Might Have Been Ch. 03

Amber would descend slowly, and I was sure she knew she was giving me a show. At the 3:15 shift change, she stopped halfway down the ladder. Amber inserted both thumbs under the elastic at her hips and ran them down along the curves of her ass, causing the black fabric to reluctantly leave her divine valley. She met my eyes immediately afterward with her usual bright smile -- but with an unexpected cocked eyebrow and gleam in her eyes. It was a look that bordered on sultry.

I hadn't known Amber could do sultry.

When I climbed into the chair, Amber hadn't yet left the vicinity. On a hunch, I flexed my own butt muscles twice in succession and was rewarded with a giggle from underneath.

Gotcha.

Four o'clock approached, and I worked another shift in the office. I heard a car door slam in the parking lot and beheld Sarah striding toward me, dressed to the nines for her last date with Dave, in a black cocktail dress, pearl earrings, and pumps. She would have been radiant if she were smiling, but she wasn't.

This hadn't happened the first time I lived this day. I had changed something. "Sarah, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I suspected I knew.

"Dave respects you."

In my own timeline, I hadn't talked to Dave for years, as he had lost respect for me. There was no way Sarah knew that, but it still hurt. "I respect him."

But not me. I could see the thought in the narrowing of her eyes. "He called me two hours ago. He said he talked to you, and you seemed offended that I told him I wouldn't let him move to New York to be with me. So I spent most of the afternoon reliving that argument, on our last day together." She added a tone of warning to her voice. "This is supposed to be a special night, and it's not off to the right start, Lance."

"I tried to stay out of it, but I couldn't hide my reaction. I was surprised."

"Surprised? Why would you be surprised?"

"You're right, I shouldn't have been." I've known for years how cold you are.

"Damn right." Sarah looked closer and seemed to realize I had lobbed an accusation rather than an apology. "You still don't approve?" There was shock and disappointment in her voice.

What the fuck? "Why would I approve?"

Sarah appeared dumbfounded.

I didn't understand, but felt I needed to explain. "Sarah, he loves you and wants to prove it by moving to New York. You should respect his sacrifice."

Dismay and tears filled Sarah's eyes. She spoke through gritted teeth. "Lance, you know... nothing... of sacrifice."

Like fuck I don't. "Oh bullshit. You don't love him. That's--."

The cold fury in Sarah's eyes silenced me faster than a slap. Her knuckles went white clenching her purse, and her jawline turned into a steel bar. She was shaking. "How...dare..." She never finished her thought. Her heels tapped in staccato every step back to her car.

"Was that Sarah?" I hadn't heard the whistle blow for the break, but Amber was behind me.

I could only nod, still speechless from Sarah's reaction.

"What did you say to her? I think she's crying."

Sarah hadn't started her car and was hunched over the steering wheel of her Saturn. "She and Dave are breaking up."

"Aw, that's too bad. I always thought they were the perfect couple."

"Me too." I heard the ignition, and Sarah's Saturn spat gravel on its way out of the parking lot.

Amber departed to patrol the girl's locker room, and I was left to make sense of what just happened. I failed, but it didn't matter. Sarah and Dave's relationship had been dead for a decade, and Dave was happily married, living in California. I wasn't here to make sense of her, but to make sense of myself. Every second spent pondering The Eccentric Sarah was a second I could instead spend imagining what Amber and Sidney were planning.

The temperature dropped in the afternoon, and more kids left. During the five o'clock break, it was slow enough that the three of us did some diving. As gymnasts, Sid and Amber were a joy to watch, performing flips and gainers with athletic elegance. Amber had a one-and-a-half tuck dive that never failed to get applause from the kids. Sidney would thrust out her chest while she did a swooping half-gainer that had all the post-pubescent male swimmers praying her deceptively-robust bikini top would fall off. It never did, dammit.

I wasn't in their league. When I was eighteen, I held my own by doing dives the girls were afraid to try. I could do an inward flip off the three-meter board, where I always came within six inches of a concussion and a dozen stitches to my scalp. I remembered a scary moment where I actually felt my hair slap the diving board (the stupid things you do to impress tanned babes in bikinis). I hadn't tried those dives in ten years and had stronger self-preservation instincts now, so I stuck to a staple of jackknifes, flips, and swan dives that got the job done, but weren't pretty.

Amber encouraged me. "Too bad the high school didn't have a men's gymnastics team or a dive team. With some coaching and practice, you would have been excellent."

It was foolish of me, but I felt a sense of pride at that.

Sidney noticed. "Don't compliment him. He thinks enough of himself. You don't want to make his head swell even more."

"Never," I demurred while departing for the office. "My head isn't what Amber causes to swell." I heard silence in my wake, followed by sudden explosive laughter. I hoped they were laughing at my clever audacity, but turning to see would have ruined any hope my words had as an exit line.

During the seven o'clock break, I performed a maintenance sweep of the boys' locker room, and was met with the detritus of a toilet paper fight. I went to fetch a garbage bag, which were kept in a cabinet outside the women's locker room. As I rummaged for a bag, I heard Amber and Sidney talking quietly, in the midst of their own inspection of the girls' room.

"What if he doesn't want to?" Amber whined.

"Of course he wants to. He's a guy. And you said he offered."

"He did!"

What had I offered?

Sidney pressed her case. "What's the worst that could happen? He says no, we have an awkward day tomorrow, and you probably never see him again."

"I've known him for a long time. It might wreck our friendship."

"Amber, you haven't really been close since you were thirteen. So what do you think?"

Amber giggled. "Did you know he caught me staring at his butt?"

"Is that a yes?" I wasn't sure what I had done to earn this favor from Sidney, but she seemed to have my side.

Amber evaded by changing the subject to whether they should refill the women's tampon dispenser when there was only one more day to the season. I took that as my cue to leave and cleaned the mess in the men's locker room, optimistic for an interesting evening.

At eight o'clock, all the kids had left, and we were locking up. I glanced out at the parking lot and unwillingly thought of Sarah, and her irritating accusation that I knew nothing of sacrifice. I muttered something I thought was inaudible.

"They suck." Sidney was standing at the entrance to the girls' locker room.

"What?"

"You said 'sacrifice'. Sacrifices suck." Sidney appeared annoyed. "Would you mind helping us with something?"

"What's up?"

"Amber is a little embarrassed about it, so can we discuss it in here?" She didn't wait for an answer, and walked into the locker room.

I followed.

Amber was walking away from us when we entered, but she turned around suddenly and acted surprised, as if she had been pacing and we had sneaked up on her.

Sidney looked at Amber expectantly.

"Um, hi," was all Amber said.

"You wanted something, Amber?" I prompted.

"Yes, you remember how we were talking earlier? On the bench?"

"Vividly," I said with an encouraging smile.

"Remember when you said you could do... um... coaching? Can you do that tonight?"

Disappointment crushed my stomach. She just wanted more tips on oral sex. "My word is my bond."

Amber laughed. My assent seemed to release some tension out of her, but she just waited there expectantly.

I glanced at Sidney, who just shrugged with a sour look on her face. I looked back at Amber, who was wringing her hands, and bouncing on her feet.

"So, do you take your own shorts off, or um..." her voice trailed off. Her face was turning beet red and she mutely appealed to Sidney for help.

Realization dawned like a glorious sunrise. Coaching! I concealed my reaction, knowing that if I showed I had misunderstood, Amber would be mortified and run away.

"Maybe he's shy," Sidney pondered, with a little too much sarcasm.

Sidney's continued presence was no longer necessary, and was becoming an irritation. Why wasn't she leaving us alone? "Um, Sid, are you looking for tips too?" I figured that would cause embarrassment, and make her realize she was the third wheel here.

Sidney gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, the 'coaching' is for both of us." Sid had a knack for sarcasm, and there was an edge to her voice that pointed in that direction, but she wasn't leaving. She shifted her feet and stared up at me. "Amber told you about our fake Mankato boyfriends. We're both terrified we're going to start college next week knowing little or nothing about sex and men. This seemed the best way."

Something didn't sound right about that. Her tone was rehearsed, and I had trouble believing Sid was terrified of anything, much less sex. Was she just being supportive of her friend?

Sidney gave me that joyless smile once more. "I didn't think you would mind coaching two gymnasts on how to give a guy head."

True, dat.

I was still confused as hell. Amber seemed to want me, but was too shy to take the lead. Sid wasn't shy at all, but if I let her near my cock, I was increasingly afraid she would bite it off. Despite what she was saying, she did not want to do this. Why then, had she been pushing Amber into it?

The best way to handle this was to take charge. "Okay ladies, class is in session. We'll skip the lecture, and go right to lab. Because this is an oral sex class, you will have to contrive other methods to receive an undeserved A."

Amber giggled, and even Sidney couldn't suppress a smile.

I put my hands on the waistband of my swim trunks. "First things first. I don't want to be the only one naked, and your lovely bodies will help put me in the mood to teach."

Sidney barked a laugh. "If you were any more in the mood, you would pop a seam." She pointed to where my erection was bulging out of my swim trunks.

Amber's eyes widened and she blushed.

"Fair is fair, girls. Strip." I pulled my shorts down, concealing any feeling of self-consciousness.

Sidney reached behind her neck and untied her blue bikini top. Ten years of imagining what was behind that bikini did not yield disappointment. Her breasts stood out firm and proud from her chest. She had a narrow waist and a short stature, both of which accentuated her volume even further.

Amber was staring at my crotch, speechless... and still wearing her suit.

"Amber. Naked. Now."

Her arms enfolded her chest and her legs crossed. She was acting as if she were already naked, trying to conceal herself. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"No, you don't." Sidney was adamant. "If he needs tits to keep his hard-on, he can stare at mine."

I saw resolve in Sidney's eyes, and knew she would call this whole thing off rather than make Amber do something uncomfortable, even so far as forcing my attention in her own direction to keep me content. How far was she willing to take this?

Sacrifices suck, she had said.

"Pants too, Sidney. I showed you mine. Let's see what's under that blue dental floss you wear on your hips." I kept a smile on my face to take the edge off my commands.

Sidney glared at me, but obediently removed her bikini bottom. She shimmied her hips to work it past her curves, and then kicked it off to the side. She stood facing me, revealing a shaved pubic mound and high-contrast tan lines. Her expression showed no hint of shame or nervousness, nor any discernible emotion at all. I had thought Amber might be the one with depths, but to look at Sidney was to stare into an abyss.

The abyss stared back at me, and cocked her head.

I felt admiration for her. She was being unpleasant, and she didn't want to do this, but she was standing up for her friend while still letting me save face. I respected that, and decided to earn her trust.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked.

Sidney glanced at Amber, clearly hoping Amber would go first, but not at all surprised when she didn't volunteer. Sidney forced a smile and stepped forward, as I had known she would.

"Amber, can you grab some towels, so Sidney can be more comfortable?"

Amber nodded, and left.

I lowered my voice and tried to get some answers from Sidney. "What are you doing? You don't want to do this."

She shook her head. "Amber won't do it if I won't, and she really wants to do this."

"What do you mean? You've been talking her into this all day."

Sidney's eyes widened, but she didn't deny it. "You don't know her like I do. She has to pretend to be persuaded to do things, if she knows her dad won't approve."

"Like sex?"

"Like dating and knowing how to suck a guy. Yes. Sex. Amber is trying to squeeze four years of sexual experience into one weekend, and you, Lance, are the lucky son-of-a-bitch she chose." She said the last with a slight smile, shaking her head in mock amazement.

From the conversation I had overheard, I knew Sidney had a role in this particular-son-of-a bitch being chosen.

"Why me?"

"She trusts you. Did you know that on that computer dating thing in high school three years ago, you were her number one match? She seems to think that is significant. Plus she has known you forever, and she trusts Sarah."

Sarah? I couldn't ask further, as Amber came back with an armload of towels. I still didn't have a complete answer. Why was it so important to Sidney that Amber have four years of sexual experience in one weekend, and where did Sarah fit in? Amber dumped the towels on the floor of the changing room and sat on a bench.

Sidney knelt, using the towels as a makeshift mattress.

"First, you want to touch it," I instructed.

Sidney's slight frown told me no, she really didn't. But she wrapped her hand around my shaft anyway.

Amber was leaning forward, her lips parted. "How does it feel?"

Sidney assessed my cock. "Hot. The skin is very soft and loose, but underneath it's hard." She gave it a single tentative pump.

The curiosity in Amber's face indicated she might be ready to follow Sidney's lead.

"Do you want to touch it Amber?" I asked. "It's okay."

Amber stood and approached me, staring in rapt attention. I couldn't take my eyes from her as she moved in. She brushed aside a stray strand of her platinum hair, and she was breathing hard. She was the image of an angel -- one about to spread her wings and fly for the first time -- or maybe fall.

As Amber began to kneel, I noticed Sidney glaring at me.

What? I asked silently.

Sidney kissed the air.

Huh?

Sidney made a show of french kissing the back of her hand.

I thought of what she had said about cramming four years of dating into one weekend. "Wait, Amber!"

Amber pulled her hand back quickly. I took it in mine. "Amber, have you ever been kissed?" I asked, and saw Sidney exhale in relief.

Amber lowered her eyes.

I hadn't thought much of her father before this, but at that moment, I hated him.

"Amber, come here. Everything has a proper order. You should be kissed first."

She gave a wide smile as she rose toward me. I took her face in my hands, and she closed her eyes and parted her lips. Our kiss started as soft, and as she began to respond, I lightly touched her lips with my tongue. Her mouth opened wider, and her tongue met mine.

"Ow!" Sidney's hand never left my cock, but her grip was too tight. I flinched away from my kiss with Amber.

Sidney withdrew her hand, chagrined. "Sorry."

Amber gave a mischievous laugh and asked, "Does that mean it's my turn? Can I touch it now?"

I didn't think that question needed an answer.

Amber's hand was trembling as she touched me. She glanced at my face, then gave an embarrassed smile and focused her gaze back to the task at hand. Her fingers wrapped around my shaft like she had seen Sidney doing, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. She giggled when I throbbed in response, and she copied Sidney's pumping.

"Like that?"

I nodded.

"What's that coming out the top? Oh my God! Did I make you..." She didn't want to say the word.

"No, its just some lubrication that comes out. It will take more action than that to make me come." I hoped.

Sidney still knelt on the towels, watching Amber explore me. I still couldn't read the expression on her face, but she no longer appeared angry.

Amber began pumping harder, feeling more competent. "What should I do next?"

"You wanted an oral sex lesson. When you're ready, you might want to try giving it a kiss. I showered after the diving. It's clean."

Amber was apprehensive, and she glanced at her friend. "It's Sidney's turn."

Sidney's smile at Amber was weak, but she took her friend's place, kissing my shaft in a way I could only describe as "chaste", despite the intimate location. She then gave one tepid lick and gestured that it was Amber's turn.

Amber scooted over and knelt in front of me. Her lips curled in a sly way, and she said, "kisses, licks and lollipops." She first gave me a light kiss and pulled away as if my cock might bite her. She then laughed, opened her mouth, and kissed my length. I felt her tongue lick me twice behind her lips, and I throbbed in response to the gentle caress -- she was already doing this far better than Sidney.

I let out a groan. "Oh, that's it."

Amber stopped. "I did it right?"

"Hell, yes! Don't stop."

Amber resumed her oral ministrations, kissing and licking me up and down the length of my shaft.

I prompted her, "Remember the 'lollipop' part."

Amber threw me a happy grin that crinkled her nose, and took the glans into her mouth. She made a point of keeping her teeth well away, but she wasn't doing much more than holding it in her mouth. I was sure she remembered the Heather stories, and didn't want to be the "Human Hoover".

"You're doing great. Keep with the licking, and move it in and out of your mouth."

She complied. I felt her tongue moving along my length while her head bobbed up and down. Her licks became longer and wetter, and I noticed she was moving her hips. She was kneeling, so I couldn't be sure, but it appeared as if she were rubbing herself against her own heels.

"Try using your tongue to circle the head," I suggested.

Amber nodded, and followed instructions perfectly. No wonder she had been an A-student. She also grasped the shaft to allow more control, and she placed her other hand on the back of my thigh, for leverage.

Pleasure swelled from within me. On her first attempt, she was giving better head than the vast majority of women I had dated, most of whom had done it many times before.

Oh God. "Amber. I don't think you need many lessons."

She freed her mouth and smiled, then turned to Sidney. "Sorry Sidney, I'm hogging all the fun. Your turn!"

Sidney's smile was less forced now, as she leaned forward and began kissing me again. She used her tongue more this time, licking every inch of my shaft and head. Oh, this was much better -- she must have learned from watching Amber.

"So, what happens when you...um..." Amber still didn't want to say the word, even as she watched her friend take me in her mouth.

"Say it Amber. You're almost nineteen and going to college. You can say the words."