Aaron had originated from a rather small town in Missouri. So, when he finally reached adulthood and went off to college out west, he was somewhat shocked. He had never seen such a variety of different races and ethnic groups. Aaron found the diversity to be one of the best parts of his college experience. Back home, everyone looked the same, went to the same church, voted for the same politicians, and lived their lives exactly the same. It was refreshing to experience all of the diversity the college had to offer and make some lifelong friends. Of everyone he met, the person that he admired the most was his friend Nadia.
When he first met Nadia, he was immediately struck by her beauty. Her olive skin was flawless. Her black hijab was wrapped elegantly around her head and neck. Her full lips often curved into a playful smile that seemed to be teasing him to kiss her. She had eyes that were deep and black, carrying a hypnotic effect that caused him to become lost in thought. More than anything else, he was fascinated by how smart she was. Her knowledge of history and philosophy was better than any other student in the whole department. He felt like he could listen to her quote Avicenna, Averroes, or Rumi for hours on end. She always lit up with such joy when she talked about those things.
Nadia greatly enjoyed having Aaron around. Going away to college was hard for her at first. Not everyone in her family had approved of her going, and though the college was diverse, people at the college still seemed uncertain about her. Aaron, however, was not put off by her being different in the slightest. He was always eager to talk to her and get to know all about her. It was a pleasure to have him around. She thought he was a little goofy at first, but as time went on, she found herself noticing some things about him. Aaron had a great height and a lean, athletic body. She was not used to men being as tall as that back home. She sometimes attended his basketball games. When in attendance, her eyes would look over his long legs and muscled arms.
After finishing up the spring semester, they decided to go out with a few classmates to celebrate at a local bar. Nadia was sitting at the bar with Aaron and sipping a glass of red wine. Their other classmates were shooting pool on the other end of the building.
"What are your plans for the summer?" Aaron asked.
"My family would like me to fly back home," Nadia said, "I would much rather stay here in America though. I don't have a lot of people who really get me at home."
"You have to stay here!" he blurted out.
Nadia smiled to herself, pleased to hear he wanted her to stay. Aaron blushed somewhat, realizing he embarrassed himself a little.
"You want me to stay that badly huh?" Nadia asked in a teasing way.
"Well," Aaron stumbled over his words, "I just mean it is clearly something you really would prefer to do."
