Page 3 of Pressure

“I’m getting off the phone, Mom. I need to finish packing for my vacation. I’ll have my cell phone with me. Love you, bye.”

With a shaking hand, I quickly hung up before she had a chance to say anything else. Mindlessly, I spent the next twenty minutes cleaning up my desk before turning my attention to finishing packing.

I’d just zipped my duffel closed when the door opened and Braxton walked in carrying a white plastic bag. From the bag he pulled out two boxes of condoms and grinned. He tossed me a box, and I smiled. I was determined to enjoy myself this summer and spend some time thinking about what I wanted to do in life, because it sure as fuck wasn’t law.

2

CASH

The rental cabin that Braxton had booked was incredible. There were a handful of these cabins spread around a lake, surrounded by huge trees. The cabins were similar in size and spaced about forty yards apart. Braxton mentioned that the land and cabins were all owned by the people who owned some posh resort up on the mountain.

Our cabin had two large bedrooms upstairs, each with an en-suite bathroom attached. The bedrooms were separated by a huge loft that had a door to the outdoor deck. Downstairs was an open floor plan that was basically all one great room, with the kitchen and a bathroom near the entryway. Just between the great room and kitchen was a door leading to the deck that faced the lake. From what I noticed, most of the cabins around the lake had an upper and lower deck and they all seemed to be furnished with the same oversized patio furniture. At least, that was what my Nikon binoculars showed me.

The summer had been going great with the days being long and the nights longer. For the majority of June I’d slept in, thenI’d spend most of the day sitting outside, taking in the views, drawing and sketching the lush landscape. It was the most relaxed I could ever remember being.

I’d had a few uncomfortable conversations with my mom and dad, but now being into the first part of July, my mom had calmed down. Dad was still being a dick and cut me off from receiving the monthly allowance that he’d added to my checking account every month since I’d been away at school. Professing my hate for law school was having a major financial impact on me. Luckily, there was enough money to live on for now, but I considered getting a part-time job in town.

Occasionally I’d text Mom pics that I’d taken around the lake or that I’d drawn. I’d taken up paddle-boarding and would send her pics that Braxton had taken of me while I’d been out on the board. She’d commented that she had shown my brothers and sister the pictures and they all said the scenery looked great and were envious of my sense of adventure. None of my siblings had the balls to venture outside of the box my parents created for them.

Hanging out more with Braxton had been relaxing, but it was a little awkward being around Quinn, his boyfriend at the moment. Quinn was polite, but I felt like he was insanely insecure with me being here. He hadn’t said anything to give me that impression, but it was just the vibe I got from him. It could have been the fact that I was better looking and had a better body than Quinn. When Braxton introduced us a while back, he told Quinn that I had eyes that silently made you beg to be taken to bed with me and that I had a smile that could kill with dimples in my arsenal.

Yeah, Braxton tried to deny having a crush on me. He pretended to joke about it and brushed it off, but Braxton was very physical and affectionate even toward me. So when Quinn would see Braxton touching me in any way, he would get realquiet and short with Braxton. It’d been few and far between, but definitely noticeable so I spent most of my time outside and with a girl I’d met.

Beth was around my age and was vacationing with her family a few cabins away. She’d watch me paddle-board and would wave. We started talking and taking daily walks together, and sometimes Braxton, Quinn, and I would have her over for barbecues. She and I would have quickies outside, which turned me on immensely. Something about sex outside drove me wild because there was a good chance anyone could be watching. Beth never stayed the night, and I considered it to be nothing more than a summer fling.

If there was one thing I’d mastered in college, it had been flings. No commitment other than fun and pleasure. I liked girls, but I wasn’t opposed to guys either. I’d never had an official boyfriend, but I’d had a few flings.

Alcohol had typically been involved with my experimenting with guys, though. Being wasted was the only way I could drown out the pressure filled voices of my parents to conform to their values and beliefs. The liquor allowed me to enjoy the dirty things I wanted and craved. Braxton and I would watch porn in our dorm sometimes and jack off, and a few times that had led to sex. It was very much a friends with benefits type of thing with Braxton.

Even though our rooms were separated by a loft, I could still hear Braxton and Quinn fuck. They didn’t keep it down and I’d be honest, I could easily jack off to the sound of them and then drift off to sleep.

It was the Fourth of July and there was going to be a party near the main dock this evening. The flyer we had received about the event said to bring a side item to share and main courses and drinks would be provided. I didn’t know who was providing the food, but free food sounded good.

Decked out in a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt, I headed toward the main dock with Braxton and Quinn. The dock was decorated with balloons and streamers, and there were tables of food in one section and then smaller tables set up near the water for people to eat at. We each brought a bag of different flavored chips and set it on the table that had one other bag of chips on it. Opposite the tables of food were several ice chests labeled with the type of drink inside. Some guys were manning the barbecues while everyone walked around talking or eating.

There were some people that I recognized seeing around the lake and others I hadn’t seen at all. Once Quinn, Braxton, and I had plates of food, we sat down at an empty table.

“Fuck, forgot drinks,” Quinn said.

“I’ll get them,” I offered and stood. “What do you guys want?”

“See if there’s a beer for me,” Braxton said.

“Make it two.”

I nodded and made my way back to the ice chests. I glanced at the labels on each as I walked by them.Water, nope. Soda, nope. Juice, nope. Beer, hello. I flipped up the lid to the ice chest and moved some ice out of the way to see what the options were. Miller, Miller Lite, Coors, and Coors Lite.

“Good enough,” I mumbled and grabbed three Coors Lites. I closed the lid and headed back toward the guys through the crowd.

Braxton and Quinn were laughing as I took my seat. They’d look at something or someone in the distance, then back at one another, mumble something and then laugh again. I set the cans down and announced I had minimal options.

“Thank you,” Braxton said and quickly went back to looking at the crowd.

“Thanks, Cash.” Quinn’s eyes returned to the crowd.

“Yeah, no prob.” I started to eat my hamburger and chips.

At the same time, Quinn and Braxton looked at one another as if they’d just seen the most hilarious thing. “Mmm, damn,” Quinn mumbled.