Hey guys, here's Chapter 01 of a new story for you! I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to enter something in Literotica's Valentine's Day contest but realized I would not be able to finish in time. Like my last two contest entries(Suzie's Twenty-Five Acts and Abbott Trails), the story was getting very long. So, instead of rushing to finish, I decided to split the story into multiple parts. Will this delay Birthday Pool Party? Yes. Sorry about that! I do want to finish BPP, but I was inspired to write this one. Birthday Pool Party is not being abandoned, I promise. This one won't be nearly as long as Birthday Pool Party and I already have quite a few chapters ready to go.
This one is set in the same universe as my other stories and you might recognize a few characters. This was meant to be a standalone story, so reading my other stories is not a requirement. You'll miss a few Easter Eggs, but that's about it.
I haven't written in past tense for awhile, so please let me know if you spot any tense changes. Comments and feedback are always appreciated! I read every single one. Also, please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Errors bug me, and I make sure to upload revised editions whenever I find any. Please note that this story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. As always, this is a world without STI's, and everyone involved in sexual activity is at least eighteen years old.
-Witty
~Wednesday January 01, 2025~
"Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Eight voices cried out together, filling the small apartment with the sounds of their mirth.
The cheering stopped when the group paired off into four couples for the traditional New Year's kiss. A thin guy who was well over six feet tall was locked in a passionate embrace with a slim blonde. The couple was humorously mismatched, with his brown haired head towering at least a foot over her blonde. She was stretching up while he bent down to press their lips together.
Standing several feet to the right on the light-gray carpet was the next couple. He was much more average in stature and build, with his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman with long brown hair. Her body was pressed against his as they kissed fiercely.
The third pairing consisted of a sexy Latina and a muscle-bound guy who would not have been out of place on a football field. He was about six feet tall with blond hair and she was probably five or six inches shorter with shining raven hair. Their kiss was more hesitant, showing that the two of them were not as familiar with each other as the first two couples.
The last pair had an equally hesitant kiss, just pecking each other's lips repeatedly. The woman looked to be the youngest and was by far the shortest. At barely five feet tall, she was a cute, freckled redhead with pale skin. Her partner was quite a bit taller with brown hair. Unlike the others, he was carrying a few extra pounds and had a round, jovial face.
Conner and Leslie, Steven and Jane, Noah and Camilla, and Theo and Sienna. That was their group. Or "The Gang of Eight" as they informally called themselves.
While the apartment wasn't large, it was quite nice and took advantage of what space was available. A large television was mounted on the wall and there were framed pictures on either side. Facing the television was a large couch with a recliner off to the side. A small table with a lamp was beside the couch and a nice coffee table sat in front of it.
Signs of their New Year's Eve party were littered all over the apartment. There were several empty bottles of beers, a few glasses of half-drunk wine. A large plate with a single mozzarella stick and a bowl of marinara sauce was resting on the coffee table. In addition, a stack of board games were resting on the floor, along with a set-up game that appeared recently abandoned.
"And a very happy birthday to you," the brunette smiled, cutely scrunching her nose while squeezing the upper arms of her guy.
Jane Silver was a slim, twenty-seven year old beauty with green eyes and light brown hair that fell to her lower back. As an HR specialist, Jane was a very compassionate and approachable person. She could be tough when she needed to, but she never stopped caring. She had a cute voice, kissable lips, and an adorable face. Everyone loved the small mole just over her upper lip.
"Right! Happy birthday, buddy! Woo!" the guy with the jovial face cheered as the redhead he was kissing stepped back.
Theodore Caldwell was an outgoing guy who always had a wise-ass remark ready to go. He was of average height and had hazel eyes. At twenty-six, Theo loved to party and was always good for a laugh. Sadly, he didn't have much luck with the ladies, but he was a good guy and a hard worker at his job as a bookkeeper.
Standing a couple feet in front of Theo was Sienna Griffith, the five-foot-nothing redhead. She was the youngest of the group, at only twenty-one years old. After graduating community college she got a job as an accounts payable specialist. Sienna was the only one of the group who still lived at home with her parents.
"Last birthday of your twenties, ready to be an old man?" the tallest guy teased after Sienna expressed her birthday wishes.
"Don't be an ass, Conner," the blonde rolled her eyes.
Leslie and Conner Pearson were the only married couple of the friend group. Conner was a very slim man who was well over six feet with brown hair and green eyes. He was a mechanical engineer and the only person in The Gang of Eight who did not work at Sphinx Accounting and Bookkeeping Services.
Conner's wife, Leslie, was a full foot shorter than he was. A beautiful blonde with blue eyes, Leslie was the oldest of the group at thirty-one. Her husband, who she met in college, was a few months younger. Leslie was a financial controller liked by everyone she met.
"Steve got his New Year's kiss, how about a birthday bang?" the sexy Latina asked with a smirk. "What do ya say, Jane?"
"I say mind your own business," Jane replied with a small blush.
"C'mon, Silver!" the Latina giggled. "Take him to his room and make some music!"
Jane's roommate was Camilla Garcia, a gorgeous twenty-four year old of average height with black hair and brown eyes. Camilla was hired right out of college as an accounts receivable specialist. She was outgoing and always the life of the party.
"Can all the guys get a birthday bang?" a tall, muscular guy who kissed Camilla wondered. "What do you say, ladies?"
"We say 'no.'" Sienna grunted and rolled her eyes.
Noah Beck was Theo's roommate and fellow bookkeeper. Unlike Theo, Noah was a six-foot-tall wall of muscle. He could often be found at the gym in their apartment building and played football in college. Noah was twenty-five and had much better luck with women than Theo.
"Speak for yourself, girl!" Leslie laughed, standing on her toes to kiss her husband's cheek. "My man is so getting lucky when we get home!"
"He's leaving you here?" Theo suggested, making everyone laugh.
"Well, that explains why you're single," Sienna retorted.
Other than Conner and Leslie, the rest of the group were all single. Camilla and Noah dated casually, while Theo usually went home alone every night. Sienna went on dates but was much more careful about who she hooked up with. Leslie had been the one to suggest that the six single people pair off so that she and her husband weren't the only ones kissing in the new year.
Camilla and Sienna each reluctantly grabbed a guy while the married couple were obviously going to kiss each other. Sienna wasn't really attracted to Theo, while Camilla didn't want to date anyone in their friend group. The kisses were a little awkward, but it was a New Year's tradition! Everyone agreed that Jane should kiss Steven Martucci, the owner of the apartment they were all spending New Year's in.
Steven wasn't a very tall guy, but he was a handsome man of Italian heritage with light brown hair and green eyes. His close-cropped beard looked great on him and he had an amazing smile complete with dimples. Steven had started out as an accountant at Sphinx Accounting and Bookkeeping services, but he eventually transitioned to a pure finance role. His job as a financial analyst paid incredibly well, allowing him to easily afford his own place without needing a roommate.
The worst kept secret in the social group was that Steven and Jane were friends with benefits. The two of them had a casual intimacy that was easy to spot, even for Theo. Everyone knew that they had even hooked up at the office on more than one occasion. Neither of them had been on a date in months, and the other six expected them to officially become a couple.
Steven thanked everyone for the birthday wishes before the girls decided he deserved more kisses. Leslie was married, so she only gave him a quick peck on the lips. Sienna pressed her body against his and lightly kissed him. Camilla had to show off, grabbing the back of his head and shoving her tongue in his mouth.
"Jealous?" Camilla asked Jane with a wink after breaking the kiss.
"About what?" Jane wondered, sounding actually curious, to Camilla's disappointment.
Jane, focused on Camilla, didn't see how Steven's face fell at hearing that.
"So, ah, you got any big plans for your birthday?" Leslie asked, attempting to distract Steven.
"Nothing at all," Steven answered with a light laugh. "I'm gonna sleep in, do some cleaning, a few loads of laundry."
"Whoa, watch out ladies, we've got a wild one here," Sienna teased.
"If you're not careful he might whip you up your very own budget," Theo added.
"Big talk coming from the guy with the exciting bookkeeping job," Noah countered.
"Hey! You're a bookkeeper, too!" Theo glared at his roommate.
"I'm also a former college quarterback," Noah smirked before taking a sip of his beer.
"That is such a weird combination," Leslie giggled.
"I think everyone here is a little nerdy," Conner added. "I'm an engineer, you're all in finance or accounting. Oh, and we spent New Year's Eve playing board games."
"You're my sexy engineer," Leslie purred, smiling at her husband.
"Just a shame you nerds can't all be as handsome as me," Theo shook his head. "I feel so bad for you."
"You're an idiot," Sienna grunted.
"How about we finish the game?" Steven offered.
It wasn't easy to find a game that could accommodate eight people at once, but The Gang of Eight had managed to find a couple. They had split off into smaller parties to play other games earlier, usually two groups of four. For this last game of the night, they all wanted to play together.
The game was set in eighteenth century Europe and each player took on the role of a powerful nation. Competing to expand by garnering the most support, each player had to win wars to increase their territories. More territories meant more people, which meant supplying more goods, leading to more support. It was a long game that took over an hour to finish.
Noah was playing as France and was eliminated first. Steven's Russia fell not long after. Soon it was just two people left. Great Britain held on awhile but was ultimately defeated by Spain. Sienna was the winner. Everyone congratulated her before polishing off their drinks.
"Present time!" Leslie declared.
"You guys didn't have to get me anything," Steven protested weakly.
"Too fucking bad, we did!" Camilla laughed while rummaging through her bag and extracting a wrapped box.
Steven sat on the couch while the others sang happy birthday, then it was time to open presents. His gifts were fairly standard for a nerdy guy; a new button-down, a board game, a gift card for a restaurant. There was some teasing when he unwrapped Jane's present; a very nice wristwatch.
"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?" Sienna asked, pointing between Steven and Jane.
"We're sure," Jane spoke up quickly.
"Yeah, positive," Steven sighed.
