Tripping and falling... in love

17 On the side of the road

Vani stood in the doorway of Joe's bedroom surveying the small space. It was a little cluttered and his desk and dresser held a random assortment of items including books, toiletries, socks, dishes and snacks.

"Um, sorry it is such a mess. Uh... it's kinda small..." He was obviously uncomfortable. He moved around different things hoping to make it look more presentable. He stooped down to scoop a towel off the floor and tossed it on a pile of laundry on a chair near his closet.

"It's great." Vani smiled. She liked the imperfections of his space. It looked personal and lived in. Her bedroom at home was large and almost impersonal. She preferred the walk-in closet in her room because she had put up posters and had all of her books and art supplies in there. All of the personality was hidden away in her closet. As a kid she would sit on the plush carpet and play with her toys or draw pictures of her friends and family.

"I don't know about 'great', but it suits me just fine." He said standing across the room in front of his closet.

"Are you hiding a secret dungeon or something?" She asked.

"You think I have room for an entire dungeon in here?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know what modifications you have made in here, you could have a whole super hero lair hiding behind a poster or something." She shrugged and moved further into the room.

"Um, and when would I have time for all my super heroing? I'm a university student now you know." He beamed at her.

"I thought you looked familiar!" She teased.

He moved closer to her.

"Is is weird to have me in your room?" She asked reaching out to touch the pillows he had stacked against his head board.

"Yes. One hundred percent." He said with out hesitation.

"But you have been in my room and that wasn't weird. You even sat with me on my bed." She reminded him.

"Dorms are different." Yeah they were.

"So are you saying I shouldn't sit on your bed?" She asked trying to sound flirtatious watching him pull the heavy blankets up trying to make his bed.

"Uh..." He stared at her for a moment. She turned to leave not wanting him to think she was crossing a line, and wondering if she just sounded creepy, rather than sexy. She had zero experience in the feminine wiles department.

"Stay!" He nearly shouted. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you think you had to leave."

"It's OK really, I'm making you uncomfortable." She rested her hand on his arm to reassure him she wasn't offended. Her shoulders dropped as she started to laugh at herself.

"It's not that, it's just..." He let his voice trail off.

"What?" She turned to face him fully and watched him squirm with amusement.

"It's hard to be a gentleman when we are home alone in my room..." He said gesturing between them and his bed.

"Hum," She nodded " and who asked you to be a gentleman?" She turned on her heal and was almost out the door when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his room.

This time he wasn't awkward or shy. He kicked the door closed and pulled her to him.

She felt the unease of being a guest in his space disapate as she kissed him. She felt him move them back until he was forced to sit on the edge of the bed. He pulled her to him and onto his lap. He continued to kiss her while he ran his hands up and down her thighs on either side of his. He moved his hands around to cup her bottom and then slid them up her back.