A Tale of the Technician Ch. 07

Like Betsy, I don't mind Derrick all that much. He is a bit of a flirt but Mark tolerates him and Barney is pretty clueless to his advances. Jamie has threatened to put a GPS tag on his ear so that Jesse can figure out whose room Derrick's snuck off to. Despite the age difference (Jesse is a freshman and Derrick is a junior), Jesse is the more adult member of their relationship and usually keeps Derrick in line.

No, the problem is Mercedes. She's making hanging out at our place a very regular occurrence. Worse, I think I know the reason and that is that Emily is such a wonderful freaking person. It doesn't stop Mercedes from being a vicious, manipulative bitch – that would be too easy. Mercedes has come to appreciate how nice, beautiful, and pleasant a person Emily is and she is falling into Emily's orbit. Since that makes Emily happy we have to lump it.

To make my evening perfect, when I came home from lab today I found out that Jamie has 'borrowed' one of my credit cards to purchase a king sized bed and had our two twin beds taken away; all without my knowledge or approval. It wasn't like I use that card for important stuff – like food, clothing and gas.

I'm so pissed with Jamie that I've rebuffed all attempts by her mollify me. She's been sexy, cute, sarcastic and even pleaded but I want nothing to do with her. Even Amber is starting to look worried. Barney has gotten up to get some drinks from the kitchen when the doorbell causes him to deviate and answer it.

"I ... I" Barney stammers. There is a woman at the door but I sense fear more than lust.

"Can I come in Mr. Ross?" the woman asks. I leap off the sofa and race to the door.

"Ah, sure," Barney gets out. Eleanor has barely stepped inside when I wrap her up in a hug and squeeze her tight.

"Dude, it is Eleanor!" Barney hisses in shock.

"Yeah, I know," I respond softly. Eleanor takes a half-step back and looks up at me warmly.

"I guess I didn't make a mistake coming here tonight," she smiles. Barney is dumbfounded.

"It is okay man," I tell him. "We've been together for a while." To Eleanor, "Come on in and meet the gang."

She puts her hand in mine and I lead her back to the living room. Introductions go around with varying degrees of interest. Okay, it is more like 'Who is this girl hanging on me, and why is Craig with her?' because they see a slightly older woman who initially comes across as relatively less attractive than every other woman I've been with.

Eleanor flinches when I point out Amber and is decidedly nervous when she is introduced to Jamie and Emily. Emily perks up and turns on her friendliest manner. Jamie grins as well as she stands up and heads our way. Amber is much tenser. This is the woman, after all, that I let break us apart.

"Hey; The Eleanor, eh?" Jamie beams. "Come over and sit with us," she motions to the sofa.

Jamie separates me from Eleanor, peeling her off to the sofa where she sits Eleanor down between her and Amber. Emily detaches from the love seat and Mercedes to squeeze in on the far side of Amber, effectively denying me a seat.

"Eleanor, do you want something to drink?" Jamie asks.

"Um, a Coke or some hot chocolate would be nice," Eleanor suggests quietly.

"Craig, get us some hot chocolates," Jamie commands.

"Get your own damn hot chocolate," I mutter back.

"Are you saying you want to sleep on the sofa tonight?" Jamie teases.

"Are you saying you want to sleep on the roof?" I retort.

"Craig, would you please get us some hot chocolate?" Emily asks politely. I shrug and head off. Mark and Gina are huddled on the floor and I see him cuddle up next to her.

"Babe, I love you," he tells Gina. He looks back at my four women on the sofa and adds, "I love you now more than ever." Bastard; like having one woman who adores him is so much better than four who torment and confuse me.

I get the water boiling before slipping back to the kitchen door so I can listen in to what the ladies are talking about.

"It is so good to finally meet you," Jamie starts. "Craig talks about you a lot."

"He does?" Eleanor seems both frightened and curious. I'm not ashamed of Eleanor, but I don't share our private life either.

"It is more like the way he smiles when he's spent time with you," Jamie confesses, "or going to spend time with you."

"He sees us all the time," Emily chimes in, "so we know he makes a special effort to spend the night with you when he can." Eleanor now looks embarrassed and confused.

"Amber," gulps Eleanor, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I messed up you and Craig's relationship and I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to come talk to you sooner." Amber stares at her somewhat blank-faced. I really have no idea what is going on inside her head at the moment.

"It is okay," Amber sighs. "It isn't like you tied him down. Craig made his own decisions and I made mine."

"Okay, I admit I hated you when Craig and I first broke up – really hated you," Amber continues. Eleanor is back to being frightened. "I was upset he wouldn't dump you. Over time I realized that wouldn't be Craig. Hell, I got between him, Jamie and Emily and the world didn't end."

"Thank you, I think," Eleanor responds tentatively. "That sort of leads up to one of the two reasons why I came here tonight; I wanted to meet all of you – Craig talks about you all the time."

"All the time?" teases Jamie. "I sincerely doubt when you two are sexing it up in bed he's thinking about anything but you." Eleanor flushes a furious shade of red.

"I --," stammers Eleanor.

"So, has he started tying you down yet?" Jamie leans in eagerly. Eleanor's mouth falls open.

"That would be a big 'Yes'," taunts Amber. The water starts boiling so I miss part of the conversation. When I get back I'm feeling like a damn waiter. Shouldn't a major university's potential starting quarterback be accorded more respect?

"Thanks," Jesse smirks as he takes his mug. "Are you sure it was wise to give your other girlfriend your home address so she could hook up with your other current and your ex-GFs?"

"Don't' do the crime if you can't do the time," I quote.

"Dude, I like you," Jesse laughs. "That is the exact same look you had on your face right before those two linemen from Central buried your ass last season. No fear!"

"Hey, I got the ball off, didn't I?" I chuckled. I had my wisdom teeth knocked down my throat for an eight yard gain – not my finest moment. I finish up by circling back to the ladies then prop the tray against the side of the sofa before settling down on the floor. I elect to position myself between Eleanor's and Amber's legs because if anyone deserves to kick me its Amber.

Eleanor puts a hand on my head and flexes her hand in my hair in a caring gesture.

"You've got it bad," Jamie tells Eleanor.

"What?" Eleanor questions.

"It is same look I get when I wake up to hear him snoring softly next to me and I suddenly realize he's there for me," Jamie relates.

"For me it was the night of the Prom," Amber adds. "We had gone to the lake after the dance. I felt that first shiver and he had his coat around my shoulders before I could even think to let him know. That's when I figured out he was looking out for me even when I wasn't looking out for myself."

"I'm not Houdini," I sigh. "I could feel the cold breeze coming off the water and if I was cold you probably were too."

"Craig," Eleanor murmurs, "you lost that argument when you put me on your lap when I had the flu. It was a dumb thing for an athlete to do but it was exactly what I needed."

Amber and Eleanor getting along famously is freaking me out so I change the subject.

"So Eleanor, you said there was a second reason for coming over tonight?"

"Yes," she sighs. "I have been accepted for a doctoral program in Chicago; I'm heading there at the end of the semester."

I twist around, get on my knees and settle between her legs with my face within inches of hers.

"Congrats Babe," I beam. "I know this is what you've been working for." I'm about to kiss her when Mercedes chimes in in a sinister probing voice.

"So, to be accepted you had to have finished your Master's program. When did that happen?"

"Last year," Eleanor replies weakly.

"So, why have you been hanging around?" Mercedes persists. I know the answer to that.

"I hope I can make your last few months here as memorable as possible," I promise Eleanor.

"That is incredibly insane, stupid ... and desperately romantic," Betsy admits. "Barney, - pay attention."

"Sorry," Barney gulps. "I'm still dealing with the fact that I went through a semester of hell with Craig for no good reason."

"I apologize for deceiving you Barney," Eleanor responds, "but I would have ridden you both just as hard. You both want to consider a Master's program and that means as high a GPA as possible, especially in the Sciences."

"Speaking of being ridden hard, Eleanor you are spending the night?" Jamie inquires boldly.

"I couldn't," protests Eleanor who is finding it difficult to stand with me in her face. "I have classes tomorrow ... and stuff."

"I have a friend who has a friend in the National Weather Service," Jamie counters. "They say that big storm is coming quicker and harder than projected by the local weather wonk. He says we should get dumped on somewhere between eight and ten tomorrow morning and expect around thirty inches!" The last was pronounced with a Donner Party glee.

"I had better be going," Betsy states.

Barney is struggling to say something but Emily is ready with the hospitality.

"Come on and stay with us. You don't want to be stuck in the dorm if the power goes out."

"Where would I stay if I remained here?" Betsy asks skeptically. The obvious answer (and the one least likely to happen) is that she stays with Barney.

"You could stay in our room," Gina offers. "We never use the other bed." Mark isn't jumping for joy over her suggestion but isn't totally put out by the turn of events either.

"Fine," Betsy accepts a bit too eagerly for my taste, or maybe I'm learning to distrust women; I'm not sure.

"Whose bed would I sleep in?" Eleanor inquires quietly.

"I tell you what," Jamie grins sweetly, "I'll take you back to our room and if you can pick out which bed is his you can spend the night with him." No one steps up to help Eleanor (tell her that our room has only one bed) and since I want her to stay, I stay quiet as well.

"Okay," Eleanor says cautiously. I sit back to let Eleanor stand. Jamie takes her by the hand and leads her back to our room.

"I like her," Amber comments out of the blue once Jamie and Eleanor are gone.

"Would you like her less if she was better looking than you?" is Emily's insightful question.

"Well," Amber huffs, "I guess I would. I know that's superficial; besides she's also so damn sincere it is hard to stay angry with her. I'll save my hate for Craig," she continues as she thumps me on the back of the head. "Maybe I'd be a little less pissed if you could have Mercedes smack him upside his head again," Amber suggests to Emily.

"I've got you covered," Mercedes grins wickedly as she hops off the love seat and comes my way.

"Seriously?" I look to Amber.

"Fine," Amber grins down at me. "Kiss Mercedes feet and I'll call us even."

I can see there is a still a level of hurt behind her taunts, something that comes from once believing you are the most important person in someone's life and having that certainty torn away. I can't say I regret going with Eleanor; that would be neither right nor true.

"If that brings us a little closer together," I respond.

"I didn't say that," Amber grins mischievously.

"Get to the kissing, Jock," Mercedes snickers as she extends a black booted foot my way. I gaze at Emily but she seems secretly amused which is starting to make as much sense as the rest of my day.

I put one hand underneath the soul of the boot and the other on her calf (they are calf boots). I contemplate how much fun it is going to be kissing leather.

"Not the boot, the foot," Amber insists.

"Fine," I groan, "Mercedes would you ... please sit down?"

"Scoot over Amber," Mercedes chortles, "I want to kiss Emily while Craig is on his knees before me." Amber moves down the sofa and I'm soon kneeling at Mercedes's feet, working her boots and socks off. I can thank my luck stars her feet aren't pungent enough to make this worse than it already is. I rub one hand up Mercedes's calf until it is right beneath the knee.

"Make it count Craig," demands Amber. I nod and place a small kiss on the tip of Mercedes's right big toe.

"Is that it?" Mercedes starts to sneer then I kiss the top of her nail with a tiny show of affection, the first knuckle, the outside then the inside and finishing up with the bottom of the toe.

"That's nice," Mercedes purrs.

"That's Amber and I having a serious fucking talk when this is over," warns Jamie. Eleanor is looking over in shock.

"Is this some sort of bizarre Jock-Cheerleader ritual?" Betsy inquires.

"No and Amber is testing the limits of our God-damn friendship. She knows Craig is crazy about her," Jamie growls, but somehow the heat isn't there. Something fucked up is going on and I haven't a clue what it is.

I keep kissing the entirety of Mercedes's right foot ending at the back of the heel.

"That was nice," she grins victoriously before diving into Emily's lips. She hoists her left foot into my lap and I get back to work.

"Mark, would you do that for me?" Gina whispers to my buddy.

"I will kiss every part of you," Mark murmurs to Gina as he rolls her up in his arms.

"Great," grins Gina, "let's go back to our room for a little oral stimulation."

"Alright," he smiles lustfully at her; the fool is expecting a blowjob. Once they are up, Gina starts to lead him back to their room by the hand.

"I have been dying for you to go down on me," Gina giggles. Mark stumbles, shoots a confused look my way. I see that look as accusatory because he knows a great deal about my sexual exploits.

"I suppose it is a good thing they are getting this out of their system now," Betsy mutters. Only Derrick snickers. We all know that Mark and Gina can often have three or four sexual sessions on a non-school night.

"We should all be calling it a night on the off chance Jamie is wrong about classes tomorrow," Jesse announces as I finish up on Mercedes's other foot. I take a long swig of hot chocolate to drown out the taste.

Amber, Barney and I clean up the living room as everyone else goes to the bathrooms then to bed. I watch Amber and Betsy talk in the hallway as Gina and Mark finish up round one. Since Mark and Gina's room is right across from Amber and Emily's it isn't too awkward. Inside my room I can tell that Jamie and Eleanor are having some issues.

Mainly it seems to be that Eleanor wants to sleep in her jeans, shirt and hoodie while Jamie is sleeping in solely a shirt. I smirk their way and start shedding my own clothes – I often sleep in the nude; especially when a woman is involved.

"Craig, you could have warned me that there was only one bed in the room," Eleanor evades Jamie's glare.

"Eleanor, if you stayed here tonight I would be elated and if you left I was going to leave with you," I confide in Eleanor. Eleanor shoots a guarded look Jamie's way.

"Well," Jamie hesitates, "I did sort of 'steal' Craig's credit card to buy this bed – so he's a bit pissed with me right now."

"Uh," Eleanor purses her lips, "that could be – bad. Are you sure I shouldn't leave?"

"Please don't," Jamie requests. "I'd like to spend the night in my own bed, not tied up in front of the fireplace."

"Craig," Eleanor sounds a bit scandalized (I hadn't completely informed Eleanor about Jamie's and my 'somewhat freaky' relationship"would you have done that to her?"

"No," I assure her. "I would have left her on the sofa; tied up and gagged, but on the sofa." Eleanor studies me to make sure I'm telling the truth.

"Okay then," Eleanor takes a deep breath. She starts stripping out of her clothes which makes Jamie grin while I'm somewhat baffled.

We are all under the covers lickety-split; Jamie, Eleanor and I, leaving Eleanor to wonder why she's ended up in the middle. She's still working on that dilemma when Jamie maneuvers over her and kisses Eleanor on the lips.

"Hi," Jamie moans, "I find you terribly sexy."

Eleanor opens her mouth to protest, I think, but Jamie lunges down and sticks her tongue down her throat. I give it about five seconds before pulling Jamie away. This becomes more difficult when Eleanor decides to not let her go. Jamie gives me a wild, passionate grin, pumps her eyebrows twice and dives back in to Eleanor. She runs one hand through Eleanor's hair while the other slithers down below the covers.

"That won't be necessary," I inform Jamie. "Her whole body is electric."

"Ow!" Jamie squeals as she pulls up from Eleanor's lips. "This is going to have to be a regular thing."

"Jamie, I'm not a lesbian," Eleanor insists.

"Technically, liking me would make you bi-sexual, not a lesbian," Jamie teases. "Now, if you want me to cease, all you have to do is stop me from kissing you again." She leans down, Eleanor tenses then melts under Jamie's tender attention. I take the moment to kiss Eleanor's ear and earlobe.

Jamie and I move in tandem to teasing her delicate nipples, rolling them and pulling playfully. Eleanor starts whimpering and rocking her hips back and forth. Those precious warbling noises are coming forth from Eleanor's lips, escaping between kisses. I almost miss Amber slipping into the room, pad over to the bed and slip under the covers next to me.

"Wow," Amber whispers, "she looks like a real dynamo," referring to Eleanor. "Mercedes is tearing up Emily so I left before she starts screaming. The thought of Mercedes in bed with her makes me want to vomit."

"Come here," I reply softly. "Let me make it better."

Amber pulls off her shirt, shimmies out of her underwear and crawls on top of me.

"So you are going to make it all better?" she giggles as she wiggles her hips over my hard on.

"I'm going to try," I promise.

"Good, now scoot over," she snickers. Huh? I can't get much closer to Eleanor which means ...

Amber wedges herself between Eleanor and me, blows me a 'Thank you' kiss then rolls over to the Jamie-Eleanor duo; now a trio with me on the outside looking in. Seriously? There are three wonderful women on my brand new king sized bed and I'm not getting any play. How does this happen to me?

"I – I came here for Craig," Eleanor gasps when Jamie lets her up for air.

"We'll back off if you want," Amber soothes her, "but Craig is here for you all night long and tomorrow too. "Let's share what we've learned from him." Eleanor tries to muddle through with her thoughts but Jamie is nibbling on her neck so that all Eleanor can manage is a nod.

Now it is Amber's turn to drink from Eleanor's lips and they are both pretty passionate about it. Despite my isolation from the action I find the interaction between the three very special ladies in my life to be highly-charged and erotic. The only time Amber's hand drops below the breast line Jamie stops her.

It doesn't take Amber long to figure out that the muscle that connects the breast to the chest is incredibly sensitive in Eleanor. She strokes the spot, kisses and licks it until Eleanor stifles a scream into Jamie's shoulder.

"Good girl," Jamie coos, "good girl."

The three stay where they are, Eleanor panting on her back with Jamie and Amber hovering over each side. When Eleanor catches her breath Jamie lets a small smile slip to her lips.

"Get on top of me," Jamie tells her. "I want to rub nipples together and let you hump me." Eleanor shoots me a look seeking reassurance which I quickly give. She's quickly on top of Jamie, hands running through her hair and tongues dueling in their mouths. I can't imagine Eleanor ever this brave if she hadn't saved me that one drunken night.