I look down and fiddle with the tiny red straw in my drink. It was a mistake coming to this thing. Maybe I should check my phone again to look occupied. Or would that just come across as desperate? I scan the room. I'd say less than a quarter of the graduating class actually showed up. I'm starting to think the others had the right idea. There's only so many times you can do the "Wow, ten years! How's it been?" spiel with people you pretend to recognize. As I take a sip, I spot someone walking towards me in my periphery. Shit, not another one. I look up, trying to make out his face. Then, my eyes widen.
"Jennifer!" He calls, drawing out the "r" sound.
"Holy shit," I blurt out. "Julian?"
He hugs me. Fuck, he still smells the same. He takes the barstool next to me as I sink back into mine.
"I barely recognized you," I say, pausing to take another sip of my drink. "With all that hair."
The shaggy curls fall to just above his shoulders.
"Yeah, well," he states. "My mom doesn't buzz it in the kitchen anymore."
"Clearly," I giggle.
"Man am I glad to see you. I was starting to fall asleep over there."
He gestures to a small group of guys across the room. They're engrossed in something on their phones.
"I don't know if I can promise you anything more entertaining." I remark.
"Sure you can, Jen," he says, playfully swatting my shoulder.
I'd always had kind of a thing for Julian. On and off. His best friend dated one of mine for a while. There were a couple double dates, but it was never anything beyond platonic. Julian never seemed all that interested, and I was too shy, regardless. But man, the years had done him justice. His longer hair suited him, and so did the mustache he was finally able to grow. A tattoo covered the side of his neck, although I couldn't make out the picture. A snake's head poked out from under the cuff of his sleeve.
"What's that?" He says, pointing to the near-empty glass in front of me.
"It used to be a vodka cran," I lament.
He flags the bartender. "Another vodka cran, and an old fashioned. Thank you."
I look up at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiles.
"I'll drink it if you don't want to," he says.
"No, no I want to. Don't worry," I assure him.
"Atta girl," he laughs.
Then he sighs, "so, some turnout, huh?"
"Yeah, well, I guess most people didn't think it was worth planning a whole trip home just for the reunion of Bumfuck High," I sigh.
Julian's eyes meet mine. I catch a glimmer of hurt in them.
"Shit," I say. "You still live here."
"It's okay," he replies. "I know there's not much happening in this town. I mean, most of what I do for fun involves leaving. Going down to the city, up to the mountains..." His voice drifts. "But this place still needs nurses, and I still need money. And, y'know, I love what I do or whatever."
"They let you be a nurse?" I ask. "With all those..." I wave my hand at his neck.
"Oh," he chuckles. "It helps if they hire you before you get the tattoos."
The bartender returns, setting down the new drinks. Julian pulls the orange peel from the little skewer and twists it over his glass. I watch his hands--gentle but firm. It's a simple task but he makes it seem so delicate. I wish I was that orange peel.
"What are you staring at?" he taunts.
"Your surgical precision," I counter.
Julian shakes his head. "Dang, Jen. Coming for my town and now my career?" He laughs.
"No, I mean--" I start.
"What are you doing back here, then?" He jabs.
"I'm taking care of my mom."
Julian pauses. Concern darkens his expression.
"She's okay." I assure him. "Well, she will be. I'm just here for a couple of weeks, while she's recovering from surgery."
He lifts his old fashioned, meeting my gaze. "To us caretakers, then."
-
As we catch up, the guys across the room get progressively louder. Then, just as Julian begins to recount a recent camping experience, we hear a loud "what the FUCK man" as a glass shatters. The DJ shouts an unintelligible warning over the loudspeakers.
"Okay," Julian declares. "The vibe sucks in here. Do you wanna take a ride? I can show you what's changed around town. Maybe relive some old times?"
I give him a look of amusement.
"Old times?" I ask him. I scan the room again. "You know what? Yeah. It'll be a better reunion than this, regardless."
He leads me to the door.
-
"And you used to call me Julie, remember?" Julian asks, one hand on the steering wheel. "Well, all the girls did."
"But you," he waves his finger at me. "You started it."
"Oh my god, I totally forgot about that," I giggle. "You hated it."
"Well..." He hesitates. "I thought it was cute when you did it. But then it caught on and I had to... defend my masculinity or whatever. You know, that high school shit."
I shake my head, giggling. "Julie, Julie, Julie. With your beautiful curls."
I reach for a lock of his hair, brushing it to the side and revealing his tattoo: a bear with the night sky above. Then I snap my hand back and bite my tongue. Maybe I shouldn't have downed the rest of that vodka cran before we left. Why do I always embarrass myself like this? Either I can't make a move or I'm way too forward. My cheeks flush. I feel like Julian can sense my nervousness.
"Ursa minor," he says.
I snap out of my daze. "Huh?"
He pulls down the collar of his shirt, exposing his neck. "The constellation. It means little bear. With any luck we should be able to see it from here."
I peer through the window. It seems darker than before. Then I realize where we are.
"Wait, the quarry?" I laugh.
"You're acting like it wasn't the coolest hangout spot," Julian protests.
"Yeah, maybe when we were fourteen."
"It's changed," he says, his voice growing earnest, "now that it's abandoned. There's water. Plants are growing. It's like nature is reclaiming it. And the sky looks great from here."
The car rolls to a stop. Julian turns the key, leaving the headlights on. We step into the night air. The gravel crunches beneath our feet as he leads me to the edge of the quarry, the headlights illuminating our path. We take a seat on the same rocks we used to, years ago.
"See there?" He points. "That's ursa minor."
My gaze follows the length of his arm. I squint.
"No, I can't see," I snap. "That tree is in the way."
"There," he points again.
I climb across the rocks, inching closer to the water. "I think I can--"
I feel my foot slide sideways. And then my whole body.
"Jen!" I hear, as I tumble into the water. "Shit!"
For a moment, I only feel the cold surrounding me. It's surprisingly deep. Then, a warm hand grips my forearm. I feel Julian pull me up and back onto the gravel. I inhale sharply as I hoist myself up.
"Are you ok, Jen?"
I wipe the water from my face. "Yep. Yeah. Just embarrassed."
"Fuck, you're shivering. Here."
Before I can respond he strips off his jacket and drapes it around my shoulders. The glow of the headlamps catches his bare arms, making his tanned skin glisten. The sleeves of his t-shirt stretch over his biceps. I watch his chest heave, almost forgetting how cold and wet I am.
"Let me, uhh," Julian starts. "Listen, I don't live far from here. We can get you some dry clothes."
"I--okay," I stammer.
"It's the least I can do," he says.
-
"You have a really nice apartment," I tell Julian, admiring the photographs hung up in the hallway.
"Thank you," he calls from the kitchen. "It's small but I try to make it homey."
I walk in, wearing his oversized t-shirt and plaid pajama pants.
Julian smiles. "Hey, nice outfit."
I give a little spin for dramatic effect. He looks me up and down. Just for a second, his eyes seem to rest on the t-shirt, before flicking back up to meet mine. I remember I'm not wearing a bra. I don't think he was looking. But then again, he could have been.
"Do you," he clears his throat. "Do you want a glass of water or something?"
"Yeah, yeah that would be great," I stutter.
Suddenly, he moves towards me. He places his palm on the cabinet above me, leaning in. Was he this tall before?
He utters: "Can you--"
I stand on my tiptoes. His lips meet mine. I kiss him. Then, I realize what I'm doing. He pulls away, taken aback.
"I--," I stammer, placing my hand over my lips.
"I was going to ask," he says, taking a breath, "if you could move your head."
He gestures to the cabinet. "I keep my cups up there."
"I'm sorry," I whisper, ducking my head. "I should go."
I look at the floor. Suddenly, I feel his hands cup my face. His thumb brushes my cheek. I sigh.
"Sorry for what," he murmurs.
"Because," my voice cracks, "you buy me a drink, you take me around, you pull me out of the quarry, give me your clothes... and then I go and do that. And I have algae in my hair."
But then, his lips are on mine again, so soft and gentle. As his hand finds the back of my head, he kisses me harder. He pulls me closer by my waist, whispering in my ear:
"Who brought you to the stupid quarry? Who made you look at the stars?"
He kisses my cheek. "I like you, Jen. You're fun. You're honest."
He pauses, moving his lips to my ear. "You do kind of smell like quarry water though. Can we take a shower?"
-
I stand in the shower, the hot water caressing my body. Julian said he'd be right back. I briefly wonder whether he meant once I'm done--whether this isn't what I thought it was. But then, I hear the door open. I can roughly make out his figure in the steam. He steps into the shower.
"Hi."
"Hi," I giggle.
Slowly, he turns me around and pulls my body into his, wrapping his arms around me. I watch our figures in the foggy mirror, Julian behind me, holding me. He kisses my neck softly. I shiver, closing my eyes and leaning into his touch.
"Jul," I breathe.
"Can I touch you?" He whispers.
I nod. His hands slide over my sides, brushing the curve of my waist.
"I had a hunch," he murmurs, "that your tits would fit right into my hands."
He cups my breasts. "Fuck, they're so perfect."
"I thought I saw you staring," I tease.
"Well, I've always known they were perfect, Jen."
I start to feel him swell against my ass. His cock twitches.
"Look at what you're doing to me," he growls in my ear.
Keeping one hand on my tits, he runs his other down the small of my waist and over my stomach. I feel his lips on my neck again as he softly brushes his fingers over my clit.
"Fuck, Jen, I've wanted you for so long."
His voice sends a shockwave through my pussy. I whimper. He uses his thumb to continue rubbing my clit as his other fingers reach further down. He slides my lips apart, revealing how wet I've become. Immediately, his hard cock pushes further between my cheeks, almost resting against my asshole. So dangerously close. He exhales, moaning.
"And you're so fucking wet for me. God, I need more of you."
He suddenly grabs me and spins me back around to face him, looking into my eyes. I briefly glance down at his cock. Wait. I glance down again, not afraid to hide my gaze this time. Holy shit. I pull him close to me, whispering in his ear:
"You know size doesn't matter, right?"
He chuckles, nodding.
"But it's fucking huge," I add.
"Yeah," he says. "I know. It's a blessing and a curse."
We lock eyes. Without breaking eye contact, I inch downwards, my knees meeting the floor. I watch his face as I take his balls into my hand, running my tongue over the slit of his cock. He closes his eyes, twitching. I give him a devious look.
"Jennifer..." he moans, almost pleading.
I taste his precum. It's salty and slippery on my tongue. I've always liked it more than the real thing--the more there is, the more I know I'm sucking it right. I start to bob up and down, hollowing out my cheeks to get as tight a seal as possible.
"Jesus Jen, I'm not gonna last long if you keep doing that," Julian gasps.
I pull my mouth off of his cock. "I can stop," I offer.
"Fuck, no, don't--" he breathes, as I kiss the tip.
"Hmm?" I smile sweetly.
I run my tongue down the sides of his cock, tasting every inch of him. Yeah, he's big. Right in between boyfriend dick and send-you-to-the-hospital dick. I slide it into my mouth again, pushing it further down my throat this time. His hips buck into my face as I swallow around his cock. He's panting.
"You like that, don't you?" He growls.
I sigh, feeling my pussy get even slicker. "Mmpfhh," is all I can get out, his cock filling my mouth.
"I imagined this so many times," he says, softly thrusting into my mouth. "But I never thought you'd be such a slut for me, Jennifer."
He pumps his cock into my throat a few more times, careful not to push too deep. Then, I feel his hands caress my cheeks
C'mere," he says, pulling my face off of his dick. I pout. He pulls me back up to face him, running his hands through my wet hair. He turns off the shower.
"I don't like to waste water," he murmurs in my ear. "Plus, it's your turn."
He positions his hands under my ass, lifting me up in one motion. Fuck, he's built. My legs are spread, pussy hovering right over his cock. I surrender as he carries me out of the bathroom. He sets down on his bed. My hand instinctively reaches down to my pussy.
"No no no," he stops me, grabbing my wrists. "Let me."
He holds my arms by my sides, kissing my forehead, my cheeks, my collarbones. He fits my nipples into his mouth, gently sucking on them one by one. Slowly, he inches down to my pussy, leaving a trail of kisses. I shudder beneath his touch. Then, his lips meet mine. He starts so gently, kissing my clit, running his tongue over my swollen slit. Then, he pushes deeper with his tongue, parting me and lapping at my juices. I squirm.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, out of breath.
"No, I--," I pant, barely able to form words. "I'm so.. so sensitive. It feels so fucking--so fucking good"
"You taste so fucking good," he growls, before returning his face to my folds.
He keeps rubbing his thumb over my clit, still thrusting his tongue into my pussy. He's holding my legs down to keep me in place, while my upper body writhes in pleasure. He finally pulls his face off of me, replacing his tongue with his fingers before I even have time to protest.
"How are you," I gasp. "How are you so fucking good at that?"
"Surgical precision," he grins. "And forearm strength."
He leans down to kiss me as I arch my back. I feel so vulnerable, completely open beneath him. He pulls his fingers out of me, finally allowing me to sink into the bed. From the corner of my eye, I see him thrusting his length into his hand, getting it slick with my wetness.
"Please," I whisper.
"Please what?" He purrs.
"Please fuck me," I whine. "I need your cock in me."
Julian doesn't need to be told twice. I instantly feel his head stretching my entrance. I can't even form coherent words anymore, just gasps and moans as he slowly inches his cock inside me. He starts thrusting, matching the pace of his fingers on my clit. It's getting hard for me to hold back.
"Julie," I moan.
He's panting now, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He runs his fingers through his damp hair. God, those fucking arms. He reaches down, pulling my thigh closer against him, squeezing my ass.
"Julie, I'm so--" My pussy clamps around his cock as I orgasm.
"Cum for me," he whispers, tears of pleasure running down my cheeks.
My pussy keeps squeezing his cock. It makes a suction sound as he pulls out.
"Get on the bed," I order him.
He slides in next to me, his cock beckoning me. I climb on top of him, positioning my pussy over his cock.
"Jen, I should get a condom," he whispers.
"I'm on birth control," I say, running my pussy lips over the tip of his dick.
He breathes a sigh of relief. Then, I suddenly feel his body jolt as I slide down on his cock.
"Holy fuck, Jennifer," he gasps.
I grin, bouncing on his cock as his hips thrust beneath me.
"Jennifer, your pussy, I--aaaah--"
I feel his hot cum explode inside of me. I keep bouncing, drawing as much of his thick cream out of him as I can. His eyes roll into the back of his head.
"I've never felt like--I've never been ridden before," he breathes.
I collapse next to him, leaking his juices. A final dribble of cum escapes his slit. Julian kisses the cum from my pussy, licking his lips.
"I've always wanted to know what we'd taste like together."
"Round two?" I giggle.