I try to write descriptions of what happened in my life. Sometimes the action comes early, sometimes it takes a while. Your feedback is always appreciated. The characters are real, the situations really happened, and I try to stay true to the moment if not the exact words.
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So here I am in the mid 1980's, suddenly divorced, in college and wondering why I keep making such bad decisions. As a 28 year old guy I thought I had my life on track with someone I had fallen deeply in love with – so much so we married and were working towards our joint life.
Not so for my ex though. Sara had some different ideas and I found myself listening to echoes instead of heartbeats in my apartment one day. Sara was gone and I was scratching my head for a way forward. I still had classes to attend and a job to keep my rent paid but I had serious concentration issues.
Being 10 years older than most of my classmates felt a little strange. I'd already served in the military and been out working so I had a clue what life had in store for them. There were a couple of older students like me but most were 18-20 year olds who had just left home.
On the plus side, girls didn't scare me or leave me tongue-tied every time one of them took a deep breath. As I looked up from my initial depression I found that my maturity had some attraction to the girls around me. More than one was sending me signals which culminated in an odd situation one Halloween.
Officially I was in a study group for one of my classes but my attendance was spotty at best. I didn't feel very sociable and mostly wanted to be left alone. As long as my work was turned in on time the instructor was lenient about attendance so I took advantage by not attending. One of the girls in there was roommates with someone I knew in another class and she sent several messages through her when I missed a study session. For the most part I shrugged or laughed these off.
Halloween rolls around and I spend most of the day finishing up a big project to be turned in the following Monday. As the evening starts to get dark I can hear children knocking on doors and having fun. My porch light was out so it was obvious I wasn't participating and I had decided to just relax for the night when someone started knocking too hard for a child.
When I answered the door I saw the girl from my study group (Kathy) wearing a short cape and cat makeup with a few of the other students with her. There was a Dracula and a zombie; one of the girls was in a Playboy bunny outfit (which looked REALLY good), a cute little redhead from my accounting class was a pixie; in other words, a typical group of college kids out to have some fun. Kathy had a leash attached to her collar and a tall, skinny guy was holding the end.
"Aren't you going to invite us in, Mike?" Kathy asked. "It's pretty cold to be standing around in what we're not wearing," she added with a smirk. There was a lot of skin showing in the group and I smiled and moved aside to motion them inside.
"Sure, I said. "But it's a small place so watch your legs." It was a small place. I rented a one room apartment with my bed in the front room with a bathroom and kitchen behind it. Most of one wall was taken up with my motorcycle which I always parked inside. I rented this place because the owner was okay with my bike being inside and it was a straight line up the path into the apartment. The college was about two blocks away so I could walk to classes easily, too.
The group moved inside and I closed the door to the outside chill. They were all standing around looking for obvious places to sit so I told them it was okay to sit on the bed or the dresser. Pixie jumped up on the dresser and the Bunny sat on the bed with a couple others. I leaned back against my bike and looked at them. There was a bottle of something being passed around and I could smell the sweet residue of some weed.
"What brings you here tonight?" I asked.
"We're having a costume party at Doug's house," one of the guys volunteered.
Kathy looked at me as she said, "And we all decided you haven't been out enough recently." There were nods from around the room as she continued.
"We've decided you need to come with us and relax tonight. Have a couple of drinks, maybe dance a little." She looked at me seriously while talking.
I smiled back at the group while replying, "I appreciate the offer but I haven't felt much like partying, guys."
Playboy bunny said, "We know ... but we're still here to try and change your mind at least for tonight. No pressure but we'd really like you to come with us."
"I wasn't planning to go to a costume party, I don't have anything to wear," I tried to divert them.
"You could wear that and come as a biker," Kathy said, pointing to my riding jacket hanging off the handlebars. The leather was covered with a denim cut-off covered in pins and patches. I considered it. It wasn't a costume to me but to most people it represented something out of the ordinary. There was 16 years of memories and thousands of miles in that faded and unwashed denim.
Kathy continued, "Doug's is just down the block so we're walking down there. Why don't you come with us and have some fun?" I looked around and saw this meant something to them which froze my automatic refusal behind my lips.
"Okay," I agreed nodding. "Let me grab a t-shirt and pretend I'm the Fonz for the night." There was some laughter as Kathy leaned closer.
"Just be yourself," she said and winked at me. I recognized the guy who was holding her leash. His name was Stan and we had a couple of classes together. He was smiling too but it wasn't a confident face he was wearing. I hadn't realized they were dating and wondered how he felt about stuff tonight.
The room was full so I pointed to Pixie on the dresser. "I need to get in the second drawer for a t-shirt," I said. "Or do you just want to throw me one?"
"I think you should come get what you need," she said sliding her knees apart with a smile. She slid her hands down her skirt to hold it down and sat there with a challenge.
The room exploded with laughter and cat-calls as someone said," Damn, girl. Should we just leave the two of you here?"
I walked over and stood close enough she had to lean back a little. The top of her outfit rode down until more of her freckled breasts were exposed. The straps over her shoulders struggled to hold the top up in what was bound to be a lost cause. She was smiling as I put my hands on her knees and slowly slid down her naked legs until I could feel the edge of the wooden drawer. She didn't move back and I could smell her perfume as I found the drawer handle and slowly pulled it open.
"Looks like I found it," I said with a smile. The laughter continued around the room as I pulled out the shirt and pushed the drawer shut with a bang. Pixie jumped a little and then blushed as I called her on her teasing. I hadn't moved away from her yet.
"Should I just change here?" I asked. Pixie smiled and tugged at what I was wearing. Her small hands gathered the material at my waist and lifted it up until it was under my arms.
She raised her face to mine to say softly, "You'll need to raise your arms."
I dropped the clean shirt beside her and let the pressure of her hands lift my arms until she pulled it over my head. I heard a couple of whistles behind me as my shirt rose and then the room got suddenly quiet as my scars became evident. I felt hands on my lower back touching the angry puckers where I had been shot and heard Kathy behind me.
"I think I'd like to hear the story about these, Mike," she said, "if you don't mind telling us." I turned around to see her close to me.
"Maybe if I get drunk enough," I replied. "Not all stories have happy endings, you know."
"I know," she replied.
Kathy leaned past me to get the clean t-shirt from Pixie. She opened the neck and motioned for me to drop my head low enough for her to reach. She pulled the shirt over my head and helped me put my arms in as well. As she smoothed the fabric down across my torso I felt her touching each of my muscles in turn. Behind me Pixie was smoothing my shirt down across my sides – an interesting sensation having two people dress me.
Okay, I'm pretty fit. I've spent my adult life working hard and that has built some muscle on my 6' frame. My shoulders and arms are well developed and there's just a comfortable padding across my stomach. I'd been a competitive swimmer as a child and developed a long, lean build from all the exercise. With brown hair, a beard, and brown eyes, I'd been told I wasn't ugly by enough girls to believe it. Most guys didn't have my build unless they'd been raised on a farm or worked construction.
"Well," Kathy said, "now you're dressed we should get going before all the fun stuff is gone." She was smiling up at me while the room agreed and we moved towards the door. I grabbed my jacket as they filed outside with Pixie leaving last.
Pixie leaned towards me and hugged my free arm while saying, "Don't get lost. We have some unfinished business, okay?"
She released my arm and skipped out the door with her red hair catching highlights from the setting sun. The little ruffled skirt she had hung around her hips bounced enough for me to see small panties covering her tight butt. She smiled back over her shoulder at me from the street and waved at me to catch up. I think I may have found my evening's distraction in this little tease. Ahead on the street I see Kathy looking back at us with Stan still holding the leash. To be honest, he doesn't look that happy.
It's obvious where the party is happening as the front yard is full of college aged partiers. The music isn't too loud though as we move through the crowded doors to the main room. People are sitting everywhere and sitting on the floor amongst empty bottles. The room is hazy from cigarette smoke and I can see people grinding (I mean dancing) in a room to the side. There are more candles than lights on in the house as I look around.
Pixie disappears and returns with cups of punch, offering one to me. I take a sip almost gagging on the sweet brew. Yes, it has alcohol but way too many juices for me. She smacks her lips as she downs her cup very quickly.
"You don't like it?" she asks swaying towards me. Her hips have found the beat and watching her move is pure fun.
"It's a bit sweet for me," I replied. "Do you want mine?"
She smiles and finishes her drink before taking mine and sliding the cup inside her empty. That was a generous shot she just swallowed and I wonder at her capacity. She sips at the new drink and dances to the music. Smiling she grabs my hand and pulls us towards the dancing couples in the next room. I smile and cooperate as we move into the dimness.
The music is some disco-era relic with a beat so it's easy enough to move together. Her top is having a hard time covering her breasts as they move around on their own. I'm having fun just watching her move. When the music slows she moves into my arms without missing a beat as we sway together. The cup gets jostled by another couple and she drinks what is left before it spills on us.
She drops the cup into a bin and settles in front of me with her arms around my neck. I have to say this feels strange as Sara was almost my height and Pixie is barely 5'4'. I haven't danced with anyone this short in many years and I'm out of practice. She's in heels which help but my hands wander to places by themselves. Her top is slit on the sides so as she moves my hands find bare flesh.
I suddenly realize her left breast is resting on top of my right hand.
