Revenge of the Nerd Ch. 49

When Jeff left for class Monday morning I felt like a married woman, hubby going off to work, me heading off to my own job. We would return for dinner and spend a lovely night together. Was that what married life would be like?

I should have remembered I'd never seen that in my house.

I got home early in the afternoon after visiting the bookstore.

It was just another school year. Nobody had classes all day long, except possibly Jeff.

I did some of my reading, listened to some music and daydreamed. This was a lot like last semester except I was thinking about it differently.

A little after Dr. Phil came on at 5:00, I got some gumbo out of the fridge, put it in a small pot on a low flame and settled in to watch.

Jeff came home around 5:30 lugging a heavy collection of books, muttering to himself. He put them down and met me half way, taking me in his arms for a yummy kiss.

"That's better," he said.

"Than what?"

"Than my day. I've read the essence of the material we're covering but the professors insist on going over it the way it's laid out by their favorite authors. Probably guys with whom they have reciprocal agreements to use what the other wrote."

"Hungry?" I asked. "I made some very tasty chicken gumbo for us."

He feigned annoyance.

"I reheated some very tasty chicken gumbo for us." I smiled sweetly.

He squeezed me with more strength than I knew he had.

"This is what I get to come home to," he said. "It's all good."

After dinner I suggested some hanky panky.

"Let me get an idea of how much work I have to do and we can use it as a break later," said Jeff.

"How romantic."

He didn't answer, breaking out his books instead.

He was a study in concentration. The only break he took in moving from book to book was to surf on the computer for something that, well, I don't know what he was looking for.

By 10:30 I was pretty sure he had forgotten about me, so I reminded him. "Ready to take a break?"

He turned to me almost startled, and smiled. He stood, put his hands on my shoulders and kneaded the muscles. It felt delicious.

"I'll follow you anywhere you want to go," said Jeff.

"I think I want to stay right here. Keep doing that."

"How long?"

"I'll let you know."

He worked the muscles of my neck. He massaged my scalp with his fingertips. Back down to my neck and shoulders. Slowly, he massaged down each arm, down to my palms, over my fingers.

If he thought any of this was going to make me leave this spot until he lacked the energy to continue, he was deluded.

He worked his way up my arms to my shoulders and then he started on my back. In order to get adequate pressure, he was forced to press me hard against his chest.

I trusted his motives and didn't intervene. As if.

I don't know how many times he worked over my back. It's not something you count. You just let him do it and enjoy.

His hands moved down to my butt and again he needed to pull me against him. Honest.

He worked the muscles hard. It bore no resemblance to foreplay. Jeff was not aroused. He was just doing this because he was my guy. That aroused me.

When his hands moved to the tops of my legs, it gave me enough room to undo the button on his pants.

"I didn't -"

I kissed him so he couldn't finish the thought. I pulled down his zipper and placed my hands lightly on his back. I didn't want to distract him. I was just sending a message.

Jeff did as much as he could with the two of us standing in this position. He signaled he was done when he put his hands on my cheeks and kissed me.

I sighed. Then I pushed his pants down and reached for him.

"And now for something completely different," I said.

Jeff whispered, "Monty Python."

What a competitor!

I took him right there on the floor. It gave me the idea that we should leave no room, no piece of furniture unsullied before we left after graduation.

I went to bed but Jeff said he had more to do and was going to stay up a little longer. I woke at 1:28. Jeff was not beside me.

I hoped he was trying to get off to a good start and this didn't reflect the amount of work he would have on a regular basis.

After two weeks of essentially the same scenario I insisted we talk about it with the traditional, fearful four words that introduce serious topics. "Jeff, we need to talk."

Jeff swore all the work was required as part of his program. He was giving me some time on weekends but didn't think he could squeeze any more out and still do justice to his program.

He was perpetually tired. I was careful not to find out when he came to bed so I wouldn't risk developing long-term anger.

He cheerfully took the time to be with me every night even if we just sat in the kitchen and talked. It wasn't an interruption; an interference, I could feel that. Was this what married life was like, one designated time period to be together during the day?

That's pretty much how it went. We didn't have much time together though Jeff clearly made an effort. I was feeling neglected.

I got together with Jen on a regular basis. There was plenty of time with Jeff absent so often.

I tried to get her take on the amount of time Jeff was spending on his schoolwork, but who has ever had the experience of watching someone trying to get a Ph.D. in a year?

If this was what it was like to be with someone, I would rather just date. I saw him much more when we dated.

I knew I was wrong, but it didn't change the feeling.

Everything changed abruptly one Monday in the middle of October.