The story continues:
Laura leaves.
Kathy and Jane look at each other, exchanging quizzical expressions. One asks:
"Do we really want to?"
"Do what she did?"
"Um-hmm."
"You want to?"
"Sounded good; I guess so. Don't you?"
"Hmm? If it happened. Can't imagine her scenario."
"No. But if we found him ...."
"Some boy that knew even less than we?"
"Hm-hmm! Just had seen naked girls in Playboy."
"Hmm! He'd be disappointed with me."
"Oh, he'd be eager to see a real life nude girl."
"And how are you going to find him, the poor innocent?"
"Just a wild idea."
"You want to, though?"
"Want to try what Laura did."
"Just get in bed with one of your dates and do it."
"Said I didn't want to, like you."
"Go study and get your mind off sex!"
"You too!"
They smile wryly and do study until dinner.
They don't return to the subject, but a few days later, Jane asks Kathy:
"Know the Vietnamese boy?"
"Is there more than one?"
"Don't think so. He is in my French course, advanced placement, like me, having already taken French, but he's much better."
"And? Why did you ask?"
"He is very reticent, shy, although he is so good."
"And?"
"What Laura was saying."
"Hmm?! Like that? Hmm? You want us to teach him?"
"He hardly talks to anyone, probably because most of the people in his classes are older."
"And he is Vietnamese."
"Probably for that reason too."
"And you want to 'teach' him, want us to?"
"Just an idea; he should appreciate someone talking to him."
"Hmm? 'Talking to him'? Suggesting that he wants to meet a couple of girls, and then in their beds?"
"At least, it was an idea. I'll talk to him."
"And tell him that we want him to let us do that?!"
"Of course not. Just talk to him."
"Hmm? Don't know if I want you to."
" 'Bonne chance'."
"What's that mean?"
"Good luck in French."
"Then good luck."
It's a couple of days before Jane can sit next to him, and a couple more, before he acknowledges her with a shy smile. Leaving the classroom, she remarks:
"You're Vietnamese, aren't you?"
"Um-hmm."
"Learned French at home? You're so good."
"Not really, but my family can speak it, and we have relatives in Paris, who got out early."
"That's nice."
"We're boat people."
"Oh, really? Lucky then?"
"Very."
"I'm impressed, that you are here."
"Very lucky."
"Hard work, learning English and then everything else to be accepted here."
"Um-hmm."
"Maybe my French helped."
"What's you name?"
"Duong."
"Does that mean something?"
"Hmm, yes, "virile," not very appropriate, I'm afraid."
"Why not? You're no wimp."
"Just feel like one here, alone, in this and another couple of courses for sophomores."
"Yeah, older. I'm just a frosh, had French in school, but can't speak it as good as you."
"Better than some others."
"Thanks. Like to believe you."
"You can, maybe not with as good pronunciation, but more fluently."
"Thanks again. Going to lunch?"
They sit together at lunch, talking more, and after their next class together.
Kathy has been observing them and hears from Jane that he is becoming more open when talking with her, telling her about his family; that he is an only child, just a baby when his family escaped from Vietnam; that his French was so good because the family in Paris had invited him to spend a summer there.
Kathy likes what she hears, but still questions that Laura's "wild idea" could materialize. Nonetheless, she agrees that Jane invites her to join them for lunch, not immediately, but after she has mentioned that she has a roommate. She does, and then Kathy joins them for lunch. Duong greets her rather formally, but with what she has already heard about him, they have a relaxed conversation. As they are getting up, he smiles and remarks:
"Wow, sitting with two American girls. Nice."
"And nice, with you," Kathy replies.
"We don't bite," Jane adds, and they all smile.
"Till tomorrow?" he asks, the first time he suggests their meeting again.
"Yes, of course," they both reply.
That evening in bed together, while they are still just holding each other's breast, Kathy remarks:
"He is nice, but ..."
"Um-hmm, but what?"
"I can't see how this could ever work out. Okay, if we got him here and started to take off our clothes, but how would we get him here?"
"Hmm? I don't know, either. Guess we would have to tell why, beforehand. But you would want to?"
"Hmm? I guess so, but not getting him here on some pretense ..."
"Like helping me with pronunciation," Jane interjects.
"You've been thinking about that already!"
"Well, since he said it could be improved; something he could understand."
"And then we 'seduce' him?! That would be unfair; he's too nice and innocent to do that to him."
"Yeah, you're right. A guy we had been dating could probably be already thinking that might happen."
"In his dreams, but that is why we can't do it with one of them."
"And if we did, he would talk."
"Hadn't thought of that, but of course."
"But Duong wouldn't."
"Why?"
"Different upbringing. He wouldn't be so shy and reticent, if he had been running around 'the boys' in high school."
"Makes sense," Kathy agrees.
"Now that I said that, that is why we can't with one of our dates. Unless they thought that we were serious - just with one of us - they might brag about it."
"For sure, if we both did it with him!"
"Maybe Laura's 'wild idea' is better than we first thought."
"Still can't see it happening. Oh, I would do it with him."
"Me too."
"But how are you going to tell him that we both want to - want to use him for an experiment?"