Friends with Consequences Ch. 08-09

"There you are. How are you feeling?"

"Eh... I don't feel great."

Jake looked the unkept woman up and down. "You look terrible!"

"Oh, shut up," Linda responded as she playfully slapped Jake's arm. She assumed he was joking and let him get away with it, since he called her sexy the previous night.

"I'm just kidding!" he finally replied, saving himself. "I got you some food. That always helps me with my hangovers."

Linda clasped her hands together from the kind gesture and quickly forgot about the rude remark. "That's so sweet of you! Thank you so much for taking care of me! I wish there was a way I could repay you."

"Maybe you can," Jake prompted. "How about that date we talked about? Want to come to my gym tonight?"

"Your gym?"

The muscular frat guy began rubbing his hands together. "Yeah, we could use the hot tub to sweat out some toxins. It'll be good for curing your hangover."

Linda bit her lip, thinking about Jake's shirtless body. "That sounds nice..."

"I'll come by and pick you up! Let's say seven?"

A big smile came over the hungover woman. "Seven works for me!"

"It's a date!" Jake said, winking as he walked away.

Linda closed the door and sat on the floor. She was exhausted, but the idea of going on a date was too exciting to pass up. I can't believe this!

A knock abruptly interrupted her thoughts. Confused, she got back up to her feet and opened the door. She was shocked to see what was on the other side; a concerned Max, staring at her as if he were full of questions.

"Max! What are you doing here?"

"Hey... Are you okay?"

"I'm... Good... What's up?"

"Uh... We were supposed to study."

"Oh my God!" Linda reacted. "Is that now?"

"That was like... forty-five minutes ago..."

"Oh, shit!" she said, holding her head. "Sorry. I went to a party last night and got really drunk. I had to miss my classes because I have a bad headache."

Max began looking down at his own feet, twiddling his fingers. "Linda... Who was that?"

"Who?"

"That guy you were talking to at your door."

Linda couldn't believe Max saw that. In a panic, she responded, "That was... just a friend from the party last night."

"Oh, okay..." the young man said, sounding skeptical. "What was he doing here?"

"You sure are nosy," Linda responded as she folded her arms. "He saw that I was drunk and helped me get home. That's all!"

She didn't know why she felt the need to lie to Max. The guilt in her heart made it difficult to tell either guy the truth about the other.

"I'm not trying to be nosy," Max explained. "It's just... You missed our study time..."

The hungover freshman took a deep breath. "Look Max, I'm sorry I missed our study session. But I don't need you talking to me like you're my father. I've told you that I hate that shit!"

Max shook his head and decided to hold his tongue. He knew it was pointless to argue with the stubborn girl. She had always been hard-headed, and he didn't expect her to ever change.

Instead, he just tried to move on. "It's fine. Do you want help studying tonight instead? I was going to play soccer, but I can help you instead."

"Sure..." Linda answered before remembering her important date. "Wait! Sorry, I can't. I'm busy tonight..."

"Doing what? Hanging out with him again?" Max asked, showing his first ever sign of jealousy.

Normally, Linda thought Max acted too mature, but she didn't care for this reaction either. She felt he was being possessive of her when she had made it very clear she was not his girlfriend.

"Whatever, Max!" she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm done talking to you. I have a headache." Linda then slammed the door in his face, not giving him an opportunity to respond.

The young man walked back towards his room, shaking his head in frustration. He didn't understand why she treated him so poorly when he was there to do her a favor. More importantly, he still didn't know who that guy was.

Maybe I have nothing to worry about, he thought to himself. She would have told me if she was seeing that guy, wouldn't she?

--

With the help of sleep and Ibuprofen, Linda's headache eventually disappeared. Now the thing on her mind that was really bothering her was Max's display of jealousy and possessiveness.

I've never seen him act like that. I mean... I'm not even his girlfriend. If he's acting like that now, I can't imagine how he would act if we were really dating. He probably wouldn't even let me look at other guys!

Her phone vibrated, snapping her out of her deep thoughts.

"I'm here," the message read.

She hurried outside and jumped into the stud's car. Now that Linda was fully sober, she was able to have a good time and enjoy her date.

This is more like it! she thought to herself as she fancied Jake's nice car again. It wasn't that she liked guys with money or fancy cars. It was about the type of person he was and his accomplishments. Jake is a man, not a boy.

She was left wide eyed when they arrived at the huge gym. Jake was a made man in her mind. She couldn't believe he sold memberships at such a nice facility. She had never even imagined going to a gym with such nice equipment, pools, spas, and even a smoothie bar.

After a little tour, Jake turned to his cute date and asked, "So what do you think?"

"This is so cool! I wouldn't even know what to do here."

"I can show you some workouts," Jake suggested, looking for an opportunity to show off even more. "I started out as a personal trainer before moving to sales."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Linda asked, admiring his physique.

The big hunk showed off a few workouts, mostly intending to impress the eighteen-year-old. Only a few workouts were designed to help her. Most of what he did was to show how much weight he could lift.

Much to his delight, the plan worked. Linda was left drooling at his strength and athleticism.

They then went to the hot tub, where they had a built-in excuse to check each other out.

He licked his lips as he gazed upon the brunette's naturally beautiful body. "I can't believe you don't work out."

"I work out here and there, but it's nothing like you," she responded with a wink.

"Thanks," Jake said, flexing his bicep. "I work hard for everything I have."

Eventually, the conversation died down and Jake could tell something was on the young woman's mind. "I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but you seem a little off tonight. Is everything okay?"

Linda realized Jake was right. She should have been enjoying herself with this hot guy in the jacuzzi. Instead, her mind was somewhere else.

"I'm sorry," she began. "Remember the neighbor I told you about, Max?"

"The one you told me I had nothing to worry about?"

"Umm... Yes, him."

Jake chuckled. "Okay, what about him?"

"Well, we aren't together or anything," she explained. "I've made that very clear to him. But I guess he saw you in checking up on me this morning and got jealous."

The stud's chuckle turned into a full laugh. "I could have told you that."

Suddenly, he remembered seeing someone staring at him in the dorm. "Wait a second! Is he a short and scrawny guy?"

"Yeah..."

"He has black hair, pushed to the side, like a dork? And he was wearing a white shirt today?"

"Yeah! How did you know that?" Linda asked curiously.

"When I left your room and walked back down the hallway, I crossed paths with that puny kid. He was staring at me like he wanted to say something."

Linda put her hands on her face. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. "Oh my God... Did he say anything?"

"No, he didn't. But now I know why he was staring at me."

"Yeah, he knocked on my door after you left and asked me who you were."

"That's so fucking creepy," Jake said, looking appalled. "What a weird little punk."

"He's not weird... but he was acting a little possessive."

"That's how little boys are," Jake explained. "Guys like him are insecure and feel they need to protect their girls, even if they have already been friend-zoned."

Linda felt a need to defend her childhood friend. Unfortunately, she didn't want to let Jake know Max wasn't friend-zoned. She most definitely didn't want him to know they had been having sex.

"No, it's okay," she said, waving her arms. "You don't need to bash him. I shouldn't have even brought it up."

"I'm glad you told me about this," Jake said. "It shows what kind of guy he is. I mean, if he's this possessive with a friend, can you imagine how he would be with an actual girlfriend?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Linda agreed.

The older guy snickered. "I mean, look at you! He probably wouldn't even know what to do with a sexy woman like you."

A big smile came over the young woman. Though it wasn't her intention to bash her former neighbor, the conversation affirmed her beliefs about the situation. Now. she was sitting in a hot tub with the type of guy she always imagined herself with.

"So, are you saying a man like you would know what to do with a woman like me?"

"That's definitely true, but I don't know if you could handle a guy like me."

"Oh? And what is that supposed to mean?" Linda liked the challenge and could only imagine how incredible the sex would be with a hot, mature man.

Jake laughed and winked. "Be careful what you ask for."

Fuck it! Linda thought to herself as she felt her body being filled with adrenaline. This is everything I ever wanted. I'm just going to go for it!

They continued to flirt, back and forth, until Jake invited her over to his apartment. Once Linda agreed, there was no looking back. She had already dismissed the guilt from her relationship with Max. Tonight, she was ready to go down the road she always envisioned herself traveling.

When they got to his place, there was no talking or offering her any accommodations. They just got down to business, because that's all that mattered in the moment.

They stripped each other down, completely naked. Wanting to prove she wasn't just some innocent freshman, Linda eagerly went down and started blowing the tall stud's cock.

Once Jake realized just how crazy the eighteen-year-old was, he picked her up and threw her onto the bed. He showed her who was boss and pinned her arms above her head as he started to drill her.

Linda moaned uncontrollably as she felt the strong man thrusting her so deeply. It was everything she could have hoped for, being taken control of by an assertive stud like she was in a porno.

Jake's strength surprised Linda as she felt herself being manhandled. He flipped her onto all fours and fucked her relentlessly until he was about to finish. With a quick warning, he pushed her off and guided her head towards his cock, showing he wanted to finish in her mouth.

Linda was surprised by his aggression but followed his lead, taking his dick right before he exploded. Wanting to impress him, she took everything he had to offer.

Once he was emptied, he asked, "So, how did you like that?" He then fell on his back and tried to catch his breath.

"That was really hot!" Linda responded, as she snuggled up to his muscular body. "You were right; You really know how to handle a woman like me."

Jake placed his hands behind his head. "There's a lot more where that came from, Baby."

--

Pacing back and forth in his room, Max pondered everything that happened the previous day. He hated the way things left off with Linda. He wondered what he could have done differently to have avoided such an immature conflict.

Maybe I was overreacting? he thought as he stared at himself in the mirror. She's right; I'm not even her boyfriend. So why did I feel so jealous?

Max clenched his fist, accepting that Linda's new friend bothered him. She said he was just a friend, so I should have nothing to worry about. But why do I feel this way?

Unfortunately, he had to face reality. That guy is everything I'm not. That's the type of guy Linda always wanted to be with. Not me.

Fortunately, he was able to calm his mind by reminding himself of their intimate relationship. At least I'm the one she's having sex with. And she chose me to have sex with because she trusts me. I care about her, and she cares about me.

I should talk to her. That might make me feel better. She's matured since we started having sex. She'll understand where I was coming from.

Max walked to Linda's room, intending to fix their miscommunication. He even decided to apologize to her, realizing he had overstepped his boundaries by asking about her guy friend.

His heart raced as he waited for her to answer the door. Suddenly, his world stopped as he noticed Linda's roommate was the one who answered the door.

"Hello?" Patricia answered, greeting him for the very first time.

"Oh, hi... Sorry! I was looking for..."

"You're Max, right?"

"Yeah... and you're Patricia?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've never introduced myself to you before."

"Oh, that's okay." Max then took a deep breath, trying not to look so nervous in front of her.

"So... Are you looking for Linda?"

"Yes!"

Patricia looked away, feeling too uncomfortable to look the young man in the face. "I'm actually not sure where she is."

"Oh, really?" Max asked, starting to worry. "Do you have any idea when she'll be back?"

"Ehh... I don't. But I'll tell her you were looking for her as soon as I see her!"

"Okay, thank you..." Max was about to awkwardly walk away, but quickly turned back and faced Patricia. "Sorry, one more thing!"

"Yeah?"

"Linda had a pretty bad hangover yesterday. Do you know if she's feeling better?"

A little smile came over the roommate. "Yeah, she took some medicine and slept it off."

"Okay, great." Max then walked off, looking satisfied that at least one thing turned out well.

Patricia could see the content look in the young man's eyes. As Max was walking away, she decided to stop him. "Hey, Max!"

He stopped right in his tracks. "Yeah?"

"That was nice of you to check up on her."

"Oh, you think so?" It had never crossed his mind that others would think he was considerate.

"Thank you."

"It was nice meeting you."

Max blushed, still new to the attention from girls. "It was nice meeting you too."

After closing the door, Patricia walked to her bed and took a seat. She clasped her hands together as she looked down and said, "Oh boy... Oh boy, oh boy."

--

A few minutes after meeting Max, Patricia became startled when she heard the doorknob turning. Oh God, she's here! she thought. What do I do?

"Patricia!" Linda screamed. She ran towards her roommate and gave her a big hug. "Oh, my God! I have so much to tell you!"

"Oh really? Boy, oh boy, I should tell you something too."

"You know how I went on a date with Jake yesterday?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"We had an AMAZING time!" Linda said, as her face lit up. "I'll tell you all about it later. But after the gym... we totally hooked up!"

"What?! You hooked up with him?!" A Rush of adrenaline went through Patricia's body. She couldn't get as excited as she wanted to after meeting Max.

"Hell yeah, I did!" Linda boasted. "I ended up staying at his place all night."

Her concerned roommate took a deep breath. "This is going to make it sooooo awkward."

Linda could see the paleness in Patricia's face. It was like her roommate had seen a ghost. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be more excited."

"I'm totally excited. Jake is super cool and super hot... But it's just... Max was looking for you earlier..."

"Oh..." Linda didn't understand what was happening, but she felt her stomach drop. "What do you mean, he was looking for me?"

"He knocked on the door and asked if you were here. I told him I haven't seen you."

The excited girl had fallen from cloud nine. Suddenly, she realized she wasn't the only one affected by her actions anymore. "Did he tell you why he wanted to see me?"

"He just asked if you were feeling better from your hangover," Patricia answered, looking at the ground. "I thought that was pretty nice of him."

Linda's roommate was no longer the only one looking down. "Yeah... he's pretty nice like that."

"Linda... Does Max know about Jake?"

"Uhh, I guess. I think they ran into each other in the hallway, and Max asked about him."

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"I... uhh... I just said he was from the party," Linda answered, trying to find the right words. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know... It just seemed like he really cares about you."

"Oh..." Linda felt her heart beating faster and faster. She realized Max would be devastated if he found out. "Yeah... he cares... about me..."

"Maybe you should tell him about Jake."

Linda felt like the Earth stopped spinning on its axis. Those were the exact words she was afraid her roommate would say. "Tell him what about Jake?" she asked, hoping that playing dumb would make the conflict go away.

"That you're interested in him..."

Sweat started forming on Linda's forehead as she tried to come up with excuses to push it off. "Well... I don't know, Patricia. I mean, I haven't even decided if I'm really interested in him or not. There's still so much I need to learn about him. "

Patricia folded her arms in disbelief. "Umm... I think you're pretty interested. I mean, you literally just told me you guys had sex. How would anyone believe you're not interested in him?"

"Yeah..." Linda replied with a nervous chuckle. "Why would I have sex with someone if I wasn't really interested in him?" She looked away, unable to admit anything else to her roommate.

"I think it's only fair that you give him a heads up if you're pursuing somebody else."

The brunette took a deep breath. "Okay... I'll talk to him..."

--

Over the next few weeks, Max could feel Linda becoming distant with him. They barely spoke and she never texted him first like she used to. And of course, he didn't know she had somebody else to do favors for her when she needed something.

He started to suspect that Linda's relationship with Jake was more than she let on. Whenever he didn't know where she was, he couldn't help but think she was possibly with the frat guy. He allowed himself to fall victim to his own insecurities and learned what he could about Jake by stalking his social media.

Only because Linda was tagged in a photo with him, Max was able to find Jake's page. He recognized the tall stud from their brief encounter, and all feelings of uncertainty he had that day came rushing back.

On the other hand, he wasn't able to gather much information. Jake and Linda weren't talking to each other on social media. All Max really learned was his name and which fraternity he belonged to.

Soon after, a lucky break presented itself in his Business Communications class. He had a group project and was partnered with a guy that wore the same fraternity shirt as Jake.

One day, as Max was working on the project with that classmate, he decided he was ballsy enough to ask him some questions. He pointed at his classmate's shirt and asked, "Are you in that fraternity, Sam?"

"I just joined," the young frat boy answered. "New fraternity members are supposed to rep their stuff. Why? What's up?"

"Oh, nothing..." Max started out, not wanting to sound too suspicious. "A girl I know from high school hangs out with a guy from that same frat."

"It's one of the more popular fraternities," Sam explained. "Do you know his name by chance? Maybe I know him."

"I think it's... Jake... maybe..." Max knew exactly what his name was, but he shrugged his shoulders as if it was just a guess.

The young frat guy's face lit right up. "Oh, Jake!"

That wasn't a good sign for Max. Seeing somebody get excited at the mention of that name only made him feel more insecure. In truth, he just didn't want anybody to be a good option for Linda. "Yeah... Jake..."