Sebastian Brown was strange and socially awkward.
He also was a brilliant mathematician — finished high school at 16, master's degree by 20, Ph.D. candidate by 21. While in college, he and a professor had even secured two commercial patents on some programming logarithms. One already was in wide use in gaming, and another in robotics. Sebastian's share of the royalties amounted to an annual income in the low six digits, more than enough to pay for grad school and a house a block from a direct bus line to Bayard University where he was working on his doctorate.
Sebastian liked living alone. His mother didn't like it though. She knew he was troubled by Asperger's syndrome, albeit at a level of severity that left him highly functional. Still, it also had left him lonely 21 year-old. Getting him into a dorm in his third year of college hadn't helped. All of his friends were online. That's when Kate Brown had an idea and an opportunity. It all began with a phone call.
After the greetings and short updates were out of the way, Kate made her pitch.
"Sebastian, I know school starts next week. Judy Baker called and was wondering if you could let Cameron stay with you for a week or two. Is that possible?"
In response, he sputtered and stalled. He couldn't think of a good excuse. The house was a three-bedroom two bath and one of the rooms he had even set up as a guest room for his mom on her rare visits.
Kate explained that Cameron hated the athletic dorm and now that her obligatory freshman residency was out of the way, she could live off campus. An administrative foul up had led to the university overbooking the dorms, including hers. They were offering a $500 monthly bonus to any student who could find off-campus housing.
After several minutes of back and forth, Kate secured a concession. Cameron would arrive in two days. The plan was for her to look for her own place while staying with Sebastian.
Over the next two days, Sebastian tried to remember her. His recollection was vague. She was a couple of years younger than he was and he had left school early. However, a day before the Friday she was due to show up, Cameron friended him on a Bayard University social media site.
"Damn!" he thought. "She's gorgeous."
Sebastian was an average height at a little over five feet ten inches, but Cameron had to be six feet four or even six feet five inches. Maybe that shouldn't be too surprising given that she was a college volleyball superstar, but Sebastian hadn't been prepared for it. Suddenly, he was nervous. Most college-age men would have been thrilled, but he was panicked. To him, this could only mean humiliation and hiding as much as possible in his room to avoid her.
"Why couldn't she have been a pimply lesbian nerd I could have played video games with?" he moaned to himself.
It didn't help that on early Friday afternoon when she showed up with her stuff, she was the exact opposite of Sebastian. Cameron was confident, self-assured and friendly. Sebastian did his best to be welcoming, if only so his mother didn't give him a hard time. He helped her move in her few boxes of belongings and clothes.
"Holy crap, Sebastian," she said on seeing the inside of the home. "This is a nice set up. Did you clean for me?"
"No, this is how I keep it." It was, too. He was very fastidious that way.
She smiled, "Well, I'm a bit messier, but I'll try to pick up after myself."
Sebastian left her to unpack and get situated. Just a few minutes after complimenting himself for handling Cameron's arrival reasonably well, a panic attack struck. He hyperventilated a bit, but didn't pass out.
"What if she makes fun of me to her friends?" he thought. "She thinks I'm a loser geek. Shit, shit, shit."
Social judgement awaited him, humiliation lurked. Instead of confronting his fear, he surrendered to it and buried himself in his laptop. Math and his online gaming friends were his refuge. He immersed himself in classic Doctor Who episodes. When Cameron knocked on his door and asked after him, he feigned illness. She expressed her condolences and told him she was going out with friends. Cameron even invited him to join them if he felt better.
As soon as he was sure Cameron was gone, his anxiety abated. Sebastian emerged from his room and decided to do all the things he would need to do to avoid her. He ate dinner and prepared some simple meals in advance, did some laundry and put out plenty of cat food for Tyrion, his tabby. With a little luck and good timing, Sebastian calculated he could hole up in his room for most of Cameron's stay. Hell, he would help her by looking online for apartments. If she needed deposit money or anything else to get her situated elsewhere, he would help.
A little after midnight, he heard Cameron return. She went directly to the common bathroom and then to bed. Sebastian used the master bedroom, brushed his teeth and relaxed, drifting off to sleep while watching "Forbidden Planet" on his laptop.
From Sebastian's perspective, Saturday was a success. Cameron had a practice match on campus, so her focus was on that and getting to Bayard on time. They crossed paths only briefly in the hall. He wished her luck, getting a smile and thank-you in return.
Sunday seemed to only double his anxiety. He could hear Cameron get breakfast, check out the sports news on the big flat-screen in the living room and then shower and go to her room to dress. Somehow, imagining the dark-haired version of Gabrielle Reese in just towel turned him on.
"God, I'm pathetic," he thought.
Just after the noon hour, Cameron knocked.
"Sebastian, I'm coming in," she opened the door.
He had been so relieved to make it to the kitchen and back while she was in the shower that he had forgotten to lock it. She sat down on the bed, and he closed his laptop and swiveled toward her.
Cameron looked around and admired all the collectibles on tables and shelves around the room and framed, vintage sci-fi posters on the walls. No one in her circle imagined she liked some of the same things as Astian, maybe not quite as passionately, but she did.
"We need to talk, Sebastian. Your mother warned me that you might hide in your room. She even urged me to assert myself because you might need me to do that to get you to open up."
He sighed.
"It's OK," she smiled with compassion and without condescenion. Cameron paused in thought for a few seconds. "Would it help you if I told you what to do? At least for a day or two?"
Sebastian blushed, but nodded in the affirmative.
"Good, because I can be quite bossy," she laughed. "After all, if I don't fuck things up, I should be team captain next year, and it's only gone to a junior once before. ... Oh, sorry, did the f-bomb shock you," she said as she noticed his mild expression of surprise. "I curse sometimes, especially when talking sports." Cameron slapped him on the knee.
"Come on. You're taking me for a burger and fries at Queen's."
Queen's was an old Central City landmark restaurant famous for its hamburgers. Sebastian sometimes treated himself there, and he found himself surprisingly hungry for it.
Once in the authentic 1950s atmosphere of the place (no retro chic at Queen's), they quickly ordered and took their seats in the crowded dining area.
"Oh, crap. I forgot," Cameron said. "Go get us some napkins and ketchup, please."
Sebastian told himself things were going good. Maybe this would work out. He was taken aback by the relief that came over him when Cameron suggested she take charge. She was so pretty, too. Dark hair, tall, athletic yet curvy with round, full breasts and hips.
"Wow," Cameron chuckled on his return. "You really like bugers." She glanced down at his crotch, pointing with her eyes.
Sebastian blushed a deep red, and she laughed harder.
"It's OK, it's OK," Cameron insisted, while talking around a bite of burger in her mouth. "Sit down."
She quickly shifted the subject. Cameron asked what he thought of Bayard, and they exchanged mostly favorable opinions. He asked her about her plans for a degree in communications and about volleyball. Sebastian confessed he was an avid gamer and sci-fi geek, no surprise. To their mutual and pleasant surprised, they discovered they liked the same point-and-shoot games. She even confessed to a massive crush on Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor Who. By the end of lunch, Sebastian had relaxed some.
Once in the car, Cameron asked.
"So, Sebbie, do you drink?"
"No, but I will if you keep calling me that."
"Ha!" Cameron exclaimed. "Well, I'm not going to keep calling you by your full name. It's too much. What should I call you?"
"You can call me 'Astian.'"
"Hm," she murmured skeptically.
"OK, Astian. Stop at the liquor store. You're 21 so you're buying again. I'm going to teach you to drink."
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at Astian's house, and Cameron was teaching him how to make frozen pina coladas with his blender, some mix and a big bottle of rum.
Both of them settled into the couch, controllers in hand and drinks at the ready to play Bloodbath and Beyond. Astian narrowly won the first game.
"Well, well, well, there's a warrior inside that math geek after all," Cameron said with a smile. She had noticed a fierceness and confidence while playing that he hadn't shown since they had met.
"Let's make it interesting, shall we?"
"How so? Money?"
"No, I don't have my stipend yet. That's why I am making you buy everything," Cameron said as she downed her last sip of pina colada. "No, let's play strip Bloodbath."
Astian looked shocked and terrified.
"Finish your drink," Cameron ordered. "And, get us another round."
While he was gone, Cameron wondered if she had pushed too far, too fast. Did she really want to do this to him? Still, it might permanently break the ice if she could get him to go through with it. She almost laughed when he returned. His shorts were tented out with his hard penis. Cameron resolved to push on.
"We have to have an even number of clothes to be fair," Astian said.
"No problem, but don't move."
After turning her back to him, she pulled her shirt off, then her bra and then put her shirt back on. The sight of her naked back and just a glimpse of side boob had mesmerized Astian. He signed inwardly at how toweringly attractive she was.
"Now, we're even," Cameron said with a smile and sat down. A few minutes later, Astian won the game.
"Oh, well," Cameron said matter of factly.
She almost laughed at Astian's slack-jawed face.
"Don't drool," she joked and jerked him back to reality. Her breasts were alabaster like the rest of her, milky even, and so unlike all the tan teammates she had. Cameron's nipples were bright pink in color and erect. Astian barely lasted two minutes in the next round. He removed his shirt.
