Old theme, new treatment, I hope. You need the earlier chapters or you'll get confused. (Best to start with number one, but that's just a personal view). This is a longer chapter: too much information to fit into the normal three Literotica pages, so I've split it, "for your comfort and convenience" as they say. Please remember to vote. I respond to non-anonymous feedback. Satyricon.
*
PART ONE
I was way pissed as I stood in the bay window trying not to listen to her. May oughta be a good month, and now I had to make choices. Shoot for her, shoot for Candice, or try and reconcile them, keep on dreamin' about both barrels. Well, fuck number three: I'm not the dam' United Nations. Her voice went on, kinda like a soprano chain-saw and she was red in the face, looking angry. First time I'd ever seen her like that.
'... And last night she brought someone back and I heard them. You know her room's right over mine, and I could hear the bed moving, and them moaning and everything. It was disgusting. They were like animals.' I'd heard them too. Sounded like they were havin' some pretty dirty fun. I'd even given myself a few strokes while I listened. Shit, she was beginnin' to get on my nerves. Maybe I'd been wrong about her.
'Rachel has guys back once in a while, Susan,' I said, 'and she ain't a quiet girl. You've never complained.' She looked at me as if I was stupid.
'Mr. Taylor, Rachel doesn't bring back other women: we are talking about perversion, not normal relationships. I pay my rent on time and I want you to do something about it right now.' Definitely not number three. She'd left my door ajar and I was pretty sure Candice and Rachel were still in the house: number two was lookin' better. I spoke a little louder
'Susan, I'm sorry but it's your problem. This is the twenty-first century and life's moved on. Hell, girl, I'm kinda surprised at you. She's quiet, she works hard, and she pays her rent on time too. I kinda like her. We talk about history some. Her personal life's nothing to do with you or me. You gonna complain that she's black as well?' Nice touch, that.
'Mr. Taylor, I have rights as a tenant here, and listening to that kind of filth isn't one of them.' There goes number one.. She was probably the sort of girl who thought BJ's were a perversion too. I cranked up the volume another notch.
'Fuck your rights. Susan, here's what you can do. You can carry on listening when Candice brings someone back, or you can go buy some earplugs, or you can pack and go. You choose to go, I'll give you back half your fuckin' security deposit, which is dam' generous of me. You choose to stay, you can shut the fuck up, and in the meantime you can go look for somewhere else to live. I don't want you in my fuckin' house any more. And if you give Candice any shit at all I'll throw your ass out on the street and you can take me to court. I'd fuckin' love to explain all this to some liberal judge.' I went over to the door and held it wide open. There was a scuffling noise on the stairs and I was glad I'd raised my voice some.
'Have a nice day, Susan.' She glared at me and stomped out and I heard her go upstairs and slam her room door. I went over to the bay window and breathed deeply. Jeez, I hate stress, and now the house was gonna be full of it. There was a knock on the door and I flung it open.
'Susan, I won't change my fuckin' mind... Uh sorry, Candice, c'mon in. You want some coffee? Fresh two hours ago. I think I got a bagel left too.' She stared at me, then laughed.
'Jesus Christ, Doug, I've never been in this room without you offering me food or drink. You're like a den mother.'
'My mom raised me right,' I said. 'Whaddya need, Candice? I'm sorry I shouted when you came in. I been having a trying morning.' She nodded, her face serious.
'I heard the last part. In fact the whole house heard.' Her voice said I'd called it right.
'Yeah, well, it kinda got outa hand. I don't shout often, but when I do I tend to lose it.'
'Dam' good thing too,' said a voice from the doorway.
'Shit, Rachel. What is this? Some kind of delegation?' She shook her head.
'Only thing I want to do is apologize. I was waiting for you to sweet talk her and you didn't. I'm sorry I thought that.' She turned and marched out, and I swung back to Candice.
'You think you need to apologize for any fuckin' thing at all and I'll kick your beautiful ass up and down the street like a football. You got that?' She gave me a great big smile.
'I'm not here to apologize, Doug. I wanted to thank you. There aren't many guys who'd have said that to a cute little blonde they've been watching pretty attentively while she's sunbathing.' She was still smiling and I almost did the same.
'Busted. Were you checkin' out her or me when you spotted that?' She looked as if she was blushing, but it's hard to tell.
'That's not the point. If she goes you'll lose money too: that's what surprised Rachel. Come here.' She took a step towards me and stopped. She was a tall girl, and we were face to face. She grasped my ears, then leaned in and kissed me. A good one too, sliding the very tip of her tongue along my lips. Only a hint, but with a whisper of promise and I noticed that when she stepped back she was breathing a little quick.
'OK? Thank you Doug Taylor. I'm glad I live in your house, and I'm pleased you noticed my ass. Sharper than a new razor blade, huh? You smooth-talking devil, you.' She left, and I savored the taste of her lip gloss, faint in my mouth. Her head popped back round the door.
'And I'll try to keep the noise down. My, uh, friend got a little carried away.'
'So would I, Candice. Don't sweat it.' She poked her tongue out and disappeared again. I went to the window and looked out. One door closes, another opens. And Candice sure had a beautiful ass, and she sure walked with a spring in her step, just like that other one I useta know.
My senior year was kinda unfocused. Looking back now, I can see that breakin' up with Judy had changed something, made me harder maybe. If I worked hard enough for what I wanted the talent kicked in and I got it, but the way it happened sucked. Selfish is one thing, but callous is another. I didn't want to think about that, but it stayed in the back of my head. I guess I was finally coming to terms that I was gonna hafta be real selfish one day. Right now I didn't want anything much. I had a date with McCarthy for next year so I let myself go some. Shit, that felt so good: no gym, just enough work to keep scoring B's: slackers' paradise. I didn't go out much. Coupla girls threw me charity fucks, and I spent time with Annie, two or three times a month. Thank God for her: there when I wanted, never asked questions, made me laugh, kept me on my toes just enough. The perfect fuckin' woman, you think about it.
'You're getting kinda chubby, Doug,' she said one day. 'I mean you're no sack of potatoes but you for sure will be, you don't do somethin'. She was in the crook of my arm, relaxing, and reached over and grasped my extra roll.