Second Inning
Second part of a nine part series! Definitely check out part one before reading on. Also, this one has some light incest play (no actual incest) so be warned if that's something that bothers you.
As always, everyone is over the age of 18. Now on with the show!
When I woke up the next morning, Sarah was already gone.
After everything we'd done together the night before, I assumed we'd at least wake up together and talk. Share some flirty looks before starting another round of rubbing off in the backseat of the car.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I'd taken enough rides on Sarah's merry-go-round by this point -- desire followed by dismay at what we'd done followed by desire again -- I was dizzy with it.
Did I expect a relationship? No. I'm not that naive. She had a boyfriend, after all. And it's not like what we'd done was exactly romantic. But we'd gotten each other off in a way that was far more intimate than some of the "serious" relationships I'd had and I guess I thought... I don't know what I thought.
Instead I got dressed and went down to the lobby.
*
I found Kelsey and Julia -- my other two car-bound companions -- sitting at a table in the hotel lounge. A small breakfast of warm yogurt and cold pastries was set up on the far side.
Julia's mahogany hair hung limp in her ever-present ponytail. Her black-rimmed, square lens glasses were slightly askew. Yet I knew her loose fitting clothes hid a tight, toned body.
And Kelsey, my best friend's little sister? The tall, lithe blonde in wrinkled clothes with her eyes still sunken from sleep? She was still somehow knock-you-dead desirable. The mild mannered, milquetoast girl I'd known in high school had transformed into something like a supermodel.
Two absolutely amazing women were sitting there, waiting for me. But I was still obsessing over the third member of our car crew.
"Where's Sarah?" I asked.
"Getting coffee," Julia said.
"Oh. OK."
"I heard you kept her up all night," Kelsey said, big blue eyes bright and teasing.
"Wait, what?"
"Snoring, dude," Julia said, "You snore."
"I do not."
"I'm pretty sure I'd know, being your roommate and all."
Just as I was about to sit down and get comfortable, Sarah swung past us, coffee cup in hand. Suitcase already slung over her shoulder. Ready for take off.
Unlike the three of us, Sarah seemed energized and it made her look even more amazing. Her immense chest bounced as she walked by, straining against her baby blue blouse. Her brown eyes flashed fire. Anger or passion I couldn't quite parse.
"We ready to go?" she asked, "Let's go."
*
When we got outside, I saw that Julia had attempted to rearrange the suitcases, but had only made things worse. That poor little VW bug looked like it had over eaten at the breakfast buffet and now was only one sharp turn away from vomiting its contents all over the highway.
Before anyone could suggest otherwise, Sarah threw open the front door and hopped into the shotgun spot.
"I like it in the back," Sarah said, "Honestly, I do. But something about those seats is really messing around with my shoulders. I need to, like, stretch out. OK?" That last OK was said right to me, two loaded letters that asked a final exam's worth of questions.
"C'mon dude, man up," Julia said, "You'll get your turn to sit up front soon enough."
"I bet it'll be fun," Kelsey said, "You and me back there."
I stared down at my shoes. Without Sarah there, being stuck in the back seat felt like punishment. I wasn't angry at Sarah, exactly but I wasn't happy either. I didn't want there to be hard feelings between us. Not when other, harder things could be between us, instead.
So I stood there, silent, unsure whether it was worth it to argue or just go along to get along. Sarah seemed to sense my distress and pulled me to the far side of the parking lot. Julia and Kelsey stayed by the car, pretending to not be paying attention.
Summer was just starting and the mornings were still cold
"It sucks, OK?" Sarah said, grasping my hands, "I know. I suck."
I cocked an eyebrow at her. She kind of cringed, then blushed.
"Well, not like that. Not that it didn't cross my... Oh dammit, see? I can't even have one simple conversation without... Y'know?"
"I get it. It's fine."
"It's obviously not. You glare at the ground any harder and it's gonna crack."
"No I get it. You keep saying it -- you have a boyfriend. I'm not expecting anything from you. I'm just... I guess the word I'm looking for is disappointed. That's a compliment to you, you know."
"I know. Does it help that I'm disappointed, too? Last night was... It was stupid and fantastic and wonderful and terrifying and it's already so hard to stop myself, but I have to stop myself. No matter how much it hurts me to do it."
"You'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll get over it."
"That was the other thing I wanted to tell you."
I tilted my head at her, confused. Sarah continued.
"After last night, I could see you feeling like you owe me something and you don't. There's no... OK, I'm not doing a very good job of this, I can tell. Look, all I'm saying is, if the opportunity should arise for you to 'get over it,' you should do that. Like, no hard feelings or whatever. OK?"
"Ummm. OK?"
"Cool. Awesome. Thanks!" Sarah practically skipped back to the car.
I followed, more confused than I was when we started talking.
*
"Guess we're seat buddies," I said to Kelsey, gesturing grandly for her to get in the car.
The blonde bombshell climbed in, then perched on the middle seat. She was thinner than Sarah, which made things a bit better. But she was also taller, which made things a bit worse.
"This is not comfortable." I said, still sulky.
"Don't worry, we'll make it work," Kelsey said, then shot me her best beautiful girl smile.
My bare legs pressed tight against Kelsey's thin, pink thighs. Trapped between discomfort and arousal.
*
Our hotel for that night was in Chicago, only about two hours down the road. The afternoon's ballgame however, was in Milwaukee, another two and a half hours further west. The baseball schedule and its callous disregard of driving distances had conspired to create another day of heavy road work for all of us.
It had been a complicated affair, putting all these different cities with all their different ballgames together in a way that made sense for caravanning from one to the other. When I'd initially planned the trip -- made everything fit in one neat, nine day package -- I thought I had accomplished something incredible. After Day 1 had gone so well, I figured I deserved a fucking Nobel Prize. But now Sarah was sitting in front, and I was stuck in back seat celibacy, and I started to wonder if maybe I'd created a monster, instead.
About thirty minutes in, the radio was blaring something about how I'm a firework and the traffic was building. Our little jaunt was starting to look like a slog.
I stared out the window. The sky looked like rain. Then suddenly I had that strange sensation that suggested someone was staring at me. Sure enough, I turned and saw Kelsey looking right at me. Blue eyes big and almost glowing.
Kelsey saw that I saw her, but she didn't even bother to pretend she wasn't looking back. She was wearing a light blue cami and a pair of jean shorts. I felt like I should say something.
"You used to have glasses," I said, dumbly.
"I got contacts."
"Oh. They look good."
"Thanks! I've only had them for a week or so. Still getting used to them, honestly. Jim, my brother..."
"I know, he's my best friend."
"Right. Duh. Well, Jim said I looked like a geek. So I decided to try out the contacts."
"Seems like kind of a mean thing to say."
"Well he didn't use that word, exactly. And he was just trying to help me out."
"His opinion means that much to you?"
"Well yeah, I mean, he's my big brother. He wants what's best for me, right? He's also the one that got me working out. Growing out my hair. All that stuff. I was tired of being the dorky girl that no one talks to."
"I get that, I guess. I just hate that you felt like you had to change who you are just to be liked."
"I'm liked fine. It was more about boys. For instance, I didn't notice you noticing me before."
"You were a kid."