Chapter 6: Intermezzo

Richard thought his heart had stopped. To his right, Emily was watching him with a slight grin, and in front of him Sandra was looking at him like she was about to collapse on the bed. It was hot in the dorm, but that hot?

Suddenly Emily pushed Richard into the room. Richard turned to her and watched as she reached to close the door.

Is she leaving me alone with Sandra? he thought, as Emily stepped back out into the hallway, pulling the door shut.

"Emily, wait," Sandra called out as the door was about to shut. Her voice sounded nervous.

The door stopped closing, and then cracked open a little more.

"Come back," Sandra said.

Emily opened the door and stood in the frame, looking at Sandra. Emily didn't seem angry at all, but rather amused.

Sandra brushed by Richard and stood in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?"

"For doing that. I know you and Richard are together."

Emily laughed. "We are?"

"I just saw you kissing him in the hall."

Emily froze for a moment, and then her face turned quizzical.

"So why did you kiss him then?" she asked.

Sandra turned and looked at Richard apologetically, as if realizing he was still there.

"I was desperate," she said quietly.

"There's no need to be," Emily answered just as quietly, moving into the room. Sandra backed up and let her in, allowing Emily to close the door.

Richard watched the girls, wondering what to do. If he was the object of competition between them, he didn't want to do anything to tip the balance one way or the other. He didn't quite understand what Emily's mood was all about.

"Kiss him," Emily said. It was a gentle command.

Sandra just looked at Richard for a moment. Then she slowly moved over to him. With a last glance at Emily, she gave Richard a kiss on the lips.

Richard felt his body tingle at her kiss, even though it was quick and slightly chaste.

As Sandra backed off, looking cautiously at Emily, Emily moved up to Richard and kissed him. Her kiss was not chaste. Richard took a step back from the intensity of her lips on his. In response Emily pulled on the back of his head. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and then released herself from his body.

She looked at Sandra. Richard did too. Sandra was still flushed and now had a strange look in her eye. Richard wasn't sure what it was, but Emily seemed to know.

"What were you doing when we showed up at the door?"

"What?" Sandra said, startled out of her thoughts.

"Do you want us to give you a massage?" Emily said.

Sandra looked back and forth between Richard and Emily, seemingly at a loss for words.

Suddenly it struck Richard why Sandra was flushed.

He went up to Sandra and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She softened in his arms, almost letting herself hang in them.

Richard ran his hands over Sandra's back as Emily drew the blinds. The room faced an open field, so it was more for mood than for privacy, Richard knew.

He stroked Sandra's spine through the fabric of her t-shirt. He took his time, feeling the point of her shoulder blade, and its ridge as he ran his fingers up and over her shoulders. Sandra had her eyes closed, her arms wrapped around Richard's middle, and her head pressed against his shoulder.

Emily had been digging in her music collection, and finally found what she wanted. Quietly in the corner, a slow, sultry Cuban rhythm started up. The volume was low enough so that only the pulse was really audible. Richard felt like he was in the back room of an exotic underground club.

Emily came up slowly behind Sandra, smiling sensuously at Richard. They looked at each other for a long minute, as Richard continued caressing Sandra's back.

Emily put her hands on Sandra's lower back, and began to move them slowly between and around Richard's. They swirled and danced their hands around each other's, covering Sandra's back with gentle and sensuous touches. She shuddered in Richard's arms, entranced.

After some time, Emily leaned in close to Sandra's ear.

"Kiss him for real."

Sandra took a deep breath, and then turned her head up to Richard, eyes still closed. She waited, and Richard lowered his head to meet her lips.

This time Sandra did not hold back. She kissed him like she had wanted to for the last two days. Gentle, and yet urgent. Richard responded in kind, meeting her tongue with his in a slow dance that matched the easy movement of the music.

Emily let her hands migrate from Sandra to Richard, and she pressed herself close against Sandra's back as she felt Richard's body. Richard in turn slipped his hands out from between the girls and pulled Emily tightly into the three way hug.

Sandra increased the intensity of her kiss now, and Richard found he was having trouble focusing on all the sensations he was feeling. One moment he was enjoying the touches of four female hands on his back. The next moment it was Sandra's form pressed against his, her soft yet firm body molding easily against his harder frame. Then it was Emily's back, and the fact she wore only a shirt. And finally, of course, Sandra's mouth making love to his. He was on sensory overload. But I can't complain! he thought.

Sandra let go of the kiss as Emily pulled away. Richard wondered if the fun was over. Was it just an overly friendly massage?

Apparently not, as Emily pulled on Sandra's hand. Sandra let herself be led to her bed, where she ended up lying on her front along the near edge.

"Time for a massage," Emily said quietly.

Richard joined her, kneeling on the floor at Sandra's bedside. Together they worked on her, starting with their hands on her back.

Sandra sighed contentedly as they touched her. It was almost like her dream. Almost. The clothes were still on. As they should be, she thought to herself, trying to resist the strong urge to rip them off.

But when Richard's hands moved under her shirt and onto the soft skin of her lower back, she couldn't stop herself. She rolled over and sat up. She fluidly peeled off her t-shirt, tossing it aside and returning to her prone position on the bed.

Richard felt his heart jump at this new development. Any doubts he had about how far things were going to go for the most part were swept away.

And Sandra's bare skin! It made his insides ache. She was amazingly beautiful to look at. Her waist and hips were so inviting, and the brief look at her partly exposed breasts had been almost surreal. He wondered if she still really wanted her bra on, but he wasn't going to press the unfolding situation. And why should he? He felt more aroused right then than he had ever remembered feeling with Tonia. Well, maybe. There were some wild times in Italy with Tonia. But still, he was fully clothed, and already he felt like he was on the tense edge.

Emily and Richard were now vigorously massaging Sandra's back. Richard glanced sidelong at Emily. She seems to really be enjoying this, he thought. He figured that this was not a planned get-together, but he had to wonder how long Emily had been thinking about doing this. She certainly seems to be comfortable sharing me with Sandra.

Emily caught Richard's glance and smiled at him. She leaned over, and it took Richard a moment to realize she wanted to kiss him, not whisper something.

Again he found himself distracted from his hands as Emily kissed him. When he pulled away, he caught Sandra looking up at them. She just closed her eyes and let out a slight murmur.

Richard decided to press a little after all. As he took in Sandra's body lying before him, he wanted to feel more of her. Her long toned legs beckoned, and he responded by moving his hands over to them. Her short jean shorts allowed him view of their entire length, but he started modestly by gently kneading her calf muscles.

Richard moved around to the foot of the bed. From there he pulled and pushed on her lower legs, gently, and then firmly, working out the tension in them. They stretched on before him. Richard went a little further with each cycle, soon reaching the back of her knees, where he spent extra time with gentle caresses.

Emily stood and then straddled Sandra's butt, and began to really give Sandra a deep back massage. Richard breathed deeply, trying to take in every detail of the unfolding scene before him.

As Richard moved his hands higher up onto Sandra's thighs, he was pleased to feel her part her legs slightly. He worked his hands around each thigh, tracing the lines of each muscle.

When he began to brush the rough hem of the cut-off shorts, he pulled back, and gave Sandra some long strokes.

Then he climbed up behind Emily, looking over her shoulder and down at Sandra's completely bare back. Emily had undone Sandra's bra, and it lay apart to her sides. Richard snaked his hands around Emily and added his touch to hers. As he did so, his chin rested on Emily's shoulder. As he hoped, Emily turned and flitted her tongue into his mouth.

Her hands suddenly slipped over his, and then pulled upwards. Richard felt his hands move steadily up Emily's front, over her taut tummy and then onto her breasts. His fingers caught against her hardened nipples, bumping over them. Emily moved his hands for a moment against her shirt and then let go, still teasing him with her tongue. As she returned to caressing Sandra, she pressed herself against Richard's mouth. His hands ran little paths over her front, lingering only slightly each time on her breasts.

Emily only broke the kiss long enough to let her shirt slip between their lips on its way to the floor.

For a long time, Richard shifted his focus from kissing Emily to feeling her skin, to watching her hands on Sandra's skin, and to imagining more. He smiled to himself as he remembered that school hadn't even started yet.

After what seemed like hours, Emily and Richard sank to the bed next to Sandra, who murmured vaguely. Emily was next to her, still stroking her back gently. Richard was spooned behind Emily, running a finger along the sinuous curve of her waist.

Richard felt like he was about to explode. His back was aching, his neck felt crooked and his lips were tired, but he was on the edge of what would be a huge climax, if he had the opportunity.

But after kissing and feeling Emily's body, they had let the passion slowly subside before laying down next to Sandra.

He could wait, if this was all that was in store for the morning.

Sandra turned her head towards them. As she registered that Emily was openly topless, her eyes widened slightly before melting into a content smile.

"Wow," was all she said.

"How do you feel?" Emily asked her.

Sandra shyly squeezed her eyes shut and grinned.

"I want more," she whispered.

"I know, me too," Emily said.

Richard stayed silent. He felt like the two girls were testing out their feelings about the relationship as they went. I guess they assume I don't have a problem with it. He had to admit he didn't.

As if in answer, Sandra spoke again. "How are you, Richard?"

"I'm good," he said, trying to stay as nonchalant as possible.

There was a long silence as they relaxed together. There's no need to rush things, Richard thought.

The last planned event of orientation was dinner at the Dean's house out in the suburbs. If it wasn't for the opportunity for a good free meal, Richard would have preferred to chill in the dorm.

In the back seat of one of the large vans that were taking the students to the house, Richard sandwiched himself between his two friends.

Jer was in the next seat up.

"Feels just like riding the bus in high school," he said, leaning over the back of the seat.

"Where's Jenna?" Emily asked him.

"Eh, Joey said she couldn't come since she's not a first year."

"But she went on the city tour," Richard pointed out.

Jer shrugged. "I guess there's only enough food for us," he said. "What are you all doing this evening?"

The trio in the back seat looked at each other with slight grins.

"Um..."

"Brenae is having a party," Jer said. "It should be fun. Everyone's in town, now. Two kegs, too."

"If it's Brenae Smith that you're talking about, we can't go," Emily said. "Brenae and I had a falling out."