“What can I say?" I smiled. "I'm living the good life."

“Dude, I'll say," Kevin grumbled before straightening his face and looking petulantly at his girlfriend.

“Not that I'm complaining! Jen gives me all the Loving I can handle.”

“Hmph," Jen sneered with mock anger.

“And don't you forget it." And then Jen glanced back at me.

“So how many girls are you juggling now? I mean, besides Amber."

“Now? Just the one: E-Beth.”

"Oh, that's right, Maria latched onto Randall and Angelina, right?"

“Yeah, but that didn't Last long. She got bored and moved on. I swear that girl is as flighty with her dicks as a baby with too many toys."

“But dude," Kevin cut in.

“I heard Nataliya dropped by Last week."

I shrugged. "It wasn't Like that. At first, she didn't think it would be a problem to borrow me and neither did Amber. But after the first couple of times, she felt guilty about quote/unquote ‘Stealing David's time from a sweet girl like Amber’. She's back together with Leslie now and she found a single, young frat boy to play with on the side."

“Aww... you poor thing..." Jen teased.

“Not at all. Amber is more than enough woman for me. And to tell you the truth I think she misses Nataliya more than I do. Man that girl could eat pussy."

Amber's voice cut in behind me. "Yeah... now I gotta put up with this gorilla's clumsy tongue." She dropped her hands onto my shoulders and wriggled in mock frustration, Laughing all the while. She kissed me and whispered in my ear.

“Just kidding, baby. You're still one of the best."

Phyllis and Diane followed in after and everyone moved to take spots around the table, cramped as it was with seven chairs.

“Right on time!" E-Beth crowed as she walked in, holding a steaming chicken in a large roasting dish. Over the past few months, she'd put her chemistry expertise and mental focus to work in the kitchen and was turning out to be a master chef who rivaled Jen for culinary excellence.

Amber smiled and leaned into my arm. I looked around at my friends all chattering happily around the table and inhaled the sweet aroma of

E-Beth's cooking.

Yeah, I was living the good life.

FINALS (June 2001)

I hate finals. But hey, at least they signified that the academic year was almost over. Still, over the past couple of years E-Beth, Amber. and I had developed a consistent study group habit and with their support, I had confidence that I would do just fine.

Unfortunately, I'd left certain books and study notes back at my apartment, so with a kiss to Amber I promised I'd be back soon and then left.

Danielle was waiting in the Living room when I came in. She was reading a magazine and flopped it onto the couch beside her.