“Goodnight Ricky.”
He turned to the door and then turned back to look at her. “Molli?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want you to think that what we did didn’t mean anything to me. Some people seem to think that sex is just one body giving another body pleasure. I don’t believe that it has to be like that. I think that sex can be meaningful and powerful, an experience that moves the soul as well as the body. I felt like that when I was with you.”
“Oh Ricky. Thank you. It was very special for me too. I’ve never felt like that before.”
He squeezed her hand. “I would love to be able to make you feel like that on a regular basis and not just when our bodies are joined together.”
She kissed him. “You’d better stop saying things that make me want to cry or I’ll never let you leave.”
“I don’t want to make you cry. I want to make you happy.”
“You’ve already made me very happy.”
He smiled. “Goodbye Molli.”
“Bye Ricky.”
He slipped out the door. She got a text from Seneca and had to tell her about Ricky, so her shower ended up delayed. By the time she had finished talking with Sen, and headed out to the shower, she almost ran straight into Mellenda in the hall.
Mellenda nodded at her and continued back to their room. Molli’s heart was beating fast as she made her way to the shower room. Would Mellenda detect the trace of Ricky’s scent that she’d sworn was still in the air though the window was still open she wondered?
She took a quick shower, and then put on lotion and sprayed herself liberally with body spray. She wasn’t sure if she just wanted to smell it, but she thought she still smelled a trace of Ricky on her skin. She shook her head at herself as opened the door to her room.
Mellenda made a face at her. “Why did you leave the window open? It’s freezing in here.”
“I’m sorry Mellenda.”
“It smells in here too. Did you have sex with some smelly guy in here while I was gone? I know you were smoking in the bathroom. Cheap air freshener does not cover up the nasty smell of cigarettes. And what type of cologne does your boyfriend wear eu de pooh? Tell him to learn to take a bath instead of splashing on half a bottle of cheap cologne. You owe me big time Molli. Though I have no idea how you’re going to pay me back. Just keep your smelly boyfriend out of here. I swear I will rat on you for every time you’ve ever snuck in and out to save myself if I have to. You didn’t do it on my bed did you?”
Molli couldn’t hold her laughter in. It was too funny. She almost wanted to tell Mellenda that she’d been with Ricky just to see the look on her face when she found out she was calling her own boyfriend smelly.
“What the hell is so funny Molli? You did do it on my bed didn’t you? I knew it. Now I’m going to have to burn my sheets. You are so lucky I don’t tell Marcune. How did your moronic boyfriend make it in here? Did you give the security guard a blow job again so they’d let him in?” Mellenda smirked at her.
Molli’s laughter faded. “Like you haven’t ever done anything bad. You’re not perfect either.”
“I’m sure as hell a lot more perfect than you are. Was it your boyfriend you screwed in here or was it someone else’s?”
Molli bit her lip. She just had to say it though she thought. “Yes Mellenda, it was someone else’s boyfriend I had sex with on your bed. It was your boyfriend.”
Mellenda snorted. “As if Ricky would ever waste his time with a girl like you.”
“That’s kinda funny because someday said that I was the one he really wanted to go out with when he was hanging around in Brentwood all the time earlier this year.”
“Yeah right. Ricky is going places. You’re going to end up pregnant with Jude’s kid or some other guy’s kid and you’re going to be stuck in some shithole like Brentwood forever. I’m going places too. I could go to any school I wanted but I’m going to the university so I can be with Ricky. They call that love Molli, but you wouldn’t know anything about that because it’s different than spreading your legs for any guy around.”
“Like you don’t do it with Ricky.”
“We make love. It’s okay for people who are in love to do that. It’s not dirty when you’re in love.”
“Sex doesn’t have to be dirty at all Mellenda. I’ll bet you don’t even like it, because that would be wrong. It’s wrong anyway because you’re doing it without being married.”
“Who believes that crap anymore? My parents did it before they got married. All the sex you have is dirty because you’re a slut.”
“Screw you. Maybe I really did do it with your boyfriend and maybe he liked it better than he ever does with you, because I liked it too. Don’t you love the way he smells Mellenda? Wouldn’t it be fucking hilarious if I really did do it with Ricky and you called your own boyfriend smelly?” Molli laughed.
“Oh please. Ricky pays more for one bottle of cologne than any of the men you date do in a year. Ricky would never do it with you. He’d be afraid he’d catch something.”
“I did do it with Ricky and we did it without a condom. He told me he didn’t have one with him because his prissy pants girlfriend happens to be allergic to regular condoms. Now how would I know that if I didn’t screw your boyfriend’s brains out?”
Mellenda gave Molli a dirty look. “You were probably digging in my purse when I wasn’t looking. I do carry condoms. A lot of people are allergic. Just not cheap whores like you.”
“I wouldn’t want to touch your purse. I’d be afraid I’d catch whatever you have shoved up your ass. You know your boyfriend wants me. You’re jealous because he thinks I’m hotter than you.”
“You’re cheap and trashy. Who’d you blow to get your tattoos and your piercings Molli? I know your parents didn’t give you permission to get a tattoo on your fat ass.”
“Fat ass. You weigh more than me. I know you do because your jeans are at least two sizes bigger than mine. I accidentally put a pair of yours on once. They practically fell off they were so huge.”
Mellenda colored. “I am not fat.”
“Then don’t say I am because I do weigh less than you do. Go to bed Mellenda. I have to finish the rest of my math homework.”
“I’ll do it for you. I’m so sick and tired of you going over shit again and again for hours. Give me the damned assignment and I’ll write the right answers on another piece of paper and you can copy it. It’s not like it matters if you cheat here, because you’re never going to get into college.”
“Thanks a lot Mellenda. Will you really help me? I can’t understand any of what they’re trying to teach this year.”
Mellenda rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re the only one Molli. They try to teach us a bunch of crap we’re never going to use in the real world and they do it in ways that don’t make any damned sense. I wish I could have been home schooled like my best friend from back home was. She’s really smart. She’s going to get a good job without having to worry about going to college and building up a bunch of student loan debt.”
“Why do you think you’re going to have student loan debt? Aren’t your parents rich?”
Mellenda sighed. “Not like yours. They spend way too much money. Yes, I really will help you with your math. I’d try to show you how to do at least some of it, but I’m starting to get a headache and I want to go to bed soon. Let me see what you have so far so that I can check and see if any of it’s right. What kind of cologne does your boyfriend wear anyway? It really did stink in here when I first walked in, even with the window wide open.”
Molli fought back a giggle. “I don’t know what it is. I think he smells really good.”
Mellenda made a face. “Yuck. You have really bad taste in men and they have really bad taste in cologne. You wanna know who smells really good? Mr. Harris. Holy shit does that man smell good.”
Molli handed her math homework to Mellenda. “I’ve never been close enough to him to really smell him. I’m a
fraid he’ll give me whatever Iris has got.”
Mellenda giggled. “That girl is so nasty.”
“I thought you two were all buddy buddy.”
“Yeah right. I don’t really like any of the girls around here. I can’t wait to get away from this place. It’s not like you have a lot of friends here either.”
“No, but I do have Seneca. She goes to Brentwood High.”
“Public school girls are usually even sluttier than private school girls though. I don’t want to hang out with trash.” Mellenda handed the paper back to Molli. “You actually did pretty well. You only have three wrong. Give me some paper and a pencil. I’ll give you the right answers to those ones and finish off the rest real quick so that we can both go to bed.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t really owe me. You haven’t told on me when I’ve snuck out and back in. I think I sneak out even more than you do sometimes. I miss spending whole weekends with Ricky. He’s got to work most weekends now though.”
“Oh.”
Molli gave Mellenda paper and a pencil and waited while she finished the math problems. It only took her a few minutes. Molli quickly copied the answers, wondering briefly if Mellenda was being mean and giving her the wrong answers on purpose. But then she thought that even Mellenda probably wouldn’t be that mean and felt bad that she’d told her that she’d had sex with Ricky, even in a joking manner. She figured she was going to have to tell him about it. She wondered if he’d think it was as funny as she did that Mellenda had called him smelly.
“I didn’t really have sex with Ricky in here. I haven’t even seen him around town in a while. Is he still as fine as ever?”
“Oh yeah. I know you didn’t sleep with him. He wouldn’t do that to me. Was it Jude you were with? How can you do it with a guy that’s that skinny and short? I know he’s eighteen but he still looks like he could be twelve.”
Molli laughed. “His voice still squeaks sometimes. Do you really want to do it with Mr. Harris?”
Mellenda shrugged. “I probably would I wasn’t with Ricky and he wasn’t doing it with so many other girls. I don’t blame you for doing what you did with that security guard either. He is hot. Hey, you wanna know who Mr. Harris really wants to have sex with? Iris would be so pissed off if she heard this.”
Molli giggled. “Who?”
“Tory Collins. He wants her bad. I was walking by the dark room or that closet one day. He was describing to somebody in explicit detail what he wants to do to Tory.”
“Wow. Do you think she knows he wants to do it with her?”
“Probably. I know that I can tell when a guy’s undressing me with their eyes. They do it all the time.”
“Because you’re gorgeous.”
“Thanks, but I always wanted to be taller and skinnier, kinda like you. You could be a model.”
“Yeah right. I may not be fat, but I’m not a size zero. And I like my tongue piercing and my tattoos way too much to ever get rid of them.”
“You don’t really think I’m fat do you?”
“No Mellenda. Of course not.”
“Thanks. You’re not so bad when you’re not trying to act cool. Give it up. No one around here cares. They all judged you before you came here. Don’t think that it didn’t get around that you’re on some antidepressant and that you tried to kill yourself. The sex stuff, none of the girls can say anything about, because I don’t think there’s even a single freshman that’s a virgin at this place, but they all know about that too. So, be yourself, even if you are kind of a slut. But don’t bother trying to steal my man like you stole Tory’s. Ricky’s mine.”
“Okay Mellenda. I really did hear that Ricky wanted to ask me out before he asked you.”
Mellenda snorted. “Yeah right. Keep dreamin’ girl. Goodnight Molli.” She reached over and turned off the light.
“Night Mellenda.”
When Molli woke up the next morning, Mellenda was already gone. Her roommate left no note like usual, since they weren’t really friends. Molli wondered if she was meeting Ricky. But she got a text from him when she got back to her room with the make shift breakfast she had purchased from the snack machine in the commons.
She read ‘Molli, did you tell Mellenda that we had sex on her bed?’
Molli had to laugh. ‘I was teasing her. It was so funny because she said that it smelled bad in here when she got home. I couldn’t resist.’
‘I see. It might be nice if you’d refrain from teasing her until I’ve broken up with her at least. She had some rather choice things to say about you when she called me this morning. I had to stop myself from telling her off.’
‘I’m sorry Ricky. Isn’t it kind of funny though? Admit it. I’ll bet you she tells you that you smell really good when you’re together and then she comes home and smells you in our room and says that it stinks. She said that cigarettes are nasty when I bet she lets you kiss her after you’ve been smoking.’
‘I don’t smoke around Mellenda. There are a lot of things that I don’t do around her. So, she really thinks that I stink? Maybe it’s time to try out a new cologne.’
‘Don’t you dare. I don’t think she really thought that it smelled bad in here. She was being her usual bitchy self and trying to put me down. What did she say about me? We had an okay talk after we got done insulting each other. She even helped me with my math homework.’
‘Honey, you don’t want to hear what she said about you and I don’t want to repeat any of it. I think she’s very jealous of you, if you want to know the truth. Women say terrible things about one another when they’re jealous.’
‘She sure has a funny way of showing it. Don’t men get jealous of each other?’
‘Men are more likely to admire another man’s possessions or lovers than their physical appearance. Women think that their hair, their bodies and their clothes are never good enough. They always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Women are beautiful in every size, shape and form. I wish that more women realized that. Of course you have those that are beautiful on the surface and mean and bitter inside. I’m sometimes afraid that Mellenda is going to turn into that.’
‘She has her moments but I think she’ll turn out okay. She told me to stay away from you and that there was no way you would have ever wanted to go out with me.’
‘Ignore her when you know she’s lying. Why should you believe what she says when it’s only her insecurity talking? I know what I felt and what I still feel. It’s only bigger now because we shared what we did last night. I don’t think my body, my heart or my soul could stand to stay away from you anymore.’
‘You’re so sweet. I can’t wait to see you again. When do you think we can get together?’
‘It can’t be next weekend or the weekend after. I have plans with Mellenda and then I have to work again. Maybe the first or second week of November if you’re not busy. Though it will be hard to wait that long. My body already misses your touch.’
‘Oh. You should write love songs or poetry. I’d drop anything even if I was busy to be with you.’
‘You’re going to make me blush Molli.’
‘I guess I’ll have to hang out with Jude for the next couple weeks then if he’s not busy. Sigh. He’s only a year younger than you, but he acts like he’s five or six years younger than you I swear.’
‘Most teenage boys don’t possess my level of maturity. I agree.’
‘Ha. A lot of grown men don’t possess your level of maturity. Hey, what are you doing for Halloween? My best friend Seneca and I are going to dress up like hookers. Do you want me to send you pictures?’
‘I’m working. I’m not sure I want to know why you want to dress up like prostitutes but I do believe I would appreciate the pictures of you very much.’
‘We’re dressing like hookers to prove to men that it doesn’t matter what women dress like. Women are not sex objects. Unless men want to be too, and that can a
ctually be a lot of fun.’
‘I see. I don’t think I’d mind being your sex object Molli.’
‘Stop it Ricky. You’re gonna make me horny and then I’m gonna have to hitch a ride to Upton and rape you while you’re sitting at your desk trying to work. I don’t want to get you fired.’
‘I would never have a conversation like this with Mellenda. I don’t think the word horny is in her vocabulary.’
‘Why not? Everyone who’s old enough to understand what sex is and young enough to still do it gets horny sometimes.’
‘You are like a breath of fresh air Molli.’
‘You are so funny Ricky. I’m talking about being horny and you’re calling me a breath of fresh air. I’ll have to tell Seneca that one. She’ll get a kick out of it.’
‘I think I’d like to meet your friend.’
‘I thought you already did. I thought I saw you talking to her in town once when I met her downtown to hang out.’
‘I don’t believe so no.’
‘Must have been some other hot guy she was talking to. I’ll introduce you, but I can’t send any pictures of her at Halloween. Her boyfriend would kick my ass if I did. He’s very protective of her.’
‘When you care about a woman, it brings out a very strong protective instinct in a man. I already feel that way towards you Molli.’
‘Ah, now you’re trying to make me cry again. When a guy can make you horny one minute and say something sentimental the next minute, you know he’s a keeper. I should probably go. I hear Mellenda talking to someone out in the hall, and with the shit she talked about me, I don’t think I could resist telling her that I got you all hot and bothered while you’re at work.’
‘Yes, it’s probably better if you don’t share that. I hope that you’ll always think I’m a keeper. I have to go too. My boss is coming and I’m supposed to be working right now. I don’t like looking like the teenager that I still am when I’m at work.’
‘Bye Ricky. I’ll talk to you soon and be counting the minutes until I do.’
‘Goodbye Molli. I will eagerly await our next conversation too.’
Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set Page 154
