Alyssa's Second Chance [Completed]

19-I Would Follow You Anywhere

I don't think any other guy has ever pulled off kissing the back of my hand.  At best, it seems pretentious.  At worst, it makes the guy seem like he's been stealing his moves from cheesy romance movies.  When Amir kissed my hand, it was completely different. 

We were seated in a small booth in the restaurant.  We were in a public place, but his closeness filled me with nervous energy.  His focus was completely on me.  In some ways, I felt like I was the only one in the room.   As I spilled the dirty secrets of my teenage years, I noticed his arm around me.  He held my hand gently rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb.  It only made me crave more contact with him.  I stared into his eyes as I finished my story.   Without breaking eye contact, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.   It was one of the most intimate things that has ever happened to me fully clothed.  It was the tipping point of the evening.   

Something changed for us in that moment.   When I entered the restaurant, my resolve was firm.   I planned to keep things friendly, but professional.   I wouldn't step over that invisible line that prevented us from being more than colleagues.  Now, I barely remember the where I left that line.  I need to get things back on track.

The food arrives and small plates cover every inch of the table.  Seeing the opportunity, reclaim my hand and pick up a fork.  The last few minutes of silence have only created a thickness in the air.  The mood is intense.  If I have a chance of ignoring the tension between us, I need to take control of the conversation and lighten the mood. 

"I've told you my deepest, darkest teenage secret.  Tell me about yourself as a teen.  I bet you were quite the ladies man." I say with a wink as I take a small bite of the feast spread out before me.

Amir shakes his head and chuckles. "Nope.  I went to a large all-boys boarding school outside of Chicago starting in eighth grade.  The opportunities to meet girls were limited until late in high school.  We had monthly mixers at a local girl's school during our junior and senior years, but it was all closely supervised.  I didn't have the same freedom as the other guys to hang out with girls off campus."

"Why not?"  I ask with genuine interest.  I can't help wanting to know what makes him tick. 

"I was given a scholarship to one of the prestigious boarding schools in the US.  My uncle was the headmaster.  It was a big opportunity for me and there was a lot of pressure for me to succeed academically.   My uncle didn't want me to spend time on anything outside of studying.   He wanted to justify my scholarship by making sure that I graduated at the top of my class.  I didn't really have the freedom to choose how I spent my time until I was out from under my uncle's control and left for Harvard." 

"What did you do when you weren't in class? You must have done things besides going to class and studying. Did you play sports or participate in extra-curricular activities?"

"I played a lot of sports before going to boarding school.   I played football and soccer.  My dad coached my teams when I was little and my mom was always supportive.  Accepting the scholarship had a price.  My uncle was dead set against me playing sports for the school.  He felt it was a waste of my time and wouldn't lead to getting into an Ivy League School.  My uncle didn't have any kids of his own and he lived vicariously through me.  Throughout high school, I followed my uncle's academic plan of AP classes and pre-determined academic clubs and activities.   He handpicked my roommates and influenced my friendships.  He made sure that I was friends with all the right kids with the right family connections.  It's tough to be the headmaster's nephew and my social circle was pretty small."

"What did your dad think about the boarding school?"

"He died when I was in seventh grade.  My uncle asked the school to extend his tuition benefits to me after my dad passed away.  He was my only remaining male family member in the US.  My uncle felt I needed male guidance and asked my mom if he could become my guardian to get me into the school."

"I'm sorry.  It must have been hard to lose your dad when you were so young." I look into his eyes and give his hand a little squeeze of encouragement.

"It was, but lots of kids go through similar things."  Amir's tone made it clear that he didn't want to talk about his father's death. 

I really want to find out more about his dad, but I can see the pain in his eyes and I decide to abandon the sensitive subject. "Sounds like your teenage years weren't much better than mine."

"Those years weren't horrible.  My mom drove two hours each way whenever she could to pick me up and take me home on the weekends.   It made such a difference to come home and hang out with kids from my neighborhood and be away from all that pressure.   I spent time with my older sister and felt like a normal kid.  I usually came home a couple times a month.  My mom was amazing.  She constantly sent me care packages, called me every night and always promised that I could always leave if it became too much.  She recognized that the scholarship was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but she wanted me to make my own choices.  She wanted me to be happy."

"She sounds like a great woman," I say with a smile. 

"She is.  I know this sounds strange, but you remind me a lot of her.  I think you would get along well." 

Our conversation is interrupted by my phone ringing and I see Jason's name on my caller id.  I pick up the call and hear the sound of music and a chorus of voices shouting my name. 

"Hey, Jason.  Are you already at the restaurant for drinks before the gala?  What time is it?"

"It's already a quarter past seven.  Where are you?  You aren't ditching us are you?" Jason asks with a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Of course not.  I guess that I just lost track of time.  I'm still finishing dinner with Amir.  I'll be there in ten minutes.  In the meantime, put everything on my tab.  See you soon."  I hang up and look over at Amir.  I can't quite read his expression, but he looks disappointed.  I know he wasn't expecting anything to interrupt our evening.  I lost track of time and forgot to mention that I had plans to meet my team before the event.  

Amir brushes a lock of hair back over my shoulder, before speaking.  "I didn't realize that you had other plans when I invited you to dinner.  I understand if you need to meet someone else."

I know that it might send the wrong message, but I know what I need to do. "Amir, I'm sorry. I know that I didn't mention this earlier.  Would you like to escort me to a pre-gala celebration with my team? We're just grabbing drinks at a bar near the event."

He smiles broadly and says. "From now on, you don't even need to ask. You should know that I would follow you anywhere. Just say the word."