This is a fictional account with everyone over eighteen. Special thanks to my editor. For those of you waiting/wanting this to end, hold tight please.
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The next day, after finishing up my last day at work, I began to collect all my stuff for school in the basement for easy packing in my car. After I had most of that done, I decided to wash the car and change the oil. I figured I'd clean it up for my date with Katie that night. A little sweaty, I was just finishing when Anna and Penny showed up in the driveway of her house in Anna's mom's car.
"Hi, Davey," Penny said first. "Working hard?" She seemed friendlier these days.
"I'm just getting ready to head off to Cornell on Sunday."
"So soon," Anna said, acting disappointed.
"What're you up to tonight then?" Penny asked, showing me beer in a bag she held.
"Got a date," I said too quickly.
"Oh, with Megan, huh?" Anna said.
"Ah, yeah," I lied, not wanting them to know who it really was, or that Megan was already at Penn.
"Too bad...we could have had fun," Penny lamented, licking her lips seductively.
We said our goodbyes and I watched the two of them go into the garage. A few minutes later I could hear music playing. I assumed they were cracking beers and from past experience I wanted to be up there. I couldn't, though, so I just finished up and went inside to clean up for Katie.
Coming in I ran into Darci heading down into the basement. I'd seen her since the time in the basement, but mostly just in passing. This time I had to say more than hi as she stood basically blocking my way.
"Do we need to talk?" she asked. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I guess I'd had too much to drink."
"No...we're cool," I said.
"Sure?"
"Really, Darce...everything is fine."
"Ok," she allowed and let me by.
I showered and dressed in a half hour. I still had a few minutes before I had to leave for my date with Katie, so I decided to spend it with Darci to show her I meant what I said. I probably wouldn't have though, if I'd anticipated the questions.
"What're you watching?" I asked, sitting down on the couch with her.
"Big Bang," Darci said.
"Cool."
"You look like you're going out."
'Oh shit, another lie,' I told myself. "Out with the guys before I leave."
"When are Pete and Zach off to college?" Darci questioned.
"Pete leaves this weekend, too, but Zach isn't until next weekend," I replied.
Darci also had another week to go. "You should have told me; I could've joined you guys for a beer. I wouldn't mind seeing those guys one more time before school."
"Ah...sorry," I said. "I better get going."
"Ok...I'll just be here," Darci complained. "Katie's busy and Ellen is too."
'I know Katie's busy,' I thought as I took the steps two at a time, again saying goodbye.
Not only was I possibly cheating on Megan, I was secretly occupying Darci's best friend without her, and lying to most of the other women in my life about everything. Suddenly, I felt miserable about the whole evening. This promise to Katie had me lying like crazy to practically everyone I held dear.
I arrived at Quigley's early and got a soda at the bar. They let me sit at an unoccupied table until Katie arrived. There was a baseball game on and I watched, but with little interest. I was feeling a bit down, but when Katie came in I tried to smile and not show it. Actually, it wasn't that hard. She looked gorgeous and I felt like the luckiest guy in the restaurant suddenly.
"Hi, Davey," Katie exclaimed excitedly.
"Hi, Katie...you like great," I added.
"Thanks...shall we get a table?"
Katie talked nearly non-stop at dinner, and her enthusiasm for getting back to school and the year ahead had me feeling good too. We had a wonderful meal and great conversation, but I sensed nervousness in her as well. The whole meal seemed to take twenty minutes, but it was really over an hour. We finished and left, still joking around. It felt to me more like time spent with a cousin or step-sister than an actual date and certainly not the prelude to a night of hot and wild sex.
Walking into the parking lot, things suddenly felt even weirder. My first sort of date with Katie and now we were supposed to go somewhere and screw. But where? And in whose car, or was one of us supposed to follow the other? I think Katie felt it too, but at least she had a plan.
"Follow me," she said.
I did so for fifteen minutes, and was totally lost when we pulled into a driveway in an apartment complex. I was beginning to think that maybe Katie had a love pad or something crazy like that. She parked in front of a unit and got out. She indicated I should park across the way in a small lot. I did and soon joined her, still not sure what we were doing here.
"This way," Katie said as she led us to an apartment door.
"Where are we?" I asked, a bit shocked as I watched Katie retrieve a key from under a plant on the small porch.
"Barb's a friend of mine for years from church and junior high, but moved away our freshman year of high school. She moved back after high school. She is out for the evening and said I could use her spare room. Don't worry, neither Darci nor Ellen know her too well. They've met, but they haven't seen her in two years. She also has no idea who I'm with.
Katie opened the door and put the key down on the coffee table. It was a small apartment, but it had two bedrooms. The place was comfortably decorated and the bed in the spare room looked to be a double.
"Want a beer?" Katie asked. "She said I could grab a few."
"Sure."
While Katie got the beers, I tried to get some music on the stereo. It wasn't hard as the channel the receiver was tuned to sounded good right away. Katie returned and handed me a beer. We sat on the couch and tried to make conversation. Suddenly, it wasn't as easy as before.
Katie and I had known each other forever it seemed, but faced with never having a history of dating, setting the mood for sex was difficult. Our previous sex had been spontaneous and without preamble. We hadn't even really kissed much other than on birthdays or holidays. Katie felt it too.
"Good song," Katie said.
"Yeah," I replied.
"You ok with this?" Katie asked.
"Sure," I said, but it lacked real conviction.
"Davey...we don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't want to force you."
"You're not. I do...it's ok."
"God, it's not! Katie suddenly seemed to scream to the ceiling. You're right. We shouldn't do this. I see it now. You shouldn't because of Megan and I shouldn't because of Darci. Your sister is my best friend and she'd be hurt if she found out. I'm sure of it. Besides, I hate all the sneaking around and lies. Don't you?"
"Yes...I hate lying to people."
"We should stop this right now while we can still feel ok about it."
"You're probably right."
"That's it then. Let's just go."
"What, just like that?" I found myself complaining, shocked at how fast things had changed. I was so torn wanting her and hating myself. I needed and wanted the sex, but my heavily suppressed conscience took over. "I guess so."
"I think we'll both feel better in the morning," Katie said, trying to sound convincing to both me and herself.
We straightened up and left the apartment. I couldn't believe we'd planned this whole thing out and dropped the plans at the last minute. I was still torn, wanting Katie, but I somehow felt much better about our decision.
"You know where you are?" Katie asked.
"No."
"Just follow me. You'll be on Rock Ave. in no time. Will you know your way from there?'
"Sure."
"Are you ok? Disappointed?"
"Yes and of course. You know I think you're hot," I told her.
"Thanks. You too, but this is better. It just feels wrong. I'm sure of it now."
"Yeah."
"Ok...follow me until we hit the light on Rock Ave."
"Ok."
Katie gave me a peck on the cheek. "I feel better already. I thought I knew what I wanted, but this is better. Don't you agree?"
"You're right, it is."
"I'll be off to school this week, so I won't see you till Thanksgiving break. Have a good early freshman year. Try not to let all those cute freshmen women find out your hidden talents right away. Study hard."
"Thanks...hope school is good for you too."
"Bye, Davey." Another peck on the cheek.
"Bye, Katie...you're the best."
"Maybe not the best. You'd better go before I change my mind."
"Ok, bye."
I followed Katie and realized where I was. We parted at the light at Rock Avenue just like she said. I waved and she honked back. I drove on with mixed emotions. My male hormones were screaming at me, 'You fool. You could have fucked that fabulous body once more and this was probably your last chance.' My better half was relieved, though, that I had nothing to regret.
Back at home, I started packing my stuff in the trunk and back seat. Darci helped me until I had everything in the car that I didn't need for now. She acted sweet, but I could tell she was still a little disturbed, or was it forlorn, from what happened the other day. 'I need to say something,' I thought.
"Hey, let's grab a beer in the basement," I said when we were done.
"Sure."
We went down into the basement and I got two beers as she sat down on the couch. I handed her one and sat on the couch with her. You could hear the muffled sound of the TV upstairs in the family room. It was getting late, so mom was probably already upstairs and it was just dad watching.
"Thanks," Darci said, taking the beer.
