Chapter Text
1.
“Nan, come on. Say you’ll do it. Please?” Ned Nickerson’s voice pleaded through the earpiece of Nancy Drew’s Bluetooth headset. “It’s for a great cause...”
“Ned, I am the last person who knows anything about cooking, baking, whatever. No one will confuse me with Betty Crocker anytime soon. Are you sure I’m the best candidate for the job?” Nancy lay sprawled on the couch in her living room, her head resting on the arm. One of her legs was crossed over the other, and she wiggled her foot in an absent rhythm. “Don’t any of the other Omega Chi guys have girlfriends on campus that can help with this?”
“They do, but...” Ned hesitated. “It’s just that we haven’t seen each other in so long, what with your last few cases and all, that I wanted to spend time with you. Real quality time, not where we go off looking for the person who framed me for stealing answer keys for tests, or the person who hid a valuable piece of artwork on campus...”
Nancy felt a stab of guilt. It was true that she had had to cancel her last two visits to visit Ned at Emerson College because of cases outside of the country, but she couldn’t help it if she was always intrigued at the idea of a new mystery to solve. “I know, Ned, and I’m sorry. I’ve been a terrible girlfriend. Okay, you win: I’ll help with the Omega Chi Winter Wonderland Shake and Bake. Who the hell came up with that name, anyway?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
Ned laughed. “We threw the potential titles into a hat, and they picked Howie’s suggestion. Although, to be fair, there’s not much of a clever title you can give to a charity dance slash bake sale.”
“True,” Nancy mused.
“Thank you so much, Nancy. And promise me that you won’t back out at the last minute,” he told her, a hint of a warning in his voice.
“I won’t!” she protested. “I promise that you will have my undivided attention all weekend. I pledge to help you and your frat brothers bake the bestest cakes ever. And, finally, I swear that I will not go searching to see who could have stolen the quarter‐teaspoon measuring spoon or which of the Omega Chis looks like they’d try to hide diamonds in the flour sacks.”
He chuckled. “Very good. I’m holding you to all of that.”
“Will I need to bring any baking supplies with me, or go shopping?”
“No, we’ll do all of that, but...” He paused. “If you can get a recipe or two out of Hannah, it would be much appreciated. Something like, say, her chocolate fudge brownie cake, or her lemon pound cake...” Ned sounded almost dreamy when he talked about the desserts. “Tell her it’s for the kids. Sick, needy kids.”
“Wow, you have no shame,” Nancy teased him. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do for you and the sick kids. No guarantees.”
“Thanks, Nan. I can’t wait to see you,” he said, lowering his voice.
“Me, either,” she answered, feeling a warm tingle at the thought of being with him. “See you in two weeks, Ned.”
“Two weeks,” he repeated. “Love you.”
Nancy smiled. “Love you, too, Ned.”
She hit the send button on her cell phone to disconnect the call and remained on the couch, thinking about her boyfriend. She had had a few other boyfriends before, but the feelings she’d had for them didn’t even come close to how much she loved Ned. A long‐distance relationship definitely wasn’t easy, but she and Ned tried their hardest to make it work. Their relationship had gone through a few “cooling off” periods, albeit minor ones. Things were even more complicated by the demands of her job, and Nancy always worried that Ned would one day get tired of sharing her attention and break it off for good. The thought of it made her so sad that she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. She sat up and wandered to the kitchen, where their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, was making a grocery list. Hannah was so much more than the hired help: she had been caring for Nancy and her father for about fifteen years and was considered a member of the family.
“Hey, Nan,” Hannah greeted her. “How’s Ned?”
“He’s good. You’ll never believe this, but he just talked me into coming up in two weeks to help him and the other Omega Chis bake for a charity event.” Nancy seated herself in a chair at the kitchen table across from Hannah’s.
Hannah laughed. “Wow, how’d he manage to accomplish that?”
“Guilt,” Nancy told her, fiddling with the woven navy blue placemat in front of her. “He reminded me that we haven’t spent much time together lately, and then I couldn’t say no. After all, I’m sure there are plenty of cheerleaders and sorority girls who would be more than happy to take my place as his girlfriend. Plus, I really, really do want to see him.”
“Nan, you know he’s not like that,” Hannah scolded her lightly. “Ned loves you and would never cheat on you.”
“I know, Hannah, I know,” Nancy sighed. “But, you know, there are parties, and these parties have kegs and cute girls, and he’s a big deal on campus... I’m sure he gets lonely and those girls are right there, whereas I’m here. And I’m sure those girls would be more than happy to put out, unlike me.”
“Nancy. You told me that you and Ned have talked about this and that he’s willing to wait until you’re ready.” Hannah reached across the table and patted Nancy’s hand reassuringly.
“We did, and he’s been very patient—hasn’t pressured me at all. But, still, a few drinks, a few dances with some slutty sorority girl who whispers to him to forget about his girlfriend, his far-away girlfriend...”
“Don’t you let that sway your decision,” Hannah warned. “Sleeping with him just to hold on to him is not smart, Nancy. You’ll both regret it.”
Nancy nodded ruefully. “You’re right, but still.”
“But, nothing.” Hannah’s voice was firm. “Ned loves you and all he wants is to spend more time with you. He wouldn’t be calling you to come and help if he was interested in someone else. This is a perfect weekend for you two to reconnect. No case, no distractions. Just go and bake with the boys, then have fun at the dance with your boyfriend. If you want, I can go shopping with you this weekend and we can pick out a new dress for you to wear. I’m sure we can convince your father to let you use his credit card for this one.” Hannah winked.
Nancy got up from her chair and gave Hannah a huge hug. “How come you’re so smart?”
“Not smart, just older. I remember what it was like to be eighteen and in love.” Hannah’s tone was light.
“Well, you have a great memory, ‘cause I feel better already. Can I convince you to give me a recipe or two to use for the bake sale? It’s raising money for a pediatric cancer wing.” Nancy coerced.
“Well, since it’s for a good cause, I think I can help, just this once.” Hannah told her, smiling.
--
Nancy decided to make good on her promise of spending more quality time with Ned and came to Emerson early to surprise him. They had originally planned for her to arrive on Thursday so they could start baking that night for Saturday night’s dance. Nancy left her house late Wednesday morning and arrived on campus around four. The entire campus looked like a Currier and Ives painting of a typical winter day, the late afternoon sun giving the snow on the trees a glittery sheen.
After parking in a visitor lot, Nancy opened the trunk of her Mustang to take out her suitcases and walked the short distance to the Theta Pi house. She had already made arrangements to stay with Brook, one of the friends she had made during a previous visit, and Brook was the one who had encouraged her to come a day early.
“Nancy! So great to see you!” Brook cried, getting up from the swing on the porch of the sorority house. “How was your trip?”
Nancy gave her a quick hug. “Not bad at all. Traffic was pretty light, and I made good time. Thanks so much for letting me stay here.”
Brook waved dismissively. “You are always welcome—with all of the help you’ve given us in the past, you’re practically an honorary Theta Pi. Ned is going to be so excited to see you!”
“I can’t wait, either,” Nancy said, grinning. “So, how am I the lucky girlfriend to be helping out with this? Did all of the Theta Pis make a pact to be busy this weekend? “
“Well, the rules say that the guys can only have one person help them for the frat to get credit for the community service, and apparently, Ned insisted that it be you. It was cute, actually, how he persuaded the guys. He really misses you, Nancy.”
“I know, and I miss him, too. Even though I’m not the greatest baker in the world, it’ll be fun to spend time with him.”
After Nancy said hello to the other sisters in the house, she took her suitcases to Brook’s room and hung up her clothes. She freshened her makeup and surveyed her image in the mirror behind Brook’s door. Her chunky cabled ivory turtleneck and dark low‐rise jeans complemented her coloring and her figure, and her chestnut‐colored high‐heeled boots made her legs look even longer than they normally did.
Nancy left the sorority house and walked to the Omega Chi house on Fraternity Row. She knocked at the door and was pleased to have it answered by Mike O’Shea, Ned’s best friend.
“Hey, Nancy! Great to see you, and thanks for agreeing to help us out. We are a house of grateful men, let me tell you.” Nancy laughed as Mike pulled her into a friendly hug. “Hey, was Ned expecting you? I though you weren’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow. Not that we aren’t glad to have you here early,” he said hastily.
“Nope, it’s a surprise. Is he here?”
“You’re in luck—he just got back from his last class. Head on up.” Mike gestured towards the staircase.
As she walked up the steps, Nancy felt a slight pang of nervousness at the thought of being alone with Ned in his room, but dismissed it. It’s not like you haven’t already done this before, she scolded herself. You’re being silly.
Nancy smoothed her hair and straightened her sweater before knocking on the next‐to‐last door on the right, which she knew was Ned’s.
Ned opened the door, his look of curiosity replaced by one of joy when he realized who it was. “Hey, gorgeous! What are you doing here? Did I mix up my days?”
Nancy giggled. “Nope, it’s Wednesday. I heard that there was a frat house that needed help with baking, and I’m your girl! I just couldn’t stay away from you one second longer, Nickerson. I hope that’s okay?” she asked, a little note of doubt in her voice.
“Nan, of course it’s okay! Are you kidding? The more time I get to spend with you, the better!” With that, Ned enveloped her in a huge bear hug. Nancy squealed when he picked her up off the floor and twirled her around. He set her down carefully and gently pressed his lips to hers. The kiss started as sweet and tender and then grew in urgency. Before she knew it, she was pressed between him and the back of his door, their mouths hot against each other, their tongues tangling. She felt his hands slide under the hem of her sweater and when he touched the bare skin of her torso, it was like a jolt of electricity to her system. Nancy knew she should stop him, push him away, but she didn’t want to. Over the last few months, their kisses and makeout sessions had grown in intensity. It thrilled and scared her, all at the same time.
After a few minutes, Ned broke away reluctantly, his breathing ragged. “Sorry, Nan, didn’t mean to go at you like that two seconds after you got here.” He stepped back from her, running his hands through his dark hair. Nancy couldn’t tear her eyes away from his face: time away from him always meant that she was surprised at just how handsome he was in person.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, still leaning against the door. Nancy didn’t think she could stand without being propped up; her heart was pounding and her legs were weak.
“I am so glad to see you,” he told her tenderly. “I was going to grab some dinner with the guys, but I’d much rather take you out. What do you say?”
“Sounds perfect. But, don’t you have studying to do, Nickerson?” She waved her hand in the direction of his desk, where books and papers were scattered all over the surface.
Ned groaned. “You are so distracting that I forgot. Yeah, let me get in another hour or so and then we can go to dinner. Unless you’re hungry now?”
“Nope, I grabbed something on the road, so I can wait. Want me to go downstairs or back to Theta Pi so you can concentrate?”
“You just got here—don’t make me say goodbye already!” Ned said in mock disappointment. “Why don’t you hang out here?” He gestured towards his bed, which was neatly made.
“Are you sure?” she asked. Even the thought of being on his bed made her tingle.
“Yeah, I’m sure someone has a magazine or something for you to read. Wait... I take that back. Not sure you’d want Sports Illustrated or Motor Week or...”
“Playboy? Maxim?” Nancy finished his sentence, one eyebrow cocked in amusement.
Ned had the grace to blush. “Yeah, but they read them for the articles.”
“Of course they do, Nickerson.”
“Hey, what are you saying, Drew?” he demanded in mock anger.
“Nothing, nothing. I’ll be nice. Actually, I can catch up on email and stuff," Nancy told him, taking her cell phone out of her purse. She perched herself on the edge of his bed and began to slide her fingers on the touch screen of her phone.
“Nan, you can get comfortable, you know,” Ned told her, an amused grin on his face. “Relax. I’ll stay over here at my desk, I promise.” Nancy looked up at him with a slightly embarrassed expression. “It’s okay,” he said gently.
Nancy unzipped her boots and tentatively scooted back on the bed. After a minute, she laid her head on his pillow and stretched out on her back. Ned looked back at her from his desk chair and smiled. “If I say that you look good sprawled out in my bed, will you be mad?”
Nancy laughed. “No, but you need to keep your promise and stay over there. Now, do your work or I’m leaving.” Ned raised his hand in a mock oath and turned back to his studies.
After an hour or so, Nancy awoke to find Ned sitting next to her on the bed, gently shaking her shoulders. “Nan, babe, time for dinner.”
“Hmmm?” Nancy murmured.
“You fell asleep, Nan. Did you want to sleep more, or get some food?”
Nancy propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Ned sleepily. “I’m so sorry. I was emailing and that’s the last thing I remember. I must’ve been really comfortable.”
Ned laughed. “No worries. I know it’s a long drive for you to get here. Now, how about dinner?”
Nancy stretched lazily and caught Ned watching the rise and fall of her breasts. “Dinner sounds great. How about Italian?”
“Perfect ‐ there’s a new Italian restaurant that just opened in Emersonville that everyone says is great.” He extended his hand to help her to a sitting position next to him.
“I definitely need to fix my hair,” Nancy said, running her hands through her reddish gold hair, which had been flattened by the pillow. “Will I need to change, too?” She reached down and picked up her boots from the floor, then put them on slowly.
“Nope, you look perfect.” He stroked a hand down her back and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Beautiful, as always.”
Nancy flushed happily at the combination of his complement and his touch. “I love you, Ned Nickerson.” She leaned over and kissed him tenderly on his lips.
Ned looked surprised that she had said it first, but recovered quickly. “I love you, too, Nancy Drew. Have I told you how glad I am that you’re here?” His voice was husky and he bumped her shoulder lightly with one of his.
“You have, and I’m so glad to be here. Now, you promised to feed me, so let me fix myself up and let’s get out of here!”
After dinner, Nancy and Ned came back to the Omega Chi house and sat in the den, greeting the other brothers who wandered in and out. “So, are you sure that you don’t need any last‐minute supplies for our baking date tomorrow night?” Nancy asked, curling up against Ned’s side on one of the couches. “I can go to the store tomorrow while you guys are in class.”
“Nope, we’re good," Ned’s frat brother Howie told her. “I just checked earlier and we have everything we need. Mixing bowls, foil, measuring cups and spoons, racks, spatulas, eggs, butter, sugar, flour, nuts, lemons, extracts, cinnamon, chocolate chips, apples... We’re all good. And thanks for passing on those recipes. Ned raves about your housekeeper’s food, let me tell you.”
Nancy laughed. “Well, I can’t guarantee that the cakes will be as delicious as when Hannah makes them, but we can try. By the way, I hope that you guys aren’t under the impression that I’m some kind of a master chef here. Having two X chromosomes does not guarantee cooking skills, I’m sorry to tell you.”
“It’s okay,” Howie said. “I know my way around a kitchen, so we’ll be fine. We’re just happy to have you here. You need to come see us more often.” Nancy looked up at Ned to see if his expression reflected any irritation at the mention of her infrequent visits, but he only smiled down at her.
“Hey, Nancy! Ready for our bake‐a‐thon tomorrow night?” Ned’s friend Parker stuck his head into the room.
“Sure am!” Nancy beamed.
“You’re going to have your hands full, let me tell you. All of the guys are going to be here and I have a feeling that some of them will hit up the Thursday night party scene beforehand...” Parker trailed off upon seeing the expression on Nancy’s face.
Nancy leaned back from the circle of Ned’s arms so she could look at him. “Ned, is that true? Were you and your brothers planning on going drinking first?”
“I wasn’t,” he answered, his lips twisting in a grin. “But, some of the others? No guarantees, especially ‘cause there’s an old‐style 'Around the World’ party at one of the sorority houses tomorrow night. Word is it’s going to be truly epic.”
Nancy elbowed him in mock frustration. “Focus, Nickerson. There’ll always be another party .”
“Not like this one,” he said with a mock sigh, rubbing his side. “Okay, I’ll talk to them. Besides, we’ll probably be done in time for people to head over there afterwards. Plus, I think that the guys were going to put together some pre‐baking refreshments, anyway.”
“Ned, I really don’t think that hot ovens, knives, and alcohol mix. Just saying,” Nancy pointed out, trying not to laugh.
“Nah, it won’t be too bad. The guys just want to have a good time,” Ned told her reassuringly.
Bryan smirked. “Nancy, how do you feel about corralling twenty drunk guys and making them embrace their inner Pillsbury Doughboys?” Bryan’s expression sobered when Ned shot him a warning look.
“No worries, Nan, it’ll be fine,” Ned soothed, planting a kiss on the crown of her head. “We’ll all pay attention and follow your instructions. Right, guys?” he asked Howie, Parker, and his friend Paul, the hint of a challenge in his tone.
“Right,” they all echoed, somewhat unconvincingly.
2.
Early Thursday evening, Nancy headed to the Omega Chi kitchen and started to gather all of supplies they’d need later on. She was in the process of taking measuring cups and spoons out of the drawers when Jerry and Rich, two of Ned’s frat brothers, came in, their arms full of liquor bottles in various shapes and sizes.
“Hey, Nancy!” Jerry greeted her.
“Hey, guys, what’s up? Whatcha got there?” she asked sweetly.
“Oh, just some stuff we’ll need for baking tonight,” he told her, setting the bottles on the folding table that someone had set up earlier.
“Are we making cakes filled with liquor? ‘Cause that’s the only reason that you guys should have a bar set up in this kitchen,” Nancy admonished them.
Rich laughed. “Oh, come on, just a few drinks to turn this into a party. It’s Thursday, so we want to get the weekend started early.”
Nancy tried to keep a straight face and failed. “Fine, fine. Just don’t come crying to me when one of you idiots accidentally grates off your finger along with the lemon rind.”
Two more Omega Chis entered the kitchen, one carrying a 30‐gallon rubber trashcan, the other lugging two huge bottles of Hawaiian Punch.
“Should I even ask?” Nancy queried. She walked over to the pantry and began taking out flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and various extracts.
“Trashcan Punch, aka Hunch Punch,” Jerry piped up.
Nancy made a face. “God, are you kidding? That stuff’s nasty. Although it could be worse – it could be PJ or a Gin Bucket. Oh, I take it back,” she said, as one of the guys waved a plastic bucket and a bottle of gin at her.
While Nancy continued to prepare for baking, the guys started to mix the drinks. More of the frat brothers came in as classes ended for the day, and a few started to help Nancy bring out the supplies. One of the guys turned on some music and the house immediately took on a party atmosphere.
“Hey, gorgeous!” Ned greeted her from the kitchen door. He crossed to where she was standing and gave her a quick kiss. His nose and lips were cold from the dipping temperatures outside. “Sorry I’m late—Coach put us through a killer practice today. Give me five minutes to shower and change, and I’m all yours.”
Nancy returned his kiss and waved him away. “Nickerson, you really could use that shower.” His frat brothers laughed.
A few minutes later, Ned re‐entered the kitchen clad in sweats, his hair still slightly damp. “Better,” Nancy teased him. Ned helped her pull out some of the items in the top cabinets as more Omega Chis joined them.
“Hey, Nancy, Ned, what are you drinking?” Mike asked.
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Nancy told him, shaking her head slightly.
“Nan, are you sure? It’s not like you’re driving tonight,” Ned reminded her.
Nancy hesitated for a moment. She didn’t especially like the taste of alcohol and always limited herself to one or two drinks, at the most. However, she didn’t want to seem uncool and inexperienced, especially since the other girls Ned hung out with definitely had no problem with drinking. “Okay, fine, one drink,” she answered.
The guys cheered. “Great!” Mike responded. “Punch? Gin Bucket?”
When Nancy shook her head vigorously at both suggestions, Mike thought for a moment. “Let’s make it something really good, then. Hey, I know, how about a Dirty Girl Scout? It tastes like coffee, mint, cream... Kinda like a milkshake. Jan loves ‘em.”
“Sure, why not?” Nancy replied.
Ned went to the trashcan and ladled up some punch for himself, catching some pineapple chunks, cherries and orange slices in his red plastic tumbler. Mike handed her a cup, and Nancy tried and failed not to make a face after taking a swallow of the drink.
“Not feeling it?” Mike asked, not unsympathetically.
Nancy gulped. “Oh, no, I’m definitely feeling it, Mike," she answered. “Actually, it’s kinda not bad.” She took another taste.
Within five minutes, Nancy had ordered the guys to start chopping nuts, cracking eggs, and grating lemon zest. She had also finished her drink and asked Mike to make her another, even though she already felt slightly shaky.
After her second drink, Nancy felt a delicious buzz. The guys were starting to get louder and drunker, although they were still following her instructions. Nancy forced herself to pay attention to the recipes that Hannah had carefully written out, though it was getting harder for her to focus.
“Hey, baby,” Ned whispered in her ear, coming up behind her. Nancy knew that if she had had two drinks, Ned must’ve easily had twice that amount. Despite the fact that they had been going out for a while, Ned never really got drunk in front of her; she suspected that he was scared to lose control of himself with her.
“Hey, yourself,” she told him, giggling as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled the spot between her neck and shoulder. “Behave; I’m trying to concentrate on measuring out chocolate chips here. Then I have to melt them so we can add them to the brownie cake batter.”
“Sounds delicious, but not as delicious as the way you taste right... here,” he told her kissing her neck again.
“Stop, your frat brothers are right here,” she reminded him, squirming away even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Sorry, it’s just that you’re very tempting,” he told her, moving away. “Okay, what can I do next?”
“Get the flour so you guys can start greasing and flouring the pans,” Nancy ordered him. Ned gave her a mock salute and went to the counter to open the flour sacks. Mike handed her another drink, and she downed half after a moment’s hesitation.
“Hey, look at me! I’m auditioning for Benihana!” Parker exclaimed. He was standing at the counter island in the middle of the kitchen, chopping walnuts and flipping them around with the knife like a Hibachi chef. The guys were egging him on to do more and more tricks, and Nancy suddenly found this hysterically funny, though she didn’t quite know why.
Howie was using the lemons to juggle, and was doing a terrible job of it. Every time he dropped one, the group watching him made him take another swig of his drink, which greatly decreased his success to failure ratio.
Ned was having trouble opening the bag of flour, and Nancy found him a pair of scissors after fumbling through almost every drawer. The next thing she knew, he had ripped the bag open and the two of them were covered in a snowstorm of flour.
“You should see how you look,” they both gasped out between fits of hysteria.
“I told you to flour the pans, Nickerson, not us!” she cried out, making herself laugh again.
“Sorry, my bad, Drew. How about some Crisco to make sure you don’t stick to the pan?” With that, Ned picked up the can of shortening and sprayed her with it.
“Stop, stop!” she shrieked, backing away from him while giggling madly.
Just then, Mike came over to where they were standing and almost slid on the floor, which was slippery from the Crisco Ned had sprayed. This set Nancy and Ned off again, and the rest of the group joined them in their laughter.
“What the fuck, are you guys trying to kill me?” Mike demanded. “I can’t split my head open, ‘cause we’re all too shitfaced to drive to the hospital. You have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow,” he repeated exaggeratedly.
“Sorry, sorry, man,” Ned told him, shaking the flour from his dark hair.
“I was just coming over here to see if Detective Drew wanted another kind of drink, if she was bored with the Dirty Girl Scouts yet.”
Nancy picked up her red tumbler and gulped down the last of its contents. “Sure, why not? Let’s try something new.”
Ned looked at her with concern. “Nan, are you sure about that? I know you aren’t used to drinking this much. Maybe you should cool it.”
“Nickerson, I’m a big girl, you know. I can take care of myself,” she answered, patting him lightly on the cheek.
“I know you can take care of yourself; I just don’t want you to get sick, babe.”
“Stop being such a pussy," Nancy told him. When his frat brothers ‘Oohed’ behind them, Ned raised his eyebrows but said nothing. “Mike, give me a good drink.”
“How do you feel about Guinness, Nancy?” Mike queried.
“Never had it, but there’s a first time for everything.”
Mike brought Ned another cup of punch and presented Nancy with a glass with a flourish.
“What is it?” she asked, sniffing the contents. Upon closer inspection, she saw a shot glass nestled in the bottom of the tumbler.
“An Irish Car Bomb,” he replied. “You have to chug it though, no little sips.”
“Shit, Mike, are you serious?” Ned demanded. “Is there a reason you’re trying to give my girlfriend alcohol poisoning?”
“Lighten up, Nickerson. As you pointed out earlier, she’s not driving. Now, shut up and drink your punch.”
“Ned, I’m fine, I swear. Don’t worry. I’m in good hands—yours,” Nancy told him flirtatiously. His brothers whistled and catcalled.
“I think Nickerson is going to have a good time later on tonight, if you know what I mean,” one of them said in a loud whisper. They all started to laugh and make comments until Ned gave them a glare that could have chipped the paint off the walls. “Sorry, man.”
“Promise you’ll tell me if you start to feel bad. Promise,” Ned repeated, grabbing her chin in his hand.
“I swear.” She chugged the contents of the glass to a chorus of cheering from the guys and almost staggered when she felt the liquid’s warmth work its way down to her stomach. “Now, let’s get back to baking!”
3.
After another twenty minutes, Nancy was feeling no pain. The kitchen was a mess, batter and flour and grease everywhere. There were chocolate chips all over the floor from when some of the Omega Chis thought it would be a good idea for them to try tossing them into each other’s mouths, their drunkenness leading to an overestimation of their hand‐eye coordination.
“Mike, I think I need another drink, but no more Car Bombs this time. Tonight I learned that I really don’t like Guinness.” Nancy was trying to push the beaters into an electric mixer but couldn’t seem to get them into the holes.
“Babe, no,” Ned told her, taking the mixer from her hands and clicking in the beaters on his first attempt. “No more.”
“Yes, more,” she replied, grabbing his red tumbler from where he had set it down on the counter and taking a generous slug of his Hunch Punch. “Mmm, juice!” She fished out a maraschino cherry from the cup and held it between her teeth, then grabbed Ned and captured his mouth in a firm kiss, pushing the fruit into his mouth with a flick of her tongue. Their tongues slid over each other and the fruit, until Ned pulled away. “Nan,” he said warningly.
“What, you didn’t like it?” Nancy asked, a tone of mock innocence in her voice. “I thought you’d be more excited; after all, I just gave you my cherry,” she said coyly. Bryan and Jerry overheard her from their egg cracking responsibilities at the table and started whooping.
Ned almost choked on the slug of punch he had just taken. “Oh, I liked it,” he told her dryly. “Just not in front of my whole frat. And you need to stop talking like that.”
“Maybe we’ll do it again later and I’ll give you my real...” Ned hastily placed his hand over her mouth to prevent her from finishing her sentence. She pushed him away and tottered over to the mixing bowl. “Now, now, I really need to concentrate on making this cake. And getting another drink. Mike!” she called out.
Mike came over and handed her another red cup. “This one’s a B‐52 – like the Dirty Girl Scout, but orangey instead of minty. Tell me what you think.”
Nancy took a gulp. “Mmm, better. Thanks!” She held the mixer over the bowl full of dry and wet ingredients and couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t go on when she pressed the power button, then realized that it wasn’t plugged in. She pushed the plug into the socket, and jumped back in surprise when the beaters whooshed on and the contents of the bowl flew everywhere. Nancy started giggling uncontrollably and couldn’t seem to turn off the appliance. Ned rushed over and hastily pushed the power button to its off position. Jerry, Mike and Parker were in hysterics at the sight of her, flour and cake batter coating her hair and clothes; Jerry was laughing so hard that he dropped two of the eggs onto the floor.
“Thanks, honey!” she chirped. “You’re a life saver! Like, a real one. How many times have you rescued me from some bad guy before he could kill or hurt me? Ooh, I really love you, Ned. You’re just the sweetest thing.” She took another slug of her drink and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough. I love you, too, but finish your cake, Nan.”
“Spoilsport,” she muttered, but she turned the mixer back on, her movements carefully exaggerated. After mixing up a few batches, she had Ned help her with pouring the batter into the greased and floured pans. Ned took over when more of the batter wound up on the countertop than into the pan. Since he didn’t trust her near a hot oven in her inebriated state, he shooed her over to help some of the other guys with their tasks.
“No, no, you have to chop those nuts finer. I need smaller nuts.”
Howie and Rich started howling with laughter and Jerry chimed in, “That’s what she said!” When Nancy finally got the joke, she collapsed in a fit of giggles, swallowing the last of her B‐52. Since Ned had her back to her, she waved her empty cup at Mike to signal that she wanted a refill.
Mike plucked the cup from her hand and returned with a fresh drink within a minute. Nancy smiled her thanks and took a gulp. “Okay, those look better,” she told Rich after he finished re‐chopping the walnuts.
“Hey, Nickerson, your girlfriend’s admiring Rich’s nuts over here!” Jerry called out. They all burst out into raucous laughter again, and Ned shook his head.
“Drew, I leave you alone for two minutes and you get in trouble again?” Ned asked, frowning when he saw her almost full cup of liquor.
“Hey, Nancy, I think we’re ready to make these brownie cakes,” Howie called out. “Everything’s all measured out and chopped.”
“I washed the beaters from the lemon cakes, so you guys should be set,” Ned told her. When she got up to help Howie, Ned surreptitiously grabbed her cup and dumped its contents into the sink. Nancy and Howie put the cakes together and managed to get them into the oven without spilling or burning themselves.
When Nancy came back to the table, she sat on Ned’s lap. “Hey, where’s my drink?” she pouted.
“You must have finished it, babe,” Ned answered, trying to sound innocent.
“Did not,” Nancy replied. “I think you took it.” She pointed her index finger at him and pushed it into his chest.
“Me? Never. How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she said dreamily. “I’m fine, baby, how are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m feeling like you maybe need to stop drinking?”
“Oh, you. I told you, I’m fine! Now, I think we need to start the apple cakes... Do we have apples?” Nancy stood up from Ned’s lap too quickly; she lost her balance and tumbled back onto him again. “Whoops!” she giggled.
Ned helped her back to her feet, steadying her when she was able to stand. While he checked on the lemon cakes he had put into the oven, Nancy stumbled back to the counter and watched Mike and Paul chop apples and measure out cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice between gulps of Gin Bucket. The spices were all over the floor and the apple peels were strewn all about. Mike thought it was funny to start sprinkling cinnamon onto Paul’s hands and head, and they were both covered in the fine brown dust.
“Hey, Mike,” Nancy said in a stage whisper. “Don’t let Ned see you, but I need another drink.”
“You take over here, and I’ll take care of you, Nancy. I got your back.” He patted her back in a friendly manner. “Do you want another B‐52, or did you want some of the Gin Bucket or Hunch Punch?”
When Nancy hesitated, Mike gave her his cup to take a sip. Nancy winced when she felt the gin work its way down her chest. “I’ll take one of those, Mike.” Nancy and Paul began to combine the ingredients for the apple cakes into bowls when Mike returned with the gin punch for Nancy. She downed half of the cup before plugging in the mixer, again forgetting that it was on. The cake batter again went flying in all directions, and the Omega Chis were roaring with laughter. “Oops, I did it again!” she howled.
Just like the first time, Ned rushed over to switch off the mixer and unplug it. “Shit, Nan, again?”
“Sorry, sorry,” she snickered.
Ned sniffed the contents of her cup and made a face. “How are you not throwing up right now?” he marveled.
“Just lucky, I guess,” Nancy answered with a shrug. The movement threw her slightly off balance and she grabbed the edge of the counter for support.
“Come on, let’s get this done,” he told her. “We need to put it in soon.”
“That’s what she said!” Jerry piped up, and the guys started cracking up.
“Seriously, Jerry?” Ned snapped.
“Damn, Nickerson, lighten up. We’re having a good time, your girl’s having a good time, what’s the problem?”
“The problem,” Ned repeated, “is that she is about ten minutes from hurling and/or passing out.”
“Nah, she’s fine,” Jerry told him.
“I’m fine, Ned, why won’t you believe me?” Nancy asked, slightly slurring her words.
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you couldn’t get out a clear sentence or walk a straight line if your life depended on it?” Ned asked harshly. “Now, let’s just do the cakes so you can take a break.”
“But, I’m all messy,” she told him, wrinkling her nose as she looked down at her stained sweatshirt as if seeing it for the first time. Before Ned could stop her, she plucked the hem of her sweatshirt between her fingers and pulled it over her head, dropping the garment onto the countertop. She was wearing a white tank top underneath, and the outline of her bra was clearly visible through the cotton.
“Yeah, strip baking, nice!” one of the Omega Chis called out.
“Okay, come on, come with me.” Ned grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen as a chorus of boos followed them.
“Where are we going?” Nancy asked. “We have more baking to do.”
“First, we have to get you a new shirt,” he answered, half dragging, half pushing her up the stairs.
“Ooh, are we going up to your room? Fun!”
“No, not fun,” he told her grimly. “I should make you stay up here and sleep it off so you don’t do something you’ll regret tomorrow. However, I’m hoping that I can get you to sober up and finish downstairs.”
“I like your room,” she said in a loud whisper when he had opened his door. “And I liked sleeping in your bed. Although, probably not as much as I would have liked it if you were sleeping there with me.” She flopped down onto his mattress and gave him what she thought was a flirtatious glance, then tried to pull up the bottom of her tank top.
Ned grabbed her hands to stop her. “Nan, come on. Stop, please?” he pleaded. “You are killing me.”
“Why, Ned? Don’t you like me? Don’t you want to do stuff with me? Don’t you want me?” she asked, her lips turned down in a mock pout.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more, and the level of how much I want you is off the charts. But, not like this, when you’re like this,” he answered, crossing over to his dresser and opening one of the drawers.
“Like what, Ned? What am I like?”
“Um, I don’t know, drunk off your ass?” Ned pulled out an Emerson sweatshirt and closed the drawer, turning around to face her. “Totally and completely wasted? So much so that anything we did tonight would be something you’d regret doing tomorrow? And then you’d hate me, and I’d hate myself, and we’d break up.”
“Ned, I could never hate you. Ever,” she said, overemphasizing the word. She tried to raise herself to a sitting position but couldn’t.
“Well, you say that now, but it would be a much different story if we really did anything tonight. So, I need you to get dressed and come downstairs with me so we can finish baking, okay? Please? Nan, I am begging you here.”
“Fine, fine,” Nancy muttered, finally able to swing her legs over the side of his bed. Ned reached down and extended both of his hands to help her to her feet.
“You okay, or do you want to just stay here?” he asked her. “It’s okay if you aren’t feeling well.”
“Nah, I’m fine, I’m fine.” She waved her hands dismissively and let him help her to put on the sweatshirt. After a moment of attempting to steady herself on her feet, she trotted out of his room.
When they were halfway down the stairs, they heard the smoke alarm start clanging loudly. “Shit, the brownie cakes! I don’t think I set a timer for them!” Nancy tried to hurry down the rest of the steps but slipped and went down the last two on her rear end.
“You okay?” Ned asked, helping her to her feet.
Nancy nodded, giggling wildly, and they rushed to the kitchen. The sight that greeted them almost made Nancy and Ned slowly back out of the room. All of the cabinets and drawers were open, their contents spilling out. The floor and every available surface were covered in eggs, shortening, confectioner’s sugar, flour, and cake batter. One of the ovens was pouring out clouds of thick black smoke as Mike and Howie frantically tried to pull out the cakes without burning themselves.
“Ow, shit!” Howie exclaimed. He dropped the cake onto a stove burner and began sucking on one of his fingers.
The smoke began permeating the entire kitchen and the first level of the house. “Fuck, we have to try and stop that damn fire alarm before the fire department and Campus Security come and see what we’ve been doing. We’ll all get busted for underage drinking in the house,” Mike groaned.
Paul and Rich ran out to try and shut off the smoke detector, while Mike, Jerry, Howie and Ned began grabbing the party supplies to try and hide them. Nancy helped them to jam bottles and cups into a pantry while Parker and Bryan started lugging the trashcan and bucket into the basement. Their actions took longer than normal, considering the amount of alcohol that everyone had consumed. They were all relieved to hear silence after a few minutes of the alarm’s annoying wail.
“Think we managed to avoid having anyone show up?” Bryan asked hopefully.
Suddenly, they all heard sirens screaming in the distance. “Um, I’m gonna say no,” Ned answered dryly.
4.
“Shit, shit,” Mike swore. “Okay, act cool, everyone. Um, Nancy, no offense, but maybe you ought to go upstairs.”
“Why?” she asked. “They all know me, I can talk to them. I’ll explain everything,” she slurred.
“Yeah, that’s what we’re afraid of, babe,” Ned told her. “If you’re going to stay down here, you need to keep quiet, okay?”
“I’m very good with the authorities,” Nancy informed him, trying for a haughty tone.
“I know you are, Nan, but not tonight, okay?”
“Fine,” she pouted. “Be that way, Nickerson.”
“I’m serious, Nan. Please, babe,” Ned pleaded.
“Okay, okay. I’m going to sit right here on the couch and be very, very quiet,” Nancy announced, flouncing down onto the sofa cushions. “Shhhh,” she whispered to no one in particular.
Within a minute, they heard a loud knocking at the front door of the house. “I’ll go,” Ned offered. “I think I’m the most sober one here.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Ned opened the door to find various firefighters and campus security officers on the doorstep. “Hey, thanks for coming. Sorry, but we were baking stuff for the charity bake sale this weekend and forgot to set the oven timer. Everything’s under control now, though.”
“May we come in?” one of the firefighters asked. “We have to check to make sure everything’s okay."
Ned nodded and stepped aside.
“Hey, Nancy Drew, isn’t it?” one of the security officers asked, giving her a look of recognition. “How’s it going?”
Mike and Ned glanced at her warningly. Nancy took their cue and nodded silently, giving a half‐wave.
Ned led the officers and firemen to the kitchen; Nancy and the other frat brothers could hear muffled conversation as Ned tried to explain away the smoke and mess. After a few minutes, the visitors headed back towards the front door.
“Just be careful from now on. And, good luck cleaning up all of that,” one of the firemen told them, clearly amused.
“We will, and thanks,” Ned replied. After they had gone, he sagged against the closed door of the house in relief. “Thank God. They were so distracted by the disaster that is the kitchen, they didn’t look around for anything.”
“Good job getting rid of them, buddy,” Mike told him admiringly.
“Thanks—I was nervous as hell. Now, let’s get the rest of the cakes done and start to clean up.
"Nan, are you all right?” Ned asked, concerned. Nancy had turned pale and looked as if she were unable to get up from the couch.
“Ned, I don’t feel so well,” she moaned. “Kinda nauseous and dizzy.”
“Gee, what a surprise,” he replied sardonically. “Stay here and I can get you a ginger ale or a cola.”
Nancy shook her head vigorously. “Think I’m gonna be sick...”
Ned rushed over to the couch, picked her up, and carried her to the upstairs bathroom. After he picked up the lid of the toilet seat, Nancy stood, teetering, and stared at him. “What is it, babe?”
“Can’t do this with you standing here,” she mumbled, flushing with embarrassment. “Don’t want you to see me throw up.”
“Babe, it’s okay,” he sighed. “I’ll still love you, no matter how gross this gets.” Nancy still hesitated. “Fine, I’ll leave. But I’ll be in my room and I’ll check on you if you aren’t out in five minutes, okay?” He kissed her on the forehead before leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
The minute he left, Nancy knelt down and expelled the contents of her stomach. She sat there for a few minutes longer, the dizziness preventing her from getting up. When she finally felt strong enough, she stood up and hunted in the medicine cabinet for anything to get the awful taste out of her mouth. She found a tube of Colgate and used her index finger as a makeshift toothbrush, then rinsed with mouthwash, almost gagging again at the strong taste of alcohol. When Nancy looked at herself in the mirror, she groaned. Her eye makeup was smeared from when she was crying with laughter earlier, and her hair was half out of its ponytail.
She was trying her best to redo her hair and wipe her eyes when she heard a knock. “Nan, you okay?” Ned called from the other side of the door.
“Fine,” she managed. “Just give me a minute.” Once she was a little more presentable, she opened the bathroom door.
“I was worried about you,” Ned told her, pulling her close for a hug. “Did you want that soda now, or some crackers?”
Nancy nodded. “Sure, that would be great.” She let him help her walk down the hall to his room. The world was still spinning around her, and she felt like she was on fire.
“Why don’t you stay here while I get them?” He gently set her down on his bed. “Be right back. Can I get you anything else?” When Nancy refused, he left the room. Since she was sweating, she stripped off the sweatshirt he had lent her and tossed it onto the bed.
Within a few minutes, Ned was back. He handed her a red plastic cup and laughed when Nancy sniffed its contents suspiciously. “Just Coke, I swear.”
Nancy took a tentative sip of the soda and nibbled on one of the saltines that he had brought her. “Not feeling great.”
“Well, you had a lot to drink and you mixed a lot of weird stuff. Why don’t I call Brook and let her know you’ll be staying here tonight? You can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the floor.”
“No, no, I don’t want to kick you out of your bed. I can go back to the Theta Pi house,” Nancy insisted weakly.
“Nope, I’ll just worry about you if you aren’t here. Why don’t you lie down and get some rest? If you take a nap and feel better later, I’ll take you back to Brook’s. Sound good?”
Nancy nodded mutely; the thought of getting up and walking downstairs made her nauseous again. Ned helped her to stand so they could push back the covers; when Nancy tried to lie down on her back, he stopped her. “No, you need to lay on your side, babe. If you get sick again while you’re asleep on your back, you could choke.”
“So smart,” she mumbled as she curled up on her side. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you—you’re so smart.”
Ned chuckled as he gently placed the covers over her. “Get some rest. I’ll go down and help the guys but I’ll be up to check on you. If you need anything, call my cell.” He gestured to her phone, which he had placed on the nightstand next to her. “Love you.” He kissed her forehead before crossing to the door and clicking off the light switch.
--
Nancy awoke to the sound of buzzing. Loud buzzing. “Fuck, fuck,” she heard Ned mutter from somewhere below her. He scrambled to shut off his alarm clock, the source of the annoying sound.
Nancy struggled to sit up and the glare from the early morning sun coming in through the windows made her wince. She groaned loudly.
“Nan, are you okay?” Ned asked from his position on the floor. She could see him sitting up in the sleeping bag stretched out on his rug.
Nancy shook her head and instantly regretted it. “Oh, my God. Who came in here last night and punched me in the head?”
“Let me get you some aspirin and water. I think you’re probably hung over, babe.” Ned scrambled to his feet and she noticed that his chest was bare, his flannel pajama bottoms slung low on his hips. He opened his mini refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, then plucked a bottle of aspirin from one of his desk drawers. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed and Nancy flashed him a grateful smile as he handed her the items. “Want any toast or tea?” Ned asked, smoothing her hair.
“No, this is fine, thanks.” Nancy sipped the water. Her throat was so parched, she felt as if she had been stranded in the desert for a week. “Don’t you have class this morning?”
“I do, but I can stay with you,” Ned volunteered.
“No, go,” Nancy said, making a shooing motion with her hands. “I just want to sleep anyway. Still tired, and this headache is out of control. Did I throw up again last night?” she asked, wincing at the terrible taste in her mouth.
Ned nodded, trying to hide the smile on his face. “Yeah, when I came back up to go to bed, you were trying to get to the bathroom, so I helped you. Do you have to go again?”
“No, I’m good. I just need to lie down again. Go to class, Ned. I’ll be fine, I swear," she mumbled.
“Okay. I’ll get dressed and ready. Call me if you need me, okay?”
Nancy crawled back under the covers and was asleep again within minutes.
The next thing she knew, Ned was back in the room and sitting in front of the computer on his desk. She lay in bed for a few minutes, not wanting to disturb him. “Hey,” she finally croaked out.
“Hey, Drew, how are you doing?” Ned turned around in his chair to face her.
“Better,” she whispered. “Ned, I don’t remember a lot of what happened last night, but I am so, so sorry.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay.”
Nancy winced. “How bad was I?”
“It’s okay,” Ned repeated. “The guys thought you were cute. They especially liked it when you took your top off,” he said dryly.
Nancy groaned and hid her face under the covers. “Oh, my God,” she said, her voice muffled by the comforter. “I’m just gonna hide out here for the rest of the weekend.”
“You’re fine, you’re fine,” he reassured her. “You had a tank top on underneath. I got you dressed again pretty quickly.” Ned crossed over to the bed and pulled the cover off her.
“I remember the mixer going crazy, and you and I having a flour fight, and there was smoke, and drinks. Lots and lot of drinks.” Nancy still had her face buried in his pillow; she wasn’t ready to look at him yet.
“Oh, so you do remember,” he teased. “Yeah, it got kind of crazy there for a while, but we got it under control after you went to bed.” He reached down and cupped her chin in his hand so that she was facing him.
“Oh, my God, that mess! And the stuff that we... that I burnt,” she amended.
“Yeah, took us a while to clean up and make a new batch of cakes, but we’re all set now.”
Nancy sat up and smiled ruefully. “So I came here to help you guys and didn’t wind up being much of a help at all. Ned, I’m so, so, so, very sorry. “
“Nan, are you kidding? The guys thought it was a riot, that you were a riot. This is going down in Omega Chi history, babe. They can’t want for you to come back for our next charity event; they’ve already started making suggestions about a painting project and Skippies...”
She laughed, despite herself. “Well, I’ll come back to paint, if you guys will have me, but I won’t drink anything stronger than Coke.”
“Did you want me to get you something to eat?” When Nancy shook her head violently, then winced, Ned smiled. “How about you just sit here for a while before you get a shower and get dressed?”
“That sounds good. I think I need to psych myself up to standing up,” Nancy admitted.
After Nancy was able to get out of bed, shower and dress, she and Ned went to a movie and then to dinner, where Nancy decided not to try anything more exotic than a turkey sandwich and a baked potato.
After they had placed their orders and the waitress departed, Ned took a sip of his soda. “Okay, so, can I ask why it is you were so determined to get drunk last night?” Ned’s tone held no accusations, just curiosity.
Nancy looked down at the worn wooden table, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. “Ned, this is hard for me to say, but I really, really love you.”
“Why is it hard for you to say?” Ned asked gently. “I mean, I’ve told you that I love you, too. Do you not believe me?”
“No, it’s not that... It’s just that I’ve never felt this way before about any guy, ever. I had other boyfriends, sure, but it wasn’t the same. I always cared more about my job as a detective than anything or anyone else. But when I’m with you... it’s different. It scares me. And, I’m not big on talking about feelings, or stuff like that.”
“I know that, and I still love you, anyway,” he told her, smiling. “But it doesn’t explain why you wanted to get trashed.”
Nancy flashed him a grateful smile of her own before continuing. “Ned, I know that you’ve... you’ve had sex before. And you’re a little older than I am, and you’re in the top frat on campus, and you’re a star athlete, and super popular, and you’re ridiculously hot... I just wonder how long you’ll really wait for me to be ready before you decide I’m not worth the trouble and dump me for some other girl who’ll do whatever you want, no hesitation, no questions asked.”
“Nan... Babe... I wouldn’t do that,” he protested.
“I know you say it now, but we’re apart a lot, and you go to parties and there are cute girls everywhere, girls who are more than willing to hook up... I know I’m inexperienced and old‐fashioned, and that most girls have had sex already by the time they’re my age. Last night, I wanted to get drunk so I’d be brave enough to have sex with you. I just wanted to lose my inhibitions and give in, you know? I thought that if I slept with you, it would guarantee that I’d keep your attention. And, God, it sounds so stupid coming out of my mouth,” she finished, sighing. “Like I’m some dumb, whiny girl. I’ve travelled around the world, solved all kinds of tough cases—I’m a know‐it‐all, except when it comes to this. ” She played with the wrapper of her straw, twisting and untwisting it around her finger.
“Hey, stop that. You’re talking about the girl I love," he scolded her lightly. “Look, Nan, do I want to have sex with you? Yes, absolutely—you’re funny, smart, kind, interesting, and you’re ridiculously hot.” Nancy smiled at his words. “Trust me, it’s not that I don’t want you. But, I love you, so I don’t want to rush you. I want your first time, our first time together, to be special, not some drunken hookup where you’re so out of it that you pass out during.
“And, I think it’s kinda nice that you’re old‐fashioned.” Ned gently placed his hand over hers to still her movements. “It just means that you don’t jump into bed with any guy, that it means something to you. I respect it, and I respect you.”
“See, I don’t want to be the girl you just respect. I want to be the girl whose clothes you want to rip off, the one who turns you on.”
“Nan, you are that girl to me. I feel both ways about you. Can’t you tell from the way we’ve been making out lately? It takes everything in me to stop, but I do because I know that you aren’t ready yet. And if you’re not ready for a while, that’s fine, too. I love you and I want to be with you. I’m not just going to dump you for some cheerleader who’ll screw me just so she can tell everyone about her conquest and then move on to the next basketball player the following night.”
“I just don’t know how long it’ll take me to be ready, Ned. But... I want to start going a little further.” She looked directly into his eyes.
“What do you mean?” he asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Like, when we kiss and stuff... God, this is so embarrassing.” Nancy paused for a moment before continuing. “When we kiss, maybe we can fool around a little?”
Ned started to grin. “So, are you telling me you’ll let me get to second base with you?”
Nancy chuckled despite herself. “I think I am. I mean, I’m still not ready to go all the way yet, but I like the idea of doing... more. And, I think I kinda want to sleep next to you. If that’s okay,” she added hastily. “If that’ll be too difficult for you, we don’t have to...”
“Nan, are you sure? Like, really sure?”
Nancy nodded. “Maybe after the dance tomorrow night, we can come back to your room and I can stay over?”
The grin on Ned’s face got wider. “That sounds really, really good. Just promise me, please, that you won’t have anything to drink. Like I said, I want you to be sober when I touch you.”
“Oh, trust me, Ned, it will be a looong time before I have anything to drink again.” They both laughed.
“And one more promise. If someone comes in and steals the proceeds from the dance and/or bake sale, promise me that you won’t start hunting for clues, that you’ll let Campus Security handle it. I want your undivided attention tonight.”
“That’s another easy promise to make.” She smiled at him.
“I love you, Nancy Drew,” he told her, leaning forward across the table and kissing her gently.
“I love you, too, Ned Nickerson,” Nancy answered, returning his kiss.
5.
Late Saturday afternoon, Nancy began getting ready for the dance. The Theta Pi house was a hive of activity as sorority girls rushed from room to room to shower, apply makeup, and fuss with their hair before dressing.
Nancy carefully withdrew her dress from Brook’s closet and set it on her bed. It was strapless navy satin that folded down at the top and gently hugged her torso before flaring out in a taffeta skirt that stopped just above her knees. Her outfit was completed with the delicate silver flower stud earrings and matching pendant that Ned had given her for Christmas and a pair of silver high‐heeled sandals. Her hair was set in twisty rollers that would result in a mass of reddish‐gold curls spilling down her bare shoulders.
Brook came in just as Nancy was packing her bag to take to Ned’s room. “Are you leaving tonight after the dance?” Brook asked, sitting down on her own bed and towel drying her hair.
Nancy blushed. “No, I... um, I’m actually going to stay with Ned tonight. And not ‘cause I'll be sick.”
“God, I am so stupid. Forget I even asked.” Brook flushed.
“No, no, it’s okay. I’m just... kind of nervous, I guess. Even though, we’re not... we haven’t...”
“It’s okay; you don’t have to tell me. To tell you the truth, I’ve always been kind of surprised that you asked to stay with me when you're here to visit him. I mean, you guys really seem to love each other, and...”
“And he’s smoking hot and the other girls here on campus would do anything to tap that?” Nancy finished Brook’s sentence wryly.
Brook smiled sheepishly. “Kinda, yeah. I mean, no offense.”
“No offense taken. I’m not blind; I know how girls see him, how I see him. It’s just that I want to wait a while, and he’s been so good and so patient with everything. Tonight’ll just be a sleepover, in the literal sense of the word. Practically.” Nancy laughed when Brook winked at her.
“So is that why you bought this?” Brook asked, rising from her bed and picking up the Victoria’s Secret bag sitting on the desk chair. When Nancy nodded, Brook withdrew from the bag a royal blue satin camisole top with a row of tiny buttons down the front and the matching satin shorts. “Wow, nice.” The top of the camisole and the hem of the shorts were trimmed in ivory lace.
“Are you sure it’s not too... boring?” That morning, Nancy had gone to the mall in a neighboring town to pick up a new lipstick and was surprised to find herself stopping in front of Victoria’s Secret. She was mortified at the thought of wearing some of the little scraps of lace passing themselves off as underwear, but this outfit had caught her eye. She had deliberated a good twenty minutes in the dressing room before gathering up the courage to take it to the register. As it was, she was terrified that the cashier was somehow reporting back to her father and she’d get a furious phone call from him immediately after leaving the store.
“It’s not boring, it’s adorable! The color is perfect for you, and the shorts will show off those great legs of yours. Ned’ll die when he sees you in it.” Brook had a wicked gleam in her eye.
“Really?” Nancy asked nervously.
“Absolutely. Now, cut the tags and put that in your suitcase. That’s an order.”
--
After the dance, Nancy and Ned walked back to his frat house, their hands intertwined.
“So beautiful,” Nancy said, glancing around to admire the campus. The moon was high and full against the inky winter sky, making the snow glimmer like diamonds.
“The most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen,” Ned replied, and Nancy flushed when she realized that he was looking at her when he said it.
When they got back to the house, Nancy’s stomach started jumping at the thought of what was going to come next. They had dropped her suitcase off when Ned had picked her up earlier in the evening, and it was sitting on his bed when they entered his room. Nancy looked around nervously, as if waiting for a cue for what to do next.
As usual, Ned knew what she was thinking. “Nan, why don’t I brush my teeth and stuff while you change in here? Then we can switch. Sound good?”
Nancy smiled at him gratefully. “Perfect. “
He gave her a quick kiss before heading out the door. “Be right back.”
When he was gone, Nancy exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath. She reached to her side and unzipped her dress, laying it carefully on the back of his desk chair. After wriggling out of her undergarments and placing her jewelry on the top of his desk, she paused before opening her suitcase and pulling out the camisole and shorts set.
Okay, Drew, it’s now or never, she told herself. Stop being such a chicken. You have no problem with hunting down bad guys in darkened basements, but you’re freaking out about wearing lingerie in front of your boyfriend? You’ve worn less for a bathing suit. What is wrong with you? Her courage restored, Nancy slipped on the satin outfit, then studied herself in the mirror on the back of Ned’s door. Satisfied with what she saw, she pulled on her terry cloth robe. Her funds had been too low to spring for the matching bathrobe, so this would have to do. Besides, it’s not like you’ll be wearing it for long, she reminded herself.
Just then, Nancy heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” she called out.
Ned opened the door. “Bathroom’s all yours, Nan,” he told her, his mouth cocked up in a quirky grin at the sight of her in her bulky robe. He was wearing a pair of navy cotton pinstriped boxers and a white t‐shirt.
“Thanks. Just give me a few minutes,” she replied, picking up her bag of toiletries.
When she returned a few minutes later, Nancy was surprised by what she saw. The lamp was covered by a sheer scarf, giving the room a warm pink glow. Candles littered the desk, dresser, and nightstand, their flames flickering gently to and fro. Ned’s iPod was set up in a docking station on his nightstand, romantic music playing softly.
“Ned, this is so sweet,” she told him, touched.
“I know we’re not going all the way tonight, but I still wanted it to be special,” he told her, kissing her on the cheek. “Because I love you, and I know what a big deal this is for you. I just wanted you to know that it’s a big deal to me, too.”
“You are the best boyfriend ever.” Nancy felt tears gathering in her eyes and brushed them away impatiently.
“That’s just ‘cause you’re the best girlfriend,” he said lightly. He sat on the edge of the bed and patted the comforter next to him. After a moment’s hesitation, Nancy slowly walked over to the bed and sat down. Ned placed his arm around her shoulders and drew his mouth down to hers for a slow, sweet kiss. The kiss grew in intensity and she felt him gently slid his tongue between her lips. They kept kissing for a few minutes before Nancy pulled away.
“I think it’s time we get ready for bed, don’t you?” she asked, smiling shyly. She stood up and moved her hands to the sash of her robe, aware of Ned’s eyes watching her every move. Nancy undid the tie and let the robe fall to her feet, feeling incredibly self‐conscious, standing in front of him while practically naked. “I know it’s not like... I mean, other girls would’ve probably picked something more revealing, something sexier.” Her tone was apologetic.
“I love it. Babe, you look so unbelievably gorgeous and sexy.” The expression on Ned’s face made her insides turn to mush. “Really. Now, come here,” he commanded her gently, standing up and pushing the covers back.
Nancy paused before sliding in between the sheets, and lay on her back. Ned sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over her. They kissed for a while until he climbed on top of her, careful to keep his weight on his forearms.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, gently brushing a tendril of hair away from her cheek.
“So far, so good," she tried to joke, but he could tell she was nervous.
“If you just want to sleep, or if you’ve changed your mind and you want to go back to Brook’s, it’s okay, you know. I won’t be mad.”
Nancy shook her head vigorously. “No, no. I want to do this. I want to, because I love you, and I want to be close to you.”
Ned kissed her tenderly on her lips, then began kissing his way down her neck, collarbone, and shoulders. He gently ran his hands over her breasts, his palms skimming over her nipples, and smiled when the combination of the satin and the friction of his movements caused them to tighten. “Ned,” she whispered. He stopped. “No, no, don’t stop, I just wanted you to know that it felt really good.”
Ned’s grin got wider and he resumed touching her. Nancy made little moans of pleasure and felt her back arch up to meet him. He let one hand linger at the hem of her top and gently ran it over her firm stomach. Suddenly, he began kissing her shoulders again, and Nancy tensed for a moment when his lips trailed down to the hollow between her breasts.
Ned paused just before the top button of her camisole, then gently flicked it open. When Nancy made no move to stop him, he repeated the motion until all of the buttons were undone. He slowly spread the fabric apart until she was naked from the waist up.
“I know that the girls you’re used to probably have bigger breasts, or have implants...” she said softly.
Ned looked up at her. “Is there a reason you keep talking about other girls while we’re in bed together? Unless that’s what you’re into, in which case, I have no problem watching.” Nancy playfully swatted at him, and he chuckled. “Nan, please stop telling me what I’m supposed to prefer or like. I think you are incredibly gorgeous and sexy and you have a rockin’ body. Your breasts are awesome. The perfect handful.” With that, he gently cupped one of her bare breasts in the palm of his hand, then released it. “Your ass is perfect, and your legs? Damn, baby. First time I saw you in a skirt, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Incredible legs, best I’ve ever seen; no lie.” Ned leaned down and pulled up one of her knees, then kissed her kneecap.
Nancy blushed happily. “Thanks,” she whispered. “So, how do you know that my ass is perfect, Nickerson?” she teased.
“May I remind you that you have trained me, as a detective’s assistant, to carefully study and observe? I was just doing my job.” He reached behind her and carefully squeezed her ass through the shorts.
She giggled. “Oh, well, then you get an A plus,” she told him.
“So, now that I’ve gotten you half‐naked and told you how smokin’ hot you are, may I continue with what I was doing?” Ned inquired, one eyebrow cocked.
“Please do,” she laughed. He kissed her just above each breast and then ran his lips down to one of her nipples, kissing it lightly. Nancy gasped when he took it into his mouth and sucked gently. He used his hand to tease her other nipple, alternating between pinching it and running his palm over it. Nancy whimpered as he continued to lavish attention on her breasts. “Ned, oh my God, this feels so good," she cried out. “Please, don’t stop. Please.”
Ned tentatively placed one hand at the waistband of her shorts, then slowly began to ease them down. He looked up as if to see if she would stop him, but the look of desire and love on his face melted the remainder of her concerns and fears. She smiled and nodded and placed her hands over his to help him take them off.
“Baby, you are... so, so beautiful,” he whispered reverently. She blushed and caught his chin in her hand to bring him up for a kiss. His weight shifted on top of her, and she could feel his erection through his boxers as it brushed against her inner thigh.
“Shit, Nan, I’m sorry,” he apologized, flushing. He tried to pull away, but Nancy put out a hand to stop him.
“No, it’s okay. I mean, it’s natural, right?” Nancy whispered. “It just means that you’re turned on.”
“I am so turned on right now... I have never, ever felt like this before.” Nancy looked at his face to see if it was just a line, but the sincerity in his expression made her feel ashamed for doubting him.
“Can I... touch it?” she whispered, reaching out her hand to brush the front of his boxers.
Ned caught her hand and shook his head. “Not yet, okay? I want to concentrate on you first, and I can’t do that if you’re touching me. Later. Trust me, I will be more than happy for you to touch me later, Nan.”
“Okay,” Nancy told him, reluctantly. She caught the hem of his t‐shirt in her hands and the two of them pulled it over his head. Ned settled on top of her again and Nancy pulled him down so that their bare chests were touching. “This feels nice,” she purred.
“It does, but I can think of something else that’ll feel better,” he answered. He reached down to her waist again and began to trail his fingers around her navel, slowly circling it with his fingertips. Nancy shivered against him, and the movement made him laugh. He slid his fingers down lower until he was just above the line of coarse hair at the join between her thighs. Without thinking, Nancy parted her legs to him so that her knees were outside of his hips.
“Perfect,” he told her, before slowly running the tip of his index finger against the lips of her sex. He slipped the finger inside her, and Nancy flushed.
“Babe, is this okay?” he whispered.
“It’s just that... I’m just so... you know, down there...” she said shyly.
“Wet?” Ned asked, an amused expression on his face. When Nancy blushed even deeper, he smiled. “Baby, the fact that you are is making me so incredibly hot right now. You have to tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”
She nodded, and then gasped when he slid his finger even deeper inside her. He continued to slide it in and out of her, and she moaned loudly when he brushed her clit. “Oh, God, Ned. Oh. My. God.” Unconsciously, her hips bucked up to meet his hand, and she began to rock herself against him.
“Shh, babe, just a little quieter, okay? I mean, I love it, but I don’t want my frat brothers to hear what you sound like when you...”
“Sorry,” she answered. “Just, oh my God, it feels so good.”
Ned smiled and inserted another finger inside her while using his thumb to tease her clit. He leaned down and began sucking and kissing her nipples again, and Nancy started to moan again. She opened her legs even wider and wrapped them around his waist, frantically pistoning her hips against his hand. Her face was bright red and she felt beads of sweat on her back, but she no longer cared about anything except the tension that was building at her core. Nancy didn’t know what would come next; all she knew was that she didn’t want him to stop.
All of a sudden, she felt a tightening, followed by a series of delicious muscle spasms. The combination of pain and pleasure was almost unbearable, and she began to shriek. Ned clamped his mouth over hers to swallow her cries of delight.
Nancy lay back, spent, and pushed her now‐damp hair out of her eyes. “Ned, that was... that was...” She was panting so hard she could barely get the words out.
“Nan, that was the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen,” Ned told her, the awe in his voice evident. “I mean, damn. And, the feeling of you coming around my fingers? It’s a miracle that I didn’t come myself.”
“Is that... was that...” Nancy flushed, as she belatedly realized that she had experienced her very first orgasm.
Ned laughed. “Baby, I just got you off.” Nancy detected a note of bragging in his voice, but she felt so incredible that she thought he deserved to be cocky. “And, God, you look so damn sexy right now.”
Nancy raised herself up on her elbows. ”Please tell me why I made you wait so long to do that. That was incredible.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Ned teased, tapping his finger against her nose. “‘Cause I feel like I’ll need to practice a whole lot more to see if I can do it again.”
She giggled. “I love you, Ned.”
“I love you, too, Nan. And not just because of this,” he said, gesturing towards them.
Nancy shifted so that she was lying on her side, and Ned turned to face her. “Now, I think you said I could touch you. Does this hurt?” she asked, laying her hand on his erection.
Ned stilled her hand. “Nan, you really need to slow down," he laughed. “I’m about to explode, and I want to enjoy this. Plus, I think that you should put your shorts back on. Way, way, way too risky for us both to be naked at the same time.” He brought her in for a hug, then reluctantly released her so that she could grab her shorts off the floor and slip back into them.
Ned rolled onto his back. Once Nancy had climbed back onto the bed, he pulled her up so that she was straddling him, and slid the covers over them. He began to tug down his boxers on one side and Nancy pulled down the other side. Nancy pushed the covers off her back. “I want to see it,” she told him.
The seriousness of her gaze as she studied his erect cock made him laugh. “I have seen that expression on your face before, Detective Drew. Usually when you’re trying to piece together clues or figure out some evidence, but never when you’re looking at me.”
Nancy giggled. “Sorry, just trying to get my bearings. I’ve never seen one in person before. Um, I know we’re not having sex tonight, but I just can’t seem to imagine that fitting inside of me. Too big."
Ned cracked up. “Oh, trust me, when you’re ready, we’ll figure it out. Baby, I will make it work, I guarantee it.”
“Okay, so what do I do?” she asked, puzzled.
“Open the top drawer of my nightstand and take out the bottle of lotion and some tissues,” he told her, smiling. Nancy followed his instructions, though she still looked confused. “Now, coat your hands with the lotion and rub them together so that it’s warm.”
“Now what?”
“Now, cup your hand and run it up and down,” Ned directed her. When she looked up, he smiled. “Good, but a little faster and a little harder. Be a little rough.” She did as he asked, and seemed startled when he moaned. “You’re doing a great job, babe. Keep going.”
“What about these?” she asked, pointing to his balls while her other hand stroked up and down his shaft. “Should I touch them, too, or not? Do you like that?”
“Yeah, but if you do, you need to be really, really gentle. They don’t enjoy roughness.” He reached up and gently ran his thumb along the tip of one of her nipples, eliciting a soft sigh from her.
Nancy touched the papery‐thin skin with the tips of her fingers, fascinated, before returning her attention to his cock. Ned groaned with pleasure as she continued to work her hand around him. “Nan, babe, I’m about to... Grab the tissues, please.” Within a minute, Nancy understood his request and used the tissues to clean off her hand and his cock.
“How was that?” she asked shyly, curling up on her side under the crook of his arm and draping her arm across his chest.
“That,” he answered, kissing her lightly, “was amazing. You were so, so good, baby. Perfect.”
Nancy blushed happily. “Thanks. I had no idea what I was doing.”
“You’re a fast learner.” He idly ran his hand up and down her hair. “Are you sorry that we just... did what we did?” Ned’s voice was hesitant.
Nancy shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “No, not at all. We’re in love—touching and kissing each other felt right, it felt natural. I have no regrets.” Ned continued to stroke her hair and they lay in comfortable silence for a while. “You aren’t asleep, are you?” she whispered.
“No,” he whispered back.
“Good,” she answered with a smile in her voice. “’Cause I think I want to try some of that stuff again.” She raised her head and looked at him with a hopeful expression.
Ned laughed, the delight evident on his face. “Babe, for that I’ll be wide awake, trust me.”
After another round, they lay in his bed, exhausted. “I love you, Nancy,” he told her.
“Love you, too, Ned,” she answered. They drifted off to sleep wrapped around each other.