Chapter 3

When I get back to my apartment, it's almost 2am. Ronnie is in his room with some chick. Looks like we both scored tonight. I notice the caller id on the phone blinking. As I check the numbers, I see Melissa's number having called about midnight. I checked for any messages on the machine but there are none. Maybe she was thinking about me the same as I was thinking about her tonight? Tomorrow night will be very interesting.

I had a great time with Stephanie. But I would've traded it in a heartbeat to be with Melissa tonight instead. She was wonderful in bed. But it wasn't the same.

I slept in late the next day to catch up on some well-needed sleep. After getting up about noon, I decide to go ahead and call Melissa to make sure we are still on for tonight. She picks up the phone on the second ring.

"Hello," she says.

"Good afternoon baby. Is everything going OK today?

"Yea, I slept in late this morning."

"I did too. I'm still waking up myself."

"Late night, huh?"

I'm not stupid. Here is a loaded question if I ever heard one. She knew I was not home at midnight last night.

"Not too late. I guess you had a long night too."

I can give as good as I can take with the loaded questions.

"It wasn't too late."

I can tell we are both being evasive this morning. Neither of us wants the other to know what we actually did it would seem. I decide to just let it drop if she will.

"Are we still going out tonight?" I ask.

"Of course we are. Unless you changed your mind?"

"No way, chick. I can't wait to see you."

"I would invite you over this afternoon but I'm going to my parent's house for awhile this afternoon. I'll be back in time for our date though."

"That's cool. I need to do some things around here anyways. The clothes don't wash themselves!"

"Yea, I know. That's why I am taking mine with me to my parent's so mom can wash them while I am visiting with them."

"Got room for another load?" I say, chuckling.

"Go wash your own clothes buster," she says, laughing.

"Okay girl, I'll pick you up around seven then."

"Okay, see ya, babe."

Our conversation didn't seem all that strained compared to last night. I still wonder how we'll react to each other when I pick her up though.

Driving over to her apartment, I begin thinking about the previous night. I had fun with Stephanie. She was a good dancer and fun to hang out with. She was great in bed as well. I loved the way she was screaming while I was fucking her. It was a big turn-on to hear her yell out my name so often as she experienced her orgasms. I was scared a few times that her neighbors would call the cops to come rescue her. I guess they must be used to her being so vocal late at night by now though.

I also begin thinking about Melissa and Eric. Did they fuck each other last night as well? A tremendous feeling of jealousy hits me suddenly. The idea of her fucking someone else really bothers me. I know we are not committed to each other. But I still feel the same way. Will she think I fucked Stephanie? Does she have the same feelings that I do right now?

After I arrive at her apartment complex and approach her door, I begin thinking that I need to be careful what I say. I don't want her to think I am going crazy with jealousy. That would be a big mistake with her.

Knocking on the door, she opens it and smiles at me like she usually does. She asks me to come inside for a few minutes before we leave. I walk over to the couch and sit down where I usually do. She says she will be finished getting ready in a few minutes.

Tammy, one of her roommates, comes in the room and sits by me.

"You two got a big night planned."

"Nothing big. Just going dancing and hanging out tonight. Going to listen to a new band tonight. I saw them last night and they were really good."

"Look. I know you two ran into each other last night. Melissa told me earlier that she is worried about how you felt about seeing her there. She likes you Mark. I can see it in the way she talks about you."

"Ah, I really don't know if we should be talking about our relationship like this. I don't want her to get mad at me."

"She won't get mad. I'm her best friend. I like you too Mark. I hope things work out with you two. She really needs someone like you in her life."

"What do you mean?"

"She needs someone who thinks about her as more than just an 'arm trophy'. A few guys have hurt her really badly in the past that only saw her as that. I hope you will stick it out with her. She can be pretty wild and crazy at times. I know her better than anyone. She needs someone she can depend on. I think you are that kind of guy."

Just then Melissa walks into the room.

"Hitting on my date, huh?" Melissa says, sarcastically.

"Yea chick. You better grab him before I do!" she says smiling devilishly."

"Lets go before I have to smack around my roommate," Melissa says, grinning.

We walk down to my car without saying much to each other. While driving to get something to eat, very little is said between us. I think we both know what is on the other's mind. The silence makes us both feel awkward.

We stop to eat at a local pizza shop. We say very little to each other. The awkward feeling keeps growing between us. We both can feel the tension building between us. We both want to know how the other is feeling about last night. What did they do last night after they left the club? But both of us are afraid to ask the other that very question.

After we eat, we drive over to the same club we both were at last night. This time we are going there together though. However, the tension is still the same as last night. I begin thinking that this probably was not the best idea. But then if I suggest going someplace else, will she think I am upset and don't want to be where she was with Eric just the night before? We say very little on the drive over there.

After we arrive, we sit at a table to listen to the band and talk for a short time. But the conversation is strained again as we both are thinking of the previous night when we saw each other sitting with different companions.

"Do you want to dance?" I ask.

"Yea."

A slower song is playing. At first we don't hold each other very close like the week before. We both know there is real tension developing. But neither of us seems to know how to get past it. I move my hand to her face, pushing her hair back so I can see her face clearly. Slowly I lean down to kiss her gently. She responds to my kiss by pulling closer to me and then laying her head on my shoulder.

We still say very little to each other the rest of the time we are there. But at least we are sharing some intimacy between us. After about an hour, I realize we are saying more to friends we see there than to each other. I suggest to her that we go hang out somewhere else.

"Would you like to find someplace else to hang out?"

"Yea, I guess. Lets go back to your apartment if you want?"

"Lets go. Ronnie probably will be there with a few of his friends. We can hang out with them or in my room if you want?"

"Sounds great."

We drive back over to my apartment. As we walk in the door, we both see Ronnie and three of his friends. We tell them hello but the whole time Melissa is pulling on my arm leading me down the hall to my room.

After she pulls me into the room, she shuts the door behind us and locks it. She walks up to me and leans up to begin a very passionate kiss. After a few moments, she pushes me toward the bed to sit down. She sits down beside me.

"Mark... we both know that last night bothered both of us."

"Yea, I guess running into each other like that was not a good thing."

"We agreed to date others. But I have to admit that seeing Stephanie with you didn't sit well with me."

"I can't say I enjoyed seeing you with Eric either."

"I was worried about what you were thinking Mark. I really like you. I don't want to screw up things between us. But I really believe we need to see others for awhile too."

"I was worried what you were thinking too. I'm sorry I didn't say much to you last night."

"It's okay, Mark. I didn't really know what to say to you either."

"Well... I guess we need to compare notes ahead of time so we don't run into each other like that," I say chuckling.

"Speaking of comparing notes... ahhh... you and Stephanie... when you left the club with her... where did you go?"

"If I answer your question, will you answer mine?"

"Ahhh... yea I guess," she says somewhat hesitant and blushing.

"Okay then, I took her to her apartment. We hung out there awhile. Same question for you, where did you and Eric go after you left the club?"

"We went back to his dorm... we hung out there awhile. What did you and Stephanie... do?

"Wait a minute now, another question? Do I get to ask another as well?"

"Uh yea... now what did you two do?"

"We talked awhile. Got to know each other better."

"Answer the question, buster," she says, with a funny but serious look.

"Well... we had sex. Now before you say anything, what did you and Eric do?"

Hesitating for a few moments, she says, "We had sex too. Are you upset?"

"Maybe. Now my next question... "

"Whoa there, I get to ask one next!"

"You did. You just asked if I was upset and I said 'maybe'."

She hits my arm in a playful manner.

"Okay girl, you don't want to play rough with me."

"Oh really? You think you can take me big boy?" she says, smiling defiantly.

"Oh I know I can take you, little girl. Maybe I need to teach you a lesson," I say playfully.

"Let me see what you got then babe!"

I pull her too me and kiss her deeply. I don't hurt her but my grip is very firm and demanding. After kissing her hard for a few moments, I pull back to see intense lust on her face.

"Did he kiss you like that?" I ask, in a demanding tone.

"Yes."