Chapter 4

"Hi, Jeff. I don't know if you remember me."

"Now, Ashley. You're being disingenuous."

All right, I read. I know what disingenuous means. But who the fuck uses it in actual conversation? It is a word meant only to be used on the printed page.

"Well." That could have meant anything. I didn't know. Let him figure it out.

"I had a nice time studying with you the other night," he said.

Yes! I was getting a second chance.

"Me too. I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight."

"Well, I do have plans, but perhaps you'd like to come along. I'm going to see the wrestling team."

"Sure."

What? Is there a more boring, nerdier sport? I wonder if we have a badminton team.

"Great. I'll stop by at six thirty and we can walk together to the Rec center."

I've been driven on dates in a Rolls Royce. I've been driven in a Lamborghini. Tonight I was walking to the Rec center with a freshman nerd. How low could I sink?

"I'll be waiting."

This was really starting to weird me out. At least he hadn't said no.

Fortunately he didn't try to hold my hand on the walk over. I have no idea what I would have done.

Wrestling may still be a nerdy sport for guys, but for the girls, it is heavenly. All different weight classes and sizes, but these were sparsely dressed, exquisitely muscled, grunting, sweaty specimens of testosterone-laden masculinity in tights. I could have enjoyed watching this at home on a DVD. It was downright arousing. Had this guy discovered some new kind of visual aphrodisiac for women?

Had he been someone I would normally go out with, I would have taken him straight home and he would have gotten as lucky as it was possible to get.

As it was, after the match ended he took me to Bob's Big Boy for something to eat, part of his understanding of the dating ritual. Not exactly my usual fare. But he was probably on a limited budget and I know how to be gracious, even if I hadn't had much call to use it.

I was still fired up when we got to my door. What the hell. I would show nerd boy what kissing was all about. He was about to embark on the ride of his life. I put my arms around him and moved my lips toward his. He was surprisingly strong given that he had no visually apparent muscle.

A brief kiss. Nibble his lower lip with my lips. A tentative tongue across his lips. A little suction. Our tongues touched; they dueled back and forth. He ran his tongue along my teeth.

Oh my.

This was so good it took my breath away. We teased. We devoured. We consumed. It was the greatest kiss of my life. I felt like I was floating on air, protected by his strong arms. It seemed to go on forever. Then I became aware of a small group of girls across the street. They were applauding our kiss.

What had happened here?

I had intended to show him what an incredible kiss was like. Maybe I did. But he had certainly shown me as well.

I unlocked my door and dragged him in behind me. I headed straight for my bedroom with him in tow. I pushed him down on my bed and opened a few buttons on my blouse. I lowered myself on top of him and we went back to that scrumptious kissing.

I don't know how long we did that but it occurred to me at some point that he hadn't tried anything further.