Page 39 of Classroom Confessions

“I can help.” Kim leaned in, a little too eager in her movements. She jostled Nick, who lifted his soda off to the side when it sloshed out of the can.

“Whoa. Careful.” He grabbed Kim’s leg, and I thought she’d pass out right then and there.

Lily wiggled her eyebrows at me. “You should show them now, before they get too into studying.”

“You think?” What if they hated it? What if they read it and thought I was weird? “Maybe I should wait until I have more of it done.”

“Up to you. But I think you need to accept that you’re a kickass writer and your story is amazing.” Lily shrugged. “Just my opinion.”

And if I didn’t trust her opinion, whose could I trust? “Fine.” I picked up my laptop and carried it into the living room. “Can I show you guys something first?”

Every set of eyes turned my way. Lily sat on the arm of the chair beside Margo and draped her arm over Margo’s shoulders.

“I promised I’d tell you when I published something.” I held up a hand to stop the congratulations, halting Kim mid-shout. “It’s not a publishing deal. I’ve posted a few chapters on a serial reader site and the story is on the verge of going viral.” I never thought I’d say those words. I’d fed a lot of my frustration, and my current situation, into the story, to the point that I worried they’d recognize it. “You can read it if you want. It’s just a few chapters, but I plan on publishing the whole thing as I write it.”

Kim snatched the laptop from me and held it in her lap. Nick leaned in close, his chin almost resting on her shoulder. Margo made her way over, and Lily stood on the other side behind Kim. She’d read it before, but her attention stayed riveted on the page even as she read it again.

Anxiety threatened to send me running from the room. I watched their expressions.

Margo read faster than the others, and I knew the instant she reached the scene where I had the main female character in bed with the three guys.

Nick’s eyes bugged seconds later. “That’s not possible.” He finished reading, then pushed his palms against his thighs and arched away from the computer, leaning his head back to look at Margo. “It’s not possible… is it?”

“I mean…” Margo rubbed a hand across her throat. “I’ve never. But that doesn’t mean it’s not.”

“Holy shit.” Kim covered her mouth with her hand. “Rebecca Ann Roberts.” She used my whole name in a shocked tone, but her eyes glittered with delight. “You’ve been reading up on this.” She motioned at the screen. Her cheeks burned scarlet.

“What would you know about it?” Shocked, Nick snapped his head around toward Kim. “Have you ever?”

“No.” She waved her hands back and forth in front of her. “But I read. And this genre is hot.” Winking at Nick, she fanned her face. “It’s called TVP. Triple?—”

“I get it.” He covered his ears with both hands. “I know what it means. Doesn’t mean I want to talk about it.” He waited several seconds, then lowered his hands. Another minute passed.

Would they realize the story was about me? Sure, I’d added stuff. A lot of stuff. I mean, I had the woman sleeping with all three guys, and riding all three of their cocks at the same time, by chapter two. That definitely had not happened to me. Which was a shame, really. I’d love to have given it a try.

Margo snorted and smacked the back of Nick’s head. “Admit it, you’re trying to imagine it right now.”

“Am not.” Nick crossed his arms, but the sullen look didn’t last. He finally coughed into his fist and laughed. “Yeah, okay. I’m curious how it would work.”

“You’re not the only one.” Lily grinned over at me.

We’d actually discussed the chapter at length, pun intended, and consulted more than one site on sexual positions. My poor web browser would never recover. I smiled back at Lily when Margo let out a whistle. “Can you imagine, though?” She wiggled her hips, bumping into Lily’s with her own. “Talk about a night to remember. I’d be so drunk on sex, I might never go back to one on one.”

The conversation turned into a rapid-fire question and answer, with everyone asking how far they were willing to go. Even Nick managed to find enough honesty to say he’d always wanted to have a threesome, preferably with two women, but now he’d be entertaining the idea of another guy. Their words spiraled around me. They didn’t know what I’d done, but they seemed accepting of the idea of polyamory.

How would that play out in real life? If I told them right now that I’d had sex with two men and dreamed about a third joining us, would they accept it? What if they knew it happened with my professors?

19

REBECCA

I listened to the message for the eighth time, my jaw unhinged and my pulse erratic.

“Hey, Rebecca.” Ethan’s smooth cadence slid right through me. “Listen, I’d like for us to talk. Away from everything. I’ve booked a hot air balloon ride. If you want to come with me, here’s the address.” He rattled off the address to a nearby airfield and the voicemail ended. I hadn’t answered the phone because I didn’t recognize the number. How had he gotten my number?

I’d never, ever, in my wildest dreams thought that Ethan would call me, much less invite me out on a date. Wait. Was this a date? He said he wanted to talk. We could do that pretty much anywhere except on campus. Why the hot air balloon? Was he trying to be creative? Sexy? Mysterious? Did he want to get me in the air and toss me overboard? “Whoa. Whoa.” I slashed my hands through the air. “Intrusive thought alert, Fitz. We are not going to let that one stick around.”

Fitz yawned at me.

---