1
I'd always had a hard time with girls. I was a scrawny guy who wasn't very social and when it came to girls my age, I would flounder like a gasping fish. I also had an embarrassing stutter ever since I was a kid that'd come out when I was nervous. The only girls who I've ever gone on dates with felt bad for me, I think, or were impressed by the persona I put up via messages and let down when they met the real me.
I've always had a hard time with girls.... Until her.
Katya Agapov was a tall transfer student from Belarus with soft blonde hair and warm dark eyes. She was in my college Freshman English class despite being two years older than me because of her being an English Language Learner and she dominated the classroom. When the Professor asked something, her hand shot up first, and when called on she'd give an answer that'd usually be accompanied with rapid typing or note scribbling as other students tried to quickly get her words down for the next test.
When she sat next to me that Thursday instead of her usual spot, I didn't think much of it until after class when she said, "Hey, what are you doing Friday night?"
I didn't move, continuing to pack my things.
"Um, Collin?"
I looked up-- an eccentric dresser, she was in a black Led Zeppelin tshirt and a tight leopard print skirt. "What? Me?"
"Yes, you!" she said with a beautiful laugh. "We should hang out. I live in Bernard Hall." She gave me a flirtatious wink, and I swear my heart stopped in my chest.
"Um, do you--you want to exchange, um, numbers or something?"
"Sure!" She whipped out her iPhone, punched in a passcode and handed it to me. I typed it in as I wondered what she could want-- it was the third week of the semester, shouldn't she have a friend group or some hot guy to hang out with? And why me when there were so many jocks in the room? My brain buzzed with questions as I handed her phone back.
"Thank you! My shift at the library ends at six. Let us meet at 7:00 outside Bernard!"
"Okay, see--see you then.
She surprised me then by enveloping me in a hug. I was 5'9 but she was tall enough so that I was pressed to her chest. And then, just as quickly as she embraced me, she let me go.
2
On Friday night, I was wearing a light blue button-down and a pair of ripped jeans. I figured it would be a formal yet casual and cool look, but the more I stood out waiting for her in the cool September air the more I worried about my fashion choice. When Katya came out, though, my worries dissipated.
She was in a beautifully tight pink shirt and a grey beanie, running towards me with her floral skirt bouncing along with her strides.
"Collin!" She embraced me in a hug once again, and I had to take a step back from the sheer force in which she crashed into my arms. She smelled like berries and sweetness. "Come into my lair," she whispered, breath hot and accent heavy in my ear.
How could I resist?
She swiped her ID in the door and it opened with a
beep!
I followed her up the stairs and into her room.
"You live in a single?" I asked at the small size of the room.
A shrug. "It is better this way," she said simply. "Would you like a drink?"
I was nervous-- I've never had alcohol before because I was only 19 and my mom was an alcoholic. So, there was never any booze in the house for me to try and I didn't dare ask my older brother.
"What is it, vodka?" I joked.
