After a week spent at Rohit's parents' house, the bond between Melody and Rohit was only strengthened. They became closer and closer, almost able to read each other's minds and reaching a stage where they seemed bereft and incomplete when the other wasn't around. April didn't fail to notice the growing union between her best friend and a man whom she had genuinely come to like and admire, but that didn't make her situation any better.
As for April herself, she was feeling more and more isolated. It was all very well for Melody to say that their friendship was as strong as ever; but there was no way that could be the case, given all the time she was spending with Rohit. And April didn't begrudge any of that: if she were Melody, she'd want to spend as much time with Rohit as was humanly possible. But it only emphasized the fact that April didn't have a man she could call her own.
Even though she had, during her sophomore year, cut down significantly on the number of anonymous hook-ups she had with men she hardly knew, she wasn't anywhere closer to finding a steady relationship. She loftily claimed that she wasn't sure she even wanted such a relationshipâthat she liked "playing the field" and making her body available to any man (and a few women) who expressed an interest. But in her heart of hearts she had to admit that this wasn't really very satisfying. And she also began to sense that her reputation was now preceding herâthat some men she could easily have given her heart to had heard of her proclivity to spread her legs at the least opportunity, even if she wasn't doing that anymore (or at least not as often).
That was probably why she ended up at the Delta Pi fraternity that Friday night in (fittingly enough) early April.
It had been a hard week, with midterms finally over; and she was so spaced out that she thought there was going to be a party that night at the frat house, where she could unwind a bitâeven if that didn't involve shedding her clothes. But when she got there, her friend Brad, who had told her about the party, gazed at her nonplussed.
"What are you doing here, April?" he said, standing at the door and not letting her enter.
"I'm here for the party," she said, as if speaking to an idiot.
Brad in turn looked at her as if she was soft in the head. "April, that's
next
Saturday."
April slumped in dismay. "Oh," she said. "God, I feel like such a dope."
"Well, never mind. You're always welcome here."
And he magnanimously let her in.
She was familiar with the layout of the place, as she'd been there for several parties before: a big common room, with a kitchen and dining area in the back and a lot of bedrooms upstairs. The smell of foodâmaybe barbecued chickenâwafting from the kitchen made her salivate.
"Jesus," she said, "I haven't even had any dinner, I was studying so hard. I don't supposeâ?"
"Sure," Brad said, directing her back to the dining room. "I'm sure we can whip up a plate for you."
With elaborate gestures he placed her at the head of a long table in the dining room, and she sat down wearily. In minutes he came back with a plate brimming with chicken wings, potato salad, and cole slaw.
April dived in so fast that she didn't notice that the other frat brothers were, amidst their raucous talk, peering at her out of the corners of their eyes. Some were openly staring at her.
Only when, minutes later, her face smeared with barbecue sauce, did she notice something curious:
She was the only woman sitting at the table.
There were at least ten other guys there. She knew there were fourteen men living in the fraternity, so the other four must be out on dates or at other parties. She wasn't used to being embarrassed by male companionship, but for some reason she blushed.
"Sorry, guys," she said, snatching up some paper napkins nearby and quickly wiping her face. "I'm making a mess here."
"That's okay," one of themâa guy named Tonyâsaid. "We like to watch you eat."
"You want some more?" Brad said.
"Maybe a few more wings," April said shyly, holding up her plate.
"No problem," he said, taking her plate and almost running back to the kitchen to fill it up again.
After she had cleaned her plateâaside from all the bones that lay scattered untidily over itâshe leaned back in contentment.
"Man, that was fabulous! I feel a lot better now."
"Glad to hear it," said a guy named Dante. He was one of three black men in the fraternity, and April had always liked his handsome, honest face.
"So no party, huh?" April said in mock disappointment.
"Not tonight," said Frank, a junior from California.
April gazed around the table. It was really quite remarkable how good-looking all the men wereâespecially the black guys. Or maybe her standards were getting low? No, she didn't think so.
"Well," she said hesitantly, "I guess we could make our own party."
"What does
that
mean?" Brad said with a big grin on his face.
"I think you know," she said. And with that she got up and headed toward the stairs. "I'll be upstairs if you want me."
"Who?" Brad said.
"Any of you, and all of you," April said over her shoulder.
She continued up the stairs. Choosing a door at random, she opened it and found it empty. She didn't know and didn't care who lived here. She left the door partially open, and then proceeded to take her clothes off one by oneâshoes, socks, sweater, skirt, bra, panties. There was something so refreshing and revivifying in being naked. She really hated wearing clothes. Noticing a bottle of hand lotion on the dresser, she poured some of the stuff on her hand and lubricated herself in the appropriate place.
Then she lay down on the bed, propping herself up on one elbow.
Come and get me, guys!