Kelsey Learns The Ropes
As the airliner descended through the clouds, Kelsey’s excitement rose. Even though she’d been in her cramped seat for almost twenty hours she felt wide awake. Kelsey loved to travel and this was her first visit to the States. Throughout college Kelsey had been to Europe and Asia and even the Middle East, but somehow she’d never had a reason to visit America before and while she was curious it wasn’t at the top of her list of destinations. She’d come from a long line of Lefties and wasn’t a fan of the United States’ current foreign policy, but when the chance to travel to California for a conference came up she just couldn’t resist. Besides, it was an honor to be chosen from all among all the students in her program.
Kelsey was set to spend the next ten days at California University attending a conference on global warming. Some of the best minds from all over the world were coming to educate the next generation of great minds on the subject in hopes that when these eager young students made their way in the world they could work to change hearts and minds and affect the world in a positive way before it was too late. Kelsey was passionate on the subject and planned to do field work when she completed her PhD at the end of the year. But right now she was looking forward to soaking up as much knowledge as she could, along with some sunshine, since it was June and her native Australia was headed into wintertime.
Once she cleared customs, Kelsey dug the email with her instructions out of her bag and after asking some directions made her way to the pick-up point for her shuttle bus. Her first impression was that Americans were friendlier than she’d expected, although when you’re a pretty blonde the world tends to be a friendlier place for you. The crowds at LAX were almost overwhelming. She wasn’t sure she’d even seen so many people in such a hurry in one place in all her life. It seemed that she could fit her entire hometown of Perth in the immense terminal. Kelsey walked forever and ever before emerging into the warm California sunshine. There was a long line of buses and Kelsey kept going and going until she found the one maroon and white one that said “California University” on the side. The bus driver barely looked up from his newspaper as she struggled to pull her bags up the steep steps and certainly didn’t offer to help her.
The bus was half full and Kelsey set her bags down on one seat and then sat across the aisle, hoping it didn’t fill up to where she’d have to cram into one seat with her bags. She didn’t think of herself as an over packer, she wasn’t the type of girl who packed an outfit for every conceivable occasion, but somehow it seemed that she always had too many bags to comfortably manage herself. After another half hour, a few more people trickled onto the bus and then they were on their way.
During the ride to campus people introduced themselves and Kelsey found herself in a conversation with a girl called Xian, from South Korea, a strapping lad from Norway called Niels and Paul, a lanky, dark haired guy from Chicago. Niels was quite pompous and talked down to the others, in Kelsey’s opinion, but Xian was sweet, even if she found English somewhat elusive. Paul was charming, in a geeky sort of way, and seemed as excited to be there as Kelsey. She kept catching him glancing her way when he thought she wouldn’t notice and when they disembarked on campus he offered to carry her bags even though he had his own to cope with. Over her objections Paul took some of her luggage and helped her find the dorm where she’d be staying before striking off to find his own.
After checking in, Kelsey tracked down her room, which was a charming, cramped, white cinderblock space with two steel framed beds barely ten feet apart and two small desks crammed into the corners. It had been quite sometime since Kelsey had been an undergrad and lived on campus. She’d never liked the dorm living experience and had moved off campus just as soon as she could afford it. There were bags on one of the beds, which Kelsey took to mean her roommate for the next ten days had already arrived. She dropped her bags with a sigh of relief and turned around just in time to see a petite, pale, dark-haired girl coming bouncing into the room.
“Hey roomie,” the girl said in an American accent. She offered her hand, which Kelsey noted had nails painted a very dark metallic blue. “I’m Fiona.”
“I’m Kelsey, nice to meet you.” She shook the girl’s hand and got the odd feeling that she was being sized up for something. Though she hated to stereotype, Kelsey wondered if the Goth looking girl might be into other girls.
“You’re an Aussie. You guys have the coolest accent. I’ve always wished I had some sort of exotic accent, maybe German, then I could do the whole femme fatale thing, like a secret agent or something.” She formed her hands into a pistol and struck a very Bondian pose. “I’d need one of those cool spy names too.”
“Like Pussy Galore?” Kelsey suggested, giggling at her roommate. She thought things were going to be interesting with Fiona around.
“I’m partial to Dr. Holly Goodhead myself, seeing as how I’ll be able to call myself ‘doctor’ in a couple years anyway.” Fiona had an engaging smile and Kelsey thought she was rather attractive under all the Goth drag. Fiona was wearing a very short well-worn military green skirt with pockets on the front and black and white striped tights underneath, along with the requisite Doc Martins. Her equally weather beaten Ramones t-shirt showed a black tribal tattoo encircling a bicep and Kelsey wondered if that was Fiona’s only ink. Her hair, cut into a bob that came to a point at her chin, was a black cherry color.
“So you’re a provocative one?”
“I like to stand out in a crowd,” Fiona grinned.
Fiona explained that she attended UCLA, but was originally from Philadelphia. Her local place need work, so the girl felt this was a perfect opportunity to find a place to stay for free for a few weeks and maybe have some fun, since summertime was ordinarily dead for parties around campus.
The girls didn’t have much time to get to know each other because there was a reception across campus in less than an hour. It was held under a tent outside and there were perhaps a couple hundred people gathered for the conference, representing every major nation. On the dais at the front were several people Kelsey instantly recognized, superstars in the field and she was dumbstruck. She’d read their work but never thought she’d actually be meeting them. Kelsey paid rapt attention to the entire session, but noticed Fiona, seated beside her, looked like she was struggling to stay awake. Kelsey also took the time to read over the schedule of workshops and seminars and determined that she was going to be a very busy girl for the next ten days.
Afterward, there was a four hour break before a dinner reception and Kelsey found herself trailing after Fiona, as her new friend seemed to know the campus very well. They also ran into Paul, who decided to tag along, though Fiona seemed less than impressed with the boy. They were crossing the quad when someone shouted out Fiona’s name.
“I was wondering when I’d find you!” Fiona shouted at the handsome men approaching them. There were two of them, a tall, handsome boy with short black hair who looked like he’d just stepped from a billboard, despite his casual outfit of cargo shorts and a vintage t-shirt. His friend was shorter, only a couple inches taller than Kelsey’s own five feet and seven inches, and had something of a gut pushing against his checked button up shirt. His light brown hair was already thinning, though he looked on the younger side of thirty, and he wore small, wire framed glasses. He wasn’t entirely unattractive Kelsey thought, he just suffered from comparison to his friend who oozed charisma before he even opened his mouth.
“I saw you from the other side of the crowd when the welcome reception broke up, but I couldn’t get over there before you disappeared. How did we do welcoming the world to our campus?” The taller boy asked. His voice was warm and strong and Kelsey felt herself immediately attracted.
“Typical right down to the lame refreshments, couldn’t someone have spiked the punch at least?” Fiona replied.
“Where’s your flask, honey?”
“I didn’t think to bring it.”
“Well, maybe your friends had a different impression. I’m Ethan, by the way.”
After he’d shaken Paul’s hand, he took Kelsey’s and she felt a jolt at his touch. She wasn’t the shrinking violet type who just fell over for a cute boy, but there was definitely something different about this one. His slate gray eyes fell on her emerald ones and Kelsey found she couldn’t look away. Recovering some decorum, she said, “I’m Kelsey and I thought the reception was lovely, really. I take it you attend school here?”
“Yes, I’m in my second year in the grad program. Sounds like you’re from Down Under. I love the accent. Please excuse Fiona’s rudeness in not introducing us. I hope I can convince you all of us Yanks aren’t so ill mannered. This here is Daniel,” he said, indicating his friend, who mumbled a hello.
“Not at all, really.” Fiona finally looked away, feeling she was behaving very silly. She was going to blush if she wasn’t careful.
“I hope I see you at the dinner tonight. There will be a bar, so things should loosen up. I’d stick around, but I’m expected somewhere else right now.”
Ethan took his leave and Kelsey’s reaction to the handsome boy was not lost on Fiona. “He’s quite exciting, isn’t he?”
“What do you mean?” Kelsey replied defensively.
“C’mon, I saw the way you looked at him. No need to deny it. I think Ethan has that effect on most of the women he meets.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kelsey was angry with herself for being so transparent.
That evening Kelsey dressed in the nicest dress she’d brought with her, not that she had many choices. Just about all the outfits she’d packed were casual and work minded. She packed one dress, a floral print summer dress, for the possibility of events like that evening’s dinner. It was one of her favorite dresses and she knew she looked good in it. It fell to just below the knee and Kelsey had to wear a strapless bra underneath as the top was held up by skinny spaghetti straps. The dress showed a hint of cleavage without being obvious, which was why it was her favorite. Even since she’s developed, Kelsey thought her breasts, a bouncy, but firm c-cup were her best feature. She worked hard to maintain her figure and thought she had a nice, but not rock hard body, but her ass was never going to be where she wanted it. Kelsey let her thick, honey-blonde hair, which fell past her shoulders, down for the evening and took extra care with the little bit of make-up she wore.
“You look really great. Hoping to impress someone?” Fiona commented, returning from the showers wrapped in a towel.
“Sod off. Who doesn’t like to look nice?” The girls were getting along so well that there was no worry of offending between them.
“Just asking. Chill out.” Fiona unceremoniously dropped her towel, which shocked Kelsey. She didn’t think of herself as a prude, but Kelsey wasn’t quite so comfortable with her body that she’d just strip nude in front of another person so casually.
Fiona had nothing to be ashamed of, though, Kelsey noted. The dark-haired girl was rather petite, only a bit over five feet and slender, which small, but high breasts and jiggled invitingly as she moved around the room. Her dark nipples were quite a contrast to her pale, milky skin. Kelsey noticed that not only did Fiona have the tribal tattoo on her arm, but she had a tattoo of the tarot symbol for cups on her ankle and another small design in the small of her back. Fiona’s navel was also pierce with a small jewel. She also saw Fiona was totally shaven down below. After putting on a black thong, Fiona slipped on a black and white vintage dress over fishnet thigh highs. She left the dress unbuttoned enough to show off a lot of her neckline and when she walked it was clear she was braless, even with her small breasts. Kelsey couldn’t believe Fiona’s ease with her naked body and couldn’t help but check her out when Fiona’s attention was elsewhere. Fiona took quite a while getting her make-up right and adding the jeweled barrettes to her hair and Kelsey grew impatient, knowing they were going to be late.
At the dinner Fiona was pulled over to a table of people she already knew and Kelsey was forced to strike out on her own. Paul spotted her and offered her a seat at his table, which she accepted. He told her how pretty she looked and Kelsey thought it was very sweet. The boy had a crush and Kelsey didn’t see the harm in being nice to him since she would never see him again once the conference was over. Paul made it his personal mission to make sure her every desire was filled and Kelsey did not have to fetch her own drink once. She was drinking wine, but made sure to pace herself since she was in a strange place. It would not do to get drunk and silly in a room full of her peers.
While Kelsey was waiting for Paul to refill her wine she glanced around the room, enjoying people watching with so many diverse cultures represented. She was so distracted that she jumped when she felt the warm hand on her shoulder. She turned around, ready to thank Paul for bringing her drink, but instead she looked up into Ethan’s stormy eyes.
“I was hoping I would see you tonight. I thought perhaps you’d skipped out on dinner when I saw Fiona without you.” Ethan’s smile gave her chills and it wasn’t just because he was so handsome. There was almost something predatory about it.
“Where else would I go? I am after all a stranger in a strange land.”
“And there’s no land stranger than California. I was going to head out for a smoke. Care to join me?”
“I don’t smoke, but I could use a bit of air.”
Ethan led her to a small balcony off the rear of the building. The sounds of the dinner in progress were distant and the warm night made it seem like they were quite alone. Kelsey was surprised when it wasn’t a cigarette that Ethan took out, but a thick, hand rolled joint. He took a heavy hit and asked Kelsey if she’d ever been to the States before. When she admitted she hadn’t, he asked for her first impressions, which she readily shared. She would have talked about anything to avoid thinking about how close Ethan was standing and about how that made her feel. She wished she could put her finger on why she was so unsettled around him. She was attracted to him, of course, but there was something more than that. Kelsey was weak kneed around Ethan in a way she’d never experienced. She wasn’t exactly the town tramp, but she was hardly a blushing virgin either.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a hit?” Ethan asked, slipping an arm around her waist. Kelsey instinctively melted into him and felt her whole body warm along the line where she touched him.
“It’s been a while,” she admitted, staring at the proffered joint.
“It’s like riding a bike.”
He pressed the joint to her lips and Kelsey inhaled deeply. She held the sweet smoke in her lungs for as long as she could and then coughed it out, her body wracked as she tried to catch her breath. Ethan hugged her into him and Kelsey leaned on his shoulder. The pot was strong stuff and she felt lightheaded almost immediately. Her senses were sharper and she was acutely aware of his hand tracing circles on her bare back. She giggled because it sort of tickled…and sort of didn’t. It gave her goosebumps and Kelsey felt her nipples hardening. Her dress was thin and she hoped her bra’s padding would hide it. Kelsey’s nipples were quite sensitive and prone to springing to attention with the slightest provocation. She also noticed her cologne for the first time and thought it was quite appealing. Ethan offered her a second hit and Kelsey took an even deeper drag from the joint.
“How is it?” Ethan chuckled and Kelsey could imagine how her eyes looked.
“It’s nice,” she giggled. They were so close and she thought it would be really nice if he were to kiss her. Her hand was on his shoulder and she pressed on the back of his neck to bring his lips to hers. He brushed her lips, but withheld the kiss.
“Would you like to kiss me?” He asked quietly.
“Yes, please,” Kelsey said, responding to the authority in his voice. It made her feel like a little girl asking for a piece of candy.
Ethan kissed her and Kelsey thought she was going to melt into a puddle at his feet. It wasn’t forceful. It might have even been sweet if it hadn’t felt like he was so in control. With just a simple kiss Kelsey felt herself surrendering to him. In the morning she would blame it on the pot, but in the moment she like she’d assented to something deeper with just that kiss. His tongue brushed past her lips but no deeper and Ethan terminated their kiss, leaving Kelsey breathless.
“Some of us are getting together after the dinner. You should join us.”
“I really shouldn’t. I’m a wreck from the flight and the schedule is full tomorrow.”
“Another night, then, when you’re properly rested. You’ll let me know when you feel up to it.” Ethan suggested.
Kelsey was kicking herself. Why wasn’t he talking her into it? She wanted him to talk her into it. She was just being demur. She wanted to change her mind, but Kelsey thought that would appear desperate, so she just let Ethan escort her back inside and to her table. Paul was staring daggers at Ethan and seemed pleased when he left.
The two hits off the joint left Kelsey completely knackered and after dinner she was more than happy to let Paul escort her back to her room. She was very giggly and silly and leaning heavily on the shy boy as they crossed the campus. If his hand happened to slip here or there while he supported her, Kelsey didn’t mind. In fact, his touches felt warm and nice and she was glad to be in the company of such a nice boy. She decided that she was going to give him a nice kiss for being so sweet and seeing her home.
Paul stood there dumbly when they arrived at her door. It was like that moment at the end of a first date when the boy was trying to work up the nerve to kiss you. But it hadn’t been a date and she didn’t particularly feel that way about Paul. He was nice and all and cute, in a dorky sort of way, but Ethan was still lurking there in her mind.
“Thanks for walking me back, Paul. It was really very sweet.” Kelsey said patting his chest.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I think you had too much to drink.”
Kelsey knew it wasn’t the wine. Drunk and stoned were two entirely different things. True they both made her silly, but being stoned made her feel so aware, not foggy like being drunk would. “Really, I’m fine. It’s just jet lag. Thanks again for walking me back.” She went to kiss him on the cheek, but somehow ended up kissing his lips and then in his arms and then she was pressed against the wall and she was seeking his tongue with hers. Kelsey was not ordinarily the forward type and certainly wasn’t in the habit of kissing boys she barely knew, but now she was kissing her second one of the night. Paul was a pleasant kisser, even if he didn’t have the magnetism of Ethan. But the kiss was pleasant enough that they stumbled through the door and then onto her narrow, hard bed.
Unlike earlier with Ethan, Kelsey was the one in charge, which was part of why they kept fooling around as long as they did. She wasn’t sure how she felt about being powerless in Ethan’s arms and it was good that Paul was simply following her lead. They lay side by side on the narrow bed, legs intertwined while they kissed. She had his first few buttons open and her hand inside his shirt to caress his bare shoulders. His skin was very smooth and felt nice under her fingertips. Once she’d made this move, Paul tentatively touched her breast and Kelsey pushed into him to let him know it was okay. He was clumsy, but not totally unskilled and his touch felt good. Good enough that she didn’t mind him unzipping the back of her dress and pulling it down, or even fumbling with her bra, which she unhooked for him.