We gathered at a picnic table we'd commandeered earlier in the evening and spread out the goodies. The edible goodies, I mean. One of the guys got a small fire going to burn the weenies and brats. Larry came over and slid onto the bench beside me.
"So, dude, how are things between you and Janice?"
"Fine, I think. Why?"
He shrugged and looked away. "I hear stuff. Since she's back home and you've been kind of MIA, I guess she's wonderin' what's up."
I was about to answer when Janice slipped onto the bench on the other side of me and snaked her arm around my bare waist. All of us were still in bathing suits and when her left breast pushed against my arm it slid up partway out of her bra. She glanced down quickly and then back at me with a grin. I guess she decided her exposure wasn't enough to worry about. I noticed, because last year at the beach she would have been wearing something that covered more and she would have adjusted herself. There was a change in her attitude.
"Hey," she smiled. "You happy here? Doing all right? Her right hand reached across below the table and landed on my bare thigh. This girl was definitely being a lot more forward than used to be the case.
"With you right here, baby, I'm happy. I'm doing just fine." I turned my head and nuzzled her earlobe. She didn't pull away so I stuck my tongue gently in her ear, just to see what her reaction would be. She didn't pull away immediately, but after a second she patted my crotch and slid away, standing up in the same moment. A big wink and then Janice's attention was claimed by Carol. They went off to one of the cars.
Larry smirked at me and said in a low voice, "So, dude, looks like you might get lucky tonight. I'm pretty sure little Alice and I are gonna do the nasty later on. He grunted and rocked his hips. "Man I can't wait to jam it into her hot snatch."
I looked at him and Julie's voice came into my head. "Lar, d'you know if she's a virgin?"
"What? Who cares? She's almost twenty, fer cri' sakes."
"Listen, pal, do yourself a favor and take it slow with her. I got the impression out there in the lake that she's ready for you but she's a little nervous."
"Slow. Didn't you tell me that once before?" Larry nodded.
"Yeah. If you wait on Alice, make it nice, and take your time, I'm tellin' you true, it'll be a whole lot better."
Larry looked down at the table, then canted a sidewise glance at me. "Something about you. Why do I get the feeling you know things now you aren't telling?"
I hesitated. The urge to tell him about Julie was strong. We'd always shared everything. But I couldn't and stay true to my promise to her. I sat there like a lump.
The evening wore on and it got dark. We pretty much quit running around and paired up. The local cops came by. Long as we were reasonably quiet and not drinking, they left us alone, but the beach closed at ten-thirty. Then Larry's car wouldn't start so I piled his stuff in mine along with Alice and Janice and we took off. I'd planned to drive to this private little road about five miles out of town and have some serious face time with Janice. Well, yeah, I figured we could maybe get farther than ever before. I didn't know if she was a virgin or not. I didn't think about it, much. Janice was hot and I liked her a lot, but...
Did I want to be a couple with Janice? We hadn't had sex, even when we were making out pretty hot and heavy on dates during school. But she was going to be gone back to college in a few weeks. What then? Before Julie, I would have taken a mercy fuck, you bet! But now, I wasn't so sure.
Much later, the party broke up like these things always do. With mutual understanding between Larry and me, I found the road and we pulled way in so the car couldn't be seen from the highway. I smiled at Janice as I turned off the ignition. I had a blanket in the trunk and I turned around to offer it to Larry and Alice in the back seat. I looked and figured I was too late with the offer.