Julius

          I hadn't been seated for more the five minutes when I saw Marissa being led to my table. I stood once she approached the table and helped her out of the orange suede bomber jacket she donned and kissed her lightly before taking my seat.

          "So," she started with a smile as she crossed her denim clad legs making her orange patent Christian Louboutin's visible to those who dared to look, "how have you been?"

          "Great actually," I told her as I took a sip of my rum and coke. Sure it was a little early to partake in hard liqueur but it was after eleven so I figured what the hell. "How's life."

          "Busy as always," she replied as she glanced over the menu. "With a neurotic mother like mine life can't be anything but."

          "Don't talk about my mother-in-law like that," I chastised.

          Marissa pulled her eyes away from the menu and rolled her green orbs before saying, "Our parents wish."

          "I know. All I ever hear is how we make this great couple," I told her.

          "Well you have to admit that on paper we're spectacular," Marissa replied before lazily waving her hand to let our waiter know she was ready to give him her order. She quickly ordered a grilled chicken salad and a fruit spritzer before turning her attention to me. "You're going into corporate law and with your father's connections you're guaranteed to get into one of the better firms and then I'm supposedly going pre-med."

          "Supposedly?" I questioned.

          "I still haven't made a decision about that. I mean that would be the smart thing to do, but we both know that my heart is in fashion," she mentioned.

          "True but your mother isn't going to like that at all," I told her.

          "She needs to get used to the concept of her well laid plans going awry. I mean sooner or later she'll have to realize that us becoming anything more than good friends is out of the question," she mentioned.

          "True," I replied. Marissa and I had lived on the same street all our lives. Naturally we became friends, even though I was two years her senior, and our close friendship caused our parents to make certain assumptions about us. Most people thought we dated and it worked well for the both of us at the moment. Because of our agreed arrangement my sexuality is still my business and Marissa's promiscuity is still unknown. "But for now it works in our favor."

Alejandro

          "You know Isis is pissed right?" Jason asked as the two of us picked through Neiman Marcus's selection of Rock & Republic jeans.

          "When is she not?" I asked rhetorically.

          Isis knew from jump that I wasn't looking for anything serious and that I was going to date other people. She was fine with that until she fucked around and caught feelings. She felt that I should change my ways for her and that wasn't about to happen. Sure, I liked her but the shit wasn't that serious for me. If she wanted to end things I was more than willing to do so but she wasn't trying to go anywhere and that was the problem. Everyone knew she was unhappy with the way things were playing out in our relationship but she kept harboring these notions about changing me. It was like when would she learn that you couldn't change a man. He has to want to be different first and I was quite happy with my lifestyle at the moment.

          "Is that Marissa?" Jason asked causing me to look away for the premium denim I was holding to see her walk past with a tall white guy who had a buzz cut and bright blue eyes. The two laughed at something as they walked past. I shook my head before turning back to Jason.

          "It looks like it. I'm going to go pick up those Prada sneakers I saw in my catalog the other day. I'll be right back," I told Jason before dropping the jeans I was holding and going in the direction Marissa and her man had disappeared to.

          It didn't take me long to find them since they were in the jewelry section. Marissa held her hair away from her face with her left hand and showed off the colorful pair of earrings she'd just pinned in her ears. I walked a little closer so that I was within hearing range and listened to their conversation.

          "So what do you think Jewels?" she asked as she turned to the side.

          "I think they become you," he replied honestly as the sales lady smiled but kept silent. "We'll take those."

          "Thank you Julius," she replied with a wide smile as she let her hair down and tossed the simple hoop earrings she'd worn in into her purse.

          "You're very welcome."

          It was at that moment that I decided to make my presence known. I walked past them over to the section the watches were held and asked one of the sales ladies to hand me the Santos 100 Cartier watch. Marissa must have recognized my voice because she turned towards me. She glanced at me for a moment before speaking.

          "What's going on Alejandro?" she asked, all smiles, as if everything was everything.

          "Just shopping," I replied as I was handed the watch.

          The guy she was with looked between us and smirked before telling Marissa he was going to pick up a pair of loafers. I waited until he left before snidely saying, "No boyfriend, huh?"

          She smirked and rolled her eyes in amusement. "Jealousy isn't a good look on you Ali."

          "Jealous?" I asked rhetorically. "Please, green is NOT my color."

          "You could have fooled me," she replied in amusement.

          "Whatever. What are you getting into tonight?" I questioned.

          "Nothing in particular," I replied with a shrug.

          "Get at me later," I demanded.

          She stared at me for a moment before nodding her head and walking off to find ol' dude.

Marissa

          "So who was that?" was the first thing that came out of Julius's mouth.

          "That is a guy I'm talking to at the moment," I replied honestly.

          "Serious or just friends?" he questioned as a sales associate walked over with an open Ferragamo shoebox in hand.

          "I've yet to meet anyone with staying power," was my simplistic response.

          It was the truth. I didn't just sleep around for the hell of it. It was just that no one could keep my attention that long. With the restricted life I led I needed someone to keep up the excitement. Someone who could satiate my sexual appetite, give me intelligent conversation, and see more in me than what I projected. Unfortunately I learned that most guys in my age range couldn't be bothered with commitment and were more interested in how their friends felt about them and the way people perceived them than to be about their girl. I just couldn't deal with that and so I dipped into the proverbial cookie jar and gave myself a treat every now and then.

          As far as Alejandro was concerned, he was just a guy I had VERY good sex with. It was rare that I found someone who could handle all my kinks and bring as much to the table as I did. Add to that the fact that he could keep his mouth shut and there lied the perfect arrangement. Everyone knew that Alejandro was a hoe, or player as other guys called it, and while everyone knew this females couldn't help but follow him like lost puppies. After experiencing him for myself I now know why.

          Besides the fact that he had swagger that was out of this world, he was well hung and knew how to work what he was blessed with. He was passionate and knew how to work a woman's body and afterward everything was cool. No awkward moments or no bug-a-boo syndrome. A quick shower and re-dressing and we were good to go. I liked that. That's why I didn't deal with too many females. Some caught feelings entirely too quickly and that was the last thing I needed. Like my girl Christina said, get mine and get yours.

          Jewels said I was too much like a man in that respect but I just feel that I'm sexually liberated. I've heard females gossip about other females; calling them whores for sleeping with dudes or just being nasty and judgmental and I'd be lying if I said I'd never judged another female on how she carried herself but the truth of the matter is that I'm a different breed of female all together. Yes, I enjoy casual sex but I didn't give it up to just any person and it was never about money, popularity, or notches on my belt that caused me to share myself with who I did like quite a few people I knew.

          For me sex wasn't a bad or negative thing. It was lovely and pleasurable and I enjoyed it. As long as I practiced safe sex I found no problems with exploring my fantasies. Of course I wouldn't want my business to become public knowledge, I wasn't Superhead, but I'm not ashamed of anything I've done. I'm sexually active, I partake in that activity (just as the rest of the world does) it's just that I'm less restrictive in the 'bedroom' than most. For me it was what it was. I wasn't hurting anyone...well not emotionally, and that was all that mattered.

          "The question is, is he any good?" Julius asked as I picked up a pair of Brian Atwood sling-back sandals.

          "Would I still be speaking to him if he wasn't?" I questioned.

          Julius fell out laughing as we waited for our shoes.

Amanda

          "So I'm thinking about cutting my hair," Marissa told me as the two of us walked down the hallways.

          "What?" I questioned. For as long as I'd known her she'd kept her hair at least a few inches past her shoulder and I was sure that she wouldn't have made such a statement if she was going to cut it shoulder length.

          "Are you sure?" I asked as I glanced at her hair that was partially covered by a cute printed headscarf.

          "Yes. I've been contemplating it for a while now and I think that'll be a nice change," she replied as she tossed her iPod touch into her huge bag.

          We walked into class and went to our regular seats while our teacher pulled a folder out of her desk drawer. Once the bell rang she smiled and began telling us about the assignment she'd barely touched over the week before.

          "Okay class so as you know I've decided to opt out of giving you all midterm's and instead a group project. Everyone with be in groups of two, maybe three if there aren't enough of you, and you will basically give a presentation on whatever country you've chosen. Display boards, power point and the overhead projector are just a few of the resources available to you when you do this project so please utilize them. Of course I know everyone isn't going to be as creative as the next group so I'm not going to grade you on attractiveness but you have to have the general information and pronunciation is key!"

          As she went on I was wishing that she went along with the midterm. I mean after a few years of Spanish I knew how to read it and write it but speaking it was a whole different story. I was kind of hoping that I'd get paired with one of the Spanish students who were just taking this class for the easy A. Someone like Giancarlos or Edwin who were both fluent in the language.

          "So what exactly is the criteria of the project?" I questioned as she placed a typed sheet of paper on my desk.

          "Basically I want a something like a brochure. Give me general points about the country in question, weather climates, package info the whole deal. All of the specifics are on the one-sheet. Everything you have to tell me has to be done in Spanish. As all of you know there is after school tutoring so if you need help use the available facilities. Now for the partners. When I call your name please join your partner. You can use the rest of the class to discuss the project and the country you want to choose. This shouldn't take you that long so I'm giving everyone three weeks from today to get everything situated. I will not be accepting any late projects so please know this in advance."

Marissa

          I sat back in my seat using a piece of tissue to scrub a stain off of my brown leather Christian Louboutin sling-backs when Ms. Rodriguez called out my name and then Alejandro's. Alejandro looked up from his notebook and smirked lightly before nodding his head for me to join him. I covered my amused, and knowing expression, as I rose from my seat and smoothed my brown sweater over my button down before pulling my button down over my jeans and walked over to him.

          "So what do you want to study?" I asked as I plucked off my Tom Ford shades.

          "I was thinking about Spain. How about we meet up at my house later and finalize these decisions?" he questioned easily.

          "That's fine with me," I spoke and glanced at Amanda who was pouting since she got paired with Nicole Peterson who had to have made it into the class on a prayer because she failed damn near every test (I know because I helped grade a lot of the tests).

          We told Ms. Rodriguez that we had a destination picked and she copied it down in her planner before giving us a pass to the library. As we walked down the hall I casually asked Alejandro if it was alright for us to 'work on the project' at his house. He laughed before answering.

          "Yeah. My step-mom knows not to barge up in my shit and Elyse got a date with Jason," he replied.

          "And your father?"

          "Is hardly ever home. We're straight," he replied as we entered the library to get some work done so that we could play later.