Chapter 1: Introduction
Julia took a swig and swirled the beer in her mouth before swallowing. She leaned against the kitchen counter, the taste both bitter and familiar on her tongue. She couldn't believe how much she enjoyed beer now; back in America, it hadn't been her thing. But the taste somehow seemed stronger, richer here—in Berlin.
The cramped flat was swirling with a loud buzz of conversations, punctuated by bursts of laughter. Julia lounged on the frayed couch, wedged between Anna and Christoph, nursing a bottle of beer. Her fingers drifted, tracing small circles on the cool glass.
"Alright you two, I need you guys to help me decide what to wear!" Julia announced, hopping up and flashing a winning grin. "Anna, you come with me, Christoph can be our photographer."
Anna, dark haired and doe-eyed, giggled. "I'm happy to be your stylist. But, I don't know about Christoph, he might be too distracted, taking photos."
A flare of fiery red rose in Christoph's cheeks. "I'm a professional, I can control myself."
Julia exchanged glances with Anna, before laughing.
They exchanged grins, knowing that they were right somehow; Christoph did ogle her from time to time. They made their way to Julia's small room in the flat, filled with unpacked boxes and clothes scattered over the bed.
Anna helped sift through the mess, handing Julia garments from the pile. "How about this red dress?" she said, her voice low and coy.
Julia shook her head.
"There's a party tonight at the underground club. I need something darker, more daring." She winked at Anna.
Anna's eyebrows shot up, before breaking into a sly grin. She dug further into the pile, pulling out a slinky black dress. "How about this?"
Julia squealed, snatching the dress with delight. "Perfect!"
Julia turned to face the mirror, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she eyed the lacy black dress. "Now I just need the right underwear."
Anna glanced at the pile of lacy thongs and matching bras on the bed. "Alright, but I get to be the one to hand this stuff to you," she said as they laughed.
Julia's curiosity always got the better of her, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to sleep with a woman. She had never had that kind of experience back home.
Anna moved closer to Julia. "First we will have to get you out of this." Her heart beat faster as Anna's slender fingers lowered from her face to her flat breasts, abs and thighs. Julia closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale, waiting for Anna's touch. A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt a soft hand slowly moving down tracing the waistband of her thong.
Julia's breath caught in her throat, her heart racing. She turned her head to meet Anna's gaze, which was fixated on her, burning with an excitement they had both been craving.
Anna leaned in and whispered in Julia's ear, "You look so fucking hot."
Julia's chest heaved as Anna's hand dipped below the thong, finding its way between her legs. She throbbed under Anna's touch and felt her knees weaken.
"Goddamn, Julia, you're so fucking wet," Anna murmured, her breath hot on Julia's ear.
Julia shuddered. When Anna slid the lace to the side, she bit her lip and moaned.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. They both froze, wide-eyed, before Julia called out, "Yes?"
Christoph's panicked voice came from the other side. "Uh, drinks are ready!"
Julia cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "We'll be right there," she squeaked, her face flushed.
Anna pulled her hand away reluctantly and whispered, "Maybe later." Anna hastily threw her underwear into her girlfriends hands smoothed Julia's dress down in the back and adjusted her hair, before stepping out of the room.
Julia took a deep, steadying breath quickly wiped herself and followed, the black fabric clinging to her frame. She felt the pulsing energy of the room, and she couldn't help but feel wanted.
Christoph stared at them both, his tongue darting his lips. His gaze lingered on Julia for a moment, a slight tremble in his hands. "Let me just grab my camera," he stuttered, disappearing into his room.
As Christoph fetched his camera, Julia took her place back on the couch.
She couldn't focus on anything else, but the burning sensation between her legs. She couldn't help but fantasise about Anna's hand wrapped around her, that gentle flick of fingers against her most sensitive spot.
Lost in her thoughts, Christoph returned with his camera, and said, "I'm ready when you both are."
Julia glanced over to Anna, wondering if she felt the same way. Anna's cheeks were still flushed, and she caught the hint of an eager smile from the corner of her mouth.
"About damn time," she whispered, her hand brushing across Julia's. It felt almost as if they were sharing a secret, a knowing glance.
Christoph carefully set up his camera, fiddling with settings, as he tried to seem busy. But every so often, Julia could catch him glancing over, those brown eyes locking on the movement of her hips or her bouncing blonde curls.
Anna and Julia shared a laugh, the conversation flowing freely and playfully among the three.
And that's when Christoph's grin grew lopsided, and he asked to take a few photos of them.
"I want to capture this moment," he said, holding up the camera. The flash went off, the bright light illuminating the space around them. It was innocent, natural. And yet, Julia couldn't shake off the peculiar feeling in her stomach.
"You both look great," he exclaimed, eyes squinted slightly from the brightness of his flash.
Julia stood to stretch, feeling the silky material of her dress hug every curve.
Christoph, seemingly unnoticed, held the camera up toward them, documenting the moment.
Something in the way he looked at Julia caused her pulse to quicken. She casually stepped away and further out of the frame, deciding to fetch another beer from the kitchen. She needed a moment to clear her head.
His shyness seemed to evaporate as he clicked away, his gaze moving rapidly between Anna and Julia. Julia's heart skipped at the thought of these intimate photos being taken. But a new thrill coursed through her veins, which she couldn't quite put her finger on.
The evening stretched on, beers flowing and laughter peeling through the corners of their flat. As much as Christoph tried hard to stay close to his new vantage point, he couldn't help but shift from one foot to the other, watching Julia and Anna together. His gaze was heavy on Julia and sent chills up her spine.
Julia let out a small laugh, her head tilted back in a dance with Anna. She reveled in the moment's warmth, the crackle of electricity crackling between them. However, she couldn't ignore the slight discomfort that coiled in her gut when glancing at Christoph's eager eyes.
There was something darker lurking behind his expression, and it made her uneasy.
Julia caught herself constantly peeking at his actions, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he there was more about him than he outwardly let on. It was as if a storm were swirling beneath his calm, trying to break free—a storm that threatened the very harmony they had created in their flat.
Julia, emboldened, regaled tales of her escapades back in America, and her new roommates listened intently. The taste of alcohol and secrets weighed heavily on the air, blending with the anticipation that sizzled between the three roommates.
Julia's past lovers, flings, and other crazy stories.
She spoke candidly about her experiences, making no attempt to hide her raw, sexual energy. As she moved her roommates with stories of hedonistic indulgences, Anna's gaze remained fixated on Julia. Meanwhile, Christoph busied himself snapping more photos. But each click of the camera brought Julia further from the intimate connection she'd found with her roommate.
As Julia wrapped up and took a sip of her beer, the weight in the room shifted. With a tight-lipped smile, Christoph set his camera down and said, "You inspired me to experiment with my own photography.
I hope you don't mind me taking so many photos." Anna smiled coyly. "It´s fine you are an art student Christoph try yourself out."
Besides her easy words Julia couldn't help but notice the intensity of his gaze. He wasn't listening to their conversation but studying every small detail with his eyes; she felt the back of her neck tingle with discomfort. In this particular moment, she wished he would just be a reliable friend instead of an extra wheel on their adventures. Julia glanced at Christoph yet again, feeling even more put off by the growing intensity in his gaze.
With a slight shudder, she turned to Anna.
Anna seemingly started to get drunk, raised her eyebrows curiously and asked. "Tell me about last Saturday." Christoph hesitated, torn between wanting to hear the secret and knowing he wasn't a part of this intriguing new connection between the two young women.
"I'm sure Christoph won't mind," Anna reassured Julia, patting him on the back with a knowing grin.
Julia leaned in closer to Anna as if to share the secret, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The guy I hooked up with at that wild Berlin party last weekend?"
Anna nodded eagerly. "Oh god, Julia, yes! That random guy from the bar, right? You were telling us about him this morning, wasn’t it during the wild party night?” Anna’s curiosity was palpable. She glanced at Christoph briefly, but his gaze remained fixated on Julia, almost as if he were trying to uncover a secret.
Julia nodded with a mysterious smile. “Yes, I think you remember him. Tall, muscular, dark hair and the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen?”
A faint blush crept onto Anna’s cheeks.
"Yes, I remember,” she croaked softly.
Julia leaned even closer to Anna, inches from her ear. She could feel the heat from her new friend's skin and inhaled the scent of her floral shampoo. "Well, I never told you what exactly happened in that alleyway.”
Christoph blinked, finally tearing his gaze away. His mind buzzed with questions, but he said nothing. Julia's whispered story was an intimate moment between the women, and he sat quietly, taking it all in.
They laughed, shared nods as Anna asked for more details that Julia willingly parted—juicy pieces of hooking up with a stranger, something they both knew they had never experienced in the past.
Christoph felt his breath hitch and a tightening in his chest as Julia detailed the act of their wild night together. She made no attempt to hide her frankness about her ecstasy-induced night of passion while Anna seemed to be completely engrossed in every little detail.
It was a struggle, but Christoph pretended to ignore the enticing details, shifting in his seat awkwardly.
He wanted to stop his thoughts; he wanted to retreat to those hidden corners of his mind.
But he couldn’t.
He kept thinking about the little gasps Julia probably made, the way her head would tilt back and eyes would close—truly vulnerable in front of a stranger—her body writhing in pleasure.
Tightness gripped his throat as his mind lingered on each detail Julia shared, knowing that she had opened herself up to someone else in that way. He wanted to be the first, the only one to truly see her, yet he remained hidden in plain sight.
The irony in Christoph's struggle to understand his feelings towards Julia deepened. Although he loathed himself for this dark fascination, he couldn't suppress it. He buried it instead, locking it away in one the crevices of his mind as he snapped more photographs, as though his camera were the only remaining link to them.
Yet, deep inside, he was conflicted; torn between his disdain and the uncontrollable desire to know every ounce of her secret, intimate moments.
His fascination led him to a carefully hidden, unassuming folder on his computer where the pictures he'd taken filled the screen. The three roommates, bathed in a warm, golden glow, radiated happiness and intimacy—Julia, beaming with life, her icy blue eyes sparkling with spirit.
Christoph's finger hovered over the delete button for the photos, his indecision wavering as images of Julia flitted through his mind once more.
He longed to hold onto the evidence of her unfiltered happiness, her glowing expression, but his fascination hid a more sinister undercurrent.
In the days following the party, Julia couldn't quite shake an uncomfortable feeling when she looked at Christoph. His intense stares made her uneasy, yet she couldn't bring herself to dwell on it too much. Just when Julia thought she knew what to expect from Christoph, Anna casually mentioned that he had invited a couple of his classmates over for dinner.