The Quarantine Affair Ch. 01

Author's note: First attempt, after many years. Feedback appreciated. All characters are over 18 years of age. Thank you for reading!

"And to add to that, our third roommate is moving out next month, so now we have to find someone else to take over her lease!" said Sarah, my hairdresser, as she meticulously worked on my fade.

This was only my third appointment with Sarah, at this salon. The first time I met her, I had finally worked myself up to push through the door and walk in, not exactly knowing what to expect. You see, I had only moved to the US about 4 months back, coming here for my doctoral studies. Earlier this year, I had graduated with a degree in computer science from one of the top engineering school in India, and my friends and family back home were excited that I was getting to pursue my dream of higher studies in the field. The transition hasn't been the easiest, there's a lot you have to get used to when you are new to a country, and things you imagine about a country watching TV shows and movies can sometimes be quite far from reality!

Nonetheless, I was loving it in this country so far, and had little to complain. Except, I still had to find a permanent place to live. The international student's organization at my University provided temporary accommodation for foreign students like me for up to 6 months, but after that you were on your own. The idea was that you would make some friends and get a lay of the land in that time, to find something decent after. I had honestly been too busy adjusting to the new routine, and the massive pressure of graduate coursework and demands of my teaching appointment left very little time for me to socialize or explore the area. With about 2 months left, I had just started to look for a place actively.

Unfortunately, being in southern California made the whole "find a place to live while on grad school stipend" even worse than it already is. During my last visit here at the salon, my living situation had come up in our casual small talk, and I had learned that she lived in a rather affordable area which was about a 20 minute walk from my University, and she had recommended that I looked up housing the area. I actually had looked up the area, but most of the apartments I checked did not have one bedroom options, and I really wasn't sure rooming with random strangers found on craigslist! Some of my international student housing friends were looking for roommates, but I hadn't quite found the right group there yet.

Which is why when Sarah mentioned her roommate situation, it peaked my interest. Growing up in India, the concept of co-ed apartments was somewhat new to me, but I would be lying if I said the idea didn't excite me. Especially since my last relationship had ended months ago, and I was now happily single, and quite ready to mingle, just never quite having the time for it yet!

That brings me back to this beautiful woman who was currently solely focused on hair. I had met Sarah here at the salon of course, on a breezy summer afternoon about 3 months back. After having waited for 6 weeks since I had landed in the US, I was badly in need of a cleanup. Back home, men's haircut cost about a dollar, and did not involve tipping either. I was aware of how the service industry worked here, and had been mentally preparing myself for a haircut which would cost about 40 times what I was used to before! For weeks I had passed Tilly's Hair Salon on my short walk to my department building from my temporary on-campus apartment. I had learned that they had a 20% off on Tuesdays between 10 AM and 3 PM, for student's with valid ID cards. Indeed that had sounded like a good deal to me, so one fateful Tuesday afternoon, emboldened by their large "Walk ins Welcome" sign outside, I stepped into Tilly's, not really knowing what to expect. I first saw Tilly behind the reception desk, when she looked up from her phone to greet me with a bright smile. I was still getting used to the smiles here in the US, so it instantly warmed me up, perhaps a little more than how it would have any average person. The fact that Sarah was absolutely stunning to look at, probably played a part too.

Southern California, especially here in the greater LA area, has a certain thing about attracting really good looking people, and I was starting to get used to it. Still, sometimes you just notice people because they really do that out. The first thing I noticed about Sarah was her deep blue eyes, and then that radiant smile when her those blue eyes met mine. She stood up to meet me and I realized she was tall, maybe just a couple of inches shorter than my 5'10. Her sharp features, beautiful blonde hair tied loosely back, and that golden tan gave her than quintessential California girl look. She wore a black tank top with a small "Tilly's" logo on it, and a pair of denim shorts and sandals. A few hooks on her ear piercings, a thin silver chain that disappeared inside her tank top completed her look. Something that I found instantly attractive about Sarah was her toned, muscular arms and shoulders. At a first glance, you could tell she works out, she was not skinny, but didn't have an ounce of extra fat on her either. If I had to guess, she was about a 32c or d, with slim waist and flat abdomen. Overall, she reminded me of a slightly sexier version of Lili Reinhart from the Netflix show Riverdale. Instantly, I was really happy I had stepped into the salon that day.

"Hi there! Welcome to Tilly's, have you been here before?" Sarah asked.

"No this is my first time here!" I replied, after taking a few second to process her words.

"No problem, we do accept walk ins and actually have a promotion going on today. Here for a cut?"

"How could you tell?" I joked.

That made her smile. Soon after I was following her into the back. On my way I almost walked into another chair as I was distracted by her absolutely perfect ass, very toned muscular legs and that sexy silver anklet she was wearing.

What followed was the best salon experience of my life. Sarah was charming, great at conversations, and knew what she was doing. She sympathized with me when she learned that I had just moved thousands of miles away from family and friends. I was mesmerized by the fragrance she used. Sarah was impressed learning about the complicated project I was working on. I was enjoying the soft brushes of her body against mine. Sarah told me she only worked there on Tuesday and went to a nearby school where was a English major. I savored her fingers on my scalp as she washed my hair. Maybe I was a bit confused, but for the first time since moving to the US, I felt like I had connected with someone. It was a great feeling.

Oh and I was also slightly aroused. Don't judge me, it had been a while since I was that close to a woman, let alone one as gorgeous as Sarah.

The appointment ended with me looking all cleaned up. I tipped her generously, put myself on her schedule four weeks ahead, and left with a happy heart. Oh, and I also left with her number, albeit only on her business card!

The next time I visited, we chatted more. Although we had vastly different experiences growing up, we connected over the fact that we were quite close in age (me being 23 and her 21), and that she was genuinely curious, not having known too many fresh-off-the-boat foreign students. We connected over her love for Indian food, yoga and soccer, which she played every weekend, and I missed playing dearly since coming here. She also told me about a local bar where she and her friends visited every Wednesday night for Karaoke and $3 Long Islands. I wasn't sure if she was inviting me, so I didn't really pursue it too much. It was during this second visit that she had suggested I looked up the neighborhood where she was staying. I had yet again left with a very generous tip, and this time she also gave me a quick hug! Man, I do love this country, I thought as I stepped out of the salon, hoping she did not get a feel of how happy I really was with her affectionate self!

Which brings us back to the current conversation I was having with her on my third visit to the salon, on a breezy late fall afternoon. We were talking about social life, and Sarah was telling me how between school work, her job here at the salon, her school dance team and soccer meets, she hardly had any time left for herself or to be social. Which is why, she told me, it was going to be hard looking for a new roommate in the middle of the school year. I acknowledged her concern and mentioned that I was just realizing how hard that is, when it just clicked with her.

"Wait, didn't you say you were looking for a place? Have you found one yet?" Sara stopped her work on my hair, and turned to ask me.

"Yes, I was, and I still am." I said, trying to keep my voice sound far less excited than I truly was.

"Well, we sure have a room if you are interested!" Sarah said, and I could sense hope in her voice.

"You already know me, and you would have to meet Jess of course, but you will love her, she's a darling!" she quickly added.

In the next 10 minutes, Sarah gave me more details about the place. It was a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom detached house, with a double garage and a pool and spa in the backyard. Actually Sarah's parents owned the house, but they lived up in San Francisco, and Sarah was renting from them, along with her friends Jessica and Rachel. Rachel had not been getting along with the other two very well recently, and had finally decided to move in with her boyfriend. The house sounded lovely to me, and I couldn't imagine finding a place like that on my budget. Besides, I was going to live in the same house with Sarah, that was incentive enough for me.

"How about tomorrow around 6 for a visit to the house?" Sarah asked.

"That works, just text me the address." I said, relieved that I wouldn't have to be first one to initiate contact.

We exchanged numbers at the end of that appointment, and I went home with my heart still racing. I knew I had a crush on Sarah, but I also told myself that I was going to have to keep it in check if I was going to share an house with her.

The next evening, I met Sarah at the house. It was a beautiful place, and they kept it really nice. I would have my own room and bathroom, and the shared kitchen was gorgeous. I was really excited to have access to a pool and spa, especially living here in California.

I met Jess that evening. Jess stood about 5'5, and was equally beautiful as her friend. Unlike her blonde friend, Jess was a fiery redhead. She also talked less, and seemed a bit lost in her mind, although she was really nice to me. We sat pool side and drank beers, and before long it started to get dark. Sarah and Jess were meeting their friend Kayla at the local bar that night, and they invited me to join in later that night. I had some grading assignments due, and had to sadly excuse myself.

Fast forward to January of 2020, it was moving day! In between I had visited my family back in India during the winter break, and they were happy to know I found a place, though they had no idea it was with two other American women!

Since I did not have a car yet, Sarah offered to help me, and we loaded up her jeep with my four suitcases, which was everything I had. The student housing was already furnished, and I had my new furniture already set up at the house. Rachel had decided to move out in December, leaving me with more time to get my room furnished before I moved it.

January went by quickly. Leaving with the girls was a lot more normal than I had imagined before. I saw very little of Sarah, she really had a lot going on between classes, work and her commitments to dance and sports. Jess mostly stayed in her room when she was home. I learned she was an English major, and loves to write. Sometimes in the weekends I would sit by the pool and work on my assignments. Sarah joined me sometimes, to catch up over a beer, before she had to run in for something.

The first time I saw the girls in their swimsuit was a day I would always remember. It was a rare occasion when all 3 of us were in the living room, enjoying the pizzas we had ordered. Sarah mentioned how it had been dreary all week, and she would love to be in the hot tub. I agreed, and soon enough we were back in our rooms changing. I was the first one out, and I slipped into the hot tub quickly, thanking heavens for the heat.

I had seen both the girls in their loungewear before. Sarah liked to wear cropped tank tops, short shorts and skirts, while Jess was more of the sweatshirt and pjs kind of girl. Sarah hardly ever wore a bra at home, and often her hard nipples poked through her top. Being that I had moved in January, I didn't get a chance to see them in their swimsuits yet. Finally that was about to change.

Sarah came out first, wrapped in a robe and carrying her towel. Once she reached the spa area, she turned around to set the town down, and took off her robe in a quick motion, leaving it beside the towel before joining me in the water. It was dark, but I still managed to get a great view of her absolutely stunning body. She had chosen a dark colored barely-there string bikini. I noticed she also had a belly chain, that drew attention to her washboard abs. I tried my best not to ogle, but I was pretty sure she noticed me staring, and there was a faint smile on her face.

Next out was Jess, who hurried over, looking as if she was shivering, although wrapped in a large towel. She also wore a bikini, though it had a little more material than Sarah's did. I had a brief view of Jess's body, her pale skin sparkling in the moonlight. She was slightly more on the curvier side, with less defined muscles than Sarah. Jess quickly jumped into the hot tub and made a sound of relief. I turned to look at Sarah and realized she had actually been looking at me. The smile on her face a little more pronounced now.

Sometime during the evening we had switched to wine, and as the drinks kept flowing, so did conversation. Sarah was a fun person to talk to, but I saw a different side of Jess that night - alcohol really helped her relax and open up.

The sky above us had cleared, and it was a beautiful moonlight night. I couldn't help feel that I was the luckiest man alive at that moment, relaxing in that 4-person hot tub, on a cool February night, with these two beauties in their skimpy bikinis. The lights from the jacuzzi changed periodically, and I let my mind wander on and off with it, all the while hearing the voices of these two women - talking, laughing, teasing and sounding increasingly less happy.

"Shut up...NO I DID NOT!!"... Jess screamed in between giggles.

That brought my attention back. I looked at both of them in turns, quizzically.

"Should we tell Arjun?" Sarah asked Jess, with a laugh.

"No please, I don't want to hear where you two hid the body!" I quickly said.

All of us broke out in a laugh. "Ok I suppose we can tell you, now that you are part of the hot tub homies group" Jess said. "Go ahead Sarah, shame me..." she added.

"No love, I would never shame you. And I don't think Arjun here is the judgmental kind.." Sarah looked at me.

"I am sure there was a reason why you committed the crimes, who am I to judge" I explained.

"Only if you consider two girls kissing a crime... do you?" Sarah asked, now looking directly in my eyes.

"Only a crime if not consensual, or one of them is a minor." I deadpanned. Guess the recent "Sexual Conduct in Workplace" lessons had made a mark in me.

"Fair enough. Well this was definitely consensual, and only adults were involved." replied Sarah. "Last time we were in the tub together, we played "truth and dare", and Rachel had dared Jess to kiss our other friend Hannah. Jess and I disagree to what extent she enjoyed performing the dare." Sarah explained.

"I am not saying there's anything wrong with enjoying kissing a woman, all I am saying is that I was drunk and I barely remembered how it felt." Jess said.

"Did you ever tell Jason?" Sarah asked Jess. Jason was Jess's boyfriend of two years. This year he started graduate school at NYU, and so they were doing the whole long distance thing. I suspected that was one of the reasons Jess stayed in her room so much.

Jess looked at Sarah for a few seconds before replying "No. You know how he is."

Sarah had mentioned to me before that Jason was the serious type, and that he wasn't a fan of Sarah's sense of humor or straightforward nature. That made me already not like the guy.

"Oops, this one is empty. Arjun, would you mind?" Sarah was holding the empty wine bottle in her hand, and looking at me expectantly.

"Sure," I felt like I was being asked to leave. I did not argue though. Plus, something told me this was going to get better with more wine.

As I climbed out of the hot tub, I could feel their eyes on me. I may not be a hunk in SoCal terms, but I was not too shabby. I stood at 5'10 and weighed around 160. I worked out when I could, and ate clean mostly. I knew for sure though that they would not enjoy the view of my read side as I would have theirs though.

When I returned with a new bottle I could hear them talking in whispers, which turned to silence as I reached. I poured some wine for both of them, and waited for a second. I wasn't sure if they wanted to left alone.

I hesitated for a second, and then climbed back into the tub. The hot water felt nice against my cooling skin.

"Arjun, do you have a girlfriend back home?" asked Sarah.

"Ah..no, not right now." I said.

It was the truth. I was seeing someone I went to school with back in India, but when she joined a graduate program there and I was going to leave for the US, we decided to call it off. It wasn't the cleanest of breakups, but we somehow remained in touch even after I left the country. When I had returned home during winter break, we met up again one evening for lunch at our old favorite restaurant. She was really curious how I was adjusting to the new life here, and was surprised I wasn't seeing anyone yet. Later that afternoon, when I went to drop her off at her parents place where she was staying, she invited me over. Her parents were at work, and we found ourselves back in her room, making out like new lovers. It was only after we had fucked, twice, that she told me about meeting someone in hew graduate program. She explained it wasn't serious, and they hadn't even slept together yet. I felt a strange mix of both jealousy and satisfaction somehow. We met up another time after that, but ended up having a fight, and then hardly talked after. I saw on Instagram that she was now quite publicly dating the guy she mentioned. So yeah, I definitely did not have a girlfriend back home at this time.

"Earth to Arjun, are you there?" Jess inquired.

That brought me back. I looked up at my two roommates and quite honestly felt glad I was not in a relationship. I could feel myself slightly aroused by my thoughts of my ex, and the sight of these two absolutely stunning women in their bathing suites sharing this hot tub with me made it worse.

"I sure am!" I said.

"Well, we wanted to know what you thought of American girls?" Jess explained.

"I think they are incredible, especially the ones I live with!" I said with a smile.

"Awww!!" went Sarah and Jess at the same time.

"But ladies, I think my tolerance for hot tubs is about to run out, so I am going to take your leave now!" I

We talked about a lot of things that night, from dating in the US vs back home, to how we were all happy to be single. I was happy to connect with them, and it felt like finally I was really getting to know them.

Soon after, we realized that were getting wrinkly from being in the water, and decided to call it a night. We stepped out of the tub, wrapped ourselves in the towels, and I followed the girls inside. Once back inside my room, I stepped out of my wet swim trunks. I cock was now standing up proud and erect. Since we are being honest, I am not as big as I see some the guys in porn. I think I measured myself once years back, and it came out to be just under 7 inches. I touched myself for a bit, reminiscing about the evening.