Danny Peterson was supposed to be doing homework, but he was too busy looking out his window again.
It was a surprisingly hot Saturday afternoon in April. On the left, on the other side of his apartment parking lot, was a neighboring complex. In the grass, a couple and their two young boys (four and six?) were having a water gun fight. It was a nice distraction, because it was a cute scene. The dad, freakishly tall in comparison to the dwarfed children, chased the older boy around the corner of their building, squirting a thin line of water across the yard after him. The younger son was standing just a few inches from his mom, who was helping him load it and teaching him how to shoot. She had to spill some of her own water into his pistol. Then he squirted her leg and ran, with her giving chase.
The mom was hot. Danny had no idea who she was, but he craved having a woman like that- one who liked to have fun, but was also sweet and caring. He could tell that about her from the way she ran around the yard. She was wearing a white tee and bikini bottoms. Nothing revealing, but her womanliness was enticing. God, she was sexy.
Danny shook his head. He turned his attention back to his computer, thinking about his assignment for a moment before typing away. An analysis of the inner-city schooling system of Chicago. (She's gone, ran around the corner). He was around halfway done, working on a detailed description of the systematic racialization of Chicago public schools. (She's back, and her shirt is wetter). He went to the internet, trying to find a couple more sources using a scholar search engine. (Are those her nipples? No, must be my imagination). It took him a few minutes to find one, and he skimmed it for a few minutes. Something about a few pieces of legislation in the sixties related to schools. (The two boys are shooting each other now, and she looks sexy as fuck just watching them. The dad just showed up with a water balloon and hit the mom, her shirt even more soaked. She clearly has a bikini top underneath. Disappointing).
A paragraph later, he took a quick break to watch the family. Then he wrote another paragraph. And another. Then watched some more. He couldn't take his eyes off the mom. (She's very curvy. Look at those tits! I bet that dad fucks her all the time. I would if I was her husband).
Absentmindedly, his right hand left his laptop and rubbed his crotch. He didn't have a boner (yet), but he was certainly aroused.
"Focus," he whispered aloud, both hands now back on the keys. He had to finish this today, and the sooner he did it the sooner he could go out (and hopefully find someone sexy for himself).
It was a long struggle, but he eventually did it. It was easier once the family had gone back inside, much to his disappointment. If there was ever a distraction, let it be a MILF. He printed his paper and stapled it before tucking it away in his backpack. What a relief! Now he had the rest of the weekend to relax.
He went to the kitchen to get a snack, and while he was digging through the pantry his phone started to buzz. It was his best friend, Kaila- probably looking to hang out tonight.
"Hello," he answered casually, putting it on speaker and continuing to hunt for a bite to eat.
"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" she asked.
"Kaila, I know you want to go to a bar," he said, "but not tonight. I never pick up any girls when we're together."
"Oh, come on!" she pleaded, "You promised me we could go! God knows I need a good drink tonight."
"Then why don't you buy a bottle from the drugstore and watch a movie?"
She laughed. "Because that's lame. Come on!"
"Ugh, fine. But if I see a girl looking at me, I'm gonna need you to back off."
"Hey, it's not like I ever try to get in your way. They probably just think I'm your girlfriend or something."
"Exactly." He paused. "Ok, but next weekend I'm going alone."
"Deal."
They exchanged goodbyes and Danny sat at the kitchen counter to eat (chips and salsa). He thought about what would happen at the bar. He and Kaila had been best friends since elementary school, and their friendship only strengthened as they grew older. They even swam together in college (by chance, they both claimed). Now they were both in Columbus, in the same apartment complex- he was in grad school and she was a financial analyst for a bank.
He pictured her for a moment- chestnut hair, blue eyes, athletic build, always smiling... she was attractive, but would always be more of a friend. They tried to date in high school and hooked up once in college (that didn't go well), but otherwise had their boundaries. They could talk about anything, do everything together, be themselves around each other... it was a sincere friendship.
***
Danny's luck at the bar hadn't gone so well. He had fun with Kaila, sure, but no girls looked at him when she was around. She still got attention from guys though, who were probably jealous of him for being with such a good-looking young woman.
If he was being honest, they did LOOK like a couple. They were both naturally tall and on the skinny side, though he still stood a head taller than her and was definitely more muscular. His hair nearly matched hers (his shorter, and a little lighter), they had the same kind of contagious smile, and they had that similar go-with-the-flow vibe. Every once in a while, they were even mistaken for brother and sister, which greatly amused them.
Kaila told him he looked handsome when they met up. He told her he better. "Someone's horny," she commented, to which he grunted.
They had gone to a bar not too far from their complex, within walking distance. He didn't drink too much that evening, on the chance he did meet someone, but Kaila held nothing back. She got like this occasionally, excessively ingesting shot after shot, but she rarely blacked out. Even under the influence, she had some self-control. Danny decided it was time to leave when she nearly fell off of her stool three times in a minute.
They had been walking home, Danny reflecting on his disappointment, when Kaila vomited in a trash can. Thank god she made it in time. He kept his distance, waiting for her to finish her business, and took quick notice of three girls that were approaching them from where they had come from. They were all attractive, biologically and fashionably, but the blonde girl on the left caught his eye more than the other two brunettes.
Her hair was straightened and looked like it had plenty of highlights, appearing almost silver under the streetlights. She wore a white crop top with thin shoulder straps that gave a good preview of what was underneath (god did he want to see what was underneath) and a tight pair of light jeans. Her eyes were sapphire blue, like true gems. She was studying him with equal attentiveness, and she was the first of the girls to slow down.
"Is she okay?" one of the other girls asked as they stopped in their tracks.
"Yeah, she does this sometimes," said Danny. "She'll be fine in a few hours."
"Is she your girlfriend?" asked the brunette on the right end, probably to check if he was a predator or something. Like if he was, he would tell the truth.
"No, just a friend," he answered. At this, the blonde perked up a little, and he grinned subtly at her attentiveness. "Are you all students?"
"Yep," said the blonde, "we're seniors at OSU."
"Nice," he said, "I'm a first-year grad student. Education."
While they began exchanging small talk, Kaila finished vomiting and said hello as if nothing had happened. The girls waved at her with forced smiles.
"So, she's not your girlfriend, huh?" asked one of the brunettes, who Danny had just learned was named Paige.
"God no," he laughed. "We've been friends since we were seven. That'd be super weird."
"Yep," agreed Kaila. "I know allllll his secrets... it would be too hard to date him."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he blankly asked his friend.
She burped and paused for a moment before speaking. "You're too... cuddly."
All five of them laughed and continued to talk while they resumed walking. Paige eventually spoke to him again. "I was asking because, well, Lexi here is looking for someone- "
