Note: Thanks so much for all the support and feedback I have gotten with this story! Again, thanks to my wonderful editor, Amela, that puts up with my misuse of commas and fast-finger typos. I know this part is a little short but I hope you enjoy it all the same... more to come! I love hearing from my readers so feel free to comment or email!
The characters in this story are fictional and over the age of 18.
Enjoy,
xo – KO
Andie sat up abruptly, suddenly aware that she was almost totally naked. She clutched the sheet over her chest and stared at him. How could I be so stupid, she thought. She looked away from him, her face flushed. She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill out. "I thought... you don't want me?"
Jackson griped her chin lightly, turning her to face him. He saw the hurt and heart break in her eyes. He hated that he had put it there. "Sweetheart, I want you so much. More than you will ever know. Andie, you are so wonderful and you deserve so much. Respect and love, Andie, you deserve that."
She turned her head again, not knowing what to say. She never thought of herself as a woman that would give herself away so easily. She knew Jackson respected her and cared for her deeply, but he was right. She couldn't make love to him without knowing if he loved her, or without knowing if she loved him.
"You must think I am terrible, you probably think I'd sleep with anyone..." Andie whispered, embarrassed about her behavior. She had intentionally gone out to see him in the living room hoping that he would take her to bed.
"Andie, you are not terrible. And I know that you will not just sleep with anyone. And I don't want to be just anyone, Andie. I want to respect you. I think I need to go back out to the couch and get some sleep. You should try to sleep a little too, then tomorrow we can talk... over dinner, if you'd like?" Jackson was nervous that she would turn him down.
"Dinner?" Andie looked up again, surprised. "You mean you want to take me to dinner... like on a date?" She knew she sounded immature but she was so confused by this sudden turn of events. First he was making her feel things she had never felt before, then he had pulled away, rejecting her. Now he wanted to date her?
"Yes, Andie, I would like to take you on a date, if you want to call it that. I want to spend more time with you; I want to get to know you-"
"But you know me already..." She interrupted.
Jackson smiled at how confused she looked, "Yes, I do know you. I know you as a student as well as a bright and intelligent woman. But we still have so much to learn about each other." He reached out and stroked her cheek.. Leaning forward, he lightly kissed her parted lips. When she moaned and dropped the sheet, he pulled back and chuckled. "You know, here I am trying to be a gentleman and you aren't making it very easy..."
Smiling, he gently pushed her back on to the bed, pulling the sheet up over her naked body. He kissed her again before standing. "Goodnight Andie."
Andie sighed, "Goodnight."
What just happened, she thought. Sighing again as he closed the door behind him, Andie rolled on to her side. A date? With Jackson Warren, her old teacher. Suddenly nervous again, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax and try to get some sleep.
***
Three weeks later, Andie and Jackson were spending all of their free time together. Jackson was teaching summer classes during the week and Andie was working as an intern in a local law office, a position that Jackson had gotten her months before graduation. Jackson would usually pick up Andie from work, they would then order in or cook dinner together in his apartment. They would probably rent a movie or just catch up on re-runs of House. Afterwrds, he would drive her home. He always drove her home, even if it was one in the morning. They had easily fallen in to a routine as a couple. It was sometimes strange to think that Andie had only graduated a month ago.
"What do you want to do tonight?" Jackson asked her as she slid in to the passenger seat of his car. She had just come out of the old library that had been converted in to the law offices where Andie worked.
"Umm, how about the World War II documentary on this History Channel? There have been previews all week. It looks interesting." Andie chirped back, smiling as she buckled her seat belt. Jackson pulled away from the curb and drove off in the direction of his apartment.
Andie had been terrified the night after Jackson had picked her up from the graduation party, she didn't think she had ever been so nervous in her life. He had taken her to dinner at a small Italian restaurant they both liked. The conversation came easily after they had gotten past a few award moments; she realized that despite knowing him for the past four years, she did not know much about him other than life at school. Andie had to admit that Jackson had been right when he told her that they should get to know each other before they made love.
That didn't stop her from thinking about it though. Almost every night when Jackson drove her back home she went in to her small room and thought about what it would be like if Jackson made love to her. He had barely touched her since that night. He had kissed her cheek or put an arm around her while watching television but nothing came close to the passion they had shared that night...before he had put it all to a stop. She wondered, self-consciously, if he had lost interest in her. Maybe he had been caught up in the moment that night and then realized he didn't want to be with her. Andie knew he enjoyed spending time with her. She realized they had really become friends. It had become more than the student teacher relationship they had before. But she didn't understand why he had lost interest in being with her physically. She thought about bringing it up but didn't want to ruin what they had now. She would be miserable if he stopped wanting to spend time with her all together.
The next afternoon after a quiet and seemingly platonic night with Jackson, Andie sat at her desk in the old library turned modern law office. Andie loved her position at the firm and easily fit in with the other employees she worked with. For the first time, Andie felt like she belonged. She had made fast friends with the other young woman in the office. Debra was older than Andie, but only recently out of her undergrad and working at the firm before she left for law school in the fall. Debra and Andie had made a habit of taking lunch together and chatting about the schools they would both be attending in less than 2 months.
"Hey, you ready... Andie, are you ready for lunch?" Andie's head snapped up as she fought to clear her thoughts about Jackson and looked up at Debra who was looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, let me grab my bag... sorry." Andie felt embarrassed that Debra had caught her day dreaming and quickly went in to the break room to grab a bag packed with leftovers from last night's dinner. She joined Debra outside at a small table in front of the building. The sun was warm and Andie instantly felt the chill that the air conditioned building had set in her lift from her skin. She smiled at Debra as she sat down, hoping that she would not be subjected to questions about her strange mood and daydreams.
