It will always be that first touch that I remember most. His fingers grazing mine as we both reached for the study guide between us. The heat, the electricity. I crossed my bare legs under his dining room table, conscious of how close his leg was to my foot. I let my sandals slip from my feet as I tried to focus my mind on my lecture notes, once again dragging my mind from the shape of his lips and back to the task at hand: studying for our lecture exam.
Adam was the quiet student in class who always said the correct answer to the professor's questions, but never loud enough for the professor to hear. Satisfied that he knew the answer, he never sought the recognition of his intelligence, but I always heard him. I would glance over toward the seat beside me, his seat, and smile, nodding my own insignificant recognition.
The sun coming in through the window at his side always lit his shaggy brown hair in a way that distracted me from the lecture. His hair shined while falling around his face as he dutifully scribbled notes and hastily copied sketches from the chalkboard. The way he crinkled his brow in concentration made me want to reach over and smooth it with my thumb, tracing the lines away then drawing my hand down his face until my hand reached his jawline, my thumb on his full bottom lip. I would rub my thumb across his lip slowly, then pull his face to mine as I replaced the tip of my tongue with my thumb and traced a wet line across his lip...
No, stop. Concentrate.
I was surprised when he approached me last week after class while I was packing my things to head to my next class.
"Victoria? Could you study with me for this exam? I was planning on working on this Friday at my place, if that works for you." I paused, surprised, and he looked at me apprehensively, as if regretting asking me. He must have been interpreting the shocked expression on my face as reluctance, because he started to back-peddle. "If you're busy or whatever, that's cool. No big deal." He grabbed his own bag, slinging it over his shoulder.
I smiled, forming my words and concentrating on not sounding too eager. "Yeah, Adam, that would be great. What time?" We exchanged phone numbers and details, and I smiled and walked away, grabbing my phone to call my best friend and talk to her about Friday. It was only two days away.
When Friday finally arrived and I had made it through my classes, I made my way home to get ready for my study session. Showering the warm April day off of me, I made sure to shave my legs. Now came the hard part-- picking out which clothes I would wear. The bra and underwear set I had chosen was dark blue satin trimmed in matching lace, the thin lace barely hiding what its counterpart did not. Finally settling on a simple denim mini skirt and black shirt that clung enough to my curves to show off my trim waist and the curve of my breasts, I slipped on some sandals and headed for the door.
I drove to Adam's apartment and was right on time. The sun was just setting over the skyline, but the air still warmed my skin as I waited at his front door, anticipating the door opening at any moment. Time ticked by in slow motion as I heard his footsteps behind the door, then saw it swing open. His smile greeted me and I stepped inside.
We found our way to the dining room table, sprawling our notes and handouts, comparing notes and working on the study guide given to us. As we both reached for it, our hands met and lingered just a few moments longer than necessary, but it was enough to redden my cheeks as I deferred to him. His eyes roamed over my body, lingering at and tracing the curve of my breast. My toes brushed his shin under the table as I slowly guided them in a dance over his naked skin.
After a while of comparing notes and discussing the intricate details of mammalian fertilization, Adam reached his arms above his head as he arched his back and stretched out his legs, letting out a quiet groan of mental exhaustion. The naked flesh of his calf brushed firmly against mine, and didn't move. My heart started to race. He looked at me silently for a moment, then turned up the corners of his mouth in a half-smile.