Talia Delayed

Author's Note:

This story is FICTION. In this fantasy, the minimum age for alcohol is 18, not 21. Also, there are more than twenty cities with a California State University campus, but Marysville is not one of them. Finally, any medical content is likely oversimplified and/or inaccurate.

Chapter 1: Registration

"Thirty-six, Thirty-Seven, Thirty-Eight." Under her breath, Talia counted the students in line ahead of her. Actually, from her perspective, she counted their asses, because she was only four foot ten inches tall. Or, 147 centimeters, as she preferred to say, because it sounded bigger.

She was part of a queue of new students, waiting to complete their initial registration at the California State University, Marysville. CSU Marysville, also known as Marysville State, is located in the hot Central Valley of California, a 45-minute drive north of Sacramento (2-1/2 hours north and east of San Francisco).

Talia was in partial shade from a narrow linear roof sheltering the concrete sidewalk, but she was still uncomfortable, as the temperature was 95°F. Naturally, she preferred the cooler-sounding 35° on the Celsius scale. Mid-September in the Valley was always toasty.

Talia felt a light touch on her elbow and turned around.

"Hi, I'm Kerri Russell, and I'm 40."

"I'm Talia Winters, and isn't 40 a little old to be starting college? Oh, wait, I just remembered, I'm 39, and that's why you're 40, isn't it?"

"Yup. I was counting those asses too. So you're also here on a basketball scholarship?"

(Kerri was only a little bit taller.) Kerri and Talia were laughing, then they noticed the guy behind them was laughing with them. He was no more than 5' 6" tall (168 cm).

"Amazing! That is the exact same reason why I'm here. I'm Ric Cortez, I'm 41, and sorry for listening in."

In unison, "But you don't look 41." Followed by more laughter.

"Ladies, once we finished being broiled here, can I buy you something cold to drink?"

"Excuse me, guys. If you can excuse my excessive height, I'd like to buy all three of you something icy cold. I'm Paul Takahashi, and I have a big four-door car with strong air conditioning."

Paul was, at most, only a little taller than Ric, so, there was more laughter.

With big smiles they all agreed and shook hands.

"One more, and we have a full starting five for basketball!" noted Ric.

Yooba's

Once they all completed their registration, they fled to Paul's car. It was an Oldsmobile Ninety Eight, a 1995 model from the era when General Motors made several flavors of V8-powered large 4-door sedans, from the less-expensive Chevrolet Impala all the way up to the plush Cadillac Sedan DeVille.

Paul explained, a little sheepishly, "I inherited my great-aunt's enormous car. It's not very fashionable or efficient, but the price was right."

"Eighteen miles to the gallon?" asked Talia.

"Yeah, on premium fuel, but I won't drive it very much. I have a big place very close to the campus."

After a short drive, he parked at the far end of the lot in front of Yooba's Lounge, a good-sized club close to the university's athletic fields.

As they were walking in, Kerri asked, "Why did you park so far from the door, Paul?"

"The car is so big that in regular-sized spaces it gets clobbered by other cars' doors flying open. As you see, it's in pristine condition and I want to keep it nice--in case somebody longing for the 'good old days' makes me an offer."

Inside, they found a booth and arranged themselves. "Boy Girl Boy Girl," noted Talia, smiling.

The bartender called out to them, "I have no staff right now, so you have to come up here to get your drinks."

Ric was seated at one end, so, "What can I get for you all?"

Kerri: "Light beer, any domestic brand, I'm not picky."

Paul: "They have Stella Artois, ask for that."

Talia: "No alcohol for me. I need a large glass full of ice and water, please."

Ric said, "To save time, let me get your IDs. All of us are short enough to get hassled. At the bar, he asked for the beers, and with them he added his Dos Equis and Talia's ice water on a tray. Carefully, he walked the full tray back to the booth.

"Well done, Ric, excellent balance. Thanks, we'll be sure to tip you generously," joked Kerri. "Talia, if you don't mind, is there a reason you don't drink?"

"Unfortunately, any kind of alcohol just ravages my stomach. It's just not fun for me. But if Paul trusts me with his land yacht, I can be our designated driver.

"Does anybody know the story of this place's name?"

"About a half mile from here is where the two big rivers come together, the Feather and the Yuba. I understand people go white water rafting on the Yuba River," replied Ric. "I'd like to try that some time."

"Around here? It's mostly all flat and boring," noted Kerri.

"Naw, up in the Sierra foothills. If the weather was better, you could see the white tops of the mountain range from here. Sierra Nevada translates to 'Snowy Mountains.' So there's enough melt water to raft in, even this late in the season.

"So, do all of you have majors picked out? Since there's no rafting major, I'm studying Theater. If I do well enough, I might go into a career in acting."

"How about you, Kerri?" asked Paul.

"I'm not sure, I'm thinking Biology, or Anatomy and Physiology. I might go into nursing or pre-med. For me, it's also a question of how well I do. I understand the chemistry courses are horribly difficult. Your turn, Paul."

"Honestly, I have decided only that it's too early to choose. Along with the giant car, my great-aunt left me some money for my education, so I have time to browse around and try different subjects. I'll see what fits me. We're down to you, Talia."

"Well, for me it's business. I'm the first to go to college, so I have a scholarship and financial aid package. It just barely covers my tuition and living expenses. I don't have any flexibility, I need to get out in four years and quickly find a good job, hopefully. I don't have other resources to draw on, so it's all on me to perform."

They continued chatting for some time, then Ric noticed it was already almost 6 o'clock.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting hungry. And bar food isn't going to cut it. So I need to excuse myself and find some supper."

"Hold up, Ric," said Paul, "I'm hungry too. And I'm really enjoying our conversation. Please. Let me buy us all dinner and have ourselves a relaxing evening before we have to register for classes."

"Are you sure?" asked Talia. "I can easily be swayed against the Top Ramen dinner I was planning for tonight."

"Oh, well, Top Ramen. In that case, we can drop you off. Kidding! Please come with us, Talia."

"Twist my arm, guy. OK, I'll join you. Kerri? Rick?"

Oriana's

Paul settled the tab and asked the bartender for advice. She recommended Oriana's, a family-style Italian restaurant just two blocks away. He thanked her and left a $20 tip.

"Come back anytime, Paul. I'm Anna, and it's my bar." (She got his name off the credit card slip.)

Back in the car, Paul used the Ninety Eight's armrest controls to roll down all four side windows at once. The afternoon sun and the high temperature were hard to deal with. "This is why they actually call this space in a car the 'greenhouse.' But we're only going a few blocks."

Again, they found a booth, and were quickly served ice water and a basket of bread choices with their menus. Talia ignored the bread while the others selected either olive oil or butter.

When the time came to order Talia asked only for risotto (rice) with some white cream sauce "on the side" and some green beans. The others had more extensive dinners with several items. And they shared bites, but Talia begged off.

"Are you feeling OK, Talia? You're not eating very much," asked Kerri.

"Oh, I'm fine, really. Don't be concerned, I have a digestive issue, it's no big thing."

"You tell me if there's anything you need, anything I can do," responded Kerri. The conversation continued with all four of them participating. Kerri, however, was trying not to be caught staring at Talia.

"Not only is she really small, but she's also very thin," thought Kerri. "When I see her arm on the table, it's almost frightening. Every bone is visible, there's no extra flesh, no fat. She's close to being emaciated; it also shows in the sharp features of her face."

Ric spoke up next. "Guys, this has been a great day, which I didn't expect. We have course enrollments over the next two days. Can we get back together on Friday night?"

Everyone agreed, and phone numbers were exchanged. Paul said, "I'm happy to drive again, on Friday let's meet at the Student Center at 5:00."

"But since tonight is what my mother called a 'school night,' I think I should start taking you all home now."

Oh, No!

"You're OK to drive?" asked Talia.

"I am. Let's figure out who's closest."

It turned out to be Talia. Paul navigated the Ninety Eight down some increasingly disreputable streets until he found her motel. Shabby didn't even begin to describe it, and there were several people loitering around on nearby corners. They were clearly hoping to engage in illegal acts of commerce, related to drugs or sex or both.

All three of them turned and looked at Talia.

"What the hell, this area is crazy dangerous!" blurted Ric. Kerri, in the back seat with her, put her hand on her arm.

"Is this really where you're staying, Talia?"

Tears began spilling as Talia confessed, "It's all I can afford."

Paul said, "I don't even want to park around here. Where is your room?"

"Over on the far end."

"Alright. I'm going to let you three out over there, and you'll go together and get your stuff. Just leave the room key."

"But where am I going to stay?"

"NOT HERE. If something happened to you, I could not forgive myself. We will work something out where you'll be safe. Now go quickly, please!"

When the three of them reached Talia's door, it was not all the way closed, as the lock had been forced.

"Oh, no!"

Her meager possessions were pulled out of the drawers and scattered through the room.

"How much did you lose?" asked Kerri, softly.

"Nothing really, there was nothing in here worth stealing, they just tore through looking for stuff."

Ric was busy, he found her old pasteboard suitcase and was quickly flinging her clothes into it.

"Ladies, we need to get the hell out of here. Fast! Help me!"

In three minutes, they were finished and out. For Paul, it seemed like forever, as he hoped his big old car wasn't attracting too much attention while he waited outside.

And then they were gone, back towards a more mellow section of town.

Chapter 2: Paul's Solution

"But what am I going to do?"

Paul had parked at a busy supermarket where they could sit and talk.

"All right, I need to tell you about myself, and that's going to make a lot of things easier. To start with, I have a lot of cash on me. At the very least, I can easily buy you a nice hotel room for tonight.

"Please, Talia, don't worry about it. Like I said, you aren't going to be in danger, if I have anything to say about it. Leaving you back in that dangerous area would be unconscionable.

"Now, I need to explain. In her will, my great-aunt didn't just leave me this giant car. She also left a six-bedroom Victorian house, and a lot of money.

"Until a few months ago, I lived there with my mother. I was taking care of her, but she's got early-onset Alzheimer's and now needs 100% care. In fact, she no longer recognizes me, and doesn't even speak any more."

Paul was choking up, and had to gather himself for a moment.

"I'm going to take a giant leap here, but now I'm alone in that giant old house, and I was going to start looking for roommates. Would you be willing to consider living in my house, at least temporarily?

"I promise, nothing improper will happen. I want to bring all of you there tonight, and ask you two, Ric and Kerri, to be supporting Talia to make sure she feels safe and comfortable. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot, Talia, but what do you think?"

"You're being very generous, Paul. And, obviously, I'm in a very tough situation. Ric, Kerri, will you come with me to see the place?"

"I will," agreed Kerri, and Ric nodded. Paul restarted the Oldsmobile and they drove off.

1905

"Well, here she is, in all her ornate and elaborate glory. It's a Victorian, built in 1905--just before the Great Earthquake and Fire devastated San Francisco in the following year.

"The guy who built it had made his fortune in hydraulic gold mining.

"Anyway, how about I just let you explore all three stories. My bedroom has blue painted walls and a green cover on the bed. The other bedrooms are lightly furnished, but they do have beds with fresh linens. So, pick whichever one of them appeals if you decide to stay.

"I hope you do."

Paul went to the kitchen and made himself a pot of tea, decaffeinated--so he would be able to sleep later in the evening.

Fifteen minutes later, all three of them were back.

"So, Talia, will you stay in my house? And if so, which bedroom?"

"I have decided on the one on the second floor that has the pale pink wallpaper. But Kerri has an objection."

"Kerri? What is your issue?"

"It's not about Talia in your pink bedroom. My problem is, I want to live in the yellow-painted bedroom across the hall on that same floor. Can I stay here, too, please?"

Kerri struck an exaggerated, coquettish pose, and batted her eyelashes.

Paul looked over at Talia, who shrugged with a "what can you do?" expression on her face.

Rolling his eyes, he looked over to Ric. "Can you believe this?"

"It's crazy, Paul. Kerri really surprised me. I wanted the yellow bedroom too, but I guess I'll take the third floor room with the window seat."

"What have I done?" Paul whined. Yet, secretly, he was happy. If nothing else, his roommate issues were now solved.

Two Weeks Later

Talia, Kerri, and Ric were all moved into Paul's place within a week of their first visit. He decided to charge Kerri and Ric a very small rent to cover groceries and utilities. Surprisingly, all four of them were competent in the kitchen, so arranging meals was going to be easy.

Kerri did still notice, however, that Talia was continuing to eat only very sparingly. She estimated that her less than five foot tall roommate weighed less than 80 pounds (36 kg).

It was a Friday night, and Paul was away from the Victorian, visiting with his girlfriend, May Pang. They were returning to her apartment after having gone out for Korean barbecue.

They had a small chuckle over the idea that their having Korean food created an East Asian trifecta, since May's antecedents were Chinese and Paul's were Japanese.

As soon as her door closed behind him, Paul was loosening his belt and unsnapping his pants.

"Ooh, I ate too much."

"Don't stop there," May cooed.

"Huh?"

She stared meaningfully at his waist.

"Oh!"

Her apartment was a studio, so the bed was right there behind her knees. As soon as they were both fully undressed, she fell backwards onto the mattress with Paul on top.

After a lot of deep kissing, they rearranged themselves, so they were both fully on the mattress with the blanket and top sheet pushed aside. May was on top, now. She grabbed a lubricated condom and rolled it on. Then she grabbed hold of his cock and directed him inside, settling her weight down with a happy sigh.

"I never get tired of this hot slippery feeling," he thought, reaching down to grasp hold of her butt. Above him, her dark brown nipples were erect and extended on the slight slopes of her breasts. May never wore a bra, there was no need or use for one. Rarely--when she was concerned that her nipples could become irritated or too obvious--she would wear a camisole or just apply adhesive bandages ("Band-Aids").

After a few minutes of grinding down against him, she shuddered through her first climax. Then, Paul carefully rotated her over on to her back for missionary-style, his favorite. To help herself along, she moved her finger between them to flick and swirl her clit, building rapidly to another orgasm.

As often happened, her shudders and contractions pushed Paul over the edge and he spurted into the condom, three, four, five times, then settled on to his elbows so his weight wouldn't be uncomfortable for her.

They rested together for a short time, then Paul moved off to the side.

"Want some water?"

"Maybe some of my apple juice from the fridge?"

"Found it. Ah, here you go. So, I have some news. I got some roommates, other CSU students."

"Roommates, plural? Your house is certainly big enough. How many guys?"

"Well, one guy. And two girls."

"WHAT?!"

"Ric, Kerri, and Talia, they were all starting college, like me. We met in the registration line."

"So, you're sharing your house with two 19-year-old girls?"

Judging by the look on her face, and the tone in her voice, Paul sensed danger. May was getting very angry.

"I told you I was going to look for roommates, didn't I?"

"I assumed you meant guys! What were you thinking!"

"I don't know what you're upset about. I'm not sleeping with them. They have their own bedrooms."

"I. DON'T. CARE. Get rid of them. Today!"

"What? Why?"

"I'll say it again, you're sharing your house with two 19-year-old girls. That's not acceptable."

"You don't understand."

"No, I don't. I don't have to. They go, or you go. Simple as that. Well?"

"I can't just throw them out on the street!"

"Fine. There are your clothes. Put them on and get out. Now!"

"You're joking."

"Do I SOUND like I'm joking? GET OUT!"

Angrily, Paul dressed and left her apartment. With his last ounce of self-control, he closed her door quietly, instead of slamming it.

Three days later, hoping she had cooled off, he tried to call her.

May had blocked his number.

Chapter 3: Domestic Tranquility

A month after the end of May, that is, the end of Paul's relationship with May, life in the Victorian was splendid.

Having dinner together every night built strong bonds of friendship among them. They began to think of each other as family.

Another factor that brought them together was, surprisingly, their studies. They were all five weeks into the Fall Semester and making good progress in their courses.

Ric, for example, because of his emphasis on theater arts and literature, was highly skilled at writing. Since all of them needed to write papers and essays, Ric helped them improve their writing and correct mistakes.

Paul was settling into an information sciences major. He not only kept all their laptop computers humming along, but also, he created a shared networked server and storage system for the household. Talia managed only a feeble objection before gratefully accepting one of Paul's older laptops for her schoolwork.

Kerri was often huddled with Ric, going over scripts and stories with him. She would "run lines" of dialogue so he could practice.

Talia's contribution was to take over and supervise budgets and expenditures for the household. Secondarily, Paul asked her to help him stay on top of some of his investments. Not in any decision-making role, but instead to recognize and evaluate how those parts of his portfolio were performing.

Talia quickly found that a mutual fund that advertised high returns was actually not making Paul much money, because the sales and management fees were excessive.

When she showed him the difference between what his fund and a similar but low fee ("no-load") fund had returned in previous years, he was shocked. That high-cost fund was only a small portion of his assets, but over that length of time the discrepancy added up to hundreds of unrealized dollars.