University of Life Ch. 02

Roger rubbed his hands together. "Lay it on us, Bach."

"Well, it all started with an invitation that I never expected to get...."

- - - - - -

Whether or not it was a practical joke didn't matter. All Bach knew was that he'd gotten a rare thing in his eighteen-year old life; a girl had paid attention to him.

Gina Wessell-Davies was the typical 'it' girl - a part of every clique and a straight A student on top of it all. While not impressively beautiful, she made up for it by being head and shoulders more witty than her peers. Consequently, she had her pick of men, and her picks tended to be the ones that were hard to keep the attention of, but as long as she was 'with' them, they stayed. Her family was rich; she was one of the few students in their school that actually lived out in the expensive part of town, and yet while she had her own car and never seemed to want for new things, she didn't flaunt it, either. She would eventually make someone the perfect girlfriend and later, wife, Bach figured.

He looked at the lavender invitation in his hands, the flap worn smooth from constant folding and unfolding. The card inside he'd memorized: 'Dear Bach Wilhelm: I would be pleased if you would show up for my family's annual New Years Eve Party, nine PM to midnight. There is no need to bring gifts, other than your august presence."

He smiled despite his nervousness as he walked down the very long driveway towards the mansion. "I'm an august presence. In winter," he told himself, under his breath. Not that it was terribly cold; the weather was mild enough to where you could almost wear shorts. His sense of humor often helped make him less nervous. But he couldn't help but notice the number of cars parked along the drive, and how expensive they were on average; even the landscaping smelled like money. He felt quite underdressed in his light suit jacket, blue dress shirt, and slacks; at least he'd picked out his best silk tie.

A car drove by him; definitely a Jaguar. Something he'd never be able to afford. The night was fairly warm, so the laughter of the occupants did not fail to register in his ears.

A part of him wanted to run. Claim to have overslept, or else have had previously-made plans with his family.

"Hey! Wilhelm!" Gina's refined voice floated down the driveway. "That you? I've been waiting for you."

He was struck speechless, suddenly seeing her coming down off the front porch, a light red afghan thrown over her shoulders. With the floodlights from the porch behind her, it was like watching a celestial. She stopped in front of him, and curtsied. She was easily four inches taller than him, and was absolutely beautiful. "Aren't you going to say hello?" she asked.

Automatic reflexes saved him; he bowed courteously, and said, "Good evening."

- - -

"Don't you mean an angel?" Presden asked.

"Celestial. Divine, but not necessarily with the wings or the halo." Bach replied.

"Eeyah. If you're going to get laid by the end of this story, she's definitely no innocent."

Bach just smiled.

- - -

Bach knew that when escorting a woman to a party, he was supposed to offer her his elbow, though he was admittedly a bit confused, since she lived here, after all. "You were waiting for me?" he said, hoping he didn't sound as confused as he felt.

Gina was wearing her hair up in a short ponytail; it kept her hair off her shoulders and the high-cut, white buttondown blouse she wore. She had a simple white kerchief tied artfully around her neck, and despite the mild winter chill, was only wearing a pair of cream colored capri pants to go with the blouse.

"Yes. I was." Gina said, matter-of-factly, and when she took his proffered elbow, she kept pushing, turning them until both of them were facing away from the mansion. "We're leaving. Let's walk," she said. Something heavy bumped against his leg briefly, and then she and he were walking in cadence.

Gina steered them to the right, down the road. "Thank you for coming, Bach. I was afraid you'd stand me up."

Bach still couldn't believe his luck. "A gentleman does not refuse a command invitation," he replied, and her smile was visible even in the dim light.

"Yes, I know. That's why I asked you to come. Do I need to give you cab money?" she inquired.

Bach shook his head. "My parents will be picking me up at one am, because they know how hard it is to get a cab on New Year's Eve."

Gina smiled. "Responsible parents raised a responsible boy. Mine are having an entirely too wild party back there, and I didn't want you to see that." She leaned her head against his shoulder a bit as they walked. "I bet you're wondering why I chose you, really. Considering we've never spoken much before today..."

Bach slipped his arm around her waist; she didn't seem to mind, and responded in kind; their walk slowed somewhat. "Well, yes. I just figured it was - well..."

"A joke. A popularity contest. Or something. Me with a stableful of boys at my party, able to pick and disdain them at will?" she said, archly.

Bach shook his head. "None of the above. You're not like the other rich girls - you're real, Gina."

Gina found his right hand by reaching across his chest, and squeezed it. "Thank you for saying that; but you don't have to lie."

Bach looked sidewise at her. "I wasn't lying. I... the only thing I thought was that you invited me because you felt sorry for me."

Gina pulled up short, forcing Bach to stop or move through her arm. "Self-esteem problem could use some work, but it's not unsurprising," she murmured as she re-established her arm about his other elbow. "Let's get one thing straight. My friends are my friends because I like them, not because of how much money my parents have, or because I pity them. I pick people because I think I want to know them better, in some fashion or another."

"But-"

Gina put a finger to his lips. "Don't. Let me talk, and then we'll walk, and you can think while we walk. But I want tonight to be good, and if you let your flawed self-image issues get in the way, then it won't be good for either of us." She let her hand drop, waiting.

Bach found himself blushing a little. "Okay," he said, and offered her his arm again, but she stuffed her hands back inside her afghan. "Just walk with me for now."

/Great/, he thought, /You get one of the most popular girls in the school to pay attention to you and you mess it up./

"Well, I'm really picky, I have you know. I had a very smart uncle who taught me to only have people in my life who I wanted to have - and anyone I didn't like to be around, I should walk away from. Doubly so for anyone who thought of me as a prize catch. You don't think of me as an object, do you."

Bach shook his head. "You're a person, with feelings, thoughts, hopes, and dreams." He replied.

"Precisely." She said. "Other guys look at me? They see money, boobs, legs, or d) all of the above. They're not interested in my mind - or worse, they end up resenting me because I'm smart -and- beautiful."

Bach nodded. "That's because they don't understand that one or the other is a burden to bear - but both together must make your life very hard to know who your friends really are."

Gina kissed his cheek. "You do understand."

- - -

Michael yawned. "A kiss on the cheek? Booring."

Roger swatted Michael with the Scrabble letter bag. "Hush, you. I think it's very deep and meaningful."

"It does have that ring of realism to it," Kyle mused.

Bach chuckled. "I'll skip ahead, anyway. For Mike's sake. Suffice to say that we hit it off very well during that walk..."

- - -

Gina passed him her satchel bag first; its contents made sloshing noises. "Help me up?" Gina asked next, and Bach proffered his hand, drawing her up onto the short platform, then climbed up to the next. "Watch your head," she warned, and Bach reached up to steady himself on the cold metal bar. Another turn and climb later, and the two of them were on the highest level of the jungle gym. It was one of the kinds that looked like a frontier fortress, only on a smaller scale, with a wooden plank bridge leading to the other tower with the slide on it.

"Like the view?" she said, gesturing up at the clear night sky, with a crescent moon overhead. "I come here at night sometimes, when I don't want to be around my folks and their rowdy rich friends. It's hard being an only child."

Bach chuckled, watching his breath form a slight cloud in the cool winter air. "I'm the youngest of three. I've always had siblings, and I thought that was hard."

Gina scooted up against him, "...I suppose there is that. Each of us has their own trials and problems, and our own dilemma seems the worst, because we are the ones that live it," she said. With her head on his shoulder, she was actually shorter than he was, her long legs hanging out over the bridge. "That's what I first noticed about you, you know. Philosophy class."

Bach thought back; Gina had always had strong arguments and yet made her points succinctly, where most of the other students tended to ramble and make weak suppositions. She and he had done quite well in the class they'd taken together.

"I'm flattered," he said, now feeling somewhat guilty that he hadn't paid her as much thought as she had for him.

"It's okay," she said, "Invisible people don't think that they're being looked at just as much as people in the spotlight feel like everyone looks right through them." She smiled, and wrapped an arm around his waist. "But tonight, I just want to be invisible with you." And to make her intentions perfectly clear, she brushed her lips against his chin and cheek. "Kiss me?"

- - -

"You're kidding. She doesn't know you from Wadsworth, and she outright throws herself into your lap?" Michael said. "Bach, you're making this up, aren't you."

Bach grinned. "If I am, then you guys are getting a really good story."

Kyle was resting his head in his hands, watching Bach. "I believe you. Keep going."

Bach nodded, and continued, "So I look really surprised, but..."

- - -

Bach reserved his protest and questions, in that order, until after the kiss. He'd never kissed anyone but his mother, grandmother, and there was Kristin in third grade, but none of those felt anything like this; for one, the first two were never on the lips. It wasn't anything like he'd expected, either; their teeth kept bumping, and he kept feeling like he was going to drool on her. But at the end, he backed it off a little, and found that just lipping at her lips slowly was quite pleasant indeed.

Eventually, though, he had to breathe.

"First kiss?" Gina wondered, her breath visible in the night air.

"That bad?" he replied, blushing hotly.

"No, not bad at all. You didn't jam your tongue down my throat, and you kept the slobber factor to a minimum. Congratulations, Mister Wilhelm. You pass."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "I pass?"

Gina slipped a cool hand under his jacket, stroking him across the stomach. "You pass. You are a gentleman, through and through, and I'm glad I asked you to be my date tonight." And she moved in for another kiss, which he accepted, too.

Eventually, though, his curiosity got the better of him. "What do you mean, exactly?"

But she shook her head. "Eleven fifty eight, Bach." She pulled a bottle out of the satchel bag, and two glasses. "Pour," she ordered. "Quick. You have a minute and ten seconds."

Bach checked the bottle, which turned out to be sparkling grape juice; he used his bottle opener to twist the top off, and poured a small amount of juice for them both.

- - -

"Grape juice? How old were you again?" Presden wondered.

"Just a hair over eighteen." Bach admitted. "Hadn't gotten into the habit of drinking. Vile stuff."

"Stop interrupting him." Roger said, absently. "This sounds wonderfully romantic."

- - -

"Thank you," she said, and clinked glasses with him. "To beginnings, after endings," she said, and took a sip.

"Slainte," he said, and followed suit. Somewhere in the distance, someone's loud party started counting down.

"Three... two... one..." she counted, and before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him, and planted a solid kiss on his lips. This one worked better than the first, possibly because she was leading, or he was learning, or both.

She cupped his face after they broke the kiss, both panting softly. "Much better," she whispered, with the faint strains of Auld Lang Syne in the background. "Now then. I owe you an explanation, and I'm going to be blunt - I want to give you my virginity, and I'd rather not take 'no' for an answer, gentleman or not."

Bach felt like the world was about to swallow him up. "Pardon? Did you just..."

She nodded slowly. "I've always wanted to make love up on this thing. Being able to brace my hands up on that bar up there, and being able to look up at the stars."" She sat up a little higher, and she swung a leg over his calves; her dock shoe pressed against the side wall that half-surrounded them.

"Why me?" he asked, breathlessly.

"Because I trust you to be here when I get back from Milan," she said, reaching up to fiddle with the top button of his shirt. "My parents are shipping me off to study abroad, and I don't trust myself to be safe around tall, dark and handsome men who talk in accents." She stroked his fingers with her own. "If I can say I have a boyfriend back in the States, they'll be put offable." She smiled faintly.

"I thought you'd have your pick of the men, and already had... y'know... the way you flirt and all..."

Gina laughed. "If it wasn't true, I'd be horribly insulted, Bach. But the truth be told, I was really saving myself for after I got married, but I now don't know if it's possible on my own. I want help, and I want it from someone mature, like you, not some guy who has his head turned by pretty things while I'm absent."

Bach itched behind one ear. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were hoping to use me," he murmured, "...but I think I begin to understand. It's one thing to be caught off guard by a very direct lover, and another thing to be guilt tripped by having someone at home that you..."

She lifted his hand to her lips, silencing him again, and then lifted his hand, kissing his palm. "You catch on quick. Brains are so much important than brawn to me...."

He could feel the blood rushing to his ears, and reached up to cup her face. "Say that again, will you, Gina?" For those were words he'd never expected to hear out of a girl as unattainable as she was.

"Hm? Brains are more important than brawn?" she repeated, looking down into his eyes, her hair falling into one eye. "It's true. I want a boyfriend who can talk to me. Who can write me letters to tell me what home's like." She shifted so that she was halfway straddling his knees, as if trying to psyche herself up for more. "This is why I picked you, Bach. We can get to know each other better with an ocean between us, over the spring, and we'll get the awkward sex part out of the way first."

- - -

"Tell me you took advantage of the moment." Presden said, "...and screwed her brains out 'til she screamed."

"Tell me you turned her down, dude. She outright said she was going to love you and leave you, and she was probably lying about being a virgin," Mike said.

"Just tell us what happened." Kyle said, a wistful look on his face.

Bach chuckled. "Okay.... First of all, I said 'no.'"

- - -

"No." Bach said, gently reaching up to cup her chin. "I can't let you do this to yourself, Gina. "I'm flattered, but..."

Gina kissed him again, and this time he resisted it, gently drawing back without pushing. "Seriously... if you've been drinking, you will regret it in the morning," he said.

At first she looked quite displeased with him. "Thrice I offer myself to you, and thrice you refuse me. How can I convince you that I am in my right mind, and I've not had a thing to drink?" she said, more than a little affronted.

Bach looked into her eyes, reflecting starlight. "Give me a better reason."

Gina opened her mouth, said nothing for a moment, and then shook her head. "You're right, of course. I can't. I've only really just met you tonight, but... Bach, I love your name, I love the sound of your voice, and I love your mind. I keep telling you this, and you're letting your gentlemanly demeanor get in the way of what my mind is saying." And she didn't kiss him then, so much as just leaned against him, straddling his lap fully. "I need someone to be strong of heart and spirit for me."

And as if of their own volition, he found his hands untucking her shirt in back, under her afghan, and his mind started receiving the signals of what the skin of a girl felt like.

He began to think he was going to like it after all. Especially when he discovered she wasn't wearing a bra; he'd always wondered how tough it was to get one of those things unfastened. He kept his hands mostly confined to her back for the moment, tracing her silky smooth skin from her waist to her shoulders, as he brushed his lips against her throat.

Gina was conducting her own explorations, a little more brazenly than he was. She'd gotten his tie off and loose around his neck, and the top four buttons of his dress shirt undone as well; as she kissed his forehead and nose, her hands were investigating his chest and pectorals. She flicked her fingernails across his nipples, once she'd found them; each touch sent jolts of unexpected pleasure all the way down to his loins.

"Yes..." she murmured huskily in his ear, "I can see you like that." She bit his earlobe gently, and he felt suddenly very hot, all the way down the nape of his neck. "...so do I."

"With that kind of prompting... how can I refuse?" he whispered back, and gently started rubbing his thumbs back and forth along her nipples, which he found made her arch pleasurably and heavily against his chest. They carried on stroking each other like that for a few minutes, until Gina again took the lead by unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way, tugging his shirt down off his shoulders. "One of the things I never liked about the football guys - they were always trying to show off their biceps and stuff. Personally..." She kissed a slow trail from his cheek to his shoulder, "...I like not worrying about whether you're going to crush me when you land on me." She scooted in closer, straddling his hips fully, and threw the front panels of her afghan over his back, hiding most of his upper body from view. "To keep you warm," she said.

Bach tilted his head to rub his cheek against the top of her head, as he cupped her breasts fully with both hands and squeezed, which made her hiss pleasurably. "Among other things, you're just as thoughtful as I am."

"Mhm," she agreed, "...check the back pocket of my capris, and don't spare the goose." She deliberately sat forward, grinding herself down at his crotch, and he heard her breath catch in her throat.

Bach did what he felt was appropriate; he lifted his hips as best he could without better leverage, and felt the already-getting-uncomfortable hardness of his erection press against her very warm crotch. He cupped her rear, by sliding a hand inside her back pocket, and his fingers encountered the expected foil packet; and as requested, he goosed her around the condom.

Gina's response was to moan softly, and she laid her hands over his shoulders, caressing his slim shoulderblades. "I'm assuming you're a virgin, too," she whispered, slipping a hand down to open her own shirt the rest of the way, before pushing her breasts against his hands with a squirm. "If not, and you're currently seeing someone, I'll back off." She bent her head to his own, kissing him again lightly. "But if you did, you wouldn't have come alone - or at least protested earlier. Logic says that you're single."