Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >Discovering Melanie by Cave Discovering Melanie Ch. 14.1 Standing there in the small study room in the library, Melanie felt Sarah -(TM)s hand on the small of her back as she looked at Brian sitting there. Sarah had asked her help for tomorrow -(TM)s exam, but that appeared to be just a trick to get her there. Cohen hadn -(TM)t gone home either. Melanie guessed that he -(TM)d done the same to Brian, who seemed not at all happy to see her. -What is this? - Brian asked bluntly, looking at Sarah. -We don -(TM)t know what happened between you two, but it -(TM)s obvious you two have been avoiding each other. You -(TM)re staying here till you talk it out, - Sarah said, before opening the door again. -We -(TM)ll be outside. You have the room for an hour. - Sarah left, closing the door behind her. -Those guys -- - Melanie said, amused. -I -(TM)m not in the mood to talk and I -(TM)m not amused, - Brian said, turning away from her. Typical, stubborn guy, Melanie thought, and she sighed. -Brian, I -(TM)m sorry about Saturday! - she said. She wished Sarah had given her a heads up, so she could have rehearsed what she wanted to say, even though she had done exactly that multiple times the past few days. -My behavior was unacceptable. - She waited for him to say something, but he kept quiet, didn -(TM)t even give an indication he -(TM)d heard her. Why is he like this? He -(TM)s acting like he -(TM)d been slighted in the worst manner possible. -Can we please talk about it? - she begged. Again, she waited. This time she saw his shoulder twitch. -You can -(TM)t do that to a guy, - he finally said. -I know, my behavior Saturday was awful. The alcohol -- I shouldn -(TM)t drink that much, - she said. -Don -(TM)t blame it on the alcohol, - Brian said, turning back to her before continuing, -Holding my arm, asking me those questions. If you had any idea -- I thought Josy was the tease, lifting your skirt and embarrassing you. But the park. And Saturday. You and Josy, are you together? No, I don -(TM)t even want to know. You -(TM)ve been playing with my feelings. Saturday. How could you do that to someone? Josy knew, she told you, and then you did that to me. Cohen, he tricked me, asked if I could help him for tomorrow -(TM)s exams. - He kept talking throughout, giving her no room to respond. Everything he said, it was too much to process. It left Melanie speechless. Brian stood up and walked to the door, opened it and was about to step outside, not even bothering with his stuff. He was stopped in his tracks by Sarah and Cohen blocking his path. -Talk it out, - Sarah said, directing Brian back to a chair and closing the door on him and Melanie. Melanie sat down on the opposite side of the table. She looked at him, but he was just looking down at the table. She felt grateful for Sarah -(TM)s and Cohen -(TM)s intervention, since it appeared that if it were up to Brian, he might have avoided her for weeks, if not more. When he had left her room that Saturday, she didn -(TM)t know what to expect next time they talked, but it wasn -(TM)t this. -I don -(TM)t understand all that you just said, but Josy and I are not together. I don -(TM)t know where you got that from, - she said. He looked up and studied her face. -I will say, I -(TM)m sorry for my behavior, - she continued, and then raised her voice, -but you -(TM)re an asshole. You -(TM)re making me out to be the worst kind of person and it -(TM)s insulting. - After a moment of quiet, he said, -Say I believe you, how do you explain the both of you behaving as you do? - Though she had to admit that she and Josy didn -(TM)t exactly have a normal friendship, she didn -(TM)t know what exactly he was referring to. -I -(TM)d like to explain, if you -(TM)ll let me, - she said. Then she asked, -Are you going to apologize? - He looked pissed and glared at her. After what felt like a long time, he said, -Fine, but you -(TM)ll have to explain a few things. When Josy lifted your skirt, was that planned? - -I had no idea she would do that, - she answered, blushing at the memory. He studied her face again, and then asked, -She does that to you, her friend? So casually embarrassing you? - -Yeah -- she does that, - still blushing. He continued in a softer tone, saying, -But she knew you were -- I mean -- you had no panties on. I knew for sure you two were together then. - Melanie blushed furiously. He had noticed and even remembered that she -(TM)d been bare beneath her skirt. Indeed, Josy knew, but not for the reason Brian was thinking of. -Yes, she knew, - she admitted, looking away. -So, why did she do that to you? - Brian asked, going back to a harsher tone. -Why does she even know that? - How can she tell him the reason behind it? How to even begin to explain? -It -(TM)s complicated, - she said. -Try me, - Brian responded. She thought about it for a moment. Why indeed. She wasn -(TM)t sure herself and couldn -(TM)t exactly answer for Josy -(TM)s motivations. Josy breaking up with her boyfriend half a year ago, catching Melanie in her backyard, that morning in the field -- So much had happened the past weeks, and Melanie and Josy had already bent or perhaps broken some friendship boundaries. She couldn -(TM)t tell him all that and didn -(TM)t even know how to describe her current relationship with Josy. Maybe if she just told him some of her high school history, it would be sufficient explanation. -I was a late bloomer in high school. Girls would tease me for it, and for years I was insecure about my body. Still am, - she said. Remembering her drunken ramblings about her butt, she added, -It -(TM)s why I asked you those questions Saturday. - -When we were walking, those questions? - he asked. More blushing. -Yes. - -Do you even realize how strange it is to ask such things? - -I guess I am a bit strange, - she admitted. He was quiet for a while. At least he didn -(TM)t seem as upset anymore, and continued to say, -I guess I -(TM)m a bit strange as well. - -I -(TM)m glad you -(TM)re aware of it, - she said, unable to resist taking a dig at him. -Saturday -- - -I -(TM)m sorry. That went too far, - she said, then looked down at the table and continued, -And I -(TM)m glad you held back -- Thank you for that. - -You -(TM)re such a tease, - he said. As she looked up again, he turned away and she thought she saw a smile break through on his face. -Yes, you said that. - He seemed to be doing his best to suppress the smile and Melanie wondered why. After a moment, the smile was gone again, leaving a neutral expression. It bothered her. -You called me an asshole, - he said, and the smile broke through again, or was it more of a grin this time? -Yes, - she said. Wait, why is that funny to him? -You know, what I said about being more careful -- - he said. More careful? He continued, -With your teasing -- you might be showing more than you realize. - Melanie -(TM)s eyes went wide, suddenly realizing what he was talking about. Josy -(TM)s pictures! She couldn -(TM)t face him anymore and squeaked as she turned away from him, covering her face with her hands. After a few moments, she dropped her hands, but continued to stand there for a long time, feeling her heart rate gradually return to normal. -You were thinking about it, weren -(TM)t you? - she asked, still facing away from him. -I can -(TM)t answer that, - he said. She turned and yelled at him, -Asshole! - -Yes, - he responded flatly. She slumped in embarrassment, unable to look at him. He stood up, walked over to her and patted her on the back. -Don -(TM)t worry Melanie -- - She looked up at him. -It was a good show, - he said, grinning. Melanie didn -(TM)t respond. She was beyond embarrassed. He walked back to his chair and sat down again. After a few moments, he broke the silence. -It doesn -(TM)t explain why, though, - he said. -Sorry, why what exactly? - she turned back to him. -Why everything, - he said, exasperated. She sighed. Communicate already, is it that difficult? She rolled his eyes at him, but he was looking the other way. -Look, there -(TM)s more we need to talk about, but I want to get out of here, - he said. He then looked at her and asked, -Just -- can you answer me one thing? - She wanted to make this right and understood that there was still a lot of air to clear. Obviously, he had many of doubts milling through his head. -Yes, - she said. -What you did Saturday -- was that planned? To mess with me? - -No, absolutely not, - she answered, unwavering. Brian looked her straight in the eyes, and she held fast. After several seconds, she blushed and began to explain, -I -- - She had to turn her eyes away and hoped he wouldn -(TM)t ask if she had teased him on purpose. It wasn -(TM)t planned, and she couldn -(TM)t explain what had made her do it, but at least after getting the water she had enjoyed teasing him and seeing his reactions. She forced herself to look him in the eyes again. -I forgive you for Saturday and I -(TM)m sorry for what I said earlier, - he said, still holding his gaze. -Oh -- okay, - she said, taken aback. She had no doubt that what he said was sincere, even though he delivered it in such a strange manner. He obviously still had questions and she didn -(TM)t know if she could answer them, but at least the major issues bothering him were out of the way. Unsure what to do now, she asked, -Shall we shake hands for Sarah and Cohen, so they let us go? - He nodded and said, -Obviously we -(TM)re not telling them what happened. - He went to the door, opened it, and then extended his hand to Melanie. She shook his hand. It felt otherworldly, as she had a strong desire to either go in for a hug or slap him in the face. Feeling lightheaded, she said to Sarah, -We talked it out. Let -(TM)s go home? - -You sure took your sweet time, - Cohen said, frowning. -But at least you worked it out. Mind you, we -(TM)d have locked you in there the whole night. - -Now tell us what it was all about, - Sarah said. -What happened Saturday? - -Uhm, tell you another time, okay? - Melanie asked. She didn -(TM)t want to ever tell Sarah and Cohen, and hoped they -(TM)d let it go for now. -Hmph, fine, - Sarah said, looking at Brian and Melanie critically. -Brian, you forgot your things. Melanie, your bag, - Cohen said, pointing back into the room. Sarah laughed, and said, -You two are the weirdest. - -We know. We already agreed on that, - Brian said, packing up his things. ***** Sometime during the night, Melanie woke up to pee. Absentmindedly, she neglected to put on a shirt or robe and just stepped into her slippers. After peeing, washing up and exiting the small room, she bumped into someone. It was dark, but it was still possible to make out shapes. -Sorry, - someone said. Melanie recognized the voice as belonging to Reese. -Sorry, - Melanie responded on autopilot, and started moving past the other girl to make her way to her door, which was just a few steps away. Though she held her hands up between herself and Reese, the other girl did the same and she felt hands touch her arms and shoulders. She could tell that Reese hadn -(TM)t moved yet when she slipped back into her room. As she lay in bed, she wondered how much Reese had seen, and whether Reese had noticed her nudity. She hadn -(TM)t had much interaction with Reese yet since moving in, but Melanie liked her. The quiet girl seemed nice. Thankfully, before long she was sound asleep again. ***** Friday morning after her alarm went off, Melanie again thought about running. She hadn -(TM)t spoken with Brian since they left the library, but perhaps they could go running the next day. She planned to ask him about it after today -(TM)s exams. Although he had said there was more they needed to talk about, he seemed to have forgiven her for her behavior last Saturday. She was happy to have her friend back. After a quick check of the hallway, she walked over to the bathroom, naked with her towel over her arm. It was becoming a habit of hers. However, as she was getting ready to get in the shower, her bladder was telling her that she should pee first. Unfortunately, in their apartment, the toilet was in a separate little room next to the bath and shower room, accessible only through the hallway. It was still early. She -(TM)d been setting her alarm a little earlier to minimize the chances the bathroom would already be in use, so she decided to risk it in just her slippers. There was no door directly from the bathroom and the toilet, but it was just a few steps through the hallway. As she walked over, she reflected on the fact that every time she walked nude through that hallway was exhilarating. After peeing she walked back, facing her roommate -(TM)s doors, while forcing her hands by her side. She made it back to the bathroom unseen. As she stepped into the shower, Melanie thought of Alani and Paige. If they caught her in the hallway like that, could she still convince them she wasn -(TM)t a nudist? Of course, she didn -(TM)t need to convince herself she wasn -(TM)t a nudist. There -(TM)s a big difference between walking nude through your own apartment, even if it is shared with others, and walking nude outside in a nudist resort. Even so, she thought she should look into nudist resorts some time. Would she be able to fit in there, given her strange fascination with nudity? ***** The last exams of the week went well; Melanie had successfully navigated her way through the first exam week of college. -Yay, - she said happily, standing with her friends outside the exam hall. -So, as Melanie so eloquently stated, now that our exams are done, do you guys want to go to a party this evening? - Sarah asked the group, playfully poking Melanie in the ribs. -Absolutely, - Cohen said, -I need to unwind. - -I suggest Marcus -(TM) party, - Sarah said. -Who -(TM)s Marcus? - Brian asked. -Tall guy, usually sits next to the redhead. - -Oh, from our class? - -Do you not pay any attention to others? - Sarah rolled her eyes at Brian. -Whatever, - Brian said. -Where is the party? - Sarah named the address. -Oh, that -(TM)s my building, - Melanie said. -That -(TM)s settled then. If necessary we can all sleep at Melanie -(TM)s, - Sarah said. They laughed at Melanie -(TM)s wide-eyed expression. -You didn -(TM)t notice? - Cohen said, elbowing Brian, -Sarah attacks you for not knowing Marcus -(TM) name, but she doesn -(TM)t even know the name of the redhead. - -Shut up, - Sarah said, laughing. Discovering Melanie Ch. 14.2 After dinner and a shower, Josy came over to Melanie -(TM)s room. Melanie had asked her if she wanted to come along with her friends to the party in their building. Of course, Josy had accepted, on the condition that she could pick out Melanie -(TM)s outfit. While her friend was sifting through Melanie -(TM)s closet, Melanie told Josy about her talk with Brian. -He was angry? - Josy asked her. -Why? - -He thought you and I were together, - Melanie said, blushing. -I -(TM)m not sure why exactly, but he said it was the way we acted together. - Josy was surprised by that, and Melanie updated her about the rest of her talk with Brian, only leaving out the most embarrassing part. -Did he mention what he saw? I mean when he went to put the glasses back? - Josy asked, addressing exactly that most embarrassing part. -Not directly, but I -(TM)m pretty sure he was thinking about it, - Melanie admitted, red-faced. She omitted telling Josy how suggestive his words had been. It had left no doubt in Melanie -(TM)s mind. -I -(TM)m sure he was, - Josy winked. -I -(TM)m really glad you two were able to talk it out. - -Mostly, anyway. - -Anyway, this is what you -(TM)ll wear, - Josy said as she turned around to face Melanie, holding a maroon dress Melanie had bought last fall. She then asked, -Why are you not naked yet? - -Why naked? - Melanie asked, as she started undressing. -What about underwear? - -Isn -(TM)t the dress enough? - Josy asked, winking at her. When Melanie took off her bra, Josy said, -Don -(TM)t worry, I picked out a bra as well. - -Right, - said Melanie, as she stepped out of her panties, leaving her naked. She then put on the bra Josy handed her, followed by the dress. It was a long sleeve mid-thigh V-neck flare dress. The V-neck was modest. Although it showed her upper chest, it didn -(TM)t reach the swell of her breasts. It would be interesting without panties, at the very least. Melanie was a bit nervous about it. Guys might try to lift up the hem, given how easy that would be with this flare dress, so she would have to be careful. Next followed the black thigh-highs that they had recently bought. It left a nice stretch of bare skin between the thigh-highs and the hem of the dress. After she put them on, Josy whistled, -Wow, that -(TM)s nice. Maybe a bit too nice? - A pair of black mid-calf heel boots finished the look. Melanie posed, standing beside the window, as Josy took a picture. Melanie had to admit, it was a hot look. -What are you going to wear? - Melanie asked her friend, who was still in jeans and a blouse. -I brought something. I -(TM)ll go change, - Josy said, picking up a loose bundle she had brought over. -You can change here, - Melanie suggested. -Uhm, - Josy hesitated. -You probably think it -(TM)s crazy, given how many times you -(TM)ve been naked around me, but I think I -(TM)ll use the bathroom. - She looked apologetic. -Oh, okay, - Melanie said, wondering if she could get Josy naked and embarrassed sometime, turning the tables on her for once. After a while, Josy came back from the bathroom, wearing a spaghetti strap mid-thigh black dress with black thigh-highs. The dress accentuated her C-cup breasts nicely. -Sexy, - Melanie said, -are you wearing panties with that? - To Melanie -(TM)s amusement, it made Josy blush. -You don -(TM)t ask a lady such a question, - Josy said, looking serious. Melanie shot her a look, and then laughed. ***** When Melanie and Josy arrived at the party, they found Brian, Sarah, and Cohen already there. It was a lively event, with at least two dozen people in the common room alone. There were also people in the hallway. The apartment had a nearly identical setup as Josy -(TM)s and Melanie -(TM)s. Sarah complimented both Josy and Melanie on their outfits and they returned the compliment. Sarah was looking hot as well, in a sexy denim skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse that showed off a lace bra underneath. Melanie found it interesting that Sarah was dressed up like that, while her boyfriend wasn -(TM)t there with her. Melanie had decided not to have any alcohol this evening, and she spent the next hour enjoying light conversation with her friends. She wondered if Josy would talk to any of the guys there, and while Josy seemed happy to mingle, Melanie noticed that she seemed to resist the attempts of guys to flirt with her. Melanie herself also noticed guys looking her up and down, and it made her feel good to know she was worth checking out, but she -(TM)d often turn to one of her friends before a guy could open a conversation with her. While she was leaning against the doorpost to the hallway, Brian found her there. -Hey, - he said. -Hey, Brian, - Melanie responded. She wondered if they could continue their conversation from yesterday. -Do you want to go talk somewhere? - -What, now? Okay, - Brian said. They walked through the apartment hallway, away from the music. There were other people leaning against the walls there, chatting. The door to the bathroom was open and they went in there. There was a simple chair there, but they both decided to keep standing. It was a good place to have a relatively private chat. Still, they had to be careful not to be overheard. -I guess there are still a lot of things you want to talk about, - she said. -Maybe it -(TM)s best if you start with the most pressing question. - He didn -(TM)t respond right away. Likely he was thinking about what to talk about first. -I don -(TM)t know if I can ask you this. It feels like I shouldn -(TM)t, - he said, looking slightly uncomfortable. -Please, just ask me. - -Okay, - he said, pausing. He took a deep breath before continuing. -Josy lifting your -- you-know-what in front of me, - he said quietly, looking at the open door. -I asked you yesterday, but you said it was complicated. - Melanie felt her heart flutter. She had said he could ask her, and she felt he deserved an answer, but this was definitely not an easy thing to explain. In fact, it touched the core of her sexuality, her obsession. She wasn -(TM)t sure how much she could tell him; how much she would need to tell him to satisfy his question. Her nerves were going crazy. She looked at him and wondered how he would react if he knew the truth about her. The prospect simultaneously frightened and excited her. Based on what he had mentioned about his online browsing activities, he apparently enjoyed looking at embarrassed naked girls. Did that apply to her as well? Had he enjoyed looking at her bare ass while Josy lifted her skirt and had he enjoyed her embarrassment? She blushed at the thought. -Okay, - she said, bracing herself. Her hands were shaking a little. -You know -- that website -- Do you ever wonder whether those girls enjoy the embarrassment? - It seemed that her question embarrassed him, and she wondered if he still visited that site, and how often. -I -(TM)m not sure, - he said. -You asked why Josy does those things to me, - Melanie said. She felt the heat rising in her face as she prepared to say the next words. -It -(TM)s because in some way -- I like it. - She forced herself to look at his reaction, even though she wanted very much to hide her face. Understanding seemed to dawn on him, and his eyes widened. She had to look away. -Please, don -(TM)t judge me, - she begged him. -I see, - he said after a few moments. He still seemed deep in thought. They stood there, neither of them speaking, and Melanie worried that she -(TM)d made a giant mistake telling him. Her worries grew with every second he stood there saying nothing, but then he took a step towards her. She saw a sudden confidence in him that she hadn -(TM)t seen before. -You know, you look hot today, - Brian said quietly. -That dress -- those socks -- - He stepped even closer to her, using the slow music as an excuse to put his hands on her hips. She was surprised by his sudden boldness, but she let him. She put her hands on his shoulders and together they swayed to the music. It was the first time they danced together. He -(TM)d called her hot, Melanie realized. She blushed and put her head on his shoulder so he couldn -(TM)t see. His hands moved steadily down, and she felt his fingertips touch the outside of her thighs through the dress. It was electrifying. -Do you like this? - he asked her. Does he mean the dancing or his hands? -Yes, - she said, on both counts. Someone entered the bathroom. With her back to the door, Melanie couldn -(TM)t see, but a female voice said, -Hi, can I use the sink? - -Of course, - Brian said. The girl passed on Melanie -(TM)s right side, coming into view and went to the first of the two sinks. Melanie felt embarrassed to be seen while Brian was touching her legs through the dress, and she wondered what the girl thought they were doing. As she watched the girl wash her hands, she felt Brian -(TM)s hand on her left side sneak her dress up, touching her bare thigh. What is he doing? The girl is right there, thought Melanie, even though their bodies would block the view of what Brian was doing, she feared the girl would notice. Oh, that feels good, thought Melanie, getting excited as Brian traced circles with his fingers, going higher and exposing more skin. The girl finished washing up, dried her hands and walked back out of the bathroom. Brian -(TM)s hand froze, pressed flat on her skin. Melanie heard her leave but could not see whether the girl had taken another look at them. Now that the girl was gone, Melanie wondered if she should push Brian -(TM)s hands away. Although it felt nice, and the touches were exciting her, the fear of being seen and embarrassed kept urging her to put a stop to it. However, Brian must have had a different idea, as he took the opportunity to let his other hand catch up. With both hands tracing circles up her bare thighs, Melanie wondered if it pulled up the back of her dress enough that it exposed her butt. -The door, - she whispered. -The hallway is empty, - he whispered back. That -(TM)s not what she meant, she wanted to say, but then she gasped. She felt his hands going even further, nearly to her hips. Now it clearly did pull the hem of her dress up. She could feel it rise up her butt and felt her knees weakening. -Now, I wonder, - he whispered, as his fingers began exploring, slowly moving from her hips towards the middle of her butt. -Are you wearing panties today, Melanie? - His directness shocked her out of the trance she had been in. Had she created a monster? This new Brian was scaring her a little. -Hmmm, - she mumbled, not answering his question. She didn -(TM)t want to lie to him, but also was ashamed to admit the truth. -If you are, they don -(TM)t cover much, - Brian whispered. She jumped a little, gripping his shoulders as she felt him grab hold of her bare cheeks under her dress. Then one of his hands moved up, and unimpeded due to her lack of underwear it reached the small of her back. He had his answer, she knew, feeling embarrassed. There were footsteps behind her. Someone stepped into the doorway of the bathroom and stood there. -Brian, - Melanie gasped. She tried to look over her shoulder to see who it was that caught them there. -I was looking for you two, - Josy said. -Wow, Brian. I never expected this from you, shamelessly exposing your friend like this. - -I don -(TM)t -- - Brian -(TM)s resolve seemed to falter, and his hands fell away, letting Melanie -(TM)s dress fall back into place. -Melanie, are you okay? - Josy asked. -Uh huh, - Melanie mumbled, still trembling from arousal. She was glad it was just Josy, and not someone else. Josy had rebuked Brian just now, and she wondered how Josy would react, having caught them there. Melanie felt Josy step close to her, and then gasped as she felt her dress lifted up again, followed by a warm hand on her ass. She moaned in response, took a step forward and felt the bulge in Brian -(TM)s pants press against her. -So, - Josy said softly, her breath on the back of Melanie -(TM)s neck, causing goosebumps. -Were you two having a nice little chat? - Brian shifted his feet, not answering. Melanie held onto his shoulders, keeping him in place pressed against her, while Josy lightly massaged her left butt cheek. -Yes, - Melanie whispered. -Ah, - she gasped, as she felt Josy -(TM)s fingers probing between her cheeks. -I hear you two like to go running together, isn -(TM)t that right, Brian? - Josy asked casually. -Uh, yeah, we do, - Brian said. Melanie felt Josy -(TM)s fingers still probing between her cheeks, trailing down ever so slowly. Due to the situation, Brian -(TM)s pushing earlier and Josy now joining the fray, Melanie -(TM)s arousal was rising fast. Butterflies in her stomach were causing her abdominal muscles to twitch, adding to the pleasure she was feeling. -All that running is good for the glutes. Say, Melanie has a nice butt, doesn -(TM)t she? - Josy asked, as her fingers found Melanie -(TM)s puckered hole, lightly rubbing the skin around it, making Melanie squirm. -Yes, she has a nice butt, - Brian sounded embarrassed saying it. -She doesn -(TM)t think so herself. She -(TM)s quite insecure about it, so we should help her a little, - Josy said. -Here. - Melanie felt movement behind her and shortly after felt a bigger hand, Brian -(TM)s hand on her right cheek. She was breathing heavily, feeling like she was their plaything, and shuddering as Josy -(TM)s fingers briefly and lightly wiggled against her asshole and then slowly moved on down. Her own hands slackened their grip on Brian -(TM)s shoulders. She felt intensely embarrassed over the influence their combined effort had on her, but it was almost entirely drowned out by her arousal. As Josy -(TM)s fingers passed over the entrance of her vagina, she pushed back in reflex, and she felt two fingertips enter her, eliciting a gasp from Josy. She was close, so close. If Josy would only just -- -Oops, - Josy said. Josy -(TM)s fingers retreated, eliciting a moan of frustration from Melanie, but then they went back in, slightly deeper this time. Just past the fingertips. Melanie came immediately, shaking in between them. Her legs went weak, and Brian reacted by holding her up with his one hand already on her butt and his other going to her waist. The intimate touches added fuel to her fire. As she rode the waves of pleasure, she felt Josy take her fingers out, though Josy -(TM)s hand remained on her butt. -Don -(TM)t let her fall, - Josy said. -What just happened? - Brian asked. -Did she just --? - -You need to be careful with her, Brian. Though I think I -(TM)m to blame here as well. - -What did you do? - Brian asked Josy, as he helped Melanie to the chair. Melanie sat down, and shame washed over her as she came down from her orgasm. -Please, - Melanie said quietly after a few moments, -I need to go home. - Josy helped her up and held Melanie -(TM)s arm as they started walking out of the bathroom. -Melanie, I -(TM)m sorry, - Brian said behind them. -Brian -- - Melanie said. She felt bad. After what had happened last weekend, they hadn -(TM)t talked for nearly a week. Only yesterday, they had been able to talk out the most pressing issues. If she left him now by going home with Josy, he might again take that the wrong way. She looked back at him and said, -Come. - He followed them through the rest of the party as they headed to the door. On the way they passed Cohen. -Hey guys, - Cohen said. -Where are you three going? - -Hey Cohen, Melanie was feeling a little dizzy, so she -(TM)s going home early, - Brian said. -Oh --sorry. Feel better, Melanie, - Cohen said. -Thank you, - Melanie said in a quiet voice barely audible over the music, as they continued walking. -Bro, going home with those two hotties? Nice, - some guy said as they neared the door. Brian didn -(TM)t respond. -Hey bro, I was talking to you. - -Shut up asshole, can -(TM)t you see our friend isn -(TM)t well? - Josy exclaimed. -Well, excuuuuse me, - the guy said sarcastically. As he walked away, they heard him saying, -Bitch. - Brian walked out the apartment with them, but in the hallway he said, -Melanie, it -(TM)s okay, don -(TM)t worry. You go two go home, and we talk tomorrow, okay? - Melanie thought he seemed uncomfortable, possibly ashamed, and she asked, -Are you sure? - -Yeah -- And I -(TM)m sorry about what happened. - -Okay, Brian, - she said, but then remembered she hadn -(TM)t asked him about running yet. -Wait, tomorrow -- Let -(TM)s go running, eight thirty? - -Sure, see you then, - he smiled shyly. -Promise? - Melanie asked. She didn -(TM)t want him to bail and avoid her again for another week. -Promise, - he said. Melanie still felt shame at what had happened and was actually relieved he didn -(TM)t go with them. She walked with Josy to the elevator.