Barenaked Ladies

As far back as I can remember, Labor Day weekend always felt like a time of transition to me. It was the weekend that summer turned into autumn. True, according to the calendar, there were still two weeks to go, but its seemed as if, this year, Mother Nature was reading my mind and adjusted the weather accordingly. Having routinely endured 90-degree temperatures in the final weeks of August, it was a relief when the clouds moved in and cooled the afternoon air down to the mid-70s. Yes, summer was ending and the beginning of another school year was not far off. I knew that within a few weeks, the leaves would begin falling off the trees and I would again be hard at work writing reports and studying late into the night.

At 19 years old, I was starting my first year of college. I had enrolled at the local community college without any long-range plans, hoping that by the time I had my Associate's Degree, I would figure out what I wanted to do with my life. That would be two years down the line, though, which gave me plenty of time.

The first Saturday of September, I reasoned, might be a good time to go stock up on school supplies. That morning, I pulled myself out of bed and thew on my trusty Barenaked Ladies T-shirt as well as a well-worn pair of tan cargo pants. Looking around, I assessed the condition of my current supplies. The battered notebook I'd used throughout my high school career was held together with duct tape and had clearly seen better days. My supply of pens had run low, and my backpack—well, the less said about that, the better. A new one was definitely in order. I knew I'd need a good graphing calculator for my math courses, too. I drew up a list for myself and set off for the mall.

Pulling into the parking lot, it seemed that everyone else in town must have chosen the same day to do their shopping as well. The lot was jam packed, and it took me at least ten minutes to find a parking spot, which must have been at least a football field away from the closest entrance. I walked through the door of the large superstore and made my way for the school supplies aisle. I loaded my basket with pens, a ruler, found myself a good calculator, got a sturdy notebook, and plenty of paper. I even managed to find myself a decent backpack. Only the calculator remained, and I knew my best chance for that would be the office supply store at the other end of the mall. After double-checking my list, I headed for the checkout counter. The clerk smiled effervescently as she efficiently rang up my chosen items. Before I knew it, she had thanked me for my numerous purchases, and implored me to come again soon.

A trip from one end of the mall to the other took me through the food court. On most days, the food court was busy, and today was no exception. The lunch rush seemed as if it was just letting up, and I noticed a smattering of empty tables. As the aromas from close to a dozen different eateries reached my nose, I realized that I really hadn't eaten much before leaving home that morning. Suddenly, a slice of pizza from Milan's, the Italian eatery, sounded very good to me.

I walked past Burger Express, Cheesesteak Heaven, and Thai Grill over to Milan's and stood in the shortest-looking line. Apparently I was not the only one who felt like pizza, as four other customers waited ahead of me. Since I already knew exactly what I wanted, I took the opportunity to scan the food court. I immediately noticed a woman seated by herself at a table about 25 feet away. She seemed to be looking right at me and smiling. I quickly tried to recall if I knew her from somewhere. She didn't look much older than me, certainly no more than her early 20's. Did I maybe know her from school? Nothing jumped out at me, so I turned back around. A minute or so later curiosity got the better of me, so I again turned around, my eyes sweeping the dining area. The same woman was still looking in my direction and smiling. Did I know her, I asked myself again. I smiled back at her just to see what would happen. To my amazement, her smile became wider and she waved at me.

"Sir?"

I waved back.

"Sir?" a voice asked behind me, louder than the first time.

I wheeled around. The cashier behind the counter was trying to get my attention. The customers in front of me had all ordered their lunches, and it was my turn. I ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza and a large cola, then proceeded to pull five one-dollar bills from my wallet to cover the cost. While my drink was filled, I quickly glanced behind me at the woman who had been conspicuously eyeing me. She looked up from her lunch just as I turned around, our eyes meeting for the third time. This time, I decided to wave at her. She waved back at me. I decided then that I would try to sit with her. This made me nervous, since I was usually extremely shy around women and had little experience asking them much of anything. But, I told myself, this woman—whoever it was—had gone out of her way to be friendly toward me, so what's the worst that could happen? Grabbing my pizza and cola, I made my way back toward the tables. She continued to beam as I approached.

"Hi," I said, summoning quite a bit of courage just to force out that lone one-syllable word.

"Hi there," she replied, continuing. "Your shirt caught my attention. I'm a big Barenaked Ladies fan myself. It's always nice to run into a fellow fan." Ah, so that was it. The shirt! I'd forgotten completely about it! Her face fell as she shifted her gaze toward the floor. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in sitting with me, would you?" She seemed extremely nervous to ask me that question, though it made me more relaxed, since I no longer had to broach the issue.

I began to speak with more ease. "Actually, I was just going to ask you if I could sit here. You smiled so nicely and seemed so friendly while I was over there in line."

Her face lit up once more as she saw me lay my tray of food down on the table and sit down across from her.

"By the way," I continued. "My name's Ed."

"Hi, Ed. I'm Katie," she said.

I took a moment to look at Katie, thankful that I now knew her name. She was a chunky girl—by no means obese, but definitely curvy and large-breasted. Her brown shoulder- hair was cropped quite short, not much longer than mine. Her face looked youthful. It was somewhat plain, but radiated every time she smiled. A tan Pearl Jam T-shirt covered her large chest.

"It seems you've got good taste in music too," I finally said, gesturing towards her shirt.

"Thanks," she replied, blushing. We spent the rest of the meal talking about the bands we liked and the concerts we'd been to. It turned out that we had both seen Barenaked Ladies the last time they'd come through town.

Katie finally asked me what was in the bag at my feet. I told her about my shopping expedition and how I was starting college in just a few weeks. She told me about her job at the grocery store and how she shared an apartment with her best friend, Ellen.

"I hate to end this, but I really need to get to work now, and it sounds like you've got some shopping to finish. Can we do this again tomorrow?" She genuinely looked crestfallen at having to say goodbye, and I confess, I didn't want it to end either.

"Absolutely," I quickly replied. "It was great meeting you, Katie."

"It was great meeting you too, Ed. See you tomorrow!" There was that wonderful smile again. She stood up, turned, and headed for the exit, looking back just once. I'm quite sure she saw me staring at her, but I didn't care. For her part, Katie just smiled, waved once more, and then she was gone. Tomorrow suddenly couldn't come fast enough, as far as I was concerned. In the meantime, though, I had a backpack still to buy. Gathering my belongings, I continued on toward the office supply store.

The next morning was cloudy and overcast. It felt as if the temperature had dropped another few degrees from the day before. I dressed, choosing a long-sleeved T-shirt and black corduroy pants. I raced over to the mall, not wanting to be late.

Walking into the food court, I glanced around, my eyes searching for Katie. She was there somewhere, in that sea of humanity currently preoccupied with their trays brimming with double cheeseburgers, burritos, Thai noodles, or—God forbid—the clam chowder at Cap'n Salty's, the seafood joint. A third sweep of the area began to worry me. Katie was nowhere to be found. Was she standing me up? I'd really enjoyed our meeting the previous day, and I hated the thought that it might be a one-time occurrence. With nothing else to do, I stood in line at Milan's again. Might as well have a calzone as long as I'm here, I thought to myself. I turned my attention to the menu positioned behind the cashier.

Two quick taps on my left shoulder caused me to swivel my head in that direction, hoping to finally see Katie standing there, beaming. Just as quickly as they'd risen, though, my hopes were dashed as I found myself looking at empty air. Almost reflexively, I turned back around, looking to my right, and , sure enough, there was Katie.

"Ah, the old shoulder-tap trick," I mused, my face brightening.

Katie blushed slightly, then spoke. "You know, you're a lot harder to find when there's nothing written on your shirt."

I chuckled. "Sorry. I'll keep that in mind next time." I continued. "I was starting to get worried you wouldn't show."

"No worries there," Katie replied. I wasn't going to miss this today if both legs were broken and my hair was on fire."

I exhaled audibly. "That's certainly nice to hear, but wouldn't you be a little uncomfortable?"

Before Katie could answer, the girl behind the counter at Milan's interjected, asking me to place my order. I asked Katie if there was anything I could get her.

"A slice of pepperoni pizza?" she asked hopefully.

"Consider it done." I turned back toward the woman behind the counter. "A calzone, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a large root beer, please."

When the food arrived, Katie gathered her pizza and the root beer, and I took my calzone, as we walked over to a table and sat down.

"Its good to see you again," she said, taking a bite of her pizza.

"You too. I was looking forward to this," I agreed.

Katie had chosen to wear tan cotton pants and a green T-shirt today, once again showing off her impressive chest. I caught myself wondering just how big her breasts were, and what they might look like uncovered.

Katie's voice snapped me back to the present. "I'm glad I have more time today. No work to run off to."

"Me too. How'd it go last night?" I asked. I washed down a bite of calzone with root beer.

"Just fine. It was pretty busy. A lot of people seemed to be stocking up for Labor Day barbecues. So I at least wasn't bored."

"That's good to hear. Bored is no fun." I decided to try to change the subject. "I know it really isn't polite, but how old are you?"

She laughed. "Oh it's all right. It's no secret. I just turned 20. You?"

"I'm 19," I said, between bites of pizza. "You know, it's so easy to talk to you. I haven't met anyone in ages I could relate to as well as you."

"Really?" She seemed almost startled and for a minute, I thought I might have overstepped my bounds. Then her face lit up and she smiled the smile I'd already committed to memory. "That's incredibly nice of you to say. Honestly, I feel the same way about you, but I didn't want to say so in case it scared you."

"Me? Scared? Don't worry about it," I reassured her. "It's great to know that. I really enjoy talking with you, Katie."

"And I enjoy talking with you too, Ed."

More conversation followed between bites of our respective lunches. Long after our food was finished, we still were finding out new things about each other. It was a conversation that I hoped didn't have to end, so I eventually pushed forth the prospect of future meetings.

"Will I get to see you tomorrow?" I queried.

"Of course!"

"I only wish I didn't have to wait until tomorrow. It suddenly seems like so far away."

"Well—you could—call me," she said, hesitantly. She then quickly added "But only if you want to."

"I'd really like to," I reassured her.

That was all the convincing Katie needed. She pulled a pen from her small purse, and scribbled on a napkin, handing it to me. On it, she had written three digits, a dash, and then four more digits. All seven had been enclosed inside a large heart.

"I cant wait to talk to you tonight, Ed." Katie said. I couldn't agree with her more. We said our good-byes, and then she headed for one exit, and I the other. I may well have floated back to my car.

That night I called her up and we ended up talking for two hours straight. We made plans to hold our own small Labor Day party for just the two of us the following evening. When I finally set the phone back down, I felt so happy I could burst.

The next morning, I awoke to another pleasant day. As Katie had requested during our phone call, I made the drive over to her apartment to pick her up. I climbed the steps to her third-floor apartment and knocked on the door. I heard the lock undone on the other side of the door, then a squeak. The door swung open and Katie greeted me with a smile. My eyes next wandered down to her chest. She was wearing an amazingly tight shirt with a neckline that offered me plenty of cleavage. It was incredibly sexy and I could feel my cock stiffening in my pants. Groping her, however, I felt would be a bad move, so I limited myself to commenting on how nice she looked, and we were off. Following a quick stop at the grocery store, we had all the food we needed for a little picnic at the park.

During lunch we had a nice conversation. Towards the end, however, Katie's voice picked up a hint of uncertainty.

"Ed?" she asked plaintively. "I feel like I'm getting to know you pretty well already, so I hope you don't mind, but could I ask you a kinda personal question?"

I swallowed. "Sure. Shoot."

"Well," she started. "When I opened the door this morning, I noticed you were looking at my chest."

Now it was my turn to blush. "I'm sorry," I started. "I just—"

"Ed, you know I like you. But I'm sure you could have any girl you want. Why me?"

"Because you're pretty, Katie! I like you. And if I'm perfectly honest, I'm not as good with women as you may think. Not very many girls ever showed interest in me in high school. I wasn't one of the popular ones. I just kept my head down and studied."

"Are you—" Katie hesitated, her voice full of uncertainty. "So does that mean that you've never had sex?"

I sighed deeply. I nodded.

Katie's hand caresses my arm. "Ed? It's okay. Actually, I'm relieved. You know why?"

"No—why?"

"Well—I'm a virgin too," she said softly. "I'm pretty shy, usually, and one time I asked a guy in my English class if he wanted to go to a dance with me. He laughed at me." I noticed Katie's eyes getting moist. "After that, I never had the guts to try again. He ended up going with a cheerleader, and it made me feel horrible." I noticed a tear running down her cheek.

I gave Katie a little hug. She felt wonderful in my arms. "Katie, that guy was a moron. He missed out on getting to know a really cute, sweet, interesting woman. I'm glad I'm getting that chance, though."

"I'm glad you are too," she said, smiling as she wiped away another tear. Before I could react, she leaned in and kissed me softly on my cheek.

"Can I ask you one more personal question, Ed? And it's okay if the answer is no. I'll understand."

"Anything, Katie. What is it?"

"Would you ever—would you ever want to see me naked?"

All I could do for a minute was nod. "More than anything in the world," I finally whispered, before kissing her softly on the lips. I'd never seem someone smile so much as Katie did when I said that to her, and I was glad that it meant so much to her.

That night, at home, I found myself unable to think of anything but Katie. I stripped myself naked and lay in bed, massaging my erect dick as I thought about what she might look like naked. I fantasized about her large breasts and how I might react the first time I saw them uncovered and free from the confines of her clothing. I thought about her pussy and stroked myself even faster. What would it taste like? Was she shaved or hairy down there? What would it feel like to be inside her? I felt my orgasm take hold, as those questions spiraled around in my head. A jet of milky white fluid arced up and onto my belly.

Tuesday morning brought a call from Katie. Half asleep, I groped for the phone next to my bed. I found it half-buried under a pile of T-shirts lumped haphazardly on the floor.

"Hey, Ed!" She said, sounding quite chipper. "Sleep well?"

"Always," replied. "So, what new?"

"What are you doing tonight? Anything?"

"Nope, at least, nothing planned. What did you have in mind?" I inquired?

"Well," she continued. "Ellen told me she was going to a party tonight, and since I have today off, I was thinking maybe you'd like to come by and have dinner with me?"

"Absolutely, Katie. That sounds great!"

"Good. Can you be here around 7 this evening?"

"Consider it done."

"Great! I've got lots to do then. See you soon, Ed!"

I heard a click as Katie hung up the phone on her end. I slowly set the receiver in my hand back on its cradle for a much-needed recharge. My mind swam with the possibilities that the evening might afford. Did she just want dinner, or was last night's conversation a sign of things to come, I wondered. I knew I would find out soon and was ready for whatever the evening had in store.

The clock, however, was not cooperating. Time has never moved as slowly before or since as it did that afternoon. Outside, I watched dark clouds gather. The first drops of rain fell somewhere around 3:00. As the day wore on, I could swear that the hands on the clock were actually moving backwards just to spite me. Nevertheless, 5 came and went, then 6. The sky outside continued to pour and show no sign of letting up. At 6:30, I decided to head on over to Katie's. I had to run to my car to avoid getting soaked.

The drive over to Katie's apartment took a little longer than I had planned due to the heavy rain. The sky was now dark, yet if anything, it was raining even harder. I listened to the patter of rain on the roof of my car. I drove slowly to avoid the puddles which had already formed by the side of the road. My cars clock read five minutes to seven when I bounded up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on Katie's door. I struggled momentarily to catch my breath after racing from my car to cover.

"Just a minute!" I heard her say, her voice muffled by the door.

I hard a click as the deadbolt was released, and then the door swung open. Katie stood in the doorway beaming. It took me a moment to realize that she had traded one of her usual T-shirts for a robe. Her legs were bare, leaving me to wonder if she was even dressed underneath.

"Ed!" she cried. "I'm so glad you made it! Come in already—it's pouring out there!" She reached out, took my hand, and led me inside.

"So, what do you think?" Katie asked, locking the door behind me. " Do you like the robe?" She twirled around once so I could see her from all angles.

"Very much so," I stated. It was red and shiny, reaching down to her pale white knees. I could feel my cock hardening in my pants and wondered in Katie could tell.

"I'll be honest. I want you to see me naked, Ed. I've been thinking about you all day long," she stated., pausing to bite her lower lip. "I'm just really nervous. I want to show you, but it's scary too, you know?"

"I know, Katie. Truth is, I'm nervous too. But I'd also love to see you naked and I know I'll love whatever I see."

Katie kept her eyes locked on me. She slowly pulled the top of her robe open. As she did so, her large breasts spilled out, each one accented by a large dark areola with a fingertip-sized nipple perched in the middle.