My Graduate School Romance

This story is set in the late aughts (2000s). Please bear with me as I write this. My real life is a bit complex at the moment. Also, these characters have a mind of their own and I'm not sure where it's going. All characters are at least 18.

Remember, this is fiction. The characters in this story are flawed, just like you and me. Sometimes they make bad decisions as they struggle to live their lives. Sometimes they make life changing decisions. Again, all characters and situations are complete fiction, a product of my fertile imagination. Any similarity to actual people and situations is purely a coincidence. All constructive criticism is welcome.

*****

As I was walking home early from the library on Monday afternoon, I thought about all the pretty women I suddenly had in my life - my new three bandmates plus Astrid and Lori. Those were just the women I had kissed or hugged in the last two weeks. The Tuesday night group included Maria and a very flirtatious Karen. Thinking back I couldn't remember a time when so many women were interested or semi-interested in me. Certainly not in high school or in college. Even before I was married I really only dated one woman at a time, not that I was dating any of these women. Okay I went on two dates with Lori. In the years following my divorce I had focused on my naval career and avoided getting romantically involved with anyone. I could only think of one instance in the past ten years and that was only a one night stand. All that had suddenly changed.

Why was that? The previous Saturday Astrid had said that she liked the fact that I was older. What was it she said? No mind games. No whining. All respect. Okay, I could buy that.

Lindsey had practically given me an open invitation to have sex with her at any time. While that was very tempting, I thought I should respect the spirit of Elena's no romance rule, although I did like Lindsey's interpretation. I really didn't want to get romantically involved at the moment. Some no-strings attached sex would be good though. I needed to get through the doctoral program. I suppose some romance wouldn't hurt. These women were so beautiful. Astrid was pretty, smart, passionate, and self-assured. Elena took my breath away. Lori was brilliant and statuesque. Katie was buxom and so caring. And Lindsey just oozed lust. Nevertheless, I needed all of these women to be my friend. Friendship was what mattered the most. If along the way one friendship rose above the rest, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

As I passed the center of the campus quad I heard, "Sean!"

I looked and it was Astrid. She waved to me and I waited for her.

She walked up and gave me a quick peck on the lips, "What cha doing?"

"Heading home for some reading and eventually some dinner. Got rehearsal tonight."

"How'd it go yesterday?"

"It went well. Musically, they're a really good band."

"How about not musically?"

"Let's just say they're interesting."

We walked a little further. I could tell Astrid was itching to find out more. Suddenly she stopped walking. I took a few steps, stopped, and turned to her.

She looked exasperated, "Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"What else do you want to know?"

"Why do you describe them as interesting?"

I waited for Astrid to catch up, "They have one interesting rule that they all seem to break."

"What rule is that?"

I changed the subject, "Are you coming all the way to my apartment? If so, do you want dinner?"

"Sure. What is the rule?"

"Elena has a no romance in the band rule."

"Which one is Elena?"

"The dark haired lead singer."

"The one with the Marilyn Monroe figure?"

"I wouldn't call her Marilyn Monroe."

"Well she isn't flat-chested like me."

"Astrid, you're not flat-chested. You have a lovely figure."

"Yeah, but compared to Elena, I'm nothing."

"Oh, knock it off. Don't compare yourself to other women. Be Astrid. Period. You're amazing."

"So what about this no romance rule? No one follows it?"

"No. For example, Lindsey told me that she doesn't think non-romantic sex breaks the rule."

"How do you have non-romantic sex?"

"Just pure physical sex with no emotion I imagine."

"I can't see me doing that.

"I thought Icelanders were into casual sex."

"You forget. I didn't grow up there. When it comes to sex I am an American through and through."

"So you have a bunch of sexual hang ups?"

She looked at me, "No. Hang ups? Like what?"

"Well, your poor body image for one.

"I don't have a poor body image!" She hesitated, "Oh wait. Okay, maybe I do."

"Astrid, just accept that you're a beautiful woman and leave it at that."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"I just said that, didn't I?"

We reached the edge of campus and turned down my street, "I was going to make a stir-fry dish. Is that good?"

"Sounds great. Can we go back to you thinking I'm beautiful?"

"Not really.

I was exasperating her now, "Why the fuck not?"

"Because I really don't feel like it. Look Astrid. It's simple. You're beautiful. You're brilliant. Your face is picture perfect. Your figure is perfect. You're witty. You're confident. I guarantee you that 98 percent of all American males and 90 percent of American lesbians find you incredibly attractive."

Astrid laughed, "Only 90 percent of lesbians. I guess that's still pretty good."

We were nearly at my flat, "So would you mind looking at a semi-finished version of my paper while I cook?"

"I'd love to."

When we got to the apartment, I set my satchel down, "Astrid, can I get you anything?"

"A glass of water is fine."

I went over to the sink.

Behind me I heard, "Sean, how do you feel about me?"

"I've told you. I think you're beautiful and brilliant."

"But how do you FEEL about me?"

I handed her the glass of water and looked into her eyes, "You need to know that I will only be completely honest with."

"I appreciate that."

"I don't know."

She seemed to be taken aback, "You don't know how you feel about me?"

"I am assuming that you are looking to find out if I have any romantic interest in you."

"Yes."

"Then I don't know."

She took her glass of water and sat on the couch. She wanted to say something, but she was struggling.

"Astrid, let me say this and I don't know if it will help you at all. Right now you are probably the best friend I have here on campus. I absolutely treasure your friendship. You are smart and fun to be with. To make things that much better, you also happen to be a beautiful woman. You just need to know that I'm not sure if I'm ready for romance."

"But you would be ready for non-romantic sex with the redhead in the band."

"I didn't say that."

"How about non-romantic sex with me?"

"I haven't thought about that."

"Really? I thought guys thought about sex all the time."

"Okay, since I promised to be honest with you, I have thought about what having sex with you would be like."

"What did you think about?"

"What you would look like naked. How experienced you might be."

"I think I would be disappointing in both categories."

I turned it around on her, "How do you feel about me? Have you thought about having sex with me?"

Astrid took a drink, stood up, and came over to me. She gazed into my eyes, "Sean, since we are being honest with each other. I am afraid to tell you how I feel."

I decided to just nod a little.

Astrid took my hand, "I've never met anyone like you. You can blame it on me being young and inexperienced, but I only want to be with you. You're kind and confident and stick up for a girl when she's being assaulted. You've got these rugged good looks. You're fit and have a very nice butt." She laughed. "I've fallen hard for you Sean O'Brien. The idea of having sex with you. Of being intimate with you. Of making love to you."

She seemed to bore into my soul with those eyes. She took a deep breath, "I think about it a lot." She looked down then back into my eyes, "Like, all the time."

She walked back and sat on the couch, "There. I've bared my soul to you. I've told you my most secret thoughts and feelings."

I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to comfort her and tell her that I loved her, but that wouldn't be truthful.

"Would you like to be intimate with me this afternoon?"

Astrid looked to be blushing, but the light wasn't very good. She nodded.

I walked over and sat down next to her.

She looked distraught, "Why does this feel so clinical? So wrong?"

"Maybe because we're talking about it?"

"Maybe that's it. It feels very transactional, like we just agreed to go on a hike together." She adopted a funny high voice, "Would you like to have sex with me? Why certainly."

I chuckled, "Would you prefer that we not talk about it?"

"No."

Astrid swung herself onto my lap, facing me. I took her sweet ass into my hands.

She placed her hands behind my neck, "Could you learn to love me?"

"I most certainly could. Are you familiar with the four words for love that the Greeks have?"

She shook her head.

"There is storge, which is parental love. There is philo - brotherly love. I most certainly have that for you. Agape which is spiritual love. I feel that for you too. And Eros, which is erotic love. The last needs to grow in me."

"Brotherly love. Ah, like Philadelphia, city of brotherly love. So you can say this is like incest?" She kissed me.

"I suppose. Does that make things better?"

"Maybe a little naughty." Astrid kissed me again, harder and slipped me her tongue. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me.

I felt myself begin to stir, "You are an amazing kisser. You give me shivers."

She smiled, "No one has ever said that to me. Thanks."

She continued kissing me.

She sat up, "I'm getting hot."

Astrid pulled her shirt over her head. She was wearing a thin, pink bra and her nipples stood out on the fabric.

Her smile became mischievous, "Could you help me with the hooks?"

I reached behind her and unhooked her bra. She let it fall between us. Her pert breasts were amazing. The areolae were about nickel-sized with conical, erect nipples. She leaned in and continued kissing me.

I spoke into her mouth, "Remember when you said you were flat chested walking home?"

She nodded.

I cupped her breasts, "You most certainly are not flat chested. These are amazing breasts."

"Really?"

"Are you familiar with the classical French view of breasts?"

She shook her head and kissed me again.

"It is said that the perfect-sized breast fits in a champagne glass, a shallow glass, not the flutes."

"Really?"

"Both in Paris and in my apartment, you are perfect."

"I'd like to remove your shirt."

"In that case we should retire to my bedroom."

I led Astrid by the hand to my bed.

She immediately unbuttoned my shirt and ran her fingers through my chest hair, "I like that men of northern European heritage have a lot of hair. Some women hate it. I happen to love it."

"Are Icelandic men hairy?"

"Well, I don't know about all Icelandic men, but all the men in my family have plenty of hair. You know Sean O'Brien, I think that you still have far too many clothes on."

She unbuckled my belt and allowed my trousers to fall to the floor, leaving me in my socks and tented boxers.

She dropped to her knees and pulled my boxers off, "Oh! How wonderful! I knew you would have red hair everywhere." She looked up at me, "This is a very handsome penis you have."

"I'm glad you like it."

She ran her finger across the sensitive parts, "You should know that I don't have a lot of experience with men, but I really like what you have."

Astrid looked up at me again and we locked eyes. She replaced her finger with her tongue in seeking out my most sensitive parts. "Hmm. This is nice."

By this time I was as hard as possible. As she sucked the head, she unsnapped her jeans. She stood up and was quickly as naked as I was.

I took her into my arms and kissed her, "I would like to show you some brotherly love."

She kissed me back, "That sounds nice. What can I expect?"

"Let me show you.'

I had her lay down on the bed and I knelt at her feet. I could see that her pubes naturally spread out like a small fan above her slit. They were trimmed and her slit was clean shaven. I could just detect her clit peeking out at the top. I took one of her feet and rubbed the soul, gently suckling her toes. I kissed my way down her leg. When I got to her thigh I began licking. She partially spread her legs and her delicate, glistening labia were exposed. I moved to her perineum to lap up the nectar flowing from her opening.

I looked up into her eyes, "My dear Astrid, you taste absolutely amazing."

She was smiling. I went to her other foot and repeated my maneuver. I laid down on my stomach between her thighs, maintaining eye contact the entire time. She placed her feet on my back and I began licking around the perimeter of her vulva. I heard a few appreciative groans. Then I started at her perineum and parted her labia, stopping just before her clit. I probed into her opening with my tongue and reached up for both nipples, gently rolling them. I could see the anticipation in her face so I lightly touched her clit with my tongue.

She whispered, "Oh more please."

I focused on her clit, bringing my right hand down to her vagina. She was flowing like a river and I stopped to lap up her juices. Focusing on her clit with my tongue, I probed into her vagina. Her g-spot wasn't ready yet, back to her nipple with moistened fingers. Her hips started moving, increasing the speed with which my tongue moved on her clit.

I saw Astrid close her eyes.

Maybe she's getting close

. Fingers back to the g-spot and sure enough, she was ready. Now I focused on nipple, clit, and g-spot and I soon had a reaction. She grabbed my head, pressing it to her clit. Her back arched and her head was thrown back. She was panting as her vagina contracted on my fingers. I kept it up until she grabbed my hair and pulled my face from her crotch. I moved up her torso and sucked on each nipple. Her body bucked with each suck. I was face-to-face with her. My cock touching her vulva.

I whispered, "Can I?"

She nodded. She reached for my cock and placed it at her opening. I slowly pressed myself into her. The tightness of that first penetration was exquisite; her warmth and wetness exhilarating. She grabbed my face with both hands and thrust her tongue into my mouth.

I felt her feet on my butt so I brought them up to my shoulders, bending her in half. I thrust deeply into her womanhood. I decided to go hard for a while, slamming into her pussy. Astrid was panting with her hands on my ass. Her vagina was still contracting; her orgasm still going strong.

I decided to let Astrid do some work. I pushed her legs flat and rolled us over so I was on my back. She whimpered and got her knees astride my body. I cupped her ass checks as she began riding me in earnest. I moved to her nipples, rolling them again. She threw her head back and placed her hands on my chest. Her hips began moving very quickly. She looked down at me with an intensity I've rarely seen.

I whispered, "I'm cumming Astrid."

I grabbed her ass as she kissed me. My back arched and I thrust up into her. She groaned as I came deep in her pussy. Her hips kept moving. I shot several more spurts into her.

I eased my back, "Wow."

She collapsed onto me, took a deep breath, and giggled, "Wow is right. That was really intense. Thank you."

I wrapped my arms around her, my cock still inside.

She laid her head on my chest, "You are only the third man I've ever been with. My other lovers can't hold a candle to you. That was amazing."

We lay there basking in the afterglow. I stroked her hair. She petted my chest hair.

After a while she said, "I wish you didn't have class. I'd love to spend all evening doing this."

"I suppose we should get cleaned up."

"Can I shower with you?"

"Certainly."

*****

After cleaning ourselves up, I didn't have time to cook. We settled on some sandwiches. On my way to rehearsal I dropped Astrid off at campus with a kiss and my partially completed paper.

She had arranged for her work schedule at the Writing Studio to mirror most of my commitments - classes and rehearsals. I asked her why and she said because she wanted to be available for me, to maximize our time together.

Driving to Lindsey's I thought back to the last time I had had sex. It had been a while. I remembered being at a soirée at the American embassy in Amsterdam. A relative of the ambassador, I think it was a cousin, invited me up to her room for a 'roll in the hay' as she called it. That was four years ago.

The thing about ending a sex drought is that the mind craves more. The orgasmic endorphin rush is like a runner's high, or any high for that matter. You start thinking about when you will get your next fix. That's probably why Lindsey is addicted to sex.

Sean old boy, you can always have Lindsey

.

I decided I didn't want to be too early to rehearsal so drove slowly and arrived five minutes early. Elena was already there. Katie and Pete pulled in right behind me. I had brought my acoustic and hooked that up to my rig. I quickly made sure everything was tuned and operational.

Elena said, "Sean, Lindsey, did you bring some pieces for us to try out?"

I said, "I have seven that I think we could quickly nail down."

"What are they?"

"Tom Petty's

Even the Losers

, James'

Laid

, Goo Goo Dolls'

Iris,

Van Morrison's

Brown Eyed Girl

, Springsteen's

Dancing in the Dark

, Oasis'

Wonderwall

, and Dobie Gray's

Drift Away

."

"Why those?"

"Because the arrangements are pretty simple so I think the band can learn them quickly. Plus I can sing and play them. I also know the lead guitar parts."

"Okay. Fair enough. Lindsey?"

"I've got Avril Lavigne's

Complicated

and Cyndi Lauper's

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

."

"Just two?"

"I didn't feel confident with anything else."

"Okay. Well Sean which one do you want to do first?"

"Morrison."

*****

The rest of the evening went well. We worked out all nine new pieces, putting our own Radio Renaissance twist on all of them. The ladies figured out some nice harmonies for most of them. Elena said she'd put together a set list for Thursday and send it to us.

As I carried my gear out to my car, Elena walked with me, "Do you have any plans for Saturday evening?"

"Not at the moment."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me. I'd like to get to know you. Well, as a colleague and a band mate. Maybe even as a friend."

"That'd be cool."

"My treat. I'm the one with a full time job."

"How about going Dutch? I'm the one with a full military retirement."

"Fair enough. Would you like to drive or would you like me to?"

"You can drive if you want. I'll text you my address."

She smiled, "I'll be looking forward to it."

"Me too."

I stashed my stuff in my trunk, then walked back to help the others. We got everyone packed up and I was heading out one last time.

Lindsey pulled me back into the garage, "Sean, you know I was serious the other night about having sex with you."

"I never thought you weren't."

She put her arms around my neck and brought her face up to mine, "Why haven't you taken me up on it? No romance. Just pure lust. Just come over and fuck my brains out. How about right now?" She kissed me, leading with her tongue.

I was doubting whether I could perform having just cum a few hours before, "Well, part of me is trying to respect the intention of Elena's rule."

"How about the other part of you?"

"It wants to fuck your brains out."