Absolute Beginners(48)

The doorbell rang. I felt a fluttering in my stomach again and my heart pounded faster.

I must be more nervous than I thought.

I rushed to the door, ridiculously eager to see Julia again, and practically ripped it open. She stared back at me, and a second later I was thrown up against the wall with her pressed against me, her lips on mine, kissing me hungrily. It only took me a moment to recover from the attack before I picked her up and turned us around so I was the one pinning her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around my waist and fisted her small hands in my hair. The kiss deepened and she moaned into my mouth when I kneaded her backside and ground into her.

“Fuck!” she panted, breaking the kiss. “I want you, but I’m completely starved, too.”

I let out a small laugh and lowered her legs. “Let’s have some dinner,” I said, before I cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss.

“Yeah, sounds good,” she breathed. I looked at her, happy to see that she hadn’t put on any makeup and her hair was still braided. Her outfit was different, though. She was wearing a short black skirt and a tight red T-shirt with some writing on it.

“Don’t you ever get cold?” I blurted out.

“No, not when I’m standing next to someone as hot as you,” she answered with a grin. “You look so good tonight, Stephen. That’s why I jumped you.”

“I do?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you look so casual before.”

“Oh, is that, um, good?”

“I think so. You’re usually all Mr. Prim-and-Proper, but tonight you just look…sexy as hell,” she said, looking me up and down.

My cheeks grew warmer under her scrutiny and she laughed a little.

“You’re so fucking cute sometimes,” she said, and before I knew it she was back in my arms and had me pressed against the wall as we kissed passionately.

I picked her up again and, without breaking the kiss, managed to close the door and carry her into the living room where we ended up on the couch. Her hands were all over me and I was ready to forget all about eating when her stomach growled. She laughed.

“Dinner?” I murmured against her neck, where I’d been busy kissing her soft, warm skin.

“Dinner,” she confirmed.

I helped her up and straightened my clothes while she did the same. I felt a little awkward, but she seemed perfectly at ease with the whole situation, smiling at me. I had no idea what to say to her and felt my familiar nervousness returning.

“Um, would you like some wine?”

“Sure, red if you have it,” she said, looking around.

I escaped into the kitchen, taking a couple of deep breaths while I poured the wine and dropped the pasta into the water. She was perusing my books when I came back and I handed her a glass, noting with dissatisfaction that my hand shook a bit.

“Are you going to give me a tour?” she asked, taking a sip.

“Er, sure.”

I showed her the kitchen, my office, the bathroom, and the bedroom.

“So, um, what do you think?”

“It’s great,” she said. “Exactly what I expected and yet completely different.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, I can see that you’re a bit of a fuddy-duddy,” she teased, nudging me with her elbow.

I can’t really argue with that.

“And that’s what you’re like in class, mostly, so it makes sense.” She hesitated, and I could see that she wanted to say something else.

“But?”

“I’m just a little surprised that it’s so…cold,” she finally said.

“I can turn up the thermostat.”

She laughed. “No, I didn’t mean the temperature. It just seems a little austere.”

“Austere?” I asked. “Because I don’t have any comforts or luxuries?”

“Exactly,” she said. “It doesn’t really seem like you at all. Your apartment is a little cold, and you’re extremely hot, as we established.”

“Um, no one else sees me that way, I don’t think. And I like things to be in place.”

She nodded and looked around again. “You must hate my apartment,” she chuckled, and went back into the living room.

I really do. But I can live with it because you’re there.

I didn’t tell her that and followed her.

“I’ll check on the food,” I said. “You can pick out some music, if you’d like.”

She nodded and went over to my stereo system while I went into the kitchen.

OK, it’s going well so far.

I carried the food to the table. Julia was still looking for something to listen to.

“Can you find anything you like?” I asked.