When we awoke in the small hours, we smiled at each other. We knew we were a couple. I wasn't going to be afraid of people seeing me with the gimp girl. She didn't care if I was the strange French-speaking guy.
I helped round up her clothes and sighed as I watched her put them on. I was already in love with her naked body. I hated to see it covered.
She seemed to read my thoughts. "Don't worry big boy, we'll be naked together soon enough. I'll need me some more fucking. But now, I have to study for a sociology test tomorrow. I smell like animal lust and need a shower. And I should eat...something more nutritious than cum, which is what you are probably thinking of. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I followed her out of my room.
As we entered the common room, we saw one of my pod-mates. He just looked at me and cocked an eyebrow. To her he said, "Hey neighbor."
She glanced at him and said, "Hey." Then she looked at me and took my hand. "Tom, it's been nice." Then, she kissed my hand. "See you soon." It was the coolest move I have ever seen. She grabbed her sticks and walked out the door with a sly glance over her shoulder. Damn, she was good.
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I saw her the next day in French class. She arrived before me and saved me a place. Not only that, she had gotten me a coffee
"Wow, thanks." I took her hand. "When are we going to be together again?" I asked as the professor came in and started to get ready for class.
"You are way too distracting for me to spend any time with you in the next day or two. I have a paper due in European History tomorrow. And did you remember that we have to submit our critical analysis, in French, of her selections from Les Fleurs du Mal on Thursday?"
"Oh, fuck!" I hadn't read Baudelaire since high school. I was supposed to have been reading it the last couple of weeks, but I had been distracted.
"Let's get the damn poetry behind us. Then you can come to my PE class with me on Thursday afternoon."
"Your PE class? Really?"
"What, the handicapped girl doesn't have to take PE? The ADA says we are to be treated like able-bodied people β with accommodations. I bet my PE is way more fun than anything you have done. Bring your trunks and meet me at the natatorium at 5:30 Thursday."
"The natatorium? What?"
At that point, Madame said, "Attention, mes amis!" And I had to keep my questions to myself.
---
I got my Baudelaire done. Even though we sat next to each other, India didn't say a word to me. When Madame finally stopped talking about the effect of the Franco-Prussian war on the writing of Mauriac and we were leaving, India spoke.
"5:30, Natatorium, right?"
"Sure, but I've done my PE requirements," I answered.
"Not like this," she said and clipped-clopped away.
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When I arrived at the Natatorium, the girl at the counter asked, "You here to see India?"