Learning Curves
Chapter 3

Copyright© 2017 by Jay Cantrell

Romantic Sex Story: Chapter 3 - Hailey Warren brutally rejected Phil Warner during their first days on campus and sent the young man into a tailspin that lasted months. Now necessity and desire have brought them together. It might last - if they can put aside their anger and distrust long enough to get to know one another.

Caution: This Romantic Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa   Fa/Fa   Teenagers   Consensual   Romantic  

Hailey’s mind raced as they made their way back to Terrence, who was now sitting with half a dozen other people. There was a guy who looked like a total geek; a girl dressed like a Goth; two girls who wore more fashionable clothes than even Hailey wore; a guy in blue jeans, a sweatshirt and a baseball cap – and a football star.

They all waved at Phil and the two well-dressed young women made a beeline for the pair. They kissed Phil on the cheek before turning to Hailey.

“That was beautiful!” one of them said. “What did you say to her?”

“I just pointed out that the way to catch Phil was to focus on something other than what he can do for you,” Hailey said, a sad smile on her face. None of the guys she’d dated – either in high school or in college – had been particularly nice guys. It was always an exchange of services. Hailey got an increase in her popularity quotient and the guy got to be seen with a pretty girl who wasn’t averse to sex.

“We’ve known that for years!” the other woman said. “If we swung that way, we’d have snapped him up years ago.”

“Swung...” Hailey began. “Oh!”

“Don’t worry, we don’t recruit,” the first woman said. “I’m Ann! This is Rachel.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Hailey said. “You’re just so pretty and ... I’m not helping, am I?”

Both girls laughed.

“We can’t help who we love,” Ann said. “Isn’t that right, Phil?”

Phil smiled and nodded.

“We were miserable,” Rachel recounted. “We were hiding our relationship from everyone – our friends, our parents, our teachers. Phil somehow saw through us. He helped us figure out how to tell our parents and how to be happy with who we are. People shunned us when we first came out. News got around school in no time. People would turn around and go the other direction when they saw us. Then at lunch Phil and this group sat down with us. We’re a year younger; we’re seniors this year. That’s the thing: if Phil accepts you, everyone has to. No one wants to risk being the one that makes Phil say something nasty to them.”

Hailey was taking a drink of whatever it was Phil had got her. It had no alcohol in it but it still tasted good to her. The drink went down the wrong hole and she started to cough. She wasn’t sure Phil had said anything at all nice to her for the majority of the day.

“You’d have to be a pretty big bitch to get Phil pissed off at you,” the girl dressed in all black said.

“You’re not kidding,” the kid in the baseball cap agreed.

Phil gave Hailey a shrug.

“Sorry,” he said in a low voice. “Their opinion of me is a little skewed. I’m not really like that.”

“Uh-huh,” Hailey said, frowning.


Hailey hated to admit it but she had a good time at the club. Phil’s friends were an eclectic mix but all of them had treated Hailey like a long-lost friend. It appeared that, in SouthPointe at least, if you were with Phil you were golden.

It was just after midnight when Hailey’s mother finally called again. She told Hailey she would meet her at SouthPointe Mall at 10 a.m. That would give them time to get their hair done and clothes changed before the party that evening.

Hailey heard people moving around downstairs at 7:30 in the morning. She blinked and looked around the room where she slept. It was a nondescript guest room. It had a neutral color scheme. It had a bed, a long dresser with a mirror and a desk. It was a good size for a guest room. She found she was comfortable as she burrowed in a little deeper. She found the area to be even warmer than her bedroom at home despite the fact that it lacked many of the amenities – the walk-in closet, the bathroom, the lighted vanity – that she had grown used to.

She hadn’t been prepared to sleep at someone else’s house. She had not brought night clothing because she had plenty in her dresser at home. Instead she was wearing one of Phil’s T-shirts and her panties.

She had just drifted back to sleep when a light knocking on the door drew her eyes back open.

“We’re getting ready for breakfast,” Phil said. “You’re welcome to join us.”

Hailey could smell ham cooking and her stomach rumbled.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Hailey answered. She got out a pair of blue jeans and slipped them over her hips. Her hair was a mess but she doubted anyone in the family would care. She figured Phil would probably be dressed similarly. Still, she ran her fingers through her blonde tresses to tame them slightly. It had little effect. She found a sweatshirt in her luggage, removed the T-shirt she wore and pulled the sweatshirt on without a bra.

The Warners were gathered around the table when she entered the dining room. Beth gave her a warm smile and gestured her to a seat. She noticed everyone else in the household had apparently showered and were dressed for the day. She felt like a beggar.

“Did you have fun last night, dear?” Beth asked.

It took a moment for Hailey to realize Beth was talking to her. David Warner had filled a plate with scrambled eggs, a slice of ham and two pieces of toast. He passed it over to Hailey who took it gratefully.

“It was really nice,” Hailey admitted. “Phil’s friends are great. I mean, uh ... well ... my friends wouldn’t have been nearly as nice if I had brought him with me unannounced.”

“Maybe you need new friends,” Phil said.

“Philip!” Beth said, frowning at her son.

“He might not be wrong,” Hailey said. “I realized last night that some of the lessons I had learned in my life probably weren’t the right ones. I met a guy named Terrence last night who said your family is the best. I could see that. I really don’t think my mom would have let Phil stay with us last night if the roles were reversed.”

“We’re just like that,” David said with a laugh. “There are no strangers; just friends we haven’t met.”

“Maybe we should reconsider recognizing strangers as a natural phenomenon,” Phil commented, putting a fork to his mouth. His mother kicked him under the table. He didn’t give any indication that he’d noticed – even though everyone else had. “I’m just saying. I’ve come to understand a few things at college. Some people are just dicks.”

“Philip!” Beth said in a louder voice. The look on her face was thunderous and it was only exacerbated by her husband’s laughter.

“He has a point, Beth,” David said between chuckles. “Some people are just dicks.”

Beth glanced at her husband and shook her head.

“OK, yes they are,” Beth agreed. “That doesn’t mean we can’t look for the good in them. Philip, have you ever met someone with no redeeming qualities?”

“Yes,” Phil answered. He didn’t look at Hailey as much as he wanted to.

“Then you aren’t looking hard enough,” Beth said with a smile.

“If you have to look that hard, it probably isn’t worth bothering,” Hailey cut in. “I think that’s what Phil is saying. If you have to go to such great lengths to find something worthwhile, why would you bother?”

“Exactly,” Phil said.

“I suppose,” Beth said, frowning at her son. “Philip, may I take it you didn’t have a nice evening?”

“I ran into Emily Rayford,” he said. “Hailey rescued me from her clutches but Emily spent the rest of the evening glaring at us. I may have burns from her laser beams.”

Beth’s laughter surprised everyone.

“Don’t you worry about Emily Rayford,” she said.

“I’m not worried about her,” Phil said. “She’s just annoying. You asked if I’d ever met someone with no redeeming qualities. I have.”

“She likes you,” Hailey said, winking at Beth. Even though there was tension around the table, it was still a more pleasant meal than at her house. There she usual ate by herself or in silence as her mother went over reports or fielded phone calls.

“You consider that a redeeming quality?” Beth asked, returning the wink. “You really haven’t spent much time around Philip, have you?”

“Good point,” Hailey agreed. “Thank you all so much for letting me stay last night. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Phil, thank you for taking me around to meet your friends and for bringing me home. I really do appreciate it even if I haven’t always shown it.”

“No problem,” Phil said, taking the last bite of his toast and standing up. “I’ve got some work to do. Let me know when you’re ready for me to take you to the mall.”

He walked down the hall to his bedroom and left Hailey with his parents. There was no way that he was letting Hailey Warren ingratiate herself to him. His mother might like her but he had decided that he would have nothing to do with her after that morning.


“Where do you live at school?” Hailey asked as they sat at the mall waiting for her mother to appear. It was already 10:30 a.m. but Hailey had no notion that her mother would be on time.

“Why?” Phil asked.

“You know, just making conversation,” Hailey said.

“Why?” Phil asked again.

“I thought it would be nice to get to know you better,” Hailey replied.

“I don’t think we need to know anything more about each other than we already do,” Phil countered. “You’re an upwardly mobile ass-kisser who will get ahead without really trying because you’ll make all the right connections. You’ll get the best school jobs and the best internships even though you probably won’t deserve them. And why? Because you’ll have all the professors and deans buffaloed into thinking you’re something more than a brown-noser. You’ll use your looks or your body or your popularity until you own the college campus.

“The thing is, Hailey ... the thing is that once real life rears its ugly head you’re going to find that popularity will only get you so far. The real world has a way of leveling the playing field – and once it does – belonging to the right sorority, dating the right person and having all the peons know your name doesn’t mean a fucking thing.”

Hailey’s mouth dropped as she listened to him.

“I ... I earned everything I’ve gotten!” she said angrily. “I’m a finalist for the internship at Fielding and Sterns because of the essay I wrote.”

“You’re a finalist because you wrangled a work study job with the head of the selection committee and let him look up your skirt every day!” Phil countered in a loud voice. “Guess who the other finalist is, Hailey?”

“You?” she tried.

“Me,” Phil said. “And I’ve already been told by my adviser that I won’t get it. It has nothing to do with what the committee recommended. They recommended me by a wide margin. They scored my interview 30 points higher than yours. They scored my essay 15 points higher. I have a higher GPA and better references. But the dean overruled them because he likes the fact you wear short skirts and black panties every Monday.”

“That’s a lie!” Hailey said automatically. She had no idea if Phil was telling the truth about the interview or the essay. It didn’t make sense. Sure, she flirted with the old man. She flirted with everyone who could help her out. She also let him have a glance or two up her skirt.

“Is that why you don’t like me?” Hailey asked.

“That has nothing to do with it,” Phil said. “I disliked you long before I even found out about that.”

“Then why?” Hailey asked. “Why don’t you like me?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Phil said.

“It matters to me!” Hailey said loudly. “Everyone else likes me and you like everyone. Why is that we can’t get along.”

Phil took a long breath but didn’t speak.

“When we get back to school I’m going to talk to Dean Stevens,” Hailey said. “If you’re better qualified for the internship, I’ll pull my name out of consideration. Will that at least let you tell me what you find so dislikable?”

“Don’t pull your name,” Phil said. “I’ve already made arrangements for another internship. One of the things I dislike about you most is that you don’t even remember why I dislike you. Let’s leave it at that. I think your mother is here.”

A stylish convertible pulled into the lot near Phil’s sedan. He saw a woman with too much makeup at the wheel. He got out to help Hailey with her bags. The woman didn’t acknowledge her daughter or the guy whose family had gone out its way to help her daughter. Instead the woman seemed engrossed by her cell phone. Phil put the bags in the small trunk and Hailey laid her dress over the top.

“Thank you, Phil,” Hailey said again. “Uh, I guess I’ll meet you here tomorrow morning.”

“Noon,” Phil said. “Hailey, tell your mother I don’t do fashionably late. At five after noon, you find your own way back. Understand?”

“Please thank your parents again for me,” Hailey said sincerely.

Phil nodded and she walked around to the passenger side of the car. She looked back and saw Phil Warner standing next to his car. He gave her a small wave and a smile. Her eyes grew wide and at that moment she knew why Phil Warner hated her – and probably always would.


“Glad you made it back,” Beth said when Phil got back to the house.

“Punctuality apparently isn’t a family trait,” he said. “It was almost a quarter ‘til 11 before her mother deigned to grace us with her presence. Even then she didn’t move from the driver’s seat to even thank us for babysitting her daughter because apparently she was too busy or too disinterested to do it.”

Beth nodded and caught her son’s arm as he passed.

“I’m not sure what happened to make you feel the way you do,” she began. “I know you and I’ll trust that your reasons are justified. I think today probably shows you how she was raised. She’s chosen to emulate her mother because she had no one else to look up to. You, I hope, had good role models. I know your father and I have tried.”

“Oh, hell!” Phil said. “If you’re looking for a compliment, I’ll give you one. You and Dad are the best! But she’s an adult now. It’s time to realize that it’s up to you to decide right from wrong, regardless of what you were taught. If you continue to use people for your own ends when you’re old enough to know it’s wrong, then I’ve got no use for you. And in case you’re wondering, I learned that from you.”

Beth blushed slightly – not only from the initial praise but from having one of the lessons she’d taught him thrown back at her. He gave her a hug and disappeared down the hall to his room before she could speak.

He didn’t reappear until 5 p.m. His jeans and sweatshirt had been replaced with a dark grey pinstripe suit and a green tie. His father was dressed similarly only his suit was black and his tie blue.

The men sat down at the table and waited for Beth to appear. This was her show and the Warner men had gotten used to having at least a half hour to kill while Beth finished dressing.

“It’s good to have you home,” Dave said, putting his hand on his son’s arm. “Your mom and I are really proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Phil said. “It’s been a little different.”

“I know it has,” Dave said sympathetically. “I wish you’d been able to get on campus this year. It’s a big part of making friends. I met your mother during her freshman year. We ran into each other at the cafeteria. I sort of worried about you when you had to live in an apartment. That’s why we called you so often that first month. When you came home for Thanksgiving, you were your same old friendly self. This time your mom seems to think that being on your own – alone – has led to some bitterness.”

“Oh, bullshit,” Phil muttered. “Look, Dad, I’ll tell you about it and you’ll understand. I met Hailey my first day on campus. We had a group dinner before orientation started that night. We were arranged boy-girl in alphabetical order. That put me beside Hailey at the dinner because her last name is Warren. The tables were set up for eight people. It was really fun. We all laughed and joked. We talked about our high schools and our friends and what we hoped to do in college. They split us up by twos at orientation. Hailey and I were partners as we made our rounds. It was the same way the second day. At the end of orientation there was a mixer – you know, just a way to let everyone get to know each other. Many of them got together in the dorms the night before so friendships were already being made. A group of upper-crust debutantes had gravitated to Hailey but I didn’t realize it. She seemed normal the second day of orientation. The guys were all sort of hanging out with me. I’ve always been able to bring people together, I guess. So, after the second day, we were all heading back to wherever. Hailey was still hanging out with me.

“So I asked her if she’d like to go to the dance with me. You have to understand, we had 30 people around us – around me. She turned around and looked at me like I was something she’d scraped off the bottom of her shoes. She could have politely told me that she wasn’t interested and that would have been that. Instead she completely embarrassed me. She used the rejection as a way to increase her popularity with her friends – and totally destroyed my credibility with the guys I’d met. Since that day, she walks around like she’s the queen of the ball and I go back to my apartment after class each day. That’s why I don’t like her. She’s a user, Dad. If she had found out about tonight, she would have tried to wheedle her way to an invite.

“That’s the way she is. She would love to be seen at something like this and she probably even would have pretended to like me in order to secure an invitation. I think she already figured out there is more to us than meets the eye. She wanted to know where I lived on campus. It could be just so she can hit me up for a ride again but I’m not willing to risk it. I’m not going to let her use my family the way she used me.”

Edited by Pixel The Cat and BlackIrish; Proofread by Zom.

Chapter 4 »

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