Thanks for the Memories

It was sitting on her bedside table when Lindsay woke up Monday morning. A black flash drive with WATCH ME printed in white letters on one side. The first thing she did was run around the house, checking for intruders, but all the windows and doors were still locked. She lived alone, and she didn't remember having this flash drive before she went to bed.

Worried about potential viruses, Lindsay dug in the back of her coat closet until she found a torn high school bookbag. She pulled out an old Dell she hadn't used since her first year of college, and that she only held onto in case her photo library fell apart. It took 20 minutes for the laptop to update and boot up, which Lindsay used to try to go about her day normally. She made coffee, took a shower, checked email on her functioning computer, and tried not to think about the mysterious drive. Was someone playing a prank on her? Had she forgotten that it was her birthday? It wouldn't surprise her as hard as she had been working lately.

When the computer was finally ready, Lindsay plugged in the flash drive, careful to make sure she wasn't connected to her home network in case something spread. There was only one file, a video, labeled Friday.mp4. She opened it.

A title card, white text on a black screen read "Thanks for the memories." Then cut to a high shot of a room Lindsay thought she recognized, but couldn't place. There was a bed, neatly made with a few throw pillows, two lamps glowed on end tables flanking the bed. A normal, empty bedroom.

The door opened and a woman entered backward, entwined with a man who guided her back into the room. His hands were all over her, running down her back, through her hair, spending a good amount of time on her butt. Lindsay now knew exactly why she recognized the room: it was from a one night stand she'd had a week before. She was watching herself.

"What a fucking creep," she said aloud and went to shut the laptop. She stopped herself with her hand on the lid. "Maybe I should watch it," she thought. "Maybe he's cut in what he wants from me. God, I can't have this go public."

On the screen she was now only wearing her bra and underwear, the man, Jeff, pulled his shirt over his head while Lindsay worked on the buttons of his pants. He was naked now, and she trailed kisses down his chest, getting herself to her knees and preparing to take him into her mouth.

Here, the footage cut to a side shot. Lindsay guessed it was from a camera hidden in the dresser. It was nearly even with Jeff's waist and perfectly captured Lindsay taking his penis into her mouth.

"Jesus," Lindsay said to the computer as she watched herself bob back and forth on Jeff's penis, his hands were on her head, guiding her to stay with him as he sat on the bed, then moved down to unlatch her bra. After a few minutes of sucking, she moved up his body, rubbing her breasts along him as she kissed up his chest to his mouth. His hands were on her ass, now in the band of her panties, now stripping them off of her, now back on her ass, now moving around her thighs, now finding their way between their legs.

To this point, Lindsay thought the film was video only, but as Jeff's fingers entered, she heard a low "Mmmmmmmm" escape her lips.

The angle changed again to the high shot of the bed as she pushed him back against the pillows and rolled over to lay beside him. Jeff rolled onto one arm and began sucking gently on her breasts. She heard herself moan again. His hand was back between her legs and it didn't take long before the moans became more frequent, louder, and her fingers began tightening around the bedcover.

She watched Jeff move from her breast to her mouth, still moving his hand between her legs. She watched him kiss her deeply, her hand on the back of his head. He rolled her gently to the side, kissing down her neck. He spread her legs slightly and wiggled in behind her. She heard a sharp intake of breath, and then a deep "ohhhhhh" as he entered her.

The angle now looked like it came from one of the banisters at the foot of the bed, a low shot that looked up the bed toward her legs. She could clearly see Jeff moving in and out of her, could hear the wetness between them, could see Jeff's hands massaging her breasts. Suddenly, she rolled, moving so that she was on top of Jeff, reverse cowgirl. She leaned forward and rode him hard, the bed cam catching her breasts jumping up and down while Jeff focused his hands on her butt.

"Oh yes, yes, yessss god yes," she screamed as she accelerated her movements.

Lindsay could hear his grunts through the camera as well, she watched herself shake a little as the moans subsided, and she rolled next to him, kissing his chest and snuggling in close. The screen faded to black.

"Thanks for the memories," the title card said again, and the video ended.

She grabbed her phone, and found her text exchange with Jeff. She hadn't sent him anything since they met the past Friday.

"Creep," she texted him. Then threw her phone across the room.

--

She tried to put the video, and Jeff, that pig, out of her head the entire day, but Kelsey wouldn't let her.

Kelsey was her "work sister" and probably the best friend Lindsay had these days. As soon as Lindsay walked through the door, she pounced.

"So, did you call that guy from the other weekend back yet," Kelsey asked.

"No," said Lindsay, "And I don't think I'm going to, I think he's kind of a creep."

Kelsey's face fell. "I hope I didn't do that to you, I was asking the cards about it last night."

Lindsay laughed. Kelsey was an amateur spiritualist. What that meant more often than not was that she was downing a bottle of wine, lighting some candles, and flipping through an old Tarot deck.

"Yeah, and what did it say about my future love life?"

"You know it doesn't work that way," said Kelsey, slapping her on the ass. "It just gives me insights, and I think it's going to be a good year for both of us. Speaking of good years, did you hear about Mr. Eno's new comp structure? I think It's going to make it easier for us to..."

Lindsay stopped paying attention, she struggled to think about work when there was some creep with that video of her out there. What did he want? Money? To see her again? Just to let her know that he could do what he wanted? She determined that she'd give it another day, see what, if anything, he wanted from her, then figure out what to do next.

--

She woke early Tuesday morning, surprised that she slept so well. Mr. Eno's new comp structure actually had been pretty interesting, and she was positive it would mean a big end of year bonus if she kept tracking well over the next few months. She'd worked hard to understand the new system and keep up with her accounts, and was dead to the world by the time she crawled into bed, barely thinking about Jeff and his cameras.

Lindsay stretched and looked at her phone, there was a message from Jeff waiting for her. She hesitated briefly, then opened the message.

Jeff: "What are you talking about?"

What was his game? Did he just want to hear her say that she'd found it before he jumped into whatever he was doing? She'd have to think about what to do next. She put her phone down on her bedside table and heard something go clattering to the floor. She looked over the edge of the bed, it was a flash drive, bright red this time, with WATCH ME printed in white letters on the side.

She scooped it off the floor and flew to the old Dell that was still sitting on her kitchen table. She plugged in the flash drive. This one contained two files, Friday.mp4, the video from yesterday, and Heights.mp4. She opened Heights and waited for the struggling computer to load the video.

"Thanks for the Memories" written in white text once again flashed on the screen.

The video then faded in on another high shot of an empty apartment living room with mismatched furniture and a stained rug. A bottle of Capitan Morgan was sitting, half full, on one of the end tables.

This room Lindsay recognized immediately. It was the place her best friend, Cat, lived while they were in college. The apartment had been called Hudson Heights, which explained the filename, at least. Cat had gone to a different school from Lindsay, but they still saw each other every few weekends in those days, and still kept in touch. She was married and had a young daughter now. This was bizarre.

A door opened and a younger version of Cat and Lindsay stumbled in from outside.

"I'm just saying," Cat slurred, "We don't know we're not soulmates."

Lindsay laughed, "I actually think we are soulmates, star-crossed and destined to watch from afar as drunk boys grab the other's ass at the club."

"He DID grab my ass, and hard too. But he was cute. Did he leave a mark?" Cat had pulled her jeans down so just the top of one cheek showed.

"No, but I will," Lindsay shouted and slapped Cat's jeans playfully.

"How could this video exist," Lindsay said out loud, gaping at the video. Unless there were cameras in that apartment, but Lindsay didn't remember even a security camera in that place. It was a pretty trashy college apartment.

Now the camera shifted to something that felt more hand held, it looked over young Lindsay in the video's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Cat. This was an impossible shot. Lindsay remembered this exact night, and no one had been in that apartment, much less someone with a camera.

"I'm glad you were there tonight though. I didn't think mine was going to let me out of there," Lindsay said.

"Duh, that's what friends are for. I was not going to let you go home with that idiot, even if he did have a nice butt," Cat smirked.

Lindsay sighed, "He did have a nice butt..."

The both burst out laughing and fell onto the couch. The camera followed. Cat looked at Lindsay as she turned on the television. Light flickered across their faces, and the faint sound of a laugh track came from somewhere off camera.

"You ever think we're too good for these guys?" Cat asked.

"Always," said Lindsay. "But sometimes they're useful." She winked at Cat, and they fell into each other laughing again, knocking heads slightly as they bent over trying to recover.

When their heads lifted again, their noses were nearly touching. The camera was close enough to see the tears of laughter in Lindsay's eyes. She turned to look at something on the TV as Cat lifted her mouth and kissed her, catching half her lips and part of her jawline. Lindsay pulled back, started.

"Wha-?" Lindsay started.

Cat looked at her and gave half a smile, "Sorry about that, I don't -- "

But Lindsay didn't let her finish, she leaned back in and kissed Cat, her right hand resting at the base of Cat's neck, pulling her in, her left hand on Cat's thigh. Cat's hands looked like they didn't know what to do, hanging limp beside her, before copying Lindsay's and moving up her thigh and into her hair.

They kissed like that for a few minutes, hands all over each other. Eventually, Cat's hands ran under Lindsay's top, breaking the kiss so she could pull it up and over Lindsay's head. Lindsay bent to kiss her again, but Cat didn't give her the chance, reaching up to unclasp her bra and tossing it aside. Lindsay, instinctively, crossed her arms in front of her to hide her breasts.

"I've never done this before," Lindsay said.

"You're a VIRGIN?" Cat said with mock incredulity.

Lindsay slapped her arm, "I mean with a girl."

"Oh, well, me either. So, I guess we'll suck at it together."

Cat flipped a leg over Lindsay so that she straddled her. She grabbed the corners of her dress and pulled it off. The camera, now behind her, followed her dark red hair down her spine, past the line of her bra, and her uncovered butt. Lindsay ran her hands along her bare hips.

"Now that's sexy."

Cat removed her bra and the camera cut to another impossible shot. A side shot, almost like the camera was sitting on the couch beside them. Lindsay knew that only the two of them were there that night.

Lindsay and Cat were frozen for a moment, looking at each other. Cat, naked, hair spilling around her shoulders and just covering the tops of her breasts. Lindsay, topless, her skirt bunching at her upper thighs.

Then they were kissing again, tongues in each other's mouths. Lindsay's hands were grabbing Cat's butt, pulling her into the kiss. Cat was trying desperately to get her hands between them and get a hand on Lindsay's breasts. She gave up and broke the kiss, moving her mouth instead to Lindsay's right nipple. She licked in small circles as Lindsay's head fell back in a deep sigh. Cat sucked on the nipple, causing Lindsay to jump and laugh. Cat's other hand massaged the free breast, while Lindsay's hand tangled itself in Cat's hair.

Cat slipped down to the floor and began kissing up Lindsay's thigh. She pushed Lindsay's skirt up and ran a finger down the black lace of her panties.

"Mmmmmm," Lindsay sighed again.

Cat slowly worked her fingers into the waistband and pulled the panties slowly away. Cat let her hands wander along Lindsay's waistline, tracing her way down to her clit, which she circled slowly with a finger. Lindsay squirmed as Cat's finger disappeared inside her, letting out a hissed "Caaaat," that turned into a deep moan. Cat's finger worked in and out, picking up speed as Lindsay started panting.

Then Cat's head was between Lindsay's legs. Her tongue dancing on her clit as her fingers continuing to do their magic inside Lindsay. Lindsay screamed now, her hands running wild through Cat's hair, pulling her in as she rocked her hips against Cat's welcoming mouth.

"Ohhhhh, Cat. That's ama-, Ohh, that's..... OHHHH MY GOD, Uh, YESSSS," Lindsay moaned. "Yes, there, oh my God. Cat. Yes. There. Oh, oh, Ohhhh, I'm gonna cum."

Cat reached up and grabbed Lindsay by her hips, still covered by her bunched skirt, and held her in place as she continued to lick her clit in tight circles. Lindsay screamed and bucked as waves of pleasure rushed through her then collapsed onto the arm of the couch, panting heavily.

"That was... incredible," Lindsay managed to say as Cat climbed up on the couch and kissed her softly. "OK, I'm going to sleep now." Lindsay feigned dropping her head and letting out a loud snore.

Cat slapped her on the shoulder, "nothing for me?"

Lindsay's eyes shot open, "Finnee, I guess I owe you that much." She gave Cat a wicked grin.

Lindsay stood up and gently nudged Cat until she lay across the couch. She climbed on top of her and kissed her as the camera cut to a shot that would have had to be captured by someone standing right over them. As they kissed, Lindsay let her hands explore Cat's breasts, her hips, and then slide between her legs.

"Oh good, already wet," she smirked at Cat. Lindsay kissed down Cat's body until she was between her legs, she kissed the small patch of red hair guarding Cat's vagina, then let her tongue find its way to Cat's clit. Cat let out a deep moan and pushed her hips forward. Lindsay gave another kiss, then let her tongue run wild.

The screen faded to black with Cat's moans of "Yes, Lindsay, ohhhh yes," fading into silence.

"Thanks for the memories" the title card said again, and the whole screen went to black.

Lindsay sat in front of the computer in shock. She realized that her hand was between her legs, and she had been absent-mindedly stroking herself for the last few minutes. She pulled herself together and sent Cat a text.

Lindsay: Hey, have you gotten any weird messages recently?

She had no idea how this could possibly be happening. She knew that no one had been with them that night. And she also knew that they'd never tried something like that again, even if they did joke about it after a few too many drinks. Lindsay's phone buzzed.

Cat: Hey girl! Just the normal stuff like the IRS is has an arrest warrant out for me, what's up?

Lindsay: Oh nothing -- I just got some SPAM that looked like it might be targeting folks from school, wanted to make sure it didn't get you!

So, this was just happening to her. Lindsay didn't know what to do, so she slammed the computer shut and started getting ready for work.

--

She decided to tell Kelsey everything after work. Maybe she would have an idea of what the hell to do. She'd have to show her the videos, but Kelsey was one of her best friends, and she'd told her worse stories than anything on those drives. She invited her over for dinner, gave her the story, then left the room while Kelsey pulled them up on the old computer.

When she was finished, Kelsey plopped down beside Lindsay on the couch and poured herself a glass of wine.

"First things first, I know it's creepy, but those were both fucking hot," Kelsey said.

Lindsay shook her head and gave her a half smile, "Thanks... I guess."

"Have you thought about a computer recreation? I mean, it'd have to be a damn good one, but it's possible these days."

"Sure," Lindsay replied, "That was one of my first thoughts, but then, who would want to do it and why these two moments? I mean, only a handful of people know or care about my hookup with Cat, and the hookup with Jeff is so new..."

"True. Maybe he like, works on big budget movies or something?"

"He was an accountant."

"Oh, probably not then. Kelsey bunched her face in concentration. "I'm going to do some research. See what I can find out."

"You mean you're going to consult those cards again?"

"Among other things," Kelsey said, with a tinge of mock anger. "Sometimes this stuff works, you know."

"If you say so."

--

Lindsay considered not opening her eyes the next morning. It might be easier to just roll over, go back to sleep, and not even see if there was another movie waiting for her. Eventually though, she rolled over to find another flash drive, green with white letters, sitting on her bedside table.

She didn't waste any time plugging it in. Alongside the previous day's videos was another file, Coerced.mp4. She opened it.

After the usual "Thanks for the Memories" title card, the video opened with the high angle shot of an empty room, the way it always did. It was another room that she recognized, her boyfriend from college's messy dorm. She swallowed hard, certain of which night this would be.

The door to the room swung open and a 20-year-old version of Lindsay walked in behind an attractive, young man wearing a button down and slacks. As the door closed behind them, Lindsay ran to him and wrapped him in a big hug.

"Is your roommate here this weekend?" she asked.

"Nope, he's back in New York," said her college boyfriend, Dave. He gave her two quick pecks on her lips. "So, we can celebrate our 7-month anniversary in peace."

Lindsay giggled, "Is 7 months a big milestone?"

"It is when you're with a girl as beautiful as you."

"Oh, you know just what to say when you want some," Lindsay said, but kissed him hard anyway. The camera cut in close enough that you could see Lindsay's tongue as it entered Dave's mouth, and hear her gentle sigh as he brought her in close.

"Who says I want anything?" asked Dave as they broke the kiss.

"Let's see, how about the placement of your hands?"

Dave's right hand was under Lindsay's jeans, grabbing her butt. His left rested on her ribs, just grazing her breast.

"Noted," he said and laughed.

They kissed again, deeply. Now Lindsay's hands were all over Dave, running down his back and across his butt. They came around to his shirt and started unbuttoning it so her hands could run along his smooth chest.

"Then again, maybe I want something too," Lindsay whispered in his ear. She gave his earlobe a nibble before taking a step back and peeling off her shirt. She paused, biting her lower lip, then unclasped the bra and let it fall to the floor.

Dave took her in for just a moment before stepping quickly forward to kiss her deeply. His hands running all over her body before landing on her breasts and squeezing gently. Lindsay sighed. She pulled Dave's shirt off and then went for the button of his jeans. She fumbled slightly, before popping it loose and then pulling his jeans down to his knees. He stepped back and pulled his pants away, his penis pushing against the material of his underwear.