I wrestled when I was in college. I wasn't very good but it was a small school, I had a little training, and I could beat my schoolmates in my weight class. So I was varsity. I was in very good shape. All wrestlers are. We did a lot of work. I was an even six feet tall, about 175 pounds. I always had to lose a couple pounds to make weight before each match. My dirty blond hair was in a crew cut. Today, I'd probably have a shaved head but back then a short crew cut was the thing. So I looked good, physically.
Of the different possible personalities, I was passive as opposed to aggressive. Still am. Never, ever in a real fist fight in my life, could always talk my way out of situations rather than battle. Seems odd for a wrestler but to me wrestling was all strength and technique. Being too aggressive could be a drawback.
Add to that, I had an almost pathological fear of females. Oh, I could talk with anyone, get along with anyone. But at dances I was one of the ones on the side talking to other guys rather than out there dancing with girls. Maybe it's because I had four older sisters and was raised by a single mother after my Dad died when I was five. I don't know. But I could not make a romantic or sexual move on a girl. I was fine in groups but get alone with one and I would freeze up. Withdraw rather than attack.
Needless to say, I was a virgin.
There was a very cute girl in the class behind mine. I was a junior, she a sophomore. Very small. Maybe five foot two and slight as opposed to sturdy. Pretty face. Lovely coloring. Dark red hair, green eyes, a few freckles, great smile. Girls then seemed to wear sweaters and skirts a lot. I noticed the way her sweaters dropped in soft folds from the swell of her breasts. Not huge breasts. Some girls would wear tight clothes that showed off their breasts, but not her. Very attractive, very feminine, demure, proper.
I was no good with girls but I wasn't dead, I noticed the ones that seemed attractive to me. And she sure did. Her name was LaVerne.
Because of some group in the school, I can't remember which one, about forty of us were out caroling around campus and into the near neighborhoods at Christmas time. It was cold. The little snow that was around was melting during the day and freezing again at night. It was just past dusk, starting to get honestly dark. Probably seven or eight o'clock. I ended up standing behind LaVerne as we formed rows and sang. I don't know what I was doing there. I'm no singer, never was. But there I was. I always have nerve in public, in groups. For some reason, I guess just because she's so attractive, I put my arms around her and held her fairly close , her back to me, as we sang. Maybe because it was cold. She seemed to relax and lean against me. So, as we moved to the next site, I kept an arm around her. And then at the next place, and the next, etc., I held her as she leaned back against me.
I had never asked her for a date. We had talked occasionally, always in small groups, in the cafeteria or other places. So we knew each other to some extent. But this was not at all like me to be holding a pretty girl. But she seemed to accept it, maybe even like it.
Maybe I should add that this was primarily a teacher's college. A pretty square place. I'm sure that people are human so most likely there were some students fucking like minks but not to my knowledge. LaVerne's older brother was a year ahead of me. To my knowledge she and her family were every bit as square as me and many others there. Prospective teachers are not a wild lot in general.
So, because of that evening caroling, I asked her on a date. She agreed. Readily agreed. Christmas holiday had hit so I got the car from my mother and drove to LaVerne's home. It wasn't a huge distance, something like fifteen miles. We went to a movie and I took her home. We're sitting on a couch in what I guess is a den in her home. Her parents were in the house somewhere but weren't going to bother us -- they may have even gone to bed. I have no idea what to do. I blabber some but make no move to put my arm around her or anything. She puts up with it for maybe five minutes.
Then, "Jack," she says, "Shut up and kiss me."
So I kiss her. I put one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist, turn to her and kiss her. I hold the kiss. I like it. I must have kissed somebody at some time but this was likely my first romantic kiss. I moved my lips a little and she did, too. I moved my hands on her back and held her and kept kissing her. I stopped for just a second and then sort of did little kisses several times and she did too and then I kissed her again. I caressed her and felt her. I'd never felt like this before. Maybe she hadn't either. But I know I hadn't. When I finally pulled back for a moment, I said something like "Wow."