Serenity (Inevitable #5)(14)

And while attention to their studies had certainly been a requirement in the Bennett household, Wade and Maureen had also recognized the need for their children to have interests outside of the classroom. Growing up in Wisconsin had provided a variety of outdoor activities - sailing and swimming during the summer months, hiking in the fall and spring, skiing and snow shoeing in the winter. But for Matthew at least that had pretty much been the extent of any physical activity, and it wasn't until his freshman year at MIT that he'd ever completed a single chin-up or lifted anything heavier than his laptop.

It had been his college roommate Jeff, a member of the university wrestling team, who'd more or less strong armed Matthew into the school's fitness center for the first time. It had been Jeff's rather twisted way of repaying Matthew for tutoring him in both math and science, classes he would have flunked out of otherwise and been kicked off the wrestling team as a result. Jeff had taken one look at Matthew's tall but admittedly scrawny frame, and had vowed that by the end of the school year he would totally transform him.

In the end, it had only taken a few months to see real results, and by that time Matthew had felt like gagging every time Jeff had forced him to down a protein shake, or eat half a dozen eggs for breakfast. Admittedly, though, eating the extra protein and committing to a regular weight lifting regime had done the trick in filling out his previously skinny body, and developing a bonafide six-pack. He'd started swimming laps on a regular basis as well, which had helped to add additional muscle to his six foot frame.

And it had also been Jeff who'd dragged him away from his books and papers and computers once in awhile to go to a party or the movies or a campus event, declaring that all work and no play made Matt an even bigger nerd than he already was. Jeff was appalled to realize that Matthew was still a virgin, and had made it his mission to remedy that sad truth as quickly as possible. But after a few very awkward, uncomfortable sexual experiences, Matthew had shied away from any future hook-ups that Jeff tried to arrange for him, claiming that he was far too busy with his studies to deal with any sort of relationships at the moment. Jeff had eventually given up on him, and the following school year he'd decided to share a house off-campus with several of his wrestling teammates. Matthew's new roommate was an organic chemistry major from India who was an even bigger nerd than he was.



       
         
       
        

Matthew had devoted himself to his studies, taking on a heavier than usual course load, and had obtained both his bachelors and Masters degrees in computer science by the ripe old age of twenty-three. After being accepted into the highly competitive doctorate program at Stanford, he'd moved out to California and had become instantly enamored of the area. He enjoyed the mild winters, warm summers, and the close proximity to the booming Silicon Valley. During his spare time - which didn't amount to a whole lot - he'd continued to design software programs, and dream of the day when he would start his own company.

The demands of the PhD program left precious little time to socialize or relax, and Matthew's small circle of friends seemed to consist largely of his fellow doctoral candidates. Every so often, though, the stress of the program got to be more than even a dedicated scholar like himself could handle, and he allowed himself to be persuaded into going out to dinner or to a bar for a few beers.

It was on one of those rare occasions when he'd seen Lindsey for the first time, and he had been instantly and surprisingly attracted. She certainly hadn't been his usual type - though, technically, he hadn't really had a type, given his rather pathetic dating record. But Lindsey had definitely been the prettiest, sexiest, and most vivacious girl he'd ever met, and shockingly enough she seemed to take an instant liking to him. Several beers and a couple of hours later, they'd wound up in bed at his studio apartment, and what he had lacked in experience and technique he'd more than made up for in enthusiasm.

Despite the fact that they were polar opposites in so many ways - he was introverted, brainy, destined to remain a hopeless nerd, while Lindsey was flitting her way through community college, outgoing, and an admitted party girl - they nonetheless seemed to click in an odd sort of way. They dated casually for several months, though most of their time together seemed to be spent in bed. And while Lindsey was always quick to assure him that she understood his doctoral studies had to take precedence over his personal life, and that she really didn't mind when he couldn't see her as often as he would have liked, Matthew always wondered if she was telling the truth. After all, it was hard to imagine a pretty, fun-loving girl like Lindsey just staying at home on a Saturday night. And as much as she enjoyed sex, he wasn't quite certain she was remaining celibate during the days and sometimes weeks in between their dates.