Eli and Rachel came over to our place the weekend following her return, and after dinner Lila broke out some of the "medical supplies" she had brought back from California. We put music on, passed a bong around and before long every word reflected THC-induced hilarity or gravity, sometimes both at once.
When a hot mountain fiddle reel came on, Eli and Lila made the floor joists shake in a hoe down, soon joined by Rachel and I. After five minutes we all collapsed exhausted and laughing on our large sectional sofa that wrapped around an interior corner of the parlor, Eli and Lila winding up on one side of the corner, Rachel and I on the other.
Eli recounted how the university recently implemented a work-study program for low-income students, who would receive a discount on tuition in return for part-time custodial work. A Dominican girl came in to clean his office one day, and he recognized her as a student in one of his courses.
"With her pretty face and natural assets, she was easy to remember," he added. "Well, it wasn't long before she began paging through some of the books on my shelves and lamenting how the classwork was so hard. I told her I would be happy to give her some specialized instruction." His facial expression illustrated his meaning. "But she must have heard something about me. First thing out of her mouth, in broken English, was, 'I like help. But I no sleep with you.' To which I assured her that I never attached conditions to my help, and had no ulterior motives. So, we sat down on the fold-out couch and I asked her to point out something in the book she did not understand, and then explained it."
Eli again mimicked the girl's accent: "I see. Will you tell me more? But I no sleep with you."
"Of course, I told her. So we went to the next subject, and so on, and after every one I was told, 'I glad for help. But I no sleep with you.' In a little while I had to break for a class, and she asked if what we covered would be on the next test. I told her if she came back in the evening we could go over more pertinent subjects which should help her pass, but that would take a little more time. Her brow furrowed in thought. 'Okay, maybe I sleep with you a little bit,' she said."
The story probably was not that funny, but we were stoned enough to laugh.
"You rascal," I said. "And I imagine she fully appreciated your tutelage."
Lila added a more serious note. "It's nice to help young women, but aren't you a little concerned that one of these girls might give you something nasty in return? VD, Herpes?"
"I always pack a wrap," Eli responded. Not only for health concerns, but because next semester's course in child rearing is already packed."
A few more chuckles and a few more puffs on the bong, followed by an increase in sexual innuendos.
"You should instruct your students that a coil would prevent them from getting encoiled," Rachel said.
"Or a pill can prevent a serious medical condition," Lila added, smiling.
"An IUD can keep you free," I suggested to general acclaim.
"Rubbers keep you safe from the storm," Rachel offered.
"A wrap will prevent you from becoming a pap," I added.
"And a good safe contains your resources," Eli countered.
We were all laughing at our hemp-spiced humor. Lila and Eli were sitting close, and looking at each other as she said sleepily, "I'm very safe, but don't like rap." A sudden look of shock and embarrassment came on her face, "Oh, that came out wrong. As a musician, I meant."
We all laughed, Eli and Rachel especially. He took her hand.
"Thank you for setting my mind to rest on that," he said, with a mock lustful expression. She flushed, but continued looking at him. He stopped leering, and just gazed at her, grinning. I had to admit, he was a handsome rascal, and she held his glance, a relaxed, sort of dreamy look coming back to her face.
In a THC haze, it was as if I was a spectator at a movie with a strange plot twist as Eli leaned a little closer and his lips joined with Lila's. They held the kiss for a while. Rachel squeezed my hand. "Told you so," I could hear her thinking.
Now, it is true that I preach open-mindedness, no jealousy, sexual freedom and so on, but under normal circumstances if a guy made a move on my girl in such a blatant fashion, right in front of me, I would duke him out. However this was my best friend Eli, who I had known since childhood. We had shared an apartment together while attending the university, and also shared some of the women that came to our parties in that apartment. After graduating, we wound up working close by, and then moving to the same area in the country. He could be an egocentric prick at times, but I always found it difficult to get angry at Eli. We went back too far.
However, the instructor was now testing things at a higher level. The females we had shared back in university days, one on the same night in the same bed, were just playthings. We had not put our brands on them, either by marriage or bestowing the status of girlfriend. It was an unspoken rule back then that if one of us did get serious with a girl, she was off limits -- a private stash that the other guy could admire but not share -- at least not until the inevitable breakup, when she became fair game, eligible to be bagged and banged by anyone.
This understanding had evidently started to change, first when Eli asked "a favor" of me -- to fill in for him and fulfill Rachel's sexual needs during one of his absences. It was apparently evolving further as he tried to "return the favor."
Eli and Lila began running their hands over each others' bodies, even as their lips remained locked and the kiss became harder. Then, suddenly, she broke off and moved away from him. She looked at me and Rachel, shock and confusion clouding her beautiful face.
