Saturday Night School Ch. 13

"Charlie!" Her voice was scolding. "What were you doing in there?"

"Uh..."

"I just gave you a huge hunk of time with Michelle. You were standing right next to her, Glenn was distracted with his whole bartender thing, you had a great opportunity to talk to her. But I don't think you two said a single word to each other."

"Um... no. I guess not."

"Even if she says you're just a friend, you should still talk to her. Nothing gained by being shy. Right?"

"Right. I know." Charlie took a swallow of his drink. The minty smell of it reminded him of toothpaste. "Do you think she was disappointed I didn't talk to her more?"

"I don't know. Honestly, she seemed pretty determined to ignore you." Talia sipped from her glass. "Actually, she seemed distracted. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't get the sense that she's that interested in Glenn, either."

"No? You don't think so?"

"No. It's kind of his fault, though. He kept flirting with those two blonde girls, right in front of her... that's no way to act, if Michelle's the one he's dating. He should've paid more attention to her."

"Yeah." Charlie held up his drink. "Why did he bring her into the kitchen to watch him make mojitos? She doesn't even drink."

Talia sipped hers. "Tastes good, though. Careful. He was generous with the rum." Talia watched him over the top of her glass as she took a longer sip. "Glenn is interested in mixing drinks. So he assumes that everyone else must be interested in it, too. What about you, Charlie?"

"Am I interested in mixing drinks?"

"No. You say you like Michelle. Do you know her interests? Or do you just assume she likes the same things you do?"

"I know some of her interests," Charlie said.

"Really? Because it didn't seem like you had much to say to her, just now."

Charlie started to respond, but he was distracted by noise coming from the front door. "Glenn! Where's Glenn?" someone was yelling, and the call started to be picked up by others around the front door. "Where's Glenn?" "Get Glenn and Cody!" "The food is here!"

A girl passed through the room. "Is Glenn here? Is Glenn here?" she was asking everyone she passed.

Heather appeared with her mojito. "Are you looking for Glenn?" she asked the girl. "He's in the back."

"Can you tell him his food is here?" the girl said. "The guy from the Thai restaurant is here. He has deliveries for Glenn and Cody."

"Okay." Heather turned and disappeared down the hallway.

From the front door, Charlie heard voices talking to the deliveryman, offering to accept the delivery, which had already been paid for. However, the deliveryman kept insisting that he would only deliver the food to Glenn and Cody. More voices called for Glenn and Cody to come to the front door, and now other voices shouted that they were on their way.

"Is it a prank?" Charlie asked Talia.

"I don't know," she said.

Glenn appeared in the hallway, leading an entourage of people behind him. Cody was with him, and also Vanessa. "I don't know," Glenn said as he walked past. "I didn't order anything. Is he asking for money?" It was natural for Charlie and Talia to join the end of the group as they walked by. Everyone was interested in seeing what was happening at the front door. But as soon as Talia merged with the group and pulled ahead, Charlie abruptly stopped walking.

He turned and looked towards the kitchen. Michelle was standing by herself at the kitchen door. Their eyes met for a moment, then Michelle walked through the kitchen door, heading towards the backyard.

Charlie followed.

He didn't see her in the kitchen as he passed through. Pushing open the door to the outside, he stepped out to the backyard and looked around for her in the dim light. The backyard held close to fifteen people, some standing, some sitting, clustered in small groups, drinking and talking. He didn't see Kim Mink and that group out there anymore. It took him a moment to find Michelle, standing by herself on the grass.

She watched him as he approached. "Thai food, huh?" She smiled.

"This party seemed like it could use some food." He stopped in front of her, facing her.

"You still have two hearts to find," she reminded him. "And there's a lot of people out here."

"Not for long," he murmured.

The sprinklers came on.

Shouts and laughter came from all around the backyard. All the sprinklers had come on at the same time, spraying water everywhere. It was like a sudden rain storm; people grabbed their drinks and their bags in a mad scramble to escape into the house.

A sprinkler head popped up to the left of Charlie and Michelle, and launched a thin fan of water which fell onto them like rain. Michelle laughed, holding out her hands and letting the drops fall on her palms. "Did you do this?" she asked.

He didn't need to answer. Maybe he had been the cause, by changing the times on the automated sprinkler system he had found in the side yard. Or maybe it was just magic. He preferred that she think it was magic.

They both stood where they were, facing each other, letting the tiny droplets drizzle over them while everyone else fled into the house. It wasn't long before they were all alone in the backyard. Or almost all alone. Charlie glanced to his left and saw Toki Doki about ten feet away, sitting in one of the deck chairs. He was slouched down in the chair, leaning back. His clothes were already soaked. "You don't mind the sprinklers, Toki?" Charlie asked.

"Nah," Toki drawled. "Feels good."

"Okay." Charlie turned towards Michelle. It was too late to do anything about Toki; he had two more hearts to find on Michelle's body, and not a lot of time to find them. He stepped forward and embraced her, kissing her hungrily. In the cold of the sprinkler's spray, the warmth of her body still radiated against him. His fingers found the straps on her bare shoulders; he slipped them to the sides. Her skin was slick from the water. He peeled her black top down, exposing her to the point where he could see the heart he had already found, the one above her right nipple.

He pulled her close and his left hand found her breast. His other hand found the connectors at the back of her top and he swiftly unfastened them. The top slipped down, falling away from her front, exposing her breasts completely. He inspected them and still only saw the one heart above her right nipple. His fingers pinched that nipple as he leaned forward to kiss her again. Her nipples were easy to pinch, made hard by the cool water that sprinkled over her front.

Charlie glanced over at their lone spectator. Toki was still slouched in his chair, observing them with interest. He was watching Michelle get stripped as if it was a show on television. Michelle wasn't looking at Toki but she was clearly very aware of him. She wanted to pretend to be oblivious to Toki's presence while her body was exposed to him.

Charlie turned Michelle in place, moving her in a slow pirouette so he could inspect her body. Her top fell away, landing in the grass and leaving her topless as she spun. A heart on her right breast, another on her shoulder. None on her back. He lifted her skirt and touched her ass, rubbing the heart there, then continued to turn her so he could inspect her front.

There. High up on her inner thigh, just below her thong. Charlie crouched down on the wet grass, lifting up her skirt. He could see the fifth heart clearly, it wasn't covered by her thong, but nevertheless he took hold of the thong and tugged it down her legs to her feet. Because he still had a sixth heart to find, and he suspected it was drawn right above her pussy.

Charlie ran his hands up her left leg, and Michelle obediently opened her stance, allowing him to kiss the heart on her inner thigh. He moved his mouth higher, pressing it against her pussy, letting his tongue invade her. No sixth heart, but he loved the sweet tang of her arousal.

"Are you guys, like, a couple or something?" Toki's voice came from their left. Charlie didn't bother to answer. He rose to his feet and embraced Michelle again, kissing her while his hand stroked her pussy, his index finger sliding between her labia.

"You only found five," she said breathlessly.

"Is that so?"

"You need to find six to win."

"I need one more."

"Yes. One more."

"Show me your asshole," he said.

Michelle's eyes darted nervously towards Toki. Charlie didn't need to look; he knew Toki was still watching. Michelle undid a clasp at the back of her skirt to make it loose, then pushed it down her hips and let it fall around her feet. She was naked now except for her boots. She turned away from Charlie and bent over, leaving her legs apart, so that he had a perfect view of her pussy and ass. He could see her asshole, but didn't see any hearts drawn around it.

We're insane, Charlie thought as he explored Michelle's completely exposed private parts, looking for that elusive sixth heart. His heart was thundering in his chest. He couldn't believe the risk Michelle was taking, standing completely naked in Glenn's backyard with her clothes strewn around the grass. Glenn would deal with the Thai food delivery; in fact, he probably already had. Soon he would notice that the backyard sprinklers were on. Any second, someone might push open the back door and see Michelle standing there totally exposed, offering her pussy and asshole for Charlie to inspect.

Charlie stood, and he pulled Michelle upright, spun her to face him. "Giving up?" she asked. Yes, he was giving up, but his blood ran hot for her, and he pulled her in for another kiss, his hand groping roughly between her legs. He pushed two fingers into her; he kissed her mouth, her cheek, her chin. She moaned. He kissed her neck, licking the water that dripped from the strands of her dark hair.

"Charlie!" she said suddenly, looking past his head. He knew they were caught even before he turned to look. Talia stood at the back door of the house, gaping at them. A moment later, she turned and disappeared back into the house.

"Well," Michelle said. "Shit." She laughed.

Charlie quickly pulled off his jacket. "Put this on," he said. He crouched and gathered up her clothes, wrapping them up in her skirt. When he stood up, Michelle had the jacket on and already zipped up. The jacket, which had been big on Charlie, covered her completely, coming down almost to her knees.

"Let's go this way," Charlie said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the path that went around the side of the house. He glanced at Toki, still sitting under the sprinklers. "Bye, Toki."

"See you," Toki said, waving. "You guys are awesome."

The side path was empty except for a boy and girl leaning against the house in the shadows, kissing each other. The couple didn't pay any attention to Charlie and Michelle as they hurried past. Charlie glanced at the sprinkler controls. He had set the sprinklers to go on for ten minutes, and they were just about to turn off.

No one paid any attention to them as they slipped away from the house. Charlie paused on the sidewalk as he recognized a car on the other side of the street, parked a few houses away. "Just a second," he told Michelle. "I need to say thanks."

He approached the car, a white civic hatchback with "Full Moon Thai" written on the side. The driver was an Asian man in his thirties with a round face. The driver's side window was down, and the driver glanced at them as they walked up. "Oh, hey, Charlie," he said.

"Hey, Lou," Charlie greeted him. "Thanks again for your help."

Lou shrugged. "It was nothing. I should give you back your twenty. Nice kids, they gave me a tip, even though they said they didn't order anything." He looked at Michelle curiously. "So I kept them distracted for a while. Did you get to do your prank?"

"Yeah," Charlie said. "Everything went as planned."

"What was it, anyway? What was the prank?"

"I turned on all the sprinklers," Charlie said, "and then Michelle here took off all her clothes and streaked through the backyard."

Lou blinked. He looked at Michelle again. "You really did that?"

Michelle smiled. She tugged down the zipper of the jacket and pulled it open, revealing that she was nude underneath. "I really did," she said.

Lou gaped at her. Then he laughed. "I really should give you your twenty back, Charlie," he said. "A prank like that, I would've helped for free!"

"Keep it," Charlie said. "Have a good night."

"You, too." Lou grinned. "Have fun."

Michelle held the jacket closed until they reached Charlie's car. Once she was inside, she left it open. Charlie started the car and turned on the heater; they were both still soaked from the sprinklers. He let the car idle. His hand stroked her leg as they waited. "So where was it?" he asked.

"What?"

"The other heart. Heart number six. I looked everywhere."

Michelle smiled. She held up her left hand. Her fingernails were red, but on her pinky nail, she had a white heart. "Ta da."

"Wow," Charlie said. "How did I miss it?"

"Maybe because you were too eager to look other places." Michelle tapped her foot on the dashboard. "Come on. Let's go somewhere."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

Charlie put the car in gear and pulled out into the street. He knew a place they could go.

"Talia's going to tell Vanessa," Charlie said as the car left Glenn's house behind. "She probably already has."

"I know." Michelle sighed. "It's time anyway."

"Time for what?"

"To tell Vanessa. To tell her everything. I'm tired of secrets."

He glanced at her. "Seriously? You're going to tell her everything?"

"No, not EVERYTHING everything." She sat low in her seat, watching the houses pass outside her window. For all Charlie knew, they might have been driving on her block. It might've been her house they were passing.

Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Santos. I'm your daughter's new boyfriend. I ran into her at the party tonight. I didn't talk to her very much, but I spent a lot of time with my hands under her skirt. Then I took her into the backyard, stripped her naked and had my hands all over her body.

But don't worry. It's only because I love her and she likes it so much.

Michelle's phone buzzed. Charlie had no idea where she had been carrying it, but she had it in her hand, and read a text message. She put the phone away without sending a response. "Charlie," Michelle said. "I think Vanessa should play Ingrid."

"Ingrid?"

"Yeah. Instead of Kim. Don't you think Vanessa would be good for the role?"

"Sure. So you still want to film that first script? With the nude scenes?"

"Yeah."

"And you think Vanessa would do it?"

"I think so," Michelle said. "I want to ask her."

"Okay."

Charlie drove them north, out of Pine Hills. He remembered the exit that Michelle had asked him to take, the last time they had driven together on this road, and he took it again. A turn, another turn, then a long and winding drive through the forest. Finally, Charlie pulled off the road by the bridge that Michelle had named the Hanson Bridge, the bridge that Charlie already thought of as Michelle's Bridge.

Michelle insisted on making an attempt to cross the bridge completely naked. She refused his jacket, and even took off her boots. But she was thwarted in her attempt almost as soon as she started, barely walking ten feet towards the bridge before they heard the hum of an approaching truck. She had to sprint back and find a hiding place. She crouched just down the slope from the bridge, tucked in the shadows until the truck passed by.

Her second attempt was also unsuccessful. Another truck from the same direction, and she was forced to hide again. "See?" she said. "It's impossible. Even in the middle of the night. There's always a truck."

"Take my jacket with you," Charlie said. "When you hear the truck coming, put on the jacket. Then take it off again after they pass."

Michelle shook her head. "No. I have to be naked the entire way or it doesn't count."

Instead, they walked down the hiking path that ran parallel to the river, traveling downstream to their secret beach, the place where the river curved to the right. Charlie spread his jacket on the sand and Michelle lay down on top of it, her legs carelessly open, an invitation. Charlie took a moment to stand over her, admiring her naked body. He had stripped her naked in Glenn's backyard and she had been naked ever since, stolen away from Glenn's party, brought to this place in the woods where he would make love to her under the night sky.

"I told you," she said, as if she had read his mind. "I told you I would be at the party while you were there, and if you wanted me to be with you, you just had to come and get me."

"Well," he said. "I came and got you."

"No. Not all of me." she whispered. "Not yet."

At Glenn's party, gazing at her from across the room, in her black top, her black skirt, her black boots; he had wanted to walk up to her, to pull up her skirt, to pull down her panties, to put his cock in her. Now she was naked, reclining on the sand in front of him, her legs apart and her pussy glistening. She was waiting for him, as she had been waiting for him since Glenn's backyard, maybe even since Glenn's kitchen; waiting and anticipating, and her patience was almost exhausted.

He undid the front of his pants and pulled his cock free. It jutted towards her, erect and throbbing, and she reached for it. Her fingers squeezed it, tugging it towards her as he got down on his knees, crouching between her legs. Then he was inside her, plunging into her. His weight was on top of her and her legs wrapped around him; he moaned as he pushed into her again and again. She was whispering something, the same thing over and over. "Finally," she was saying, her voice breathless with ecstasy. "Finally."

Afterwards, they held each other under the night sky, listening to the burble of the nearby river. "Bonnie and Clyde," Michelle whispered in the darkness.

"Bonnie and Clyde," Charlie agreed.

Michelle was silent for a moment. "Do you know what happens to Bonnie and Clyde at the end of that movie?" she asked.

"Um..." Charlie tried to remember. "They get shot?"

"They go too far," Michelle said. "And there are consequences." Michelle glanced up at him. "You won't let us go too far, right, Charlie?"

"No," Charlie said. "I won't let us go too far." But how far was too far? He wasn't sure he even knew anymore.