Dave: Junior Year (Three Daves #2)

  Three Daves, Book 2: Dave, JuniorYearCopyright © Beverly Nickelson, 2016

  All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976,no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmittedin any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

  Omnific Publishing

  2355 Westwood Blvd, Suite 506

  Los Angeles, CA 90064

  www.omnificpublishing.com

  First Omnific eBook edition, April 2016

  First Omnific trade paperback edition, April2016

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious.

  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead,

  is coincidental and not intended by theauthor.

  Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-PublicationData

  Elson, Nicki.

  Three Daves, Book 2: Dave, JuniorYear/Nicki Elson–1sted.

  ISBN:978-1-623422-42-4

  1.New Adult—Fiction.2.College—Fiction.

  3.Sex—Fiction.4.Virginity—Fiction.I.Title

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21

  Excerpt from "MacBeth Act II scene II written by William Shakespeare.

  Cover Design by Micha Stone

  Printed in the United States of America

  A Note from the Author

  Oh, how I adore being a writer during the digital age of publishing. It made it possible for my publisher to say yes when I had the crazy notion to rewrite my debut novel, Three Daves, and split it into three novellas—one for each Dave.

  I’ve always said Three Daves could be told in any modern era. I became curious to see what it would look like in a current setting, so I time traveled Jen and all her Daves from the 1980s to the new millennium. But don’t worry, fellow 80s lovers—that most awesome of eras still gets a nod through David’s retro playlists.

  Writers never stop honing their craft, so while I dug my hands back into the manuscript, I took the opportunity to streamline. The writing’s been purged of unnecessary verbiage and passive phrasing. Scenes have been reworked to “show” more and “tell” less. The narrative is less judgmental. The story is the same, but now it’s told in a more active, engaging way.

  I had wicked amounts of fun slicing and dicing Jen’s adventures with her Daves. I hope you all have as much fun reading this new version.

  Dedication

  For every Brian, Sean, Rob, Rick, Len, Steve, Carter, John, Darren, Craig, Dan, Chris, Patrick, Jack, and mysterious guy from Decatur who inspired the Daves. And to the campus of Eastern Illinois University for being my personal Neverland.

  Chapter 1

  David was at the opposite end of the antique oak and brass bar, talking to Chris. Jen refused to look at him. It was early October and her first time seeing him since their last lesson. By not appearing overly eager, she hoped to assure him that there truly hadn’t been any strings attached to their deal—all she’d wanted from him was a sexual partner so she could gain experience; she hadn’t been looking for a boyfriend.

  Hanging back with Kate, she sipped on a micro-brew, feeling like a sophisticated upper classman. New doors had opened to Jen and her friends during their junior year at CIU—bar doors. Now that they were old enough to pass for the legal drinking age, they had access to fake IDs, courtesy of Chris’s sorority connections. Tonight Jen, Chris, and Kate, who was legitimately twenty-one, had bummed a ride downtown from the guys in the apartment next door. They’d gotten dropped off at the ReBar, a small, quiet establishment that was primarily frequented by older students and sometimes even professors.

  Though Jen didn’t look directly at him, she kept tabs on David through her peripheral vision. She saw enough to know he wore his signature denim jacket and that his long, dark bangs were as rumpled as ever, in a good way. He cast several long glances in her direction while he talked with Chris, but Jen resisted returning any of his looks. He got up from his bar stool and began walking away.

  Her instant reaction was to jerk her whole body around toward him and take a step forward. “Where are you going?”

  David smirked. “Bathroom—if that’s okay with you.”

  Jen blushed. “I just…I didn’t want you to leave without saying hi.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He gave her a wide grin before heading toward the bathrooms.

  Jen had hoped she’d no longer find his smile to be quite so charming. After he’d used her to make his ex-girlfriend jealous last year, she’d discarded him as boyfriend material and had only allowed her attraction to him to continue so she could get the most out of their sex lessons. Now that those were over, she needed to keep all thoughts about David platonic.

  When he reappeared from the restroom, he came straight to her. “How was your summer?”

  “Good. Fine. Kind of boring, actually. How about yours?”

  “Good. Pretty cool. I sold T-shirts at Maple Brooke.” Maple Brooke was an outdoor concert venue in the Chicago suburbs.

  “That’s awesome. Did you see a lot of good bands?”

  “Yeah, some.” David nodded. “Unfortunately, there was mostly a lot of Michael Buble and Jimmy Buffett types. But I got to meet Natalie Merchant.”

  “10,000 Maniacs, right?”

  “Plus she’s done a ton of solo stuff.”

  “Nice.” She was relieved to see that falling back into the friend zone with him was easy. “All I got to meet were two snot-nosed kids. I was a nanny all summer. But we hung out at the pool a lot and the kids grew on me. I actually missed them when I first came back here.”

  “I see you got some color.”

  “Yep.” Jen hiked up a sleeve on David’s jacket and held her arm against his. Her skin was about ten shades darker than his paleness. He looked down at their arms, and Jen noticed the light tickle of his flesh against hers. She was suddenly self-conscious about touching him and let her arm drift away from his.

  David adjusted his sleeve back down around his wrist. “Guess who called me all summer.”

  Jen’s heart dropped. The wry edge to his voice had told her who. “Ashley?”

  David nodded.

  “So…” Jen prompted, bracing for him to tell her that he and Ashley were back together.

  “So…I very politely told her to fuck off.”

  Jen barked out a laugh. “You didn’t!”

  “Of course I did. Honestly, I don’t know what I ever saw in her. It’s like I’ve had a lobotomy between when she and I were together and now.”

  “Guess our little Davey’s growing up.” Jen lifted her bottle and they tapped them together in a toast.

  “She nearly flunked out last semester, so her parents made her stay home this year and go to community college.”

  “Pretty ironic considering she’s the whole reason you chose CIU in the first place. I bet now you wish you went Big Ten.”

  His gaze lingered on her for a moment, as if considering, then he gave his head a small shake. “Nah. Everything works out the way it’s supposed to.” He leaned back with his elbow on the bar, examining her more closely through narrowed eyes. “Did the one happen to make his big appearance this summer?”

  Jen smacked him lightly on the shoulder and he fake winced. “The one is still in hiding, apparently. But my brother thinks he’s found his one. He got engaged. They’re getting married over spring break.”

  “Good for him, I guess. So where are you living this year?”

  “I’m in a three bedroom at Netherfield Park Apartments with Kate and Maria. I’m sure Chris already told you she’s living in a house with some of her sorority sisters. How about you? Did you escape the dorms?”

  “I’m in an old
, decrepit house with some guys. Rent’s cheap as hell.”

  Before Jen could ask if she knew any of his roommates, Chris poked her head between them. “Hey, love cats, hate to break this up, but it’s time to go to Quarters.”

  “Quarters?” Jen asked. “I didn’t know we were going there.” Quarters was the most popular CIU bar, always mobbed and noisy. It was the place to dress up and be seen.

  “That’s where we’re meeting Kathy and Maddie, and they’re our ride home,” Chris explained.

  “You should’ve told me. I’m not even dressed for it. I thought we were just casual tonight.” Jen looked down at her oversized rugby shirt.

  “Don’t worry about it. I look good enough for both of us!” Chris flourished her arms to show off her giant belt and mini-skirt.

  “Stay with me,” David said.

  Jen whipped her face toward him. “What?”

  “Stay with me. Some friends are meeting me here. You can catch a ride home with them.”

  “Really? Okay,” Jen agreed without hesitation. “Do you mind?” She turned back to Chris and Kate.

  “Fine with me,” Chris said, but Kate pinched her eyebrows together and pulled Jen aside.

  Jen figured Kate probably didn’t like getting blown off on one of her rare weekend nights out at CIU, especially since it meant getting stuck alone with Chris and her sorority sisters. “You sure this is a good idea?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Do you really want to start up with him again?”

  Jen responded in a harsh whisper. “Kate! David and I are just friends. I know that. He knows that. We’re not going to do anything stupid.”

  “Okay.” Kate scanned Jen’s face, not seeming convinced. Jen gave her an innocent smile and breathed an internal sigh of relief that she’d never told Kate—or anyone else—about her lessons with David.

  Chris and Kate went to Quarters, leaving Jen and David standing alone at the bar. “How are classes going?” he asked.

  “It’s been nice to finally get to take some interesting ones in my major. I’ve decided to go with marketing, by the way.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I was going to go the finance route, but I think I’ll be happier doing something more creative. With marketing I can stay in the business school and still graduate on time. What about you?”

  “Biochemistry.” He took a sip of his drink.

  Jen snorted.

  “What?”

  “Oh, you’re serious? You’re going to be a scientist?”

  “We’ll see.” He kept a wary eye on Jen, as if he sensed he was in for teasing.

  “Do you wear, like, a white lab coat in class?”

  “Sometimes.” His dark eyebrows lowered, shadowing his eyes and daring Jen to make fun of his white lab coat.

  “Oh.” Jen tried to hide her smile by bringing her bottle to her mouth.

  “What?” His tone was impatient, but his expression was amused.

  “Nothing. I guess I never thought about what you were here for. Bio-chemo-whatever just sounds so much more serious than what the rest of my friends are studying. But I bet you look cute in your lab coat.” Jen snickered and raised her bottle again.

  “I do.” David flashed a grin and took a sip from his own bottle.

  His friends Beano and Fred walked into the bar and clapped David on the back. “Hey, Jenny girl,” Beano said, giving her a gentler pat.

  “Jen,” she corrected as she pulled one of Beano’s riotous brown curls straight and let it go like a spring. “How’ve you been?”

  “Excellent, milady,” he answered.

  They all got a round of drinks and headed downstairs to the basement. Jen had never been down there before. This was her first time ever being at this bar at all. The basement was dim and smelled of incense. Moroccan-style lanterns hung from the low ceiling, and Toulouse Lautrec prints decorated the short, dark walls. At the end of the narrow room was a plywood stage with a microphone. It was open mic night at The ReBar Basement, an opportunity for creative types to sing, recite poetry, and otherwise express themselves.

  Jen’s group of four sat around one of the small, round tables near the stage. A few people were already there, and more kept streaming in as show time approached. David’s friend Mitchell appeared with a tray of top-shelf whiskey shots and passed them out. A big group of about eight people arrived and took over the tables directly in front of the stage. David and his friends seemed to know them, exchanging various nods and hellos. Mitchell brought the leftover shots to their tables.

  Among the big group was a girl Jen recognized from around campus. She had long, straight, black hair that was parted in the middle and hung straight down along the sides of her face. She had flawless, porcelain skin and almost always dressed in faded jeans and loose-fitting, flower-child type blouses. In Jen’s mind, the girl was famous because she was so recognizable. Because of this fame, Jen already knew her name was Ellie, although they’d never met. Ellie had walked by their table and said hello to the boys without giving the slightest hint of a smile. Jen was surprised at how beautiful the girl’s makeup-free features were even up close.

  The show began with a portly, bespectacled guy reading poetry that Jen didn’t understand. Instead of applause, everyone drummed their fingers on the tables. Jen and David exchanged amused glances as they drummed. Next up was Ellie. She sat on a stool with her acoustic guitar and sang a monotone folk song. Her voice had a nice quality to it, but no warmth.

  After Ellie, a performance art act took the stage. A skinny guy in a black turtleneck and leggings stood stock still in the center of the stage with his arms tight to his sides and his head down. A small gong sounded from a corner of the room, and he slowly lifted his head and began to recite Dr. Seuss poems.

  He announced the first line in a booming voice while his face remained expressionless. A different voice from the corner repeated the exact two-word line from where the gong had sounded. The two voices alternated the recitation of the familiar whacked-out nursery rhyme. Jen threw her hand over her mouth to stop her laugh and turned toward David. He silently mouthed the next line in unison with the mystery voice. Jen snorted. A few people from the front tables, including Ellie, turned and shot her irritated glances. Jen inhaled slowly and did her best to stifle any more giggles, but it wasn’t easy. She refused to look at David again and was relieved when the performance ended.

  A guy from one of the front tables got up to take the stage. He announced that he’d recite a poem of his own composition. “I have titled it ‘My Shoe.’” He cleared his throat and began.

  “From whence think ye comes that withering stench?

  I know not, but it forces mine nostrils to clench.

  How think ye we are to rid the room of said stench?

  I know not, perhaps open ye windows. I’ll get a wrench…”

  Jen panicked. This was so much worse. The guy wasn’t cracking a smile. He was utterly sincere in delivering the wretched poem. Jen looked straight down at the table and threw her hand back up to her mouth, gripping her stomach with her other arm and trying desperately to not laugh. She didn’t want to attract Ellie’s icy glare again.

  “How are we to stand such a reeking stench?

  I know not, but let’s think whilst we sit on this bench.”

  Jen’s shoulders convulsed in silent hilarity. Tears leaked out at the corners of her eyes. David leaned into her and whispered, “Don’t be such a wench.”

  Jen burst out in laughter and jumped from the table to dash up the stairs. Running away had only caused a bigger scene, but what else could she do? She stood at the top of the steps trying to catch her breath when David came up, followed closely by Beano, Fred, and Mitchell.

  “You’re so rude,” David teased her.

  “Hey, I’m with you.” Mitchell nodded to Jen as he lit a cigarette. “That was fucked up.”

  “No shit,” Beano agreed. “The chick was decent, though.”

&
nbsp; “Her name’s Ellie,” David said.

  “Whatever.” Beano shrugged.

  They decided to move on to another bar before a mob of angry poets ascended upon them. They ambled down the pitted sidewalks to a little dive bar across the street from Quarters. The guys paired off in teams to shoot pool while Jen opted to watch. Sometimes Mitchell let her take one of his shots, instructing her through it. The beers kept coming, and the guys wouldn’t let Jen pay. It was fun to be out with them, especially when one of those guys looked ever hotter to her as the night wore on.

  After a while, Jen wandered over to the jukebox. It took her a moment to bring her eyes in focus enough to be able to read the names of the songs. She was getting pretty buzzed. David came up behind her while she examined the selections. He rested a hand on one of her shoulders and his chin on the other. It felt nice being cradled like that by him.

  “Are you picking any or just looking?” David asked.

  “Just looking. Hey! I like this one!”

  “What do you think of this?” He reached around her, pointing at a different song.

  Instead of reading the title and band, Jen leaned back against David and tilted her face toward his. “You know what I think?” she slurred.

  “What?”

  Jen turned her face so her lips were at David’s ear and whispered, “I think I might need a refresher course.”

  After a brief pause, David said, “I think you’re drunk,” and took a step back.

  Jen started to fall but caught herself and turned around. “Maybe I am,” she admitted, moving forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. “But I still remember how to do certain things.”

  David froze and studied her through slightly narrowed eyes. Jen’s gaze dropped to his soft lips. They were pressed together and almost pouting. She wondered how long it would take before her tongue would be sliding over them. David sighed. “Well then, if you remember, you won’t be needing any more lessons.” He reached around to his back and peeled both of Jen’s arms off of him.

  A bucket of ice cubes down her shirt couldn’t have sobered Jen more quickly. David’s expression immediately softened. She must’ve looked every bit as surprised and hurt as she felt.