Chemistry of Love

"I think that's sweet," Brett guffawed. "And it doesn't mean she's going to give it up that easy, you know that."

"No, I don't know that!" Jen said. "I mean, I never would have guessed she was playing with herself either!" She sighed and took a gulp of water. "But either way, Jay ought to keep his big mouth shut!"

"Well, maybe it's only me he told," Bill said. "He's always got to puff himself up so much to impress me. It's always been that way. I try to keep his feet on the ground and say, look, you've got to just be yourself, all right? But he's never listened."

"Good for you for trying, dude," Brett said. "But I've got to say, if he doesn't learn to watch his mouth...I mean, I'm sorry, but Kathy, she's like a kid sister to us, Jen and me both. I won't stand for him hurting her, dude. Maybe you ought to let him know that."

"I'll be happy to," Bill said. "Yeah, he needs to learn, doesn't he?"

Bill kept up the charade by stopping off at Jay's dorm after lunch. "I'll go have a chat with him now about watching his mouth," he told Brett and Jen. "He'll listen to me, he always does."

"Good for you, dude," Brett said, and he shook hands with Bill.

"Bill, thank you," Jen added, with an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder that sent shockwaves through Bill's body. "We need more men like you in this world."

Bill only smiled and nodded in appreciation as he watched them turn to go on their way. He would definitely be having another round with her panties when he got back to his room!

Though he had nothing to say to Jay right then in reality, he went to his room first and knocked on the door. "Come in!" came a voice that wasn't Jay's.

Bill opened the door to find Jay's roommate, Ken, sitting on his bed with a woman he didn't recognize. "Hey, Bill," Ken said.

"Jay isn't here?"

"Haven't seen him since your phone call this morning. He got up and got dressed and left, looking like he was in a daze."

"I hear he had a date last night," added the girl. "Must've been a great one!"

"I guess," Bill said. "Thanks." Secretly glad that Jay hadn't been there, he shut the door and backtracked to Dennis' room. He hesitated before knocking on the door -- what if Jay were in there? Figuring he could just say he wanted help with chem as well, he knocked.

No answer. After a quick look around to make sure he was alone, Bill tried the door. It was unlocked, just like Jen and Kathy's room had been, and Dennis was gone. Bill wasn't surprised to find the room strewn with half-packed boxes and no decorations on the walls. He was surprised to find a very neatly organized desk, with notebooks and books stacked carefully and a desktop calendar with post-it notes set precisely on various dates.

Perfect, Bill thought.

In one brush of his arm, he shoved everything off the desk and watched in satisfaction as the books and notebooks sprawled open on the floor, bookmarks and folded papers flying out every which way. The calendar landed intact, so Bill picked it up and tore off all the post-it notes, and flung them around every which way. In the flurry of paper, he failed to notice that one of them landed on the right knee of his jeans.

No one saw him leave Dennis' room, or the building a moment later. To his pleasant surprise, the first person he did see, halfway across the green on his way back to his dorm, was Jen. "Bill!" she said cheerfully. "Forgot my backpack at the dining hall, can you believe that? I guess I was so upset by your news."

"I'm sorry, Jen," Bill said. "Like I said, I'll make sure he doesn't do it again."

"Did you get to talk to him just now? In his room?"

"Yeah," Bill lied. "He was pretty cocky about it, but I think he'll watch his mouth from now on."

"Good," Jen said with a firm look on her face. "That's good."

Bill was expecting another expression of gratitude, maybe even a hug, but Jen just nodded her acknowledgement and headed off back to the dining hall. Bill chose not to read anything into that, and was off to retrieve his treasure from his underwear drawer.

By that evening, Brett was beginning to think Jen was avoiding him on purpose. First the forgotten books meant they didn't go to the library together like they usually did, but surely she could have found him in the stacks. She could have, but she didn't, and so he was off to the phys ed building for his usual afternoon workout alone this time, and she didn't turn up there either. Then even their plans for dinner got dashed by a phone call explaining that her brother was in some kind of trouble and she needed to be there for him while he gave his statement to campus security.

"Security?!" Brett said. "What the hell happened? Your brother's no troublemaker!"

"He's the victim," Jen said. "But I don't want to talk about it now, okay? I just need to get him calmed down. I'll come by your room later, I promise." Then she'd hung up without another word, leaving Brett to stare at the phone and ponder. Jen's brother was a year ahead of Brett, and Brett had only met him a couple of times, but that was enough to know he was kind of a weirdo. If he were the victim of something, Brett could admittedly see why he'd need some serious calming down -- guys like him were always the ones who went off the deep end.

But who the heck would pick on a guy like that?

Brett couldn't imagine who would. He could all too easily imagine Jen was upset with him over what had happened just after lunch. Still stung by Bill's news about Jay and his big mouth, they had seen the jerk chatting flirtatiously with Kathy outside the science building. Dear, sweet Kathy had looked perfectly delighted with her guy, and clearly had no idea how he was already trashing her reputation.

Brett had let his temper get the best of him in that moment, and he'd tossed his backpack down on the sidewalk. "Fuck this, I'm gonna teach that guy a lesson!" he'd growled, pushing up the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"Brett! No!" Jen, who knew a thing or two about his temper, had grabbed his arm and pulled back. "Don't do it, you'll only get in trouble for it? Is that little asshole worth getting suspended over?"

"I'm not gonna get suspended, babe! You think they'll kick out the best shotputter on campus?"

"Yes! You know the rules about fighting! Besides, you think Kathy can't take care of herself?"

"Do you, Jen? The way you talk about her like she's about twelve?"

"Oh, who asked you, Brett! That was out of line!" Only at that moment had Jen remembered her books. "Shit, my backpack." She'd spun on her heel and marched off, calling over her shoulder, "We'll talk about this later! For now, leave him alone, you're not the reputation cops!"

After a deep breath and reasoning that Jen was right about the trouble he could get in, Brett had gathered up his books and continued to the library, with Kathy and Jay none the wiser that he and Jen had ever seen them. Now, hours later, he was feeling better and very apologetic to Jen, but he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get the chance to give her that apology.

About an hour after dinner, a knock at the door finally gave him that chance. He opened it to find Jen looking contrite, or maybe just sad. Either way, she threw herself into his arms without a word.

"Jen, I'm sorry," he cooed in her ear. "You were right, violence doesn't solve anything."

"You don't know how right you are, Brett," Jen said. With a kiss on his cheek to let him know it was all right, she helped herself to a seat on his bed while he shut the door.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean my brother talked to Jay this morning, and he wouldn't shut up about what a wonderful time he had with Kathy last night, but he made it clear they didn't do anything. He said Jay talked about their kiss goodnight as if it were the most romantic thing ever, and he made a point of saying that was all they did. 'Never on the first date, you know?' That's what he says Jay said."

"How is your brother, by the way?"

Jen sighed. "Who knows? He's been getting roughed up by bullies all his life and he's always so stoic about it -- about everything, you know that -- and he was like that again today. He even said I didn't have to hang around for his interview with security, but I mean, I've always figured some day he's really going to blow up, and what if it was today? But it wasn't."

"What happened?"

"I can't tell you. Security said not to say a word about it until they catch the guy."

"Wow..." Brett sat on the bed and put his arm around Jen. "I almost feel like I owe Jay an apology."

Jen's eyes opened wide. "Oh, that's -- oh, wait, never mind."

"What? Come on, you can't do that, Jen! What?"

"I'm sorry! But I can't. it's...yeah, I can't. Part of the thing with my brother. Sorry."

Brett laughed through his frustration, and fingered the button on Jen's polo shirt playfully. "Is this your way of getting back at me?"

Jen grinned and looked down at his hand on her chest. "Go ahead and unbutton that, and let's call a truce."

As usual, Brett had her shirt off before she even really knew what he was doing, and as usual she welcomed his meaty hands on her breasts. Since she knew his attention would be fleeting just like with most guys, Jen basked in the sensation of his kneading, and hastily reached back to undo her bra and get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Brett scarcely seemed to notice, and Jen knew why. Naturally, though, he said it anyway.

"Set it free, babe."

"I will." But she clamped her hands over his, wanting to enjoy his attention a bit longer this time.

"Come on! It'll hurt soon if you don't!"

"All right, all right!" Jen reached down and unfastened his belt buckle, and then unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. As usual he made no move to return the favor, and she was left to stew in her moistening panties and jeans for the time being. She did, though, love that first sight of his hard cock popping out of its cloth confinement, and the first feel of her hand gripping it ever so lovingly.

Brett, of course, loved it too. "Oh yeah, babe! Perfect!" But not so perfect that he waited on the inevitable push on her shoulders with both hands.

"Brett, don't you want --"

"You know what I want!" And the pushing didn't stop. It never did. Maybe next time, Jen told herself as she slid down to eye-level with his rigid cock. She did love the view, and the yelping she was so good at inspiring. Of course she was able to set it off immediately as she flicked her tongue on the underside just below the tip. "Ohhhh! Yeah, babe! That's magical!" As she could do in her sleep by now, Jen added in the rubbing his tip against the roof of her mouth -- frustratingly slow at first, knowing how he loved the buildup and how she loved the more intense response, which was loud and clear as usual.

This time, she sped up just a bit sooner than normal -- she was feeling very hot and bothered herself now, and the sooner he recovered from this round...If Brett had any complaint about her going too fast, he didn't say so. What he did say was the usual "Unhhh, yess!" again and again, music to her ears as always, and she no longer dreaded his coming in her mouth like she used to. Amazing what one could learn to enjoy in the name of true love. This time, as he came with his usual guttural roar, it almost felt routine as she gobbled it down and gave him a final luxurious lick.

"Thank youuuuu."

"Anytime, Brett. Now then," Jen stood up and unbuttoned her jeans.

"Don't forget to go brush your teeth first," he reminded her. "You know I don't want you kissing me after that!"

She also knew, as she put her shirt back on and carried her toothbrush down to the bathroom, that there was a good chance he'd be asleep when she got back. Maybe Kathy had the right idea taking matters into her own hands, she thought.

It was fitting that she had that thought, for at that moment, that was just what Kathy was up to back in their own room. Blissfully unaware of the controversy she had inspired among her friends, she had spent the afternoon in a delightful fog after her chance meeting with Jay outside the science building. Even given his improvement in chemistry, she'd been surprised to see him there and he had seemed a bit nervous to be seen, but Kathy had just chalked it up to the same wonderful afterglow she was still feeling from the night before. He'd also seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere -- no doubt the library to bury himself in more boring old novels -- but he had paused long enough to thank her again for a wonderful night and firm up their plans for studying together tomorrow.

Best of all, he'd surprised her with a hug that she hadn't stopped replaying in her mind ever since. Now, with some precious free time and the knowledge that Jen would surely be staying with Brett tonight, Kathy was free to scratch the itch that beautiful moment had inspired. She locked the door, turned off the overhead light and left only her bedside lamp casting a pleasant glow in the corner, undressed and climbed into bed with her Laura Stewart book clutched in one hand. Spreading her legs eagerly, she flipped to a favorite passage.

Marjorie emerged from the marble shower, utterly naked and vulnerable but with a knowing gleam of hunger in her eyes as Claudio gazed up from the featherbed. Also naked, he rolled over to reveal his hunger for her, emerging in no uncertain manner from its forest of curls and reaching, in her addled perspective, halfway to the ceiling. Though bewildered at its magnitude, she betrayed no insecurities as she mounted first the bed and then the man, for she knew her demure presence had the power to reduce him to a simpering ball of sheer pleasure. And she would partake in that pleasure!

Just what did Jay look like naked? Nothing like Claudio, Kathy supposed, but then she wasn't Marjorie either. She was, though, the woman -- not a girl, a woman -- whom he had admired endlessly across the table last night in her glasses and conservative sweater, and clearly liked what he had seen. She had no doubt at all he would like what he would see once she was brave enough to undress for him, and for the first time in her memory she felt that bravery. She was also quite certain that she would like what she saw as well.

Setting the book aside, she went to town on her clit with her right hand while teasing her lips with her left. Imagining all too well the delicious embarrassment of Jay being the first man ever to see her nude, she enjoyed the knowledge that he would surely be feeling the same. Their surroundings were foggy -- perhaps a hotel room somewhere? -- but what mattered was the adoring look on his face as she drew him to her for their first naked embrace. That much was crystal clear, as was the sensation of his gentle fingers exploring her body while she returned the favor on his, and the knowledge of what must come next. What she wanted to come next!

As the scene became more vivid, Kathy felt the first groan wanting to come out of her throat. She tamped it down at first, then recalled how she had vowed to stop acting ashamed of her own pleasure. And if not for Jay, then for whom? "Oooohhhhhh," she cooed, and found she loved the sound of her own voice in that heated setting. Imagining Jay's fingers inside her and hers stroking his hard cock lovingly, she let her responses grow louder and faster as she rubbed harder with both hands.

It was but the work of another moment, and the first sensation of Jay pushing into her, before Kathy came with a satisfying grunt. As she heaved a contented sigh and the room came back into focus, Kathy gave her first serious thought to when she would let it happen for real. Then she reflected, why wait? If Jay was willing, at this point she was more than so! Not tomorrow, of course, but perhaps next Friday?

As Kathy wiped off her fingers on the sheets and her bush and stood up to put her clothes back on, she felt just a little more confident than she had a moment before. Having wondered for years if there would come a time when she would know she was ready for sex, now she knew that moment had arrived.

Jay had no reservations about helping himself to a seat next to Kathy in class on Monday. "Hey, stranger," he said as he sat down.

"Hey! Did you ever get any studying done last night?"

"Yeah, finally. But I guess we shouldn't try that again, huh?"

"Maybe not," Kathy agreed. "I closed down the library, and got about five hours of sleep last night." Lowering her voice to a whisper and clutching his hand, she added, "But it was worth it!"

"I agree completely," Jay said, bursting with pride at her touch.

They had met at the appointed hour the day before to study together, but scarcely ten minutes of actual studying had ensued before they'd found themselves deep in conversation. High school, thoughts on last semester, and all about each other. Jay had been bewildered, for some reason, to learn how run-of-the-mill beautiful Kathy's past was: a suburban childhood marked by softball and ballet and five years of clarinet lessons that had never given her any real joy, and she'd discovered her love for chemistry halfway through high school. If his own biography had struck her any differently, he hadn't seen how.

Professor Schilling started her lecture then, and they were both all business for the next hour. Jay did notice, though, that Bill and Jen were seated together near the door. He flashed Bill a victorious grin at one point, but neither he nor Jen looked their way. When Ms. Schilling dismissed the class, they were both off without a word before Kathy or Jay could even get their books together.

"Is everything okay with Jen?" Jay asked. "She never even looked at us."

"Actually, no," Kathy said. "I think she had a fight with her boyfriend on Saturday night. I was expecting her to spend the night in his room, but she came home before midnight." Kathy opted not to add that she had narrowly avoided being caught masturbating as a result, though it did occur to her that it wasn't a bad first step towards letting Jay know she wanted to go to bed with him. "Then yesterday morning there were a lot of comments about how love stinks," she added.

"Her boyfriend..." Jay said, deep in thought. He'd had his suspicions all along. "What's his name?"

"Brett," Kathy said. "Nice guy for a jock, but he is a jock. And Jen's the kind who always falls for jocks and expects them to be nothing like you know they are."

"I'll bet," Jay said, his mind swimming -- just how dumb did Bill think he was?! Suddenly he wanted to be alone, even away from Kathy. He wasn't shocked that Bill had lied to him -- that had happened enough times before -- but just how dumb did he think Jay was to get away with a whopper like that? It did at least explain why he had tried to talk Jay out of asking Kathy out. Jay figured at least he had won that battle, and that smoothed over the troubled waters for the moment.

He calmed down in time to note that Kathy was still talking about Brett. "I knew enough not to ask what they were fighting about," she was saying. "She just needed to vent. I think that's why she didn't come join us today, right now she doesn't have it in her to be happy about anyone else being lucky in love."

Jay's heart leapt. "Love?"

Kathy paused just outside the building door. "Jay, aren't we over our shyness, now? Yes, love, at least maybe. Don't you think?"

Jay nodded. "Of course," he said. "I just -- it feels kind of funny to say it, doesn't it?"

"It shouldn't!" Kathy insisted. "I...really like you, Jay. Don't worry about Jen, she'll come around."

"I hope so," Jay said. "I do want to get along with your friends, you know."

"You will, I know that." Kathy bit her lip and forced herself to plow forward with her new idea. "You know, Jay, this Friday, if Jen makes up with Brett..."