Chapter 2

Cassie Fenton was very clever, very sensuous, very passionate and rather impetuous. As a result she had been in a few relationships since she began to fill out as a young adolescent. She lost her virginity to a classmate in her last year, but he let her down very badly which shook her trust in boys, so she was more choosy from then on, as she told her friends at university when they asked her why she did not play the field or have a more casual sex life.

She had never been promiscuous. She did fall for another boy at College, but was wary of him and never committed herself completely or allowed sex with him. Then her last College love in her final year, whom she allowed to have sex with her, dumped her, and that shaped her attitude when she arrived at university.

By the time she arrived she had decided, as had Ged, to restrict her self-giving to someone who would be faithful and make a real relationship with her. She decided to concentrate on making real friends rather than looking for a lover.

She made many friends of both sexes, and for the whole of the first year she resisted all attempts to woo her. At the root of things there was a deep fear of being betrayed. However, at the beginning of her second year things changed greatly.

Her best female friend Cheryl had been close with her since they met the year before at Freshers' Week. That first term, Cheryl met and fell in love with Brian who was a year older. Cassie could see why. He was steady and totally besotted with her, and she had completely fallen for him.

Brian's parents had money and had bought him a small terraced house for his second year. The pair had moved in together after Christmas and at the end of Cheryl's first year they had invited Cassie to join them the following academic year. The house was new and clean and they loved it.

After Freshers' Week they threw a 'start the year party'. Cassie knew most of the guests and moved around chatting to them. Then she became aware of a pair of eyes staring at her.

The eyes belonged to a very handsome guy. He was tall and lanky with a shaggy mane of jet black hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes, were a startling very dark brown, almost black, below which was a large nose and a wide mouth. She returned his gaze and her heart began to flutter. As hostess, she went to him.

She swallowed, and held out her hand. "Hi!" she said brightly. "I'm Cassie – I live with Cheryl and Brian."

"I know." He smiled at her and she felt weak. "I'm Zak, short for Zachary. Never call me Zachary unless you're angry with me." He smiled more broadly and she knew she wanted him. It bordered on compulsion.

"Zak," she repeated when she got her breath, "I like it."

She had fallen in love, and despite misgivings she could not resist. He obviously fancied her as well, and they made a date for the following week. Within two weeks they were in bed together. They had been for a drink and he had introduced three of his friends to her. They were members of a struggling band called Furtive Glance. They had had little success nationally but got regular gigs around the city.

Zak took her to his flat. It was dirty and untidy with much unwashed crockery piled in the sink. She did not notice, as she fell into his arms. His kisses were strong and powerful, and she could feel him hard against her thigh. His chest felt firm and defined and his arms sinuous. Her lust took her, it had been so long since she had had a man, though her last 'man' was no more than a boy.

His hands wandered over her body as he kissed her, over her back, the cheeks of her bottom, then to her breasts. He cupped them over her tee shirt and she moaned at the touch. She broke the kiss, stood a pace back and pulled the tee shirt over her head. She reached behind her and unclipped her bra. Then she slowly unfastened and unzipped her jeans, and pushed them down. She was on fire from the way his eyes fastened on her thin boy-shorts. She loved his lustful gaze, how his eyes raked her body. She had almost forgotten the feeling.

She could see how aroused he was. "Come on Zak. Get those things off," she growled.

He started, awakened from his mesmerised stare hastened to tear off his shirt, then his jeans and boxers. There he was for her, naked. There was not an ounce of fat on him. His chest was muscular, his abs well defined, his waist and hips tapered, and needless to say he was hard. She moved to him and again they kissed. Then they were in bed.

She discovered he was a good lover. He caressed, kissed, licked her all over, and then brought her to a first climax with his tongue, whereupon he covered her and she felt him pushing into her moistness. It was heavenly, that feeling of him stretching her and pushing in and out. He went slowly at first until she began to moan again, when he speeded up and brought her off a second time before emptying himself into her.

Later in the dark, she wondered, too late, about STDs. At least this time she did not have to worry about getting pregnant, she thought.

They became an item. She loved him more and more deeply. He was a simple man, in a dead-end job, but she didn't mind. After her university courses she would earn enough for both, and he would be able to enjoy his time with the band. Who knows? she thought, they might even make the big time.

For all that, she did not move into his flat; her previous betrayals had been so deep that she could not go so far as to depend totally on him, but she cleaned his place up and made it a home.

She was so besotted that she did not mind that he did no housework, or washing up, or cooking, or washing or ironing. He needed the time to rehearse and play with the band.

He made up for it in his bed with his wonderful loving. While he was out at gigs, or at rehearsals she was able to get her university work done.

She stayed over with him often, but went back to Cheryl and Brian's when the pressure of her work got too strong, sometimes for weeks at a time. Zak didn't seem to mind. It did niggle a little that he did not seem to miss her at all, but she brushed away any concern she had.

What did concern her was that Cheryl and Brian were cool towards Zak. They didn't try to put her off him, but it was clear they were not happy. There was only one occasion when Cheryl broached the subject.

"You do know what that band's like, Cassie, don't you?" she ventured. "They're pretty free with young girls who follow them to gigs. They have groupies, you know – and we remember Zak being as free with them as the others."

"Don't worry," said Cassie, a little miffed at Cheryl's intervention. "He's changed – he loves me now. I give him all he needs."

Well, thought Cheryl, I tried.

Cassie was so certain of him and of their future. She was totally committed to him and her love for him was deep.

It was just after exams at the end of second year, early May, when her world fell apart.

Zak had a gig in the city centre, and this was to be followed by a party at the lead guitarist and singer's house. Cassie had an end of exams party, if that was what it could be called. In fact it was a session at her favourite pub, who had laid on sandwiches and pies. She left early with the thought that Zak's party would be a lot more fun.