Aztec Treasure Ch. 11-20

Disclaimer: All identities and locations were renamed or made ambiguous to protect everyone's privacy. Prologue: A True-Story that Inspired the Rest It all started a few years ago, and in a manner not unfamiliar: an incredibly beautiful young girl, impressionable, and under the influence of her (male) peers' endless attention -- and maybe something to loosen her up -- wanted nothing more than to feel the kind of excitement that giving in to that attention could grant her... Brittany Hadel's story started not exactly with a bang (maybe figuratively, of course), but rather with a splatter. Brittany had just graduated high school, turned 18, and was feeling on top of the world. She went and got a job at the local big-league car dealership the next town over, easily "qualifying" for the receptionist position. All they really looked for were good looks and a definite lack of any male anatomy. Her natural beauty only made getting the job easier, as the interview basic

Frank put his phone down on the bar, frustrated from not getting a response. He looked around. The crowded Las Vegas bar was crawling with people. Partiers and business travelers alike were seated throughout the large space. Normally, around this time, he could spot an escort or two making the rounds. He was getting drunk and had already decided in his mind if he were to be approached by one, he'd certainly be interested. But there weren't any of them yet. Maybe it was too early. He settled on another game of video poker on the bartop machine. He checked his phone again before sliding a twenty dollar bill into the slot. "Another martini, sir?" the bartender asked. If a patron was gambling like Frank was, the drinks were free. "Sure," he responded without looking up. Traveling on business was lonely. Frank did a lot of it. It seemed every week and sometimes weekends, he was on the road, pitching his product. As he sat there contemplating where his life had

April 2008 Waking up next to Pete had become one of her favorite things ever. He frequently spooned her, his hand possessively splayed out over her stomach. Other times, she'd wake up tucked into his side, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. This was a slightly different boyfriend experience than she'd had before. Previous to Pete, she had spent six months of her first year out of college on the hook with Henry, who didn't admit to actually being her boyfriend. He was ok with qualifying their relationship as dating, but they weren't exclusive and free to date other people. Allison told herself that she was fine with this, because hey, she was 22 and not looking for the guy she would end up marrying. It took her a few months before she worked up the courage to stay over at Henry's overnight, out of the sheer anxiety of having to tell her parents she wouldn't be coming home at night. But when she shared Henry's bed with him, he rolled away after sex a

This is a romance story set in Australia. I know most readers probably don't associate summer with Christmas and New Year, but for us, this is when time slows, and we get to head to the beach on a break. I hope people can understand the Australianisms that abound in the story through the context, but if not, please ask! This is part of the Summer Lovin' contest and I ask you to read through all the entries and vote as you see fit-- we are so fortunate to have such amazing people sharing their stories around here. Finally, thanks to those who beta read and proofread and offered suggestions-- I'll refer to them as my analytical adventurists. ~*~*~*~*~ It should not have come as a surprise to me when the podcast I had been listening to cut out as my phone lost reception about 20 kilometres from my destination. I tried flicking through some of the radio stations and found either drawling country and western or cricket, neither of which held my attention. I hadn't been fo