Chapter 38

"What do you mean he didn't want you to see him leave?" Krissi asked late the next afternoon as they sat on the edge of the pool.

""He didn't want me to run into his parents," Devlin replied. "Apparently the locals have some sort of thing about someone you meet during Spring Break, and he wanted their first impression of me to be a favorable one."

"But his sister's met you."

Devlin nodded. "She's agreed to keep things quiet." She scooped some water over her legs, and then leaned back to catch the sun. They were naked... somewhere in the last few days everyone had removed the last of their clothes; it was just like something Sabrina had said once--after a while you barely noticed.

"Doesn't it strike you as... odd that he didn't want you to meet his parents?"

"A little. But after I talked it over with Linda I could see Evan's point. The people who live down here don't think someone you meet during Spring Break is serious. You know, a 'Spring Fling'."

"Are you? Serious, that is."

"I think so." Devlin swished her feet back and forth in the water. "I went to the airport and saw him leave anyway."

"You did? And did you meet his parents? What were they like? What did they say?"

"I stood back out of the way. I don't know if he saw me or not."

Krissi studied her face. "Couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Not really," Devlin said with a slight shake of her head. "It might be that this was a Spring Fling, but I don't think so." She laughed. "I got very daring as we snorkeled yesterday; I let him take my hand."

"That's daring?" Ellen asked from the chaise lounge behind them.

"It is for Devlin," Krissi said. "At least in this case." She laughed. It's very daring."

"I've gone to bed with every guy I've met socially," Devlin said. "Usually right away. A lot of them I've met in bed, and gotten to know better later."

"You get to know a guy pretty well in bed," Ellen said.

"Well, true. I'm trying to be different with Evan. I don't want this to be primarily a sexual relationship."

"That's how most things end up," Ellen said. "At least in my case."

"That's how all of my relationships end up," Devlin said, "until now. So far there's only one guy I've met in the last year, other than Evan, that I haven't tried to screw within five minutes."

"Is that Doug?" Krissi asked. When Devlin nodded she grinned. "Doug's not quite sure if he's interested in boys or girls," she told Ellen. "Or maybe both."

"If Devlin can't make him interested in girls, then he's gay," Ellen said.

"It's more complicated than that," Devlin said. "The Chairman of his Department is gay, a flaming gay according to Doug, and he wants a gay teaching staff."

"Even the women?"

"Doug said there are three women in the Department. One is a lesbian, one is bisexual, and one is straight. The Department Chairman has been putting pressure on the straight woman, trying to get rid of her. So far she's been resisting him, saying she's their diversity. The Chairman apparently doesn't think of it that way. His view is that having an entirely gay department is the diversity."

"I'm not surprised," Krissi said. "Some universities seem to think that if everybody has a different opinion than the average citizen, that qualifies as diversity. It turns out, of course, that most of the ones who think that are either socialists, or very left-wing."

"As if there's a difference," Devlin said. "My experience is that they're Marxists of different stripes, though for the life of me I can't tell the difference between a Maoist and a Trotskyite."

Krissi shrugged. "There isn't much of one. In my opinion the only difference is whether they'll shoot you now, or wait a little while."

"Oh, come now," Ellen said. "It's not that bad."

"I lived in Europe for several years," Krissi replied, her voice going cold. "There are a lot of Marxists in Western Europe. Strangely enough, there are almost none in Eastern Europe. Apparently their exposure to Marxism cured them of any romantic views of socialism. At least that's what I saw when we were in Krakow."

"I didn't know you lived in Krakow."

"Just for a year. Something or other happened at the embassy there, and my Dad had to go help straighten it out. Beautiful city with some really cool museums and restaurants. But let's get back to the point I'm trying to make. This lack of diversity, or the presence of pseudo-diversity, causes complications. First, it clashes with what the students have experienced all of their lives. Some students try to reject what they grew up with, others look on in bemused tolerance, while most students just pass it off as faculty bullshit."

"There's a lot of that around," Devlin said.

"See? You're part of the third group, which is pretty much the majority. The other complication, of course, is when the students get out into the real world. A lot of the things they learned in college don't work, especially the diversity and political correctness. The real world doesn't work the way a lot of college professors have convinced themselves it should." She chuckled. "The real world can't function that way, it would fall apart. Look at the Balkans. Two or three generations were taught to get along, and the first thing that happens after the police state goes away is what has happened in the Balkans for the last thousand years."

"So, what do we do?" Ellen asked. "What can we do?"

"At the moment, not much. But I don't think this will last. Things are getting more and more extreme, and if there's one thing I learned in those schools in Europe, eventually extremism implodes. If the extremists are in power, then you get what happened in Russia in the 1930's- show trials and massive purges. If they aren't in power, then they fractionate into dozens of squabbling groups."

She waved her hand. "I don't think that's like to happen, though. Their heart isn't in the revolution they claim. Take Doug's Department Chairman. He claims he's providing diversity, doesn't he." Devlin nodded. "In reality he's probably like a lot of gay people I've met: he's more comfortable around other people like him, and he's using his power to bring that about."

"I think Doug would agree with you," Devlin said. "One night he told me what he really thought of his Chairman, and it wasn't very complimentary."

"Most people like his Chairman have such an exalted opinion of themselves that they are pretty contemptuous of the average citizen," Krissi said. "I saw that when we were in England for a couple of months." She grimaced. "I heard them on the Beeb, and--"

"The Beeb?" Ellen asked. "What's the Beeb?"

"Oh, the BBC. They're the broadcast arm of the British Socialist Movement, which is a most of the journalists, most of the college professors, and a bunch of pretend-intellectuals belong to. They despise those who don't share their beliefs. Despite what happened to the Soviet Union, they still worship Socialism."

"You make it sound like a religion," Ellen said, laughing.

"It almost is," Krissi said. "The central doctrine has to be taken on faith; it certainly doesn't work in the real world."

"Have you heard Marina Danikova speak?" Devlin said. "She's a Russian émigré who lives on my floor. She speaks up frequently on things like this."

Krissi shook her head. "I've heard the name, but I've never run into her."

"You might like her. She's a big fan of Chekov, and I know you've told me writers could learn a lot from his plays.

"Anyway, last Fall she was giving a talk about life under Socialism, and somebody told her that Russia hadn't given socialism a chance to work."

Krissi looked surprised. "That must have set her off."

"Marina replied that Russia gave Socialism 70 years and 70 million dead, and that should be more than enough to prove that it doesn't work."

"I bet that shut him up."

"Not really. He began calling her names instead."

"People with weak arguments often do that," Krissi said.

"Yeah, she pointed that out. It might have been different if she'd challenged one of the professors, though they've only got theoretical studies to prove their point, and she's got real-world experience. Her father worked at some Central Planning office in Moscow, and she said he had to use Western economic models to do their work because Marx's economic theories just didn't work."

"They'd probably ignore her," Krissi said. "There's nothing as closed tight as an academic mind that's convinced itself that it's right, and doesn't want to even consider a contrary view."

"I take it you haven't gone to bed with this Doug guy," Ellen said after a bit.

"No, I haven't," Devlin replied. "I've seen him naked, though. He has a nice body. Not a jaw-dropping one, but nice enough. I'm told he gives good head."

"To men, or women?"

"Women. He told me he tried it with guys, but it did nothing for him. There was no passion, it was just a mechanical exercise. Sex with a woman doesn't do much for him, either, though he lets them suck him off."

Ellen looked skeptical. "Sounds like you know him pretty well."

"We go to a lifestyle party every Tuesday evening," Devlin said. "We're the only singles there, and this group is couples only. I'm also the only student; everyone else is either faculty or staff. And before you ask, I make sure I don't have any of the people who attend for any of my classes."

"I don't know," Ellen said. "I'm sure that could get you a good grade."

"I don't want a grade for belly-bumping the Prof," Devlin said. "That's not the point of college, though I know there are people who wouldn't agree with me. Anyway, I make sure the situation never comes up."

"But if it did?" Ellen asked. "Profs have been known to fill in for somebody else due to sickness or other things."

"I'd transfer out if I could," Devlin said. She glanced at Krissi, who was studying the bottom of Tony as he and Sabrina went at it on the other side of the pool. "Something wrong?"

"That's the fourth time Tony and Sabrina have done it in the last two days," Krissi said. "I'm just wondering if we have a budding romance here."

"Who did she come down with?" Devlin asked. "Oh, that's right, Jim, her buddy."

Krissi nodded. "Who wasn't too bad. I wonder where he lives?"

"Sabrina didn't say." She paused as Tony's frantic motions slowed to a stop. After a minute he rolled away from Sabrina. She threw her arm over him and kissed him, afterwards resting her head on his chest.

"Maybe it's just a Spring Fling," Krissi said with a sidelong glance at Devlin. "You know, something different."

"I think I'll go get my itch scratched," Ellen said. "We only have a few days left, and I'm sure there are one or two guys I haven't been with."

"I don't have that worry," Krissi said. "Already taken care of." She looked at Devlin. "How about you?"

"You make it sound like a contest or something," Devlin said. "As a matter of fact there are a couple of guys..."

Krissi got up. "I think I'll wander around for a bit. See you later."

Jim, Linda's husband, sat down on the edge of the pool. "Hey, there."

"What's up?" Automatically Devlin glanced at his cock: it was quiescent at the moment.

"I found that information you asked me about. You know, about Evan."

"Oh, that's right." She'd run into Jim that morning after getting back from the airport, and had asked him what he could find.

"I went out to www.minorleaguebaseball.com and pulled up the scouting reports and player profiles."

"And... ?"

"Pretty good pitcher. I'm surprised he isn't in the majors by now."

"Is that all?"

He must have heard the impatience in her voice, and laughed. "No, he's left-handed..."

"I knew that."

"... he's 23, almost 24, and he's single. He's from Sugar Loaf Key, which is in the Lower Keys."

"23? Hmm."

Jim grinned. "Sharpening your hooks, I see."

"What?"

"I've seen that look on the faces of too many young women, Devlin. Here's some advice: don't ever let a guy see that look on your face."

"Well... You have to admit he's a nice catch."

"I suppose. I don't know much about being a pro sports athlete's spouse, other than that you can end up moving an awful lot. There's more on that website that I haven't even touched upon, including the scouting reports on what kind of a pitcher he is. Interested?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Looking at the website led to other things--she hadn't been with Linda's husband after all--and Rob, one of the other guys, joined them on Jim and Linda's bed. While Jim put it to her from behind, Devlin sucked Rob to completion. She swallowed his first spurts as fast as she could, but he was a little wild and got it all over her face as well. She was getting close, she could feel the rising tension, and, Rob forgotten, she was clutching the sheets on the bed trying to hold everything back, when the phone rang.

At first Jim was going to ignore it, but after two rings curiosity must have gotten the better of him. He slowed to a stop, except for the occasional thrust to keep them both interested.

"Jim Lamphier."

Devlin reached between her legs and began rubbing. Just because Jim wanted to quit was no reason for her to stop. Rob decided to help. He grabbed her breasts, pinching and pulling her nipples.

"It's for you," Jim said softly as he held out the phone. "Evan." He looked at her face. "I saw her out by the pool, Evan. Hang on, I'll go get her."

Devlin pressed as hard as she could, rubbing herself. Jim handed the phone to Rob, grabbed her hips, and began thrusting vigorously. Rob politely covered the mouthpiece.

She'd been so close... Jim's sudden thrust pushed her over the edge, and she came in a rolling wave of heat. She tried to keep from making a noise, and afterwards she had to fight to catch her breath. She didn't want to sound like she'd run a marathon, or just had an orgasm.

"Hi, Evan!"

"Hey, Devlin. I got here all right, and I wanted to give you my mailing address."

"Ah. Just a minute while I find a pencil and some paper."

Jim gestured at the nightstand. Rob dug out a pad of paper and handed it to her. Devlin tried to write, and decided she was too shaky. The way she was feeling she thought she might cum again. Her handwriting was erratic, and Jim, who was pounding into her pretty hard, wasn't helping matters.

"Go ahead," she said, handing the paper and pencil to Rob.

Evan gave her his address and phone number. She repeated it, and Rob wrote it down.

She had to think; this was Evan on the phone. "Did I give you my address at the dorm?"

"You gave it to me yesterday, as well as your phone number, and cell phone number."

"Ah, good. Um, just a minute."

She covered the mouthpiece, hanging her head as her feelings peaked. She came, a shuddering climax that made her want to curl in on herself and scream; she held it back instead. It did something to Jim, and with a gasping moan he pulled himself deep, holding himself there as his own passions boiled over.

"Th-thanks," Devlin said when she trusted her voice. "Something came up," she told Evan.

"Something came up?"

"Something just boiled over here. We had a little excitement."

"Ah. Anyway, I thought I'd call so you'd know how to get hold of me. Well, and to talk for a bit."

"What do they have you doing?"

"I've got medical tests in the morning."

"I thought you had those the other day."

"No, this is the annual physical that all players have to go through. I'll be spending time on the treadmill, getting an EKG, things like that. I hate it, but it's required. I won't get to throw until the day after tomorrow."

"That's a shame."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'd rather throw than run on the treadmill, but that's not the way it works. So what have you been doing?"

"Oh, this and that with some friends, mostly just lying around in the sun. "She felt Jim pull back, slipping out of her. She must have made a noise.

"What was that?" Evan asked.

"Nothing. It's boring here without you."

"Don't let the Tourism people here you say that!"

"I promise," she laughed. "What's a good time to call you? I assume it would be in the evening."

"Between 5:00 and 7:00 local time would work best," he said. "If I'm not here, try calling after 9:00."

"Arizona is, what, two hours behind Illinois?"

"Last time I looked."

"I'll probably try to call in the evening. We're going fishing tomorrow, so I'l call in the evening." She felt the bed shift. Rob was switching around to get behind her. She didn't want him to start just yet, so she sat up. But so he wouldn't think it was a total turn-off, she grabbed his cock and began stroking it.

"I'll be waiting for your call. We can have a little more time to talk. I still have to call my folks."

"I'll be here for the next, um, four days. After that you'll have to call my cell phone."

He said a couple of more things before hanging up, things she only half-registered because Rob was playing with her breasts, and Jim was stroking her back and bottom.

"That has to be a little strange," Devlin said as she handed Jim the phone.

"You kept your composure, I'll give you that. And you'll never be able to tell him what was going on."