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Saturday morning, Colleen found David had slipped out of bed and was missing. She grabbed her phone and was about to text him when David opened the bedroom door with two coffees, assorted bakery goods, and the campus paper.

He handed Colleen her favorite plum Danish and coffee while he leafed through the paper.

“The Ray Stark Family Theater is screening a film for industry professionals to critique. That would be something that normal film students would do that doesn’t involve sex,” he said.

“I have no desire to sit through some self-indulgent piece of crap,” she decided.

“So, you’re saying that all film-school movies are terrible? You do know that I may someday make one.”

“When you do, I’ll be sure to attend,” Colleen promised.

David rolled his eyes.

“No. This is what I was talking about: us getting to know each other naturally. I learn a little something about you; you learn a little something about me. Before you know it, our twelve hours are up. Then we can have sex again,” Colleen said as she offered him that carrot for playing her game.

“Okay, fine. We don’t have to go see some movie, but we are going to get to know each other out of bed. What’s your favorite color?”

“Red.”

“Green.”

They took turns asking similar questions. It started to become evident that they didn’t have much in common outside of bed.

“How about we play a video game?” David suggested.

“No, not until we find something we have in common,” Colleen said, letting her frustration come through.

“But we do. Sex.”

“Ahh!” she cried out in frustration.

“Settle down. Sex is a huge thing to have in common,” David reasoned.

“But you can’t base a relationship solely on sex.”

“I beg to differ. Sex is a pretty big deal to have in common. I mean, what exactly are we trying to prove here? What possible reason could there be for responsible, intelligent people who just happen to have an overwhelming sexual attraction to each other to deny that attraction?” he asked.

David got up as he gave his speech and slowly moved toward Colleen.

“Why are you leaving your side of the room?”

“Because reasons,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her.

“But this doesn’t mean that we’re going to give up on finding something we have in common,” Colleen added.

“Agreed.”

“I mean, at some point, this relationship has to move out of your bed.”

“Agreed.”

“I’m sure that this is just a phase, and as long as people who are intelligent and responsible …” she trailed off.

David moaned in frustration, causing her to stop talking.

“What?”

“No condoms. We used the last one last night,” he revealed.

“You’re kidding me? Well, go find one. Go borrow one. Go get one,” Colleen said in a panic.

“Trust me when I say that your roommate, Gail, is not going to allow me to ‘borrow’ a condom. She would give me no end of grief when I tried to give it back to her,” David said mischievously.

“You’re useless.”

“Come on. We’re about to take this relationship outside the bedroom. While we’re out, we can stop and grab some breakfast,” he offered.

“Then we can go to Costco and get a million-pack of rubbers so we never run out,” she suggested.

David smiled as he pulled on his pants.

“I hate to say it, but Costco only carries regular-sized condoms,” he shared.

“Do I even want to know how you came upon that piece of information?”

David just shrugged. Colleen had no doubt that he would figure it out.

◊◊◊

Chapter 20

Cassidy

David and Ruth came strolling in after being out all night once again.

“Did you shower?” Cassidy asked with a scowl.

“Stop glaring at me like that. You’ll catch ugly that way,” David quipped.

“Okay, smartass, don’t get all put out when everyone teases you because you smell like you spent the night at a brothel.”

“Cassidy Hope!”

“What?” she shot back. “Someone should be an island of sanity in your collective sea of delusion. I honestly don’t get what you see in that girl. She’s not your type.”

David sighed.

“Are we really doing this right now?”

“You know it. I know it. Everyone knows that Colleen is just a summer fling, and I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is that she’s distracting you from what you’re doing. Just because you had a dry spell doesn’t mean you have to make up for it all in only a few weeks.

“Is the sex really that good?” Cassidy blurted out, asking the question she’d promised herself she wouldn’t ask.

“The neighbors were pounding on the wall to tell them to quiet down. If I hadn’t seen Colleen looking happy when she left the bedroom between rounds, I would have thought David was killing her,” Ruth commented.

Cassidy felt a slight smile start to creep onto her face but shut it down because she was mad at him. But she was beginning to like Ruth. The diminutive security woman wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was.

“It wasn’t that bad,” David said.

“I think the couple next door is going to split up over it. I could hear her yelling at her boyfriend that she couldn’t remember that last time he made her scream like that,” Ruth added.

David glanced at Ruth, who ducked her head.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Leave her alone. It’s just us talking,” Cassidy said as she turned her eyes to David.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You made me a promise,” she reminded him.

“What was that?”

“Well, two, actually. The first was that you were going to help me with the rowing team.”

“And the second?”

“That I could sleep with you whenever I wanted to,” Cassidy said and then turned to Ruth. “Just to sleep.”

“Does that mean no screaming, ma’am?” Ruth asked.

David chuckled.

“I don’t blame you, ma’am. Personally, I like my beer and my showers cold, and my coffee and my men hot,” Ruth told Cassidy.

“You don’t think I’m hot?!” he asked in shock.

Cassidy held her breath to see how Ruth would answer that. It took a moment before the security girl responded.

“I would compare you to a space heater, sir,” Ruth said seriously. “You only use one when it’s needed. It’s sort of like when Cassidy hooked up with Tank. He was the guy who was available when she wanted to scratch her itch, sir.”

Cassidy realized that Ruth saw and heard more than she let on. Usually, she blended into the background. David gave Cassidy a confused look. She rolled her eyes at him because he obviously questioned her telling him earlier that Ruth had a crush on him.

“You’re blind even with your eyes wide open,” Cassidy said as a cryptic answer to his unasked question.

There! Hopefully, that would add to David’s confusion. Apparently, it worked. The stupid boy looked even more baffled than before.

“We’ll talk later. Now go take a shower. We have to go work out,” Cassidy ordered.

Once he left, Ruth nodded to Cassidy.

“Thank you, ma’am. I don’t mind sleeping rough, but that couch has rocks in it. I need a shower, too. Don’t let him leave until I get back.”

“Have either of you eaten?” Cassidy asked.

“No, ma’am.”

“I’ll make some egg sandwiches that you two can take with you,” Cassidy promised.

Ruth smiled and rushed upstairs. Duke and Precious followed Cassidy to the kitchen. They knew she was a soft touch and would make them each an egg, too.

◊◊◊

When they walked into the weight room, Cassidy noted that the football players perked up at David’s arrival. He was soon shooting the shit as everyone got busy lifting.