**This is my first story. Any similarities between this work of fiction and real life is purely coincidental. Please let me know what you think, either good or bad. I don't want to waste more time on this if its garbage. Thanks**
I was very cocky when I was younger. This realization hit me as I sat on the couch at the party, nursing my beer and watching some of the younger guys strut their stuff in front of a particularly β at least in the corporate America Abercrombie sense β attractive blonde. I felt sorry for her. The male to female ratio must have been at least six to one against her, and it seemed like every ounce of teenage testosterone in the room seemed to gravitate towards her. I worked at a small non-profit in the state capital. The youngsters were part of the student (part time) staff. Myself and the guys playing cards, Euchre, probably, in the kitchen were the silverbacks from the full-time staff. Our ages ranged from 21 to 30, while the student staff ranged from 18 to 23. We got together every week on Friday night after work to relax and socialize. I don't know where the blond came from, but it's not really relevant to this story anyway.
So I was sitting on the couch, observing behavioral differences in human males over various age groups, when
she
walked in. I say
she
, because she was one of those one in a million girls who makes eye contact with you once and you know your life is never going to be the same again. I think back to every important relationship I've been in my young life, and can't think of a single one that didn't start this way.
Odd, I would have thought that that kind of retrospection would happen at the end of a relationship not theβ¦
beginning? Love at first sight?
Who cares? Go talk to her
. So I took my own good advice and did just that. I stepped over Jason, who was playing his acoustic guitar in the middle of the living room β poorly, by the way, not that it matters.
"Hi, I'm Jack, welcome! Can I take your coat?" Eye contact the whole time. We both new neither of us gave a shit about the coat. It's funny how nervous some guys get over small talk when the most important part of any conversation is everything that doesn't get said.
"Ann Marie, nice to meet you." She took off her dark blue coat and as she handed it to me, I took a split second to check her out. I know, it's passe, but I figured I should get it out of my system. Anyway, she was about 5'5" β 5'6", she came up just over my shoulders. She had straight black shoulder length hair with a few strands of purple. Her skin was pale, but not excessively. It was winter in Michigan, after all. She wore a purple sweater that revealed quite a lot, and her jeans were tight enough for me to do a complete rundown in about a second. She was built like a volleyball player; curvy but with an air of athleticism. I was guessing at a small C, large B, but it was tough to judge with the sweater. Long legs, small feet, and the most gorgeous brown eyes I'd ever seen. Her face was unique. Round in a way that accentuated her eyes and gave her a huge smile. Not magazine-cover beautiful, but absolutely captivating.
"I don't think I've met you yet, are you new on the student staff?" I asked, returning my eyes to hers. The smirk forming on her thin red lips showed that I had definitely been caught checking her out.
Not as smooth as you used to be, Jack.
"Yea, I started on Monday."
"Well welcome to Staff Night, enjoy my home. Can I get you a beer?"
"That would be great, so this is your pad?" she still had the smirk.
"Such as it is. Let me put your coat away and I'll be back with your drink. Make yourself at home." I flashed her a smile as I headed into the house, weaving between the bodies.
I hated walking away from those eyes, but I
was
the host. So I set her coat in the spare bedroom with the others, and came back downstairs through the kitchen, grabbing a Labbat Blue from the fridge on the way back. Being 6'2" has its advantages in a crowd, and I spotted her in the den, checking out my modest library. Some guys were having a Halo tournament in the corner with the TV, but it was much less crowded there than it was in the rest of the house. Alcohol and books don't mix well, I've noticed. I walked to her slowly, studying her form like a sculptor would study his model. I opened her beer and handed it to her.
"So are this good of a host to all your guests?" she asked, the crooked grim back on her lips. I was instantly addicted to that smile.
"No, I'm not." I said, returning her smile.
"This is a very interesting collection of reading material. Should I be worried?" As it happened, the shelf at eye level to her contained my political books, "The Communist Manifesto," the "Anarchist's Cookbook," "Civil Disobedience," and scores of American civic history texts. I thought briefly of focusing her attention to the Kama Sutra, then thought better of it.
"I don't know, are you worried?" she took a slow sip from her beer.
"I'm not easily intimidated. At least not by books. Aren't you worried about all these people running around drunk in your house?"
"Well, most of them are also high, so they're mellow. My roommates are doing a pretty good job of keeping order. No, I guess I'm not worried. At least not by guests. Are you new in town?" I was anxious to keep the conversation on her. Her attitude and posture fascinated me.
"It shows, huh? Yea, I just moved here from Chicago. What about you?"
"Fresh in from Arizona. I've got family here, and I got a scholarship to State." We made the mandatory small talk, getting to know each other. She had just started grad-school at the university after taking a year off to see Europe. I guessed that that put her at around my age, 23, but I was intimidated that she was so much more experienced and accomplished than myself. Intimidated and flattered that she seemed as interested in me as I was in her. I was just telling her about growing up in the desert, and how different it was in Michigan.