“I do.”
“Not till the wedding,” I said automatically, and we shared a grin.
She reached up and caressed my face. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“You were a naughty girl, and I’m your punishment.”
“I’m looking forward to being naughty for real. Very, very naughty.”
“Me too,” I said. “Now let’s figure out how to make spring break work for you, me, and Brooke.”
“Later. Right now I need you to hold me.”
I called my mom the next day to ask if I could visit for a couple of days.
“Of course,” she said. “What’s going on? I thought you were going to Florida.”
“Plans changed.” I told her about Brooke’s breakup and Christy’s decision to spend a few days with her. “Then I’m going to fly out to visit her in San Diego. I can fly standby since it isn’t a holiday.”
“Why not just fly out with her in the first place? Never mind. I think I understand.”
“Yeah. I don’t want Christy to feel bad for spending all her time with Brooke. This way, they get a few days together without any hurt feelings.
Then I’ll join them, and Christy and I can distract Brooke from her troubles.”
I chuckled. “It isn’t quite a soap opera, but pretty close.”
“It sounds like Christy’s a good friend.”
“Well, they were more than friends in high school, if you know what I mean.”
“Ah. I understand. But…”
“But…?”
“It also sounds like Christy’s more like us than you thought.”
“She is. She hides it well, but she’s pretty open-minded. About… lots of things.” I tried to keep the surprise out of my voice, but Mom could read between the lines. “She still has a few hangups,” I finished, “but she’s coming around.”
“So you think she’ll be…?”
I glanced into the hall and then shut the bedroom door, just in case. “A swinger? Too soon to tell. But if I play my cards right… yeah.”
“Wow. That’s a surprise. You’re right, she hides it well. I never got a hint that she was anything other than a Catholic schoolgirl, albeit a semi-adventurous one.”
I chuckled. “She hates it when I call her that. She actually liked Catholic school.”
“Your dad didn’t.”
“Well, Christy’s a quiet rebel. Dad doesn’t have her… um… ‘restraint.’”
“No,” she laughed. “He’s never been one to hold back.”
“Exactly. Anyway, Christy and Brooke need some girl-time. So, she’s gonna fly out as soon as she finishes her exams. I’ll come to Atlanta for a few days and then head out next weekend. Will that work?”
“Of course. You don’t even have to ask.”
“I sorta do,” I laughed. “I mean, I don’t have a bedroom at home anymore. Heck, I don’t even think of it as ‘home’ these days. Anyway, thanks for letting me crash for a couple of days. I know it’s short notice, but… thanks. I figure I’ll drive down next Wednesday. Sound good?”
“Sounds good. And you’re always welcome.”
“Thanks. In the meantime, I need to study for exams, so I’d better let you go.”
“Okay, honey. See you next week. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom. See you next week.”
I hung up and stared at the ceiling. Things were becoming more complicated with Christy, and a niggling part of me wondered why I put up with it.
Because she’s worth it, you idiot.
What do you know? You’re just a penis.
I’m you, dumbass. Now quit dithering and find a way to fuck that girl!
Christy’s period arrived right on schedule. She climbed into bed wearing everyday cotton panties, which I’d noticed the month before, although I hadn’t paid attention to the timing.
I’d better start paying attention, I told myself, especially if our “birth control” is the rhythm method.
“I’m pretty regular,” she said. “Unless I lose weight. Then they stop altogether and I stress out, which only makes things worse.”
“No kidding.” I put my arm around her and adjusted my attitude as she snuggled close. “You forget to eat when you’re preoccupied.”
“That’s why you and Wren have been lifesavers the past few weeks.
Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what we do. We’re nurturers.”
Christy laughed. “Maybe you are. I think Wren is secretly a Jewish mother. ‘What do you want to eat?’ ‘You need to eat more.’ ‘Here, eat this.’”
“I’m surprised she doesn’t weigh a ton.”
“Why do you think she swims and does aerobics? She’s completely insane about keeping her figure. I thought I was bad? No way, Paul. I do it
’cause it’s fun and I like dancing. Speaking of which… I’d like us to start taking lessons. Oh, please! Don’t act so surprised. I’ve never had a boyfriend I could really dance with.”
“You still don’t.”
“You aren’t a bad dancer. You aren’t Harry, but you haven’t had lessons.
UT has a ballroom dance team. Did you know that?”
“Oddly enough, I didn’t,” I said with gentle sarcasm.
“It’ll be fun. Besides, I’ll get to wear my fancy dresses and nice shoes.”
“This is one of those things where I should just let you have your way, isn’t it?”
“I could do like my mother and manipulate things behind the scenes.”
“No, no,” I said immediately. “I prefer this way, where you come right out and ask.”
“I thought you’d see it my way.”
I chuckled. “Did I have a choice?”
“Not really. But I’ll make it worth your while. Hey, where’re you going?”
“To join the dance team. It’s only midnight. I’m sure they can sign me up tonight.”
She rolled her eyes but then gave me a suggestive look. “Come back to bed. I… um… need you.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“I’m a lot more affectionate when I’m on my period. And I mean, like, a lot.”
I chuckled and stepped up to the bed. Then I hopped over her and slid under the covers. She rolled to face me and reached for my cock.
“Mmm, I still love that you shave. You’re always so smooth and soft.
Perfect for fellatio.”
“Perfect for other things too,” I hinted.
“I know. I promised. I really want to, but I don’t know how it’ll work at my parents’ house.”
“Maybe we can come home early, before Trip and Wren get back from Florida.”
“That might work. In the meantime, I… um… need to tell you something about me and Brooke.”
“Oh? Something I don’t know already?”
“Yes. And no. I was talking to her today.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. She has papers due and stuff like that, so she’s been pretty distracted. But that’s not what I need to tell you. Hold on, let me start at the beginning. She knows about you and me—that you’re my boyfriend, I mean
—but that’s never been a big deal with us.”
“How do you mean?”
“When we were in high school. We both had boyfriends, but that never stopped us from… you know.”
“Having sex.”
“Ugh! Why is everything so easy for you? I really hate that I still can’t talk about this stuff without feeling guilty.”
“Well, get over it.”
“Easy for you to say. You weren’t raised in a strict Catholic family.”
“Neither were you.”
“I was too!”
“Catholic, yes, but not strict. Sure, your father had rules, but that’s just how he is. Your mother helped you get around them. And she knew about your girlfriends.”
“She didn’t know, but… yeah, she sorta did.”