Chapter 12: Steph

The smell of fresh paint was overwhelming when I arrived back at my room. I had spent most of the afternoon studying in the library, and someone had been very busy in my absence. There was now a cabinet on top of my closet, a set of keys on my desk, and several DJ lights strategically located around the room. These included strobes in the four corners, a rainbow light bar above the TV, and even a rotating disco ball in the center of the room.

After opening the windows to allow the room to vent, I grabbed the keys and checked my new liquor cabinet. Kael had fully stocked it. 'Amy's going to love this, ' I mused as I checked out the chrome shaker and the wide selection of spirits to choose from.

I sent a brief thank you note to Kael then tried to figure out what I wanted to do before dinner. While working in the library I'd managed to finish the last of my readings and most of the assignments for my class, and I was feeling restless.

As if reading my mind, my room phone rang, and Sarah asked if I wanted to go for a run. She claimed that since soccer practice had finished she'd been feeling sluggish and wanted to stay in shape. I got the distinct impression she wanted to talk as she seemed rather edgy.

Running sounded good, so I promised to meet Sarah outside the dorm in 15 minutes. I walked down the hall to check if Jackie or Jess would like to join us.

According to the chart pinned to the cork board on Jess's door, she was still "in lab." But Jackie was around and wanted to go. It was weird how I once again seemed to be on Jackie's good side, but I wasn't about to complain that she was going out of her way to be friendly.

Tired from the studying, I didn't participate in the conversation for the first mile or so. Sarah more than compensated for my silence as she described how her classes were going. She made a point to mention that Abigail had joined The Ladies at lunch and seemed to be integrating well. I'd hoped this would be the case, and I was pleased to hear that things were turning out well.

Finally ready to join in, I asked, "I hear your boyfriend is back."

"Doug's not my boyfriend!" Sarah snapped. Winking, she added, "Yet."

"Right!" I drawled, jumping out of the way as she half heartedly tried to smack me.

"I assume he had a good weekend?"

"You can say that again; he won't shut up about it," she huffed with a grin.

"I remember someone else like that once," Jackie chimed in.

"Hey, you can't start agreeing with him!" Sarah protested, though she clearly didn't mind the attention. "If I wanted two people against me I would stay home and talk to my parents."

"Wow," I murmured, struggling not to add, 'Just don't start calling me Daddy.'

"So, how are you feeling about it?"

"I don't know. At first I was upset, and then after talking to The Girls I was feeling optimistic. But now that he's actually talking about all the fun he had I'm feeling blah."

"Maybe Doug doesn't know many other people in the area yet, so you're the only person his age that he can talk to?"

"I'm glad he learned a lot, but is it normal for him to keep gushing about his Docent?"

"Well, he was trained by Steph," I replied with a fond smile, then realized that wasn't the best way of bringing up the topic.

Sarah stumbled and nearly fell off the trail. "S ... Steph, as in your friend Stephanie the Elite," she stammered.

"Now you've done it," Jackie whispered as Sarah struggled to catch up to us.

"How am I supposed to compete with an Elite?"

"Why should it be a competition?"

Rolling her eyes and giving Sarah a sympathetic look, Jackie leaned towards me and hinted, "I think this could use a girl's touch."

With a gesture that indicated, 'Be my guest, ' I let Jackie take over and again allowed the conversation to flow around me. Jackie seemed really knowledgeable about just what sort of things Steph probably covered, and I agreed with most of her suggestions for encouraging Doug to 'Apply what he'd learned.'

The more Sarah complained about Steph, the more her eyes seemed to glow. 'It's almost as if she is excited to test whether she's better than an Elite.' I understood the temptation to compare, but I was glad when Jackie repeatedly tried to explain how they were two completely separate experiences, each special in very different ways.

"Mind if we just soak?" Jackie asked as she joined me for a dip in the hot tub.

"Sure," I replied, curious that she hadn't made more of a production about getting undressed. My confusion increased when she turned on the jets and sat directly in front of me.

"Thanks for your help smoothing things over with Sarah."

"No problem. I think she just needed someone to talk to." Jackie gave a contented sigh as she relaxed against me, pointedly wrapping my arms around her.

"Maybe, but I didn't seem to be helping."

"Actually, Sarah opens up a lot faster once you get her riled up. And you're very good at getting her riled up."

"Thanks ... I think," I replied. Leaning back, I enjoyed the feeling of Jackie lightly rocking in my arms. Occasionally a breast would graze my arm, but she seemed to be going out of her way not to tease.

"See, I can be good," she whispered.

"More like confusing and inconsistent."

"That too," she agreed with a laugh.

"So, did you really donate all of last year's commissions?"

"Yeah, but my last client made an obscenely large donation to my foundation that I still haven't figured out how to use."

"Any ideas?" Jackie asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm seriously considering getting more involved with how I invest my commissions."

Eager to change the subject, I leaned my head back and I studied the multiple shower heads above the whirlpool. I realized with a frown that I still hadn't fully tested them out. I debated asking some of The Girls to join me for a shower some time, but wasn't quite sure how to bring it up.

"There's enough space for at least three under that shower," I murmured.

Jackie turned to look over her shoulder and caught me staring wistfully at the shower heads.

"You are such a pig!"

"Perhaps, but it's fun to dream."

She turned completely so she could meet my eyes. "What if it could be more than a dream?"

"Go on."

"Well, Jess is definitely out. But I think I could convince Amy."

"Like how she convinced you to dance on Saturday?" I teased. Before she could snap a response I asked, "And I suppose you would do this out of the goodness of your heart?"

"No way! You would owe me big time!"

"How big?"

"Well, I still need a date to next month's Winter Formal."

"Hmm, let me think about it."

Twisting, Jackie turned so that she sat perpendicular to me in my lap.

"I hope you realize that accepting Jess and Amy's offer but rejecting all the others is starting to cause some tension."

"I've noticed, but none of the others have made much of an effort to seduce me."

"Have you told anyone else this?"

"I shouldn't have to!" I exclaimed. "I'm not just some toy for your enjoyment."

"It's hard to change when they don't know what they are doing wrong. I think a lot of The Girls are still intimidated by the fact that you're an Elite."

"Perhaps, but you're all Little Sisters," I insisted. "You should know it takes more than just getting naked to seduce someone."

Realizing if I'd waited this long that I wasn't going to make the first move, Jackie reluctantly offered, "I'll try talking with them, but I'm not sure how much good it will do."

"Why's that?" I asked, curious that The Girls might not listen.

"The last time I suggested they try something it didn't work out so well."

"When was this?" I strongly suspected it had something to do with The Girls playing hard to get.

Biting her lip, Jackie shook her head. When I seemed ready to force the issue, she got a slightly pained expression on her face, stood up, and announced, "Look, I've got to go."

Once again I stared after Jackie as she abruptly left my hot tub. This time I wasn't painfully aroused, but it was still frustrating. 'At least we're back to being on good terms, ' I justified with a shrug as I stood up to rinse off.

"Nice car," Steph remarked after stowing her bag in the trunk of my Cayenne Turbo.

For some reason I'd been feeling nervous all day. That disappeared the moment I laid eyes on Steph's wavy auburn locks and she pulled me close for a rib cracking hug. You know that friend you always want to eat lunch with? The friend who manages to keep all the others together? That would be Steph, and it calmed me just knowing she was near.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun to drive," I agreed, and proceeded to take the long way back to campus to show it off.

Even though we hadn't kept in touch very well since New York, within a few minutes it was just like old times. Steph seemed a little tired from her flight, but perked up when I pointed out the US Olympic Training Center and some of the downtown restaurants we could explore.

She got about three steps into my room before gazing around and exclaiming, "I thought you had a room? This is a freaking suite!"

"Yeah, well, Kael knows how to treat us right."

"You can say that again," she agreed. "You even have a whirlpool!"

"Would you like to get dinner?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Food would be good, but can I meet The Girls first?"

Glancing to my watch, I realized that it was nearly our usual dinner time. "The dining hall food isn't that bad. Want to eat on campus and invite The Girls to join us?"

"Sure," Steph called over her shoulder as she headed towards the door.

When we rounded up The Girls I noticed that Jackie and Steph shared a look almost as if they recognized each other, but was too distracted with introductions to be sure. It was amusing just how quickly Steph was able to win The Girls over. They were already gossiping away before we left the dorm.

The story of how The Girls 'made me wait' and how I seemed to be taking my revenge was the topic of choice for most of our meal. Steph had a pleased smirk on her face as the conversation flowed around her. Instead of taking sides, or even making much of an effort to join in, she sat back and seemed to absorb everything that was mentioned.

It was impressive how with a nod and smile Steph had quickly earned The Girls' trust. 'That's how Little Sisters are supposed to react to an Elite, ' I sighed as we wished The Girls a good night and headed into my suite.

"Man, this is an awesome room," Steph observed, intentionally ignoring my frustration.

I tensed up, then allowed her to snuggle close. "It's comfortable, but it certainly didn't help me fit in at first."

"Like an Elite would ever fully fit in?"

"Maybe without Kael's meddling I might have," I snapped, allowing some of my anger to shine through.

"Alex, you still would have worn your Iugum, and nothing can hide the fact that you're an Elite."

"I'm not hiding; I just want to fit in."

"Elites rarely 'fit in' and almost never stop working with clients," Steph explained. "Yes, they take breaks. But eventually they start accepting clients or become Doceos."

Steph's reply seemed scripted, and I strongly suspected that she had some ulterior motive for visiting.

"Maybe I'm the exception," I stubbornly insisted.

"You skipped the re-assimilation training!" she cried in exasperation. "Maybe Kael was looking out for your best interests and you just don't realize it yet. I mean, has he ever let you down?"

"Emily certainly wasn't fun."

"Do you know what I'd give to spend an entire week with a client like Emily?"

"I find it hard to believe you would blindly accept a client," I spat. "And would it change your mind if you knew Emily lied about almost everything in her profile?"

"I can't remember the last time I was seriously challenged. I would love an Emily."

"The problem is that I wasn't expecting a client like Emily! There was no guarantee that things would eventually work, and I hate feeling deceived."

"Maybe Kael was trying to teach you something?"

"What, how to fit in and deal with difficult clients?"

"Could be," Steph hedged, slowly nodding her head. "But if it really bothers you, you should either trust him or confront him about it."

"Easy for you to say. I've been trusting Kael for so long that it's hard to even consider confronting him."

"Then would it really hurt to trust him a bit longer? I mean, things seem to be working out with The Girls, your parents sound eager to see you, and classes are going well."

When I still didn't look convinced, she asked, "What more could you want?"

"I'm not sure," I replied while shaking my head.

With a sigh of frustration I realized this was an argument that neither of us could convincingly win. Steph didn't seem to be in a rush to move on, and allowed me to take several moments to gather my thoughts on just what I'd like to improve.

"Could you talk to The Girls for me?" I finally asked.

"Why?"

"I've been slowly guiding them towards our new relationship, but they could use a refresher on how to seduce a guy."

"Is that why you've made them wait?" she asked with a laugh.

"Among other reasons," I replied, trying hard not to sound defensive. "Most of the seduction attempts either seemed forced or just didn't come across as genuine."

"I'll talk to them," Steph assured me. "But they seem very impressionable and would probably respond better if you took a firmer hand."

"I want more than a client-like relationship and am tired of always controlling my relationships," I snapped.

"Hey, I'm on your side," she insisted. She stubbornly waited for me to relax before once again snuggling up against me.

"So why didn't you ever tell me you have a little sister?"

"When did I ever talk about my family?" I stammered. "Besides, there's not much to tell. Mariel was six when I left to be trained by the Institute, and I haven't seen her in the last few years."

"Hmm, I guess I'll just have to wait until after your trip home to learn more about her then."

Wanting to change the subject, I asked, "How was Doug?"

"He was quite special and I got the impression he's going to make some girl very happy in the near future."

"Quick learner?"

"Motivated is more like it. He's heard so much about you from Sarah that he really wanted to perfect his skills."

"Good."

"In fact, I think he wore me out," she sighed while lightly grinding against me.

"Very good," I purred as I began to lightly trace the outline of her nipple through the sheer material of her blouse.

"Very good indeed," she sighed again, arching her back as an invitation to palm her breast.

After waiting patiently for me to get back from class and finish my problem set, Steph insisted we go out. We'd eaten lunch in the dining hall with The Girls, so we didn't need food, but going out sounded like a good idea now that my homework was finished.

"Want to check out the Garden of the Gods?"

"Sure. What's that?" she asked as she gathered our coats and we headed towards the door.

"It's a park built around some very impressive natural rock formations," I explained.

Steph shivered as we stepped outside. "It's a good thing I had Kael get me a down jacket," she remarked.

"Wasn't Aspen colder than this?"

"So? This is plenty cold to me," she insisted. She reached out and cranked up the heating and turned on the seat warmers.

It took a minute before the car and seats warmed up, but soon Steph was once again enjoying the sights without shivering. Along the way I pointed out Cy's Drive-In, the hamburger restaurant where Sarah and I had eaten on our Docent weekend, which sparked a debate on where to go for dinner.

Because of the cold weather, we ended up spending most of our time in the car as we drove around the park. We did stop to take pictures at a few of the numerous lookout points and got some fantastic mint chocolate fudge from the Trading Post before heading downtown.

Steph had a craving for Thai food. It was a good thing I'd studied the Institute's dining guide as my GPS system didn't know about the back entrance to Little Bangkok or the free parking on its roof. The food was excellent, but the restaurant was almost completely hidden in a narrow alley.

After some very spicy Thai food, I suggested we go and get ice cream to finish off the meal.

"Isn't it below freezing outside?"

"Probably, but when was the last time you had homemade ice cream?"

Intrigued, Steph followed me out into the alley where we walked around the corner to Josh and John's. The menu was rather straight forward, but had to be written in dry erase marker as the flavors were constantly changing.

As we entered the ice cream parlor I noticed that Brad and Clara were seated at one of the tables holding hands. After ordering, we joined them. It was cute to see Cara blush at 'being caught' with Brad, but she did not let go of his hand as she made introductions.

"Alex, I thought you said you were the first Docent on campus?" Steph asked once she realized that Cara was a junior.

Somehow Steph seemed to instantly pick up on the fact that Cara was a Docent. Maybe it was a girl thing, but personally I'd never been very good at it.

"No, I said I was the first Elite," I patiently explained. "Docents have gone to Colorado College for years. Even though Colorado Springs is extremely conservative, the college is very liberal."

That settled, Steph seemed content to enjoy her ice cream. She was fascinated with how I'd helped Brad meet Cara and the fact that a Docent could actually date a client.

"It's not like Brad was a real client," I hedged only to have Cara cut in with, "Yeah, even I have standards."

"Hey, can everyone not pick on Brad?" Brad complained.

"True," Steph agreed, sadly nodding her head. "He even talks about himself in the third person."

"I know, but we're working on that," Cara assured us with a smile.

Wanting to give Brad a break, I asked, "How could you tell that Cara was a Docent?"

Steph pondered for a moment. "I'm not sure, but I think it's the eyes. It's much harder to tell on guys, but when a female Docent notices my Iugum they usually give me a look that's more like they are sizing me up."

"Huh, well The Girls always look like they are sizing me up."

"That's because they are," Cara teased.

Nodding her head, Steph agreed, "Yeah, we should probably do something about that."

Looking towards me, Cara asked, "Alex, are you finally going to talk to The Girls?"

"Actually I was going to have Steph talk to them."

"Alex doesn't think he should have to," Steph explained with a roll of her eyes. "But luckily he has friends who can straighten them out and hopefully teach The Girls how to properly seduce a man."

"Ooh, can I help?" Cara gushed and Steph quickly agreed.

"Dude, you are totally screwed," Brad whispered, before laughing and slapping me on the back.

Unfortunately I had to agree. Having asked for Cara and Steph's help, phase three was now totally out of my control. But I soon cracked a smile at the ridiculousness of being upset about having sex with any of The Girls.

"Poor me," I mouthed as Steph and Cara set about planning the rest of our evening while Brad and I listened.

Unfortunately Cara needed to meet classmates in the library for a study session, but promised that it shouldn't take more than an hour and that she'd stop by afterwards.

Once again lounging on my couch and shooting the breeze, Steph remarked, "The Girls sleeping arrangement sounds remarkably similar to the Institute's 'roommate' system."

"Well, that's the goal, but I think I would be happier if they didn't put such a strong emphasis on the sex."

"Yeah, cuddling afterwards always was the best part," she agreed before suddenly deciding to play devil's advocate. "But what about them? There's only one of you and at least 12 of them."

"More like 15 if you include Cara, Kelly, and Angie," I corrected. "But even if I accepted every offer, sex twice a month would hardly satisfy most people."

"It's a good start."

"Perhaps, but I never had the intention of keeping all of The Girls sexually satisfied. I'm sure they are perfectly capable of finding other guys if they have the need."

"And you'd be cool with that?"

For some reason her question made me pause. Normally I wouldn't care if a fellow Docent or former client had sex with other people. But these were my Girls and I wasn't eager to share.

"Probably not entirely, but it should be okay if they're discreet and don't constantly throw their relationships in my face."