Anna 120 (continuation of Spring Break Confessions), Part 1

Anna 120 - Part 1/2
part III of Spring Break Confessions (an4@anon.lelnet.com)

    Kristin hung up the phone. 'Anna and Robyn will be over in about five 
minutes to pick us up. Now, before they get here I have to tell you that 
Robyn is a lesbian.'
    Tricia looked at Kristin hesitantly. 'And you had to tell me that because 
? You thought that would make a difference to me ?'
    'No,' Kristin said. 'It's just- Robyn and I have an arrangement. I tell 
my friends ahead of time so there's no awkward 'Hi, I'm Robyn, by the way 
I'm a lesbian' sort of thing, you know.'
    'I guess that makes sense. Any other news you're required to tell me 
before we sneak into this bar.'
    'Well, Anna's friend Sybil will be meeting us there. She's a lesbian 
too.'
    'Are she and Robyn-'
    'No. I mean, Robyn would love that. Sybil is probably the coolest person 
I sort of know- next to you, of course.'
    'Flattery will get you everywhere, Krissie.'
    Tricia picked up her pack of cigarettes, lit one, took a long draw and 
handed it to Kristin. Kristin inhaled, held the smoke, and passed the 
cigarette back to Tricia.
    'Anything else I need to know ?' Trica asked.
    'That's enough to start with.'
    'But are there cute guys at this bar ? You haven't talked about the most 
important thing.'
    'Are you looking for someone to go home with ?'
    Tricia laughed. 'I'm not knocking your hospitality, but there is 
something to at least getting some eye candy. You dad's a great guy, but-'
    'There are usually some decent looking guys there,' Kristin said, not 
letting her friend finish that thought. She held out her hand and Tricia 
passed her the cigarette. 'Worth flashing a fake ID, that's for sure.'
    'Well, I hope so. I really should be working on that paper for Harlow, 
you know.'
    'Tricia- it's spring fucking break. Try to focus on that.'
    'All right. I think after a few beers I will forget all about Comparative 
Literature for one night.'
    'You want a beer for the road ?'
    'Well, I do want a beer, but I'm not going to waste it on the road. 
Let's go.'
    Donna was sitting in the kitchen, bills spread out on the table. It was 
second Thursday of the month, and as long back as she could remember, Kristin 
knew it as Bill Night. She saw one from Vassar on the table- housing deposit 
for next fall. Mom was furiously writing checks, stuffing enveloped, stamping 
things. She looked up briefly when they came into the kitchen. 
    'Who's the designated driver tonight ?' she asked, pausing in her work 
to sit back and light a cigarette.
    'Not us,' Kristin said. 'Want a beer ?'
    'Sure.'
    Kristin took three Bass Ales from the fridge, capped them, and handed out 
cold brown bottles.
    'Robyn will be doing the driving, Mom.'
    'Good. You know how I feel about having a designated driver.'
    'Don't worry Mom. We'll come home in one piece, unless Tricia here finds 
someone else to spend the night with.'
    Tricia glared at Kristin good-naturedly.
    'Make sure he uses a condom, hon,' Donna said, then pretended to go back 
to paying the bills. Then she looked up at Tricia and smiled.
    Just then the doorbell rang.

    The bar, known only as Bar, was packed. The girls had no trouble getting 
in. Robyn was wearing a designated driver badge, which she'd gotten at the 
door from the bouncer. That entitled her to all the free soda she wanted. 
    They found a corner table in the back and the five of them slid into the 
semi-circular booth. From this location they could see most of the bar. The 
dance floor was full because it was 80's techno-dance night. The place was 
dimly lit, noisy, and smoky. Settling in, they ordered a pitcher of Harp and 
with the exception of Anna, lit Marlboro Lights 100s or Virginia Slims 120s.
    'So you're another Vassar girl ?' Sybil said to Tricia. 'How do you 
like it there ?'
    'It's great. But I can't imagine what it was like before they let boys 
in.'
    'Heaven,' Sybil said.
    'Oh yeah. Sorry.'
    'Don't apologise,' Sybil said, drawing on her VS 120 and waving it 
elegantly. Her exhale took in Anna, who did her best not to pull away. 'The 
world is a much more interesting place with boys in it. I just wouldn't want 
to have to sleep with them. What's your major ?'
    'English.'
    'Do you want to write or teach ?'
    'Write. My father is trying to get me into technical writing, but that 
seems kind of boring. The money's good, but I don't need to worry about 
that.'
     'Tricia's parents are disgustingly well-off,' Kristin added.
    'True,' Tricia said, trimming. 'What's your major ?' she asked Sybil.
    'Psychology. I'm working on my senior research project- male sexual 
dysfunction as a psychological event. Kind of ironic. I want to be my area of 
specialty when I go into practise.'
    'Really ? Why ?'
    'It's actually a very interesting subject, and I have a natural 
advantage because I will provide a non-threatening therapeutic resource. 
Studies show that one of the reasons men are hesitant to address 
psychological dysfunction is because they are hesitant to enter into 
treatment. They don't want to admit to a man that they are unable to perform 
and they don't want to admit it to a woman because deep down most men view- 
if subconsciously- women as potential sexual partners- within reason. It's a 
situation where advertising the fact that you are a lesbian is a distinct 
advantage.'
    'Wow, you've thought this whole thing out pretty well.'
    'It was my mom's idea, actually. Not, I'm obliged to add, because of any 
issues with dad. But she could see the opportunity open up in front of me and 
it turns out that it's a tremendously interesting topic.' Sybil stubbed out 
her cigarette and Anna noticed that the dart board was open. She grabbed her 
friend in one hand on her beer in the other.
    'Let's go.'
    Sybil deftly swept up beer, cigarettes and lighter and the two went off 
in that direction.
    Robyn watched them across the floor, disappointment clear on her face.
    'You really have the hots for her, don't you ?' Kristin asked.
    Robyn reached for her pack of cigarettes and lit one. She inhaled sharply 
and lifted her head back, blowing smoke high into the air.
    'I wish I could get good and drunk right now. She's gorgeous and I think 
she sees me as just Anna's kid sister, you know ?'
    'Well, she is an older woman. And she might feel funny about you being 
her friend's younger sister. But have you ever really tried to-'
    'No. I think Anna would be pissed off, you know ?'
    'Have you talked to her about it ?' Kristin asked.
    Robyn drew on her cigarette pensively. 'Oh, she knows I have the hots for 
her. But she would never try to help me out. Her opinion on dating is that 
everyone should do their own work. She's positively unwilling to so much as 
say a word to her about it. It would be the same if I liked guys and Sybil 
was a guy.'
    'That would be a waste,' Tricia said. They looked at her. 'I mean, if 
Sybil was a guy. She really is beautiful. If I liked other women that way, I 
think she'd be at the top of my list. There's something about her, you know.'
    'I saw her first,' Robyn said jokingly, and they all laughed.

    As usual, the game was well-along with no clear winner in sight.
    Anna stepped up to the line and prepared herself for her first throw.
    'You know, your sister is so cute,' Sybil said, punctuating the remark 
with a draw on her just lit VS 120.
    'You're just trying to throw off my game.'
    'Well, yes, of course. But I am serious.'
    'Come on. She's my sister.'
    Sybil blew smoke. 'You're not going to tell me that after all this time 
I'm going to find out you're a closet homophobe, are you ?'
    'No. But she's my sister. The thought of anyone finding her- well, 
sexually attractive is- she's my sister, you know.'
    'Well, newsflash- your baby sister is totally hot.'
    Anna let the darts fly. She threw the first two wild, barely hitting the 
board but the last one struck bullseye.
    'You're not going to make this easy, are you ?'
    'The dart game ? No.'
    Before Sybil could follow that up, Anna went and fetched her darts. Sybil 
noticed that they were being watched by a fairly cute guy. He wasn't trying 
to hide the fact that they had his attention. She winked at him and he nodded 
with the sort of half-hearted interest that was supposed to balance out 
against his open staring. He turned his attention to lighting a cigarette and 
there was Anna with the darts.
    Pitching her voice purposefully loud, Sybil said, 'So you're sure that 
if I was a guy you still wouldn't help me out with your sister. Tell me it's 
because we're lesbians.'
    'Come on- you know I have no problem with that and you know that I don't 
get involved in other people's love lives. I can't even get my own going.'
    'Well, hold my cigarette then.'
    Anna looked at Sybil darkly as the DJ spun up Sense Field's Save Yourself.
    'I just need to close 18 and bull's eyes and the game's mine.'
    Holding out her hand, Anna took the cigarette, holding it between the 
first and second fingers of her left hand. As Anna toed up on the line, she 
stepped back to the table for the dart players and trimmed the ash from the 
cigarette. Zack leaned towards her and said 'Can I have winners ?'
    'Sure,' Anna said, looking up at him as Sybil closed 18 with her first 
throw. She heard the exchange and let the next dart fly well wide of the 
mark. Still, she only needed a pair of bull's eyes to win the game and it 
wasn't really in her nature to throw the game, so she aimed her last throw at 
the metal spine between single and double bull's eyes.
    As their eyes met, Anna felt something indistinct but pleasant. Then he 
brought a cigarette to his lips and drew deeply on it and the moment was 
broken. Turning her attention back to the board, she saw Sybil's last dart 
arch through the air, headed for at least a single bull's eye. But it kicked 
off the metal separation between single and double, spinning backwards as it 
fell to the floor. Anna watched it pinwheeling in free fall and then it stuck 
point down in the hardwood floor.
    'Damn,' Sybil said, and collected the darts.
    She traded them for her cigarette and drew on it as Anna told her that 
the guy behind them had winners. Her first shot missed 19, but the second one 
was a triple, closing that. Her last dart dug into the board right at the 
edge of the bull's eye. They both ran up to the board and saw that Anna had 
indeed won the game.
    'Good game,' Sybil said. 'I'm going back to the table to get some more 
beer. Remember- girls rule, guys drool. Beat him and I'll be back for 
winners.'
    She walked back towards their table, leaving her cigarettes and lighter 
behind on the table.
    Anna looked up as she walked back and saw his eyes were on her. He was 
kind of cute in a laid back sort of way. He had the air of a guy who knew he 
could get by on his looks if he had to but wouldn't necessarily try. If only 
he didn't smoke- after all, the way he smiled at her when their eyes met 
again suggested that there was some chemistry there.
    'Anna,' she said holding out her hand.
    'Zack.'
    'Want to take a few warm-up throws ?'
    He took the proffered darts and their hands met as they were exchanged. 
She felt that warm human touch and her heart skipped a beat.
    'Sure. Light a cigarette and relax. I'll just take a few tosses and 
we'll get started.'
    'Oh,' Anna said, noticing for the first time that Sybil had inexplicably 
abandoned her cigarettes on the table. 'Those belong to my friend, actually.'
    'You want one of mine ?' he asked politely, and she noticed that he had 
a faint accent- English maybe.
    'Oh, I don't really smoke,' Anna said. She wondered why she put it that 
way.
    'Not really ? But sort of ?' he asked, sounding hopeful about the 
possibility.
    'Well, you know. Not really.' Why didn't she just say 'No, I don't 
smoke ?'
    'Not really- as in, you bum them off your friends now and then but you 
don't carry your own ? I can see the convenience of that. It looked to me 
like you have a few friends to ask over there.'
    'You saw us over there ?' 
    Zack, knowing the question was really 'So, you've been watching us, huh 
?', looked for the non-stalker way to answer and found it. 'Well, five 
lovely and lively young women sharing a back corner table- I'd be a poor 
representation of the male species if I didn't at least notice.'
    Anna blushed slightly and realised that he was flirting with her.
    'Anyway, I'm sure your friend wouldn't mind you borrowing one of hers 
while I take a few throws.'
    'Maybe later.'
    Zack noticed her glass was empty. He caught a waitress as she went by and 
ordered a pair of Bass Ales, then stepped to the line. In the time it took 
him to throw out three times, the beers came back. Anna dug a five from her 
pocket but he waved her off dismissively and presented a ten to the waitress 
and told her to keep the change.
    'My treat. Let's toss for first throw.'
    He handed her a single dart, took a pull of his beer, and stepped behind 
her, letting her go first. She won first toss and the game started.

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