Author's Note: Welcome to the first ever sequel I've decided to write here on Lit. I've always said I'm a thrill of the kill writer and once the happy couple has their first encounter, I move on to something else and let the reader decide what happens next. But I recently revisited the original and found myself wondering what would happen with Lori and Bret? Here's what I came up with.
Chapter One
"Psst!"
Bret jerked up in his chair at not just the sudden hiss but something striking his foot. He glanced over to see Cynthia mouthing the words "Wake up"
She nudged his foot with hers once again, then went back to watching Professor Higgins continue his lecture on turbo machinery. Bret nodded in thanks, then forced himself not to go back to nodding off.
It wasn't easy, he'd been burning the candle at both ends as his mother said in reference to working as a bartender while in the third, and most difficult year, in pursuit of his engineering degree.
But there was a third end to his candle, one that was just as exhausting, but far more fun and exciting. But his mother didn't know about that end, well, she did, and she didn't. His mother knew he was seeing someone, just not who.
Neither did anyone else, and for good reasons. In general, Bret considered himself mature beyond his years, and capable of handling whatever life threw at him, including the death of his father two years ago.
School full time, working close to forty hours a week, helping his mom keep up the house, and paying for it with money she tried to insist she didn't need, but knew she did. He'd promised his father, a man who always seemed to be able to do the right thing, that he would do the same, and had always felt that he'd done so.
But lately, he wasn't so sure about that anymore.
Honesty was the right thing, keeping secrets, not so much, and outright lying, which he'd been doing to two of the most important people in his life, his mother and his best friend Josh, was the opposite of the right thing one could do.
But another person in his life, one that he was beginning to feel was growing more important as time went on, was the reason for that secret. Which brought him back to drama and how he'd always been able to handle it, at least until now.
Yet even as the word drama, and his recently questionable violation of his moral code, ran through his mind, another thought overwhelmed them. Had they arrived yet? What would she think? Was it too much? Had he gone too far, would he look stupid? Make her feel awkward? Why did he do it? Why wouldn't he?
He blinked to get himself out of his internal conflict and back to paying attention. Finals were two weeks away and he needed to ace them in order to get his GPA back up to the 3.8 he'd maintained his first two years. Last semester's 3.4 was more than respectable in the hardest year, but his mother had still pointed to work for the slight dip.
Reality was, the job was simply a job, and he was young enough to power through a long school and work schedule with little sleep, it was his personal life, once dull to the point mom pushed him to get out and have some fun, was now a major distraction.
Not the physical activity, as God bless youth and enthusiasm, but the sneaking around, dreading getting caught and the rising question of where exactly this was leading.
What started out as a torrid affair and hot fling seemed, at least to him, to be turning into something more serious. But was that feeling there for the other half of his clandestine relationship, or was he experiencing a case of wishful thinking?
Would what he'd done today provide the answer to that question?
"Focus, Bret," he whispered to himself as the professor turned to the board and began writing down several questions he casually mentioned 'could' be very important come the finals.
While several students used their phones to take a picture of the board, Bret, who always had his off for class, jotted them down in his notebook. He'd been itching to turn it on and check it all morning, and this would have been an excuse to do it, but he'd been distracted enough lately outside of class, he could wait a little longer.
Bret felt a sense of relief when he was done, and looking them over, saw they were topics he'd recently spent extra time on but only because he'd fallen behind on them when they were brought up earlier this semester, but since he'd pushed to catch up, they were now fresh in his mind.
When the professor dismissed them, he turned to Cynthia.
"Hey, thanks for that. Guess I was dozing."
"You were damn near snoring," she laughed as she tucked her books into her backpack. "Someone keeping you up at night?"
"No, just working a lot."
"Still at that bar? Gregs?"
"Gabe's," He corrected her.
"Right, kind of skeezy there, no?"
"Nah, Gabe's an old biker, so some of his buds hang out there, but it's a cool crowd. Not many people our age though."
"So, its not a girl wearing you out?" Cynthia flashed a sly smile.
"No," Lying again, and he'd be damned if it wasn't getting easier to do, and he really had no reason in this case. "Work and school."
"Well," she paused as two students passed between them on their way to the exit. "My friend's parents are away this weekend, so her and her brother are throwing a little party. Want to come hang out with me?"
Bret hesitated long enough to make as if he were considering it rather than just blurting out no, and as he did, took a closer look at Cynthia. The word adorable came to mind.
Shoulder length black hair currently highlighted with streaks of pink, wide hazel eyes, a cute patch of freckles around her nose, and a huge smile, the kind that made it hard not to smile back.
Neck down, she was on the slender side, a bit small on top with slim hips, and long legs, currently displayed in a pair of tight white shorts, and a cute little heart shaped ass. Bret had always liked girl next door cute over the flat out hot girls that tended to be bitchy.
If this had been a few months ago, he could see himself saying yes to both the party, and maybe a bit more with her. Cynthia was the kind of girl he'd dated until recently. But that was the thing, she was a girl, and Bret had spent the last few months with not just a woman, but a hell of a woman.
"I appreciate it, but I have to work." He pointed to the board. "And get on that. Cool of Higgins to give us a heads up."
"Right," she smiled again, but this time it seemed forced. "I understand."
Those two words were said in a tone that told him she didn't, as did the way she stalked off towards the front of the class where two of her friends were waiting. Knowing how it usually worked, they probably knew Cynthia was going to ask him out and waiting to see what happened.
Bret felt bad, she really seemed like a nice girl, and he didn't want to piss her off, but better if she was. He'd rather not lead her on. She wouldn't have been if he'd simply acknowledged there was someone. If he had, he doubted she would have extended the invitation. Good job, Bret, he thought while exiting the classroom.
