About 20 minutes later Rick had nothing left to occupy himself. He had changed from the hastily donned sweatpants and t-shirt into jeans and yet another, this time clean, t-shirt. He had made a coffee for Pia and himself and had cleaned away the clutter that always seemed to live on the coffee table including an ashtray that he noticed still had the remains of his early morning joint. He had silently cursed to himself when he saw the joint roach on display. It was the problem of the slacker. The more weed he smoked the more careless he became, and he kept promising himself that he would tidy away all the evidence of his smoking every time. But that was a promise rarely kept by slackers like him.
He did not know what to do with himself. When he had placed Pia's coffee on the table she had looked up from the computer, smiled at him, nodded her head and without saying a word returned her attention to the screen. While he had tidied up the coffee table she had paid him no attention. Rick just wandered around his flat picking up little things, putting them away just trying to stay busy while this stranger was using his computer. At least his erection had subsided but still, he felt very uncomfortable.
This was not new for him. He had become more socially awkward over the last couple of years. In truth he never been a very confident person in social situations and since the breakup of his previous relationship 2 years ago, his confidence level remained quite low. He felt it most with strangers. Even more with pretty women, and she was definitely pretty, very pretty as far as Rick was a judge.
He returned to the living room from yet another visit to his bedroom in a vain attempt at keeping busy and glanced over Pia's shoulder at the laptop screen and saw that she was closing down her email link.
"Everything o.k.?"
Pia looked over her shoulder, smiled her beautiful smile and clapped her hands together with a smack which almost made Rick jump.
"Yep, everything is good, they don't need me to come in to the office until Monday so I have a few days off. I will be able to sort out all my stuff before I start work, which will be great."
Rick had walked around to the front of the couch so he was standing in front of the still seated Pia with just the coffee table between them. She leaned back into the couch, lifted her arms up as if in surrender, tilted her head and arched her back as she stretched. Rick took the opportunity to look at the outline of her breasts and nipples as her shirt stretched tight. He really liked women with small breasts, in fact he liked small women best of all. Richard felt a stirring in his crotch again and hastily tried to banish all thoughts of small beautiful women from his mind.
That was very difficult just now.
Pia let her arms drop down to her lap, let out a long breath and relaxed. She looked up at Rick still standing by the coffee table and patted the seat cushion next to her.
"Why donΒ΄t you sit down Rick? You don't look comfortable just standing there like that."
He obeyed. When, later, Rick thought back to this first meeting with Pia, he appreciated that he had actually done that. He had obeyed.
He took the vacant spot on his couch and sat with his hands resting on his knees, and glanced at the desktop on his still open laptop. At least that was decent. The photo was one that he had taken on his last visit to Amsterdam and was a deserted street scene on a very early mist shrouded morning.
"I like that photograph." Pia pointed at the screen. "Did you take that?" .
"Yeah, that was a 3 or 4 weeks ago when I was there last. It was early in the morning before the cleaners come out to work and there weren't many people about."
Pia cocked her head slightly and seemed to examine the photo more closely.
"I think I recognise that street. Is it the one with all the coffee shops just off the big square?"
Rick was surprised, again. This was turning into a day full of surprises for him.
"Yes, that's the Warmoestraat, looking down towards Dam square, have you been there?"
Pia took her eyes away from the screen and looked at Rick.
"Oh yes, many times. I think that the last time was about 4 weeks ago." A look of delight lit up her face as she continued. "Maybe we were there at the same time!" Her head rocked back as she laughed for a moment. "What do you think? What date were you there?"
Rick thought for a moment. "I think it was the last weekend of the month, umm... yep, that was it, I went straight from work on the Friday morning and flew back Monday lunchtime." Sometimes thought Rick, it's very useful having his shift system. Every 6 or 7 weeks his time off coincided with weekends so he was able to attend the parties that the scene offered in Amsterdam. He loved Amsterdam, the city centre was beautiful, but more importantly to Rick it was the freedom the city offered that excited him even more. But he was not going to talk about that freedom with Pia. "I was lucky the weather was really good and I could take lots of photos."
"We were there at the same time!" Pia laughed again, turned toward him and put her hand on his knee. "Isn't that fucking amazing, it's such a small world we live in yes?
Rick felt as though his world was very small right now. The sensation of her hand on his knee was making his penis stir inside his jeans and was making it a little difficult to concentrate on what was being said.
"I'm very lucky." Pia continued. "I have some friends from back home who live in Amsterdam just now, every time I travel there I have a free place to stay. They have a beautiful apartment on the Amstel canal near Rembrandtplein."
Rick whistled with admiration. "They must have really good jobs or lots of money to be able to afford to live there, it's a nice place to live but really expensive. And you said 'back home' so where is that for you Pia?" As he was asking he was acutely aware that her hand had remained on his knee and that his erection had grown even more and was now discernible through the fabric making his choice of wearing fairly tight jeans seem particularly dumb.
"Can't you guess? Here I am, dark hair, only about 1.65m tall and with tiny tits, come on it should be easy." Pia seemed to stare directly into him. She had an air of knowing, understanding.
When she said small tits he couldn't help himself. He knew she was watching him, he knew it was wrong but still he glanced down where her breasts poked out through her t-shirt. He forced himself to look back into her eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.
"Well, I don't think you're German..."
A look of faint disappointment crossed Pia's face. "Not German, no. Minus 1 point Rick."
"And you're not Dutch." He said shaking his head. "Maybe you're Belgian?"
More disappointment. "No Rick, that counts as two new guesses so that's a total of minus 3 points. You need to be careful now, you're running out of wrong answers."
Rick was intrigued. "How many more guesses do I get?"
Pia smiled and gently squeezed his leg before she said. "Just one more Rick."
"What happens if I guess wrong again?"