Kurt tossed socks and underwear from a duffel bag into a drawer in his dorm room. He had finished his summer job with the Forest Service only two days ago, allowing only a single day to pack his return to college. A junior business major, he was a dean's list student and plays striker on the varsity men's soccer team. Soccer practice was beginning tomorrow, and the campus was populated sparsely by teams reporting early for fall practice.
The next week was exhausting, in spite of the rugged conditioning with the Forest Service. Twice-a-day practices were trying his aerobic conditioning, and after second practice he ate dinner, read for a while, and slept for eight or nine hours. He awoke early and usually took a long walk to enjoy the solitude of the sunrise and the beauty of the campus. It was still too early for fall, but he could smell the signs of it in the early morning air. Fall was his favorite time of year.
Although he had dated occasionally during the previous two years, Kurt had no lasting relationship or "permanent" girlfriend. He had liked several girls, but none had captured his interest in a lasting way. Several of the girls on the women's soccer and lacrosse teams flirted with him over lunch – the only meal that was co-ed among returning athletes – and he smiled without "taking the bait."
Janice Kroeger was another matter. The women's soccer coach was a definite distraction. She wore tight shorts that were inappropriately short for soccer, and she frequently wore sleeveless tops that did little to hide a large and apparently firm bosom. A very confident attitude and commanding presence did little to diminish her attractiveness in Kurt's mind. She occasionally caught him watching her and would always smile as he looked away. Her boyfriend picked her up almost daily in his silver Porsche, quickly dismissing any thought he or anyone else might have about her 'availability'.
Kurt sat under an apple tree, reading the class schedule for the coming semester. "Apples already picked," he thought, "no chance of any Newtonian experience here." He thought briefly about Janice Kroeger, then dismissed his thoughts. "Looks like another year of no relationship," he thought to himself. He was wrong.
Chapter Two
Sitting through the first hour of a statistics class was every bit as boring as he expected it to be. Professor Knapp droned on at length about the practical utility of the course, in an obvious though probably futile effort to inspire the class. Kurt had put off taking the course, though it was required for his major. The class was an obvious mixture of freshmen through seniors. Professor Knapp finally liberated them five minutes ahead of schedule, and he worked his way down from an upper tier of the classroom to the exit.
As he took deliberate steps toward the door, a quiet feminine voice arrested his retreat.
"Excuse me. Could you help me?"
He turned to his right and locked eyes with a young woman he had not met before. She was of medium height – perhaps 5'5" or 5'6" – long brunette hair, and very cute. She held her books in her arms pressed to her chest. She looked a little confused and summoned a bewildered smile.
"Hi, I'm Kristine. I'm a freshman, and my next class starts in less than 10 minutes, and I don't have a clue how to find it."
"Hi. I'm Kurt. Where's the class?"
"It says "SB-16C."
"That's the science building, first floor. Walk diagonally across the quad from here, and it's the very big 3-story brick building. I think 16C is on the left when you go in the front entrance, but I'm not sure. I try to stay away from there."
She laughed.
"You're not a science major, I presume."
"Nope. Business."
"Thanks, much. I'd better get a move on."
"Good luck."
He watched as she walked away. She was wearing Bermuda shorts that stretched tightly around a very shapely derriere. She turned once to look back, and he managed to overt his eyes just in time.
He walked into the dining commons just after 6:00. He had showered quickly after soccer practice and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He stood in line as he mentally reviewed tomorrow's class schedule.
"It was to the right."
The voice seemed familiar. He turned and saw the new girl three persons behind him.
"What?"
"SB-16C is to the right when you walk in the front entrance. I went to the left and walked halfway around the building before I figured it out." She was grinning.
"Sorry. Well, at least I got the right building."
"Brownie points for the right building." She grinned as she spoke.
He worked his way through the service line and walked to the drink dispensers. Halfway through pouring a glass of milk, he heard her again.
"Mind if I sit with you? I don't know anyone else?"
"You don't know me either, but sure. Let's sit over there." What was her name?
He reached the table ahead of her and watched as she worked her way through the maze of tables to where he was sitting. For the first time he noticed that she seemed unusually well-endowed, and he remembered the books that she had held close to her chest.
"I just got here yesterday. I missed freshman orientation. My roommate is stranded somewhere by an airline. And I haven't really met anyone except you."
"What a mess. Well, at least you avoided orientation. They make you sing the school song and a lot of other dumb things. They didn't threaten a make-up session, did they?"
"No," she laughed.
"What's your major – or have you declared one?"
"Engineering."
"Engineering? You don't look like an engineer – er, you don't seem like an engineer."
"Engineering," she repeated with a grin.
"You love math and physics, I presume."
"I did well in math and physics."
"Well, the school is well-known for engineering."
"I know." Another grin. "Did you say you're a junior?"
"I don't recall saying, but I am a junior."
Her blouse was buttoned up to the second button from the top, but he watched the movement of her breasts when she breathed.
"What happened to your arm?" she asked, nodding toward the abrasion on the underside of his left forearm.
"Soccer practice. My feet weren't quite quick enough."
"You play soccer? There's a game later this week, isn't there?"
"Yeah. Friday afternoon."
"Can I go?"
"You can go if you paid for your activities card."
"Great. I'll cheer you on." She flashed another grin that he found cute – even attractive.
They finished eating over idle small talk and said a polite "good-bye" as they left the dining commons.
Chapter Three
Kurt sat at the edge of the field panting. They had defeated a formidable rival, 3 to 1, and he had scored one of the three goals. It was a gratifying start of a new season. Janice Kroeger had walked by after the game had ended and without pausing had remarked, "Nice game." He looked up and grinned, but she was already three steps beyond.
"Hey, Kurt, great game!"
He looked up to see Kristine in the stands, three tiers up.
"Thanks."
"Want to get a coke or something?" She asked without a trace of self-consciousness.
"Uh, sure. Can you give me 20 to shower and change?"
"I'll be right here."
He smiled at her and trotted off to the locker room. The shower took less than five minutes. He dried off and quickly slipped into cotton slacks and a polo shirt. He was back at the stands in 15 minutes, where Kristine sat waiting.
"Let's go," he said. She stood and walked down to meet him.
They walked to a casual restaurant just off the west side of campus, talking briefly about the soccer game as they walked.
"Let's order out," she suggested with enthusiasm.
"Where do you want to eat?"
"Someplace nice on campus."
They ordered hamburgers, fries and cokes "to go" and walked together back to the campus. He led the way as they walked to a quiet wooded area on the far side of the soccer field. He approached one of three picnic tables, but she stopped him and pointed to a grassy area near a group of fir trees. She was wearing shorts again and a top that neither called attention to nor concealed her ample bosom.
"Well, you've survived almost a week. How's it feel?" He asked.
"Fine! Great! I think I'm really going to like it."
They talked briefly about some personal history. She had finished salutatorian in her graduating class (but really deserved valedictorian because of her far more rigorous curriculum). She had one brother, older, and lived a middle class existence. She had won a significant scholarship that permitted her to attend so expensive a school.
He had performed similarly (though not quite so dramatically) well in high school and had won his scholarship through a combination of academics and athletics. He had played on the varsity soccer squad since his freshman year. He was alienated from his family for reasons that he didn't explain (and she didn't ask) and had just finished three months of working for the U.S. Forest Service.
"Got a girlfriend?" She asked. "Or girlfriends?"
