Competition: Phase 01

"Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor," he asked, out of the blue. It sort of exploded out of his mouth, like he'd been practicing it in his head. When I looked up at him, his face gave away his own shock at his statement.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked cautiously. He was my best friend. We'd stuck it out through the best of times, and the worst of times, and all that. I would've done anything for him. Except sleep with him, although he'd asked before. Girls -- smart girls -- do not sleep with their best friends if they plan on keeping them. I'd learned that, or a version of it, the hard way.

"Okay, just don't freak out, okay?"

"Mark, we're in a library. Is this a library question, or do we need to go outside so I can yell if I should feel the need?"

"Yeah, okay, let's go outside," he stood up and walked away briskly. I figured he'd be smoking by the time I gathered my things and followed, so I didn't hurry. I knew letting him tag along on a research assignment would result in absolutely nothing being accomplished.

"So you know I've been with Heather for a while now, and things are looking good," he said quickly, between drags of his cigarette. "And so anyway, her girlfriends have got her thinking. And she said the girl was up to me. But it was her idea."

"You skipped a sentence, Mark."

"Oh. It was her idea."

"No, I heard that one. I missed the one about what her girlfriends have got her thinking about," I said, coolly. I lit my own cigarette.

"She thinks she wants to have a threesome," he blurted out. The words came out so quickly I almost missed it.

"With me?" I asked. This was, to me, very funny. But obviously Mark had some issues about it.

"I know you don't like her," he started. "But I just don't feel comfortable doing this with anybody else, 'cause you know how girls can be. If I were to choose one of her friends it would be as bad as cheating on her, and if I don't do it, she'll make me feel guilty, or go off and do it with other people. God, I hate her damn friends!" He took a long drag from his cigarette.

I considered his request. Heather was obnoxious and immature, but she had a decent body. Very petit, not too tanned, about an A cup, flat stomach, slender legs. Compared to my abs, C cup, tanned (naturally, thank you) skin, muscular legs, and an ass you could actually grab hold of, it wasn't bad. Could be fun.

"Don't you think that would make you feel weird around me? After seeing me with my tongue in your girlfriend?" I teased.

"So you'll do it? Okay then. We'll meet up at like 6 or so tomorrow at my place, okay?"

"Why so early?"

"She gets out of class at 7 and she'll be there at 8 and I'll lose my mind if I'm sitting home alone till then, so you're going to eat with me."

"Okay," I tossed my cigarette and slapped his ass as I passed him to leave. "See you then, lover!"

At 6, I rang his doorbell. When he opened, the smell of pizza drifted to me. It was slightly disappointing but I went along with it. We ate and then turned on the t.v., all without speaking. I was a little nervous, but I wasn't going to let him know that. He was nervous enough as it was. On the couch, he put his arm around me.

"What's this for?" I asked, secretly enjoying the affection. I tried to look surprised, when really I found myself wanting more.

"Shut up, I'm trying to imagine that you're a girl."

"I am a girl."

"I'm trying to imagine having sex with you," he said, bluntly.

"Well, aren't we to the point?"

We'd spent nights together in the same bed, and we'd seen each other naked, but this still felt frightening and exciting. I couldn't believe I wanted him so bad. It had never occurred to me before.

Suddenly, his hand was under me, and he lifted me to his lap. While I regained my composure, he muted the television. I was wearing a long skirt and a tank top. He looked at me momentarily before pulling me down into a kiss I never could've imagined. Here, the Mark who'd been in front of me for nine years without making so much as a move beyond a casual drunken suggestion or two was pulling the strap of my tank top down!

"I thought we were doing this with Heather," I breathed, as he moved down my neck.

"I'm just getting warmed up," he said, leaning back on the couch and pulling me down onto him. We made out and grinded against one another for what felt like days. Neither of us dared to travel any further, until the doorbell rang.

As the three of us made small talk on our way to the bedroom, I looked her up and down. I absolutely hated her to begin with, but now with my newfound hunger for her boyfriend, I suddenly felt green with envy. At first, it was just an interesting idea, one that I couldn't pass up because I didn't want Mark to be vulnerable with two conniving girls in his bed. Now it became a competition. One that I was not about to lose. As she was checking herself out in the mirror, I was calculating. She was going down.