Grin And Bear It

3 | Girls Are Ladybugs

I grew accustomed to settling for less in life. It was my impatience really that left me with this empty feeling in the dark recesses of my heart. If anyone else knew the true inner workings of my mind they'd call me a bit selfish. Maybe I just wanted too much. Perfection was the one thing I never asked for. I didn't need it, I didn't want it.

That day I thought I finally knew true perfection and I definitely wanted it.

Her cherry glossed lips spread in a cute, humorous grin. A light smattering of freckles dusted her tanned apple cheeks across a dainty nose. I was too mesmerized to even twitch my finger tips. Her sweet voice melted through my ears like a smooth chocolate in hot milk. Her lips moved before the words registered.

"...okay? Did I hurt you?"

"Huh," I said dumbly, trying to blink myself out of this trance.

Then she giggled and it held the power to push me to the ground if I was less sentient. "Your face is really red."

"Oh, uh, I..."

I could feel it heating as we spoke. If my hands weren't holding her books I'd clap them to my cheeks. Curse my sensitive blood vessels. I grew concerned it may burst in front of her if she stared any longer. I slowly climbed out of the vortex I'd been sucked into, desperate to hold a conversation with her.

"Yeah, that's just the, uh... hot air."

She laughed again and I decided it was my favorite sound. I began to count them, wishing to collect each one in a jar for later. She leaned forward and dropped her collected stack of papers to the pile I still held. It weighed me down but not quite enough.

I carefully followed every move she made. Her hands lifted to brush cocoa curls over her shoulders where they cascaded down the length of her back almost touching the floor from her kneeled position. It reminded me of a waterfall of chocolate milk; smooth and torrential at the same time. She was just close enough that I could imagine what it'd feel like between my own fingers.

My eyes wandered the length of her in front of me. The outfit didn't compare to the body wearing it. Soft skin was wrapped in a short green dress that hung delicately at her thighs. It clung to her thin waist and I felt light headed in my exploration. I forced my gaze from the opened v-neck to her face.

She rested her elbow on her knees and returned my gaze with a light smile. "Heat, huh? Must be why your tongue has fallen from your mouth."

She reached out two fingers to push my jaw closed. I almost jerked back. I didn't want to dirty her fair skin but the warmth of her touch drew me in.

"I'm sorry, I have a hard time keeping my head around girls like you."

She didn't sound offended but my guilty conscience got the better of me. I wasn't an animal. I had respect when it came to women. They just made me really stupid sometimes.

"Girls like me? And what kind of girl is that?"

My eyes widened as she abruptly stood. She sashayed around me leaving me in a haze of expensive perfume. I never enjoyed that smell more than right there. I quickly whirled around, almost tripping on my feet as I rose to follow her.

"I didn't mean... It was just... I mean... pretty girls. Beautiful, gorgeous even. A girl way out of my league. I didn't mean any offense, I'm just an idiot."

Just spew more nonsense why don't you. As if she didn't think you were a loser already. I had to cement it in reality first. I never had a chance to begin with. She really was way out of my league. A girl like her would be insane to find a guy like me attractive. She was model material.