My name is Laura. I am a sophomore in college and I have never had sex. Yes, I know it might be surprising, but it's the true. I had the same boyfriend during all four years of high school. He was the head receiver for the football team, popular, and had decent grades. We started dating at the beginning of freshman year because we both had English together.
It was not a great relationship but I did not realize how bad it was until I was not with him anymore. I changed my personality for him, cutting myself off from friends and family. He pressured me into sex often, but even to this day, I am proud of myself for standing up to him when it came to his demands. We did everything else in the sexual acts department, but we did not have sexual intercourse. That should have been the first sign; my gut telling me not to fuck him. But I stuck with him until the summer before college, when I found out he cheated on me. Guess he found someone else to give him what I was not willing to give up.
I am now in my second year of college. I am about 5'6" with brown hair that falls in loose curls around my breasts, which are a good C cup. My eyes are a bright blue, a shade that people have always found a bit peculiar. I have curves and a firm ass, but I am strong and muscular from working out regularly all my life.
I have decided to study abroad for a semester in Florence, Italy. I felt I had been so closed off all my life that this was something I needed to do in order to find myself. High school had been horrible and this was my time to do some soul searching. I know very little Italian, but it has always been something I wanted to study.
I am living with a very nice Italian woman who cooks and cleans for me. Her name is Gioia, which means joy in Italian She is very patient and she helps me with my Italian, which is very limited. I also help her with her English. I attend the University here, studying art and Italian contemporary history. Most days, I walk along the Arn River and either draw the beauty of the city before me or read.
On this particular day, I decide to the go the Piazza di Michelangelo, or Michelangelo's Square. It is on the top of a hill overlooking a breathtaking view of the city. It is a warm day for March and I let the sun's rays bronze the pale skin on my face and arms. I climb what seems like one thousand stairs to the peak and I gasp at the sight before me. I can see for what seems like miles: the red brick roof tops, the Cathedral in the center, the train station, and my University. Awe-struck, I sit down on the natural stairs carved into the side of the hill and immediately take out my sketch pad.
I work the pencil until my hand cramps, admiring the scene that has come alive on the page. When I look up, I realize there is a man staring at me a few feet away from me. He is not looking at me in a creepy way, but more of an intrigued way. When he catches my eye he smiles and gives me a slight nod.
Now I must tell you, a lot of the men here are aggressive. They come up to me and try to grab my hand or sweet talk their way into my pants. Therefore, I pay no attention to this stranger. I just look back down at my sketch pad and add some shading along the water. When I look up a few minutes later, the man is gone. I let out a sigh of relief. I relax only too soon because a finger taps my shoulder and I see the man is standing behind me with a single rose.
I am shocked but he must not have seen the mixed expression of surprise and fear cross my face because he sits down next to me and extends the blossoming rose toward me. "No thank you." I respond, a little bit too loudly, in Italian.
He just smiles at me and says something in Italian, only thirty percent of which I understand. I sit here smiling, the words swirling around in my brain.
"I...I... don't speak Italian very well." I let the words escape my lips, feeling ashamed that I cannot speak his native language.
"Don't worry," he says with a compassionate look, and surprisingly, in English. He places the flower down next to me and gets up to leave. I am confused as to why he is leaving, only to realize I was not exactly thrilled about his presence. He pushes off the step and begins to descend the stairs. It is then that I realize how handsome and young he is.
He stands six feet tall with thick dark brown hair curling around his sharp chin. His shoulders are broad and the defined muscles of his back strain against his long sleeved black shirt. He is wearing red jeans with black work boots and a scarf around his neck, which might seem strange but this is typical for an Italian male. He turns, giving me a warm smile with his perfect white teeth. His deep green eyes shine with the sunlight. I give a little smirk as I become flushed and I turn my face down to my landscape drawing. I grab my bag quickly and leave as butterflies flit around in the pit of my stomach.
The next day, I find myself smiling. "Why are you so happy, Laura?" Gioia asks as she prepares breakfast.
"It is a nice day today," I remark, looking out the window. Gioia chuckles and places an espresso with half of a grapefruit and a croissant in front of me. I eat quickly and head out the door, ten minutes behind schedule. I stride briskly down the street, passing the open market selling everything from pets to wigs. I am so preoccupied with getting to class, that I turn a corner too sharply and find myself flat on the ground with a man standing over me. His face is blurred but when I come to, I realize who is hovering above me.
His green eyes are a piercing jade color in the morning sunlight and his mane looks soft as silk. I am mesmerized by the sight of my secret admirer, and then immediately the pangs of embarrassment flood my body. He reaches out to me and helps me up from the ground. I shiver from his touch on my wrist. He begins bombarding me with questions, but I have no idea what he is saying. "I'm...I'm...umm no, sorry. I don't...uh... understand." I am shaking and my face is beet red. He seems to realize I am confused and he takes a deep breath and a step back. When he speaks, fire burns in my belly.
"I am sorry. Are you okay?" His voice is warm and deep and the English words melt from his mouth like smooth caramel.
"Yes, I am fine, grazie." I lower my head and try to leave but he calls to me.
"Wait! Please, can I buy you a coffee?" I turn to look at him. He has a weak smile and pleading eyes. I agree before I realize what I have said.