Chapter 16

Across town, Frank was sitting at home, watching TV. His hangover was nearly gone, but he still felt a little queasy. He'd tried to remember everything about the end of last night, but it was pretty hazy. He was fairly sure that Cindy had dropped him off and then gotten a ride home with Jake, but that was about all he remembered. She must be pissed, he told himself. Why'd he have to get so drunk?

He flipped channels aimlessly, feeling low. He wanted to call Cindy, but part of him didn't want to face her just yet. He decided he should get a hold of Jake first to see if he'd done anything stupid.

Jake checked the messages on his cell on the way back to his place. He wanted to take a quick shower before heading over to Monica and Anna's place, and besides, he needed to pick up his bathing suit. He'd expected to have at least one from Josie, but he was surprised to find that Frank had called him. He was stepping into his house when he called him back.

"Hey, Jake, thanks for calling me." Frank sounded a little under the weather, to say the least.

"No prob, bro. How're you feeling today?"

"Not so good. I'll live, but I must have really tied one on last night. Just tell me I didn't do anything stupid."

Jake chuckled. "Not that I saw. Cindy got you inside your apartment, then I gave her a ride home." And she gave me a ride once we got there, Jake thought to himself, remembering how incredibly sexy Cindy had been in the throes of their passion.

"Okay, cool. Thanks for getting her home. I've been too lame to call her this morning. I'm afraid that she's mad at me or something."

"I don't know anything about that, you'll have to check with her yourself." Jake considered saying more, but decided against it. What else could he really say? Besides, he didn't feel very qualified to give Frank advice, seeing as how he'd just fucked his girlfriend.

"Yeah, okay. Well, I guess I'll talk to her a little later. You going out tonight?"

"No idea. I'm sure something's going on, just don't know what. You know how it is."

"Gotcha. Seeya, Jake."

Jake flipped his phone shut and went upstairs, his thoughts a jumble. Images of Cindy and Darcy kept floating through his head, and he found himself getting a chubby just thinking about the two girls despite his recent activities. Jesus, he laughed at himself. Maybe I've got some sort of condition where I can't stop being horny.

He strolled out on the deck, popping open a beer from the kitchen. The sun was still high in the sky. It was a beautiful day. Standing against the railing, he looked down through the trees to the backyard of Ally, his high school-aged neighbor, but he didn't see anyone down there. It seemed odd to him that he'd never noticed her before, but he knew he didn't pay that much attention to the neighborhood around him; his property was designed to provide privacy. He idly wondered if he was taking a stupid risk, agreeing to buy booze for the high schoolers. Thinking with your pants is going to get you in trouble, he reminded himself.

And yet he felt almost invincible. Maybe it was his recent escapades with Darcy, or the fact that he'd fucked her so soon after being with Cindy, but Jake truly felt like nothing could slow him down or trip him up. Perhaps its just my purpose in life to fuck as many chicks as I can, he mused. He recognized how reckless his actions were, but more and more he rationalized it in his mind. He was surrounded by so many sexy women, how could he be expected not to stray a little?

The sun streaming through the leaves seemed especially brilliant this afternoon, and he felt pleasantly invigorated, his mind sharp and his spirits high. He wanted to see Josie, he realized, wanted to be near her, to touch and feel her, to hear her laugh. But he also felt quite content at the moment to just stand out on the deck and soak in the sun and air.

He set down his beer on the railing and stretched his arms out, luxuriating in the sensation of his muscles straining then relaxing. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He very nearly felt light-headed, yet hyper-aware of his surroundings at the same time. The light breeze, for instance, traced gently across his body, causing a faint rustling in the trees around him and a subtle wave of motion across the grass far below. Birds circled high overhead, and a butterfly wafted silently past just at eye-level.

Why had he talked to Darcy about Megan? he wondered. And why now? His fond memories of his time with her were still very vivid. She'd visited this past summer, in fact, and while they were no longer lovers he was still very much in love with her. She'd been pleased to meet Josie, and the two women had seemed to hit it off quite well.

Still, Jake thought of Megan as a part of his past. It had only been a few years ago that they'd broken up, but those were years of big changes for him. He was in many ways a different person than the shy, uncertain school-boy to whom she'd broken through.

Boy, did she ever, Jake reminisced, grinning to himself. He turned and went into the house to take a shower, his memories of their time together floating through his head.

Across town, Erin arrived at Monica and Anna's (and Ellen's) apartment complex and peddled through buildings to get to their courtyard. The girls waved her over, glad to see her. Josie got up and met her as she got off her bike.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it!" she said, giving Erin a big hug.

"I'm glad you called," Erin replied. "I've been hitting the books pretty hard lately. I could use a break from studying."

"You've come to the right place," Cindy said, handing her a beer as she and Josie stepped onto the pool deck.

Erin thanked her, trying not to be too obvious as she checked out Cindy's body in her skimpy little bikini. Wow, Erin thought to herself, Cindy really looks hot in her swim suit. Then again, she realized, everyone there looked quite sexy. Erin felt a little intimidated standing there in her summer blouse and shorts. Josie put an arm around her shoulders and clinked her beer bottle lightly against Erin's.

"Hope you brought your suit," she giggled. "Unless you plan on skinny-dipping. Either way, I'm getting you in the pool."

"Yeah, I brought it. Is there anyplace I can change?"

"Sure, come on," Anna said, getting up. "You can change in my room, I'll show you."

Erin followed the petite blond across the courtyard to the apartment Anna shared with Monica. Never one to be over-confident about her looks, Erin was again feeling a little intimidated about hanging out with the girls; they were all so cute and sexy, she felt like she didn't fit in.

"This is our place," Anna said, waving her hand to refer to her apartment. She led Erin down the hall to her room. "Here you go. There's a bathroom through there. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

"Thanks."

Anna smiled and padded barefoot back down the hall. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out some water, taking a long drink. It was pretty hot out, and she didn't like to drink too much alcohol when she was around the pool. She wondered what sort of suit Erin had. She and Erin had similar builds. Maybe her breasts were just a little bigger, she figured, looking down at her body. She liked the way she looked in a bikini, though she didn't like to flaunt it. She took another drink, then refilled her water bottle with ice to take outside.

Down the hall Erin opened her bag and took out her bikini. It was a modest affair, as much as a bikini could be, and Erin had to admit that she liked it. She held it up by it's black straps, noting how it covered more than some of her underwear. Still, she always felt a little self-conscious in it.

She turned and caught her reflection in the full length mirror on the back of Anna's door. She saw a mousy, skinny nerd looking back at her, rather than the sexy young woman she really was. She sighed and reached down to pull her light summer blouse up over her head, dropping it onto Anna's bed behind her. She watched in the mirror as she then undid the center clasp on her bra and let it fall away from her small, perky breasts. The straps slid easily off her shoulders and she let it drop to the floor. Then she unbuttoned her shorts and, along with her panties, slid them down her silky-smooth legs, stepping out of them.

Standing there naked, she appraised her reflection again, remembering how she felt when she was with Jake, how incredibly sexy he made her feel. She lightly ran her fingers over her round breasts, causing her nipples to stiffen and giving herself goosebumps. Somehow, the memory of being with Jake made her feel sexy again. She shifted her weight, letting her hips sway to one side, and she rotated slightly to show the fine curve of her thighs and round little bum.

"Oh Jake," she whispered, "I still need you."

She sighed again, happy of the memory of him, but frustrated with his absence. She pulled on her bikini bottoms, arranging them just so, then put on the top and fastened it behind her. She shifted her little breasts around in the cups until she was satisfied, then threw her clothes into her bag and, checking once more to make sure she hadn't missed anything, went back down the hall.

Anna was waiting for her.

"Hey, I really like that suit," she said, looking Erin up and down. "It doesn't hurt that you've got a great body, too."

Erin blushed, which Anna thought was sweet.

"Um, thanks. I like your suit too. Where'd you get it?"

"There's this awesome little beach shop in Capitol City, I'll show you where it is. We should go sometime just to look around." Anna winked at her. "I say, you can never have too many bathing suits."

The hot water felt great to Jake. He realized that his muscles were a little tired, though overall he still bristled with a controlled energy, a feeling of limitlessness. As he soaped up he remembered his last weeks on the yacht with Megan, a bitter-sweet time for the two of them.

The memory of one night in particular... Jake and Megan slept together on the deck of the boat, laying under the stars, the coastal lights nearby, the gentle lapping of the waves all around them. Megan had softly wept in his arms, unconsolable for a time. They'd made love that night and then watched the night together, listening to the ocean and talking. But eventually they'd both realized there was nothing more to say. Their lives seemed to stretch out ahead of them, leading in two different paths which would no longer cross.

It was a sad night, but Jake also remembered how clear everything in his life had seemed at that moment. Megan was a part of him that could never be pulled away, and while it hurt to know that they wouldn't be together, he'd felt at peace with the decision they'd made. He'd tried to describe it to Megan, and though he felt clumsy putting it into words, she'd seemed to understand what he meant, and to take some sort of comfort in it. In some way a weight had been lifted that night.

He stepped out of the shower, roughly drying his skin with his towel. He glanced at himself in the mirror, generally pleased with what he saw. He smiled as he looked over his frame, remembering how he'd examined himself this way more often when he was in high school - only then he'd been somewhat dissatisfied with his body. Megan may have been what changed that, he acknowledged. He'd had all the powerful urges and desires that boys had at that age, but Megan had given him a focal point for his passions, enhancing them and satisfying them as well.

Jake pulled on his swim trunks and grabbed a shirt. Maybe that had something to do with why he'd felt like telling Darcy about Megan. She'd been such a central element of his life while they were together, it was almost as if to let Darcy know that she couldn't live up to Megan, just as he knew Darcy couldn't really hold a candle to Josie, either. And yet he still wanted Darcy too.

This is crazy, Jake thought to himself as he came downstairs. If anything, he felt hornier now than he had before he'd been with Darcy. It was almost as if the more women he fucked, the more his desire grew. He grabbed his keys and pulled his bicycle out of the garage, again feeling quite energized as he peddled off.

Maybe I should ask Klaude about all this, he wondered. He'd provided good advice at other points in Jake's life. As he biked towards campus Jake decided he'd do just that. I'll give him a call later today, he told himself. Or maybe I'll just stop by.

His thoughts drifted a little then, and it wasn't until he was practically at her place that he realized that he was on his way to Erin's house. Well, he told himself with a grin, I'll just stop by and see if she wants to go swimming.

Frieda had gotten about half-way to the library when she realized that she'd forgotten her notes from class. There wasn't much point in going to study without them, so she'd circled back, figuring she might just blow off the library trip that afternoon. It was such a nice day out, anyway.

She saw someone at Erin's door as she approached, though she didn't recognize Jake until she was coming up the steps.

"Hi there," she said, trying not to sound too eager. She was glad she'd forgotten her notes now.

Jake turned and smiled at her, and Frieda thought for a moment she might swoon. What was it about him? she wondered. She felt all nervous and jittery, like a little girl.

"Hi. Frieda, right?" Jake held out his hand and she nervously shook it, nodding affirmatively. "Good to see you again. I was just swinging by to see if Erin was home, but it looks like I missed her."

"Oh really?" Frieda said. "She just came back from the library a few minutes ago, but her bike's gone, so she must have gone back out."

"Oh well, I'll just catch up with her another time."

Jake checked out Frieda again, liking what he saw. Her freckled face had a fresh glow to it that he found particularly pleasing, and with her thick amber curls pulled back in a pony tale he could clearly see how cute she was, especially now, as she smiled somewhat shyly at him. But he didn't miss noticing her body, either. Underneath that thin sweatshirt a fine pair of breasts swelled out at him, and her round hips flared out nicely above her long, sexy legs. Though she was wasn't dressed to draw attention, she'd certainly caught his.

Frieda blushed slightly under Jake's gaze, aware of his eyes running up and down her body, and she wished she'd worn something more flattering than her old sweatshirt and torn shorts. Even her tennis shoes were worn, although they were her favorites because they were so comfortable.

"Um, so you're a student too, right?"

"You bet," Jake answered. "Just don't ask me what my major is yet."

"Ha, yeah, I know the feeling. I hadn't decided on biology until this semester." She swallowed, still nervous about talking with Jake. She thought about asking him in for a drink of water or something, but she was having trouble working up the courage. This is a perfect opportunity, she told herself - don't blow this!

"Biology, wow," Jake said sincerely. "That's way out of my league. I'm struggling with my intro class right now, so I doubt I'll take any more unless I have to."

"Oh yeah, you're taking intro this semester? Who's your prof?"

"Tonika. But I don't think he likes me very much."

"He doesn't like anyone," Frieda laughed. "But if you can get past his gruff exterior, he's really knows a lot. I'm taking a 300 level class from him this semester and it's one of my favs."

"If you say so."

Jake shifted his weight, his mind racing ahead with the different possibilities here. Frieda seemed to be at least a little attracted to him, and he definitely found her sexy. He wondered just how well she knew Erin. She'd never mentioned her to him before, so he assumed they weren't friends, just neighbors. He wondered what she was like in bed.

"I mean, I understand that some people are into that stuff. It's interesting in theory to me, too. But I have such a hard time remembering all the little details."

Frieda nodded, agreeing with him. "Yeah, it's hard for me to memorize all that too. I guess I just have an easier time because I find it all so fascinating." She paused, then took the leap. "You know, if you need help with anything, I'd be glad to study with you some time."

Jake's eyes widened slightly, and he hoped he didn't appear too lecherous as he absorbed her offer. "That would be so nice of you, Frieda. I'd like that."

He took a step closer to her so that they were standing just inches apart, and Frieda's heart raced at his proximity to her. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his cell phone.

"Why don't we exchange numbers."

Jake looked at his watch as he entered the courtyard. He knew he'd missed a call from Josie, and that he didn't really have any explanation of where he'd been all afternoon, but he wasn't overly concerned. If anything, he still felt refreshed and confident. Part of him had wanted to spend more time with Frieda, but he'd really wanted to see Josie before too much longer, so he'd instead arranged to call the sexy redhead early next week.

He was looking forward to seeing Josie again. Somehow, he realized, after every encounter he had with another women he came away with a strong desire to be near Josie again. He wondered if he could tell her about the last couple days, about Brittney and Cindy and now Darcy. He wanted to, remembering how hot she'd gotten when he'd told her about Erin.

"Hey there, babe!" he said as Josie walked over to him, grinning.

"Hey yourself," she said, trying to pout but unable to wipe the smile off her face. "I was beginning to wonder where you were." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her, and he wrapped his arms around her slender, nearly naked figure. God, she felt good. She gave his earlobe a quick nibble, then pulled back to kiss him on the lips. "Mmmm, I'm glad you're here. Want me to grab you a beer?"

"Yeah, thanks, that'd be great."

Josie slinked sexily out of his arms and trotted off across the deck, passing Anna and Erin as they exited the apartment. Josie just grinned at them, and Anna smiled back, well aware of how happy Josie was to have Jake there. She waved to him, and he smiled and waved back.

Erin froze, her heart suddenly racing as she saw Jake standing there. She wanted to run to him and run away at the same time, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of how she was dressed. Anna turned and saw that Erin was acting shyly.

"Hey, don't worry. You look awesome," she encouraged.

Erin smiled weakly, trying to put on a brave face. "Thanks, Anna."