Jellyfish Girl

By Mica Le Fox

It all started with an infantile bet between student friends at a prestigious American college, the handsome and confident Bridgman Hansen, adept at playing the field on campus challenging his peers to put up their cash and wager against him seducing their beautiful art history lecturer. But he’s no jock. He’s smart and erudite and slyly uses his expensive education to try to captivate Marianne Nicholas, the alluring tutor from London. Sadly for him, she’s having none of it and eventually Bridgman reluctantly admits defeat. That’s when feisty Leila - the one member of Bridgman’s clique of friends that would not take part in his boorish student game - takes up the challenge herself.

To the amazement of the group, the competitive, cool, green-eyed Leila throws her hat into the ring in order to beat Hansen at his own game and puncture his machismo - and so begins her clever, subtle seduction of Marianne. But as her pursuit starts to have the desired effect, unexpected emotions within her start to undermine her cynical plans and Leila could never have foreseen the dramatic events that followed and changed her life, and the lives of those around her, forever.

Jellyfish Girl contains many elements of timeless storytelling, including seduction, deception, betrayal and humour. But above all it’s a love story... the bet that went terribly wrong and left two women helplessly in love. It contains adult content, intimate and explicit description of their love and passion for each other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mica Le Fox
• Release date: Nov 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463950876

Mica Le Fox

Totally out of my depth at an academic school I mercifully discovered I could draw and blagged my way into a career in advertising and visual arts. So far, so not too bad. It's been OK, but writing has been part of my remit and I've always itched to do more, so here I am, blagging my way into book writing. It's all fiction. Fiction is often way better than real life and I spend most of my time thinking things up. But I will never try to make you accept the completely unbelievable. If you watch, say, science fiction on TV, it's alright to 'suspend your disbelief' - I do - but not to accept the unbelievable. I hope my books will introduce to you human characters (mostly) with ordinary human emotions and fallibilities. I especially like fallibilities... they are the most interesting thing about us all and certainly the best to write about. I want you to have a booky window on people sometimes making mistakes... maybe sometimes getting it right as well. And I will try to make you feel what they do, you know, like you are in their shoes... well, unless they're undressed of course. Whether I do all this well is another matter, I only write these stories so I have no idea. Anyway, it's for you to decide. Buy the books and let me know. Ha! Blagging again.

Book preview

Jellyfish Girl

By Mica Le Fox

Copyright 2022 Mica Le Fox

Published by Mica Le Fox at Smashwords

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Chapter one

So many people only remember Albrecht Dürer for his praying hands drawing, such a tiny preparatory sketch that’s become one of the most ubiquitous icons of classical art ever - actually, I think I have a praying hands tea towel. There was a ripple of laughter from the banked benches of the audience. But don't underestimate the impact he had on the development of art in northern Europe... we must not forget the Dutch, German and Flemish schools of art, all of which owed much to him, must we ladies and gentlemen... and therefore consider the impact on world art from that point. Marianne Nicholas concluded her lecture and began tidying her notes and visual display equipment while the audience made their way out of the lecture hall.

So, are you intimate with the proliferation of the Renaissance in Northern Europe now, Bridg? Henry draped a comradely arm around Bridg’s shoulders as they made their way down the corridor towards the exit.

My dear Henry, Bridgman replied to his friend with mock turn-of-the-twentieth-century literary eloquence, rather in the vein of Louisa May Alcott. At the risk of you thinking me a philistine, I would rather be intimate with Ms Nicholas herself than her musings on the Renaissance in Europe.

Bridg, we don't need to confine you to being just a philistine when you are also a total shambles of a human being. Leila, walking behind him, was listening to their conversation and delivered the rebuke to the laughter of their small group.

They came out into the sunlit campus of the college and continued down the path towards the accommodation halls.

"Wishing to be intimate and being intimate with someone are two different things," said Henry, turning around to make Leila complicit in his put-down banter.

Bridg rose to the challenge. Do you not think I could share bodily fluids with Ms Knickerless if I chose, people?

Dream on, said Leila.

Bridgman Hansen was undoubtedly handsome. His tall, rangy, athletic frame and dark blond, blue-eyed boyishness won him plenty of attention from the opposite sex of the college. But by no means a mere jock, he was also clever, confident, charming and able to play the field with female company whenever he chose. And on the occasions when his target failed to fall into his arms on the basis of his looks and easy manner, he was more than able to impress with his erudition, slyly selecting and reciting appropriate Keats and Shelley verse by heart, their words commandeered to reinforce his advances and disarm defences.

I can see I’m going to have to show you how a real operator works, aren’t I? Bridg thought for a few moments then continued, Why don’t we make this worth my while. Who’s willing to put up twenty dollars to say I won’t get into Ms Knickerless’s knickers?

Oh! for God’s sake. Leila couldn't help but like Bridg when she was in the mood and found his good-natured boisterousness infectious, but on the other hand she often considered his womanising infantile and sometimes offensive - and the women who fell for it pathetic. That, Leila realised, made her sound judgemental and disapproving, but mostly she kept her thoughts about it to herself and had to admit that he found plenty of willing partners who didn’t care one iota for her thoughts on Bridg Hansen’s philandering, seeing themselves not as a sexual conquest, but on an even footing in a two-way game of mutual pleasure. She was not in either category despite his charm assault in their first semester and now Bridg was ever so slightly wary of her feistiness, but attracted to her intelligence, clear green eyes and high cheeked exotic beauty.

Bridg glanced at her and smiled. Well I can see I won’t get my twenty bucks from you, Lei. He spun round to ensure that he had the attention of the group. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure you're not going to be the weeniest bit jealous when Marianne and I get it on.

Leila gave him the most cursory of glances, commenting dryly, You know, I’m worried about you Bridg. She will only objectify you and use your body - and all your, um... ferocious intelligence will be wasted on her.

Bridgman chortled amiably at her sarcasm. I like the sound of the objectifying part of that. And also, maybe the bit about the use of my body. Will that not be the slightest bit raunchy?

Yeah, well I guess the 'ferocious intelligence' part is pushing the frontiers of credibility a little too far. The bluffer's guide to romantic poetry might not cut it for someone who knows what Byron actually meant.

George, a studious looking boy and part of their group, said, Marianne Nicholas will put you down like a dog, Bridg. You’re biting off more than you can chew.

Without stopping, he turned and faced the five students on the path, walking backwards to keep pace. I have to protest... none of you are giving me the credit I deserve. You're all taking no account of the elemental force for the pleasure of womenkind that is Bridgman Hansen. I say Marianne Nicholas will not be able to resist me. So OK, c’mon kiddies, put your money where your mouth is. Put twenty bucks on the table and if I don’t get into her underwear in three weeks, I’ll double it.

Bridg was far more interested in the challenge than winning the money - or even the potential loss of eighty dollars if he failed. He was brought up in