Sim State U Ch.4 Melanie and Lori's Place Pt. 1

The time had come to leave the increasing danger of Landgraab and move to nicer digs. The first to find a place that met their parents standards were Lori and Melanie. The place was a pleasant two-level home with two bedrooms and two baths.

The girls were excited about their new home, which was both pretty and private, but there were also two reasons for the girls to drag their feet about the move; Harvey and Gareth. Lori especially was used to seeing Harvey every morning and night, as well as the hours in between when she wasn’t studying or in class. She counted on him to keep her over dramatic little self calm and on the right track. Melanie was much more balanced, but she didn’t really want to be gone from Gareth. They planned to have the guys over often, when studies permitted, but it would definitely be a change.

There were important things to be considered in the move: there had to be a piano, of course. That and some of the decorations were a gift from John and Melora; while Olivia and Errol donated an exercise machine.

Lori loved the kitchen where she planned to prepare meals ahead, and freeze or refrigerate them so she and Melanie could grab a quick but healthy meal no matter how little time they had. They often ate breakfast together, usually the requisite cereal. 

The upstairs hall was dominated by two paintings loaned by the Lassiters.

Lori’s room was pale turquoise like her room back home and every poster and picture of the beach she could talk her mother into loaning was on the walls of her room or elsewhere in the house.

Melanie’s room was painted a deeper French blue with white accents and reflected her femininity, and love of dancing.

One of the things the girls loved most was the big old-fashioned bath tub in the upstairs bathroom; except when they went home on holidays, they’d taken nothing but showers for two years. Relaxing in a bubble bath was truly a luxury they had missed.

Their first guest was Harvey Ferguson and Lori made her famous spaghetti and meatballs, with just enough Italian sausage sprinkled in to give it zest. Harvey, it turned out, had a surprise for them. There was a good chance that he, Gareth and Colby would be moving too. They’d found a fantastic house across campus. It was a huge old monstrosity with six bedrooms and five bathrooms.

“It’s got a pool—and a fishing pond!” Harvey crowed while Melanie and Lori exchanged glances.

“What do you need six bedrooms for?” Lori ventured.

“Oh, well, we won’t use all of them, unless,” he paused significantly, “Unless we can get Corky, Trey and Andy to move in with us!”

Melanie wrinkled her nose,

“Ugh, six guys on their own with no one to cook or clean? Not even a resident adviser to keep things from getting out of hand? The laundry alone and the dirty dishes… sorry, but most of you are not so orderly or clean. I hate to ask this, but well, what about the smell?”

Harvey pretended he was insulted,

“Excuse me? The smell? What could be worse than the smell of rotting food at Landgraab OR the smell of some unwashed students there?”

“True,” Melanie admitted, “You have a point.”

Lori glared at Harvey however, “I suppose you’ll be having wild parties every night with illegal substances and strange girls dancing on your laps.”

“Oh, nobody thinks you girls are strange, honey.”

“Ha ha. I meant strange as in…”

Harvey put up a hand to cut her off,

“I know what you meant.”

“But seriously, Harvey,” Melanie said, “How can you afford to rent such a big house as you are describing?  Have you actually figured out the logistics of this?

“I’m a math major; of course I have. My Dad is helping with the expenses; he wants us to have the pond because he loves to fish, too. Plus we can eat fresh fish all the time then. Gareth’s mom is helping to bankroll us, too, she likes the idea that we can swim for fitness. Mr. Goth is contributing, too. If the other guys come in on it that will make it no more expensive for each of us then if we all rented separate places. We figure Trey would want to come in on it the way he loves fishing, too. And Corky…”

“You probably don’t know but we just heard that Corky and Elle are moving into a place together any minute,” Melanie informed him.

“No, we didn’t know,” Harvey was a little let down, “We haven’t called anyone at Pinenut yet to ask if they want to come in.”

“Planning ahead, are we?” Lori couldn’t help but point out. Harvey turned to her and said quietly.

“Look, Lori, if we get this place it will mean more privacy. That includes privacy for you and me.”

“I thought that’s what we were getting with Melanie and me right here. And how much privacy can there be in a house with 5 other guys?”

“Well, we’re getting the house, that’s final,” his expression was impassive now, “We’ll work out the money somehow,” 

He took a deep breath and then smiled and easily began to charm them,

“Melanie, there will be no bad smell; we’re going to hire a maid and a gardener and if we have to a fumigator. Gareth and I know how to cook a few basic things. Besides we can always live off TV dinners like we did at the dorm. Ladies, you’re going to love it, I promise you. We’re going to have some really historic parties there, just all of us kids from Pleasantview, no illegal substances, no ‘strange women’ dancing on our laps or the table or anywhere else.”

He looked meaningfully at Lori as he accented ‘strange women’. Lori knew him well enough by now to realize this meant, “You are acting like snotty child; back off”. So she tossed her head, but refrained from any more remarks in that direction. He was very laid back and patient with Lori, especially so for a young man, but Harvey had his limits and she knew not to cross them.  

After supper Melanie gracefully retreated to her bedroom and Lori cleaned up; then joined Harvey on the gently frayed love seat, sitting on his lap.

“I’m sorry I was—“she began. Harvey put his finger on her lips,

“Shh, I know you are. I can understand you being a little uneasy about this whole thing, but I didn’t want you to get in the kind of huff you sometimes do. You know me, Brat, and you know you can trust me. As soon as we get moved in, you and Melanie can come over and case the joint. Since you’ll be visiting often, at least we hope you will, you two can keep us on track. You’re right about how private it is here at your place, though, I have to admit. No students walking in and out of the room, no cows, no llamas, and no cheerleaders.”

He leaned Lori back in his arms and his hand smoothed a stray tendril of hair from her face, as he murmured,

“You’re so beautiful.”

His lips caught hers and held. Soon they were passionately kissing, rolling around on the love seat. They’d been making out whenever they had space and privacy since they were sixteen; on love seats, in Harvey’s car, on benches by the ocean. Tonight, though, Harvey was a little more intense than usual as he whispered against her ear,

“It’s just me and you. We’re all alone, honey.”

He began to be a little more aggressive, pressing his lips against the hollow of her throat, moving his hand to her shoulder in what Lori thought of as his ready-for-action position.

She smiled and leaned her head back; he was still kissing her throat which always made her legs weak.

“Yes, it’s just you and me, Harvey.”

Encouraged, Harvey’s kisses slid southward. Then Lori spoke again,

“Except…except for Melanie on her computer upstairs thinking ‘please I don’t want to hear’.”

Harvey took a deep breath and sat back. He’d almost forgotten about Melanie being there.

“Okay, you’re right; it’s more like semi-private. We can’t have everything, I guess,” he shrugged as he gave up his planned seduction. So close, so close and yet so far.

Lori giggled, “Not tonight, anyway.”

Next update: Sim State U Ch. 4 Melanie and Lori's Place Pt. 2