Being Jane: A New Adult Erotic Romance: Fountain of Love (4 page)

Dustin

I was excited for
the party, more excited than I had been for a party in years. And I knew why,
it was because of Jane. I had no idea what the chances were that she’d actually
show, but I knew I’d be looking out for her all night.

I threw another
cinder block onto the outdoor fireplace that I was trying to beef up at the back
end of our yard. The bonfire at the last party had burned too large for
comfort. If I could build up the fireplace by a good two feet, the fire would
be more contained and hopefully blocked from our neighbor’s sight. Not that old
Mr. Cruthers would probably notice either way. Still, we didn’t need the cops
being called on us.

My roommates, Nate
and Chad, were out shopping for food, which would turn out okay if they
followed the list we agreed on. Ace was out picking up the kegs. That left me
to set up outside. All the crap we needed for burning the fire was gathered and
the fireplace itself was almost set up. I needed to arrange whatever chairs I
could find and place the cheap outdoor tiki torches strategically around the
yard.

I was sweating up
a storm hauling the heavy blocks, but the work was mindless. And that’s why my
mind kept drifting back to Jane. Seeing her the night before at the bar had
brought back all those feelings I had for her. What was it about her that had
me hooked from the moment I first laid eyes on her?

Actually, that
wasn’t true. I had known who Jane was for years in high school and hadn’t ever
thought twice about her before that night. Jeez, it wasn’t until I saw her tits
that I got so excited. Seeing her lying in the soft glow of the lamplight in
Jordy’s basement had set my body on fire. Was that the entire substance of my
infatuation with Jane?

It didn’t make
sense. I had seen plenty of other naked girls.
Shit
, Michelle had a nice
body. So, why did she leave me so cold lately? The sad truth was that Michelle hadn’t
physically excited me for a while now. I hadn’t done anything about it, because
it was just easier for things to remain status quo with her. I should have
broken up with her months ago, that way I could have pursued a hook-up with Jane
free of guilt, because there was no mistake in my mind about what I was hoping
to do later that night.

I couldn’t deny
that I was thinking purely with my dick. I didn’t really know Jane at all; she
didn’t even seem that into me.  Throw a little alcohol into this mess and
my dick was about to fuck things up real good if it got the opportunity.
Shit,
what can you do?

If I was seriously
thinking about cheating on Michelle, it was time to start thinking about
dumping her, too. I searched my brain for some signs of sadness at the thought.
Nope, nothing.

I finished setting
up for the party thinking about Jane. I remembered how her body responded to me
that night at Jordy’s party. Of course, I remembered those unforgettable tits. And
I remembered how she made me feel like she really wanted me. Yeah, I hoped like
hell that she showed up later.

When I headed
inside for a shower before the party, I was sporting some wood. Thinking about Jane,
imagining fucking her, had gotten me more than a little excited. I was shocked
when I saw Michelle sitting on my bed and texting on her phone.

She looked up as I
entered. “Eew, you’re all sweaty.”

I tried to hug
her, but she kept me at a distance, giving me the hand. I watched her for a
moment. “You’re here early. I wasn’t sure if you were coming.”

“Jana and Beth are
gonna stop by later. I hope you’re getting some better food this time.”

I started
stripping off my clothes, but Michelle wasn’t even glancing up from the phone
to watch. “Chad and Nate are out shopping now. I’ve got to hop in the shower. Come
wash my back.”

“I’m busy right
now,” she muttered absently.

Busy texting
her friends?
She didn’t seem the least bit interested. I was getting
irritated. “What the hell, we haven’t had sex in weeks.”

Michelle rolled
her eyes. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“Yes it has.” She
had succeeded in killing my raging boner in a matter of minutes.

I was now completely
undressed, but she was still too busy texting to care. Michelle practically
huffed her response. “Is that all you ever think about, Dusty?”

I couldn’t even
work up any anger. I felt more defeated than anything. “Fuck. Do you
ever
think about it anymore?”

She laughed. “Maybe
tonight. If you’re good.”

Whatever.

I wrapped a towel
around my waist and headed to the shower. Maybe I should just dump Michelle
before the party. Who needed this aggravation?

Jane

Millie and I had
concocted the perfect plan to get me out of the house for the night. I knew it
would work on my mom. I felt slightly bad about lying, but telling her the
truth would invite all sorts of crazy from her into my life. And once Millie
had talked me into going to the party, I wanted to go like my very life
depended on it.

I entered my house
and headed toward the kitchen looking for my mother. She was reading the
newspaper at the kitchen table. “How was the park?”

I pretended to
browse through the pantry looking for a snack, so I didn’t have to look my
mother in the eye as I lied to her. “It was good. Millie was really freaked out
though.”

Out of the corner
of my eye, I saw my mother look up with alarm. “Why was she freaked out?”

“Oh, her parents
are going out of town for the night. She was freaking out about staying all by
herself overnight.”

My mother relaxed
a little. “I don’t blame her, poor girl.”

I refrained from
rolling my eyes. “I know, right? That’s why I told her I’d stay with her and
keep her company. She was soooo relieved.”

“I don’t know,
honey…”

I smiled to
myself. “Or she could just stay over here tonight. We planned on doing a movie
marathon and making some popcorn-”

My mother
practically gasped. “Oh, but you’d be in the family room all night long! I don’t
know if your father would like that…”

My father wouldn’t
care, but I knew all along that my mother would go insane having her space
invaded. It would cause her all sorts of anxiety. “Yeah. You’re right, it’s not
fair to Dad. I’ll just go over there then. Do we have any microwave popcorn that
I can bring over there?”

“It should be on
the second shelf.” Mom went back to reading her paper, probably relieved that
the crisis had been averted.

I found the
popcorn and then headed toward my bedroom, trying to keep from smiling. It was
ridiculous that I had to go through such great lengths as an adult to have a
sliver of freedom, but until I had enough money to move out, I had to deal with
my parents the best I could. Sometimes that involved walking around on eggshells
and sometimes even a little deception was in order.

It was hours
before I needed to get ready for the party, but I was too keyed up to sit idle.
I rummaged through my closet until I found the old garbage bag half full of
clothes at the bottom of a pile of assorted junk. I dragged the bag out of my
closet and dumped it onto my bed.

This bag contained
the remnants of clothing from Sabrina that I had deemed way too risqué to wear
around my mother. One look at the tiny mini-skirts and the partially see-through
lace babydoll tops and she would have died. I still got the evil eye from my
mother when I wore a completely innocent tank top on the hottest of summer
days.

I wanted to look
good, but completely casual, like I hadn’t given much thought to what I was
wearing. I found a couple of jean shorts that had gotten relegated to the bag
because they were super short. They looked
tiny
. I tried them both on.
Even though they were probably ten years old by now, they didn’t look dated. I
chose the longer of the two because it was less wedgie-inducing and didn’t show
off the very tops of my thighs which weren’t as tanned as the rest of my legs.
Having no job had at least one perk; I had developed a nice golden tan even this
early in the summer.

I tried on top
after top from the bag, but nothing looked perfect. I was even too busty for
several of the shirts. I almost passed over the teal tube top, but I hesitated
because I loved the color. Girls in college had still been wearing tube tops,
so I knew they couldn’t be completely out of fashion. I took off my bra and
slipped on the tube top, prepared to immediately reject it.

The top molded to
my breasts and then gathered underneath them. The fabric fitted more loosely
down my lower torso and then flared slightly at my waist. I stared at the girl
staring back at me. She was cute. She had a nice body. She looked fun to be
around.

But one tug on
that top and my breasts would be hanging out all over the place.
The shirt
was too damn slutty
. I heard the words in the back of my mind and it
sounded like my mother’s voice.

I tore off the top
and threw it on my bed. I’d bring it to Millie’s along with the pink colored
v-neck shirt as a backup. I’d let Millie talk me into wearing the tube top
because I knew she’d love it once she saw it on me.

I quickly got
changed back into my boring, but safe, clothing. I glanced in the mirror and
saw Jane Brown staring back at me. She looked different than the girl who had
stared back at me only two days ago. This Jane Brown had a bit of a sparkle in
her eye. This Jane Brown had a secret.

I pulled my
backpack out and immediately began filling it with stuff I’d need for the party
and for the next day. When I was finished, I collapsed on my bed. I still had
hours until I thought it would be safe to head over to Millie’s house.

Glancing over my
meager collection of nail polish, I chose a light pink shade. I could pass some
time painting my fingers and toes. At one time, my mother had objected to me
painting my nails. I asked her if it was some weird religious thing, even
though we never went to church and she didn’t seem religious at all. She had a
weird reaction to that question. After an uncomfortable amount of silence, she
finally told me I could paint my nails, but not to be ‘too flashy’. It had seemed
like a huge victory at the time, but now it seemed so odd that she had ever
objected to it. It was just one more thing I chalked up to as just another weird
quirk of my mother’s.

As soon as I
thought it wasn’t too early to be suspicious to go to Millie’s for the night, I
headed downstairs with my bag. I said good-bye to my mom and surprisingly, she
didn’t seem to be sulking or bitter that I was going.
Small victories
.

Millie’s parents
were both home when I got there, but they were not nearly as restrictive as my
mother, especially now that Millie was an adult. After chatting with Millie’s
mom for a few minutes, I headed to Millie’s room to find her.

We had a blast
getting ready for the party. Once Mille saw the teal tube top, she forced me to
wear it, like I knew she would. We glammed up our makeup and hair and both
looked pretty hot when we were finished. The hardest part was deciding when we
wanted to show up at the party. We didn’t want to seem overeager, so we didn’t
want to show up too early, but we had no idea when the party would actually start.
We finally decided on 9:30, praying that wasn’t too early for a backyard
bonfire party.

When we got to 25
Willow Grove, the driveway and street in front of the house were packed with
cars. We had definitely found the right spot. Butterflies danced nervously in
my stomach as we rang the doorbell. No one answered. We tried the doorknob. It
was locked.

Millie stood on
the porch, suddenly looking less confident. “Are you sure he said tonight? It
doesn’t look like anything is going on in there. I don’t hear anything.”

“Look at all the
cars. It is weird how quiet it seems though. Dusty did say bonfire, so I guess
maybe we’re just supposed to go around back. Unfortunately, I’m not up on the
latest party etiquette.”

“Okay.” Millie
seemed hesitant and that made me start to question everything. “Let’s go around
back. I really hope this is the right house.”

We started
creeping nervously around the house. Millie whispered, “Shit. I hope a big
giant dog doesn’t come out and attack us.”

Just what I
needed to hear to reduce my growing anxiety.

Luckily, as soon
as we made it to the side of the house, sounds started trickling in from off in
the distance. Music. Laughter.
Thank God
. We were at the right place.

When we got behind
the house, we could see the bonfire way down the back of the property. A few
people milled about near the house, but no one that I recognized. The relief I
felt in finding the party dissipated almost immediately. As we headed to the
crowd of partiers, nausea roiled in my gut. I felt like I was going to throw
up. Walking blind into an unknown situation was fiercely difficult for me.
Millie looked much more relaxed now that she knew we were at the right place.

We attracted
attention right away.
Male attention
. It was weird, because we had both
been so invisible in high school. Several guys looked our way, checking us out,
as we got closer. It wasn’t long before we were approached.

He was cute. He
had a cocky spring in his step and a confident smile on his face. In the shadow
of the firelight, his hair looked dirty blond and stylishly messy. I could
practically hear Millie proclaiming him ‘yummy’ in her head.

Millie was
practically buzzing with excitement, but I was already busy scanning the
grounds hoping to find Dusty.

The cute boy swaggered
up to us. “Hey there. I’m Nate.”

Millie’s voice
rose an octave. “Hi. I’m Millie and this is Jane. We’re friends of Dusty’s.”

Nate glanced over
at me and then back to Millie. “How do you two know Dusty?”

We barely know
him. But I kissed him once. And I’ve lusted after him ever since…

Millie smiled.
“From high school.”

Nate nodded. “Oh.
So you must know Chad and Ace, too.”

Two more jocks
who never paid any attention to us
. I couldn’t hold back. “Oh yeah. We were
real tight.”

Millie shot me a
warning glance. “Sure, I remember them.”

“Cool. Do you
girls want a drink? We’ve got lots of beer and plenty of shots floating around
if you don’t want beer.”

Millie answered
before I could speak. “Beer’s great.”

We followed Nate
to a keg and waited while he filled up some red plastic cups with beer for us.

I was still
casually scanning the yard for a sign of Dusty. “Did you know that Ace’s real
name is Tucker?”

Nate laughed. “Ha.
Yeah, no one calls him that anymore. Is that what you called him in high
school?”

Millie sneakily pinched
my arm. She wanted me to behave. She answered before I could. “No. Only the
teachers called him Tucker.”

It was funny. If a
cool kid had a really horrible name, he got a cool nickname and no one bothered
him about it. If Tucker had been a nerd, he would have been utterly doomed with
that name.

Nate handed us the
cups of beer and grinned cockily at me. “Jane, I do believe I’d pay any amount
of money to hear you call him Tucker tonight.”

“No way Jane,”
Millie shot me another warning look.

I shrugged. “I
guess it depends on how many beers I drink tonight.”

I was already
having fun and the night was still young. A few beers and who knew what the
possibilities held.

Nate took a sip of
his beer. “We’ve got a drinking game going on down near the fire. Why don’t you
two join in?”

I shrugged like it
was no big deal. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

Nate led us to a
group of people gathered about twenty feet in front of the bonfire. They were
sitting in a variety of ragtag chairs set up in a circular arrangement, surrounding
a low-lying makeshift table. We squeezed in at the far corner of the group,
Nate and I sharing the end of a ratty wicker bench and Millie taking the
lopsided camp chair that was empty.

I was disappointed
that Dusty wasn’t one of the people playing, but soon I was too consumed with
figuring out the rules to the game and just plain old drinking.
Much more
than I was used to
. I hadn’t been able to play too many drinking games in
college. I had gone to some parties, but I usually couldn’t justify staying out
late to my parents, and drinking heavily was certainly out of the question with
my long drive home.

After sitting down
at the group, we had gotten included into the game during the very next round.
Chad, who was sitting across the table, even gave me a slight nod, like a nod
of approval. Before I knew it, my plastic cup had been refilled with one of the
pitchers on the table. Then it was refilled again. And again. With the fast
paced game, there was no escape from drinking.
And it was fun
.

I could tell that
Millie was having a good time talking to the guy next to her. Nate had been
laughing and joking with the whole group, but paying special attention to me.
After years of feeling excluded, always standing on the outside looking in, it
was nice to feel accepted by the cool group. Actually, I was feeling pretty awesome,
and that was when I belatedly realized that I was tipsy. And that I was
practically sitting in Nate’s lap.

As Nate started
refilling my cup again, I held up my hand. “I think I need a break.”

Nate put down the
pitcher and spoke to the group. “Jane and I are out the next round.”

People had been
popping in and out of the game, so no one took much notice. I felt Nate’s arms
wrap around me and pull me against his body. I had met this guy only hours
before, but already I felt so comfortable with him. Obviously, three (or was it
four?) cups of beer was smoothing things along nicely, too.

“Are you having
fun?” Nate spoke close to my ear.

“Yeah.” I relaxed
against him. “I’m just drinking way too fast for me.”

His hands felt
warm on my chilled arms. “Take it easy. Pace yourself - you’ve got all night.”

I was having a
great time with Nate, but still I wondered where Dusty was. I was disappointed
that I hadn’t seen him at all yet.

I sat up straight.
“Yeah, I probably should have taken a break earlier. Actually, I need to use
the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, I’ll walk
you to the house.”