Every Thing She Does is Magic

"Y-yeah, surely," she fumbled.

"Don't call me Shirley!" he grinned. At her blank expression, he explained that the line was from a movie, 'Airplane!' and the play on words of surely and Shirley. "I'll call you around 8:00 PM," he promised.

He had a paper due on Wednesday for his business ethics class, so he turned and loped back to his dorm room.

She had nowhere to be and nothing in particular to be doing. As she had noted, she was perilously close to taking action with him that could have endangered their long-term relationship. She was encountering aspects of "adulting" which were brand new to her. Chief among them was doing the responsible thing rather than the fun thing. This was not a right or wrong choice, but it was choosing to delay gratification over the immediately pleasing option. She would have to consider this.

At 7:59, her phone rang with the generic ringtone. It was from his number and she needed to assign a ringtone only for him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Julie. It's Tom Harrison, calling as promised."

"Yes, it sounds a lot like you. Thank you for keeping that promise."

"Of course! I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed our time together today, even the clothes folding part."

"I liked it a lot as well, Tom. When can we spend more time like that again?"

"I reserve my Sunday mornings for attending church worship, and Sunday afternoons are dedicated to completing assignments for classes. Sunday suppers and after are generally good times. Plus, we don't have classes on Monday due to it being Labor Day. I would like to do something together on Monday if your schedule permits."

"Supper and after, tomorrow, and we'll discuss Monday. I'll meet you at the outside door at 5:30 tomorrow!"

"Great! It's a date. Jules, I wanted to tell you that I like you, a lot. I mean, I really like you. I feel good about myself when I'm with you. It's not solely a physical thing, either. I can't explain it; all I can do is go with it, and it's good when I'm with you."

Her heart sang out for joy hearing his words. Her spirit felt so much lighter knowing that she had that sort of impact on him. Suddenly she knew what she wanted her ringtone for his calls to be. 'Wild Thing' by the Troggs. It was simply too perfect! He could hide his inner Wild Thing all he wanted. She knew he was her Wild Thing and hoped he would be so, forever.

"I'm setting my ringtone for you, Tommy, to be 'Wild Thing'."

"Are you sure about that, Jules?" he questioned. "I would never suppose myself to be 'Wild'."

"Listen to the lyrics, Tommy. It's not about who you are to the rest of the world. It's about who you are to me, what you do to me, what you do FOR me."

"If that is what you want, go for it," he allowed.

"So, what's your ringtone gonna be for me? I assume you have yet to set one," she inquired.

"I'm thinking of an old song that goes, 'Julie, Julie, Julie, Do Ya Love Me'."

"Oooh, I like it! I can hardly wait to see you tomorrow, Tom. I have to let you go now. Good night."

"Goodbye, Julie. Sweet dreams."

That night they dreamed about each other. Both awoke the next morning with huge smiles on their faces. This level of happiness had long been missing from both of their lives. Now the Universe was paying them off for not trying to dictate every little aspect of their lives. In this case, it paid to go with the flow.

Sunday, September 6

Tom got up with the sun and addressed his morning hygiene needs, including shaving his face. He did not care to be taken for a scruffy-looking nerf herder. He simply felt better when he was clean-shaven. He got dressed and quietly went off to attend church worship. Here at school, he did not have a regular place to go, so he cycled among an array of services. Today, it was a Methodist church about two blocks from campus, and he sat amid some other college students. He often found solace in his worship time. When service was over, he quickly ducked out and returned to his room.

Julie seldom rose before 11 on Sundays, partly due to her staying up late on Saturdays. At school, the cafeterias did not serve a breakfast per se on Sundays; it was technically a 'brunch' that started serving at 10:30. While she enjoyed lattes from Fourbucks, she could not afford them on any sort of regular basis. Only when Dawn ventured out and brought them back could she indulge, like yesterday. So, she lay in her bed, dozing off and on for most of the morning, occasionally dreaming about him.

She did have a paper due on Wednesday, so she got some food and coffee from her cafeteria, sat down at her desk, and finished it. He completed his paper for Business Ethics although the actual words and ideas expressed conflicted with his personal beliefs. At 5:30, he met her at the main door to his residence hall. She had been waiting only a minute, and she'd had the foresight to text him when she was leaving her room. He opened the door to let her in. She wrapped him up and gently kissed his lips, allowing for a little tongue to tease him. He had not changed out of Sunday-Go-To-Meeting clothes, and she took a big whiff of him.

"Mmmm. You smell nice. You clean up well, too." She stroked his shaven chin.

"Thanks, Jules. I always like the way you feel and smell, as you may be able to tell." His erection was starting to inflate at her public display of affection.

"Mmmm. Yep. You know what they say: a hard man is good to find." A smile crept across her face, and he laughed out loud. Then her stomach rumbled.

"Sounds like you've got something in there trying to claw its way out. We'd better get it some food." He led the way to the dining room, and only when he got there did he realize that she was holding his hand, and he liked it. They walked through the line and the featured entree for that day was meatloaf. She asked for a smaller portion, knowing she would augment from the salad bar.

They sat at a small table, facing each other. When she reached for her silverware, he caught both her hands in his. Startled, she looked at him. He bowed his head and said a brief, quiet prayer, ending with a slightly louder "Amen." He gently squeezed her hands before releasing them and grabbed his utensils.

As they ate, they talked about their day. This adulting stuff was sure not much fun sometimes, they agreed, and he gave a little laugh. He was all for paying his dues upfront and relaxing a bit down the road. She never had adopted the concept of delayed gratification. Whenever possible, she took one of his hands in hers, to enjoy the contact. It also forced him to look up more often and she thought she caught him smiling a little more often than a couple of days ago.

"Did you get your Business Ethics paper done, Tom? I got my paper due on Wednesday written and Grammarly-checked," she asked.

"Yes, although I don't agree with many of the ideas being proposed by this class. Why did you ask?"

"Well, you had been working on it since last week. How would you like to go have a picnic out at a county park tomorrow? Get away from campus for a little bit, just the two of us." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Could be an opportunity for some intense face sucking."

"Yeah, I like where your head is at, Jules. Do you have a car? I have an old shitbox that I'd be embarrassed to have you sitting in."

"Yeah, I've got a five-year-old Camry. Tell you what. I'll handle the drinks and chips, you be responsible for the sandwiches." That began a five-minute debate on the relative value between Subway, Jersey Mike's, and Jimmy John's. Ultimately, it was decided they'd get Jimmy John's on their way. They picked up their trays and he took hers from her hands and they sent their dirty dishes along the conveyor. He turned back to her only to find her pressing her lips against his again and prying his lips open with her nimble tongue.

"Let's find somewhere not quite so public, okay, Jules?" His erection was beginning to inflate once again.

She firmly held his hand and she led him out of the residence hall. The lights had not yet come on, and she spied a dark corner and pulled him there. She wrapped him up and nearly smothered him with her kisses. He gently grabbed her head and guided her actions as much as he could. They had a good fifteen-minute make-out session before their corner was no longer dark as the lights had now come on.

"Come on, Tom. Walk me back to my room, would you, please?"

Monday, September 7

The two agreed to meet back at the table outside of her dorm at 10:30 on Monday morning. As usual, Tom was early and Julie was precisely on time. She had a cooler bag with the drinks and a bag of rippled potato chips, and she led the way to her car in the nearby parking lot. He liked what he was seeing, both her clean car and with the t-shirt, shorts, and sandals she was wearing. He had run a razor over his face again that morning to address any growth which may have occurred since Sunday morning.

She drove them west for a few miles to a spacious county park, and they quickly staked out an area beneath an elm tree and spread the blanket he had brought. It was a homemade blanket, two layers of fleece tied together, and she admired the handiwork. It was a perfect day with occasional clouds and a light breeze from the south. They divvied out the sandwiches and drinks and sat and enjoyed their time together. They could hear other families laughing and playing, and they noticed the last of the season's butterflies flitting around. It was peaceful and calming. She could see how this could be relaxing for him. Then she saw it.

Quickly getting to her feet, she reached down for his hand and pulled hard. "Come on, Tom! We've gotta do this!" Hurriedly, she led him to the merry-go-round. They both ran around and jumped on. The joy on her face was contagious. She led him to the "big slide", where they slid down in tandem three times. Each time he would wrap his arms around her middle and put his face over her right shoulder and nuzzle her ear. Then she bolted for the swings.

"Push me, Tommy! Please!"

He got behind her and pushed on her tight ass to get her swinging. He shoved again, and finally a third time before he had to get out of the way. He got into the swing next to her and pumped his legs and got almost as high as she was. He did not realize it, but he had the happiest smile on his face that she had ever seen. They were swinging for about fifteen minutes before some of the other families approached, and they surrendered the play equipment to the much younger ones.

Hand in hand they walked around the park. Occasionally swinging their joined hands or walking side-by-side with an arm around the other. To everyone who saw them, they were a young couple in love. It was obvious to everyone, except him.

They were all smiles as she drove back to school. His left hand rested atop her right hand on the center console, and his thumb was unconsciously stroking hers, distracting her. Today had been perfect, for both of them. She didn't want it ever to end.

"Jules, would you like to go to the free movie on Friday night? I don't recall what they were going to show, but I had a great time the first time."

"Oh, yes, Tom! I'd love that!" she gushed. "And thank you for asking me rather than assuming so. That simple act speaks volumes to someone paying attention, namely me! Popcorn and drinks again?" she inquired.

"Drinks, yes, but only one for me, please. I'll make less popcorn this time so we don't have as much left over."

She got them parked near her dormitory and they stood beside her car, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes for the longest time. He gently took her head in both of his hands and said, "Thank you, Julia Ann Lawson, for bringing me back to the land of the living again." He kissed her, lovingly, tenderly, and most thoroughly. She practically melted against him, satiated as she was with his affection for her.

He walked her to the outer doors of her building and promised, "I'll be dreaming about you tonight." He started to walk off to his building.

"And I will be dreaming of you as well!" she called back and went inside to her room.

Supper that evening was going to be a huge letdown for both of them, after the mountaintop high of that afternoon picnic and their time together. She was certain that he was the one for her. She did not need any further evidence for her decision. He, however, was another matter. She was decidedly growing on him, and he was of two minds about it.

On one hand, it was a pleasing thing to have someone concerned about your welfare and joy. The attention and affection that she had lavished on him since they had met were filling heretofore unrealized needs in his psyche. By having those needs filled by her, he was happier and much more of a connected human rather than being the resident hermit or monk.

On the other hand, the specious logic used by some of his Scouting leaders was coming back to him. In short, girls were a huge distraction from achieving many personal goals. Many potential Eagle scouts had fallen prey to the 'fumes': gas fumes and perfumes. He had learned well how to put up a shell around himself concerning girls.

But she was chipping away, slowly and persistently, at his shell. There was no need for him to keep it in place any longer. Unless she were to become a distraction from his completing his degree. Once again, the angel and the devil on his shoulders started in on him. "You need to protect yourself," was one message, while the other was "You deserve to be happy." Back and forth, like a long ping pong rally, point and counterpoint, he argued with himself as he walked back to his building. Finally, he'd had enough. He pulled out his phone and called her. She picked up on the first ring as though she'd been waiting for his call.

"Jules, would you please come and have supper with me tonight? Tomorrow night, too?" he was nearly pleading.

"I'll be right there, Tom!"

She hurriedly changed into a pair of ass-hugging jeans and applied some berry-flavored lip gloss. Leaving a note for Dawn, she dashed out of her room and her dormitory. He had called her and asked her to come to him. This was HUGE! This was what she had been waiting for all along. To get him to pull on the rope.

He was waiting for her by the doors. His face shone with joy when he saw her approaching. He held the door open for her and she quickly wrapped herself around him, capturing him in a passion-filled lip lock. It was his turn to be surprised and the flavoring of her lip gloss was causing his mind to reel and his cock to swell. Although that could have been due to the sensations of her body against his.

"Mmmm, you feel so good to me, Tom. I feel so safe and loved in your arms. I never want to let you go," she declared, biting her lip. She worried that she might have laid too much on him. Still, she could not easily back down from the gains she had realized, so she opted to hold her position.

"I'm coming to like this feeling as well, Jules. Come on, let's go get some food, or whatever passes for food in the cafeteria." He wanted to hold hands, but she kept her arm wrapped around him and they walked hip-to-hip down the hall to the cafeteria. They got their food and sat facing each other again. He clasped her hands in his and bowed his head to pray. She sat there, quietly, awaiting him, watching him.

They made plans to have supper together on Tuesday at Her residence hall cafeteria. He had to staff the accounting lab from 6:30 until 9:00, and her dorm was a few minutes closer than his. He did feel compelled to walk her back to her room. That gave her the excuse to hold his hand the entire way as well as kiss him, soundly, using a lot of tongue, right outside her dorm room door. It was only when a trio of girls, walking through the hallways, called out, "You go, girl!" that he broke off the embrace. She kept her arms locked around his neck.

"I'll meet you at the outer door at 5:30 tomorrow, sweetie," she informed him, and he nodded his acceptance. He took her head gently in his hands and rubbed noses with her. "Eskimo kisses" is what his mother used to call that, and it seemed even more private and caring than lip kissing. He turned and strode off for the stairway while she stared at his retreating form, watching him until he disappeared. He never did turn back and look at her, though. Sighing, she put her key in the door and opened it up, missing how he popped his head back through the doorway to look at her. He also sighed, knowing that he had a lot to learn about dealing with women.

Tuesday, September 8

Tuesday was a "back to normal" day. Tom took comfort in known patterns and schedules. There was one significant piece of news he was included in. Trying to promote the business department at the school, several of the instructors had spent time over the summer initiating a career fair. They contacted noted alumni and known "friends" of the school, arranging for two days at the end of September for prospective employers to come to campus. The intent was to encourage permanent employment for the graduating seniors and summer internships for the other students. This was something new the school was trying and hopes were running high to possibly schedule another one for the Spring semester.

He had been pulled aside by Dr. Casper and directed to be one of the first to sign up with the department admins. Several firms would be looking to hire Business majors; he signed up for timeslots with five of the firms. Three were large, nationwide banks, one was a national consultancy focused on accounting, and one was a regional accounting firm. He was advised how to get a presentable resume together, given some examples. He was given a set of directions on how to dress for the interviews as well as how to present himself. He had three weeks to prepare.

The day passed uneventfully, otherwise. He was waiting patiently at the table outside of the door to her dorm at 5:25 when she peeked out. She skipped out of the building and down the few steps to launch herself at him. Fortunately for them both, he was ready and he caught her. Rather than plant her lips on his, today she burrowed her head into his neck and snuggled in, breathing in his clean scent.

"Oh, Jules, I do so like this, standing here and holding you close. I can smell your favorite perfume and that fills me with joy."

Keeping his eye on the clock, he asked Julie about her day. She said that Dr. Casper seemed to be giving her some odd looks occasionally. Nothing creepy or anything like that, he seemed to be watching her and nodding his head as if in agreement with an internal discussion. To which he said that Dr. Casper had sought him out after lunch to inform him of the upcoming career fair and how he (Tom) should get on the sign-up lists early. He signed up for five interviews for the career fair.

"I wish they'd have a career fair for the student teaching opportunities," she mused aloud.

"Oh? How does all that work, Jules? Do you have to seek out the chance to student teach? When is that going to happen for you?"

Trying to be conscious of the time, he looked at his phone for the time. He scrunched up his face, apologetically and said, "I'm so sorry, Jules. I have to run on to the lab now. Come on by later and we can sit and talk some more if you'd like. Are you done with your supper plate?"

He picked up the dirty dishes and silverware and took them to the return window for them both. she was still sitting at the table, so he made sure he had her attention and blew her a kiss with a smile. Getting a smile in return, he hurried out to be on time for his shift in the accounting lab.

That night there was a "run" on the accounting lab. Every seat was full and he was kept hopping. As soon as someone got up and left, their seat was filled again. It was non-stop right up until the 9:00 PM closing time, and he even stayed after an extra fifteen minutes to be sure everyone had the help they needed. He knew, even before he looked up and saw her, that she had shown up around 8:30. He sensed her, somehow, and looked up. All he could do was to smile and give a shrug of his shoulders as if saying, "What can I do?". At least she did not have to worry about anybody poaching on her territory.