Carpe Carnis Ch. 02

Brian climbed back out into the chilled autumn air and hurried back to his parent's house to finish getting ready. He needed a drink. The driver had almost killed the hard on that was still bulging in his pants.

***

Sam climbed out of the shower and wrapped herself in a thick fluffy towel. Her cheeks were flushed and her knees were weak. She had brought herself to orgasm three times before her libido finally calmed down in the shower. Her mom was probably wondering what was taking her so long and why she was wasting so much water. Aside from pleasuring herself, she had exfoliated herself with a perfumed scrub, shaved, and washed her hair with her mom's expensive treatments. She felt like a goddess; sweet, floral perfumes surrounded her and her skin felt so silky smooth.

She hopped across the hall to her bedroom and dried herself off before hanging the towel on the back of her door and examining herself in the mirror. Her fingers traced the vibrant, blooming rose tattoos she had inked over left ribs and the colorful, peacock like phoenix that ran down her left hip nearly to her knee. The phoenix was one of the tattoos that Brian had not seen yet. She had gotten it over the last three months during several long sessions. No matter what happened in life, she would always flare back up from the ashes and live again.

Sam grabbed a little tub of lotion and began liberally rubbing it over her body paying special attention to her ink. A green Chinese dragon wrapped around her right calf, the quote 'Not all those who wander are lost' was scrolled across her right foot, and a smaller rose that matched the ones across her ribs sat on her right hip bone. There was a pink and black star graced each of her collarbones, she had a set of orchids on her wrists, a shaded oak tree took up the majority of her back, and the handprint of her dad was inked over her right shoulder. He was always there, watching over her and guiding her. Her mom had it copied it for her from an old finger painting she had found from Sam's childhood.

Tattoos were just Sam's way of dealing with things. That buzz of the needle made her blood pound and she lost herself in the pain. She had been very lucky to find an artist in Hayfield, the next town over. He was extremely artistic and Sam was more than willing to be his living canvas. Her mom had been so angry at first but there really was no stopping her once she had started.

She finished putting her lotion on and shook her hair through the towel to help get some of the excess water out. Something delicious was wafting through the house and Sam's stomach rumbled. She hadn't really eaten since breakfast that morning.

The rare occasion that Sam got to eat with her mom was a treasured time. They opened a bottle of Chardonnay and sat down to chicken parmesan that was fresh from the oven. Both women were so engrossed in the fresh food that the table was silent for a few minutes as they savored the first bites of the meal.

Sam's mother washed down her mouthful of chicken with her wine and finally looked over at her daughter.

"I saw that you stopped over at Brian's again tonight." Her words held an almost daring tone.

Sam's cheeks flushed and she took a sip of wine. "Yeah I was telling him that I could go this weekend to the lake house."

"Looked like a lot more than just talking to me. Why didn't you tell me that you two were back together?"

"Mom," she whined with a blushing smile. "We're not back...together per say. We are just comfortable around each other I guess. I had such a headache when I got home from work." She tried to play it off and keep eating but her mom gave her that, 'mom look'.

"If you are taking this weekend to spend it with him honey, then just say so. You are both adults. I already told you this afternoon that I still hold respect for him. Besides, he is an extremely handsome thing isn't he? Did you notice how nice he was dressed this afternoon?"

"MOM!" Sam cried out as her cheeks blushed a whole new shade of red.

"Oh relax. Go have fun this weekend. Just be careful and use protection. Adults or no..."

"MOM!" Sam cried out again wishing she could hide under the table.

Her mother laughed and refilled their glasses before they returned to their meals in an awkward silence. The food was wonderful and Sam mopped every last drop of sauce with her garlic bread before she cleared the table and they both retired to the living room to watch a movie before bed. All Sam could think about though was what she should be packing so she was ready in the morning.

Once Sam was back in the quiet solitude of her bedroom, she dug her old duffle bad out of her closet and started packing. She grabbed a few changes of clothes, pajamas, her bikini, and even a few sets of sexy underwear and bras. Who knew where the weekend might end up really? She made up a toiletries bag and grabbed a towel just in case. Sam found a pair of sandals, tossed in some makeup and looked around to see if she had missed anything.

The letter that she had gotten yesterday with the unknown address was still sitting on her desk and it caught her eye. Before she even read the outside, she ripped it open so she could check it out. Inside, there was a single sheet of paper and it was an invitation to a club called, The Harem House. Sam wasn't familiar with the name but it listed several locations, one of which she thought was basically right nearby the lake house they were going to. Well that was a strange coincidence. It was a basic flyer covering different nightly drink specials and live band dates but then she noticed the little advertisement in the bottom corner for live sex acts!

"What the fuck?" She whispered going over the flyer again and again. What kind of club was this and why did she receive an invitation? When she looked at the envelope it had come in, it was a generic company name that she didn't recognize out of Michigan. It was starting to make her skin crawl.

Sam ripped up the invitation and the envelope and tossed them in the trash before she zipped up her bag and left it by her door.

"Weird." She kept telling herself over and over as she climbed into bed. She set her alarm to wake up around 6:30 and was thankful that sleep was quick to take over unlike the night before.

***

In the morning, Sam was overly excited and ready to go. She had straightened her hair, brushed her teeth, and gotten dressed in what she considered, relaxed outdoorsy. She had on her favorite pair of jeans tucked into her leather boots with a soft, red long sleeved shirt. Her duffle bag, purse, and her sweater were ready by the front door and she put the finishing touches on her make up when the doorbell rang.

Sam's mom let Brian in while Sam checked to make sure she had packed everything she needed one last time.

"If I hadn't known better I would have thought you two had planned to dress as twins," Sam heard her mom say as she entered the living room.

She had to laugh and agree as she took in the handsome sight standing at her door. Brian had on a similar pair of torn up jeans and a faded red plaid shirt that he had pushed up to his elbows. His unruly brown hair was in its usual glorious mess and he smiled as she walked up. For some stupid reason butterflies fluttered like crazy inside her stomach and she blushed. What was this, their first date?

"Are you ready?" Brian winked as Sam hugged her mom goodbye.

"Definitely." Brian grabbed her bag while she shouldered on her sweater and purse.

"Love you, Mom. I'll see you later."

"Have fun!" Her mom gave her a cheeky smile as they turned to leave and she watched them get into the Jeep. "Just don't have too much fun." She closed the door and let the two lovebirds get on their way.

Sam buckled in and warmed her hands by the heater vents. It was bitter cold this morning and frost tipped the grass of the still wet yard.

"Can I kiss you good morning?" Brian grabbed her cold hands as she rubbed them and she froze.

Did he just ask what she thought he just asked?

"Brian...I really think we need to slow down." She looked down at her lap even though everything in her brain screamed at her to lean over and let him give her the damned kiss. "It's not that I don't want you to. I just think we're taking things way, way too fast." She flipped her hand over so she could give him a gentle squeeze and he let go.

"I'm sorry, Sammy. Just wishful thinking." He backed out the drive and they were on their way. At least he was still smiling and Sam hadn't hurt his feelings so early on their adventure. "Just friends remember?"

"Friends." Sam agreed quietly and she settled in for the long drive north. What a buzzkill to the butterflies that had been that had been going mad inside her all morning.

It was a two and a half hour drive to the lake house and they spent most of their time trading music on each other's iPods and catching up on life from the past couple of years. Sam felt much better about having this alone time to just sit back and talk instead of being crowded in the party house with who knows how many others. Even Brian didn't seem to know who all was joining them.

She knew they were getting close when Brian's posture changed and he got very quiet. The landscape had changed to forested, sharp hills and the air was so crisp and clean. If Sam had even remotely thought about taking her own car it would have proven disastrous. She was completely lost by now and many times they took rough, gravel roads the closer to the house they got. They seemed to be very alone out here and she could count on one hand the amount of cars they passed once they hit the back roads.

As they took a winding, gravel driveway, Sam soon realized that the pictures Brian had shown her were nothing in comparison to the real thing. A sharp A-frame cabin overlooked a peaceful lake with a little dock that still had a boat tethered in. The deck of the house connected the driveway to the glass front facing the water. A large fire pit was surrounded by benches and chairs and there was already wood waiting nearby. Sam could imagine a roaring fire chasing away the chill of autumn and someone special cuddled nearby...

Brian snapped her out of her betraying thoughts as he pulled up next to the other two cars that were already parked.

"Well that's Luca's car but I don't recognize the other one." He turned off the car and looked over at Sam with that sly smile. "I am so glad that you came along. Let's go set up our room." He climbed out before she could respond.

"Our room?" She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door to the fresh, downright cold air.

They grabbed their bags and headed across the deck to the giant French style front doors. If Sam was in awe with the outside of the house, it paled to the inside. Whoever owned this house had put their entire life into it. Beautiful didn't even cover it in Sam's mind. She was so used to her simple, ranch style house with its peeling paint and frumpy furniture. This was truly a vacation home in Sam's eyes.

Brian could sense her surprise as she stood in the doorway. He grabbed her hand and led her into the living room where Luca and another guy were watching pregame college football on a big screen.

"Hey man!" Luca called out over the back of his couch as he turned to greet his buddy, beer in hand. "Sammy! Oh my God, I haven't seen you in forever!"

That made Luca jump up and come greet them in person. He grabbed her in a giant bear hug that made her set down her duffle bag so he didn't crush it with her ribs. Luca was tall and built like a linebacker. His broad shoulders made him very intimidating but Sam knew better. He was a giant teddy bear. His coal black hair was kept short but it looked like he had taken a few weeks off of shaving. A thick scruff covered his cheeks but it suited him.

"How are you doing? Oh my God you look great!" He let her go and gave her a thorough once over that left her blushing.

"Doing pretty good actually. I'm glad to get a weekend away thanks to you guys." Sam picked her duffle back up and slung it back over her shoulder.

Brian coughed to break the reunion and Sam blushed even redder. "You know where we're staying or do we call dibs on an empty room?"

"How many rooms does this house have?" Sam blurted out. She wasn't sure how sharing a room with Brian was going to go. Maybe there would be an extra that she could claim or bunk up with another girl.

"There are eight bedrooms and five bathrooms. Some of the rooms have to share a bathroom but we will make it all work." Luca led them through the house and showed them several rooms throughout the two spacious stories. There was a basement too but those rooms had been taken already. Luca told them that Nate and Jill plus three others had already called dibs on the two rooms down there when they arrived very late last night. He wasn't sure where they had run off to this morning but they had already been gone when he got up around 9:30. Luca had been here since Wednesday and planned on staying a few weeks.

Sam and Brian chose a room upstairs that had a great view of the lake. The bed in their room was a king so she wasn't as worried about sharing until they found out how many others would be joining them. Plus, Sam was glad that the room they had chosen had its own bath attached. Sometime during this vacation she was determined to try out the whirlpool tub in there.

"Do you need to freshen up or anything?" Brian asked as he started switching his clothes from his bag to the chest of drawers.

"No, I'm good. I just can't believe this place! It's amazing!" She sat down on the bed and sank into the down comforter.

"I know, you haven't stopped staring around since we pulled up." He laughed as he set some of his stuff in the bathroom.

"Can you blame me? It's not every day that we get to run away to a place like this. Who owns this house?"

"It's just a rental property. One of those, friend of a friend kind of deals I guess. It is pretty sweet. If it was warmer, I would totally jump in the lake right now." He came back in and sank on the bed next to Sam.

"I wish we had longer than the weekend. I would love to explore the area or just lie here in this bed for a week." She ran her hands over the soft bedding and her hand found Brian's.

"We could stay for as long as you'd like." He gave her a little squeeze and jumped up. "Want to head back down? I know there's a pool table somewhere. I know how much you love pool." He was teasing her. He knew she sucked at the game.

"I'll pass on the pool but let's go back to the others." They left their room and headed back to the living room where Luca and the other boy had resumed their college football talk.

"Brian, Sam, this is Cody. He's a buddy from college." Cody stood to greet them as Luca got them both a beer from the kitchen. Cody was quite handsome and when Sam shook his hand he had a firm, sure grip.

"Nice to meet you both. Luca was excited when he heard you were coming." They all sat back down around the TV and Sam half ass listened as they went off about college. Luca had been majoring in Criminal Justice over in Illinois. Cody was in the same program with him and they had teamed up.

Sam couldn't even describe the peace that had filled her. There was a cold beer in her hand, it was early afternoon in a beautiful lake house, she was surrounded by her old friends and there was nothing to worry about. She felt lighter than air as she curled up in a ball and pulled a blanket over her legs.

Around noon or so several other guests arrived along with Nate and Jill. They had gone into town to get more wood and way more food than Sam thought needed.

"You need help with that stuff?" Sam offered as they started loading their bags in the kitchen.

"Sam you're here!" Jill squealed as she set a case of beer in the fridge. "I thought that was Brian's junky old jeep outside."

"She runs just fine thank you!" Brian retorted from the middle of his conversation with Luca.

Sam folded up the blanket that she had been hiding under and went to the kitchen to help out. They had gotten way too much food but it was going to be a feast. Any kind of liquor that Sam could imagine was being stocked in the cabinets and beer was chilling in the fridge. There were burgers, steaks, brats, and chicken for the grill along with all kinds of veggies. Chips, dips, making for sandwiches, chocolate, all kinds of snacky crap were stuffed around the kitchen too.

Sam could tell that Jill wasn't her usual bubbly, Barbie self and she was keeping an eye on Nate who had gone to bullshit with the boys in the living room.

"Is everything alright Jill?" Sam cracked open another beer and Jill joined her.

"Yeah." She sunk her head down and stared at the pattern of the countertop.

"That's convincing. Are you guys fighting?" There were bar stools at a breakfast bar and they sat down together.

"You could say that, but it's nothing really. We should all just enjoy ourselves. What's the point of wasting time in a place like this?" She waved her beer around, indicating the beauty of the house.

"You're right about that." Sam held out her beer as a toast to Jill and she finally cracked a smile.

"Cheers." They clinked their bottles and were joined by the three other guests who had gone shopping with them that morning.

"Sam this beautiful lady is Ginger and her two companions are, Brandon and Ryan. She's dating Ryan, the cutie in the black hoodie. They got here last night with us." Ginger shook Sam's outstretched hand then hugged Jill before joining them at the breakfast bar. The two boys stayed around just long enough to grab a beer from the fridge before they joined the small crowd of men in the living room.

"How many more guests are you expecting? This place is going to be packed." Sam was ripping the label off her beer and shredding it into little pieces as she nervously watched everyone around her. For some reason she was getting majorly turned on. She wasn't sure if it was the beer or just the amount of people who were clustered around but she squirmed around on her bar stool and felt her dampness.

"Just a couple more I think." Jill looked like she was counting heads and trying to work names under her breath.

"Is anyone hungry?" Ginger asked spinning around on her stool and looking at the bounty stashed around the kitchen. Sam was glad for the distraction. The heat radiating from between her legs was driving her mad.

The girls started making sandwiches and soon the kitchen was stuffed with people shoulder to shoulder trying to get at the food and drinks.

The last of their guests arrived after most of them had finished lunch. Five new bodies were crammed into the big house and all of the rooms were finally claimed. Jill tried to keep up with the names of the new housemates but Sam was completely lost. They couldn't blame her; there were only 16 of them!

"Everyone this is Megan and her boyfriend Greg. And I am so sorry you guys, I can't remember your names. I've had way too much to drink already!" She played off the tipsy, dumb blonde routine perfectly.

"Johnathan, Dawn, and Alex." The boy named Alex pointed to their respective chests as he called their names. Sam was pretty sure that Alex was gay once she had heard him speak a few times.

"Did you guys eat lunch?" Jill offered. Man was she being the gracious host today? What had gotten into her? Was this trip her idea?

"We grabbed some on the way over, thanks." Dawn immediately sort of herded closer to the girls side of the room and grabbed a beer that was sitting in a bucket of ice.

"Great! Then let's celebrate this beautiful weekend by sharing a few shots! Mingle! Meet your new housemates!" Nate finally spoke up from the men's side of the room. He stood up on his chair and spread his arms open wide before jumping down with feline grace and starting to rouse the group with real alcohol.