Awakenings: The Greek, The Russian and Me

Chapter 4

It's Saturday, and I'm so stressed. I've never been on a date. Sitting on my bed, I feel like I want to pull my hair out. I desperately look through my wardrobe, and all I have are jeans, T-shirts, and some very old, ugly sweaters. Reality is that I have no sense of fashion. I try on one thing and another and finally decide on my favorite well-worn Levi's jeans and a red V-neck T-shirt with a zippered sweatshirt on top. I might not look fashionable, but at least I'll be comfortable. I brush my hair to a high gloss and spray a little Chloe perfume behind my ears and on my wrists. It's still an hour until he comes to pick me up. I'm so nervous that I keep pacing up and down the house. Finally the bell rings, and I look through the window. He is standing there looking around, I guess waiting for me to open the door. I open the window and stick my head out and say, "I'll be out in a second." I stick my head back in, closing the window. I can't believe he is really here. I'm jumping up and down. I pull myself together, run to the sink, have a quick sip of water, run to the bedroom, and take a second look at myself in the mirror. Well, this is as good as it's going to get, I tell myself and take a deep breath. I grab my bag, keys, and coat and head downstairs. He is still standing by the door. "Shall we go?" I say in a cheery voice.

"Sure," he replies as he gives me a peck on the cheek, grabs my hand, and leads me to his car. I start laughing when I see his car. It's an old two-door Chevy Monte Carlo, dark-blue exterior with a blue interior and a front bench seat with gears by the steering wheel.

"I guess we both have the same taste in cars," I say.

He smiles back. "I guess we do." He opens the passenger car door for me. I get in the car and fasten my seat belt.

He is holding my hand as we are driving to the mov- ie theater. He's not talking much but is making gentle circles in the palm of my hand, which is just driving me wild. We get to the theater; he buys the tickets and asks if I want anything from the concession stand. I decline, but he goes ahead and buys a soda to share. Still firmly holding my hand, he leads me to our theater and begins to walk up the stairs toward the back of the theater. "It's better to see the movie from back here. They say it's better for your eyes not to be so close to the screen," he says as he smiles. We find a seat toward the middle of the row, shrug off our coats, and settle in comfortably. He offers me some soda, and I take a sip. His smile grows devilish, and he takes a sip and places the drink in the cup holder. His arm is now resting on the armrest between us. I can feel the heat radiating off of his body and the smell of his cologne. I close my eyes for a few moments and just savor the moment. I'm jolted back to reality as I feel a warm hand gently squeezing and rubbing my knee. An array of emotions hit me. My heart is beating rapidly. A strange yet wonderful sensation is spreading all over me. I should tell him to stop, but I'm paralyzed be the exhilarating feeling that is spreading through my body. Oh no, did he read my mind? His hand is not moving; its wonderful weight and heat is still on my knee. My eyes open to see that he is watching me with amusement and a devilish twinkle in his eyes. "Are you all right?" he asks.

Weakly in a voice that I don't even recognize, I squeak back, "Yes." The lights are now starting to dim as they start playing the previews. He offers me another sip of soda, and I drink hoping that it will cool the heat spreading through me. His hand is still motionless on my knee. I'm not sure what to do. Why isn't he rubbing my knee? It felt so good. We watch in silence as the previews end and Pretty Woman starts playing. I get comfy in the seat, and he leans a little toward me. I can feel the warmth radiating off his body. We watch the movie in silence, and his hand comes to life again. It's gently rubbing and squeezing my knee as my insides begin to warm and tingle all over again. He turns and whispers in my ear, "Are you enjoying yourself?" as he brushes his nose gently near my ear.

I tense as a wave of sensation washes through me. Turning toward him, I look into his eyes and whisper, "Yes." I can't keep track of all the sensations running through me. I just know that I feel alive, on fire, exhilarated, and a deep feeling of yearning for I don't know what. My mind is all muddled, and my insides are hot and tingling in places I never knew. While I'm still entranced by his gaze, unable to look away, he comes closer and slowly yet gently begins to kiss my cheek. I feel I'm melting, and my head moves of its own accord as if encouraging him. Oh! He's moving, trailing kisses toward my ear. I can feel his warm breath and the stubble of his beard. A faint sigh escapes me, and his hand comes alive once again, but this time it's caressing my outer thigh and making its way toward my waist. My mind is a fog, as my body begins to melt with every kiss and touch of his hand. His breath's getting deeper and his grip on my waist tightens as he feathers kisses down my neck. I'm melting into him, and my arm involuntarily lifts, grasping his shoulder and pulling him closer to me. I hear a faint moan escape him as he continues to devour my neck, and his hand slides up my back. I nuzzle closer to him as this turmoil inside me roars and my hands work their way around his shoulders and back. His breathing is labored; as he pauses and gazes into my eyes, his ex- pression is something I've never seen before. I'm hypnotized by his gaze, the scent of his skin mixed with his cologne and the feel of his hands on me. I find myself staring at his mouth, wanting to know how it would feel on mine. Before I can give it further thought, I feel his lips on mine. They are warm and soft. He gently kisses my lips and suddenly nips at my lower lip.

My head is spinning; all I know, all I can think about is the feel of him and the desire of wanting more. I mimic him and nip his lower lip; he groans again. Suddenly his mouth becomes commanding, and he holds me in a strong embrace. He nips and deepens the kiss as he sticks his tongue in my mouth. The feeling is so strange but at the same time thrilling. Removing his tongue from my mouth, he kisses me again and then gently strokes my lips with his tongue and nips gently. I'm dizzy with sensations and wanting to feel more of him. I copy his actions, but this time I also trail kisses down his chin toward his neck. I feel his labored breathing, his heart pounding, and relish the effect I have on him. His hand is in my hair caressing as his other arm goes tightly around me. I'm putty in his arms; everything around me has fad- ed away, and all I see, feel, and want is him. My heart is racing, and I feel light-headed, on fire. He murmurs in my ear, "You drive me crazy," as he nips my earlobe, trails kisses down my neck, and then makes his way back to my mouth. His tongue is now exploring my mouth as he gently tugs on my hair. I'm panting now as I feel throbbing and heaviness in the upper regions between my thighs. Suddenly I feel his hand cupping my breast as his other hand is still entangled in the hair at the base of my neck. I'm startled by his hand but at the same time ache for his touch, his closeness. His hand is not moving, and he pulls away gently and gazes into my eyes. I'm dizzy with the need to feel his lips on me, and I move toward him and initiate the kiss. Briefly I feel him smile as he corresponds to my kiss and deepens his. It's no longer a gentle kiss. His tongue boldly explores me as his hand comes alive, kneading my breast. I feel my nipples getting hard and goose bumps on my arms. Alternating between soft and commanding kisses, he begins to rub my nipple with his thumb as he continues to kneed and squeeze my breast.

My mind is in a fog; in the distance I hear coughing. As if being pulled back to reality, I realize that the movie has just ended, and they are showing the credits. I pull away, briefly close my eyes, and sit back in my seat trying to control my breathing. I adjust my hair and turn toward him; he's smiling at me and has a twinkle in his eyes. As we leave the theater, he tells me to wait and leaves me standing there alone. He disappears in the crowd and returns a few minutes later with a rose. My heart melts, and I smile as I kiss him on the cheek. He grabs my hand, and we start walking toward his car.

The drive over to the pizzeria is very quiet. He's driving with a grin on his face, and I have all these thoughts going through my head. Where is this going? Am I now his girlfriend? Oh Lord, I let him touch my breast! For a first kiss, that was amazing! I wonder if he liked how I kissed him. Before I realize it, we have arrived, and the car is parked. There I go again with conversations in my head. We get out of the car and walk toward the pizzeria; this time his arm is draped over my shoulder. He orders, and we take a seat.

He's sitting directly in front of me with that devilish smile firmly in place. I feel my face get hot—shit, I must be turning red. "Are you all right?" he asks as he traces the veins in my hand.

"Yes, it's just hot in here," I reply.

His smile deepens, and it extends to his eyes as he re- plies in a seductive voice, "Is it?" At this I pull my hands away and shrug off my coat. He continues to watch me like a cat that is watching a mouse, waiting to pounce on it. Thank goodness the food arrives and interrupts his gaze, since I'm starting to squirm in my seat. As we eat, I feel his leg briefly brush my calf, which sends goose bumps through my arm. He smiles as he takes a sip of his drink and asks in an amused yet sensual voice, "Are you cold now?"

I feel my face go scarlet and ignore his question. Not knowing what to expect next, I tell him, "Aside from your name, where you're from, that you live in Flushing, and you're a business major, I know nothing about you."

He sits up a little straighter and replies, "What do you want to know?"

I'm surprised by his quick reply and struggle to formulate questions. "Well, I don't know; I guess general stuff. Do you have brothers or sisters? What made you to want to come all the way to New York to attend college?

What's your favorite color? What do you like to do as a pastime or hobby?" I find myself rambling off random questions as nerves get the best of me. He's looking at me with amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"That's a big list of questions. I'll answer them as best I can as we eat." He grins in my direction, robbing me of breath.