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Davina Guy (AKA David W. Thompson)

“Damn girl, pick up the stupid phone already! Or turn down the volume – I’m tired of hearing it ring.”

Julianna rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock by her bed. God, I’m so tired! A full day of exams with only a twenty-minute nap to recover wasn’t cutting it.

She pulled herself across her bed and picked up her phone. Lorelei. She considered fabricating an excuse to steal the reward of a few hours of sleep, but with the next ring, she sighed and answered the phone.

“Hey Lor, what’s up? Is everything okay?”

“I guess it’s nothing a full-frontal lobotomy wouldn’t fix.”

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad… let me guess, Mom again?”

“Well, yeah, Mom. Who else? She’s batty, Jules, and battier than normal, I mean. I’m at my wit’s end. She waits for me to fall asleep and goes sneaking out to the woods like before, doing her magical incantations or some shit, I don’t know.”

“Is she taking care of you? You know, during your moon cycle.”

“Taking care of me? Hmm… yeah, if you consider keeping me locked up down there for two days as taking care of me! Then, when she comes down to the basement, it’s like she doesn’t even remember I’m there. She made me miss my Senior Prom, Jules!”

“All right, I’m coming home. It’s good timing with spring break; I just finished my exams. I miss you anyway, and you don’t need to be alone and having to deal with all that. I’ll leave in the morning and should be there by mid-afternoon.”

“No, you don’t have to do that. I was hoping maybe you could talk to her. She might listen to you, and I don’t want to get her upset.”

 “Seriously, Lorelei? You know, the two of us mix like oil and water. I’ll be there. See you in the afternoon.” Julianna hung up before her sister could argue further and dialed the gym. Frank Matheson, the owner, was a good guy to work for. He wasn’t happy to hear she’d miss leading her classes, but Frank seemed to understand at least. Like everyone else, he had enough family issues of his own.

Julianna slipped into yoga pants and a halter and faced her kickboxing bag. She threw a round kick followed by an uppercut and a long series of jabs. Her Yorkie Xena whined from the bed as Julianna completed her routine.

“It’s okay, Xena, I’m not mad at you, baby.” Julianna scratched her behind the ears. She pulled on her slippers and went to the kitchen to tell her roommate, Amy, of her plans. Amy was at the sink, elbow-deep in pots and pans.

Oh boy, I will be a guinea pig for another bout of experimental recipes. Cooking and new food fads were Amy’s antidotes for depression.

“You need to get dressed, Julianna. I’d kill for your beautiful copper skin, but you don’t have to flaunt it, princess.” Amy flipped her perfect blonde curls out of her eyes.

 “This will work for around the apartment, I think.”

“At least put on some decent clothes before everyone gets here.”

“What? Who?”

“Come on, Julianna. Did you forget the guys are coming over tonight? And you tease me about being a dumb blonde.”

“Crap, I did forget, but I’m going to have to be a party pooper. Sorry, but something has come up, kind of a family emergency, and I need to drive home tomorrow. I’ll hang out for a bit, but I really must turn in early tonight.” 

Amy scrunched her lips together and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

Great, Amy’s pissed, but tough, it can’t be helped. The mental release of a party might be exactly what she needed, but all she felt up to right now was sleep, and she dreaded what faced her at the end of her journey tomorrow.

Julianna quickly showered, dressed, and spent time on her research paper before the doorbell rang.

Jen and Deborah arrived together, early, of course, and Amy put them to work arranging the appetizers. Everyone looked up when Amy’s treasured cuckoo clock began announcing the hour from the living room. Julianna knew they were all thinking the same thing.

“Where do you suppose they are?” Jen asked. “I swear, if John and Katie are late, the world will literally end!” In mid-cuckoo, a knock sounded on the door. Deborah cackled in delight when the newly “coupled” couple entered the kitchen.

 “We know you guys too well,” Deborah said, still giggling.

“Well, I’d hope so. We’ve only been best friends since freshman year.” Katie gave each of her friends a hug. “At least we aren’t all finishing each other’s sentences like you and Jen do.”

 Amy laughed. “Yeah, I think I need some new friends. It’s a rare weekend when we aren’t all hanging out together at some point. But speaking of which, I invited two new guys I met on campus tonight. I think you’ll like them.”

“Fresh meat?” Katie winked at Julianna, who shot a look in Amy’s direction (what Amy called her evil eye: one eyebrow hooded, and the other raised), but Amy responded with her sweet, innocent little girl smile, complete with matching dimples. Two guys. Wonderful. That means one for Amy and another one that she intends to fix me up with.

Amy responded to the knock at the door and returned with a blond-haired man attached to her arm. She introduced him as Shane. He was tall, six foot or so, with a tight, well-built body, obvious even under his sports jacket. Julianna assumed he worked out and wondered why she had never seen him at her gym. He looked good, even if he was overdressed for a college party. A freshly pressed shirt and tie completed his dressed-to-impress ensemble. He smelled of money.

Hell, I bet he even irons his socks. No, his maid probably does that. She stared at his earring, a gold crescent moon, an odd decoration for a man’s ear, but then, she didn’t like earrings on men, or on women much either for that matter. Maybe that was the one thing she was old-fashioned about. Julianna preferred the strong, silent, rustic type, a real Marlboro man, but who knew? A different kind of man might change her luck.

As Shane got acquainted with the six friends, Julianna’s gaze swept over him from his head to his brightly polished shoes and he unconsciously paused here and there.  It was a shame she had to bail on the party tonight; it might have been fun. It had been so long since she’d had a break from her hectic life.  She shook her head. No, not tonight. Julianna consoled herself knowing how nice it would be to be home, at least to see her sister, and Lorelei needed her.

Julianna answered another knock on the door, and a sweet candy-like scent teased her nose. She did a double take when Chase Graves, one of her classmates in a few courses, strode in.

He had emerald green eyes, dark wavy hair, and chiseled good looks. No doubt, young women were swooning over him before he even sprouted whiskers, although it was difficult to picture him without his well-groomed handlebar mustache. Chase wore his usual – tight-fitting jeans and a plaid flannel shirt that couldn’t hide his trim and muscular body. He made casual look so hot, so male. In short, he was definitely her type, at least regarding appearances.

Chase reached out and wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug.

“It’s good to see you again, Julianna.”

Her mind drifted back to the classes they attended together and their coffee dates soon after. They started as fast friends. Then over dinner one night, he started acting possessive, relationship possessive. In all honesty, Julianna didn’t trust her feelings around him, even after their short acquaintance. She had even fantasized that someday, if the family curse was broken, she could get used to having him in her life. He seemed to know every button to push on her heart – and body. Therefore, she no longer let herself be alone around him. Sex had been off the table. Her body warmed at seeing him, but she pushed the thought away. She couldn’t allow herself that, not with the secrets in her family closet.

“I only want us to be friends,” she’d told him after a weekend of soul-searching.

“Very good friends, I hope. What about friends with benefits?” He flashed a white-toothed smile.

“I don’t believe that’s even possible. Friendships like that either become much more or end altogether. I don’t want either one.”

“Then we are at an impasse because I want, no, I need, more.” His green eyes locked with hers before he walked away.

Julianna saw him everywhere around campus after that, always with a woman or two. She ignored him, and the more she did, the more effort he expended in the pursuit, the more he flaunted his female “friends” whenever she was near. Was he ever interested in her as a person? Were they ever really friends, or did he play it up as a ploy to get in her pants? She did the math, and it added up. He had played her. He wanted another notch on his belt, and the harder a woman was to get, the bigger the challenge, and that realization hurt. If he’d been honest with her, she might have considered being one of those notches!

Amy greeted her latest guest and introduced him to everyone.

“We’ve met before,” Chase said, looking at Shane.

Julianna noted the hostility passing between the two men. “So you guys know each other?”

“Yeah, we go way back.” Chase’s nostrils flared.

God, men and their childish machismo, she thought.

Xena strolled into the room and headed to her corner bed until she heard Chase’s voice. She ran toward him, jumped up on the couch, and propelled herself into Chase’s arms.

“Hey, Xena, there’s a good girl,” he cooed in her ear.

Amy pulled Julianna to the side. “Okay, so I spotted you and Chase together in the library, and…”

“We weren’t together, he just sat there. I didn’t invite him.”

“Well, I could see how he looked at you from across the room, but I knew you weren’t interested anymore. I’d love to hear that story sometime. Anyway, after checking out my books, I walked over to your table, but you were gone, so I asked him over tonight. He’s so damn hot, but is it all right with you? I mean… well, you aren’t into him, right? He’s fair game? If he and I were to …”

“He’s all yours, Amy. Rock his world, girlfriend!” Amy was right about one thing, though, Julianna thought. Chase was hot enough to make a woman sweat just being near him, and suddenly, her old desires raced through her body, electric, tormenting her. She had almost forgotten how tantalizing he was. No! If and when she needed her itch scratched, Shane’s chances for a no-strings horizontal thrash were more probable than Chase’s. Shane might at least be honest and appreciative afterward, but a night with Chase would be a seduction built on lies, cheap and tawdry, and just another check mark in his little black book.

Amy gave Julianna a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Jules. Shane’s a good catch, too. I know he’s a little stiff initially, but I heard his dad’s filthy rich, and he only has one brother.” She winked at her, and Julianna rolled her eyes.

Julianna made nice and enjoyed the conversation over light appetizers. She had a few drinks with her friends, both old and new. Chase flirted with all of the girls, even Jen and Deb. Either he hoped they were switch-hitters, Julianna thought, or else he lacked a lesbian notch on his belt, but she still felt his eyes following her whenever she moved.

Julianna thought of how people often grow into their names, but the name of the sluttiest girl she had ever met was named Chastity, and she knew a skinny, nerdy kid who went by Hunter…but Chase? His parents nailed it with his name.

Shane bantered with the other guests but hung on Julianna’s every word, making it clear she was the one he was interested in. When her glass ran low, he was quick to top it off. He was attentive and a perfect gentleman, perhaps too much so. She wondered how he would look in a flannel shirt and jeans – maybe even under her flannel sheets!

“Hello? Julianna?” Shane broke into her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I was daydreaming.”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“I’d have to give you change.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“Your necklace, it’s beautiful. I love turquoise, always have.”

“It’s the goddess Diana, the huntress,” Amy interrupted. “It’s Julianna’s one concession to fashion. You will rarely see her without it.”

 Shane looked up from the pendant to Julianna’s eyes. “A woman who looks like you needs minimal ornamentation.”

She smiled. “Why, thank you, Shane. It was a gift from my father, who’s passed, so it’s special to me. Besides, turquoise is the essential adornment for all Native American women.” This guy is quite the flirt. At first glance, he seemed way too prissy for her taste, but there was another deeper element to the man, like when a book doesn’t match its cover. She felt a primal draw just as she felt when she was around Chase.

In a hurry to get to bed or because the drinks helped her relax, Julianna sucked them down and felt lightheaded. She asked to be excused, gave the explanation of her family needing her at home, and said her good nights. She went to the kitchen for a glass of water, and Shane followed. He slipped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Julianna?”

She turned to face him. “Yes?”

“I had a great time tonight, and I’d like to see you again soon. You said your family lives in Morton, and mine are in Ramsey. Do you think I could give you a call while you’re home? I’m going home over the break too, so maybe we could have dinner together? We are practically neighbors.”

“My father said all mountain folk are neighbors, especially West Virginians. Look, I’m sorry to cut it short, too, Shane. I’d like it if you called. Just don’t tell Amy. I’d never hear the end of it.”

They exchanged phone numbers, and Shane hugged her. He bent over for a quick peck goodnight, and her arms circled his waist in return. A quiver moved down her spine as his lips touched hers and settled at her core. She could feel the muscles of his chest pressing against her breasts through the thin cloth. Julianna was greedy for a human touch, preferably a human male’s touch, and suddenly, this wasn’t just a casual kiss between two new friends. She hugged him tighter and he lifted her to the counter. She felt Shane’s hand slip under her blouse and stopped it before it could continue its advance. Oh God, not this . . . not tonight.

“No, Shane. Stop… I – ”

“Oops, sorry, am I interrupting?” Chase asked from behind them.

“I assume that’s a rhetorical question.” Shane flashed his dark eyes at the other man. Chase glared back, did a slow about-face, and left. Shane turned back to Julianna, tried to step between her legs, and again snaked a hand beneath her blouse.

She grabbed it before it reached her breasts and brought her knees together. “Stop. I like you, Shane, but… stop. I’m not very used to alcohol, not to mention the fact that I just met you or that all my friends are here. There’s no way this is happening.” She tugged on his arm, and he withdrew his hand. “I’m sorry. Good night.” She hurried off to bed.

Sleep found Julianna despite the flash heat Shane had stirred in her and the incessant ramblings of her troubled mind. When she heard the creak of the door’s hinges and Shane stepped inside, she knew she was dreaming.

He pressed his muscular body against her from behind, spooning. One hand stroked its way over her back to cup a breast, then took a lazy tour of other parts of her body – kneading and caressing. His fingernails trailed up and down the back of her thighs, and electric pulses coursed through her at each change of direction. She sighed.

 His hand continued its journey along her body, always stopping just shy of more intimate places. It’s just a dream, Julianna. No harm done.

She heard the rustle of his clothes, and his hands resumed their teasing caress. Her body trembled at his touch, a sweet agony.

He rolled her over, so she lay flat, and his magic mouth followed the path of his hands. Warmth and tingling shocks flushed through her. She wanted him! 

He kissed her belly button, then he moved up and kissed the nape of her neck and her lips and nuzzled her ear.   

 Her eyes flew open, and she quickly surveyed her room. She felt like a child searching under the bed for monsters—but no one else was there.

It wasn’t her imaginary passion that woke her, and no phones were ringing, but there were loud voices coming from the living room. When she heard a loud crash, Julianna grabbed her robe and the baseball bat from the closet before sneaking out of the room. Down the hall to the shared living room, she stared open-mouthed at the scene unfolding before her.

Shane got up from the floor, rubbing his chin, and turned to face Chase. They looked like two battling bantam roosters with their shoulders squared off and chests puffed out. Fire burned in their eyes as each tried to stare down the other. Oh God, this is just what I need: a drunken alpha male showdown. Amy’s treasured cuckoo clock lay smashed on the floor. She sat at the farthest point of the couch, eyes peeking through her hands and mouth wide open. Their other friends were nowhere to be seen.

“Never fucked an Indian before…” Chase started but shut up when Julianna entered the room.

Unbridled fire rose to her cheeks. He didn’t want a notch on his belt for the number of women he’d screwed but for the races he’d seduced. No wonder she was on his hit list. Native American women were rare enough on campus. What a sick shit! “What the hell is going on?” If you guys have a problem, take it outside. We don’t need this crap in here. Are you okay, Amy?”

Amy nodded, and both men looked at her like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

“Sorry, Julianna, I –” Shane started.

She lifted her bat for emphasis, and she had no qualms about using it. Amy stirred from her trance, jumped up from the couch, and placed a hand on Julianna’s bat.

“I’ll take care of this, Jules. Go back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone with these assholes.” Julianna glared at the two men.

“I’ll take care of it. I know how to handle them. Get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow.”

Julianna retreated to her room, listened, and waited. At the sound of the apartment door closing, she lowered her guard and fell into a blissful sleep.

David W. Thompson

https://www.david-w-thompson.com

David is a multiple award-winning author, Army veteran, and graduate of UMUC. He’s a multi-genre writer and a member of the Horror Writers’ Association, and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. When not writing, Dave enjoys family, kayaking, fishing, hiking, hunting, winemaking, and woodcarving.