It Takes Two Pt. 02

Mal hadn't looked away, but stared at me with as much confusion as I had.

"Thanks." I added once more, trying to maintain the quiet dignity I had when I first entered. "You too."

Ah God dammit, I thought, gripping the doorframe tight. Mal flashed the briefest glimmer of a smile but bent her head down for a moment.

"Uh, thanks." she said unsure. "I will." Mal patted the arm of the couch tenderly.

I felt like both of us wanted to laugh, but neither of us ultimately did. I pulled my head out of the door once more and closed it, heading back down the stairs once more and to my car.

The car sat there, however, for a good few minutes while I looked ahead. I was still upset at Mal, but the anger faded into bitter disappointment. Somehow her endearing personality made me feel worse, as though I had been played, or betrayed- even worse. I wasn't even sure what to believe anymore, and as I pulled out of my spot, I pulled out my phone once more. I didn't call Willow, but instead opted to call my old roommate from college. He was influential when it came to girls. And I also didn't have many friends.

The phone rang for an infuriating amount of times, the sound of the ringing filling the car as I set the phone on speaker. We hadn't spoken in some time, so I anticipated he wouldn't pick up- or if he did, that the conversation would be all sorts of awkward. Still, he was generally a much better person with girls than I, and he had been dating the same girl for quite some time now and they seemed happy. Finally, he picked up after the 10th or so ring.

"Er yeah?" he asked, sounding as though I had inconvenienced him.

"Hey man, it's me, Ken."

"Oh shit hey Ken! To what do I owe this?" he said, again sounding a bit distracted.

"Is this a bad time?" I asked. Silence greeted me for a few.

"Errrr, sorta. Just make it quick."

"Well, it's about a girl-"

"You're still not with that ball and chain are you?"

My old roommate had met Willow once and immediately voiced his displeasure about her. To be fair, I hadn't been a fan of his girlfriend either.

"I'm with Willow yeah."

"So what's this about then?"

I pursed my lips and thought how to phrase my question before carefully treading forward. I didn't want to outright state what had happened, but I didn't want to sound too vague.

"Ok well, how do you know if something is going to work out? Like, you're not just jumping into something for the sex, or you're not just settling for something?"

I was greeted with silence, and the crash of waves. Was he at the beach? I uttered a 'hello?' just as I hopped on the freeway. Finally, I got an answer.

"Well," he began. "Sex isn't love." I nodded my head solemnly as though he could see. "And you wouldn't date someone just for the sex, even if it's really good. That's not to say you date someone who's fuckin boring you know? Stability is fine and all, but you need excitement in your life."

"So which is it?"

"Which is what?" he asked sounding flustered. "Listen, you date the girl you want to hang out with all the time. Not just you know, fuckin watching movies on the couch with or saying cute shit to. Date the girl who's like your best friend."

"So-"

"Who are you thinking of right now?" he suddenly interjected.

"M...Mind saying that again?"

More silence.

"Alright." he said quietly. He knew. "Do what you feel is right to you. Not anyone else."

I jumped off the freeway onto the next exit, slowing my car down to a stop as I reached a stoplight. I glanced at the phone and repeated the words to myself. The sudden shift in tone of his voice concerned me, but I had drawn all I could out of him.

"Ok. Thanks Dennis."

"No worries. I'm at the beach but if you need anything else just text."

I hung up the phone and continued down the street to the auto parts store. I didn't busy myself thinking too much about what he said, though the words popped into my mind periodically. What felt right to me was throwing me for a loop. I felt the obligation to stay loyal to Willow, but it didn't make me feel happy. Being around Mal, even before the sex, was fun but it made me feel guilty.

My thoughts continued to think of the short blonde girl on my couch as I drifted down the aisles of the auto shop, blankly looking over various odds and ends. My eyes unfocused as I looked at the countless rows of headlight bulbs, and I must have been standing there for a good few minutes- long enough for a clerk to ask me if I was alright.

I simply didn't really know Mal well enough, I eventually concluded. If anything, she might even be terrible to be around. I couldn't imagine how, but I was sure there was something there that'd spoil her for me. No one's perfect.

Eventually I drove home, repeating to myself that I didn't know Mal well enough. Even as I worked on her car, I continued to reiterate to myself. She's probably a picky eater too, even. I wonder what she'd even eat for dinner? I leaned into the car, flashing a light and inspecting the engine. I smirked, imagining her at some fancy restaurant, making smartass comments about the waitstaff or the food. I bet she'd do that anyway. What a pain, especially wearing one of the dressed I had bought her. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her try on the others I had bought her, what the fuck.

I leaned out of the engine, stretching my back once more. I should at least get to see how those other dresses fit. I twisted from side to side again, cracking my back as I shut the hood closed. Much to my surprise, I saw Mal walking towards me from the other side of the parking lot. It was only a little awkward as we made eye contact far too soon, both kind of looking at each other. She had changed in that she had found a pair of my basketball shorts along with her flats she had worn. Her hands were up by her chest, clutching her phone while her thumbs twiddled.

I said nothing, and merely looked at my shorts on her.

"I needed shorts so I put on shorts. They also happen to be yours." she said without a hint of shame. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

It was an odd apology, but it was a start.

"Just for yelling?" I asked, watching as she looked up at me.

"I meant what I said." she answered without wavering. The tension resumed once more, the both of us refusing to back down. "About everything so far."

"So you're not lying?"

Mal breathed out, but kept her eyes locked on mine. She was tense, but tried to remain poised.

"I've meant everything I've said." she reiterated. "I wouldn't hurt you."

"So you didn't text Willow those photos of...us?" I asked. There was something reassuring about her brazen attitude. No one could be this confident and also be lying. Well, they could I guess, but I wasn't getting that vibe. Mal wasn't a psychotic.

"If I had," she said clutching her phone. "Wouldn't she have said something by now?"

She was right. There was no denying it. If anything would have spurred Willow into saying something, it would have certainly been that. But if that were the case, that certainly meant Willow WAS ignoring me. And if it wasn't, it would mean Willow would murder me later on. Neither outcome seemed ideal, though of course there was the third option of Mal sending the photos AND Willow not caring. I didn't suspect this to be the case though.

Mal didn't have to ask if she said anything though. We both knew my phone was bone dry from any messages that might have come from Willow. It wasn't so much an apology or formal end to the strife, however. We both knew this was a ceasefire at best- that there would be another argument, if not more, down the line.

"Is my car fixed?" Mal asked now, sounding a bit uneasy. I couldn't blame her for wanting to leave now. I had been an asshole. Justified to some extent sure, but an asshole nonetheless.

"Yeah," I said, glancing back at her car. "Yeah I guess."

"Oh. Good." she said. "I'll leave you a good review."

"It costs more than it's worth to fix." I said, attempting to prolong the conversation. I felt a pain knowing it would end.

"Yeah well, jokes on you. I didn't pay anything for it." she said with a bit of her usual smartass attitude. "I guess you could say I won the lottery."

"I was wondering who won the Mega Millions," I said looking back and placing my hand on the car.

"Hey careful on the paint," Mal said walking closer to the car. "I just got her serviced."

I rolled my eyes but smirked. My heart rate slowed as Mal ended up just leaning on the car like I did, facing me. We didn't say anything, but smiled more at one another. Relief washed over me, momentarily anyway.

"What are you doing tonight?" I asked suddenly. I myself wasn't sure where it came from, but Mal didn't seem taken aback by the sudden question. She simply shrugged, her eyes glancing over dramatically off in one direction as if flummoxed by the idea.

"I dunno, why?" Mal's hands clenched her phone tight, and her eyes returned to me. I felt like my heart was going to explode.

"I never got to see you in any of those other dresses." I said, almost sounding convincing. I honestly did want to see how they looked on her, even though the oversized Mickey Mouse shirt and athletic shorts weren't a bad look on her.

"Yeah?" she finally said, drawing the 'yeah' out long and softly.

"So it'd be a waste of an evening not to wear one out to, I don't know, dinner?" Jesus what was I saying? I cracked a small smile, my excitement palpable and earnest. Somehow I had gone from being seething to asking her to dinner. Jackets, dinners and dresses- this girl was taking everything from me.

"Kendrick Pohlar are you asking me out?" Mal said with a cheeky grin. She giggled a bit, her pale complexion growing into a delicate hue of pink. Her green eyes beamed, making my heart flutter.

I chuckled out of nerves, clearing my throat and composing myself which only caused Mal to giggle more. I patted my hand against her car, rubbing my fingers as if cleaning off some small nonexistent stain.

"I believe I am, Miss Mallory." I finally said.

"Rhodes. Mallory Rhodes."

I reached my hand out and grabbed one of hers, lifting it up while I rubbed my thumb over the top of it. We both looked down, her skin feeling so delicate. Her hand slowly closed around mine, holding it tightly if for just a moment before we both pulled away.

"Is that a yes," I said. "Miss Rhodes?"

Mal was a mess of laughter and excitement, burying her face in her hands briefly. She pulled both away and looked at me with a stifled smile before flashing her teeth.

"I think I'm free." she said with just a hint of a smirk.

***

I could count on my hands the number of times I had been asked out properly. Usually men would ask in a low risk, vague way along the lines of "wanna kick it?" to "let's do something sometime". Hearing a proper "would you go out with me?" would get old quick as well, to be fair, but it was refreshing to hear it. Or maybe it was the fact that it was Ken who had asked me.

All other previous dates and boyfriends seemed so inadequate in retrospect, and whether fair or not, I mentally compared them to him and found them all to be lacking. Ken was a sweetheart, and I hadn't met a man who had been awarded in how much he ate with a singing fish. Twice in fact.

Still, was he allowed to ask out others while in a relationship? I assumed there must be some type of law, if not societal stigma punishable by death. The UN certainly had sanctions against this sort of thing. Moreover, where would this lead? Ken and I had already had sex, multiple times by now. 2 is technically multiple times anyway. Ending up in bed with me was probably a foregone conclusion once again, so it seemed like such a much more affectionate gesture. He must like me, I thought to myself of the guy who had kissed me, cuddled me and asked me out. It was certainly a safe conclusion at least.

I wasn't in any shape to go out anywhere fancy, however, not without a shower and clean underwear. So while Ken remained at his place, I called a car and headed over to the nearby shopping center, looking for bare essentials for at least another night. I was as thrifty as the next 20something, and I had paid my dues countless summers at summer camp in the great outdoors, but I was going to need some TLC- enough until I got back to my place. Roughing it may have worked for the scouts, but I needed to be feminine.

This wasn't like me, not at all. I hadn't gone on a big date in at least 5 months. That's not to say that I was opposed, I simply didn't feel the intimacy that warranted girling myself up. I did enjoy looking nice, but it wasn't a high priority for me. "I'm fucking feminine," I told myself as I wandered the nearby pharmacy grabbing makeup in oversized shorts and a t-shirt. I ended up picking up some toiletries- the bare essentials- as well as the typical fare for my beauty routine. Leaving the pharmacy with my stylish plastic bag, I came across a small boutique shop with mannequins dressed to the 9s with enticing lingerie. I almost didn't give it a second glance, having known shops to sell spicy lingerie to be both cheap and poorly made.

Yet this shop seemed different. It was small and looked expensive, ergo probably good. So I stepped in and took a look around. Did men notice underwear? Maybe in passing while their wives or girlfriends stripped down anyway. Or mistresses, I quickly added. Honestly he had probably forgotten about the frilly pair I had on, but enough of me felt compelled to at least see what I could make myself look good with- for my own sake anyway. I couldn't very well go braless, my nipples were too large and sensitive that it'd be extremely obscene. What was I going to let them poke out so that he could play with them? No way. Not in public.

I ended up picking up an adhesive bra, something that'd fit under the fit & flare dress I had picked up earlier. It wasn't particularly daring by any stretch- black, half sleeved and reaching down above my knee- but I never wore anything too racy. Not out anyway. Besides, the dress had a boat neck that exposed my collarbones and shoulders- a small treat for both Ken & I.

Returning back to Ken's place, I found him sitting on the couch, looking as comfortable as ever. He held his phone in one hand, while the other calmly stroked his hair back and forth. He had changed into a more comfortable outfit, wearing a shirt that read TWINS on the front and a pair of sweatpants.

"I think that shirt's more fitting on me," I said setting the bags down and sitting down on the couch with him. He tossed his phone aside and pulled me in, engulfing me in his arms. There was no awkwardness to our movements, and he swept me up in a fluid motion. I rolled into him, allowing him to move me with ease. He ended up twisting around so we both ended up intertwined on the couch.

"Are you allergic to anything?" he asked as we cuddled.

"Just gross men." I answered, coughing quietly.

"Really? Not even tickles?"

I didn't have a moment to react before Ken's fingers began squirming all over me through the shirt. The cotton dampened most of the sensation, but it was enough to make me relax. I tried to bat his hands away but he moved them away, down to the hem where his hands reached under the grey cotton and pressed against my skin.

"FUCK YOU KENNY!" I said between giggles. I loved tickles, despite my reaction. The moment he touched me under the shirt, however, it was game over. I had no line of defense, opting to simply cover over my face as he had his way with my body. I couldn't see, but I could feel my body grow more exposed under his gaze. I could feel the cool creep of excitement titillate me, replacing the resistance of apprehension with a euphoria. It felt good to give up, to let him have his way.

I continued to laugh and even lifted my arms above my head, tacitly allowing him to pull the shirt off my body. He eventually stopped and looked down at me. I, clad in only a bra and shorts, tried to hide my giddy approval.

"Hey you bitch now I'm gonna freeze to death." I joked. Ken, in response, threw the shirt at my face and covered it.

"Much better." he replied.

I leaned up, pushing against the couch and sitting up on my knees. Ken scooted over, allowing me some space as the shirt fell off of my face. He may have smirked but the look he made when I reached back and removed my bra was priceless.

"Much better." I repeated back to him.

He crawled over and kissed my chest, making sure to start out near my collarbones and slowly planted several more down towards my breasts. I placed my hand on his head and stroked his hair, grabbing a tussle of his brown locks as he worked his way to one of my nipples- his enthusiasm infecting me, as I threw my head back and smiled.

We had some time to kill anyway, and I didn't mind. Not enough time to have sex, but enough to tease him. Ken was immediately receptive and seemed to know just how to drive me wild- sucking on my puffy nipples and nibbling lightly when the restless embers smouldering in my stomach reached a crescendo. We didn't need to have sex, not when the foreplay was so good. Usually guys bypassed it completely- a fleeting stop on their way for more. Kenny seemed so enamored with every part of my body however, and couldn't help but give me his undivided attention. I reclined back against the arm of the couch as he moved over me, continuing to suck on my tits.

Evidently, I must have looked much more swept away, taken completely in the moment as he looked up and smirked at me.

"I have sensitive nipples." I said looking away. They had always bugged me, a self-hating trait that carried with me through my teens. Yet I always loved to play with them, hiding my chest away under modest clothing but secretly yearning to bare myself. Every girl had slutty thoughts, who doesn't love to be desired physically? I was no different, though I never thought I'd entertain my longing with someone so receptive.

Kenny blew on them, cool air exuded onto my engorged areolas, capping my breasts. I was quickly losing composure, unable to maintain a poised confidence as Kenny did. He in turn seized the opportunity and nibbled on them once more, making me shudder and clench the fabric of the couch, the straining sound of fabric nearly tearing interrupted by my low shudder. Fucking Christ that felt amazing.

Kenny decided this was enough and pulled away, giving my forehead a soft kiss. That fucking tease. How dare he. I oughta put his penis in my mouth and suck on it, that'd show him, I thought as I quickly came down from my haze of lust.

"Don't just tease me!" I said with a growl.

"You started it!" he answered with a small laugh. I remained steadfast in my annoyance, glaring at him before he kissed me once more on the cheek.

"You owe me." I told him as I leaned back into him. Kenny hugged me once more and held me in place, lightly rubbing my back.

"I fixed your car." he answered flatly, still petting me.

"Yeah I let you do that. You're welcome."

I could feel his annoyed frown down on me but I didn't care. I enjoyed the pets mostly, and they made up for being teased, a bit anyway. Eventually I peeled myself off of him and picked the bags off the ground.

"I won't take long." I said heading to the bathroom. "Only about 3 or 4 hours. Maybe 5."

***

Picking out a place to eat was the hard part. Well, it wasn't hard to pick, it was more a pain in the ass to find a place that would take dinner reservations. Evidently, loads of other people want to eat dinner out on a Saturday night. Those bastards stole my idea.

Yet my patience was rewarded with an intimate restaurant a good 15 minutes out of the way. With a triumphant grin, I went back to my room and started rifling through my closet, looking for clothes that were both clean and presentable. The place we were eating had small portions so I reckoned this meant I was in for a fancy evening, something beyond an old t-shirt and jeans. Fancy bastards. I pulled out my suit, along with a light lilac dress shirt. That was simple enough. I rummaged through my drawers again, finding a pair of black boxer briefs. "Kinky" I told myself as I tossed it onto the pile. Done and done.