Dance Of Desire by Sweet and Special Books

notes from Simons’ class, Lauren?”
    Lauren nearly choked on her soda. “You were right there!”
    Cassie did her best to look noncommittal. She shrugged. “Brain hasn’t been functioning this week.”
    “Neither has Lauren’s,” Anne piped in. “I slept a little funny myself. Hell, I think I’m starting to think her nightmares are contagious,” she giggled, her laugh had a touch of hysteria. “Here, I’ll email my notes to you both. Simons does the same lecture in my class as she does in yours.”
    Cassie was a bit crestfallen. She had hoped to spend at least a half hour to copy the notes, and then she’d stall for more time with some inane conversation. But with a push of a button, had sent the email and Cassie had no viable reason to stay.
    “So, why isn’t your brain functioning, Lauren? Nightmares?” Cassie asked.
    Lauren blushed, which was uncharacteristic of her. She looked embarrassed about something. “No particular reason,” the other girl said.
    “I say she just needs a man,” Anne volunteered. Lauren shot a glare at her roommate, who backed away, hands up then giggled. “Hey, I think she’s been getting serious about some hottie, or at least some serious action!” Then Anne ducked, laughing as Lauren sent a pillow in the direction of her head.
    Cassie was curious. “Really? Who?”
    Anne continued, in spite of the obscenities Lauren was yelling her way. “She won’t say, and I haven’t figured it out yet. But mark my words, I will!
    Although I can’t figure how he gets in her locked room, I never catch him in the morning. He has to be someone we met at the club that night. Maybe the blond…?” Lauren shook her head “no.” “Well, L finds the males of our student body to be such boys. She wants ‘a man.’ The Asian guy with the gorgeous eyes? No? And the way she’s been moaning in her dreams. Yikes. He must be really good in bed! Who is it, Lauren? Tell us. We’re friends. I’m your roomie, and I pay half of everything so tell me!”
    “Not happening.” Lauren crossed her arms, stood up and stalked out of the room.
    “Well,” Anne commented, loudly. “Whoever he is, he must be seriously packing some hard dick between his thighs!”
    “Shut up!” Lauren called from the bathroom.
    They laughed at that and changed the topic. And later, Anne asked Cassie to stay for dinner, much to her relief.
    Their meal was good. Anne may be a student but she could actually cook. It was a homemade pizza. Nothing frozen or microwaved here.
    Several times Cassie wanted to confide in her friends about everything. But seeing how Lauren was being scrutinized and ridiculed didn’t really help. Besides, what’s there to tell? That she thought she might have been raped by a ghost? That her dreams after that night involved really twisted torturous acts against her body? That the bruises on her skin resembled those that she’d gotten while she was struggling in her sleep?
    As if Anne could read her mind, she asked, pointing to the black and blue marks on her neck. “Hey, how’d that happen? That sure doesn’t look like an ordinary hickey to me!”
    Cassie hearts raced. “What?” she asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice and instead tried to reach for the pizza.
    Anne caught her wrist. She turned over Cassie’s hand to expose the underside of her wrist. There, peeking slightly from the sleeve of her sweater were rope burn marks. Anne dropped her friend’s hand.
    “What the hell, Cassie!” she exclaimed.
    “Listen, I know it looks bad but really, it’s fine.” Cassie said as she took a bite out of her pizza. “Besides, it’s really none of your business, okay?” she said, managing a weak smile.
    “If you say so, Cass,” Anne said cautiously. “I know that BDSM shit is all the rage nowadays but… promise you’ll be careful, okay? Oh, and take lots more vitamin C. It’ll help heal that faster. In fact, have some of mine,” Anne continued as she got up to look for her