The Perils of Mandy Ch. 01

He was reluctant to interrupt the girls' conversation but thought if he danced with one or more other females Mandy might take the hint to give him some time too. So as the band ended its first number he handed the camera back to Daryl and hooked up with Megan, also attractive and a hot dancer who knew all the moves. Word had it she was hot in other ways as well, although that was not his motive.

John had come a long way on the dance floor since hooking up with Mandy and other dancers gave Megan and him some room, a few even stopping to clap and encourage them as they twirled, bumped, and did a little grinding. This had the effect John hoped, and when the next number started, Mandy suddenly appeared and cut in on Megan.

As John concentrated on keeping up with Mandy's great moves, he was conscious of Daryl shooting them from the side. Sam moved in to double-team John, grinding away on him from behind while Mandy moved in from the front. This was probably at Daryl's direction. It would be an interesting scene, John sandwiched by the identical twins. He got half-hard from it and wondered if the bulge in his pants would be visible on the video. Suddenly, Kay was dancing in, moving against John's outer thigh on one side, Megan doing the same from the other side.

Someone called out, "That's Superman, able to hurdle four tall girls at a single bound." John had to laugh.

When that number ended, John needed to let his semi settle down, and told his partners he would get them something from the bar, which was not a problem at this establishment, where "proof" was not looked at closely. The place was busy this night, and it took a while for John to get back to the table. Daryl was standing at a slight distance, recording the conversation between Mandy and Kay, which seemed to end just as he got there. Kay took her drink, glancing at him with a curious smile on her pretty face, excused herself and wandered off. John wondered briefly what that look was about.

"Having a good time?" he asked Mandy as he sat down next to her.

"Yes, although it's a little sad too. I keep thinking that everyone I talk with I'm not going to see again for a long while. Exams are next week, and then the year is over for most people and they'll be going home, even though I'll be here for three months. Even you will be leaving soon, and I won't get to see you much." She squeezed his arm and lay her head on his shoulder.

"You'll be seeing me every chance I get to break away," he said, letting his fingers trace a few strands of her long honey blonde hair.

"Those breaks will be too few and not last long enough for me," she said. Then she became conscious that Daryl was still there with his camera. "That's enough Oscar material for now," she told him with a wry smile. "I'm going to dance with my man."

They took to the floor, holding each other close as they swayed on slow numbers, returning to the table or mixing with others for conversation as the evening wore on. Eventually, people began saying goodnight. Kay approached with James, the stringed bass guy.

"We're going now. James has a new composition he wants to go over with me," Kay said with a straight face, apparently without innuendo, but it set both Mandy and John to laughing.

"Don't study too hard," John quipped. James looked a trifle embarrassed.

Looking at John in mock aloofness, with raised eyebrows, Kay cited a line from an old movie classic. "James and I are good friends. We don't have smut on our minds," adding with a subtle smile, "necessarily, that is." She gave James a come hither nod, and they left.

"Are they...?" John asked.

"I don't know," Mandy shrugged. "Kay hasn't been in the room as much recently - been working with James on the year-end concert, she says. She may be finally coming out of the blues, and if a fellow music student helps her out of it, I'm all in favor." She squeezed John's arm and smiled. "Getting attention from a certain student certainly worked well for me." She planted a kiss on his lips.

Samantha and Daryl approached the table. "Don't let us interrupt this lovey-lovey time, but we're going to split," Sam said, adding with a coy smile, "Daryl has something urgent he needs my help with."

"Hey Bro, the room might be a little busy for a while with everything we have to do," Daryl said. "You have somewhere else you can chill for a while?"

"I can think up something to entertain him in my dorm room," Mandy said, "even all night if necessary."

"Oh, it is so nice to have an understanding sister and friend," Sam said, taking Daryl by the arm. He retrieved his mini-cam and audio recorder from the floral arrangement, and they left, stepping lively.

"All night?" John asked Mandy. "Your room may be a little crowded tonight if Kay and James are composing there too."

"I don't think so," Mandy smiled. "She didn't reserve it. And I did tell her I might have a special guest tonight."

Mandy and John hitched a ride back to the school with the final departing guests. They went up to her room and did indeed find they were alone. By this time, they were both stifling yawns and having had a marathon loving session the previous evening agreed it would be good enough just sleeping together in the literal sense of the word. As often happened, however, once their clothes were off and they got beneath the covers, other instincts took over.

Before long, John was on top, fucking her slowly. At first, Mandy just lay there passive, enjoying the feeling of him inside her. Before long, however, she wanted to increase the pace, and wrapped her long legs around him, drumming his butt with her feet, nibbling on his ear, and running her fingernails lightly down his back. She then cupped his buttocks with her hands, encouraging his thrusts into her, which she knew would excite him into picking up the tempo. They both edged toward the climax.

"Are you almost there?" he asked, breathing hard.

"Fire when ready," she responded.

It was a joint salvo. He stayed inside her for several minutes more, as they squeezed and caressed one another. We've become so good at this, she thought, as she began coming down from the post-coital high. Finally, he withdrew and rolled off her, lying on his back, his slick dick at half-mast, reclining on his thigh. There was no condom to take off. She had started birth control midway through the semester.

"I am going to miss this big time," John said.

"No more than I will," she replied, reaching for his hand, and squeezing lightly, their moist, warm bodies brushing together.

It was one of the wonderful moments. She felt reluctant to do anything to threaten it. Nevertheless, this was an opening for something that had to be said.

"Missing it is something we should talk about," she added. "We're going to be apart for a long time. We should have an understanding on... maybe make allowances for..." She felt angry at herself for being tongue-tied about it.

He looked at her. "Allowances?"

"Oh shit, what I'm trying to say is, don't feel like you can't go out with anyone when I'm away, or that you have to deny yourself." She rose on one elbow and drew imaginary lines on his chest with her free hand. "You know what I mean. You're going to be horny and there are girls here who would just love to help you out with that. When I'm thousands of miles away across an ocean, I have no right to ask you to pass. So don't feel guilty. Just choose wisely is all that I ask."

He smiled. "So, I've got a free pass. But since I have to choose wisely, I guess it isn't a general pass. Do you have guidelines, or maybe even a particular surrogate in mind?"

"Just pick someone nice, such as Kay."

His smile diminished a little, replaced by a questioning look. "You're playing with me, right? You're not suggesting I hook up with Kay?"

"I'm serious. Well, at least semi-serious. You like Kay. She's nice, and one of our good friends. I know she likes you. You could have some good times just hanging with her, and if it led to something physical, I'd rather think of you rolling around with Kay than with... Megan or... someone else. Not that Megan would be that bad either."

He half-rose and kissed her on the lips, saying with a wry smile, "This is great. How'd you know I have the hots for Kay and Megan? Wow, this is going to be a great six months."

"Don't mock me. This is important. Be serious." She smiled, despite herself, giving him a playful nose tweak.

"Okay, here's serious," he said, his face sober. "Nothing against Kay - if you weren't in the picture, I might go after her - but I love you, you're the only one I want, and I'm prepared to walk around with a hard-on for the entire time you're in France, knowing it'll be worth the wait."

"You're impossible," she said, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, enjoying the feel of her breasts against his chest. "Okay, I said it. I did my duty - You are officially off the hook if you find that stiffy too uncomfortable. You have a pass while I'm away. Just choose wisely, send her packing before I get back, and be sufficiently firm for my homecoming. And I also love you, shithead."

Mandy checked that the coast was clear, and they went down the hall to the bathrooms, where they showered together in a stall and got ready to bunk down for the night. Later, as they lay side by side with the light out, she sensed he was restless. Finally, he spoke.

"Mandy?"

"Yes?"

"Sometimes I'm slow on the uptake. I've been lying here thinking about what you said, asking myself, 'Why would she give me the okay to play around while she's gone?' And the answer I came up with is maybe she's thinking about doing the same?"

Mandy had wondered when he would make the connection and had already thought about how to express her feelings. She took his hand, and swallowing hard, told him, "Right now, I get all the loving I need from you. Even when we're apart this summer, I'll be so busy completing the extra coursework that I can easily avoid any temptations while I wait for you to break away and come visit. Then, when I get to France, I'll be concentrating on learning my way around a foreign locale where they speak another language, and busy doing advanced studies." She paused, momentarily.

"But once I settle in, who knows?" she continued. "Exciting romantic location, new opportunities, new people who are also into music, and growing hormone levels. I won't go looking for it, but if I meet someone nice, I don't want to feel I can't." She paused. He said nothing. "And even if something happens, it doesn't mean I won't be eager to return and be swept up in your arms, and we take up where we left off."

He kissed her cheek in the dark, whispering, "Okay, you're right, this is a great opportunity for you, with new experiences, and you shouldn't be on a lease. Life is a gamble, and I've hit the jackpot with you so far. Maybe the cards will continue to be good. Thanks for being honest with me."

She threw herself across his chest and kissed him properly, adding, "You'll always be my Superman," then settled back, holding his hand. He seemed calmer. Before long, his steady breathing indicated he had drifted off. But she still lay awake thinking.

John had been like a balm for her. He had restored her faith in "mankind." A lot of guys had hit on her when she was in high school, but they seemed so immature and crude. None interested her that much. Samantha nagged that it was time to let go of her virginity, and recommended Justin, a sophomore in college, as an experienced "older man." Justin had grown up in their neighborhood, so she knew him, and he seemed nice and was good-looking. Sam had gone out with him, and said with a wink that he "had learned a lot at college." During summer break, Justin showed up one day and asked Mandy out. It was certainly Sam's handiwork, she figured, but they had a few dates and she liked him.

Mandy followed Sam's advice about virginity one night when her parents were out of the house. She had to admit the sex was exciting and enjoyable, so she and Justin did it a few more times before he went back to college, and got together again on Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Then, as they were lying in bed one night listening to carolers in the distance he mentioned casually that Mandy was "as good" as the girls he was making it with in college. It had been meant as a compliment, she supposed, and she did not make a scene, but the bubble burst. It was not just that Justin was screwing other people, but that he had not thought it important enough to discuss outside of an offhand remark. His attitude was that he fucked around and she should just be cool with it and take it as a compliment that he considered her "as good."

She discussed her misgivings with Sam, who surprisingly agreed with Justin, telling her not to take things so seriously - she was young, not committed to anyone, and should just enjoy having good sex. But Mandy broke it off with Justin.

Next came Jeff, a new guy in her class that she grew fond of. Having already lost her virginity and discovered how good sex could be, she found it easy to hook up with him as their senior year progressed. They had what she thought was a good relationship until Sam, who also liked Jeff, hooked up with him after failing to talk Mandy into a threesome. That caused a big rift and break up with her sister as well as her boyfriend. She decided to pack it in with guys for a while. They all seemed shallow, sex mad, and untrustworthy. Then she met John.

Not that John didn't have sex on his mind too. She smiled, thinking about when they met as fellow frosh the previous fall he seemed to be looking right through her clothes as if those thick glasses of his gave him super x-ray vision. But he was also restrained, as if afraid he would chase her off. It was amusing how hard he tried to impress her but was still so reserved and polite. Amusement changed to attraction as she looked beneath his nerd appearance, came to appreciate his understated sense of humor, discovered how nice he was, so sweet and considerate, so smart, and that they had many common interests. She soon decided her sabbatical from sex was over.

She also felt in control of a relationship for the first time. To overcome his restraint, she had to take the initiative, inviting him up to her dorm room to consummate their relationship. It had been a clumsy debut. He had come in record time. She would never have guessed how good they would become in bed, how they would evolve together as lovers, overcoming timidity and learning to experiment.

She was also a little surprised at how her views had broadened. She still didn't like the open sex that went on at many college parties but was no longer uncomfortable being around friends who got into heavy make-out before slipping off somewhere to undo zippers and clasps, and she no longer tried to hide beneath the sheets if someone happened to walk in on her and her boyfriend going at it.

Yes, John had been like a healing balm and one great learning experience. They had helped each other grow, and he was rock solid not only in his sex organ but also in integrity, one hundred percent committed to her, as she was to him. But while she often thought of him as The Big Passion, she still had difficulty using the "L word." No one could tell the future - she had been enamored by her first lovers, but quickly left them behind when they disappointed.

Would John also wind up just a learning step until the next stage of her love life? Was she starting to think like Sam - step out and mix it up? Would devoted John become dull and be just one of the horses in her stable, or be left behind as she went on to new studs and new excitements in life? She did not think so, but the thought of hooking up permanently with one guy was a little unsettling - so many older people seemed bored in each other's company, held together only by the glue of habit, and as the song said, "ink stains dried upon some line." They let passion fade, which seemed a horrible waste of life.

Only time would provide the answers. She would not go looking for anything new, she thought, drifting off into sleep, but only time would tell.

* * *

They had a good week together in the mountains following the end of the spring semester and before her summer one began, pooling their scant resources for a low-cost rental car and packing it with camping gear. Meals were basic, cooked on a small propane burner and over an open fire, and their luxury hotel consisted of nylon walls with just enough space to fit their double sleeping bag. It rained two of the days, but their spirits were undaunted. More time in the tent translated into more intimacy, and they were happy just being together. She had packed a guitar - they joined voices in favorites and John helped her compose new lyrics as she experimented with songwriting, which helped them pass the wet time enjoyably.

When the rain eased up they were able to get out on trails, and on one clear night they made love on a large log around the blazing fire pit. It was exciting doing it in the open. No one was camping close to them, but their tryst would be visible to anyone taking a walk. The thought elevated her arousal, and she felt herself get more passionate than usual, raking John's back, drumming on his butt with her heels. A performance. She was getting more and more like her porn star sister, she thought.

The camping trip was the highlight of their summer. Distance and their scholastic and work commitments limited the time they could spend together. Four times John rented a car and commuted the three hundred miles from home to the college. They had hoped to fit in another week's excursion before Mandy was to leave for France, but the construction job John was hired on ran into overage, and since he had become friendly with the boss he felt unable to just leave when planned.

So it happened that their final hiatus was cut to only two days, not enough time to go anywhere. He rented a car and drove to Mandy's, where her parents welcomed him and introduced him to the guest bedroom. They were fairly liberal in outlook, but still traditional in some respects, Mandy whispered when they were briefly alone.

He was glum, sensing a sexless farewell, but Mandy had already arranged an emergency backup. Saying she was going to show John around town, they left the house and went straight to the apartment of a good friend from high school, who was at work. She threw her arms around him as soon as they were in the door.

"We have to make up for lost time and what will be lost in the months ahead too," she told him.

After a long kiss, tongues exploring, their clothes went flying, and they spent several hours in one of the most thorough sensual workouts they had yet experienced. Eventually sated, they stripped the bed, showered, and left to show up for Mandy's bon voyage dinner at home.

"Well, what did you think of your tour of our little town?" Mandy's mother asked him.

"Absolutely super," John replied. Mandy had to stifle a laugh.

The next afternoon, they all drove to the airport. After checking in, Mandy and John wandered around with a couple of hours to kill before boarding. They found a quiet nook in the waiting area for a later flight where they cuddled, expressing the sadness of young lovers about to be parted while trying to maintain a general spirit of optimism for her pending adventure.

John gave her a parting gift, a unique mini-cam Daryl had helped him pick out for hands-free recording of places and events on her semester abroad. The inevitable sadness peaked after they strolled back to the flight gate as boarding began and her row number was called. She threw her arms around John and they hugged tightly. She blinked hard as they released one another, and there followed hugs with her parents. Then into the queue.