I’d met Nell at the freshman mixer a couple of weeks ago, and we had been hanging out, but much as I wouldn’t have minded, we weren’t exactly boyfriend-girlfriend. We hadn’t even kissed. Both of us were kind of shy. Not Cara, Nell’s roommate, who had a part-time job in the college art museum. She told us she could get us in for free. This was sort of a joke since the museum didn’t charge admission.

We met Cara at the museum just before closing. “There’s some really cool stuff,” Cara told us. “This one statue of a dancing girl is kind of hot.”

The gallery with the dancing girl was almost empty, just one other visitor, a girl who by chance or design was wearing a short black skirt much like the one worn by the girl in the sculpture.

The girl left while the three of us were appreciating the sculpture of the dancing girl. “Nice, huh?” Cara said.

I joked, “You’d think she’d get tired standing like that.”

“Very funny,” Cara said. “But it’s not that hard. Nell could stand like that all day.” Nell and Cara had been in the same high school, so presumably Cara has inside knowledge.

“I don’t think,” Nell started to say, but Cara interrupted. “Go on Nell, show him.”

Nell shrugged, then mimicked the statue’s pose.

Cara smiled at me with what-did-I-tell-you eyes.

“Perfect,” I said. “Beautiful.”

“Yeah, but the statue has bare breasts,” Cara pointed out.

Nell frowned but kept the pose.

“Also, like Nell, she’s not wearing panties,” Cara continued.

Nell blushed. I looked doubtfully at Cara.

“You don’t believe me?” she said, and she stuck her hand beneath the statue’s skirt. “Nothing but a hole under here. I’ve practically got my whole hand in. Hey, she’s getting wet. Oh Gosh, I think she’s gonna come. Holy fuck.” She looked at me, grinning mischievously. “You think I’m kidding?” She took her hand from beneath the dress and held it out to me. “Wanna smell? Wanna taste?”

Improbably, I was on the verge of taking Cara’s hand when Nell said, “If you’re finished with your naughtiness...”

“Right,” Cara said, and with her eyes on mine, she sniffed and then licked her fingers. “There’s something even naughtier in the basement.

We followed Cara to the basement.

“Whoa,” said Nell. “I can’t believe they...”

“I know,” Cara said. “We really should try this out when we get back to the room.”

Nell opened her mouth as if to protest, and Cara said, “Don’t worry, we can take turns being the lamb.”