Contextual Note:
This story is set in the UK, and there are a few britishisms and other cultural factors to be aware of.
• James and Priyanka are eighteen years old, in their final year of school. They are preparing for their "A-Level" exams -- roughly the equivalent of American SATs.
• Priyanka is a Punjabi Sikh, a community which in certain parts of England is highly wealthy and successful. She calls James a
gora
, which means "white" in Punjabi.
• Finally, "Asian" in the UK refers not to an East Asian (Chinese, Japanese etc.) but instead to a South Asian (Indian, Pakistani etc.). This is for historical reasons -- most of the Asian immigration to the UK was from the former colony of British India.
***
"Don't be nervous!" Priyanka said brightly. "I'm sure they won't suspect anything! They don't even know you're my boyfriend."
James nodded, nervously. The plan was simple: James was to go round to "study" with Priyanka Sidhu at her house -- of course, in reality, they would be getting up to other things.
Priyanka put her hand on his shoulder. "Listen, my Dad really wants me to pass these A-Levels. He's expecting big things and you know how much pressure there is from Asian families to go to a good uni and study something prestigious. My parents know how good you are at maths so they're completely fine with you coming over and studying in my room."
James nodded again. It would probably be fine. He should stop worrying over small things.
"And in any case, aren't you willing to undergo a little risk for something special?" Priyanka said, and batted her lashes. James gazed into her deep brown eyes and found himself involuntarily leaning forward, as if falling into them. God, she was beautiful. Something about her petite frame, caramel brown skin, and full lips captivated him, and he wondered -- not for the first time -- what on earth she was doing with him.
Priyanka held his gaze, and then carefully and deliberately lowered her eyes, leading his view down her shoulders, past her side, down her shapely legs and finally resting at her feet. She had removed one foot from her plimsoll, and delicately wiggled her toes in her black tights -- enough that he got the hint.
James felt his penis twitch inside his trousers. Priyanka, after all, knew exactly what he most liked about her -- her dainty feet and painted toes. And as much as he loved her feet, she loved the power they gave her over him even more. A satisfied smile crept across her lips as she observed his reaction.
"Six o'clock -- be there!" She said, laughing, and slipped her foot back into her shoe. "My bus is here, see you!"
She planted a light kiss on his lips, got up and flicked her raven-black shoulder over her hair as she went. James watched her go and began dreaming of the night to come.
***
James showed up at six on the dot. Priyanka's mother answered the door.
"Oh, hello!" She exclaimed in deeply accented English. She turned and called something up the stairs in Punjabi. James heard Priyanka reply in the same language from somewhere upstairs, and then light footsteps as she bounced down the stairs.
"Hi James!" She grinned. "Come up."
James smiled nervously at Priyanka's mother, murmured a thanks, and started after his young goddess.
The house was very much unlike his. Whereas his home was light and clean, filled with whites, beiges and flat-pack furniture, Priyanka's home had an altogether grander feel. For one, it was larger -- her father was a successful businessman and the size of the home reflected it. But also, the taste was richer; dark wood furniture, heavy curtains and a soft red carpet which Priyanka's pretty bare feet sank into as she leapt up the stairs. The house also smelled strongly of fresh home cooking and spices mingling together. It was altogether a warm and inviting impression -- and the distinct Asianness of it reminded him of how far his cultural background was from hers.
Priyanka turned and smiled as he walked into her room. She looked captivating. She was dressed in a red and gold sari, with her thick black hair tied into a messy bun. As she raised her bare arms behind her head to fix it he couldn't help but notice all of her features; her slender wrists, the creamy brown colour of her skin in the soft indoor lighting, the way the skin of her armpits was slightly darker but oh so inviting, the way her mischievous eyes glittered, and most of all -- her cute feet. She was wearing gold anklets, as she knew he liked, and as she stood on the thick carpet her plump brown toes whitened slightly when she put her weight on them. They were small and perfectly shaped.
Priyanka noticed his gaze. "My eyes are up here," she teased, and he blushed.
She laughed, a bright peal of laughter that enraptured him. She bounced into the room and shuffled objects around her floor as he stood awkwardly in the entrance. Her room was very messy and disorganised -- clothes strewn across the floor, bags hanging off the chair, papers and books competing for space on the desk. James noticed a pair of her socks poking out from under a pair of jeans in the corner of the room, and felt a small heat creep further up his neck.
Priyanka continued "rearranging", throwing pyjamas and a discarded sari behind her. "A-ha!" came the call, and she proudly raised up a laptop -- "found it!"
She settled down onto the bed and impatiently motioned James to come and sit down. He did, smoothing the covers underneath and perching on the end while she shuffled up into the pillows at the top.
"Do you have your work with you?" Priyanka asked. James nodded in response and pulled out a maths textbook from his backpack. "I hope you know that we're actually going to be doing some work..." she continued. "I, for one, am quite worried about this exam -- so let's study!"
James felt a little deflated. While he hadn't expected anything serious to happen right away, Priyanka's voice sounded firm. She clearly wanted to do some proper studying, with him as her tutor. But how was he supposed to focus on calculus when all he wanted to do was kiss those luscious Indian lips?