Dom grinned, slouched in a taxi. His head was spinning and it didn't sound like the driver was speaking English, but someone's hand was in his and he had vague memories of grabbing an ass at the club with no negative consequences. Flashes of accidental bumps swirled in the still-ringing bass notes underneath his brain, and a flirtatious hat theft. The cab stopped and he poured out.
"Hey buddy, you gotta settle up." The cab driver was glaring at them. Had he always been able to speak English?
Nodding slowly, he offered the man his card. The driver regarded it. "This is your driver's license, pal. Happy birthday, by the way. Lucky 21." Dom cussed, embarrassed, as the girls dissolved into laughter. Melanie handed him her card, and the guy scowled. "Alright, great, you're both 21, I'm very impressed. You've had your fun. Are one of you guys gonna pay me?"
Dom, ignoring the fact that it wasn't his birthday--he'd turned that magical multiple of 7 several weeks earlier--fished out his card and, waving off his friends, paid the fare. The cab pulled away, and he watched it, wondering if this would be one of those strangely memorable moments that stuck with him years later.
Liza and Melanie stumbled after him, laughing and pushing each other. Liza was slender and dark skinned. She'd gotten dolled up to out, and she'd clearly had more fun than she'd intended, swaying as she spoke. Melanie was tall and solid, and whereas Liza had dolled up, Melanie had huddled into a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. She looked back at him and then turned to hustle after a retreating Liza. He grinned dumbly, the warm feeling of tequila still tickling his brain.
In the alley that separated the gates to the dorm from the main road, Dom passed Melanie in the dark, and she grabbed his ass. He grinned but pretended not to notice, watching Liza's silhouette rattle the locked gates irritably. She swore unsteadily, and came stalking back, leading the charge to the back gates. They let her pass, then followed, hands touching but not held. Liza swore more and they moved to her elbows to hold her up as they rounded the fence and slipped in through the ajar rear gate. Nobody questioned the point of gates that were locked or unlocked at this point, but it was a hassle. Liza ahead of them Dom took the opportunity to pay back Melanie, running his hand up her spine.
They came to the lit foyer, where a few more friends were casually waiting for them, having beaten them back with a less ethical and more enthusiastic cab driver. Dom sensed his luck was running out and slowed to let Melanie get ahead. Slightly disappointed, he watched as she disappeared down the hallway and into the room she shared with Liza. There was a slamming door.
"Liza? Hey, are you using the bathroom? Alright. Hey, I'm going to use the bathroom upstairs, okay?" Melanie padded back down the hall in her flip-flops, and looked apologetically at Dom. "Can I use your bathroom?"
Dom looked at her for a moment, briefly not following and trying to guess her motivations. She winked. "Oh yeah, of course. No, it's not a problem." She hopped up the stairs, and he followed her. On the landing he grazed the small of her back again.
His "room" was actually a mini-suite that he shared with a sullen roommate. Cautiously he opened the door and waved Melanie in, pointing out the bathroom and slinking to his bedroom. Tequila tapped on the edges of his brain. "Isn't that sweater uncomfortable, Dom?" one invisible cactus monster inquired. He struggled out of the sweater and tossed it into his chair.
Melanie knocked, and he motioned her inside, his hands subconsciously popping the first button on his collar. "Fun night, huh?" he asked. She nodded as she came in, looking nonchalantly around the room.
"Yeah. The music was loud and fast and..." she was looking in his eyes, her face inches from his. He could feel her breathing and then, suddenly, his lips met hers. Her arms enfolded his neck, and his hands, unbidden, grabbed her hips and pushed his hand backward into the rear pockets of her jeans. They pulled apart slowly, staring for a moment, each desperately seeking the other's approval. There was the slightest twitch of a grin, and Melanie leaned into a second kiss, pushing Dom towards his bed while kicking the door shut gently with her heel.
The strange kinking sound of springs met Dom as he laid out on the bed, Melanie on top of him, straddling him as she ran her hands down his chest. One of the snap-buttons on his shirt popped open. Melanie leaned back slightly, and tugged. The buttons popped one at a time, from the bottom up, revealing Dom's smooth stomach and chest. He wasn't exactly a super model, but as she ran her hand along the skin she felt abs bunch up under her touch.
