Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ï>¿Chloe And The Heat Wave by rd75000

   The warmer it gets, the more clothes she has to take off.

   Chloe Taylor had been at her first job after college for just over a
year when the heat wave began.  Graduating with a business degree, she had
landed a position in marketing at the local office of a large national firm
where she had previously done a summer internship.  After several months of
living at home, she had saved enough money to cover the security deposit
and first month's rent on a one bedroom apartment near her office.  It was
a stretch at first, but when her college boyfriend finished up his studies
in December, he moved in and they were able to split the rent.

   Ben had majored in computer engineering, so he had his choice of
multiple job offers, eventually choosing a small tech company at almost
twice her salary.  But Chloe loved her work, realizing that marketing was
the perfect fit for her creative, playful personality.  Ben, on the other
hand, was more of an introvert and well suited to his job.  He actually
seemed to enjoy staring at a computer screen for ten, sometimes twelve,
hours a day, something that would have driven her crazy.

   Coming from a large family with two brothers and three sisters, she was
used to being around people.  Growing up, she had the chance to spend parts
of most summers with her mother's parents in Spain.  As she reached
puberty, with a slender 34-25-36 figure and smallish B cup breasts, she was
often seen as "just one of the guys," in part thanks to her short, straight
haircut.  In short, Chloe was one of those teenagers who always seemed
comfortable with her body and, when the time came, with sex.  She'd had
several boyfriends over the years, but none of the relationships had lasted
more than a few months until she met Ben during her last semester at
school.

   After college, she missed the circle of friends she had made during
those four years.  But one year into her job she had formed a number of
close friendships through work that included both men and women.  Dressing
more professionally and letting her dark hair grow below her shoulders, she
no longer projected a tomboy image.  Standing five feet six and weighing
just over 120 pounds, she was in fact a very attractive young woman,
something that her boyfriend fully acknowledged.

   So far, they had adjusted well to sharing a small place; in fact, it may
have helped that most evenings Chloe had the apartment to herself before
Ben arrived home.  On this particular day, she had been a little late
herself, arriving just as the sun was going down.  It was an unseasonably
hot day in early July, the start of what the forecasters promised to be a
lengthy heat wave.  And when she opened the door, she discovered that both
of them had forgotten to turn on the air conditioning, and the inside
temperature registered well over 80 degrees.

   Entering the apartment, she dropped her bag in the living room and went
immediately to their bedroom to kick off her shoes.  Normally she'd slip
into something comfortable -- an oversized tee shirt and short or jeans --
but tonight she decided that until the place cooled down, she'd strip out
of her work clothes and simply lounge about in her bra and panties.  To
Chloe, there was nothing sexy or unusual about this.

   While revealing outfits were typically not her usual style, she had hung
out with guys for so long that she had developed a completely casual
attitude about what she wore or how she looked.  She could even remember
playing a board game in the college lounge with a group of friends and
being dared by some geek to take off her top, which she immediately did. 
The poor guy got so rattled that his team lost within the next five
minutes.

   So, there she was, pouring some iced tea from a pitcher in the
refrigerator, stretching out on her sofa in her underwear, and waiting for
some leftovers to heat up in the microwave.  Looking up, she thought she
noticed a flicker of light from a room in the building directly across the
street from her.  Chloe got up and looked out of her window; she could
swear she saw some motion before a curtain was pulled across and things
went dark.

   Staring across the street, it dawned on her that whoever it was could
have been looking at her.  She and Ben rarely pulled the blinds in this
room, and she started to wonder what the person might have seen.  Not
really much, she decided, although she immediately imagined that it was an
older guy who was being peeking at her in her underwear.  She realized she
didn't mind that possibility at all, so she simply shrugged her shoulders
as she sipped on her iced tea.  After all, it was no big deal and it was
still too warm to put on additional clothes.

   The timer on the microwave chimed, and Chloe went to the kitchen to get
her meal.  "But why," she wondered to herself, "should I eat in this room
when it's clearly the warmest placed in the house?  If there's someone
looking at me, he's just seeing what I'd wear at the beach.  With that, she
picked up her plate and glass, carried them back into her living room and
turned on all the lights in the room.  Over the next half hour, she
occasionally walked up to the window and looked across the street before
walking slowly back to the sofa.  But by the time she had finished her
meal, she still couldn't tell for sure if someone was watching her from
that apartment.

   Chloe had always enjoyed the occasional daydream or fantasy about being
caught naked someplace, so she knew she had a bit of an exhibitionist
streak somewhere inside of her.  But other than the occasional prank at
college or skinny dipping at summer camps, she rarely acted on those
thoughts.  But now she decided she was actually enjoying the scenario where
someone might be looking at her.  "What the hell," she thought, "if Ben is
going to be late almost every night, I have to do something to have a
little fun." With that realization, even though the apartment had settled
into a comfortable 75 degrees, Chloe decided that she didn't need to put
back on her clothes.  In fact, it was rather enjoyable sitting there in her
bra and panties.

   A few minutes later, she heard the front door open and, with his
computer bag in hand, her boyfriend appeared.  "Late again, Benjamin," she
said in mock disapproval.  "I've been so lonely I had to strip naked and
imagine ways to amuse myself," she said with more than just a grain of
truth in the obvious joke.  Ben approached, somewhat disconcerted to see
her in her underwear, but she immediately guided his hands to her hips as
she started to play with the buttons on his shirt.  "So what are you going
to do about that, big boy?"

   His hands caressed her ass, giving each cheek a playful squeeze, and
then moving upward to unhook the back of her bra.  But before he could
succeed at that task, Chloe squirmed out of his grasp and took his hand,
guiding him to the bedroom.  If there was someone watching, she decided he
had had enough of a show for one night.

   ****

   The heat wave persisted and for the next two nights, Chloe continued
with the same routine.  Returning home just around sunset, she repeated the
pattern of stripping down to her underwear and staying in her well-lit
living room.  On both evenings Ben arrived shortly after she did and made
no objections to her skimpy outfit.  In fact, he barely seemed to notice as
they sat on the sofa texting or watching TV.  She would occasionally get up
and walk to the kitchen or bedroom, and at one point when she re-entered
the room, she almost convinced herself that she'd seen their neighbor near
the window and holding his phone.  She didn't want to chase him away by
making it obvious that she had detected him, so instead she lingered just a
bit and then retreated to her room.  But she couldn't help imagining that
he may have been taking a picture of her.

   Several hours later, just before they drifted off to sleep, Ben and
Chloe lay cuddling in bed with her ass pressed against his crotch. 
"Benny," she softly murmured.

   "Mmmm, what baby," he drowsily replied.

   "Do you object to seeing me in my underwear around the apartment?"

   Barely responding, Ben muttered, "course not, why would I?"

   "Even if someone was watching through the window?" she coyly asked.

   "You mean like a peeping Tom?"

   "No, just you know, a neighbor who accidentally got a peek at your
girlfriend," trying to sound like some innocent little child.

   Even though his eyes were still closed, Chloe could feel Ben's cock
start to twitch, and he pressed himself more tightly against her ass and
wrapped his arm over his shoulder.

   "I guess not," he said.  "I mean who could blame him." He moaned softly
as his cock grew a little harder.

   It was a good thing Chloe's face was turned away from him so he couldn't
see the devilish grin that crept across her face.  "Just curious," she
concluded, and snuggled closer as they both drifted off to sleep.

   So, the next morning, and with temperatures still expected to go up into
the nineties, she picked out a pair of panties that exposed a bit more of
her butt cheeks than her usual bikini briefs and put them on under a
colorful summer dress.  While she was aware that the light cotton material
would be more comfortable in the daytime heat, her real purpose in
selecting the outfit had nothing to do with work.  She thought it was time
to up the level of tease and see how Ben might react.

   The couple had agreed to meet at 6:00 at one of their favorite outdoor
restaurant for a quick dinner.  Ben arrived only ten minutes late, which
was actually pretty good for him.  They split an appetizer, then he had a
burger and Chloe ordered a grain bowl with chicken.  They talked about
their work day and, like everybody else, complained about the heat.  They
even held hands on the walk home, which reminded her of their first days
together back in college.

   It was dark before when they entered their apartment, and Chloe stopped
Ben's hand from turning on the lights.  Instead she led him into the living
room and pushed him gently down onto the sofa while she remained standing
over him.  She turned and walked away from her boyfriend and closer to the
large window that faced the street.  Looking across to the apartment
building on the other side she could see that the curtains were open but no
clear sign of anyone in the room.

   Determined not to let that stop her, she turned to face Ben and in a
husky voice whispered, "Why don't you turn on the lights.  It's show time!"

   As Ben reached down to the end of the sofa and flicked on a table lamp,
Chloe began to rock her hips back and forth.  Ben looked up at her,
startled, and she placed her hands on her hips and slowly started to hike
up her dress.

   With her eyes half-closed, she began to imagine the effect the light
might have on someone looking at her from across the street -- her
silhouetted form with the outline of her body visible through the fabric of
her dress.  Chloe slowly pulled the garment up over her hips, reached
behind to undo some buttons and proceeded to lift it up over her shoulders
and head, freeing her arms and then tossing it teasingly at Ben.

   She'd never really done a striptease for him.  In their first months
together, they were typically in such a rush to fuck that they'd
practically jumped out of their clothes.  Lately, their lovemaking had
become more routine, initiated once they were in bed or first thing in the
morning before getting up.  But now Ben squirmed a bit as he watched this
different side his girlfriend emerge, trying to figure out what exactly she
was up to and how he felt about someone else seeing her.

   She ran her hands up and down her body, gyrating slowly as she slowly
turned away from her boyfriend.  Continuing to wiggle her butt, she placed
her hands on the sides of her panties and rolled them down an just enough
to expose the top of her ass crack.  Chloe then took a few steps toward the
window and pivoted to provide the same view to anyone watching from across
the street.

   After a minute spent at the window, she turned again to face Ben. 
Kneeling in front of him and gently prying his legs apart, she ran her
hands up his inner thighs and across his crotch, her fingers trying to find
the top of the zipper.  But then she stopped, looked directly up at him,
and as if suddenly realizing something, exclaimed, "Oh, I guess we should
move into the bedroom.  After all," as she turned to look toward the
window, eager to remind him that this show was for more than just him, "our
neighbor may be watching."

   Ben immediately stood up so he could see over her.  "What, you mean you
really have seen someone looking at you."

   "Bennie, I told you the other night that I thought I saw someone there,"
she said, using the tone she often did when teasing him.  "Did you think I
was making that up?"

   "Well yes, I mean no, I mean I wasn't sure.  I thought maybe you were
just saying that because, well you know, you wanted to have sex.  But then
we both seemed to fall asleep," he stammered, feeling like he was getting
himself into more trouble with every word he said.

   With Ben standing up, Chloe's face was pretty much staring directly at
the growing bugle in her boyfriend's pants.  She resumed rubbing his crotch
as she whispered, "So the idea of some other guy seeing me like this
excites you?  Who knew that about you, Benjamin?" she continued, turning
the teasing almost into a taunt.

   "Well, I guess so," he stammered, thinking that lying wasn't going to
get him out of this situation.  "You know, Chloe, sometimes I'm not sure
you realize how attractive you are.  And well, I see other guys looking at
you, I guess it makes me feel special."

   Chloe had long suspected that Ben had these types of thoughts, and she
suddenly had a feeling of regret that she hadn't gotten him talking about
it sooner.  She must have inadvertently frowned, because Ben quickly
apologized.

   "Jeez, Chlo, I'm sorry if that sounds like weird or anything.  I really
meant it as a compliment.  I mean you are the sexiest girl I know."

   "She stood up, still facing him with her back to the window.  "Well big
boy," she said with a chuckle as she glanced down at the front of his
pants, "no woman could possibly object to hearing that from her boyfriend."

   Ben blushed as he felt her fingers start to play around with his zipper.
Not sure just where Chloe was going with all this, he added, "But some
things should be kept private, don't you think?" he said with just the
slightest note of panic in his voice.

   "Don't worry, Bennie," she responded.  "We're not auditioning for a
porno tonight," and she chuckled softly.  "But before I drag you into the
bedroom, do you think we should let our peeping Tom get a glimpse of my
cute little butt?"

   With that she placed his hands on her hips with his fingers touching the
elastic band of her panties.  "Your choice," she whispered.

   "Really?" he responded, and Chloe just nodded.

   Ben's fingers trembled slightly as he hooked them inside her panties.

   "Nice and slow, now," Chloe coached him as she saw the first dark hairs
of her neatly trimmed bush emerging over the top of her panties.  Ben
continued slowly tugging, and she could tell that half her ass was now
exposed to the voyeur she hoped was across the street.  She imagined him
watching, maybe even holding up his phone to take a picture.  She could
also sense her wetness as Ben slowly pulled the fabric away from her pussy
and wondered if he could smell the musky scent of her womanhood.

   As her panties dropped to the floor, Ben leaned over and turned off the
light.  If their neighbor had been looking, the show was over, but as Chloe
jumped up and wrapped her legs around Ben, the night was just beginning. 
She practically squealed with delight as he insisted on carrying her that
way into their room and collapsed onto the bed in a passionate embrace.

   ****

   Friday night Ben and Chloe had been invited over to Brandon and Hailey's
for dinner.  The two couples had known each other at college and were now
living in the same city, so they made a point of getting together on a
regular basis.  Then, several months ago, Chloe discovered that her friend
from the office Brianna lived in the same apartment complex as her college
friends, so of course she insisted that they all go out for drinks one
night, along with Brianna's girlfriend Natasha.  The evening had been a
great success, and the group of six quickly became good friends.

   And this night they were joined by Sydney, a tall lanky blonde who lived
just down the hallway from Brandon and Hailey.  She was accompanied by her
new boyfriend Marcus, probably five years older than the rest of the group,
who worked a medical researcher at a large hospital.  The two of them were
serious runners and had met at a 5K race in town.  They both projected a
relaxed and friendly vibe and seemed to fit in well with the other six.

   The first part of the evening was spent with Sydney and Marcus asking a
lot of questions about how the group had originally met and, of course,
lots of talk about their jobs.  It seemed inevitable that at some point a
discussion of the weather would come up.  And when it did, Chloe took the
opportunity to poke Ben, who was by then on his fourth beer, and suggest to
him, "Don't you want to tell them about what our neighbor's been doing
during this heat wave?"

   "I thought you said you didn't really know anybody in your building?"
Hailey asked.

   "Not in our building," Ben replied, with his speech slurring slightly.
"Some old dude across the street." He paused to take another sip, then
noticed his friends looking at him for some further explanation.  "You
know, Chloe thinks like there's a guy spying on us."

   "Sounds creepy," said Brianna.

   Chloe didn't want her co-worker to get alarmed, so she decided she
better make up some sort of explanation.  "It's not that at all," she
began. "I got a good look at him once and waved to let him know it was
okay."

   It was Tash's turn to chime in.  "Really?" she said suspiciously.

   In fact, if it had been just the two of them talking, Chloe probably
would have acknowledged that she wasn't even sure she had seen anyone
looking at her and the whole thing was just an excuse to have a little fun
with her boyfriend.  But with Ben listening, she felt she had to stick with
the story she'd started.  "I think he's just some sad, lonely guy," she
said, embellishing the situation even further.  "During this heat wave,
I've been wearing fewer clothes around the apartment and I think he
noticed. So, I've been giving him a little show."

   Hailey, too, seemed skeptical of this explanation, and Ben didn't help
matters by elbowing Brandon and whispering in a voice that was a little too
loud, "Yeah, you should have seen her, man," at which point all of the
women glared at the two guys.

   "Okay, everybody," Chloe sighed, "let me explain.  Our apartment has
gotten really warm during this heat wave, so I was sitting around in my
underwear waiting for this idiot to come home," she said affectionately as
she put her arm around Ben's shoulder, "and if this guy happens to notice
from across the street then what the hell, it's all a bit of innocent fun."
She paused, blushing slightly, and then continued.  "And besides I kind of
liked it, and I think Ben did, too."

   Now it was Ben's turn to blush, and Natasha added, "Actually, I think
it's kind of hot."

   "Well, you would," Brianna turned to her and smiled knowingly.

   "But you definitely feel safe?" Hailey asked with genuine concern.

   "Absolutely," Chloe reassured her, and Ben nodded in agreement.

   "And you're going to keep showing off for him?" Brianna asked with
perhaps a little too much interest.

   "I haven't really thought about it?" she lied, as Ben's eyes lit up at
the possibility.

   "Well, I think you should," Brandon said, keeping his eye on Hailey to
make sure he wasn't going to get into trouble.  "As long as this heat wave
continues, you should keep the neighborhood entertained," he concluded with
a smile.

   "So far, he's just seen you in your bra and panties?" Hailey asked.

   "Nah," Ben couldn't resist adding to the conversation.  "She flashed her
butt at him last night."

   "Oh my god," Sydney blurted out, clearly surprised by the scene being
described.

   "Really, Chloe?" Hailey replied, seemingly not terribly shocked at all.
"Well, as your oldest friend here, and knowing some of your college
escapades, I have a suggestion." Staring directly at her and smiling, she
continued, "I think you should up the ante next week.  Maybe flash your
boobs next time or keep your clothes off for a bit longer every night." She
paused, "For as long as the heat wave continues, just like Brandon says."

   This seemed to inspire Brianna.  "I think we need to be more specific.
How about this for a dare?" she continued, thinking out loud.  "If it gets
above 95, Chloe has to take off her bra." She paused before adding, "And
leave it off."

   Now it was Hailey's turn to add to her friend's potential embarrassment.
"And if it hits 100, then you've got to strip naked," she said, turning to
her friend with a devilish grin.  "Not, of course, that any of us want it
to get that hot."

   "Oh, God forbid," Brianna added in mock horror.

   Not to be totally left out of the planning, Natasha added, "Then, next
Friday we all get together at our apartment, and Ben can report back on
your progress." Turning to Sydney and Marcus, she added, "You're invited
too, of course."

   The newcomers weren't about to be left out of the follow-up to all of
this, so they quickly accepted the invitation.  The rest of the group all
seconded this idea, while Chloe tried to appear reluctant before announcing
that she guessed she'd have to accept the dare.  "If it's okay with Ben,"
she said, and then seeing his eager grin, continued, "well, what the hell."
She was trying to sound very casual about the whole thing, but inside she
could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she already started to think
about the possible scenarios for each night as the heat wave continued.

   ****

   It was a couple of days before Chloe got to try any of them out.  By the
time they returned home Friday night, they were both exhausted and the
neighbor's apartment was completely dark, so she and Ben went directly to
bed.  And the next day, Ben made a point of regularly checking the window
across the street and announcing he could see no sign of activity.  Finally
he concluded that their new friend was out for the day, if not the entire
weekend.

   On Sunday, they were barely home at all.  First they had to do their
weekly food shopping and run some other errands, then they headed out to
Ben's parents' cottage on the lake.  It was an hour's drive, but well worth
the trip to get a break from the heat and go for a swim.  Plus, Chloe got
to wear a bikini and show off a bit for Ben, something that she was
especially happy to do after the two nights where she hadn't had a chance
to perform at the window.  Even during the outdoor barbecue at Ben's
parents' house, Chloe kept the bikini on, barely covering herself with one
of her boyfriend's old shirts that she found in a spare bedroom.

   Beyond the fact that she was treating Ben's dad to a nice view of her
legs, the evening at the cottage passed uneventfully for her.  It was still
in the upper eighties when they drove back home, so Chloe had merely kept
Ben's shirt on over her swimwear.  When they finally got back to their
apartment, she quickly stripped down to her bikini, figuring it was just as
good as lounging about in her underwear.  After all, since the heat wave
continued, she decided she had to honor her commitment to her friends in
case their neighbor was watching.

   It was close to nine but there was still no sign of light from the
apartment across the street, but this time Chloe got to the window before
Ben.  "I'm not sure but I think my new boyfriend is back," she said in a
teasing voice after having carefully checking things out across the street.

   Suddenly an inspiration struck Ben.  "I think you better stay there for
a few minutes," he said, a grin slowly spreading across his face.  "I have
an idea...," he continued with his voice trailing off as he grabbed his
phone from the table.  "Better take a few pictures in case our friends ask
for proof to see if you've lived up to their dare."

   Chloe's eyes lit up as she turned to face him, putting her hands on her
sides and bending her hips in a slightly provocative manner.  "Snap away,
Benny boy," she said as a warm tingling feeling sensation started to flow
through her body.

   After a couple of clicks, she turned back to the window, leaned down
with her elbows on the window sill and jutted her butt out toward the
phone. She could hear several more clicks, and then a pause.  She
straighten up and turned back to her boyfriend.

   "I was just thinking," she said with a curious smile, " that maybe you
should send the pictures now.  Just to make sure they know I'm keeping my
word."

   Ben apparently needed no persuasion.  After a brief look of surprise, he
began furiously texting away, raised one finger and emphatically clicked on
a button before Chloe could reconsider.  "There, your wish is my command.
I've just sent the proof to everyone."

   "Ben, are you sure I'm not being too naughty?" she said in an attempt to
appear reluctant about continuing with the dare.  But even the clueless
boyfriend could tell she didn't mean it as he led her to the sofa.

   "Come here," he offered.  "Let's see what everyone says.

   The first responses were simple "thumbs up" from Brianna and Hailey. 
Next, Natasha weighed in with some words of encouragement.  "You go girl,"
she offered.

   "I knew you wouldn't let us down," Hailey texted.  That appeared to
signal to Brandon that it was safe for him to say something, so he
commented, "Thanks for the late night treat."

   A few minutes later, Brianna added hearts to Brandon's comment while
Sydney texted, "So nice to get a chance to see more of you," with a big
smiley face.

   "Wow," was Marcus's simple response.

   Then, in a final text, Hailey added, "You know, nobody said anything
about sending pictures," and she concluded with three hugs.

   "So, I guess I haven't shocked our friends too much," Chloe said with a
sigh.  "And I don't hear any objections from you," she said, guiding Ben's
hand toward the draw string on the side of her bikini, then stopping.

   "What's wrong," he said, sounding genuinely disappointed.

   "Didn't get above 95 today, did it?" Chloe mischievously grinned at him.
She took a few steps toward the bedroom.  "So that's the end of the show
for tonight."

   ****

   Monday saw a continuation of the heat wave, a fact that Brianna seemed
eager to point out to Chloe as the two were leaving a conference room after
a late-day meeting at work.  "Hope we're all in for another treat tonight,
girlfriend."

   "Meaning?"

   "Well, the high today was 94.  So I assume you'll be in your underwear
this evening."

   Chloe blushed slightly, furtively looking around to make sure no one
could hear their conversation.

   "I know, disappointing, huh?" she said with a giggle.

   "And that was your idea?" Brianna answered with a questioning look. 
"Sending the pictures and everything?"

   "I left it up to Ben do decide," she replied emphatically.

   "But I think I know who suggested it," her friend added with a smile as
they went back to their desks and prepared to leave the office.

   Back at her apartment, Chloe was as usual the first to arrive.  Things
were once again quiet across the street, with no sign of life in the
neighboring apartment.  That confirmed what she had been suspecting for the
last few days.  From the very beginning, she had been mistaken and that no
one had ever been watching.  But that no longer mattered -- things had
taken on a life of their own and she now had a new and bigger audience.  As
a result, she was in no rush to shed her work clothes, only making sure
that by the time Ben got home she had stripped down to her bra and panties.

   Dinner preparation was well underway, and she was busy chatting with
some out-of-town friends when he finally walked in the door.  "So what's
going on over there," were the first words out of her boyfriend's mouth as
he pointed toward the window.

   "Wonderful to see you, too, Benjamin," she responded trying to convey a
slightly annoyed tone to her voice.  "It appears that things are dark
tonight.  He must be working late.

   "Too bad," he responded, as he went to the refrigerator to grab a beer
for himself.  "Can I get you some wine?" he asked as a kind of peace
offering.

   "That would be nice," she said.  "I'm just getting ready to do a stir
fry thing, but I'm thinking I better put on an apron." She gestured toward
her exposed midriff and legs.  "Not really wild about spattering oil on
myself."

   "Good idea," Ben noted, unhooking an apron from the hook on the back of
the kitchen door and handing it to her as he proceeded into the living room
with his beer.

   He re-emerged in the kitchen about fifteen minutes later, just as
everything was nearing completion.  "No sign of our friend," he informed
Chloe, gesturing toward the windows.  "So, anything I can do to help?"

   "Well, perfect timing as usual.  Everything's just about done, but why
don't you get out some plates and silverware."

   Suddenly, his eyes lit up.  "Wait, I have a great idea." He went back to
the living room to retrieve his phone, then came and stood behind Chloe as
she continued stirring the food in the pan.

   "Hey, what are you up to back there," she called out as she felt her
boyfriend's fingers tugging at the clasp at the back of her bra.

   "Just thinking this would be a fun picture," he said as the hook came
undone and the garment started to slip off her shoulders.

   Chloe stepped back from the stove for a second, turning to face him as
she pointed out.  "You know I get to keep my underwear on tonight. 
Temperature didn't quite reach 95."

   "Technically, I think this will be okay as long as you're still
covered," Ben said with a shit-eating grin on his face.  "So how about..."
he began as he reached toward her shoulder and awkwardly tried to slide one
of the straps of her bra down while keeping the apron in place.

   "Sometime you are hopeless," Chloe said gently mocking her fumbling boy
friend.  "Here, let me do this," as she pushed him away and proceeded to
remove the undergarment and then tighten the apron strap around her neck to
make sure her breasts were still covered.

   "Ta da," she exclaimed, holding her arms out to her side as Ben snapped
a picture of her.  From the front, only the slightest bit of side boob
could be seen, leaving it uncertain whether she was naked under the apron
or not.  But, at Ben's direction, she spun around and he grabbed another
shot with his phone.  From the back view, it was clear that she still had
her panties on, but it was equally evident that she had nothing on above
that.

   "You know, I'm going to put my bra on before we eat," she spoke to him
as if he were a misbehaving ten-year old.

   He nodded somewhat reluctantly but content to have gotten the pictures.
Later, as they finished eating and Chloe once again wearing both items of
undergarments, Ben pulled out his phone and started texting.

   "Just updating the gang," he said, waiting for her approval.  Chloe
nodded, and with a click, he sent off the two pictures.  Looking up at her,
he read his text aloud.  "Ready and waiting but no sign of our neighbor. 
Very disappointing!"

   Just like the previous night, within a few minutes all six friends had
responded with various messages approving of the shots.

   This time it was Sydney who added a more teasing note to the
conversation.  "Forecast for later in the week is for a high in the upper
90s.  Keep us posted." That text drew immediate thumbs up and hearts from
the group.

   ****

   Knowing there had never actually been a person watching from across the
street and with the temperatures still in the low nineties on Tuesday,
Chloe decided not to make up a sighting.  But Wednesday promised to be more
interesting.  As Sydney had predicted, the daytime high peaked at 97, which
according to the dare meant Chloe had to strip down to only her panties
that night.

   Ben was certainly aware of that fact and made sure that he was home
before Chloe.  But when she entered the apartment, he was just sitting on
the sofa gazing off vacantly into space.

   "Hey sweetie," Chloe said coming over to greet him.  Standing behind him
and throwing her arms around his shoulders, she joined her boyfriend in
staring out the window.  "Any sign of our neighbor yet?"

   "No," he replied with a sigh.  "And just my luck when..," and he
hesitated.

   "When what?" Chloe asked, with a smile, knowing full well what Ben was
thinking.

   "You know," he said, starting to get up in the hopes of ending the
conversation, "the temperature today and everything..."

   "Meaning if he's there I'll have to go topless tonight?" she asked,
trying to sound a little bit shocked by the implications of her boyfriend's
statement.

   "Well, you did say you would," came the rejoinder.

   "First of all, I didn't say that.  I'm pretty sure it was Brianna.  And
second, I think it's your turn to cook tonight, so why don't you go in the
kitchen and get to work.  She switched places with him on the sofa, took
out her phone to check email, and glanced up.  "I'll keep an eye out across
the street."

   About twenty minutes later, Ben heard a groan from the living room as
Chloe got up and came into the kitchen, her eyes sparkling.  "Hate to say
it, big boy, but this may be your lucky night."

   Ben turned down the flame and stepped back from the stove, turning to
look at her.  "You mean..."

   "Yep.  Pretty sure I just saw activity over there."

   Ben put down the utensil he was using the stir the ingredients cooking
on the stove and started toward the living room.

   Chloe reached out and put her hand on his arm.  "Not so fast there," she
said with a teasing look.  "I expect to get fed first.  And besides, you
don't want him to know that we can see him and then scaring him off, do
you?" she asked teasingly.

   'Guess not," he replied, and he turned up the flame to hurry the dinner
along.

   Ben fidgeted through the entire meal while Chloe seemed to delight in
eating as slowly as possible.  Finally, she stood up but gestured to him to
stay seated.  "I'm going to see if there's still some sign of life over
there.

   She reappeared in the kitchen almost immediately, giggling and said,
"Guess I have to go through with it."

   Ben practically cheered out loud but Chloe snapped back at him.  "Shhh,
he'll probably hear you from across the street," as she started to tug at
the zipper at the back of her dress.

   With the heat wave continuing, she had chosen to wear a lightweight
dress and no pantyhose, so in a matter of seconds, she slid the straps off
her shoulders and Ben watched the garment fall to the floor around her
ankles.  "Think I'll just hang this in the closet," she said as she
proceeded to saunter through the living room and into the bedroom on the
other end of their apartment.

   "Why don't you make yourself comfortable on the couch, Bennie," she
called out in a playful tone.  "I'll be right out."

   Moving to the sofa, he glanced furtively out the window, calling out to
Chloe, "No light on there now."

   "Do you think he's getting ready for a little show?" she asked, and then
startled Ben by reappearing in the living room in just her panties.

   Sitting down and cuddling up to him, she pushed her dark hair back from
her face and purred, "So is this what you've been hoping for?'

   Ben seemed speechless.  The trick with the apron the other night had
been one thing, but now he believed his girlfriend was calmly exposing her
breasts to a total stranger staring at her from his apartment.

   Getting no response from her boyfriend, Chloe stood up and deliberately
walked over to the window, pressing her breasts against the glass.

   She turned and caught Ben fumbling with his phone.  Crossing her arms
and covering both boobs before he could snap a picture, Chloe look at him
in mock anger and asked, "Just what do you think you're up to, young man?"

   Now it was Ben's turn to smile, as he finally could put words to his
thoughts.  "Got to be able to prove you went through with this, right?  We
don't want your friends to think you chickened out."

   "I guess you're right," she sighed, as Ben started snapping some
pictures.  She slowly turned away from the lens, carefully repositioning
her hands to make sure that her fingers still covered both of her nipples.
Her arms were now somewhat lower, revealing the entire upper and outer
curves of her b-cup breasts.  "Think they can tell I was topless?" she
asked coyly.

   By now, even if it wasn't clear to Ben, it was obvious to Chloe that she
was posing for her friends as much as for him.  The initial fantasy of
being seen by an imaginary person across the street had grown into
something different, and she knew was enjoying it way too much to tell her
boyfriend the truth.

   Meanwhile, Ben continued taking pictures as Chloe seated herself on a
chair facing him and waited for him to put down his phone.  "Well go on,
send them," she said as if dealing with a little child.  "Don't you want to
see what they have to say?"

   At this point, in fact, it would have been impossible to determine who
was more eager to hear their friends' reactions, Ben or Chloe.  But somehow
it added to her enjoyment to let Ben believe that she was somehow a
reluctant participant in all of this, so she just slouched down in her
chair and picked up a magazine to read.

   They didn't have to wait long for the responses.  Within less than a
minute all six parties had been heard from.  The simplest response came
from Natasha -- just her usual string of emojis full of hugs, kisses and
hearts.  Brandon answered next, telling Ben he was the luckiest guy in the
world and that he definitely didn't deserve a girl like Chloe.  Marcus
echoed the sentiment, while Hailey simply stated, "Looks like everyone's
enjoying this."

   Ben read each response to Chloe, including Brianna concluding remark,
"Can't wait until tomorrow.  It's supposed to break 100."

   That set off a round of speculation, with Sydney reminding everyone that
Chloe was supposed to get completely naked if that happened.

   "What do you think, Ben?" Chloe asked as he read that last text to her.
"Is that right?" She could feel a warm sensation spreading through her
entire body, in spite of the fact that the air conditioning now had their
apartment at a pleasant 73 degrees and she was sitting there in just her
panties.

   "That's definitely what Brianna said," Ben texted back to the group,
eagerly nodding his approval at Chloe.

   "Well, we'll see," she said, as she stood up and headed toward the
bedroom.

   It didn't take much for her boyfriend to pick up on the hint, although
he paused as went to turn out the lights in the room.  "How about a couple
more shots," he asked in an almost pleading tone as he reached toward the
switch.  He had picked up his phone again as Chloe turned to face him.  But
now as he aimed his phone at her, she didn't raise her arms.  Instead, she
put her hands on her hips, turned to one side, and thrust her breasts
forward slightly.

   "Wow," was the only response Ben could manage as his throat grew dry. 
"And do you mind if I send one last one to the group?" he asked, hoping to
push this game just a bit farther.

   "That's just for you," Chloe said as she turned out the light and
skipped into the bedroom.  Both of them seemed to have completely forgotten
the possible voyeur across the street.

   ****

   Thursday morning the temperature was already in the 80s by the time
Chloe arrived at work, and Brianna seemed intent on providing an almost
hourly report to her friend as the mercury crept upward.

   "Want go for a walk?" she asked as the two colleagues passed each other
in the hall just before lunch.  "I think it's only 93 outside."

   "You can't be serious," Chloe responded good-naturedly.

   "Well, it won't get any cooler.  I hear it's supposed to break 100," her
friend continued with a big smile.

   "So what if it does?" the brunette said, trying to sound completely
nonchalant even as she could feel her pulse speeding up.

   "Then I think you'll have a very surprised and happy neighbor tonight,
won't you?"

   "And why are you so interested in my neighbor?" Chloe asked with genuine
curiosity.

   "I'm not," Brianna stated flatly.  "But I think you're getting a bit of
a thrill out of this, letting Ben take pictures and then share those with
us." She paused, and then added, "You know, I'm not sure there ever was a
peeping tom across the street from you.  And as your friend, I find that
very interesting."

   Chloe could feel the blood rushing to her face, hoping she wasn't
blushing too hard.  She took a step closer to her friend, and in a quieter
voice, confided, "You know, I do too.  I was a little worried at first, but
now I kind of feel like 'what the hell.'" She saw Brianna nod, so she
continued.  "You don't think that's like too weird or anything, do you?"

   "Not at all," Brianna replied reassuringly.  "I wasn't bullshitting you
the other night, I mean, I think it's hot.  Natasha has a bit of the same
thing going sometime, and I admire that about both of you.  Sometimes I
wish I had the nerve...," and her voice trailed off.

   "Well," the brunette answered, "I guess we'll see tonight whether I can
follow through or not."

   "Hope you do," her friend replied, and the two women smiled at each
other before heading back to their desks.

   And indeed, shortly after 3, it reached 100 degrees, topping out at 101
a half hour later.  Almost immediately, Chloe's phone chimed, signally a
text from Ben.

   "It's officially over 100.  I think we better meet up for dinner
somewhere.  Thai, maybe?"

   "How about Italian," she texted back.  "I'm think I'm going to need a
couple of glasses of wine.

   In response, she got a thumbs up.  "Can't wait."

   "I bet you can't," Chloe thought to herself as she looked up and noticed
Brianna talking to another work colleague.  When her friend looked up, she
had a big smile on her face, and her first thought was "is she telling her
about the dare?" In her head, the speculation continued: "Jeez," what's
next, an all desks memo about me?" And even though she could see some
charts spread out in front of the two of them, there was a part of Chloe
that actually hoped Brianna was sharing the secret.  But for now, she
pushed that to the back of her mind and returned to the work on her desk.

   The rest of the afternoon seemed to drag, and she was mildly annoyed
when Ben said he would be a little bit late getting to the restaurant.  But
that actually turned out well, as it gave her a good head start on the
bottle of wine, and she was then in a mood to eat at a more relaxed pace.
By the time they finished, the bottle was empty, the sun was down, and the
city was starting to cool off.  Reports predicted that a storm front would
come through overnight, and the heat wave would be breaking.

   They enjoyed a leisurely walk, approaching their apartment building just
as a bit of a breeze picked up.

   "So, this is likely to be end of all these high temperatures," Ben
offered, as he held the lobby door open for his girlfriend.

   Chloe nodded, when suddenly an idea popped into her head.  "Guess we
better make the most of it," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across
her face.  She strolled across the lobby to the elevator, pressed the up
button, and waited for her boyfriend to catch up with her.

   The door slid open and they stepped into the empty elevator cab .  Chloe
placed one hand on the back side of the compartment, reaching down with the
other to grab the heel of her shoe as the elevator started moving upward.
"Here, Ben, do you mind holding these?" she asked, placing first one shoe,
then the other, in her bag and handing it all to him.

   When they reached the third floor, Ben stepped out but then turned back
to see why Chloe hadn't followed.  She remained standing at the back of cab
and was starting to undo the buttons on her top.  Ben looked at her,
uncomprehending at first, then with a growing mix of panic and excitement.
"Jesus Christ, Chloe, what are you doing?" he asked, as she undid the sixth
and final button on the front of her cotton shirt.  The elevator door
closed with his girlfriend still in it, but not before he saw her blouse
fall open to reveal the front of her bra and her smooth, flat tummy.

   Glancing up, he noticed to his surprise that the elevator was going up.
Unsure what to do next, he watched until he could tell it had stopped at
the top floor.  Had Chloe actually pushed that button, or had someone
called the elevator and was about to be treated to the sight of his
girlfriend taking off her clothes?  He truly had no idea, but either way,
he found it exciting.

   "What the fuck," he muttered to himself, as he pushed the button on
their floor to call the elevator back.  It took almost a minute for the cab
to return, and when the door opened again, it was empty.  The only sign of
Chloe was a crumbled blue shirt on the floor of the compartment, which he
dutifully picked up and tried to stuff in the bag he was still carrying. 
He then got in, pushed the button for the top floor, and proceeded to try
to catch up with his stripping girlfriend.

   When the door opened on the fifth floor, he got out, but here, too,
there was no sight of Chloe.  He looked up and down the length of the main
hallway and saw nothing.  He then heard the sound of a closing door from
around the corner at one end of the corridor.  He hurried down to check on
the noise, only to discover a much shorter hallway with no sign of Chloe.
However, at the end of it was a door leading to a stairway, rarely used by
tenants but required by local fire codes.  And over that doorknob,
something was hanging.

   He walked quietly down to the end, not wishing to make any sound that
would draw people out of their apartments.  As he got closer, he could tell
exactly what was draped over the handle -- Chloe's lightweight sateen
pants. He quickly grabbed them and placed them over his arm, having run out
of room in her bag, and opened the door only to hear the sound of another
door slamming several floors below.

   "She must have gone back to our floor," he thought as he bounded down
the stairs, almost tripping at one point in his rush to catch up with her.
He threw open the door to the third floor, dashed down the short corridor
and turned into the longer hallway and looked down toward the entrance to
their apartment.  Nothing, and no sign of any activity.

   Realizing that Chloe's key was in the bag that he was carrying, he was
certain she couldn't have gotten into their unit.  So, he reasoned, she
must be still roaming the hallways.  But on which floor?  "Shit," he
thought to himself, "she must have gone down to either the second floor or
the lobby." He reversed his steps, opened the door to the stairway, and
proceeded down one floor.

   By now, whatever panic he had felt had been completely overwhelmed by
the excitement of trying to catch up with his semi-nude girlfriend.  He
exited the stairway onto the second floor, walking quickly down the hallway
until he came to the turn onto the longer corridor.  There was no sign of
Chloe, but there in front of the elevator appeared to be another item of
discarded clothing.

   By the time he got there, he realized the elevator was moving.  "Damn,"
he thought to himself, "just missed her." Then bending over, he felt his
cock twitching in his pants as he picked up the blue lace-trimmed bra that
he just seen Chloe wearing minutes ago in the elevator.  He shook his head
in amazement, realizing that the elevator was descending to the lobby.

   At this point all he could was press the call button and wait.  It
seemed like an eternity before the elevator reversed direction and
reappeared on the second floor.  And this time, when the door opened, the
only sign that his girlfriend had been there was the crumpled set of white
panties left on the elevator floor.

   "Oh my god," was his only thought.  "What if anyone sees her!" He jumped
into the cab and pounded on the first floor button as if that would make
the elevator doors close quickly, fidgeting and sweating during what seemed
to be the slowest elevator ride he had ever endured.

   The door opened and there stood Chloe completely naked, glancing in both
directions but making no attempt to cover herself.  "Well, what took you,
Ben?  I've been waiting forever." She chuckled softly, and then gestured
toward the front door, where he could see an older couple approaching the
building.

   He grabbed her and pulled her into the elevator, causing her to tumble
into him.  "Well, you could at least wait until we're in our apartment. 
What are you, some kind of sex maniac," she said with a huge grin.

   Ben was frantically trying to reach around her to get to the floor
buttons on the inside of the cab, but Chloe seemed determine to keep
leaning into and pressing him against the back of the elevator.  They both
could hear the sound of the door to the lobby opening and voices speaking
to other another.  Just in time, he managed to free himself and reached out
to press 3.  The doors started to close and he could hear a man saying, "Oh
well, guess we just missed that one."

   "If only they knew what they missed," Ben said to Chloe as he reached
down to pick up her panties from the floor.  "You know, you're completely
crazy."

   "Me?" she exclaimed.  "Seems to me that you and our friends are the
crazy ones, insisting I have to prance around naked just because we're
having a heat wave."

   "That was supposed to be in our apartment and just for that peeping Tom
neighbor of ours," he said.  "Not out here in public."

   "Oh, and what about your pictures?  Who have you been sending them to?"
she asked with a mischievous glean in her eye.

   "Well, I had to get proof that you did the dare, right?" he pleaded.

   "And how are you doing with that tonight?" she asked." With that, the
door opened on their floor, and she proceeded to calmly stroll down the
hall, swaying her hips and treating Ben to a view of her firm ass moving
back and forth with each step.

   Ben was dumbfounded, frozen in place in the elevator as he realized that
he should in fact be taking pictures.  In a sudden moment of clarity, he
stepped into the corridor, grabbed his phone from his pocket, started
shooting.  Chloe reached their apartment, turned to face him, and stood
patiently at their front door, checking her nails.  Meanwhile, Ben
continued pressing the button on his phone, trying to take more pictures
with shaking hands.

   Chloe glanced casually around and finally looked down at her exposed
breasts.  "Oh, they must really have the air conditioning on high here in
the halls," she exclaimed to Ben, flicking a fingernail against one of her
erect nipples.  "I better get inside.  Have a key, Benny?  I don't seem to
have mine on me at the moment," she smiled as she patted her hips.

   He rushed forward, awkwardly pulling a key from his pocket and unlocked
the door.  Chloe slowly eased past him and walked directly into the
darkened living room.  "Oh Benjamin," she called out as he followed behind
her and turned on the kitchen lights, "I could swear I just saw him, but
then his lights went out.  He must know we're at home."

   Suddenly it dawned on Ben that Chloe was the only one who had ever
claimed to actually see their peeping Tom neighbor.  He had never observed
him; in fact there was no evidence that he even existed.  And Chloe's
hallway striptease wasn't done for the benefit of a lonely guy living
across the street.  Ben was the only one who would ever see that, or least
he was until Chloe reminded him to take some pictures.

   She had made the whole thing up!  But that realization only made
everything more exciting to Ben.  He entered the living room, still
carrying her bra and panties in his hand.  "I think you dropped these
outside," he said, for the first time fully understanding the nature of her
game.

   "Well, it was over 100 today, so here I am," she said, walking right up
to the window, spreading her arms upward and widening her stance slightly
as if to make sure she was fully exposing herself to any curious neighbor.

   Ben couldn't help himself.  He took his phone out again and started
snapping more pictures, her naked backside framed perfectly as she slowly
brought her arms down to her sides.

   Hearing the clicking sound and knowing just what he was up to, Chloe
glanced back over her shoulder at him.  "You are enjoying this, aren't you
Benny?" she said unable to suppress a giggle.

   "Almost as much as you," he said, acknowledging the reality of what
Chloe had been doing for the last week.

   She turned and walked toward him, with a warm sensation pulsing through
her as she put on such a brazen display, and gently moved her hand against
the front of Ben's pants.  She starting running her hand up and down the
material, making a soft, appreciative purr as she replied, "I'd say it's
pretty much of a tie."

   She then returned to the window, getting ready to close the curtains. 
"I don't recall any time limit on this, so do you think our neighbor has
seen enough for one evening?"

   "He probably has," Ben said with a smirk, " but I'm not sure everyone
else has.  Let's get at least a few pictures as proof this really
happened."

   "Oh, you think you might forget?" she asked as she reached out to grab
the curtains and start to pull them shut.

   "Wait," her boyfriend called out, grabbing his phone again.  "Just one
or two more," he pleaded, motioning Chloe to turn and face him.

   "You know, I should throw on a robe.  I actually am a little chilly,"
she said with a chuckle, slowly turning halfway towards Ben.  Her naked
figure now revealed in profile, she reached up with her hands and gently
began massaging her breasts.

   No matter what Chloe said about the temperature in the room, Ben was now
very warm.  His fingers fumbled with his phone, barely able to capture one
or two images.  He watched in awe as his girlfriend gently tugged on her
already extended nipples and then dropped her hands down to coyly cover her
pussy as she completed her turn toward him.

   Chloe's B cup breasts, although small, displayed no sag, and her round
quarter-sized areolas were perfectly centered on each orb with the now
pointy nipples angled slightly upward.  It was all Ben could do to hold his
phone steady as he snapped several more pictures, hoping he might be
allowed to share one of the images with their friends.

   "Just one more," Chloe said, enjoying her command of the situation.  She
took a few steps back toward the window until she could feel the window
sill against her butt.  She then leaned back, spreading her legs slightly
to hold herself upright as she pressed her ass cheeks against the glass. 
Her neatly trimmed bush, with its light tangle of brown curls, was now
fully revealed to his camera, and Ben snapped away.

   "Hey, Bennie, we're not doing a medical textbook here," she said as he
tried to move closer, and she stood up with her hands once again covering
her most private parts.  "Some things are still just between the two of
us," she said as she beckoned him forward.  With that, he gladly dropped
his phone on the couch, then knelt in front of the brunette, with first his
fingers and then his tongue pressing deep into her moist folds exploring
the areas the camera couldn't see.

   ****

   Later that night, sprawled across their bed, Ben finally rolled over,
got up and retreated into the bathroom.  Chloe, too, began to stir, and
slowly lowered her legs over the side of the bed.  Slipping on an oversized
tee shirt, she made her way in the dark to the kitchen and filled a glass
of water from the tap.  Standing in the dark, she could hear the dim but
persistent buzz of a phone and a glow inside her handbag.

   Picking up the bag from the chair where Ben had dropped it several hours
before, she dug down to the bottom to retrieve the device.  As she studied
the message, a smile crept across her face.  She called out to Ben, asking
where he had left his phone, and he replied that he thought he had dropped
it on the sofa.  Reappearing in their bedroom a minute later, having
located it wedged between two cushions, she casually tossed it to Ben.

   Almost immediately, another loud buzzing sound was heard, this time
coming from both of their phones.  "What's going on?"he asked, as he
noticed his screen was filled with messages.

   "I think our friends having been trying to get in touch," Chloe replied,
slipping back into bed and snuggling up close to her boyfriend.

   "Of course," Ben said as he realized that they had completely forgotten
to keep them posted on the status of Chloe's dare.  "They've been asking me
for hours whether you went through with it."

   "And if so," she replied, leaning against him so she too could watch as
he read through the texts.  "They appear to be demanding some sort of
evidence."

   As Chloe read the texts to him, Ben began scrolling through the various
images on his phone.  They started with a couple of selfies from dinner,
then the shots of her outside their apartment door, more as she faced the
window with her ass fully visible to the camera, the shots of her in
profile, and finally the full frontal one of Chloe in all her glory.

   "So, which one do you think I should send them as proof?" he asked,
gently stroking her hair as she nestled into his shoulder.

   "Well," she said with a soft laugh as she pointed to one of the shots of
her walking from the elevator to their door, "I've always thought I had a
cute butt."

   "I could send that one," he said with some hesitation.  "But you know,
they may not believe that you actually got naked for our neighbor."

   "So, one of those?" Chloe asked, tentatively pointing to the pictures of
her profiled against the open curtains, her breasts clearly visible to the
camera.

   "Maybe," Ben answered, "if that's what you'd like me to do," unable to
keep the disappointment out of his voice.

   Perhaps she was too tired to think clearly, or maybe she was enjoying
this all just a little too much, but as she sat next to him looking at the
dozen or more images Ben had taken, she made a decision.  With a shrug of
her shoulders, she told her boyfriend, "Oh just send as many as you want,"
and watched as he hurriedly typed a text, checked off eight or ten
pictures, and sent them off to the six friends.  He then pointed to the
last one of her, facing the camera with legs spread.  "And maybe just one
more, you know, so there's no doubt."

   "Why not," she answered as she snuggled closer to him and watched as he
sent the final image to their six friends.

   Placing his phone down on the table at the side of his bed and wrapping
his arm back around her, Ben whispered in her ear, "You are just amazing,
Chloe."

   Just then a loud crash of thunder was heard, and rain started, slowly at
first, then coming down in torrents and beating against the window.  "Well,
that's the end of the heat wave," Ben offered.  He laughed softly and
added, "And the end of the dare."

   "Guess so," said Chloe.  And then, with a smile, speaking almost to
herself, she started to add, "Unless...," but she was interrupted by their
phones vibrating in rapid succession as texts started pouring in.

   "Oh wow, looks like everyone's still awake and responding," he exclaimed
as he started to reach for his phone.

   "Just leave it there, please babe?" she asked, snuggling closer to him.
"It's late.  Everyone's enjoyed my little show, and we both need some
sleep. And besides," she whispered, "think how much fun it will be reading
all their texts in the morning."