Chapter 3

Les walked into the lobby of Donna's dormitory. He pulled out his cell and keyed a message. Im here

B rite down was the reply.

He watched the door to the residence wing and saw her approach. She was wearing a short-sleeved top and a pale blue skirt that came just above her knees.

From his backpack Les removed a large, three-ring binder. "This is my DVD collection," he said, opening the binder and turning plastic leaves with pockets for discs.

"You don't keep the cases?" she asked.

"Oh, I do ... they're in a box back home. This is a lot more compact." He turned pages. "Here's Dune, part one."

"Help me push this sofa," Donna said. They positioned the sofa before the screen.

"The place is deserted," Les remarked. "I would've thought it would be busy on a Friday night."

"Most people have other things to do on a Friday night," Donna replied. "At least, this time on a Friday night."

"Yeah, it is a little early."

"We have this from seven to nine."

Les manipulated a remote control to turn on the screen and the player. He inserted the disc and the film began playing.

Donna sat beside him. He slipped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned against him. She reached for his free hand and caressed his forearm. "This does look interesting," she remarked.

"It's not bad. I don't care for the Flash Gordon costumes. Most of the characters are dead on, though ... Paul, Jessica, Gurney, Duncan ... William Hurt is mis-cast as Duke Leto, in my opinion. He gets whacked pretty early on. I think this Baron is much better than the one in Lynch's film, also Feyd is pretty good. On the downside, Thufir and Yueh aren't as good as the Lynch casting ... and, neither is Piter. Julie Cox is good as Irulan and she has a much bigger role..."

"Les -- I'm trying to watch."

"Sorry. I'll shut up."

The film finished and Les ejected the disc. "Well," he said, "our allotted time is up. We'll need to relinquish the equipment to the next one in line." He slipped the disc into its pocket and the binder into his courier bag.

"I'm finished with Dune Messiah," she said. "It's upstairs. Would you like to see my room?"

"Sure."

Donna led Les to the elevator and to the fifth floor. She approached a door labeled 527-ABC. "This is my suite," she said.

"Yours is 527 and mine is 257," he remarked.

"Yeah ... I hadn't noticed." She unlocked the door. Inside was an open room with a sofa, a table and some chairs. "This is the common lounge," she explained. "Over there is the bathroom."

"You have a little kitchen?"

"With a fridge and microwave," she replied, "but no stove. The suites sleep six."

"It's sort of the same concept as our suites -- ours sleep four."

"Sort of ... This is my bedroom." She opened a door marked B and they stepped inside.

One side of the room was a shambles and the other side neat and orderly. "That side belongs to my roommate Radka," Donna said, gesturing.

"It's impressive," Les remarked. "It looks like her wardrobe exploded."

"Radka is a messy girl. So long as she confines it to her side of the room we're okay." She opened a cabinet. "Here's your book."

Les stuffed it into his courier bag. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Very much. One thing I didn't quite understand. Why did Paul go blind when the twins were born?"

"He had been blinded by the stone-burner," Les replied. "But he had consumed so much spice that his prescience was enhanced to the point that he had seen all of the future before hand in his visions ... up to the birth, that is. He was living out his prescience and it was so vivid it was as if he could physically see it. When it turned out that Chani was carrying twins ... well, that part he hadn't perceived, and it cast doubt into everything after their birth."

She nodded. "Hence the darkness. It makes sense, now."

"I didn't quite pick up on that part myself until I re-read the book," he admitted.

"Now I need to read the next volume."

"Children of Dune?"

"Do you have a copy?"

"I do," he replied, "but it's at home. I can ask my mom to put it into one of her care packages. Or, you can probably find it at one of the libraries."

"If you don't mind I'd like to borrow yours. I like knowing I'm reading the same one you read."

"Not a problem." Les looked around the room.

Donna approached him until they were nearly touching. Instinctively, Les stepped back. She stepped forward and he retreated until his back was against the door. "Les -- is it a platonic friendship you want?"

"Uhh ... No ... not necessarily..."

"I was beginning to think it was. After all, we've been on half a dozen dates and you haven't tried to kiss me yet."

"I ... I ... lack confidence in that area ... never sure when something like that would be welcome..."

"How do you know if you don't try?"

"I guess I have a Fremen mentality about it -- better to miss an opportunity than to court disaster."

"Dune is a fountain of useful quotes, isn't it?"

"I guess it is ... I didn't want to do anything to damage our relationship, Donna."

"Did you ever consider that NOT doing something might damage a relationship?"

"I guess I hadn't..." Les looked deeply into her brown eyes. He leaned toward her and kissed her lips.

"That didn't hurt, did it?"

"Not at all."

He closed his eyes and kissed her lips again. This time she cradled his head in her hands and ran her fingers through his sandy hair. They kissed a third time.

Donna caressed his face. "So, do you think our relationship will survive?"

"I think it will."

She led him to her bed. He sat on it and held her on his lap. They kissed more, each one longer and more passionate the last; and each of their tongues taking turns exploring the other's mouth.

"You said you lacked confidence," she said. "You don't lack skill. You're a good kisser, Les." They kissed more. "You know..." she said sweetly, "I'm on the pill. And, Radka won't be back 'til late Sunday."

Comprehension of what she was suggesting washed over him and his heart began to pound. "Is she away much?"

"No. This is the first time this term. Otherwise she's always here. She's ALWAYS here, Les, and she drives me nuts."

"Did you have this planned all along?" he asked.

"No ... not, really ... When we were downstairs watching the video I felt so close and connected with you. I need to feel that and I wanted to feel more of it. It was more spontaneous than planned."

He stroked her cheek. "Donna ... You ... I..." He drew in a breath. "You see ... I've never done this before."

"Are you telling me you're a virgin?"

"I'm not totally clueless ... but ... technically, yes."

"Technically? Either you are or you're not."

"I had a girlfriend in high school. We did a lot of fooling around."

"Fooling around?"

"Making out ... experimenting with and learning about each other's bodies."

"But, never all the way?"

"Right."

"Was that your call or hers?"

"It was a joint decision. Her parents were devout and conservative Catholics. There was no way they'd take her to a clinic for a prescription ... and if she went on her own and they found out, she'd have the wrath of God and Satan, too on her head."

"There are other methods besides the pill."

"I know ... We both knew we weren't ready for it. She was fifteen and I was sixteen. We both were unprepared for the risks or responsibilities of a pregnancy. And, we both knew if she did get pregnant, an abortion would have been absolutely out of the question."

"What happened to her?"

"She moved away. I kind of lost track of her."

"I admire your sense of responsibility," Donna remarked.

"I thank my dad for that. I told you I had two brothers, both older than me. He had the same talk with all of us. He told us he raised us to be real men, and a real man protects his woman."

"Then, I guess the world needs more real men," she replied. Donna gazed into his gray-blue eyes. "You said you weren't ready for it then. Are you ready for it now?"

"I am."

"You're sure?"

"I am certain."

"Actually, I like it this way," she said. "I like knowing I'm your first ... whether it's on a technicality or otherwise. I'll admit I'm not overly experienced myself. There's only been one other man."

"Was he the one who hurt you?"

Donna nodded. "Yes he was."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Not tonight. After that, I vowed never to get involved unless it was with the right guy."

"Do you think I'm the right one?"

She shook her head. "I know you are." They kissed again and Les ran his hand along her thigh, caressing her smooth, cool skin. "I'm falling in love with you, Les."

"And I am with you."

"I'm a realist. I know the odds of this lasting are less than fifty-fifty. I don't know where we're headed ... but I'm willing to find out."

"So am I," he replied.

"Before things go to far ... I doubt anyone would barge in here but just to be on the safe side..." Donna stepped to Radka's side of the room and began shifting the clutter with her toe. "She has to have one somewhere ... Ah!"

Donna picked up an elastic hair scrunchie. She opened her door and slipped it over the outside knob.

"That must be the female equivalent of a necktie on the doorknob," Les remarked. "Don't your doors have bolts?"

"Only on the door to the corridor." Donna closed the door and faced him. She grasped the hem of her tee shirt and lifted it over her head, revealing a black bra underneath. Setting her tee shirt on a chair she returned to sitting on his lap.

She began unbuttoning his shirt, pushed it open and smoothed her hand along his chest. Les let his shirt fall off his shoulders and she caressed his arms. "All that walking is keeping you lean," she remarked. "Mmm ... I like..."

Les traced his finger along her bra. Then, he stroked her again, this time sliding his finger under the fabric. He encountered her nipple and Donna let out a soft grunt.

He embraced her and they kissed. Les ran his hand along the back strap of her bra looking for the clasp. "I was never good at unhooking a bra," he said. "This one is totally stymieing me."

"It closes in front." Donna grasped a button between the cups, gave it a half twist and the garment split in half. Les eased it from her shoulders and gazed on Donna's full, round, C-cup sized breasts. She had large, pinkish-brown areolas and thick nipples.

"They're gorgeous ... you're gorgeous," he said. "You have a terrific body, Donna." He ran his finger across her nipples. Donna closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Feels nice," she said. Les continued stimulating her nipples, alternating from left to right. "I think I want to lie down."

Les helped her out of her shoes and socks. Donna stood, unfastened her skirt, let it fall to the floor and stepped from it. Underneath she wore a pair of black briefs.

She lay on her bed. Les stripped off his shoes and jeans and knelt near her. He caressed her breasts and abdomen, now and then pinching and rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

"How do you like it?" he asked.

"I like ... feels good..."

"I mean ... Do you like it fast or slow? Rough or gentle?"

Donna smiled. "I like it tender with lots of kissing. Right now your touch is perfect ... just the right amount of anticipation."

"Anticipation is good."

"Don't forget about the kissing part."

Les leaned toward her and they kissed. He covered her face and chest with kisses. Then, he kissed her nipple, drew it into his mouth and tongued it.

He switched sides and mouthed her right nipple while fondling her left, still wet and slick with his saliva. Donna held his head against her breast and her breathing became heavy with soft moans on each exhale.

Les turned his attention to her legs. They were full but shapely and smooth. He ran his hand along her thigh from her knee upward. When he reached her mons he began exploring its shape through the fabric of her briefs. He caressed her labia and could feel the firm lump of her engorged clitoral shaft between them. Donna's legs and belly jerked as he caressed it. "Too intense?" he asked.

"Intense but not too intense," she replied.

He continued caressing her vulva through her briefs. "You're making quite a wet spot," he remarked.