Understanding Love

Danny Peterson was supposed to be doing homework, but he was too busy looking out his window again.

It was a surprisingly hot Saturday afternoon in April. On the left, on the other side of his apartment parking lot, was a neighboring complex. In the grass, a couple and their two young boys (four and six?) were having a water gun fight. It was a nice distraction, because it was a cute scene. The dad, freakishly tall in comparison to the dwarfed children, chased the older boy around the corner of their building, squirting a thin line of water across the yard after him. The younger son was standing just a few inches from his mom, who was helping him load it and teaching him how to shoot. She had to spill some of her own water into his pistol. Then he squirted her leg and ran, with her giving chase.

The mom was hot. Danny had no idea who she was, but he craved having a woman like that- one who liked to have fun, but was also sweet and caring. He could tell that about her from the way she ran around the yard. She was wearing a white tee and bikini bottoms. Nothing revealing, but her womanliness was enticing. God, she was sexy.

Danny shook his head. He turned his attention back to his computer, thinking about his assignment for a moment before typing away. An analysis of the inner-city schooling system of Chicago. (She's gone, ran around the corner). He was around halfway done, working on a detailed description of the systematic racialization of Chicago public schools. (She's back, and her shirt is wetter). He went to the internet, trying to find a couple more sources using a scholar search engine. (Are those her nipples? No, must be my imagination). It took him a few minutes to find one, and he skimmed it for a few minutes. Something about a few pieces of legislation in the sixties related to schools. (The two boys are shooting each other now, and she looks sexy as fuck just watching them. The dad just showed up with a water balloon and hit the mom, her shirt even more soaked. She clearly has a bikini top underneath. Disappointing).

A paragraph later, he took a quick break to watch the family. Then he wrote another paragraph. And another. Then watched some more. He couldn't take his eyes off the mom. (She's very curvy. Look at those tits! I bet that dad fucks her all the time. I would if I was her husband).

Absentmindedly, his right hand left his laptop and rubbed his crotch. He didn't have a boner (yet), but he was certainly aroused.

"Focus," he whispered aloud, both hands now back on the keys. He had to finish this today, and the sooner he did it the sooner he could go out (and hopefully find someone sexy for himself).

It was a long struggle, but he eventually did it. It was easier once the family had gone back inside, much to his disappointment. If there was ever a distraction, let it be a MILF. He printed his paper and stapled it before tucking it away in his backpack. What a relief! Now he had the rest of the weekend to relax.

He went to the kitchen to get a snack, and while he was digging through the pantry his phone started to buzz. It was his best friend, Kaila- probably looking to hang out tonight.

"Hello," he answered casually, putting it on speaker and continuing to hunt for a bite to eat.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" she asked.

"Kaila, I know you want to go to a bar," he said, "but not tonight. I never pick up any girls when we're together."

"Oh, come on!" she pleaded, "You promised me we could go! God knows I need a good drink tonight."

"Then why don't you buy a bottle from the drugstore and watch a movie?"

She laughed. "Because that's lame. Come on!"

"Ugh, fine. But if I see a girl looking at me, I'm gonna need you to back off."

"Hey, it's not like I ever try to get in your way. They probably just think I'm your girlfriend or something."

"Exactly." He paused. "Ok, but next weekend I'm going alone."

"Deal."

They exchanged goodbyes and Danny sat at the kitchen counter to eat (chips and salsa). He thought about what would happen at the bar. He and Kaila had been best friends since elementary school, and their friendship only strengthened as they grew older. They even swam together in college (by chance, they both claimed). Now they were both in Columbus, in the same apartment complex- he was in grad school and she was a financial analyst for a bank.

He pictured her for a moment- chestnut hair, blue eyes, athletic build, always smiling... she was attractive, but would always be more of a friend. They tried to date in high school and hooked up once in college (that didn't go well), but otherwise had their boundaries. They could talk about anything, do everything together, be themselves around each other... it was a sincere friendship.

***

Danny's luck at the bar hadn't gone so well. He had fun with Kaila, sure, but no girls looked at him when she was around. She still got attention from guys though, who were probably jealous of him for being with such a good-looking young woman.

If he was being honest, they did LOOK like a couple. They were both naturally tall and on the skinny side, though he still stood a head taller than her and was definitely more muscular. His hair nearly matched hers (his shorter, and a little lighter), they had the same kind of contagious smile, and they had that similar go-with-the-flow vibe. Every once in a while, they were even mistaken for brother and sister, which greatly amused them.

Kaila told him he looked handsome when they met up. He told her he better. "Someone's horny," she commented, to which he grunted.

They had gone to a bar not too far from their complex, within walking distance. He didn't drink too much that evening, on the chance he did meet someone, but Kaila held nothing back. She got like this occasionally, excessively ingesting shot after shot, but she rarely blacked out. Even under the influence, she had some self-control. Danny decided it was time to leave when she nearly fell off of her stool three times in a minute.

They had been walking home, Danny reflecting on his disappointment, when Kaila vomited in a trash can. Thank god she made it in time. He kept his distance, waiting for her to finish her business, and took quick notice of three girls that were approaching them from where they had come from. They were all attractive, biologically and fashionably, but the blonde girl on the left caught his eye more than the other two brunettes.

Her hair was straightened and looked like it had plenty of highlights, appearing almost silver under the streetlights. She wore a white crop top with thin shoulder straps that gave a good preview of what was underneath (god did he want to see what was underneath) and a tight pair of light jeans. Her eyes were sapphire blue, like true gems. She was studying him with equal attentiveness, and she was the first of the girls to slow down.

"Is she okay?" one of the other girls asked as they stopped in their tracks.

"Yeah, she does this sometimes," said Danny. "She'll be fine in a few hours."

"Is she your girlfriend?" asked the brunette on the right end, probably to check if he was a predator or something. Like if he was, he would tell the truth.

"No, just a friend," he answered. At this, the blonde perked up a little, and he grinned subtly at her attentiveness. "Are you all students?"

"Yep," said the blonde, "we're seniors at OSU."

"Nice," he said, "I'm a first-year grad student. Education."

While they began exchanging small talk, Kaila finished vomiting and said hello as if nothing had happened. The girls waved at her with forced smiles.

"So, she's not your girlfriend, huh?" asked one of the brunettes, who Danny had just learned was named Paige.

"God no," he laughed. "We've been friends since we were seven. That'd be super weird."

"Yep," agreed Kaila. "I know allllll his secrets... it would be too hard to date him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he blankly asked his friend.

She burped and paused for a moment before speaking. "You're too... cuddly."

All five of them laughed and continued to talk while they resumed walking. Paige eventually spoke to him again. "I was asking because, well, Lexi here is looking for someone- "

"Hey!" shouted the blonde that Danny had been stealing glances at. He took another now and caught her blushing.

"I gotta say," he said, "I'm not used to such a direct confrontation, but I'm definitely interested." He and Lexi exchanged smiles. "Can I get your number? I can give you a call sometime." She excitedly said yes and put her cell into his contacts.

"Great," said the third girl, whom Danny forgot the name of. "You finally got a cutie, Lex!"

She only laughed and shrugged it off, but he could tell in her demeanor that she agreed. So did he. They said goodbye a few blocks from the apartment and he and Kalia continued alone. Now that he had a date, he was more willing to take her hand and help her walk.

"Good for you, Danny," she said as they approached the entrance to their complex.

"If you hadn't puked, they probably wouldn't have stopped. So thanks, I guess."

"Anytime."

He helped her up two flights of stairs to her place and into her bed, positioning a trash can next to her. "Call me if you need anything," he reminded her, and she nodded. "Goodnight." Then he went home and to his own bed, thinking of this Lexi girl the whole way. She was pretty hot, alright- straight, golden blonde hair, a nice chest, tight stomach (from what he could see under her crop top), toned legs. And the way she looked at him- it was like she wanted to fuck him then and there!

He couldn't wait to give her a call. But he did wait, until Sunday afternoon.

***

Before he called, he spent his time watching television and playing guitar. He couldn't focus enough to do much else. He was partly distracted by the dream he had had last night.

He was watching the MILF next door through his window again; except, somehow, he was also watching the tall husband that was chasing her around. The two kids were doing their own thing and eventually faded out of existence. He saw himself squirt the woman in the chest with his water gun. Her nipples clearly showed through her top this time. She made no indication of caring, squirting him back. From the window, he wished he could see what the other him was seeing. Then he was, and up close her face was mature and beautiful. But then her face was Lexi's, young and enticing. How could someone be a MILF and a young babe? That was when he realized it was a dream, and then he woke up with an erection. He relieved himself to a hot stepmom porn video.

The dream was a few hours ago. He had always craved both older women and girls his age. The former had always been a fantasy, he supposed, but a fantasy he had always hoped would come true. Maybe he would bang his friend's mom, or a hot professor, or some single woman that he met at the store. His fantasies were endless.

But he also craved sex with girls in their early twenties. Objectively, he was just a very horny guy and turned on by the thought of sex with any woman. This Lexi girl, she was really hot too, and maybe old enough to have some experience. Thinking of her while absentmindedly strumming a few major chords on his guitar, he smiled unconsciously.

Then he called her.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Lexi? This is Danny, from last night."

"Oh, Hi! How are you?"

"I'm doing well, how about you?"

"Good!"

"Hey, I was wondering if you were free today or later this week to get some pizza or something?" He paused for a second. "You know, like at Papa Jack's or something?"

"That sounds great! I'm free today, actually. I finished all of my homework on Friday."

"Cool, does six o'clock work?"

"Sure does!"

"Great! Text me your address and I'll pick you up."

"Okay! See you later!"

"Bye."

He was smiling when he hung up. He was smiling again as he walked out of his apartment, wearing a pair of khakis and flannel shirt.

Both his apartment and the bar were not far from campus, and neither was her apartment, which was closer to the city. He picked her up on the corner behind her building, avoiding the traffic of the busy city streets.

"Hi," she said shyly as she hopped in the passenger seat. Her outfit was much more casual than last night, but her hair was just as straight. It looked less silver today, but still very light, as though it would feel like a fluid if he ran his fingers through it.

"Hi," he said, vaguely aware of his grinning at her. She smiled back, then glanced down at her ice blue sweater. "You look great," he added.

"Thanks! So do you," she replied sincerely.

He drove her uptown to Papa Jack's, a local sit-down pizza place. "I've been here a couple times," he said. "It's pretty good."

They ended up ordering a large to share, half pepperoni half vegetable. For a Sunday evening, they were pretty busy, so it was a decent wait.

"Tell me about yourself, Danny. You said you were in grad school for education?"

"That's right. I want to be a middle school teacher."

"Can't you do that with a bachelor's degree?"

"Technically, yes. But my undergrad degree was in psych and with a masters I have the option to move up to administration if I'd like to. Plus I'd get a higher salary."

"That's smart." She cocked her head and smiled. "And I think that sounds really sweet, teaching adolescents. Did you go to undergrad here?"

"No, I went to Ohio Wesleyan. Graduated last year."

"I bet this campus feels pretty big to you then."

"Yeah, but I'm used to it. Plus, it's grad school, which is more focused. What about you?"

"I'm an accounting major. I'm still figuring out exactly what I want to do, but I'll be starting a job in June with a financial advisory firm here in the city."

"That's cool. It's nice to have a job, even if you are still figuring things out. That's similar to what Kaila does."

"Kaila?"

"Oh, that was my friend from last night. You know, the one who was busy making friends with the can."

"Oh!" she laughed, "She seemed funny. You two are good friends?"

"Yeah, best friends actually. She's only wild like that when she drinks, otherwise she's pretty cool."

"I feel like it's rare to see a guy and a girl as two best friends with no feelings for each other."

Danny chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, we tried to date in high school. Didn't go well." He took a sip of his water. "Nah, we're much better as friends."

"That's a relief to hear. You two look like you'd be a couple."

"People say that all the time! I don't see it."

They laughed and continued their conversation as they waited and eventually received their pizza. Lexi shared that her mom lived in one of the northwest suburbs, not too far from Danny's apartment. Her dad had left when she ten and hadn't been seen much since. Danny, on the other hand, was from Chicago, and moved to Columbus for graduate school.

"I figured I'd stay around here for a while. It's a pretty accepting city, which aligns with my values."

She nodded in agreement as she slurped up some of the cheese from her slice of pizza (not sure how she just made that sexy, but she did). Their conversation slowed as they gobbled up their meal.

The great thing, Danny thought afterwards, was that conversation seemed to flow between them as easily as the stream of consciousness. Talking to Lexi was just so easy! He definitely wanted to see more of her (literally and figuratively), which was not the case on all of his dates.

"Do you have a busy day tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, most of my classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays. Why, did you want to get pizza again?"

"No," he chuckled, "I was wondering if you wanted to come back to my place. But no worries if you can't."

"Sorry, I need to get up early for class." She paused for a moment, staring at him. "But I can come over Wednesday night? I mean, if that's okay with you."

He wanted to kiss her. "Oh, yeah! That'd be great." God, he wanted to kiss those lips. "I'll order some takeout and we can watch a movie or something."

"Sounds fun!"

He paid for their meal, even though she insisted that she could cover half, and he drove her back to her apartment. They stopped at the same back corner he picked her up at. She didn't get out of the car right away.

"I had a fun time," she said. "You were right, that was good pizza."

"Me too. See you Wednesday?"

"Yep!" she leaned toward him and kissed him on the lips- he only had enough time to react with a quick pucker, but then she backed off. "Thanks for the ride," she said soothingly.

"No problem."

They said bye to each other, and he watched her walk off. She wasn't in sight for very long, but her image was imprinted in his view like a floater after a flash of light. His lips felt like they were softer (could they actually be softer?) and he touched them with his fingers as he drove off.

He wanted more.

***

Wednesday came around, slowly but surely, and Danny mustered up all of his academic strengths to get as much work done as he could in the first part of the week. He had a couple discussion board posts (he hated those, what a waste of time) and a lot of reading. No sight of the MILF from his desk that week.

It was a cooler day, as if winter took one last peek through its exit door- not cold enough to snow by any means, but the high was fifty-one degrees. That's spring in the Midwest for you- eighty degrees one day, fifty the next.

Kaila came over that afternoon for a quick lunch, during which he told her that Lexi would be coming over that evening, to which she responded, "If you don't tap that, maybe I will."

Lexi arrived at five thirty, wearing a gray crewneck and black leggings. Danny liked that she was casual. While he tidied up the kitchen ("Sorry it's such a mess, I forgot to clean up"), she sat at the island and studied his living space. The kitchen was right by the entrance, a trapezoidal area covered in pale cabinets, which she was facing; behind her was an open lounge with a decently sized television. Quickly, she noticed his two guitars.

"You play guitar?" she asked.

"No, I just like to look at them." He walked over and picked up his acoustic, strumming a G chord and playing a quick melody. She smiled in awe (they always do).

"You'll have to show me more later! When does the food arrive?"

Danny had ordered Chinese food, which he expected to arrive within the next five minutes. "Pretty soon," he told her, putting down his guitar. "Want to watch a movie or TV? I was thinking the latter."

"That's good with me." She walked over to the couch when he told her to make herself comfortable. He used his Xbox to turn on Netflix and turned on a sitcom that he had never heard of at her request. Then someone knocked at the door.

"Stay put, we'll eat at the table," he said, hurrying to get the food. He paid and thanked the delivery boy quickly, trying to get the food out and out of the awkward limbo between a guest's arrival and mealtime.

"Oh, this looks so good!" she exclaimed as she assembled a paper plate full of noodles, sesame chicken, and vegetable fried rice. As he did the same, they started talking. He found it was even easier to talk to her than it had been the other day- so incredibly easy that he thought they might have been soulmates (but do I really believe in that crap?). He offered a glass of wine and poured a couple glasses when she accepted.

They talked through the food and background noise of the television, about what he would not remember, but he cherished it. He was genuinely interested in what she had to say, and the way she told him things was naturally attractive (look at her hair flip as she throws her head back and laughs at the embarrassment of her story. Oh god even through her thick crewneck her body looks fit, and those legs are fine as fuck). When they were done eating, they paid no attention to the television, for they were entrenched in each other. He eventually picked up his electric guitar, plugging it in and playing a few popular rock songs and some of his own pieces. She listened with keen interest, and they continued to talk while he messed around with some scales.