Schooled 4.0

by Deena Bright

  Briggs led me to the dance floor just as the DJ started playing some hot rap song. Alcohol and rap were my biggest aphrodisiacs—even though I never knew or recognized any of the rap artists. Couple them with two hot guys, and I was pretty damn good to go. Briggs turned me around, facing me outward as he pulled me back against him. He wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my neck and ears. My entire body was turning to Jello and heating up simultaneously. The music was getting to me. The lyrics were working their erotic magic, not to mention the eroticism that was up against me. I reached behind me, between us, to ensure that we were both feeling these incredible sensations.

  Getting into the music, I had my eyes closed as Briggs controlled our movements, grinding us together on the dance floor. I opened my eyes when I felt something cold on my lips. Surprised to see him in front of me, Leo offered me a chilled bottle of beer. I licked my lips and opened my mouth slightly as he held the bottle and allowed me to sip the beer. Leo watched me, not moving, not reacting to Briggs’ arms around me. Leo gave me another drink, and then took the beer and downed it in one long, drawn-out slug, never taking his eyes from mine.

  Leo moved in close to me, so close that I was pinned between both of them. Wondering where this could go, where it was going to go, I began to place my arms around his neck, when Leo leaned in and whispered, “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Leo kissed me softly on the lips with Briggs’ hands on my hips. Then, Leo left, leaving me… leaving me… incredibly sad.

  Briggs and I spent the rest of the night on the dance floor. The man could move, and could move well. No wonder he’d hooked up so much in college. It was impossible to be up against him, grinding with him, holding onto him, and not want to fuck the living daylights out of him. Twice now, he and I’d been on a dance floor, and I could barely keep myself from publicly mounting him. I was beginning to think I had some exhibitionist tendencies that I never knew I possessed before.

  Char, Sarah, Vivian, Briggs, and I closed the bar. It was no big surprise when we looked around and realized the lights were on, and people were sweeping and cleaning up. Char and I were no strangers to the phrase “don’t let the door hit you in the ass.” In college, if she wasn’t going home with someone, then she was fighting with someone to find out where the “after hours” party was.

  Char seemed to have an incredible night. Oddly, she was sober and hadn’t hooked up with anyone all night, male or female. I was actually shocked by how many straight men were at the bar. It really was an establishment for open minds, for people who didn’t give two ferocious fucks what anyone else was doing. A few guys approached her, slowly, I assumed trying to get a clearer picture of her sexual preference. But for the first time since I’d known Char, she wasn’t all over someone on the dance floor, making Cinemax look like a Disney film. She just danced with Vivian and Sarah most of the night. When it was obvious that they needed some alone time, Char sat at the bar, chatting up the drag queen bartender.

  Briggs wanted to take me home, but Char refused to let him, claiming that he’d already taken enough of our girls’ night, forgetting that he was only there at her initial request. When she told him that we still had a date with Denny’s, he begged to go along with us. Char again rebuffed his pleas. Char said that “Moons-over-my-Hammies” were a girls-only kind of thing. Briggs just stared at her and shrugged his shoulders. Even though she clearly wanted him gone, it didn’t stop her from shoving me into him to give him “a proper goodbye.” Char stopped at nothing to get her way. Char wanted me with Briggs, and she had no qualms about making that abundantly obvious to anyone around.

  “TELL ME THIS is some foul disgusting joke,” Vivian begged.

  “Nope, so wish it were,” I said, taking a bite out of my sandwich. “It was the first blow job I’d ever given, and he blew it right in my hair. I had a giant cum ball wadded up in my pony tail. Re-fucking-pulsive!”

  “No thank you,” Sarah said, glancing over at Vivian, who nodded in agreement.

  “Ask Char about her high school fuck buddy,” I prompted.

  “Dude used to come in a cup,” Char stated matter-of-factly, not missing a beat.

  “He what?” Sarah asked, eyes wide.

  “I don’t know. He’d pull out and finish in a Styrofoam cup,” Char said, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. She’d told this story so many times since I’d met her that it didn’t faze her at all anymore. “Used to say that he wanted to make sure it was all in there and not inside me. I never could figure out why a condom wouldn’t prove that. Who knows, maybe he drank it after I left.”

  “Ewww.”

  “Ohhh.”

  “Gross.”

  We’d been talking for two hours. It was nearly 5:00 in the morning. I loved Vivian. I wanted to hate her, wanted to kill her in her sleep, and stomp on her vicious friend-hurting heart. But, she was great. How could I have not known that? There was no way that Sarah would fall for someone less than extraordinary.

  Vivian was amazing, and extremely gorgeous. Her jet-black hair was cut short, just brushing her shoulders, in a blunt, all one-length bob. She had that beautiful pale porcelain skin that’s just flawless. Vivian’s eyes were the darkest brown I’d ever seen. She was tall, statuesque, and incredibly fit. No wonder Sarah couldn’t get her out her mind. She was stunning. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Their contrasts complemented each other. Sarah’s red hair and adorable, petite, daintiness were the perfect fit for Vivian’s breathtaking beauty.

  “What’re you thinking about?” Sarah asked.

  “How hot it must be for you two to have sex,” I blurted out without giving it a second thought. Char lost it, laughing hysterically.

  “Holy fuck, I was just thinking the same thing,” Char said. “Will you guys tape that shit? People would pay some jack for that. We could all retire. I’m wet just thinking about you two going at it.”

  “It is pretty hot,” Vivian said, staring at Sarah, who dropped her head, blushing.

  From what I saw tonight, Jasper’s assistant, Melissa, didn’t stand a chance with Sarah. Sarah’s heart belonged 100% to Vivian. Sarah was the sole owner of Vivian’s heart and respect too. Now, they both just needed to get their damn heads out of their asses and get it together. Vivian finally told her parents that she was gay and completely in love with Sarah.

  Vivian’s parents were devastated. Ironically and sadly, they loved Sarah and always invited her to dinner and to weekend getaways when the two of them were “just friends.” Supposedly, it was just fine if she was the “best friend from college,” but the “lesbian lover” was completely off limits and unacceptable. Stupid fuckers.

  Vivian’s parents looked at her and told her to decide. It was either Sarah or them. She looked at her mother and father and said, “Duh, that’s a no brainer.” Then, Vivian packed up her shit and now she was trying to figure out what she was going to do in Ohio, praying that Sarah would take her back.

  “Speaking of which, we better get home,” Char said. “The lust in you chicks’ eyes is enough to make me climax.” Vivian and Sarah laughed as I rolled my eyes and punched Char in the arm. “Owww. What the fuck? You should be thanking me. The show you and Briggs were putting on out on the dance floor was enough to make me orgasm in my seat, too. Everyone’s getting some.”

  “I thought you were going to clean up that trash mouth?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

  “I’m trying. You can’t quit that shit cold turkey. I’m easing into it,” she explained.

  “Good luck with that.” I encouraged.

  I reached for the crust of Char’s toast, when she grabbed my hand, and said, “When are you going to stop wearing that thing?”

  Looking down at my wedding set, I was actually surprised to see it there. I’d been taking it off and putting it on the bathroom counter a lot lately. Instinctively, after putting lotion on, I often slid the set back on my finger. Old habits die hard.

  Char took it off my hand, and said, “I bet the d
iamond’s not even real—that dumb fucker.”

  “You should tatt up the rest of the finger in flowers and shit… and do your other ring finger too,” Vivian suggested helpfully.

  “Oh my God, that’s perfect. Let’s go now!” Char squealed.

  “It’s almost 5:00 a.m., there’s no place open around here,” Sarah replied.

  I took the wedding set from Char and placed it carefully in my wallet. “You’re right. I shouldn’t wear this at all anymore… and I think I will do something about the tattoo. But fuck, it hurts like Hell.”

  “The tattoo… or taking off the ring?” Sarah asked, seriously.

  “Both,” I admitted.

  HI. I’M LEO. Leo Cling. This is supposed to be my opportunity to convince you all that I’m the one for Janelle. I’m not real certain how I’m going to do that. I don’t know if I should convince you why Janelle shouldn’t be with Briggs Alexander or why she should be with me. I guess the reason that I’m not sure which avenue to pursue is because I don’t have a truly valid reason why Briggs would be so wrong for her. Every time I see them together, she seems happy, seems to be having the time of her life. Briggs is going to be successful; he’s already rich and famous. He could buy and sell me if he wanted to. And he’s obviously into her, like really into her. You can’t see the way he looks at her. I can. Briggs has the same look in his eyes, on his face, that I do.

  I sound like a pussy, don’t I? I probably sound jealous as Hell of him. Truthfully, I am. You didn’t grow up in my hometown. Briggs is a legend where I live. He suffered a horrible injury, a major setback in life, and now look where he’s at. The man’s got drive, ambition, and the charmed touch. I don’t have that kind of luck. Whatever Briggs Alexander wants, Briggs gets. I don’t even know how I got into this mess, this competition, this fight to the death for the woman I lo…

  For the woman I want.

  You caught that, didn’t you? I’m in love with her. I’ve been in love with her since the middle of my senior year. At the time, I was dating Kelsey. I thought I was in love with Kelsey, but after seeing Janelle’s compassion for a fellow student, I knew that my feelings for her were beyond a schoolboy crush, beyond a typical teacher infatuation. I was in love with her. I pushed it out of my mind. She was engaged. I was 18-years-old. Never in a million years did I ever think I’d be where I am right now. I know you probably think it’s ridiculous that I’d agree to this “sharing” of her. But really, I’ve spent over four years dreaming about her, wanting her, and thinking about her. It’s a dream come true—even if I know in my heart that I’m going to wake up soon enough and be pummeled by the reality of my nightmare, the nightmare of giving her up.

  If you could have your dream for even one second, one minute, or one month in my case, wouldn’t you take it?

  I cancelled on Janelle yesterday, because my perfect date for her wasn’t ready. I needed to make sure everything was perfect. Plus, Megan was leaving. I wanted to make sure that I spent the entire day with her too. Then, I wouldn’t have to leave early or bail on Janelle. It kills me to walk away from Janelle. When she was dancing with Briggs, I had to literally tell myself to get in the car and leave. I hated leaving her in his arms, knowing that I’d given him full access to her for the rest of the night. The thought made me, still makes me, want to hurl.

  Pulling into her driveway, I noticed Char’s car was there. She must’ve spent the night, which was surprising since I didn’t think Char had been drinking the night before. I hated seeing Char. I knew she was all about Briggs and Janelle being together. What I couldn’t figure out was what she had against me. Girls don’t typically swoon and fawn all over me, but they don’t loathe me, like she seemed to do. The problem is I don’t know how to win her favor too. I knew the rule, the Spice Girls rule. I had to make her friends like me. Sarah was one of my fans, but she didn’t pull the same type of weight that Char did. Basically, I had two goals: Make Char like me. Make Janelle fall in love with me. I definitely had my work cut out for me.

  Janelle opened the door to the pool house as I walked up, and she threw herself into my arms. “I’ve missed you,” she squealed, before kissing me deeply. My God, how can I ever give this up? You know how you go on a vacation, a long one; you know that feeling when you finally walk back into your house, that feeling of home? You know how you just get flooded with that relief of being back home? That was exactly how Janelle felt to me. I didn’t have a past with her per se, but every time I saw her, every time I wrapped my arms around her, I felt like I was home.

  “I missed you, too,” I said after reluctantly pulling my lips from hers. “Are you ready?” I asked.

  “Let’s wait until Char leaves. She’s in the shower. I’d feel bad leaving without saying, ‘goodbye’ to her,” she explained.

  “Fine with me,” I agreed, following her into the house. I sat down on the chair, putting my feet up on the ottoman. I watched Janelle walk to the counter to get her bottle of Fuze. “You like those?” I asked.

  “Oh my God, I love these,” she said, offering me a drink. “Char got up early and got us drinks. She got Starbucks and stopped at the gas station to get me a Fuze. Do you realize I have the best best friend on the planet?”

  “You don’t say,” I said, smiling at her. Taking another drink, I said, “They’re really good. We should pick up a few more of these today.” Janelle put the bottle down on the table and sat down on my lap. I welcomed her happily and eagerly. She began kissing my neck.

  “Leo, do we have to leave the pool house, today?” Janelle asked, looking at me seductively and teasingly.

  This woman was going to be the death of me. I wrapped my arms around her tighter, pressing her body securely against mine. My lips found hers; our mouths began their familiar exploration. I couldn’t understand how something so new, so different, felt so familiar and natural.

  Just as my hands began to explore my favorite parts of my old high school teacher, the door to the pool house opened, and we heard an, “Ahem.” I knew the house officially belonged to Jasper, but Janelle’s family and friends really needed to learn some privacy protocol. “Sorry to interrupt, but I was walking out to my car, and I saw this out on the front lawn,” he said, handing Janelle a phone.

  “What was Char’s phone doing outside?” Janelle asked.

  “Who knows? My guess is she got sloshed with y’all last night and dropped it in the yard,” Jasper guessed.

  “Actually, Char was the DD last night,” Janelle said, taking it and looking strangely at the phone. “She guards this thing like it’s the hope diamond.”

  Char came out of the bathroom sporting a towel and a big grin. “Nobody said we had company… and what do I guard?” she asked, sitting rather provocatively on the end of the couch. I had to look away. It wasn’t right for me to see her so scantily clad. I’m 100% head over heels in love with Janelle, but I’m also a man. Char was gorgeous and sexy as Hell, but certainly not my type of woman at all. My type of woman was currently wiggling her cute little bottom on my lap, causing me great joy and discomfort all at once.

  “You dropped your phone in the yard,” Janelle said. “I can’t believe you left it there all night. How’d you survive?”

  “Ahhh my phone,” Char squealed, snatching it from Janelle’s hands. “I had it here last night. I must’ve dropped it on the way in carrying our drinks this morning.”

  “You went somewhere already this morning?” Jasper inquired, eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Yes Jasper, for your nosy information, I did,” she said, sarcastically, sitting down on the couch, putting a pillow over her lap, to my delight. I couldn’t avert my eyes much longer. “I knew your drunkard sister would be hanging this morning, so I stopped and got myself some coffee and your kid sister a refreshing beverage,” she explained.

  “By the way—not hanging. I think just knowing that I get to spend the day with Leo helped me wake up happy and healthy this morning,” Janelle said, before nuzzling my neck again.
/>   “Ewww!” Char said, rolling her eyes.

  “T.M.I.” said Jasper, walking to the door. Once he got to the door, Jasper turned around and looked at me, “Hey Cling, I was balancing my personal accounts yesterday. You want to tell me… or tell Janelle… why I’ve written you five different landscaping checks and you haven’t cashed one of them?” he asked, chuckling and walking out the door.

  Char laughed and said, “I’m going to go finish getting ready and take a few of your work outfits, since you won’t need them this summer. I’m running out of ‘proper and professional attire’ to host the weekend open houses.” She started to walk away and said, “If only there was someone I knew who was looking to buy a house—”

  “Char! Out!” Janelle yelled, pointing to the back bedroom.

  Once Char closed the bedroom door, and I heard it click, I started kissing Janelle’s collarbone, licking my way up her neck, savoring the taste of this very tempting woman. “Hold it right there, Mister,” Janelle said, pushing me away from her. “Why haven’t you cashed Jasper’s checks?”

  “I’ve been busy,” I said, kissing her shoulder. “With you.”

  “You’ve had plenty of time to run to the bank. Spill” she commanded, crossing her hands over her chest.

  “There’s nothing to spill. I like doing work outside. I don’t need his money,” I confessed.

  “Leo, I can’t let you do all this work for free. That’s ridiculous,” Janelle said. “You’re young, just starting out. Money’s money.”

  “Doll, I really don’t need it. I like doing it. It gives me an excuse to see you,” I said, covering her lips with my finger, hushing her. “No more talking about this,” I declared. I pulled her face toward mine and kissed her, enjoying the taste of her, not realizing how drunk I could get off of her. Janelle Garrity was the only pick-me-up I needed.

  Janelle and I stayed on the chair, kissing for a long long time. I hadn’t kissed someone that long since high school, when all Kelsey would let me do is kiss her until our lips and mouths turned red from constant friction. I remember wanting to either get on with the main course or just go to a movie. The never-ending make out sessions got old fast.