Chapter One: Fetish

End of Junior Year at Washington State University

"So, how many classes are we taking together?" Ted was fuming and Tamera rolled her eyes. She was holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she listened to Ted fuss. She was attempting to paint her toenails and really didn't feel like dealing with a Theodore Ray tantrum right now.

"Ted, I already told you how many classes, don't be redundant." She heard him huff over the phone she imagined his face turning cherry red.

"We always take our classes together! The rule is at least three Tam, you know that, you don't be senile!" Tamera chuckled he was really pissed, but she wasn't exactly sure why. He should have known this time was coming. They didn't share the same major so they were going to have to part ways eventually.

"Dude, this was bound to happen, I need to take electives that relate to my major and thanks to you I have way more business courses than I need for my minor," she explained and then shifted awkwardly so she could paint her other foot.

"Well, what electives are you so hell bent on taking?" He asked with attitude in his voice.

"A speech course, women's literature … and female sexuality," she murmured the last one hoping that Ted wouldn't pick up on it. There was an extended moment of silence on the line and she envisioned Teddy stifling his laughter or trying to compose himself.

"Hello? Teddy?" After a moment their call was disconnected and there was a knock on her apartment door. She gingerly rose to her feet trying to protect her toes as they dried. She opened the door and Ted stormed past her stepping her left foot in the process.

"Ow, dammit Grey!" She hopped back and then looked at her ruined nails. "Double dammit!"

"Sorry Black," he said half heartedly as he plopped down and grabbed the nail polish off the coffee table. "Come here, I'll fix it." She grumbled to herself as she sat down beside Ted. He was still staring at the color she'd chosen. "This color is really boring. Nude," Ted read off the bottom of the bottle. "This is not to be worn by a woman about to study female sexuality." Ted wore an evil grin that made Tamera cringe.

"I knew you were going to rag on me about this." Tam placed her feet in Ted's lap. He leaned over and grabbed her large make up bag he pulled out the acetone, cotton swabs, and picked a new color … baby blue. The color was a shade lighter than his eyes.

"Ted I wanted …,"Tamera started to protest but she figured that if she really didn't want that color she could just change it later. She was thinking that she was going to have to fix the mess he was about to make anyway.

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" Ted yanked Tam's foot closer to him and in the process made her slide down and bump her head on the armrest. She reached out and rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm not going to take all this abuse Mr. Grey!" She went to kick him in the face and he grabbed her ankle and pushed her foot back down.

"Mr. Grey is my father, don't call me that." He placed the clear liquid on the cotton swab and removed the beige color from her toes.

"Well, who the hell are you if you aren't Mr. Grey?" Tamera teased.

"I'm Teddy baby," Ted made his voice uncharacteristically deep and Tamera filled with laughter that made her whole body shake. Teddy never told her but he loved her laugh, that's why he did so many silly things to make her laugh. He wasn't considered anywhere near as funny by other people. He loved that if he made her laugh hard enough she'd snort like a little pig.

"Stop wiggling little piggy so I can paint your hooves!" She stifled her laughter and let out a big perturbed sigh.

"I'm not big, so stop calling me a pig! I don't know why you call me that anyway. I'm not fat and I don't it that much." Tamera fussed as she adjusted her shirt. She was uncomfortable about her weight she was about a size seven, but most of the people in the circles she ran in were much smaller than her. Ted chuckled as he shook his head, she still didn't realize that she snorted when she laugh and that it wasn't a normal thing to do. It was by far one of her more endearing features.

"Just stop moving Tam, Damn. Sometimes I swear you make my life difficult." Tam fought the urge to giggle as her best friend worked hard to perfectly apply the light blue nail color to her toes. She'd never had a man touch her feet. She hadn't had a man touch her period, well excluding the horseplay between Ted and her, but that was different. The feel of Ted's right now was different … kinder. She wondered if this was the same touch he used with other women.

"There, perfect if I do say so myself!" He smirked confidently.

"Don't think you're done. What about my top coat?" She said as she refused him the compliment he deserved. Her feet did look good and she hated to admit it but she like this nail color better than the one she'd picked out.

"Yes ma'am you're so damn bossy!" He chuckled as he made quick work of using the clear paint. After he finished he lifted her foot and blew on the tips of the toes. The action caused a weird twinge to go down Tamera's back and when he switched to her other foot the sensation intensified. She fought the urge to pull her foot away from her friend.

As he blew air out onto her left foot Ted's piercing blue eyes studied her. He watched Tamera's face; her jaw was clenched as she tried not to squirm due to the sensation. This action had made Tamera uncomfortable and he found it amusing so he decided to push the envelope. He began to massage the arch of her foot and then to his thumb and pressed directly in the center of her foot. Tamera hated when Teddy tried to get the best of her, he like knowing that he could get under her skin. Every now and then Ted would try stupid little come ons to see if he could get a rise out of her; it wasn't because he wanted her it was just because sometimes he feared she wasn't human. Tamera was the only woman that he'd ever known that didn't gush at the sight of him and she didn't show any attraction to any man or woman for that matter. He thought she was a bit of a robot, so when something as simple as him blowing on her foot stimulates what he would consider normal reactions of carnal want it was interesting to him.

"Okay, that's enough of that," she went to move her feet and he grabbed her ankles and alarmed her.

"Well, well, well somebody has a fetish," Ted sang and Tam rolled her eyes.

"Yeah you! Who blows on somebody's feet like that? It's weird. You should really seek help for you odd behavior Grey." She protested and then chuckled.

"Don't be a smart ass or I will tickle you and we both know how you feel about that," Ted said playfully and Tamera immediately began to pull away from him, he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.

"Don't struggle resistance is futile!" They both laughed together as they joked around and then Ted's phone went off. He reached into his pocket and agave Tam the opportunity to make her escape.

"Saved by the hotline," she whispered as she readjusted herself into a sitting position.

"Hey … not right now. What? Why is that any of your business? That's not up for discussion. NO. Look, don't call back because I won't answer!" He hung up and Tam looked at him with an alarmed expression, his facial expression had changed dramatically just a minute ago his eyes were bright with humor and now that he was pissed they looked so dark. Tam wanted to ask what had transpired over the phone but it was none of her business that was the one aspect of Teddy's life that she really preferred he keep to himself.

"Bitches be crazy!" Teddy commented after a brief silence knowing it would cause Tam to snort. It did, her eyes watered as she laughed and her cheeks carried a reddened hue. After her laughter settled Tam wiped her tears. "So my night just freed up. Get dressed woman we're going to a movie." He ordered and Tam shook her head.

"I have online homework I have to finish before 10PM." She gave as her excuse but the truth was she just didn't want to go anywhere she was comfortable.

"Why aren't you working on that now instead of painting your damned feet?" Ted was annoyed and Tamera just chalked it up to his selfish way.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I was talking to Isaac Black, because he's the only one I need to answer to being that he's my father … and you're not!" Ted frowned at his friend and she frowned right back. He was fighting the urge to tell her to just do the damned homework so that they could go out. He knew that if he said it the way he wanted to she would make a point of not going and he really wanted to do something, so he changed his approach.

"Is it that finance thing? It takes like ten minutes you can do that and then we could go out. I could even do it for you if you want?"

"No, I don't want you to do my homework." She sighed knowing Ted wasn't going to let this drop so she was about to cave. "Grab my laptop off the counter I'll go ahead and go ahead and do it now." Ted's face immediate gleamed with happiness since he had gotten his way. He moved Tamera's feet and did as she requested.

After handing over the laptop Teddy fished out his phone yet again and began searching for show times. Tamera shifted and reached for her book bag under the coffee table. She pulled out her financial calculator and went to work. Tamera was good at math but she hated it, that's why she was putting it off. She found it boring, but necessary for her business accounting minor. She'd only taken up that minor at the urging of her father and the pestering of her best friend that now sat to her left, they were two strong willed men that didn't like hearing the word no. After taking a few classes some of her professor suggested that she double major, but she was a creative soul and saw no reason that would be beneficial to her career path. She wanted to study literature and journalism, she wanted to write.

"There," she said after about six minutes. "Satisfied Grey?" She flipped her screen so that he could see the hundred percent she'd just received.

"Ecstatic," Ted said dryly, he was happy she had received a good grade but was annoyed that she'd received a perfect score faster than he did, he was just that competitive. That was another reason he liked have Tam in his classes she kept him on his toes.

"What did you wanna see?" He scooted over towards Tam so she could view the options. She scrunched her nose up none of them really appealed to her. "My thoughts exactly," Teddy chuckled as he put his phone away. "Wanna eat something?" He offered as an alternative.

"Yeah, but something low key, I don't want to have to get dressed." Tam had been chilling in her purple shorts and college tee that she used as pajamas. She figured she'd just exchange the shorts for some jeans and run out.

"Do I look like I'm dressed to go to a five star restaurant?" Tamera looked Teddy over, he was wearing a black muscle shirt and grey basketball shorts. I made her wonder if her admission about her classes had pulled him away from his immediate plans. She shrugged off the tiny sting of guilt she felt, it was his fault he was so temperamental.

"Tropical Smoothie?" She offered knowing it was one of Teddy's favorite small dives.

"You know it Black, you drive!"