The beginning

It started so innocently. My phone beeped while I was up in my room preparing for finals and completing the last of our final project for marketing as I had imagined everyone was doing that night. I figured it was someone from my study group as that was my only group project left due for finals.

               “Hey, it is me, Blake. I’m struggling with my project could you meet me in a half hour at the College Café?”

               I looked at all my work still to complete and decided it could not hurt to take a small break plus it was about our final. I was also the designated leader of this last final and had to make sure everyone completed their work. 

               “Yes, see you in a few.” I look down at my baggy shirt and sweatpants and decide that may not be the best choice to go out in public in. I quickly threw off my relaxing clothes leaving myself in nothing but my white lace lingerie. I do not know why when I opened my closet, I pick the clothes I did but I picked a green plaid skit that was just above my knees and a cute black button-up blouse. I take out my ponytail and let my hair dangle down past my shoulders, brushing through quickly. Might be a little dressy but I could not stop myself from wanting to impress him. I pick out some nice black flats, grab my book bag with the marketing book still inside and slide in my lab top as I step out into the hallway of my dorm. There were lots of stressed college kids all trying to prepare for finals that I had to swerve by on my way out into the crisp night. I took a deep breath and realized it had been raining and stopped but I hadn’t even noticed it deep in my studies. I debated about going back to get a sweatshirt but decide against going back through the mob of stressed students. I headed over the campus lawn and over to the quaint little café which wasn’t too far away. I checked the time quickly and realized it was only about 5 pm so they wouldn’t close for a few more hours probably why Blake picked there as everyone knew his apartment was outside of campus. He must have been nearby studying in the library or something. Sure enough, as I walk by I see his shiny silver Porsche just outside the café. I can’t help but roll my eyes and think how he always has to show off all of his nice things. As soon as I walk in, I glance to my right and see if in the corner booth. He smiles and waves me over. 

               I had to admit that just seeing him there wearing nicely cut jeans that showed even the muscles from his leg, some Nike shoes, and a grey hoodie was breathtaking. I found myself being disappointed he was wearing a hoodie and I could not see him in that tight T-shirt. Top off the whole outfit with that gorgeous face of his with cold black wavy hair, the sexiest smile I swear could render anyone speechless, glowing caramel skin and he was the complete package.

I sit down and see two cups of cappuccino, one for him and one for someone else as I look in front of me. “I thought you could use one.” He motions for me to try it. “I’m sure that’s all you’ve been doing, not that you need to study, Brainiac.” He laughs. 

               I give him my best sarcastic face and say “It is not as easy as you may think. It takes a lot of hard work for some, you know.” 

               He leans in and smiles, “tell me about it. How hard do you have to work Kate? Everybody knows you are at the top of your game. How else are you with a bunch of seniors in a study group?” He almost sounded impressed with me. I almost felt proud of myself when he put it like that. 

               Still, he made me so nervous and caught myself biting my lip a tad nervously before breaking into a smile myself. “It’s not as easy as it seems.” 

               He leaned in closer almost interested in every word I just said. “Why do you do that?” His voice lowered to an intense gravelly sound which somehow caused me to get a quick chill that I tried to play off.

               “Do what?”

               “Why do you downplay who you are? I mean you blow me out of the water every time you speak. Everything is so well thought out and better spoken than anyone our age. You seem to know exactly what you want, and you go out and get it, and still, you sit here and like it is not easy to you.” He puts his hand on his chin in a questioning matter as if I had the answers. 

               I was not sure how to answer and never thought he would be the one asking me these questions. I felt perplexed and internally a little caught off guard. “I do not think I know what I want but I must make decisions for myself because there is nobody else to. My decisions are all I have at this point, so I just move forward with those and since it is just for me, I need to do my best.” 

               He looked at me silently for a moment then far past my eyes and into me with those dark chocolate brown eyes and with every breath of his I could see his tan muscles move up and down. “Why is it just you?”

               I didn’t normally tell people things about me so personally but somehow at that moment I just felt myself collapsing and wanting to give in, giving in only to him now this moment. “My parents are dead.” He reached out with his hand and touched mine and I could just feel his warmth flowing freely into me. “They um died in a car wreck coming back from a weekend trip. It was right after I graduated high school.” 

               “Kate, I am sorry to hear that. Don’t you have any siblings or any other family?” He asked concerned not quizzically like so many others had in the past. I felt myself relaxing to him in a way I could not explain to myself. 

               “It was just us, always has been. My parents were both only children and I guess they liked it so much they thought I was enough for them to, and my grandparents have all passed away.” I shrugged my shoulders and felt him squeezing my hand and starting to slowly rub his fingers up and down along the sides of my hand. It was like cool electricity was going up and down my hand and I felt my body begging for more. 

               “So, um what about you?” I said with a half-smile trying to cool the tension. He grinned and started telling me about his entire family with me asking questions along the way then we came back to me and talked more about my parents who they were and what they were like. We just sat there and kept talking and talking about everything. Why he wanted to be in business compared to the rest of his family and what it was like being the only boy. I could picture each of his family in my mind and it was so nice to just really talk to someone. I could not remember the last time I’d done that as it was easier to focus on school and let go of what I lost and left behind to get here. Three cappuccinos and a very annoyed waitress later who ended up having to tell us that they were closing, I came out of the conversation we had. I glanced at my phone and realized it was almost 8:15 PM, the café closed at 8:00 PM. Snap out of it I realized I hadn’t even asked about the assignment question he had. “Oh, I am terrible, I completely forgot why you asked me here. What troubles are you having with the assignment? How can I help?” 

               He just grinned at me as if he had really pulled a good one on me and almost seemed proud. “Oh right, we need to go to my apartment, and I can show you. Come on.” In one swift move, I realized the entire time he was still holding my hand and had now grabbed it and was tugging on me to get out of the booth and follow. I felt so helpless to his control and almost feeling out of body complying and getting up just so I did not have to let go and give up the small sparks that had been going through my hand for the last few hours. In one more motion, he took cash from his other pocket and threw it down enough for the waitress to forgive us easily. I wondered what that feeling must be like because I was so overly cautious with all my money knowing that it was all I had in the world with no help from anyone else. 

               We walked over to the door, and I realized it was raining. I had not even noticed. He released my hand and I caught him smiling at me as I ended up looking like someone had just stolen my dog because that feeling had let go of me. “One sec, just need to take this off” He moved like every possible body part was meant for me to just watch in enjoyment. He took off his hoodie and before I even knew what was happening, he’d put it on my shoulders. “Here put this on, I don’t want you getting wet.” 

               I just complied as if I was his little doll and was there for his every command. “I didn’t realize it had started raining.” 

               He looked down at me from his well over 6-foot height and my very short to him I’m sure 5’6” height and smiled. “I didn’t either.” Come one let's go to my car as he grabbed my hand again. There it was again, and I caught myself taking a quick second to catch my breath so I didn’t just pass out at that moment. I was not even sure what was happening, but I knew I didn’t want to give it up and wanted to keep going wherever he wanted to take me. He was so polite getting to the passenger side with me and opening the door motioning for me to get in. He was getting drenched from waiting on me to shut the door and off to the other side in the downpour of rain! God, he looked sexy wet. Whoa, what is happening to me? I did a little shake of myself to calm myself down before he looked over and smiled. “Ready?” 

               “Yeah of course anything I can do to help.” I nodded

               “Good, I’m glad.” He just smiled and turned towards the road. “It’s coming down lucky my apartment is just a few blocks from campus.” I just nodded and wondered what the hell I was doing. Am I doing this? Am I going to Blake Sutton’s apartment? I do not want to be a trophy on his mantel, yet I do not know if I can stop myself. I couldn’t name off all the girls who had tried to be with him or I had seen on his arm. It is just school I tried to tell myself, just school I kept repeating over and over. He was right it was quick to get there. We pulled up to a very nice, gated apartment building with maybe 6 apartments total. These looked like they cost a bunch, but I did not dare ask. I felt myself looking down and being almost ashamed of my very unrealistic living situation. I lived in the dorms all year round making a deal the first summer when I realized I had sold my parents’ home and everything in it. With no wear to go, the college gave me one of the rare positions of basically watching the dorms and allowing me to attend some summer classes they offered. Who knew I would take a class on Shakespeare just so I would have a roof over my head? 

               I felt his warmth as he touched my hand again. “You ready for this?” He said with another breathtaking smile.