thevirginchronicles (2 page)

Jennifer was in the process of collecting her Coach bag to depart when the phone at her hip buzzed and blinked. Her disbelief quickly flipped to anticipation when she took stock of the message the handheld contained.

Come here before you go to lunch.

She looked up, his gaze locked with hers as if he anticipated speaking with her too and maybe his desire for a parlay surpassed hers. Although she only realized that part once she looked away from their staring match. She didn’t want to be obvious and took a moment for everyone to file past her as she pretended to be occupied with her phone. When the last straggler scurried out of the stale classroom she walked to the front.

"Yes?" The question though simple, held multiple meanings.

"I just wanted to ask you to lunch." His voice was low, the tones serious and meant for their tete-a-tete only.

Jennifer wasn't sure what to say, she wanted to go, but wasn't sure of herself. And she was definitely unsure of the man in front of her. But her longing over took her common sense and she gave the answer she really wanted to, instead of the practical or professional response she should have.

"Yes." Even before her mind could interfere with her tongue.

"Where do you like to go?" He asked, his tone indicated that he wanted to make a good impression.

Jennifer had a problem. As a dieter, she didn't eat out much anymore, but she had to take the offer. "I really don't have a preference."

"How about Italian?"

Jennifer smiled. She hadn’t had good Italian in months. "That would be nice. There is a really good place on the outskirts of town. They have a white sauce to die for."

"Sounds nice. Would you like to ride with me?"

Jennifer hesitated to agree to that much just yet.
 
She didn't want her business out on Front Street. They were at her job after all and she did have a position of some visibility. He rescinded the offer with a polite rephrase. "Perhaps I could follow you then?" She was grateful at his quick agreement. But she did have one thing she needed to do before she could enjoy lunch.

"That would be wonderful, if you don't mind following me to the bank first. It’s just around the corner." Jennifer queried.

He agreed with a nod, and described his car so she could recognize him when he pulled behind her.

The needed deposit was quick and within fifteen minutes the two were outside of town at Gio's, a small Italian diner. Typical decor, the diner was dark, even in the bright lights of day. The intimate space boasted high backed dark wood booths, Chianti bottles complete with small stubs of taper candles and checkered tablecloths. The food however, was not Chef Boyardee typical. The menu included delicious antipasto, the tomato and mozzarella caprice salad were surprisingly flavorful considering how simple the recipe was. The conversation seemed stilted at first, with Riordan making all the opening gestures. He asked about her family and got a generic mom, dad and one brother response. Jennifer wasn’t big on bragging or too much conversation about herself. The result was that her closed mouth made him open up even more and it seemed he wanted to guilt her into more conversation. It worked.

Riordan told Jennifer stories of how he was years ago as an awkward teen. Even then he was tall, but he had a pair of really bad glasses and an even worse case of acne. He didn't wear pocket protectors, or suspenders, but otherwise was a stereotypical nerd. He told her how his younger twin brother, Kendrick, was popular, funny and handsome in school. All the other kids let him be when they realized Kendrick wasn't going to let anyone bother him. So he never was stuffed into a locker, beaten up, or abused. He told her how he went to college at sixteen. None of the girls paid him much attention, due to his age. But a meeting with one woman did help him become a better man.

"Her name is Monroe. She was a junior and I was in my sophomore year when we met. I was trying to graduate early and just needed three more credits to enter my senior year at the time. But she was struggling with her Calculus class as she hated math with a passion. I opted to test out of Calculus, so she asked for my help when she met me at a tutor’s conference. A couple of professors would let me tutor students as part of my early opt out, and the advanced math class was one of them. When we met in my dorm lobby, she took one look at me and shook her head. She told me that she was going to fix me. I know I laughed at her and she looked hurt. So I told her she could do whatever she wanted, just to take that look off her face. My skin had cleared on its own over time. But she took my glasses, clothes, shoes, even my tighty whities."

Jennifer chuckled, asking, "So what happened? I mean, I can see she did a great job..." and immediately wished she'd kept her mouth shut. She could see the light in his eyes brighten, and had to look away, pretending to be interested in a breadstick.

"Well, she took me to the mall for starters. I had a pretty penny saved from tutoring, and some other money I'd earned. She started grabbing everything in sight, and made me try it all on. After two hours of that, we had to take the bags back to the car. There was just so much stuff." He laughed and continued, “Next, she got me a haircut. It wasn't bad, but I really prefer a bit more hair than what I had left. The glasses were next. She got me contacts, but I made her help me get another set of glasses too. I hate contacts. I have some, in case of emergency, but I don't enjoy the way they feel at all. We bought an entirely new wardrobe, and she even went and made me pick a new watch." Riordan just looked at Jennifer, story told.

Jennifer still had questions though, and her curiosity made her ask. "So what happened after that? Did you date her? Or somebody else that liked the new you?"

He smiled. "Yeah we made love in college. Nothing long term though. I wasn't her type."

Jennifer let the implications the simple statement made absorb in, and asked him. "Why?"

Riordan apparently understood what she asked and responded. “She prefers women.
 
That’s why. But she wanted to see if she could be with a man that way and enjoy it. She trusted me more than any other man and so she asked me. We were both virgins, but the experience was great, for both of us."
 
Before she could ask, he said, "If you want more, tell me something about yourself."
 
She definitely wanted know more, but if so, she was going to have to divulge more of herself to get it.

Jennifer didn't know how to respond. But since he could tell about his youth, she would do the same. “When I was young, I was always chubby and guys ignored me. When they did notice me, they were laughing at me. So I got better at being ignored. Over time, I just let the status quo be, and was happy to be unseen. But I went to work here and started school. Until recently, when I finally lost some of the extra weight I’d carried around my whole life. Now I work out and do things that I never would have before, because of my size."
 
She stopped speaking, lost in thought and old memories that she was unwilling to divulge.

Riordan wanted more and prompted her after a few moments. "Such as?"

Jennifer continued the gist of her life story. "Well I take dance lessons. I’ve been skydiving, horseback riding, lots of things. Before, I let my weight dictate what I would do. But I spent many years longing to try something, but too scared to do it. Now I'm going to live, and enjoy each moment I get."

Riordan: Gasoline and Kisses

As the conversation continued, Riordan learned that Jennifer loved avocados and hated kiwi. He found out she grew up in a small Carolina town that boasted Randy Travis as the hometown hero. She told him about her first kiss, from a guy named Jesse, when she was in the eighth grade. The experience was terrible, her words not his, as the young man in question had a bad case of halitosis and after she nearly threw up on him refused to kiss again until she graduated high school. He enjoyed her company more than he would have ever guessed. Not only was she stunning, but had a wonderful sense of humor and she was keenly intelligent. He was surprised that no man had claimed her yet, even with the extra weight she complained about. He did know she was going to be his and that was all that mattered. She worked hard, took excellent care of herself, and she was perfect for him.

By the time Riordan checked his watch they had just a half-hour to get back. He paid the tab by when he folded a bill in half and told the waitress to keep the change. Riordan stopped her furtive attempt to Dutch their meal when he placed his hand over hers before she could open her purse.

As Jennifer climbed in her car, he felt a sense of regret. He wished she had chosen to ride with him. At least then she could talk to him and he could hear her voice. He turned on the CD player and stopped at the gas station and watched Jennifer pay at the pump. Riordan wasn't going to watch her pump her own gas, his mother raised him better than that, so he hopped out of his car and took over.

 
Jennifer laughed as she interjected with, "I can pump my own gas, Riordan."

"I know you can, your arms and legs work and look just fine from here. However, why should you? I'm right here and a real man always takes care of a lady."

Jennifer looked stunned for a long moment. Riordan said nothing as he wanted her to absorb exactly what he meant. He knew she understood when she ducked her head and dug through her bag for her something. He saw she had forgotten she left her wallet on the trunk so he leaned over her and snuck a small kiss along her forehead as he offered her the large leather catch all.

He wished the kiss would have landed on her lips so that he could taste the remnants of wine and Italian herbs on her mouth. To cover the desire, he stepped over to the door of her car. Riordan took command when he opened her door, escorted her to her seat then gingerly sealed her inside. When he performed the rote action he regretted their date was officially at an end.

Riordan despised the fact that he didn’t offer a longer lunch, in fact he wished that he had dismissed the class for the rest of the workday. But he hadn't. Really, he couldn't. He personally scheduled the classes weeks before he got here and the schedule was packed tight so he could be done as quickly as possible. But he figured he could stay in town this weekend. With her, hopefully, so he could get to know more about her. He wasn't going to let her say no, he just had to figure out how to word his request to nullify that option for her. He had a sense of deja vu'. As if he let her get away, he'd regret it.

Within fifteen minutes the pair was back, each in their separate cars. He longed for more of her company and even the short absence made Riordan angry. Anger at being denied her scent, even for a few minutes made him grimace. She was similar to the math puzzles he indulged in as a teen. She was complex, multi faced, and required patience to unlock. As time passed he grew too busy to indulge in his favored pastime of brain teasers and thought that he had outgrown the need to challenge his mental acuity altogether.

But Jennifer was one indulgence he would sate himself on tirelessly, until his thirst was quenched. He watched her covertly as her short frame crossed the lot, as he tried to decide what tack to take with her. Should he take his time and woo her? Or should he overwhelm her? Overtake her senses and just claim her for his own? The scenarios played through his mind. A perpetual planner, his mind quickly ran through her probable response to the various routes he pondered about. He noticed the time and opted to head back in the building. But he found himself lured back to the concrete jungle of office, not by duty, but by the memories of lush pair of her hips’ sway, the dip and cant rocked left and right.

The rest of the day was spent attempting to keep himself on track, Riordan found himself grateful he'd set up a leisurely afternoon. Most of the education would be done when he allowed the students to play with the system as they used the features highlighted before lunch. What little time remained was for PowerPoint and video that he'd put together long ago. He spent the free moments on plots to win the earthy goddess in the back row. When he realized he was waxing poetic in his thoughts he shook his head laughing at himself. Everyone that knew him would crack jokes at his current predicament and he could hear what they would say: that the anal recluse had turned into a romantic.

Jennifer: Marsala and School Marms

Jennifer covertly watched Riordan, his vibrant energy called to her. Even as he worked, fingers flying over the keyboard she felt watched. Almost hunted, as if she were under a magnifying glass. And he was the sun, his eyes rays that bathed her in scalding heat. She felt more aware of herself, even as her eyes drunk their fill of him. There was no one, just him in her vision. The afternoon crept by on autopilot, she read emails and created reports for her Director. If she didn't know her job so well, it would have been a disaster. Not one word she read was retained. The only words she could think about described him.