Hi!
Thank you for reading my story. A couple of points to know:
I don't like writing wank porn. I want to write full-fleshed stories with plot, character, drama, and tension. Events in this chapter pick up the morning after the events at the end of chapter 17.
This chapter is going to run a little longer than previous ones. As we close in on the end of this story, chapter lengths will grow and shrink slightly so that the pacing stays consistent.
Thank you for taking the time, and please be sure to vote and offer any feedback you can. If you like what I do, offering feedback is the best thing you can do to help, there is nothing which aids a writer more than seeing the story through someone else's eyes.
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Chapter 18
Scott woke up at 4:30 AM, glanced next to him in bed, and saw that Padme was still fast asleep. Unlike the previous times he'd been intimate with a woman, the night before, with Padme, felt hollow. He didn't have time to give it much thought, as he rose and went about his morning routine to prepare for work.
At 5:30 AM Scott arrived at the lab, and began the day's duties. He worked all morning, and even though breakfast was delivered as it always was, he didn't see Dr. Karlov poke his head into the lab to eat and drink. Since he had begun work on this new level, Scott found the effort to be so rewarding that he had difficulty keeping track of time. A knock on the door to the lab shook him from his reverie. It was lunchtime already.
Scott opened the door to the lab to find Lory, as she always was, with a sandwich and a bag of chips in one hand, and a bottle of soda in the other, and a smile on her face. Scott greeted her warmly, welcomed her into the lab, and the two sat down at the table to eat and swap stories.
A few minutes into the conversation, the topic of Scott's recent evening with Padme came up.
"Congratulations on that," Lory said. "She sounds like quite the lady, and you were lucky to hook up with her."
"Yeah, I know," Scott said. "It was fun, but it felt so empty this morning, you know?"
"Any idea why you felt that way?" Lory asked.
"Yeah, it's because I like her a lot more than she likes me," Scott replied, frowning. "She sees me as just a friend, and not as a romantic partner. I made the offer to her last night, and she turned me down. When I was with Pepper and Cherry, I felt like they both really liked me. In the case of Pepper, she was emotionally into me, she just doesn't want to commit to anything right now, and Cherry likes me, but she's really cautious and I've had to win her over slowly."
"I see, so for Padme, it was duty sex?" Lory asked.
"I think so," Scott replied. "Padme said it herself, she expected me to come to her room on Tuesday night, so she could pay me back for helping her out that morning, and she was surprised when I didn't come. I think she sought me out because she didn't want to feel like she owed me. So, she fucked me to pay me back for helping her out. When we were together, she was trying to get into it, but I always got the sense that it just wasn't that good for her. When I was with some of the other girls, there was more moaning and groaning, and fewer conversations with complete thoughts."
"Padme might just have a domination fetish, and you're too gentle to scratch her itch," Lory suggested. "One of the things girls like about you is how respectful you are, but not every woman gets off on that. Some of them want to be tied-up and told exactly where to do their business."
"The dare I helped her win was an odd one," Scott said, musing. "Maybe if I had forced her to walk back to Maybe Dick Hall naked on Tuesday morning, and I had spanked her at intervals along the way, she might be attracted to me."
"Don't overthink it," Lory said, as she laughed out loud. "I merely mentioned the domination fetish as one possibility, but the truth is, we don't know why you and Padme didn't click. Just be who you are, and don't worry about attracting girls who want something different than what you have to offer."
"That's good advice, and I will take it to heart," Scott said. "So, I guess this means sex won't always be great with every partner. Sometimes, it will just be something we do to kill time, or because we feel obligated to do it."
"Speaking of that, can I talk to you about something?" Lory asked.
"Sure, what is it?" Scott asked. "I'm always happy to help you in any way I can."
In a few short words, Lory told Scott the story of her breakfast with Professor Klondike the morning before. When Lory had finished her tale, she asked Scott for his thoughts.
"Impregnating a woman?" Scott asked. "That's kind of a huge step, isn't it?"
"Sure is, and if you aren't comfortable with it, I'll tell Professor Klondike the answer is no," Lory said. "However, I would really appreciate it if you would do this for her. She's a good person, Scott, and she's got all the financial resources required to take care of a child. All she needs is a good man to do the deed with. She's realistic about this, from the conversations I've had with her. She's 28 years old now, and she knows how much harder pregnancy is for a woman after the age of 30. She knows she doesn't have that much time left, and she's being proactive."
"It makes sense to me," Scott said. "Also, an off-campus ball held every year full of half-naked lesbians? That's really a thing?"
"Apparently, it is," Lory replied. "I've heard the name Valkyrie Ball a time or three since I've been a student at Frostbite Falls University, but I never thought anything of it until Professor Klondike told me what it was. To be honest, I feel like this was probably a drunken bet that went way too far back in the day, and now, it's so established, it's become normal."
"Also, it's easy to see why you can tell me about this openly," Scott replied. "If I told anyone else about this ball, who would believe me?"
"It is certainly plausibly deniable," Lory replied, with a smile. "So, what do you think? Will you do it?"
"I take it that scheduling some time to meet with Professor Klondike before Tuesday night is out of the question?" Scott asked. "You mentioned you were meeting her for breakfast tomorrow, any chance I could come with you?"
"You wouldn't learn much, I'm afraid, as our breakfasts don't last that long," Lory said. "They usually only take about 20 minutes, and Professor Klondike is so busy, that I have to show up exactly on time."
"Also, it seems like she doesn't care for male company that much," Scott mused. "She's already going to take my cock up her cunt, and she probably doesn't also want to see my face over her coffee pot tomorrow morning."
"I didn't want to actually mention that, but there's no denying it's true; she has a very low opinion of men," Lory said. "The thought of a man sticking his penis up her pussy makes her visibly queasy. I don't know what it was that has shaped her opinion in that way, but it's there."
"I need some time to think about it," Scott said. "Can you give me three days, until Sunday afternoon, to give it some thought?"
"Sure thing, let me give you my phone number, so that you can call me when you've made up your mind," Lory said.
"Okay," Scott said, as Lory entered her contact details into Scott's phone, and he input his into her phone. "One thing I can say in favor of Professor Klondike is that she's got her finger on the pulse of what men want: a half-naked, beautiful woman exposing her pussy and begging for our cocks is about the best way to convince us to throw caution to the wind and do the deed."
Lory said a silent prayer that Scott wouldn't ask whether she would also be half-naked on Tuesday night. Lory liked Scott, a lot, and she was sure she could easily develop romantic feelings for Scott, but Connor was her boyfriend, and a good, honest man. The more Lory pondered Tuesday night, the more convinced she was of the danger. Lory knew it was up to her to make sure that she and Scott would never be alone, and bottomless, around each other at the ball. Scott had enough on his mind as it was, and it wasn't fair to put this additional burden on his plate.
"So, what are your plans for Halloween tomorrow night?" Scott asked.
"I'm planning on heading to a party that a friend of mine is throwing," Lory said. "I know you're planning on taking Cherry to the All Hallow's Eve Party. That's something every student should go to at least once in their lives. It's definitely a spectacle, and you'll enjoy it."
"I have tomorrow off of work so that I can sleep in and make sure I have enough energy to stay out all night, and I also have the little issue of finding a costume for the party," Scott said. "If the All Hallow's Eve Party is such a spectacle, why aren't you attending?"
"I went my freshman year," Lory said. "After that first time, I decided it wasn't for me. It was fun to go, but due to my upbringing, being there made me feel uncomfortable. I still had a great time, don't get me wrong, but well, you'll see what I mean when you go tomorrow night. Be sure to soak it all in. It's definitely a unique experience."
Scott finished his meal, and he escorted Lory to the door to the lab. The two friends exchanged a hug, before Lory gave Scott a kiss on the cheek, smiled, and left the lab.
At 9:30 PM, in Fuggville, Calvin walked into the gym on the other side of the parking lot from the Aesop and Son ice cream parlor. He was here to find Mark, and take him to the party being thrown for him at the ice cream parlor that evening. Calvin spotted Mark riding an exercise bike and signaled him over.
"Hey man, how are you?" Calvin asked, as he and Mark shook hands.
"Pretty good," Mark said. "I've just got a few minutes of cool-down left to do on the bike. Want to come over and talk?"
Calvin indicated he would, and Mark cleared Calvin with the front desk attendant, and they both went to his bike.
"Did you finish the big report you had due yesterday?" Calvin asked, as Mark mounted the bike and started to pedal.
"Sure did," Mark said. "I was up until 3 AM finishing it. As a reward, I got to sleep in last night and I got today off work. Life is good, all the way around."
"Happy 33rd birthday," Calvin said. "I sure hope I'm not the first one to wish you a Happy Birthday today."
