A Road Trip with Dirty Laundry

Strange, maybe it was the drink, but I did not feel anxious as I should have that my close companion and brother's girlfriend was getting so familiar with a stranger in a cheap motel room. To be honest, watching them had sort of the opposite effect: I felt a little turned on myself. I looked back at Shane. We were still in our dance posture, faces close, and I thought again how good looking he was, and how nice it was to feel a man's body so close to mine. He may have read that in my expression, but he didn't follow Brian's example and try for a kiss. I wondered if he was really attracted to me, or was he just being nice as he followed his mission to "distract" me for Brian's sake.

Michelle suddenly called out. "We need to hit the pool. It's gotten so hot."

Brian looked a little disappointed, but acquiesced. "Let's get into our trunks, bud," he said to Shane. "Oh no, that's right, you forgot yours." He rose and looked out the window toward the pool. "Or, wait a minute, it looks as if the pool lights are off and no one else is around. We could all just go down there and dive in au natural."

Michelle giggled, looking ready to comply with the suggestion, but I announced that we would go to our rooms to put on swim suits and meet the guys at poolside. Michelle rose from the bed, running her hand down Brian's arm as she did.

We didn't talk much as we went to our room. Michelle broke the silence, saying she "half-expected a lecture" for having kissed Brian.

"It's your business," I told her. "You've already said you want a last burst of freedom, and you're a grown woman. I can't tell you what to do. Your decision."

She was silent a moment, then said, "I don't want to put you in an awkward position, but you won't tell Richie about any of this will you?"

I shook my head no. "It's up to you whether and what to tell him."

"You know, I bet he hasn't been unblemished the past few months," Michelle said. "All these soldier guys are horny as hell, and there are plenty of bars with women hanging around." She paused, then added, "But even so, I'm not planning to sleep with Brian," not sounding very convincing.

Her stated intention was also belied by her choice of bathing suit, a skimpy bikini that left little to the imagination. I picked a more conservative two-piece, but Michelle noted I had overlooked the one-piece that was also packed.

"I wonder if you're not planning a little expedition of your own, girl." she said, smiling and hitting me on the arm.

"I have been thinking about what you said," I admitted, "being unattached and having the chance to see what it would be like with another guy. And since we're a thousand miles from home, there wouldn't be any chance of being seen and reported by anyone, you in particular since you're likely to be a co-conspirator the way you're going."

Michelle giggled, but did not say anything else.

"I do like Shane," I sighed, "but I'll only carry this further if it seems right."

We went down to the pool. The guys were already there, not au natural, but their swim wear left as little to the imagination as Michelle's bikini. Brian was in a tight speedo, and Shane's were not even trunks.

"My bud's worried about the rude impression he's making on you ladies, but he has no choice since he neglected to pack his trunks along with the rest of his civvies, and has to fall back on his spare briefs," Brian explained.

"Well he has nothing to be ashamed of," Michelle said, giving a whistle as she gazed at Shane's middle in mock admiration. It was dark and the pool lights off, but there was ambient light, and I thought Shawn actually colored at the raunchy compliment. I had to suppress a smile, thinking that was so cute.

We all dove in, and Brian came up under Michelle, her legs straddling his broad shoulders as he rose. She shrieked. He pranced around, and she rode him a while before being thrown off. She came up and dunked him, and they continued to frolic as they went off to one side of the pool.

"I'm glad you came back down," Shane said to me. "I was afraid you wouldn't."

"Why"

"Afraid I might be scaring you off, I guess, holding you so tight while we danced. I was afraid maybe you could read my mind about what else I was thinking."

"I don't know what to say."

"See, I am going to scare you off," he said. I could almost see him kick himself mentally.

"No," I said, touching his arm. "I think you're a really nice guy, Shane. You don't scare me. In fact I think you're good for me. You're bringing me out of the funk I fell into when Dan and I broke up. What I meant was I literally don't know what to say because my home had a lot of restrictions and I don't have much experience with this girl meets guy stuff."

Michelle's laughter at the other end of the pool caused us to look over just as she and Brian joined in a deep kiss. They were in up to their shoulders, waves around them indicating hands might be moving in underwater activity.

"Michelle always knows what to say. I guess I'm still learning. But I do like you -- very much," I told Shane.

We looked into each other's eyes a moment. Then it happened -- I can't say whether he kissed me or I kissed him -- we both just leaned into it. Shane put his arms around my shoulders, and mine went around his waste as our lips deeply meshed into one another, and then, oh my god, he was inserting his tongue into my mouth, and I was responding the same. Our arms pulled each other close, and through his skimpy briefs I could feel his maleness growing and pressing against me. By the time we broke off, we were both gasping, but we only looked at each other momentarily before joining faces again. I don't know how long we remained that way, but I found myself feeling all sorts of sensations "down there."

We were brought out of it by Michelle's voice. "You guys appear to be heating up the atmosphere at this end of the pool but the air's cooling down, and Brian says he and I should go up to the guys' room to avoid a chill," she remarked with a coy smile.

"Y'all don't have to be in any hurry to join us," Brian added as he and Michelle went up the stairs out of the pool. "Stay here and enjoy that water y'all are heating up." He winked at Shane. Michelle giggled.

We watched them walk away, Brian's hand on the small of Michelle's back, just above her skimpy bikini bottom. It was evident where that was going. Poor Richie, I thought. I suddenly felt chilly for real, breaking my embrace with Shane and putting my arms around myself.

"Lisa, you look cold as well," Shane said. After a pause, he added, "You know, you said a minute ago you're still learning. Well, I'm not too experienced at this either, but I do know this is something special, that I really like you and . . . well, I'm gonna suggest we go up to your room so you can warm up too. No pressure. Also no boundaries, if we both agree."

"Okay," I nodded, my legs feeling a little weak.

Shane's face lit up, and he took my hand to help me up the steps out of the pool, then quickly retrieved his towel and wrapped it around his waste to hide the evident bulge in his briefs before collecting the fatigues he had peeled off at poolside. I wrapped my towel around my shoulders. We joined hands again as we made our way to the room. Once there, it felt odd walking in the door with a man who was all but a stranger. I looked at his face, and saw a look of such hunger that it unnerved me. What was I doing, I asked myself. I had to say something, establish some sort of control.

"I think Michelle and I have a partially full bottle of wine in one of our suitcases. Would you like some?"

He responded by throwing his arms around my shoulders and pulling me into him. Our lips meshed again, a passionate kiss with tongue interplay, almost violent in intensity. One of his hands dropped to my lower back, pressing our midsections together. Conservative me was overcome once again as I participated fully. When we broke for air, my towel that had been loosely draped around me fell to the floor. Almost as if I had sent a signal, Shane's own towel loosened and fell from his waist to the floor, and the large tent in his briefs was fully outlined. I couldn't help but look at it. The sight turned me on as much as the kissing.

He followed my eyes, and actually colored a little, saying, "I'm sorry Lisa, but I can't help the way my body is reacting, you're just such a beautiful woman. Don't worry. No pressure. It's still completely your call where this goes."

I found his shyness and thoughtfulness as touching as his sexual outline was provocative, and kissed him again, taking the initiative in pressing my midsection against his. The reaction was quick. He literally swept me up in his strong arms, carrying me over to the closest bed. It was the one Michelle had chosen and occupied briefly while waiting for the shower before we had gone to dinner at the restaurant, the bedspread removed and sheets parted. He set me down on it. "Am I going to let him do this?" I thought.

Well, without going into details, and there were a lot of very pleasant ones, before long I was in heaven. I had never experienced such sensations in my young years. As Shane worked on me, I shut my eyes and slipped off into a nether-nether land where nothing existed but sheer pleasure. And it built and built, almost like a cresting wave ready to break on the shore. I became vaguely conscious that I was screaming. It was only the first wave. Another more powerful one broke before long. Eventually, I don't know how long it was, I began clawing back to the surface. Opening my eyes I saw Shane smiling at me, a touch of pride in his expression.

"That was wonderful," I gasped. "A new high. You are such a liar, telling me that you're 'still learning.' You're an expert. You must have practiced on a zillion girls."

"Happy you liked it. But no zillion. My former girlfriend deserves the credit," he said, laughing. "I just followed the directions she gave me."

"She is certifiably insane for having dumped you." Our clothes were gone by this time and my gaze fell to his erection, standing straight out. "But talking about directions, there's one other thing I insist you do."

"What's that?"

"Your tongue and fingers were fine, but now I want you to put this beautiful implement inside me," I said, reaching out and grabbing it. I surprised myself -- I was shameless. And relished the feeling.

He was on top of me in a second. Our lips meshed again in a passionate kiss, as I felt his hardness rubbing against my lower lips. He gently pushed in. There was no friction at all, I was so completely wet from what he had done to me already. I gasped as he began sliding that huge piston up and down in a steady rhythm. Again, I was in heaven, starting to drift off on a plateau of pleasure. My only conscious thought was that I was having intercourse with just my second man ever, and it was so delightful, so exciting, so fulfilling, so . . .

"Oh my god," Shane exclaimed. "You are on something, right?"

"Oh my god," I echoed. "No, I stopped taking the pill after breaking up with Dan."

He rose, and it popped out of me.

"Oh, don't stop," I moaned. "Can't you just time it and withdraw. I want you so badly."

"It's okay, he said, "I just want to get a rubber."

He jumped off the bed and began rummaging through the pockets of the fatigues that he had brought up with him from the pool, withdrawing a little package, which he tore open with vigor, and rolled the tiny latex item down his erection. I had to laugh. Shane had said it was my call, but he had sure been ready if the call was favorable.

In a flash he was back between my legs and entered me again.

"Oh, thank heaven," I said. "Thank heaven for a man who comes prepared."

"If a guy comes, he should be prepared," Shane chuckled, a silly grin on his face, and I realized the unintended pun I had made. We both laughed aloud.

But soon, his expression took on the anonymity of pleasure as he entered that zone I was again falling into. I lifted my legs and wrapped them around him, letting him lead in this endeavor just as he had on the dance floor, my feet drumming slightly on his buttocks as they rose and fell. Then I ceased to feel anything but that wonderful sense of euphoria that comes with great sex. I don't know how long it went on. Time ceased to have any meaning. There was just a euphoric present. I do remember moaning and hearing him vocalize too, and then it seemed as if we were both exclaiming fiercely as the big wave crested again.

We lay there a long time, getting our breath back, feeling the afterglow, him still inside me, before he finally lifted himself up and rolled off me. We clasped hands as we lay side by side, and I half-turned to hug his shoulder with my other hand. I felt more at peace than I had in a long while. I think I half-dozed off.

I was startled by a pounding on the door of the room, and heard a female voice loudly calling my name. Shane started too.

"What? Who is it?" I called out.

"Lisa, it's me, Michelle. Can I come in?"

"Just a minute," I yelled, jolted back into reality.

Shane bounded from the bed, found his briefs and stepped into his fatigues. I was also retrieving and donning clothing from the chair where I had left it when changing to my bathing suit earlier.

When we were dressed, I opened the door. Michelle came in, looking at us quizzically. She also appeared upset, her eyes red. Had she been crying?

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked.

She went to say something, but looked at Shane.

"I'm just leaving," he said. Facing me and taking my hand, he added, "I want to see you again before we all go our separate ways. Can we have breakfast?" It appeared he wanted to say more, but Michelle was there.

"Breakfast sounds great," I said, nodding, and gazing at him a moment. I looked at the clock and saw it was already going on midnight. "About 8:00?"

As soon as the door was shut, Michelle told her story rapidly, as a few tears fell down her cheeks. She explained that after leaving the pool she and Brian went to the guys' room, drank and talked a little more before making out and getting into some serious foreplay.

"He'd even taken off my top. I was so aroused. I started to . . . well, do something I shouldn't have," she confessed. "Then Brian suddenly pushed me back on the bed and started tearing my bottom off. It was so sudden that it just froze me, and it cut through the way I was feeling." Michelle's voice broke. "I told him I couldn't go any further, that I was engaged to Richie. He just looked at me as if he hadn't heard what I said, and continued tugging on my bikini bottom. He just wasn't getting it. I had to actually slap his hand, then his face. I told him I was sorry if I gave him the wrong idea, but I just couldn't . . . And then, instead of being understanding and letting me go, do you know what he did?"

I gasped. "He didn't force you, did he?"

"No, he . . . he . . . got out his wallet and gave me $75!" she exclaimed, virtually sobbing. "He said he didn't expect it for nothing, but that was all he could spare." She cried more. "He regarded me as a common whore, and a cheap whore at that. I pulled up my bottoms, grabbed the top and ran out of the room."

I was unable to stifle a smile and small laugh.

"Michelle, you can't really blame him too much," I said. "You have an exuberant personality, and you were really outdoing yourself tonight, coming on to him, making out in the pool, agreeing to go to his room, laughing when he told Shane and I not to be in any hurry to join you two. What was Brian supposed to think? You even let him partially disrobe you and started to . . . as you said, do something to him that you shouldn't have. You got him all hot and horny and ready to go, then all of a sudden you back off. It's no wonder he thought you were holding out for money."

Michelle stopped crying, her mouth fell open, but nothing came out.

"Actually Brian isn't the only one surprised that you backed off. I felt sure you were going to do it with him."

Her eyes were like saucers. "I told you before I wouldn't."

"But it sure looked like you were heading that way, like you wanted one last fling before settling down."

"Oh, I did . . . or thought I did. But I had such a conscience attack, I couldn't do it. Brian is fun, a jokester, good looking, sexy, but just so rough and egocentric when it comes down to it." She paused a moment. "I suddenly had this vision of my Richie, so polite and respectful and trusting, as well as . . . pretty good in . . . oh, just such a great guy, head and shoulders above Brian. I felt completely out of place all of a sudden."

"So, when you left the room, did you come right here? It's late."

"I was really messed up in my head. I didn't even think to put my bikini top back on until I passed someone sitting outside another room who was gaping open-mouthed at my boobs. You weren't at the pool any longer, so I got in the car for a while, to think, and . . . also so I wouldn't get in your way in case you were . . . Finally I came here."

I smiled. We were silent a moment.

"How about you and Shane?" Michelle asked, tentatively. "Did you do anything? I mean, you're not committed to anyone, so who could blame you if you did."

"We had a great time," I answered, trying to sound nonchalant. "He's a wonderful guy." I stopped there, but something in my expression must have showed more. Or maybe Michelle noticed the protective object Shane had deposited in the waste basket.

"Oh my god, you did it," Michelle exclaimed, her eyes widening, and her mouth falling open. "You did it, and I chickened out."

We both broke out laughing at the irony of it. Then she pressed me for details and I had to tell more. We giggled like school girls, and made more than one raunchy allusion and a few bad jokes during the telling. But it was late, and eventually we both calmed down and decided to get some sleep.

"You might want to reconsider which bed you take this evening," I said. "The sheets on the one you picked earlier don't look so fresh."

There was fresh laughter as I made my way to the shower.

* * *

Chapter 3: Journey on

At breakfast, it was apology time for some of us: Brian for soliciting Michelle, she for leading him on and leaving him cold. A truce was made, although there was still some uneasiness between them. And our group dynamics had changed: Brian told no jokes, made less talk in general, while Shane was more assertive in his low key way. He even engineered the day's agenda -- before I knew it, Brian was convinced to escort Michelle on a tour of New Orleans highlights, which he knew well, to make amends for almost raping her and treating her as a whore.

Shane and I did not go along on the tour. We. . . well, we had our own agenda. After signing up for another night at the motel office, we headed straight for my room, and hung the "do not disturb" sign on the outside door knob.

I was dozing, lying on my back, my limbs entangled with Shane's, when Michelle's tentative knock sounded on the door. We looked at the clock, and were surprised to see it was late evening.

"I can't believe they're back already," Shane whispered. "See you later in the pool. Maybe we can leave them there and come back to the room. I could stay right here with you for another week."

But road trips involve many twists and turns.

For one thing, when we all met the next morning for breakfast, Michelle and Brian were edgy -- they had made peace and maybe had even relaxed enough to be able to enjoy their tour of New Orleans, but were well aware their relationship held nothing substantial for either of them, and both were antsy to journey on to their own destinations.