Chatoyant College Book 2: Initiates

Chapter 39: Leila

After a while, a tall woman appeared and draped her arms over Byron's shoulders. She was wearing all black, which nicely set off her pale skin and flaming red hair, which was drawn into a high bun at the back of her head. Corrie had to fight a slight surge of jealousy, but it quickly dissipated when Byron laughed and said "Hello, Leila."

"I am so easily predicted," she sighed dramatically. "How are you, my dear Byron?"

"I'm doing great," he said. "Is it true there's going to be a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream around this very incinerator?"

She bared her teeth in a grin. "Only if they let me play Titania."

"But you're not here to talk about theater or to pretend to flirt with me," said Byron, winking at Corrie. "You're here to meet the new girl I brought to the party."

"I had heard something of the sort," she said, seeming to look at Byron and Corrie for the first time. "Which one is yours, and which one is the present for me?"

He nodded toward Corrie first. "Corrie is my date. Edie," he nodded toward her, "is her friend."

Leila finally stood up straight and clapped her hands. "Oh, you are too good to me, Byron!" She walked around him to Edie, picking up Edie's free hand and depositing a kiss on it. "Dear lady, I would be honored if you would leave this silly man and come talk with me and my friends. I assure you, you will enjoy our company."

Edie's eyes were huge. She looked over at Corrie, who gave her an encouraging nod and smile. Leila seemed completely enchanted by Edie, and while Corrie couldn't say she understood it, she wasn't exactly about to fight it--it could only be good for Edie's self-esteem. "Go on," she said. "I brought you so you could have a good time."

Edie looked back at Leila and smiled shyly. Leila smiled back. "All right," said Edie, standing up with Leila's assistance; the other woman was still holding onto her hand. "See you later, Corrie."

"Finally," Byron said as soon as they were out of sight. "No offense to your friend--she's a very nice girl--but this whole time I've been waiting for Leila to find us so I can have some time alone with you." Leaving his empty bottle on the bench he'd been sitting on, he moved to take Edie's place on the bench with Corrie.

"Oh yeah?" Corrie grinned. The alcohol was going to her head a little bit--it wasn't that much, but she hadn't had very much alcohol before in her life at all. She leaned toward him. "And what did you want to say that you couldn't say in front of Edie?"

"I didn't want to say anything," he replied. He leaned toward her, cupped her face with one hand, and kissed her.

As she kissed him back, some detached part of her mind was noticing that he was a much better kisser than Paul. But mostly she was simply aware of the soft pressure of his lips on hers, the warmth of his body, and the gentleness of his hand. He kissed her again, and after a few kisses it was no longer a matter of him kissing her, but of them kissing each other. He pulled her closer. She leaned in, finding his free hand and entwining the fingers with her own. He squeezed her hand gently, making her smile against his lips.

After a few more minutes of that, they pulled apart slightly, smiling at each other. "You're right," said Corrie, keeping her voice light and teasing. "I think this would have made Edie pretty uncomfortable."

He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe she's getting some kisses of her own right now."

"Then we're both pretty lucky."

"Oh, I know I'm lucky."

"I didn't mean you!"

"But it's true."

He kissed her again, effectively ending the conversation. But when he started to slide his hand around her waist, she pulled away--not enough so he'd think she was rejecting him, but enough so he'd stop. And he did, promptly, which raised her opinion of him a notch further. "That's far enough for now," she said, smiling and slightly out of breath. "We hardly know each other, after all."

He nodded. "All right." She could tell he was a bit disappointed, but he was dealing with it.

If Corrie was honest with herself, she was a bit disappointed as well; she wanted to go further, and her only goals for a college relationship were fun and pleasure, but she still didn't entirely trust him. He was older, he'd led her into the woods--he may not have tried obviously to hurt her, but she was still wary. Wary, but not too wary to have a good time. She grinned at him. "The kissing is nice, though. Let's do some more of that."

He laughed, and she was relieved to see that the disappointment wasn't lasting. "I can't argue with that."