Story Time: The Girls

I walked into the apartment on Saturday morning. I was expecting a mess and that's exactly what I got. A couple empty pizza boxes sitting on the kitchen table. Red plastic cups all over the place. I saw Glen and Sanoki sleeping on their cots behind the couch. I saw Kaps on the couch. That meant the girls were in the other bedroom. I guess none of them got any tail last night. No surprise there. I stepped over Neil as he snored on the floor. Figured as much. Just because I left him out of the rent, didn't mean he wasn't going to crash here for free. At least without him paying rent, I do hold the option of kicking him out should he act up.

I was tired. All I wanted to do was try and grab a couple extra hours of sleep. I had watch from midnight to 4AM. It's only a two hour watch out at sea, in port, it's four hours. I couldn't wait to start my schools. No more fire watch for a while.

I carefully entered my room, opening the door slowly as to not disturb anyone. I closed it behind me and no sooner did I turn around and catch a glimpse of my bed did I notice it. There was a lump under the covers. This might have unnerved me under normal circumstances, however, it was a rather cute lump. I couldn't help but to grin. "Now that's what I call a house warming gift." I half whispered. Perhaps I half whispered a bit too loudly. That cute little lump rolled over and began to rub her eyes.

"In your dreams." She responded.

I started to take off my boots. "Dreaming is free." I replied.

"You must be Carroll." She presumed.

"And you must be Teresa."

"How did you know?"

"Mike showed me your picture." I told her.

She partially raised herself up a little. "I stole your bed."

"I can see that." As I began to remove my socks.

"You're not mad?" She asked me.

"Do I look mad?" I countered.

"You'd be mad if I were a guy though, right?"

"If you were a guy," I noted, "you would already be falling from the window."

She smiled. "I heard stories about you."

I lifted up straight and pointed at her. "Don't believe everything you hear."

"Good, because they weren't nice stories."

I thought for a moment before continuing to undress myself. "In that case, they might be true."

She appeared to be studying me. No sooner did I take off my shirt, I began to undo my pants and remove them. "Do you always undress in front of strange girls?"

"We just met." I answered. "We're not strangers anymore. Besides," I fired back at her, "do you always sleep in the beds of strange men?"

I was down to my skivvies when she asked, "You're not the least bit shy of your body, are you?"

I looked at her and smiled. "Nope." And removed my boxers. I placed my clothes in the hamper and headed towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. "Yep," she said, "the stories are true."

"Does it turn you on?" I quickly addressed her staring at me.

"Not in the least." She answered, turning back on her side to continue with her resting.

A few minutes later, I was done. I dried myself off in front of the dresser and grabbed a clean pair of boxers then I climbed into bed, her back was to me and so I turned my back to her. A few moments later, she gave me something to think about. "Don't get any fresh ideas, either."

"I was about to say the same thing to you."

I felt her turn herself around. "Excuse me?"

I turned myself around. "You're excused."

We were laying there, still on our sides only now, facing one another. "What do you mean you were going to say the same thing to me? You think I'm going to molest you?"

"It's happened before." I said. "Not with you of course, but other girls."

"I'll have you know that I am going to be getting married in a few months." She made it perfectly clear. I just kept on grinning at her. "I'll have you know," I retaliated, "that in three months, I will care even less about you getting married than I do right now."

"God, you're such an asshole."

"I know, right?" I giggled. "You may now fantasize our kiss goodnight." Then I rolled back over, my back to her. She flustered in her response while turning back around, her back to me again. "And you're so conceited too."

"Pleasant dreams." I issued.

"Bite me." She reissued.

"Maybe later." I reissued her reissue.

"Maybe not." She ..... never mind.

"At least you said maybe." I joked. "That leaves open plenty of possibilities."

"I'm not having sex with you." She asserted.

"Ditto."

"You're so annoying." She finalized.

Well, that was an interesting start to an interesting day. And yes, that's pretty much how it went with her and I in the beginning. Some would say it was love at first sight. Some would be wrong. Then again, some would be right.

I opened my eyes while on my back. I blew some hair from off my face. Only to discover, Teresa was lying halfway on top of me. Her head buried on my bare chest. I smiled at this. The noises from the other side of the door may have contributed to waking her up too. I went for the jab. "I knew you couldn't resist me."

She lifted herself up. "Please stop flattering yourself. It's pathetic."

I just kept on smiling as I watched her get to her feet. Her cute little pink tank top, and pink cotton shorts. Juicy looking abs. Tender looking thighs. And when she turned to squat in front of her luggage, sweet little ass. I sat up and on the side of the bed opposite her. She picked up her suitcase and carried it over to the dresser. "What are you doing?" I asked her.

She looked over at me. "I'm unpacking. I'm not going to live out of my suitcase for two whole weeks. Now which drawer do you want to give me, or do I get to pick?"

My dresser had six drawers. Three long, three short. There was a short one and long one to each level. "The bottom ones are empty. use those."

"Hangers in the closet?"

I sighed. "Yes, I have extra hangers too. Help yourself." I stood up and wandered into the bathroom to take a leak. I left the door open. "That's disgusting." She mentioned.

I turned my head to her. "Then why you watching?"

She turned her head away quickly. I flushed and washed my hands, wetting my military haircut a little and tried to get myself together. She took some dirty clothes of hers and placed them in the hamper. "What?" I stuttered.

Now she sighed. "We'll do laundry later in the week, geesh, don't nut on yourself."

This girl was taking over. How dare she just intrude on my personal space and .... oh look, there's that cute little ass again. What was I saying?

We both headed to the door and after she opened it, the others in the living room stopped what they were doing and talking about to stare at us in the doorway, standing side by side. All eyes were on us. Teresa waved them off and headed to the other bedroom. "Get over yourselves, Jesus. Nothing happened."

I just kept on grinnning. "Never mind her," I said, "she gets cranky in the morning."

I quickly locked eyes with the other two girls who were sitting on the couch and watching TV. Glen and Sanoki were putting away their cots. Kaps was drinking beer in the kitchen with Neil, sitting at the table. I motioned towards the girls for the introductions. "Hello, ladies, Carroll Bryant." I walked up to one of them. "Hello, Karen."

"Hello, Carroll." She shook with me with a smile on her face. I turned to Andi. "And you must be the lovely Andi. I've heard so much about you."

"You have?" She was surprised to learn.

"Not really." I confessed, jokingly. "It sounded cool though, didn't it?"

Just then, Teresa emerged from the bedroom to go into the bathroom. "He's an asshole." She announced before disappearing again. She left the door open while she brushed her teeth. "I told you she was cranky in the morning." I reiterated, then turning to go back into my room to dress. Karen had gotten up to join her brother and Neil in the kitchen. "I'm so hungry." She declared loudly. "Somebody get me some food."

Teresa popped her head out. "Carroll and I are going to the store shortly to get some."

I halted in my doorway and turned around. "We are?"

She paused momentarily. "Yes, we are. You have a problem with that?"

"Apparently not." I answered her. "But why me? Why can't your brother take you?"

"Because he wasn't an asshole towards me this morning in bed. That's why." She grinned.

"It's my bed." I stipulated. She saw it differently. "It's our bed now." She flat out spoke. "You might want to get used to that too." Then she disappeared again to spit. I threw up my arms and resumed going into my room. "I want a divorce already." And closed my door.

I'm pretty sure the others were a bit mystified about her and my behavior. I'm pretty sure because I heard Glen say, "What the hell is going on? Did I miss something? How long was I asleep for?"

She held true to her word though, she and I did end up going to the store together. Karen and Andi tagged along. I would have been okay with just some steaks and beer. Maybe some cereal and milk, but these girls loaded up the cart. Teresa and I kept handing out these not so subtle glances to each other. I admit they all three were quite attractive. Short and petite too. But Teresa was fast to growing on me. I dug her style. Suddenly, my Lori woes disappeared.

Upon our return, I started up the grill and began cooking some food for everyone. Everybody else took to the beach to play some touch football. Teresa hung back to assist me on the deck, up high and looking out at the others play their game. It was like all of a sudden, one big happy family. I'll never forget that feeling. She and I kept up with our glances. A connection was definitely made.

Afterwards, they all took off to the bar. I stayed behind to clean up. Just as I started on the dishes, Teresa walked into the door. "Need some help?"

I was standing at the sink. "Sure." I tossed her a towel. "I wash, you dry and put away?"

After cleaning the grill, we went to wash up then we joined the others. We sat down at the table. Side by side, we kept glancing at each other silently.

I know what you're thinking, I was thinking it too. She did mention getting married in a few months, and I wanted to ask her about that. The thing was, it was too soon. I figured I had plenty of time to get the 4-1-1 on that situation. Until then, I guess the cat and mouse game would have to do.

Once the band arrived, Karen and Andi took turns dragging me out on the floor to dance. Mostly fast songs. At one point, I asked Teresa if she wanted to dance but she refused, citing that she doesn't 'fast' dance. However, when the band decided to slow it down, just like with Lori when she and I first met, Teresa grabbed me by the arm and led me to the floor. "I thought you didn't dance?" I whispered.

"Just shut up and hold me." She would say. It sounded good to me.

I did notice a little tension between Andi and Mike. I already knew they used to be a couple back in Georgia. It started to appear that he still thought themselves as a couple because he was quick to get in between her and anyone else who tried to hold a conversation with her. I didn't think much about it then. It would though later prove to be a much bigger deal.

Meanwhile, the flirtatious manner between Teresa and I moved right along. The next morning, we awoke pretty much in the same manner as we did on Saturday, me blowing her hair out of my face while she rested her head on my chest, and my arms wrapped around her. And no, we didn't have sex. I got out of bed and went straight for the shower. Shortly, I heard her enter the bathroom. I poked my head from around the curtain. She took a squat on the toilet and looked over at me. "You mind? I'm peeing."

"Fine." I said, resuming my wash. Imagine my slight surprise when she joined me. She was quick to say. "I'm not having sex with you, I just don't want to wait for the water to get hot when you're done."

"I didn't say anything." I defended.

"No, but you were thinking it."

She maneuvered in front of me and under the spray. I made it a point to tell her. "You know, you don't have to keep saying that you're not going to have sex with me. Once was enough. I get it, we're not going to have sex. You don't have to keep rubbing it in my face."

She smiled while turning her back to me. She reached for a rag and tossed it behind her. I caught it. "Scrub my back."

I lathered up the rag and started up at her neck. She lifted her hair up and over her shoulder to allow me more access. I slowly began the scrub down, working my way to her shoulder blades, then her middle back, then lower. I might have slightly overshot my target. "Carroll, that's not my back."

I giggled. She turned slightly her head and smiled.

I concluded that this was probably going to be the way of it for the next two weeks. Nothing but flirting. Just innocent, or half innocent flirting anyway. She staked her claim to my room, my bed and for the time being, my life. All look, no touch. Well, except for when we showered together. And when we woke up in the mornings. Or when we danced. Okay, some touch, just no sex.

And you know what? ... I was just fine with that. I really was. I think I'll put that divorce on hold for now.