The Connection

A few days later, Clarissa got a text from Dallas asking her out for another dinner. She eagerly agreed and chose a popular fast-food restaurant within the local mall. The meal was simple but enjoyable. While dining in the food court they took turns discussing how much the mall had changed over the years. It surprised them both they grew up in the same area for such a long time, but never crossed paths until a month ago.

When the mall closed, Clarissa and Dallas made the decision to go on an Icee quest. It was a fun treat to chase after, and gave them a little more time to hang out. The first convenience store was a bust. The second was surprisingly closed. But the third had everything they wanted. Icee's purchased; the duo made the return trip back to Clarissa's apartment. Both of them took turns laughing at each other when suffering from brain freeze. The ride home led to a conversation about Clarissa's vintage gaming collection. She could hear the childish enthusiasm in Dallas's voice. It seemed rather easy to impress him.

Arriving at her apartment, the pair stood outside talking about her gaming collection. Dallas made the comment of wanting to see it someday. Hearing this, Clarissa told him to wait outside her door for just a moment. She rushed through her home, hiding every unsightly object and piece of clothing that didn't make it to the hamper. Then she quickly searched through her storage closet and found the plastic bin containing her treasure. She brought it into her living room and poked her head out the door.

"Hey, you can come in."

This was the first time anyone had been in her home. And of all people, it was him. It just felt right.

At the center of the living room was the bin Clarissa set there. Dallas looked at her like a kid seeing a present on Christmas day. She nodded, and the young man popped the lid off with no control over himself. Together they unloaded the box and placed everything in groups. A pile for Super Nintendo. A group for Playstation's numerous consoles and games. Another for the Sega Genesis. And another for the Nintendo 64. And lastly a pile for the classic Nintendo games. Clarissa was eager to hook up her Sega console. But her efforts were futile. For some reason or another, the high definition tv refused to cooperate, preventing the system from showing on the flat screen. With that failure, Clarissa moved onto the Nintendo 64 which had better success. Inserting the Mario Kart 64 cartridge, the system came to life and the two friends were getting a chance to game together.

The following hour was like the long-forgotten Friday nights of the 1990s for kids. Two people were reduced to behaving like children (or modern YouTube gamers), sitting in the floor in front of a large tv with controllers in their hands. They play shoved each other when one screwed over the other. They'd let out little shouts of disapproval whenever one gained the lead between the two. They rejoiced when the duo earned 1st or 2nd place at the end of a race. And they vented frustration when the computer opponents caused them to finish dead last. It was the most fun they had together. And certainly the most fun Clarissa had in a long time.

"I miss nights like this." Clarissa laughed.

"You too, huh." Dallas added.

"Yeah. Things were so much simpler-"

"-When we were kids? Yeah. I think every generation says that."

"True, but ours had some of the best things ever to entertain us."

Dallas smiled; he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"We had Blockbuster or Movie Gallery. Hell, even Hastings. Rent our games of choice and stay up all night and playing them until the sun came up."

"Geez," she shook her head at the thought "I haven't done something like that in years."

"Me neither. Adulting got in the way."

Clarissa looked at Dallas, the controller still in his hands but not playing anything.

"Maybe we should do something about that."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

Clarissa laughed; it was becoming comical how much they thought alike. Connected.

"What are you suggesting?"

Dallas put the controller down and stared deeply into Clarissa's eyes. Every time he did this, there was a unique look within his own eyes. Like he wanted her to know he saw her and only her. Like she was the only woman in the world and nothing else mattered to him. It made her feel special, but also uneasy. Clarissa realized he hadn't spoken yet and needed to snap him back to reality.

"Dallas? What are you thinking?"

The man shook his head, knocking the imaginary cobwebs loose from his brain. He inhaled slowly and spoke.

"I'm thinking one night; sometime soon, we ought to have ourselves a good old fashioned nineties game night. We order some pizzas, buy some extra junk food and sodas. Somehow connect all of our consoles together. Fire up all of the games we want to play and just go at it all night until the sun comes up."

"Oh man!" she spoke loudly "That sounds like a really, REALLY great idea. I'm definitely all for it."

"Well alright then. Now all that's left is figuring out when to do it."

"Like you said; Dallas, we'll have to do it soon." she winked at him in a playfully seductive way.

"Don't do that me!" Dallas playfully whined, his hands covering his groin.

The young woman broke into hysterical laughter. She wasn't expecting that from him. Dallas joined in and the two sat there laughing for almost a solid three minutes. For Clarissa, it was wonderful to start enjoying life again. Feeling alive again. And to have someone by her side that breathed new life into her lungs.

Clarissa started to yawn and realized it was past her bedtime, remembering she had to work in the morning. Dallas offered to help put her collection back in the bin but she assured him she could take care of it in the morning. She could barely keep her eyes open anymore. She walked him out the door and to his car, ending the night with a fist-bump to her new best friend. They both laughed, saying goodnight to each other. Then Dallas was on his way home.

Hearing him drive away, Clarissa used the last of her strength to change into her night clothes. She made herself comfortable laying down in her bed. She was tired but something started to overcome her. Without even realizing it her hands were roaming her body. It felt good, especially when her hands went under her shirt and started scratching her skin with her nails. Her fingers edged closer and closer to her breasts and finally her nail grazed her nipple.

Clarissa's toes curled into the fitted sheet. Her back arched and she let out a hiss of approval. Her other hand joined in. Now both of her nipples were being played with. They hardened at her touch and sparked pleasure throughout her body. She was getting horny and needed to scratch that itch.

Reaching under her pillow she found her vibrator, left there from an earlier night of cumming before sleep. She turned it on and rubbed it against her nipples. Her whole body started to feel like it was on fire and freezing at the same time. She moved the toy from nipple to nipple while other hand moved across her panties and between her legs.

Clarissa closed her eyes and her imagination was running. She started thinking of an attractive woman playing with her body and moving her hand closer and closer to Clarissa's sweet spot. The fantasy woman's hands pressed against her pussy, and started massaging it through her underwear. Her finger managed to find flesh canyon of her pussy lips and pressed the fabric into her folds. She slid her finger along the path, Clarissa's underwear became slick at her effort. The tip her of finger pressed against her clit and Clarissa cooed. The fantasy women made the next move, pulling the fabric away from her folds and off to the side. The woman's bare fingers made contact with Clarissa's clit.

Reality briefly returned to Clarissa. Her actual hands felt slightly rougher than usual after all of her hard work. They didn't feel like a woman's hands. More like a man's hands. As her fingers started to play with her clit, the image of the attractive woman shimmered and dissolved. What took her place was a being of masculine features, much like the faceless brute she dreamed of weeks ago. But this brute had a face. A face she recognized.

"Dallas." she whispered to herself.

Her fingertips slid into her pussy with ease. Her nipples were hard as diamonds while the vibrator tickled them at the current setting. She imagined Dallas inserting his fingers into her petite body and using his lips and tongue on her nipples.

"Oooooh Dallas."

His fingers curled inside her body, touching that very special place within that has been so elusive. Even on Clarissa's loneliest nights. His lips and tongue departed from her tits and moved down her soft stomach. Her underwear was still in the way, and so he grabbed them and pulled them down to her ankles. Her legs opened more and his mouth lowered just above her clit, kissing at her mons. His fingers remained in her, massaging that special place inside her pussy.

"Dallas, please don't tease me." Clarissa whimpered.

Still in control of her body, Clarissa moved the vibrator away from her nipples and on top of her clit. Her fingers still thrusting at her tiny body. Back in the fantasy, Dallas's mouth was now on her clit and gently licking and sucking. His fingers thrusted into her very strongly and with astonishing precision. Clarissa's hips bucked into his face. His tongue felt amazing on her pussy. She couldn't get enough of it. But she wanted more. She wanted him inside her. Truly inside her.

"Dick!" she blurted out "Give me your dick! Fuck me! I need it!"

Clarissa withdrew her fingers from her pussy and turned off her vibrator. She gripped it with one hand and guided it towards her nether lips. Her minds eye saw Dallas hovering over her and aiming his cock between her legs. It was huge and pulsing full of powerful muscles and blood. It was throbbing hard and only doing so for her. She wanted it. She wanted it in her body. Sliding in and out at a speed that would rival the pistons of most V8 engines. Dallas rubbed the tip of his cock at her tiny entrance and drove himself inside.

The young woman lifted her legs off her bed and slid a pillow under her rear, elevating her pussy. She rocked her neck and head forward, crunching her ab muscles. Holding the vibrator at the knob end, Clarissa thrusted her toy in and out of her body. When shoved in, she maneuvered the toy in a unique manner. Literally "gear shifting" her pussy and pressing the toy against every surface within her wet box.

Back in the fantasy, Dallas was rocking and swiveling his hips in all the right ways. His cock rotated against her insides, making her wetter and wetter by the second. He felt amazing inside her. He was doing things to her no other man or woman ever did to her. The orgasm was gearing up. Dallas thrusted in and out of her faster and faster. His cock bottoming out her tender pussy. Just a few more slams into her cervix. Just a few more and she'd come all over his cock.

"Oh Dallas," Clarissa whispered "I want you to cum inside me."

Dallas shoved himself as deep into her body as possible, a clear bulge forming in her lower abdomen. His body stiffened and he erupted deep inside. Clarissa moaned loudly at the sensation of his cum filling her up, topping off her tank.

"DALLAS! I'M GONNA' CUM!"

Clarissa crashed her vibrator deep into her cunt. Her fingers accidentally tapped the on button, making the sex toy come to life and at its highest setting. The surprise attack of intensity sent her spinning out of control and spiraling over the edge of the abyss. The orgasm came good and hard. Her legs kicked in all directions. Her free hand violently clutched one of her tits and squeezed until the flesh turned purple. The pleasure raced up and down her body until she felt completely spent. She laid on her bed, breathing quickly, but content.

"Oh Dallas." she moaned, slowly withdrawing the toy from her pussy.

Reality came slamming back into her. She made herself cum while thinking of a guy. She made herself cum while thinking of Dallas. This was unnatural. She wasn't into men. Hadn't been in years. Was something wrong with her? Why was she fantasizing about men all of a sudden? Why did she dream of a man sexually pleasing her weeks ago? And of course, why Dallas? Too many questions, and no answers. Clarissa felt overwhelmed and betrayed. By what, she didn't know. Betrayal was followed by hurt. The pain caused her to curl up into a ball and start to cry. Her tears made her pillow moist and uncomfortable. Eventually she closed her eyes and at long last, fell asleep.

Clarissa stayed busy in the coming days. Her work load was heavy, but she managed with a smile. Sometimes the smile was fake, other times it was very real. But she was smiling. Something within her was changing and she wasn't sure if it was for better or worse. She received text messages from Dallas almost every morning, a good way for her to start her days she told herself. On the mornings he didn't, she wrote to him instead. His responses were astonishingly quick. It sometimes made her question if he even worked for a living.

Friday morning snuck up on her much faster than she thought possible. By now her days were blending. Aside from the text messages from her best friend, it felt like she was falling back into her routine before they met. That afternoon Dallas messaged her, asking if she'd like to grab a meal that night at a fast-food restaurant downtown. She quickly agreed and anxiously waited for the day to pass by.

Dallas arrived at her apartment at the time she requested. She marveled how his timeliness was always well managed. Like every past hang out, Dallas continued to act like a gentleman. Greeting her at the door and walking her to the car, even opening and closing the door for her. And not just car doors, but every door they passed through. No matter how many times he did it, it always made her laugh. He was indeed a dying breed of man. She also liked to tease him, holding doors for him when possible. The gesture was also always followed by laughter.

The two arrived downtown and fed themselves. Being in a college city allowed them both to jokingly perv out over the attractive eye-candy all around them in the restaurant. Clarissa even took it as far as determining who among the college girls were straight, bi, or lesbian. She could tell Dallas wanted to ask for confirmation of her hunches, but she simply slugged him in the arm and made each other laugh.

After their meal, the two took a long walk around the campus. Dallas was born and raised in the area, and enjoyed retelling stories to Clarissa about his childhood foolishness among his friends. He had a lot to discuss, which surprised her as he didn't even go to college in his home town. He commuted to another university an hour away, every day for four years.

When they tired, they found a bench to sit at and enjoy the evening air. At one point Dallas did something many men have done all throughout history, especially in the world of romantic films and books. He let out a yawn, stretched his arms above his head, and laid them across the backrest of the bench. His arm was just behind Clarissa's head and she shuttered. Was he about to attempt "that move" or did he just place it there because he could? Clarissa wasn't sure what to expect but soon enough Dallas moved again, returning his arms to his sides. He never placed a finger on her.

Clarrisa and Dallas continued strolling around the campus. Nearly every old building and new had a story from his younger years. Some entertaining, others were just filler stories. But she listened just the same, and shared a few of her own. His eyes never left hers whenever she spoke.

Before returning home, Dallas offered to let Clarissa see the inside of his new house. She agreed, being very curious about his new place. The two arrived and quickly stepped inside. He already moved a few things in but the majority of his belongings were still at his apartment. The only furniture inside was a long couch, and it was brand new. Dallas showed her around his new place and discussed his intentions of placing things throughout. She saw the living room and the kitchen. Got a laugh knowing the guest bedroom was going to be used for nothing but storage. There was a small and simple guest bathroom as well. They toured the master bedroom with the connecting master bathroom nearby. Clarissa briefly transformed into a girly-girl, being extremely jealous of the deep garden tub and glass shower within. She even joked about coming over and using his bathroom at some point. Dallas laughed and said she could if she wanted.

The house was simple and impressive. Clarissa continued to feel proud for him, knowing things in his life were truly shaping well in his favor. Something she yearned to have back and soon. Finishing the tour she complimented his new home, commenting how they'd have to hang out some time at his place when it was ready. Dallas smiled, replying she was always welcome to come over any time she wanted.

Together, they made their way back to his car and journeyed to her home. Dallas followed her to the door like he always did, where they had another series of conversations, spanning almost a full hour. Clarissa was showing signs of fatigue, a long yawn escaping her body about every five minutes. She couldn't keep her eyes open for much longer and needed to tell Dallas goodnight.

"Tonight was a lot of fun. But I'm really sleepy now so I'm going to step inside."

"I understand, it's been a long day for sure." he smiled.

Dallas approached her, somewhere between alarmingly fast and impossibly too slow. Before she knew what was happening, Dallas gently embraced her in his arms and ended the hug with a soft kiss on the young woman's forehead. Clarissa panicked and pushed him away.

"Why did you do that?" she barked.

"I'm, I'm sorry. I just-"

"Y-you need to leave. Right now."

"But I-"

"Dallas, go home, now." Clarissa ordered like an army drill instructor.

The color in his face drained, horrified at what just happened. He slowly stepped back, lowered his head, and walked away. Clarissa was fuming and slammed the door behind her. Hard enough to make Dallas jump out of his skin as he left her apartment. She couldn't believe what he just did. And most likely would never forgive him.

The evening was going so well. Their time together was perfectly fine just being friends. Each outing was fun being with her new best friend. Then he had to go and ruin everything, pulling a stunt like that. It reminded her how impossible it may always be for a girl and a guy to be only friends. Dallas just proved it, doing something unwelcomed when the boundary lines were established weeks ago. Now she had to make a decision she didn't want to be in again: maintain an uneasy friendship, or cut ties with him all together. Her last thought of the night; before her head hit the pillows, was how much she was going to miss having just a friend. Or so she thought. She never got a minute's sleep.

SATURDAY

Every part of her body ached from the lack of sleep. She even tried to lie to herself that she actually got any. There were a handful of appointments waiting for her to complete. Each one was going to take a little time from her day. She welcomed the work. It would help clear her head from the night before. After getting dressed, Clarissa grabbed all she needed before stepping out the door. Her cell phone had a message that made her skin go cold but also burn with the fury of one thousand suns.

*I'm sorry about last night. Can we please talk?*

Clarissa thumbed through her settings and found the trash can icon. One tap would delete all of her conversations with him. Her fingertip hovered over the icon by millimeters. It stayed there for a minute until she backed her finger away and set her phone down. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she sat down on her couch, shoulders rising and falling as she sobbed.