The Wanted Ad Part VII
Well lots of arguments and character building in this one, I think everything is kinda heading back towards normal after---OH SHIT! I forgot the sex! *looks* Dammit there is no sex in this one. . . um. . . there is a sexy scene with Jessica and that Tartar though. . . um. . . just read it! You get to meet Dan and that'll get you guys wondering about who ends up with whom.

Ugh. . . wish I could post more (and with sex), but last week was a terrible, terrible week, and I didn't get much writing done period. Oh well, it's over, and this ain't no blog.

Commenting is next to Godliness.

Ryan didn't talk to Jessica for a couple of days, but he definitely went back to normal. The bottles disappeared, he assumed a normal level of training, and, best of all, he started cleaning the house again. (Jessica was really glad, because she had thought she'd seen a cockroach by the sink one night.) Korean dinner night also reappeared, which Jessica would have enjoyed more if not for the reappearance of Denise. Who did she think she was flirting with both of the boys? They were Jessica's roommates dammit!

It didn't help that Denise had the alcohol tolerance of a Dachshund, so even a glass of wine with dinner made her giggle like a moron. One time she swore Denise was moments away from kissing Ryan when Jessica walked back in the room. She giggled and sat back down. How old did she think she was giggling like that? 15? Jessica supposed that was what happened when you hung around 5 year olds all day.

Jessica finished the rest of her wine in one gulp, "Can the two of you boys fight to the death for my after dinner entertainment?"
Ryan shrugged, "Fine with me."
Kyle acted considerably more nervous, "How about we play Rock Band instead?"
Ryan shrugged, "Fine with me."
Kyle rolled his eyes, "Dammit, who set Ryan to indifferent mode? Are you on indifferent mode?"
Ryan shrugged, "Fine with me."
Denise clapped her hands, "Yay! I like the Kyle and Ryan Show."
Ryan shrugged, but Kyle clamped a hand over his mouth. "Fiv woofmef."

"So how does this work?" Asked Jessica while she picked up one of the guitars.
Ryan looked up at her, "You want to play guitar?"
Kyle laughed, "Well I'm playing drums and you have to sing---"
Jessica raised an eyebrow, "Why does Ryan have to sing?"
Kyle rolled his eyes, "You'll see."
Denise put the guitar strap on, "So I press these buttons and move this pick thingy?"

Ryan stood behind her and put his hands over hers, "When the colored squares get to the bottom of the screen you're going to press the right colored button and then strum the guitar like this."
Denise blushed at the contact, "Oh, I think I understand now."
Kyle rolled his eyes and pretended to gag himself with a drumstick.

Jessica laughed but was quickly silenced when the game started and nervousness set in. "Should I pick bass or guitar?"
"Guitar," said Ryan and Kyle together.
"Oookay," she set it on Easy.

The song started and Jessica suddenly understood Kyle's words. God Ryan could sing! It was a soft, smooth voice that was made for R&B, but somehow hearing him sing Oasis or Weezer was still beautiful. The game was kinda boring though; it seemed like one little button came across the screen every ten minutes.

"Ryan, you have an angel's voice!" Denise said at the end of the song.
"Yeah, it's gorgeous." agreed Jessica, slightly mad that Denise had beaten her to the punch.
Ryan shrugged modestly, so Kyle mimicked the motion to tease him. He shot Kyle a dirty look, "I'm pretty good."
"I think I will move up a difficulty level, Easy was surprisingly. . . easy." Denise looked down at her guitar.
"Me too," Jessica agreed gamely, ready for the next song.

Not ready enough. It seemed like there was no bridge between Easy and Medium, with a far greater number of colored bricks flying at her face. Her flat notes and amp feedback kept sounding repeatedly through Dani California. She almost put the guitar down when her screen disappeared, but Denise saved Jessica with her guitar playing. The stupid game had to add insult to injury.

Ryan and Kyle seemed impressed at Denise's performance, and it was her turn to shrug modestly. "I guess it is not so different from playing a guitar."
"You play the guitar?" Ryan was amazed.
"A little . . ."
"You'll have to play for us sometime." Kyle grinned and then turned to Jessica, "And you have to take a shot for that failure you had."
Jessica shook her head, "Last time I played a drinking game you and um. . . my mistress took off my thong and put it into a bottle of vodka."
"Your mistress!?" Ryan looked about ready to throw the microphone.
Kyle shrugged, "Vodka gets out the smell of smoke."
"My panties didn't smell like smoke."
"Your mistress!?"
"How do you know? You were passed out."
Denise looked confused, "I think Jessica means the Tartarian."
"The Tartar!" Screamed Jessica, "O MY GOD DENISE, get it fucking right! It's the Tartar not the Tartarian!"

Denise looked like a kicked dog, she picked up her jacket, "I should go." Tears were welling up in her eyes as she ran out the door.
"What the FUCK was that Jessica?" Ryan ran after her.

"Awww. . . I was hoping for a catfight." Kyle grinned.
"Shut up Kyle!" She ripped off the guitar and ran out the door.

The apartment was still warm from the heat of the day, but by the time she hit the street the humidity from her own body had been cut away. Ryan's arms were wrapped around Denise's shaking form. It hadn't been that bad! But her guilt could not match her anger. She wanted to scream at Ryan. What about Jessica? What about the Tartar? What was wrong with Ryan that he could like such a god-damned Barbie Doll?

But Jessica didn't scream. She didn't apologize either. She just turned and ran. She would have run down the street if she'd thought she could have done it without them seeing her. She started to run back to her apartment, but Kyle was still there. She stopped running and kicked the wall of the stairwell.

"Um. . . ok." Jessica jumped at the voice, turning around to see she was not alone on the stairs. "Do you uh, need some help?"
His appearance was striking. He was only of average height, but had smooth, dark skin with spiked black hair and a matching pointed goatee. The really odd thing was his eyes; his eyes were an ice blue that were only made more striking by their contrast to his dark hair and complexion.

Jessica put her hand on her face, "Oh. . . God, I'm sorry. . . it's been a rough night and I just. . . don't know where to go."
"Do you live here?"
"Yeah. . . but I just got into a fight with my roommates."
"Oh, that sucks."
"Yeah."
"Well. . ." he paused, "listen, this is probably kinda weird, you know, coming from a guy you just met---"
"Sure."
"So you do want to come back to my apartment?" He paused, "And have wild sex with me. Like, on the ceiling and stuff."
"Ok, maybe not that part."
"See, that's why you shouldn't cut me off when I'm talking. I'm Dan by the way."
"Jessica."
"Nice to meet you Jessica. Come on, I'm up on more flight."

He lived in a studio a floor beneath them. The hallway took them past a messy kitchen with dirty dishes and pans stacked in the sink. The main room was equally messy; clothes lay in heaps near a bed in one corner, and more dirty plates and empty cans of soda in the beginnings of a massive pyramid on the coffee table. Living with Ryan the neat freak had made her half-forget how most guys were. Why was that iron there?

The interesting thing about the apartment was the artwork. The living room area had several paintings ranging in style from Impressionism to the Dutch masters. The area around his bed was more frantic, the walls covered in art posters and sketches that Jessica could only assume were done by Dan himself. Beneath the TV she could see several thick binders with labels on the side like, "landscapes", "sports", and "nudes."

"So I'm guessing you're an artist?"
"I sketch and take photographs if that's what you mean. . . I'm still technically in art school though. You can turn on the TV if you want." He walked in from the kitchen.
"Actually, I'd like to look at some of those folders if that's ok."
"Go for it." He laughed when she picked up a binder, "Yep, everybody always goes for the nudes. They're not even pornographic or anything."
"Oh wow," she flipped the page.
"I never said they weren't at times explicit. . . still, drawing the folds of that girl---"
"Sorry. . . um. . . I know I'm pushy for barging into your apartment like this, but that's a little too much info for me."

He shrugged, "It's just a body. Flesh and blood with all sorts of different things running through it. Corpus, corporis, neuter. . . People are way too stuck up about their bodies. There's as much science to them as outer space and yet. . . they're beautiful. . . sorry, I guess I just like nudes."
The speech was weird, but his candor kept her from bolting out the door. "Is this the part where you tell me you were part of a nudist colony."

He laughed, "No, but I did got to a clothing optional resort one time."
She twitched, "Eww, being naked in front of all those people would make me feel uncomfortable."
"Trust me," he said, shaking his head, "when you're the only person in a room wearing clothes, you're the one who feels uncomfortable."
"I suppose so. . . still, shower time at PE was never a fun time for me."
Dan frowned, "Yeah, me neither. . . I weighed about 90 lbs. and I was a late bloomer."
Jessica laughed, "Again, too much info."
"Eh." He shrugged.

She looked through several folders with Dan, getting his comments and vision on the drawings and photographs. The only one he wouldn't let her see was the one marked landscapes.
He shifted, "It's not done yet. . . another time maybe."
"Probably a good thing actually, I should get back in my apartment and go to bed."
"Me too," he yawned, "I have to be up before noon."
She laughed, "I hope you never have to photograph the sunrise."
"Never."
"Hey. . . thanks a lot for this Dan, it was nice to meet you."
He smiled, "No problem, come down and visit me sometime if you're bored or fighting with your roommates again."
"Ok. . . see you later."
"Adios."

Jessica didn't wake until late in the morning, but she found herself already sweating. It was going to be a hot day. She washed her face and walked out into the living room.

"It's 10 o'clock in the morning, why is it so hot?" Jessica's mind froze after that, she was too busy staring at Kyle's ripped arms. "What'd you say?"
Kyle looked at her strangely, "I said, 'We were thinking about going to the beach, do you want to come?'"
Jessica smiled, "Sure."
"Denise is coming."
"Oh."
Kyle scratched the back of his neck, "Listen. . . I don't really know what happened, but I think I've learned enough about you in the past month to know you wouldn't kick a sweetheart like Denise just to be a bitch. Just explain what happened and apologize; Denise is a. . . sweetheart, she'll understand."
Jessica sighed. She should apologize. "Should I do it in person or over the phone."
"In person, she'll want to see your gorgeous face."
"Are you sure you just aren't hoping for a catfight?"
Kyle grinned and shrugged, "Little of column A, little of column B."
She smiled, she and Kyle were all right.

Apologizing to Denise was made easier by her swimsuit. Through some strange act of God the burgundy cut-out one piece made her boobs look like a normal size (even if it did make Ryan practically jizz his pants when Denise got out of her Lexus.)
"Oh. . . hello Jessica."
"Um, hey Denise. . . can I talk to you for a second?"
Denise looked around, as if she were afraid there would be a fight, "Of course."
Jessica called over to Ryan and Kyle, "Hey boys, we'll be along in a second ok?"
"Ok," shouted Kyle, "I'll be rubbing down Ryan's hot manly body with suntan lotion!" Ryan kicked him. "Ow! Hetero rub down, hetero!"

Denise's look lingered on the boys and she gave a shiver. Eww, was she into guy-guy stuff?
"What is it Jessica?"
"Nothing, sorry. . . Listen Denise, I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you the other night. It was a really hard week at work and. . . I was kinda jealous of you." Jessica looked away, embarrassed.
"Because. . . I was doing so well at the game?" Denise was clueless.

"Yeah, because you're an awesome guitarist. . . maybe you can give me some pointers." Jessica gave a hesitant smile.
"So are we friends?" Denise was a happy puppy again. How can you say no to a puppy?
"Yeah. . . sure are."
Denise squeaked and stood up on her toes to throw her arms around Jessica's neck. She bounced up and down. "Oh I am so glad Jessica. I have felt like. . . you have been very cold to me since we first met. I had hoped that since you were Ryan and Kyle's roommate we could be like sisters. . . Maybe we can now?"
Jessica gave a nervous smile, "I guess we'll see."
Denise grabbed her hand, "Let's go find the boys."
Jessica felt holding hands with Denise and being dragged across the beach was karmic punishment enough for yelling at her.

"Stay away from me!" Ryan was covering his chest with his hands and kicking sand at Kyle.
"But Ryan, you need sunscreen, let me rub it into your back and nipples!"
Jessica let go of Denise's hand the instant she felt her shiver again. "Um. . . Kyle, that's really, really gay. . . and the whole beach is staring."
Kyle shrugged nonchalantly, "Do you need any help with your sunscreen ladies?"
Denise shook her head, "I think I'll have Jessica do mine, and I can do hers." Bitch!
Kyle raised an eyebrow, "Even better."

"Hey Kyle is the. . ." Denise glanced sidelong at Jessica, "Tartar coming today."
"No." Ryan shook his head.
"Yes." Disagreed Kyle.
"What!?"
Kyle shrugged, "She had an appointment, but she said she'd come late."
Ryan snorted, "Sounds just like April."
Jessica furrowed her brow, "Who's April?"
Ryan stiffened, "Just. . . someone I know."
Jessica smiled, "Oh. . . a friend?"
"No." He frowned.
"More than a friend?"
"NO!"
Jessica laughed, "Is she cute?"
"I'm not answering that."
"Awww. . . is she. . . cuter than me?"
"I'm definitely not answering that."
"Is she as cute as my---the Tartar?"
"I---um. . . they're about the same, ok? I'm going into the water." He turned and ran.

Kyle chased after him, "Go water! Make kick! Learn balance!"
"Coming?" Denise asked.
"I think I'll just lay out on the beach for a while."

Jessica didn't recognize the Tartar until she was right next to her. She was wearing a sapphire bikini with rings connecting her bottoms on each hip and another one between the cups of her top. With her hair in a ponytail and no make-up on, the Tartar didn't look anything like a dominatrix.

"Wow, you look. . . good."
The Tartar laughed, "You mean 'normal' I think. No, don't say anything, I'm enjoying it. My pores get a break from the make-up, people don't think I'm a freak and I don't have to wear anything made from a dead cow. It's good to look normal."
Jessica smiled, "You'd look more normal if you didn't have abs you could strike a match on!"
The Tartar squeezed her hand, "You sure know how to make a girl feel beautiful Jessica."
Jessica smiled back until she heard Denise's annoying giggle. Denise ran into the water to avoid getting grabbed by Ryan and Kyle.
"You'll have to excuse the boys, they'd say, 'hi' but they're too busy eye-humping Denise." Jessica sneered.
"That's because you could cut glass with those nipples." The Tartar observed dryly.
"Yeah, maybe if I stuff a couple of ice cubes down my top I can get them to look at me for a little while."
"I've got a better idea," the Tartar smirked at Jessica, "why don't you help me put on my sunscreen?"
Jessica grinned, "Love to."

The Tartar laid face down on a beach towel while Jessica squirted suntan lotion onto her back. The Tartar shivered.
"Cold?"
The Tartar nodded.
"Sorry."
Jessica used long, sensual strokes to rub the lotion into her lower back. When she reached the tie for the Tartar's bikini top she undid it and let it fall from her back.
"Are you going to tie that back up before I flip over?"
Jessica laughed, "I'll think about it."

She massaged the lotion into the Tartar's shoulders and down her back. Jessica put some more lotion in her hands and rubbed it into the sides of the Tartar's breasts and obliques. She tied the bikini back up and the Tartar flipped over. Jessica rubbed the sunscreen between her hands to warm it before rubbing the firm muscles of her stomach.
"Leg please."

The Tartar curled her leg and pointed it onto Jessica's shoulder. She started at the foot and rubbed her way down her shapely calf. She kissed her foot.
"Other one please."

After she finished the calf of that leg, she kissed her foot again. Jessica did both of her thighs one after the other. The inner thigh and the circle around the leg of her bikini took her nearly as long to do as the rest of the leg combined. She walked around and kneeled so that her thighs were on either side of the Tartar's face. She made an exaggerated lean over the Tartar. Jessica rubbed a generous amount of lotion into the Tartar's chest and the smooth flesh of each breast where it was visible above the cup of her top.

By the time she was done the Tartar's chest was heaving and Ryan, Kyle and Denise had all stopped to watch. The volleyball game next to them appeared to be on time out, the ball forgotten off to one side as the players all stared. The entire beach was watching Jessica. It was the first time in her life she had so many eyes on her. She loved every second of it.

Kyle cleared his throat, "Why didn't we go to a nude beach?"
"I'm um. . ." began Ryan, "I'm going to need to take a swim in the cold water."
The Tartar rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow, "Denise, do you need your sunscreen reapplied?"
"Um. . ." Denise swallowed, "I think I'll j-join Ryan."

"So," asked the Tartar with a smile, "how does it feel to be wanted by everyone on this beach?"
"Good!" Breathed Jessica, "It feels so good."
She smiled mysteriously, "I'll remember that."