Horseplay
Chapter 3 : Wednesday

  As Neil slipped slowly from asleep to awake, memories and dreams
played in his head he felt an unfamiliar presence in bed with him. He
vaguely remembered Mae slipping into bed with him near dawn, but the
haze of sleep shifted slowly and he dozed a little, smiling. She
shifted against him, moving her back against his side and he rolled
behind her, enjoying the warmth. She responded by arching her back,
rubbing her bare butt against him and Neil slid his hand down to her
side. He moved down to her hip, then cupped her ass, rubbing up to
the small of her back and down to the underside of her cheek. Neil
delighted in the slow exploration. His hand brushed through the tiny,
downy hairs on her, across the smooth skin of her butt, through the
valley in the small of her back then down to the cleft at the top of
her ass. Mae hummed a low, encouraging note and Neil woke a bit more,
feeling her reaction and his own arousal rising.
	"Good morning" he whispered into her ear.
	Mae hummed again and hooked her arm around his head, drawing
him into her neck.
	Neil responded with a few tentative kisses and was rewarded
with a soft sigh and Mae's butt grinding against him. Neil slid his
left arm under her head as his right hand roamed her nude form,
sliding up from her hip to her side then sliding around under her arm
to cup her breast. He avoided her nipple for the moment, moving up
past her armpit toward her neck. Mae squirmed a bit, trying to move
under his hand, but Neil refused to comply. His hand crept up to her
neck, under her chin and traced the line of her clavicle back down
between her breasts. He traced across the front of her sternum, down
and under her breast to her armpit, causing Mae to squirm slightly.
	Mae released his head, but spooned against him she had no real
access to his body, and she voiced frustration when Neil slid tightly
against her, denying her any attempt. He lazily drew his hand from her
face to her neck, then down around her breasts to her stomach. On each
pass he allowed his hand to drift closer and closer to her nipples or
sex, drawing moans of pleasure and frustration.
	After a few minutes, she began to thrust back against him more
urgently, and finally grabbed his hand and shoved it between her
legs. She was wet and he cupped her mound and slid his middle finger
along the outside of her slit. It was slightly open and full of
moisture. At the top he brushed her clit and continued up, over her
belly and under her breast, which he squeezed. Mae's moans encouraged
him, so he brushed her nipple gently. Mae moved her hand under his,
down her flank. Neil wondered what she was doing until she shifted
forward and darted her hand behind before he could match her move. He
found himself trapped, her hand like a vice around his cock.
	She flipped over and stared at him with daggers in her eyes,
her breaths coming fast and hard. Without a word she slid down and
took his cock into her mouth, sliding as much as she could into her
and grasping the remainder firmly with her hand. Neil grunted in
surprise and pleasure, feeling her tongue start to slide around
rapidly against the tip and shaft. She didn't stroke it, simply held
it in her mouth and moved her tongue around, driving him crazy.
	Neil tried to pull out and thrust, but she prevented him from
moving. She was insistent, and he finally realized she was waiting.
	"Pull me out" he ordered in a croak "pull my cock out of your
mouth so I can fuck it"
	Mae's reaction was instantaneous. She groaned softly, sending
vibrations down his shaft. She pulled out and waited, running her
tongue over the slit and helmet, waiting. He slid his hips forward,
thrusting into her warm mouth and she squeaked in pleasure.
	Neil moaned and tried to focus. He could feel her react when he
talked and knew what she wanted. "Oh god yes. Suck my cock. Suck it.
Use your hand on my balls" he growled.
	Mae responded as ordered, cupping his sack and increasing the
speed of her tongue.
	Neil shifted again, sliding so she had to roll slightly to keep
him in her mouth. "Play with yourself. Touch your pussy. Make sure its
nice and wet for me"
	Mae murmured, her hands darted between her legs and her
breathing became even faster. Neil had to look away from her mouth,
watching his dick slide past her lips, the expression on her face,
the speed that she'd complied with his orders, it was driving him
crazy. With a supreme act of will he gently took her head and pulled
out. The look of lust on her face nearly stopped him, but he blocked
everything out and brought her to her knees.
	"I didn't tell you to stop touching yourself" he noted.
	Mae blushed and continued to touch herself. Both hands were
between her legs, one was spreading the outer lips of her pussy while
the other worked up and down the slit, stopping on her clit.
	"Tell me how you feel" he ordered.
	Mae jumped, her face turning crimson. "I... no... god..."
	"Tell me" he said again, slowly.
	"S o hot... oh god, sucking your dick made me so hot. Don't make
me stop.. please? Let me suck you off"
	"I thought you wanted me to fuck you" Neil said simply
	Mae closed her eyes and groaned. "I'm going to come.. " she
said softly, then her eyes flew open "oh.. oh please... let me come?
Can I come?"
	Neil shook his head and drew her down onto the bed. "In a
moment. I want to be inside you when you come"
	Mae's groan was a mixture of lust and longing that sent a
shiver down Neil's back. He kissed down her chest, pulling in a
nipple and teasing it with his tongue.
	"No... no don't do that... oh god.. so close" she whispered..
"I can't hold it if you... ooooooo"
	Neil could feel her start to tense and forced himself between
her hands so she couldn't touch herself anymore. The groan of
frustration made him even harder, and he worked his way down her
body, inhaling the musk of her sex while she fought with him.
	"no NO NO you can't lick me.. I totally come if you ..... fuck
me.. oh god fuck me or I'm going to.."
	"You sure?" Nick teased, drawing his tongue up her slit. It was
partly to drive her crazy, partly to give him more time to prepare. He
was right on the brink, he could feel a tightness in his balls,
warning him.
	"Please Neil, OH Fuck please fuck me please fuck me"
	Neil slid up and kissed her forehead while dragging his dick up
her slit and bumping her clit. She moaned and tensed, thrusting upward
and he suddenly felt sharp claws drag down his shoulders. Before he
could move further she'd grabbed his dick and positioned it.
	"Fuck meeeeee" she begged.
	Neil slid in easily and nearly choked. She was tight, soft and
so wet. His previous sexual experiences felt like sandpaper next to
this heaven. His mind went numb and he fought the impending climax
with every nerve and cell. Mae started to slide up and back before he
could say anything, one hand flew from his shoulder to the small gap
between them and found her clit. As Neil finally took over the rhythm
he felt her building fast. He thought about telling her to stop, but
knew it would be cruel and decided to urge her on instead.
	"Come for me Mae. Come while I fuck you. Come while I fuck your
pussy."
	Her orgasm started with a high keening note and opened into a
full roar while Neil pounded her with every ounce he could. Mae's
entire body went tense and she stopped thrusting back, instead
arching over and grabbing the blankets behind her head. Her pussy
contracted and flooded with fluid and she groaned over and over.
Finally, with a final arch and groan she flopped back and lay still.
	Neil felt a huge flush of ego watching her orgasm and made the
mistake of looking down between them. One glimpse of his dick sliding
between her puffy pussy lips and back out, coated with her juice was
all it took. His mind overloaded and his pace stepped up. Mae
whimpered slightly and reached out to grab his ass, pulling him into
her harder and harder. He attempted to block it, to slow down, to do
anything against the smothering urge to thrust faster and harder. A
lone voice in his mind fought back, but it was a candle under a tidal
wave, snuffed by the crushing lust. He could feel her sliding along
his shaft, her hands clenching him, the sounds in his ears, the
smells and under it all the knowledge that he was having the best sex
he'd ever had. Neil groaned in ecstasy and slammed home until his dick
erupted, filling her with his seed. The universe shrank to a tiny
point in a white storm of noise and Neil couldn't feel anything
except Mae.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Mae's demeanor at breakfast was in sharp contrast to earlier
meals. She sat quietly next to Neil, eating fruit and a small bowl of
eggs.. There were occasionally touches under the table, but she wasn't
her previous edgy self, and Neil wasn't sure which side of their new
relationship he should follow. He certainly enjoyed their emotional
closeness, but found that it excited him immensely that Mae was very
much his to control. He glanced over once and got a soft glance in
reply. He smiled and Mae returned it, barely fighting an urge to look
downward. Neil decided to test the waters a bit and gave Mae a lurid
grin, causing her to blush and bite her lower lip. She barely
hesitated before sliding a bit closer so she could whisper in his
ear.
	"What do you want me to do... ?", she said in an excited tone.
	Neil grinned and shook his head. "Nothing, I'm happy just
knowing you're ready and willing".
	"Very willing" Mae responded quickly, then turned away
embarrassed.
	Neil chuckled deep and low, placing his hand under the table on
her leg. Very high on her leg.
	Breakfast ended and Neil gave Mae a quick hug before heading
over to the stables for his first ride class. The intermediate group
would be riding trail today, requiring him to do nothing more than
help setup and chaperone with their assigned counselor and one of the
trail guards. He would probably let the junior lead the trail while he
followed and made sure no one wandered off.
	Once out in the woods the ride was even easier than Neil had
thought it might be. He'd helped the junior counselor select horses
for the group and because they were all moderately good riders there
were plenty of horses. Jeff, the young counselor, took most the group
with one of the trail guards out to get some riding time and clear out
the standing area and paddock. The remainder could finish setting
their tack without all the excitement of ready horses and overeager
riders stamping around them. Neil was impressed with Jeff's knowledge
and readily agreed to break up the group.
	Neil had nine girls and one boy in his group, and only a few
seemed nervous or unsure in the saddle. With practiced ease, Neil
singled out the three top riders and buddied everyone up for safety.
He spread the leaders out through the group and had the oldest girl,
a young Asian girl with pigtails and an infectious grin, set a slow
walking pace out into the hills toward the far side of the lake. Jeff
would hold his group at a large meadow to let the horses wander a bit
and they'd regroup and discuss who needed skill refreshers before
heading back. Neil kept his eyes out for any problems, listening to
the chatter among the girls as they rode easily over the well-trod
course.
	The group returned at eleven, hot and sweaty to the stable to
get ready for lunch, which Neil would be chaperoning. Although
counselors could hand off a horse to a stablehand for walkdowns, Neil
knew they'd be swamped by the group's return and would appreciate him
doing it himself. He brought his big chestnut mare to a halt and slid
off. The horse was slightly taller than average, and Neil grabbed the
reigns and a few slices of apple from the treat bucket. The horse had
been a great ride, so he handed her a slice of apple after taking a
lap around the rain paddock, murmuring praise and patting her sides.
After a rub down and brisk brush-off, he led her to her stall and
switched her sign over to mark her as having been ridden on trail
that morning before heading off to the pavilion.
	On the way up the hill to the commons he encountered a swarm of
screaming kids heading to the bunks. Neil had to watch over the first
two of three 45 minute lunch periods, so he'd have to wait to eat or
grab a shower. He stopped a few kids who were running too fast, but
he figured most were still unwinding on their third day, finally
getting into the groove before having to go home on Sunday. Neil
liked working with the older kids when it came to rides and
competitions, they usually had a lot more skill and strength to work
with, but it was more fun with the little ones. They didn't seem to
think of you as an older brother, they rarely got snide or
disrespectful and they almost never tried to use their parents' money
as leverage.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Walking up to the Cave, Neil was thinking about Mae when Dave
and Ruth passed him heading down the hill.
	"Hey, stranger" Dave said sarcastically.
	Neil gave him the finger, stopping short and laughing. "Where
are you two heading?"
	Ruth said "I've got jumping to set up for. Dave's supposed to
be helping me drag bars out of the shed."
	Neil grinned at Dave's dogeared expression. "Aw"
	Dave laughed and shrugged. "I've got a free period next, then
I'm watching over arts and crafts." he said with all the derision he
could.
	Neil's smile widened. Arts and crafts was one of the "filler"
periods. It was normally board games and beads unless Mom had brought
in someone to actually lead a project, but that was always with the
older kids. "Sucks, I'm off to lunch".
	Dave nodded and he and Ruth started down the hill with a wave.
He was only a few steps away when he paused and turned back, "Oh
yeah, Harriet is looking for you" he said with a wink. Without
waiting he turned and jogged to catch up with Ruth.
	Neil frowned and shook his head. He hadn't been thinking about
Harriet, and now with Mae he wasn't sure what to do.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Instead of heading to the Cave, Neil headed to his cabin to
drop off his gear and then grab a shower. When he opened the door,
however, it was clear that Mae had other plans. She was perched on
his bed, surrounded by small bits of food on plates. She was wearing
one of his shirts and apparently nothing else.
	"Wow.. Mae. You've ... uh". Neil struggled.
	Mae brightened at his pleasure and stood, giving him a brief
flash of her red underwear.
	Neil gulped and struggled to focus "I'm all dirty though, I
have to go and take a shower..."
	Mae shook her head and nestled herself against his chest. "If
you wish" she purred "but I wanted to make sure you got something to
eat before your next class."
	Neil hedged, "I'm sure I don't smell... all that" he paused,
noticing Mae's smell. She had put on some mild perfume, but there was
a smell of sex that washed over her. "You, uh, smell great though"
Neil managed.
	Mae murmured something, running her hand over his chest. "You
smell musky. Musky and sweaty and dirty" she said, drawing her r's
into a growl.
	Neil murmured in response, running his hand down her back and
cupping her butt.
	"It was so good earlier. I've never... never had an orgasm like
that"
	Neil chuckled. "You weren't a virgin, though..."
	Mae shook her head. "No.. but my boyfriend was so... I don't
know. He never seemed to do anything for me. It was like he was
following instructions out of a book."
	Neil nodded, but something clicked in his head.
	"He and I kind of kept trying. He always used a condom even
though I was on the pill. I guess he was just extra careful."
	"Your... boyfriend?" Neil asked, drawing back in surprise.
	Mae frowned. "We were still dating at the end of the year. We
don't have anything like you and I do..."
	Neil was surprised. They hadn't actually defined their
relationship, and he was suddenly jealous and hurt from the
competition. "And what do... you and I have?" he asked with at touch
of accusation.
	Mae looked surprised and confused. "We... I mean, we have this
whole thing, but its not the same... I don't know, we're not really
together like"
	Neil interrupted. "So its just sex? I mean we never talked
about dating or going out or whatever you call it... ". Neil turned
and ran his hand through his hair.
	Mae's eyes shifted to concern and she crossed her arms
awkwardly. "No... but... I mean"
	Neil's mind was racing. Guys stereotypically just wanted a
sexual relationship, but that wasn't what he was thinking here. He
looked up, his face pleading.
	Mae was clearly hurt and started growing desperate. "No! No,
its... its not just the sex. Not really..."
	"But there's no relationship. I'm not your boyfriend." Neil
accused.
	Mae started to respond, but couldn't.
	"You're not going to beak up with... whatever his name is"
	"Steve..."
	Neil waved her off "... over this. Over us. He's the guy you
care about and you don't know what I am. I'm just some guy who gets
you excited."
	Mae's eyes went wide and she started to make sounds of denial,
but they faded.
	Neil waited, drawing out the moment to make sure, then grabbed
his shirt. "I'm just going to go. I've got double classes in the
arena." Mae shook her head desperately , her eyes welling with tears.
When he reached for the door she started to grab the remains of the
food but Neil stopped her. "Just leave it. I'll clean the room when I
get back this afternoon. Goodbye Mae. I'm sorry I misunderstood".
	He dropped his shower gear and walked out, stopping to keep the
door from slamming. He didn't know why, but it wasn't anger that he
felt above all else, it was disappointment.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil's entire afternoon would involve teaching the younger kids
the basics of competitive riding. The main arena was a big fenced dirt
oval with a huge grandstand on either side. There were two small
buildings on the short sides of the oval for setup and prep plus
concession booths, judging tables and a medical building under the
grandstands. The near grandstand also had a large announcer's booth
and VIP area.
	Neil would be meeting with two groups, meaning he and sixty ten
to twelve year olds would be in the arena. There would also be the two
junior counselors, someone from safety, the arena hand and probably
one or two chaperones. It would be quite crowded.
	Neil's mood was sour when he reached the arena, although the
excitement of the (mostly) girls as they trooped onto the lower
grandstands was infectious. He located one of the junior counselors,
an older girl named Danicka, who was setting up the barrels for the
first class. When Neil approached her she seemed a little nervous.
Neil didn't know if it was the class or him, so he tried to reassure
her and thanked her for getting some of the gear ready. When she
started to hand over the wireless mike, though, he had an idea.
	"Why don't you take the mike and I'll ride the girls around" he
said.
	Danicka blanched and looked at the mike pack with some
hesitation.
	Neil smiled and started to untangle the wires for the belt
receiver. "I'll ride, you talk to the kids. You want to make you way
up to full counselor some day, right?"
	She nodded and turned so Neil could put the mike pack on her
belt.
	"Its easy, walk them through the barrel race. Send a couple
down and I'll use them to show everyone the steps. Then bring them
all down to walk the course. I'll keep them occupied and entertain
them, you make sure they get the rules. If you want, I'll do the pole
bending part."
	Danicka nodded, but looked a little apprehensive when she
looked up at the rows of girls. "How do I keep them in line? They're
just going to keep talking."
	Neil nodded. "Pick out the ones who are paying attention first.
I'll give them rewards so the others will keep quiet. I've got to go
get a horse."
	While Danicka started her introduction and described the basics
of barrel racing, Neil walked the short distance to the main stable
and looked for a good horse. Most of the horses were on trail, so he
had a limited selection. Finally he chose a big black appaloosa with
a white blanket. She was marked as an intermediate level, but lacked
most of the warning flags he was worried about. He'd have to pay
attention to her, but she wasn't likely to bolt. He checked her name,
"Silver side of the mountain", or Silverside, then took her to the
standing area to gear up. When he got back, Deb had selected three
helpers and had quieted down the rest. The were answering her
questions and she gave him a sincere look of thanks when he rode up.
He came up alongside the first girl and bent down.
	"What's your name?"
	"Andrea" she answered, craning back and covering her eyes.
	"Hold up your hand."
	Andrea blinked once, then held out her hand. With a squeal of
surprise Neil grabbed her wrist and signaled Silver to crab left.
Andrea was pulled cleanly into the air and Neil grabbed her and spun
her so she was sitting in front of the saddle. It was something Jack
had taught him and it never failed to amaze the younger girls.
	Danicka barely paused, a huge grin on her face as she continued
to describe the pattern of the barrels. Neil started toward the first
barrel, tickling Andrea under her arms. When he got there he lifted
her up and set her on top of the barrel, turning Silver right to
follow the race pattern.
	"Don't fall" he said jokingly.
	Andrea wasn't in any danger, the barrel was huge and had a firm
top. She stood, wide eyed and nodded.
	"You'll have to point to show them where to go." He said.
	Andrea paused, thinking, then pointed to her left. When Neil
nodded she burst into a grin.
	"You're a part of the race now." He said.
	When he got back to the other two girls, they both danced in
anticipation. Danicka was calling the first group down to walk the
course, so he reached a hand down to the first girl and performed the
same lift. She kicked a bit, causing Silver to backstep, and Neil had
to calm both. When he got the horse moving and the second girl ready,
he started to ride toward the second barrel when he heard Danicka over
the loudspeaker.
	"What're Neil and Kerry doing wrong?" she asked with a tone of
accusation.
	Dozens of voices raised up with various versions of "wrong
barrel". Neil turned and laughed, directing Silver towards the first
barrel. Andrea dutifully pointed left, so he circled the barrel
correctly and headed towards the second, where he deposited the
second girl.
	He intentionally ignored the third barrel to a chorus of "wrong
barrel" and picked up the last girl. She was nearly jumping, so he
stopped and made her settle before riding up. She was ready and
landed lightly in front of him. To keep things interesting, he
intentionally headed the wrong way and heard another laughing chorus
correcting him. He circled the barrels in order, depositing the last
girl atop the final barrel, and even cantered back to the starting
line where Danicka was lining up the girls.
	Danicka beamed at him and shut off her mike. "I think they know
which way to go, now." she said.
	Neil nodded and dismounted. "Do you want to lead them on
Silver?" he asked.
	Deb shook her head. "I'll have them walk behind me, but maybe
I'll ride her for the pole bending. That's my best sport".
	Neil noted her pride and grinned. Several of the younger girls
smiled up at him and waved at the three perched on barrels.
	The group's interest remained peaked through the barrel
winding, and Deb picked out girls for questions about timing,
penalties and rules. Correct answers and attention to detail were
rewarded with time on top of the barrel, which seemed like a popular
treat.
	For pole racing, Neil took the mike and Deb rode Silverside
through a series of flexible poles. Neil explained the track and
rules, getting a lot of confused looks. Even when the watched Deb run
the course they seemed lost. Finally, afraid of losing his audience,
Neil had them race through the course on foot, ten at a time. Girls
who forgot whether they were supposed to weave or run had to stand at
the ends and tell the others which way to go. When the last group was
done he ran the "guideposts" through, then took them on Silver and
ran them through at a brisk trot.
	Neil was surprised when one of the chaperones came down to tell
them that they were running late for dinner. Deb offered to help him
walk Silver and brush her down, but he could tell she was more
interested in eating, so he sent her off. Besides, with the young
crowd leaving, he was starting to sour again and wanted to spend some
time alone with his thoughts.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Once Silver was walked, brushed and returned to her stall, Neil
found himself less than inclined to go to dinner. He still had not
figured out what to do about his relationship with Mae, and was twice
as confused as before. On the one hand, his sexual relationship had
been fantastic, they had both discovered some erotic river inside
that combined into a raging torrent. On the other, Neil thought back
to times before or after sex when there was no lust, no carnal need,
and found he treasured those moments as well. He also felt a bit
guilty, cornering Mae in his anger and confusion and demanding that
she define something that he hadn't and probably couldn't. It was a
tangle of emotions that he rather not try to un-knot over dinner.
	When he left the stable he heard someone walking through the
other row of stalls and stopped to see who it was. He was surprised
when Ruth emerged, her hair in disarray and bits of straw stuck to
her legs. Neil was still somewhat concealed at the large doorway, and
was about to step out into the light when Ruth turned. Instead of Dave
walking out of the other stable, however, Scott the stablehand did. He
gave her a shy wave and she chuckled, brushing her backside before
scampering off.
	Neil was shocked. Clearly there had been some kind of
"goings-on", which he was now a witness to. Given his friendship with
Dave, he didn't relish telling him that his girlfriend was literally
rolling in the hay with one of the stable staff. Neil rubbed his
temple and backed into the shadows of the doorway to avoid getting
spotted, bumping directly into someone.
	Harriet grinned at him and posed with her hand on her hip.
"Hey, hayseed, watch where your backing up."
	Neil sighed and shrugged. "Sorry." he said simply.
	Harriet raised an eyebrow and dropped her act. "What's up,
Neil?".
	Neil frowned, his confusion about Mae was now competing with
his discomfort over Dave and Ruth, and now Harriet was mixed into his
emotional whirlwind. He backed the other way and held up his hands
defensively "Nothing. See ya".
	Harriet said something, but Neil had already started out of the
stable. Instead of turning up the hill toward the commons, he headed
right toward the lake. He wasn't hungry and there were now four
people at the table he didn't feel inclined to eat with. His walk
turned into a jog and he arrived at the lake nearly running full out.

	Neil dropped onto one of the large stones that lined the near
side of the lake. He considered heading over to the docks, or even
taking out a boat, but it didn't seem worth it. There was a group
leaving the playground area, they must have had second shift dinner
and were wrapping up a game.
	Harriet appeared beside him and sat down on the grass, her head
at stomach level. She didn't say anything, just looked out over the
lake and waited.
	Neil finally caved and gave her a sideways look. "What?" he
said, with only a touch of frustration.
	Harriet shrugged. "I'm sorry" she said.
	"Why"
	"I don't know... I've been messing around with you and I don't
know if you appreciate it."
	Neil shrugged. "I've got a lot on my mind. You aren't making it
easier... I don't know if you.... mean anything or if you're just
trying to bug me."
	Harriet laughed softly. "Both. Probably. You took an
interest... and I liked it. I didn't mean to piss you off, though."
	Neil shook his head. "It wasn't... well, it mostly wasn't you."

	Harriet glanced up. "Mae?"
	"She has a boyfriend... but we had something, now I don't know
if she's just using me for the summer... or why I should even care."
	"Maybe she doesn't now either."
	Neil shrugged.
	"Maybe you should be talking to her instead of me"
	Neil looked down, thinking. "Maybe I need to talk to you about
you"
	Harriet looked scandalized, but dropped it with a chuckle.
"Maybe. I am sorry, Neil. You were fun to tease and I guess I didn't
notice that you were in the middle of something. I guess you saw
Ruth."
	Neil jumped.
	"I saw her too. I also think you're going to stew over talking
to Dave about it for no reason."
	"Wha.. What?!?"
	Harriet smiled and patted his leg. It was friendly, but she
didn't remove it and Neil definitely noticed it. "Dave and Ruth don't
have the... kind of relationship..." but Harriet ran out of steam.
"I've watched them. Ruth and Dave aren't... well... together."
	Neil shook his head "Of course they are, they've been dating
for years."
	"No, they've been fucking for years. They haven't been dating
for a long time."
	"Wait... I don't"
	"No, you don't." Harriet said, patting his leg and grinning.
"Dave isn't blind or dumb. You should talk to him about it though."
	Neil blinked and tried to nod, but he was distracted by
Harriet's hand. She'd started at his knee, but she'd ended a lot
higher. He glanced down and then pointedly looked at her.
	"And I'm not teasing you just to tease you. Sometimes a girl
likes what she sees, and sometimes she likes a guy to look back."
	Neil was still lost, but there seemed to be a light at the end
somewhere. "So... now what?"
	Harriet removed her hand and shrugged. "You need to figure out
Mae. When you do, let me know."
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil grabbed some food at the quad mess. It looked like a
hamburger, but Neil didn't have to smell or look to closely to know
better. It certainly didn't taste like a burger, but it was good
enough. Some kind of poultry with a lot of diced veggies and pepper.
At the cabin he paused and wondered what to do. He wasn't ready to
talk to Mae, he wasn't sure exactly what to feel, and that would just
lead to more accusations or arguments. After a deep breath he shoved
open his door, not knowing what to expect.
	Mae wasn't there, but she'd clearly left her mark. The bed was
made, the room was spotless and he noticed she'd even taken out the
trash. He briefly considered that he'd ordered her not to clean up,
but there was something else. Several things were out of place. The
top two drawers of his dresser had been swapped. Socks were on the
left instead of right, and they'd clearly been carefully put back
into the drawer. In his mind Neil pictured her pulling things out of
drawers and throwing them in anger. It wasn't a good sign, he
thought, although perhaps putting everything back was.
	Neil spent a few minutes looking around for other clues. His
special box of porn was there, but it looked like it had been rifled.
Eventually Neil finished the investigation and decided that whatever
Mae had done, she'd decided to undo, and that was enough for now. He
grabbed his shower gear and headed out, wondering instead what to do
about Dave.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	After his shower, Neil dropped off his kit in his room and made
his way around the back of the dorm. He hesitated at Mae's room, but
he wasn't quite ready for that conversation and instead made his way
to the far side. At Dave's door he listened at the window, then
knocked.
	Dave opened the door and grinned. "Hey, didn't see you at
dinner".
	Neil nodded and followed Dave inside, grabbing a camp chair
while Dave sat on the bed.
	"soooooo. What?" Dave said, noting Neil's mood.
	"I, uh... need to ask about Ruth"
	Dave gave Neil an odd expression and folded his hands. "What
about her?"
	"What's your relationship. Honestly."
	"Honestly? Why, you interested in some Baby Ruth?" Dave said
jokingly. When he saw Neil's face, though, he got serious. "Ah.
You've heard or seen or... seen something", Dave said, noting Neil's
raised eyebrow when he said "Seen". Dave shrugged and got comfortable
on the bed. "We broke up a long time ago YEARS ago... partly because I
cheated on her". When Neil jumped, Dave held up a hand to stop him. "I
cheated on her because she cheated on me. She cheated on me after I
kissed Becky Devon in the chem closet in school."
	"So... you're not together?" Neil indicated all of Ruth's gear
laying around the room.
	"No.. and yes. And no" Dave said with a big shrug. "We're not
together like.... well, like we were. But we ... "
	Neil glanced at the state of the bed and noted the extra
pillows. "Sleep together?"
	"I can't explain... well.... I could. I don't know if you'd
really get it. Its a little weird."
	"The other day when you two were goofing off... describing
other people. That wasn't a game."
	Dave shook his head. "Not really. She messes around with other
guys. She doesn't do much, but it gets her super hot. I mess around
with other girls. Then we come back here and... kind of tell each
other about it. Then we..."
	"Fuck like rabbits?"
	"Fuck like rabbits on crack" Dave laughed. "Like pornstar
rabbits. Jesus it sounds weird, I know, but I can't tell you how ...
well, anyway. I don't want this to be weird, you know"
	Neil paused. "I saw Ruth today, I was totally going to have to
tell you about it. THAT was weird. It was killing me. If you two are
cool, then I'm cool."
	Dave studied him for a second. "You sure?"
	"Well... I'll be cool with it I guess. It is kinda freaky. You
two are freaky bitches" Neil joked.
	Dave laughed hard and loud. "Yeah. Yeah, its not really
something we planned. You know? It was like, an argument. She's all
'you fucked that bitch Becky' and I as all 'You fucked that
asshole... ' and then we were all over each other. God..."
	"Ooooh-Kay, Dave." Neil said with his palms out. "Way too
personal there"
	Dave rolled back, laughing. "Sorry. Actually, this kind of
leads to something else, since we're talking about that particular
conversation."
	"What, you two accusing each other and then pawing like minks?"

	"No... the one in the Cave."
	Neil thought, then his eyes shot wide. "When she brought ME
up?"
	Dave nodded. "She's kinda hot for you. Seriously."
	Neil rubbed his forehead. "Dude, I need more woman problems
like I need an extra asshole"
	Dave cackled "well, she does. No big deal... well, except that
she's sort of... really hot for you."
	"So? Have her molest one of the stable guys or something."
	"Yeah, see she likes to mess with them, but that's not what
gets her super hot, you know?"
	Neil started to answer, but was confused.
	"She... gets super hot when she fucks another guy."
	"WOAH, what? What? And you're cool with that??"
	Dave shrugged. "There's only a couple, and I'm telling you..
she's seriously not my girlfriend. I ACTUALLY... kinda.... HAVE a
girlfriend."
	Neil started to speak but couldn't. Between Dave revealing some
mystery girlfriend back home and essentially inviting him to fuck the
girl Neil thought Dave was dating created an impasse in his brain.
	"Remember? Becky? She's totally my girlfriend. She's also way
hot about the whole having Ruth on the side thing, so long as its
just Ruth I'm banging".
	"Wait. No, no, no. I'm totally confused."
	"Look, we've got kind of an agreement going. Ruth doesn't just
fuck every guy in the world and I don't have anyone except Ruth and
Becky in bed. Becky doesn't do anything with anybody but me... well,
me and Ruth... and"
	Dave continued, but Neil was completely at a loss and stopped
hearing him. The sudden lesbian angle was too much and he stood up,
waving his arms. "Nope, flag on the play! WHAT?!?"
	Dave tried to punch Neil in the leg, but Neil dodged. "Look,
just know that I'm cool with Ruth and the stable guy or whatever.
She's not actually going to have sex with them... "
	"And me?"
	"Well she wants to. She made that clear. And I'm cool with
that, although you should know that she's going to describe every
lurid detail to me if anything goes on."
	Neil shuddered. "OK, I came here to simplify. SIMPLIFY my
life."
	"Don't you think Ruth is hot?"
	"What? I guess... wait"
	"She's got nice tits. I know some guys don't go for, you know,
bigger girls, but she's not fat."
	"I never said"
	"And her tits are incredible. She'd be all over you with them."

	Neil managed to stand and get to the door. "OK, yeah. Look,
tell her I'm all honored and all, but I've got problems to figure out
and I'm not"
	"She's not a problem"
	"I never said.. " but Neil caught Dave's tone and laughed.
	"Look, I'm not pimping her out here, she said she was
interested, not that she was going to chase you around camp."
	"Yeah, OK. And I just wanted to clear shit up."
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil crawled into bed with images of several girls chasing him
around camp and laughed sadly. He still wasn't sure what to do, and
Ruth just complicated matters. At least his heartburn over Dave was
settled, even if it made things more complicated. At least nobody was
getting pissed off.
	Sometime in the night there was a quiet creak and patter of
footsteps. Neil wasn't surprised or angry, laying still to see what
Mae would do. When the steps stopped at the foot of his bed he
waited, listening carefully for noise. There was some kind of soft
creak and he realized she was trying to curl up at the foot of his
bed without disturbing him. When he knew she was fully onto the bed
he sat up, causing her to jump. He sat for a moment, then reached out
in the dark and found himself with a whole lot of shaking girl piled
into his lap.
	Neil finally untangled her and lay down, drawing her down with
him so she wouldn't misunderstand and leave. He rolled back onto his
side and she moved behind him, clutching his shoulder. He reached
back over his head and held hers for a moment, then drifted off to
sleep.