Five

THE NEXT WEEK was just as tough as the previous week was, but Melody and I managed some quality time where we actually talked to each other instead of trying to devour each other. And we got some of the other kind of quality time, too, though not anywhere near what we wanted. Midterms were in two weeks and the profs were really loading on the work. It seemed like we had to cover twice as much in art history in half the time. There were midterm papers due soon for four classes.

Lissa asked us to spend the next weekend with her and I just had to ask Melody about the kiss. It was so hot and it kept replaying in my mind.

“So, what kind of experience did you have before you gave me your virginity?” Melody asked.

“Five fingers and a little groping on a hot date,” I answered truthfully.

“Yeah. Pretty much me too, though I’d had a little girl-girl action. Just like kissing and touching stuff. I’ve always known I was equally attracted to men and women. I hope you don’t find that offensive. Don’t you wonder what other experiences are out there? Don’t get me wrong. I love sex with you. I think I love you, but don’t hold me to that yet. The thing is, I ... we don’t know beans about ninety percent of sex.”

“If what we’ve got is only ten percent, I’m sure the rest would kill me!”

“It’d be fun to try, though, wouldn’t it? You see ... oh geez ... that kiss with Lissa? It wasn’t the first time.”

“The first time you kissed a girl?”

“The first time I kissed Lissa. When I first thought about seducing you, I considered inviting Sandra or Amy to help, but I don’t trust them exactly. With Lissa? Can you trust her?” I raised an eyebrow, a little worried. “Don’t panic. She’s missing some vital equipment. But still ... can’t you just imagine us all together?”

I couldn’t deny that the idea of anything with Lissa turned me on. I’d probably had more fantasies about her than anyone I’d met in the past year, and when you tossed Melody into the mix, the possibilities seemed endless.

“I’ve thought about the two of you together in the spa a few times,” I admitted. “Are you seriously suggesting ... Like the three of us? You think she’d... ? Really? You’d be cool with that?”

“She invited us to her house this weekend. She says the kids will be with their dad and we could come and ... I think she said, ‘sketch to our hearts’ content’, if I remember the exact words. Did you think she meant landscapes?”

“I thought maybe she was just giving us a chance to be together.”

“She is. All three of us.”

Friday was a tough day for Lissa. She was an experienced runway model, but posing without moving is hard work. Every student in the class got to pose her and do a fifteen-minute sketch. She got a fifteen-minute break every hour. That meant she worked from 9:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon with only a slightly longer break for lunch. Melody and I had the last two timeslots on the schedule and Lissa sighed when I moved my easel to the center spot. All the other students except Melody had left. Even Professor McIntyre had left and told me to turn out the lights when we were through. Normal rules say that a model has to put on her robe during breaks, but as we were setting up, Lissa just stood there looking at us. I guess I was looking at her, too.

“Why don’t you two do your sketches at my place?” she asked. “There’s really no reason for us to stay here any longer, is there?” Melody nodded and we grabbed our easels and equipment while Lissa dressed. “My car is at the loading dock,” Lissa said. “They gave me a special permit for the day.” When we got downstairs, the car was the same burgundy Mazda SUV that Melody had driven two weeks ago. Lissa unlocked it and as we loaded our gear. I shot a quizzical look at Melody.

“Whose house did you think we were at?” she asked.

“I didn’t know. I thought it was just a friend of yours.”

“Yeah, well, it is.”

Lissa’s house was just as I remembered it. In fact, our props were still set up in the lower level. We set up our easels, lights, drapes, and paints.

“Guys, do you mind if we don’t start working right away?” Lissa asked. She’d watched the setup, but she definitely looked tired. “That was a long day and I could really use a nice long soak and a glass of wine. Want to join me?”

“Where? I didn’t know you had a hot tub.”

“Jacuzzi in the master bath. I take it you two never made it to that room when you were here.”

“Never even occurred to us,” Melody said. “We were kind of occupied.”

We went to the kitchen and Lissa handed me a bottle of white wine and a corkscrew. I looked at them and decided I could figure it out. I’d never opened a bottle of wine that had a cork. She handed Melody a tray of cheese and crackers that was already on the counter to warm up to room temperature and then reached for a bowl of grapes. She turned to me.

“Are we going to need all of these for your sketch?”

“Um ... no. Just one medium bunch.” I reached over and used the kitchen scissors on the counter to cut a section apart from the rest and Lissa put it on a plate in the fridge. She brought the rest with her as she led us to her bedroom.

I was raised to respect people’s privacy, so it really hadn’t occurred to me to open the door to the master bedroom when we’d visited two weeks ago. If I had, I’d have realized right away that it was Lissa’s house. There were pictures of her and her kids all over the room. It was such a complete difference from the rest of the house that was sparsely decorated with art pieces and modern furniture. This looked like a Victorian bedroom and sitting room. It even had a fireplace in one corner and a huge high bed that dominated the main room.

“I pretty much live in the master suite,” Lissa said. “The boys love to play all over the house, but when they go away for the weekend, everything goes back into their room and the rest of the house is just for show.”