Chapter 14: Chuck and Tiffany

Tiffany knocked on Chuck's door, and he opened it, dressed in a light shirt and slacks. She had put on the sexiest thing she'd brought with her, which was a blouse with a deep "V" neck. She'd left her bra off, even though she knew her heavy breasts would bounce all around. They were just going to the dining room, and then... She didn't know what would happen then, but she knew he liked looking at her breasts, and she liked having him look, now, so she just did it. Her legs were bare under the tan skirt she was wearing, and she had on sandals.

"I'm ready," he said.

"Me too," she said, meaning something completely different. He missed it, though, and she took his hand.

"You look good," he said.

"Of course I do," she said, smiling. "You're fairly handsome yourself."

"Of course I am," he quipped.

"This has gotten a little strange," said Chuck, over dinner.

"It's certainly turned out differently than I thought it would," said Tiffany.

"How so?" he asked, just to keep her talking.

"I did not come here thinking about sex," she said calmly. "I didn't come here to meet an interesting man, though I'm not complaining. I thought I was coming here to get some information that would do me some good in school. Instead, I've learned something about myself."

"What's that?" he asked.

"I can still feel like a horny seventeen year old cheerleader," she said, smiling. "I never would have admitted that before yesterday." She went on. "Before yesterday, I wouldn't have given you a chance," she said. "I'm used to keeping men at arms length, not chasing after them."

"And that's a good thing?" he asked.

"It isn't good or bad. It's just new. We're both adults," she said. "We should be able to do whatever we want to do in this situation."

"Why do you think your boyfriend stayed in college, instead of coming with you?" asked Chuck.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't want to think about that right now."

"Don't you think it's important to figure out why one relationship failed, before you start another one?" he insisted.

"OK, he didn't love me," she said, frowning.

"But you had sex with him anyway," suggested Chuck.

"I thought we were falling in love," she complained. "Isn't sex part of that?"

"Tiffany," he said patiently, "think about that. Answer this. When was the first time you had sex with him?"

"I don't remember," she said crossly.

"What date?" he insisted. "First? Second? Fifth?"

"Second," she said, sullenly. "He got me drunk at a Frat party."

"And you thought he loved you," said Chuck.

Tiffany thought about shouting at him. Why did he have to bring all this up? She knew she'd made a mistake. She knew now that she'd been played by the handsome young man who was older, and had made her feel so grown up. She'd thought, as the years went on and on, that they HAD fallen in love. Then, when she left, and he obviously hadn't missed her as much as she'd missed him, her world began to darken. As her year of teaching went on, and she got busy, she blamed it all on him.

"Do you still love him... miss him?" asked Chuck, maddeningly.

"You are SO not getting into my panties, Mister," she snarled.

"Answer the question, Tiffany," he said. "Be honest with yourself... and me."

"Why do you even care?" she asked, almost loudly.

"Because I like you," he said.

"What does liking me have to do with him?" she asked.

"Look," he said patiently. "You hopped into bed with him." He stopped when an angry scowl came onto her face. "OK, he got you drunk, but the point is that you started your relationship with him based on sex. Maybe there was more, later, but maybe not too. It didn't last. Whatever was there wasn't strong enough to overcome what happened. All I'm saying is that I don't want that to happen with us... if there can even BE an us."

"That's it?" Her voice went up two octaves. "You won't go to bed with me because you want to fall in love first?!"

"Can you think of a better plan?" he asked, not flinching.

Tiffany sat there, looking at him. That was exactly what she'd thought, all the way through High School. Find a man... fall in love... THEN give up your virginity. Then, after that first, wild night, at the party, when her body had screamed out how wonderful it felt... all that had, somehow, slipped away.