Chapter 26

Krissi's idea of shopping started at Devlin's closet. "Have to see what we have," she said. "What we can throw out, and what we're replacing?"

"Throw out?" Devlin tried to block Krissi's access to her closet. "Nobody said anything about throwing away any of my clothes."

"Have you looked at your things?" Connie said from her desk. "Your wardrobe can do with some purging."

"It's all good stuff," Devlin said as Krissi began looking at things. "I don't have anything old or unfashionable in there."

"No, you just have things like this." Krissi pulled out a long skirt. "Stand up, girl, let's take a look." She held the skirt up to Devlin's waist; the hem was several inches below the knee.

Connie shook her head. "It's either too long, or not long enough, and from the cut it's too long."

"I got that last year so I--"

"You got that so you wouldn't offend Jeff's mother. I remember you saying that."

"Goodwill," Krissi said, throwing the skirt on the bed. "Devlin, you've got great legs. You should be showing them off, not hiding them, especially if you want to hook a hottie."

"'Hook a hottie'?"

"Last I looked you were in the market for a boyfriend, and if you're going to compete against all the other girls out there you'd better use all the ammunition you've got."

"Leave her tops and blouses alone," Connie said. "She already does a good job of showing off her bosom, though if you ask me she could do with a few more low-cut things."

"I'd catch cold!"

Connie laughed. "I'd freeze if I tried wearing anything low-cut because there isn't anything to show off. You, on the other hand..."

"She has a point," Krissi said. She hauled two more skirts and a dress out of the closet and tossed them on the bed. "More Goodwill. The Women's Shelter here in town will love getting these." She pulled out a dress Devlin had worn to Emma's. It was very short and low-cut with a slit up the side to the hips. "This, on the other hand... um, I think this is a keeper."

"Let me see," Connie said. She whistled. "I don't think you'd want to wear that to a dance. You'd need a baseball bat to keep the boys away."

"Not if you wore it as a top over some slacks," Krissi said. She put the dress back in the closet. "You'd have to wear something under it, of course, but you'd have the boys following you around with their tongues hanging out."

A few more items joined the pile on the bed. "Why don't you bundle those up in a sack or something," Krissi told Connie. "It's time to take this girl shopping."

"Gals shouldn't be allowed to go through other gals' closets," Devlin said as they waited for the elevator. "It's just not right."

"There are times it has to be done," Krissi said. "Tell you what: you can go through my closet, too. Okay?"

Devlin thought about that. Krissi had some hippie/grandmotherly dresses that could certainly go to charity. "Fair enough," she said at last.

"We need to get you a couple of skirts, and maybe a dress," Krissi said as they left the dorm. She glanced to her right and then took Devlin's elbow and steered her to the left. Connie glanced in that same direction and dropped back a step and edged up on Devlin's right side.

Devlin started to turn her head. "Don't," Krissi murmured. "Jeff's over there."

"Ah." Devlin picked up the pace slightly and kept her head firmly to the left.

"Devlin!" She heard Jeff's voice behind her. "Devlin, wait."

She kept focused straight ahead. She could hear his footsteps and the pleading in his voice. She knew if she looked back, or hesitated, she'd have to go through the whole break-up with him all over again.

He followed them downtown, staying only a few feet behind. Krissi, after a glance over her shoulder, smiled as she steered them into an intimate apparel shop.

"I can get better things than they have here," Devlin muttered as she looked around.

"Yeah, but Jeff won't follow us in here." Krissi picked a green teddy off the rack and held it out at arms length. "What do you think?"

"Wrong color for you," Devlin said at once. "You might get away with a red one, or the always popular black, but--"

"Not for me, silly, you."

"I already have a teddy, though not in that color."

Krissi rolled her eyes and glanced at Connie. "We need to talk some sense into her. She's being practical all of a sudden."

"It'd be like me ignoring a new pair of shoes," Connie said. "Um, it might look good on me."

"It'd be a little loose on top," Devlin said.

"True, but the color would go with my eyes."

Krissi laughed. "Girl, if you wear this I can almost guarantee you they wouldn't be looking at your eyes."

"I don't know when I'd where it."

"When the time occurs you'll wish you had it, so why not get it now against a future need?"

Connie seemed dubious, but after a little more prodding she gave in. Devlin, meanwhile, had moved on to the rack of thongs.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding one up. She could see Jeff out of the corner of her eye, and held the thong up a little higher so he could see it.

"It covers too much," Krissi said at once. She looked at Devlin's face. "Or not enough. Maybe they have one that's just a little less skimpy."

"I thought thongs were only supposed to cover the essentials," Connie said. "Anything else is a bikini or something like that."

By the time they left the shop they'd each purchased a pair of thongs, Krissi had looked at bras, but Devlin stopped her. "I can get you something better and that fits perfectly for a lot less money."

"Okay, but I had to look."

"Not while I'm around."

After two more shops Devlin had added a pair of miniskirts to her collection. She had tried on several blouses, resolutely putting them all back. "Because I have to get them tailored," she said. "Dresses, too; skirts I don't."

"Then we should get you a couple more skirts," Connie said. "Spring is coming, and you want to dress for it."

"Let's look at swimsuits instead," Krissi said as they left the store, She pointed at a Baskins & Robbins just down the street. "How about a break, instead. We can split an ice cream sundae three ways."

Connie giggled. "More people ought to break up on our floor. I love eating ice cream."

Krissi quizzed Connie about her classes and the guys she'd met, easily deflecting any questions Connie had for her. After the sundae Krissi led them cross town to Victoria's Secret.

"I thought they only carried underwear," Krissi said. "Then I saw their last catalogue. If we can't find the right suit for you in here, Devlin, it doesn't exist."

Devlin looked at the first bikini Krissi handed her. "I can wear the bottoms," she said, "but the top is way too small. It'd fit Connie, not me."

"Where we're going on Spring Break you won't need the top," Krissi said.

Connie looked interested. "Sounds fun. Where are you going?"

"A place I know in the Florida Keys," Krissi said. She handed the bikini to Connie. "What do you think?"

Connie held it up against her. "Maybe."

Krissi smiled and selected a white string bikini. "Try this. It's your color, Devlin."

"Not much to it."

"That's the idea. You wear a size Small panty, don't you?"

Devlin checked the label. "I think their 'Small' is a bit smaller than the size 'Small' that I wear."

"That's why I like string bikinis," Krissi said. She put it against Devlin's hips. "Hmm, you may have to shave some down there."

Devlin checked to make sure Connie was far enough away, and then lowered her voice. "You're determined to get me to shave everything off, aren't you."

Krissi shrugged. "I think it's sexy, and I'll even offer to shave you myself."

"I don't know."

"You don't have to worry about what Jeff will think," Krissi said, ticking a point off on her fingers. "And the guys at Emma's will love it. Nobody else has to know."

"Maybe."

Krissi walked over to one of the other racks. "Of course then you could wear this." She held up a light blue thong bottom that would barely cover a girl's pussy. "Wear this and go topless."

"To all intents and purposes I'd be naked."

Krissi nodded. "We'll need a bucket of SPF 50 for each of us. Wouldn't want to get certain places sunburned, now, would we."

"I cringe just at the thought." Devlin took the light blue thong and went back and selected a dark red bikini like she'd first seen. She added the appropriate halters and a red wrap to go with the red bikini. She looked a while longer, and picked out a couple of things she could wear to parties at Emma's and Cindy's.

"I'm ready," she finally said. "How about you guys?"

Connie was carrying a black bikini, while Krissi had a dark green thong and a peignoir "... for Steve," she murmured at Devlin's unspoken question.

Connie wanted to see what the swimsuits looked like, so they trooped back to Krissi's place. Devlin decided not to show off her new garter belt and stockings, and the matching push-up bra. Her green thong remained in the bag, too. Instead she changed into the red bikini.

"If that doesn't get guy's pulses racing, nothing will," Connie said. "There's less to that than I thought."

"The essentials are covered," Krissi said as Devlin turned around.

"I have this wrap for it, too," Devlin said. She tied it around her hips. "Suitable beachwear for all social occasions."

Krissi shrugged. "Sort of. Some places you can wear that but go topless and nobody would say a thing. Other places, say most beaches in Florida, you'd get a lot of objections from the local church groups. After all, going nude is a sin, don't you know?"

"What do they do about South Beach?" Connie asked. "My sister was down there last fall and said there were a lot of girls lying around topless."

"A lot of Europeans flock to South Beach," Krissi said. "In Florida, the only thing that can make the church groups back down is the Chamber of Commerce. You don't want anything interrupting the flow of tourist dollars."

"I never saw what the big deal was," Connie said. "Of course I don't have as much to show off as Devlin, maybe that's part of it."

"Few people have as much as I do," Devlin said. "Let's see what you bought."

Connie's bikini fit like it had been painted on. She'd also bought a pair of nylons, but merely held those up for people to see. "Nothing too spectacular."

"Nice bikini, though," Krissi said. "Do you have any plans for Spring Break?"

"I'm going to be staying with my folks in Peoria. I don't have enough money to go somewhere exotic like South Padre Island." She sighed. "I'd like to, though, just once."

"Well, maybe next year." Krissi opened the refrigerator. "I'd offer you a snack or something, but I don't have much."

Devlin picked up her clothes and headed for the bathroom. "We really should be getting back to the dorm. That Economics paper won't write itself."

"And I have an English Lit paper I have to get started on," Connie said.

When Devlin came back into the living room she had an exasperated look on her face. "I had to use one of your tampons," she told Krissi. "I hope you don't mind. My little friend showed up early."

"It's probably the stress from breaking up with Jeff," Krissi said. "Oh well, better an early period than no period at all. I always keep that in mind."

"I went through a pregnancy scare a few months ago," Devlin said. "I know what you mean."

"That happened to me my freshman year," Krissi said with a nod. "I was sure I was pregnant." She grimaced. "Stress. I was erratic most of my first semester."

"Were you active?"

"No, not really. Still, there'd been this one time, and I couldn't remember if I'd had my period or not. That taught me to make sure I did. I think that's important if you're going to go to the parties we go to."

"It is how you make babies," Devlin said softly.

Connie emerged from the bedroom with her coat on. "Ready to brave the chill?" she asked Devlin.

"If we have to." She wrapped her muffler around her neck. "I'm getting awfully tired of snow. I can't wait for the weather to warm up."

"You and me both, you and me both."

On Saturday morning she drove to Toluca. Her mother was packing, and she'd agreed to help as she could. When she pulled up there was a moving van in the driveway and a team of men were moving back and forth from the front door, filling the van.

Inside the house it was controlled chaos. There were boxes everywhere and some of the larger pieces of furniture were already gone. She found her mother in the kitchen, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

"I thought you'd be helping?" she said after they hugged.

"They've just down the downstairs," her mother said. "As soon as I finish this cup I was going to start on the bedroom." She sighed. "That'll be harder."

"Want me to do it?"

"No, it's just..." Her mother sighed again. "It'll be hard leaving this place, it was a dream your father and I had, but there comes a time..." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

Devlin gave her mother a hug out of sympathy. "I'll start on my room," she said at last.

There were a lot of things in her room she had put aside, intending to get back to later. Part of it was that she didn't have the storage space in the dorm; part of it was just procrastination. But today was the day she'd have to sort through everything. She grabbed several boxes and took them up to her room.

Most of the things were easy to pack: posters, stuffed animals, bedding, clothes she hadn't taken to college, and the books she'd read when she was younger. She sorted through everything--most of the books and clothes could go to Good Will; the other personal things--most of those went in the trash; she didn't have any use for two-year old conditioner or shampoo. Shoes--she didn't remember owning so many different shoes. She laughed to herself; she had quite a collection in the closet in her dorm room. Some of the shoes were marked for Good Will.

Deep in her closet, behind the shoe rack, she found her diary from her first two years of high school. Along with it was a small locked box. She held them for a bit, and then stuffed them in the box she was taking back to the University. If she remembered right, this was something she didn't want her mother to know about.

She'd gone downstairs to get a cup of coffee when her mother came breezing through with her coat on.

"I should be done upstairs in another hour," Devlin said. "Where are you going?"

"Doctor's appointment," her mother said. "The only day Dr. Wagner could see me was today. On Sunday he's leaving for a two-week cruise in the Caribbean."

"Lucky dog." Devlin took a sip of her coffee--she'd forgotten her mother made it much stronger than the University. "I wish I was going on a cruise. Oh, that reminds me, a friend and I are going to some place in the Florida Keys for Spring Break."

Her mother smiled. "You'll have to let me know if it's like they show on TV: 10 days of drinking and partying."

"And boys in bathing suits," Devlin added. "Don't forget that. That's very important."

"That's right, you told me you and Jeff had broken up. How are you taking it?"

"Much better than a couple of days ago. Jeff's still trying to see me, though. He calls at least once a day, and I've seen him waiting for me outside some of my classes."

"Guys are like that."

"That's what all my girlfriends have said. Alexa, she lives across the hall from me, she said guys go through a denial stage that lasts at least a couple of weeks, maybe more."

"And you? Are you through with it all? Sometimes you can get regrets."

Devlin laughed. "My friends took me out. We ate chocolate ice cream and then they got me drunk. I was in pretty bad shape the next morning, but I was pretty much over the hump by then. I've been careful not to see him. I don't want to open any wounds I've closed."

Her mother glanced at the clock above the stove. "Let's talk about this after I get home. I shouldn't be long, I've been feeling a little 'off' these last couple of weeks. I've been putting in a lot of hours lately at work, and I think I'm just a little run down."

After her mother left Devlin checked the movers' progress. They were sitting in the living room eating sandwiches. The basement and the first floor were nearly empty, and the garage nearly so. The only thing left on the main floor was the kitchen.

"We're ready to start on the upstairs," the foreman said. He eyed Devlin speculatively, his eyes lingering on her chest. "Just give us the word and we can get going on that."

"Don't touch the master bedroom," Devlin said. "Pretty much everything else is ready to go." She turned to go, conscious as never before of their eyes. She'd worn her usual Saturday wear: tight jeans and her ISU hooded sweatshirt. If she'd worn her turtleneck sweater--she'd considered doing just that this morning--it would have taken a crowbar to remove their eyes from her boobs.

She carried the things she was taking back to Bloomington down to her car. The last box held her clothes. She paused in the garage and took out the little lock box. After making sure she was alone she opened it.

She sorted through the contents: several Polaroid's and two used condoms. The pictures were of her and Butch; they were naked, and in two of them Butch was showing off his erection. The ones of her were just as explicit, including one of her on her back with her legs open so the camera could see her sex. They'd taken these pictures just a few days before Butch's family moved to St. Louis. She'd wanted to give him something to remember her by.

The condoms... these were the condoms they'd used the first time they'd had sex. Butch had cum three times that afternoon, once with her jacking him off the way they had been doing it, the other two times with the condoms. She'd known they were going to do it, she just hadn't told him. She'd figured that if he knew he'd barely be able to get his pants down before he came, and she wanted more than that.

That afternoon, when she was dressing after P.E., she had put on this really sexy pair of panties. They were black and thin, and so small they really showed everything. Nobody else could see them, of course, but the thought that she had them on gave her a warm feeling, especially between her legs.

She'd gone to the bathroom just before getting on the bus; no surprise, the crotch of her panties were soaked. When she got home she pulled them off before running to the backyard. As she ran down the stairs into the backyard she could feel the breeze swirl up under her skirt; her sex felt cool and hot at the same time, and that was exciting.

Butch had let himself in through the gate that separated their two yards. He was of average height with a nice chest, a cute butt, and blonde curly hair that he wore in a crew-cut so the other guys wouldn't make fun of him. Today he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt.

She did as she always did: she dropped to her knees on the blanket she'd brought, unzipped his pants and took out his cock. As she played with it he shed the rest of his clothes. She undressed herself--he had helped her once and actually torn her bra in his eagerness to get it off; now she only let him help when she was wearing something simple like a tube top.

His cock seemed pretty good-sized, and she jacked him as he stiffened out. She played with his balls with one hand while her other moved rhythmically up and down. When he closed his eyes she began running her hand over her breasts and down between her legs. She had brought him to this hard-on, and she was going to make him cum. She liked that idea.

He began moving back and forth, pushing against her hand. When his head went back a little she redoubled her efforts. She could sense how close he was, and she positioned herself directly in front of him.

The head of his cock turned a dark red and got all shiny. He groaned and seemed to sop breathing. A moment later he came, spraying his stuff across her face and breasts. As he ran down she eased up on him, giving him a few more strokes before finally letting his cock drop. Then she lay back, her legs open.

After a few deep breaths Butch lay down beside her. His fingers ran across her legs and tummy, finally settling in against her sex. Lately he'd been pushing his fingers into her, but not today. He circled her clit, finally zeroing in on that little bud. He pressed harder and his fingers moved faster.

Devlin ran her hands over her breasts, playing with her nipples. They were slick with his cum, and she had heard a regular coating of cum would make them grow larger. She liked the warm feeling in her middle, and when she squeezed her nipples it was like bolts of heat shot from her breasts all the way into her sex.

When she moaned in appreciation Butch's hand went into overdrive. She felt the rising sense of urgency, and pushed up into his hand. Her whole body was tensing as she rose. When it was too much she gave a soft cry; her legs clamped shut as her entire body tried to squeeze and then released in one wave after another of incredible pleasure.

When she caught her breath, when she regained enough of her senses that she could trust herself to speak, she glanced at her skirt. "Got a surprise for you. Look in the pocket of my skirt."