my eyes shut and kept chugging, ignoring the burn until I'd downed the entire thing. And when it was all gone, I gasped for air and wheezed, the searing pain in my throat overwhelming my ability to think of anything else. Of course, the pain only made even more tears squeeze out from my eyes, and I hunched over a second later, the pain dulling away but my head beginning to clear. "E-Beth?" Teddy was sitting beside me by now, finally touching me with a hand on my shoulder. And for once, his gaze wasn't anywhere near my tits. "What's wrong?" "Thanks for the drink," I burped while handing the plastic cup back to him. And then lurching back onto my feet, I staggered forward and headed back into the ballroom. ------- Stella caught me about thirty feet inside. Like a good friend, she had two drinks in her hands. But exclaiming her concern at me wobbling unsteadily on my feet, she managed to shove both drinks into one hand, grabbed my hand, and dragged me back to our table. There, she sat me back down while Audrey, Jin, and Chuck looked at me curiously. "E-Beth, talk to me," Stella urged. "I'm fine," I waved, still trying to catch my breath. Like it or not, chugging the full cup of Cognac still had me panting. Stella put the two Tanq & Tonics on the table. I glanced at them for a moment before deciding that I'd already had enough to drink in the past five minutes minutes to last me quite a while. Stella still looked at me with concern, but Audrey piped up at that point and asked, "What's going on?" Stella sighed, looking at me pityingly. "It's Grant. We were over by the bar and-" "I'm going to go talk to him," I announced while standing up. I had to pause and recalibrate my balance, my head swimming thickly after rising too abruptly. I blinked and touched my fingers to my right temple. And then I turned to walk away from the table. "E-Beth, wait!" Stella reached out to me. I just glanced back at my friend and then nodded to the table. "Go ahead and tell them. It's fine." And then I walked away. Behind me, I heard the sound of a chair pulling back as if Stella was coming after me, but I also heard Audrey squawking out further questions. But I didn't turn around to figure out what was going on. Nothing else would deter me from my goal. And that goal was to march up to Grant and demand an explanation. Even if he didn't want to go out with me anymore, I deserved that much. Grant wasn't at the table I last saw him at. Actually, he wasn't anywhere in sight, and I momentarily panicked. I hadn't exactly worked out what I was going to say to him, but I had already visualized marching up to him while he sat at the table, his hand on Paula's knee. And now that my vision wasn't a reality, I found myself at a loss of what to do. Worse, my paranoid brain started inventing potential explanations for his absence, and none of them were good: Grant had pulled Paula into a quiet corner where they could talk more intimately, maybe even exchange a few stolen kisses. Grant had squirreled Paula away to the bathroom, where they were locked in a stall frantically trying to pull each other's clothes off. Or worst of all, they were upstairs in a hotel room, already fucking each other's brains out. That's right: blonde, buxom Paula was giving Grant what I'd refused him. But then I saw them out of the corner of my eye, and they were in a far less compromising position than I'd feared. Grant and Paula were still together, but they were also chatting with some other coworkers both from Marketing and from Legal. And before I realized it, I found that my feet were carrying me toward them. Paula saw my approach first. With a little smile, she turned and said warmly, "Hi, E-Beth." I ignored her. Glaring straight at Grant, I raised my eyebrows warningly and barked, "Can we talk?" Paula looked taken aback by my tone, and suddenly there was an uncertainty in her eyes. Meanwhile, Grant nervously glanced at Paula first before looking at me and nodding. Then he glanced back at the others with a magnanimous grin and chuckled, "Gimme a minute." Almost hurriedly, Grant then reached out, grabbed my elbow, and rather brusquely tugged me away from the crowd while growling, "What's your problem?" "MY problem?" I hissed back. "The fuck are you doing hitting on Paula?" He shot me a look that clearly told me to keep my mouth shut. And for some dumb reason, I did. Striding with confidence, Grant pulled me out of the ballroom while somehow making it look like we were a happy couple just leaving for some air, even smiling charmingly to some other people we knew on the way out. He'd taken charge, and the whole thing just caught me off-guard enough that I went along with him. But once outside, Grant spun to face me and gave me a stern look. "Look. We had some good times together, but it's clear to me that you've got some issues you still need to work out. I told you I wouldn't pressure you and I'm not going to. You're not ready for a relationship yet and so I think it's best if we both just move on." I blinked rapidly in shock. "You're breaking up with me?" He frowned and gave me a puzzled look. "Breaking up with you? We were never together." "But ... but..." My mind was spinning, and the alcohol fogging my brain wasn't helping me get it settled down. "What do you want me to say?" he continued. "We went on a couple of dates. We made out a few times. That's it. I'd have liked to see how we could be together, but you've got some hang-ups. I get it." Hang-ups? See how we could be together? My eyes hardened and I glared at the guy I was supposedly falling for. "You mean you wanted to fuck me," I spat coldly. "And when I didn't let you, you decided I was too much of a hassle. You decided I wasn't worth it and went after the next target." "I didn't say that." "But you meant it." My eyes narrowed and at the nervous fidget on Grant's face, I could tell I was hitting close to home. But a second later, his charming persona kicked back in as he spread his hands out, putting on the face of a warm, gentle man. "E-Beth, please. I only want what's best for you," he purred smarmily. "You could have said something to me. You could have TOLD me you didn't want to see each other anymore before just showing up and hitting on the first hot babe you could get your hands on. We had all week! It's been even longer since our last date because of the Thanksgiving Holiday! You could have manned up and had the balls to come out and SAY something to me!" He shrugged. "Sorry." That was it. One word: Sorry. And he barely even meant it. "Fuck off, Grant," I barked. Sighing, the guy decided to cut his losses and immediately retreated, turning and walking away without a backwards glance. I was already a lost cause, and no further amount of him placating me would increase his chances of getting into my panties. And rather than stick around and deal with the conflict, he was running away. Good riddance. Asshole turned out to be exactly the kind of guy I'd thought he'd be. I leaned back heavily, bumping myself into the hallway wall. And as the tears started forming in my eyes again, I thought back over the promise I'd made to myself less than two months ago. It was a decision I'd shared with my two closest friends in the world, David and Amber. No more. And yet I'd let myself start to believe in one more. Just like Chad ... and Vic ... and Marcus, I'd let a handsome devil with silver on his tongue and a charming demeanor seduce me into thinking he might be different. He might bring me the best of both worlds, physically arousing and lovingly respectful at the same time. Weren't there any more good men in the world? Was it wrong of me to believe that finding someone like that was possible? I knew it was possible. I'd met a man like that. But I'd let him go, let him go to find a perfect 10 like Amber. Was that the problem? Only perfect 10 girls deserve perfect 10 guys? Was I really just a six ... or a four ... or worse ... that all I really deserved were these crap guys? Somehow, I found that I'd returned to Stella's table. Only this time, Stella wasn't there. Actually, no one was around. A second glance told me that Audrey and Jin were dancing together. Stella and Chuck were simply gone. For all I knew, they'd squirreled themselves away to a hotel room, fucking each other's brains out. But my drinks were still there. Two Tanq & Tonics, fetched earlier by Stella at my explicit orders. And then they were gone. Both plastic cups were empty. And the burn seared its way down my throat. But the two drinks weren't even enough. Hey, we had an open bar. And I planned to make good use of it. I wasn't normally this big of a drinker, but why the fuck not? What else was I good for anyways? I'm just a four. So turning myself in the direction of the bar, I put my hand on the table and tottered to my feet. Immediately, my left knee began to buckle, and I started collapsing right onto the floor. "Whoa! Whoa!" A strong pair of arms cinched around my waist just before my knee hit the ground. And unceremoniously I was pulled back up and then rather awkwardly dumped back into my chair. I turned my head a little to fast, the room spinning as I tried to look up at whoever had grabbed me. And it took a second before my eyes could focus on Teddy. "E-Beth? You okay?" A second later, a female voice rang out. "E-Beth!" Once again, I turned my head too fast in the direction of the noise. A splitting pain hit my head and I winced, rising up one hand to my temple. And then after blinking a few more times, I realized that both Stella and Paula were hurrying toward me, Chuck in tow. "E-Beth!" Stella exclaimed again, obvious concern in her voice. "I'm SO sorry. I didn't know!" Paula was immediately apologizing right next to her. "Grant told me that you two had already decided that things weren't working out and that you hadn't talked in the last two weeks and-" Grimacing, I just waved Paula off. Fuck it. I didn't care anymore. Grant was ancient history. I was already over it. You're not over it. Shut up, you. Putting my forehead in my hands, I groaned before once again jerking up onto my feet. This time, I held one hand on the table and the other on the chair back. As long as I didn't try to rotate my head too fast, my head didn't hurt and the room didn't spin. "I'm going home," I mumbled. "No..." Stella whimpered. "Don't let him ruin the party for you." "I'm SO sorry," Paula sniveled. "I'm going home," I repeated. "It's just a party. There'll be another one next year." "How many has she had?" Teddy, the voice of reason, asked behind me. "I don't know." Stella shrugged helplessly, looking at the two empty cups in front of me. "Three at least. Four?" "Plus my Hennessey," Teddy sighed. "All in less than an hour." The next thing I knew, my shoulders were being turned and Teddy stooped to stare right into my eyes. He wasn't that much taller than me, maybe 5'9", but he brought his face down to be perfectly level with mine as he apparently studied my irises. "E-Beth," he said in a gentle tone. "You are in no condition to drive. Maybe you should stick around, get some food in your system. We'll see how you're feeling at the end of the night." "Good idea," Stella chirped. "I'm sorry!" Paula whined. "Oh, stop it already!" I rolled my eyes and flailed out with my left hand at Paula. "Go fuck him. I don't care." "E-Beth..." Paula simpered. "I'm leaving. And that's that. I'll call a cab if I have to." "Let me take you home," Teddy blurted, then instantly blushed. But after a second, he refocused on me while biting his lip, clearly uneasy. Maybe he was worried that even with a cab, I wouldn't make it home safely. And as I looked at the expression on his face, I found myself smiling. His concern was touching, and the more I looked at him the more I realized that he really was a cute guy. "You don't have to-" "Gimme your keys, E-Beth," Teddy ordered firmly, holding his hand out. And before I realized it, I'd handed over my entire purse. "Uh, well," Teddy stammered, clearly not expecting that. But he unzipped it and poked around as if my purse were a Venus Fly Trap ready to bite his hand off should he press the wrong spot. But he got my keys out and closed his fingers around them. "Okay. I'll drive you home. And then I can get a cab myself from there. Okay?" Stella touched Teddy's arm. "But then you'll miss the party." He shrugged. "I don't really care. I'm just here because I figured I HAD to make an appearance. Parties aren't really my thing." And then giving me another firm look, he slipped his hand to the back of my waist and nodded. "Okay?" Feeling lightheaded, I just nodded slowly and shrugged goodbye to my friends. And then I let this young — but apparently mature and responsible — boy lead me out of the ballroom. Along the way, my lab technician Steve caught us, along with his wife. "E-Beth, hey." "Hi, Steve," I hiccupped. "Bye, Steve." "Leaving already? They haven't even served dinner yet." I noticed Steve's eyebrows had risen as he realized exactly who was holding onto me. I shrugged drunkenly. "Bye, Steve." And then Teddy and I walked away, leaving Steve and his wife looking after us curiously. ------- Three Tanq & Tonics. One Vodka Cranberry. And one double-shot of Cognac, if not more. I hadn't had this much to drink in one night since college. "Why do I keep falling for assholes like that?" I wondered aloud, only realizing I'd spoken well after the words had left my mouth. From the driver's seat of my car, Teddy glanced over and shrugged. "I wouldn't pretend to have an answer to that," he replied before looking forward again. "Here's your exit. Do I turn right or left?" I squinted, trying to see through the fog clouding my vision. Where were we again? Oh, yeah. "Right. And then you'll take a left at the first stoplight." "OK." I exhaled and then sank back into my seat, feeling the rest of the alcohol go to work on my system. Now, I'm a chemist. I'm perfectly aware of the way alcohol interacts with the body's system and performs the process of intoxication. The ethanol gives me a sense of euphoria. It makes me feel good. But eventually, my liver will break down the ethanol into acetaldehyde with the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which will make me feel sick. And then it gets further broken down into acetic acid by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. At my weight, this would result in a blood-alcohol concentration of around 0.20, which was really, really bad. And as that much alcohol hit my nervous system, I might have some severe impairment to my motor control. But not yet. It took time for all that to get processed by my system. And in the meantime, the gentle rocking motion of the car was giving me a mild euphoria and sense of relaxation. It was hard to focus, but that meant that I couldn't really dwell too much on what had been going on. And at the same time, my entire body felt flushed with both heat and energy. I actually felt pretty good. The poison in the alcohol wasn't hitting yet, leaving me only with the good stuff. And I liked it. I also liked Teddy. He was good guy. A bit young for me. Fuck, he was the same age as my little brother Eric, and that was NOT a thought I wanted to go anywhere near. But he didn't look anything like Eric, which was a good thing. My "little" brother was 6'5" and 260 lbs. Teddy was 5'9" and maybe a buck-sixty. But Teddy was cute, in his messy-haired dorky sort of way. He wasn't anything like Grant. He wasn't smooth or charming. He stammered around me and had to fight himself at work not to stare at my tits. But he was also kind and considerate. Despite his obvious physical attraction to me, he had never tried to put a move on me. Even when he'd caught me from falling at the table, he had carefully avoided copping a feel and then immediately took his hands off me once he knew I was stable, unlike Grant's roaming hands. In fact, he was everything Grant was not. And right now, I really liked that about him. Teddy wasn't a handsome, charming hunk used to getting attention from women. He wasn't a silver-tongued devil out to seduce me and ditch me as soon as he either got what he wanted or found that I was more trouble than I was worth. He was just Teddy. And he was pretty cute. And I had SEEN the boners he would pop whenever I got him a really good look at my tits. So when we parked outside my place and he circled around the car to help me out, I stood up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and planted a wet, juicy, passionate kiss right on Teddy's lips. Almost immediately, he pulled away. "Whoa, whoa, E-Beth..." he stammered. "What's wrong?" I asked blearily, still feeling flushed and horny. "What's wrong is that you're drunk," he chuckled. And then scooping his arm around my back, he helped me stand away from the car while he closed the door and then pressed the remote to lock it. I then turned and kissed him again, this time figuring that if I kissed just a little harder, he'd get the message. "E-Beth, E-Beth..." he groaned, pulling back immediately again. Turning his head away, he grimaced and closed his eyes, breathing quite heavily. "Ah, fuck. Don't do this to me," he pleaded. "Do what?" I asked with complete innocence. He glanced right back at me and then started laughing nervously, as if he were scared, while muttering, "This is not really happening. This is not really happening." I squeezed my arms around his shoulders, pulling him tighter. "But I'm horny..." I whimpered before moving my face in one more time. "E-Beth," Teddy said sternly, holding a hand up in front of my mouth to block my kiss. "I won't take advantage of you." I could feel my jaw immediately begin quivering. I frowned and the corners of my eyes drooped as a mountain of great depression descended upon me, covering my world in black ashes to blot out the light and surround me in gloomy darkness. I wasn't even a four. I was a fucking two, just one step up from the ugliest, most deformed physical freaks of nature put upon this planet to make the rest of us glad we weren't born like THAT. And as the tears began rolling down my cheeks, I whimpered with the voice of abject misery, "Doesn't anybody want me?" ------- I'd stopped crying by the time Teddy got me seated on my own couch. He then went into my kitchen, retrieved a tall glass of water, and thrust it at me insistently. "Drink." I was still a little depressed by his rejection of my advances. But the part of my conscience that was still awake appreciated his unwillingness to sleep with me in this state. It's not every day you meet a guy who turns down sex, especially with a girl he clearly has a strong attraction to. And on top of that, the strength he was showing in getting me home safely and getting me water to help the inevitable dehydration that goes along with my body's alcohol-processing function showed me that Teddy was a really, really good guy. Of course, that just made me want him more. And wanting to please him, I obediently drank the water, chugging it quickly but pausing twice to stop and pant for oxygen. Of course, this heavy panting motion made my tits rise and fall rather dramatically in my dress. And yet Teddy managed to keep his eyes locked right onto my face. That kind of annoyed me. I mean, I know I'm not the hottest girl on the block. I was too short. I was a size 6 who wanted to be a size 4. And short of plastic surgery, I'd never have Amber's cheekbones, Danielle's tight abs, or Cherys' amazingly iridescent eyes. The only thing I really had going for me was a spectacular rack, and dammit I'd gotten kinda used to Teddy staring at my chest and showing me how much he admired it. Here I was, drunk and horny, and he couldn't even gimme a good ogling? Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I leaned forward and slammed the glass down onto the coffee table with a loud [toonk]. Teddy was sitting beside me on the couch, and before he could react, I swung a leg over and dropped myself into his lap. My knees were on either side of his hips. My bubble butt was on top of his thighs. And my chest was right in front of his chin. And while he spluttered, second-guessing himself whether to push me off his lap or keep his hands off me entirely, I calmly reached up to the straps of my dress and slipped them off my shoulders. Red wine-colored fabric dropped down my torso. Teddy's eyes dropped down to my cleavage. A smile rose up my face as it was Mission: Accomplished. But I wasn't done yet. I wanted more, so I slid my arms out from the dress straps, letting the material fully puddle down around my waist. I swear I could SEE Teddy's heart thumping out of his chest as he went rigid. I reached up between my breasts, thumbing open the catch of my front-loading bra. A split-second later, they burst forth: spectacular 34DDs both supple and firm, capped with perfect pink nipples, and ripe for the taking. A keening groan welled up from Teddy's throat. And then I mashed his face into my tits. Teddy didn't want to take advantage of me. He wanted to stay true to his conscience. He really was a "nice" guy... ... But he was still just a guy. And so Teddy couldn't help but pucker his lips and snake out his tongue as I surrounded his nose with mammary flesh. A pebbled nipple brushed across his upper lip, and he couldn't help but take a quick suckle at it. And with my hands behind his head, trapping him ... suffocating him ... he couldn't help but groan and shove himself even deeper into my cleavage. Bless his heart, Teddy did try to pull away after a few seconds. Clamping his own eyes shut, he pushed against my hands to break free while stammering, "No, I shouldn't, I shouldn't take advantage-" I cut him off with another searing kiss. My lips molded around his while I gripped his head hard enough that he couldn't break free. I pinned him against the backrest before snaking my tongue into his mouth. He kissed me back with a passionate frenzy for another few seconds before his conscience flared up again. But when he finally worked up enough energy to try and pull away, I simply withdrew two inches and parked my face right in front of his. Teddy's eyes fluttered open. I hadn't really paid much attention before, but he had blue-gray eyes, now wide in shock at what I was doing. And while staring right into them, I said only two words: "Teddy. Please." I closed my eyes, tilted my head to the right, and kissed him again. And this time, he didn't try to stop me. ------- I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've suffered alcohol blackouts. I was aware of studies that showed blackouts had less to do with total alcohol consumption and more to do with how rapid the increase in blood-alcohol concentration. Well, that night was probably the most rapid increase I'd ever gone through, so it's not totally surprising that pieces of my memory are missing. I do remember that Teddy and I didn't leave that couch before getting to the sex bits. I don't remember how much time passed before we got to that point, though. I do remember that we spent a lot of time just groping and making out, and I distinctly recall pulling his very impressive cock out through his fly, stroking it in my hand well before we got down to business. But I don't remember the sequence of events that led to me sitting on my ass with my legs spread to the sides, a mostly-dressed Teddy kneeling over my lap as he licked and sucked at my pussy like he was a starving nomad having reached paradise after forty days in the desert. There were a lot of things I found impressive about Teddy that night. Perhaps some of them were magnified out of proportion by my drunkenness, but all I can really say is that I was really happy at finding this particular diamond in the rough. Given Teddy's overall geeky demeanor, I wouldn't have thought he'd be such a savant at cunnilingus. But he worked my body like a magician, using his lips and tongue and fingers to send sparkles of pleasure throughout my entire body. He knew how to tease my clit with just the right amount of pressure. He knew exactly when to push a second finger in to join the first one pumping in and out of my clenching cunt. And just when I was approaching my peak, Teddy wrapped his lips around my love button and made his tongue vibrate just like little Davie. I went off like the fireworks at Fourth of July. There were Peonies, keening wails that ended in little bursts ("Eeeeeee ... AH!"). There were short Salutes in the middle ("AH! AH! AH!"). And I finished with a Spider, a long explosive wail that died out at the end ("AAAAAaahhhh..."). What felt like hours later, I came down from my high and sagged like a wet sack into the couch cushions. In almost a year of dating, Chad had never given me a climax like that. And between the alcoholic fog and the post-orgasmic bliss, I felt like closing my eyes and just drifting away to sleep. I was fully exposed, with my dress bunched up around my waist, my panties missing, and my legs spread obscenely to the sides to put my wide-open, bare- shaven pussy on display. I even still wore my high heels from the party. But I didn't care. I could've lain like that forever, just enjoying this moment. But then Teddy had to go and open his mouth. I don't actually remember exactly what statement of morality, honor, and respect Teddy spouted at me for why he shouldn't fuck me. All I really know is that it had something to do once again with me being drunk, and that he cared very strongly about me, and he couldn't take advantage of me in this condition. Maybe he was hoping that my spectacular climax had taken the edge off. But Teddy didn't know me just yet. David had trained me well. One orgasm was never enough. And as I stared at the bulge in Teddy's slacks, the zipper still down, I simply spread my legs even wider and beckoned him too me. "Come fuck me, Teddy," I crooned. "E-Beth..." he whimpered, torn between his desire and his conscience. Again, it only took two words: "Teddy. Please." I don't actually remember Teddy getting undressed. I don't remember ME getting undressed. And I don't remember us moving to my bedroom. After the fact, Teddy told me that he wanted to give me every opportunity to change my mind. And he told me that if we were really going to do this, I deserved to be comfortable on my own bed and not just hunched over on the couch. But I do remember being completely naked and cooing happily as my man eased his cock into me. The feel of his arms wrapped around me and his lips against my neck sent fresh sparkles of pleasure throughout my body. And the way his blunt tool of ecstasy was stretching me had me feeling more filled — and fulfilled — than I had felt in a long time. Like I said, I was impressed by Teddy's cunnilingus. I was also pretty impressed by the sight of him naked, as he had a much more muscularly-defined body than I would have expected underneath the typical baggy jeans and white lab coat. But most of all, I was quite impressed with the weapon he was pushing into my pussy. I wouldn't have expected such a thick, lengthy specimen of manhood to be paired up with Teddy's otherwise average height and girth. And yet there it was, and there it went, deep into my core. "Oh, Teddy..." I practically sang in happiness. And when our pelvic bones finally met, he tilted my head and planted the softest, most tender kiss imaginable on my lips. "E-Beth..." he sighed wondrously, his blue-gray eyes brilliant in their intensity. Reaching up to brush my fingertips across his temple, I tilted my head up to kiss him again. And then I clenched down with my inner muscles, squeezing my pussy around his cock. And with a happy smile, I moaned, "Fuck me..." He did. Men and women are very different in the way they derive pleasure from sex. There are the obvious physical differences. The man is thrusting, penetrating, and invading. The woman is accepting, receiving, and permitting. Even when the girl is on top, doing the work, she's still taking his cock into her body. But there's a lot more than that. Every boyfriend I've ever had, David included, got off from the sensations of the nerves in his cock. Even though they loved the mental stimulation from fucking me, sucking on my tits, or holding me in their arms, what truly gave them pleasure was the feel of my pussy muscles clamping around their pistoning pricks, giving them wonderful friction that traveled up and down their nerve- bundled columns of man-flesh until a chemical explosion took place in their brains. Girls are different. Let's face it, most of our orgasms come from stimulation of our clits, the woman's "penis" if you will. But sexual intercourse doesn't usually rub against our clits. For some percentage of women, the exact number depending on what study you read, that means they can't orgasm from vaginal sex. Fortunately, I wasn't one of them. I did come from vaginal penetration. Or anal penetration. Or sometimes, even when I was going down on my partner. And it wasn't always because of direct clitoral stimulation. I loved the smell of Teddy's sweat. It wasn't something I'd smelled before, but the musky odor coming off his skin as he hunched and lurched above my body filled my nostrils, telling me that my man was sweating because of what he was doing to me. I loved the feel of his hands. He stroked my arms, cupped my buttcheeks, and simply held my shoulders while using them as leverage to continue his urgent thrusting. And of course, he kept coming back to my tits. I had known for a long time that Teddy was in love with my tits, if not the rest of me, and he grinned with childish delight every time he caressed my firm globes of femininity. And yeah, I loved the feel of his cock in my body. I felt so full. Taking a part of Teddy inside me was a big deal. It bonded me to him, a man I respected for his kindness and caring. And the same traveling friction that stimulated Teddy's dick's nerves were stimulating my vaginal nerves all the same. But most of all, right here, right now ... I loved the look in Teddy's eyes. He stared right at me, his gaze never leaving mine. His blue-gray irises were big and luminous, like a lens into his soul and a conduit for him to peer into mine. The whole time while his cock thrust in and out of me, and while his hands caressed and groped at me, his eyes stayed on mine. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe I was drunk and imagining things. But in those moments, even while Teddy and I continued fucking, I swore I could read his mind. Teddy had a crush on me. This, in and of itself, wasn't a great surprise. After all, he was a guy and I already knew he loved staring at my tits. I was sure there were a hundred guys at work who fantasized about fucking me, or at least getting their hands on my boobs. But what surprised me was that Teddy felt something more. I wasn't just an idle fantasy to him, he really had a crush on me. It wasn't love; we barely knew each other. But there was only one girl in the world that he wanted, and I was her. He'd harbored some sense of hope that one day, he would figure out how to tell me the way he felt and we'd embark on a journey of discovery and joy together. But then Grant had arrived and I'd clearly taken an interest in the taller, more charming, more handsome man. And Teddy had buried his hopes and disappointments while silently promising himself that he would still be a friend to me in whatever fashion I allowed him. Teddy had hidden no ulterior motives when he offered to get me home. He simply wanted to protect me. Yeah, things had spun out of his control. Yeah, it seemed like something out of a porn fantasy when I'd stripped half-naked and started coming onto him. He'd tried to be strong, respectful, and not take advantage of me. But I was his dream girl; and now that he was actually with me, whatever the circumstances, all he could feel was a euphoria that far exceeded anything the ethanol in my system was giving me. This moment was simply the highlight of Teddy's existence, and in both disbelief and excitement, he never wanted tonight to end. Again, maybe I was drunk and imagining it. But that's what I believed. David often talked of a connection he felt with Amber when they were making love. As great as the sex was between him and me, we never had that same kind of connection. But was I feeling it right now? Was this what David had meant? If it was, I rather liked it. Again, this wasn't love. But Teddy felt something very strong for me, and I for one felt really good that SOMEBODY felt that strongly for me. And to feel a man — who cared about me that much — holding my body, filling my pussy with his cock, and smelling of sweet musk ... well... THIS is why women have sex. It felt gooood. "Oh, E-Beth..." Teddy crooned. He said my name as if it were the most wondrous word in the universe. "Fuck me, Teddy," I moaned right back. "Fuckme, fuckme, fuckme..." "Oh, E-Beth!" he whimpered, this time with a panicked urgency. His eyes tightened and his jaw clenched. And as I read the tension on his face, once again, I seemed to be able to read his mind. Bless his heart, Teddy was freaking out because he realized he was about to cum. And there was an apology on his face as he cursed himself for not lasting long enough to get me off. I just smiled. "Do it. Cum for me..." I breathed. "Cum in me. Fill me with your hot juices and splatter my insides with your creamy load." "Uggghhhrrrkk..." Teddy grimaced. His hips sped up and his strokes shortened until he was pounding me like an out of control jackhammer. I grinned even wider. "Cum, baby. Cum." He did. I felt the explosion deep inside my loins. His thick cock, already stretching me far wider than Chad had ever done, swelled up even bigger just before it spat out the first wad of spunk. The packet of heat and cream burst like a water balloon on impact, coating my walls. And in my mind's eye, I could see each successive jet of man-goo spewing forth from his cock like a rocket launcher on autofire. And I came. I came because I felt the physical sensations of his semen hosing down my pussy. I came because I felt his hands clamp down on my body. And I came because of the adoration in Teddy's eyes. My hips had jerked off the bed, elevating our two bodies into the air while we both went through the spastic gyrations of two people sharing a mutual climax. Maybe a minute later, we both sagged back down to the mattress, his pleasing weight crushing down on top of me, compressing my tits beneath his chest. And his head dropped onto the pillow beside mine, his nose and lips burrowed into the crook between my neck and shoulder. And with his hot breath tickling my skin, Teddy groaned in absolute satisfaction, "Oh, E-Beth..." There was still that tone of disbelief as well. I smiled and patted his back, hugging my wonderful man as he basked in that male stupor, post-ejaculation. It wasn't how I'd originally planned ... or even with the man I'd thought it would be ... but I was happy. ------- Chapter 2: After the Party December 2006 It was just another Monday. By my rough calculations, I had already experienced over 170 such Mondays, walking through the employee entrance of Argen Laboratories and waving my badge at the RFID security gate. But never once had I walked through those doors feeling this nervous. Big presentation? No problem. Departmental review? No sweat. Even an audit by the FDA? I could handle them. Sleeping with a co-worker? I was freaked out. To be honest, I'd anticipated that I might eventually knock boots with a fellow Argen employee. Of course, for the past several weeks, I'd thought that fellow employee would be Grant. And more the point, I'd thought we'd be in a dating relationship by that point. But no, I hadn't slept with Grant. And I wasn't in a dating relationship with the guy I'd slept with. In fact, I had absolutely no idea what the status was of my relationship with Teddy. Three days ago I wouldn't have even termed us friends. Yeah, we were friendly. Yeah, I liked flirting with him, and he seemed to like me flirting with him as well. But we'd never even spoken to each other outside of the building. Making love with Teddy had been spectacular. I hadn't felt so blissful post-coital with anyone in a long time, David and Amber included. Looking back, I'm sure some of it was the alcohol. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the wonderful feelings of the moment. Unfortunately, the poison-part of the intoxication process started up shortly after we finished that spectacular round of intercourse. Teddy and I were only able to cuddle in the afterglow for a few minutes before the nausea hit me. And the next thing I knew, I was buck naked and bent over my own toilet, vomiting up a foul concoction of Hennessey, Tanqueray, and Smirnoff that no bartender in their right mind would put together. And the cute guy who had given me such pleasure, and whose good opinion I suddenly wanted? He was kneeling next to me, equally naked, holding my hair out of the way and stroking my back. Yeah, real impressive there, E-Beth. Great start to a relationship. The blackouts weren't done with me yet. I don't remember leaving the bathroom, nor getting dressed. I do remember choking down a few pieces of bread and chugging a bottle of Gatorade at Teddy's insistence. But despite all his efforts, I still had quite the hangover in the morning. And Teddy was gone. I remembered falling asleep with Teddy spooned in behind me, holding me tenderly. I was in my PJ's and Teddy was wearing his undershirt and boxers. But when I awoke in the morning, sometime after 9am, he was no longer in my bed. In fact, he wasn't anywhere in the condo. All that was left of him was a note: E-Beth, I owe you an apology from the bottom of my heart. I am a complete asshole and a despicable person. When you were at your weakest, too drunk to really know what was going on, I took advantage of you. Your words and your actions told me you wanted me just as much as I wanted you. And even though I should have known you were too intoxicated to consent to what you were doing, I let myself give in to my lust. I have shamed and defiled you, and I can barely live with myself for what I have done. "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it. But right now, it's all I've got. Please forgive me. And please know that I have nothing but the utmost in respect and admiration for you as a person. I never meant for things to get so out of hand. And I am completely remorseful for my actions. I'll understand if you never want to see me again. I'm fully prepared to quit my job and leave you alone forever if that's what you want. I'll even turn myself into the police — what I did was ... illegal. But someday, somehow, I do hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I don't know that I could go on if I can't find a way to make it up to you. I WILL make it up to you. Teddy Harrison 555-2368 I hadn't called him. I didn't know WHAT to do. Even now, I could scarcely believe that I'd slept with Teddy. And yet the evidence was all over my condo. My red wine dress, panties, and heels were still in the living room, although Teddy had collected them and put them in a pile together. There were also the glass of water, the empty Gatorade bottle, and the plate of crumbs by the sink. And of course, while my memory had holes in it, I distinctly recalled pleading with him to fuck me. I noticed how Teddy couldn't bring himself to use the "R-word" in his letter. I know, legally, consent cannot be given when someone is intoxicated; but I knew in my heart that Teddy hadn't raped me. It was the other way around, if anything. I knew, intellectually, that I'd felt... something ... for him last night. Even pushing through the alcoholic fog, I'd recognized a special quality about him, something that appealed to me. I knew that I'd wanted him; but today, I didn't really know exactly why. I couldn't remember that "something" that I'd felt. And I didn't know if I ever would. Clearly, Teddy was flogging himself over what had happened. He didn't deserve that. He deserved to know that I wasn't mad at him, even if I didn't really know what to think about the situation just yet. I wasn't remorseful. I didn't necessarily feel ... dirty ... or anything. I only felt confused. I liked Teddy. I still liked Teddy. But I wasn't sure how much I liked Teddy. And more the point, right now, I didn't know what he thought of me. I didn't have much history to go on. All I'd really known was that he liked my tits. This was no great revelation. Lots of people, both male and female, liked my tits. That's why I put them on display the way I did. But other than that? I didn't have a clue. I remembered one thing about last night. While we were fucking ... while we were making love ... I'd thought I could see into Teddy's soul. That was ridiculous, of course. No one can see into another's soul. But I'd thought I could understand the way he really felt about me. I'd thought that he'd had a very specific, very special thing for me. It wasn't love, but given the opportunity, it could be. He crushed on me, he admired me ... he worshipped me, on some level. Or was all that just a figment of my imagination? Maybe he was half in love with me and just wanted to know that I didn't despise the very thought of him. Maybe he hoped that we could bond over this, to develop the attraction we'd felt last night, and perhaps build a relationship out of this mess. Maybe he thought I was just a drunken slut who was easily seduced and discarded by a charming womanizer. Maybe he was more or less indifferent to me and just porked me while he had the opportunity and then wanted to get as far away from me as he could. Maybe the letter was just an elaborate ruse to defuse my anger and a cover so that I wouldn't press charges against him. Or maybe he DID have feelings for me at some point ... in the past. But now that he'd found out what a complete mess I was, getting totally hammered and letting myself get screwed by a guy I barely knew at the very first opportunity, he'd realized I wasn't a "quality" girl worth any further thought. I didn't know. And until I had some vague idea, I couldn't call him. So I didn't call him. I poured myself a glass of orange juice and took two Tylenol to help my ringing headache. And for the next two days, I holed up in my condo, zoning out to my backlog of TiVoed programs. I didn't answer the phone, but I did check my messages, just in case Teddy called ME. But all I got were semi- worried voicemails from Stella and Audrey, wanting to make sure I was okay. And there was even one from Paula, who was STILL apologizing. No message from Grant. Not that I expected one. And no message from Teddy. Men suck. And now it was Monday. Now I HAD to go into the office and potentially run into one or both of the men currently freaking me out. What would I do if I bumped into Grant? Would he turn on the charm and try to re-seduce me? Would he pretend I didn't exist, that our history never happened, and that I was just another co-worker at the company? Would he run screaming down the hallway in the other direction at the mere sight of me? That last one put a little smile on my face, and armed with that, I made it all the way to my office, where I quickly sat down and tried to distract myself booting up my computer. But what about Teddy? Sooner or later, we would HAVE to talk about what happened Friday night. Grant would be easier to put behind me. He was a mistake, but nothing serious had happened. I'd let the rat crawl back into his hole and never think about him again. But Teddy? Well, sex changes people. And we'd have to face that eventually. But how? Do I go to the stockroom? If I did, at least I would be able to control the 'when' and 'how' we would meet again. But then again, Teddy's the guy. Isn't it HIS job to come find ME? Should I just stay in my office and wait to see if he visits me? I didn't have any tests planned for a couple of days, so there was no reason for me either to be in the labs or to go to the stockroom for supplies. But how could I work, constantly wondering when he's going to come knock on the door? [knock, knock] Oh, shit. I looked up, sighing in obvious relief to see Stella standing in the doorway, looking perky and cute as always. "Hey, honey. You okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "I was worried. You never called me back over the weekend." I sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I had the WORST hangover." "But Teddy took care of you just fine?" I blanched and gulped. 'Took care of me'? Exactly what did Stella mean by that? Was she asking if the sex was good? I mean, I knew we girls shared a lot, but of all the things she could be asking me, why did- "He got you home safe, right?" Stella interrupted my train of thought. "What? Of course," I replied, still a little distracted. I put on a little smile. "Yeah, shoved some bread down my throat and forced me to drink Gatorade. Then he took a cab and left." Stella smiled happily. "Good. I always knew he was a nice guy." I smiled right back. Of course, she had no clue. Stella would never suspect that I'd slept with Teddy. I mean, that was just ridiculous, right? ------- I didn't see Grant that day. Actually, I didn't see him for the rest of the week. Marketing was at a completely different end of the complex from the Discovery department, and you'd have to have a pretty good reason to wind up in the other's area. Sure, there were presentations and meetings that might cross functions, but I wasn't scheduled for any this week. This was fine with me. The less I saw of Grant, the better. And now that I was getting a better sense of Grant's cowardly nature, I presumed he wasn't going to go out of his way to initiate contact with me. I was a little more disappointed not to see Teddy the whole day. Yeah, yeah ... I know that communication requires two people, and therefore I shouldered 50% of the responsibility for meeting up. Bullshit. Teddy was the man. He was the one worried that he'd taken advantage of me while I was drunk. He should have come to apologize, face-to-face, especially after disappearing on me the morning after with nothing but a piece of paper remaining of him. It wasn't that I was eager to talk to him. Fuck, I was nervous as all hell. But I still thought he should be the one to come talk to me, and the fact that he wasn't coming had my opinion of him dropping with each passing hour. I even waited an extra hour past my usual departure time, just to give him that much more of a chance. Sure, I could be at work until 10pm some nights, but on an ordinary office day I checked out by 6pm. But by 7pm, I'd finally decided that Teddy was just a spineless worm who didn't have the guts to face me after what he'd done. I had it all figured out. Teddy was just a nerd — no, not even a nerd — Teddy was a geek: a nerd without enough intelligence to qualify as a nerd. He'd gone to Harvard, sure. But all he could manage was a stockroom job? What a loser. And did he even have friends? I'd never seen him out with people. Did he just stay at home all night, watching porn and playing video games? Friday night must have been a fantasy for him. He'd harbored this crush on the young chemist with big boobs, probably jerking off a few times a day in that stockroom whenever he thought he could get away with it. He'd hide around the corner from the counter, blowing a load into some tissues while imagining he was spunking on my tits. And then after offering to take me home, I'd been drunk and horny. He'd played at being reluctant, just enough to make me believe he was really a nice guy. But all along he'd been hyperventilating with excitement and drooling in lust at the prospect of fucking me. He'd gotten so wound up, he'd humped me and spermed me pretty fast. Maybe he was even congratulating himself for getting me off, not even realizing I was on a hot trigger and had cum on my own. And then once he got his little fantasy-cum-true, nerd-boy had run away, awkwardly cowering and covering his head, hoping the whole thing would get resolved on its own. Shaking my head in resignation, I scooped up my purse and jacket and left my office, frustrated and annoyed. The main lights were already off, leaving only the dim hallway illumination. I was used to it and navigated the deserted corridors with ease, stomping away in the darkness. The employee entrances were locked down this late at night, so I went through the main lobby to get out to the parking lot. I smiled at Russell, the evening security guard, as I emerged into the lobby itself. He smiled back and then gestured to the far corner. Furrowing my eyebrows, I turned to follow his gaze, just in time to see someone stand up from one of the couches. It was Teddy. "He's been here since 5:30," Russell chuckled. "'Bout an hour back, I started asking who he was waiting for, but he wouldn't tell me until fifteen minutes ago. Told him he should just go to your office, but he got all skittish and sat back down." I sighed, feeling my heart both speed up and get tight as Teddy approached. Russell chuckled again and then backed away to give us a modicum of privacy. And then I bit my lip nervously and waited. "Uh ... hi, E-Beth," Teddy began, his voice making him sound even more nervous than me. I just looked at him expectantly, still feeling annoyed and somewhat angry that he hadn't come to me all day. Teddy blanched at the expression on my face and stammered, "I, uh ... I had this idea that I should just ... bump into you ... like an accident. That way, it wouldn't seem so confrontational, like if I'd come to your office or something." I raised my eyebrows. "Bump into me?" "Yeah," he winced. "Y'know, you're heading out after work ... I bump into you ... I suggest we grab some coffee ... Y'know, chat away from the office." He blushed and looked down. "At least, that was the plan." "It was a stupid plan, Teddy," I huffed. "All. Day. You didn't come see me ALL DAY. And you didn't call or visit or anything over the weekend! Is that all I am to you? An easy piece? You got what you wanted and then ducked your head into the sand without so much as a phone call? Huh?" His jaw flapped up and down a couple of times, like he wanted to defend himself. But he really didn't have any defense to say. Instead, he just gave me a pained expression and said, "I'm sorry, E-Beth." I sighed and gave him a measuring look. You males know the look, the one where your girl is clearly testing you, waiting to see if you'll fuck up? "Sorry about what, exactly?" I practically growled. Predictably, Teddy blanched under my withering gaze. He could be apologizing for not coming to talk to me sooner, or he could be apologizing for sleeping with me on Friday night. Teddy could tell I was testing him, to see if he'd come up with the right answer. And after another second's hesitation, he burped, "Uh, not coming to you sooner?" There was no conviction in his voice. In fact, he sounded like a school kid hoping he just gave the right answer to a trick math problem in front of the whole class. Well ... it WAS the answer I was looking for. My eyebrows went up. "Okay, there's hope for you yet." "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I was scared. I didn't know what you'd think of me after ... well ... uh..." Teddy's eyes flashed over to Russell, observing us and eavesdropping without being TOO obvious about it. I put my fists on my hips. "And do you know now?" Teddy managed a weak smile. "Actually, I think I do. The fact that you're madder at me for not coming to talk to you sooner than ... uh..." He flashed on Russell again. " ... well, you know. It's kind of a relief." I rolled my eyes. By now, any attraction I'd had to the boy had evaporated. I gave him credit for coming up with a plan — albeit a stupid one — to talk to me instead of just crawling under a rock and hoping everything went away. But Teddy's weak, unconfident demeanor right now wasn't doing anything to improve upon the loser geek impression I'd formed of him over the past few hours. I'd thought I'd seen something in him the night of the Holiday Party. I'd thought I'd felt the sparks of a connection between us. But clearly, I'd just been drunk. Teddy took a deep breath and looked at me with that adoring wonder again. "I think we need to talk about Friday night," he began. His arm started gesturing to the doors, and I guessed that he was returning to his original plan about inviting me out for coffee so that we could chat. But I cut him off. "Forget about it." Teddy's eyebrows shot up. "Ah well, we don't have to get into it right now. I mean, if you need more time to-" "I mean forget about it," I interrupted, shaking my head. "It was a mistake. I was drunk. It didn't happen." And then without a moment's hesitation, I started walking for the doors. Teddy quickly turned and followed me. "Forget about it? I'll never be able to forget about it! Not for the rest of my life! I mean, that you were more mad at me for not contacting you sooner makes me think you don't see me as this predatory-" "Forget about it, Teddy," I barked a little more harshly. We'd reached the RFID scanner and I beeped myself out before going outside. The cold December wind bit into my skin and I pulled my coat tighter around myself. Automatically, Teddy beeped himself and followed me. "E-Beth, please! I need to at least know that you forgive me." I stopped dead in my tracks and whirled around to face him. Teddy came to an abrupt halt, momentarily losing his balance. But as soon as he regained it and looked at me, I stated flatly. "I forgive you. Now can we just forget about it?" He actually seemed hurt. "Is that what you really want? Just to forget it?" "Yes," I stated firmly. He paled. "And to forget about me?" "I was drunk. It was a mistake," I stated flatly. Teddy shrank even further. Poor guy. Drunk or not, my intuition had been dead right on Friday: he DID have a crush on me. And right now I was breaking his heart. He blinked rapidly, and he practically whimpered, "Didn't ... any part of you feel something for me?" I sighed and recalled my memories from that night. Or at least, I recalled what I could piece together. I recalled how hard he'd worked not to take advantage of me. I recalled the feel of his body on top of mine. And I recalled the look of utter and complete adoration in his eyes as he made love to me. If Teddy had been there in the morning, looking at me the same way, I might have fallen in love with him right then and there. But he hadn't been there. I'd felt something for him ... briefly. It had felt good, but it was gone. And where would this go if I encouraged him? Was Teddy the kind of guy I wanted to date? Could I really see myself developing a relationship with him? Not really, no. Teddy wasn't my type. Sure, my "type" had disappointed me time and again, but I still really loved it when a guy could get me turned on just looking at him. And it wasn't even all about physical attributes. Some guys just had a confidence, an attitude about them that drew me to them. Teddy wasn't like that. In fact, even right now, I had the same loser geek impression of him as I'd had when I first walked into the lobby. I wasn't a mean-spirited person. So I didn't put those thoughts into words. Sighing, I just shook my head and said, "I always thought you were a nice guy. On that night, I really appreciated you for taking care of me the way you did. You kept your word: you got me home safe. You gave me bread and electrolytes, even ... after we..." I let my words trail off. I was already trying to forget it ever happened. "Maybe we can be friends." I figured Teddy would accept my offer easily. I'd let down a few other crushing boys the same way over the years. But his worshipful adoration wouldn't die out just yet. "Only friends?" he whimpered, giving me puppy-dog eyes without even knowing it. His voice cracked, and I thought I could actually see his heart cracking along with it. I looked at him apologetically, communicating my feelings with my eyes. How could I tell him he just wasn't my type? I appreciated him as a nice guy, especially after everything we'd been through Friday night. But I just couldn't see us as a dating couple. So I nodded and asked patiently, "Is that okay?" Teddy's lower lip quivered, but to his credit he pulled himself together and stood up straight. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and then nodded. And extending a hand out to me, he asked, "Friends?" Eager to put this ordeal behind me, I smiled and shook his hand. "Friends." And then with a last smile, I turned and headed straight for my car. Only once safely behind the wheel, with my seatbelt on and the engine running, did I feel the tension in my shoulders and neck. This wasn't good. This was going to be awkward. Declarations of friendship or not, Teddy still had a crush on me and we both knew it. Now that we'd actually had sex, things would only be even more uncomfortable between us. And I had no idea how he and I were going to interact with each other as co-workers anymore. Would he really just forget about it and let everything go back exactly the way it was? Yeah, right. Would he retreat — isolate himself and avoid me? Would the pain of my rejection gnaw at him until it became bitterness? Would he try to woo me, to verbally accept our friendship but surreptitiously try to win me over with little favors and affections? I didn't know. And I wasn't looking forward to the coming days of awkwardness. They promised to stress me out even more than a round of FDA clinical trials. But fortunately, I wouldn't have to deal with that many days of awkwardness. See, I was already scheduled for a vacation to start on Thursday. My best friends were getting married. ------- "But... Do you like him?" The exceedingly beautiful blonde repeated, her eyebrows arched. She then leaned back against her fiancé, pulling his left arm around her waist and pillowing her head against his shoulder. And finally, Amber raised her hand to flick her longish bangs back from her sky blue eyes. The gentle Hawaiian breeze promptly blew them right back. The three of us were sitting out on the hotel room's balcony overlooking the bay. We'd finished the rehearsal, and while waiting for the rehearsal dinner, I'd pulled my best friends aside to tell them about my rather unusual Company Holiday Party. Now, I sighed and thought of Teddy. When Amber had asked me if I liked him the first time, I'd just shrugged and answered that he was a nice enough guy. I had liked him enough, and thought him cute enough that I didn't necessarily regret sleeping with him, the way one might regret a trashy one-night stand with someone picked up at a bar. I felt no shame over what we'd done, although I wished the circumstances had been better. But now Amber had repeated her question; and with all the weight of her inflections behind the words, I found myself unable to answer. My brain was divided on the issue. A part of me remembered the thrill of being with Teddy, the intimate and special connection I'd briefly felt with him. But the logical part of me also looked at the bigger picture: Teddy was a stockroom clerk and three years younger than me. He'd just gotten out of college for crying out loud. What kind of future did I have with ... a boy? And most of all, Teddy really didn't have that requisite self-confidence that I needed in a lover. I wanted a man, I wanted to feel like he could pick me up, take me, own me, possess me. It wasn't that I was submissive. Really, I wasn't into bondage or anything like that. But I just liked my men to be men, y'know? And Teddy was ... well, he was kind of a geek. If I dated him, I was sure he would worship the ground I walked on ... but a girl wants an equal, a partner, not a devoted follower. "Maybe," I finally answered. "If he was more confident, at least. But he's just a kid. He's always stammering and blushing and looking all intimidated by me. It's not sexy, you know?" Amber smiled and patted David's arm. "Not really. My man never really lacked confidence, the dumb jock. But I understand." I sighed, and reflected on Teddy's good qualities. "Why can't I find some guy in the middle? Someone who will respect me and adore me and be a nice guy like Teddy, but with Grant's confidence and charisma?" Once again, I found myself sighing and waving at David. "Someone like him." "Back off sister," Amber laughed and rubbed her fiancé's arm. "This one's mine. Or at least, he will be in two days." "Pssht," I snorted. "You two have been married ever since you got back together. This thing is just for pictures and government documents." "Perhaps," Amber conceded. She then canted her head to the side and gave me a sweet smile. And she reached forward to rub my knee. "Relax ... You'll find yours someday." I exhaled forlornly. "You keep telling me that. But I'm not sure I believe you." ------- Friday did a fantastic job of getting my mind off of Teddy and Grant. Even though the wedding was tomorrow, the bride and groom (and, well, bride and bride — Cherys and Danielle were having their civil ceremony at the same time) just wanted to enjoy themselves without worrying about little details. So we young folk all left the resort to really enjoy ourselves. Let the wedding planner deal with all the last-minute crises. Since everyone assumed the happy couples would be spending all their post- wedding time holed up in their hotel rooms, this was our one day to really enjoy the island as a group of friends. The guys went golfing. We girls went to the spa. I spent the morning distracted both by catching up with old college friends and by ogling their gorgeous naked bodies. Diane was the same perky firecracker she'd always been. Nataliya and Maria had only gotten sexier in the intervening years. And even Jen was looking quite beautiful. The male and female groups came back together for lunch. We then managed to squeeze in two organized activities, first by romping around the mud on an ATV run and then catching a late afternoon zipline tour. And throughout the day, I found myself flirting with some of David's male friends and coworkers. You know what they say about girls getting horny at weddings. Well, it was a pleasure to be able to wear such brief and summery clothing in December; and I was taking full advantage of the Hawaiian weather with some sheer outfits designed to bring attention to my best assets. And getting ogled while being flirted with was definitely putting me in the mood. Dan was pretty cute. Marshall was shy, but opened up once I got into a technobabble-mode. And Rick really captured my attention when he pointedly ignored all the hot babes in the group and started exclusively hitting on me. But at the end of the night, I wasn't going to hook up with one of the guys, no matter how horny I felt. For one thing, while I was quite aroused, I wasn't desperate. If nothing else, my night with Teddy had taken the immediate edge off of my lust. And for another thing, I just wasn't a one-night kind of girl. Yeah, I loved sex, and I'd had my share of experiences over the years. But the fact remained: the only man on this island I'd sleep with was David, and he was getting married tomorrow night. I admit, the thought of going to him tonight, just to have one last fuck before he got married, was greatly appealing to me. After all, I couldn't remember the last time I'd visited my first boyfriend and NOT ended up in his bed inside of two nights. But it was not to be. For one night, and one night only, David and Amber were separating from each other, sleeping in different hotel rooms. The destined couple would also keep apart all day tomorrow, so that the first time David would lay eyes on Amber after the long layoff would be as she came to walk down the aisle. After that, the two planned to never spend another night apart for the rest of their lives. One might have thought this was the perfect opportunity to go and be with David. Clearly, he would be a little restless and nervous the night before his wedding, and from being separated from Amber as well. A close friend like me could stay with him, help him relax, and keep him sane. Of course, if I got a little pleasure out of it, so much the better. But Danielle and Cherys were doing the same one-night separation. And while Cherys was holing up with her closest girlfriends, Danielle had already planned to spend the night with her brother. I never seriously considered intruding on the two of them, not on this night. Besides, I had my own best friend to take care of. David would stay in his and Amber's hotel room tonight before moving to the big honeymoon suite tomorrow. But Amber was coming to my room, and it was my job to keep her relaxed, to keep her sane. And if I got a little pleasure out of it, so much the better. Everyone split up after dinner. Amber shared one last kiss with her fiancé before following me to my hotel room. And once inside, I led the nervous bride-to-be to my King-sized bed and sat her down just as she started to shiver. Tenderly cradling her face, I leaned over and pecked her forehead. "Nervous?" Amber's bright blue eyes twinkled as she looked up at me. "To marry David? Are you kidding me? Of course not!" She grinned. "I'm too excited! I wish it were tomorrow's sunset already!" I chuckled and sat down beside her, stroking my best friend's back. "Relax. Think too much about it, and the time will crawl by at a snail's pace." She flashed me a lopsided grin, her eyes briefly darting down to my breasts. "Guess you'll have to distract me, then." "I'll do my best." I grinned right back and slipped the shoulder straps of my sundress off. "I'll be the appetizer. And then by this time tomorrow, you'll have your husband's big cock filling you up so beautifully, it'll exceed even your wildest dreams." And then I leaned forward to capture her perfect lips with my own. Amber closed her eyes as I kissed her. She tilted her head and parted her lips to tease mine with her tongue. And after a few seconds of tender pleasure, she smiled and hummed happily. "Mmm ... I wish we had David's big cock right now," she murmured while I started pulling down her dress as well. My own eyes fluttered and I sighed regretfully. "Yeah, me too." Amber's eyes popped open at my tone, and she gave me an apologetic look. But a moment later, she popped her eyebrows and flashed an impish smirk. "Mmm ... I just had the greatest idea." Her suddenly bubbly attitude was infectious, and I found myself smiling as well. "What?" I asked. Amber kept grinning. "We'll have to find some way to talk to Cherys and Danielle tomorrow ... But if you're up for it, I'd like to show my new husband that even though we'll be married, his wife still knows how to take care of him." My smile got even bigger as Amber outlined her plan. And as she described the specific positioning she wanted, and the method for how she'd spring the surprise on her husband, I couldn't help but start giggling. THIS was why I'd come to my best friends' wedding. It was JUST what I needed: friends, fun, and fucking. ------- The ceremony was beautiful. It wasn't a big wedding, just the parents and about fifteen friends in all. Everyone, including the wedding party, was barefoot in the sand and wearing casual clothing. Nothing flower-print though; Amber thought outrageous Hawaiian tourist clothes were just cheesy. But that was Amber's only real impact on this ceremony. To be honest, my best friend didn't care much about it. Some girls dream of the perfect wedding ceremony from the time they're seven years old; Amber wasn't one of them. For her, any event that ended with her marrying her soulmate was just fine. As I understood it, the rest of the details were Cherys'. Tropical beach sunset: check. Archway, white folding chairs, and white runner: check. And white linen clothing for the four wedding participants: check. David was in a casual shirt and pants, the shirt with an extra button undone and the pants stopping above his bare ankles. The three brides all wore different white linen dresses and were also barefoot in the sand. Cherys' had the lowest cut neckline. Danielle's was strapless and had a diagonal hem. Amber's had the shortest skirt to show off her long, long legs. I'll admit, looking at the three gorgeous brides in their outfits made me sigh and look wistful before I remembered that I was up in front of everybody and schooled my face back into a smile. I was the one maid of honor for both couples and Kevin was David's one groomsman. I looked down at my own pastel pink dress, wishing it was white, too; but for that to be the case, I would've needed a groom for myself as well. As it was, I looked past Cherys to see David standing there, looking gorgeous as hell. And that sad, wistful frown threatened to tug at my lips once again. But I sighed again and let him go. David would always be my first everything; but we were never meant to last. He belonged to another now, and I was only too happy that both of my best friends had found each other. Besides, the next night, I got to join in. ------- "Shh! They're coming!" Danielle hissed. Regretfully, I pried my lips off of Cherys' swollen nipples and lay back. I hadn't been able to help myself. Yeah, I'd known both women for a long time, but I'd never actually had sex with either of them. Even when David was living with the Sapphic couple, and I'd visited for booty calls, those had been just between me and him and not group affairs with the girls. Cherys' tits were even bigger than mine, and the first chance I got, I slipped my lips off hers and slid down to begin suckling at her massive mammaries. Whimpering now, I lifted my head up. Cherys saw the look of longing on my face and quickly pecked my nose. "Later. I promise," she said sweetly. I nodded and then looked over at Danielle, just in time to catch the twinkle in her eye as she looked at me as well. I'd long fantasized about getting my lips onto Cherys' tits, but of the two gorgeous older women, my fantasies had more often run to Danielle. Like I'd once told David, Cherys was built like every guy's wet dream, but Danielle was the one built like a girl's wet dream. And all these years, I'd never gotten to see first hand if she really did have that wicked long tongue. 'Later. I promise, ' Danielle's eyes told me as she moved into position next to her wife. She, Cherys, and I were lined up in a row, standing on the floor and bent over so that our chests were flat on the king-sized bed in David's and Amber's honeymoon suite. The newlyweds themselves were just outside in the living room. I knew Amber had planned a seductive little striptease to get David in the mood before bringing him into the bedroom for his little surprise. The door cracked open and closed a second later. The three of us glanced back to see a fully naked Amber grinning at us before assuming the exact same position next to Danielle. And after an agonizingly slow 34 seconds while David dutifully counted out the rest of the minute as required, the bedroom door opened once again. "Holy shit," David grunted somewhere behind me. And from the noise that followed, I thought he might have slapped his own cheek just to verify that he wasn't dreaming. I giggled to myself and clenched my own asscheeks, feeling the squishiness in my bowels from the lube Cherys herself had put into me. David had probably been expecting his naked wife to be in some erotic pose on the bed, beckoning him to join her. I rather doubt he was expecting to find all four of us in this particular erotic pose: eight holes at the ready in a double row. This was gonna be fun. "UNNNGHHHH!!!" somebody screamed abruptly, a piercing shriek that echoed off the walls with its intensity. In fact, the sound reverberated through my eardrums so powerfully that it took me a second to realize that my throat was raw and that I was the one doing the screaming. My chest had been shoved an inch down into the mattress and a heavy weight pinned down my ass. Apparently, being the one girl David hadn't been with in the last couple of months, he'd chosen to penetrate me first. And I had no complaints as I felt my pussy completely filled by the most wonderful cock I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. "Fuck, E-Beth!" David grunted, holding himself to the very root inside me. He leaned over my back, wrapping his arms around my torso to get his palms onto my big hanging tits. "You're so fucking tight!" I really was. Teddy had a pretty good-sized cock, but with only one fuck in two months I was sure my pussy was almost virginally contracted. And it must have felt even tighter with David's single thrust all the way in, without giving my body time to adjust. "Stretch me, baby," I crooned, my head hanging down between my shoulder blades. "Stretch my tight pussy." He started pulling back, but the friction was so incredible that he was pulling my hips back with him with his cock alone. So reluctantly removing his handholds on my boobs, David grabbed onto my hips and held me in place while slowly retracting. And then with a keening groan, he slowly chugged his way inside once again. My eyes rolled up into my head as I absorbed the sensations of David fucking me again. We were just friends, and I was happy with that. But at the same time it felt like we didn't get together enough. Getting fucked by David was like eating the most heavenly Tiramisu Cheesecake and wondering why the hell you didn't order it more often. Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as I might have liked. There were three other hot babes waiting for David's attention, and after only a couple of minutes he pulled out of me and moved one girl to the left. And then it was Cherys' turn to whimper and moan as she felt her one and only man filling her very core. "Ohhhh ... gawd..." I didn't mind. After all, this was what it meant to be a part of David's life. I knew he'd show me he appreciated me before we were done. And in the meantime, I felt a fresh sense of excitement as I realized what I could do next. The bed was a little low for David to really get at our pussies while we were flat on top of it. Scooping up Cherys' hips, he directed her into a doggy-position with her knees on top of the mattress. And once she was at a more comfortable height, he resumed drilling the alluring babe from behind. Flopping onto my back beside the fucking couple, I then wormed my way between Cherys' right arm and leg as I slid beneath her body. My head actually bonked against her heavy, swaying boobs. But I was able to guide my head through the valley of her cleavage until my face was just underneath the pendulous globes. And for the second time that night I was able to suckle a firm little nipple into my mouth. "Nnghh!" Cherys gritted her teeth as she whimpered. Her entire torso was shaking while David continued sawing in and out of her cunt from behind. The addition of my lips on her tit was only making her even hotter. And then I brought my right hand up to start tweaking the other boob. Again, after a couple of minutes, David pulled out and shifted one girl to the left. An earlier sneak peek showed me that Amber and Danielle had not been waiting idly for their turns. They'd actually been fingering each other; and even though David was now pounding his sister's pussy, Amber's right hand was still manipulating Danielle's clit. But my attention was soon brought back to the supremely gorgeous Cherys. Still flushed with adrenaline from her fuck with David, the raven-haired beauty shifted herself over me so that we were face-to-face and chest-to-chest. Her big left tit split my cleavage and her leg cleaved between mine to bring our pussies together. We were close enough in height that we could rub cunts and still be able to wetly make out with each other. And the two of us brunette babes were moaning and groaning as we shared out first real sex session. Now I know guys are extremely turned on by fresh pussy. Really, one hole isn't always so different from another hole, just like cocks are more or less the same. But guys get such a mental high off the idea that the pussy they're entering is one they've never experienced before. And whether or not they really know the girl herself is of secondary concern. Girls, conversely, make the stronger connection to the guy they're with, and not his cock. But we still like a little strange. For a girl like me, the idea that the pussy I was currently rubbing up against was one I'd never experienced before was a serious turn-on. And the fact that it belonged to Cherys, a woman I'd known since High School, made it even more alluring. "I wanna eat you," I gasped into her mouth mid-kiss. I watched Cherys' luminous eyes edge toward violet as she searched through mine. The grin brought the corners of her mouth up her high cheekbones. So with a last peck on the lips, the busty bombshell rolled us over so that I was on top. And then I started to kiss my way down her luscious body. Beside us, David had finally moved over to Amber, fucking his wife from behind while reaching around to cup her swaying boobs. His sister Danielle had reversed herself, sliding beneath Amber in a sixty-nine position so that she could lick the blonde's trimmed muff and also take a few swipes at her brother's balls. I briefly thought of a sixty-nine myself, but for the moment I wanted to focus entirely on the flowering honeypot before me. So dismounting the bed, I parked myself between Cherys' spread thighs. And quivering in anticipation, I leaned forward and took my first lick. She was just as sweet as I'd expected. So I dove in and licked some more. Yummy. ------- Like I'd said before, Danielle was the one who physically got my motor running. I'd already been quite excited by the prospect of having sex with her sometime during our orgy. But the act itself was even better than I could have hoped for. That's because the first time I got a taste of Danielle's sweet snatch, I got to have David's dick at the same time. Jackpot! I was flat on my back, reeling from the last orgasm that Cherys had given me. Danielle had switched places with her wife, and now she was the one kneeling between my legs shoving her tongue up my twat. I could now verify that yes, Danielle indeed had a wickedly long tongue. It may have been my imagination, but I felt like she could touch the tip of it to my cervix. As it was, I knew she could at least curl the damn thing up and hit my G-spot. And ohhh what pleasure she wrought in me whenever she did that. I was about to cum again. Danielle was THAT good. I mean, Amber and I had played around quite a bit together as well as with other girls. And I knew David was a master of cunnilingus. But seriously, his big sister put his tonguework to shame. Three times the elder sibling took me up to the precipice of orgasm and back. And the fourth time, I simply knotted my fingers in her hair and held her against my crotch, begging in abject misery, "Please, Danielle! Please let me cum!" Though I couldn't see her, I could feel her grinning in my crotch. At that point, she merely reached up to free her hair of my hands, firmly directing my palms onto my own thighs and shoving them an extra time in a non-verbal order to leave them there. She resumed her licking and finger-thrusting into my cunt, and finally I felt myself about to blow. But then she stopped. One second, that super-long tongue was fully shoved up my vagina, tickling all of my inner nerves as they heated up to the frying point. The next, she and her tongue were both gone. I whimpered in agony and opened my eyes, ready to pick my head up and screech my complaint. But then suddenly I was filled with man meat as David slammed his re-hardened cock all the way up my cunt. And sparkles of white light were flashing before my eyes as I came harder than I had done in a long, long time. "Holy Sheeeeeeeeeiiiiiitttt!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I figured the neighbors must be getting an earful. But then what do you expect being next to a honeymoon suite at a Hawaiian hotel? But I couldn't keep screaming beyond that. Why? Because David kept fucking me, his rigid cock stoking the flames of my climax higher and higher. And just when I took another breath to continue my orgasmic howling, Danielle's crotch was suddenly over my face, and I found myself with a mouthful of bare-shaven cunt while she completed the sixty-nine by leaning over to lick at my own twat, currently being split open by her brother's dick. So there I was, getting my very first brother-sister double-team. My first boyfriend's cock rammed my pussy like it was the only one in the world, nevermind the three other hot babes nearby. His big sister tongued that same pussy while slathering her saliva all over her little brother's shaft whenever it popped free, just to lick off my honey. And at the same time, she rubbed her pussy all over my nose, lips, and tongue, humping my face while I gripped her impossibly firm asscheeks and just tried to keep her from bucking out of my reach. Mental highs indeed. The three of us stayed together for the next several minutes, changing positions a few times. Danielle and I dropped David onto his back and took turns riding his pole, facing each other so we could duel with our tongues and paw at each other's bodies. I just loved running my fingers up and down Danielle's toned physique, admiring her taut musculature and slender frame. For her part, Danielle seemed to love motorboating her face in my tits. Like brother, like sister I guess. And in the end, I leaned back against the headboard with Danielle parked between my legs, slithering that snakelike tongue all the way up my vaginal tunnel. And I watched through heavy-lidded eyes as David first fucked her from behind and then slammed himself to a halt, holding himself deep inside his sister and filling her womb with his incestuous sperm. What came next proved a fundamental truth to me about girls: orgasms aren't everything. That's because as physically wonderful each orgasm I'd had tonight had been, my single greatest (well, naughtiest) memory from that night was when I spread Danielle's thighs to the side, slurping her own brother's jism out of her box. And we weren't even done yet. ------- David had eight holes to play with that night. So far, he'd only been in four of them. We'd been pre-lubed for a reason. The four of us girls lined up facedown on the mattress once again, our feet on the floor and our asses thrust out over the edge. And at Amber's cue, we reached back to the girls on either side of us, pulling their buttcheeks apart just to hammer the point home. Amber was to my left and Danielle to my right, with Amber's right hand holding my left cheek and Danielle's hand holding the other one. Yeah, for purely physical reasons it might have been nice to have more than one cock for the four of us. But it was a LOT of fun to be with these girls, doing this for a man we all loved. Unlike last time, when David had pulled us up into a doggy-position to get the extra height, he left us pressed flat to the bed. The position allowed him to really saw at a downwards angle into our rectums, plowing us with a power and energy I wouldn't have thought possible after all the exertions he'd already gone through. He switched back and forth, fucking one of our asses for as much as two minutes and as little as only three or four pumps. When it was my first turn, I cooed happily as I felt David's thick cock invading my bowels. Like always, my anal chute clamped down after the initial penetration, but I relaxed just a bit and soon he was plugging away at me. My brain went back to college, back to when David took my anal cherry while Amber chewed on my clit from below. Back then, it felt like he'd shoved a baseball bat up my ass instead of his dick, and it felt pretty close to the same right now. A minute later he shifted over and rammed his way up Amber's butthole instead. I turned my head over so that I could face her, smirking at my best friend while she sighed happily and looked at me with a goofy grin. The four of us girls were just toys right now. None of us would get enough stimulation from this anal Russian roulette to really have our own orgasms. But that wasn't the point. We all loved David and we knew he loved us in our own unique ways. Giving him this kind of playtime was just one way we, collectively, could show how much we loved him back. And we derived pleasure from that. Making him happy made US happy. Too many guys don't understand that concept. And once again, I began to wonder if I ever would find a man who would truly understand me. I wanted to love like this, this selfless giving so that I could please someone I cared about. But would I ever find someone worthy? Would I ever find a man who wanted to give to me, selflessly, as much as he wanted to take from me? I wanted to believe I was a great catch. I was beautiful, in decent shape, with big tits and a healthy sexual appetite. I was horny and bisexual and would welcome other girls into our bed. And if I could only find a guy who would treat me right, I'd give him this and even more. Of course, that's not to say we girls weren't getting our own physical pleasures. All four of us had previously enjoyed lying just like this beneath David's sweaty body, feeling him holding us, pinning us, taking us in just this fashion. Plus, we still had each other. Amber was the first to roll me onto my back while David was busy sodomizing Cherys. My best friend was aroused beyond belief knowing her husband was such a stud, buttfucking three of her best friends right along with her. The gorgeous blonde's sky blue eyes were wild as she kissed me with a desperate fury, pushing her tits against mine and humping her crotch against mine. The mental pleasures of submitting ourselves before David were now being augmented by the physical pleasures of our kisses and our caresses with each other. After starting off the evening with Cherys doing this very thing to me, we were coming full circle. But this encounter didn't end the same way as with Cherys. Before one of us could suggest going down on the other, Amber suddenly jerked her lips off mine, screaming "AAAAAIIIII!!!" as her jaw dropped and her eyes flew open. Back between our legs, David hovered over his wife with his dick up her ass, chuckling audibly. "Surprise." I giggled and tenderly drew my palms along Amber's face, watching her moan and groan in ecstasy as her husband cornholed her. But just when I pulled her head down to bring us together in another passionate kiss, I suddenly felt the penetration of David's baseball bat driving up my back door, and it was my turn to shriek, "Holy SHIT!" This time, it was Amber's turn to chuckle over me and lean down to peck my nose. "Surprise." I giggled again and groaned happily while David sawed in and out of my ass, switching between me and his wife a few more times. And with Amber's lips wrapped around my nipples and her fingers on my clit, I squeaked out one more orgasm just as I felt hot jets of spunk splashing into my bowels. It had been a good vacation. ------- -- JANUARY 2007 -- Sometimes I wished I could have been born a guy just so I wouldn't have to worry about this crap. Every boyfriend I'd ever had could get in and out of the bathroom in less than ten minutes. Morning dump. Brush their teeth. Wash their face. Throw some product in their hair, grab whatever clothes, and they were on their way. Me? I had to have my outfit carefully chosen the night before. It always took at least five minutes to get my hair right, if not fifteen. And I'm not even going to go into how long it takes to put my face together. I supposed that was why I very rarely ever slept over at a boyfriend's place, instead preferring to bring them here. All my makeup and styling equipment was here. Purely out of habit, I pulled out the various bottles of foundation and mascara and eyeshadow and all nine yards of the things that went into my daily makeup routine. I was careful not to overdo it, but Amber had taught me how effective makeup could be while we were still in college. And with a face as plain as mine, I needed all the help I could get. But today was my first day back in the labs after the New Year, and only after I'd started to put on my foundation did I remember that. It wasn't that I went completely without makeup on days I worked in the labs. But it certainly didn't make sense for me to go all out when I was just going to get myself all mucked up. So my dark brown hair went into a simple ponytail. My makeup was significantly lighter. And my clothing selections were a simple sweater, jeans, and closed-toed heels. Yeah, my tits were still on some display. But the outfit wasn't nearly as ... fun ... as a typical day in the office. "Oooh. New shoes, honey?" Stella smiled when I went past her cubicle and headed for my door. I stopped, smiled, and posed. Hey, just because they were closed-toed didn't mean they couldn't be stylish. Just heaven forbid I ever spill some sort of acid on them. "Yeah. Christmas present from the boyfriend." "Boyfriend?" Stella popped her eyebrows in confusion. I giggled. "Yeah. These are the shoes my boyfriend would have bought me if I'd had a boyfriend." Stella broke into a grin herself, her eyes twinkling. I then just sashayed into my office and started getting ready for the day. I was still in a good mood when I met up with Steve, my lab technician. He welcomed me back and wished me a Happy New Year, and then we got to work. We figured out what we would need and submitted the list of supplies to the stockroom through the company's intranet. We then went through all our pre- tests. And just before lunch, we skipped out of the lab and headed down the familiar path to pick up our materials. It was because the process was so routine that I completely forgot who would be waiting for us at the stockroom. So many times over the years I had made this exact same trip from the lab without incident. And our pre-tests had all run perfectly smoothly, so I was both feeling good with our progress and pre- occupied chatting with Steve about our plans for the afternoon's work. Even seeing Teddy at the counter was routine, so I simply smiled at him as I walked up, for the moment completely forgetting that we'd ever slept together. In fact, we hadn't even seen each other since that fateful Monday night in the lobby after the company party, as I'd gone on my vacation and then Teddy himself had been gone for a Christmas holiday. "Hey, Teddy," I smiled as I approached and looked at him curiously. "New haircut?" He blushed slightly, but only slightly, as he reached his hand up and ran it through his close-cropped hair. "Yeah," he shrugged calmly. "My mom told me I was getting shaggy when I went home for Christmas." There was something very different about Teddy as I walked up to the counter, much more than the new haircut. He stared at me with a focused intensity in his blue-gray eyes, and I found myself lost in his gaze, unable to look away. And then it hit me: Teddy wasn't staring at my chest. Every time I had met the cute boy, his eyes had gravitated downwards immediately upon my arrival. And today, I knew the girls were looking pretty good: I was wearing a V-necked sweater with a white lace cami underneath, the cami rising high enough to keep things professional while providing enough of a translucent glimpse of my skin to get a man's blood boiling. But Teddy wasn't looking down at them. He was staring straight at me. And only THEN did I remember everything that had passed between us a month ago. Teddy responded faster than I did. He smiled at me, canted his head to the side, and said, "It's good to see you. It's been a while." "Uh, yeah," I stammered. How long HAD it been? Almost a month? "How was your vacation? Going to Hawaii or something for a friend's wedding, right?" he inquired. "Right, right." I was still reeling, caught off-guard. I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I'd really been so completely distracted that this simple, unprepared encounter with my ex-lover (!) had me at a loss for what to do. "It was nice." "That's good." Teddy smiled at me. His eyes held my gaze a little longer, making me think there was something more he wanted to say. But instead, he simply glanced over at Steve and said, "Lemme go pick up your order." And then he turned away from the counter, disappearing back amongst the shelves. I was still a little in shell-shock for a few seconds after that. I pinched my lips together and tried to collect myself, telling myself to calm down. Hey, you and Teddy agreed to be friends. Clearly, he's holding up his end of the bargain. He hasn't gone out of his way to pursue you. He doesn't seem all awkward around you. You asked him to just forget it, and he's going on with the routine like always. YOU'RE the one acting funny, E-Beth. I wasn't the only one to notice. Steve was right next to me, and reaching over, he patted my shoulder and asked, "You okay?" I blinked and turned, a little too fast, to my lab technician. "Yeah, Steve. I'm fine. I'm fine." Steve's eyes darted past the counter for the moment, his irises looking larger behind the thick lenses of his glasses. Then he turned his gaze back to me and arched an eyebrow. "Is there something between you two that I don't know about?" I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell me there's some sort of gossip floating around." Steve shook his head. "No. No gossip. But correct me if I'm wrong: you two left the Holiday Party a little early last year, didn't you?" I blushed and looked down, a riot of memories from that night flooding my brain. "Uh, yeah. I got a little toasted and Teddy drove me home." Steve looked at me, a question in his eyes. But he was too nice a guy to verbalize it. And with his suspicions still in his head, he turned away. But I wanted to nip this in the bud. "That's it. Nothing happened," I told Steve. "Didn't ask," he mumbled. "I just wanted to make that clear. Teddy's a nice kid." Steve nodded. "Oh, I know he is." And he smiled at me. A minute later, Teddy returned with our stuff. I signed off on the paperwork and then handed the supplies over to Steve. We expressed our thanks, Teddy told us "No problem", and without another word we turned away. I hope Steve didn't notice my hands were shaking. ------- I got myself back under control by the time Stella and I went out for lunch. I was craving Red Robin, dreaming of a Royal burger with bacon, cheese, and egg on top of a thick, juicing patty of meat that would... "Vegan place?" Stella asked as we badged out at the RFID scanner and walked through the doors. I sighed, patting my stomach. Had to keep the weight off. "Sure." "You're driving." I smiled. "Of course." I usually drove. I was by far the worse driver between the two of us, having been chauffeured around by my parents in High School and then not needing a car in college. But I had the nicer car and Stella always liked riding with me rather than the other way around. One semi-satisfying Diet Coke and Thai Tofu wrap later, Stella was climbing into the passenger seat of my car and we headed back toward the office. As usual, she was chattering away, keeping me up to date on the latest office gossip and continuing our conversation from the restaurant about how our holidays went. We weren't that far away from the office when I suddenly caught sight of road debris. What looked like a couple of haphazard, used wooden planks were right in the middle of my lane; and in a panic I spun the wheel trying to avoid them and dart into the open lane to my left. Of course, me being the driver that I am, I somehow managed to direct my car directly over the wooden planks. Don't ask me how I pulled that off. I have no idea. Tires squealed. Stella shrieked. And then the whole car jumped as it impacted something. Or at least, I thought it was an impact. All of a sudden, my car DEMANDED that I turn to the right, no matter how much effort I put into steering myself left. The rear end fishtailed, and with Stella screaming in my ear at a hypersonic pitch, I slammed on the brakes and started letting the car pull itself over onto the right shoulder. What felt like an hour later, we were at a dead stop on the side of the road. My hands were shaking again, and Stella was in the final throes of screaming. But eventually she realized we weren't moving anymore, and that we weren't dead, so she shut up and looked at me. "What was that?" I shook my head. "I don't know." I shut off the engine, feeling my heart start to calm down as everything went quiet. And then as my rational brain kicked in, I flipped on the emergency blinkers and checked my side-view mirror to make sure the coast was clear before popping my door open. "Where are you going?" Stella whimpered. "To check things out." I got out of the car and closed the door again. And then I circled around the front of my cherry red Saab 9-3 to inspect the damages. The front bumper and grill looked fine. There were some dead bugs, but no dents or anything. That made me feel much better. But then I continued around to the passenger side of the car, and the shredded pieces of rubber that used to be my tire told me that I was in trouble. "Ah, shit," I grunted. "What is it?" Stella squealed from inside the car, her voice muffled by the glass. I looked over at her. "Blown tire." "Do you know how to fix it?" she asked. I blanched, frowning. Give me an infinitely complicated chemical procedure that less than a percent of the human population is capable of performing. Give me complex modeling software for manipulating the billions of lines of code in the human genome. But don't give me a flat tire. Dammit. "No," I sighed. But I looked at her hopefully. "Triple-A. Can you get me my purse?" Nodding, Stella picked up my purse, which had my wallet and cell phone. Then she opened her door as I came around to fetch it. I dug through the purse to find my insurance card, but just as I was whipping out my cell phone, a dark blue Nissan Titan full-size truck pulled onto the shoulder behind us. My first thought was, 'Hey, why didn't I think of that? It's just a flat. If I could have just gotten Stella to flash some leg, we woulda had a half-dozen guys willing to help us change out the tire.' My second thought was, 'Please don't be some serial killer who's gonna chloroform us, throw us in his truck, and lock us in a basement to repeatedly rape us before murdering us and dumping our bodies in a creek.' And then my third thought, when the man stepped out of the truck, was, "Teddy?" Oh, wait. That wasn't a thought. I actually said that one. "Everybody OK?" Teddy asked by way of greeting, walking up to us. I nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Blown tire." "Run over those planks back there?" I blushed, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah." Teddy nodded. "Might be nails in them. Mind if I take a look?" He pointed up at the wheel, where I was blocking the view with my legs. "Uh, no. No. Of course not," I stammered and backed away. Teddy came around and squatted, looking down at what remained of my tire. "Yep. No coming back from that one," he whistled and looked up at me. "You know how to change this?" I blushed again. "Uh, no." Teddy smirked and then pointed at the wheel. "May I?" Realization dawned. "Oh, sure! Thanks!" Chuckling, Teddy stood up and then circled around to the driver's door without another word. He opened it, hit the trunk switch, and then moved around to get out the spare tire and jack. He moved with the calm efficiency of someone who knew exactly what he was doing, and all of a sudden Teddy didn't seem like such a geek to me anymore. Stella, by now, had gotten out of the passenger side to watch him go to work. "So how'd you find us?" the blonde asked conversationally. Teddy shrugged as he set aside the nuts holding the spare tire in place. "Recognized E-Beth's car." "You recognized her car?" There was a clear innuendo in Stella's voice. Teddy stood up straight, looking past the trunk lid at us. And with an amused drawl, he answered, "I'm not a stalker. I just know what car she drives." "Okay," Stella smirked, a challenge on her face. "What kind of car do I drive?" "Green Corolla," Teddy sighed. "Besides, I drove E-Beth home in this car after the Holiday Party, remember?" "And how'd you happen to show up here?" Teddy frowned and then pointed up the road. "The office is like a mile that way." Then he turned and pointed back the way we came. "And all the good restaurants are that way. It's not rocket science." "Uh-huh..." Stella folded her arms across her chest, clearly not buying it. At that point, Teddy just smirked and rolled up his sleeves, hauling the spare tire donut out and then carrying it around to go to work. He squatted down, positioned the jack underneath the car frame, and started winching it up. In the meantime, he glanced over to me, stared at my feet for a second, and then looked up. "Nice shoes, E-Beth. I like them." I blushed one more time and looked over at Stella. She flashed a wink at me as well, and then returned her attention to the man repairing our ride. And I found myself evaluating Teddy all over again as well. It took less time than I thought. It's not that changing a tire intimidated me. I considered myself an intelligent person who could figure out just about anything. But I'd never changed a tire nor seen it done, and the unknown always intimidates people. But now, seeing the whole process in action, I cursed myself for not figuring it out for myself sooner. And in only a few minutes, Teddy had lowered the car back down onto the donut and dropped my wheel with shredded rubber attached into my trunk. After that, I stammered something inane about owing him something. Stella snorted something under her breath. Knowing her, she might very well have said I should let him fondle my boobs. As it was, I told him I should pay him for the service rendered. "Yeah, right," Teddy chuckled, waving me off. "Just glad I was in the right place at the right time." "Lunch, at least, E-Beth," Stella suggested. "You gotta buy him lunch sometime for that." The smirk was suddenly gone from Teddy's face. He looked straight at me with a serious expression, and all of a sudden there was a tension in his eyes. It was the same tension I'd seen in his eyes the last day we'd seen each other before today, back in the lobby late in the evening when he'd wanted me to go out with him for a cup of coffee to discuss what had happened after the Holiday Party. "No," Teddy stammered, his easygoing confidence suddenly gone again. "You don't owe me anything." And before I could really respond, he just nodded his head to me and then turned around, walking back to his truck. Stupefied, I just watched him get in, start his truck, and then wave to us as he pulled out and drove off. Stella stepped up next to me, following my gaze as I watched the blue pickup truck departing down the road. And just before he went out of sight, she whistled and said, "Is it just me, or is Teddy cuter than he was a month ago?" I blinked a couple of times and then glanced at my friend. I shrugged. "New haircut." "No..." Stella mused. "It's more than that. I don't think I ever saw him outside of the lab coat before." "He wore a suit to the party," I pointed out. "Same thing," Stella shook her head. "But today it was just that fitted polo shirt and jeans. I never realized he's got a pretty nice body underneath there." "I know," I replied. I still remembered the sight of Teddy naked, with a much more muscularly-defined body than I'd been expecting. Stella now turned to squarely face me. "You know?" The innuendo in her voice was back. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, stop it." "He likes you, you know." "What?" "Teddy." Stella stared me at me seriously. "He likes you." I rolled my eyes again. "Yeah, right." "I'm serious," Stella insisted. "You know his eyes have followed you wherever you go since he started working here. He was ALL attentive to you at that Holiday Party. And now this?" I sighed and then simply walked over, going back to the driver's seat. "C'mon, let's get back. I'll need you to drop me off at the tire shop." ------- It was two days later that I found myself in Building 2, which was where some of the administration departments of Argen were housed. It was a newer building, with luxurious meeting rooms designed to impress any outsiders coming to visit the campus. So prospective employees went there to meet with HR and prospective customers went there to meet with Sales. There had been a foul-up with my latest benefits elections and I'd gone to HR to get things straightened out. It was on my way back that I first saw him, coming down the hall in the opposite direction. He had a folder tucked underneath his left armpit, and he was wearing a suit jacket as if he'd just come from a customer meeting. And the instant he saw me, his pace slowed and he seemed to shrink. But to his credit, he didn't ignore me as we met up. "Hello, E-Beth." "Hi, Grant," I replied, the corners of my lips tugging upward just fractionally in a mini-smile. It was the first time we'd seen each other since the Holiday Party, and I wasn't really sure how to feel. Should I try to be friendly and let bygones be bygones? Should I be angry with him for toying with me and then ignoring me completely once it became obvious I wasn't going to easily put out? Grant made my decision for me. He nodded to me one last time. And then without another word, he continued on past me, resuming his pace and going on as if he'd never run into me. Asshole. I felt my heart harden as I stopped and turned around to see Grant's retreating back. I cursed myself for not realizing he was a shallow, self-important bastard in the first place. The fact that I let him get that close to seducing me just pissed me off even more. And on that note, I gritted my teeth and stormed out of the building. I was still in this mood when I bumped into my other "him". Actually, he saw me first. I was still beneath my dark cloud and entirely focused on what was directly in front of me, lest I run something over. It was bad enough that I didn't even realize someone was calling my name until he caught my arm and shocked me out of my reverie. Surprised, I whirled and raised my arm, ready to defend myself against my attacker. "Whoa, whoa!" Teddy held both his hands up, letting go of my arm. "Teddy?" I started in surprise. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he stated apologetically. "No, no. I was..." Pissed about Grant. But I didn't want to say that aloud, so I just looked up at Teddy. "What's up?" "Nothing really. I just wanted to know if everything worked out with your car. No other damage or anything." "Ah, yeah. Just the tire. Guess I got lucky." I smiled. "Good to hear." Teddy nodded. And then still smiling, he started backpedaling to continue on his way. "I'll see you around." "Ah, yeah..." I started before trailing off, my brain suddenly filled with a new thought. 'I still owe you. Can I buy you lunch?' I wanted to ask. Where did THAT thought come from? "Hey, honey. You okay?" a new voice asked. Belatedly, I realized that I was still standing there in the hall, looking after Teddy's departing form. This was getting to be a bad habit. And sure enough, there was Stella, leaning against the nearest cubicle wall, her arms folded across her chest and a knowing smirk on her face. I blinked a couple of times. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine." "Sure there's something you're not hiding from me?" The pretty blonde waggled her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and then started walking again. "Dream on." ------- "Okay, honey. Spill it. What the heck is going on between you and Teddy?" Stella ordered as all four of us sat down at the table. It was a Friday evening and the four of us were all together at Monahan's, as usual. "What?" I stammered. "Wait, who?" Audrey, the married brunette, piped up. "Teddy? Teddy Harrison?" Paula, the single bottle-blonde, exclaimed in surprise. "Yes," Stella confirmed to our two friends. "Teddy Harrison." "Really?" Paula scrunched her face up as if to say, 'Him?' "What? He seems nice," Audrey put in, a thoughtful look on her face. "He seems so young," Paula frowned. "For us, maybe," Audrey shrugged. "E-Beth and Stella are only a couple of years older than him." "He's barely out of college!" Paula shook her head disapprovingly. "He's been in the workforce what, eight months? Aren't you a little young to be turning cougar?" "Will you stop!" I interrupted, already feeling exasperated. "Nothing's going on!" "Nothing's going on now?" Stella inquired, the innuendo back in her voice. "Or nothing happened in the past?" Oh, if looks could kill. Stella was my best friend in this town, but if eyes were lasers she'd have been a smoking crisp by now. Fortunately, I was saved from having to respond by the waiter. Whatever curiosities Audrey and Paula harbored about me and Teddy, the desire to get a few cocktails overwhelmed them. They ordered first, giving me enough time to give Stella the stinkeye and order her to drop it. So of course, the instant our waiter left, Stella repeated her first question. "Spill it, honey. What the heck is going on between you and Teddy?" I was going to kill her. I knew enough about biochemistry to make it look like an accident. A drop of this, a little of that into her morning coffee. Boom, she's facedown on her keyboard and drooling out her final breaths. Maybe I could even pick up her monitor and smash it over her head. The impact of the new LCDs wouldn't be as satisfying as the old CRT monitors we had, but it would still be rather gratifying. And- "Seriously," Stella said, putting her hand on top of mine. "You're our friend and we care about you." "Care enough to leave it alone?" I sighed. "Is there something to leave alone?" I rolled my eyes and sighed. Women... "No. There's nothing. We're just friends." "But you ARE friends now, right?" "Sure." "You weren't really friends before." I groaned and dropped my elbow on to the table while dropping my forehead into my palm. "Well, it's an old college rule. Anyone who holds your hair back while you puke your guts out into the toilet is a friend. Right?" "Teddy did that for you?" Paula asked with an impressed tone of voice. "Yeah." I closed my eyes and nodded. I chose not to mention the fact that we were both naked and I had his semen running out of my pussy at the time. "What else happened?" Audrey asked. I could always count on Audrey to keep pressing for more details. "Yeah, you never told us the story," Paula added. "I'm sure Stella told you," I drawled. The girls both looked at Stella. And the perky blonde chirped, "You didn't tell me about that toilet thing." "Well it's embarrassing, alright? That whole night was kind of a disaster." "I'm so sorry," Paula said apologetically. "I didn't know about Grant and-" "Oh, forget about it already!" I screeched before realizing my voice was too loud, and that I'd attracted too much attention from around the bar. Thankfully, Paula shut up. I picked my head up out of my hands and stared down the girls. "Okay, I got upset that Grant broke up with me without telling me and started flirting with you." I glared at Paula, who blanched. "I got totally wasted, and Teddy drove me home. He made me drink a bunch of water. I puked my guts out while he held my hair for me. He fed me bread and Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes. Then he put me to bed and took a cab home. And while I'm very thankful to him for how well he took care of me that night, we only saw each other once before the winter vacations. In the last week, he changed my tire after Stella and I ran into something on the road. And THAT'S IT! OKAY! THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON!" I was breathing heavily after my mini-rant, my eyes a little wild as I stared at each of my supposed friends in turn, daring them to contradict me. All of them looked abashed, and kept their mouths shut... ... at least until Audrey looked over at Stella and remarked, "She's kinda worked up, isn't she?" Paula nodded. "Must be more to it that she's still hiding." "Exactly!" Stella thrust her hands at me, pointing me out as if I wasn't even a part of the conversation. I just dropped my forehead back into my hands. ------- The girls eventually stopped pestering me about whether or not Teddy and I were having some secret fling. They accepted that we weren't, and that we were just friends. But the girls believed (correctly), that I'd given him some thought as a prospective boyfriend. And once I admitted that I'd even thought about it, the floodgates of advice opened up. The first comments were all negative. Paula's old complaint about his youth came up again. Audrey, the practical one, asked about his career goals. "He's a stockroom clerk. How much of a future can he have?" I shrugged. "I dunno. He went to Harvard." "But did he graduate from Harvard?" Audrey inquired. I blinked and frowned. "Uh ... actually, I don't know." The girls all shook their heads at that, identical frowns on their faces. "Still, he's pretty cute," Stella pointed out. That got a head-nod from Audrey and a shrug from Paula. The 28-year-old bottle-blonde was still hung up on his age. "I like his butt," Audrey sighed, dropping her cheeks into her palms. "His butt?" Stella perked up. "It's so tight, isn't it?" "When the hell did you see his butt?" Stella popped her eyebrows. Audrey grinned. "Oh, there was this one time when he was bent over to help E- Beth at the party. Those suit pants aren't very thick." "You were checking out Teddy's butt while standing right next to your husband?" Paula looked incredulous. Audrey just giggled. The mention of the party brought things back to me getting wasted and Teddy's response to me getting wasted. All the girls gave Teddy points for taking care of me when I was at my worst. Audrey believed that his ability to nurture me when I was completely trashed was a good sign of his long-term potential. "He'd be an attentive husband," she pointed out. "I don't think E-Beth's worried about a husband just yet," Stella reasoned. "She's 25, almost 26. She'd better start thinking about it," Audrey countered. "But there's no way he's interested in anything like that," Paula stated with conviction. "When guys are thinking of finding a girlfriend, they're looking for perfection. They want to believe the girl they're interested in is virginal, sober, and adorably cute. They blind themselves to anything else, and only realize a girl is human well after they've started dating." Paula then pointed a finger right at me. "You, girlfriend, were falling-down drunk and bitchy that night. Now that he knows what you're capable of, he's not going to be looking for anything serious. A roll in the hay, maybe; you ARE gorgeous. But nothing committed." "I think that's exactly why he's interested," Stella argued. "Clearly, Teddy's already seen E-Beth at her worst, and he's still approaching her and talking to her. In fact, I think he's contacting her even more lately." I shook my head in disagreement. "He sees me as a friend, nothing else. Case in point: he used to stare at my tits ALL the time. Now, I'm just another coworker. He's not ogling me anymore." Paula winced apologetically, but looked triumphant. "There. He doesn't see you as a sex object anymore. He's seen past the hot babe to the drunken bitch, and he's lost physical interest. There's no recovering from that." "Hey! Maybe he's found a more mature appreciation for her!" Audrey insisted and then looked straight at me. "Yeah, before he got to know you, he just saw a hot body and great boobs. But now that he knows you, he's appreciating you as a person. He sees you as MORE than a sex object, and he won't degrade you by just ogling your tits." "Why don't we just ask him?" Stella interrupted everybody. "What?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Stella glanced over my shoulder toward the front door and then looked right into my eyes with a little smirk on her face. "Teddy's here." Ah, hell. I cowered in my chair, my head dipping about an inch as I hunched over and hoped Teddy didn't notice me. This was ridiculous, of course. Even if he couldn't see my face, Stella was sitting directly across from me and he'd recognize her. I watched my blonde friend smile and cant her head and go into full flirt mode, which told me that Teddy was approaching the table. So with a resigned sigh, I put a smile on my face and turned around. Turns out, Teddy wasn't alone. There were three guys with him, only two of whom I recognized. One of them was a lab tech. The other was from IT. I'd seen both guys at the bar before. The four of them approached, and Darren, the guy from IT took the lead while greeting, "Heyyy, girls." Stella giggled and smiled back. "Hey, Darren! I never thanked you for fixing my computer. I still don't know what went wrong, but it's running much faster now!" The guy with spiky hair and frameless-eyeglasses just grinned. "Just cleaned out a bunch of malware that you somehow got on there. You looking at porn while at work, Stella?" "Ah!" Stella's jaw dropped and she looked positively scandalized, albeit with a big smile on her face at the same time. She giggled and nodded to the empty table beside us. The four guys looked ready to sit down, but before they could, Gary, the lab tech, rather deliberately pulled out the chair Teddy was about to sit in and nudged him over to the chair closest to me. Blushing, Teddy smiled at me in lieu of a verbal hello. And then he took his seat right beside me. And all of a sudden, all eight people at the two tables were very quiet. And six pairs of eyes were trying, unsuccessfully, to be inconspicuous about staring right at the two of us. I just closed my eyes and wished this nightmare would end. Teddy was a little more proactive about it. He cleared his throat and stated firmly, "Okay guys, this was the most pathetic setup I've ever seen." "What are you talking about?" Darren blurted a little too quickly. Teddy rolled his eyes and parroted, "'Oh hey, Teddy! Wanna go down to the bar with us? Just a couple of brewskies to relax before the weekend. Oh, hey, aren't those girls from Argen? Let's go say 'hi'. And oops, I wanted that seat. Why don't you sit next to E-Beth?'" At the last, Teddy lowered his eyelids and semi-glared at Gary. I was looking at Teddy as he went through this little rant about being manipulated. But out of the corner of my eye, I caught Stella fidgeting nervously as well. I turned on my friend and glared at her in disbelief. "You too?" "I'm just trying to help," she stammered. "Help what?" I wheezed in exasperation. Teddy summed it up, glaring at the boys. "Real subtle, guys. Thanks a lot. Even if I wanted to go out with her, this kind of blatant obviousness would be sure to magically get her to fall in love with me. No wonder you three are single." I looked over at Teddy and gestured to the girls. "I keep telling them we're just friends." "Me, too." "So how do we prove it to them?" He shrugged. "We don't need to prove anything. I'm me. You're you. I know how I feel about you and it doesn't matter to me what these boneheads think." And then turning his head back, he flagged down the waiter so he and the guys could order a round of drinks. Huh. Teddy had delivered that statement with the calm confidence of a man who really didn't care what the other guys thought. He knew what he was about and what he was doing with his life. As I stared at him, his blue-gray eyes focusing as he ordered his drink and field- marshaled the other guys into ordering theirs, I found myself reexamining my assessment of the man. Maybe he wasn't a loser geek. True, every time I'd run into him the previous year he'd been a blushing, tongue-tied kid who couldn't keep from staring at my tits. But those encounters were always brief and were the only things I had to go on. Then came the fateful Holiday Party, where he'd shown a surprising maturity and considerateness in taking care of me while (mostly) rebuffing my attempts to throw myself at him. And after he'd given in to my seduction, he showed immediate remorse and a real dedication to righting what he perceived to be a moral mistake. And now here he was, hanging out with the guys over a few beers, looking calm and relaxed. He wasn't a flirtatious, silver-tongued charmer, but he seemed comfortable in his own skin. He'd fixed my tire — not rocket science, but still appreciated. And now that we were actually interacting beyond the brief encounters at the stockroom with him ogling my tits, I was starting to realize that there was much more to Teddy than I'd realized. ------- I spent the weekend with a terrible crush on a boy I barely knew. I did that sometimes. In High School, I'd fantasized about making out with various popular and cute guys. Some of them were celebrities. Some of them were other teenagers walking the halls. Nate, the star quarterback was particularly dreamy. I think I spent a full week crushing on him. Then David became my Chemistry lab partner. He was certainly handsome, but I only crushed on him for two days before getting over it. But then, of course, he'd given me the E-Beth nickname and started being much friendlier around me. And the second time I developed a crush on him, it sort of stayed with me for close to two years. One might have thought those little fantasies would have died out in High School, but I would have new ones all throughout college and beyond. Most of the time, nothing ever came of them. But every now and again, a crush would eventually lead me to actually approaching a guy and seeing if we might be compatible. This weekend, I crushed on Teddy. It was a dramatic 180 from my December- conception of him as a loser geek who holed himself up in his room playing video games and jerking off to pornographic fantasies of me. Now, in my mind's eye, he was a handsome, sensitive, and confident young man who happened to have a big dick and had once screwed me quite well. I lay in bed Saturday morning, imagining what it would be like to wake up next to him and then scoot myself over to lay my head on his bare chest while he wrapped his strong arms around me and cuddled. I wondered what kind of wedding we would have, what my dress would be, and what kind of location he'd suggest when we talked of such things. I wondered what our kids would look like, if they would have his nose and eyes because I didn't really like mine. And I pictured slightly older versions of the two of us having a picnic in a park while our two babies toddled around us, playing tag. I knew these idle fantasies were completely ridiculous, of course. In the back of my head, I knew I was going through this momentary phase like I did with almost every guy I took a serious interest in. Only this time, my little fantasy crush phase was coming a little late. Usually they happened BEFORE I slept with the guy. But the path Teddy and I had taken to come to this point was anything but usual. Still, despite knowing I was amidst a fleeting crush phase, I was still driven to find out more about him. In both High School and College, that meant chatting with my friends to gossip about certain character traits or past behaviors. Today, it meant Googling his name and browsing other things on the internet. I wasn't a stalker, but I was curious. And if I wanted to convince Stella and the girls that Teddy and I weren't an item or anything, I couldn't exactly call her up to ask what else she knew about the guy. Internet searches didn't give me much. But I hit the jackpot when I found out he had a MySpace page. There wasn't a whole heck of a lot on it: a few quotes from famous philosophers, Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" as his autoplay profile song, and a generic listing of movies and TV shows that he liked. I also got a bit of his personal information. A little buzz went through me when I saw that his birthdate was 1/12/1984, which made him a Capricorn. Since I was a Taurus, we were supposed to be very compatible. Then again, David's a Virgo, also compatible, but we weren't meant for each other. I also found out that Teddy did indeed graduate in 2006 from Harvard with a B.S. in Chemistry, at least according to his self-edited MySpace. He didn't smoke, but drank occasionally. He wanted children "someday", and was heterosexual. He also had a surprising number of friends, and not in that MySpacey accumulate- as-many-friends-as-possible way. There were about a hundred, many of them seeming to be from college. And from the frequent comments they would make on his page, and the collections of photos he had with both guys and girls, he seemed to be a popular guy. Maybe he was still a nerd, but at least he was a social nerd. And maybe he wanted to be my nerd. I didn't know. Maybe Teddy'd had a crush on me before, but that was probably gone now. He'd certainly accepted us being "just friends" and had made no further attempts to pursue me. And with the way he carried himself both around me and around our co-workers, he seemed pretty comfortable just being friends. Maybe I was too late. Maybe I should just let this idle crush run its course and in another week, I'd be completely back to normal. But maybe not. ------- -- FEBRUARY 2007 -- "4 milliliters." "Got it." Steve twisted the stopcock, carefully letting out exactly 4 milliliters of the solution out of the burette. When he closed it again, the bespectacled, slightly- balding man looked up at me and remarked off-hand. "So rumor has it Teddy Harrison came to your rescue when your car broke down a few weeks ago." I was pouring out an Erlenmeyer flask, and without even flinching I finished up what I was doing and set the empty flask back down with a steady hand. Steady hands are a good thing, you understand, when dealing with potentially toxic fluids. "Uh-huh." "Should I be reading anything into that?" Steve inquired. I shrugged as I set up the row of four vials into the centrifuge and then turned it on to send the device spinning. "Read what you want. He was just there at the right time. Lots of Argen people were coming back from lunch. I'm surprised you hadn't heard about it sooner." "Oh, well, I did..." Steve admitted, a wry grin on his face. "But you haven't had a round of tests in the last few weeks, so this was the first time I could ask you about it. Unless you'd prefer I come straight to your office, knock on the door, and ask point blank about your love life." I looked up through my protective plastic lab glasses and rolled my eyes. I was done with this phase of the setup so I sat up straight and pushed my lab glasses up onto my forehead while fixing Steve with a withering glare. "THIS is why I'll never again date a co-worker. I've had different boyfriends for three years, but it wasn't until Grant and now Teddy that you started playing 20 questions with me." Steve chuckled and arched an eyebrow. "So Teddy IS counted in there, is he?" "Wait, I didn't say that," I flustered. "Then what ARE you saying?" I sighed and bit my lip nervously. I looked at the lab equipment in front of me, not really seeing it. A few weeks ago, I'd spent two days straight pining for Teddy and fantasizing about what our lives would be like together. But then come Monday, I didn't have any labs or any reasons to go to that end of the building. And I couldn't think of any rational excuses for approaching him. So sitting in my office, staring at my monitor, I simultaneously cursed myself for acting like a chickenshit High Schooler and praised myself for not letting my emotions go to my head. Monday turned to Tuesday and then Wednesday and on. And I didn't see Teddy except for a passing "hello" in the hallway on Thursday. That was two weeks ago. And now I was over my crush. Teddy was a nice guy. But we'd moved on. He was a friend, but it just made too much rational sense to not start anything with him. He was a co-worker, for one, and Steve's inquisition was proving again why I shouldn't go there. And I just didn't really know the guy. Putting that one anomalous night aside, we hadn't talked much. Best just to let that situation settle itself, and to look for love outside my workplace. "Look, Steve," I sighed. "I thought about it. Briefly, I thought about it. Teddy was really sweet to me when I got drunk at that Holiday Party and in getting me home. He kept me from making a fool of myself. You said it yourself, he's a nice kid. And he bailed me out with the tire thing. But that's it. People don't build relationships on changing out tires." "I've seen relationships built on less." Steve smiled. "Carrie and I met in a supermarket when she dropped an orange and I picked it up for her." I smiled back at him. "Lucky you. But this isn't a supermarket. Teddy's a co- worker, and I just don't want to get into all that." "Fair enough." I exhaled slowly. "So okay? Enough with the interrogation?" "I was never interrogating you." Steve looked hurt. "Besides, I just wanted to hear what you had to say for yourself before Teddy arrived." I frowned. "Huh?" "We need an electron microscope today, right?" Steve smirked. "The one in this lab broke last week and Teddy's bringing a new one over." Just then, the door opened and a large pushcart with a semi-phallic white object came trundling in. The sudden sound, plus my momentary shock at realizing that Teddy would be coming in, made me whirl around in my seat to look. I whirled around a little too fast. My hand knocked into a beaker, sending the glass cylinder flying across the room and the fluid inside to splash outward. Fortunately, I'd been wearing gloves, so my hands weren't at risk at all. Unfortunately, my protective lab glasses were still perched on my forehead. And all of a sudden, my eyes were BURNING. "EEEK!" I shrieked in a high-pitched, panicked voice. I jerked back away from the burning sensation, which toppled me right off my lab stool. "AAAH!" I yelled in a deeper voice, the impact of my butt against the linoleum floor sending a dull, but shooting, pain all the way up my back. And then I was flat on my back screaming and thrashing while the burning pain worked its way deeper into my retinas. "Open your eyes!" a sharp order came while I felt a cool solution being poured over my face. "WHAT?" I yelled. "Open your eyes!!!" I cracked the lids open, just a millimeter, and almost instantly the pain was gone. I started blinking rapidly and then soon I felt my gloves being jerked off my hands as well. A few seconds later, it was all over. A towel was then put on my face, mopping up all the excess fluids. Once I was dry enough, the towel was pulled away and I looked up to see Teddy leaning over me, a look of intense concern on his face as he delicately dabbed at the remaining droplets of moisture. And as I stared into his handsome face, losing myself in the warmth of his blue- gray eyes, I simply asked the first thing that popped into my head. "Will you go out to dinner with me?" ------- My rational brain wondered why I had to go to all this trouble. Not only had Teddy just seen me hours earlier in my dressed-down lab getup, but he'd also seen me with smeared makeup and wet hair after pouring the neutralizing solution into my eyes to rescue me. If he'd agreed to go out with me while I'd looked like that, he likely wouldn't really care how I looked for tonight's dinner date. But I cared. Even though he'd seen me sans makeup, with my hair in a ponytail, and dressed in an unflattering lab coat, I wanted to look good. I wanted Teddy to know under no uncertain terms that I indeed considered this a date. And it wasn't just a thank you for the rescue. Well, the rescue had something to do with it. If nothing else, the act swept away my last serious objections to Teddy as a potential boyfriend: that I needed my man to be a man. He'd started to correct my misconception of him when he changed my tire. He'd done a further job when he didn't put up with his friends' manipulations at Monahan's. And he cemented his status in the lab. Really, the number one criteria I'd always had for a guy was how I physically felt around him. And lying there on the floor of my own lab, blinking the moisture out of my eyes and staring up at the handsome man who had rescued me ... well, what can I say? I started getting wet, and I don't mean from the aqueous solution. I hadn't thought about it before asking him to dinner tonight. I just went with my instincts. And I didn't even ask to wait two more days until Friday or something like that. I'd asked Teddy to dinner, and when he'd responded positively by asking when, I threw all caution to the wind and replied, "Tonight." I didn't want to stop and discuss the situation with the girls. I didn't want another couple of nights to think it over. I'd finally figured out that despite all the little things I didn't know or understand about him, Teddy was a catch. He'd once had a thing for me. And if I didn't act fast, I might lose this opportunity forever. But it wasn't too late yet. I'd asked, and he'd agreed. There were no arguments from him about how we were supposed to just be friends. I got the impression that he'd agreed to do so only because I'd stated that was what I'd wanted. And the speed of his affirmative answer to go out tonight led me to believe that he still had some of the same feelings for me I'd read in him back during the Holiday Party. And he was a smart enough guy not to blow this chance by asking pointless questions. So here I was, sitting in front of my vanity, painstakingly putting on each layer of cosmetics that would transform me from plain Jane into the alluring sex bomb I knew I could be. I even had Amber's little blurbs of advice sounding off in my head: Just a little thicker on the eyeliner. It's a date. You want him to feel your smoldering sensuality. Put a little purple in your eyeshadow. It'll go well with your dress. Remember to put the panties on OVER the garter. You'll want him to have easier access when you get back. I quivered, feeling the little jolt of electricity shooting up my spine at that last thought. I hadn't gotten laid with anyone but little Davie since returning back from David's and Amber's wedding. And despite the blackouts of the night, I still remembered that Teddy had been quite good to me in bed. I wondered if he knew he was going to get laid tonight. I'd like to think that he was hoping so. Then again, he could still be in his "we're just friends" mode and I might have to do some convincing. Ever the gentleman, he might even start spouting nonsense about how he doesn't want to rush me or doesn't want to make any presumptions. 'Presume away, ' I wish I could tell him. 'I'm young. I'm horny. And I've chosen you to take care of it for me. Got it?' I smirked and arched my eyebrows in the mirror, admiring the way I looked. Yeah, I wished my nose were a little bit cuter. And I had a little more padding in my cheeks than I might want. But all dolled up like this, I was pretty confident I could persuade the boy to do my bidding. With my hair and makeup done, I tossed away the bathrobe and started getting dressed. A black lace bra went on first. Like most of my bras designed for seduction and not support, it had a front-clasp. I then slipped on the garter belt and pulled up my sheer black stockings, clipping them into place. And before putting on the matching, see-thru lace black panties, I stood up and turned around in the mirror, bending over slightly to imagine the view Teddy would have of me as I got into position for him to take me from behind. My bubble butt was nicely rounded, certainly thicker than some girls' bony asses, but I'd never had any complaints. I spread my cheeks to make sure I was clean and unstained all the way down to my pudenda. And still admiring my ass, I raised my legs one at a time to pull my panties up and into place. I stepped into my violet cocktail dress, one of my best weapons for seduction. It was made of a sheer mesh, tantalizingly translucent with a darker purple dress beneath. The sweetheart neckline flattered my bosom and made men believe they could see my naked tits, which were actually covered by the lower layer. The A-line skirt hid my thighs and the black sash across the middle nicely obscured my waist. Again, I paused to admire myself while simultaneously critiquing my arms, reminding myself that I had to put in more time at the gym to tone up any excess flab. Hey, sex is a pretty good aerobic exercise, right? I accessorized myself with dangling earrings, a demure necklace with pendant to draw attention to my boobs, and a silver watch/bracelet. Last but certainly not least were black, strappy 4-inch heels to boost me up to 5'10". I'd probably be the same height as Teddy in these shoes. And then I stepped over the full-length mirror to inspect myself from head to toe. I still had twenty minutes before Teddy would arrive, but I'd need every second to tweak and adjust myself until I was absolutely certain I looked perfect. Gawd, sometimes I hated it when a boyfriend could just throw on a shirt, spritz some cologne on, and walk out the door in less than two minutes. But it was all worth it. See, it had started raining that evening. Teddy arrived right on time and stood just outside my door, mostly covered from the rain by the awning but still holding up a black umbrella to shield himself. When I opened the door, he didn't say a single word. No, Teddy's jaw just dropped to the ground. His eyes went wide and yo-yoed down my entire body. As his whole posture went slack, so did his wrist. And the umbrella tilted off to the side like an agonizingly slow pendulum, eventually dropping to the floor as Teddy stared at me rapturously, completely oblivious to the little droplets of rain now pelting him in the head and along his back. I smiled happily at the compliment. And then just for good measure, I reminded him, "Teddy, my eyes are up here." He blushed sheepishly. "Sorry, E-Beth." ------- Geek Teddy was back. I didn't mind really. Now that I knew what a calm, confident guy he could be, having the power to turn the man into a semi-lucid, blushing, staring little boy was kind of a turn-on. I'd actually had to reach out and right the umbrella for him before he realized he was getting rained on. It took him a while to find his tongue after that. He dutifully escorted me through the rain to his truck, tensing up just a bit and then goofily grinning like it was Christmas morning when I wrapped myself around his body to get further away from the raindrops. We then sat in the car for all of thirty seconds while he made suggestions on where to go for dinner. Being a very impromptu date, I know he hadn't enough time to make plans or reservations. And to his credit, I only had to tell him once, "I don't care. You pick the restaurant." We showed up at Primavera's about ten minutes later. It wasn't overly fancy, but it was still a nice Spanish restaurant where my dress wouldn't be out of place. Teddy himself was in simple black slacks and a button-down dress shirt. Being a Wednesday, the place wasn't too packed, and we were seated in less than five minutes. But even with all that time, it was only after our waiters brought us our drinks, a sangria for me and an iced tea for him, that Teddy breached the subject we both knew was on his mind. "I must admit, I'm quite surprised you asked me out," he said while gingerly setting down his glass after a sip to calm his nerves. "I'd been fairly certain that we'd only ever be friends." "Not so certain," I teased. "You didn't turn me down." He smiled bashfully and then looked at me quite seriously. "Never. I could never turn you down." There was a scratchiness in his voice, and he choked up a bit at the end of that before looking away in mild embarrassment. I remembered how I felt, crushing on him for a few days and feeling all torn up inside emotionally. Actually, I remembered crushing on a lot of boys that way, and the way each time made me feel. From the pain in Teddy's eyes, he'd been carrying a crush like that for me a lot longer than just a few days; and I found myself amazed he'd been able to be so calm and collected around me ever since that fateful December night. "Well," he started, still collecting himself. "I'd, ah, resigned myself to believing we would never have anything more than a platonic friendship." I raised my eyebrows and looked at him appraisingly. "More than platonic? Are you assuming I'm going to put out for you again?" Teddy's eyes popped wide open. "No! No! Of course not! I would never assume that..." his voice trailed off as he watched my face go from inquisitive to playfully amused. "You're teasing me, aren't you?" I couldn't help but giggle and nod. "Yep. I'm sorry. It's just too easy with you." He blushed again, but again, I didn't mind. It was totally fine with me for the guy to be all bashful and easy for me to manipulate, as long as I believed he could become the man I wanted when I needed him. And a few seconds later, I could actually see Teddy transform, as his sense of confidence reasserted itself into his limbs and he sat up straighter. Looking right at me, he cleared his throat and stated firmly, "Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way: I like you. You know I like you. And I know that you know. Okay?" I smiled again, "Okay." "But what we don't know is if you like me." He studied my face while waiting for my response. I took a quick breath and pursed my lips. "Well, I asked you out, didn't I?" "That doesn't necessarily mean you're into me. Curious, perhaps..." He started studying me again. I blinked, not sure how to respond just yet. Teddy's blue-gray eyes had locked onto me with a piercing intensity, and as he continued to stare at me I felt that little feeling of control I had melting away. The self-assured vamp inside me that had declared he would be the one to satisfy my carnal urges wasn't here right now, and the little girl scared of being hurt again was afraid to answer. "Curious," I admitted, going with the prompted reply. "What's different?" He asked, softening his expression. "In December, you told me to just forget anything ever happened between us. Did you change your mind about that?" I blinked a couple of times, mulling that over. At the time, I'd believed Teddy was less of a man than I wanted him to be, and that sleeping together had been a mistake. I didn't think those things anymore. And reaching my hand forward to cover his on top of the table, I looked him seriously in the eye and said, "Yes, I changed my mind." He smiled then, a big, bright smile, perhaps the biggest I'd ever seen him make. And then taking a deep breath, he exhaled very slowly before giving me a wry grin. "Good. Because just between you and me: I never actually forgot." I giggled and squeezed his hand. Teddy looked thoughtful. "Okay then. So we both know that I'm into you, and you're at least ... curious ... about me. I no longer have to pretend like the night of the Holiday Party never happened. So what now?" I squeezed his hand one more time. "Now we start over. You're interested in me. I'm interested in you. And this is our first date. Let's get to know each other." ------- I'd been on first dates where the guy just wanted to talk and talk and talk, almost always about himself. It's a curse of charming bad boys. I'd been on first dates where the guy only gave me one word answers while staring at my tits and drooling. Teddy ... well Teddy asked a lot of questions. It was only fair, because I asked a lot of questions. I felt a very strong attraction to the young man, but a lot of aspects of his life I still didn't know or understand. And my one drunken night aside, a girl needs to reach a certain comfort level with a guy before spreading her legs. So instead of the two of us fighting for opportunities to talk about ourselves, we ended up having a little struggle to find opportunities to ask questions about the other. I'll admit that at the forefront of my mind was Teddy's career path. I know that "The Future" is a taboo subject for a first date. After all, no guy wants to think the girl is already thinking of long-term commitment and marriage and kids and all that. But I still had to know if my potential boyfriend was going to be a stockroom clerk all his life. Unfortunately, by the time Teddy was done with his explanation, I was just as mystified as before. Apparently, he HAD been accepted to several graduate programs, as it was typical for Chemistry majors to get at least a Master's if not a Ph. D. before entering the workforce. But because of family pressures, he didn't go and had to come back to town to get a job. "Believe me," he said, sounding a little embarrassed. "Stockroom was NOT my first choice. But my old man thought it would build character and he's holding the money I would need for tuition. I'm kinda stuck doing what he says." "Well, you don't necessarily need a graduate degree to succeed," I said while gesturing to myself. "As long as you have ambitions and work hard you'll..." I frowned and rolled my eyes. "Gawd, I'm sounding like an old woman." Teddy chuckled. "Not at all." "I'm three years older than you. You're the same age as my little brother." He frowned. "Only two years, for now at least. My 23rd birthday was a few weeks ago." "I know." I nodded before thinking about it. "You know?" Teddy raised his eyebrows inquisitively. I blinked and stuttered. "Uh, well..." Teddy just started smiling at me. So shrugging, I admitted, "MySpace." Teddy shrugged too. "S'ok. I know your birthday is April 24." Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. He shrugged again, this time with a smirk. "MySpace." For some reason, I suspected that Teddy had looked up my MySpace account far earlier than I'd looked up his. Anyway, he noted that I didn't have a birth year listed. I told him it's never polite to ask a woman her age, even though I'd already commented about being three years older than him. At the very least, I didn't want my age to be public later on, but Teddy poked a hole in that logic by pointing out that I still had my graduation years from college and high school displayed. That led into a little discussion of where I came from. I talked about my parents and growing up with modest means. My parents had worked hard, enough so that we were never poor, but never really caught the breaks to let them do WELL. I'd studied extra hard as motivation to rise above our status. And even though we hadn't been able to afford a top private school like Harvard, I'd very much enjoyed the time I spent with my friends at Uni. And once I'd gotten my job at Argen, the first thing I did was buy my parents a new car with my signing bonus. My little brother did his part two years ago as well. Despite our parents' wish that he finish his education and get his degree, Eric came out a year early, declared for the NFL draft, and went in the first round. His signing bonus made mine look like pocket change. Then he one-upped me by buying our parents a new house. And our parents just HAD to bring us both to their new home, park the car in front of the garage, and take a picture of the four of us so that they could show off to all their friends how their children had grown up and made successes of themselves. I was laughing by this point, and Teddy looked really pleased. But this tangent led me to asking about his family, at which point Teddy promptly shut up. "What's wrong?" I asked, feeling the pleasant mood evaporate. "Nothing, really," Teddy shrugged. "My parents and I get along okay, but I've never felt them really be proud of me. 'Ooh, lookit my boy. He's a stockroom clerk!'" I frowned. "If you're not happy, why don't you get a new job? I'm sure with your degree there're a LOT of other things you could be doing." Teddy sighed, "It's complicated." We both went a little quiet at that. I knew better than to press him, so I let it pass. And a moment later, it was his turn. "So tell me about these college friends of yours. You say your ex-boyfriend and your roommate just got married?" I grinned. "They're pregnant now, too." ------- The rain had stopped by the time we left the restaurant. Teddy had been a perfect gentleman throughout, even coming around to open my door and hold my hand as I dropped down out of his big truck. And that goofy grin was back when I didn't let go of his hand all the way up to my front door. He stood beside me as I put the key into the lock, opening up my door a few inches. I'd meant to open it all the way and lead us inside, but Teddy distracted me when his hand slid around my waist, causing me to turn and face him in mild surprise. Teddy's blue-gray eyes glistened in the porch light. His irises were big and luminous, that conduit to his soul as he stared at me with rapt intensity. And then his face was moving toward mine and tilting slightly to the side. His kiss took my breath away. I was suddenly filled with the scent of his body, slightly musky and yet quite alluring to me. I felt the forceful pressure of his lips against mine as he strove to communicate everything he felt for me through the tactile meeting of our mouths. And when his tongue snaked out and ran along the edges of my teeth, I found myself arching backwards like in the movies as I surrendered myself to the utter and complete bliss of being... taken ... by a man's kiss. It was over too soon. Teddy's strong arms supported me as he stood me upright. And when he pulled away, his lips lingered for just an extra half-beat. But then he was standing before me, his fingers still on my cheek as he stared at me in absolute adoration. "Thank you, E-Beth," he said soulfully. I didn't know if he meant for the date or for the kiss. He then stepped back, dropping his hand off my cheek as he turned to head back to his truck. But before he moved away, I caught his hand with my own and tugged him back. And standing up straighter, he looked at me and arched his eyebrows in confusion. "Don't you want to come in?" I asked coyly, canting my head, rolling my shoulders, and posing myself for maximum sex appeal. Stammering, blushing Teddy was back. "I, uh ... well, of course I'd like to ... But it's just our first date and I didn't want to presume that-" I shut him up with another kiss. This time, I was in charge, with my hand on his jaw with my fingers wrapped behind his ear. It was nice having these heels to bring me up to the same level as my date. And when I eventually pulled away, I saw a fresh glow of adoration in his eyes. "This isn't really a first date," I stated calmly. "For one thing, we've already done this. I'm not forgetting about it anymore. And more to the point, you wondered whether or not I was 'into' you. Well yes, Teddy, I'm into you. And I don't want to wait three dates, okay?" When he woke up this morning, Teddy believed I would never want to be anything more than friends. But only hours later, all his preconceptions were falling apart. The only reaction he could manage was to blink rapidly and nodded in agreement. "Teddy," I stated firmly. "Please come inside." He grinned, this time full of confidence and with none of the bashfulness. "It would be my pleasure." I popped my eyebrows and flashed him a teasing smile. "And it had better be mine, too." ------- It was rather fun messing with Teddy's head. Some of the handsome but shallow guys I'd dated, like Chad and Grant, got me so excited just looking at them that I was overly eager to rip my clothes off and get to the fucking. I didn't feel completely in control of my own lust, and as such I was never really in charge of those initial seductions. Teddy still turned me on. He was very cute in his own way, and I already knew he had a good body and a niiice cock. But I didn't feel the wanton desperation I'd had before. My blood was hot, but not boiling. And my panties were damp, but not soaked. I was aroused, but still in control. And that feeling of control gave me power. I took my time. I opened a bottle of wine and brought us two glasses. I had Teddy do the honors while I slipped my heels off. I pulled my legs beneath me while we sat on the couch. I turned sideways, accepted the glass of wine, and propped my right arm against the backrest while dreamily looking over at my date. We chatted for a bit. Safely ensconced in the privacy of my home, I started asking slightly more personal questions. I wanted to know when Teddy first started getting "into" me; and when he told me it was the first time we met, I felt a tingle of pleasure run up my spine. Teddy admitted that like all new guys, he started sizing up all the pretty girls in the company. I challenged him to tell me his observations of some of the other girls, especially my girlfriends, and he hemmed and hawed about respecting the other girls and not wanting to compare. But I kept up the pressure and he eventually told me some of his "male" thoughts. Like most guys, Teddy thought Stella was the young, blonde, perky cheerleader- type. There aren't many men on the planet that wouldn't be attracted to someone like that. He saw that Audrey had an exotic, graceful beauty, although he also noticed her wedding ring right away. And he admitted to having a few naughty thoughts about buxom, bottle-blonde Paula. "But my heart stopped when I first saw you," Teddy told me with absolute sincerity. "It was last June, not long after I got hired. You came to the stockroom to pick up some supplies, and you absolutely took my breath away." I looked at him skeptically. "Me? That would've had to be a lab day. My hair would be in a ponytail and I wouldn't have that much makeup and those white lab coats aren't exactly flattering to a girl's figure and-" "Took. My. Breath. Away." Teddy raised his eyebrows and gave me a serious look so I'd know he meant it. "You mean these took your breath away." I reached down and cupped my own boobs, pushing them together and up over the top of my dress. "Well ... ah..." Teddy blushed all the way down to his neck again as his eyes dropped to my presented cleavage. "Well, yeah, of course I noticed them. You were wearing a lime green button-down with a white tank top underneath. The blouse wasn't big enough to button in front of your breasts, so without the tank top I'd have been getting quite the eyeful. But seriously, there's much more to a girl than her boobs. Paula has a nice set. Judith in HR has a great rack. You, E- Beth ... I looked at your face and thought you were absolutely beautiful." Now it was my turn to blush. I liked the compliment, but I knew better than to really believe it. Not with this nose and my lack of cheekbones. "No way." Teddy leaned forward and clasped my hand. Our wine glasses on the coffee table were forgotten. "Your hair was in a ponytail, yes. But you also had a clip holding your bangs back and over your right ear, except for a thin lock that had come loose and was hanging over your right eye down to the corner of your lips. You didn't have much eyeliner, but you'd put a little green into your eyeshadow to highlight the blouse. And, well, I liked your eyebrows. Too many girls I've seen overpluck them or end up with painted eyebrows. I liked the sculpt of yours. And I like your nose. It fits your face." Now MY blush was running down to my upper chest. Teddy continued. "That very first day I did end up staring at your tits. And when you teasingly reprimanded me by saying 'My eyes are up here', you had such a brilliant smile that I've purposely stared at your tits ever since, just to get you to repeat the phrase and smile the same way again." He was staring at my tits again. And smiling so big I couldn't control it, I coyly said, "My eyes are up here, Teddy." His eyes came up to mine. And then without another word, he leaned across the couch and kissed me. I think I'm falling in love. ------- Like it was yesterday, I remembered the one and only night Teddy and I had ever been intimate. There were holes in my memory, sure, but the things I did remember were crystal clear. I remembered sitting on this very couch, my dress bunched up around my waist as Teddy knelt on the floor and ate me to the most spectacular of orgasms. From the intensity in his eyes, he looked ready to repeat himself. But I was still in control. My heart was racing, thumping so hard I was surprised my boobs weren't vibrating. But I was still in control. And sliding off the couch, I stood up and then extended my hand back to him. Teddy looked up at me as if I were an angel inviting him into heaven. With an ecstatic expression on his face, he took my hand and stood up. And then he let me lead him back to my bedroom. Once inside, Teddy reached out and hit the wall switch, turning on overhead bedroom light attached to the ceiling fan. And then his lips parted in a moaning pant as he simply stood there and stared at me, as if completely in disbelief that this was happening. Perhaps he'd started to think our previous encounter was nothing more than a dream. And rather than let me pull him to my bed in the darkness so we could fumble our clothes off and get straight to fucking, he wanted to pause and admire me with full illumination. I giggled and compromised by moving to the nightstand and turning on the table lamp. Then I turned and gestured for him to turn off the overhead light. He pouted, his eyes wide open as if trying to sear the look of me in my dress into his permanent memory; but he complied and turned off the switch. And then I took both of his hands and guided him to sit down on the edge of my bed. There wasn't any music and I wasn't trying to dance. But Teddy continued staring at me as if I were giving him the most sensuous of stripteases while I stood before him and reached to the straps of my violet cocktail dress. Slipping them off my shoulders, I let the gossamer fabric puddle down to my hips, exposing my big breasts demurely concealed by black lace. I pushed the dress over my hips so that it dropped completely to the floor. And then I stepped out of it, proudly displaying my body clad in nothing but black lingerie. Teddy just about had a heart-attack. But he gulped and managed to keep breathing. Feeling that rush of power running into my head again, I confidently strode forward, spread his knees to the sides, and stepped in between them. And with my swollen tits right in front of his face, I ordered seductively, "Open it." It took him a second to react while his jaw flapped up and down without any noises coming out. But he set his teeth and reached up, feeling for the latch and trying to stare at the two large globes at the same time, doing neither job very well. Eventually, he focused on the clasp and managed to thumb it open. And the two black lace cups swung open on their own, pushed forward by the springlike force of my tits being set free. A keening groan welled up from Teddy's throat. When I mashed his face into my tits, I felt him tense up and then whimper with the kind of joy that said he could now die a happy man. And I felt an extra surge of pride running through me that I could manipulate this man so easily with a simple pair of tits. This was fun. I think Teddy stayed there in my cleavage for close to five minutes. I got the distinct impression that if we went no farther sexually from this point on, he would be just fine with that. And in the meantime, he was going to lick and kiss and suck and play with my boobs for as long as I would let him. He certainly wasn't going to break off contact first. But me? I was pretty horny, too. And as great as it felt to have him suckling on my sensitive titflesh, I wanted a little more direct stimulation. I wanted to get fucked. But when I pried his face out from between my mounds, I saw the crazed look of lust in his eyes and the tension already in his neck. And I knew that if I mounted him now, the poor guy would blow inside me in less than a minute. That was okay. I had every confidence he'd be able to go again. He was just a kid, after all. "Take off your shirt," I ordered and then immediately dropped to my knees. My hands went to his belt buckle and realizing that he was this close to busting his nut, he rapidly complied. But I didn't mount him yet. I had other plans for his load. And after he'd removed his shirt and I'd pulled his slacks and shorts down to his ankles, I simply leaned forward, opened my mouth, and sucked his impressive cock inside. Yummy. There are few things more empowering to a girl than knowing a man is completely under your control. Teddy's cock was a joystick, and with it in my grasp, I knew I could make him do whatever I wanted. Buy me dinner? Easy. Send me flowers? No problem. Cash in his life savings and buy me a new car? Well with my lips wrapped around his dick, he'd probably agree. Love me forever? We'd see... I bobbed up and down, concentrating on my technique and adjusting my lips to provide just the right amount of pressure. I stayed up around the mushroom head for a minute, just daintily licking at it like an ice cream cone while my right hand jacked up and down the long pole. My left hand tickled his ball sac, and when I felt them beginning to compress, I prepped myself for the coup de grâce. It always took me a few tries to get warmed up, but if I could do it to David, I was pretty sure I could do it to Teddy. So I relaxed my throat and pushed his crown against it three times, just testing out my gag reflex and warning my body what I was about to do. The fourth time, I went ahead and opened my throat, pushing the head of Teddy's cock into it. And while I rolled my eyes up to look at my man adoringly, I hummed, letting the vibrations surround his shaft and send sparkles of pleasure shooting through his entire body. My eyes said it all: Look at me. Look at me looking at you. I'm deep-throating your cock. I'm taking all of you into me for your pleasure. Just for you. Teddy's eyes tightened right before he came. I had just enough time to pull his cock out of my throat and park the end against my tongue. And with my mouth gaping open so that he could watch, little white pulses of spunk flew out from the tip of his dick while I stroked his shaft with both hands, coaxing out even more. Teddy groaned and balled his hands into fists as he came. He only saw the first two or three shots before he squeezed his eyes shut and tilted his head back, groaning out his release. Once he wasn't looking anymore, I clamped my lips shut over the tip, rapidly swallowing his seed. After the initial barrage, his flow started to peter out and I similarly slowed my jacking rate, concentrating on tighter, more deliberate strokes to pull out every last drop. And when he was done, I pulled my head back and brushed my hair out of my face while sighing and grinning happily. "Holy fuck, E-Beth..." Teddy groaned, looking both thoroughly exhausted and yet goofily satisfied at the same time. And I just proudly grinned right back. "You liked that?" "Loved it," he moaned before leaning forward and reaching his arms down to me. "Let me return the favor." "You don't have to." "But you know I want to." Grinning, I let Teddy take my hands and haul me up. I felt a fresh thrill run through me as he held my face and deep-tongue-kissed me, despite having just cum in my mouth moments earlier. He rolled me onto my back, pulled my panties down over my gartered-stockings (good call Amber: easier access). And then without further ado, he pushed his face into my now-naked crotch. Mmm ... a proven muff-diver. Definitely a keeper. ------- "Fuck me, Teddy," I moaned. "Fuckme, fuckme, fuckme..." The alarm clock decided to go off just then. Well, maybe me programming the thing for 6:30am had something to do with it, but I choose to blame it on electronics gone wild. The point is, I was too in the throes of ecstasy to want to deal with the infernal device; and after futilely slapping at it a few times, I simply grabbed the damn thing in my hand and yanked it, apparently hard enough to dislodge the plug from the wall. And mercifully, the blaring alarm went silent. Momentarily exhausted from my struggle with the clock, I collapsed with my head off the side of the mattress. Teddy had gone still, his throbbing cock still deep inside me. And squeezing my internal muscles, I slapped his shoulder and whined, "Keep going! I was almost there!" Chuckling to himself, Teddy took the time to reach down and lift my head back up and onto a pillow. He canted his head to the side and planted a fierce, passionate kiss on my lips. And with his tongue delving into my mouth, his hips started up their rhythmic stroking once again. We'd fucked three times last night, even after the initial blowjob. I'd just been absolutely wired, and I completely lost track of the number of orgasms I'd had. I wasn't interested in counting. I was only interested in getting the next high. After Teddy had eaten me to a number of spectacular orgasms, I'd made him come up and mount me, rutting into me like an out-of-control jackhammer until he filled me up with a bucketload of sperm. We'd cuddled together and whispered tender thoughts to each other, awash in the glow of newfound love before getting up to take a shower together and get some sleep. After all, it was a Wednesday, and we still had work in the morning. But I underestimated what the sight (and feel) of my wet, naked body would do to Teddy. He'd gotten hard and started excitedly hyperventilating while soaping up my tits. And after a three minute makeout session beneath the spray of warm water, I'd urged him just to grab me and take me. So my new stud displayed surprising strength in lifting me up, holding my thighs, and urgently humping me against the tiled wall before dropping me onto my knees and then blowing his load all over my chest. I did my best to rub his cum into my skin before the shower washed it all away. But I promised him we'd have to do that again sometime, outside the shower, to make sure not a single drop of seminal lotion would be wasted. THEN we decided we needed to get some sleep. We cuddled up together, I in my pajamas and Teddy spooned behind me, one hand underneath my top so that he could cup one of my boobs. But (A) I underestimated just how wonderful it would feel to have my man wrapped around my body, holding me in what I knew to be his strong arms, after such a long time sleeping alone. And (B) I underestimated what the feel of my body, even after already cumming three times in one evening, would do to Teddy. Not to mention the heavy breast in his hand and the feel of my ass against his crotch. So we both got horny and while nuzzling each other quietly, I told him to slide my panties down and get inside me. Teddy did as asked, and for that last coupling, we slowly made love in that spooned position while I crooned how tenderly delightful it all felt. He rubbed his nose against the back of my neck and nibbled on my shoulder while pumping in and out of me from behind. And the sound of his soft pants both lulled me to sleep and wrapped around me like a pleasant extra blanket. I didn't orgasm that last time; I didn't need to. Just feeling him holding me so tightly as he took his pleasure from my body made me feel like the most wanted girl in the universe. And we both fell asleep with his slowly deflating cock still inside me. Besides, Teddy was more than making up for it now. I'd awakened sometime around 6am. Teddy's dick had slipped out of me in the night, and I felt a deep void inside me that yearned to be filled once again. I'd also been having some very erotic dreams, and I awoke with a swamped pussy that was wet from much more than Teddy's last load of spunk. Plus, Teddy must have been having some dreams not so dissimilar from mine because he was sporting quite the morning wood, his naked cock grinding into the crack of my equally naked ass. And I'd put that morning wood to good use. I was wet enough, and he was hard enough, that I was able to push him onto his back and impale myself on his rod before he even woke up. But Teddy woke up in a damn hurry by the time I was on my third thrust, and all he could do was groan and reach up with both hands to shove my pajama shirt over my breasts and then yank my torso down so that he could be smothered amongst the lush globes. I rode my way to one orgasm, screaming loud enough to be my own alarm clock for the neighbors. And then my man rolled us over, threw my legs over his shoulders, and proceeded to fuck me so hard I was sure my brains were being scrambled. We were interrupted by the alarm clock, but soon that minor obstacle was out of the way as my powerful stud of a man fucked me right back up the proverbial wall. "Fuck me, Teddy," I repeated. "Fuckme, fuckme, fuckme..." "E-Beth..." he crooned. I loved hearing him moan my name. He still made it sound like the most wondrous word in the universe. "Fuck me!" "Oh, E-Beth..." "Deeper! Harder! Fuck me and cum deep inside me! I want to go to work feeling your cum squishing between my thighs. I'm going to start a conversation with Stella and dare her to smell you on my body. Fuck me!" "Unngh!" "Fuck me!" "UNNGH!" "That's it! Bite my nipples! Bite them! Aaauuughh!" I screeched, feeling his teeth bared against my sensitive titflesh. My legs tightened over his shoulders, my heels drumming against his back. "FUCK ME!" "E-BETH!" "FUCK ME!" "UNNNGH!" "FUCK MEEEEAAAAHHH!!!" I threw my head back and arched my back, shoving my tits up into the air so fast I might have snapped Teddy's neck if there wasn't so much padding. Lightning flashed before my eyes as the explosion set off deep inside my core, radiating outward along my nerves at the speed of light to set the very edges of my fingertips and toes to tingling. And then I felt it. Teddy's lower body surged one final time, rocking my entire body back about two inches up the bed. I felt my vaginal walls momentarily stretch just a little bit further apart as his cock swelled within me. Just as my orgasm began to wane, I felt the sudden impact of his cock spewing gob after gob of hot, frothy cum against my womb. And the blissful sensations made me scream again, "AAAAHHHHH!!!" Opening my eyes after that was akin to waking up, although I don't know if I actually passed out or simply had my mind momentarily blown by the force of my orgasm. One thing I did know was that Teddy had collapsed onto me, his whole body shivering from the muscular exertion he'd just put it through. And as I felt his spunk seeping deeper into my womb, I wrapped all four limbs around him to hold him even more intimately close than he was before. "Oh, E-Beth..." Teddy moaned, gasping for breath with his cheek on the pillow right beside me. "I'm falling in love with you." I chuckled, struggling to breathe myself with his body half-crushing my chest. "Sure that's not the sex talking?" "Of course it's the sex talking," he sighed with that goofy grin before leaning over and pecking me quickly. "But when I come to your office later today and tell you again, you'll know that I really mean it." A flush of unbelievable happiness completely filled my very being as I leaned over and gave him the most tender, passionate kiss I had in me. And if we hadn't needed to get to work, I would have rolled him over and raped him again right then and there. I might have been able to get away with it, but Teddy's job was on the clock and subject to strict on-time policies. The last thing I wanted to do was get him fired. As it was, with a final flurry of kisses, I shooed him away and out of my bed. After all, Teddy still had to go home and change into something more appropriate for work. And I had to go through the usual female routine of hair, makeup, and clothes that meant I'd probably get to the office even later than him. But before he actually walked out the door, I wrapped myself around my lover's body and buried my head into the crook of his neck. "I can't wait until work is over. I want you back here. I want you in me, as soon as humanly possible." Teddy chuckled and kissed the top of my head while stroking my hair. "What? Didn't get enough last night and this morning?" I grinned and looked up at my new boyfriend. We hadn't actually declared ourselves a couple yet, but I knew that was just a formality at this point. "Clearly, you don't know me well enough just yet," I purred with twinkles in both my eyes. "Look, my young plaything. You have no idea what you're getting into." "Maybe not," he smiled and hugged me tighter. "But I'm eager to find out." We kissed one more time, and then I sent him home. After he was gone, I turned around and leaned back against the door, exhaling slowly. And then with a naughty little grin, I slid a hand into my own panties, pushing a finger into my sodden cunt and then lifting it back out, coated with the mingled fluids of both our orgasms. I sucked my finger, moaning with fresh arousal. I was happy. I was falling in love. And I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Hey, I'm a girl. So I grabbed my phone. Fifteen seconds later, I asked breathlessly, "Amber? Did I wake you? No? Good." I took a deep breath to calm the excited pitter-patter of my heart. And as I flopped down onto the couch, I stuck that finger back into my saturated pussy. "I have to tell you about last night!" ------- Chapter 3: After the Date FEBRUARY 2007 "He's a stockroom clerk." "I know." "He's three years younger than you!" "Only two, at least until April." I sat there and looked at Stella, waiting her out. "Got anything else?" Stella grinned and shook her head. Her time playing Devil's Advocate was over. "Nope. Not a thing. After all, I WAS trying to set you two up together. And how the heck did this happen? I thought you two were 'just friends'." Stella even put her hands up to make the air quotes. I rolled my eyes. "What did you THINK I was going to tell you until I figured out if we'd be good together?" "Oh, so you lied to me back in January when you claimed you had no interest in each other? If I'd known how you really felt, I would have done a LOT more to help you two hook up!" I chuckled. "Thank you, but I think I did just fine on my own." "I'll say..." Stella then shook her head wryly. "I can't believe you put out on the first date." "Hey, YOU were the one telling me I needed to get laid." I blushed. I wasn't going to announce that Teddy and I had actually first slept together last December. So I just shrugged and replied, "No regrets. And I'm not worried. He's here for the long haul." "He was that good?" Stella asked with a twinkle in her eye. I nodded with a bigger gleam in mine. "He came four times. Five, if you count this morning." "You little slut!" I giggled and nodded. "Five times???" she asked incredulously. "Most I've ever gotten out of Chuck was three, including the morning after. But did he get you off?" I leveled my gaze at my pretty blonde friend. "Would I have been this excited to tell you this morning if he didn't take care of me? The boy's a born muff-diver; and he's good." "Sooo jealous ... He could've been mine." "Wait, what?" I popped my eyebrows. "Oh, it's nothing serious." Stella waved her hand dismissively. "When Chuck and I were having issues last November, for around fifteen minutes I thought about seducing Teddy. I really don't meet that many guys my own age around here. And he IS cute." I smiled smugly. "He wouldn't have gone for you. He was still crushing on me." "Maybe." Stella gave me a challenging grin. "But then you've never actually seen me go to work." I laughed and the two of us chuckled over that for a few seconds. Stella then leaned forward and slapped my knee, a look of mock outrage on her face. "So how come I didn't know you two were going on a date last night? It was a Wednesday! What's up with that?" I giggled again and explained what had happened, starting back in the lab when I managed to spill chemicals into my face. After telling Amber the story this morning, I had the whole thing pretty much worked out. I'd have the story down pat by the time I had to tell Audrey and Paula. We were just getting to the point in the narrative where Teddy was walking me up to my door after dinner. He'd kissed me and was just about to walk away, stammering about how he didn't want to presume that I'd put out for him on the first date. But before I could get to that part, a knock sounded at my office door. Momentarily surprised, I blinked and then looked past Stella, who was sitting in one of my wing chairs. And then I called out, "Come in." The door swung open, and a big smile spread across my face as I saw who was coming in. "Teddy!" I exclaimed. "Hiii, E-Beth," he greeted me warmly, that goofy grin appearing at the mere sight of me. But a second later, he jerked in surprise. "Oh, uh, hi, Stella." "Teddy..." Stella drawled, an impish smirk on her face. "What's up?" I asked. "Oh, well, uh, I ... I can come back later," the poor boy stammered. "No, no, it's okay," Stella darted her eyes to me, rising up from her seat. "I can go." "No, I'm interrupting," Teddy apologized. "You shouldn't have to." "What's up?" I asked a little more emphatically. Teddy never had come to my office before. I was a little curious as to why, or if it was just a general desire to see me after our night together. Teddy darted his eyes to Stella again, looking nervous. And then looking right at me to get my full attention, he said in a measured tone, "Well, ah, I had told you ... before ... that there was something I would have to come tell you ... today..." He was being coy about the details, and I realized that he didn't want to announce that he'd been with me that morning. I chuckled and then waved dismissively at Stella. "Don't worry about her. I was just giving her all the details about our date." Teddy's eyebrows shot up. "ALL the details?" I grinned. "Well, not ALL of them. But enough. She knows you spent the night." "Oh, uh, okay..." "So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Teddy looked over at Stella again, clearly uncomfortable. But to his credit, the boy just straightened his spine and threw caution to the wind, damn the consequences. He stepped forward, wrapped me up in his arms, and then dipped me like they do in the movies. His strong, warm lips covered mine as he gave me a kiss of passion with all the need and longing he'd built up since we'd parted that morning. And I felt my entire body going weak, let alone my knees. And when he finally pulled his lips off mine, from inches away Teddy intoned in a deep voice, "I'm falling in love with you." I just blinked rapidly and smiled broadly. He's falling in love with me! He then stood me up, touched my cheek tenderly, and stated, "Now you know that I really mean it." And with one last smug look over to Stella, my new boyfriend turned and strode out of the office. Together, my blonde friend and I looked after the departing man. And together, we sighed dreamily. "Sooo jealous..." Stella moaned. ------- "Wow..." Teddy's chest rose and fell dramatically as he flopped onto his back, his deflating prick wet from the moisture of both our orgasms. "I take it back," he wheezed. "I'm not falling in love with you." "Huh?" I picked my head up and furrowed my eyebrows as I stared over at the panting, naked young man. Teddy chuckled and grinned as he looked over at me. "I'm already in love with you." "That's just the sex talking." I rolled my eyes and turned myself onto my side. I propped myself up on one elbow, and the overall position made my heavy boobs rest one on top of the other, creating a deep line of cleavage. "Wow..." Teddy moaned again, his eyes widening as he stared at my prodigious, naked bosom. He reached out, almost delicately caressing my breasts as if they were made of fine china. I rolled my eyes again and snickered. "Now that's really the sex talking." "The sex is great," Teddy agreed with a smile. He gently pushed at my shoulder, rolling me onto my back as he propped himself up above me, looking down at my face with adoration. "I didn't know girls were even capable of moving their inner muscles like that. It was like you were fucking me and giving me a handjob at the same time!" I grinned. "We old broads have some tricks up our sleeves." "Old broad," Teddy snorted. "Well, I am." "Stop saying that. You're young, youthful, and beautiful. And you are NOT too old for me, alright?" he scolded. I smiled happily. "Alright." His eyes softened, and he moved his hand away from my boobs and up to my cheek. Caressing it tenderly, he bent down and kissed me softly. "And this is more than sex to me. Don't get me wrong, I love it. Love it. But I've been IN LOVE with you for ... well ... it feels like forever." "Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows together. "You'll forgive me for asking, but I've never... never had a guy seem so completely in love with me before in my life. I know I'm not the hottest babe on the planet, not the type who gets worshipped from afar, so you'll forgive me if I'm a little skeptical that you could be so head- over-heels for me in one week." "I've known you for a lot longer than one week." Teddy frowned. "Dating for a week, then." "I've been in love with you since the day I first met you," Teddy said sincerely. "I thought you were simply stunning." I rolled my eyes dismissively. "There you go again. I'm NOT that stunning." "You are to me." "My BOOBS must have blinded you." Teddy glanced down, nuzzling his nose in my cleavage. "Yes, you have the most stunning pair of tits I've ever seen. They're perfect. And they certainly got my attention. But I love your face. I love your smile. And for a nerd like me, your brain is fucking sexy." I giggled. "My brain?" "You're brilliant, E-Beth," Teddy crooned. "I see the reports. I see the things you come up with in the labs. You're incredible." "I haven't figured out this one yet." "You will," he said confidently. I shook my head. "I don't get how you can have such faith in me, even though you barely know me." "I've been watching you for almost nine months now. I think I know enough to have some confidence in your abilities. Just like we've now had sex six different times." Teddy then moved my hand lower, to where I could grab his re-hardened erection. My eyebrows rose in surprise at his rigidity as Teddy grinned and said, "So you should have some faith in my ability to get hard again for you." "What was that, two minutes?" I gaped. "We were talking about your brain," Teddy smirked. "I told you I find it sexy." ------- "So we're still on for tonight?" I asked excitedly into my cell phone. I was in my own office at work, and Teddy was in the stockroom. But for some reason, it just felt appropriate to be making this personal call on our cell phones instead of on the company lines. His warm voice came through. "Absolutely. My friends are eager to meet you. And I'm eager to show you off. It's been such a long time that they've started teasing that you must look like a dog for me to have not introduced you yet." "It's only been two weeks!" I protested. "That's what I said. They complained that two weeks is plenty of time for me to have brought you by at least once. I finally had to tell them that we'd been pretty ... uh ... occupied ... for the past two weeks." "Mm, we certainly have..." I giggled, thinking about how we'd more or less spent every single night together in some fashion. There were the Sundays he missed because it was his weekly 'Family Dinner', which I wouldn't be invited to until we were like engaged or something. And there was the one Thursday night when he'd previously agreed to go to a basketball game with one of his best friends who had gotten tickets. Yeah, he often went home after work and had time to chat with his friends until coming to meet me for dinner. But other than that, Teddy spent every night of the past two weeks at my place ... and in my bed. It was our honeymoon phase. And it had been glorious. We chatted a bit just for a few minutes, and then Teddy ended the call by admonishing, "And don't work too late tonight, okay? We're meeting them at eight." "No worries. I'm a girl and I'm meeting my boyfriend's friends for the first time. I'm leaving here before five just to give myself enough time to primp." Teddy chuckled and I could actually picture him shaking his head in amusement. I hung up first and then sat back in my chair, sighing happily. My world was absolutely perfect. And then the knock sounded at the door. I picked my head up and then looked through the floor-to-ceiling 2-foot window that ran next to my door. My boss, Alfred, leaned into view so that I could see him, and I sat up straight to wave him in. "Good afternoon, Elizabeth," Alfred greeted me in a grandfatherly voice. "May I borrow a moment of your time?" "Of course, of course." I stood politely and gestured to a wing chair. He nodded and then turned around, conspicuously closing the door. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Whatever he had to say would be private. I wasn't too worried. After all, my work was doing just fine. But it was still just a little unnerving to wonder what he was coming to say. The door closed, Alfred took his seat, and then he collected himself. I waited anxiously until he cleared his throat. And in a patient, almost indifferent tone, he stated, "I understand you've recently become involved with a young man." My head jerked up straight and I furrowed my eyebrows. Was Alfred asking about my dating life? "Uh ... yes. Yes, I have," I stammered. "A young man who is also an employee of this company," Alfred clarified. I blinked twice. "I, uh..." I sputtered nervously. "Is that a problem? I mean, I reviewed the company regulations and as long as we're not in any sort of supervisory-" "No, no, dear," Alfred interrupted me, holding up a hand. I shut up immediately. And he explained, saying, "I merely wanted to confirm what I had heard. I'm not here to reprimand you or otherwise discourage the relationship." "Oh." Relieved, I sagged back into my chair and took a deep breath. "What do you know of this young man?" Alfred inquired. "Teddy? Uh, well, a few things I guess. He's worked in the stockroom since last June, after graduating from Harvard. He's an above-average dancer and a very sweet guy. He's under a lot of pressure from his parents, but they actually encouraged the stockroom job because they thought it would build his character." Alfred was nodding and at this point, he leaned forward and gave me a very serious look. "Elizabeth, I'm not your father and I don't pretend to be. But I consider you a bright young star in my department and I'll admit to having certain ... protective ... feelings for you. I just don't want to see you get hurt." He had such a look of parental concern on his face that I couldn't help but break into a smile and bark a short laugh. He was asking about my dating life! I grinned and said, "I can handle myself, Alfred. This isn't the first boyfriend I've had while working for you." "True. But then, I'd never met any of them before. This Teddy is rather young, isn't he?" I glanced down and had a little shit-eating grin. Teddy was certainly youthful. He still had the energy and enthusiasm of a teenager. And I hadn't had any one man fuck me for so long in one session since I'd been in college. I looked back up at Alfred and smiled. "He's young, yes. But he's very mature in some ways, the way he treats me for one. Teddy is a chivalrous gentleman, far more polished than a lot of older men I've been acquainted with. I think his parents trained him well." Alfred smiled and nodded. "Good to hear. You sound very happy. So I take it that this..." his hands started waving " ... relationship is not just a casual dalliance?" I chuckled. It really was a surprise that Alfred could be asking me this. He usually stayed out of my private life, as long as I got results in the lab. But he was harmless and I trusted him. So I just nodded and replied, "I'd like to think so. We're light-years away from discussing commitments or marriage or anything like that. But I'm certain that this is much more than just a fling for the both of us." Alfred smiled warmly and nodded again. He didn't say anything, but merely brought his palms together with fingers extended as if he were praying. And then with that little smile, he touched his index fingers to his nose. "That's good news. You deserve every happiness." "Thank you." I tilted my head forward in salute and then sat up straight again, taking a deep breath. "Is that all? I must admit, I'm quite surprised you took an interest in this." "Can't an old man harbor his own curiosities?" Alfred grinned. "I'm no gossip, but it's still interesting to find out what you young folk are up to." "Well now you know." He nodded and pushed down on the armrests to lever himself up and out of the chair. "You have a good day, Elizabeth," he said warmly. "And good luck with your burgeoning relationship." "Thanks, Alfred." I smiled just as warmly. And then he left. Well that was weird. ------- "So E-Beth. Are you sure I can borrow your boyfriend on Saturday? I mean, I don't want to interrupt what I'm sure is a fantastic sex life." "It's fine, Wayne," I giggled. "Just don't wear him out moving all that furniture. I plan to give him quite a workout the next chance I get." "Ah, man. I envy you," Wayne sighed, slapping his best friend on his shoulder. "Hey!" Jayna, Wayne's girlfriend, slapped her boyfriend on his shoulder. "Keep making comments like that and you won't be getting any workout at all!" Wayne cracked up and Jayna giggled. Teddy just sighed and wrapped his arm tighter around me. "And I presume we're gonna have to wait on the Sunwell Plateau raid until tomorrow, huh?" Joshua asked, looking mildly annoyed. Teddy looked at him and then back at me, giving his old High School friend a pointed look that clearly said, 'What do you think?' Joshua's eyes studied my face and then dropped to my tits for a second before he turned around, muttering, "Yeah, yeah..." I giggled and snuggled myself tighter to my boyfriend. 23-years-old or not, it was nice to know my man wouldn't even blink at choosing me over World of Warcraft, especially since The Burning Crusade had just come out a few weeks ago. Still, I felt bad for taking up so much of Teddy's time over the past several weeks. His friends were all mock-amazed to see him, acting as if they didn't recognize his face after such a looong absence. The girls in the group were quite understanding about the situation, and the guys certainly didn't blame Teddy once they got a good look at me. But still, some of the gamer boys couldn't help but bitch about missed time and even Teddy himself seemed a little worried that he wasn't keeping up with his friends' character advancement. I knew Teddy's nerd-side was still in there somewhere, and I hadn't been giving it room to really breathe. So I resolved to make a greater effort to give Teddy time and space. I would encourage him to spend more time with his friends, reassuring him that I had done just fine at entertaining myself before he and I hooked up together. I would do this ... later. Right now, I wanted to "occupy" my man for just a little longer. We waved goodbye to the three of them and Teddy's other friends. Dinner had been at the local Pizza parlor, drinking beer out of plastic pitchers and greasing up our intestines with Meat Lovers and Supremes. I knew I'd have to do some heavy exercising to make up for the unhealthy food. And I knew exactly what kind of exercising I wanted to do. "Hurry up, lover," I husked seductively into Teddy's ear once we got into his truck. I was kneeling on the seat beside him, clutching his right arm as I licked his lobe and purred with obvious arousal in my voice. The truck started and actually jerked he slammed it into reverse so fast. I giggled and then slid back to hurriedly fasten my seatbelt. Twenty minutes later, we pulled up outside my condo. Teddy had a decent apartment himself, but he also was sharing the two-bedroom place with Samir, one of his friends. And it was simply a lot freer to have sex at my place without worrying about roommates. As had become our custom, I waited in my seat after we'd parked, even though I was just as eager to get to the fucking as Teddy was. But I calmed myself and let him run around to my door, opening it and then reaching his arms up to me. I giggled while Teddy lowered me to the ground. And then pecking him quickly on the lips, I scampered up the walk, my keys already out and ready to open up the door. I had just gotten it open when Teddy abruptly cut my legs out from under me. Giggling in delight, I let him scoop me into a newlywed carry and then step across the threshold. He kicked the door shut and continued carrying me in my arms all the way to the bedroom. I knew I wasn't the lightest of girls, and it was always a turn-on when my man showed off his wiry strength by bringing me in and then dropping us onto the bed without even breaking a sweat. We kissed for what felt like hours. I'm sure it was little more than a couple of minutes, but our lips stayed locked together while our hands only half-heartedly scrabbled at each other's clothing. I managed to get his shirt unbuttoned without ripping it. And once it was fully undone, I rolled away and got to my feet, gesturing back at him. "Get undressed while I change into something a little more comfortable," I urged. Teddy nodded, shrugging out of the shirt while keeping his gaze firmly locked on me. I was wearing a polo shirt and jeans, the better to fit in casually with Teddy's younger crowd. And wanting to appear far sexier than this, I demurely turned and sashayed into my walk-in closet, letting my hips sway in an exaggerated motion with each step. I turned on the closet light, closed myself inside, and then got myself ready. Three minutes later, I opened the closet door. Teddy was almost naked, wearing only his boxer shorts as he sat on the bed in anticipation. I had dressed to kill, and I was rewarded by the sharp intake of breath and the sudden tension all along his body as he stared at me. It was good to know that even after two weeks of repeated exposure to my body, my boyfriend could still look at me as if it were the very first time. This sort of thing was really good for my fragile ego, and let's face it: I fucked him much more enthusiastically when my ego was feeling good. Strutting like a peacock, I strode forward until I was right next to the bed. Teddy's eyes darted up to my face a few times, but not unexpectedly he kept trailing his gaze down to my fully exposed bosom. I wasn't completely topless; I wore a black lace bra. But the cups had been fully pulled down to the underwire, leaving my proud tits hanging completely out with cherry-red nipples upthrust into the open air. Actually, I was sort of bottomless as well, wearing neither panties nor anything else separating my bare-shaven pussy from his unobstructed view. I was, however, wearing my favorite black garter and stocking set. And I also had on strappy black 5-inch stilettos that just screamed "Fuck me" at my man. Figuring I had let Teddy ogle my chest long enough. I turned my back to him, removing that particular paradise from view. Spreading my legs to the sides, I bent at the waist until I was looking back at my boyfriend from between my own knees. And reaching up, I spread my naked asscheeks apart with my own hands, exposing my pink pussy and dusky asshole. "I want you to fuck me in the ass, lover," I crooned, still upside-down. "Can you do that for me?" Teddy's eyes were immediately riveted to my bubble butt, no doubt staring right at that crinkled rosebud. His chest got tight and he stammered uncertainly, "I, uh ... I've never done that before." I giggled. "I figured. Guess there's a cherry of yours that I get to pop." Teddy certainly hadn't been a virgin before he met me. But while he'd had girlfriends, he'd never done anything really kinky with them before. They were always, for the most part, "nice" girls. And the sex was pretty vanilla: coital intercourse, the occasional blowjob, and a lot of cunnilingus on Teddy's part. He was just that kind of a considerate boyfriend. Already I'd freaked him out a bit when I asked him to tie me to the headboard. He'd nearly had a heart-attack when I pushed my pinky into his anus while giving him a blowjob. And he actually didn't believe me when I told him I was bisexual. At this point, I stood up and turned back around. My boyfriend was shock-still on the bed, breathing heavily even though we hadn't done anything yet. I felt a little crackle of electricity running through my entire body from excitement over what we were about to do, and a rush of power, knowing I held Teddy in the palm of my hand. I sashayed over to the nightstand, opening the drawer and pulling out a tube of Astroglide. I didn't open it yet. I merely set it on the table top to confirm what I was telling him. And then stretching myself out, I lay facedown on the bed and turned to look at my suddenly nervous boyfriend with a smokily seductive expression on my face. "What do I do?" he stammered. "Come kiss me, first. I'll show you the rest." Teddy came and kissed me. And then I showed him the rest. Twenty minutes later, my boyfriend was flat on his back beside me, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he stared in wonder at the ceiling. I was right next to him, my chest rising and falling as well. My boobs were still fully exposed, the pulled-down bra doing nothing but holding each globe firmly aloft as I similarly panted for breath. And the mere fact that Teddy wasn't staring at my tits was testament to how completely his mind had just been blown. The kissing had loosened him up a little. Kissing: he understood. He'd started to tense up when I had him lube up his fingers and push them into my asshole, but then I'd started kissing him again and he got into it. I'd found myself quivering with a new kind of excitement. I was falling for the boy, and his cute face, fit body, and overall awe of me were quite the physical turn-ons, just like I'd felt with previous boyfriends. But what made Teddy unique was that he was a relative novice, sexually, and the idea that I had him as my plaything to mold and shape into my perfect lover just made moments like this extra-sweet. Still keeping my face and chest on the bed, I'd then pushed myself up onto my knees, thrusting my ass into the air. I'd had Teddy enter my pussy from behind, again something familiar. But while he stroked my vaginal tunnel with long, deliberate thrusts, I started talking to him about what was to come. "Spread my asscheeks, lover. Mmm ... that's it. See my glistening anus? See that tight, crinkled rosebud? Soon, baby, you're gonna fuck it. You won't believe how hot and tight and wonderful it's gonna feel for you. And I'm giving it to you. I'm giving you my ass. Don't you see how much I want to please you? Don't you see everything I want to teach you? I know it may seem kind of strange and unnatural; but when you push that big, throbbing dick that's stretching my cunt into my tight asshole, you'll know why I want this for you. You'll know why I want this for us. Because I'm yours. Treat me right, and this body will always be yours to take and use and enjoy for all eternity. Are you ready lover? Is your cock nice and slick from my pussy-juices? Can you feel how wet I am in anticipation for this?" He didn't respond except to groan and fuck me a little harder. "I'm ready for you, lover. My ass is ready for you. Pull out now and push it up my ass. Ooh, I can't wait! That's it! I can feel it. A little harder, baby; I won't break. Keep holding my cheeks apart. Push, baby! Push! Just a little harder and ... AAAGH! More-more-more-more-more! You're in me, lover! Your dick is in my ass! Push more! Deeper! Deeper! All the way! All the way until I can feel your balls slapping up against my pussy! More! FUCK! Now fuck me! Grab my tits, hold on for the ride, and FUCK ME! FUCK ME! YES!" Neither of us lasted very long. Practice had taught me to relax my anal muscles and let my man push his way in with relatively little friction. I would clamp them shut again as he pulled back, stimulating his cock nerves on the outstrokes. And when faced with the searing heat of my bowels, the exquisite tightness of my anal chute, and the feel of my heavy tits in his palms, Teddy didn't have a chance. Me? Just knowing my man was sodomizing me, fucking an asshole for the very first time in his life, was more than enough. Sure, I got the physical pleasure from being filled up and stretched in such a wonderfully overwhelming way. But knowing I was hunched over my own bed, with Teddy losing control as he sawed in and out of me like a spastic jackrabbit, sent me over my edge. "SHHIIIIITTTT!" I screamed as the orgasm detonated inside me. My butt muscles clenched, threatening to break off Teddy's dick in my ass. And from my position on all fours, my entire body quivered and quaked like a wet dog trying to shake off the water after a bath. "UNNNGHHH!" Teddy groaned moments later. His hands were clamped down around my tits even tighter than my butt muscles were around his cock. I was bucking so hard that he literally had to hang on for the ride, and when we were done I formed bruises in the shape of fingers wrapped around my breasts. But he managed to ride me out, and soon his own hips were jerking around as he fired wad after wad of hot cream into the nether depths of my body. "Oh gawd..." I moaned as my chest collapsed to the bed, pinning his hands beneath me. "Oh gawd..." I panted again. "Ungh!" Teddy grunted as he fell with me, his pelvis still trying to lunge and cram an extra half-inch of cock into my rectum, his balls still contracting as they squirted a few extra ounces of spunk up his shaft and into my bowels. When he'd finished, I simply smiled and reached up with one hand to pat his arm approvingly. "That was great, lover," I crooned before putting my cheek back down on the bed. Teddy stayed on top of me for a few more seconds before realizing he was crushing me. Only then did he roll onto his back, staring in wonder at the ceiling, no doubt reminiscing about the incredible experience he'd just gone through. And I rolled onto my back as well, removing the pressure of my own boobs compressing my lungs. And I gasped for air. Eventually, we both caught our breaths and looked at each other. His eyes trailed down my semi-naked body, from exposing bra to garters, stockings, and the heels I still wore. My own eyes trailed down his, taking in the well-formed pecs, the flat abs, and his gradually deflating cock. But then I also noticed the bright red welt running six inches along his side. And a rush of adrenaline burst through me as I sat up and reached over to it. "Oh no! You're hurt!" The scratch was mostly just on the surface, but there were a couple of points where the skin had been broken so that droplets of blood oozed out. Teddy looked down and then chuckled. "Oh yeah. You were kicking so hard that your stiletto kind of shanked me." My eyes flew open. "Teddy! Why didn't you say something?" He looked at me like I was crazy. "What, and stop? Babe, you would have had to rupture my spleen before I stopped fucking you. Good lord ... that was incredible!" I managed to crack a smile at that, reassured that I hadn't caused any permanent damage. But I still traced the welt with worry. And looking over at my boyfriend, I said, "Maybe I should take some time before involving you in my other kinks." But Teddy reached down and took my hand, bringing it up so that he could kiss it. "E-Beth, if your other kinks are anything like what we just did, please, don't hold back." His blue-gray eyes shone brightly. "I promise. I can handle anything you throw at me." ------- -- MARCH 2007 -- "Good morning, Stella," I greeted in a friendly voice as I passed her cubicle. Unexpectedly, the pretty, young blonde just looked dourly at me and mumbled, "What's so good about it?" I paused and turned back. My purse had come a little off my shoulder when I'd stopped so abruptly. And I fixed the strap before coming back around and giving Stella a serious look. "Hey. C'mon." I head-nodded back to my office. Sighing, Stella slowly put her hands on her desk and pushed off it to roll her chair back. Then like a lazy teenager looking like she'd rather do ANYTHING but stand up and come talk to me, she dragged herself out of her chair and followed me into my office. Stella slumped into a wing chair while I closed the door. Instead of going around to my side of the desk, I dropped into the other wing chair and took her hand in mine. "Hey, honey. What's wrong?" Her eyes were quivering almost as much as her lower lip. And with her voice cracking, she mumbled, "Chuck and I broke up!" Quickly, I pulled her toward me and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Stella buried her face against my neck and started sobbing, and I whispered soothing shushes while stroking her back. Now wasn't a time for questions or solutions. First I just had to show my friend that I was on her side. Discussions could wait. Three tissues later, Stella managed to get out the story. Thankfully, nothing horrific had happened. Nobody had cheated and there was no physical abuse. Theirs was simply a relationship that had run its course and it was time to move on. Chuck was your typical 24-year-old post-frat boy. He lived for drinking beer and watching sports and was about as romantic as a burlap sack of nails. He'd been cute and affable when they'd first met. But as the passion died out and became boring, the relationship had gone stale. The final straw seemed to be when Chuck didn't even bother to buy flowers or do anything for their one and only Valentine's Day. Her birthday was coming up, as well, and as far as Stella could tell he wasn't planning to do anything special for that, either. And after a couple of weeks wondering whether they had a future together, they simply agreed to move on. Actually, Stella had been the one to suggest breaking up. But even so, it had to hurt a girl to know her relationship of the past eight-plus months was over. I was sure she'd be fine. But right now, she was going through all the typical emotional second-guessing of the newly single: 'Did I make the right decision?' 'Should I give him another chance?' 'Maybe he wasn't all that bad, even if he seemed like an insensitive turd... ' I'd seen many girlfriends go through the same thing, and I'd been there myself more than a few times. The only thing that would help it was time. And we were taking our time. Alfred noticed that his department admin wasn't at her desk. He walked by once, peeking in my office since Stella could often be found chatting with me. He noticed her crying on my shoulder and immediately disappeared. Dealing with emotional girls was NOT our boss' forte. He was more than happy to leave that to me. An hour later, the resolutions to be smarter the next time began. First, Stella swore off frat guys the way I'd sworn off charming but shallow bad boys, no matter how cute they were. If nothing else, the two of us promised each other we would never again date a man whose name began with "CH", like Chuck and Chad. And in the end, I told her that her timing was perfect. "Perfect? Why?" I grinned. "We're doing the Girls Night Out tomorrow, remember?" Stella blinked, and then the lightbulb went off in her head as her eyes popped open. "Oh, yeah!" Club X was downtown and held a Ladies Night the first Friday of every month. There would be no cover charge and free drinks until 9pm for anyone with a nice pair of breasts. We girls had already planned this since last week, and even cleared it with our significant others. Chuck had initially okayed it, but then he probably didn't much care anymore. Teddy had given me the greenlight; he knew I just wanted to have some fun. Audrey's husband Jin had given permission; she would flirt and tease but certainly return home at the end of the night. And Paula had been "seeing" a guy for a couple of weeks, but they weren't even close to committed and so she was free to do whatever the heck she wanted. "You'll have fun," I promised my friend. "And I'm sure we can find at least fifty guys that would blow Chuck right out of the water." ------- "Wooooo!!!" Stella screamed, her voice just barely audible above the blaring music. No matter, the sight of her perky cheerleader body with arms raised and hips gyrating to the beat was more than enough to call attention to herself. And attention she was getting. I'd said before that Stella was a very pretty girl. She was petite, standing only 5'3". But she had a cute doll-face, fine blonde hair, and a bubbly attitude. More than one person, myself included, had commented that she reminded them of Sara Jean Underwood, an actual Playboy Playmate, but with bigger tits. In any case, Stella was constantly up and dancing, making it plainly obvious that she was single and available; and men were flocking to her like bees to honey. Not that Stella would give them more than an inch. Oh, she loved the attention, but she also had absolutely zero interest in hooking up with a guy and going home with him tonight. More than once, she'd let a guy buy her a drink and chat with him for as long as it took for that drink to disappear. But when the glass was empty, she returned to the table and to her friends. And then the cycle repeated itself, until she decided she'd had enough drinks and just wanted to dance. "C'mon, E-Beth! Audrey! Let's go!" Audrey had just finished dancing. She'd let a cute guy lure her out, but only after flashing her wedding ring. He'd stated he just wanted to have fun for a few minutes, and kept to his word by not pushing any of her boundaries for the three or four songs that they danced together. And protesting that her feet were now sore, she talked us into letting her stay at the table and watch our purses. Paula, on the other hand, seemed to have no problems with the possibilities of hooking up with a guy and going home with him. She'd been picky so far, cutting off two guys before they got very far. But her latest dance partner seemed to be making progress, and the buxom blonde was currently rubbing her ass into his crotch on the dance floor. So that's how Stella and I ended up dancing together. Drunk off her ass from WAY too many free cocktails, she simply closed her eyes and gyrated to the music, enjoying the head rush of gravity as she bobbed from side-to-side. Come to think of it, I was pretty drunk, too. We'd only gotten in one round before the free drinks cut off at 9pm. But the guys had started buying for us after that, and even though I wasn't actively looking for company, I still had enough free drinks come my way as well. Now there's a curious dynamic about flirting at a club. In a group of four girls, guys aren't that shy about approaching one of the girls to ask her to dance. It's not conducive to getting free drinks (after all, you can't buy a drink for one without buying a drink for all four), but it's okay to ask one to dance, because the other three still have each other for company. That was how the evening had worked from the beginning, with all four of us holding fort at our table, being siphoned off and then returned one-by-one. At the same time, a girl alone is obvious prey. Even when no one was approaching us as a group, Paula would split off and meander toward the bar, usually getting intercepted by someone before she got there. Like me, she had her big tits out and on full display, announcing "Hey come check me out!" to anyone who cared to look. But despite these opposites of numbers that ultimately lead to the same results, TWO girls are somehow "not approachable". After all, you can't buy a drink for one without buying for the other, and you also can't ask one to dance without risking her abandoning the friend. The only way to approach a pair is to come as a pair of guys themselves. And that just didn't happen as often. And that was just the way Stella and I wanted it for now. Like I've said, I'm a chemist. I'm perfectly aware of what happens to the body's system after they exercise beyond a certain point. Some call it the "runner's high". Basically, we'd been dancing long enough that our pituitary glands and hypothalami had stepped up endorphin production, functioning like an opiate to give us a sense of well- being not so dissimilar from orgasm. In short, dancing felt good, and we wanted to keep doing it. But we'd had enough drinks and chatted with enough guys. She wasn't ready to get even remotely involved with a male only a day after her breakup with Chuck, and honestly I was starting to think of Teddy. (A) I got horny when I was drunk. And (B) the last time I was this drunk was the night of the Holiday Party, when I DID sleep with Teddy. So instead of finding male dance partners, we danced with each other. Stella opened her eyes enough to focus on me and move her body in harmony with mine. I gyrated and swung my hips to match her movements. And little smiles spread across both our faces as we realized how in-sync we were. Dancing really is like a vertical miming of sex, and with that thought in my brain, plus my latent attraction to pretty girls, plus the endorphin rush, I was getting really, REALLY turned on dancing with the pretty blonde. And I wasn't the only one. I saw the pant in the way Stella was breathing. I recognized the flush in her cheeks and the way her eyelids drooped. She might have been straight, but she was drunk enough and energized enough to be feeling good. Besides, while our current pairing was a deterrent to any solitary guys coming to try and separate us, the sight of two smokin' hot chicks practically freaking each other was enough to get a LOT of pairs of eyes watching us at rapt attention. And any girl will tell you it's quite the turn-on to know you have that many people trying to undress you with their eyes. One brave soul DID try to approach all by his lonesome. I actually didn't notice him until I felt a strange hand gliding up my ass. And instantly, I stopped dancing and turned to glare at my molester. "Desist in your unwanted advances or be notified in a more blatant manner," I practically sneered. The half-drunk dude just stared at me blankly. "Huh?" "Get your fucking hand off my ass or I'll slap you so hard you'll wish I was pouring hydrochloric acid down your shorts instead." Half-drunk dude got his hand off my ass and beat a hasty retreat. I turned back to Stella, who just looked at me with a mixture of admiration and arousal. And soon the pair of us got right back into the groove of things. The song ended and another continued. The fast, bouncing beat of the first one was replaced by a more grooving hip-hop track; and our hips slowed down and swayed further accordingly. I got a little off-balance when I leaned a little too far and almost bumped into Stella, so I had to put my hand on her waist to correct myself. And without really thinking about it, I didn't pull my hand away. Her eyes flashed with something as she realized this, but the pretty blonde didn't move to remove my hand. Actually, she seemed to move even closer. And by the end of that song, she'd slipped her own hand down to rest on my hip as well. By the third song, two guys apparently worked up the nerve to approach us. They had their arms up and they started bopping to the beat to try and match our rhythm. But when they got within two feet, Stella raised her eyes and got one guy's attention, shaking her head in the negative. And obediently, the pair of them backed off. Immediately after, Stella beckoned me toward her by curling a finger. I moved in closer, enough so that my big breasts bumped into hers a time or two. And then completely out of the blue, she wrapped a hand behind my ear, tugged me closer, and brushed her lips across mine. A glass shattered on the floor somewhere nearby. The two of us stopped dancing, looked over to see some poor sap bending over trying to scoop up the shards of his broken highball glass. And giggling in obvious amusement, Stella just grabbed my hand and pulled me out toward the patio. We were both still laughing when we got outside. The fenced-off area was semi- full with smokers, but Stella pulled me into a quieter, darker corner away from them while simultaneously taking deep breaths to get fresh oxygen. We were both sweaty and hot from our exertions, steam rising off our scantily-clad bodies in the cool March air. But we wouldn't feel the chill for a while as we calmed down from the momentary excitement. "Ohmigawd..." Stella laughed. "I haven't done that in years!" Now outside and shielded from the thumping music, I could actually hear her without straining my ears. I chuckled. "What? Danced with another girl?" "No," the pretty blonde blushed. "Kissed another girl. I think it had the exact same result the last time too. Only plastic Solo cups don't shatter quite like that." I giggled and nodded agreeably. "What about you?" Stella grinned at me. "You seem the aggressive, experimental type. You ever kissed a girl before that?" "Of course," I laughed. Oh, if only you knew, honey. "Don't all guys love to watch?" Stella laughed and nodded. "Oh, this has been a fun night..." she sighed. "Thanks, E-Beth. Thanks for dragging me out." "Of course. You're my friend. You were there for me after Chad. How could I do any less?" Stella smiled, her head a little wobbly. "I didn't do a damn thing when you broke up with Chad. You were more angry than sad. And then you almost immediately got wrapped up in your Grant drama." "Still..." She sighed, her eyes unfocused. "I'll be fine. Chuck isn't worth crying over. Fuck, he was lousy in bed, too. Did I ever tell you that?" I laughed. "Uh, no. I don't think so." She scowled. "Seriously, dancing in there with you got me hornier than he's made me in six months. I haven't been truly sexually satisfied in WAY too long." "Aww ... I'll bet it wasn't that bad." I rubbed her shoulder. A twinkle came into Stella's green eyes and she conspiratorially leaned in close enough to bump her forehead into mine. And from that close, she covered our mouths and asked, "How's Teddy in bed? Is he still doing it for you?" I blinked and backed up in surprise. I wouldn't have expected her to so blatantly ask about my sex life. Then again, she was drunk. And actually, so was I. So I just grinned and growled, "Oh, Teddy is fantastic!" Stella took one envious look at the expression on my face, and then backed away and groaned. "Ohhh ... I'm SOOO jealous. Does he have a big dick?" Yep, still drunk. "It's fabulous. Maybe not the biggest I've ever seen. But it's niiice. And he certainly knows how to use it. I mean, when we first got together, he got so worked up he'd pop off pretty fast. But he's young, he always gets it up fast again." "Oh, that's right ... You said you guys did it like five times the first night you got together." It wasn't our first night together, but I wasn't going to bring that up right now. "Yeah ... we certainly did," I moaned dreamily. Stella moaned as well, her eyes going distant. "Ohhh ... I need to get properly laid..." she whined. "But it's so HARD to find a good man! How did you do it?" I grinned and shook my head. "I have no idea." "No fair..." "There are plenty of guys in there who'd be happy to give you their best shot." Stella frowned and looked back to the door. "Yeah, but it's a crapshoot. There's no way of knowing if they're wonderful on the outside and miserable assholes on the inside. And with my luck lately, I'd probably pick one who secretly has a pencil-dick that squirts and goes limp inside thirty seconds." I laughed at that little bit of imagery, but then a truly naughty thought came to mind. Hey, my very good friend Stella needed to get properly laid after a bad boyfriend. My own very good boyfriend Teddy had been so wonderful to me, treating me like a princess. And ... I'd always wanted a chance to at least see Stella naked, if not worm my way into her panties. If I hadn't been drunk, the rational part of my brain probably would have intercepted the message before it got to my mouth. But I was drunk, and before I'd realized it, I'd already blurted, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to bring you home with me and have Teddy himself screw your fucking head off!" Stella's eyes flew WIDE open in abject shock. Her jaw dropped and her eyes were fluttering rapidly. "Oh, E-Beth! I would never think to move in on your boyfriend, and-" "I'm serious," I cut her off, again without really thinking about it. Despite Stella's protestation, her nipples were rock hard and poking the material of her shirt. And I saw the new sweat forming at her brow as her face flushed a new shade of pink. My hormones were certainly driving me. Stella was a babe, and I'd long harbored some fantasies about getting her into my bed. So throwing caution to the wind, I stepped forward and wrapped my hands around the pretty blonde's waist. I pulled her crotch against mine, mashed my tits against hers, and put my lips next to her ear. And then in my deepest, most seductive voice, I crooned, "Come home with me. Let me watch Teddy fuck your brains out. I've trained my man very well, and I promise you he'll give you the ride of your life." And then again, without really thinking about it, I pushed my nose down to her neck, inhaling my pretty friend's sweet scent, and I started nibbling on her sensitive skin. Stella's chest was dramatically rising and falling, pushing against mine as she took great big breaths of excitement. When I turned my face to hers, her big green eyes were luminous and in awe, staring at me with both fear and arousal. She didn't say a word. She just stared at me. And as I looked at her beautiful face, I simply couldn't help myself anymore as I closed the gap between us and softly pressed my lips against hers. Her hands had been on my shoulders, and her fingers tightened the moment our mouths met. She didn't resist, but she didn't kiss me back, either. And at that moment, I think she started to get the implication of what I was suggesting. I wasn't just offering to loan my boyfriend to her. I was implying a threesome ... with both of us. Maybe I'd pushed her too far. Forcing myself to calm down, I relaxed my grip around her waist and purposefully backed myself away. I didn't step back; I merely held myself a few inches in front of her face. And I watched the riot of emotions running through Stella's eyes as she stared back at me: lust, fear, shame, and excitement. I watched her heavy breathing speed up as her heartbeat must have been absolutely racing. And then I watched her eyes sharpen as she obviously reached the point of telling herself "fuck it". And Stella grabbed my head and kissed me again. Well, Teddy DID say he could handle anything I threw at him. ------- Audrey drove me and Stella home. She was a bit of a mama hen and our designated driver for tonight. She would also have brought Paula back, but the buxom blonde had found ... other ... means for getting home (if she got home tonight at all). It was a good thing I was riding shotgun. If I'd been in the backseat with Stella, I'm not sure I would've been able to keep my hands off her. And as wonderful as Audrey was as a friend, she was also a gossip and I had no idea how she would have handled me and Stella drunkenly groping each other in her car. At least she wasn't suspicious of Stella spending the night with me. This soon after the breakup with Chuck, everyone was extra attentive to our youngest member. So when Stella told Audrey she didn't want to be alone tonight and was crashing at my place, Audrey didn't even bat an eye. When we got to my condo, Stella and I said our goodnights to Audrey before walking a little stiffly (and wobbly at the same time) up to my door. My heart was thumping in my chest as I pondered my next move. I was still horny as hell and really wanted this. But in all my playing around with other girls, I'd never had to seduce one; all the other chicks I'd slept with had been bi or lez before I'd shown up on the scene, with the one exception of Amber in college when we'd first gotten curious together. Stella removed any doubt from the equation as soon as we walked in the door. I closed and locked it behind me. And when I turned around to give Stella a nervous but hopeful smile, she simply pushed me back against the door, tilted my head down to hers, and pressed her lips firmly against mine. So sweet... Eventually, we broke apart and smiled at each other. And then remembering the third part to this little ménage, I dug into my purse and pulled out my cell phone. But before I held down the speed dial to my boyfriend, I gave Stella a serious look. Despite her bold gesture, the pretty blonde was still clearly nervous. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked. Stella took a deep breath, and then gave me a little smile. "Shouldn't I be the one asking if you're sure you want to share your boyfriend?" I chuckled and grinned. "I'm sure. You have no idea how hot it makes me just thinking about him pounding you into my bed." Stella's lower lip quivered, and she let out an adorable breathy moan. Her eyelids fluttered and she nodded. "Then yes. I'm sure." And for good measure, her green-eyed gaze swept rather appreciatively up and down my body as well. Grinning, I held down the button and waited for him to pick up. Sure enough, my man was excited to hear from me. "E-Beth!" "Heyyy, lover," I hummed seductively. "You're back from the club?" "Yeah." "Did you have a good time?" Teddy asked with sincere interest. "Yeah, I had a great time. But I've got a problem." I turned my voice into a schoolgirl pout. "I'm drunk and I'm horny and I need you to take care of my problem for me." Teddy chuckled and then I could hear him covering the phone with one hand. No doubt, he was walking away to somewhere a little more private. "Right now?" he whispered in both surprise and excitement. "Right now," I husked. "And, I've got a ... petite ... surprise for you." I giggled, staring right at Stella, still a little tipsy from the alcohol. "I'll be right there," he replied quickly. Teddy and I said our goodbyes and then hung up. Stella was sitting on the couch by now. I asked if she wanted anything else to drink, and she just asked for water. I got us two and moved to sit beside her on the couch. She sipped at the glass and then looked at me a little nervously. "You've done this before, haven't you?" I looked at her seriously and nodded. While she looked at me with both arousal and nervousness, I only looked at her with arousal. "Have you?" I asked gently. Stella blushed and looked down as if embarrassed. But she nodded and replied, "Sort of." "Sort of?" She blushed again. And then after taking another sip of water and another deep breath, she explained. "Three years ago. Sophie was my roommate. It wasn't too different from tonight, actually. She was this really beautiful brunette, like you." I blushed, "Stop it." Stella rolled her eyes and relaxed considerably. "You're such a dork. You always think I'm joking whenever I tell you how gorgeous you are. Anyways, we'd been best friends and roommates for a while. We'd been to a few parties, and you know how guys like to watch two girls dancing together. We'd already kissed a few times, not to turn each other on, but just to get reactions from the boys." I nodded. It made me hot to watch two girls making out. Not that watching two guys did a thing for me. But two girls? Hell, yeah. "Anyways," Stella continued, starting to look nervous again. "One night, we both got home after deciding none of the guys at the party were worth hooking up with. But we were both horny and single. I made a comment about needing to jill off, and so did she." I started to get an idea of where this was going, but I waited patiently. Stella took another deep breath and then looked up at me. "One thing led to another. I started rubbing myself ... she started rubbing herself. She moved in to kiss me. I wanted to touch her boobs. We both got naked and started really making out with each other; but we never got past second base, actually. We both fingered the other to orgasms, but that was as far as it went." I nodded, feeling some nerves of my own. If that was as far as Stella had gone, then was she ready for me to go all the way? If I pushed her, would she regret everything? I didn't know if I could handle losing her as my best friend at work. "How were things between you and her afterward?" I asked hesitantly. Stella looked up at me and seemed to realize what I was getting at. She smiled and shook her head. "I have no regrets. Sophie and I are still good friends today, even though she moved back home. Once we'd sobered up, we were awkward around each other for about a week. But then we went to a party the next weekend and then came home and did the exact same thing. It definitely wasn't anything regular. But before she moved away, I think Sophie and I masturbated each other a dozen or so times." I sighed with relief. Stella sighed nostalgically. "She was such a good kisser. So different from any guy I've ever been with." "I know what you mean," I said sagely. Stella bit her lip and looked at me warily. "Why do I get the feeling you're an old hat at this?" I leaned forward and touched her cheek. Smiling warmly, I said, "I'm bisexual. I'm sorry I never told you before, but you seemed pretty straight and I didn't want to weird you out." She blinked a few times. "Bisexual? So ... you've done this a lot, haven't you?" I nodded. "Mostly in college. But a few times since I've moved out here. I still like guys more. I eventually want to get married and have a family and all that. But there's something just so different about a woman's touch. It's ... well ... hopefully I'll get to show you soon." Stella closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and leaned her cheek into my palm. She collected herself, and then opened her eyes, staring at me with an intense green gaze. "Show me now." ------- She was perfect. Stella was like a living Barbie Doll, letting me take the lead and do whatever I really wanted to her. Her skin was flushed from both alcohol and excitement. And she quivered every single time I touched her, no matter where I touched her. We started with kissing. Kissing, Stella could wrap her head around. We held each other's head there on the couch, just absorbing the sensations of lips and tongues melding together with an intimately yielding softness. Stella didn't resist when I slid a hand down to her shoulder, then down her arm, and underneath to hold her side. She actually turned her torso to me when I moved to cup her breast, and soon she'd reached both of her hands to my bigger mounds. We broke then, so that I could pull my dress off and give her better access to my tits. And she surprised me with her aggression in reaching around me to unhook my bra and free the prominent globes. "I've wanted to do this for months," Stella cooed before ducking her head and wrapping her lips around the nipple of my right breast. She suckled and moaned, letting her eyes roll up into her head as she savored the flavor of my skin, musky with sweat after dancing at the club. Taking her cue, I similarly began to strip her out of her clothes. But at the last moment, I picked her head up and said, "Let's go into the bedroom." Drunk on lust more than alcohol now, Stella nodded and let me stand her up. But then it was she almost dragging me down the hallway and into my bedroom. And once there, she helped me strip off her dress so that she was down to her underwear alone while I stood there completely topless. The two of us were just getting into the groove of things when the doorbell rang. I cursed the interruption for a moment before remembering just WHY the doorbell would be ringing. And a fresh surge of excitement shot through me as I picked my head up and looked into my friend's eyes. "He's here." Stella looked even more excited than me. I got up and quickly pulled on a robe to answer the door. I checked to make sure it was Teddy, and soon my wonderful boyfriend had his tongue down my throat while he kicked the door shut behind him. He had enough presence of mind to break away long enough to lock it. I then vaulted myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist while he supported me. And he kissed me fiercely before ducking his head into my naked cleavage and nuzzling himself between my tits. "Bedroom, babe," I commanded. And my trusty steed quickly walked us back to my bedroom. But when we got there, he stopped so suddenly that he quite literally dropped me in surprise. Fortunately, I landed on my feet. And as I regained my balance, I turned to glance at the bed where Stella was reclining against the headboard, clad in nothing but a white lace bra and matching white thong panties. With her silky blonde hair neatly framing her face and a twinkle in her green eyes, she looked seductively at my boyfriend and posed herself for maximum sex appeal. "Hey there, Teddy," she hummed. "St ... Stella?" Teddy stammered in shock. "I TOLD you I had a petite surprise." I grinned at my boyfriend. I stroked his side and then reached up to my shoulders to slip the robe off. Like always, Teddy's eyes immediately darted to my exposed tits, and then stayed on them as I bent over and stripped off the rest of my clothing. Once completely naked, I then took him by the waist and moved him backwards, directing him until his calves hit the nearby armchair; and I dropped him onto it. "You're a little earlier than I'd expected," I told him. "Either that, or Stella and I got a little distracted with each other. So you're gonna have just sit and watch for a bit. Go ahead and get undressed if you want. I certainly hope you jerk off. But this could take a little while. I don't think Stella's ever done this before; not with a girl, at least." "Done what?" Teddy stammered nervously. I grinned and waggled my eyebrows. Teddy's eyes popped up. "You mean you're gonna... ?" His voice trailed off as he stared at Stella, who just squirmed on the bed. I giggled. "I TOLD you I was bisexual." "So you ... and her ... are just gonna ... while I..." "Oh, don't worry, lover," I interrupted reassuringly. "You'll get your chance with her, too." And then turning around, I presented my naked ass to my boyfriend as I sashayed back to the bed and crawled onto it like a jungle cat stalking my prey. I then moved straight over the reclining blonde, who was panting shallowly in anticipation. "Are we really doing this?" Stella asked nervously. "Just let us blow your mind," I purred. I think both Stella AND Teddy had their minds blown that night. I was right: Stella had never been eaten out by another girl before. Actually, she hadn't been eaten out much in the last year, period (Apparently, Chuck wasn't the considerate type). And not only was she shell-shocked from the knowledge it was me with my tongue and fingers imbedded up her twat, but I don't think she'd ever been eaten by someone who understood the female pussy like I did. I gave Teddy some time to wrap his head around things before inviting him in. Stella had spent the past hour riding home with me and then chatting and making out with me to get used to the idea of a fully Sapphic experience. Teddy had to make do with the idea of his first threesome in a far briefer period. But he did end up opening up his jeans and beating off while I worked Stella to two screaming orgasms. Then I got my knees under me and waggled my ass at my boyfriend. "Come fuck me, babe!" I urged. And faster than I would have thought, he'd completely disrobed and rammed his full length up my cunt. The three of us pulsed back and forth on the bed like that for several minutes: Stella sitting up with my face in her crotch, me on my hands and knees, and Teddy kneeling behind me, thrusting away with an animalistic fury. I can only imagine the looks my boyfriend and best co-worker friend were exchanging above my sweaty body. Stella had time to squeal out one more orgasm, and I got one too, before Teddy groaned that he was about to cum. It hadn't been much more than five minutes, but I could understand that my man was a little overstimulated after watching his girlfriend eating out the hot blonde. This wasn't my first threesome, after all. I briefly fantasized about spreading my legs and shoving Stella's pretty little head into my crotch, urging her to send her tongue as deep as she could up my channel to suck out my boyfriend's semen. But realistically, asking a Sapphically- inexperienced girl like Stella to eat a creampie out of me would probably be too much too fast. On the other hand... "Cum on my tits!" I howled to Teddy. "Cum on my tits!" After a couple more lunges, Teddy finally yanked his cock out of me. This wasn't the first time I'd requested this of him, and he wrapped his hand around his shaft, squeezing tightly while I flipped onto my back and then cupped my own big breasts, pressing them together to form absolutely mouthwatering cleavage. Groaning in agony, my boyfriend knee-walked over my body and leaned forward. And with a gasp of relief, he released his hand and started wanking out jet after jet of creamy white jism, a hot spray of cum that splattered against the slopes of my breasts and started running down them to form creeks and pools of a sexual waterway amongst my mountainous bosom. Teddy hunched over me and gasped for air when he was done, wincing as if he had a massive headache from not breathing for too long. But despite the pain, there was no mistaking the goofy grin on his face. And his grin got even bigger when I looked up at Stella and asked, "Will you lick this off me?" She hesitated for a moment, but the allure of my tits was too much for Stella and she quickly crawled over, dipping her face and darting her tongue out like a delicate housecat that wanted to clean me up. She closed her eyes as her tongue laved its way across my taut titflesh. She swirled around the nipples, gulping and slurping noisily. And all the while, a keening moan of arousal hummed its way out of her mouth. This was turning her on even more. The cum was all gone, but Stella was still licking. She kept going for another two minutes, just playing with the globes that stood upright and firm, sagging only slightly even though I was lying flat on my back. And then finally she popped up and looked at Teddy, fondling my mammaries and giggling, "They're just so incredible! I'm sooo jealous of these!" To my amazement, Teddy just smiled and stared right at the perky blonde. "You look like you've got a wonderful pair. Can I see them, please?" Stella had been dressed in both bra and panties when Teddy had first arrived. I'd removed the thong panties to get at her pussy, but I'd never removed the bra. The petite girl had a very nice set for her size, definitely a C-cup. Both Teddy's and my eyes were locked onto her chest as she demurely reached behind herself and unhooked the clasp. And then to my surprise, she leaned forward and husked in a cutely seductive voice, "You can take it off me." Teddy grinned and reached out with both hands, delicately taking hold of the shoulder straps and then pulling them down her arms. His breath caught as he looked at Stella's perky mounds, a wonderful shape where the upper half looked like part of a cone and the lower half like the bottom of a sphere. Crinkly pink nipples capped the ends, and I saw Teddy's hands twitch with desire to touch them. But I had other ideas first. I'd seen Teddy's cock twitching with signs of new life as Stella's tits were revealed. And I was already anxious to see him stuff that glorious piece of man meat into Stella's tight little cunny. So sitting up, I ordered my man to lie down and let me go to work on him. He did as asked, and I reversed myself so that I was lying beside him on the bed, but with my head at his crotch. From this position, I was able to take his shaft in my left hand and start sucking on his knob from next to his right hip. And sure enough, the beautiful penis began to firm up. It firmed up even faster when I asked Stella to help me. Quickly, the perky blonde laid down on Teddy's left side, mirroring me. Her right hand took over stroking duties while I went to tickle at his balls. And together, the two of us gave Teddy his very first dual blowjob. Stella sucked on his mushroom head while I tongued the underside of his crown. Stella licked up the left side of his shaft while I licked the right. We met at the top, kissing each other and snaking our tongues out into each other's mouths, darting across his sensitive glans at the same time. And it's a miracle Teddy didn't blow in our faces right then and there. "Holy fuck!" Teddy groaned, straining with his pelvic muscles to hold himself at bay. Even though he'd cum just a few minutes before, having the two of us frenching around his prick was just a little too much stimulation for his inexperienced mind. I figured I'd better make my fantasy come true before he lost it again, and we'd have to start all over. So pulling our heads free of Teddy's cock, I gripped Stella's jaw and gave her a searingly wet kiss. And when we broke for air, panting and gazing into each other's eyes, I asked, "Are you ready for him to fuck you?" It looked like Stella came right then and there. She quivered and gasped, her eyelids drooping. But amidst her heavy panting, she picked her head up and nodded. And then together the three of us got Stella positioned comfortably supine on the bed. I knelt next to my boyfriend as he helped the blonde spread her legs to the sides and raise her knees into the air. "Told you I was kinky," I giggled. He smiled and started to move his hips into a missionary position over the beautiful younger babe. But he stopped himself, then turned and looked at me seriously. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" I rolled my eyes and lightly bopped him on the head. "Silly boy. I'm the one that set all this up!" "But still." He looked at me earnestly. "Once we do this, everything changes." "Will you stop loving me?" "Never," my man replied without hesitation and with all the gravity of The Truth. I grinned. "Then do it. And hurry up! I'm so anxious to see this!" I held Teddy's head in my hands and gave him a fierce kiss. And thankfully, I felt him begin to relax. Meanwhile, Stella was panting heavily and staring at us with unabashed lust across her face. Her green eyes were searingly intense as she looked up and down Teddy's muscular body, and especially at the big weapon hanging down between his legs. Even though she'd willingly kissed me, and willingly played around with me, I could tell that she was far more aroused now, this close to fucking Teddy, than she'd ever been making out with me. The girl was mostly hetero, after all. She was sopping wet. She was horny. And she was even rocking her hips a bit, like a kid standing first in line to hop on-board the most thrilling rollercoaster in the world. But Teddy didn't enter her just yet. Once letting go of me, Teddy lowered himself all the way down so that he could press his lips to Stella's. Despite all we'd already done, the two had never locked lips. And Teddy corrected that by giving her a kiss of tenderness and appreciation, giving her that measure of respect instead of just thrusting in and using her for his own pleasure. Stella moaned into the embrace, her thighs coming up to wrap around Teddy's hips. And with their mouths and tongues still enjoined, his cock slotted into position and he pushed forward. "Unnnghhh..." Stella grunted as she felt herself filled up with my boyfriend's dick. "Oh, Stella..." Teddy moaned through his teeth as her tightness surrounded him. And then the pair of them began the horizontal mambo. I felt a surge of happiness running through me as I witnessed this first coupling between my boyfriend and close friend. I was still buzzing after all the alcohol I'd consumed that evening, and energized from all the dancing and orgasms I'd already experienced. And the simple fact was: all of my greatest sexual experiences had always come in some form of group sex, starting with Carmita's orgies in college with Amber and Randall and Maria, etc. Then there was my time in the house with David, Amber, and Diane. Even after graduation, my best experiences were when I returned to the college town, and to my old friends. I'd tried to replicate those feelings somewhat ever since moving out here. I'd had my three boyfriends in the past three years, and at some point offered a threesome to all of them. Marcus and I had carried on a very successful affair with Teri for four months before she got herself a boyfriend and moved on. Marcus and I had broken up because he went hunting for a replacement without me. Jeez, you think he could've waited, knowing full well that I would bring him another girl. Vic, actually, nearly broke up with me over the idea of a threesome. He declared that me sleeping with a girl was the same as HIM sleeping with a girl, and termed it cheating even if we were all together. Of course, I caught him screwing around on me anyways, which made the whole thing a moot point. I think he was just insecure at the idea that he wasn't man enough to satisfy me alone — that I needed a girl in bed with us to really get off. Maybe he was right. And of course, there had been the whole fiasco with Chad and Melissa. But this was going to be different. Melissa had been a tramp. I should have recognized that from the beginning. Stella, on the other hand, was my friend. She would never betray me. Teddy, too, was a sweetheart of a man. Unlike the handsome devils I'd dated in the past, he truly adored me and even when presented with an available pussy, he'd stopped to make sure I was okay with it first. This was going to work. True, maybe Stella wouldn't stick around for the long haul. After all, she was pretty straight, despite our earlier experimentation. But then, no third wheel can ever stick around forever. I'd been David's and Amber's third wheel for years, and I needed my own thing as well. But for now, at least, I could enjoy this moment. And if nothing else, the way Teddy was reacting gave me hope for our future together. "Awwwwwooooohhhhh ... Fuck me!" Stella whimpered while her whole body jerked back and forth on the bed. I caressed her nearest breast with my fingers, tweaking the nipple while she thrashed and tossed her head left and right. "Ugh, ugh, ugh," Teddy grunted, pistoning his thick cock in and out of her tiny twat. His jaw was clenched from the exertion, and I stroked his spine tenderly with my other hand. "I want you to cum inside her, lover," I crooned to my boyfriend from an inch away, feeling my heart racing at the mere thought of it. "I want you to cum so deep inside that I'm going to have to spend fifteen minutes just trying to dig it all out with my tongue. Would you like to see that? Would you like to see your big- titted girlfriend bending over to slurp your jizz out of her best friend's pussy? Huh?" Teddy groaned and closed his eyes, no doubt already fantasizing about it. I turned his face to mine and kissed him. And I let my hand run down his spine to cup his ass, squeezing the firm glute appreciatively. Then I moved down next to Stella. I touched her face, getting her to stop thrashing her head around as she opened her eyes to look at me. I smiled at her from an inch away and asked, "Feel that, honey? Feel my man's cock splitting you open and driving so deep into you? Isn't he just as good as I promised? Isn't he bigger and more fulfilling than that loser boyfriend you dumped? I'll let you fuck him whenever you want, how 'bout that? Just poke your head into my office and whimper about how you need a good shagging. And then my boyfriend and I will take you home and double-team you so good you'll want to move in with us!" "Nnnnghhhooohhhh..." Stella clenched her eyes shut and moaned. "He's gonna cum in you soon, honey. My boyfriend's gonna spunk in you. He's already gone off once, so he should last a few more minutes. But then you're gonna feel that hot spray of spunk hosing down your innards and giving you the most tingling bursts of pleasure." "Ohhhh..." she moaned again. "Now are you ready to return the favor, honey?" I asked sweetly, but with a new edge in my voice. "You've never done this before in your whole life. But if there was ever a time to try it, now's the time. Are you ready to eat me?" Stella's eyes snapped open and she stared at me with wild, electric green irises. Her mouth opened and she panted excitedly. And with an eager expression, she nodded hurriedly. I grinned and swung a leg over Stella's face, careful not to knock into Teddy. I faced the headboard, holding onto the top of it for leverage so that I didn't crush Stella's face. I squatted down with my ass right in front of Teddy, giggling when he kissed my buttocks playfully. And then I felt Stella take her first licks at my sopping wet snatch. "Holy FUCK!" Teddy exclaimed, ramming himself into the pretty blonde while watching her tongue spearing up into my channel. "Mmph!" Stella squeaked, feeling Teddy's cock pumping inside of her while she enthusiastically, if not skillfully, slobbered all over my labia. "Ohhh ... yesss..." I hissed, listening to the bed squeaking and feeling Stella continue to lick and suckle at my wet box. She may not have ever done this before, but she knew a female's anatomy. And holding onto my asscheek with her left hand, she began pumping two fingers inside my tunnel with her right while wrapping her lips around my clit and sucking hard. "Nnnn-GAH!" Teddy grunted as he blew first. I felt the whole bed jerk as he slammed himself forward one final time and began emptying himself out into my little blonde friend's pussy. And like dominos, the pleasure spread from his body, through Stella's, and into mine. "Hnnnngh!" Stella grunted as she felt the splashes of spunk explode inside her loins. Her body quivered as if in the middle of an earthquake, the vibrations carrying themselves up her vocal cords until she practically screamed her orgasm right into my cunt. And then at last, I threw my own head back and shrieked, "YESSS!!!" My fingers gripped the top of the headboard so tight I'm surprised I didn't leave dents in the wood. And as the waves of pleasure battered my body, sending me undulating like a belly dancer on top of Stella's face, I thought that maybe ... just maybe ... I had found the happiness I was looking for. ------- The nervousness started to hit me the next morning. I was alone and naked beneath the bedsheets, although the smell of my companions was still on the pillows around me. This wasn't so odd. Teddy was a morning person, and quite often he would be up and awake before me. The first few times he'd spent the night with me, he'd just lay there and hold me, feeling that it was the "right" thing to do. I'd repeatedly told him it wasn't a big deal to me, as long as he didn't leave the place entirely (like he'd done that first December night after the Holiday Party). He'd finally figured out it was okay to sneak out of bed and make himself coffee or something. But this morning, I was a little bit nervous. Teddy wasn't here ... but neither was Stella. I checked the clock, 8:30am on a Saturday. Most likely they were awake and chatting outside. But what if they weren't? What if Stella had been consumed by her shame and guilt over an immoral lesbian act and would never want to see me again? What if she'd left the condo with nothing but a letter of apology, like Teddy had first done? So with a little more speed than usual, I rolled out of bed and went hunting for my robe. I also snaked on a pair of panties, but didn't worry about anything else. And so clad I went out of the bedroom, my heartbeat humming along at a pretty rapid pace. "E-Beth! Good morning!" Stella greeted me with a cheery smile. Hmm, Stella was a morning person, too. She was sitting over breakfast at my 4-person dining table across from Teddy, wearing just one of my long pajama shirts, which covered her crotch since she was a little shorter than me. She set down her cup of coffee and stood up, hopping around to greet me. "Morning," I replied warmly, if cautiously. Stella didn't notice the hesitance, though, as she simply hugged me and then tilted her face to mine for a sweet, tender kiss. "Mmm ... that was incredible last night. I NEVER really thought I'd be into something like that." I blinked a couple of times. "Then why did you?" The pretty blonde gave me a shrug and a smirk, answering, "I dunno. I do that sometimes ... just go with the flow, you know? See what happens. Like sushi. For years and years, I had no interest in eating raw fish and thought it was weird. But once someone got me to try it a couple of years ago, I realized... 'Hey, this is pretty good!'" Her smile was infectious, and soon I was grinning right alongside her. Stella giggled cutely and then pecked my lips again before turning around and hopping into the kitchen. "You want breakfast? I hope you don't mind me cooking. Teddy showed me where everything is. I made pancakes!" "Pancakes are great," I replied, still a little off-guard. Fortunately, Teddy had sidled up next to me by then. "Perky in the mornings, isn't she?" he drawled with a little grin. "She's perky all the time," I replied and turned to kiss my boyfriend. And once we pulled apart, I looked at him seriously and pulled him down so that our foreheads were touching. And I asked very softly, "Are you okay? With everything?" He blinked and looked at me intently from just an inch away. And in a quiet voice he said, "I was just going to ask you. I mean, I DID just have sex with a girl who wasn't you." I smiled and cupped my boyfriend's cheek. "Maybe you still don't get it, but I'm NOT jealous." He sighed. "You're right: I don't get it." But then his eyes flicked to the kitchen, where Stella was bopping side-to-side as she scooped up another set of pancakes, her tight little butt barely covered by the pajama shirt. From the way the shirt wrapped around her asscheeks, it didn't look like she was wearing any panties. And a little smile tugged at his lips. "Still ... I'm not complaining." Stella turned around then, coming back with a fresh plate. The syrup and whipped cream were already on the table. "So did you guys have any plans for today?" she asked cheerily while re-taking her seat. Her hyper, bouncy attitude brightened the room, and Teddy and I both smiled as we went to sit down. "Nothing concrete," I replied, looking at my boyfriend. "Just a lazy Saturday." "Cool," Stella nodded, a twinkle in her green eyes. "So ... uh ... do you think we can do it again?" ------- Stella ended up spending the entire weekend with Teddy and me. She brought an energy and enthusiasm that put a spark in all of us, and we were in and out of the bedroom every couple of hours it seemed. And that doesn't even include the random sex acts outside the bedroom. It wasn't always all three of us. His declarations of love and fidelity notwithstanding, Teddy was still extremely aroused by both the beauty and the "newness" of the petite blonde. So it was easy for Stella to flirt with him, tease him, and get him to abruptly drop everything, bend her over the couch, and fuck her within an inch of her life while I stood by, half-laughing and half-reaching in to tweak a nipple or rub my man's balls. Stella also spent a lot of time with me. Despite her almost purely-hetero life up until this point, she took to the Sapphic arts like a duck to water, enthusiastically making out with me, rubbing her hands all over my girly bits, and learning the finer points of cunnilingus and manual manipulation. And then of course, she was careful to leave Teddy and me to our own times together. Stella wanted to make abundantly clear that he and I were still the romantic couple, and she was just a friend joining in for an incredible experience. And Teddy wanted to make abundantly clear that his feelings for me hadn't changed, except to grow even more despite the sexual contact with someone else. That's not to say we only paired up in different combinations. There were four threesomes in those two days. And for me, the highlight was on Sunday when Stella and I sixty-nined while Teddy went back and forth, switching ends, until he finally nutted inside me and Stella (who was on the bottom), actually spread my labia to slurp out his creampie. By Monday morning, we were all exhausted and fucked out. I mean, I love sex, but as it turned out, none of us hooked up again for the entire week after. I'd had enough sex to last me for a little while, and also had a breakthrough in my latest pharmaceutical design, which kept me pretty occupied. Teddy wanted to catch up with his friends. And Stella was showing all signs that she'd had one incredible experience she would never forget, but that things would end after the one experience. So the three of us all went our separate ways for the week, and I assumed that the incredible experiment was over. Turns out, I was wrong. Teddy and I were in my office on Friday afternoon, making plans for the weekend, when Stella poked her head in and knocked. Almost shyly, she asked if we would mind her joining us again. Teddy completely deferred an answer to me, as well he should in a situation like this. Me? You couldn't keep the grin off my face. That weekend was a pretty close copy of the first. Only this time when Stella and I sixty-nined, Stella got creamed and I ate it out. And then two weeks after that — three since the night after Club X — I started to realize that Teddy, Stella, and I were developing into something special. ------- "Okay, Capricorn-Taurus: Both of you are very practical people, with good common sense. Your grounded and realistic approach to issues makes you very compatible philosophically and intellectually. Over time, the two of you may become too complacent and conservative, and focus too much on mundane affairs or narrowly focused mental interests. Take time for sheer fun and enjoyment and do not become too serious. You feel you can rely on one another. You can also accomplish a lot together. You make a good team. Compatibility: A perfect 7/7: HOT!" I looked up from my laptop and took a breath. Then I added, "Sound like us?" Teddy grinned and nodded. "Sounds great. There is that one caution though, to take time for sheer fun and enjoyment. Think we're doing enough of that?" I giggled and looked down between my legs. I was completely bottomless, my slacks and panties removed even though I was wearing my shirt from work. I'd kicked both legs over each of the armrests in this easychair, spreading my pussy wide. "What do you think, Stella? Are Teddy and I doing enough to have fun?" "Mmm-hmm..." she mumbled into my crotch before slithering her tongue back out and up my channel. I shuddered and moaned. After only three weeks, the girl was getting good. But a second later, she licked up my clit and sat up straight. "What about me? What does it say about me and you guys?" "Your birthday was what, last Monday?" Stella nodded and went back to licking. "Okay, you're a Pisces ... Hmm ... Ah, here we go. Twelfth sign ... yadda yadda ... These folks are selfless, spiritual, and very focused on their inner journey. They also place great weight on what they are feeling." I paused and looked down at Stella. "What are you feeling?" She moaned and looked up at me, though she was still rubbing her pussy with her left hand. "I'm feeling goooood," she replied with a grin. "That tells me to keep doing what I'm doing." "Amen to that." I chuckled and put my hand on the back of her head to push her into my crotch once again. I sighed as she continued licking me, and I returned to the laptop. "'Pisceans are fluid and easy-going ... Intuitive, almost psychic natures ... Hard to pin down, prompting some to call them the chameleons of the Zodiac ... One of their primary goals is to help others ... Compassionate, charitable, and will quickly put the needs of others ahead of their own. It's this kind of self-sacrifice which keeps these folks going. The flip side to their giving natures is that oft-timid Fish are likely to be taken advantage of by less well-meaning souls.'" Teddy jerked to a stop. While Stella had been distracted by listening to my narrative and eating me, my boyfriend had quietly disrobed and gotten to his knees behind Stella. Unbeknownst to her, he was about to grab her hips and impale her from behind. But at that last comment about being taken advantage of, he stopped and suddenly looked guilty. Stella saw the expression on my face change and where I was looking. She turned around and saw Teddy before rolling her eyes. "You guys aren't taking advantage of me," she drawled before wiggling her ass. "Now hurry up and get in me. Please?" Stella gave Teddy the puppy-dog eyes and a pout. He smiled and then obediently moved between Stella's legs, taking hold of her hips and then slowly guiding himself into her from behind. She cooed in pleasure as my boyfriend's thick cock spread her open, and with a happy sigh she leaned in and resumed licking me. "Tell me about compatibility with you two," she added. "Pisces-Taurus: That's you and me, honey," I began. "Both of you are basically tolerant, easy-going, peace-loving people, and this goes a long way toward maintaining harmony in your relationship. Pisces really appreciates Taurus' steadiness and dependability, while Taurus responds to Pisces' gentleness, kindness, and sympathy." I looked down at Stella. "I do." She looked up at me with a smile. "I do, too." I looked back to the screen and added, "Compatibility: 5/7: Harmonious." "What about Teddy?" she gasped, humping her body back and forth to meet each of Teddy's thrusts. I switched pages. "Pisces-Capricorn: You and Teddy. You are opposites in many respects. Capricorn is practical and realistic, and has a serious, sometimes cynical attitude toward life. Pisces on the other hand, is a sensitive, imaginative dreamer at heart, far more emotional and empathic than Capricorn is. Capricorn thrives on order and organization. Pisces is frequently disorganized or more comfortable in an atmosphere of clutter and 'creative chaos'. Both of you have a certain reserve, depth, and tendency to introspection and you may have much to offer one another if you are willing to appreciate the differences between you." "Nnnghhh..." Stella moaned. "Teddy's got a big dick. I've got a tight pussy. That's one difference I think we both appreciate." I giggled and rubbed my crotch against her face before finishing, "Compatibility: Also 5/7: Harmonious." "Mmm ... Harmony..." Stella sighed before stopping her thrusting movements. She reached back and gestured to Teddy, who also stopped. Then my beautiful friend reached up to me, tugged my ass to the edge of the seat, and pulled my legs off the arm rests. She crawled up my body, opening up my blouse and kissing my breasts before taking my head in her hands and kissing me. And then she pointed back behind herself, directing Teddy to enter me instead. I set the laptop down on the table beside me and sighed as Stella's lips and tongue probed my mouth. I sighed happily and then moaned into my Sapphic kiss as my boyfriend's cock began filling me. And then Stella moved up a little higher to get out of the way and allow Teddy to really start pumping me, all while shoving my face into her own 32C boobs. "The two of you are wonderful together," Stella moaned, rubbing her tits against my cheeks. "And I'm a harmonious bond with each of you." I didn't respond except to moan as Teddy continued fucking me. Then Stella kissed me one more time on the forehead and smiled. "I wanna be like this forever." ------- -- APRIL 2007 -- "It's the trifluoperazine that's screwing you up." Teddy leaned forward and tapped my monitor. I sighed. "That's standard prescription with the tranylcypromine as an antipsychotic." "Yeah, but maybe one of the other phenothiazines would be better. Have you looked into them? Chlorpromazine maybe?" "Too strong. That's a sedative that'll knock the patient out." "Well you've got to use something else." "Ugghhh..." I groaned, hunching over with my elbows planted on the desktop and my head in my hands. "Hey ... you'll figure it out," Teddy said reassuringly as he leaned over and started rubbing my shoulders. His thumbs quickly centered on the base of my neck and began stroking outwards. "We've got other weak phenothiazines: Perphenazine, or maybe Flupentixol." "Or maybe I'll have to customize something, to keep the trifluoperazine without the side-effect." A knock sounded at the open door. Stella poked her head in, a wry smile on her face. "That doesn't look like it's in the job description of a stockroom clerk," she sassed. Teddy grinned and just continued giving me a neck massage. I closed my eyes and let my head loll back down, sighing, "I'm not dating him for his job description." Stella giggled. Teddy chuckled. And then he leaned in and kissed the back of my head as well while I hummed happily in pleasure, more mental than physical. Then Stella took a deep breath. "Well, it's getting late, honey. We should have left a half-hour ago, and if I stick around too long it'll start to look weird." I picked my head up and scowled at the monitor. I'd wanted to figure out this latest hitch in my design before leaving, but Stella had a point. "Don't want people to get the wrong idea, huh?" Stella glanced around the hallway, and then ducked her head back into my office. "You mean the right idea..." I chuckled and nodded. "Relax," Teddy sighed. "I'm her boyfriend; you're her best friend. No one's gonna think a thing. Still, Stella's right; it's a Friday night! Let's get out of here and have some fun." "Unnghh..." I groaned. "I can't. I'm going to be thinking of chemical compounds all weekend if I don't finish this." "Sure you can," Stella said encouragingly, finally stepping into the office and coming around. She leaned over the chair and stuck her head between mine and Teddy's. And in a quiet voice that only we could hear, she intoned, "You remember how you guys wanted to try double-penetrating me for my birthday, but that I was scared of anal sex? Well, I think I'm ready to try it now. I'm still afraid it's gonna hurt, but I've been dying to have Teddy's cock and your strap-on in me at the same time. So why don't you think about that, huh?" My eyebrows shot up and both Teddy and I turned to stare in disbelief at Stella's giggling face. "Okay." I nodded. "We're leaving." ------- Good lord Stella was gorgeous right now. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lower lip while groaning at the penetration. Her head was tilted back, exposing her throat to me. And I couldn't help but crane my own neck so that I could kiss the exposed skin. "Oh, gawd..." Stella gasped and arched her back, shoving her chest harder against mine and putting her weight onto me. I was lying flat on my back across my bed, holding the smaller girl above me with my arms. She was lying right on top of me, keeping most of her weight off me with her elbows and knees. And at the moment, her crotch was pressed tightly against mine as she squirmed against the cock stretching her pussy wide. Actually, that same cock was stretching my pussy wide. Instead of the strap-on, we were using my double-ended dildo. It was long enough to get deeply into the both of us but just short enough that it didn't bottom out against either of us when Stella and I were fully pressed together. And every time she moved against me, I felt the warm latex also moving inside of me as well. Of course, Stella wasn't just groaning from that penetration. Teddy was holding himself carefully, giving the petite blonde time to adjust to his cock five inches up her ass. There were still a couple more inches to go, and with another groan she put her head down and nodded for him to continue. What felt like an hour later, with sweat dripping off her brow, Stella moaned, "Fuuuuuuck..." and collapsed onto me, going limp. Her last orgasm had completely wiped her out, and I simply nuzzled her lighter body on top of mine while Teddy decided to finish himself off, humping our two bodies with short, rapid thrusts until he added his weight to the pressure pushing all three of our pelvises together, twitching and jerking as he apparently filled up Stella's rectum with his spending. The poor girl wasn't able to stand on her own two feet after that, so Teddy and I had to help her into my shower. It wasn't huge, but it was wider than a typical apartment, giving all three of us room to get around. Stella was semi-revived by the shower spray, and we took turns soaping each other up, giggling happily all the while. I especially loved just standing back, holding a head in each of my hands while my two lovers nursed at one breast each. Afterward, everyone dried off and got dressed. I would have liked for the two to stay and cuddle, to spend the weekend wrapped up with my lovers, but tonight I was letting my boyfriend go out and do Stella a favor. Like most single, early-20's professionals in this city, Stella had roommates — two of them actually — all sharing a 3-bedroom apartment. Roommates tend to know whether the others come home at night; and after Stella's breakup with Chuck, they'd noticed when she'd spent the entire weekend away from the apartment. Of course, they hadn't known she was screwing Teddy's and my brains out all weekend. But Stella HAD told them she'd been crashing with me, her best friend from work, going through her mourning period. Still, after spending the following weekend with me and Teddy, that excuse was starting to wear thin. Stella kept spending nights away; and her roommates were getting suspicious. A few days ago, in the privacy of my office, I was the first one to suggest that Stella introduce her roommates to Teddy as her boyfriend. At first, Stella had protested. Teddy was MY boyfriend and she wasn't trying to interfere with that relationship, no matter how great the sex had been. After all, even though she'd joined us quite frequently, Teddy and I still went out on solo dates, made love on our own, and were publicly affectionate at work. "You've had sex with him on your own. Last week, I was certainly out of commission and not feeling it," I'd argued back. "You were on your period," Stella had drawled. "You were still outside in the living room while Teddy and I were doing it in your bedroom." "Still." "I won't do it; I won't even think of stealing your boyfriend. Besides, I don't think of Teddy that way. He's nice, and he's cute, and he's great in bed. But he's just a friend. We don't have anything ... romantic ... between us. He's always been into you. And even after everything we've been doing, he's still in love with you." "That's why this is no big deal to me. I'm not saying you actually try to be Teddy's girlfriend. I'm not saying we try to make this a permanent three-way relationship. We have fun together, physically. But we're not all in a romance." I raised my eyebrows. "All I'm saying is that Teddy would give you a foolproof excuse with your roommates, or parents, or anyone else outside of Argen. C'mon. You come out with us on Friday. We have our fun. And then at the end of the night, Teddy will bring you home. You can introduce him to your roommates as your boyfriend who's got his own place. And anytime you're not at your apartment, they'll assume you're with him ... which ... well, you WILL be." "But for how long do we do this?" "For as long as you want to still be with me and Teddy," I shrugged. "What's the alternative: you tell your roommates that you're having threesomes with me and my boyfriend every weekend?" She sighed. "I can't do that." I shook my head. No matter how much fun we had together, society in general would never understand. "Let me call Teddy over here. If he's not comfortable, that's one thing. But really, you guys would only have to hold hands and kiss and whatever. Not like you guys haven't done it before." Stella chuckled at that. "You're really going to let your boyfriend do this for me?" "I'm your friend, Stella ... more than just a friend ... I'd do almost anything for you." Stella immediately came around and hugged me. We'd agreed to try it out. After all, we could always stop the ruse at any time by explaining that they'd broken up. And then we'd called Teddy to ask him to pretend to be Stella's boyfriend. With the two of us batting our eyelashes at him, he really had no choice but to agree. So tonight, not long after double-penetrating my best friend with a dildo and my boyfriend's cock, I kissed said boyfriend just before he left to "finish his date" with said best friend. And then I returned to my couch to catch up on TiVo. I'd been spending a lot of late hours at work this week, and I had quite the backlog to get through. An hour later, Stella called me to say that the plan had worked without a hitch. Her roommates had all gushed about how Teddy was, quote, "sooo dorky-cute". Ten minutes after that, Teddy called me to tell me he was back home and booting up World of Warcraft. His buddies had been waiting on him to do another raid. I just smiled and unpaused the TV. ------- It was the following Wednesday when Stella came and knocked at my door. I was doing one of the things I hated most about this job: writing a report. And so I welcomed the interruption as she came in and closed the door behind her. "Hey, E-Beth," she began, quickly pulling up a chair. "What's up?" I knew it was serious ... or juicy ... given that she'd closed the door. Everyone knew Stella and I would chat in my office pretty frequently, but we usually left the door open since it was just idle gossip. "I need another favor ... with Teddy." Stella blushed. "My roommate Katie, she met this guy last weekend and he called her up to ask her out. She thinks he's cute and nice and all, but she's not totally sure about him yet. So she figured a double-date would be safer, and since our other roommate Nicky is single, she asked me to go with them. Well ... me and Teddy..." My eyebrows rose as I saw where this was going. "So ... uh ... can I borrow your boyfriend? I mean, I know it's usually your Friday night, but Katie's a close friend from High School and I feel like I would be letting her down if I didn't do this for her. Plus, after just introducing Teddy a few days ago, I'm not sure if I want to say he's not available if you don't-" "Relax, it's fine." I held my hand up to forestall any other "convincing" Stella needed to do. "Really?" I sighed in resignation, but came back with a wry grin. "Just don't wear him out. I'm gonna need him Saturday morning after delaying my weekly Friday gratification." "Oh honey, I would never-" I just waved, smiling humorously. "Just kidding..." Stella leaned forward and patted my thigh. She gave me a flirty look and her green eyes sizzled. "We'll BOTH be there Saturday morning. I promise I'll make this up to you." ------- Friday came, but before Stella took Teddy out for the double-date, we girls met up at Monahan's as usual. It started off like any other Friday at the bar, with me, Stella, Audrey, and Paula bitching about work-related things and planning for the weekend. Audrey and Jin were visiting his parents, and she was steeling herself for the inevitable insinuations that they were taking too long to give her in-laws their grandchildren. "I'm twenty-seven!" Audrey complained. "It's not like I'm over-the-hill already!" Paula, believe it or not, had been dating a guy steadily for the past month. She'd spent the previous six months just playing the field, entertaining herself with a variety of men at different dates. But now the buxom blonde seemed to be settling down a bit, and she told us she'd have to leave early to prep for her hot date. Stella giggled. "I know what you mean. I should get out of here soon." Audrey was the first to raise an eyebrow. "What? Do you have a hot date, too?" "Uh, well..." Stella stammered, her eyes darting over to me in alarm. Audrey clued in immediately. "Ohmigod. You DO! Who is he? Why didn't you tell us?" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stella held her hands up. I smiled inwardly. Both Stella and I were starting to pick up the 'whoa' habit from Teddy. She looked at me again, as if hoping I would say something, but what could I say that would explain everything? 'Oh, I've been having a bisexual relationship with my boyfriend and with Stella. And as a cover for her roommates, we posed Teddy as Stella's boyfriend so now he's got to go out with her in public.' Yeah, THAT would work well. Paula picked up on Stella's glaring at me. "Wait, does E-Beth know something?" Stella immediately looked away, but now Audrey's inquisitive glare was on me. Stupid gossipy women. Couldn't they just leave well enough alone? I sighed and shrugged. "Stella's going on a double-date with one of her roommates." "But who's the guy you're going with?" Paula quickly asked. "He's just a friend," Stella stammered. "My roommate's the one with the hot date, actually. She just needed a wingwoman since she doesn't know the guy." "Ahh..." Audrey nodded, fully understanding the safety issue. "But who's the guy?" Paula repeated. "I set them up," I interjected. "He's a friend of Teddy's. It's nothing serious. Stella just needed a date and she came to me asking if I knew anyone." "Is he cute?" Paula asked with a smile, waggling her eyebrows. Stella blushed. "Well of course. You don't think I'd go out with just anyone, do you?" "Ah-haahhhh..." Audrey tittered. "What's he like?" "He's just a friend," Stella repeated, looking significantly at me. "For now..." Audrey sighed. "Lots of couples just start as friends. What's he like?" "I don't know," Stella stammered, clearly not comfortable with how this focus was getting back on her. "He's E-Beth's friend. Ask her." Suddenly, all three girls were looking at me. Taking a deep breath, I just exhaled and stared into my drink. "He's just a guy. He's like Teddy, I guess." I took a sip and then shrugged. "It's just a friend date. Why don't you give Stella the Spanish Inquisition sometime AFTER they've gone out, and only if it seems to be going anywhere, alright?" Audrey and Paula frowned. They really wanted to gossip and speculate more, but I had a point. If Stella hadn't even gone out with this guy yet, there wasn't much to talk about. And putting the girls off for another few days would give Stella and me time to come up with an explanation. If nothing else, we could claim that her date went nowhere and we'd never hear from this fictional "friend" again. Ten minutes later, we all wrapped up. Everyone wished Stella and Paula good luck on their dates. And I returned home alone, my TiVo waiting. ------- I assumed the double-date went well. I say "I assumed" because I didn't know. Teddy didn't call me Friday night. Neither did Stella. Then again, it was only 10:30pm. Perhaps they weren't even done with the date yet. I was alone and bored, so I decided to go to bed early. Yeah, there were some niggling doubts in the back of my head, but I dismissed them quickly. My boyfriend loved me and my best friend wouldn't betray me. Still ... I had kind of a hard time getting to sleep. ------- After tossing and turning for most of the night, I was awoken by the doorbell on Saturday morning. A quick glance at the clock told me it was 9am. I must have subconsciously tried to make up for the fitful sleep by adding hours in the morning. In the end, I wrapped a robe around myself and endured one more doorbell ring before I finally staggered to the front door. A quick peek through the peephole showed Stella on the other side, looking bright and perky in her morning-cheery way. And when I opened the door, she happily greeted, "Good morning!" She then held up a Starbucks caddy with two cups and a brown paper bag. "I brought breakfast!" My grouchy morning mood was momentarily pacified by the smell of coffee. I inhaled deeply and looked at my friend through heavy-lidded eyes. And then I stepped back and waved her inside. We got to my dining table and sat down. The first sip of coffee did wonders for helping pry my eyelids into a fully upright and locked position. And after savoring the musky aroma and bittersweet taste, I sighed and managed a half-smile. "How'd it go last night?" "Oh, it was great. Thanks for letting us go. Teddy was a perfect gentleman, and for someone I used to think was kind of nerdy, he's actually a very smooth conversationalist with a great sense of humor! I think he and I had an even better time than Katie and her date!" I smiled, sort of. That niggling of doubt in the back of my head was creeping up to the front. But I pushed it down. Teddy loved me. And he and Stella were just friends. "He's amazing, as I'm sure you already know," Stella gushed. "I mean, I know Teddy's the same age as me, but sometimes he seems so much more mature. He's got a calm confidence about him. And knowing everything I do about him, knowing what kind of body he's got under there and how well he knows how to use it ... Well ... I got pretty turned on as the night went on." She giggled cutely, but I didn't really want to hear about it. So changing the subject, I commented, "Thought you guys would call me after it was done." "We were going to, but the four of us ended up staying at this lounge until almost midnight. Teddy figured you'd have gone to sleep by then, and we didn't want to wake you. He promised he'd call you this morning, though." I sighed. "But he's still not coming, is he?" Stella sighed and shook her head. "He had that thing with his parents, remember? Believe me, he WANTS to be here." Stella grinned at me. "I want him here, too. We were dancing for hours ... You already know how smooth he his with his hips. And we were both sooo horny last night. So worked up ... I mean, I was half-ready to just strip him and mount him right there on the couch at the lounge!" Stella was giggling, but I was scowling. I was wondering if she HAD mounted him at the lounge. Unlikely, given that they were in public. But I wondered if they'd fucked last night after the date. After all, it wasn't like they'd be doing something they hadn't done before. And I seethed inside thinking of Stella ... fucking MY boyfriend ... while I was home alone. Stella was in her own little world for a moment. She'd pulled one foot up onto her chair seat, wrapping her left arm around it while holding her coffee cup and spacing out. I figured she was reminiscing about what a good time she'd had last night with my boyfriend. And after a few seconds, she bit her lip and looked over in my direction. "E-Beth?" she asked cautiously, still not quite seeing me, but staring at some point behind me. "Hmm?" I asked, feeling the scowl in my voice as well. She exhaled and blinked, looking down. "I know I shouldn't be asking this. He's your boyfriend, and I've promised you a million times I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationship. But..." she exhaled. "After last night, I got to thinking..." My mouth was a hard-pressed line. "What?" Stella was still too spaced out to notice the harshness in my voice. "Well ... just as friends ... buddies, really ... Would you mind if Teddy and I slept together sometimes? Without you?" I blinked. Inside, my heart was pounding. And a cold anger started welling up inside me. I knew it. I knew it! I hadn't meant to, but it was happening AGAIN. Only then did Stella look up and catch the expression on my face. Her eyes popped open and she quickly raised her hands defensively, dropping her leg off the seat and sitting up straight. "Wait-wait-wait. We didn't do anything last night," she said insistently. "I swear to you. I would never go behind your back, honey. Teddy and I were really horny last night. If we'd thought you'd be awake ... man, the three of us would have gone WILD. But we didn't. We couldn't. We would NEVER betray you." I exhaled, a hissing sound escaping through my clenched teeth. That HAD been what I was worrying about, and while my concerns had not been completely erased, Stella's quick proclamation had allayed my momentary fears. "But you wanted to have sex?" I asked carefully. She canted her head and gave me an honest, open look. "Of course. Teddy and I are lovers, there's no getting around that. And when two people who've been intimate together get aroused, it's only natural to want to do it, isn't it? But again, we didn't. We wouldn't. That's why I'm asking you now. I'm not saying that an opportunity like this will ever rise up again. I'm not saying I want to start going on solo dates with him. And I'm not interested in Teddy as a boyfriend. He's yours. I'm good with that. We're just friends. But ... I guess ... I just want to know if it WOULD be okay if something like this came up in the future. As it was, I had to go home and jill off like crazy just to sleep. And I imagine Teddy had some blue balls of his own." I let out a long exhalation. Would it really be such a big deal? Just friends. They were just friends. And as long as everything was open and honest, shouldn't I be able to handle it? It wasn't like I was demanding monogamy from my boyfriend. Teddy had certainly fucked Stella enough times right in front of me. But still ... I had my scars... "Did I ever tell you what happened with me and Chad?" I asked slowly. I felt suddenly weary, and my chest was rising and falling as I panted, slightly out of breath. "No ... Just that you'd caught him cheating. But then the whole Grant thing cropped up right away and we never really talked about Chad." I sighed. "It wasn't so different than this," I explained, gesturing to Stella. "I like girls; you obviously know this. Not romantically, but sexually they're just sooo ... enticing. So while I was still with Chad, I invited this other girl named Melissa to join us from time to time." I snorted, looking over my friend. "She was kind of like you, actually: blonde, pretty, petite." Stella blinked, a look of concern crossing her face as she started to realize where this was going. "They started seeing each other behind my back. Guess our occasional threesomes weren't enough. I caught them. And it was over." "E-Beth..." Stella quickly scooted her chair over to mine, then reached over and patted my leg. "I would never..." "I know," I cut her off, the first hint of a smile tugging at my lips. I took a deep breath and then looked up into Stella's open green eyes. "I know you wouldn't. You didn't. You had the chance, and you and Teddy decided not to. You came to me and asked. Thank you for that." I exhaled, feeling the rest of my anxiety draining away. I wouldn't project my fears onto my friends. A lot of things about the situation were similar, but they were also very different. Chad was a narcissistic moron. Melissa was a cute but trampy slut. Teddy was sweet. Teddy loved me. And Stella was my friend. She would never betray me. Actually, this new situation was much more like my relationship with David and Amber. We were all friends. We all had a level of trust with each other. And while David and I had a very ... harmonious ... chemistry, we both knew our relationship wasn't a romantic one. Not anymore. And so Amber had faith in me. She had faith in her boyfriend, and now David was her husband. They even had a baby on the way. Their relationship had always been strong enough because they had faith in each other, and in me. And I would have faith in Teddy and Stella. "It's okay," I said firmly, reaching over and rubbing Stella's leg. "I give you guys my permission. If the opportunity arises, go for it. I want to see you both happy." "Really?" Stella tilted her head and looked at me so sweetly. "Really." I nodded. And then I grinned. "Just gimme the details when you guys are done, deal?" Stella giggled. "Deal." And then she leaned forward, tenderly pressing her lips against mine. But instead of pulling back after a short peck, she lingered a little longer, massaging my lips before parting them open and slipping her tongue inside. She moaned softly and moved in closer, kissing me a little harder. And I found myself moaning as I kissed her back. Abruptly, Stella pulled away and scrambled over to her purse. She quickly fished out her cell phone, checked the time, and then held down a speed-dial button. "What are you doing?" I asked. She just grinned at me and held up a finger. A second later, she chirped, "Teddy? Heyyy ... Yeah, I'm at E-Beth's place. Remember that thing we talked about last night? Well, I think she needs to hear it straight from you." Bewilderingly, Stella then handed the phone off to me, and I tentatively put it to my ear. "Hello?" "Heyyy, E-Beth," Teddy said warmly. "Sorry I couldn't be there this morning. Believe me, I'd MUCH rather be there with you girls than here. My parents can be sooo stuffy. And I really miss you." "I miss you, too," I sighed happily. "Anyways, Stella and I talked about open honesty and things like that last night. I don't know if she's already talked to you about her and me, and we'll talk more the next chance I see you. But right now, I'm giving you permission to play around with her even when I'm not around." My eyebrows perked up and I glanced over at the pretty blonde. "Really?" "Absolutely," Teddy chuckled. "Of course, now I'm gonna be even MORE desperately aroused imagining the two of you together ... But that just means I'm gonna nail you that much harder the next time I see you, babe." "I can't wait," I breathed. "Me, neither. Tell Stella not to wear you out completely. I'm gonna try and get over tonight if I can." "Mmm ... hurry, lover..." I cooed into the phone. "I love you," he said warmly. I nearly melted. "I love you, too." We hung up. I looked at Stella feeling warm fuzzies in my stomach. And then once again she leaned forward and kissed me soundly. "Well," she began breathlessly after pulling her lips off mine. Her hands were already working their way inside my robe, taking a firm grip of my unfettered tits. "I may not have Teddy's gorgeous dick, but I think it's time for me to get some more practice with that strap-on, don't you think?" I giggled. "Sounds like a plan." ------- Stella and I made hot, sweaty, monkey sex-type lesbian loving that morning. She really WAS revved up after her double-date, and midway through she asked if it was okay if she fantasized that I was her roommate Katie a little bit. It turned out, while Stella had been pretty sure she was fully straight before hooking up with me and Teddy that first time, she'd also had the stray thought of wonder about what it would feel like to kiss certain girls. One of them was her High School friend Katie, and now that Stella had been exploring her Sapphic side, it was inevitable that her thoughts would turn to other girls besides me. I told her to go right ahead and fantasize. After all, we were just friends and I held no requirements of monogamy over her head. And then Stella began telling me about a sex fantasy she'd had last night, involving a foursome with Teddy, Katie, and Katie's date. The imagery only got Stella and me even hotter, and initiated a whole new round of monkey sex. Afterwards, Stella returned home to hang out with her friends and chat about the previous night's date. Teddy got free and came to visit me after dinner. And then my loving boyfriend and I had our own version of crazy-monkey-sex into the wee hours of the night. And then Monday night Stella and Teddy finally got their turn to be alone together. Stella had been jonesing for Teddy's cock all weekend, having gone without it for the first time since we started all sleeping together. She'd suggested a threesome, since it was the first weekend we hadn't done THAT, either. But I was making breakthroughs at work and even at 7pm, with the two of them pleading for me to leave the office and come meet them, I'd turned them down to finish what I was doing. Hey, I'm a Taurus. Steady, dogged persistence is what we do. It makes showering ourselves with rewards, luxuries, and excesses that much more satisfying, once we've earned them. So on my suggestion, Stella brought Teddy over to her place. Katie was home, and the noises coming out of Stella's bedroom would leave the roommate with no doubt that Stella's and Teddy's relationship was indeed a physically- consummated one. True to her word, Stella called me afterward with details. By then it was 10pm and I was at home, in bed. And as she recapped the evening's festivities, I managed to jill myself to two orgasms. The three of us continued in this way for a couple more weeks. Sometimes the three of us got together. Sometimes it was just a single pairing: me and Teddy, or Teddy and Stella, and sometimes even just us girls. And then one evening, everything started to change. ------- I was hunched over the countertop, carefully monitoring the exotic plant in front of me underneath the mass spectrometer. Researchers deep in the Amazonian Rainforest had brought the sample back after hearing of legendary healing properties, specifically in antipsychotics after one of the tribal medicine men went schizo. And since I was still looking for a phenothiazine that wouldn't have adverse reactions to the rest of my compound, it seemed a good place to start. Midway through the scan, Steve came over and tapped my shoulder. I had been preoccupied, so it took me a few seconds to process this outside stimuli and turn my head. "Steve? What is it?" He jerked his thumb back to the laboratory door. "Dunno. Alfred just called. He says he needs to see you back at his office. Oh, and pick up something called the 'Eskazinyl' file on the way?" I frowned. "What, right now?" Steve shrugged. "That's what he said." I sighed, looking at the spectrometer. It would keep itself running for the next half-hour. "Okay. Watch this for me, will ya?" Steve nodded and then smiled. I stood up and headed out of the lab, removing my goggles and gloves along the way. I meandered the hallways, getting back to my office. And I nodded in greeting to the various people from my department I met along the way. Upon reaching our particular area of the cubicle farm, I glanced across and saw that while the light in Alfred's office was on, he wasn't there. Great. I'd have to go find him now. But first I had to stop by my own office to pick up that file. My door was closed and the lights were off. This was normal for ISM regulations on security. Working in a high-tech company where corporate espionage was a fact of life, there was no reason to leave my office open while I was in the lab. I quickly unlocked the door, stepped inside, and flipped the light switch. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" My eyes popped open and I stepped back in shock. Ten people were crowded into my little office, including Stella and Alfred. And then I realized that others from the department were also behind me, clapping as well. My jaw dropped. There had been many company birthdays over the years. None of them had been like THIS. I turned around, looked at the people clapping, and then I turned around again. Wow... And yeah, I think my entire body was blushing pink by now. Here I stood, in a frumpy white lab coat, ratty jeans, and an oh-so-boring sweater that didn't even really show off my figure. CRAP! How had I forgotten it was my own birthday? Even if I hadn't known there would be some surprise in my own office, I would have at least DRESSED nicer! Oh, fer cryin' out loud... I stepped forward, glancing at the colorful cake sitting on top of my desk. "Alfred! What's the deal?" My kindly boss simply smiled and reached out for a hug. I went up and embraced him as he replied, "Don't ask me. It was Stella's idea." I rolled my eyes and went over to hug Stella as well. "You're crazy, you know that?" I growled. And in a quieter voice, I whispered, "More than half these people don't even like me." "Nonsense," she whispered right back. "Profit sharing from the fiscal year just came out, and since your last concoction cleared FDA trials already, everyone got a big bonus. All because of you. And besides, ever since you started dating Teddy, you've loosened up and the word out is that you're far less of a ball- buster than you used to be." "I was never a ball-buster!" I hissed plaintively. Stella just giggled and hugged me again. "Happy birthday." ------- "Come on, lover," Teddy said. "You knew I'd be planning something tonight." I was back in my office, wrapping up at the end of the day. My boyfriend extended his hand down to me, an inviting smile on his face. "Teddy, it's a Tuesday. We've got work tomorrow." "It's also your birthday. I can't let that pass without showing you how special you are." "Today? Today's just a reminder of how old I'm getting." "Mm, I'll bet you'll feel just as young in bed as you did when we were together on Sunday." "Ugh. This means I'm three years older than you again. Feels like I'm robbing the cradle." Teddy chuckled. "You're only as old as you feel. And if you don't come out with me, you'll only feel like a crotchety spinster. Now come on!" "But I'm not even dressed!" I whined. "At least let me go home and change and primp and do all those things I need to be beautiful." Teddy closed the gap to me, getting down on one knee beside my desk chair and holding my hand with both of his. "Elizabeth," he intoned in a quietly serious voice. "You ARE beautiful, just the way you are." Yeah, that did it for me. There was such an honest sincerity in his voice, and such a masculine tone as he said the full name 'Elizabeth' for I think the very first time, that I swooned happily and nodded. "Okay." Still, a second after standing up and giving time for those momentary butterfly feelings to flit away, old concerns for my appearance returned. "But can I still go change and fix my makeup at least?" Teddy barked a laugh and shook his head. "You won't need to. I promise." I frowned at him. "Where are we going?" He grinned. "You'll see." ------- I don't like this. I simmered in the passenger seat of Teddy's truck. He'd made me wear this blindfold, and at first I tried to figure out each left and right turn to keep track of where we were going. But before we even got out of the parking lot, I was already hopelessly lost. And for a girl who likes to feel in control of the situation, this supposed birthday "surprise" was not putting me in a good mood. Still, I put up with it. Teddy hadn't let me down yet, even if he hadn't been able to figure out that I REALLY wasn't into being blindfolded. "I know you really don't like not being able to see," Teddy suddenly said out of the blue. "But we're almost there, and I KNOW you'll enjoy the surprise." I sighed and resumed trying to figure out where he was taking me. I analyzed the clues, things like reassuring me that I my lack of perfect attire and makeup wouldn't be a detriment. Perhaps he was bringing me somewhere super-casual, like a bowling alley or miniature golf center. Maybe we were going to a friend's house, where people like Stella and Audrey and Paula would already be waiting for me. Or maybe he was taking me to some out-of-the-way desert ravine so he could hit me over the head with a shovel and bury me alive, dun-dun-DUN. Okay, that was a stupid thought; but I REALLY didn't like being blindfolded. Eventually, we came to a stop and Teddy turned off the engine. I waited while he came around to my side and then literally carried me out of the truck. After setting me down on my feet. He then took my hand and led me along what felt like a concrete sidewalk. There were a couple of turns, and then we came to another stop. Apparently, it was a door. Teddy jiggled the handle and then opened the door before us. Everything was pretty quiet, except for some slow R&B mood music in the background. And then taking my hand again, he led me along some carpeting into the room. From the quietness, I gathered that we weren't in a public place. All in all, everything just FELT like a house, and I started wondering if I was in some friend's place where once I took off my blindfold, a couple of dozen friends from both sides would scream 'SURPRISE' and then point and laugh at my frumpy attire. Dammit, Teddy! Why didn't you let me change? I was pushed down into a chair, which felt strangely familiar. And then a second later, Teddy whipped my blindfold off my head and I blinked to look around ... my own dining room. "Home?" I blinked. "You brought me to my house?" "Uh-huh!" Teddy grinned, gesturing to the table. My otherwise plain dining table was decorated with nice linens, expensive china, and even a pewter candelabra with three elegant white candles on it. There was a perfectly thought out plate of Chicken Romano on a bed of Angel Hair pasta with sundried tomatoes, with a side of steamed asparagus. And a bottle of wine with two glasses had already been opened. I blinked in surprise and wonder. "Wow! This is beautiful, Teddy!" He grinned. "Glad you like it. Told you not to worry about your outfit." I smiled sweetly at my boyfriend and tilted my head. "But ... how did you get in here? When did you get all this set up?" "I swiped your keys at the birthday party," Stella chirped from behind me. I whirled around in shock, finding my friend standing in the entryway to the kitchen wearing what amounted to the trashy-version of a French Maid's outfit. Black five-inch fuck-me heels and fishnet stockings covered her legs. The skirt was scandalously short and the top scandalously low. From what I could tell, the pretty blonde wasn't wearing any underwear of any kind. And a little white hairbow completed the costume. Wiggling her ass, my friend sashayed up next to us, grabbing the bottle of wine and beginning to pour. "I vill be your vaitress for zhee evening, Monsieur and Mademoiselle," she stated in a faux-French accent. "Do be zure to let me know eef you need anyzhing else." A moment later, she cracked up from how silly that had come out. Teddy and I soon joined her. And then I had the best birthday dinner, ever. ------- "Ohhh ... holy ... sheeeit..." I exhaled, coming down from my latest orgasm. I was sitting upright, my knees spread to the sides and my torso angled back with my arms thrust to the mattress behind me, supporting my weight. Lying beneath me, with his throbbing, turgid cock fully embedded inside my pussy, was Teddy. We were pointed in the same direction, me in a reverse-cowgirl position. And at this angle, I'd been lowered enough for him to reach up and fondle my incredible breasts, of which he was so very fond. Kneeling at the foot of the bed was Stella, still in her complete French Maid getup. Of course, her skirt had been pushed above her waist a couple of times and the top had been pulled below her boobs, lifting and supporting her cleavage. She took one final lick at my labia from the base of Teddy's cock up to my clit, soaking in the last drops of my orgasmic honey. And then the pretty blonde pulled her head back, her jaw shiny with fluid, and she gave me a toothy grin. "Like that one?" "I ... liked ... all of them," I wheezed, panting heavily. Stella rose up onto her feet, high enough that I could see the double-ended dildo protruding out of her own cunt, with her right hand wrapped around the available end. She'd been pumping herself while licking at the juncture of me and Teddy. And still thrusting the dildo in and out of herself, she leaned over me and fractionally tilted her head so that we could kiss. I moaned, tasting myself on Stella's lips. Eventually, she raised her left hand to help hold my jaw while she continued bruising my lips with her own. And I felt Teddy start thrusting lightly and squeezing my tits once again while watching us two hot babes swapping spit. "Time for the finale," Stella moaned as she pulled away. "Hmm?" I asked almost sleepily. That last series of orgasms had practically wiped me out already. If we stopped now and went no further, I would still go to sleep well-satisfied. Stella just grinned as she reached down to my hips and moved me off Teddy's dick. I pouted when his wonderful fullness was removed, but Stella kept repositioning us. And presently, she laid down on her back, holding the double- ended dildo upright with one half still imbedded into her own sodden snatch. "Up top, honey," the blonde cooed. Obediently, I moved to straddle her fake cock not long after dismounting Teddy's real one. Stella reached up to my tits, fondling them appreciatively while I guided myself into position. And then sighing, I sank down onto the other end of the dildo, feeling it squish nicely inside my saturated cunt, still full from Teddy's previous cumload. And then I felt the finger pushing into my ass. It wasn't the finger that got my attention so much as the ease with which it penetrated. I quickly realized that the finger was lubed, and it was followed shortly after by a second one. My boyfriend was lubing me up, and then a few seconds later, Teddy's fatter blunt instrument was pressing at my back door. "Your turn to be sandwiched, E-Beth," Stella crooned into my ear when she pulled me down on top of her, chest-to-chest. She then reached around to spread my buttcheeks for Teddy's penetration, and soon I felt his massive member gliding up my bowels. "Ohhh ... fuuuccckkkk..." I groaned, feeling both my holes being filled to the max. "Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck," I grunted as inch after inch pushed inside me. And then at last Teddy's short and curlies were rubbing my sensitive cheeks. He was all the way in. "We love you, E-Beth," Stella whispered. Being a couple of inches shorter than me, her nose was just beneath my chin. This made her green eyes look so big and luminous as she gazed up at me. And she looked so angelic as she smiled and added, "Happy Birthday", before tilting her head up and kissing me. "Happy Birthday," Teddy added just behind me, lowering his naked chest to my bare back, enough to kiss the back of my neck while holding his weight off me with his arms planted on the bed. And then all three of us moved. Teddy pulled back first, every vein and ridge of his meaty cock slowly dragging out of my stretched asshole. With the release in pressure, Stella bumped her hips off the springiness of the mattress, sending the double-ended dildo deeper into my snatch, moaning at her own increased penetration. And at the pleasurable sensations of the two cocks sliding within me, I arched my back and groaned ecstatically. Arching my back brought my chest up, enough that Stella could latch onto my big tits with her hands and bring a swollen nipple to her mouth. I bit down on my lower lip and whimpered as she began tongue-lashing the sensitive bud. Teddy reversed course, pushing back into me and then withdrawing back out, starting up a steady rhythm. And I gasped, "Fuck me, Stella ... Fuck me, Teddy ... Never. Stop. Fucking. Me!" "Oh, E-Beth..." Teddy crooned. He still made my name sound like the most wondrous word in the universe. "Oh, E-Beth..." Stella added in a whimper of her own. I saw the strain on her face as she felt the weight of both her lovers pressing the dildo deeper and deeper into her own snatch while our clits rubbed together. "Fuck me..." someone moaned. Maybe it was me. "Fuck me..." "Fuckkkk..." First I got into a rhythm with Teddy's assfucking, thrusting back at him to meet his penetrating thrusts. But I'd lose the sequence with Stella, our pussies separating and that wonderful pressure on our clits vanishing away. Then I got my crotch pressed up with Stella's, our hips bounding off the bed together while we ground our pussies in perfect harmony. But then Teddy's rhythm was thrown off. Like a locomotive heating up, beginning from a dead stop and spinning its wheels, our bodies humped and gyrated against each other, trying to find the rhythm. And then like that same locomotive, we found our traction and lurched forward, losing the traction again and spinning until we found it again. And then we had it: Up. Down. In. Out. Forward. Back. The big rod up my ass plunged my anal depths repeatedly. Filling me. Taking me. Possessing me. The thick probe in my pussy squished deeper amidst a flood of female nectar and honey and leftover male spunk. It set off my inner nerves, rubbing me perfectly and pushing me toward that fabulous vaginal orgasm. "Fuck me..." "Fuck me... " "FUCK ME!" "EEEEYAAAAUUUGHHH!!!" The scream shattered the air. It took a few seconds to realize it was coming from me. And as the two cocks pounded my poor, helpless holes, I went into ecstatic spasms as a monster orgasm swept across my entire body. And with Teddy holding my hips tight, he pistoned his cock in and out of me at a breakneck pace, only amplifying the magnitude of my climax even more. "NNNNNGGGGAAAAHHH!!!" I collapsed down onto Stella's chest after that. I'd been holding my weight off her with my elbows and knees so as not to completely crush her beneath both Teddy's and my bodies. But now I had no more energy and the petite blonde squeaked in alarm at the sudden pressure. Teddy figured out what was happening and he pulled out of me, getting stabilized on his own knees and then gently rolling me off my friend. The double-ended dildo was clamped pretty tightly inside me, and pulled out of Stella with a wet squelching sound. And I flopped onto my back, teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. My orgasm was THAT good. Stella whimpered and reached her hands up to Teddy. Stretching her legs, she then rolled herself up like an armadillo, bringing her knees up to her shoulders and spreading her legs to the sides. She hadn't quite found orgasm, and actually, neither had Teddy. So fisting his cock, Teddy settled himself in front of Stella and pulled her legs over his shoulders. She was adorable, still technically wearing her entire French Maid's costume after all this time. The hairpiece was a little off and the frilly dress was bunched around her waist. But the fishnet stockings and five-inch fuck-me heels looked so kinky hooked over Teddy's shoulders. With the blonde reaching down to spread her own asscheeks, Teddy moved into position and pressed his cock into her anus. And the two of them both groaned as he slid his meat up her rectum. It didn't take long. My eyelids were fluttering for only a few seconds as my best friends finished each other off. I was wiped out, and as the inky blackness descended over my vision, I heard Stella cry out, "AAAAHHHH!" as her orgasm finally erupted. Teddy wasn't much longer, grunting "NNNGHHH!" as he busted his nut, spewing into the depths of her bowels. And then they stopped thrashing on the bed, the both of them going limp with his cock slowly deflating inside her ass. I surrendered to unconsciousness then. I was tired, and sore, and very, very happy. But just before I fell asleep, Teddy and then Stella said the words that completely changed the course of my life: "You were fantastic today, Stella. I love you," he crooned, so quietly I could barely hear. Stella giggled happily. "I love you, too." ------- Chapter 4: After "I Love You" April 2007 "I told you. My old man thinks it 'builds character'." Teddy sighed. "You think I want to work in a stockroom?" "No, no..." Stella waved her chopsticks in lieu of shaking her head. "It's just ... we're the same age, and I'd do anything to climb out of this dead-end job. I mean, right now I'm a freakin' secretary. You think I want to be a secretary all my life? I want to be more. It's my own damn fault for not going to college. But I'm taking classes now and I really think I'm learning things that'll help me find something better." Stella sighed, shoving around her orange chicken. The three of us were having lunch together at Wok 'N Roll, our local Chinese dive, eating 2-item combos with chow mein. She reached across the table and covered Teddy's hand with her own. "Believe me, I'd hate to see you leave Argen; but you're brilliant, Teddy. You deserve better. You need to tell your old man 'screw you' and go find a job that really challenges you." My boyfriend fidgeted and then looked pointedly at us. "And leave you two? No way. I'd rather work a dead-end job and see you both every day than risk going away." "We're always around. It's not like you don't know where we live." Stella shook her head. "And there's always weekends. C'mon, E-Beth. Help me out." "He can do whatever he wants to do," I exhaled quietly and looked away. Stella looked disappointed in me, then turned back to Teddy, rubbing his hand and leaning forward as she urged him on. How had I not seen it sooner? How had I not realized what I was creating? Was I so naïve to think that Teddy and Stella would be able to continue seeing each other without me, continue fucking each other without me, and NOT develop some sort of close bond? It was happening again. I suppose it was my own fault. I never should have invited the cute blonde into our bed. I mean, yeah, I was horny and craving some pussy. But maybe I should have insisted it just be a one-time thing. Even after the incredible weekend, maybe I should have told Stella that it was the one and only time I'd share my boyfriend with her, and we'd move on with our own lives just as friends. But it all just seemed so perfect. I like girls. I love their softness in contrast with a man's hardness. I love their tenderness and grace. I love their smell. And I love their taste. And who better than a close friend who promised me she would never betray me? Who better than someone who had already resisted the temptation to sleep with my boyfriend behind my back? Had I given Stella too much leeway? Was she now falling in love with my boyfriend and stealing him away from me, even if she hadn't intended to? It was my own fault. Stella's a size zero with C-cup tits, a tiny little ass, and an angel's face. I'm just me. I don't work out enough. My butt and thighs are too fat. I don't like my cheekbones. And my skin could be clearer. Stella's a green-eyed blonde babe. I'm just frumpy me. I should have known Teddy would pick her over me, given the choice. "E-Beth?" Stella touched my arm. "You've been really quiet today. You okay?" I took a deep breath and pasted a smile on my face. "I'm fine. I'm fine." She looked at me sweetly with concern, then patted my knee and went back to gazing adoringly at Teddy. And the whole time, I couldn't get their words out of my head. Teddy: 'Stella, I love you.' Stella: 'I love you, too.' FUCK. ------- I sighed. "Up here, Teddy." The cute boy with the nice hair blushed and pulled his gaze up from my chest. He tapped his clipboard with his index finger and grinned. "What? I'm suddenly not allowed to stare anymore?" "Not here." I looked up and down the hallway, wondering if any of our coworkers were around while I stood at the counter to the stockroom. He pouted. "But I haven't really seen 'em since your birthday," he complained in a whiny, but joking, tone. "It's only been three days." "And I don't want to wait a minute more than I have to." "Jeez, is that all I am to you?" I suddenly snapped. "A pair of tits?" Teddy's eyes popped open and he pulled his head back, looking at me in confusion. "You okay?" I grimaced and took a deep breath, looking around again to make sure we were alone. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Can I just get my samples, please?" "Uh, sure. Gimme a minute." He turned away from the counter and headed into the racks. I took another deep breath and calmed myself. Was I blowing this all out of proportion? For three days, I'd studied my boyfriend and best friend, scrutinizing them to see if anything had changed. For three days, everything seemed normal. The two were friendly with each other, but not physically affectionate in public. Teddy was just as endearingly cute with me as always, acting like a schoolboy in love with me. He still talked to me every day, either visiting during lunch or calling me in the evening. As far as I could tell, he hadn't met up with Stella outside of work, as I had made calls to both of them and separate calls to their apartments to chat with their roommates just to be sure that Teddy really WAS playing video games and Stella really WAS out shopping with Katie. Yeah, I know it was a little stalkerish, but I had my concerns. But I couldn't act on my concerns. All I really had were the faint memories of exchanged "I love yous" milliseconds before I passed out. Had they even really said them? Was it all in my head? Was there some context that I didn't know about? If Stella and Teddy had started acting differently, I might have said something. But they were the same as always, and both still friendly and affectionate with me. And the last thing I wanted was to come off like some psycho-obsessive girlfriend. Heck, Teddy and I had been together for less than three months. But it still gnawed at me in the back of my head. "Here ya go." Teddy returned with a carrying case of vials filled with liquids in various shades of blue. He set them on the counter and slid them over to me with a smile. "Don't I get a kiss for that?" I blushed, pleased that he would still want an affectionate kiss from me. It showed that he still was into me. And after once again glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, I leaned in and pecked him. "We still on tonight?" he asked, hope in his voice. It was a Friday night, our usual date night, after having a drink with the girls at Monahan's. "Sure," I smiled. "Great. Stella and I were talking about going to Wingnuts for dinner. They're running a promo on Honey Barbecue." Stella? Right. She'd come out with us the past two Friday night dates. After all, her roommates expected her to be out with Teddy. And of course, so far I'd welcomed her presence in our bed. So it would be me, my boyfriend ... and her. "Uh, sounds good," I mumbled. Teddy grinned and then leaned across the counter for another kiss. "I love you." I kissed him and then sighed, feeling almost melancholy. "I love you, too." ------- I watched Teddy and Stella carefully at Wingnuts. Teddy sat next to me in our booth for four, his left arm around my neck and his fingers walking down my chest every so often until I spanked his hand and shot him a teasing look. He just grinned and went back to the conversation. Stella was doing her usual chatterbox thing, flirting casually but not doing anything that really pushed the boundaries of opposite-sex friendship. I was with my boyfriend, and she was across the way just acting like a friend. And once again, I found myself wondering if I had imagined the whole thing. There was nothing going on between them beyond what Stella had promised: friends, fuck- buddies ... but nothing more. So I relaxed. I'd been quiet for most of the evening, blaming things on work and being tired. But now I came alive, flirting back with both of my friends like always, reminding myself just how much I loved them, and even moving my boob into Teddy's palm every now and again to get a comforting squeeze. As usual, we returned to my condo for a pleasant threesome. Now that we were all getting used to the routine, we were able to take things a bit slower, not worrying about time. I awoke the next morning to find my two lovers screwing on the bed beside me. I had a momentary panic attack, but once Stella realized I was awake, she promptly kissed me and pulled my legs around so that she could eat my pussy while still riding up and down Teddy's cock. The girl may have been a lesbian rookie, but she was learning fast. And we all had a nice screwing before splitting apart for the rest of the weekend. But then came the following Thursday. It was the worst day of my life. ------- -- MAY 2007 -- "Elizabeth, I'm sorry." Alfred leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "It's just not working." "I can make it work," I repeated through clenched teeth. "I just need more time!" "You've already spent two months trying to come up with a work-around," he said patiently, but firmly. "I can't let you waste any more time. It's okay. You can't win them all. And even with this failure, you still have an incredibly high success rate." 'Failure'. He just HAD to use the word 'failure'. "I can make it work," I repeated insistently. Alfred sighed and gave me a stern look, the grandfatherly disposition finally dropping to be replaced by the harder-edged manager I knew my director could be. "I've read your reports. There's just no way around the trifluoperazine interaction. And without it, you don't have a drug." "I'm not done yet. This variant of tetrapterys methystica has shown promise, and I'm just now ready to conduct the tests on it!" "Fine, do your tests." Alfred conceded, sensing that this compromise would at least end the argument. "But this is the final attempt. If it doesn't work, I'm going to have to pull the plug on the project and put you on something else. Radinsky can use your help." "Radinsky?" I scowled, thinking of the mid-40s researcher who really resented not only my youth, but that I was a female daring to play at being a chemist. "He HATES me!" "He doesn't hate you." Alfred shook his head before sighing, and then once again the concerned grandfather was back. "You look tense, Elizabeth. You've been accumulating more vacation days again. Perhaps a short break would be good for you." "I'll make the tetrapterys work." "I hope you do." ------- FUCK!!! Bad reaction. Bad chemical reaction. Bad. Failure. It's a failure. And Alfred's going to pull the plug on my project. SIX MONTHS of work ... All for nothing. "FUCK!!!" I yelled aloud, kicking the cabinet hard enough to make the door pop loose of its clasp and swing open. "E-Beth!" Steve barked from across the room. He put down the tray he was holding and stepped up to me, putting a hand on my arm. "I'm fine, I'm fine." I shrugged loose from him and took three steps away, my hands on my hips. I steamed for a few seconds before coming to a stop and stretching out my neck. I took a deep breath and then looked up at the clock. 11:45am. Exhaling, I started pulling off my gloves and took my lab glasses off. "Let's break for lunch," I told my lab technician. "We'll clean up after that." After taking another look to make sure I was alright, Steve nodded. And then with an apologetic shrug, he left. I didn't leave for lunch. I put my gloves and glasses back on. Just one more try... ------- "E-Beth, did you even eat anything?" Steve sighed when he returned and saw me hunched over the lab bench, almost desperately running and re-running the tests. I glanced up at him and then darted my eyes to the clock. Is it one o'clock already? Crap! I looked back at Steve and shrugged. He took a deep breath and walked up to me, patting my back gently. "E-Beth, it's a lost cause." I sighed and let my head fall forward. A long strand of my bangs came loose and hung over my face. Sitting up straight again, I brushed it back and sighed, "Not my day. What else can go wrong?" Steve immediately paled and looked away. "What?" He sort of gave me a weak smile and turned to start cleaning up the materials. "What? Oh, nothing." "That's not 'nothing', Steve. What?" I stared intently at the bespectacled, slightly- balding man until he paled again. "Really, it's nothing." "Steve!" He sighed and slouched. For someone who looked like a middle-aged guy more interested in beer and pizza, Steve had always surprisingly been in the loop when it came to office gossip. He'd heard something, and he was trying to keep it from me. "I'm not sure I should be telling you this." "Is it about me?" "Well, uh..." "Then you should be telling me!" I barked. He jumped and then wilted. "It's just ... You know Reggie?" I nodded. Reggie was another lab tech, someone Steve often met up with in the lunchroom. Steve wouldn't meet my eyes. "Well ... uh..." He took a deep breath and then just spat out the rest. "Reggie saw Teddy and Stella coming out of the janitor's closet at lunch. Teddy had lipstick on his cheek and Stella was fixing her skirt. They held hands for a few seconds before Stella giggled and then darted away from him. Teddy went straight into a bathroom, looking bashful, no doubt to clean up his face." I was shock-still, absolutely rigid. Only my eyelids moved as I blinked several times, just trying to process everything. And after thirty seconds of me being a complete statue, Steve took a concerned step toward me. That's when I exploded. My fists balled. My arms tensed. And I suddenly whirled to the side, once again kicking out at a cabinet hard enough to not only pop the door open, but also put a nice dent in the front of my pointy-toed shoes. "FUCK!!!" The next time I blinked, I realized I was in the hallway outside of the lab, stomping like an enraged Godzilla. Once I got amongst the cubicle farm, I half- thought about going on a rampage, destroying fuzzy-felt walls like little Tokyo buildings. But then a middle-aged woman gave me a weird look as I stomped past, and I realized how strange I must look. The need to not make people think I was weird momentarily overrode my anger, and I slowed down to a calmer, but still hurried, pace. Stella was at her cube. I marched straight up and barked, "Stella, come in here. I need to talk to you." If she noticed my tone, she didn't show it. Her eyes simply lit up at the mere sight of me and she giggled while getting to her feet. She skedaddled into my office and then closed the door behind her without having to be told by me. And once closed, she excitedly chirped, "Oh, I've got something I've GOT to tell you!" "YOU FUCKING CHEATED ON ME!" I barked, cutting her off. "What?" "You cheated on me!" I yelled loud enough for my voice to carry through the door, even if the words might be muffled. I quickly grimaced to try and force myself to speak more softly. "E-Beth, what are you talking about?" "Today. At lunch. A tech SAW you and Teddy coming out of the janitor's closet!" Stella's face went ghost white. Her eyes popped wide open and there was no mistaking the guilty expression on her face before she clapped her hands over her mouth. She looked absolutely horrified. And getting that kind of confirmation only made me even more enraged. "You cold-hearted, manipulative bitch!" I barked. "Whoa, whoa!" Stella held her hands up. "Wait, no-no-no! That's what I was JUST going to tell you! Teddy and I had a quickie at lunch and I was all excited to come tell you about it! I just can't believe we got caught! We checked the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and Teddy rushed to the bathroom to make sure he didn't have any of my makeup on him!" "Ohhh..." I drawled, my eyes rolling. "So you thought you'd get away with it!" "E-Beth! It was just sex! Same thing Teddy and I have been doing for a month now! You told me we could, as long as I told you about it! Well I'm telling you about it!" I just glared at my supposed friend. I folded my arms and coldly hissed, "And when did you fall in love with my boyfriend?" Stella's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?" "I heard you," I spat just as coldly. "I heard you say you loved him; and I heard him say it back." Stella winced, shaking her head. "E-Beth, that's not what it sounds like." I couldn't take any more. I just shook my head in disgust, grabbed my purse, and then bolted out of my office. "E-Beth, wait!" Stella came after me. I marched straight over to Alfred's office, this time not caring if anyone saw me stomping like an out-of-control, radioactively-mutated lizard. I burst in, surprising him. I simply barked, "Fine. I'm taking a vacation. I'll see you next week." And then just as quickly, I stormed away. Stella was right behind me, grabbing at my hand outside Alfred's office. "E-Beth!" she pleaded. I shrugged her off my arm and whirled on her, holding up a finger in her face. "Fuck off and die, you backstabbing bitch!" It wasn't the most common phrase heard in the middle of our department floor. Three heads had already been poking up above the cubicle walls when I went raging into Alfred's office. At the words "backstabbing bitch", the rest of the heads in our department popped up. Ignoring them, I left Stella standing there in absolute shock. And I quickly flew out of the building. ------- Teddy tried calling me first. I held the phone in my hand, staring at the display screen, wondering if I should answer it. I really wanted to talk to him. I loved him. It was crazy, but I loved him. Why the fuck did I love him? I was smarter than this. I was more logical than this. I had only ever really loved one man before: David. And I knew exactly why I loved him so much. David had been the first boy to see me as a girl worth getting to know. Yeah, it may have started off because of that stupid Chemistry experiment in High School, but he didn't have to become my friend over it. He had. He'd given me the motivation to get in shape and to start taking care of my body. Then I'd started to fall in love with him during my Prom. I'd given him my virginity. And even though we had nothing else bonding us together, he'd become my boyfriend and we'd shared a wonderful year of romance together. I'd screwed up that relationship by breaking up with him. I'd wanted to explore myself, to move beyond him. I won't say it was the biggest mistake of my life. A lot of good things came of it and David found his soulmate in Amber. But there were many, many times over the last seven years that I'd wondered how things might have turned out if I hadn't done that. David had been my one and only love, and I still loved him in my own way. But Teddy? Yeah, we'd known each other since he started working at Argen almost a year ago. But we'd never really known each other until that night of the Holiday Party, only five months ago. And everything had been such a whirlwind since then. We'd started dating in February, only three months ago. And heck, I'd seduced and brought Stella into our relationship two months ago. He'd been fucking her for almost as long as he'd been fucking me! Why the hell would I feel in love with Teddy? I'd dated other guys: Marcus, Vic, and Chad. All of them I spent more time with than with Teddy. And while I'd enjoyed their company, and even exchanged the L-word a time or two, I'd never FELT this kind of attachment. When those relationships failed, I'd felt angry, but deep down they didn't really hurt. This one hurt. Maybe it was because with all the other guys, in the back of my head I kind of expected them to betray me. They were bad boys. They were players. They were walking penises just waiting to screw up and put themselves into a cunt they weren't supposed to. But Teddy? He was a nice guy. He'd been crushing on me for months before anything happened. And once we did get together, he'd treated me like a princess. He'd been young, eager, and sooo devoted to me, like a little puppy. And yet, when I needed him to become the big dog, he could do that too. He fixed things. He opened doors. And he savagely took me when I wanted him to. One might think that adding Stella to the relationship would have distracted him. Actually, he became even more attentive to me. Yeah, he made a lot of time for her, especially in the last couple of weeks while pretending to be her boyfriend for the sake of her roommates. But he somehow managed to never let me feel neglected or underappreciated. We still had our dates and spent a lot of quality time together. And I always saw the love he had for me in his eyes. And I loved him for it. In three months, Teddy had already become the best boyfriend I'd ever had since David. But did that just make him an even better player than Marcus, Vic, or Chad? Had he somehow tricked me with his youth and innocence and nerdiness into not realizing he was somehow manipulating me? Or was he just a kid in a candy store with too many options? Maybe Teddy was really just a good guy, caught up in an impossible situation that I'd created. He had me, and if I'd left things like that he might very well have been with me to the very end. But nooo... I had to go and bring a prettier, younger, skinnier girl into our relationship, and a natural blonde to boot. I was the comfortable hamburger that Teddy would have been satisfied to dine on ... up until I served him the prime rib that would be even tastier. What should I have expected? It was my own fucking fault. What could Teddy say to me on the phone? That he was sorry? That he never meant to hurt me? That he just had more in common with Stella and they fit together better than me? I worked too much. I was too focused on my career. I spent some time with Teddy on weekends but didn't give him much on weekdays. I had my kinks, but I wasn't wild and impulsive like Stella, who would seduce him into a quickie in the janitor's closet. Teddy was young. Stella was young. I was a boring old fart. He'd traded me in for a better model. I didn't want to talk to him. So I didn't answer the call. Stella was calling me, too. I didn't want to talk to her either. The lying bitch had promised to my face that she would never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Teddy. But behind my back she'd somehow gotten him to tell her he loved her. Some friend. Now I just turned OFF my phone. I was angry. I was hurt. And there was only one place in the world I wanted to go. ------- The door popped open and David stood before me. "E-Beth!" he exclaimed and then opened his arms for a big hug. A shudder of relief went through my body. After driving away from Argen, I'd headed straight to the airport and booked myself on the next commuter jet flight back to the old college town. Even though it was a one-hour flight, plus getting through security and boarding and all those other delays, I'd left early enough in the day that I worried David and Amber wouldn't be home from work yet. I didn't really know how much longer I could hold up, and I was so thankful that at least David was already home. "Surprise," I said only half-heartedly. It was our usual greeting whenever I showed up unannounced like this, but I was just too drained to muster any enthusiasm, no matter how happy I was to see him. David immediately looked concerned, and he stepped through the doorway and onto the porch to hug me. "Are you okay?" The instant his strong arms wrapped around me, I cracked. My knees buckled and I started dropping to the ground. But David caught me and pulled me up to my feet. My strength returned enough for me to bear-hug him desperately. And I started crying against his chest. "Shhh..." David soothed, holding me up with his left hand and reaching for my cheek with his right. He stroked me gently, repeating his soothing sounds. But he didn't try to say anything for a few minutes while I simply stood there and bawled my little head off. But eventually, I got myself under control. I tilted my head back to look up at him, seeing the warmth in my old lover's eyes. And for the moment, at least, I felt safe. "Come on, let's get you inside," he said tenderly. I managed to nod and then raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Amber?" David shrugged. "At the hospital. But her shift ends at six." I nodded again and let David carry me inside. I'd tell him my story first. And then hopefully I'd have a better handle on it when I told Amber later. ------- They say pregnant women have a glow about them. It's true. I happen to know the biochemical reactions that go into it. First, blood volume in a pregnant woman increases by 50%, causing a woman's whole body to appear more flushed, especially in the cheeks. Pregnancy hormones also increase oil production, leaving a woman's face shinier. But I also think a part of it is in the way a woman carries herself. Amber, now five months pregnant, certainly walked around as if her every movement said, 'Yes, I'm happily married to my soulmate and pregnant with our first child. I'm about to have everything I ever dreamed of, and I couldn't be more thrilled with my life.' As much as I loved my friends, just to see Amber made me even more depressed. We were the same age. Actually, I was a few months older than her. And yet she really did have everything she'd ever dreamed of. She had her soulmate husband. She owned a fantastic house with the big yard in which to raise a gaggle of kids. She was working her dream job as a doctor, she drove a shiny BMW, and on top of all that, she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. She was everything I was not. Not that Amber tried to rub it in my face or anything. David called her at the hospital to let her know that I'd come by. And when my best friend returned home, she'd immediately come to hug me. That's right: "best friend". I'd briefly given over that designation to Stella, but the backstabbing bitch didn't deserve it anymore. The three of us sat down on the couches in the living room, Amber with me, and David in the easy chair. And a little more clearly than before, I told Amber my story. She'd already known about the Holiday Party, as I'd explained the situation to my friends in Hawaii before their wedding. I'd also already told them when I'd started dating Teddy. But for some reason, I'd never gotten around to mentioning that I'd invited Stella into bed with me and my boyfriend. And both David and Amber were at rapt attention as I explained the developments of our three-way relationship from one-time threesome to Stella's pretend-boyfriend to their declarations of "I love you" to each other. "This always happens," I complained. "I bring some hot, young babe into bed with us and the next thing I know, my boyfriend's got it in his head that he's some sort of sex god and runs off with someone else." "Maybe you should stop bringing girls into your bed," David drawled. "I can't help it!" I whimpered. "I blame you, Amber. If it weren't for you, I'd just be a normal, straight woman looking for love. But nooo, now I NEED female attention, too. Vic was right: I need another girl in bed with me to really get off." David and Amber looked at each other, communicating something between each other with their eyes. "And now it's happened again," I sighed in resignation. "I did what we'd discussed. I found a 'nice guy' instead of giving into my arousal for the 'bad boy'. But my nice guy still ended up choosing a hot young girl over me." David snorted. "E-Beth, how many times do I have to tell you: You're a hot young girl." "Am not," I scowled. "I'm over the hill." "Yeah, right," Amber drawled. "You turned 26 what, a week ago?" "That's still technically 'late-20s'," I complained. "Stella's only 23, same as him." "Coupla years," David waved me off. "It's not like you LOOK older." "Don't I?" I picked at my hair and squeezed my own cheeks. "I'm running out of time here. I'm not very pretty to begin with-" "Nonsense," David cut me off. I ignored him and just kept going. "The older I get, the worse I'm gonna look. And it's hard enough for me to find quality guys as it is." "Will you STOP it!" Amber barked shrilly. Her sudden outburst was surprising enough to make me pull my head back. My best friend then exhaled and gave me a plaintive look. "Good lord, E-Beth. Will you stop complaining about your looks? You're beautiful! And it's really annoying when you keep harping on this delusional perception that you're not!" "Easy for you to say." "Fine," Amber huffed. "I'm ugly! I'm unattractive! So there!" I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You're the most gorgeous woman in the world, Amber, even pregnant." "Am I? Well, I don't believe you," she spat. "Of course you are!" "And why should I believe you?" "Because it's true!" "You're just saying that because you're my friend." I rolled my eyes. "Pull a hundred guys off the street and ask each one of them if they think you're gorgeous, and every single one of them will say you are." Amber arched an eyebrow at me. "Is that what it's gonna take for you, too? Do we have to bring you out to a mall and ask a hundred guys if they think you're beautiful? Will THAT get the point through your thick skull?" I blushed. "Well ... maybe ... But you're still light years ahead of me." "Am I?" "Sure. You're tall and thin and elegant. You're not stuck with my nose or this facial structure or my thick thighs." "I think my nose is too pointy and doesn't have the right shape. I think my cheekbones make me look too gaunt and skeletal. I think my hair is too thin and I can never pull off the full-bodied styles that I really want. And my hips are too skinny and not womanly enough, making me look top heavy with these boobs. My torso isn't proportioned right. And right now I freaking have a massive exercise ball attached to my waist!" I blinked a few times in surprise, not sure how to respond to that. "Sometimes I wish I had your curves, E-Beth. Every girl has things they'd like to improve about their appearance, even me," Amber sighed. "When are you going to realize that you're beautiful?" "You're a ten, Amber." I shot a glare right at David. "Honestly, what am I?" David shrugged. "You're a ten, too." I rolled my eyes. "Please." "E-Beth, you're beautiful," David said sincerely, looking right at me. "Are you exactly the same as Amber? Of course not. Different heights, different curves, different hair and eye colors. So what? Are you really so shallow as to put all your stock of self-worth into how you look?" "I'm not shallow," I retorted defensively. "Then why is this such a big deal?" "Big deal? The big deal is that my boyfriend left me because I wasn't pretty enough for him!" "You sure that's the reason?" David cocked an eyebrow. Amber added, "Are you even sure he left you? From what you told me, Teddy is just as in love with you as ever. You're basing all of this on a lunch quickie he had with your third lover! It's not like they hadn't been screwing all this time without your permission. And what if she really WAS about to tell you? It doesn't even sound like he was going to break up with you or anything. It was just another ordinary day." "It doesn't matter," I whimpered. "He's going to pick her." "Why would you think that?" "Because she's younger and prettier than me." David facepalmed. "Okay, fine, fine," I conceded, taking a deep breath. "Maybe I'm not a two out of ten. But he still told her he loves her. Where does that leave me?" "Did he tell you he loves you?" Amber asked. I blinked. "Yes." "Do you believe him?" I blinked twice. "I did ... But now ... I dunno..." "So you believe him when he says the L-word to her, but you're 'I dunno' when he says the L-word to you?" I frowned, "It's complicated." "How?" Amber sighed. "Look, there're really just two possibilities: One, like most guys, he doesn't really mean it when he says 'I love you', which means he doesn't love either of you. In that case, he's a dirtbag you'd be better off without. Or Two, he loves the both of you, in your own unique ways. And when he says he loves you, he really means it. Did you ever think of that?" "What?" "C'mon, look at us right here. David, do you love me?" "Of course I love you, honey," David told his wife. "Do you love E-Beth?" David turned his warm smile to me. "I love you, Elizabeth." My heart melted. "And do you love him, too?" Amber added, pointing from me to him. "Yes, of course I still love you," I said to my ex-boyfriend. "Not romantically. But I'll always love you." Amber waved her hand. "And there you have it. This is the same situation you're in with Teddy and Stella." I blinked and frowned. "Wait, wait, no. This is completely different. What I have with the two of you is special." "Special, I'll agree." David nodded. "But not necessarily unique. From everything you've told us, from your friendship with Stella to the devotion Teddy's shown you up until this point, the three of you have some of that same potential." "Do you want to steal David from me?" Amber asked casually. "What? Of course not!" I shook my head at the very thought. "Then what's got you convinced that Stella's trying to steal Teddy from you?" Amber raised her eyebrows. "I ... uh..." My jaw waggled up and down a few times. "She ... uh..." My mind raced over everything I had seen between them. Really, Stella hadn't done anything to show that she was trying to take Teddy away from me. Join us, sure, but take him away? No. Maybe that meant she was being manipulative and sneaky and being very careful about how she got her hooks into him without me watching. Then again, maybe Stella was being true to what she'd promised. She was my friend. And she would never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Teddy, not intentionally at least. But I wasn't sure. Whimpering, I reached both my hands up to hold my head and bent over, clenching my eyes as if I could shut the world away. It had been a really shitty day. ------- I didn't really want to bitch about the Teddy/Stella situation all night; and as supportive as they were, David and Amber didn't want to listen to me bitching all night, either. At first, I fretted that I had to come up with SOME resolution in my head as to what was going on before it was too late. But then Amber reassured me by saying, "If he really loves you, he'll understand. And if he doesn't, then he's not worth it anyways." We also had company. Cherys and Danielle were dropping by to visit with little Ellie. It had become a regular Thursday night thing to have dinner together as a big extended family. It gave David a chance to see his 8-month-old daughter and Amber some time to practice being a mommy. Cherys and Danielle were just happy to delegate away babycare duties for a couple of hours. For me, the dinner with old friends and playing with baby Ellie were welcome distractions from my own troubles. And by the time Cherys and Danielle returned home at 8pm to put the baby to sleep, I was feeling much calmer about everything. Amber told me to turn my phone back on and let Teddy and Stella know that I was alive, at least. But I shook my head in the negative and just sagged deeper into the couch. "If me being gone like this for one night pushes the two of them into forming a relationship with each other — and without me — then so be it. I'd be better off without them." David and Amber looked concerned, but let it pass. In the end, we spent the next several hours catching up on THEIR lives before going through our nightly routines in preparation for sleep. It was probably the first time I'd visited that the three of us didn't end up fucking right away. My best friends sensed that I wasn't in that kind of mood, and didn't pressure me. But they still welcomed me into their bed, and I snuggled happily beneath the covers on my left side, with my head pillowed on David's chest while he lay on his back, Amber mirroring me on his other side. We all talked quietly as the drowsiness overtook us. Amber caressed my cheek. And then I drifted away to the pleasant dreams of one who feels safely cocooned beneath a loving man's arm. ------- As shitty as Thursday had been, Friday more than made up for it, in multiple ways. First came the multiple orgasms. I woke with a strong man spooned around my back. At first, I thought it was Teddy and a flush of warmth spread through my whole body. Relief, happiness, and lust shot through me, waking me up quickly. But then I looked around the room and recognized David's and Amber's master bedroom, and I quickly sank back to reality. But that was okay. Far from being disappointed, I sighed with an old remembered contentment feeling David's arm wrapped around me. We'd pivoted in our sleep, so that I was facing the edge of the bed with David's broad chest flush against my back. His left arm had wrapped around my side, and his hand was underneath my borrowed T-shirt so that he could cup and hold onto one of my big titties. As I began to move, he reflexively squeezed his fingers to grip my breast tighter; and my own stretching made his coarse palm scratch against my nipple. David's cock was awake before he was. I felt the big weapon splitting the cleft of my buttcheeks, his dented boxer shorts digging the strap of my thong panties deeper into my crack. I hadn't been in a sex mood last night, otherwise we might very well have slept without any underwear. And this morning, I wish we had. I would have loved to feel the rigid but surprisingly soft skin of his bare cock against my fully naked buttcheeks. At least I didn't have to wait long. David woke up while I was grinding my ass against his morning wood. I heard the change in his breathing as he came awake and realized he was squeezing my tit and bear-hugging me from behind. And then I felt his hot breath against my neck just before he bent and kissed me behind my ear. "Good morning, Elizabeth," he breathed in such a sexy, deep voice. "Mmm ... morning, David." "Morning, E-Beth," Amber suddenly chirped in front of me, startling me as I popped my eyes open and realized my best friend was kneeling on the floor right in front of me. She leaned over and quickly pecked my lips. And then before I could react, she slid herself beneath the covers, pulled my panties down to my knees, and took a long lick at my already moistening pussy. "Oh, shit..." I whimpered. All three of us were very sexual people. We hadn't had sex last night. So we made up for it this morning. After the first lick, Amber paused long enough to drag my panties the rest of the way off my body before rolling me onto my back, spreading my legs to the sides, and then parking herself between my thighs. She looked adorably cute with the bedsheets covering her head right to her forehead, but no farther; and her angelically beautiful face then descended into my lovenest to resume her cuntlapping. Meanwhile, David was tugging my shirt upwards to get at my round melons. He kissed me with a raw, fierce passion that set my heart racing. And I was very quickly so turned on that I couldn't decide whether to flail out and grab his cock or work my shirt off so that he could begin suckling my teats. In the end, I did both, but with his help. He shoved his boxers down his thighs so that I could wrap my left hand around his turgid tool. And he helped me drag my shirt over my head while I worked the other side of it with my right hand. Together, we accomplished both goals, and soon he was licking and kissing and fondling to both of our hearts' content. I had almost reached my first orgasm, what with Amber's expert cunnilingus and David's attention to my upper body and face. But just before I got there, Amber suddenly pulled away from my crotch and reached to her husband. She grabbed his hips and rolled him over me. And then holding David's cock in her hands, she guided him to my entrance and spanked his ass to get him to plow all the way into me with a single thrust. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed, the sudden penetration just perfect to put me over the top. My feet kicked down and bounced both mine and David's hips a few inches off the mattress, our groins pressed completely together. His tongue re-invaded my mouth even while I howled the ecstasy of my climax. Plus, before my orgasm abated, David suddenly hunched upwards, driving his shaft into the upper part of my pussy so his pelvic bone could rub against my clit. And it also gave Amber enough room to dive into our joining, her tongue on his balls and on my pussylips, titillating my senses enough that I quickly jerked and spasmed in an aftershock climax to follow the first. My friends let me rest for a minute to recover after that. While I lay flat on my back, panting rapidly as I came down from my high, Amber came around to kiss me and playfully slobber my own orgasmic nectar all over my face. David remained at full depth inside me, his cock pulsing with his own need, a pleasant vibration deep within my vaginal tunnel. I looked at the two of them and then chuckled. "You know, this is the first time I've ever slept with a married man." Amber and David looked at each other before breaking into their own grins. And then Amber cocked an eyebrow at me. "You trying to steal my husband?" I shook my head. "Of course not." She nodded. "I believe you. And because I believe you, I'm just going to sit back here and rub this basketball on my belly while I watch my husband fuck the shit outta you. Okay?" I grinned. "Okay." ------- Amber didn't quite just sit back and watch. She helped out quite a bit by leaning over to kiss me and suck on my sensitive nipples while David rhythmically humped his gorgeous dick in and out of my pussy. In the end, he nutted his load deep inside me. And Amber had been rubbing herself several inches below her belly, so that she came at the same time David did, the tension in her eyes showing how turned on she was to watch her husband sperming me. And of course, she just HAD to slurp all that sperm out of my cunt and then snowball it all right back into my mouth. Yummy. Anyways, David had to go to work then. Amber herself was already working reduced hours in preparation for her maternity leave, and she was able to spend the day at home with me. I made myself useful by puttering around, helping her clean up and take care of a few things she'd just been too lazy to do with her baby preparations and general lack of energy at this stage of her pregnancy. I'd forgotten just how much I missed my college friends. While I was IN college, I took for granted that Amber, David, Diane, and Phyllis would be just down the hallway in my own house. I took for granted that I would see my other friends every day on campus, in my classes, or just walking down the sidewalk. For four years now, I'd carved out my own little world where I lived alone in my condo, worked 60 hours a week at the office and in the labs, and only really came out to socialize with the girls at lunches or on Friday afternoons at Monahan's. Sure, I'd had boyfriends. Even if I didn't have close friends in the city, I knew people who'd invite me out to bars and the like, putting me in position to meet cute guys. But I'd never formed a clique, a base, or a close-knit circle like I had with David and Amber before. Outside of those brief dating relationships, I'd never even spent more than a few hours over an entire week with someone socially. Well, not until Teddy and Stella. I'd been spending every weekend with my lovers. And we had a few weeknights thrown in as well. I missed them, but if those relationships failed, then I'd be back to square one. And as I pondered those looming failures, I seriously worried about my appeal and ability to find people to replace them. "I'm not hot enough to find or land the really awesome guys like David," I complained. Of course, Amber quickly started beating me over the head with how annoyed she was by my lack of self-esteem. And then she asked me the most important questions: "Do you really want to find another guy? Or do you want Teddy?" I sighed. "I want Teddy. I know it doesn't make sense. He's not a devastatingly handsome and charming guy that makes me wet just to look at him. He's not older and mature. He's not fabulously wealthy or highly accomplished. He's nothing I told myself I wanted before. But he just adores me. He's worshipped me for a year, and he treats me like a queen. He embraces my sexual kinks, and he's got such a youthful enthusiasm that when I'm with him, I feel so ... alive." "Maybe that's why he's the right one for you," Amber smiled and patted my back. "He's nothing you told yourself you wanted, but he's everything you really need." I pondered that for a little while. And then Amber squeezed my hand and looked at me a little wistfully. "And this isn't only about your boyfriend, either. Would you really want to replace your best friend? Or do you really like being with Stella?" I sighed and thought about that. There was a reason Stella and I had hit it off so well right from the beginning. She had the bubbly, youthful, and optimistic attitude that kept me from sinking into my constant anxieties and depressions. At the same time, she'd always taken a genuine interest in my well-being, whether it be supporting me during the whole Grant thing or just keeping me in the loop with the latest office gossip. On top of that, she'd really taken to exploring her bi- curious side, and there was no denying my physical attraction to the perky blonde. As hard as it had been for me to find an authentically nice guy like Teddy, I would probably have an even harder time finding someone quite like Stella. I sighed, "I miss my friends." Amber nodded. "Then maybe you should call them back." ------- I probably should have called Teddy and Stella immediately. It had already been more than 24 hours since I'd walked out of Argen in a rage, turning off my cell phone and flying away without telling anyone. If they were the people I truly thought they were, they'd be worried about me. But I wasn't ready just yet. I didn't know what I'd say to them, other than that I was okay and that I would eventually come home. I also didn't know how they would react. I'd done a pretty dramatic thing to them, walking out and cutting off all contact. If they were still my friends, if they still cared about me, they'd probably feel a little hurt that I didn't understand. If they really WERE cheating on me, then this would be their opportunity to get rid of me and start their own relationship, and I didn't think I could cope if that was the case. Life is like one big chemistry experiment. Even when you know all the elements involved, they can react in unexpected ways. Sometimes the unexpected reactions are good; sometimes they're not. On occasion, the reactions are even explosive. Still, it's best to have an idea of what reaction you're going to get before you start mixing the chemicals. And I needed more time to think. Well, and I wanted more time to fuck, too. I hadn't seen my best friends since their wedding five months ago, and the morning's quick session wasn't nearly enough. Amber accepted my decision not to call Teddy or Stella just yet. And then she went into planning mode for how best to greet her husband. We settled for what works best: boobs. Amber dolled herself up in lacy red lingerie with a matching transparent red peignoir that she left unbelted to expose her round belly and expose her cleavage. While not yet as big as my 34DDs, Amber's tits had been growing as her pregnancy progressed, and she told me her nipples were extra-sensitive as well. As for me, I was still stuck with the clothes and underwear I'd worn directly from the office yesterday, which meant my lingerie was more functional than titillating. There was no way my wider hips would fit into Amber's skinny panties, but we managed to find a black shelf-bra with that would support my melons if we pushed it to the very last set of hooks. The bra was designed to expose the nipples, so it really just meant there was more breast meat jiggling on top of the half-cups than usual. And even though my boobs weren't swelling in preparation for milk-production, I'd always had extremely sensitive nipples, and Amber wasted no time leaning over and suckling on the tender teats. Amber was still suckling when David got home from work. Amber knew his schedule, and right when he walked in the bedroom door, I was sitting up against the headboard while she was on all fours, getting a nice face-full of E-Beth tits. I watched David's jaw go slack as he first zeroed in on his wife's ass, semi- covered by the transparent peignoir and lace panties. I then watched as he tracked upwards to my chest, his eyes widening as he took in my glorious breasts put on full display by the shelf-bra. Just for good measure, I then reached a finger down to tilt Amber's chin up to me. And I swear David nearly came in his shorts when he saw me and his gorgeous blonde wife exchange a sloppy, wet, tongue-filled kiss. I started giggling then. Amber giggled with me before turning her head around and grinning back at her husband. "Welcome home, honey." David just grinned and started pulling off his clothing. Old habits die hard. And even though we hadn't been together for months, and hadn't seen nearly enough of each other in the four years since graduation, the three of us still came together like we'd been screwing as a threesome every day of our lives. No words were needed. All the communication took place with our eyes and hands. We simply moved together. Once naked, David first went to Amber for a welcoming kiss. They affectionately locked lips, as much in love as ever, before turning their dual attention to me. David kissed me as well before joining Amber in nursing at my tits. But after a few minutes, I pushed him away and gestured him over behind his wife. Amber got the hint and shuffled down the bed. She took the time to drag my black panties away, tossing them off the bed before ducking her head to begin slurping at me. She paused for a few seconds when David entered her, but once he established a steady rhythm, she went right back to work on me. I got one good orgasm that way. Only a few people in the world knew just how to eat me, and Amber was one of the best. But I had a craving for cock, and after dumping my first load of honey into Amber's face, I moved around and parked myself on all fours right next to my best friend. But Amber was in a playful mood. The instant David started to withdraw from her and switch over to me, she reached back and grabbed his ass, holding him inside her. David arched an eyebrow questioningly, but Amber shook her head and grinned, fucking herself back on her husband's prick. I got it: she was getting fucked and didn't want to give up her cock just yet. I whimpered pitifully, but Amber just grinned and shook her head. 'Me, first, ' was the message in her eyes. And then closing her eyes and thrusting her jaw out, she groaned ecstatically and began fucking her husband harder. David didn't totally neglect me. He reached over and caressed my ass with his right hand. He even dipped his fingers into my honeypot, stirring them around while dragging out my natural lubrication and using it to rub my clit quite pleasurably. But he didn't pull out and switch over to fucking me. I whimpered and turned my head around to him, begging with my eyes. But David just grinned and shook his head. And then he reached out to my hand and tugged it over into Amber's crotch. David WAS a loving and considerate husband, after all. And he knew the score: If I wanted to get fucked, I had to satisfy Amber first. So I rolled onto my side and focused on fingering my best friend. David could still get to my crotch with his own hand when he wanted, and I could do a better job on Amber. With David's thick dick pistoning in and out of her tight pussy, and my fingers rubbing at her love button and tweaking her nipples, the gorgeous blonde soon tensed up and moaned, gasping, "Ohhhh..." as a pleasant orgasm swept through her. Now that Amber had been taken care of, I sighed in relief and dropped my hands away. I rolled onto my back and spread my legs in anticipation of getting pounded. But Amber giggled and glanced over at me. "Not yet. I'm not done yet." "Awww..." I whined, but at the gleam in Amber's eyes, I nodded. She wasn't doing it to be mean. We both knew that delaying my gratification would pay off in the long run. Still, Amber was getting tired, so she rolled onto her back as well. David then reached down and pulled his wife's hips to the edge of the bed, pushing her legs back until she was in a horizontal split. And then he re-entered her to begin thrusting away. This new position also gave me full access to her chest, and after parting the gossamer robe and unsnapping the front-loading bra, it was my turn to feast my lips on the blonde's sensitive teats. One more orgasm, I promised myself. One more and she'll let him fuck me. With renewed determination, I sought out all of Amber's hot spots, tweaking nipples, caressing nerve bundles, and making out with my best friend with sloppy, lustful kisses. Amber got her orgasm. Unfortunately for me, so did David. I felt more than heard the blonde's breath tightening as I kissed her. She whimpered as the fires stoked within her core, building and building and building before suddenly exploding with a powerful intensity. Her whole body shook and shuddered as she screamed out, "AAAAHHHH!!!" And then a second later, David joined her by growling, "HHRRRKKKK!" as he slammed forward a final time and began filling his wife with his creamy load. DAMMIT! Expectedly, David deflated inside of Amber's snatch. After panting to catch their breaths, the happy couple slowly disengaged and David moved around to sit beside his wife, reaching down to caress her sweaty brow. Meanwhile, I whimpered with pent-up need. "Pleeeease?" I was even too wound up to slurp out the creampie. I needed cock. And I needed it NOW. Amber giggled and flashed me a naughty look. The twinkle in her blue eyes was even more annoying. But at least she said, "Okay. Gimme one more orgasm, and I'll let him fuck you." "Promise?" I whined like a petulant teenager. Amber grinned. "I promise." Thankfully, Amber kept her word. We repositioned her so that her head was hanging off the edge of the bed, her legs spread wide as I ducked between her thighs and began slurping jism out. The taste of David was enough to keep my lust at bay ... for now ... But at the same time, it made me even more anxious to feel his big dick inside me. At the other end, David stood next to the bed and fed his cock into his wife's mouth. Upside-down, Amber nursed at it, feeling it grow from her ministrations and slowly elongate until it was pushing into her throat. I'm not sure what turned Amber on more, my cunnilingus, or feeling her husband's cock stretching her mouth. Whatever it was, the moment she finally deep-throated his renewed erection, her eyes popped open and she moaned a muffled, "Mmph!" as she came. The instant I heard it, as well as felt the sudden tension in her legs, I picked my head up. I scrambled up my best friend's half-naked body, and from inches away, I desperately whined, "Okay, you got your orgasm. Now PLEASE will you let him fuck me?" It was funny to watch Amber try to giggle with David's cock still in her throat. But he pulled back, and Amber nodded while coughing slightly. Unwilling to wait a second longer, I flipped around and parked myself on all fours right beside her, presenting my ass to David. And Amber herself reached back and fed his rock hard erection into my wet pussy. I started moaning happily the instant the head penetrated, and David rammed the last few inches in one thrust, causing me to groan, "Fuck yeahhhh..." Still on her back, Amber then slid her head under me and directly beneath my joining with her husband. Her tongue reached up to wrap around my clit while David was rhythmically pumping me. And I was quickly moaning up a storm in mixed pleasure and relief. FINALLY. In. Out. Stretch. Release. It felt so gooood. But at the same time, it was just physical. I loved David. I would tell him I loved him. But it wasn't such a different love from what I felt for Amber. They were both my friends. And we were intimate. But we weren't romantic. I saw no conflict between what I was doing with them and what I felt for Teddy. And if there was no conflict, then why NOT get these wonderful feelings as often as humanly possible? Amber ate me with a skill and experience that was simply amazing. And David, the man who had taken my virginity all those years ago, still knew exactly how to push my buttons. Speaking of buttons, I had no warning before Amber suddenly reached up and grabbed onto my asscheeks, holding them apart. I was just craning my head around to see what was going on as I felt the first squirt of lube shooting up my rectum. And then before I got turned around, I felt David swiftly exit my cunt, center his cock, and then ram it up my ass. I shrieked in surprise. And then as I felt him burrowing even deeper into my bowels, I giggled and screamed, "Oh, I'm going to get you for that!" Despite my words, I made no moves to stop either of my lovers. I just threw my hips back against David's invading cock, trying to cram an extra half-inch up my asshole to savor every possible feeling of fullness I could get. David grabbed onto my hips, using them as leverage to really pound his way up my back door. Amber laughed into my crotch, the vibrations adding even more pleasure to my overstimulated pussy. And all at once, I felt my entire body tense up, my sphincter clench, and a nuclear blast of pleasure detonate deep inside me. "AAAAUUUUGHHH!" I screamed as I came. "NNNNGHHH!" David grunted as he began erupting hot lava up my ass. "YES!" Amber giggled, still munching on my clit. And then we collapsed on the bed. Breathing heavily, I lay flat on my belly, my big tits crushed against the mattress beneath me. I was pinned in place by David, who had tumbled onto my back when I fell. His cock was still lodged in my rectum, slowly softening amidst a pool of his own jism floating around my bowels. And Amber managed to slide herself out of the way before my legs buckled, so she was lying next to us with a goofy grin on her face. "Welcome home, honey," Amber giggled. "Nnnrrrnngh..." David and I seemed to groan at the same time. But we couldn't just lie there and relax. A new sound got our collective attention. [DING-DONG!] ------- [DING-DONG!] The three of us collectively looked at each other, wondering if one of the others knew what was going on. It sounded like the doorbell to me, and David picked his head up to ask, "Expecting anyone?" Amber frowned and shook her head. "Uh, no." At that, David quickly scrambled up, slowly extracting his cock from my asshole and then grabbing a tissue to wipe himself up before jumping into his shorts. Amber tossed him his white undershirt, and messily dressed, David headed out for the front door. The doorbell rang once more before David got to it, but then Amber and I heard the sounds of male voices talking. There was a tone of surprise in David's voice, but nothing alarming. Still, Amber glanced over at me and nodded to my clothes. Since Amber and I had just been lounging around the house together, and since I hadn't packed any spare clothing for this spontaneous trip, I just pulled on the T- shirt I'd been borrowing from David. I also slipped into my panties, although I didn't bother with the revealing shelf-bra. Similarly, Amber didn't get back into her seduction lingerie. She went to the closet and pulled on more utilitarian underwear, along with pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. And so clad, the two of us poked our heads outside to see what was going on. From the hallway, we peeked into the living room. And as soon as I saw who had come knocking at the door, I gasped in loud surprise, "Teddy!" Both David and my boyfriend turned their heads at my gasp. There was no point in hiding anymore, so Amber and I emerged from the hallway and went into the living room. My heart was racing and I had a million questions on my mind. At the top of that list was: How in the hell did he find me? For his part, Teddy was dressed casually in a fitted polo shirt, jeans, and brown Sketchers. He took one look at me, bra-less, wearing a man's T-shirt, and without any pants, and he paled. He looked more closely at David's slightly- disheveled appearance and Amber's similar state of undress. And then looking at me, Teddy stood up and mumbled, "Uh, maybe I came at a bad time." He looked ready to bolt, and without thinking about it, I hurried across the living room and launched myself at him. Teddy just managed to open his arms in time to meet my hug, but I still nearly knocked him off his feet when I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist while clutching his shoulders and neck like my life depended on it. "Teddy!" Neither of us said anything for a moment. I simply reveled in the pure joy of hugging my boyfriend, the man I'd started to fall in love with, after our time apart. It had been little more than 24-hours, but it still felt like an eternity. And I hugged him like I never wanted to let him go. There was no more time for second thoughts or doubts. There was no more time for "what ifs" or other paranoid worries. Teddy was here; and since he was here, I was going to enjoy his presence for as long as I could. In the meantime, David and Amber looked at each other significantly before inconspicuously backing away. By the time I pulled my head off of Teddy's shoulder, my best friends were out of the room. And looking around myself, I dropped to the floor and then tugged Teddy to sit back down on the couch. "How in the hell did you find me?" I finally blurted. Teddy was panting a little both from the surprise and from holding me up. But he caught his breath and looked at me plainly. "Well, you always talked about your best friends and roommates from college. You once told me that whenever you needed somewhere to turn, you'd always go to them." I nodded, only partly understanding. "But how? How did you find them?" My cute boy shrugged. "I've got a friend who went to Uni, and he owes me some favors. He talked to someone in Administration, who was able to find out who your college roommate was. Once we got Amber's and David's names, I know someone in the county assessor's office, and he pulled the public records from when your friends bought the house." I was nodding along, impressed by both Teddy's ingenuity in tracking me down as well as his apparent connections in making it all happen within a single day. "But isn't that ... illegal?" Teddy blushed again, one of those blushes I like that goes pink all the way down his neck. But he stared at me intently with those blue-gray eyes and stated, "I had to find you." I nearly swooned into his arms right at that. But Teddy took a deep breath and finished his story. "Once I had an address, it was just a matter of buying a plane ticket and getting here as fast as I could." Impulsively, I reached forward and hugged him again. It felt so good to be loved and adored and wanted so desperately that someone like Teddy would go all these lengths to find me. He loves me. He really loves me. But ... while I'd been momentarily distracted, I hadn't forgotten what sent me here in the first place. The warmth went out of my hug and I stiffened up. Teddy sensed the change in me and pulled back at about the same time I did. And then he looked at me carefully while I collected myself and then stated, "Tell me about Stella." He sighed and blinked a couple of times. Then he looked at me, pleading with his eyes for me to understand. And he said, "Nothing has changed with me and Stella. We're the same friends we were a week ago. And there's nothing more between us than that. Stella and I are friends ... very close friends. But I'm your boyfriend." I blinked. "Then the janitor's closet... ?" Teddy shook his head. "We did. It was just a quickie. We were planning to go to lunch with you, but when we stopped by the lab you were all engrossed in your experiment. I figured you wouldn't want to be disturbed, so we were just going to head out and grab some fast food. But as we were passing the closet, Stella got this gleam in her eye and dragged me inside. It was fun. I won't deny that. But it was kinda uncomfortable. There's not a lot of room and you can't even hold onto the shelves because they'll make this banging noise that you just KNOW will be heard out in the hallway." "That's it?" He shrugged. "That's it." "You told her you loved her," I said with a much harder edge in my voice. "Explain that." Teddy took a deep breath. He put his hands on my knees, rubbing them softly as he looked down and collected himself. Clearly, he realized that this was a critical issue, and he was trying to very carefully choose his words. "We love each other." My eyes were hard slits. Not a good choice of words. Teddy saw me blanch and he quickly added, "But not in that way! Stella's like my sister!" He winced. "Only ... not. I mean, that would be gross. She doesn't look anything LIKE my sister. I mean, that would be WEIRD." Teddy was fumbling and I was giving him the evil eye, making him fumble even more. He winced and babbled incoherently for a couple of seconds before finally saying, "We're intimate. We're close. I think I've shared more with Stella and I feel closer to Stella than any girlfriend I've ever had before you. BUT ... and this is important ... Stella and I aren't romantic in the slightest!" Yeah, right. I frowned and folded my arms over my chest, clearly not believing him. "You've GOT to believe me," Teddy pleaded. "When I look at you, I see my future. I think about what it would be like to be married to you, cuddling in a hammock on a tropical beach sipping mai tais and watching the waves cresting. I undress you with my eyes and think about seducing you with wine and music, sensuously exploring every inch of your body with a feather and spending all night getting twisted up in the sheets together. I think of holding your face in my hands, staring into the depths of your deep brown eyes. And I think about how out-of-my-mind in love with you I am." I blinked and looked at him skeptically. "So? Can't you see those things with her?" Teddy shrugged and shook his head. "I don't. Stella's ... different. I lust for her, sure. She's got a hot bod and she loves sex. Watching her and you go at it is just ... wow ... I mean... WOW! But that's it. There's no romance, no tenderness. Every time we're alone together only two things happen: we screw, and we joke around. The last time I visited her apartment for one of our cover dates, we didn't even go out. We just went in her room and fucked like rabbits for an hour. And then we spent the rest of the time lying in bed drinking beer and having burping contests. We talked about everything ... stupid shit ... like I would with one of my boys, you know? Only she's NOT one of my boys, so I can tell her things I wouldn't want the rest of my friends to know. They're guys, but they're insufferable gossips, too." I frowned. "How come you don't tell me those things, then?" "I do!" he protested. "What's the most embarrassing moment of my life?" I grinned and thought back to a month ago when Stella, Teddy, and I all swapped embarrassing stories. "Graduation. Your friends dared you all to go without pants or underwear underneath your graduation gowns, and they didn't tell you they'd cut a big hole out of the butt of your gown." "See?" I frowned. "So there's nothing you've told Stella that you can't tell me?" "Of course not!" Teddy blurted, but then he immediately blushed and looked away. My eyes popped open. He WAS hiding something. "What?" I barked accusingly. "E-Beth, it's not what you think..." "WHAT?" I roared a little louder. "I ... uh..." Teddy's blush was bright pink down to his navel now ... He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And then after another few seconds to work up his nerve, he looked at me and said, "I told her that I wanted to marry you." My eyes popped WIDE open. "Teddy!" He whimpered and looked crushed that I didn't seem overly happy. "I'm serious." "We've been dating for ... what, three months?" He shrugged. "I know it sounds like a childish fantasy. But when you know ... you know ... You know?" I blinked rapidly. "How can you even say that to me when ... when you tell me that you and Stella love each other?" "I TOLD you: we don't love each other like THAT." Teddy exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "It's different ... okay? Stella and I are very close now. We've been fucking for months. We've been spending a lot of time together. She's very insecure, always trying to make sure she's not fucking up my relationship with you, even though she wants to spend more and more time with us. She always complains about getting in our way, and we've both tried to reassure her that we enjoy her presence, and not just for the sex. I appreciate her. I like her. But since we're intimate, and we're so close, the word 'like' just doesn't seem like enough, does it?" I just frowned at him. "Look, a couple of weeks back, Stella and I talked about how to term our relationship. We both agreed that we more than 'liked' each other. She finally said that she loved me, even though she wasn't 'in love' with me. I agreed, so every now and again, yeah, we tell each other we love them. I love Stella, in her own way." Teddy took a deep breath and then gave me a curious look. "I mean, don't you?" I paused and thought about my friend. I thought about how she was always there for me, to help keep me from going off the deep end whenever I would get emotional, whether it be about a breakup or dating Grant or whatever. I thought about making love with her, cuddling with her, and sharing Teddy with her. I pictured her pretty face, all blonde hair and green eyes dancing playfully. Teddy was right: 'like' wasn't enough. In my own way, I loved Stella, too. And then I realized, I loved Stella like I loved Amber. And I thought Stella felt the same way about me. So though I didn't verbally answer Teddy, I bent my head and nodded. Teddy squeezed my knee. He was looking around the room, his lips pressed together in a hard line, a concerned expression etched across his face. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed my knee again and looked up, staring right into my eyes. "E-Beth ... I have to ask ... Did you have sex with David and Amber?" I paled. The answer was 'yes'. Technically, I had cheated on my boyfriend, even though I knew in my heart that sleeping with my old college friends didn't change the way I felt about Teddy. But there was no denying that sex acts had taken place. Indeed, I even had David's cum leaking out of my asshole, staining my panties at this very moment. I took a deep breath, and looking my boyfriend in his eyes, I nodded. He took a deep breath of his own, processing that. But instead of getting mad, he looked contemplative about it. And after a few more seconds of thought, he looked at me again and asked, "How do you feel about them?" I blinked a few times and then replied, "I've told you about them before. They've been my best friends forever. I've known them since High School, and David was my very first boyfriend." Teddy nodded. "Do you love them?" "Yes," I answered without hesitation. Teddy's eyebrows went up. "But do you interfere in their relationship?" I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows. "No!" I stated emphatically. Teddy then shrugged. "Then how are we ... and Stella ... any different?" I was blinking again in surprise. Teddy had bypassed the cheating issue entirely and gone straight back to reinforcing his stance on Stella in our relationship. My jaw hung slightly open as I asked, "Aren't you upset with me? For sleeping with someone else?" Teddy blinked, glancing at the hallway where David and Amber had theoretically disappeared. I wouldn't have put it past my friends to be eavesdropping around the corner, and it looked like Teddy wouldn't have, either. He just shrugged and replied, "You told me, months ago, that you'd been sleeping with them ever since your freshman year of college. You even told me you'd slept with them at their wedding. And yet you still came to love me. I'm not worried about them. They had a prior claim on you long before I ever showed up." I covered my open mouth while feeling a mountain load of relief slide off my shoulders. "That's very understanding of you." Teddy nodded, and then shot me a little smirk. "Just because I'm three years younger than you doesn't mean I can't be mature about the situation." I smiled as well, and with an intense gaze, Teddy slid his hands up and grasped mine. Staring right into my eyes, he said quietly, "Come home, Elizabeth. Please ... I need you." I didn't answer except to close my eyes and tilt my head to the side. And finally, for the first time since he'd arrived, Teddy and I kissed. ------- Teddy and I booked flights to return home that evening. At the airport curbside, Teddy watched as both David and Amber kissed me on the lips goodbye. David asked that I not wait another five months between visits. At the very least, Amber was due to pop around the end of August/early September and they'd love for me to come see the baby. "Cum again soon," Amber teased. Hand-in-hand, Teddy and I were then on our way. And we didn't let go of each other the rest of the way home. ------- Stella met us at the airport. I still felt bad for walking out on both her and Teddy, running away without giving them any way of contacting me or making sure that I was okay. Even though I was supposedly the older one, I'd had the most childish reaction to the situation. The minute I saw her, I rushed over to hug my friend. It wasn't until after our hug that I remembered exactly why I'd run away in the first place, and I stepped back and rather nervously gawked at Teddy and Stella, waiting to see how they would greet each other. Both of them noticed my paranoid gaze, and it made the both of them stiffen up. In the end, they exchanged an awkwardly chaste hug and then separated, Teddy quickly moving to my side and wrapping an arm around me as if to reassure me that he was indeed with me and not with her. The two of them didn't look guilty. They weren't defensive, and it didn't look at all like they were trying to hide something from me. I remembered the time my little brother Eric was 8-years-old, watching football, and tried to copy some of their moves. He'd mimed tackling the lamp, and wound up actually knocking the thing over and shattering the glass bowl of the light fixture. And when Mom came to ask what had happened, he had such a look of mixed terror, guilt, and deception on his face that it was laughable when he tried to claim he hadn't done it. Neither Teddy nor Stella looked anything like that. If anything, they just looked concerned for me. And I decided right then and there that I believed in my friends. They weren't trying to cheat on me. Stella was not trying to steal Teddy from me. And Teddy was just as in love with me as ever. Maybe I could have been wrong. But I didn't care. I loved both of these people enough to give them the benefit of doubt. And I wouldn't let my own paranoias control me any longer. Taking a deep breath, I looked right at my best friend and smiled. "Thanks for picking us up." Still uncertain that everything would be alright between us, Stella only gave me a hesitant smile in return. But she nodded and replied, "Of course." And then she gestured back with her head, to where her car was parallel parked on the curb. I patted Teddy's hand, which was resting on my waist, and then I moved forward to get in. "You guys want to pick up some dinner on the way home?" We'd reached the car, and Teddy opened the rear passenger door. Stella was already by the driver's side of her green Corolla, and she looked over the roof back at us. Specifically, she looked at Teddy, and then she said, "No, that's okay. Why don't I just get you two home?" "No, really," I insisted. "It'll be my treat." Stella looked wistfully at the two of us, but at the last she shook her head. "I'd like to. But right now, I think it's important that you and Teddy have tonight alone, okay?" "Stella, you don't have to." "Yes," she said firmly, staring at me with a haunted look in her eyes. "I do." I looked at Teddy, who just shrugged. Stella then chirped, "We'll meet up tomorrow, okay?" Again, her smile was a little hesitant. I looked back at my boyfriend, and then my best friend, and my momentary good mood started to fade. The three of us, who had once been so completely comfortable — intimate, even — with each other, were now standing around awkwardly as if we didn't know how to just be with each other anymore. By jumping to the wrong conclusion and running away from the problem instead of giving my friends the chance to explain themselves, I'd ruined a perfect situation. I stepped up next to the car, leaning forward so that my forearms were on top of the hood. And in a sincere voice, I stated, "Stella, I made a mistake. I let my own jealousies get the best of me, and I didn't trust the two of you. But that's just it: a mistake. And I want us all to go back to the way things were. Let's just forget it all, Let's go out to dinner and chat and just be 'us', okay?" But Stella looked at Teddy, and I swear I could see her heart cracking. She looked at him with a longing, and for a second I worried that I was still misreading my friend. While she had always been honest with me, hadn't hidden anything in what she was doing with Teddy, Stella HAD developed some sort of feelings for him. After all, they "loved" each other, didn't they? And as she brought her gaze back to me, she gave me a look of both apology and resignation. "No, I can't anymore." There was an underlying meaning in her words. Not only was she saying she couldn't go out to dinner with us tonight, but she also said she couldn't be with 'us' anymore. She couldn't be our third lover. There was no going back. With a sad smile, Stella looked at me and said, "It was fun. It was wonderful. And after all the frustrations with Chuck, being with the two of you made me so incredibly happy. But we all knew it couldn't last forever. And what's happened between us just proves that our time is up." "It doesn't have to be." Stella shook her head. "Yes, it does. Teddy and I went as far in our relationship as we could go. I swore I'd never interfere in what you have with him, and we've reached the point where I've started to interfere. That means it's time for me to back off." At the finality in her voice, my shoulders slumped. Teddy looked sad as well, but accepting. And he pulled in with his arm around my waist, tugging me tighter as he hugged me firmly. He'd made his choice. And he was choosing me. I should have been happy about it. But all I could think of was Stella. She'd been my best friend for years, and had even become my lover. But now it felt like we were breaking up. And even though I wanted to believe that we all cared enough about each other to get through anything, I sincerely worried if our friendship would ever recover. ------- -- JUNE 2007 -- It was nearing 6pm when Teddy stopped by my office to pick me up. It was just an ordinary weeknight, but my boyfriend and I had made plans to go to Primavera's for dinner and then back to my place for sex. Of course, I had completely lost track of the time. Radinsky was an absolute moron and had refused to even consider the possibility that triglycerides would work just fine as a bonding agent for a new product. They may have been cheap and common, but they worked just fine. But Radinsky claimed that such a solution wouldn't be "elegant". I muttered under my breath how annoyed I was with Alfred for sticking me on this project and didn't even notice someone had come into my office until I felt Teddy's hands on my neck. I stiffened in momentary surprise, but he was already stroking and soothing my muscles, causing me to let my head dip down as the pleasant sensations worked their way up my spine. "Mmm ... That feels great..." I moaned with my eyes closed. "I should do it more often then," Teddy chuckled. "I am the luckiest girl on Earth," I replied with a smile, sighing happily as Teddy continued his neck massage. Just then, I saw a figure stand up and exit the cubicle just outside my office. Stella's blonde hair swished as she turned around and caught sight of us through my open door. She gave us a little smile before turning and walking away quickly, perhaps heading to the copy machine or the coffee break room or whatever. At the same time, I felt Teddy's fingers tighten ever so noticeably against my neck. The sudden pressure was almost painful, and I tensed my shoulder muscles in response. It was only for a moment. Teddy quickly relaxed and went back to stroking my neck and shoulders, resuming his massage. But it was enough. Reaching a hand back, I covered one of Teddy's in a gesture for him to stop. He did, and I tilted my head back so I could look at my boyfriend. And in a soft voice, I asked, "You miss her, don't you?" Teddy pursed his lips, momentarily thinking of some dismissive comment. But after another beat, he just shrugged and replied, "Of course." His eyebrows popped and then he quickly added, "As a friend." I shrugged at his qualification. And then looking back to the open doorway, I thought of all the things we used to do together. Even though I'd had my boyfriend all to myself, the past month hadn't been easy for me. Not only did I miss the closeness I'd once shared with my best friend, but I really missed having a girl in bed with us, too. "I'll bet you miss that tight pussy," I commented quietly. Teddy sighed and patted my shoulders. "You're all the woman I need. You know that." I exhaled, "I know." And I probably was. I was as horny as a teenaged boy, and Teddy never complained about getting enough. And whenever I saw Teddy and Stella talking together, it really seemed that they missed the closeness of their friendship, not the sex. But I miss her tight pussy, too. "You miss her too, don't you?" Teddy's voice came out of nowhere, echoing my thoughts. I exhaled slowly and then shrugged. "I see her all the time. We still go out to Monahan's most Fridays." "But it's not the same." Teddy sighed. "You two aren't the friends you used to be. Everyone can tell. You know most people think that I came between you two? Audrey cornered me yesterday and practically accused me of trying to seduce Stella; and that THAT'S why everything's been so awkward between the three of us." "What?" I sat up straight and turned around in my seat. Teddy nodded, and then he looked out the open door with some longing in his eyes. I did too. I knew my boyfriend loved me, and only me, at least romantically. But there was still a big hole in his heart where Stella used to be. And to be honest, there was a hole in my heart, too. Even though Stella stepping back from me and Teddy was supposed to help my relationship with my boyfriend grow, it felt like we'd just been treading water ever since, making no progress forward. This was stupid. I missed Stella. Teddy missed Stella. And she missed us. It was like she was the glue that held us together, and without her, even love wasn't enough for Teddy and me. The three of us HAD to figure out how to work this out. If only I knew how. Teddy took a deep breath first, rubbing my back before standing up straight and then reaching a hand down to me. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get to dinner. We'll gorge ourselves on heavenly tapas, drink some nice wine, and then cuddle on your couch watching reruns. Okay?" I put my hand into Teddy's and let him pull me up. And then reaching up to cup both of his cheeks, I kissed him softly, with all the tenderness and affection I felt for him inside. After years of dating jerks, I had finally found a quality man I could depend on. I had finally found someone who showed me loyalty and devotion equal to my own. And yet, I was thinking of doing something that could potentially lead me to lose him. But not tonight. Tonight, he was all mine. So I pulled away from our kiss, looked my boyfriend in his clear blue-gray eyes, and answered, "Okay. Let's go." ------- I stopped by Stella's cube and knocked against the plastic of a side wall. "C'mon, honey. Time to go." The pretty blonde, less bubbly than usual for the past month, looked up at me and sighed. "Oh, uh, y'know I think I'm just going to skip this week. I'm absolutely buried and I wanna get this done before the weekend." "This isn't a request," I said firmly with raised eyebrows. "It's 5pm on a Friday, and you're coming with us." Stella smiled wanly but shook her head. "No, really. I'm fine." I grinned as I simply stepped into her cubicle, grabbed the back of her desk chair, and wheeled her away from her keyboard. "We're going. And that's it. You very much look like you need a Vodka Cranberry, and you're gonna get one." Stella exhaled slowly, then looked up at me with a defeated expression. But at the last, she smiled and nodded. "Fine." And she reached out to grab her purse. A few minutes later, the two of us strolled into Monahan's. Audrey and Paula were already waiting for us at our usual table. And as soon as we sat down, our usual waiter came by to grab our orders. "The usual?" he asked me and Stella. "Sure." I nodded and looked to Stella, who nodded as well. I sighed and looked at Audrey. "Are we THAT predictable?" I jerked a thumb at the departing waiter. "He's only been here what, six weeks? And he's already figured out our 'usual'?" Audrey shrugged. "We're getting old and boring." "Speak for yourself," Paula said huffily, but with a playful smile on her face. "Some of us are still having new and fun adventures." "Oh, really?" Audrey chuckled. "And just what new adventure did you have this week?" "Nuh-uh," I interrupted, eyeing Paula carefully. "I know that look. What new guy did you meet this week?" Paula's smug grin immediately vanished and she carefully studied the bottom of her glass. "Oh, nobody." Stella was on top of things. "Paula..." she drawled. "Don't hold out on us." Paula's eyes darted to Stella, and then to me, and then she frowned and blushed. "I ... uh ... oh ... I don't know if I should..." "Paula!" Audrey whined. "No secrets, remember? Spill it." Paula looked straight at me. She sighed and then gave me an apologetic look before gathering herself and saying, "Grant asked me out." "Grant?" Stella sputtered. "As in... Grant?" Paula looked ashamed. "I'm meeting him at Torreta's at eight. I'm sorry, I know I probably should have told you first, but this is the first time I've seen you and I figured that things have been going so well with you and Teddy that you wouldn't mi-" "It's fine," I cut her off, holding a hand up. "It's fine, really." "You sure?" Paula bit her lower lip, looking nervous. "Because I don't want things to be all weird between us. Not like you and..." her voice died out as she glanced at Stella. Then Paula's eyes tracked back to me and she finished lamely, "Uh, I mean, if you're not okay with this, then I can still call-" "It's fine," I cut her off again. "Nothing ever happened. Grant wasn't right for me. I found Teddy. Everything's cool." I took a deep breath. "Grant's a charming guy. Just ... be careful with him, okay?" Paula nodded. "I know. I always am." "For God's sake," Audrey sighed. "Don't sleep with him on the first date." "I only did that once!" Paula complained. Then she rolled her eyes and flopped against the booth backrest huffily. That just got the other three of us to giggle in amusement; and after a couple of seconds, Paula joined in as well. "So anyways," Paula continued. "I'll have to leave soon to get ready." Everyone nodded, and then Stella added quietly. "Me, too." Audrey was the first to raise an eyebrow. "What? Do you have a hot date, too?" Stella pinched her lips, looking at the table for a moment before glancing over at me and nodding. "Yeah. I do." That heartbroken look of longing in Stella's eyes was back. "Well spill it!" Audrey insisted. "Who's the guy?" "Yeah!" Paula chimed in. I just looked at Stella curiously. Stella glanced at the girls and shrugged. "Guy I met at the gym, actually. He's nice. Little overmuscled and stocky for my taste, but he seems really sweet. He's been flirting with me for months now, and I guess I decided to finally give him a chance." "'Bout time, girlfriend," Paula reached over and slapped Stella's hand. "You and Chuck broke up what, four months ago?" "Yeah..." Stella sighed, once again staring right at me with a sad look in her eyes. "I guess it's time that I moved on." ------- After the one round, with two of our number leaving early to prep for dates, we decided to call it a night. We collectively wished Paula and Stella good luck on their dates. But after Paula and Audrey went in one direction, I followed Stella to her car. "You really have a date tonight?" I asked curiously. Stella furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me like I was crazy. "Yeah," she chuckled. "You think I just made it all up?" "No, no, of course not. But..." I trailed off, not sure where I was going with that. "But what?" My shoulders slumped. As much as Teddy and I loved each other, our relationship had slowly been fraying over the past month. We still clearly cared about each other, but we both had missed the spark and presence that Stella brought to our relationship. Her absence was just a downer from which we hadn't been able to recover. And just last night I'd decided that I wanted to find a way to get her back. So I took a deep breath, gave my best friend an honest look, and I said, "We miss you, Stella. Both me and Teddy. We miss hanging out with you. We miss having you closely in our lives. Frankly, we want you back." Stella stared at me, the haunted look back in her eyes. She shook her head in the negative and replied wearily, "I told you. I would never intentionally do anything to interfere in your relationship." "I know! I trust you. I trust that you wouldn't try to steal him from me. And that's why we want this. We want to go back to the way things were." Stella looked at me sadly. "The way things were? I was hurt, and lonely, and vulnerable. I'd broken up with my long-term boyfriend and I needed some affection and love. I got that with you guys. It was great while it lasted. But now?" Stella shrugged. "I'd never be anything more than a third wheel to you guys. You're the couple in love. I'm just the extra pussy. Are you really asking me to go back to that?" "No, of course not!" I blinked in surprise. "That's not the way it would be!" I said defensively. "And how would it be?" "I don't know! I just ... we miss you Stella. We BOTH miss you." "And I miss you both, too. But that's a dead-end relationship for me." The pretty blonde sighed. And then she picked her head up and fixed me with a piercing green gaze. "You often talked about how close you were to your college friends, David and Amber. You were sleeping with the both of them, weren't you?" I blinked rapidly. "Uh, yeah." "Do they love you?" "Yes." "But do you have a future with them? Did being with them fulfill you? Last you told me, they got married and have a baby on the way. They're living their lives and moving on. But could they take you with them?" I bit my lip and my shoulders sagged even more. "No," I admitted. "Of course not. You had to move on, to find your own relationship. And you've done that. You've got Teddy. Now I don't know if the two of you will last forever. You're both young and it's really only been four months that you've actually been together. But there's promise there. There's hope there. You have a potential future together." I just looked down. I had no answer to that. Stella sighed and then collected herself once again. "I've got to do the same. I've got to find my own way. Maybe Nicolas, this guy from the gym, is the one for me. Maybe not. Either way, I owe it to myself to find out." I exhaled slowly. And in resignation, I nodded. "I understand." Stella gave me a wistful smile, and then she stepped forward and hugged me. "I love you, E-Beth. I love Teddy, too. I learned so much about myself while I was with you. But I need to move on with my own life." I nodded and hugged her back, softly patting her shoulder. Eventually, we broke apart. I squeezed her one more time and then held Stella at arm's length. "Good luck tonight. I hope it works out for you." Stella shrugged, but gave me a soft smile. "Me, too." "And however this works out, don't be a stranger with me and Teddy, okay? We're all best friends. We really should act like it a bit more. I have no fear of you and him, so stop trying to be such a 'good girl' by keeping your distance, okay?" Stella blushed and bent her head. But she nodded and grinned. "Okay." I turned to leave, but just before I did, Stella tugged on my hand, pulling me to her. And grabbing my cheeks, she leaned forward and softly kissed me. It was beautiful. And it was over just as suddenly as it had started. There was a little smile on Stella's face. And with the cute giggle I hadn't heard out of her in a full month, she turned back to her car and unlocked it. Maybe there was some hope yet. ------- -- JULY 2007 -- "So I hear congratulations are in order," Audrey beamed over at Teddy. "Got a promotion?" My boyfriend squeezed my hand on top of the table and blushed. I squeezed back, and Stella even reached across and patted Teddy's hand from the other side of the table, looking almost as proud of him as I was. The girls, my boyfriend, and I were at Monahan's, just enjoying a few drinks on a Friday night before heading our separate ways for the weekend. Well, most of us; Paula had called in sick and wasn't at work today. "It's no big deal," Teddy replied modestly. I rolled my eyes. "He's a junior researcher," I pointed out. "They more than doubled his salary, it's full-time, and he's getting a cubicle out in the farm with the rest of us. It IS a big deal." Audrey fixed me with a raised eyebrow. "You pull any strings for this?" I held my hands up immediately. "No-no. It was all him." Stella nodded. "I was there when this coterie of researchers all went to Alfred's office. Apparently, Teddy had been giving them advice whenever they came to the stockroom. So after realizing he had such a good chemistry background, they banded together and ordered Alfred to hire him. Even Radinsky vouched for him." Teddy blushed again, and I was positively fawning over my man by now. "So you got a promotion. Well you know what this means," Audrey drawled. "What?" Teddy took the bait. Audrey grinned. "First round is on you." We all got a laugh out of that. But then Audrey switched gears to rather unsubtly pry into Stella's dating life, asking about this Nicolas guy from the gym she'd been seeing for the past month-and-a-half. And just when Stella was about to try and deflect Audrey's more probing questions, a blonde hurricane stormed into the bar. "Fucking piece of shit ASSHOLE!" We all turned to look, and Stella was the first to exclaim, "Paula?" The buxom bottle-blonde stomped over to our table, a look of pure rage etched across her face. She promptly went over to the table next to us, next to me, really. And turning straight to me, she practically snarled, "What did Grant tell you about his ex-fiancée and all that?" "Wh- what? Grant?" I blinked, still caught off-guard. "Yes, Grant! Who else?" Paula barked shrilly. "Our first date, he was so smooth and charming and chivalrous. Oh, he's really good that one. I might've slept with him on that first date if it wasn't for Audrey's nagging voice in the back of my head scolding me for even thinking about it. But then our second date, he was telling me this sweetly romantic story about how he met Maggie in a bar at Mardi Gras. How she gave him a fake name, of course, but how things had progressed and developed and turned into something pure. Now I know it's not supposed to be a good thing whenever a guy talks about an ex, but he continued on and told me about how they were engaged and all ready to get married. He started choking up a bit and he looked like such a wounded animal that I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. Can you imagine me being maternal and comforting? Me? I couldn't, but there I was, wanting desperately to comfort him. He told me about how he came home one day to find his fiancée banging his brother. And he talked about how he'd had to just pick up and move away to try and recover the pieces of his heart." I was nodding along. It was a sweet, if sad, story. That had been the night that I nearly slept with him, only to decide at the very last moment that I wasn't ready for intimacy just yet. Grant had promptly disappeared on me for the next week or so, before I bumped into him again at the Holiday Party and belatedly found out he'd called off our budding relationship. "It was all bullshit!" Paula screeched. "He just said that to get me to sleep with him!" "Wait, WHAT?" My eyes flew WIDE open. "Oh, he met Maggie at Mardi Gras. And they did get engaged. But what he didn't tell me was that HE'S A LYING, CHEATING BASTARD!" Paula screamed that last part loud enough for the entire bar to hear. "Hey, hey," Audrey was quickly on her feet, hovering over Paula and trying to get our friend to calm down. "What happened?" Paula buried her face in her hands. "Grant got this impulsive idea to run away for the weekend. You know, a spontaneous stay-cation, just the two of us here in the city. We'd go out to nice restaurants and get spa treatments and maybe see a show. It sounded so exciting and wonderful so I called in sick and we left. We got this hotel room downtown and promptly started screwing like bunnies. But about an hour ago, Grant got this call on his cell phone. His eyes went wide and he tried to turn away from me as he chatted with whoever, mumbling angrily about how he'd call them back later and being all secretive and stuff. Now I've been around guys that were cheating on me, and I know those kinds of looks and the way they try to hide things. I suspected that it was some other girl that Grant was banging, and he realized I was giving him some cold looks. So he kind of retreated into the bathroom to compose himself or something. But he left his cell phone in the room, so I picked it up and called back the last received number." By now, Teddy, Stella, Audrey, and I were at rapt attention, leaning forward in anticipation of what was coming next. Paula just shook her head in agony. "It WAS a girl on the other end. Her name is Melissa, and get this, she's Maggie's little sister. Maggie: as in Grant's ex- fiancée. Grant didn't catch Maggie screwing his brother. Maggie caught GRANT screwing her little sister! And Melissa fucking got pregnant! THAT'S why Grant ran away! Melissa just had the baby a few weeks ago. And she had a DNA test run to confirm that the baby is GRANT'S! She wants child support. That's why he was freaking out. Because he's a LYING, CHEATING, BASTARD!!!" Nobody stopped Paula from screaming that time. Audrey just sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around Paula in a warm hug. The rest of us just stared in stunned silence. Through her sobs, Paula finally picked her head up and stared at me with red- rimmed eyes. "I should have known when he was such a callous jerk to you, E- Beth. You should be so glad you didn't end up sleeping with him. I made such a mistake. And right now, I feel so ... dirty ... knowing I let that sonovabitch into me." She put her face back in her hands, and went on bawling. Teddy patted my arm, and only then did I realize I was squeezing his hand so tightly I was surprised I hadn't deformed his fingers. I relaxed my grip, and then looking up into my loving man's clear blue-gray eyes, I sighed happily. Yeah, I was really glad I'd found Teddy instead. ------- -- AUGUST 2007 -- "Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod," Teddy babbled as he literally ran into my office. He circled around my desk and rather spastically shooed me away from the keyboard. So bewildered, I rolled my chair back to give my boyfriend space. He promptly went down on one knee (facing the keyboard, not me), and started toggling over and rapid-clicking the mouse. Buried in my projects folder, he called up my old project, the one with the trifluoperazine problem. And then he started tapping out a sequence of commands. "What are you doing?" I asked curiously. "Wait, wait," he stammered, his eyes wide open and glued to the monitor. "That's a dead project. Believe me, I tried everything." "WAIT," Teddy said firmly, and then started giggling. That's right: my manly boyfriend was giggling. "What are you doing?" I huffed. "Jeez, take a hint woman!" Teddy turned his head to me, a twinkle in his eyes to match the buoyancy of his grin. And then he went back to typing. I took a deep breath and started analyzing what Teddy was doing. He was using our computer modeling software to call up a new chemical and add it to my compound. "That's an aliphatic compound," I pointed out. "That'll make the extrapyramidal side-effects worse, not better." "Not this one. It's a variant on levomepromazine. I was working with Jenkins in the lab when I came across it. It jogged my memory, and I immediately thought about this old project. And I THINK it just might work!" Teddy continued tapping out commands, changing parameters. And a few seconds later, he finished up and hit the buttons to spit out a diagnostic feedback. "Shit," Teddy groaned. "The sedative effects are off the charts! This'll put the patient to sleep! Dammit!" Teddy spanked the desk, making a loud slapping noise. And then he put his forehead down on the tabletop. He looked sincerely disappointed, but I reached over and patted his shoulder. "It was a really good idea. And hey, the computer isn't always right. Believe me. I KNOW. This might still work in the labs." Teddy scowled. "The sedative numbers won't be THAT far off." And sighing, he rocked back on his heels and put a hand to his forehead. "I THOUGHT I had it." Huffing, Teddy put his head back down and looked dejected. But my eyes were glued to the monitor. It couldn't work, could it? Silently, I rolled forward in my chair, reached out to the keyboard tray, and swung it over to myself. And almost mindlessly, I began typing out a series of commands. "What are you doing? It doesn't work." Teddy sighed. "It'll never work." "Typical Capricorn," I commented with a smirk. "Pessimistic and fatalistic when things aren't going your way." Teddy chuckled at that, then stood back up and leaned over the desk. He moved to the side so that I could roll into my normal position and type even faster. "Wait ... what are you... ? You can't do that!" "Why not?" I hummed, a grin spreading across my face. "It's not ... that's just a common element ... I mean, that solution just isn't ... isn't..." "Elegant?" I queried. Teddy grunted. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot lately. But..." I finished out with three final keystrokes, and the diagnostic began scrolling across the screen. "Voilà!" Teddy's jaw dropped. "But ... but..." "You said the sedative was the problem. I fixed it." "By slapping a piece of duct tape over it!" I shrugged. "The screw socket for a leg on my foyer table wore down, making the whole thing wiggle. I slapped a piece of duct tape over it to keep the screw in place. Been like that for years since before I knew you. And I'll bet you've never noticed it." Teddy blinked rapidly. Staring at the screen. And then after another few seconds, he turned and stared at me with a big grin on his face. "Elizabeth, you're a genius!" I grinned, "I know. Dontcha love me?" He bent, took my face in his hands, and kissed me. "You know I do." I giggled. "C'mon. Let's get down to the lab. I wanna see if this actually works!" ------- It worked. No one was more impressed than Alfred when we turned in the report. And I was quick to give Teddy credit. "It was his idea to use the levomepromazine-variant." Teddy shook his head. "But E-Beth was the one who made it work. I never would have thought of that last step." Alfred chuckled in that warm, grandfatherly way he had. "You both should be congratulated. That was brilliant chemistry, all around. We'll get started on the FDA filing right away." I couldn't help myself. I did a little happy dance and then turned and flung myself at Teddy, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as I hugged him fiercely. "Whoa, whoa, children," Alfred's voice grounded me, making me quickly drop to the floor and fix my skirt. But there was still a smile on his face. "We're not done yet. I suggest you get to work on all the forms." "Yes, sir." I nodded. Teddy nodded as well. And then together, we skipped out of Alfred's office. I was still giggling when we passed Stella's cubicle on the way to my office. The perky blonde raised her eyebrows at us and commented, "You two look to be in a good mood." "We solved the trifluoperazine problem!" I gushed happily. "Okay..." Stella drawled. "I'll pretend that I have a clue what the hell you just said." I just rushed into Stella's cubicle, grabbed her arms, and yanked her up onto her feet. And then holding onto the blonde's hands, I promptly did my happy dance, bouncing around and dragging her up with me. Ten seconds later, I let go of Stella's hands. At least she was giggling with me. And then with a beaming smile, I said, "Call the girls. We're going to Monahan's. And the drinks are on ME!" Twenty minutes later, all five of us were at our usual table at Monahan's. Thirty minutes after that, all five of us were nicely buzzed, although we pretty much stopped at that point to make sure nobody got too drunk. And then twenty minutes after that, Audrey stood up and told us she had to go home. "It's a Wednesday," she said by way of apology. "I've got to get home before my husband starts to worry." We all chuckled at that and bade her goodbye. Paula took her cue to leave as well. "I don't have a husband to worry about, but I've got a class at the gym I need to make if I ever want to find one." That got the girls scolding Paula about her figure, which was dynamite, by the way. So Audrey and Paula left, leaving me alone with my two favorite people in the world: Teddy and Stella. Rather than go home, Stella called over the waiter for another round. And once we all got our drinks, she raised her glass and toasted me, "To E-Beth, congratulations for finally figuring out the next great wünderdrug that will improve peoples' lives, and more importantly, improve my bank account when profit sharing comes down." "Hear, hear," Teddy cheered. "And to Teddy," Stella added. "For making it all possible. Not only did you give E- Beth the idea she needed to finish her design, but you've made my best friend the absolute happiest girl in the world. And she deserves it. You both deserve each other. I love you both." "Aww," I gushed and immediately leaned over to hug my best friend. I patted her back, and felt the tiniest of shudders go through her body. Instantly, I knew that something was wrong, so I pulled back and stared at my friend. "Hey ... what is it?" Stella sighed and tried to put up a brave smile. "It's nothing really." I raised my eyebrows. "Stella..." "No, really. It's nothing..." I just gave her The Look, and Stella crumbled. "Nicolas and I broke up," she sighed. "It just wasn't working out." "Oh, honey..." I hugged my friend again. "Why didn't you tell me?" "I was going to. But then you had this big success and you wanted to go out and celebrate and the last thing I wanted to do was be a downer." Stella sighed. "It's okay. I'm okay." I glanced behind me to Teddy, who was watching us with sympathetic concern. I read his eyes, and then I turned back to my friend, suggesting, "Why don't you come home with us tonight? We can talk everything out, take as much time as you need." "Oh, I couldn't," Stella looked over at Teddy. "Today's your big day. I'm sure you want to celebrate, and I know you, E-Beth. 'Celebrating' means celebrating." Her eyebrows waggled suggestively. I let my hand drop down onto Stella's thigh. And without even thinking about it, I said softly, "Then come 'celebrate' with us." Stella got the hint immediately. Her breath quickened, and she searched through my eyes. I didn't want to pressure her, so I just left my gaze one of casual interest. But I hadn't been with another girl since Stella had split apart from me and Teddy, and my blonde friend was right: I wanted to celebrate. "We're all friends," I said quietly. "No commitments. Nothing permanent. Just ... you look like you could use some company after the whole thing with Nicolas. And it's not like we haven't done this before." Stella's eyes glanced over to Teddy, gauging the interest in his eyes as well. And then she flicked her gaze back to me. "Just as friends?" "Well," I smiled. "Special friends." Stella reached down and caressed the back of my hand, which was still on her thigh. "Let's go." ------- We were in my bedroom, back where it had all begun so many months before. As far as I knew, Stella hadn't been with any other girls since me, and I didn't want to rush her. But it was Stella who took the initiative by sitting down on my bed and beckoning me to her with a curled finger. I sat beside her while Teddy patiently waited just inside the door. I moved forward, enough so that my big breast bumped into hers. And then tilting her head, Stella wrapped a hand behind my ear, tugged me closer, and brushed her lips across mine. Like a snowball rolling downhill, we simply built and built from there. Stella turned and curled a finger to Teddy when I began kissing my way down her neck. The two of them made out while I unbuttoned her blouse and unsnapped her bra. And a few seconds later, Teddy and I had pushed the pretty blonde onto her back while we each feasted on an engorged nipple. I got myself topless while Teddy removed Stella's skirt, panties, and shoes. And then I fed my own engorged nipples to my best friend while my boyfriend knelt between her legs and gently lapped at her slit. I stripped away the rest of my clothes, leaving me buck naked, just like Stella. I straddled her face so that she could eat her first pussy since leaving us, and I could feel my best friend's tongue. Meanwhile, Teddy got himself undressed as well. I called my boyfriend over to me, taking his semi-hard dick in hand and eagerly sucking to turn it into the thick, rigid tool of pleasure both Stella and I wanted. Once he was hard, I rolled myself onto my back and then took a page out of Stella's book by curling my finger to her. She grinned — a wet, sloppy grin with my fluids coating her lips — and then moved over to me, kissing me and rubbing my own juices over my face before repositioning herself into a sixty-nine on top of me. And then I was taking my first licks of Stella's snatch since she split up from us. Yummy. But licking wasn't all I wanted to do to her. I had plans. For one, I curled my finger to Teddy. I'd deliberately lain across the bed sideways, with my head almost hanging off the edge. This put Stella's waving ass just above me, and in the perfect position for Teddy. And with my guidance, he grabbed onto the petite blonde's hips and swiftly buried his cock to the root inside her tight tunnel. "Unnnghhh!" Stella grunted loudly, pulling her face out of my crotch. I held Teddy's ass, holding him deep inside her until she got adjusted to his presence. And then I reached down with my other hand, pushing her face back into my crotch so she could resume munching on me. Only then did I let my boyfriend start to pump in and out of my best friend's cunt. "Fuck her, big boy," I growled to Teddy. "Fuck her brains out tonight. I want her screaming in ecstasy and crying out for more. Play your cards right, and we'll have her in our bed again and again and again..." Teddy groaned as his thrusting picked up speed. I gripped Stella's tight buttcheeks, holding her in place while my tongue went to town on her clit. And from millimeters away, I watched excitedly as my boyfriend's cock slid in and out of her lewdly-stretched pussy lips. It didn't take long for Stella to cum. Actually, it didn't take long for me to cum, as turned on as I was just watching it. But while I was coming down from my first orgasm, and Stella was ramping up to her second, a wicked idea popped into my head. I tapped Teddy's leg to get his attention and then indicated with my eyes to the bedside table. Teddy knew what I had stored in there, and his eyebrows went up. Still licking, I nodded excitedly. And you won't believe the thrill that shot through me when Teddy mouthed 'I love you' before reaching out with his left hand to slide open the drawer. Stella had no warning before I was suddenly holding open her asscheeks to the sides while Teddy squirted the lube into her rectum. The petite blonde stopped her urgent thrusting and craned her head around to see what the hell was going on. But then Teddy smoothly popped out of her pussy and swiftly rammed his cock up her ass, forcing Stella to whip her head forward and shriek in shock. "Aaaaaahhh, FUCK!!! Oh, I'm going to get you for that!" she screamed at both of us. I was laughing into Stella's crotch, lost to my own inside joke while Teddy started pounding away. Stella simply let her head fall back down into my crotch, concentrating on throwing her hips back to meet each thrust of Teddy's invading prick. And that left her pussy free for me to shove three fingers inside while I wrapped my lips around her clit and hummed. "Oh! Oh! FUUUUUUUCKKKK!!!" Stella screamed as her entire body clenched up. I watched the contraction of muscles above me, from her abs through her crotch and even to the buttcheeks I still held in my hands. Teddy himself must have felt the sudden clamping, because I watched his thrusts slow down against the incredible friction. And at last, he held himself at maximum depth inside Stella's bowels and started jerking as he emptied out his load into her ass. What felt like five minutes later, my boyfriend staggered back. And as if his cock had been the only thing holding her up, Stella's legs promptly buckled and she collapsed on top of me. This put her crotch right on my chest, right beneath my chin. And with my hands spreading her buttcheeks to the sides, I saw the cum bubble rising up out of her stretched sphincter. Yummy. ------- I got mine about an hour later. After the first session, we all played around in the shower for a bit. At first, Teddy and I teamed up on Stella, the both of us just happy to have her intimately in our lives once again. Then Stella and I smothered Teddy with an abundance of soapy tits and asses. And ultimately, Teddy reminded Stella that this was MY celebration for solving the trifluoperazine problem, and the two of them teamed up to give me a squealing orgasm right there beneath the shower spray. That idea of celebrating me continued out of the shower. The three of us tumbled naked onto my bed. Teddy made out with me and nursed at my tits while Stella sucked Teddy to a fresh erection. Then my boyfriend spooned behind me and entered me from behind while Stella sandwiched me from the other side, kissing and fondling me while presenting her own nubile body to my roaming hands. I got my next orgasm with Stella strumming my clitty while Teddy stroked my pussy. I got another when Teddy rolled me into a missionary position and pounded my pussy while Stella alternately shoved her tongue down my throat and wrapped it around my sensitive nipples. And I got my last orgasms when Teddy rolled us over so that I was on top. Stella retrieved my strap-on dildo (the actual strap-on, not the double-ended). She lubed up and started fucking my asshole from behind while Teddy pumped me from below. And she even reached around with one hand so that I could suck on two of her fingers while I shivered and groaned in ecstasy at the triple- penetration. I think I heard some dogs whining in pain when I had my orgasm. I certainly came close to shattering Teddy's eardrum, since my mouth was right next to his head when I went off. But as great as all the orgasms were, the single thing that made me the happiest came after we were completely done. All three of us went to sleep in my bed fully naked and with our arms wrapped around each other. And with my boyfriend on one side and my best friend on the other, I drifted away to a land of pleasant dreams and unbelievable bliss. For years I had been the third wheel to David and Amber. For years, I had wondered when it would be my turn to settle down and find true happiness. And now I had. I knew this particular arrangement wouldn't last forever. After all, just as I had eventually found that special guy for me, Stella would grow up and leave us again. But not yet. In the meantime, I would enjoy this for what it was. And in the morning, when Stella had to run home for a change of clothes before meeting up with us at the office, both Teddy and I kissed her goodbye. "Cum again soon," I teased. From the grin on Stella's face, I knew she would. ------- -- SIX MONTHS LATER, FEBRUARY 2008 -- I was staring at my monitor, working to create the next great wünderdrug, when a familiar face arrived at an unfamiliar location. [knock, knock] I looked up to see a bespectacled, slightly-balding man looking at me from my doorway. "Steve!" I said in surprise. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?" "Uh, there's kind of an issue in the lab. I was wondering if you could come take a look at it." I blinked and frowned. While I did a lot of my lab work myself, there were still many, many tests that could be run by the techs without my being there. Steve and the others were quite capable, and very rarely had anything gone wrong to the point where they came to me for further guidance. Even then, Steve usually just called me. "Um ... okay, sure. Just gimme a minute." I closed out the program I was running and locked my workstation for ISM regulations on security. Then I stood up and smoothened out my skirt while settling myself on my heels. I hadn't planned on going into the lab, so I wasn't exactly dressed for it. But after brushing my hair back behind my ears, I gestured and then followed Steve out and down the hallway. It was a short walk to the labs. Steve kept us going at a pretty fast pace though, so I focused on keeping up with him in my three-inch pumps and didn't bother glancing around. But the instant he opened the door, I looked around in surprise and came to a dead stop. It wasn't the lab setup I'd been expecting. Instead, laid in a row across the main countertop were fourteen squat cylinders. They were made of clear glass, laboratory grade, and filled with a variety of substances. I turned to look at Steve in confusion, but he just smiled and pointed me over to the cylinders. Curious, I stepped up to the countertop and briefly began examining them without touching them. The first one contained a lumpy, silverish rock. The second contained a violet-colored fluid. The third and fourth were purplish rocks, and so on. A couple of cylinders contained what looked like an empty vial each, stoppered to be airtight. One cylinder looked like it just had a piece of paper in it. And my analytical brain immediately started trying to identify each object. Tungsten. The first lumpy, silverish rock was Tungsten. The violet-colored fluid looked like Iodine. But what was the point? What did the two things have in common? I went to the piece of paper, but it was an atomic symbol, the one for uranium, I thought. Well that made sense; Uranium was a controlled-substance, not easily found. But why the representation of it? Only then did I notice the stickers on the sides of the cylinders. I turned around the one containing tungsten, and I was met with a perfect square printout of the Tungsten box from the Periodic Table of Elements. Upper left: the number 74. In the middle: the big block letter "W". And at the bottom: 183.85 atomic weight. So that confirmed it for me. It WAS Tungsten. The violet fluid was labeled Iodine. No biggie. The next two purplish rocks were both Lithium. Only then did I notice that the "L" in the Lithium was emphasized with a black sharpie marker. The "i" was small and faint. Tungsten ... Iodine ... Lithium ... Lithium ... Yttrium ... Oxygen ... Uranium ... Magnesium ... Argon ... Rubidium ... Rubidium ... Yttrium ... Magnesium ... Helium. Again, with all of the two-lettered elements, only the first letter was emphasized with the permanent marker. Only one of the two-lettered elements had the second letter emphasized, Helium's "e". Why would that one be different? And then suddenly I understood. He couldn't. Not like this. Oh. My. Gawd! "Holy shit!" I squealed, clapping both hands over my mouth. Just then, Teddy walked up next to the counter, a broad smile on his face. I glanced at him briefly, and then hurriedly I spun all the cylinders to face the same direction, putting the labels facing outward: W ... I ... L ... L ... Y ... O ... U ... M ... A ... R ... R ... Y ... M ... e. And then Teddy was at the end, kneeling on one knee. A black velvet box was in his hand, opened up to show me a truly MASSIVE diamond ring. My jaw dropped. My left hand went forward. My head started nodding up and down. And then the ring was on my fourth finger. HOLY FUCKING SHIT! "Ohmigod..." I moaned, staring at the big, sparkling rock on my finger. "I think she likes it," Stella giggled behind me. I whirled around and saw that there were a good twenty people crowding into the lab behind me. Everyone from Alfred to Stella to Steve and even Edward Reed — the freakin' CEO of the whole damn company — was standing behind me, watching as Teddy stood up and took me into his arms. "Ohmigod," I gasped again. "Will you marry me?" Teddy asked sweetly, now holding my hand and staring deeply at me with those gorgeous blue-gray eyes. My jaw flapped but I nodded, "Yes. Yes!" I sputtered. The room erupted in applause. Teddy grinned and kissed me tenderly, making me swoon as my legs gave out. He caught me easily, and turned it into a graceful dip just like in the movies. And the applause only got even higher, with a few whistles and catcalls thrown in for good measure. But eventually Teddy stood me up, and rubbing his nose against mine, he sighed happily. "I love you, Elizabeth." I beamed right back at him. "I love you, too." Teddy loved me. He really, really loved me. And I loved him for it. So he wasn't wealthy. So he wasn't the most devastatingly handsome man I'd ever met. So he didn't have charm oozing out of his ears. He loved me. And that was all that mattered. Turns out, I was wrong about one of those things. Still clapping, CEO Edward Reed approached us, his arms open. He didn't hug me, not exactly. But he reached out and held my elbows with his hands, a warm smile on his face. "Congratulations, Elizabeth." I smiled back and demurely replied, "Thank you." Mr. Reed reached out to Teddy, patted his shoulder, and then he turned and walked away. Once Mr. Reed left, the rest of the crowd moved in to give us their well-wishes and congratulations. But as they approached, I stared after the CEO, still a little in shock that he'd been there to witness Teddy proposing. "That was weird. Did he just happen to be passing by?" Teddy's eyes flicked up to Mr. Reed's departing form. He took a deep breath and then gave me a look. And with an almost apologetic face, he said, "E-Beth, there's something I need to tell you." ------- "Ohmigod! You're getting married!" Amber squealed into the phone. Just thinking about it made me do my little happy dance once again. Giggling uncontrollably, I turned and flopped backward across my bed. And then I proceeded to tell her the whole story, from Steve coming to fetch me out of my office to the fourteen cylinders in the lab to Teddy down on one knee. Amber oohed and ahhed appropriately, stoking my mood even higher. "And ohmigod, you won't even believe this last part!" I gushed. "Get this, it turns out that Teddy is LOADED. He's like, richer than YOU." "What?" Amber squawked. "I thought he was a stockroom clerk? Well, junior researcher. What?" I giggled. "That was all some stupid cover. Teddy's full name is Edward Harrison Reed, Junior. His dad is the CEO of the company, and rather than let Teddy be put in as some nepotistic Vice President, his dad made him start at the bottom and earn the respect of the employees. Even now, Stella and I are like the only non-Director-level people to even know about it!" "Holy crap!" "I know!" "Well ... does it make a difference? I mean, you said 'yes' before he told you, right?" "Of course, of course. I knew I loved him WAY before," I sighed dreamily. "But it IS some pretty nice icing on the cake." [DING-DONG!] "Oops. There's Teddy." I sat up straight and checked the clock. "We're going out tonight to celebrate the engagement." "Sounds like fun. Wish I could be there." "We'll celebrate later. I promise. Who knows, depending on how David and Teddy get along, we might ALL get to celebrate sometime." I giggled as images of a foursome popped into my head. Amber laughed right along with me. She congratulated me again while I headed for the door. And I hung up just as I opened the door. "Hey, baby..." Teddy bent at the knees and opened his arms just in time for me to leap at him. He lifted me as I wrapped my legs around his waist and then spun me around while I did my best to plaster my mouth over his. I still had a few of my own insecurities. Having Teddy propose did wonders for reassuring me that I was a desirable babe. Having him so easily spin me around reassured me even more that I wasn't too fat or anything. And the way his paws squeezed my buttcheeks while he smothered his face in my cleavage was pretty nice as well. I giggled as he finally set me down. And beaming at me, he asked, "Ready to go?" I checked my watch again and raised my eyebrows. "Not quite yet." Teddy frowned. "Why not?" "Wait a minute..." "Huh?" "Waiiit..." I intoned, still staring at my watch. "Annnd..." I drawled, my finger waving in the air. "Hi, guys!" Stella appeared behind Teddy, exactly at the time I told her to be here, and dressed for a night out. Teddy turned around to our special friend and I moved myself against his side, wrapping my arm around his waist and hugging him tightly. "I introduce my beloved betrothed. Do you possess the desire to engage in a shared incident of coital bonding?" Stella gawked at me in confusion. "Huh?" I grinned. "Meet my fiancé. Wanna fuck us?" I'd finally found my happiness. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2009-06-12 Last Modified: 2009-06-13 / 09:00:21 am ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------