Shelly was standing on the side part of the bend watching as Eddie held his grip and pushed down in one, “long stroke. Even pressure.” She could see the tendons in his arm flex, his muscles as her eyes traveled up, under his shirt. He might be in a plaid long-sleeve, but she knew what he looked like with his shirt off.
“Mr. Matlick,” Chris, one of her classmates piped up, “your machine isn’t turned on.” Shelly glanced at him through the corner of her eye, quickly turning her gaze back to Eddie.
“It’s not?” Eddie fained surprise. Shelly caught his eye as it winked. She rolled her eyes.
“Well, get your goggles, gloves, and ear muffs, and come on over. Mr. Resto, you can be my assistant for the demonstration.” Chris’ friends Brian and Nancy heckled him as he put on his safety stuff and made his way to the center of the massive U.
“So before we run through this, we’re going to cover a few more things.” Eddie stepped back and gestured Chris to take his place. “First, you’re going to hold on tightly. Then you’re going to apply pressure down and in. You want to make sure that it’s set tight, and that the tool is resting against the edge of the door.”
Chris repositioned himself similarly to how Eddie had been.
“The drill is going to walk with you, and then against you so brace yourself. You’re going to have to apply pressure down but also back toward you. Long strokes, with evenly applied pressure. If you learn too hard on the right or the left the door will be crooked.”
Chris mimicked the action a few times. His muscles flexed as he got ready, but not the same as Eddies.
“You ready?”
Shelly watched his body tense up and harden. Even the vein in his neck flexed. She stopped as his green eyes caught hers. His eyes held her gaze as he said, “yup. Long even strokes.”
Eddie plugged in his drill. “Your equipment is now on Mr. Resto. Proceed.”
Chris looked down at the wood in front of him. Shelly wondered how he measured up in comparison. It was almost two inches wide. She knew that Eddie was thicker, not grotesquely so. But “perfectly filling.” Vivian’s words. Not her own. Shelly had seen a lot of Eddie, more than even he knew. Before the semester had started and anyone knew that Mr. Matlick, Shelly’s soon-to-be-shop teacher was the same freelance carpenter Eddie, Vivian’s soon-to-be-boyfriend were the same person Shelly’s older sister Vivian had shared a number of stories, and on one occasion accidentally shared a picture of what Eddie was wielding in pants.
It wasn’t until Eddie started coming around more, and then seeing him in class three times a week, that she started thinking of it. Of him. Shirtless at the pool. His calves when he joined her on her Sunday morning runs – Vivian would always be waiting in the kitchen for them with smoothies and breakfast pickings. Shelly loved dresses, and even though she had been planning on wearing pants to class like the syllabus had instructed, there was something sexual and fun in ignoring the rules. Not that she ever thought Eddie would venture up her dress, but a girl could dream.
“Shelly,” heard her name but wasn’t entirely sure where it came from. She looked to the center of the room where Chris and Eddie stood looking at her the same way.
“Right,” she said as she began to put on her gloves.
“Sometimes we only see things the way we are familiar with them and it can be hard for others who see things differently. So, Mr. Resto if you can give Ms. Hayes the drill she is going to demonstrate how this would look if you’re left handed.”
Shelly took the drill from Chris. His expression was hard to read under the safety goggles, but he still had a bemused smile. Almost like he was laughing at her for day dreaming. Better than what he and the handful of other PVHS students who all had gone to the same college had laughed at her for at the end of senior year.
Shrugging Shelly walked to the opposite side of the table, doing the same things Eddie had instructed Chris about. Making sure it was tight, and it definitely was. Applying even pressure, and long strokes, how she wished he would. She hadn’t used the door trimmer tool before, but it wasn’t rocket science, and horny or not, the instructions were straightforward.
She did a few bits back and forth, remembering to apply extra pressure as she walked back. She moved her way down the door and stopped after a foot or so. She handed the drill to Eddie and stepped back next to Chris. For a moment it looked like she was trapped between a mirror. Again, both had an unreadable look plastered on their faces. Different than the first time, but still matching the other one’s.
Eddie told everyone to gather around. He put an emphasis on learning from experience and from each other. Both in the context of teaching and with his sexual partners, or at least according to Vivian. Shelly would like to learn more from experiencing him, but for a lot of reasons that wasn’t a possibility.
They talked as a group about her work and Chris’. Where he had leaned too far one way or another, and how Shelly’s was perfect with the exception of the very end of the door where it hitched up instead of being flat.
“Hayes, Resto, you two will be a pair, everyone else sort yourselves out,” Eddie said as he began putting the drills out at each station.
Chris said goodbye to his friends and moved closer to Shelly. She could see the flecks of gold in his irises. She was tall, but he still a half a foot on her, give or take.
“It seems like you have a better handle on long, even strokes than I do,” Chris said with a smirk.
“Seems to be the general consensus, I think everyone was thinking you had me there” she said playing into the joke.
“He’s a great teacher, but I think he forgets most of us are a bunch of freshman when he’s talking about wood and the best way to work it.”
Shelly laughed, so it wasn’t just her.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, you seem to be more even keeled. Though I’m not sure what that says about me.”
Chris genuinely smiled, “it’s all the life lessons hidden in sports.”
“Guess we know why we were paired together than,” Shelly said starting to put her safety equipment on.
Class went by quickly. Shelly appreciated the way Chris braced her for the end of the door. The prep talk mixed with bracing herself for the change in pressure when the door trimmer went of the edge. It was freed, but controlled. In theory. Chris had finished the last bit for her. He had caught on quickly to applying equal pressure. It seemed being a high school tight end had worked him in a lot of ways, but not necessarily evenly. He caught on quickly and the two had finished shaving down their door first in the class.
Shelly had walked over to the stack of doors needing to be shaved and grabbed another.
“You don’t have to help. I just think it’s great that they’re going to the domestic abuse survivors’ apartments. Even if we start it. . .”
Chris put his glasses back on and helped Shelly get the door into position. “I think we can finish it.”
Shelly smiled.
They had just a little more to do, a hair left to shave, when Eddie called time for the class.
“Err- Mr. Matlick,” Chris called across the emptied out room. “We’re almost done, can we please finish?”
“Mr. Resto, Ms. Hayes, you both know -”
“The rules, just like you know that we’re both really good kids who will be done in less time than it will take to argue. Besides, I’m sure you have lunch or something you’d rather be eating, no?”
“25 minutes.”
“30 and we’ll clean the whole room.”
“You don’t have to clean it, but you do have to setup for the next class,” Eddie said, exiting the room.
“Sold,” Chris said!
“You just negotiated more time and cleanup,” Shelly said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah,” Chris said haughtily. “I don’t know. I’m a sucker for negotiations?”
Shelly rolled her eyes and went back to their door. “Here,” she said holding out the drill, “your skills are needed.”
Chris swallowed, and walked closer to her. “I think I know what the problem is. . .” His voice trailed off.
“Is it me? Because I feel like the obvious answer is me,” Shelly laughed.
“Your lacking follow through. Do you mind?” He swept his arm toward her, still holding the drill, and the door.
“Mind what?”
“Go to do it, and if it’s okay, I’ll just,” his voice trailed off as he moved next to her, gesturing his arms.
“Why not,” she said leaning into the tool.
The drill started, she could feel Chris moving closer to her. Her heart beat in her throat. She didn’t realize how badly she wanted him to touch her until he did. Still pushing down, leaning into the drill, her body backing against his. The drill stopped and the room quieted. Chris lifted her earmuff. “You were overthinking it,” he said softly. “You just needed a distraction.” Shelly looked down at the now flat door. She turned to face him, their noses practically touching from the angle. His hand wrapped around her back so she didn’t fall. For a moment neither of them moved.
“I did it,” Shelly said, straightening herself out. “Thank you.”
Chris picked up the drill and walked around to the other side. “I’m still a little crooked.”
Before he could start, Shelly took his hand and walked him back to the other side.
“Put the drill in reverse,” she said.
Chris cocked his head. “But. . .”
“Watch.” Shelly switched the direction of the drill and walked toward Chris, and then back. The drill resisted walking back with her, but she leaned further down. Compensating for the strength missing from her dominate side. Chris walked toward her. Shelly looked up, aware of her proximity to Chris, aware of how it might look, depending on where someone was watching from. She thought of Eddie, and again, wondered about Chris.
“Even pressure,” she said.
“But that wasn’t a long stroke.”
“I’m working on my follow through,” she swallowed.
“Then let me work on my long stroke,” Chris said quietly. Shelly turned around, tucked underneath Chris once more. Guiding him through, helping him keep even pressure. Feeling all of him pressed against her as they walked the drill back.
“You did great,” Shelly said. Painfully aware of how tight her voice had become.
“I can do better.”
Shelly looked at the door. “I’m sure but the door is done.”
“Do you feel like you can take it all the way?”
Chris moved closer to her placing his safety goggles on the workstation along with his gloves and earmuffs. Shelly wanted him. She wanted to feel his long strokes in her throat, but she didn’t want to be laughed at.
“You’re overthinking it,” Chris said standing still. He repeated the question, “do you think you can take it all the way?”
“I know I can,” Shelly said this time.
“Do you want to?”
“I don’t want to be the butt of the joke,” she began. Already she felt her chest loosening up. Even if she had a shot, she was sure she had just blown it.
“That’s not a no then?”
Shelly looked at Chris. He certainly didn’t lack follow through. Tall, well built. He almost looked like he fit in a wood shop, not just on a field. He seemed genuine. Before she could think or talk her way out of it, Shelly stepped forward casting off her own safety equipment, right into Chris’ space. Their lips met as her hands worked to unfasten his belt. He pulled back for a moment, casting a glance downward past her nose, down to her roaming hand.
“Follow through,” she whispered.
They kissed, ignoring the little flakes of wood dust between them, walking to the other side of their door. She dropped down to her knees, at least now if anyone walked in, they would only see Chris standing there. Taking him in her hand, followed by her mouth he was definitely bigger than Eddie. Slowly he began moving against her, to a rhythm only they could hear. He really was good at the long stroke. Shelly felt herself melt into a puddle. Goosebumps ran up her arm as her hands ran over his thighs and butt. He made a soft groan. She wanted to push him to the edge, but not over it. Not yet.
The door to the room squeaked as it opened, which is why Shelly was so surprised she didn’t hear it open. Even more surprised to hear Chris casually greet Eddie. “Yeah, Shelly had to blow. . .” she dragged her fingertips lightly across the bottom of his ball sack. He coughed covering up the sounds of his own enjoyment. “But I told her I would set up the room without her, and that you wouldn’t know a thing. So. . .”
Shelly looked up and saw Chris waving his hand at the door. “Go call your girlfriend, tío.” Shelly drew her tongue from the base of him to the tip, flicking it against him. “Seriously, I know it doesn’t look like it but I’m really close.”
“Sure, mijo.” Eddie’s laugh faded on his way out of the room.
Chris’ eyes locked onto hers as he slid himself back into her mouth. She could feel him getting closer and closer, when suddenly he stopped. Shelly felt her chest tighten, the air caught in her lungs. She hadn’t wanted to be the butt of his jokes, again, and yet her she was on her knees, saliva dripping down her chin from his abrupt pulling out.
“If you keep that up, I’m going to come,” Chris said. His voice raspy.
“That was kind of the point,” Shelly said wistfully.
“For you maybe.” Chris reached down and scoped her up. He put her on the workshop table as he sat back on a student made chair. His hands sliding up her thighs, as his body fit between her knees. Her breath caught as he teased her. His lips finding hers again. Her body shivered with excitement. He kissed her lips, her neck, the top of her chest, before lowering himself under her dress. His tongue pressed against her. “Mmmhh,” she purred.
“Ohhh. . .” her breath quickened as her fingers ran through Chris’ hair. “It’s so good.”
He pulled back, his fingers taking over, “are you ready?”
“Long strokes,” she said barely above a whisper.
“And follow through,” he added.
He kept her there, longing for him as he rolled a condom on. Shelly shivered again as he picked her up off the table, bringing her down on top of him. She whimpered as he found his way inside of her.
“Oh God,” she whispered.
“Fuck,” Chris said. He grunted as he lifted his hips to meet the rhythm of her hips.
His hand covered her mouth as she started to cry out. Tingles covered her body as they came together.
“Wow,” he said as she stood up.
“Who knew?”
“I mean, I had a feeling. Part of the reason I volunteered us to set up for the next class,” Chris said with a smile.
“Well, I promise I will help, just going to run to the bathroom first. Go team, or whatever they say in sports.”
Shelly began to make her way to the door, her face still flushed and covered in a massive smile. The bathroom was on the other side of the door. She had been gone maybe two minutes, but when she returned to the room Chris wasn’t there. At least he didn’t laugh at me. . . yet she thought to herself.
She went to work setting up the drills, and before she could get the demonstration door together, Chris came back into the room.
“Sorry,” he said, jogging over to help her. “I, uh, I spilled. On myself, and uh, that chair.”
Shelly bit her bottom lip holding a laugh. “Like. . .” her hands mimicked taking a condom off and tying it up.
“Yeah,” Chris said. His eyes moving further to the ground. “So I went to the bathroom to clean my up first. I’ll get this door up, I just want to. . .” his voice trailed off but he was looking at the spot where they had just been locked in each other.
Shelly ignored what Chris had said about the door, and resumed getting it set back up as the demo. “I’m not laughing at you,” Shelly said very quickly before erupting into a fit of giggles. “I’m nervous laughing, I think.”
“Why would you be nervous?” Chris’ dark eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m not. It’s more of,” Shelly tripped over her words, “I guess I was waiting for you to make fun of me, or call me a whore, or something. I don’t know. The fact that you’re the one embarrassed, when you have no reason to be, makes me relieved but also laugh, I guess.”
Chris threw away the paper towels and ran his hand under the sanitizing station. Walking over to Shelly, he chewed his lip. She watched as the tension began to set in. Maybe it’s still not too late for that to happen. This is why I should just keep my hands to myself, at least where I live and go to school. Ugh!
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Senior year was shitty for you, and I didn’t say anything then, because I didn’t know what to say. But if you’re not completely disappointed in or disgusting by me, I would love to have you as my plus one to the football game this evening. There are a lot of things I can teach you about woodworking through football, and I’m sure you still have a ton you can show me about being a better person, a better carpenter, if I’m ever so lucky again, better in, uh, chair.” His right hand rested on Shelly’s elbow, while he gestured to The Chair.
“That’s a lot,” Shelly said slowly. “Throw in a pit stop for fries and soup, and you got yourself a deal.”
“A deal or a date?”
“A deal,” Shelly said, “for now. . . you really are terrible at negotiating, huh?”
“Maybe I over follow through?”
“Like you’re so focused on making a deal that you forget that you’re also supposed to be trying to get more for less?”
“Yeah,” Chris said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
“You should work that,” Shelly said, walking out into the hallway with him.