Jay fled Annie's room as fast as he could without breaking into a full sprint. He wasn't about to let that happen. He was still a virgin, a fact he was alternately proud of and embarrassed by. His experiences were limited to some fumbling in high school, and he was determined to hold onto that status. For now.
Getting out of the main gate of "The Embassy" felt like breaching a siege. He took a deep, steadying breath and started the long walk towards Lina's halls.
His mind replayed the scene over and over. A stupid, self-defeating part of him was kicking himself. He'd just turned down a sure thing. On a campus full of people he considered overly conservative and buttoned-up, he'd stumbled upon someone uninhibited and free, and he'd run away like a scared rabbit. What an idiot.
He finally arrived at Lina's building, the one that looked like a dreary old primary school. It was a world away from the luxury of Annie's place. He walked straight to her room and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again. Still nothing. He was about to give up when he saw her walking down the far end of the corridor.
Her face was glowing. A wide, radiant smile was plastered across her face as she saw him. As she got closer, she picked up her pace, and then, without a word, she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.
Jay froze. He was being hugged. By Lina. The popular, untouchable girl he'd been chasing for months. He could feel the warmth of her body, smell the faint, clean scent of her hair. His heart started hammering against his ribs, and his head began to spin. He felt drunk on her.
She held him for what felt like an eternity, a silent, comforting embrace. When she finally pulled away, her eyes were sparkling.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go inside."
It was the first time he'd ever been invited into her room.
The room was an explosion of yellow. Pikachu was everywhere. The walls, the bedding, her drinking glass, even her hairbrush, all yellow. But beneath the cheerful colour scheme, the room was a mess. Her bed was unmade, and lying near the edge was a pair of black lacy knickers. So she's a slob, he thought with a strange sense of relief. She's human.
Her room was small, maybe 3x3 meters, with a shared bathroom down the hall and a large, noisy fan that seemed way too big for the space.
"So," she said, breaking the silence. "You wanted my number, right?"
"Aren't you going to offer me a seat first?" he joked.
"Sit wherever you want. Lie on the bed if you like, I don't mind."
"I'll just sit here," he said, perching on the edge of her mattress, facing her small desk.
"It gets really stuffy in here when there's more than one person," she said, and then casually pulled her oversized, dark-green shirt off over her head.
She was wearing a simple black tank top underneath, with the straps of a maroon bra peeking out. She turned her back to him and stared out the window.
"Hey, Lina, you're just going to undress with me here?" he stammered, his mind screaming, just keep going.
"It's fine, Jay. You know me well enough by now."
"That's not the point," he said with a nervous laugh. "What if we… lose control?"
She snorted. "God, you're so repressed. You're just like everyone else at this university. Acting all pious and proper, but thinking the same dirty thoughts as everyone else."
"Hey, don't knock them," Jay found himself defending, "they're brilliant. They're just nerdy because all they do is study. They don't know any better."
"It's hypocritical, Jay," she said, her voice hardening. "I'd rather someone be openly messed up than pretend to be perfect while they're a complete snake behind the scenes. Those are the ones who have a mid-life crisis and ruin their families because they never got the rebellion out of their system."
"I guess you have a point," he conceded.
"And don't even get me started on the girls," she continued, a real fire in her voice now. "Always telling me I should 'get in touch with my roots' because of how I look. Judging me for not being 'Iranian enough'. As if it's their business. It doesn't make me want to embrace my heritage, it makes me want to run in the opposite direction."
Jay was taken aback. They'd never talked about anything this personal before. He realised the pressure she must be under, the constant judgment. She probably felt like she was the only one on campus who wasn't playing by some unspoken set of rules.
"Jay," she said, suddenly changing the subject back to him, her voice dropping. "Remember what I said about swimming? About how it's a waste because you only see half? That you might as well see everything?"
"Yeah… so?" he said, his voice flat.
"Do you want to see everything? I get curious, you know. I like doing things other people wouldn't even think of."
Jay's breath hitched. His whole body tensed. "You mean… you want to get naked in front of me?"
She turned from the window and laughed, a sharp, barking sound.
"NO, YOU IDIOT. YOU!"
Jay blinked. "What? Are you serious? You want me to be a stripper?" His mind reeled, and he could already feel a familiar stirring in his jeans. The General was reporting for duty.
"Are you okay, Lina? You haven't been drinking, have you?"
"I'm one hundred percent sober. I don't drink, I don't smoke. You know that," she said, turning fully to face him now. He got a clear view of her chest, her breasts neatly contained by the black fabric of her top. They weren't large, but they were definitely a perfect handful.
"Okay, okay, take it easy," he said.
"Do you want my number or not? This is the price. I'm challenging you."
"Yes! I want it," he said immediately. "Fine. Where do you want me to start? Top or bottom?"
"Top first," she said, a small, sweet smile playing on her lips. "Make it interesting."
Oh god, he thought, that smile. The General was now at full attention.
"Okay." He nervously pulled his metal band t-shirt over his head, suddenly self-conscious. All that was left was his ripped jeans, now with a very prominent bulge at the front.
Lina laughed, a genuine, delighted sound. "What's going on there? Looks like something is trying to escape."
"Well, uh… I'm not exactly used to this," he stammered, feeling his face flush. "And you're just standing there looking incredible in just a tank top, so… my male instincts are kind of… rebelling."
"Nervous?" she teased, full of triumphant confidence. "You know, I've never seen a guy naked before. But I'm not nervous. See? It's easy."
Damn her. She'd never seen a naked guy before and she was completely calm, while he was about to explode.
"You should probably let him out," she said, her voice shockingly casual. "He looks uncomfortable in those tight jeans. Might break something."
This girl's mind was a wild, untamed thing.
"Why are you thinking like this, Lina?" he asked, trying to sound disappointed. "What's gotten into you?"
"I just want to. This is a new challenge for me. And you'll do it for me, won't you, Jay?"
"Yes, but this is a weird challenge! A real challenge is, like, ghost-hunting on the fifth floor of the chemistry building at 2 a.m. Not… this."
"The challenge is you, Jay. How often do I get to see a cute, skinny guy naked in front of me?" she said, her voice dropping to that same, dangerously calm and flat tone.
"You're sick, Lina," he said, but there was no venom in it. Only a dazed sort of awe.
"So what if I am?" she shot back, her eyes flashing. "What if I'm weird? You don't like it?"
"Whoa, easy. You don't have to get so defensive."
"JUST TAKE OFF THE JEANS!" she suddenly barked, the command echoing in the small, stuffy room.
Jay felt like he was under a spell. He complied without another thought. This was a side of her he'd never seen, utterly wild and driven by a relentless curiosity. He unbuttoned his jeans, the sound of the zipper unnaturally loud in the silence. He pushed them down his legs and kicked them aside, leaving him standing before her in nothing but his underwear briefs. A moment later, she was right in front of him, her body heat radiating in the small space.
"Off," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear.
A shiver ran down his spine. The General, which had been pressed uncomfortably against his thigh, surged with new life, straining against the thin fabric. As if her whisper had been a physical touch, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his underwear and slid them down. He instinctively tried to cover himself with his hands, but she reached out and gently pushed them away.
Lina didn't say a word. She simply leaned in and began to… explore. She inhaled deeply near his neck, his chest, his stomach. He stood there, rigid and exposed, as she mapped his body with her senses.
"You take good care of yourself," she finally stated, her voice returning to its flat, analytical tone. "You don't smell. And this cologne… it's very masculine. I like it."
She looked up at him, a smirk playing on her lips. "You talk a big game in your head, don't you? All those dirty thoughts. But when you're finally face-to-face with it, you freeze up. Hahaha." She laughed, a sound of pure, unadulterated victory. Jay felt a hot wave of shame wash over him.
"I'm not frozen," he bit out, his pride stung. "I can prove it."
"Please do," she challenged, spreading her arms wide as if to welcome an embrace. "Show me."
That was all the invitation he needed. He closed the distance between them in a single step, his hands finding her waist and pulling her flush against his naked body. He crashed his lips onto hers, a messy, hungry kiss meant to reclaim some semblance of control.
For a second, she kissed him back, her mouth yielding to his. But then, just as he was deepening the kiss, she pushed against his chest, breaking contact. She didn't slap him this time. Instead, she just looked at him, her breathing slightly ragged.
"You want me?" she asked, her voice a low dare.
"What do you think?" he growled, his erection pressing insistently against the thin fabric of her pyjama bottoms.
"Then earn me," she whispered.
She backed away and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling him down with her. "Annie told me that kissing is better skin-on-skin," she said, her cheeks finally showing a hint of a blush. "It creates more… friction."
"But you're still dressed," he protested, his voice hoarse. "How are we supposed to have friction? I'm the only one who's going to get rug burn." He hoped she would take the hint.
"I'm nervous," she admitted, her voice suddenly small. "I'm scared I won't look like you imagine."
His bravado melted away, replaced by a wave of tenderness. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Hey. There's no pressure. We can go as slow as you want. When you're ready, you tell me." He was trying to be a hero, even as every nerve in his body screamed in frustration. The General was not happy about this noble turn of events.
"Thank you, Jay," she whispered. "Shall we?"
Before he could ask what she meant, she took the lead. She started kissing him again, slowly at first, then with more urgency. Her hands explored his chest, her fingers tracing the outlines of his ribs. She moved down, her lips trailing fire across his skin, pausing to gently lick one of his nipples. He let out a low groan, and she immediately pulled back up, a triumphant look in her eyes.
"I want to try a real kiss now," she said. "With tongues."
Annie, you are a terrible and wonderful influence, he thought. He didn't complain.
Their mouths met again, and this time it was a true exploration. He took control, showing her how to tilt her head, how to use her tongue, parting his lips to teach her the theory before diving back in for the practical exam. His hands roamed, down her back, over the curve of her ass. He moved his mouth down her neck, tasting the salt on her skin. He dipped lower, towards the swell of her breasts, his hand moving to unclip her bra from the front. The moment his fingers touched the clasp, she grabbed his hair and pulled, not painfully, but firmly, shaking her head.
Damn it. So close.
The marathon kissing session left him breathless and aching. The General had been left completely unattended, not so much as a curious glance in his direction. He hadn't been allowed to touch her anywhere meaningful. It was the most intense, frustrating experience of his life. But he also loved it. This was a green light. If he could make her his girlfriend, he knew there would be more. So much more. He decided to ask her, right then and there. But before he could form the words…
"Jay, don't tell anyone about this," she said, her voice soft and pleading. "Not even Annie."
"Of course not. You don't have to tell me that."
She smiled, a genuine, warm smile. He fought the urge to kiss her again. It was enough for one night. He had pushed her, and she had pushed back. He felt like he'd survived a hurricane.
He stood up and began to get dressed. After pulling on his clothes, he turned to leave. Before he walked out the door, he leaned in and gave her one last, soft kiss on the lips. She returned it gently.
"I'll call you," he said with a grin. "Don't dream about me too much."
She just smiled and, without a word, slowly raised her hand and gave him the middle finger.
He was in so much trouble. And he couldn't wait.