It has seemed a really good idea at the time. Bethany had always been like Emma's adopted kid sister. Her cousin had been born when Emma was twelve, and as a young teenager Emma had delighted in playing with the toddler. When Bethany had her first day at school, Emma had taken her little cousin to the gate, to give her the confidence that even her own mummy didn't seem to instil in her. (She'd made herself late for school).
As Bethany had grown up, she continued to confide in her big cousin. It always seemed to be a case of "if Emma says it's all right." When Emma had gone to college, Bethany had been devastated, and Emma had to make frequent visits home to take the kid out – delightful though those visits were, they did cramp her style a bit.
Then when she had started going out with boys, Bethany would call Emma at all hours to discuss her various troubles. At fifteen, she'd asked Emma's advice on whether she should have sex with her then boyfriend – something she clearly couldn't ask her mother. Emma had advised against it, and was proven right when the boyfriend dumped little Bethany a week later. Emma made a special trip home to comfort her cousin, and they had a girlies' day out to cheer the young girl up.
For Emma's 30th birthday 2 years ago, Bethany had arranged a surprise party for her, and it had been lovely. Now her cousin was at college herself. The calls were less frequent – there were certainly no requests for advice on whether she should have sex any more, and Emma guessed this was no longer advice Beth needed – but there was still a close bond between the two.
So Emma was delighted when Beth called to invite her up to college for the weekend of her 20th birthday. She informed Emma that they were going to party 'til they dropped. "Won't an old lady like me cramp you style," she replied, a little worried that the answer might be "well, maybe yes."
"NO WAY!" Bethany screeched down the phone. "You are gonna love it. We'll go out clubbing and get horribly drunk. Then we'll come back to this house I share with some other girls, party some more, and then watch my 'Friends' and 'Sex and the City' DVDs 'til dawn. And my friends are dying to meet you. I've told them how cool you are and they're way impressed. Waddya say?"
Emma laughed. Yes, it would be fun, though whether her friends really would be impressed by her was another thing. She'd done well in her Law exams and had a good job with a City firm – lots of money, a flash car, a smart flat – but it was all a bit lonely. Most of her boyfriends had turned out either to be geeks, slobs or workaholics – though that latter category also seemed to apply to her. Yeah – get away for the weekend, celebrate Bethany's birthday with her, go a bit wild for a couple of days. It sounded like just what she needed.
The house that Bethany shared with three other students – two girls, Sarah and Katie, and Katie's live-in boyfriend Jake – was a bit of a dump, but the girls had done their best adding a few touches to make it more habitable. The spare room – another girl, Kerry, had moved out recently after deciding to move in with her boyfriend – was a bit poky, but again Bethany had added a few nice touches to try to make it suitable accommodation for her big cousin.
To be honest, she spent more being introduced to Beth's friends – a constant stream of them kept arriving and leaving – rather than looking at the décor. She'd forgotten the fun you can have when you're a student. You may be broke, but you have few worries or responsibilities, spend a lot of time with young, attractive people, and can concentrate on having a good time.
It had been a good few years since she'd got ready for an evening out with a bunch of girls, and she relished the sheer, blissful chaos of it all. Bethany, Sarah and Katie kept wandering into one another's rooms in various states of undress, canvassing opinions on outfits, make-up, hair, accessories, and largely oblivious to Jake's presence.
At one point, the three girls were swapping dresses with each other in Katie's room, oblivious to Jake, lying on the bed, reading. Even as they stripped down to their panties and busied themselves, bare-breasted at the wardrobe mirror, holding up different outfits and trying them on, shrieking and fussing, Jake seemed to pay them little attention. He finally got up and went downstairs, taking his book with him.
Intrigued, Emma followed, joining him in the kitchen. "If you're making coffee, I'll have one please."
"Oh, hi. Sure." he said.
"Too much for you?" she asked.
"Yeah. I wish they could keep it down to a dull roar. I've got a dissertation to finish next week and I've only done half the reading. And they take so long to get ready. They'll be at it for hours yet. It only takes me half an hour to get showered and changed!"
"That's how girls are when they get together. I thought you'd hang around. Most guys would be pretty pleased to be in a bedroom with three girls with their boobs hanging out"
"Nah. Seen it all before," he shrugged. "And more," he added, mysteriously.
"More?," she asked, intrigued.
"Well, you can't share a house with three girls – four until a few weeks back – and not find yourself face to face with naked female flesh. Sometimes attached to naked male flesh, if you see what I mean."
"Yes – it must be very distracting. But surely quite fun?"
"Oh, at first. Then it gets a bit wearing. And Katie's pretty demanding - and a bit jealous. Not only does she want a lot of attention, she'll throw a hissy fit if she thinks I'm paying too much attention to another girl. Here's your coffee. Now if you don't mind, I'd better lock myself in the lounge and get back to my reading. I suggest you go back up and sort those three out or they'll be there all night. And if Katie catches me chatting to someone I'm sure she sees as serious competition, I'll have my nuts cut off. See ya!"
Emma was intrigued and rather flattered by Jake's parting comment. Being classed as 'serious competition' to a 19-year old was quite a compliment, she thought.
