Chapter 8: Promises to Keep

Morning arrived much too soon. Emily and the cab driver carried Heather's trunk down to his cab outside the gated entryway. Heather and Gregg took advantage of the few moments of privacy they had before she had to leave. Standing in the doorway, they held each other in their arms, not kissing, not speaking, not wanting to let go. Finally Heather broke the silence. "It will only be a week or two. I know. But this is the hardest goodbye I've ever had. Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Have fun."

Gregg didn't expect that. He thought she'd say something like, "call me" or "don't forget to write." But "have fun?" He pulled back from her to look into her face, trying to see if there was a joke he missed. "What do you mean?"

"You're too serious. This has been the greatest week of my life, and I know it's been the same for you. You're an amazing man, don't forget that. I have you in here now," she said pointing to her heart. "No matter what, there are some bonds that can't be broken."

Gregg still looked at her blankly. She had to admit to herself, her words were coming out more obtuse than she had practiced. "Look, I said it much better in my note. When you get back to camp, just read it. I have to go now. The cab is waiting."

Gregg took a deep breath and was about to say something when Heather put her fingers to his lips, halting his comment. "Shh. No. Don't say anything. I think I know what you're going to say. But I'm not ready to hear it. Not yet." Gregg's face looked so young, so innocent. Like a little boy. A pang went through her heart as she was once again reminded of the nightmare. She was glad they had gotten so little sleep last night. It kept her from having to see ... she couldn't complete the thought.

In truth, Gregg hadn't thought beyond saying Heather's name, hoping something sweet and sentimental would come out. Her interruption saved him from stumbling over clichéd romantic phrases whose only relationship to him were the few movies he'd seen.

Heather stood on tip-toes and kissed Gregg one last time. She walked down the driveway to the cab and gave Emily another hug. The two of them spoke a few brief sentences and then she was gone.

Emily walked back up to Gregg and putting on her best brave smile said, "C'mon gloom-boy. Walk me to work and buy me breakfast."

Gregg and Chad were busy at work at the camp site. Today they would not be getting help from any of their attractive assistants. Jenny had school and Emily had to work. Even so, Chad proved to be an admirable companion. His jovial manner and high spirits kept most of the sadness away from Gregg. They worked, they talked, they ate. Nothing terribly exciting. And even though it was just the two of them, Gregg found that they naturally synced to each other's rhythm and they got more done together than they had with everyone else around trying to help.

Chad was very curious, asking questions the entire time they worked. Gregg was pretty sure there wasn't a moment's silence that entire first day. By evening, Gregg felt like he had discussed most of the topics he planned for his introduction to anthropology course. All doubts about whether Chad was kidding when he mentioned History as a possible major were dissolved. He really seemed serious. As they sat around a small campfire that first night, both engrossed in their books, Gregg was amazed to see that Chad had finished more than half that text book. It was all the more incredible because even Gregg thought it was a dry read.

After dinner, Jenny came by the camp. She gave a brief hello to Gregg and a half-hidden admiring glance before she and Chad went into his camper. Sitting alone beside the fire, his book his only companion, Gregg became acutely aware of how alone he was. It never used to bother him. There were always more books to read or more texts to translate. But now, for the first time in his life, he was painfully aware of how much he missed his human companions.

It was that thought that led him to enter Heather's camper. It was empty now, but he could still smell her lingering scent. He looked around and was surprised to see a package sitting on the middle of her now stripped bed. "Gregg" was written in flowing script across the envelope. He had completely forgotten that Heather mentioned something about a note. He opened it up and pulled out the folded notebook paper.

Dearest Gregg,

I'm guessing you're sitting there, missing me as much as I miss you. If not, then you and I need to have a talk! Just kidding. But seriously, there are some things I need to say to you and I know I this is the only way I can do it.

I could have left for Paris later and helped you and Chad clean up the dig, but I really needed get away. It's not bad. If anything, it's too good. I have feelings for you I never felt for anybody, at least not this strong. A few days in Paris will help me catch my breath. I hope you understand and aren't upset.

I know it's rude of me to run away and then give you instructions, but that's what I'm doing. First, put down this note and open the gift I left for you (if you haven't already).

Gregg put down the note and did as she asked. He suppressed both a laugh and a tear as he opened the paper and pulled out a pair of swimming trunks.

I hope you like them. Do me a favor, even if you can't swim, just get your feet wet. You may find you like it. Believe me, no book can fully describe the feeling of wet sand between your toes.

Second, don't be shy around Emily. She's a sweet kid and knows more than you'll probably give her credit for. She knows how I feel about you and I know how she feels about you. Just have fun. There's no jealousy between us.

Third, and this is the most difficult instruction. I want you to have sex with at least one other woman before I see you again stateside. You must think I'm nuts asking this, but I've given it a lot of thought. You must do this for me if your feelings for me are as strong as mine are for you. The days will pass quickly, and soon we'll see each other again. Remember what I said.

Have fun.

Heather

Gregg's blood ran cold in his veins. He didn't understand her request. Well, he understood what the words meant, he just didn't understand how she could request such a thing. His brain turned the words of her letter over and over, but he couldn't understand. If she felt the same about him as he did about her, why would she deliberately ask him to sleep with another woman? Was she trying to dump him? Gregg's fevered contemplation was interrupted by the sound of repeated squeaking coming through the open door of the camper. He looked out and across the firepit he saw Chad's camper rocking.

Sighing to himself, feeling confused and alone, he put the note on the table and stripped naked there in Heather's trailer and put on the trunks. He walked down to the beach and stood in the surf. Heather was right, the feeling of the squishy sand between his toes was indescribable. For the next hour, he just stood there, watching his shadow grow longer in the water during those calm moments between small crashing waves. Stooping to grab a handful of the sand-muck at his feet, he played with it, tightening his fist and watching it all ooze from between his fingers. The harder he tried to hold onto it, the quicker it escaped his grasp to return to the surf.

He lost himself in the rhythm of the sea.

It was almost dark when Gregg returned to the camp fire. He had expected the fire to have gone down, but he saw that Chad and Jenny had emerged from his camper to enjoy the night air. Each had an empty bottle of beer by their side and they were chatting idly while Chad stoked the fire with a poker. Jenny stopped whatever she was saying in mid-sentence to watch Gregg approach. She thought he was cute when she saw him at the café, but seeing him in only trunks left her speechless. Gregg was in incredible shape and his wet swimsuit was clinging in all the right places. Chad was no slouch, but his teacher was a real eye-popper.

Gregg was embarrassed by the way Jenny was so openly gawking at him. He especially felt bad for Chad. He hadn't intended make such a dramatic entrance, but he had left his camper keys with his clothes on the floor of Heather's camper. He wouldn't have ventured into the sea up to his waist if he knew the wet fabric would end up adhering itself to his skin.

"Oh, hey EP." Going by Chad's informal greeting, Gregg guessed that his student either didn't notice Jenny's reaction, or thought nothing of it. "EP" was something he had taken to calling him sometime that very afternoon. EP or "El Professor" was the first nickname that Gregg ever had that wasn't given in mockery or spite. All his life he had been teased and taunted by older kids who were made to look stupid next to this child prodigy in class with them. To have gotten a nickname from someone he was beginning to consider a friend was almost akin to wearing a badge of honor. "How's the sea?"

"Oh ... uh ... wet, I guess." Gregg wanted to wax poetic or philosophic about the sea, the sand, and the surf, but he held his tongue. Despite Heather and Emily's affections, Gregg was still pretty shy. Their presence calmed him and he wished either of them was there with him ... for more than one reason. Just the thought of them started things growing and with his bathing suit clinging to him like a second skin, he made a hasty retreat into Heather's cabin before he showed off too much. 'Too late, ' he thought as he saw where Jenny's wide-open eyes had landed.

Jumping into the camper he watched through a break in the blinds as Jenny grabbed Chad's hand and hauled him up into the other camper. Only a moment later it started rocking again.

Gregg peeled off the swimsuit and decided to take a shower before putting his clothing back on. He brought the suit in with him to wash the sea salt off it. It was only when he got out of the shower that he realized that he didn't have a towel. His towels were across camp. Sighing to himself, he forced as much water off his body as he could with his hands and exited the bathroom naked. He sat in what served as the living room on one of the plastic bench-seats and waited for his skin to dry. The cool night air caressing his damp skin in the dark camper was actually quite relaxing. While waiting, he pulled Heather's note from the envelope again, holding it by the corners and trying to use only his fingernails so as to not get the paper wet.

He still couldn't figure out how Heather could ask what she asked ... well, demanded actually. In normal relationships, boys and girls were supposed to be jealous of each other. In normal relationships, true love always brought a man and a woman together — two hearts beating as one, and other such romantic drivel. He knew how strong his feelings were, but nothing about his relationship with Heather could be described as normal. After all, his relationship with Heather began with Emily. In fact, Emily had had sex with both him and Heather individually before he and Heather ever ended up together.

Gregg put the letter down again, and rubbed his eyes. Trying to figure out the woman's mind was impossible — the trick, as he affectionately called his mind-reading ability, was useless with her so far away. Pulling the chord that opened the blinds, Gregg watched the camper across the firepit bounce on its axles.

He felt incredibly frustrated that what he wanted now was unavailable to him. Heather was gone and Emily was at work. She'd be off her shift soon, but her father was coming home tomorrow, and she said she needed to get the house clean. After he dropped her off at work, he offered to come by that night and help, but Emily reluctantly said no, saying that with him there, cleaning just wouldn't happen.

The knowledge of what was going on across the camp and his thoughts about Heather and Emily had awoken the sleeping giant. He was still wet, and felt trapped. He had no books to distract his mind from his growing lust, and despite his best efforts, his baser instincts exerted control. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he closed his eyes and felt his consciousness stretch over to the other camper. He wanted to see what was going on in Jenny's mind, but he just couldn't get a grasp on her thoughts. He was stretched to his limit, and just couldn't get a grip. If his thoughts had any substance, he was sure he'd be able to touch her, but his consciousness was stretched so thin, it had no strength. He was going to pull back and just get dressed, regardless of his still being wet and horny when as a last shot, he looking for Chad. Surprisingly, his mind connected without effort.

Gregg was immediately flooded with the pleasurable sensation of Jenny bouncing up and down on his cock. But it wasn't his cock. He looked down and realized he was watching, feeling, through Chad's body. Gregg opened his eyes wider, well, Chad's eyes, that is, and took in the sight. Jenny's curly blonde locks bounced on her head in time with the rest of her body. Her small, pixyish body was covered in a thin film of sweat. Gregg admired her almost child-like body, boyish if not for her narrow waist, flared hips, and assuredly feminine facial features. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed her ride. Gregg looked down at their joined bodies as was impressed at what Chad had to work with. Before his own transformation, he would have said Chad's equipment was considerably larger than his own. Now, he suppressed a bit of gloating.

Gregg could feel Chad's excitement rising and knew that the end was coming. To help hold that moment off a little longer, and to alleviate his growing concern that maybe Jenny was too young, Gregg planted some thoughts into Chad's head.

"How old did you say you were?" Chad asked, his hands running over her perky tits.

Jenny opened her eyes in surprise, her rhythm breaking. Chad was one of the better lays she'd had recently. What she liked about him, beside his physical assets was that he didn't talk. He was always content to let her stay on top and run things her way. "Eighteen. I already told you that. I was held back a year — first grade." Jenny began bouncing again, getting back into her rhythm.

"So, you coming back to the states soon?"

Again, Jenny's rhythm was broken. Her pleasure had been cresting and Chad's question had again thrown her off. "Listen Chad, are we going to fuck or going to chat?"

Chad stared at her in shock. He hadn't intended to ask these questions. He already knew the answers. He and Jenny had already discussed this. Their relationship, if it could be called that, was simple. He was leaving in a few days and as often as she could, she intended to make use of him. Chad had no objections to the arrangement. "Sorry, I'll shut up now." He resolved to himself not to say another word, at least until he got his rocks off again.

Gregg was torn between excitement and laughter. He was considering interrupting again, but he couldn't do that to his new friend. Instead he relaxed and just enjoyed the fuck remotely through his friend. He'd pick his brain later to find out more about Jenny. Maybe Jenny could be the one — the one to satisfy Heather's condition. He just wasn't sure how he'd get her alone. It was a secondary thought that he probably couldn't do that to his friend.

Jenny bounced with increased vigor on Chad's cock. His annoying interruptions had at least prolonged his third cum for the evening. She was ready to go home earlier when the professor had returned. She had one look at Gregg's amazingly sculpted body and she knew she had to get at least one more round out of Chad before heading back to the base. As if thoughts of Gregg were the whip driving the chariot, her orgasm exploded around Chad's pistoning cock. Mere moments later, she felt him stab deeply into her and fire off a weak, third cum. There would be no fourth round tonight, but for now, she was sated.

Gregg pulled back his consciousness, feeling surprisingly content with himself. He thought for sure that watching and feeling Chad fuck that little slip of a girl should have had him wound up. Looking down he saw why he wasn't horny anymore. His limp cock sagged in his tight fist and his warm cum was running down his chest. So lost was he in his long-distance fuck that he didn't even realize his body was taking matters into hand ... literally.

He quickly grabbed his boxers off the floor and wiped himself down. He thought about jumping in the shower again, but decided he didn't want to be around trying to explain what he was still doing in Heather's camper if they came out. He threw on his pants sans-briefs, grabbed the rest of his clothes and Heather's letter, quietly locked up Heather's camper, and ran across camp take another shower before getting some sleep.

The next three days were basically more of the same, minus the voyeurism. Chad and Gregg made amazingly good time getting everything packed up. They worked hard during the day and rewarded themselves by heading over to Omar's for dinner. His food selection wasn't great, but he was more than happy to send his son to any of the other local eateries to pick up food ... for a small fee that is.

Gregg and Chad would check their email, eat their food, and head back to camp. Each night he traded emails with Heather and Emily who both managed to find time during the days to write. Heather wrote first thing in the morning from the hotel to tell about all the amazing sights she'd seen the previous day. She admitted that she wished she was a better French student during high school, but contrary to the stereotype, she had no problem getting French men to guide her through the city.

Emily also seemed to find time at work every day to write and respond to emails. Besides writing at length about how increasingly bored she was, she also complained about the little amount of time her father, just returned from Morocco, was spending with her. Gregg was also building a growing collection of erotic letters and stories from Emily — some she had written herself, some she'd found on the internet. Some were so explicit that he saved them to disk to read later because he didn't want to try hiding the inevitable erection he'd end up with. He also saw that Heather was CC'd on Emily's explicit recollections of their time together.

Every night, Jenny would meet them at Omar's, usually already on a computer herself, and head back to camp with them for a quick romp with Chad before returning back to the base. Gregg had picked up the gist of Jenny's story from Chad's memories of conversations he'd had with her. From what Gregg knew of what Chad knew of her, Gregg was sure she'd be receptive to any advance he made ... but he just couldn't get Chad out of his mind. It's not like he could just ask Chad, "Hey man, you mind if I fuck your girlfriend?" Even though he was sure Jenny would cringe at that title, it didn't feel like the kind of question he could ask.

He was going to email Heather that he just couldn't do it, when an email from Emily stopped him.

Gregg,

I'm guessing you haven't followed Heather's instructions yet. If you did, then I'm sure one of these nights you would have been to "busy" to be emailing me! I know we've only know each other a bit more than a week, but I think I've got you pretty well figured out.

I'm also guessing you've got your jaw hanging open, surprised that I know what is in that letter. Well, close your mouth before you drool on the keyboard. I'm not the only one who knows you — Heather knows you pretty well too. In fact, she knows you well enough to have bet that you wouldn't follow-through on her instructions. So she asked me to "look after you."

I've already made all the arrangements. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch at the dig and I'll tell you all about it.

In the meantime, I've been thinking about that day in the hydrotherapy room...

Emily's email went on at some length recounting their time together in the lower floors of the hospital. However, this time it took a spin into fantasy as she imagined one of the therapists, someone she referred to as "Jean Claude" walked in on them. Needless to say, Emily's treatise on what she could do with two men at once was quite enlightening. It is also needless to say that Gregg didn't get much sleep that night — his mind tumbling from excitement over seeing Emily to concern that Heather told Emily about her wish, to wonder about what "arrangements" she'd made.

"Oh God, yeah, that's it!" Emily moaned. She was lying on her back on the floor of Gregg's camper, his cock pistoning in and out of her tight cunt. He labored between her legs, pounding furiously, desperately trying to hold off his excitement as long as possible.

She had arrived at the camp site shortly before noon with a bag of food from the hospital cafeteria. If Gregg hadn't been so excited to see her, he may have been embarrassed by the huge grin on Chad's face when she dropped off the sandwiches, grabbed Gregg's hand and practically dragged him back to his camper, hurriedly shouting something about needing a book she may have left there. Mere seconds later, she had shucked her and Gregg's clothing and pulled him down to the floor. No preliminaries were needed, nor any taken.

"Fuck! Fuck! Ahhh!!" Emily screamed in orgasm as Gregg unleashed a torrent of pent-up cum into her sopping pussy. It was a quick fuck, but satisfying. In the past few days she had been masturbating every chance she had. At home she'd go to her room and turn up the music. At work, she'd sneak to the bathroom and bite her arm to keep from screaming. It probably didn't help that she'd spend her free time on the computer reading and writing ever-more explicit stories to share with Gregg, Heather, and now even Jenny. To her surprise, Jenny recommended various web sites she thought she should have her stories posted.

Gregg rolled off her, laying beside her, panting for breath. She was sure that if she had the time, she could get another round out of his still stiff cock. But she only had so much time in which she could sneak away from the hospital.

"I missed you too," she said breathlessly.

Gregg didn't have any words, but he smiled at her also gasping for breath and held her hand in his.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"I don't know. You're the one with the plan, remember?" Saying this, he suddenly remembered that her plan involved his fulfilling Heather's wish. His wilting cock conveyed his worry to Emily.

"Hey, what's with the droop, you poop?"

"I ... well ... I don't get it."

"What's not to get?"

"Why does Heather want me to ... you know? And why did she enlist you to make sure I ... I..."

"Fucked another girl? Geez Gregg, most guys would be thrilled that their girlfriend wanted them to play the field. As for why she asked me, well, she knew I'd make sure you did the right thing. It's a good thing too, because you haven't yet told me you've already taken care of business. Don't you know a man's wet-dream when it smacks you in the face?"

Emily's intention was to break Gregg's seriousness, but it had the opposite effect. He sat up, found his boxers, put them on, and sat on the floor with his back against the bench. "I just can't figure out the 'why'! If she feels about me the same way I feel about her, why would she want me to have sex with another woman?"

Emily knelt between his legs and rested her elbows on his bent knees. "You're asking me this AFTER you practically pound me through the floorboards?"

Her second attempt at humor was completely lost on him. He dropped his head in his hands. "Jesus Christ, you're right! What the hell is wrong with me?! I'm not only a lecher, I'm a hypocrite!"

Gregg's moment of self-pity was abruptly ended with Emily smacking him loudly and painfully on top of his head. "I'll tell you what the hell's wrong with you, you dolt! She's crazy in love with you. And you're crazy in love with her!"

Gregg just stared at her questioningly, gingerly massaging the top of his still stinging head. "Huh?"

Emily looked exasperated. "You were a virgin the day we met, right?"

"Uh ... yeah. So what?"

"One day you're a virgin and two days later you're having a three-some. You're having sex porn-stars would be envious of. Heather wants you to have sex with someone else because she wants to make sure that what she knows you feel for her is not just some carry-over of your newly-unleashed sexual appetite. She wants to know that you can go out there, have wild, crazy sex with another woman, and still come home to her."

Gregg still wasn't quite getting it. It wasn't logical, but he didn't want another slap on the head. It all seemed backward.

Emily could see the confusion and the unasked questions written plain as day on his face. "You know Heather wasn't a virgin when you two did it, right?"

"Yeah, I guessed that."

"Well, she's got some pretty mature tastes, if you know what I mean." She could see by his expression that he didn't, but she continued. "She needs to know that sex isn't the only thing your relationship is based on. She needs to know that you can go out there and fuck another woman and still want to come home to her. She needs to know that you'd expect the same from her."

"She wants to have sex with someone else?" His heart dropped.

"She already has! Me!" Emily paused, trying to maintain her composure. "You probably don't know this, but that night at the party, Heather and I had sex while everyone was changing into their swimsuits."

He already knew that, but there was no way to explain how without giving away his secret. Judging by his numb-looking reaction, Emily thought he was just in shock. Heather had apparently not given indication that she'd told him.

"You see? Heather has needs and desires just as you do. You may only now just be realizing them. She-"

"But you and I had sex before you even met Heather!"

"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt?" Emily saw that this conversation wasn't going anywhere. She barely understood the logic herself. She didn't understand the logic, but she understood Heather's heart. She promised Heather she'd see this through, and she would. She leaned forward and kissed Gregg as tenderly as she knew how. He rested his palm on her cheek as their tongues explored each other's mouths. Emily broke the kiss, intending to try a new angle of attack. But Gregg spoke first.

"I still don't get it, Emily. I don't get it, but I trust you. And I trust Heather. And if you say she's not off her rocker, then I guess ... I guess I'll just HAVE to have sex with another woman."

Emily burst into laughter, so uncontrollable that she fell backwards onto the floor. Gregg thought about what he had just said and soon he was on the floor joining her, laughing so hard he couldn't see through the tears in his eyes.

When they finally caught their breaths, Emily saw the clock and hurriedly started getting dressed. As she put her clothes back on, she gave him his instructions.

"I convinced Daddy to get me one of the suites over at the Marriott for tomorrow night. It wasn't that hard, and it's a win-win situation for both of us. He gets the house for his own amusements, and I get to use his expense account. I told him that I wanted a mini-slumber party with some of my girlfriends. All you need to do is show up for dinner at 6:30 tomorrow night. Wear something nice ... but not too complicated."

And as quickly as she entered, she departed. Gregg wondered with some worry what he had gotten himself into. Were all women able to twist a man so thoroughly? Or was he just lucky enough to get cursed by two such amazing beauties? It was only after she left and he was putting his pants on that he remembered that he could have used his trick to get some idea what was in store for him.

His stomach rumbled and he hoped that Chad had left him at least one sandwich...

At 4pm the next day, Gregg was overseeing the loading of the crates onto a moving truck. He couldn't believe how fast he and Chad had managed to work. But all the work was done. He now only had to make arrangements to make sure everything got through customs and hand over the keys to the dig's fence and trailers when he left. That was a mere formality, but bureaucracies tended to slow the process down. He hoped the government didn't renege on their deal to not touch the site until the end of summer. By then, he would hopefully have figured out how to keep it open. He hoped the answers to what had happened to him were buried somewhere here under the sand and mud. As much as he wanted answers, he wanted to return to Chicago. In truth though, it wasn't the city he was interested in seeing...

While he and Chad finished loading the crates and double checking that all that what was on the truck was checked off on the manifest, Jenny showed up. She looked comfortable in a denim skirt that was just short of knee-length, a red button-down sleeveless blouse with the bottom buttons open to show off her bellybutton, and sandals. Gregg guessed that his concerns over what the local men would think of her exposed flesh were not shared by her.

"So boys, you ready for tonight's party?"

Gregg looked up at her in surprise. Emily invited Jenny? Was this the "arrangement" she had made? Until that very moment, his only guess as to what the "arrangement" was involved Emily getting him a prostitute ... which really didn't excite him. Besides, he couldn't imagine Emily doing something like that.