Eighteenth Street Intimacy

I scarcely gave any thought to Arlene's positive response to the news -- what had I ever been afraid of? And why, oh why, hadn't I fallen for her a few weeks earlier? All those months before Leo turned up, and she'd spent most of them in the library, but she had been around. That didn't matter now, but months of thinking about it hadn't made it go away.

Saturday was the one day of the week when dinner wasn't served in the house, so I settled for a hoagie and fries at a favorite greasy spoon I used to frequent a lot more when I first got to town. Arlene and the gang had set a good example for eating well, but I figured the calories and grease didn't count if no one saw you eating. I got back to find Leo well into a sixpack in the TV room, and this time I accepted his offer. He said something about the lingonberries back home, and I thought about asking wasn't that Sweden rather than Denmark, but did my best to get lost in the movie instead.

I half-hoped, half-feared Arlene would come in to say good night to Leo. When she didn't, I did my best not to read anything into it. Wasn't I Hope's boy now anyway? In any event, she hadn't put in an appearance when I got up to go to bed just past midnight. "Me too," Leo said.

I headed across the hall to the stairway up to my floor. "Night," I said, guessing correctly that he would take a detour by the library.

"Good night, Pete," he said, just before opening the library door.

Morbidly curious, I stood just inside the stairwell with the door open. It only took a moment for the screaming to begin. I couldn't make much of it out, but I did hear Arlene say, "You're drunk! Again!" I didn't want to be happy about it, but I was. Having heard enough, I hightailed it upstairs before Leo inevitably burst out of the library and followed me. Sure enough, though, I heard him on the stairs just as I was exiting at my floor.

Of course the two of them were keeping up appearances at Sunday dinner the next afternoon, the only meal of the week where we all had to arrive at the same time. Hope and I joined them at their favorite table in the corner. "Remember when we needed the round table over there for the whole gang?" Hope offered wistfully.

"Oh, please don't remind me!" Arlene said, grabbing Leo's hand across the table as we stood and waited for everyone else to find a spot.

"Well, you must be happy about being almost done," I said. It was well known among us old-timers in the student house that their degree program was super-intensive.

"I am," Arlene admitted. "But, you know..." As the bell rang and we sat down, she smiled across the table at Leo.

"Yes," I said. "I know. I'll miss you all too."

"I can't believe you were afraid to tell us you were leaving, Pete!" Arlene obviously wanted to change the subject, but that was fine with me. "I think it's great you're spreading your wings. But what made you want to leave now after all the time you've been here?"

"It was all the time I've been here that made me decide!" It wasn't exactly a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth, and once again I figured Arlene must have had an inkling about my feelings for her. "You already know what it's like saying goodbye again and again, imagine two years of that!"

"God, I can't even," Arlene said. She reached across the table to rub Leo's hand while he had it on his water glass. "Just one goodbye is a big enough nightmare. But you will be coming to see me in Santa Fe for Christmas, won't you, Leo?"

"Course." At least the bastard looked her in the eye as he said it. But he didn't smile or look anything but burdened by the question.

Hope and I exchanged looks. It was the first time we'd seen each other since our kiss, and she obviously hadn't told Arlene. Suddenly I was dying to do so myself. But instead we both smiled at the secret and held our tongues.

"So Pete," Leo said. "These two will be locked in the library all afternoon. Want to go get a drink after lunch?"

"Wish I could," I lied. "I need to go to the office and get caught up on some last-minute stuff." Again, only half a lie there -- I probably could have gotten it all squared away during the week. But spending a beautiful August afternoon in the office was somehow looking preferable to spending it alone with Leo.

The rest of the meal passed with Hope and Arlene talking shop about their practice teaching and the oral finals that would be tying them up through Wednesday. I more than willingly kept my mouth shut and let them grouse about it, and let myself wonder what Hope looked like in her swimsuit and found I didn't even want to know the same about Arlene. When we were done, it was straight back to the library for them both, and Hope and I contented ourselves with an affectionate squeeze of one another's hand as she followed Arlene back up the stairs.

I wasn't too surprised to find Harrison, my boss, at the office. That was yet another reason to be glad I wasn't going to let this job become my life as it had his. I'd been sorting papers for about twenty minutes when he came down the hall. "Cleaning up are we?" he asked. "On a beautiful day like this?"

"Didn't want to leave it to the last minute," I said, remembering to look at him as I did it. I respected Harrison, even if I'd never come to like him much.

"Wise choice," he said. "Your predecessor left this place looking like a dump. So have you got your visa and everything?"

"It's all in the works," I said. "Still can't quite believe I bit the bullet on doing this."

"My parents always told me I should've gone abroad before I settled down," Harrison said. "Good for you for doing it."

He took off after a bit more small-talk, and I had the afternoon to ponder whether he was saying it was no skin at all off his nose to lose me. But then it was none off mine to be getting out of there. When I had the place looking as spiffy as I'd ever seen it, I took a picture of my workspace, and was surprised to realize I was going to miss it.

It was raining in sheets on Wednesday night, and Leo was nowhere to be found at dinnertime. Flanked by Hope and Arlene at the table furthest from the window, I couldn't have been happier.

They certainly could have been happier, for they'd had their final assessment that day. "I keep thinking back through the whole day," Arlene said, "wondering did I say this right, did I do that right?"

"Me too," Hope said. "Pete, you've just got to let us know if this school of yours in China is hiring if either of us fails."

"You won't fail!" I didn't have to fake that, at least; I'd seen how hard they'd both worked.

"Thank you, Pete," Arlene said. "But you just don't know what a pressure cooker that place is. I think Mrs. Duford enjoys keeping us guessing to the last minute, too."

"When do they tell you if you passed or not? It's got to be before Saturday, or do they just not give you a diploma then?" Commencement was that weekend, just three days off.

"They'll call you before tomorrow night if you fail," Hope explained. "No news is good news."

"I was just reading in my room before dinner, and every couple of pages I found myself staring at the phone instead!" Arlene said. "God, what about this trip to the beach? I'll be in no mood for that if I have to go through this again!"

"We can cancel, can't we?" I offered.

"Leo already paid for the beach house," Arlene said. Then, at the mention of his name, she grabbed at her napkin and pressed it to her face.

I was at a loss for words. Hope saved the moment. "I don't know if I'd want to go either, then," she admitted. "But I figure I won't worry about that until I know I have to."

Arlene had gotten herself under control. "Yes, that's just what we should all do," she said. "Thanks. So I guess going out tonight is out of the question."

"Aren't you too tired anyway?" Hope asked.

"I am," Arlene said. "I just feel like we ought to do something to celebrate now that we're probably free. Something that doesn't involve copious amounts of beer, I mean."

"In this house?" I said.

Arlene laughed. "Okay, thank you, Pete. That feels better. But I sure wish we could go out somewhere."

"We can always just go pass out in front of the TV, can't we?" Hope suggested.

"No!" Arlene sounded as edgy as I'd ever heard her. I had liked Hope's suggestion just fine, but then I knew who else was likely to be vegging out in the TV room.

In any event, we ended up lingering for a cup of tea after dinner, and staying in the dining room and chatting long after everyone else had gone. We talked of hopes and fears for after we left town, and of memories of the year, and a little bit about Jacob and Lenka and Mattieu. "Hope we're not boring you with the girl talk, Pete," Arlene said about an hour after we'd gotten the room to ourselves.

"Boring me?" I said. "This is just what I always wanted, all of us just enjoying our time together. I'm sorry it didn't happen more often, but I know there just wasn't time."

"But haven't we had that all along?" Arlene asked.

"It hasn't really felt that way in a while, to me anyway."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. No good and a whole lot of bad could have come from my coming clean now. But once again I couldn't believe she really didn't have a clue.

Saturday brought a dazzling summer sun, but I had volunteered to set up the house's great hall for Arlene and Hope's graduation. Their school had been holding it there for years, and I'd served as a bartender the year before. As I spent the morning taping up streamers and setting out glasses and paper plates, I was glad I wouldn't be in charge of the booze this time. I'd been careful not to ask either of them if the dreaded phone call had come, and I hadn't seen them the night before because I'd treated myself to a nice dinner out on my own to mark my last day of work.

We finished setting up just in time for me to run upstairs to shower and change clothes. On my return, I was relieved to see Arlene and Hope both in their best dresses and looking elated. "So you both passed," I said as I sauntered up to them with what I told myself would be my only glass of champagne.

"Everybody passed!" Arlene said. "Mrs. Duford said it was the first time in five years."

"But she almost looked disappointed about it," Hope added.

"Surprising none who know her!" Arlene groused. "Heavens, I can't wait to get to Santa Fe and never come back here!"

"Arlene? Hope?" We turned to see an older woman I hadn't seen before. "Congratulations, both of you!" she said.

"Thanks, Ms. Schwartz," Arlene said. Turning to me, she explained, "This is Ms. Schwartz, our group tutor. We got to know her pretty well!"

"You must be Leo!" Ms. Schwartz said to me, shaking my hand. "I've heard so much about you! I see Arlene's a lucky lady!"

"I am, but this isn't Leo," Arlene said. "This is Pete. He's been everyone's best friend all through this. Our rock!"

"Oh!" Ms. Schwartz said. "Well, lovely to meet you in any case, young man."

I had no time to even decide how I felt about her mistake before Leo appeared. Arlene, proper as ever, just hooked her arm through his. "This is Leo, Ms. Schwartz," she said. "He's from Denmark."

"Yes, Denmark!" Ms. Schwartz said. "Lovely country. And I'm told you're a lovely guy, too."

"Thank you." Leo grinned and, because she didn't know him, Ms. Schwartz waited for him to say something else. Naturally, he didn't.

The ceremony was a mercifully short one. Rachel and Ricardo turned up just in time, him inappropriately dressed in jeans and hi-tops and her clinging to him throughout the reception. Hope saved me from getting smashed when she cornered me by the drink table. "Rachel and Ricardo want to go to Kelly's after this," she said. "Want to go?"

"If you do," I said, setting down the glass I'd poured.

Hope shook her head. "And watch the two of them fawning over each other? Besides, Arlene and Leo are going, and I'm afraid they might get in another fight."

"Which might be a good thing for her in the long run," I said.

"I know, but who wants to watch it?" Then she grinned. "Wait a minute, do you want to watch it, Pete?"

"Why would I want that?" I touched her arm, the first time either of us had given up any hint in public. I could only hope Rachel would take notice, but I didn't look to see.

"Well, you haven't been acting like you want anything else, you know." Hope stepped up closer to me and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Sorry! I just...the summer's over and we're going to be thousands of miles apart...I just didn't want to push you."

"Well, maybe I want to be pushed while I still can! At least we'll have a nice memory."

I nodded and poured another glass of champagne, and handed it to her. "My room?" I offered, clinking her glass.

"Yes please! Do you want to say goodbye to the others?"

"We're going to the beach with them tomorrow, aren't we?"

It was all I could do not to turn and look to see if Arlene or Rachel spotted us leaving. As soon as we were out in the hallway, I learned Hope was thinking the same way. "Think we were spotted?" she asked.

"God, it was so hard not to look, wasn't it?" I laughed.

"I can't imagine they're too surprised," Hope said as we strolled to the stairway.

"You assume they gave it any thought."

"Pete! That's awfully cynical!"

"We're talking about Rachel and Leo here. Is it wrong to be cynical?"

"Good point. And Arlene, lost in her own world."

"Or in Leo's world anyway."

"And here she's all enamored with him for being there for his sister." Hope spat it out in a tone that made it clear she knew the truth.

"Good God, she doesn't really believe that, does she?"

"Love is blind, Pete."

I nodded my head and held my tongue as we made our way to my floor. Enough about Arlene.

My room had a decidedly unsexy view of the house parking lot four floors below, but the blazing afternoon sunshine wasn't going to allow for anything too romantic anyhow. "Sorry it ain't the Ritz," I said as I turned my computer on to cue up some schmaltzy music at least.

"Do I seem like a ritzy gal?" Hope kicked off her high heels and pushed them under my dresser. "I'm from Indiana, remember?"

"Cole Porter was from Indiana," I pointed out as I clicked on John Coltrane's "In a Sentimental Mood" on my music list.

"And I couldn't name a single one of his songs," she said as I took her in my arms. I immediately wished I'd taken my shoes off, but that was fleeting as I relaxed in her embrace. "Always loved all you knew about music, you know, Pete. We all did."

"I didn't know that," I admitted. "Isn't it strange how we've had all these months and there's so much we still don't know about each other!"

"I think we're about to learn a lot more about each other now," she quipped, and she began fingering the buttons on my shirt. "I guess you know I'm kind of shy, Pete, but I can take it if you can."

"If you can stand seeing me without my clothes?" I chuckled.

"Oh, stop!" With that she unbuttoned my top two buttons and stroked my chest playfully. "You know how lovely I think you are!"

"And the feeling is mutual!"

Our kiss was a long one, during which she lost no time in unbuttoning my shirt the rest of the way. I managed to kick my shoes off while she did, and also unzipped her dress. Once I did, she broke off the kiss and stepped back, holding her arms up.

I hesitated. I wasn't even sure why.

"Pete, I'm not that shy!" she protested. "Are you?"

"Just savoring the moment," I said.

"Good answer." She looked down with a grin as I pulled her skirt up slowly, teasing myself and her alike.

I was in for a pleasant surprise. Her bra and panties were matching, a gorgeous dark purple. So she'd planned on this, and I'd been a damn fool to be so demure. But that didn't matter now. With another kiss, she helped herself to my belt buckle while I went to work on her bra. When I got it undone on the first try, she pulled back and said, "Do I even want to know how you got so good at that?"

"Who cares about our past, right?" I said.

"Pete!" She beamed at me and swung her bra off, and stepped back to give me a good look at her breasts. They were small and pert and lovely. "Are you only going to look at them, silly?" she asked.

I laughed. "Well, it's a schoolboy fantasy, isn't it? How often does one actually get to play with the teacher's boobs?"

"Oh, that's terrible!" But she squealed with laughter as she said it, and also welcomed my hands on her body as I lay her gently back on my bed.

Hope's nipples were as big a surprise as her dancing had been. They were big and plump against her dainty breasts, and they were wonderfully responsive as I kissed and rubbed them. "Oh, yes, more please!" she said as I went to town on them, and I more than happily obliged. It's always been my experience that the demurest of us in public are also the most responsive in bed, and I saw that was true of Hope even before I had her panties off. She was grunting passionately and pushing my head harder into her breasts and writhing about joyfully, and I felt my boxers coming away as she pulled them down with her free hand. "Got you at last," she squealed, wrapping her hands around my hard cock, which gave me a lovely start and I sucked harder on her nipple, to her delight.

I raised my head. "Ready?"

"You'd better check and see, don't you think?" she giggled.

I struggled to my feet, giving her her first look at my full glory, and gently pulled her panties off. She had a full bush, a shade or two darker than her head hair, and it suited her perfectly. It was also, I saw when I ran my fingers through it, wet to the touch. "You're ready all right," I said.

"I suspected as much," she said. "Now bring that over here already!"

We were still laughing as she guided me inside her. The steamy music was fighting a losing battle against the hazy sunshine outside, but both were the perfect backdrop for our warm, wet embrace and the adoring look in her eyes as I pushed slowly in and out. There was plenty of noise from us both but no actual words.

"Faster!" she finally said after a few delightfully leisurely minutes.

Any lingering melancholy I had about saying goodbye so soon vanished in our shared intensity as I brought her off. Her orgasmic cries weren't as good as I imagined -- they were much, much better. Arlene was wonderfully absent from my mind as I followed closely and savored my own orgasm, holding still as deep inside Hope as I could get.

"Oh, that's beautiful," she cooed, gazing into my wide eyes as I came.

"So glad you didn't want to go to Kelly's!" I quipped as I relaxed and kissed her.

"I wonder if they know where we are?" she said, clamping her legs tight around me. "And don't you even think of going anywhere yet!"

"I won't," I promised. "You know, that's what I used to think sex was? Just clamping me inside like that?"

She laughed. "Me too, I confess. Of course, with six sisters I learned all the facts of life pretty quickly. But no one bothered to explain that particular one to me. I only learned it because I overheard my sister Patty with her boyfriend in our barn...I thought she had some breathing disease or something!"

"What an education that must've been," I said. "At least you didn't have to see it firsthand to learn it. My first time scared me, some of the noises she made!"

"Oh, Pete!" Hope pushed my head down onto her breasts and stroked my hair. "Yeah, we ladies can be terrifying, can't we?"

"Wonderfully so, once you're used to it. So glad I got to see you dance that night."

"That's what brought this on?"

"It's as good a start as any, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure," she said. "I just never considered myself a great dancer."

"Let's agree to disagree, then."

We spent the afternoon snuggling under my one sheet, chatting and ignoring both of our phones when they rang on my desk. Around four o'clock, Hope finally got up to check hers. "Arlene's looking for us for dinner," she said. "'Hope, please find Pete and both of you come downstairs at five. I can't take being alone with Leo right now.'"