Chapter 2: Sex Object

Marilyn kept worrying about how to get the MYF to be seen -- at least by themselves -- as a body of responsible church members. She tried to express her worries to Colin Saturday night after the movie.

“You worry too much,” he said, “and at the wrong times. You’re their president. Tell them what to do. If they don’t do it, it’s their fault. After all, you have it on your bio for college admissions. They might check that you held the post, but I bet I could put down that I held it and not get caught. They are certainly not going to check how successful you were. After all, nobody but you thinks it necessary for the group to change.” Colin was being cynical about claiming to be UMW president. He was a Presbyterian, though he hadn’t darkened the door of even that church as long as she’d known him.

And, for that very reason, she was stupid to talk about the problems with him. She forgot about the MYF and held his head to her tit. He was getting to be an expert. As long as she moved him when her left tit started getting sore, her arousal kept going higher.

“No,” she finally said. She permitted, and had come to admit that she enjoyed, his hand on her thigh. Pushing into the crotch of her jeans was going too far. And, she couldn’t imagine what he got from that. She got nothing. The second time she had to push his hand away -- he should have learned that -- she pushed his head away too. “I should be getting home.”

She straightened her clothes while he drove back. He came up to the porch for a kiss with closed mouths. Even then, Colin grabbed her butt during the kiss. She didn’t push him away, which would only have drawn more attention, but she did break the kiss. She unlocked the door, went inside, and immediately locked it again.

“Did you have a good time?” Mom asked from her room as she walked past.

“Yes, Mom.” And she had. It wasn’t only that she didn’t want a visit for further questions.

Sunday was coffee hour. Again, Andy spoke to her, but she was busy talking to some of the girls. He took a friendly greeting the way it was meant.

“Look,” he asked at the end of school Monday, “do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” They were on the same bus, and he had to know that it was the second trip that bus took. She had loads of time.

“About what you wanted for Thursday. I get the picture that you’d hoped for an entire work crew.”

“Yes, and I’m awful grateful to you.”

“Well, really, that wasn’t a job for a larger crew. Look how long Mr. Pierce and Mr. Hagopian sat around afterwards. But you want a larger crew for the Easter clean up. Does the UMW hold another rummage sale this year?”

“No, the next one is in spring.”

“Okay. You know your members. You say that you’ve all known each other since kindergarten.” That was a huge exaggeration. Many of them hadn’t even gone to the same grade school. “Well, pick out two Junior boys. The ones who wouldn’t mind carrying tables, and the ones who’d do it if you asked them particularly. Ask them close to the time to help. Make clear, that they will be doing men’s work -- moving tables. That Mr. Hagopian is some kind of executive?”

“He’s a professor.”

“Even better. I’ll show up. Maybe Doug will show up.” If he kept going with Rita, he would. “Anyway, Mr. Hagopian can tell us how to do the job right. A professor ought to enjoy teaching like that -- enjoy it more than actually moving the tables, anyway. Then you’ll have accomplished two things. The MYF will have set up the tables for the rummage sale during your term. The next year’s MYF will have people who know how to do it. If those guys have the brains God gave little grasshoppers, they’ll recruit sophomores – well, juniors next year -- to continue the tradition. If not, you’ll have done what you could in your term. And, really, Mr. Hagopian might well prefer to ask the MYF for help than to set up the tables himself. Anyway, that’s the smaller part.

“What’s Edwin good for?” At first, she thought he’d seen through Edwin. Then she thought it was a damned odd comment. Finally, she saw, partially by Andy’s patient waiting, that it was an actual question.

“He’s the ultimate party animal. That was his vision of the MYF, if you listened to his speech.”

“So, ask him to handle a celebration for the next meeting. Then assign him -- you’re the president, who says you can’t assign the vice president a task? -- to handle a celebration for a later meeting, but one long before Easter. Then when the Holy Week cleanup day approaches, assign him to recruit and organize the boys who’ll be working outside.”

“You’re sneaky.” But he was also bright.

“I’m going to be an engineer. I told you. I’m interested in solving problems. People problems are only another sort of problem, and they don’t require the extra knowledge. After all, I’ve been around people all my life.

“Anyway, you should be able to recruit enough girls. And, too, whenever Edwin can recruit a boy, his girlfriend is likelier to come, and whenever you can recruit a boy, his girlfriend will be likelier to come. I think you could have your work crew.”

She looked him up and down. Mostly up; he was tall even for a boy. When you looked at Andy objectively, not as the new kid or the rumored nerd, he wasn’t bad looking. He was no movie star, but she knew few kids who looked like movie stars. His voice was low, and he sounded sure of himself. Anyway, she shouldn’t be thinking like this. She had a man, and Andy hadn’t expressed interest.

“Well, thank you very much.” And, when the bus came back, they went inside to take separate seats. She sat with Melanie, as usual. The bus was crowded enough that somebody -- looked like a freshman -- sat with Andy.

Tuesday, Colin had his car and offered her a ride home. He lived off in the other direction, but he often gave her a ride when he had wheels.

“Thanks, but Mom is home on Tuesday. She knows when the bus is due.”

“No problem. We can make much better time.” Then, after he’d started out but before he got to the parking place he had chosen, he started in on her. “Who was that guy you were talking to yesterday?”

“I talked to lots of people yesterday. You don’t own me. You probably mean Andy. He’s a member of MYF and has been a helpful member. We were talking about the group.”

“Look, Marilyn, I know. Maybe you were thinking about the group, but he’s male. When he was talking to you, he was thinking how sexy you are.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s even taller than you are.” They’d be Mutt and Jeff with her 4’ 11”.

“And nobody that tall could be attracted to you? Except that he’s not that much taller than I am, and I’m certainly attracted to you.” He pulled into a space beside the park. Across the street were businesses and a busy sidewalk.

“Forget Andy. He’s a friend not a boyfriend, and he’s content to remain that way.” She was a little nervous about the kisses, even though all the pedestrians were across the street. Still, Colin’s kisses were sexy, and the nervousness made them sexier. When he began to pull her sweatshirt out of her jeans, however, she grabbed his hand and moved back from the kiss. “For God’s sake, Colin. We’re in broad daylight.”

“Well, none of them know us, and they’re across the street.”

“It’s about time for you to take me home.” It wasn’t, though, and she walked around the block before going in the door.

“Early, dear,” said Mom.

“Am I? It’s a little chilly, and I walked fast.”

“Quickly, dear.” Which was why she’d said it.

“I walked rapidly.”

Christmas was appropriately snowy. She got oodles of presents from her parents, a nice one from Pete that looked like Mom had picked it out, and a blouse from Colin that brought a frown of disapproval from Mom, and a deep scowl from Dad. If he was going to remove the blouses, she figured that Colin had the right to pick them out. Still she was smart enough not to say that to Mom, much less to Dad.

Wednesday, January 15, as if to prove her assurances to Colin wrong, Andy asked her to the dance on Saturday. Only a desperate girl would have accepted the invitation. If Colin had asked her that late, she would have bawled him out, and Colin had the privileges of a steady.

“I’m really sorry, Andy. But I have a date. Colin and I are going steady.” Which would have been news only to an outsider.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m complimented. I’m just not available.” Which was polite, she hoped. It was intended, though, to communicate the unavailability in no uncertain terms.

A large group of them had decided to wear dresses to this dance. They looked like women in contrast to the other classes in jeans and the outsiders dressed in the same way. Some of the girls didn’t like to dance in heels. She needed all the height she could get.

When Colin found a dark parking space with nobody nearby, they had a nice kiss. When he moved back, she leaned forward. He unzipped the back of the dress and unhooked her bra. He worked smoothly these days. Actually, pulling the top of the dress off, however, left her feeling awfully exposed. It was much worse than opening a blouse and raising the bra. Still, Colin’s mouth was exciting. He teased her nipples, going from one to another without being asked. When he finally settled on sucking the right one, she thought she might come.

While his mouth was feeding her arousal, his hand was going under her skirt. The inside of her thighs was much more sensitive with only pantyhose covering them than they’d been when protected by jeans. Still, that was within her rules, and it felt good.

He put his other hand behind her head and stroked her neck below and behind each ear. She felt so small in that big hand. She sometimes thought of his petting a kitten when he did this, but this caress -- far from any sexy parts -- was as arousing as anything he did to her tit. He moved up to kiss her mouth again. His tongue explored it.