And now I was going to be seriously late. And I still didn’t have caffeine. But I did have the image and feel of a woman with curves that would haunt my memory for ages to come.
I ignored the taunting jeers from my fellow classmates, my professor, and my TA as I finally made my way to class and was forced to sit up front. That’s where all the late students were placed.
I pulled out my notebook and took copious notes, hoping to hell I’d be able to understand them later.
Damn, I needed a fucking cup of coffee.
And I needed to get that girl out of my head. I hadn’t even asked her name. Sure, I might know what she felt like up against me now, but that didn’t matter. I would never see her again. And that was fine with me.
As soon as class ended, I piled my things into my bag, waved off a friend, and practically ran to the coffee place.
Thankfully, I was somehow first in line. We were between breaks, and the organic chemistry class went a little longer than others. I got a venti triple shot macchiato and nearly chugged it, ignoring the burn on my tongue.
I turned the corner and cursed as the coffee slopped over the rim of my cup onto my shirt, and I nearly ran into someone.
Again.
I looked down at the girl and let out a laugh. “Oh, you.”
She looked up at me and tilted her head. “You. You need to watch where you’re going.”
“Maybe. However, fancy meeting you here again.”
“Really? That’s the line you’re going with? Fancy meeting you here?”
“We’ve run into each other twice in one day. It has to mean something.”
“It means that we have a similar class schedule on the north side of campus, and both of us needed caffeine.”
I looked down at her empty hands. “I don’t see any caffeine.”
“I’ve been trying to get some all day and haven’t been able to. But thank you for that.”
“Here, let me buy you a cup. I could probably use a second one.”
She studied my face. “We better hurry or we’re going to end up at the end of a long line.”
“You’re not going to say no?” I asked with a laugh.
“I want coffee. You’re offering to pay. I’m fine with that. As long as you realize that this doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with you.”
I nearly choked. “Oh, uh… I didn’t, uh… You know, never mind.”
“I take it you’re not an English major?” she asked, and I nearly sniped back before I saw the laughter in her eyes.
“Drama, actually. I want to be an actor.” I made sure I said, actor in a snotty, fake British accent, and her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she laughed.
“I’m sorry, I had a really hard economics test today, and I hated it. Why do I need to know economics?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, other than it’s a general requirement, probably because it helps make the world go ‘round.”
“Maybe. And if I want to own my own business someday, I guess I need to know it.”
I studied her face, wanting to know more. “So, you’re a business major?”
“No. I’m an economics major,” she said, and I nearly tripped again.
“And you hate it?”
“I’m a freshman. Apparently, when you’re seventeen and not allowed to fill out your forms without your mom and dad signing them, you don’t get to pick your major.”
I ignored the sad twinge that she was only seventeen. Down, boy. “Oh, well, I guess you’re super smart for getting in early.”
She shook her head. “I’m eighteen now. I have a summer birthday. That means I get screwed out of some things. But I’m an adult now, and I’m taking the classes that I want. Even if my parents decided to move to this state to be near me for the semester.”
My eyes widened at that. “Your parents were able to move here for a semester? From where?”
“California. I know, I know. They’re super overprotective and always in my business. It’s probably why I haven’t ever had a serious boyfriend.” Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. It made her look really pretty.
“What is your name, by the way? I’m Nate. Nathan. But I go by Nate.”
“I like both. I might just have to call you Nathan. At least, you know, if I ever see you again.” She laughed. “I’m Myra. Sorry. I’m not good at this whole human interaction thing. Or maybe I used to be and then moving out here where the air is really thin made me realize that I had no idea what I was doing.”
I laughed, and we went to the front of the line. I let her order and got a second macchiato for myself. I would be jittery as hell by the end of the day, but I didn’t mind.
And I had a feeling that maybe the jitters didn’t come from the coffee. Perhaps they were from the girl at my side.
“Are you kidding me? How do you know that?” Myra said, stealing a dumpling from my plate.
I tapped her hand with my chopstick, but she was too fast for me, so I stole a crab rangoon from hers.
“Hey, that was mine.”
“No, you ate my dumpling, so this is mine. To answer your question, I knew the answer to that because I took that class last semester. Same professor and everything. Tests are different, though, so I can’t help you there.”
Myra shook her head. “I wouldn’t accept them anyway. I’m not a cheat.”
I held up my hands, chopsticks and all. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insinuate you were. I’m just used to saying shit like that because many of the people around here want the easy way out.”
“I may hate my major and will likely change soon, but I don’t want the easy way out. I want to learn. I want to do things. I want to be somebody.”
I leaned down and captured her lips with mine, sinking into her. She was soft and sweet and gentle. And she made me think of happiness and a future. I didn’t know why, I knew we were too young, and that everything was going way too fast, but I was falling in love with Myra.
And my family would rip into me if they ever found out.
“I thought we were supposed to be studying and finishing our dinner,” Myra whispered against my lips.
“If that’s what you want to do,” I grumbled, and then she kissed me harder.
My pulse raced, and I set down the chopsticks so I could cup her face with my hands.
“I want to, Nathan,” she whispered, her voice soft, sweet but also sure.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We can wait.”
“I’m not a virgin, Nathan. Neither are you. I want to be with you.”
“Okay,” I whispered and kissed her again.
I led her down to the couch, taking it slow, running my hands up and down her body as she did the same with mine, both of us learning each other. We had nearly gone this far before, still feeling like this was new, as if the times we had been with others hadn’t prepared us for what this was.
This had to mean something—the seriousness of it all. Only, I didn’t know what.
I kissed her softly, needing her, bringing her closer to the edge. And when I slipped inside her, we both moaned. Her hands clutched my body, and my hips nestled against hers. And then we moved, arching into each other as if we had never been like this before. And maybe we hadn’t.