Chapter 7

I exhaled deeply when I killed the engine. Claire’s house was much larger than ours and there was plenty of space to park my car. I checked myself once more in the rearview mirror and ruffled my hair a bit, hoping it wouldn’t look too unkempt. I scowled because I managed to cut myself shaving. A typical Murphy ‘s Law disaster, which caused me to be a few minutes late.

I looked at the package of After Eight mint chocolates, which was lying in the passenger seat, wondering if it wasn’t just too much for a first date. I knew I wanted something sweet after a strenuous session of mental exercise, so I decided to take it with me. I knew my mum bought it for Christmas, but we were completely stuffed with an excess of food.

Nervously I stood in front of the door and before my finger reached the doorbell, Claire’s pretty face peeked through the narrow opening of the large door. Her beautiful smile reached her smoky gray eyes, and I thought it was sweet how her petite nose pulled down a little. “Hey Casper,” she said upbeat, “come in.”

“Sorry I’m late,” I said nervously when I handed her the dark green box, “I brought us the necessary snack to pull us through.”

“Oh, how sweet of you,” she said as she looked with gleamy eyes at the box, “I think I can forgive you since you’re so extremely late.”

“Huh?” I said, perplexed, “I thought we agreed to be here at three?”

Her face was void of any emotions when she replied while ticking with her nail on the green box’s clock, “But it must be just after eight otherwise we can’t enjoy those delicious chocolate wafers.”

“Indeed,” I answered deadpan, “It’s well past eight o’clock in the morning. I wouldn’t dream of eating mint chocolate for breakfast.”

She tapped her finger on her full lips, feigning she was contemplating my answer and then a pretty smile appeared on her face. “Me either,” she answered with a sweet-sounding voice. “Let’s go to my room. I have a lot of questions and I really hope you can help me.”

I chuckled while I shook my head. It was clear Claire had a completely different sense of humor, which I actually liked. One thing struck me; she seemed to be totally at ease. Economics was easy as long as one understood the basic rules. “Bring it on,” I said confidently.

It was clear her cheerleader training had contributed to her agility when she moved up the stairs like a predator. Her low-cut jeans showed off her toned behind and I loved to see the glimpses of bare skin when her short jacket jumped every step she took. It made her look really hot.

She stopped in front of her door and as she looked at my shoes she asked, “Would you mind taking off your shoes?”

I was glad I decided to put on new socks this morning. Within a second, I had kicked off my black leather shoes, which I had meticulously polished for the special occasion. Demurely she stepped into her room, and I realized it was quite a big step, allowing a stranger into your bedroom.

It was as if I stepped into a different world when I entered her spacious room. The walls and ceiling were partially obscured by wide strips of fabric that made her room look like a large nomadic tent. “Oh wow,” I said in awe, “this is so amazing. I really like the way you’ve used the fabric to hide the lights. It feels so snug and comfortable.”

She blushed. “Thank you.”

Her four-poster bed was the main feature in the room that was artfully decorated with embroidered Coptic tapestries. I imagined her getting to bed only clad in a negligee, like a beautiful princess of the desert. Only then I saw the Egyptian parchment tastefully spread around her room, which made it even more authentic. “Have you been in Egypt?”

Slowly she shook her head, “I’d love to go. My great grandfather was from Egypt, and I found these in the attic. My parents think I’ve overdone it, but I like it. It gives me a sense of comfort and security.

Claire looked at me and I blatantly studied her face and concluded there was still some Egyptian blood flowing through her vanes; her fine cut face and nose were a dead giveaway as well as her prominent eyebrows, which gave her an unearthly beauty.

“Come,” she said as she walked towards her bed. “Let’s do some work.”

I followed her and as soon as I saw the pile of books on the mattress, I realized she used her bed for everything. With the agility of a cat, she crossed her legs and patted the space next to her and said, “I’ve marked the tasks I have trouble with. Perhaps we can do them together.”

I was pleased my body was quite flexible and I copied her, sitting comfortably next to her. With relief I recognized the tasks, and they were a piece of cake for me, so I knew I could help her.

She unwrapped the dark green box and as soon as she opened the lid the distinctive smell of dark chocolate and mint wafted into my nose. My mouth was watering, and I realized I wouldn’t mind having one as well.

Claire and I had spent a good three hours on economics, and it was great working with her. Not only could I help her with what she’d missed but it was refreshing how smart she actually was. Her questions were sometimes challenging, which actually helped us both to get a better grasp on the subject matter.

With a naughty smile she shoved one of the thin chocolate wafers into her mouth and made a real performance of how she enjoyed the sweet snack. “Oh,” she said after she had mostly swallowed the wafer, “This is divine.”

I knew she was teasing me because she deliberately moved the box out of my reach. I smiled and said, “Glad you’re enjoying the chocolates.”

“Hmm, yes,” she purred, “I think they are better than Godiva.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing all too well she knew I wanted to have one as well. “Are you sure?” I asked.

Slowly she pulled another chocolate out of the box and said, “Let me have another one.”

With a theatrical move she brought the chocolate mint to her mouth. I saw my chance and I grabbed her arm to direct it to my mouth, but she was super quick. She giggled when she managed to stuff the wafer into her mouth again.

Without thinking I launched myself towards the box in the hope I could snatch one myself. I had underestimated Claire because she had thrown her body between me and the box of chocolates. It was in her fanatical competitive mindset that we rolled around on her mattress. She ended straddling me and her victorious expression made me realize she was an amazing woman. She had her hands on my biceps, which gave me the opportunity to get hold of her upper body.

Her hair tickled my nose, which caused her move it to one side of her head. Her smile was nervous, and I knew I needed to say something. “Looking at you makes me forget I wanted a chocolate.”

She rolled her eyes. “Flattering doesn’t help,” she bantered.

“I don’t mind.”

I gently rubbed my hand over her back, and I loved staring at her mystical gray eyes. God, she was so beautiful! She slowly brought her face closer to mine and I couldn’t stop myself from bridging the last few inches. Our first kiss was brief, merely a tender peck. My heart was beating in my mouth when I saw her smile.

She lowered her body, and she grabbed the sides of my head with her slender hands when she pressed her lips onto my mouth. I was used to kissing soft lips and without thinking I pushed my tongue into her mouth. I felt her stiffen, but she relaxed when our tongues playfully roamed around in our mouths. She stopped and as she moved up a little, I said, “Hmm, I love the minty chocolate taste.”

Claire giggled. “You want one?”

Her gray eyes twinkled when I said, “Later perhaps.”

“You know,” she conceded, “I think you’re right. Kissing you is much nicer than stuffing chocolate into my mouth.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I deadpanned.

I could barely finish my sentence because her soft lips smothered my mouth, and I enjoyed the passionate kiss. By now her body was pressed against mine; I could feel her firm breasts filling the gap between us. My hands found the opening between her jeans and her top and I began to trace her warm soft skin with my fingers.

There was a polite knock at her door, which rudely stopped our amazing making out. Stung like a bee she moved away from me and as she climbed off the bed she said, “Yes?”

Luckily, I could position myself in the middle of the bed and I used a book to hide my excited state.

Her mother stepped in, carrying a tray with two steaming mugs. “I decided to bring you some hot co-co. You’ve been working for almost three hours, so I think you’ve deserved a break.”

The music in the restaurant wasn’t too loud but it gave us the feeling we could have a private chat. We were lucky to have the corner booth, which meant we had the most secluded place. Claire nervously played with the cocktail’s paper umbrella when she suddenly looked up. Her hooded gray eyes made her look like a goddess, especially when she smiled demurely. “I really enjoyed this afternoon.”