Chapter 10: Settling In

Once back on campus I decided to run up the stairs to my room. Big mistake! About halfway up I began breathing hard, and mentally cursed how fast my body had acclimated to living near sea level in Grand Cayman. As I puffed my way to the third floor I finally understood why "6,000 feet, where the air is rare" is painted on the football field scoreboard.

Hanging out with Sarah and The Ladies had stirred up a bunch of old memories and, I slumping heavily into my chair, I looked around my empty room. After spending the last week with Emily and the rest of the Beach House staff, it felt odd to be alone.

Reaching out for contact, I checked my email and found a note from the Institute's photographer waiting for me. Most clients who can afford an Elite also insist on lots of pictures, but posing can be quite distracting and the pictures rarely look natural. Instead, the Institute hires photographers to discreetly wait where the couple is supposed to be and unobtrusively take pictures. My experience as an Elite allowed me to hardly notice the photographers, and my Favorites album is mostly composed of Institute pictures.

I opened the attachment and found it contained numerous digital photos of Emily and me. Most of them were from various restaurants and clubs, but a few were tastefully framed shots of us playing in the ocean or walking along the beach.

My favorite was one from our second-to-last day, showing Emily and me on the boat returning to the pier after diving. Emily's eyes seemed to be ablaze with anticipation and her cheeks were flushed with arousal. I smiled, remembering how I'd purposely kept her on the edge the entire ride back. If you didn't know the context, it would be easy to believe she'd simply had a fun time diving and had a mild sunburn.

I printed the picture and added it to my Favorites album, and began to reminisce about our week together. With a sigh, I forced myself to lean back and think about something else.

I glanced at the clock and realized that I still had about an hour before The Girls would be heading to lunch. 'You're going to get depressed if you keep dwelling on this, ' I chided myself.

In a bit of a funk, I decided that I needed something to distract my mind for a while. I still had some homework to catch up on, so I pulled out my economics text and began working on the first of the short papers I had to write. Analyzing the marginal cost of a free lunch wasn't the most exciting topic in the world, but it kept me occupied and was easy to write.

A soft knock on the door broke my concentration.

"Yes?" I called out.

The door slowly opened and Amy poked her head in.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I was just working on a paper."

"Well, you had your door closed," she hedged, "and I thought maybe you needed some alone time."

"Ah," I replied, nodding my head. "I'm feeling rather blah, but some company would be nice. Just don't expect me to be all that talkative."

"Sounds good, want to get lunch?"

"Sure, just give me a second to finish this paragraph."

As Amy started to shut the door I remembered this morning's conversation at the game.

"Wait!" I called out. "I talked to Rachael and Don this morning. It sounds like you did a great job explaining things."

"Thanks," Amy agreed, nodding her head. "Now, hurry up. I'm starving!"

I jumped up and rummaged in my bag for the coral bead necklaces from Grand Cayman. I could hear the muffled sounds of Amy warning the rest of The Girls that I might be a bit moody and to just give it time and not press too hard.

My hand closed around the bag of necklaces and I was ready to go. The conversation stopped as I opened the door and gave Amy a mock stern glare.

"Oh? Like you didn't want me to warn them?" she teased.

"Since when have I ever been moody?"

Amy raised an eyebrow, while Jackie nearly turned purple trying to hold back some biting reply. The rest of The Girls waited until I smiled before breaking into laugher.

I handed the bag to Eliza since she was closest. "I got these for you in Cayman," I explained. "They were one size fits all, but some are slightly longer than others, and I tried to find a wide variety of patterns."

There was a general murmur of approval. I enjoyed watching The Girls sort through the necklaces looking for that ever elusive "perfect" match. Several minutes later I stashed the remaining necklaces back in my room and we headed off to the dining hall.

My disappointment at the food showed as I sat down at the table, and I got several exaggerated sympathetic looks before Jess asked, "Missing Nancy's cooking already?"

"Hmm, let me think. Which do I like more, having a professionally trained chef that cooks anything my heart desires, or the food you find in a college dining hall? It's a tough choice."

Jackie took hold of my hand. "I feel your pain," she said with a sincere look. "In fact, I've felt all the pain you've missed this last week."

Knowing she was trying to 'nicely' tease, I squeezed her hand and started eating my food. I decided that the food wasn't that bad, it just couldn't compare to what I'd eaten in the last week.

"You guys want to go get dinner tonight?" I asked as I picked at my food

Sensing an opportunity, Amy quickly replied, "I'll go with you."

Most of the other Girls looked rather glum. "We didn't think you'd be back today," Jess finally explained. "We kind of planned a 'Girls night out' and were going to go to the game."

"Cool, sounds like fun. Which game are you going to?"

This seemed to draw the rest of The Girls up short. After a very long look, Eliza finally hinted, "Ahh, the hockey game?"

"Oh! Yeah," I agreed, my brain slowly making the connection. "But I thought we played Wisconsin last night?"

"Yes, but they play two game sets," Jess explained. "Last night's game was a really close 3-2 win for CC, so tonight should be another great game."

"Huh, I should probably go some time," I agreed. "I actually have season tickets."

Jess looked confused. "And you've never gone to a game?"

"Well, I've been a bit busy..."

Jackie jumped in after visibly struggling to stay civil. "Wait," she demanded. "You had a ticket to last week's sold out game against Denver University, and you didn't even give it away?"

When I again shook my head, Amy asked, "Alex, you do know there aren't any names on the season tickets?"

Noticing my lack of reaction, she elaborated, "If you're not using your ticket it's very easy to sell it by placing a note on the message board in the lobby."

"I guess so," I evasively replied. It sounded like a lot of work for selling a $5 ticket.

"Or you could just give the ticket to one of us," Jackie murmured in an overly innocent voice while batting her eyes at me.

And so the flirting began. Apparently, not all of The Girls had bought their tickets yet, so they set about trying to 'earn' mine. Most of it was rather tame and, even though my heart wasn't in it, I was able to give as well as I got.

My mind kept wandering to Nancy's cooking or the juicy steak I'd hopefully be grilling up at the Whetsons' tomorrow. One consolation was that, since the frozen yogurt machine was broken again they had a freezer with real ice cream near the deserts.

Feeling superior among my diet-conscious companions, I made a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich and then 'stole' several cookies for the trip back to the dorm.

Once we got back to the dorm and I found some jazz on the satellite radio, my urge to be productive returned. This time I kept my door open, and at least one of The Girls was always studying with me. At one point the TV was switched on, but I really wasn't in the mood for movies. The soft music was very relaxing, and, after finishing my first paper, I decided to join Amy on the couch and catch up on the last of my reading for class.

Even though it was only 5:00 PM in Colorado, I was still mostly on Grand Cayman time. After my stomach growled a second time, Amy asked, "So, where do you want to go for dinner?"

"Look, you don't have to go to dinner with me," I said, trying to offer her an easy out. "It sounds like everyone else is going out and that you already have plans."

"I know I don't have to go with you," Amy teased, "but I want to."

I didn't want to eat alone, and had already looked up several restaurants, so I quickly conceded.

"Well, in that case, I've got a craving to try something exotic. Want to go to Mataam Fez?"

"I've never heard of that restaurant."

"According to the Institute Dining Guide, it serves authentic Moroccan food. Everyone sits on cushions, you eat with your hands, and belly dancers perform at least once during the meal."

"You just want to go see belly dancers," she accused, setting her book aside and stretching.

"Oh, I can see that here," I replied, admiring how Amy's close fitting t-shirt crept up as she stretched.

Amy quickly lowered her arms, made a face, and called me a pig.

"So how far away is it?"

"Actually," I replied, "it's only about eight blocks south of campus on Tejon Street, just past Arcadia Park."

"Cool," she agreed as she stood up. "Let me go change and I'll meet you back here in about five minutes?"

"Sounds good," I agreed as she left the room.

Our dinner was a pleasant surprise and exceeded my expectations. After washing our hands at the low table, we were quickly served heaping plates of flavorful food, including plenty of couscous. The draperies, low tables, and the fact that we were lounging on cushions, seemed to nurture a very intimate atmosphere. Of course, it helped that Amy seemed to go out of her way to brush against me on occasion, but she was discreet, and it made the meal all that more enjoyable.

A few weeks earlier I had debated bringing Sidney here, but worried the flavors would be too exotic. Plus, eating with fingers took some getting used to.

The arrival of food seemed to hamper the flow of conversation. I sensed that Amy was purposely avoiding anything that could remind me of my client weekend.

In an effort to stimulate more genuine conversation, I stated, "You know, you don't have to walk on eggshells around me; I've had clients before."

"I know, but it sounds like saying goodbye can be rough, and I thought you wanted to relax without me constantly reminding you that she's not still here."

"Sometimes," I agreed. "That's what this afternoon was for. I needed some time to just gather my thoughts, and having people nearby was very helpful."

"Okay," she hedged, still unsure what I was implying.

"But sometimes talking about it helps too," I offered. "It really depends on the client."

"Oh, really?" she asked, and this time I could see she was very interested to learn more details about my trip, yet didn't want to force the issue.

"Of course. Even though I can't give you specifics, I can tell you in general terms what we did and about the other Docents I worked with."

Amy gasped. "There were other Docents working with the same client?"

"Yeah, it was a surprise for me too! Trust me, I wasn't expecting it, but having them around really helped," I explained as I scooped up more food with my fingers.

"How so?" Amy prompted. Her voice showed that she was very interested in learning every detail I could share.

"You heard about Nancy, right?"

"Duh, I do believe we all teased you about that at lunch," she reminded, struggling not to roll her eyes.

"Well, you didn't know that she was my Docent, way back at the Institute."

Amy's look confirmed that she was now firmly hooked, and I began to share as many stories about Cayman as I could. Aside from the few details I'd shared with Eliza, this was the first time I'd ever opened up to someone outside of the Institute. Surprisingly, this really helped to get things off my chest and, even second hand, Amy found Chad's jokes and stories hilarious.

As I relaxed, I realized how much Amy had gone out of her way to make me comfortable. I used one of the warm towels to wash my hands and took hold of her hand. "Thank you for a fantastic dinner."

"You don't have to keep thanking me," she insisted. "Trying to help out and being supportive is what friendship is all about. Plus, I had a great time.

"Besides, I don't think the dinner is over yet. Here comes another of those belly dancers you've so enjoyed."

Unlike the previous dancer, this one carried a tray with several cups and saucers, and a large pot of tea. Stopping in front of our table, she danced and made a show of balancing the cups on various parts her body (elbow, knee, head... ) before filling them with tea and passing them to us.

With a contented sigh, I sipped my tea and watched as the server headed off towards another table. "Now that's how you end a meal."

"Pig," Amy snorted, just loud enough for me to hear, but there was a smile in her voice. She moved her cushion closer to mine and we enjoyed the show.

The dorm wing was eerily quiet for a Saturday night with all of the other Girls at the hockey game. I was disappointed when Amy headed off to her room, but that all changed minutes later when there was a soft knock on my door.

Outside I found Amy dressed in a robe.

"So you'll be spending the night?"

"Of course," she quipped. "That is, unless you'd rather wait a few hours for one of the other, probably tipsy, Girls to come home."

"Well, it'll be a burden," I sighed. "But I guess I can suffer through your company."

"Suffer!" she shrieked, lightly pummeling my arm.

As I guided her to the couch, Amy coughed lightly and asked, "Alex, how long are you going to make us wait?"

"Wait for what?" I knew she meant sex, but pretended ignorance.

Amy rolled her eyes and waited for me to continue.

"The Girls," I finally asked, "or you?"

"Both," she assured me, meeting my eyes.

"Would I have to choose between you or The Girls?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head but still maintaining eye contact.

I was suddenly suspicious. It seemed too unlikely that Amy would be the only one to accept my offer of dinner and then bring up this conversation.

"Have you discussed this with the other Girls?"

"Constantly!" she exclaimed with a pronounced pout. "Everyone knows you're sleeping with us and just assumes we're having sex. We get all of the grief and don't get any of the benefits."

"This is a surreal conversation," I stated, thinking back to the party when they'd planned for me to dance with each and then choose. Not wanting a repeat of that disaster I warned, "I'm not just going to sample each of you and then make a choice."

"Trust me," she said with conviction, "we'll never make that mistake again."

It was hard to act overwhelmed and keep from smiling. I knew phase three of my plan was going well, but I hadn't expected The Girls to come along so quickly. Still, there were a lot of details I needed to clarify before agreeing to 'their' plan.

"You know I'm not looking to settle down, and I really don't want to risk straining my friendship with any of The Girls."

"We know, that's why we're only offering and you can always refuse," Amy explained. Leering at me, she added, "Besides, you're not the only horny college student."

"Does it matter who I 'choose' to be first?"

"Not really," she replied, but her tone and body language implied a very different answer.

After my time with Emily, I wasn't desperate to get laid. While Amy's offer sounded exactly what I wanted from The Girls, I didn't want to cave too easily.

"Here's the deal. This is NOT open season on Alex. I'll consider it on an individual basis, but you and all of The Girls must be discreet. You can offer, but it's up to me to make the first move, and you can't tease."

"Define tease."

"Deliberately offering something you have no intention of giving."

"Yeah, Jackie said you would insist on that," Amy replied with a smile. "Are there any other conditions?"

Wracking my brain, I tried to think of the ways my words could be misconstrued.

"Well," I offered, "if we're on campus it must be in my room and, unless I suggest otherwise, it must be dark when you offer."

Again, Amy considered my words before her eyes gained a noticeable gleam. "Does your bathroom count?"

"Of course," I replied. "Its still part of my room."

"Good, then I believe we have a deal," she agreed with mock formality. She held out her hand and we shook.

Almost immediately, Amy hopped off the couch and sensuously began removing her robe.

"What are you doing?" I gasped when her nude form came into view. The robe slipped from her shoulders and, after briefly being held up by the slight flare of her hips, dropped to the floor.

"Offering," she replied, sauntering towards me, joining me on the couch, and snuggling close.

"What if I refuse," I asked, just to be sure she was serious. "Would you still stay?

"Of course!" she nodded, but her face seemed to beg, 'Please don't say no.'

"Relax, I'm not going to refuse you," I soothed, slipping an arm around her and squeezing her to me. "But what if I'm not in the mood? I don't want to ever have to say 'no' to any of The Girls."

Biting her lip in thought, Amy was clearly channeling her inner-lawyer when she finally answered, "What if by getting naked we're offering, and by getting naked you're accepting? That way neither of us has to verbally offer or refuse."

"Hmm, I think I could live with that." I reached down and began to remove my shirt.

"Oh, could you suffer through it?" she teased as she feverishly began removing my pants.

I could tell this was something Amy had wanted a very long time, for she made no effort to slow down, practically dragged me over to the bed. Once there she again took control and slowly stroked me fully erect while whispering her plans for the evening.

I tried to return the favor only to find Amy was already dripping wet. It seemed like mere moments later when I felt her shift slightly and she began riding me with a passion. I was fascinated by the look of intense concentration on Amy's face as she focused on enjoying every millimeter of my cock. The lights were still on so technically it wasn't dark, but I decided that it would be cruel to remind her that she was violating one of our newly-negotiated rules.

When we switched positions I was very impressed with her flexibility. Noting the definition of her legs, I asked, "Have you been working out?"

Amy smiled as she ignored my question and pulled me in closer to kiss me deeply.

I'm not sure how long we kept at it, but I'd wanted to try out some of the more advanced techniques, and was amazed that Amy seemed able to easily do the splits and wasn't opposed to trying new positions.

While it could have been the altitude, I was very surprised that Amy's endurance seemed to be far greater than my own. She seemed to sense what I wanted and quickly adopt the tricks I'd shown her earlier. It felt like I was playing an intense game of Hold Off, which is a competition between Docents to see who can make the other cum first.

Determined not to finish first, or worse, lose by default from being too tired to continue, I suggested that Amy once again get on top.

"Hmm, that feels nice," she purred as I reached up to gently massage her perky breasts. I slowly allowed my hands to drift lower. I noticed that Amy had some very well defined abs before I firmly grasped her ass.

"You feel amazing," I gushed. I could feel each of the major muscle groups clenching and relaxing in concert as she rhythmically thrust against me while milking me with her pussy.

"Thanks," Amy gasped, seeming to toy with me as she purposely maintained her steady rhythm.

Wanting Amy to focus more on her own pleasure, I encouraged, "If you keep milking me like that, I'm going to cum soon."

Seemingly inspired by the effect she was having on me, Amy began to lose herself in the moment, thrusting against me with a new-found passion. Unlike previous clients, I wasn't worried she would hurt herself, and Amy showed no signs of tiring.

As an Elite I took pride in making sure that my clients and partners always came first. Perhaps I was tired, or maybe it was the cumulative effect of the sexual tension that had been building for several months, but I could feel my control slipping.

Wanting to help push Amy over the edge, I deftly slipped a hand between us and began toying with her clit.

"Yes!" Amy gasped when my hand first made contact with her clit, and she somehow managed to thrust even harder against me.

My tactics almost backfired when Amy clamped down on my already over stimulated cock. "I'm going to cum!" I gasped.

"YES!" Amy cried out, and I felt her back arch as her pussy begin to spasm around me mere moments before I erupted inside of her.

After several moments of blissful rapture, I felt Amy suck in a massive gulp of air and collapse against my chest.

"I'm not sure if I could survive a week of that, but I'd be willing to try," I whispered as I played with her hair and gently stroked her back.

"Me too," she sighed, and then shocked me by saying, "I've never cum during sex before."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my Docent was able to get me close. But for some reason I always liked toys or a tongue better."