96 comments/ 91132 views/ 180 favorites An Unwitting Discovery By: MindsMirror Notes [Last revised 9/14/15]: An Unwitting Discovery "Well, uh, no ma'am. I - uh - sorta - um - uh," I stammered. "I changed majors - um - uh - from engineering," I finally worked it out. "How'd they let you take this advanced course?" she asked ponderously. "Well, I took the three core courses, last year, and got all A's. I'm taking a fourth, now. When I met with my new advisor, she recommended I take this one as well, 'cause it was only offered every two years," I told her, loosening up a little. "Taking this fourth core biology class, and a couple organic chemistry courses, will put me on track to finish in four years, despite the change in my major - though I'll probably have to take some summer courses, to make that plan work." "I'm a junior, this year; I'm just surprised at your grasp of the material," she complimented me. "I was wondering: would you like to be study partners?" "You - um - oh - hm - uh - yeah - ah - sure," I fumbled the words out. I hoped she didn't see how I was looking at her. I desperately didn't want to screw this up. My mind was racing around faster than a one-armed paperhanger. "Uh - when would - um - you - um." She came to my rescue. She gently placed her hand upon my shoulder and said, "Tommy, you were really well spoken in class, just now. Calm down and just talk to me, okay?" That was it; I was done. She owned my heart, right then and there. "Okay, Suzan. When would you like to study?" I asked with clarity that surprised even me. "Well, I have a part-time job after classes most days, but I'm off by 9:00 PM. We could meet up in the library or my apartment, but I have roommates." "Okay, the library is good. I have an apartment, too. But no roommates," I offered. I knew I'd stepped in it, then, 'cause she'd never think to be alone with me, the way I was practically ogling her. "Oh, really? That might be better than the library," she said, as my jaw dropped open. She smiled pleasantly for a few moments, probably waiting for me to respond. "Hey, Tommy. You might want to close that. People are going to stare," she teased me back to my senses. "Look, you give me the address, and I'll bring some food from where I work." She was going to bring food, too? "Oh, okay. You want me to just text it to you?" "Yeah, perfect. Give me your phone." I gave her my phone and she texted herself, so I'd have the number and she'd have mine. Then she gave it back and said, "Okay, just text me the address. I have to work early today, so I've got to go. See you this evening." She walked away briskly. I watched her hips sway back and forth to the end of the hall. I'd've rather watched her walk than eat fried chicken - and, for a Southerner, that's sayin' a lot! I couldn't help myself. I spent the rest of the day thinking about her. I had a few gals that I hung out with in high school but most never really took a fancy to me. In my senior year, I'd got involved with one of them. Come to think of it, she'd been in my biology class, too. The relationship had been fairly short, though. After she ended it, she'd moved on pretty quickly to a fella that had graduated a couple years before. He had a car, an apartment, and a job managing a fast food place. I figured she'd dumped me for him 'cause she thought I was a poor trailer dweller, and probably didn't imagine I was going anywhere. I seemed to get that a lot, after Mom moved us into that trailer park. The names I used to hear, as I got on the bus, would make a sailor blush. What none of 'em knew was that I couldn't wait to get out of that place. Suzan's voice had not even a hint of accent. If you'd asked me where she was from, I'd have just said, "Heaven". I couldn't blow this chance, so when I got home I cleaned everything. I mean everything. I knew we were going to study, but I didn't want her to even get a sideways thought. Studying was going to be the easy part. What was hard would be not rushing things, thus making her think I was some kind of weirdo who falls in love at first sight. Around 8:00 I texted Suzan the address and got a shower. Cleaning up the apartment had given me an odor that might have put off seasoned farm hands, and I really wanted to make a good first impression. In the shower I found myself with a real rigid problem that wouldn't be dissuaded. I wasn't about to let it get the better of me, so I beat it back with vigor. In the end, it had taken two attempts to straighten it out and, by the time I got out of the shower, it was almost nine. I'd blown a lot of time on that exercise, but I definitely didn't want to frighten Suzan off. In my small bedroom, I put on clean underwear, jeans, a shirt, socks and boots. What seemed like just a few moments later, there was a knock at my door. When I opened it, she was standing there, still wearing the cute outfit she'd had on earlier. The difference was she smelled like food. It might have actually been the food she'd brought; she had a bag in her hand. After I stared at her for what was probably too long, I finally invited her inside my little efficiency apartment. "I'm sorry. Excuse my manners, I haven't had a woman over here," I offered. What? What did I just say? I asked myself. "Thanks for doing this, Tommy. I brought some chicken Chow Mein. I hope that's alright." "I'm sure it's better than my cooking," I chuckled in response. She stepped into my apartment, and deposited a big paper bag on the table in the kitchenette. I dug out some plates and utensils. "I don't have any chopsticks," I told her. "I don't use them - never learned how. But I brought some, in case you wanted to try," she winked at me. I didn't know what to think. If she was trying to win my favor, she'd already done it. I think I'd have crawled over cactus for her, if she'd asked. I tried to keep my cool, as my two hungers battled for dominance. "You want something to drink?" I asked, finally. "Sure; what do you have?" "Well, I have some coke or water." "What kind is it?" "Well, I've got grape or orange." "I'll take grape," she said, a little oddly. "Sorry, I guess it must be a Texas thing. Back home, 'coke' ain't Coke-a-Cola. It's just a generic term for what northern folk might call 'soda' or 'pop' - any carbonated beverage." I explained, as I poured us each a glass of grape fizz. Suzan opened the containers and dished the food out onto the plates, and we were soon digging into the Chow Mein. I decided to use the chopsticks that she'd brought. Dad had taught me how, when I was like five and, anymore, eating Chinese with a fork just didn't seem 'right'. When she saw me dig in, with them, Suzan took a stab at it, too. She was struggling a bit, so I showed her the trick. I placed the first stick across her middle finger and between the bend of the thumb and index finger. Then, I had her pinch the second stick between her thumb and index finger. Touching her right hand with both of mine, as I got her set up, had put me back on alert below the table. I tried to ignore it and hoped it wasn't noticeable. After just a few more attempts with the chopsticks, she'd gotten the hang of them and was happily chowing down like a character in a Bruce Lee movie. "You're just a natural born teacher, aren't you?" she asked. "Well, my dad taught me, and he's got a knack for making things pretty simple," I blushed. "It must run in the family, then." she smiled. After the meal, I told her, "I'll clean all this up later. We should get to studying, before it's too late." I moved the plates and containers to the sink and wiped off the table. "Yeah, I just thought this first night could be a 'get acquainted' thing," she said, as she got out her books. She had all the books I had, plus another that I hadn't seen. "Is that the lab manual?" I asked. "Yeah, we have a lab at the end of each week. I heard that this guy really pushes the labs hard." "I haven't found that book yet. The book store was out." "Well, maybe we can be lab partners, too," she said cheerfully. "Then we can share this one." We dug into the books and covered much of the same material I'd read through, the previous night. This time, though, it wasn't just me reading the stuff. The two of us conversed about the material. It was kind of funny, really. She kept telling me that I was helping her, but some of her insights really brought things full circle for me. We wrapped things up, long about midnight, and planned another session for Friday night. That would give us time to work through the results of our lab, prepare our report, and get it perfect before turning it in on Monday. I walked her down to her car, then. My apartment wasn't in a bad part of town, but the parking area wasn't very well lit. Besides, during my visits with him, Dad taught me to be a gentleman. Walking Suzan to her car was the gentlemanly thing to do. We arrived at her beat up old Corolla, and she put her backpack on the passenger seat. I followed her around to the other side of the car, and just barely remembered to reach out and open the door for her. The payoff, for that little effort, came in the form of the thousand-watt smile she aimed at me. "Thanks, again, for this," she said. "No; thank you! I really got something out of this, too!" I told her. Then, out of nowhere, she planted a kiss lightly on my cheek. "Good night, Tommy." "Good night, Suzan." I knew I was blushing six shades of red. I wondered if she could see it under the dim lighting, as I dared to lean closer and kiss her cheek, in return I couldn't believe my luck. I didn't know it yet, but my drought was about to end with a flood! The next day in class, Suzan sat in back beside me. I took notes in the textbook margins and in a separate composition book if there was something special covered. The professor appeared to be sticking to the book fairly closely. Suzan was just writing in her notebook but occasionally glanced over to see what I was doing. I couldn't help feel a bit self-conscious since I was technically the underclassman in this. Her frequent inspection was also giving me a bit of an arousal issue, too. About halfway through the class, I noticed her glances drop lower, and I saw a faint smile appear on her face. Talk about embarrassment! My eyes closed involuntarily, wincing at my body's betrayal. Toward the end of class, the professor handed back our quizzes. I had, indeed, gotten a 100%. Suzan had missed one question, for a 90%, which was still an A on his ten-point scale. After he finished, he opened up the class to questions about the quiz and the homework he'd assigned. There was a smattering of questions but nothing of real importance, so we were let out a couple of minutes early. The homework would be due Monday, along with the report on the lab assignment. In the hall Suzan chatted with me briefly. "You're just full of surprises," she said. "Franklin's comment about the pace of the course, that first day, was a little scary," I admitted. "So I read the first several chapters of the book that night." I didn't want to admit how much of the book I had actually read as I saw her looking at the Good Job! comment that the professor had written on my quiz. "Well, I think I picked the right study partner," she said, as she gave me another peck on the cheek. I was blushing again. I couldn't believe she'd done that right there, in the hall. I wanted to grab her and kiss her back, but I tried to remain calm. "I can't wait to do the lab. I need to check the other bookstores and see if any have that lab book." "We can share until you find one," she offered. "I need to go to work now, but I'll see you in class, tomorrow." This time, I escorted her to her car, and we chatted idly as we walked toward the parking lot. "What's your next class?" she asked, at one point. BIO 310 was the last class I had, that day. "Thursday is my light day," I told Suzan. "I get to go home." "Don't you have a job, Tommy?" "No," I blushed, "My Dad is footing the bill for all this." "Wow, my parents basically raised me and were done," she said, a bit dejected. "Yeah, my step-father would have done the same, but my Dad is the best. He wanted me to not have to choose between an obligation to a job to earn college money, or extra study time when I needed it. When do you get off, tonight?" She took my question as an invitation, "I wish I could come back over tonight, but I'm supposed to work until closing. I'll see you tomorrow, though," she smiled coyly, as she dropped her gaze towards my crotch. My arousal had evidently returned without me really noticing. Suzan clearly had me melted like putty in her hand. She told me, "Bye" and got into her car. After I watched her go, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her long straight strawberry blond hair had smelled wonderful. She didn't over-use fragrances, in fact I don't know if I even smelled a particular scent. She definitely smelled feminine. There was another odor there too; it smelled like home. It reminded me of my favorite feather pillow, back when I was a child. It made me want to curl into a fetal position in a nice warm bed, which was a very odd sensation to be having on this hot August day. Clearing these aroma-triggered memories from my mind, I started walking towards the bookstore to see if they had gotten the lab book I still needed. The campus bookstore said they were still having trouble getting it. The professor had given them the wrong student count for the class. I spent the rest of the afternoon driving around to several other bookstores looking for it. Around six, that night, I returned to my apartment, having had no success at any of the bookstores. I would not be able to prepare for the lab like I wanted to. My late registration for the class was probably the cause of the book shortage. Inside my efficiency, I pulled out my laptop, opened it on the kitchen table, and started searching for the book online. I found a copy, but it wouldn't be there until next week. I went ahead and ordered it, and then started searching to see if I could find and electronic version somewhere. By nine o'clock, I was tired of looking and getting hungry. I put the laptop away and warmed up some of the Chinese that Suzan had brought. I really wished she didn't have to work late. I'd have given anything to see her right then, and my thoughts weren't very scholarly. After eating I had decided to go ahead and turn in early for the night, when I got a text. "Hey - got off early. Still want to prepare for the lab?" "Yes!" I pressed send and instantly hoped the exclamation point didn't make me seem too desperate. She was at my place in moments, knocking on the door. "You must have texted from just down the street," I said, grinning, as I opened the door and welcomed her inside. "Yeah, I had thought about going back to my place, but I could use some prep for the lab." God, she smelled good. It wasn't the food smell, either. "I looked for the book again today, still no luck, so I ordered it. But it won't be here until next week." "Oh, that's too bad. I should have let you borrow mine," she said apologetically. "Well, you're here now," I said. My eyes roamed over her. I really couldn't help it. She caught me looking and just smiled. Her emerald eyes twinkled as she watched me, now. "Why don't we study for that lab," she suggested, as she placed her backpack on my table. "Okay, I guess I could sit still for that," I said, stupidly. "What'd you say?" "Oh, sorry; What I meant, was, Yes, ma'am. " "No, what did you say?" "It's silly," I said. "I'm still working on dropping my Texan lingo. I'd sit still for that just means I'm up for doing that. I wouldn't get up and walk away." I knew I was blushing furiously. Amongst the youth around Austin, that phrase frequently carried a second, less wholesome, meaning. "That's so cute," she said stroking my cheek. She literally had no accent. Well, maybe it was an American accent, thinking of the various European accents I'd heard. But to me she spoke like one of those television news anchors. "Where are you from, Suzan?" I asked, trying to place her voice. "Well I spent most of my childhood around northern Virginia, but we moved around every few years. I ended up in Durham, for high school. Then I started school here just as my parents moved out to the west coast." I guessed all that moving from place to place probably did wash away most her accent. "Why'd you move around so much?" I asked, since it seemed like she was being open. She didn't answer right away. Something was making her hesitate. "Well, my dad is a preacher," she finally said, not offering any further details. "Hmm, that makes sense." I felt like maybe I'd touched on a sore topic. She looked pretty nervous about something, so I suggested, "Well, let's get started." We sat at the kitchen table together. First we worked on the homework for Monday, to see if there were any problems that would need extra research. Then we went through both the lab procedures, and all of the questions about the lab, to make doubly sure we knew what we needed to look for during the session. When we thought we were ready, and had all of our steps planned out, we decided to call it a night. All that felt like it took about an hour. However, the clock on the stove read a quarter after one. "Jeez, Suzan!" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize it was so late!" "Well, crap, our time just slipped away," she said thoughtfully. "And, here, I thought time only flew when you're having fun!" "Or when you're with someone who's fun to be with," I offered, suddenly wondering where I'd gotten the mettle to make such a statement. Her gaze transfixed me again. "That's true, too," she agreed, nodding. I wondered if I should offer for her to stay the night, for a short moment, and then decided I was on a role, so 'nothing ventured, nothing gained.' "Hey, uh... maybe... um... You want to stay here, tonight?" I asked the question awkwardly. She looked around the apartment. There was only the double bed just visible through the doorway to the bedroom. I didn't have a couch or even an easy chair and I could see her hesitation. "I um... didn't mean we - " "Sure," she said, cutting me off. "We can put a rolled-up blanket down the middle of the bed, or something." "Don't be silly, Tommy; I trust you. I was just thinking - I didn't bring a change of clothes." she said. "I have some long tee shirts. You can pick one out, if you like." I offered. "Yeah, that'd be great." Leading her to the bedroom dresser, I pulled open a drawer filled with neatly folded tee shirts and told her, "You choose whatever you like." A cute little smile crept across her lips, "Wow, so neat." My heart leapt. Her praise instantly rewarded for the time I'd spent all that time cleaning. You can't beat making a good first impression on a girl, and you sure can't undo making a bad one. After she picked one out, I went to the bathroom to get her a toothbrush. I pulled the remnants of a four-pack from the cabinet under the sink, and handed it to her. "You can have one of these, too. What time is your first class?" I asked. "Not until 10:00, so I should have time to go back to my apartment and change," she said, as she headed into the bathroom. "Thanks, for the toothbrush. I'll be out in just a minute." While she was in the bathroom, I changed quickly into some gym shorts and a tee shirt. I heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink started. My heart rate was increasing as this situation was unfolding. I wondered at Suzan's trust in me; I wasn't entirely sure I trusted myself. I mean, I trusted my waking self, but what might I do in my sleep? The doorknob was turning, now. The light from the bathroom streamed out into the bedroom. An Unwitting Discovery Suzan stepped into the room and placed her neatly folded clothing on my dresser by the door. The pile appeared to include a bra. The tee shirt she'd selected came down far enough to just barely cover her panties. I felt my face flush as she turned back to face me. Then she did a little 'ballerina' spin, with a knowing smile on her face. "Look okay?" she asked. "Lots better than just 'okay'," I ventured, earning myself a bright smile from her. "You're my guest, so pick whichever side of the bed you like," I said, and headed to the bathroom for my turn. Inside, I found my mind fogged by her feminine scent, which lingered in the air. I sat on the toilet, brushing my teeth and trying to clear my head as I relieved myself. When I finished, I washed my hands and face, rinsed my mouth, and turned out the bathroom light as I headed for the bedroom. Opening the door, I found Suzan had taken the far side of the bed, and appeared to be lightly sleeping. I climbed into the bed and turned off the light on the nightstand. As excited as I was, the comfort of her body next to mine put me at ease for some reason. The combination of her scent and my own feather pillow sent my senses into twilight and I was asleep before I knew it. I was awakened by the sounds of the neighbors in the apartment upstairs, and quickly realized the situation had changed. Suzan was spooned tightly against my back, her arm wrapped around my waist and her hand in my shorts! I remained frozen on my side, with my back toward her, for an interminable time. This turn of events had me as confused as a goat on AstroTurf! My morning wood was hard as a tent pole, and her warm hand was loosely wrapped around it! After about fifteen minutes of this delicious torture - during which I surprisingly did not explode, as I thought I might - she finally stirred a bit. Her hand gripped and stroked me lightly, and I felt her warm breath on the back of my neck, followed by the gentle touch of her lips as she left a feather-light kiss, there. "Morning," she said softly. I swear, I'd never heard a sweeter sound in all my natural born days! "Morning," I answered, trying to make the word come out as something other than a pleasured groan. I rolled off my side, to be more on my back. She adjusted her position slightly, rising up on her left elbow to gaze down at me, and kept right on stroking me gently. "Are you sure - " I started, and that's all the farther I got. I was going to ask her if she was sure that she wanted to go any farther, when she dipped her head and her lips found mine. Suddenly, I was in heaven! Her lips against mine felt so soft and full and wet. Moments later, her mouth was angled to mine and she tentatively stuck her tongue out, running it gently across my teeth. I opened my mouth slightly and her tongue darted forward, surging deeper and looking for my own. The entire time, Suzan had kept a loose grip on me, even though my member was straining hard against her hand. She broke the kiss, after a minute or so, to sit up and take a good look at what she'd pulled free from my shorts. A smile of delight slowly materialized on her lips as she studied the object she now held with both hands. I wasn't a virgin, as I mentioned earlier, so Suzan wasn't the first girl who'd ever held my cock in her hands, but that's about as far as similarities went. The girl whom I'd lost my virginity to, back in high school, had been someone I'd known for years. And, though we'd made love to each other many times, I'd never had the chance to spend an entire night sleeping in her arms. It had been less than 72 hours since Suzan and I had first glimpsed each other, in that hallway. We had already spent the night in bed, together, waking in each other's arms to exchange the sort of kisses I'd only ever dreamed about - the kind that made that other girl's kisses pale in memory. And we were only partially clothed, with Suzan holding my cock and gazing lovingly and longingly at it. It was all happening so quickly; too quickly, to my mind, and I thought that I ought to try and slow things down, a bit, despite how much I wanted her. "I don't want to spook you, Suzan," I offered. "I really like you... I think I might even lo -" I started to blurt out 'love,' but she cut me off by placing her finger to my lips. "Shhhh, Tommy," she said. "I can't tell you how glad I am, that you feel that way. I've felt the same thing, since the moment I first laid eyes on you." Then, with a final loving smile, she lowered her head and took me slowly into her mouth. The shock of it was astounding. I'd had blow-jobs, before, from that girl - Kelly was her name - I dated back in high school, and I'd thought that hers were pretty good. In those first five seconds, though, Suzan took the experience to a whole 'nother level! If Kelly's mouth had felt 'good' on me, Suzan's was pure, unadulterated heaven. Her eyes were riveted on mine, and a sort of... well, 'communication' isn't the right word for it, but I don't know a better one... happened. Whatever it was, something passed between her eyes and mine, in that moment, and it was so much stronger than mere words. A whole herd of thoughts stampeded through my brain, in those few seconds, but only two stood out clearly. The first was my realization that this moment between Suzan and me was so far beyond my wildest dreams and fantasies that it was almost surreal. The second, though, was the 'sound' of a 'dead slow' warning bell clanging for my attention, somewhere in the back of my brain. It took me a couple seconds to figure out what that was all about because my 'little brain' had put things in override. "Suzan - " I moaned. I hadn't intended to moan, but the feel of her mouth on me wouldn't let the word come out any other way. Her fingertip touched my lips again, and she lifted her mouth from me long enough to tell me, "Just relax and enjoy, Tommy." I took her hand in mine and slowly pulled her finger away from my lips. With my other hand, I reached down and lightly stoked her cheek, then lifted her chin with my fingertip. "Please, Suzan; don't," I pleaded. She raised her head and let me plop free of her mouth, a mixed expression of confusion and disappointment spreading across her face. "You don't like it?" she asked, timidly. "Suzan, I loved it!" I told her. "You have no idea how much I would love for you to continue, how much I want to go further with you." "So, what's wrong, then? Don't you like me?" she asked, tears appearing at the corners of her eyes. "How could I not like you, and yet want to go further with you, Suzan?" I asked her, smiling. "I just think that we're moving a little too fast, here. I can't explain it, but I think we have something unbelievably special, between us - " "I think so, too," she interrupted me. "That's why I - " "Look, Suzan," I cut her off, "I don't want to ruin our relationship by letting things go too fast. I had a girlfriend, Kelly, in high school. We were knockin' boots by our second date -" "Knockin' boots?" she cut in. "Sorry; that's country slang for 'makin' love'," I explained. "Anyhow, we were just two teens goin' at it on a hot Texas night in the back of her folks' van. That first night I fell head over heels in love with her. We were a couple for about three months. We did a whole lot of knockin' boots, but then she up and dumped me for some other guy. It really tore my heart out and I couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong." "That's so sad, Tommy," Suzan told me sympathetically. "She must have been pretty dumb, to dump a smart, good-looking guy like you, though." "Well, maybe - and - thanks for the compliment. But here's the thing, Suzan. I came of age while living in a trailer park, and folks from a trailer park - at least, in the South - get a certain 'stereotype stigma' attached to them." "You're talking about that whole 'trailer trash' thing, right?" "Uh-huh," I nodded. "Her family was kind of middle class, and my family - well, we weren't. Over time I have come to understand that we hadn't spent the time to really get to know one another, yet. Yeah, we knew each other a while, but she didn't really to know get me, or what my goals in life were, and I couldn't see things clearly enough to understand how shallow she and her family were..." "You don't think I'm shallow do you?" "Oh, no. Suzan! Kelly was the shallow one. She dumped me because she and her folks thought it would lower her 'social image' if she was seen hanging out with 'trailer trash'. I'm just saying I beat myself up about those mistakes a long time. But I think they taught me a very valuable lesson. Now, I try really hard not to let my little head do all my thinking, for me. He's got a one-track mind, and is no judge of character. Call me a romantic, but I'm falling for you hard and I don't want to cloud my vision by going too fast. Something tells me that I really don't want to lose you. I want us to really know one another - heart, mind, and soul - before we know (I made quotation marks in the air, with my fingers, here) one another, if you can understand that." Finally, her concerned gaze became a smile. "Tommy, I'm a preacher's daughter, remember? Of course I understand what know (she duplicated my 'air-quotes') means! But, thank you for saying it just that way. That's just ever SO sweet!" "I mean it, Suzan." She thought about that for a moment and then she opened up to me, at last. "I guess I was moving a little too fast. I'm sorry, I was pushy, Tommy. I've had some disappointing experiences too. Whenever a guy finds out that I'm a preacher's daughter, he's history. Preacher's kids get pigeonholed too, you know? People often think that we're different from other folks, like we don't feel the same sort of passions and urges that 'normal' folks feel. They think that we only have sex when we want to make a baby, so I'll be a virgin on my wedding night." "I can see that," I nodded. "Guys can be pretty shallow, like that." "It's not just you guys," Suzan grinned wryly, shaking her head. "Girls get horny, too. You guys have that... thing, about thinking with your little head'? Well, women don't exactly have that kind of 'expression', but we can get into situations where our bodies try to overrule our logic and common sense, too. With you guys, your pulse rises, and you start to get erect. With us, well, we get erections, too - our nipples, and our clits. And then, there's something that feels like a little electric current, which zips back and forth between our nipples and our vaginas. When that starts up, believe me, we want sex, too! "Anyway, after I told you about my dad being a preacher, last night, I got to thinking. 'Did I tell him that, too soon? Did I give him enough time to get to know me?' Suddenly, I was overcome with the fear and worry that I might lose you unless I showed you that I was willing to... well, to go further with you, physically... sexually. Like I said, the majority of the guys I've dated seem to become disinterested pretty quickly, if I'm not ready to 'put out' for them!" Growing up in Texas, I must have heard Kenny Chesney's 'You Had Me From Hello' at least a thousand times. In that moment - hearing Susan's heart expressed in words - I finally understood what the song meant, and I borrowed Kenny's best line. I mean, Picasso phrased it best, when he said, 'Good artists copy. Great artists steal.' "You don't have to worry about that, Suzan. Let's take it slow because, you know, you had me from 'hello'." I smiled at her. "I'm not going anywhere." "So, maybe we could still try that kissing thing, again?" she asked. God she was so cute! "Yeah, that was kind of nice," I admitted, grinning at her. I pulled her close and we resumed our deep kisses. There was still a little groping, but much less. Suzan's lips were soft and wet. She was a much better kisser than any of my previous girlfriends. She was much more passionate. I could feel the bond between us growing. The make out session that ensued lasted quite a while. I was really happy we'd slowed things down. Well, my big head was. My little head was still yelling at me, but I'd take care of him, later. It ended all too soon, as Suzan broke off the kisses. She sat up and gave me a big hug and a smile. "I'd love to hang around and continue this, but I've got to get to my apartment and get ready for class. It's nearly 8:30!" she pointed at my clock. "So soon?" "We'll see each other in class and lab, silly," she said, as she stroked my cheek. "And, we'll see each other tonight." She took her clothes to the bathroom and got dressed. As I pulled on my own jeans, I was happy, sad and more than a little proud of myself for interrupting things. The happiness was winning slightly because I felt in my heart it would allow us to succeed as a couple. Her admission of how deeply attracted she was, gave me confidence that I would have the strength to wait. She reappeared from bathroom and she paused by the door looking at me. Her head was tilted slightly and she had that knowing smile on her face again. "What?" I asked. She came over and gave me a big hug. Then she looked me straight in the eyes, with her face just inches away, and softly said, "I just wanted to say, Thank you. You were right. We weren't ready. I really appreciate your openness and honesty." That was followed by another wet kiss. Moments later, she was out the door and gone. I couldn't believe the series of events that had transpired over the last day. It seemed almost too good to be true. The rest of my day was kind of a blur. Each class had held my attention enough to stay productive but, during the free time in between, my mind drifted back to dwell on the morning's events. I remember thinking how easy the calculus III pop quiz was. My statics class was challenging, and held me focused. I had a quick snack at the student union, while I worked to get my homework for my statics and calculus done and out of the way. Then I decided to go over my genetics homework again, and quickly discovered that I wasn't paying it any real attention. Any reference to biology just sent my thoughts drifting back to Suzan. She filled my thoughts, even though I had taken care of the little head in the shower that morning. Finally, as 3:00 PM neared, I made my way to genetics class. I saw her coming towards me in another cute blouse and jeans, her hips swaying ever so gently as she walked. Her hair was a radiant aura, or mandala, around her face. She wore just a light touch of lipstick, but no other make-up that I could see. She smiled at me when her light emerald eyes caught me staring at her. We headed to the back row of the class together, and sat next to one another. We got back a set of homework and started into the next lesson. We were both very intent on the professor's words. Between the two of us, we answered the majority of the questions he put to the class during that session. Towards the end of the class he went over how the lab would proceed, later that afternoon. We were going to be performing several manual iterations of the chemical reaction steps of Di-deoxy DNA sequencing. Those particular steps form the basis of how automated lab equipment currently performs DNA sequencing. The class ended early and we had a little over an hour before the lab started. Suzan and I found a quiet study area, and went over the material one last time. The session was less productive than the previous one, as we kept making eye contact and touching hands. I could smell her light fragrance, due to our proximity, and wondered if she was having a similar issue. We broke shortly before the lab started, to use the restrooms. While we were apart I thought about how I had gotten to this point. She had initiated everything, so far. She'd asked me to be her study partner, then lab partner, and then, finally, there had been the contact that morning... I wasn't shy exactly, but I hadn't been the aggressor in any of it. It was kind of nice, a change of pace, to actually have a girl come after me. I finished emptying my bladder at the urinal and flushed. With my mind focused on my situation, I was oblivious to my surroundings, and nearly ran into Professor Franklin as we arrived at the sinks simultaneously. "You seem to be doing much better than I expected Mr. Anderson," he said, as he began washing his hands at the sink. I wasn't really sure how to respond to what felt like a kind of left-handed compliment. "Oh, uh - thanks, professor." His words pretty much told me I'd been correct in my suspicion that he didn't think I belonged in his class. "You seem to be helping out Ms. Sanders. I hope you can help her master this material." Now, I wondered if maybe his first comment might have been praise. Also, I hadn't realized until that moment that Suzan had a last name. 'Of course, she does,' I told myself. 'Everyone does, I just hadn't known it, until that moment. Finally, putting the facts together, I told him, "Yeah, we're studying together and want to be lab partners." "That's a good idea. We will be working in pairs, for the labs. It also looks like the two of you might have some other common interests, though still within the field of applied biology," he quipped. I laughed with him, as we exited the restroom. During the first few days of class, he'd been totally serious during his lectures. Away from the lectern, the professor apparently had a sharp wit and a sense of humor - even if it was just a tad on the bawdy side. A rush of protectiveness came over me in that moment. "We're taking things slow," I assured him. I really didn't want him getting the wrong idea about Suzan. "Slow and steady wins the race," he said, with an approving nod. The lab went quickly. Suzan and I worked well, as a team, both of us having decided in advance which of us would handle what tasks, and all of our prep work really paid off. The results were exactly as we had expected. We had completed the electrophoresis and gathered our data before any of the other students. We got some odd glances from the other students as we finished up to leave. Outside the room, Suzan and I agreed to meet back at my apartment, around seven. I went back to the apartment and cleaned up again, not quite as fanatically as the first night but I liked the positive feedback she'd given me. Then I called and ordered a pizza so we would have some food while we worked. The doorbell rang, a little after seven. I opened it to find the guy from the Joe's Pizza Shop standing there, balancing a large box on his hand, with the other outstretched. "Here's your double-pepperoni pizza," he told me in a flat, bored-sounding voice. "That'll be fifteen dollars." I handed him a twenty from my wallet and said, "Thanks; keep the change." "Hey - thanks, man! You have a great night!" he said, the bored look turning to a bright smile as he handed me the box. "You, too," I replied, as I started to close the door. The night should be great. I just hoped we could keep it slow and steady. Just as the door was nearly closed, Suzan was pushing on it. Reopening it, I saw she had her backpack slung over her shoulder. I held the door open with one hand, while holding the pizza box in the other. Suzan sashayed into the apartment, dropped her backpack on the table. In the kitchen, I opened the pizza and got a couple glasses of water. I'd already put out the bottles of oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes, things I liked to add on my pizza. Then I joined her at the table and we ate while we went over our results and write-ups. After we'd both eaten - two slices, for her, and three, for me - I put the box in the fridge and wiped the table so we wouldn't get our papers fouled. Then we got to work on finalizing the result tables and graphs in our lab notebooks. Around nine, we'd gotten everything into pretty decent shape. I noticed that both her handwriting and her block printing were significantly better than mine, and her grammar, as well. She masterfully blended appropriate use of passive voice to objectify results and active voice to describe the actions taken during our experiments - something I was just learning about, in my English course.