Chapter Twenty
Chance
“Can I ask you a question?” Natalie asked abruptly.
She was seated in the passenger seat, with the seatbelt drawn over a white belted dress with long sleeves and a sexy low-cut neckline. Her body was angled towards me, and her expression was curious but slightly cautious.
“Sure.” I nodded.
We had been together for a few weeks now. It wasn’t the longest relationship I’d ever had, but it was the most meaningful. The sex had only gotten better, and the conversations were just as good. I had never experienced that before. Usually, if I could talk to a woman, I had no interest in sleeping with her, and if I was sleeping with her, I usually had little to no interest in what she had to say.
“And you’ll be honest?” Her blue eyes were wide and adamant.
“Of course,” I nodded.
“You’re not giving me preferential treatment in class because we’re…you know…”
I smiled. “Are you referring to the graded papers I returned to your class last week?”
“I got an A-minus,” she responded.
“If I had been giving you preferential treatment, I would have given you an A-plus.”
Natalie frowned as I reached over and took her hand. “Do you really think I’m the kind of guy who would mark you up for no other reason than the fact that you’re sleeping with me?”
“I don’t know; are you?”
“I gave you the grade you deserved,” I said firmly. “Your arguments were solid and well-reasoned, your information was up to date and well researched, and your writing was clear and to the point. That’s why you got an A-minus. If I’m being honest, another professor might have given you an A-plus for that paper.”
“Oh,” Natalie said. “Okay… Then why didn’t you give me an A-plus?”
I laughed. “I tend to mark severely in the months preceding finals. It’s a way to prepare my students for what’s to come so that they push a little harder. While your paper was near perfect, you repeated a few points, which is why I marked you down.”
“You mentioned that on my paper,” she nodded.
“Did you not think you deserved an A?”
“I did,” she replied. “I just wanted to make sure.”
“Stop second-guessing yourself,” I said. “You’re a fantastic student, and I think you know that. You could probably teach the class yourself.”
She smiled. “It’s funny…”
“What is?”
Natalie shrugged. “Well my major is Business and Economics,” she said. “But if I had to teach a subject I wouldn’t want to teach either one.”
“What would you teach?”
“History,” she replied.
“History, huh?” I said.
“I think I’d love that.”
“What kind of history would you teach?” I asked, with interest.
“British history would be my first choice,” she admitted. “But I’d also love teaching ancient history. I actually took both those courses in my first year. They were fantastic.”
“Who were your professors?”
“Jonathan Cooper for British History and Mira Kamal for Ancient History. She was the better lecturer, but he was more interactive.”
“What did you find so fascinating about British history, though?” I asked.
“You’re kidding, right?” Natalie said. “There’s the War of the Roses, the Tudor Dynasty, Imperialism.”
I laughed. “I’ll be honest; my interest was more on French history.”
“France,” she sighed lovingly. “I dream about France sometimes.”
“What do you dream about it?” I asked. “Apart from seeing the Eiffel Tower in snow?”
“Uh…the rest of the country.” Natalie laughed. “Paris is beautiful, and I understand why people love it so much. But there are other places to see in France. I want to see the cathedrals of Bordeaux; I want to walk through the vineyards in Loire Valley, I want to lie on the beaches of Biarritz. And most of all, I want to visit the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel.”
As usual, I found myself impressed with her vast knowledge of the world and all its wonders. She wasn’t just another college girl who loved France because it was a hot vacation spot for tourists. She was interested in the culture, the people, and the history of the country.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Abbey…Mont Saint… What was it again?”
“Mont Saint-Michel,” Natalie offered immediately. “The whole island is amazing. It’s such a unique plan; the buildings look as though they’ve been piled on top of one another with the abbey at the very top, like an architectural Christmas tree.”
I smiled, and she continued on passionately. “It was built around 708 AD by monks. Apparently, it’s said that the Bishop of Avranches was visited by the angel Michael, and this visit was what inspired the Abbey.”
She was so engrossed in the conversation that she barely noticed when I pulled to a stop and turned off the engine. I just let her talk, enjoying how passionate she was. I realized she was actually teaching me new things. Despite my travels, she still seemed to know more than I did.
“What?” Natalie asked, after a moment, realizing that I was staring at her. “Oh God, I’m talking too much aren’t?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I like listening to you talk.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I nodded. “You talk about real stuff; it’s refreshing.”
She smiled self-consciously. “I just talk about the things I love.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “Most girls your age talk about reality shows, clothes, and men.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Apparently you’ve been hanging out with the wrong group of twenty-one-year-olds.”
I smiled. “How about we continue this conversation inside?” I suggested.
Natalie looked up and gave a little start of surprise. “Oh God, we’re here already. I barely noticed. Was that really an hour’s drive?”
“An hour and twenty minutes,” I nodded. “But it’ll be worth it. Come on.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we are?”
“You’ll see in a minute,” I said, with a smile.
I got out of the car and walked around to open her door. As she stepped out, she shivered a little against the bracing cold, so I wrapped my arm around her as we walked to the entrance. The sign outside tipped her off, and she looked at me in surprise.
“Botanical gardens?”
I nodded. “I’m full of surprises, aren’t I? And the best part about this particular garden is that it’s indoors and it’s heated.”
“Does that mean we’re looking at tropical flora and fauna?”
“We are,” I nodded.
“You are surprising,” she exclaimed as I paid for our tickets.
We walked through to the entrance of the gardens, which took us through a small tunnel and through a black screen. Then we stepped out into a lush world of tropical beauty, and I heard Natalie gasp in appreciation.
“Wow,” she breathed.
It was huge. There were paths that led in a dozen different directions. There were overhead paths that looked like flying bridges and little alcoves that hid benches and miniature water fountains. The temperature was comfortably warm, and I felt Natalie relax against me.
“This is spectacular.”
“I thought you might like it.”
We started walking through the gardens, and every now and then she would point out a cluster of flowers that she recognized. She knew about blood lilies and African moon flowers, she could distinguish between different types of petunias, and all the different flowers she couldn’t recognize enamored her.
While she admired the lush and vibrant flora, I admired her. Sometimes, I would let her walk ahead of me so that I could appreciate her perfect silhouette. The cream-white dress she wore hugged her body in all the right places before fanning out at her waist. She had left her hair loose today, and I loved the way the darkness of her hair contrasted with the blue of her eyes and the white of her dress.
She was a moving masterpiece, a work of art, and I was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. The more we walked, the more worked up I got. And suddenly I was annoyed that I had chosen to bring her to such a public place. All I wanted was to take her into some dark corner, strip her naked, and ravage her until she was screaming my name.
I noticed that we weren’t the only couple in the gardens that night. The benches in the little alcoves were almost always occupied when we passed them by. In some cases, it seemed like a few couples just wanted a romantic setting to make out in.
Natalie turned to me, and my eyes fell to her low neckline. I could see the gentle curve of her breasts and felt myself harden slightly at the sight. She was obviously oblivious to my preoccupation because she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards one of the overhead bridges.
“This is the perfect place for a date,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How many other girlfriends have you brought here?” she asked, teasingly.
I smiled. “None.”
“None?” she repeated.
I nodded. “You’re the only one I’ve brought here.”
She seemed surprised by that. “Why?”
“Because you’re honestly the only girl I’ve ever dated.”
“What?” Now she looked really shocked.
“I’ve never been into relationships,” I told her honestly. “I’ve had flings, hookups, and one-night stands, but never anything very serious.”
Natalie was quiet for a moment, and I could see that her blue eyes were thoughtful. “Wow, I guess I didn’t realize that. Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“How many women have you been with?”
I suppose I should have seen that question coming, but it still took me off guard a little. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to scare her away by telling her about my sordid past.
“Uh…”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said, sensing my reluctance. “But I suppose I’m curious.”
I knew I had to answer her question now. If I didn’t, she would make assumptions, and that might end up worse for me.
“I’ve been with more women than I can count,” I told her honestly. “I don’t know the exact number. Less than fifty, more than thirty.”
Natalie nodded slowly. “That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?”
I smiled. “Does that bother you?”
“No,” she said, but she answered too fast, and I heard her voice stumble a little.
I wondered if I had just made a mistake by telling her the truth. Not only had I told her I had never really had a committed relationship with a woman, I had also told her that I had had casual sex with a string of different women. I reminded myself that she had been a virgin when she’d met me.
“It’s okay,” I told her gently, as I took her hand. “You can be honest with me.”
Natalie took a deep breath. “I don’t care about your past, Chance,” she said. “It’s just that… You know I have very little experience. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I can’t really compete with all the women who came before me.”
I was floored that she would believe that. “The women who came before you weren’t special like you are,” I said. “If they had been, I would have loved them longer.”
She smiled, but she didn’t seem convinced.
“Natalie,” I said. “You are beautiful.”
“Stop—”
“No, really,” I insisted. “To me, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve been with. And that’s not just because of your face or your body; it’s because of who you are. It’s because of the person you are. You’re smart and intelligent and witty and curious, and I love that about you. You don’t have to worry about any of the women who have come before you because none of them compare to you. None of them even come close.”
She gave me a shy smile. “And you don’t care that I’m so inexperienced? It’s not off-putting in bed?”
I raised my eyebrows at her in disbelief. How could she possibly think that I am not completely and utterly beguiled by her? I pulled her towards me and kissed her at the nape of her neck.
“You have no idea how sexy I find you,” I whispered to her. “Sometimes when we’re in that crowded lecture hall, it’s hard for me to keep my hands to myself. It’s hard for me now.”
Natalie looked up at me, and her eyes were both teasing and seductive. “I can feel how hard it is.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you up for something outrageous?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Like what?”
“I want to fuck you.”
“Here?” she sounded instantly nervous.
“In the backseat of my car.”
“I…someone might see us.”
“That’s part of the turn on,” I told her. “And at this moment, I want you so badly, I don’t think I would care if everyone saw us.”
She smiled and I saw a spark of desire in her eyes. “I… Okay,” she said, at last.
“Okay?” I asked again, to make certain.
She took a deep breath and smiled. “I’ve come this far; why stop now?”