The Fall Ch. 01

Joe and Christina belong to a strict religion that doesn't believe in premarital sex. This is their tale of falling from grace and in love. Christina is the daughter of Tom Griffin from Eighteen and Challenge Accepted. Neither story is prerequisite reading, but I strongly encourage reading Eighteen before The Fall. It may also help to read Challenge Accepted after Eighteen, but it isn't necessary.

***************

Kendall saunters over and yells in my ear, "Hey, Joe, I'm throwing a Jacuzzi party next Friday after the dance. Do you want to come?" That's the only way to talk to someone with a loud band playing in the background.

I nod and lean in close so he can hear me, then yell back, "Yeah. Sounds fun. What do you want me to bring?"

"Dude, yourself, and if you can, some strawberries."

I nod again and give Kendall a thumbs up.

Just about every Friday night, there's a dance somewhere in Southern California for us young adults. That's one of the perks of belonging to a big church with a vast network of single adults. I only resumed attending the dances about six months ago. Before that, I was in Africa on a mission, helping build homes and teaching the locals the concepts of Christianity. Getting back into the daily life of a single guy has been weird, but I think I'm adjusting well.

Standing off to the side with my back against the wall, I catch myself tapping my foot to the beat of the music. I've asked a few girls to dance tonight, but for the most part, I've been a wallflower. There is this one girl I've been watching, though. She's way out of my league, so I've been hesitant to approach her. Of course, it doesn't help that I've never met her...in fact, I don't think I've seen her before.

Leaning close to Kendall, I yell, "Who's that girl in the white pants and red boots?"

Kendall glances around the room and gestures that he doesn't know who I'm talking about, so I casually point in her direction. As far as I can tell, she's danced to every song, and I don't think with the same person twice...except for another girl, who I assume is her friend because they've been sticking close to each other.

Kendall nods when he sees who I'm asking about. "Christina Griffin. She doesn't usually come to the dances, so I'm surprised she's here."

I nod.

Her boots have a good three-inch heel, making her height match my own. Her pants are tight--not something we usually see at church dances. When she shakes her hips, my groin rumbles. That isn't a good thing. Being a twenty-three-year-old virgin, it doesn't take much to get me going.

Our religion teaches us that we can't have sex before marriage, so it's assumed that all of us here are virgins. It's even taught that we shouldn't stimulate our private parts. I'm not very good at keeping that rule. Of course, it helps to not think about sex, but when I see Christina dancing...well, evil and lustful ideas fill my head. I guess I'll be back in the minister's office on Sunday, confessing my lurid thoughts. He's pretty cool about it and gives me suggestions on keeping my mind pure and clean...which helps a little.

The music stops, and the band announces they are taking a break. My ears ring as the quiet emerges.

In a hushed tone, I lean into Kendall and ask, "So what's her story? Why haven't I seen her around before?"

"She's been on tour."

"Tour?"

"Yeah. She's Miss Burbank and has to travel around to represent the city. I think she also entered the Miss California pageant, but I'm not sure. She does that along with being a full-time student at UCLA."

"Wow!" I exclaim.

Christina is the pinnacle of beauty, and it doesn't surprise me that she is Miss Burbank. Her long, dark hair flows to the middle of her back, with loose curls around her face and shoulders. In this light, it's difficult to tell what shade of brown it is, but it doesn't really matter because it's perfect for her. In addition, she has a healthy tan that tells me she spends a lot of time outside.

When she turns to look at me, my heart quickens, and my palms sweat. Then she and her friend begin to walk in my direction. I stand a little straighter and take a deep breath. The closer she gets, the harder my heart pounds. I'm a little relieved and a lot disappointed when she passes by me without even a glance.

Standing in front of Kendall she asks, "Hey, have you seen Denise around?"

Kendall cranes his neck and looks around. Then, pointing off to our right, he answers, "Uh, yeah...over there."

"Cool. Thanks," she says as they walk away.

Denise is Kendall's girlfriend. They've been going out for about a year now. Word on the street is they're planning to get married, but he hasn't said anything like that to me, so I don't bring it up.

"Who's the chick with Christina?" I ask.

"Huh? Oh, that's Aimee. Those two are inseparable. If you see one of them, the other is close by...guaranteed."

"Awkward," I jest.

"I guess. Hey, are you interested in Christina? Why don't you ask her to dance?"

"Me? Are you kidding? No way she'd dance with me."

I'm not exactly what you'd call a hunk. I lost weight in Africa, so I'm one-forty instead of my usual hundred and seventy-five pounds. I've been pounding the Tommy's and In-n-Out burgers to try and get my weight back, but it hasn't made a difference. I guess it doesn't help that I'm six-one. I've always been thin; nothing has changed that no matter what I've tried. I've worked out, taken pills that are supposed to help you gain weight and even tried a few different protein powders. Nothing seems to help.

"You don't know till you ask," Kendall reminds me. "Besides, when did you get shy around girls?"

When did I get shy? I've always been shy, but there have been times when I've pushed through it to get to know a girl I was attracted to.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Dude, you're the epitome of cool."

"Me? That's an exaggeration if I've ever heard one."

"Whatever. Not only do I think she'll dance with you, but I'd be willing to bet that she'd go out with you too."

"Bet? You know I don't bet."

"It's just a figure of speech, Joe. Don't get all literal on me."

"So, you're trying to tell me that Miss Burbank, who goes to UCLA, will go out with me...a part-time community college student who works at a bank. You're nuts."

"Whatever. I think you should go for it. Quit being a wallflower and get out there."

I wouldn't mind dancing with her, that's for sure. A nice slow dance...no...wait...she'll feel my...thing...It'll have to be a fast dance.

Leaning over to Kendall, I say in a low tone, "Okay...I'll ask her to dance, but if she shoots me down, you owe me big time."

"Deal. I'll pay for your meal at Bob's if she says no."

Bob's is an all-night diner where we hang out after the dances. The poor waitresses have to deal with twenty to thirty of us as we pile in to grab some late-night food and socialize.

"Deal."

The band is back on the stage and warming up their instruments, so I make my way toward Christina to ask her to dance...before someone else beats me to it. She and Aimee are standing next to Denise, heavy in conversation.

As I approach them, Denise tosses her head to acknowledge me. "Hey, Joe. How are you?" she asks.

"Good. Thanks," I reply. Christina and Aimee look at me. Thankfully, Aimee is on the far side of the group, so I don't have to go around her. Looking into Christina's eyes, I say, "Uhm...the band is back...would you like to dance?"

"Uh...yeah...sure. Give me a minute, though, okay?"

"Uhm...sure." I take a few steps back and turn away to give her the privacy she's asked for.

The band begins to play, and thankfully it's a fast song. Someone touches my shoulder, so I turn around...It's Christina. I take her hand and lead her onto the dance floor, where we begin our gyrations. I've always been a confident dancer. My favorite thing to do is swing...or disco, as it was called in the '70s. The band's playing a song with a good beat, so I take Christina by the hand and swing her around. She seems game, so I put my moves into action, and we take over the dance floor...well, not literally, but the couples around us give us space to have some fun. When the song ends, I thank her for the dance, and we part ways.

Crud! I didn't introduce myself; I silently scold myself. I'll have to ask her to dance again so I can do that.

Going back to the same patch of the wall I've been holding up all night, I watch the crowd. A girl I've never seen before walks over and asks me to dance, so we go onto the floor. She wants to swing too, so I take both of her hands and go to town. She has a huge smile on her face as we dance, and when the song is over, she leans into me and introduces herself.

"I'm Sarah."

"I'm Joe. It's nice to meet you."

"I love the way you dance. Can we dance another one?"

"Of course."

We end up dancing the rest of the night together, even the slow songs. Afterward, I tell her how much fun I had and that it was nice to meet her. Her face tells me that she's expecting more, so I ask for her number. She smiles and gives it to me before we say goodnight.

I went to the dance alone, and that's how I'm leaving. Sliding into my Subaru WRX, I start it up and head over to Bob's. I'm not the first one to arrive, but I don't know the others there, so I grab the first empty booth and sit down. A few minutes later, Kendall, Denise, and a few others file in and look around.

Kendall plops next to me and punches me in the shoulder. "See? I told you she'd dance with you."

"You were right. I should know better than to doubt you."

"You're darn right!"

More people arrive, and in the mix is Sarah. Her face lights up when she sees me, and she leaves her friends to come over to our booth.

"Mind if I sit here?" Sarah asks.

"Of course not!" I answer.

She slides in on the other side of me and looks around the table. I don't think she knows my friends, so I introduce her. Within minutes we're all joking and having fun while waiting for our food.

About ten minutes later, Christina, Aimee, and a couple of guys walk in. They must be football players because they're tall and extremely muscular. Even though Sarah is giving me plenty of attention, I feel deflated. As they walk past our table, Christina stops to whisper something into Denise's ear. Girls...it seems they're always sharing secrets with each other. I think that's called gossip...and it's another no-no.

It's one in the morning by the time we finish, so I tell Sarah goodnight and that I'll call her. She returns to her friends and leaves.

"Who was that?" Kendall asks.

"Who? Sarah? She asked me to dance, and before I knew it, we spent the rest of the night together. I think she wants to go out, so I got her number and told her I'd call her."

"Yeah? Cool."

Kendall reminds me about the upcoming party before he and Denise get into his car and drive away. I have to be at work in about eight hours, so I go home and go to bed.

***************

It's been a long week. I called Sara on Tuesday, and we went out Thursday night. It was fun. We had dinner and then saw a movie. She's a nice girl, but I'm not sure if I'm interested enough to ask her out again.

It's Friday night, and I'm at the dance, being a wallflower again. I've been out of sorts the last couple of days and kind of grumpy. I don't know why...I just am. I don't see Sarah or Christina around, and I'm not in the mood to meet someone new, so I stand against the wall to hold it up and listen to the band. Then, about an hour before the dance is over, Kendall wanders over and tells me they're leaving to get things ready. I ask if it's okay if I come too. He nods, so I push myself away from the wall, go out to my car, and drive to Kendall's.

I brought a swimsuit with me, so I go into the house to change. Well, this is really more than a house. Kendall is one of the rich kids. His dad is a lawyer, and his mom sells real estate...only high-end homes. On the side, his dad is a contractor who builds mansions. They have a lot of money. They work hard for it, but still. I've never really understood why Kendall likes to hang around me. I mean, I'm far from wealthy...it's more like I live check-to-check. Living with my parents helps me save a lot of money, and they said that as long as I'm a student, I can stay at home...so I do. About the nicest thing I own is my car...I love my car. It doesn't compare to Kendall's BMW, but I bought it, and it's mine.

Five of us are hanging out in the spa, eating strawberries and cream. Yeah, someone brought a can of whipped cream, so we fill our mouths and then pop a strawberry in. It doesn't only taste good, but with jokesters like us, it gets funny too. I guess it's just one of those things; you need to be there to get it. Then, something unexpected happens...Christina and Aimee show up.

Christina's wearing sweats and a baggy t-shirt while Aimee is in a sundress. Both of them are wearing sandals. When Christina disrobes, she has on the sexiest one-piece bathing suit I have ever seen...or maybe it's just how she fills it out. My...thing...reacts instantly, and I wish I was wearing something tight under my board shorts. There is no way I'm getting out of the water in this condition. I'm so transfixed on Christina that I don't even notice what Aimee is wearing. Gathering my composure, I try to be nonchalant by turning to my buddy Frank and asking who won the Dodger game today.

Out of my peripheral vision, I watch Christina step down into the bubbling water. My breath hitches because I'm right next to the stairs. The first thing she does is submerge herself under the water and come back up with her hair swept back. It all seems to happen in slow motion. After wiping the water from her face, she wrings out her hair. I'm going to have to visit with the minister again. Dang, it!

I'm the keeper of the strawberries while Kendall mans the cans of whipped cream. Denise tells Christina to open wide, and Kendall fills her mouth with foam.

"Joe has the strawberries," Denise tells Christina.

She turns, with her mouth wide open, trying to hold the cream inside, and I pop a strawberry between her lips. When she closes her mouth, the white froth escapes from the corners of her mouth, so she takes a finger and scoops it back where it belongs. I have a strong desire to help her, but I sit on my free hand to make sure I keep it to myself. The last thing I want is for her to think I'm some kind of a pervert because I touched her.

After swallowing everything in her mouth, she laughs, and I get goosebumps at the sound of her musical voice.

Turning back to me, Christina says, "Thanks, Joe. Hey, can I have another berry?"

"Uhm...yeah...sure."

I go to hand her a berry, but instead, she opens her mouth, so I feed it to her. I catch myself holding my breath, so I remind myself to breathe; I'm so nervous. She smiles and thanks me before turning around to talk with Denise.

Kendall stands up, and Christina takes his place next to Denise, so he comes over and sits next to me.

Kendall leans next to me and, in a low voice, says, "Joe, I need to tell you something, but you have to swear you didn't hear it from me or that you heard it at all."

"You know I don't swear; what's wrong with you, Kendall?"

"For crying out loud, Joe. It's a figure of speech. You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, yeah...I'm just messing with you."

"I'm serious, Joe. You can't breathe a word of what I'm going to tell you."

I'm getting hot, and my groin has calmed down, so I sit on the edge of the spa, and Kendall follows.

"Okay...sure. What's the big secret?"

"Well, it's like this...Christina was asking about you."

"So? She's curious about who I am. Big deal."

"No! Joe. She was asking...about...you."

"So what? I don't get why this is such a big secret."

"You know...sometimes you can be really dense."

That's when the light bulb comes on. She was asking about me? She's interested in me? No way! I look at Kendall with disbelief.

"No way! Did you see those guys she was with at Bob's last week? Why in the world would she be interested in me when she hangs out with guys like that? I'm a nobody compared to her."

Kendall laughs, and I don't get the joke. "Those guys? The tall ones?"

"Yeah, you know, the ones that could snap me in half without even trying?"

"Yeah...I know them. Those are her brothers."

"Her brothers?"

"Yeah. And let me tell you, they are very protective of her."

"So, what you're saying is that I'm taking my life in my hands if I ask her out."

Kendall laughs again. "Nah. They're there to keep the creeps away. They won't bother you."

"How do you know so much about her family?"

"What's to know? Our dads have done business together, and they've been to our house a few times."

"Oh." A gazillion possibilities scream through my head. "So, you think I have a shot with her?"

"Uhm...yeah. But you have to open your mouth and talk with her first...you know, break the ice, and then ask her out. I've seen you work the system...you know what to do."

"I guess. I have no idea what 'system' you're talking about, but I'll ask her out if you think I have a shot."

"Cool. Don't let me down."

Kendall slides back into the water, and I follow him. Then, he wades back over to Denise and sits on the other side of her.

Christina finishes her conversation with Denise and slides through the water toward me.

"Can I get another strawberry, please?"

"As many as you want." Reaching back, I grab the berries and present them to her. She takes a couple and pops them into her mouth. "I'm Joe, by the way. We danced together last week."

"Yeah! That's right. I thought you looked familiar. We did that swing thing."

"Right."

"That was fun. I was hoping we'd dance again, but I didn't see you the rest of the night. Oh...uhm, I'm Christina."

"It's nice to meet you, Christina," I say as I reach out to shake her hand. She looks down, smiles, and takes my hand, lightly shaking it. Her grasp is like a delicate flower, so I'm careful not to squeeze too hard.

"I'm surprised we've never met," she says.

"Me too. I thought I knew everyone around here."

"So...who is Joe? Are you in college too?"

"Uhm, yeah. Community college. I couldn't afford to go to a university, so I'm working to save up while taking night classes. What about you?" I desperately want to get the topic of conversation off me.

"Yeah. I'm at UCLA...kind of the family place to go. Both of my parents and grandfathers went there."

"That's cool," I say, trying to be as calm as possible.

I hadn't noticed Christina's eyes before now. They are magnetic green. Not bright or anything like that, but I'm drawn to them. Her lips are perfect; in fact, everything about her is perfect. I can't believe I'm sitting here talking with her. After a few minutes of conversation, I forget about being anxious and just enjoy her company.

"Hey, Joe!" Kendall says in a loud voice, shaking me from my focused attention on Christina.

Turning to answer him, I notice we're the only ones with Kendall and Denise in the spa. "Yeah?"

Pointing to his wrist, he says, "It's getting late, dude."

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Sorry about that." Looking at Christina, I say, "So...I guess we have to go. Can I call you sometime?"

"I'd like that," she answers. Then, standing up, she wades over to Aimee and has a quiet conversation with her.

Meanwhile, I help Kendall clean up. I'm about to go into the house and change when I'm stopped by Christina.