“So…how do you get women?” Jason asked bluntly.
“It’s simple,” I said. “I go up to them, introduce myself, and start a conversation.”
“That’s it?”
“There are no good pick-up lines,” I said. “Remember that. Start with a hello and go from there. A pick-up line reads like desperation, and it makes you seem less confident in yourself.”
“What if she shuts you down five seconds later?”
“If you’re really interested in that particular girl, then show her that you’re interested by being persistent,” I said. “But don’t go crazy… just be simple, straightforward, and sincere. Women want to know that they’re valued for more than just their bodies.”
“So, I should…talk to her about her likes and dislikes?”
“Show her that you’re interested in her opinions, show her that you care about getting to know her. Invest some time into getting to know her, and you’ll win her over.”
“Man,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I really wish this came naturally to me. Do you have a girlfriend?”
I frowned, unwilling to answer the question or share my personal life with one of my students. Besides, I was getting some strange vibes off of Jason and wanted to end our little consultation as soon as possible.
“Jason, I have more papers to finish grading. So, if that’s all…”
“Oh right,” he nodded. “Sure… I should let you get back to stuff. Thanks for coaching me through this. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“That’s not necessary,” I said quickly, hoping Jason wouldn’t make this a habit.
“See you in class then, Chance,” he said, as though he hadn’t heard my previous statement. He waved at me from the threshold of my office as though we were old friends. Then he walked out, with another dopey grin on his face.
“Geez,” I said, to myself.
Jason definitely seemed like an oddball. The fact that he had sought out a teacher’s help to pick up women proved that. I was instantly glad that I hadn’t encouraged an open-door policy with my students. It was a little more than I had signed up for.
I wondered for a moment if I should have asked Jason about the dark-haired girl I had been preoccupied with for the last few weeks. But after some consideration, I was glad I hadn’t. It was better that I knew nothing about her. It made it easier for me to resist my baffling attraction to her.
Chapter Seven
Natalie
He has nice hands, too, I thought as I watched Chance point towards the statistics on the projecting image behind him. They were large and his fingers were long and beautifully shaped. I internalized a sigh as I turned my focus to his face.
I realized suddenly that I had never really seen him smile. His hazel eyes had brightness; it made the little hints of blond in his hair more prominent and softened his face somewhat, but I had yet to see a real smile. I wondered if he had a dimple, if his smile tilted slightly on one side, or if his smiles tended to be soft or wide.
My preoccupation with Professor William hadn’t reduced in the month or so since I had first laid eyes on him. In fact, some days it had seemed to increase. I thought about him at night before I went to bed, which inevitably led to dreams about him. Some of those dreams made me blush, even as I thought about them now. I was surprised at myself. Even though I’d had crushes on other guys before, I had never experienced this burning sense of desire.
Missy liked to tease me about it, but a part of me hated the feeling. It was a need that had this clawing urgency about it, and there was nothing I could do to satisfy it. I felt helpless, and no matter how hard I tried to get him off my mind, nothing seemed to distract me for too long. It didn’t help that I saw him every week, and he always looked so very handsome.
He was wearing dark jeans today and a white t-shirt underneath a thin navy jacket that put his muscular arms on full display. I wondered what it would feel like to peel those layers off of him. I felt a little tingle in my arms and legs, and I started to feel uncomfortably hot. At that moment, I was painfully aware that I had never been with a man and was starting to regret not having the experience sooner.
My thoughts turned to my birthday celebration that night, and I started to feel more determined than nervous. The moment Chance finished his lecture, he made a brusque dismissal and started collecting his notes and files. I had just gathered up my own things when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Jason. I tensed instantly, remembering our last interaction, but I kept my expression calm and unaffected.
“Hi, Natalie,” he greeted, and his smile was warm and friendly.
I was slightly confused, but I returned his smile half-heartedly. “Hello.”
Since the day that I had refused his offer to form a two-person study group, Jason had kept away from me. He hadn’t made an attempt to sit next to me, and I was glad. His reaction to my refusal had been extreme in my opinion, and that worried me.
“How’ve you been?” he asked tentatively.