Hi, everyone! Sorry for the delay, but this latest segment turned out much longer than I anticipated. For comparison, chapters 22 through 26 were about 33 pages in Word. This segment was over 111! I had no idea how much I had written until I took a breather last weekend. Hindsight being 20/20 and all that, I probably should have posted chapters 27 and 28 earlier, just to give you something to tide you over, but I think it will work out better this way.
Also, a quick note: I update my biography page here fairly regularly, so if you're curious about what's going on, what the status of the next part of the story is, you can probably find answers there. On feedback, I'm much more likely to respond to you via a comment than I am from an email you send me, so if you have questions, hit me up in the comments. I check them daily. Besides, I kind of appreciate the anonymity of the comment system. I'm shy. Sue me. :)
Now, on to Strange Days!
Chapter 27
A few days later, Sarah stood beside me, her arm around my waist. Phillip came back from the kitchen with a pair of socket wrenches and joined us. Violet was showing the movers where to place our meager furniture. Not that we brought much; our beds, a nightstand and dresser, and a small desk for each of us, and we agreed to bring only Violet's vanity, since hers was more than big enough for all our girly things, and it had enough room for two of us to sit side by side.
The elevator door slid open with a groan, revealing four hulking and sweaty guys leaning against the sides of the elevator. The center of it was filled with what would become a platform for my photography studio. Working in pairs, they hefted pieces of the partially assembled platform and shuffled out of the elevator. With these four added to the mix, there were now nine big and brawny young men in our apartment.
"Over there, guys," Phillip pointed to the north-west corner.
As the guys made their way over, I said quietly to Phillip. "I can't believe you did all this."
"Did what?" he smiled.
I waved my hand around the apartment. "The construction of the platform, the physical labor to move it here, the guys to unload the moving truck; take your pick."
Phillip gave an easy laugh. "No big deal. There's never a shortage of college students hurting for cash." He gestured at the sweaty guys around the room. "They'll paint your house, mow your lawn..."
"Mow your lawn? Is that some kind of euphemism?" Sarah asked playfully.
Phillip laughed. "No, but they're guys, so I'm sure they'd
mow your lawn
for free," he used air quotes, then he frowned. "I don't think you'd want them doing that though. I mean, what guy our age has that kind of finesse, you know?"
Sarah and I chuckled.
By noon, the moving truck was unloaded, and the apartment was once again an estrogen heavy zone, aside from Phillip. Sarah was helping Violet unpack our stuff while Phillip and I assembled the platform. It had been designed in pieces, to make it easier to move, the various parts held together with bolts. The guys that built it even made a short flight of steps that led up to a twenty foot runway. In total, it only cost me about eighty dollars. Violet and Sarah picked up the tab for the other guys.
The intercom by the elevator buzzed so I ran over to get it.
"Hello?" I said. Not being used to intercoms, I probably should have just asked who was there, rather than acting like I'd answered a phone, but oh well.
"That you, Amy?" Tabitha replied.
"Oh, hi!" I pressed the button that would unlock the lobby door. "Come on up."
Moments later, the elevator came to a stop on our floor and Tabitha breezed in. She looked beautiful, and she wasn't even dressed up. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight braid, and she wore a simple purple tank top and black cotton shorts with white sneakers. Even dressed down, the girl was devastatingly attractive. What a bitch. I'm kidding, of course. Okay, maybe not entirely.
"Oh wow!" she gushed, turning in circles as she surveyed the apartment. "This is awesome!"
Violet and Sarah went over and gave Tabitha a welcoming hug.
"Can you believe it?" Sarah said.
Tabitha put her hand on her chest. "I'm so jealous of you guys." Then she noticed Phillip standing beside me and she raised an eyebrow. "Oh, who's this?"
"This is our friend, Phillip," I explained hastily, making my way over to Tabitha, with Phillip in tow. Wouldn't do to have her blabbing to her brother that she thought I was sleeping around with another guy. "He got some guys to unload the truck for us."
Tabitha looked him up and down. It wasn't hostile, but it wasn't entirely friendly either. "How very generous of you."
Phillip gave her an easy smile. "Not really. I'm just trying to get laid, obviously."
I laughed.
"She's taken," Tabitha inclined her head at me.
"That's okay," Phillip shrugged. "I'm not picky."
All of us laughed then. Tabitha's eyes sparkled with it. We barely knew Phillip, but even though he wasn't by far the best looking guy on campus, he could be really charming when he wanted to be. He was confident, I knew that much. I think he was just really comfortable with who he was. It was also entirely possible that his relationship with Mona had something to do with it. After all, ever since I began fucking my best friends, my confidence in myself seemed to have shot up about a gajillion levels. It was incredibly freeing, being able to truly be yourself, and on every level imaginable, with those that were important to you. Even Violet was coming out of her shell.
"Amy and I were just putting together the stage," Phillip told Tabitha and held up his socket wrench. "Care to help?"
"Stage?" she blinked, then stepped past us. "Oh, wow! This is great!" Tabitha smoothed her hand down the runway. It had been sanded and painted flat black until we could cover it with shiny laminate -- that was Phillip's idea. She glanced at Phillip. "You designed this?"
"No," he scoffed and went over to join her. "My dad did. I told him what I was looking for and he emailed the plans to me. I got some guys to build it. Can't really take any credit."
She gave him a level look, then smiled. "You really are looking to get laid."
"Always," he smiled.
I chuckled and joined them, holding up my own socket wrench. "Shall we?"
Between the three of us, we got the platform and runway assembled pretty quickly. Phillip and I stood back to appraise our work, while Tabitha strutted her stuff up and down the runway. She moved with the practiced grace of a model, one foot in front of the other, hips swaying seductively, one hand on her hip, her other arm swinging freely. I slid my gaze up and down her figure as she moved. Damn, that girl had amazing legs. If Tabitha really did want to be an actress or model, she was set.
Tabitha stopped and turned to face us, then said to Phillip, "I can't believe you did this for just eighty dollars."
"Well, there's another form of payment I haven't mentioned yet," he replied and looked at me. "I get to use it too."
