22
Emily
My first class was at nine the next morning. I spent a little extra time getting ready. I had butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to look nice for Chad.
Wow, that was a new concept for me. I hadn’t cared about how I looked in front of Martin for the longest time. In fact I rarely did anything to make myself feel pretty around him. That said something, didn’t it? He never commented on how I looked unless a little cleavage was showing. He didn’t like that. A little provocative, don’t you think? Well, screw him. Today was a new day. I was going to let a little bit of my skin show.
I got to class about ten minutes early and saw that Chad was already seated. I took a deep breath and walked right up to where he was sitting.
“Good morning, Chad. Is this seat taken?” I asked him demurely. I tried to keep a serious face, but that was futile. The way he looked at me made me smile from my head to my toes.
He reacted to me with a smile that could light up the room. “I was hoping you would sit next to me,” he said huskily.
I could feel myself blushing. He was probably the sexiest man I had ever met in my life, and he wanted me. I was blown away by the intensity of our attraction to one another. When he asked me to sit next to him, I realized his deep, baritone voice made him even that much sexier. Everything about this man got my juices flowing. The way he looked, the way he smelled, the way he sounded…I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning.
“Thank you. Did you get home OK last night?” I asked him.
“Sure did. The cab drivers are intense in this city. Like I said yesterday, I feel like I’m on a roller-coaster ride every time I get in one of their cars. I’m still not sure if I should be excited or terrified.”
His comment about our New York cabbies made me laugh. It was so interesting getting an outsider’s perspective on the city I had lived in my entire life and thoroughly loved.
“Just think of it as part of the adventure. New York is unlike any other city in the world, and it seems like you’ve adapted pretty well over the past year.”
We continued to talk for several minutes before the professor got to class. Chad was listening to me intently, which I realized was something I’d never had with a man before. Martin was always absorbed in his own stuff and never seemed to care about what I had to say. Two days into this relationship was more real than three years with Martin. Could this really be happening? I needed someone to pinch me.
“You really love it here, don’t you?” he asked me, bringing me back to the present.
“Yeah, I guess I do. New York is my home. Even when our family split up, I could count on New York for remaining constant. Its energy was my solace, if that makes any sense. I was grateful we didn’t relocate. That would have been devastating. I was constantly reminded of how fortunate I was growing up because of the diversity of the population all around me. There are a lot of poor and homeless people here. I have never taken my privileges for granted. You know, my father is wealthy, and I have never wanted for anything. But for some reason, I never let it define me. I always worked hard in school. I never wanted anything I didn’t earn.
“I’ve wanted to be an attorney for as long as I can remember. It always felt like a profession that would allow me to give back, since I’ve been given so much. I watched a documentary a few years back about battered women. It blew me away how many women are physically and emotionally abused by the men who supposedly love them. The women came from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The abuse didn’t discriminate by wealth or race. Any woman could be at risk.
“It was at that moment I realized I had to get the kind of education that would give me the power to help these women. I know there isn’t a lot of money in this kind of law, but I don’t care. If I can help one woman attain the power and resources to feel safe, then my life will be complete.”
It felt so good to share my dream with him. He cared about what I was saying, which made it even more special. Martin thought I should aspire to work in a field that would be more lucrative. It was all about money and prestige with him. Neither of those things matters to me.
Chad reached out and took my hand in his. I looked down at our joined hands and then up at his face.
“You are incredible,” was all he said.
At that moment the professor walked up to his podium and announced, “Let’s get started.” That was lousy timing. I could have continued to sit there and talk to Chad for hours.
He said I was incredible. No one had said anything like that to me in my entire lifetime either. The various adjectives Chad used to describe me over the past two days were all foreign concepts to me. I never felt beautiful, adorable, or incredible. My father would commend me on my good grades, and I appreciated that he paid attention to how hard I worked. He was very supportive and encouraging. I never got any positive affirmation from my mother. If anything, all I ever got from her was criticism and disdain. She definitely didn’t help my self-esteem any. And at that point in my life, I didn’t expect my relationship with her to change. It was unfortunate, but I was tired of trying to make her love me.
Martin assured me we would make an excellent powerhouse couple, whatever that was supposed to mean. But there was this near stranger who’d told me I was incredible, which may have been a short statement, but it was profound. In our short time together, I had shared more things with him than I had with almost anyone in my life. He listened to my story and was impressed by my need to help women who found it impossible to help themselves.
I had a difficult time processing anything the professor said. It was one of our longer lectures. It lasted two hours. I wasn’t sure if the time flew or passed at a snail’s pace. To say I was distracted would be an understatement. I was blown away by the adoration I was receiving from Chad. It was such a welcome change, and it made me feel really good.
When the class ended, Chad and I gathered our things and walked toward the door together. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what that something should be. I was still thinking about our exchange before class.
“Hey, how about taking a walk with me so we can get something to eat?” he asked me. “There’s a Mexican place not too far from here that makes the best salsa. And since our next class isn’t until one, we have plenty of time.”
Oh, thank God he said something. I didn’t want our time together to end either. “I’d like that,” I told him. Having lunch together was the perfect suggestion. I followed Chad as we walked toward the exit of the building. I felt like I should make some kind of conversation. “So what did you think of that lecture?” I asked him.
“I’m convinced law school is a long three years,” he said jovially. “Thank goodness we have only two years left.”
I had to laugh. I had been just as bored. “I agree. I’m not sure he had any inflection in his voice. I think it was one of the longest lectures I’ve ever sat through. I wonder if he was performing an experiment to see how many students could fall asleep. The girl next to me had the hardest time keeping her head up. It kept drooping down as she nodded off. Although I was embarrassed for her, there was a part of me that wanted to join her in her slumber.”
Chad started laughing. “Yeah, I saw her. The guy behind me started to snore at one point. I think the girl next to him kicked him so he would wake up. I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t want to seem rude.”
It didn’t take long to get to the restaurant. We ordered chips, salsa, and burritos. There was a small table in the back where we could sit. I dug right into the burrito. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so I was starving.
It didn’t take long for us to finish. I knew I ate too fast, but it was so good, and there was a part of me that was feeling nervous. Suddenly I realized I had eaten every bit of the burrito and was overstuffed. I thought I could feel some guacamole or salsa on my face. Before I had the chance to wipe it off, Chad reached across the table and removed the food off my cheek and the corner of my mouth with his napkin.
“Why, thank you,” I said. I was blushing again. I had to wonder if this schoolgirl crush thing would ever pass. He was just sexy and considerate and a million other amazing qualities. It made me feel giddy, young and…deliriously happy.
“My pleasure. So what do you think? Pretty good, huh?”
“It’s probably the best burrito I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place. It takes a foreigner to show me where the good places to eat are.”
Chad laughed at that remark. “California isn’t that far away, you know. Have you ever been there?” he asked me.
“No, the farthest west I’ve traveled is Las Vegas. I’ve been to many East Coast states and to Europe several times but never California. I’d like to go there sometime,” I mused.
“Well, I’d like to take you there.” Chad smiled at me, and then the smile faded. I could tell he wanted to say something serious, and it made me nervous. “Hey, I’m sorry about kissing you last night. I don’t want to put any pressure on you or rush you. I know you just broke up with Mr. Serious.”
Wow, I wasn’t sure what to say. I liked the kiss. I wanted more. The new and improved Emily vowed to be more spontaneous and one-hundred percent honest. “I’m not sorry. In fact, I found it to be quite…pleasant.”
“Pleasant? Shit. I need to work on my skills. Pleasant refers to a walk in a park on a sunny day, not a kiss. Damn, I’m losing my touch. New York is going to be the death of me yet,” he said sarcastically and dropped his head in his hands.
“No, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I just…well—”
“Well what? You’re crushing my ego, Miss Jensen,” he interrupted me with a pouty expression on his face. That is when I realized he was teasing me.
“It was more than pleasant. It was, by far, the most passionate kiss I’ve ever received. Chad, I’m not sorry you kissed me. The only thing I was sorry about was that it ended so quickly.” Even though I was desperately trying to approach this relationship more openly, I was embarrassed by my honest response to him. I never spoke so candidly about these kinds of things before. I was sure my face was a raging shade of scarlet.
“Really?” he asked me. His whole demeanor changed. He looked curious at first and then pleased.
“Really. I was sorry to see you leave.”
Apparently that was the right thing for me to say. Chad got the biggest grin on his face. “Well then. We need to rectify this situation. How about a study date at my place later on? I’ll pick up some Chinese, and we’ll get to know each other better. And if I get lucky, I’ll show you what a kick-ass kisser I can be,” he said enthusiastically.
His jovial manner was so refreshing. I found everything about him quite exciting, and I wanted to spend every minute with this guy. There was still a part of me that couldn’t understand what he saw in me, but I didn’t care. I believed his attraction was genuine, and I was going for it.
“I would love to hang out, but I have a ton of reading to get through,” I said dejectedly. That was definitely not the answer I wanted to give him, but I didn’t feel like there was any choice. I did have a lot of reading to finish before the next class.
“Hmm, that was not the response I was hoping for, but I guess one of us needs to remain levelheaded in this relationship. How’s this? Let’s make an agreement to get all of our reading done after dinner, and then, if I get lucky, we can hang out and practice kissing,” he suggested. The way he smiled at me made it impossible for me to refuse.
I reached across the table to shake his hand. “Deal.”
He took my hand and shook it firmly, then turned it and raised it to his mouth. He kissed the back of my hand as he rubbed his thumb across my fingers. I felt chills run up my arm and into places I never expected. I couldn’t believe how his small gesture could evoke such a strong response in me. I wanted to feel his full lips kissing every part of my body. When he looked up at me, his eyes were smiling. Did he have any idea what he was doing to me?
I was too mesmerized to speak. He must have noticed. “Deal,” he said to my last response, which seemed forever ago. “But now we must get back to school. Class starts soon. Are you ready?”
School was the last place I wanted to go. “Sure,” I said feebly. He was still holding my hand as he went to stand up. I thought he would let go. He didn’t. He adjusted the position of his hand in mine so we could hold hands as we left the restaurant. His hand was nearly twice the size of mine. The way he held it made me feel special. Come to think of it, I couldn’t really remember holding Martin’s hand very often, if at all. He wasn’t a demonstrative man. One time, I tried to hold his hand when we were walking into a restaurant, and he told me he wasn’t comfortable with public displays of affection. It seemed very strange to be holding hands with a man I’d known for only a short time. Strange but nice.
When we walked out to the street, I felt elated. I didn’t realize how much I craved a man’s touch. The simple act of holding hands was making me dizzy with excitement. In fact, my hand was starting to sweat.
“A penny for your thoughts?” His question interrupted my reverie. I looked at him and couldn’t help but notice how all of his attention was focused on me.
“I like this,” was the best I could come up with.
He looked confused. “Like what?”
I felt embarrassed telling him what I was feeling, but I knew I needed to continue to practice being open and honest about what I wanted. I’d learned the hard way that sacrificing your needs is not good for a relationship. “Holding hands. I know it may sound corny, but I’ve never held hands with a man in public before. It feels nice.”
He laughed. “You know, you’re crushing my masculine ego, Emily. First my kiss was pleasant. Now my hand is nice. Girl, I can’t wait to rock your world!”
After he said that, he pushed me against a building and planted the most intense kiss ever on my lips. First his mouth was soft and warm. Then, as I kissed him back, he opened his mouth, searching for the inside of mine. I opened my mouth eagerly and let him take over. He sucked on my tongue, and I could feel the goose bumps on my skin, the butterflies in my stomach, and the stirrings between my legs.
As he explored my mouth, his hands reached under my hair so he could hold the base of my head just the way he wanted, to have optimal access to my mouth. My hands instinctively wrapped around his waist to pull him closer. I could feel the weight of his body press against me. It was erotic. We were in the middle of New York City, with hundreds of people scurrying to lunch or work around us, leaning against the side of a random building sucking face. I didn’t care. Before yesterday, I had never been kissed like this before, especially in public. It was thrilling.
I was enjoying the feelings that were passing through my body when he pulled away and looked at me. “Tell me. Was that…nice? Pleasant?”
I could barely catch my breath. I didn’t even realize I was breathing so hard. I was too caught up in the moment. Describing what his kisses did to me would have been difficult to put into words. They were amazing, fantastic, and erotic. Coming up with the right word was impossible. He kept staring at me, waiting for an answer.
“Now that was a freaking amazing kiss!” I said to him.
Chad laughed. “That’s more like it,” he beamed. “C’mon, let’s get back before I get too carried away and get arrested for doing something indecent in public. I don’t think either one of us wants to get arrested. It wouldn’t be good for our image as aspiring attorneys.” I loved his playful demeanor. It made me feel young and carefree.
He grabbed my hand once again, and we started to walk toward school. I felt a kind of high I had never experienced before. In a very short time, I felt like I knew Chad better than I’d ever known Martin, and I certainly liked him better already. It had been only a few days, but this guy was seriously rocking my world.