QuarterLifeFling Read Online Free PDF

office sent a
cheery, pre-recorded wake-up call to each cabin at 8:00 a.m. I grumbled
something dire and hung up on the voice, dragging myself out of bed.
    I really wished I wasn’t awake, but it wasn’t because I
liked sleeping in. Today was Thursday, the last full day I’d have at Daydream.
The past three days had been filled with sex, meditation, complaints from the
trust-fund blonde, more sex, health food and a few heart-to-hearts with Zara. She’d
turned out to be really cool, soaking up all the details about Jude…and
Salvador.
    Jude’s husky foreman had been due to visit Zara’s cabin last
night. Jude had heartily endorsed the guy, calling him a trustworthy man and a
hard worker. I really hoped I’d get more details from Zara over breakfast. She
deserved a good break in life for once.
    After I’d showered and dressed, I went to the main hall for
breakfast. I craved something involving bacon and eggs, but most likely I’d get
something involving grapefruit and yogurt. It was a price worth paying to be
near Jude.
    “Granola and fruit. That’s not so bad.” Zara took a seat
next to me. Was the other woman’s face flushed or was I imagining things?
    “Better than yesterday’s gloop,” I replied.
    “Hmm, I think that was porridge, technically.” Zara laughed,
seeming more carefree than she had in the previous few days. Maybe Salvador had
something to do with that.
    “So how was last night?” I cut right to the chase, and she
regaled me with a tale that left us both blushing all the way through
breakfast. I hoped none of the older hippies overheard us, but they seemed to
be busy with their own conversations.
    “Is Jude going to visit you again today?” Zara asked as we
got up to leave.
    “Yeah. He said his landscaping job won’t be complete until
tomorrow.” A twinge of unease folded up through my gut. I knew where he
lived—with his brother in Chico, so not too far away—but we hadn’t discussed
anything about the future. Probably because there wouldn’t be a future.
I had to be realistic about this whole thing.
    Zara gave me a sympathetic look. “Any plans to keep in
touch?”
    “No. It’s just a four-night stand.” A quarter-life fling to
remind me I was still pretty young.
    “Maybe you’ll figure something out.”
    I hoped she was right. But I wouldn’t depend on it. To
distract myself, I went and joined in the half-hour guided meditation session
in the main hall. But even though I tried hard, I couldn’t get into it. My
thoughts kept wandering back to Jude.
    Every time the leader suggested a different visualization,
my mind stubbornly refused to cooperate. All I could think about was him. The
way his lips felt against my skin, the saltiness of his cock, the fact that he
gave me an orgasm every single time—something I hadn’t even realized was possible.
    But it was the emotional side that really undid me. He was
cool, interesting, funny and sympathetic all wrapped up in one package.
Basically everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend. And I was losing him
tomorrow, when I went back to being boring old Alanna, working in software
design by day and eating pizza by night.
    Finally the meditation group broke up and everyone went
their separate ways. On a whim I wandered into the empty computer room. I
hadn’t thought about work since Monday. My inbox was going to be overflowing
and my boss was probably pretty annoyed by now. Had I even set up an automatic
out-of-office reply? If not, there were going to be a lot of grumpy people on
Monday.
    I sat down at one of the desktops. A wiggle of the ergonomic
mouse revealed a thin woman in a bikini lounging atop golden sand. Her head was
thrown back, pearly whites frozen in laughter that would never come. To others,
she was the epitome of beauty. To me, she was fiction.
    There were no stretch marks, no jiggly bits on her thighs or
too-flat, exposed stomach. Short of a complete plastic surgery makeover and
tons of slathered foundation (and