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The day was overcast and grey and the dark clouds that hung low in the evening sky portended rain. Ominous rumbles from the distant hills did little to promise otherwise. But Jenny knew that he would come for he had never missed their weekly rendezvous at the university building. She looked at her wristwatch nothing that it was almost time for him to come. 5.00 pm, he has said – it was ten minutes after that, but she saw no reason to believe that he would not turn up. It was not like Matt to be late, but her faith in his words was as complete as only love and trust could make it.
Sure enough, she spied his tall, handsome figure hurrying through the main gates and towards the library steps where she was sitting five minutes later.
"Sorry I'm late. Jenny, I..." he began in ways of an explanation, but Jenny stopped his embarrassed bluster with an understanding smile and a gentle finger on his lips.
"No explanations required, Matt. I knew that you'd come and I don't mind waiting. I hope that you didn't have to splurge on a taxi like the last time." She said. Matt grinned sheepishly and hung his head in mock shame.
"I'm afraid I did – but I wouldn't dream of skimping on pretty expenses like that when it is you I'm meeting." he replied. His broad, open smile spread across his face, lighting it up like a neon sign. Jenny not for the first time felt her heart melt within her breast.
Matt was the most handsome guy she had ever seen. His dark mane of thick, wavy hair accentuated the firm lines of his finely chiseled face, with its startlingly green eyes and prominent chin and jaw line. His regular workouts in the gym had hardened his streamlined physique, till it resembled one of those Greek statues that she had seen photographs of in history books. On the whole, he was the most perfect formed male she had ever laid her eyes on.
They had first met at a college function last month, where he surprised her by singling her out from the droves of the pretty girls that had turned out their best finery for the occasion. He was not a student of the institute and had boasted openly that he had gate-crushed into the party. Since this was not an unusual occurrence, nobody had minded his unwarranted presence and the unattached girls had been all over him in less than no time. Jenny could still not believe that he had shunned the whole lot of inviting girls for a dance and all the consecutive ones too.
The fact was Jenny was something of a 'Plain Jane', though not without good looks herself. It was just that she was not the vivacious type and she did not make friends easily. This did not prevent her from attending functions like these, but she long ago resigned herself to being the eternal wallflower in them. Matt, by giving her undivided attention that night had made her feet like Cinderella and had more than willingly let her be wooed by him later on.
In fact, it rankled her that he could meet her only on weekends, though she better than mention this to him. Jenny had been brought up to realize the limits of decency in any situation and knew that throwing herself at this Prince Charming could sour whatever existed between them. What both thrilled and disappointed her was that he had made no sexual overtures to her yet, never deviated from the straight path of courtship at all time. Jenny was not sure how she would have reacted should he have made any physical advances on her, but longed for the experience of finding out.
He was still smiling that luminous smile when she snapped herself out of her thought. She blushed violently.
"Cat got your tongue?" He asked laughingly, looking at her with amusement. "You looked sort of lost there for a moment."
Jenny flustered but still thrilled by his proximity, answered him with the truthful nature of her thoughts, she was that kind of girl.
"Why, Jenny, I'm flattered. I had no idea that you think so much of me." He said, a pleased look on his face.
Of course, they had been meeting regularly enough and Jenny had paid him no more than a compliment. But the closeness of Matt's muscular body to her had taken her on the verge of admitting the fact that she felt hopelessly attracted to him in more than just on a friendship basis. This, of course, would have transgressed the boundaries of decency. After all, what did she really know about this handsome, enigmatic boy who had come into her life so unexpectedly? He told her about his father's business – Garment Stores, if she recalls correctly and had also frankly admitted that he had dropped out of college long ago to join his family business. But was she justified in considering these sketchy details as sufficient to base a deeper relationship upon? And what did she really know of boys and men and the things that eventually transpired between them and girls? She had never slept with anyone in her whole life...
Feeling his penetrative gaze on her even with down cast eyes, she hunted for something suitable to say. As though he was reading her thoughts, Matt laid his arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate hug.
"Jenny, I love you. You know that, don't you?" he asked. His own concern and condition evident in his voice. It was a tone she had never heard him speak in and it made her look up at him with questioning glance. Her heart was somersaulting ecstatically within her breast.
"Yes...I think so, Matt. Why do you ask?" she ventured, hoping to draw him out of his despondency.
The insecure, confused boy she saw now as he sat beside her had little to do with assured and buoyant Matt whom she got together with every Saturday. They had never discussed these matters of heart before and now Jenny could hardly contain her joy at first mention of love from his lips. Matt fidgeted nervously and Jenny was surprised to see a crimson blush creep over his face. After a long awkward pause he seemed to collect his thoughts to answer. With unbelieving fascination, she heard the words she had longed to hear for so long.
"Jenny.... would you let me make love to you?"
Whatever doubts, misgivings and indecision she might have had before were swept away in an overwhelming tidal wave to love for this guy who had become the epicenter of her whole life.