Chapter 9

I showered early and left Paul still waking up to have breakfast with Karen. She was waiting just outside the door of the cafeteria. We kissed and went inside. We grabbed breakfast stuff. I grabbed a couple of sausage biscuits and fruit to go with my coffee. Karen grabbed fruit and coffee. As it happens, neither of us are great fans of orange juice.

We sat down across from each other. We held hands while Karen prayed giving thanks for a good night’s sleep and a good, safe trip as well as the food. After we said, amen, we began to eat. I said, “What did Melissa have to say to you last night?”

“First, she wanted to know how our trip went. She was concerned about you meeting my parents. I told her that you were just your wonderful self and they are overjoyed and thrilled for our happiness.

“Second, she wanted my advice. She really likes Paul and doesn’t know how to approach the situation. They have been sexually active since late Saturday night. Yesterday afternoon, they went to your room and got it on hot and heavy until supper. They ate in the cafeteria and stayed there talking for hours until the cleaning crew chased them out. They went back to your room and talked more eventually having sex before parting. Melissa says that last time was the most amazing sex she had ever had though it wasn’t the most energetic.

“She wants me to tell her what to do to hang on to Paul. How did I get to be an expert on guys, Lover? Brad, she’s scared. I’ve never seen Melissa scared.”

I said, “That’s pretty much the conversation I had with Paul. They got the sexual cart in front of the loving horse.” We chuckled together at that picture. “Their problem is they went to supper and stayed together too long talking. They got to know each other as people with feelings and value rather than as just sexual beings. At least, that’s my opinion.” I ate a couple of bites of sausage biscuit and had a drink of my coffee. “Now, they are faced with the possibility of and even a desire for a relationship. I don’t think either of them have had a relationship with the opposite sex other than sexual. Paul admitted as much to me. I don’t know if Melissa put it into words like that but that’s my read. Now, they are in uncharted territory.”

Karen grinned. “Yeah, they’re trying to get the horse out front to be in proper order. Will they keep from wrecking the cart or hurting the horse?”

“We are metaphorical this morning, aren’t we? I told Paul that it was time to think about Melissa as a person. He must learn to appreciate her as a person, valuable, not just for the sex, but almost in spite of the sex. I told him that she wants to be cherished though the definition of that word is different for her than it is for you.”

“How can we help our friends, Brad? You are the only relationship I’ve ever had with a guy other than Dad and that’s different.” She grinned. “Friday night was truly my first date.”

I smiled. “In some ways, it was mine, too. According to Paul, it was my most important. I agree with him there. I never worried over a date like I did for Friday night. I’m glad it was on short notice or I would have been totally stressed out.”

“Lover, it worked out well. We will have another date and many, many more after that. Melissa and I are going to shop for another dress for me. If you want to see it, you will have to take me somewhere to show it off.”

“How about Friday? We leave Saturday morning after an early breakfast for my place. My folks will be less stressful for you than yours were for me.”

“That may be true for you, Brad. I will be at least as nervous. However, I did talk to your mother and she said good things about me to you. I am more scared of your sister and your former girl friend. I would hope she has found someone new.”

We finished our breakfast without a plan for Melissa and Paul. There wasn’t much we really could do anyway. They would have to work it out for good or ill. We went to our classes planning to meet at ten at my lucky spot.

We had no classes until the afternoon when I had a lab and Karen had a class starting an hour later. We met after our classes and went to her dorm room. We grabbed the blanket to go around the lake. We had been there fifteen or twenty minutes when Melissa and Paul walked up holding hands with a blanket to spread next to ours. We kissed one last time and rolled to look at them spoon style. I had Karen enveloped in my arms as she snuggled tightly against my body.

Melissa and Paul worked out their positions with a little more difficulty. I think it was more a case of unfamiliarity than a lack of interest in lying together. They finally got settled and I said, “Good morning.”

Melissa and Paul each mumbled something. It was quiet. I was basking in the glorious feeling of Karen’s body tight against mine. I moved her hair enough to be able to blow on her ear and make her shiver deliciously. Finally, Karen said, “Look, you two either need to talk or screw! You know the screwing part so, if you want to build something, try talking!”

I was a little shocked. Karen was not usually so graphic but she, I could tell, was concerned about our two friends. It was still quiet. I blew gently in her ear and nibbled her ear lobe. She moaned happily. She said, “If you keep doing that, I am going to make love to you right here and now!” I gave her a squeeze as she shivered against me with delight.

Paul finally spoke. “I don’t know what to say. Melissa, I want you to like me. I want to get to know you as a person. Sunday night was the best, most meaningful sex I’ve ever had in my life. Despite that and also because of that, I want to know who the person Melissa is. I think you can be vitally important to me if we give it a chance.”

As Paul spoke, Melissa’s eyes got wider and her face had a surprised look that grew to amazement. She said, “Paul, I’ve never wanted more than a casual relationship with good sex before. How are we going to do more? Under what circumstances?”

Paul said, “I guess the first question to ask is whether we want to try for more of a relationship than just friends with benefits? I would like that and hope you do.”

She said, “I want more. Sunday evening was the best I ever had, too. It wasn’t because of the physical part but because we were in touch emotionally. If we didn’t want more than just the physical part, we would be in your room or mine screwing our brains into mush right now.”

I said, “You two have passed through step one. You both want more. That’s a basis for crafting a relationship.”

They both looked happy but lost. Karen said, “Give each other a gentle kiss.” Melissa squirmed to her back while Paul still faced us. They could look at each other more readily and kissing wasn’t difficult. They kissed gently trying to follow Karen’s instructions. It lasted a reasonable time and they came up for air looking into each other’s eyes. I could see two emotions in their eyes. One was a curious wonder and the other was a sexual hunger. Karen saw the two emotions, too. She said, “Concentrate on the person with you and not on your feelings. You being sensitive to your feelings might get your clothes off and then you will just rut. Concentrating on the other person will introduce you to their deeper thoughts. You still can have great sex.”

Melissa said, “Karen, I’m not disagreeing but how do you know all this?”

I could see the corner of her lips move up to a soft smile. Her arms squeezed mine to her body. She said, “That’s how Brad has loved me. I have copied him to know what to do to love him. He genuinely cares about my happiness and well-being more than his own.”