The Adjusters I: Whatever Happened to Marjorie Duquesne?
Chapter 7: The Third Card
The sun was high in the sky and managed to warm up the air despite the late November date. Trees looked derelict, all their leaves gone, and whenever the sun hid behind a cloud the temperature would drop considerably.
Daniel barely noticed any of that, despite sitting on a bench in the middle of the Arts Quad amidst what was usually the most verdant part of campus except for the botanical gardens. He was leaning back, staring up at the sky, not seeing it either.
He was thinking back to the phone call he had received that morning. A phone call that amounted to a job offer. Professor Schmidt’s contact at the Advanced American Institute for Democracy had come through, brilliantly. In an astonishing example of synchronicity, it turned out that the Institute had acquired a civil-rights group with which Daniel had interned a few years earlier in Chicago, one of the enjoyable experiences of his life. The conjunction of Professor Schmidt’s recommendation and his internship experience had convinced the appropriate people at the Institute that Daniel Malcolm, soon to graduate from Darnell University, was their guy.
They had called him to ask whether he would be interested in a position in the new office they were opening in Temple, of all places, within spitting distance of Austin. Daniel had been dismayed at the coincidence, until his interlocutor revealed that they had heard through the grapevine that he was considering moving to the part of Texas. His references had been busy, marveled Daniel.
And so, after a short conversation, and an appointment for a longer conversation later in the week, he was looking at the perfect opportunity to follow his girlfriend to Austin where she could pursue her dream while doing exactly what he enjoyed doing in an environment that sounded just right for him. Everything was falling into place just so, an unexpected turn of events. Jenn will be ecstatic, he thought.
This line of thought led him directly to a related concern. If the last month had taught him anything, it had to be that his relationship with Jenn was serious. She was the one, if one wanted to be melodramatic about it. Truth be told, he would have gone to Austin no matter what—he would not have let Jenn refuse the scholarship, and he would not have accepted living apart for any extended length of time. He knew himself enough to recognize that he was indeed hooked, that he was in it for the long haul. Which made him wonder whether he should just come out and ask Jenn to marry him before heading out to Austin.
He smiled to himself as he tried to imagine Jenn’s reaction. They had talked about marriage in the past, the way every couple did, as a way to test the waters, to assess and gauge each partner’s hopes and perspectives. And he had been surprised to discover that he was more attached to that institution than Jenn was. She was neither for it nor against it. Not that she did not want a committed long-term relationship, she had hastened to add before Daniel could read more into the statement than she had intended, but she simply did not believe that an assertion before church and state was a requirement. They had spent a long evening debating the history of marriage and its religious, political, and sociological implications.
Daniel, after all had been said and done, had been left with the knowledge that Jenn did not care strongly about marriage one way or another, and the indefinable sense that she would appreciate being asked nonetheless. For all he knew, of course, that feeling was just a projection of his own belief that marriage was important by forcing a clear statement of commitment, even before going into possible economic and societal benefits.
You know, he told himself, I might just be convincing myself that I’m going to ask Jenn to marry me. Funny that.
His surprise must have shown itself on his face, because a voice pulled him out of his reverie.
“Hi Dan! Penny for your thoughts?”
Cindy. He recognized the voice even before he opened his eyes and lazily turned his head to see the blonde bombshell from his communism class. She was holding a penny in the palm of her outstretched hand. She giggled when she saw him looking at it.
“Hey Cindy. I suspect you don’t really want to know about my thoughts right now.”
“Ah, come on. You had such a sweet smile just now, must have been some very pleasant thoughts. I love pleasant thoughts.”
“Just daydreaming, Cindy. And enjoying this wonderful day. I’m just sucking up this sunlight.”
“You should move down south, then. They got extra sunlight down there, they tell me.”
“Perhaps I should, Cindy. Perhaps I should.” He smiled again. “Huh, Cindy, I know it’s still somewhat warm, but it is nearly December. Aren’t you cold?”
Cindy looked down. She was wearing a denim jacket that looked warm enough, but otherwise only sported her omnipresent short skirt, apparently without any hose. She ran her hands over her legs, an undeniably flirty gesture that Daniel could not help but be enticed by. Cindy giggled again.
“I’m used to it. I’ve always worn skirts. I think my legs have just given up and don’t register cold anymore. I might wear tights under my skirts when it’s super cold, but that’s about it.”
Daniel shook his head. “You’ll never cease to amaze me, Cindy. So, what’s new with you?”
She sat down next to him, leaning in close, grabbing his arm. “Oh, nothing much. Couple of papers to write, exams to study for—you know, end-of-classes sort of things. Kindda fed up of that stupid communism class, but at least it’s almost over. No more politics for me—I hate the stuff.”
Daniel was tempted to ask her why she had taken the course in the first place. Cindy was a bit of a mystery. She acted like the perfect bimbo, an impression helped by the short skirts and the curves and the blonde hair and especially her giggling, yet he knew that she had absolutely no difficulties on the academic side, and had earned herself a few Dean’s fellowships over the years. Everything seemed to come easily to her. She just didn’t seem to have any specific interest. It sounded like such a waste of raw talent that it was almost infuriating. But then she would look at you with her baby blue eyes and you would forgive her anything.
Before he could think of a segue, Cindy perked up and lifted her arm, practically bouncing in place on the bench.
“Oh, oh, here’s something new—I’m a dick girl!”
“You’re a what?” Visions of Cindy with a penis dangling between her legs flashed before his eyes and were too incongruous to contemplate.
“A dick girl. Look!” She pointed to her wrist on her raised arm, where Daniel was astonished to find a little charms bracelet that looked exactly like the one they had found in the back alley of the Spirited Flesh, the one that they believed Marjorie had dropped and that Serena had ben so far unable to identify. And there it was, hanging on Cindy’s wrist, sparkling in the sun. He raised his hand to touch it.
“So that’s what it takes to get you to touch me, then? I wish I had known this earlier.”
“Cindy, where did you get this?”
“I told you, I’ve become a dick girl. That’s what the guys at the Delta Iota Kappa frat call us. Every week, they vote for the most attractive girl on campus, based on a whole bunch of criteria. The winner gets this bracelet, several hundred dollars donated to the charity of their choice, a small cash prize, and an automatic invite to all the frat events, even the restricted ones. Isn’t that great? I chose Toys for Tots as my charity. I just love kids!” She paused, frowning slightly. “Huh, Dan, don’t tell anyone I told you this. It’s kindda meant to be a secret. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“No worries. It’ll be our secret. But you’re telling me why?”
“Because I like you, silly. But we’re not meant to talk about it at all. They told us it was all hush-hush, I guess to make sure that we wouldn’t cause jealousy or stuff. They said we’d get punished if we talked to anyone about it. It didn’t make an awful lot of sense, to be honest, but who cares? I mean, the other dick girls seem to take that secret pretty seriously—I’ve tried to speak to a few of them about it, but they kind of dismiss me and act like they don’t know what I’m talking about and it’s like they don’t even acknowledge the bracelet they have on their wrist—but I get to go to the frat parties, and they do throw the best parties. I wonder if they’ll let me bring a friend,” she added, looking at Daniel with a twinkle in her eyes.
Before Daniel could think of a polite way of reminding Cindy of his girlfriend, Cindy piped up again. “Speaking of the devil, here are some of the guys coming over! Woohoo, guys!” She was waiving her arms, trying to attract the attention of a small group of boys cutting their way across the Quad. They saw her, and angled towards the bench where she and Daniel were sitting.
“Remember,” she said, “I didn’t tell you anything about this dick girl thing, okay? Please?”
Daniel nodded, watching the group of five boys approach. They were fairly unremarkable, in jeans and tee shirts and light jackets. Their bulk did suggest some sporting interests, or maybe just copious gym time. Daniel also picked up on the fact that they seemed deferential to the biggest member of the group, a tall boy with longish blonde hair that walked with an odd sort of swagger, like he was not quite managing to pull off a James Deanish demeanor. Daniel disliked him on sight.
“Hey Cyn, what’s up girl?” The big guy addressed her while looking at Daniel with challenge in his eyes.
“Nothing much. Just hanging out with my pal here. Dan, meet Biff. Biff, Dan. Dan’s in my communism class. He’s one of those little geniuses in that course.”
Biff? Daniel had to suppress a laugh. He wondered for a second whether it was a nickname.
“Hey,” he said, nodding at the big guy. “Nice to meet you. It’s Daniel, actually.”
Biff merely nodded, before extending an arm and glancing at Cindy. She giggled and leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her neck. She looked utterly frail next to him. He bent down to whisper something in her ear. She looked down at his hand before shivering, her eyes closing, and then she hugged him tight before flexing up on her toes and tilting her head up and offering him her mouth. He obligingly bent down and kissed her, hard, deep, not caring that he had an audience, perhaps even spurred on by it. The act was so clearly an exhibition that Daniel was embarrassed and did not know where to look.
Cindy responded to the kiss with a passion of her own, her hands lifting up to cradle the side of Biff’s head and pull him to her while she arched her back and slid a leg up his. Biff, meanwhile, ran a hand down her back to her short skirt, and put his big paw on her rear without Cindy protesting, pulling her tighter against him.
Biff broke the kiss—Cindy practically swooning by that point— and tossed Daniel a dismissive glance, before starting for a low wall on one side of the Quad, an arm around Cindy’s waist, his posse in tow. Cindy seemed to have completely forgotten about Daniel. Not that Cindy had ever been the most empathic of people, but she had never been so casually insulting either.
“Sorry about your girl.”
Daniel looked at the boy that had just spoken. He was the one member of Biff’s group to remain behind.
“It’s okay, she’s not my girl. Just a friend. Still...”
“I’m Jackson,” he said, extending a hand. “Biff can be a bit... how should I put it?”
“A bit of a Neanderthal?” Daniel suggested.
Jackson flashed a grin. “I was going for abrasive myself.”
“Yeah, that works too. So, you in Delta Kappa Iota as well?”
“Joined a few months back. I’m just a freshman here, this is all very new.”
“Well, welcome to Darnell, Jackson. I’d say watch out who you hang out with, but it might just be a bit late for that particular warning.”
Jackson shrugged. “You mean the frat? Oh, they’re not all bad. Some of the brothers are a bit difficult, but most of the time, it’s good fun. Most of them are helpful with getting adapted to this place, I can get some sort of tutoring with harder classes, and frankly, the girls are just... wow!”
“Yeah, I can imagine.” He almost asked about the dick girls, but remembered Cindy’s request. “So,” he asked instead, reverting to the backup conversation topic of students the world over, “what’s your major?”
“Sports physiology, most likely. I’m still undecided.”
Before Daniel could question Jackson further, Biff shouted from his spot against the wall. “Jackson, get your pussy down here pronto.” Cindy was in his arms, nuzzling his neck, and as far as Daniel could tell, Biff’s hands were under her skirt.
“Oops, gotta go. I’m still the newest brother, and that puts me pretty low on the pecking order. Nice to meet you, Dan.”
“It’s Daniel, actually,” said Daniel, watching Jackson jog over to the rest of his gang, sprawled about on the grass and against the wall, drinking and laughing. Daniel shook his head. They were doing nothing wrong, really, but they were annoying him nonetheless. I’m getting curmudgeonly in my old age, he thought.
He sat back down on the bench, pulled out his cell phone, and called Serena. She picked up after two rings.
“Hey Serena. It’s Daniel. Bad time?”
“No, it’s good,” replied the reported, clearly attempting to stifle a yawn. “I must have dozed off there for a second. What time is... oh fuck. I got a lecture in twenty minutes. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“Okay then—bad time it is. I won’t keep you long. Just wanted you to know that I found out about the bracelet.”
“What? The one we found at the Spirited Flesh? What’d you learn?” Daniel could hear Serena shuffling papers, probably getting ready for her lecture.
“According to my source, it’s a bracelet handed out by the Delta Iota Kappa frat every week or so to a different girl as an appreciation for something, beauty or some such, and the chosen girl gets some cash, some money donated in her name to a charity of her choice, and she gets invited to all Delta Iota Kappa parties and activities. And every girl’s sworn to keep it all hush hush, under threat of some unmentioned punishment.”
“Wow. How’d you find this out?”
“Someone I know was chosen as such a dick girl, and she just spilled the beans.”
“The old Malcolm charm at play! So Marjorie was chosen to be a... really, a dick girl?” Daniel could hear Serena’s grimace. “Can your source tell us more about those girls? Do they really just go to parties? What’s in it for the frat? They probably can get all the pretty girls they want without resorting to suck gimmicks.”
“Maybe it lets them get girls that wouldn’t otherwise be interested in frat parties? Between the cash and the charity, that might just be enough to overcome someone’s reluctance.”
“Maybe. Except they’re not actually forced to go to the parties, are they? Okay, let me sniff around then. If you could keep your eyes and ears open, that’d be great.” She paused. “Huh, Daniel? Talking about parties—I have kind of a favor to ask of you. There’s one this weekend where I was told Marjorie might show up. Unfortunately, I can’t go. Prior commitment. So I was kind of hoping you could go and be my eyes and ears?”
“Huh, sure, I guess. What’s the deal?”
“It’s the end-of-semester party for this group called NADA, The New American Deal Association—”
“No way! I’m sorry Serena, but there’s no way I’m going to hang out with those... racial bigots. The NADA, are you crazy? And let me add that it’s a good thing you can’t go either—between the fact that you’re a girl and an african american, you’d probably get raped and lynched, and it’s not clear in what order.”
“I think you’re exaggerating a bit—”
“I wish I was! Look it up. You work at a paper, no? There should be plenty of material. Stay away from them, Serena, I’m not kidding.”
“Okay, okay, fine. Sorry I asked. I gotta go get ready now. Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for calling me about the bracelet. And for helping me. It means a lot to me.”
“We aim to please. Talk to you later.”
Daniel sat back, staring at his phone telling him the call had ended, not really seeing it. In the distance, Cindy was laughing at something one of the frat boys said. She was still being pawed by Biff, and did not seem to mind in the least.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
He smiled. “Sorry, but we had a clearance sale fifteen minutes ago, and all thoughts have been purchased.”
“What are you talking about?” Jenn made her way around the bench and sat down next to Daniel. She kissed him, then leaned back to look in the direction he was staring.
“Nothing,” he replied. “Just a stupid joke. How’s your day going?”
“Pretty good. Got ditched by my lab partner, so I decided to take a walk. You’re a pleasant surprise along the way. You?”
“Tired. Long day. Figured I’d take in some sun while I have the chance.”
“It is a gorgeous day, isn’t it? Say, is that that Cindy girl from your class, up there, with that gorilla?”
“The same. And the gorilla’s name’s Biff, by the way.”
“No way? That’s hilarious! What were his parents thinking?”
“Lord knows. Oh, look, he’s looking at us.”
Daniel gave in to some dark impulse, and waved at Biff. The boy did not move in reply, but instead shifted his gaze to Jenn, and let it linger on her form for longer than was entirely appropriate. His eyes traveled slowly down and up her body, taking in her long legs in tight blue jeans, her black boots, her short jacket that did little to hide her shape. His expression stopped just short of being lecherous, although it came sufficiently close to annoy Daniel, who already disliked the frat boy. Daniel generally enjoyed when someone admired his girlfriend—typical male behavior that he had accepted—but Biff really rubbed him the wrong way.
Jenn did not seem to notice Biff’s blatant undressing of her, or if she did, did not mind it. She was looking at Cindy.
“She is cute, definitely cute.”
“What? Who?”
“Cindy. I love the skirt. Don’t know how she can wear one so short this late, but it definitely shows off her legs. I can see what you see in her.”
“Huh, she’s cute and sweet, but that’s all I see, honest.”
“Don’t be so defensive. I’m not upset or jealous. I just agree she’s cute. And of course she clearly has that huge crush on you. Maybe we should invite her to play. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hands under that short skirt of hers.”
“What?”
“What what? You sound surprised. Maybe, just maybe, that experience with Tannaka was a bit more intense than I was expecting.”
Daniel had to swallow before he could respond. He remembered all too well the scene of his girlfriend brought to a shuddering orgasm by the tall Asian girl in the back room of The Tropicana. He and Jenn had talked about that experience since it occurred, but this was the first time that Jenn hinted at it being more than a one-time thing. “It certainly was a sight.”
“How do you think it would look like if it was Cindy instead of Tannaka eating me? Or me eating her? Or maybe both of us in a nice sixty-nine? You could watch. I’m sure Cindy wouldn’t mind. In fact, she’d probably beg you to join in.” Jenn was leaning towards Daniel, her hand on his thigh making its way up to his crotch.
“Okay, okay, okay,” he said, stopping Jenn’s hand before it went any further. “I’m all for public displays of affection, but let’s not push things too too far, love.”
Jenn laughed, then cuddled up against him and directed her gaze at the group once more. The guys had started to toss a football around, except for a few, including Biff, who remained congregated by the wall. Cindy was with them, sitting on Biff’s lap, nuzzling his neck once again, trailing kisses up the side of his face, once in a while being swept up in a frenzy by Biff to be kissed roughly. Her skirt had ridden up her thighs by then, and exposed her lower body to the group gathered around Biff.
“It seems like Cindy has no such compunction about going too far with her public displays of affection,” said Jenn. “Wow. Is she always that... I don’t wanna say trashy, but that’s close to the only word that comes to mind here.”
Daniel shook his head. “Not in the least. She’s always been quite proper, if a bit too flirtatious, as you’ve noticed already. Supposedly she doesn’t date much, doesn’t hook up, doesn’t sleep around.”
“Well, at least she seems to be enjoying herself—whoa!” Jenn ducked as a football flew over her head.
“Sorry! So sorry! Went a bit off, that one did. You okay?”
Jackson was running towards them, and retrieved the ball.
“Yeah, we’re fine, thanks.”
“Good,” he said, tossing the ball back with a fluid motion that betrayed a long acquaintance with the pigskin. He did not jog back to the spot he was occupying earlier, however. Instead, he motioned to his friends and stayed back. Daniel nodded to Jenn.
“That’s Jackson, of the Delta Iota Kappa crowd, and future sports therapist. Jackson, this is Jenn, and this one is in fact my girl.”
“Ah! Good to meet you Jenn, and may I say you’re lovely.”
Jenn smiled. “Well, thank you. Very sweet of you to notice.” She turned to Daniel, nudged him with an elbow. “If you’re not careful, he’s liable to charm me away. And I might just let him—he’s cute.”
Jackson flashed her a huge smile, unconsciously straightening himself up and puffing his chest out. He then seemed to realize what he was doing because he stole a guilty glance at Daniel before grinning sheepishly.
“It’s okay, Jackson. Don’t worry about it. Jenn can be a flirt, sometimes. It’s all in good fun. Just pray you never meet our friend Serena. She puts Jenn here to shame in that respect.”
Jackson looked like he was ready to ask to meet that lady when Biff’s voice rang out from afar. “Jackson, quit ogling the bitch and get your ass back here.”
Jackson shrugged his shoulders as a way to convey his apologies then took off at a jog. Daniel was incensed, Jenn merely frowning.
“Okay,” she said, “that Jackson boy, cute, but that big brute there, annoying.”
“Yeah. Wait, you really think he was cute?”
“In an eighteen-and-innocent sort of way. Good body, nice butt, killer smile. That boy’s gonna break hearts.”
Daniel looked at Jenn for a few seconds, hit by a variant of what had gripped him when he saw her making out with Tannaka. He could not deny that it had turned him on. He had spent the days following the event reflecting on the feeling, and accepted that part of him simply enjoyed being a voyeur. It was an uneasy realization, but it explained many of the various experiences he had had growing up. That Jenn seemed happy to go along with it just added fuel to the fire.
He sneaked a glance at the group of Delta Iota Kappa boys, noted that Biff was once again undressing his girlfriend with his eyes while letting his hands roam all over Cindy’s body. Daniel was aroused by the memory of his girlfriend getting it on with Tannaka and had this irrational desire to make Biff jealous. Thus he made his faithful decision, the one that much later he would come to regret bitterly. He turned to Jenn.
“So if I were to ask you to go and flirt with Jackson, really flirt with him, you wouldn’t mind?”
Jenn turned her head towards Daniel, surprised, but stopped the question that was bursting from her lips upon seeing the small card that Daniel was holding between two of his fingers right before her.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Daniel shook his head, tilting the card towards her. “Your rules, remember?”
Jenn took the card, read it out loud. “Order a player you control to seduce a person of your choice.” She looked at Daniel. “And what do you mean by seducing here?”
“All I want you to do is go out there, flirt with Jackson, be nice, inviting, suggestive, make him really think you’ve got the hots for him. Kiss him, touch him, whatever you feel comfortable with, but please don’t let any of the other guys in on the action.”
Jenn gave Daniel a curious look, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. “You’re sure about this?”
“Funny, you’re usually the one hesitating and me the one asking if you’re sure.”
“The other times were different.” She shrugged. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”
Jenn took her jacket off, handed it to Daniel, and unbuttoned two buttons on her blouse, pushing her breasts up to produce some additional cleavage. She licked her lips to make them wet, then winked at Daniel. Her voice was throaty. “Wish me luck.”
She stood and walked towards the spot where Jackson was tossing the ball, which was well away from everyone else. Daniel watched her go, fascinated by how she moved. Her hips had more of a sway to them than usual, and gave the distinct impression that she was on the prowl. He had to admit she looked exceedingly good doing it.
She reached Jackson just when he caught the football and he tossed it back before smiling at her. Daniel was too far to hear their exchange, but he could see their faces. Jackson kept smiling and was saying something, while Jenn was standing a pace away from him, a hand on her hip. Daniel smiled when he saw Jackson eyes dart down, presumably to take in the cleavage that Jenn was undoubtedly offering him. Daniel tried to imagine their conversation, the sillinesses that a young couple flirting would typically exchange, the glances, the coy looks, the subtle body movements.
Jackson caught another football and tossed it back, and Jenn closed the gap that separated them, reaching out to touch his shoulder and throwing arm. Jackson struck a pose, and Jenn, under the guise of touching his now presumably bulging muscles, let her hands caress his body. They kept on conversing, and before too long the football came back his way—he caught it, tossed it back, then shouted that he would be sitting the next few throws out. Then he and Jenn sat down on the grass, close to each other.
They talked, with Jenn laughing frequently, tossing her head back, always with a hand hovering by Jackson’s arm or knee. At some point he sneaked a worried glance at Daniel, who lifted a hand in a silent hello, before Jenn put her hand on Jackson’s cheek to turn his head back towards her, saying something that Daniel expected must have been along the lines of “don’t worry about it, he lets me hang out with other guys all the time.” Daniel noticed that Jenn was moving closer and closer to Jackson, their bodies touching, and her demeanor was one that he recognized from his having spent the last several years with her—she was getting excited. Daniel was not sure whether it was an act or not. That uncertainty both aroused him and made him jealous of the good-looking football player, and part of him wanted to go over there and shove the rival away from his girlfriend.
Jenn, in the distance, had found a way to touch and caress Jackson’s face, and Daniel wondered what exactly led to Jenn pushing her chest out and pointing to something at the base of her throat. She definitely had Jackson’s attention, and Daniel did not notice that he was holding his breath until Jenn leaned towards Jackson and put her lips on his and kissed him. Jackson at first seemed taken aback, but any doubts he had were cast away by Jenn’s hand pushing its way under his tee shirt. Daniel’s cock was rock-hard, and his desire to scream and hit someone increased correspondingly. He realized his fists were clenched and forced himself to calm down. It had been his idea, after all, however misguided it might have been.
The first kiss Jenn and Jackson exchanged seemed light and tentative, but the second was more intense, their mouths connected for half a minute, Jenn’s head tilted, Jackson’s more forward, already taking the lead. By the third kiss, Jackson either had pushed Jenn to the ground or she had pulled him down with her, one of her long legs folded at the knee. They stayed down in the grass for a long time, Jenn’s arms around Jackson’s neck, him lying down on top of her, between her legs, his groin clearly pressing against hers. Daniel was just about to stand and go split them up when somebody else took care of that for him.
While Daniel was distracted by the frolicking pair, he had not noticed Biff approaching the couple. Cindy had remained behind, Biff’s place at her side taken over by another boy who was pawing her just as unceremoniously as Biff had been—and Cindy was responding with the same enthusiasm, kissing and rubbing and caressing.
Jackson must have sensed Biff getting near because he hurriedly straightened up and stood to face his approaching bulky brother. Jenn sat up on the grass, looking at the boys with curiosity. Her cheeks were flushed, Daniel could not help notice.
When Biff reached Jackson he gave the younger boy a big slap on the back that almost sent the boy flying, then wrapped his arm around Jackson’s neck, seemingly the best of friends. He said something to Jenn, at which point she stood up to face him. Biff was laughing, Jackson looked vaguely uncomfortable, and Jenn was frowning. Then Biff grabbed his crotch, and Daniel decided that enough was enough and walked towards the group to intervene, when all of a sudden Jenn let her arm fly and slapped Biff so hard he stumbled. It was like David taking on Goliath—Jenn was easily half the size of the large man. Jackson seemed to be fighting hard to refrain from laughing.
Jenn spun on her heels and walked in Daniel’s direction, shaking her head. Biff had recovered, and was looking at Jenn, his gaze squarely on her ass, a huge grin on his face that Daniel wanted to wipe off with some highly caustic agent.
Jackson was looking on quietly, exchanging a look with Daniel before shrugging apologetically. He glanced at Biff to make sure he was not seen. Biff never looked at Jackson, or at Daniel for that matter, despite Daniel’s dark glances, and maintained his gaze on Jenn’s body.
“Love, are you all right?” he asked when Jenn was near him.
She did not stop. “I’m fine. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Daniel got in step next to her, and they made their way in silence to the small cafe in the Arts Quad where Daniel had reconnected with Serena a few years earlier. Jenn bought herself a drink and they sat down at an isolated table.
“Sorry,” said Jenn, after a long silence. “Just needed to decompress a bit. That Biff guy really got to me.”
“Are you up for telling me what happened?”
Jenn looked at Daniel for a second, her expression unreadable, then nodded. “I guess you could see but not hear. Well, I went up to Jackson, as you asked me to, and we talked and I flirted with him. He was weary at first, not knowing how you’d react, and I reassured him, and told him we had a special understanding you and I, not going into details but suggesting certainly that it was some sort of open relationship and even that you liked to watch. That relaxed him quite a lot, and we had a fun time. He’s actually quite a nice guy, and with some of the softest lips you wouldn’t believe. And nice strong hands that hold you and don’t let go.” Jenn was seemingly unaware of the effect she was having on Daniel, who was torn again in equal measure between jealousy and arousal.
“He was severely turned on,” continued Jenn, “I could feel his dick press against me, and to be honest, it felt good. And then, then Biff showed up. Jackson saw him first, and shuffled to get up. He was scared of Biff. He said he was a rather junior member of the frat, while Biff was older, had a pretty bad temper, and was related to the president—a cousin or something. Basically, everyone walks carefully around Biff. And he has the reputation to be mean. So when Biff got near, Jackson jumped. Biff did this big show of being friendly, but his eyes never left me. It was like he was undressing me with his eyes, and not in a pleasant way. He was undressing me like kids pull wings off of flies—slowly, deliberately, wanting to inflict maximum suffering. He really seemed to like my legs, and I shuffled to move them under me. And he was telling Jackson that he had scored a cute little bird, and why didn’t he present me? Jackson hummed and hawed, and I jumped in to help, standing up to tell Biff who I was. He asked if Jackson was my new boyfriend, I said no, we were just playing, nothing serious. I tried to keep my tone light. Biff laughed and said that he was a much better playmate than little Jackson here. Perhaps I wanted to try some pure Midwestern meat for a change? Not really, I said, and he laughed again, then grabbed his crotch, a leer in his eyes, then told me that he had something here that would satisfy me, that Cindy over there can’t get enough, and that if I’d just spread my fine legs for him, he’d fuck me until I came so hard I’d see stars and that he’d completely ruin me for that little fag of a boyfriend—he nodded towards you when he said that —that after he was done with me not only would I not be able to feel your little cock when you were inside me, but I’d crawl to him on my hands and knees begging to have him split me apart again and again until I couldn’t walk. And perhaps then he’d go find you and get you to beg him to fuck your ass until you bled, like the fag you were. And that’s when I slapped him. And he just laughed, and told me again that I’d beg him.”
“Fuck,” said Daniel, and he started to rise before Jenn put her hand on his arm.
“Don’t do anything stupid. Let it go. It’s not worth it.”
“He insulted you.”
“Yes, and he insulted you too. I suspect he’s insulted plenty of people. Big deal. He’s an asshole. An asshole and a pig. And he’s not worthy of your time. And besides,” and there Jenn’s face darkened, “you kindda deserved it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh come on. I know you, Daniel Malcolm, and frankly you can’t put on a poker face to save your life. Sending me off to flirt with Jackson was really just a play to make Biff envious, wasn’t it?”
“No, not...” Daniel hesitated, then sighed, defeated. “Okay, maybe a bit. I guess. It was many things. I did want to see you flirt with a guy. That whole thing with Tannaka, it just started things, and I just... I just wanted to know what it’d feel like, to see you with someone else, a man. Jackson seemed nice enough, and yes, if done the way I could stick it to that Biff guy, well, all the better.”
Jenn nodded. “Didn’t quite work out as planned, did it?”
“No, not really.”
“That’s what you get for using me for your petty revenges.”
Jenn finished her drink, then looked carefully at Daniel, who was staring out the window.
“So,” she said, “did you like it, then?”
“Like what?”
“Seeing me make out with another guy. Did it soothe your little voyeuristic fantasies?” Jenn saw Daniel react, and lifted a hand to forewarn any protest. “It’s okay—the point of that little game of ours was to explore fantasies, remember? If I wasn’t okay with it, I wouldn’t have done it. You were right, Jackson was nice, and it was very interesting to kiss a new guy after all this time only with you. But it’s you I love, of course. Nothing changed there. It was sorta fun—well, except for the Biff part. But you, did you like it?”
“To be honest, no, I didn’t. It was a turn on at first, but it veered ugly pretty quickly. I wanted to go and punch the guy’s lights out. Scared me, really. Not something I particularly want to experience again. I’m... I’m sorry I put you through it, made you do it.”
“You didn’t make me do anything, it wasn’t real mind control, you know that. I did have some agency. Told you, Jackson was actually nice. And how you’re feeling now is probably punishment enough. And Biff, well, Biff, sadly, is kind of an occupational hazard when you’re hot like me. You learn to dismiss them.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. And we did learn one thing today—no swinging for us. Right?”
“Right...” Daniel laughed uneasily.
“That does leave threesomes, though.” Jenn grinned wide, a smile with an edge of naughtiness to it, and Daniel quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard. So much for being cool and in control, he thought.
“Come on,” said Jenn, laughing and tossing her empty bottle in a recycling bin, “let’s go, my little easily frazzled boyfriend. You look like you need some downtime.”
They headed home, and the rest of the day was remarkably quiet.
The only notable event of the evening was a call from Radhu. Daniel picked it up in the bedroom, while Jenn was in the shower.
“Hey Radhu, what’s up?”
“Nothing is in fact up, but it appears I require some information that you are presumably in a position to supply.”
“Shoot.”
“Serena contacted me this evening to ask me if I could go to this party organized by a group here on campus called the New American Deal Association, where the Marjorie girl, whose disappearance Serena has been investigating, will reportedly make an appearance. The information I require pertains to the most appropriate manner of approaching the members of that group, with which it has come to my attention you have some familiarity.”
“The best way to approach the NADA folks? Run the other way, as fast as you can. They’re a crazy bunch, Rad, basically a neo-nazi group, although they attempt to tone down their extremist rhetoric in public. Their parties are technically open to all, but in practice only like-minded folks go. Rad, they’re anti-immigration, anti-non-whites, anti-anything that shakes their view that this country, if not the world, ought to be run by them. If you go, you’ll be lynched. Possibly literally.”
“I believe you are exaggerating, my friend. This is the twenty-first century, such polarized bigotry has no place on the campus of an enlightened institution like ours. I shall be fine.”
Daniel shook his head. “Rad, it’s not because we’re in a university that close-minded idiots aren’t around. Look, I know those guys, some of them are in my program. They’re bad news. And frankly the only reason why you’re doing this is because Serena asked you and your brain just shuts down when she’s concerned. What did she do, did she sweeten the deal for you? Please go and get yourself killed and if you come back I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek?”
“Calm down, Daniel. Serena would not stoop so low—”
“Yes she would. You know her, anything to get to the bottom of a story, especially one such as this. Fact is, I’m stunned she’s not trying to get into that party herself, somehow. Of course, she’d be looking at being raped and maimed and possibly even killed, but I can’t see that actually stopping her. Then again, maybe she read about them, checked them out a bit online, you know, like you should do? They’re dangerous, Rad. Especially for you.”
“Now you are getting upset, Daniel. Therefore I apologize for upsetting you. But Serena asked me for a favor, and I will help her to the best of my abilities. If you do not want to help me with information, that is your prerogative. I shall let you know the outcome of my field trip. Good night.”
“Rad, wait!” Daniel took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. Radhu was right, he was getting worked up. “Wait. Look, sorry if I’m snarky tonight. It’s been a rough day. I do think it’s too dangerous for you to go. Let me go instead. I may not like them, and they know that, I’m sure, but at least I’m more... huh... racially acceptable.”
Jenn came into the bedroom at that point, and despite Daniel’s emotional commitment to the conversation with Radhu, he was suddenly distracted. Fresh out of the shower, her long black hair still wet, she only wore a white tee shirt that barely covered her ass, exposing long legs that Daniel could never get his fill of. And when she picked up a brush to brush her hair free of tangles, her back to him, the act of lifting her arms pulled her shirt up and revealed a pair of perfectly formed ass checks. Daniel got an erection on the spot. Then he noticed that Jenn was watching him in the mirror above the dresser, a little smile on her face. She continued brushing her hair.
Daniel realized that Radhu was still talking.
“Sorry, sorry, can you repeat that? I was... huh... distracted. Sorry.”
“I said, I appreciate your concern for my personal safety, but Serena did enjoin me with this particular mission, and I owe it to her and to myself to see it through to its ineluctable conclusion. I will go to the New American Deal Association party and report on any possible Marjorie whereabouts.”
Daniel sighed. He should have known better than to try to derail Radhu’s plans to impress Serena with his alacrity. If you can’t beat them, join them, he thought.
“Okay, okay. Then how about we go together, you and I? I’ll be able to smooth things out, and you’ll be free to investigate all you need to investigate, all right?”
“That is acceptable. Thank you.”
“It’s okay. Just do me a favor—read up a bit on NADA before the party. I want to make sure you know the mess we’re going into.”
“I will. See you tomorrow, Daniel. Good night.”
Daniel tossed his phone on the nightstand, shaking his head.
“So let me guess. You’ve been bamboozled into attending a NADA party?” Jenn finished brushing the last tangles out of her hair, then turned to look at Daniel, her back against the dresser, her arms crossed under her breasts.
“Yup. Another hare-brained scheme of Serena’s. Seems like Marjorie’s gonna be at that party, and Serena got Radhu to agree to go, so I’m going to make sure he makes it out in one piece.”
“At least she had the sense not to want to go herself. Can you imagine that?”
“Thank the powers-that-be for small favors. Though I don’t put it past her to change her mind at the last minute and show up anyways. Fuck, I’m going to have my hands full keeping Radhu out of trouble.”
Jenn took two steps towards the bed. “I wouldn’t worry too much about Radhu. He has this uncanny ability to appear completely inoffensive, and to win people over even against their better judgment.”
“That’s because no one can understand him.”
Jenn only smiled, and climbed onto the bed, kneeling at Daniel’s feet, standing straight, arms to her sides.
“Huh, love, what are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m here to offer my apologies.”
Daniel was torn between looking at Jenn’s face to figure out what she was talking about, and admiring how the position she was in tensed her thighs and offered glimpses of what her tee shirt was hiding.
“What are you talking about? What apologies?”
“This afternoon, when I went to flirt and practically make out with that Jackson boy.”
“Again, what are you talking about? I’m the one that asked you to go, pushed you out there, and frankly, for all the wrong reasons. I’m the one that should be apologizing.”
Jenn crawled up Daniel’s leg, still on her knees. The contact of her bare skin was having an effect. He was only wearing his boxer shorts, as well as a tee shirt of his own, and his cock’s response was unavoidably apparent.
“That may be,” she replied, “but I more or less guessed that you sent me out there to piss off that Biff neanderthal, and I did it anyways. You need to be protected from yourself sometimes, lover, and I think today was one such occasion. And I apologize for not doing it.”
“You’re being silly. You have no obligation to keep me from making a fool of myself.”
“All the same. Whatever can I do to earn your forgiveness?”
“What? Nothing. I told you, there’s no reason—”
“I said, what can I do to earn your forgiveness? I feel really bad. Anything I can do? Anything at all?”
If her meaning had not been clear already, the small movements of her ass on his cock would have lifted any fog. “Oh. Right. Forgiveness. Oh. Mmm... That’s a tough one. What could you do?”
“Perhaps a kiss would do it?”
“It’s a start. It’d have to be a great kiss though.”
Jenn’s response consisted of her leaning over him, barely touching him, except for her lips making contact with his. That light touch deepened, and soon Jenn’s tongue was searching his. She remained hovering half a foot over him, undulating slightly over his body, and he fought the urge to rise up to meet her. The kiss deepened, and Daniel was lost in the sensations. He did permit himself to run a hand down Jenn’s body, settling on the side of her hips, itching to move over and grab an ass cheek, the need to press her down upon him and grind her down on his cock quickly becoming overwhelming. Jenn must have accurately gauged his level of arousal because she interrupted the kiss just when he was about to surrender himself to lust. She pulled off, then looked at him.
“Was that good enough as an apology?”
Daniel was still reeling. “I don’t know. It was certainly a grave offense.”
“That it was. What would help? You do seem a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps we should remove these boxers. They look so constraining.”
The look on her face was three quarters coy, but a good quarter pure lust. Daniel nodded. “Sounds like a great idea. Though I have every intention to trade the tightness of these shorts with some other tightness, if you catch my drift.”
“Of course. What better way to seek forgiveness?”
Jenn straightened up, then pulled Daniel’s shorts off. His cock sprang up, already hard from the kissing. Jenn eyed it hungrily, after tossing his undergarment at one end of the room. She made as if to grab the shaft with one hand, stopped and looked at Daniel. She smiled and, bending over at the waist, leaned down and slowly, teasingly, ran her tongue from the base of his cock to the very tip. She then repeated the maneuver three times, each time lingering longer and longer at the tip, her tongue seemingly drawing more and more complicated figures on his erect shaft. Her eyes never left Daniel’s the whole time. Again she stopped just when he felt he could not take any more, and was about to do something harsh, like grab her head and pull her mouth down on his cock.
She straddled him again, lifting her hips so that she hovered right above him, and without using her hands, lowered herself onto his erection. The sensation of sinking into her like that, after so little direct stimulation, was powerful, and he gasped. Jenn remained silent as she let him penetrate her, and he saw that she had closed her eyes, concentrating on her own feelings. She looked beautiful, the merest hint of a furrow between her eyebrows. Her mouth opened slightly when she engulfed him completely, when he felt her ass against his hips, and he could have sworn he felt her pussy twitch and grab him, deep inside.
Jenn slowly ground herself onto him, shifting her hips back and forth, without pulling herself off. Daniel felt her push down and rub her clit against his pubic bone, and he arched his back just enough to increase the friction and help her. He put his hands on her ass, softly caressing the exposed cheeks. Jenn seemed to enjoy the touch, and hummed happily.
“You know what?” said Daniel, “I think I’m ready to accept your apologies.”
“I don’t know.” Jenn’s voice was barely breathless. “What I did was pretty bad. You shouldn’t forgive so easily.”
“It was just a bit of flirting, a bit of making out. Nothing much there. Besides, it was kindda hot.” In the safety of the fantasies of the bedroom, Daniel was much more comfortable with the afternoon’s events.
“I’m glad you think so, but...” Jenn bent down, leaning on his chest, her head beside his, her lips by his ear. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s not just what I did. It’s what I was thinking. I was a naughty, naughty girl. I really deserve to be punished for that.”
“Oh? And what were you thinking that was so bad?”
“You really want to know?” Jenn’s breath was hot in his ear, the feel of her body on his impossible to ignore, the feel of her pussy on his cock even more so.
“You remember when I pulled Jackson down on top of me, when we were kissing? I had my legs spread, and he was between them, and I could feel his cock rock hard against me, and I imagined for a moment that we were both naked and that his cock was pressing hard against my naked cunt, and that he would slip inside—I was dripping wet, slobbering juice all over the place—and push deep, deep, deep inside me, filling me up completely, and I’d be there with my legs spread as wide as they would go so that he could shove his cock into me, fucking me hard, fucking me like this little bitch in heat that I was.”
“Jesus,” muttered Daniel, who felt his hips push against Jenn’s crotch of their own volition. “Okay, that’s pretty bad...”
“Oh, you haven’t heard half of it. You know what else I was imagining, as I lay there wishing I was getting fucked out of my mind? That you’d show up next to me, looking down at me, Jackson between my legs rutting like a starved man at a buffet, and that you’d strip out of your pants and that you’d kneel and just feed me your cock, pushing it into my mouth, fucking in and out in time with Jackson’s thrusts, grabbing my hair, guiding me, pulling me. Fuck I was salivating just imagining that.”
“I do love it when you suck me off.” Daniel had started moving under Jenn, pushing into her, and she was obliging him, lifting her ass up to give him room for his thrusts. She ground herself back down onto him on every upstroke, time after time. Her breath was getting harsher, yet she was still whispering in his ear.
“You were so hard, so big, you just filled me up, fucking in and out. Jackson was relentless, stabbing his cock into me like a fucking machine. I was coming, hard. Jackson got off me, rolled onto his back. I straightened up, got on my knees next to him, sucking him back to life, throwing my mouth onto his cock. You took advantage of the position to slip your cock into my cunt, giving it to me from behind.”
“I do love taking you from behind.”
“You just like looking at my ass, you little perv. Well, Jackson got hard again pretty quick, and I got this naughty idea, and sat on top of him, you know, reverse cowgirl, my back to him, facing his feet, and I slid him inside me, and I started riding him. Then I called you over. I told you I wanted you to fuck me. You didn’t understand, couldn’t figure it out.
“So I lifted myself off of Jackson’s cock—he protested—and put it back inside me, but in my other hole, you know, I put his cock in my ass and pushed down. Fuck it stretched me out, it felt fucking wonderful. I pushed down, then pulled back up and pushed back down and he was fucking my ass, slowly, ‘cause it was way too tight to go fast. Then I told you I wanted you in my cunt, and you lay down on top of me and slipped your cock into me and I felt so full, from the back and from the front, that I thought I’d explode from the sensations, and indeed before too long you both were fucking me and I was coming and screaming and you were coming and I felt your cum spew inside me and it felt amazing and Jackson was still in my ass still fucking me and my orgasm was not stopping.”
“Fuck,” Daniel said, “that’s so hot—you’re just fantastic.” He was driving deep inside her now, meeting her downward thrusts with equal strength, and Jenn had started shaking slightly, and he himself did not know how long he could hold off coming. The picture Jenn had painted in his mind was crystal clear, and he could just see the guy’s cock sliding into his girlfriend’s ass.
Jenn kissed Daniel hard. He ran his hands down her back, grabbing that ass figuring so prominently in his mind’s eye. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to climax.
Jenn put her lips back near his ear, whispering anew. “But that’s not the worst. Not by far. Do you want to hear the rest, lover? Do you want to hear what your girlfriend was thinking down in the grass when that Jackson boy was kissing her, beyond imagining that she was getting double-fucked?”
“Yes,” groaned Daniel, “please!” He was getting closer. He was starting to lose control of his hips.
“Fine. Well, you just came, right? And you pulled out, and Jackson was still under me, fucking my ass with gusto, and then, and then, there’s this large shadow cast over me, and there’s Biff, naked, his huge cock sticking straight out, as wide as a fist, and he’s stroking it, and he’s looking at me. And he’s smiling. And he gets closer and as he lies down on top of me, lining his impossibly huge cock with my cunt, he tells me that he’s going to fuck me like I’ve never been fucked before, that he’s going to fuck me hard and stretch me out and ruin me, ruin my cunt for anyone without a monster cock like his, that he’s going to fuck me and that after I wouldn’t ever be able to feel my boyfriend’s dick inside me when he’d fuck me and that I’d be forced to troll around geek shows to find cocks big enough to satisfy me. And then he pushed his cock into me and it filled me up so much that there was room for nothing else in my mind and I came instantly, around that huge cock that was invading me and opening me up so fucking much and —”
“Oh god!” Daniel came, hard, his pelvis pushing into Jenn’s who ground her ass onto him in response, and before he had finished spurting she came as well, a long wave-like shiver that made her collapse against him, hugging him, holding on to him.
They remained like that a long while, past the time when their breathing returned to normal, past the time when Daniel’s deflating cock slipped out of Jenn, past the time even when his cum started leaking out of her pussy. They lay, enlaced, content.
Eventually, Jenn rolled to her side, and looked at Daniel. He looked back.
“Okay,” he said, “that was unexpected. But pretty fucking good. How did you...” He did not know how to complete the sentence.
“Let’s just say, again, that you should never play poker, lover. At least not with me. But I’m glad you liked my story. It was fun.”
Daniel hesitated. “Huh, I have to ask though. Did you...? I mean, was it...? I mean...”
“You mean, did I actually think any of that this afternoon?” Daniel nodded. Jenn smiled. “No. That was just, shall we say, spur of the moment inspiration.”
“Oh. Good. I mean, it was great, but only as a fantasy. If this afternoon’s experience taught me something, it’s that I don’t think I’d deal well with sharing you for real.”
“Yeah, well, no fear of that—I have no intention to be shared. But yeah, as a fantasy, I can definitely deal with it.”
Daniel smiled, leaned his head back against the pillow. “You know, you were right.”
“Of course I was. But about what specifically this time?”
“About that game. The board game. That it’d get me in touch with my kinkier side? It worked. Although I’ve kind of reached quota on kinkiness for a while. But it was definitely enlightening. Thank you. And perhaps... you know... perhaps we can play again at some point? After we’ve... huh... recovered?”
“Sounds like a plan. And I also learned stuff.”
“Oh. Like?”
“Like maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss or joke about having a threesome with you and another girl. I mean, Tannaka was hot.”
“You’re fucking with me, right?”
“Maybe,” Jenn replied, smiling enigmatically. “We’ll see.”
Daniel shook his head, and kissed her on the forehead “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She put her head against his shoulder, and they fell asleep in that position, on top of the covers.