Chapter 3
Parker
Paulo and I met when we were both sophomores, and if I’m being totally honest, it wasn’t one of those tumbling-into-love scenarios. No sparks the first time our eyes met, no butterflies when his fingers brushed mine.
It was more like we recognized that we were, well, right for each other.
It started when we ended up in the same study group in the econ class that kicked my butt. Despite paying careful attention in class, despite my constant studying, the homework was harder for me than for everyone else. I’d still be struggling to decipher the question when the rest of my study group had already scribbled their answer. After a while, I got sick of holding the group up, so I’d just sort of pretend that I got it, only to have to muddle through on my own back in my dorm.
Then one night, when I was feeling particularly frustrated, on the verge of tears because I wasn’t understanding anything and everyone else was understanding everything, Paulo spoke up from the other side of the library table and asked almost the exact same question that I was too embarrassed to ask.
The same thing happened on the next question.
And the next.
It wasn’t until the fifth time of Paulo playing dumb that I realized he hadn’t written a single word as the rest of the group patiently explained the answer to him. He wasn’t even looking at his homework, which I later learned had been done hours earlier.
He was looking at me.
When I tilted my head in silent questioning, he winked.
And that, my friends, is how you win over Nadine Lustre. Homework help followed by a subtle, flirtatious wink.
I fell. I fell hard.
And it should be noted that when Paulo was going out of his mind trying to understand symbolism in British literature our junior year, it was me doling out the homework help, thank you very much.
I know it doesn’t sound sexy, but like I said…it’s right.
Or, at least, it was.
Confession time. I’m twenty-four, probably in my physical prime, with a gorgeous, serious boyfriend…
And my sex life seriously sucks.
It hasn’t always. I lost Lady V my freshman year of college to a sexy baseball player who lived down the hall in our coed dorms. We dated for a couple months before learning the age-old lesson that sometimes being compatible in bed isn’t enough to make a relationship work. After one too many meals filled with awkward silences, we split with no hard feelings.
I hooked up with one of James' friends later in freshman year, but that was more of a too-much-beer, too-little-sense kinda night, and it turned into a big fat nothing.
And then.. Paulo.
Our physical relationship progressed slowly. I don’t think either of us wanted to mess up a good thing by rushing it. And when the sex did happen, it was good. Really good. Well, pretty good.
But at least it was frequent.
And then, a couple months ago, it just…stopped. I mean, I guess I kind of get why. Work’s been crazy busy for me, and he has school and work.
But it’s been two months.
As far as dry spells go, it’s not horrible…
If you’re single.
