I checked my phone again as I stood outside the establishment, hoping for a text notification that wasn't there 20 seconds ago. My heart was hammering in my chest and the skin on my neck and face burned with embarrassed heat. I felt like every passerby could read my thoughts and intentions, standing outside the adult toy store. I wasn't just popping in for some flavored lube or a vibrator. I had come to attend a class on female masturbation. God, how could I have thought this was a good idea? And where the hell was Mandy?
Maybe I should back up a little. I'm June. I'm 19 and a college sophomore. Mandy is my roommate and she's 20. This whole thing started a couple of weeks ago when I caught her masturbating. I felt like a total creep listening to her in the bed across the room from mine. I guess she thought I was asleep, and I actually was drifting off, very relaxed and about to be in dreamland. At first, I thought the buzzing I heard was Mandy using her electric toothbrush. But then came the sighs and low moans of pleasure.
I continued to pretend to be asleep, fascinated by the sounds I was hearing. By that point, I had put two and two together and assumed she was using a vibrator. I knew vibrators were a thing, but had never actually seen one. Mandy played with herself for about 15 minutes as I listened, and then her breathing and moaning built to a crescendo as she came. Bless her heart, she really tried to keep quiet, but I imagined what she was doing to herself felt so good, she couldn't help the sounds she was making.
What surprised me the most was how I felt myself getting wet as I listened to my roommate get off. It's not like I'm into girls—never have been. Though I can admit that Mandy is a very attractive girl, and such a stark contrast to my own looks that she seems almost exotic to me. She is taller, about 5'8", compared to my 5'3". She has long, straight, dark brown hair with thick bangs. It's so pretty and shiny. I have wavy strawberry blonde hair that falls just past my shoulders. I also have pale Irish skin, and am jealous of Mandy's permanent golden tan. I guess the one area where I "outdo" Mandy is in terms of curves. I have very large, full breasts with big puffy pink nipples. Mandy has smaller, firm-looking boobs with pointy, rosy-brown nipples. Don't worry, I'm not a pervert—she changed in front of me one day after a workout.
As horny as I had been after listening to Mandy come, I couldn't do anything about it at the time. My type of masturbating required total solitude, and I was petrified of anyone ever walking in on me doing it. See, I had always gotten off through humping things. Pillows mostly, but also bed corners, rolled up blankets, sides of tubs, corners of tables. I'd always been super embarrassed of how I masturbate, and saw it as childish and silly. Maybe because that's how I started making myself feel good at a young age, and just never really changed methods. My views were reinforced in my Psychology of Human Sexuality course, where we learned of Freud's theory that clitoral orgasms were immature and even indicative of mental illness. Even though this theory has been thoroughly debunked, it stuck with me and added to my insecurity.
Anyhow, I tossed and turned that night and had a fantastic hump session and a few lovely orgasms the next morning after Mandy left for class. When I saw her later that evening, I had worked up the courage to ask about the night before.
"Hey Mandy. So, I hope you don't think I'm weird, but I heard you last night... umm," I stammered.
Mandy blushed a little, but quickly recovered.
"You heard me getting off?" she asked.
"Yeah, I guess that's what it was," I answered, acting coy for some reason. "It sounded like fun," I added, mentally kicking myself for how stupid I sounded.
"Yes... it was nice," she said with a chuckle, sounding a bit confused. "Don't you masturbate?" she asked.
"I mean, yeah, I do. But, like, I guess I'm in a rut? I only really have one way of doing it, and I've sort of wanted to branch out. It sounded like you were using a vibrator?"
"Sure, don't you have one?" she asked.
"Well, no. I've never really... seen one," I mumbled, my face reddening.
"Girl, you are sooo missing out! We need to get you a vibrator, stat!" she said, and we both laughed.
"Wait, you know what? I remember hearing about some kind of women's masturbation workshop this sex shop gives. Why don't you go to that?" Mandy inquired.
"Oh, I don't know..." I started, before she interrupted me.
"Come on! Don't be a baby, this is something that could drastically improve your quality of life! I'll even go with you if you want."
Hearing Mandy's excitement at the idea made me feel excited too. So I agreed, and she signed us up to attend the first class together.
********************
And here we are. Or, more accurately, there I was, waiting for Mandy outside the adult store called The Fuck Stop. I alternated between wanting to wring Mandy's neck and wanting to die of mortification. If you couldn't tell, I don't come from the most sex-positive background. I'd had sex with three guys, but never really enjoyed it or felt I could let loose. So I was nervous and embarrassed, but I also wanted to do this for myself. After all, being in college was about experiencing new things, right? I mustered every bit of resolve I could and entered the store.
I was first struck by the surprising size of the store, and next by its inviting aura. It was not dingy or seedy at all, as I'd imagined a sex shop would be. A tall, broad guy with close-cropped black hair approached me. He was wearing a black polo shirt with THE FUCK STOP embroidered in white.
"Hello miss," he said with a friendly smile. "Can I help you find anything today?"
I felt a hot wave of shame involuntarily wash over me. The employee was really attractive and the way he towered over me made me feel like a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
"Umm, well... I... I'm here for—" I stuttered, loath to finish my sentence.
"Ahh," he nodded reassuringly. "Are you here for the ladies' class?"
I nodded, and my eyes silently thanked him for his tamed-down version of the class name.
"Great, right this way, miss," he said and guided me toward the back of the store with his hand on my lower back. I noticed my crotch tingle a little at the sensation of his firm touch. We walked quite a ways between aisles stocked with lubes, leather, lacy thigh-highs, dildos, and a bunch of other sex stuff I couldn't begin to imagine the use of.
We reached the back corner of the store which had a sizable square area curtained-off with dark but semi-sheer maroon drapes. There were two women who appeared to be an employee and a manager chatting outside the draped entry.
"Penny," my escort interrupted, "Miss... I'm sorry doll, what's your name?"
"June," I scratched out.
"And I'm Brad," he responded, smiling. "Miss June is here for your class. You'll take good care of her, won't you Penny?"
"Of course!" Penny said. "Welcome June, we're glad to have you here."
My tense body softened a little and I started to feel a little more relaxed. This seemed like a safe and comfortable place with people who wanted to help.
Brad looked down at me and his hand moved from my low back down to my shorts-clad butt. He cupped one cheek and patted me a couple times. The tingle in my crotch returned, but this time bloomed upwards to my belly button.
"Well, you girls have fun!" he said, before walking back toward the front of the store.
The manager-looking lady said another quick word to Penny and gave me a smile before taking her leave as well.
Penny, also in the black uniform, was short and petite with platinum blonde hair. She was very slim and I gauged her to be in her late-20s or early 30s. She was pretty, with a professional looking blowout and expertly done makeup. Her bust jutted out quite a bit in the polo shirt she was wearing and I surmised she had breast implants since they were so incongruous with her tiny frame.
"Come on in, June," she said, pulling back one of the dark curtains. "Most everyone is here already."
I walked inside and as my eyes adjusted to the low light, I observed the interior to look like a harem den. In addition to the drapes, there were mounds of pillows of a variety of sizes and textures covering the floor. There was soft music playing that reminded me of the type used in my yoga classes. There were four women already there, sitting a little timidly among the piles of pillows. They were of varying age and appearance, but all were attractive in their own ways. As I made my way to an available area, another woman came rushing up, seeming harried. She apologized to Penny, stating that work kept her late, but Penny reassured her that she was just in time. The woman took a seat in an unoccupied corner of the den, and Penny followed her in.
"Welcome ladies!" Penny exclaimed. "We have one more that signed up but hasn't arrived yet. But it's time to get started, so we'll hope she shows up soon."
I felt myself blushing as I knew the absentee student was my friend, Mandy. Oh well, I thought, no one can see me blushing in here. Penny asked us to rearrange ourselves in a loose circle, which we did.
"Thank you all for coming. I'm hoping we can learn a thing or two about "coming" this evening," Penny said with a wink. A few nervous chuckles followed.