CAGED

Caged

Mia

New York was like a different world- everyone here was so loud and fast; there was color and noise everywhere and the city seemed alive beneath my feet. I was in love with the city's concrete beauty and its unashamed ugliness laid out for everyone to see. I could understand why everyone thought they could make it here- I felt like a part of something bigger; something magical. I couldn't' stop turning my face towards the sky and staring at the buildings rising majestically out of the ground- and that's when some guy ran into me and spilled iced tea all over my shirt. I screamed as the cold liquid hit me, and indignantly faced my attacker who yelled "Stupid bitch- made me spill my tea!" before rushing away.

Shit. Shit. Shit! I was close to tears as I pulled my shirt away from my skin, hoping I wouldn't freeze to death in the ridiculously cold September weather. Onlookers sneered and continued on their way as I looked around while desperately trying to hide my very pronounced breasts through my suddenly see-through shirt- Of course this was happening to me on such an important day. I spotted a small sandwich shop across the street and ran over to it. A tall African-American woman stood behind the counter and smiled sympathetically as I explained what happened. She shook her head and said, "Don't worry, love, you can use our restroom to wash that stain out. Try and use the hand-driers to dry it out too," pointing towards a small unmarked door in the corner of the shop. I thanked her profusely and made my way into the crammed restroom, locking the door behind me and peeling off my shirt. Fuck New York.

After I had washed and dried my shirt enough to make it vaguely presentable, I frowned at my bra-clad reflection and put the shirt back on, tucking it untidily back into my skirt. I hurried out of the shop after having thanked the woman again, almost late for my first day at college. My mother had recently taken up a post as the new dean at New York's Savannah College of Liberal Arts, having deferred the job for a year while I was finishing high school in Virginia; she didn't want to leave me and said that if she waited a year, I could attend Savannah and be with her in the big city. I was excited to be in New York, where I dreamed of studying creative writing- but being with Mom was a major downside. She was fiercely smothering, and wouldn't let me do anything that normal girls do at college. So I had agreed to attend the college and move to the city- but only if I could get my own apartment.

To my utter delight, she agreed, and I was so shocked by her concession that I had jumped up and hugged her on the spot. She said she'd take care of finding me an apartment, and paying for it- I just had to work hard on my studies. I couldn't believe my luck, and felt terribly guilty about being so awful to my mom all the time- she was so sweet about the move, and I lived in my little daydream about New York for days. Until I moved into the apartment, and recognized Mom for the conniving fiend she was- she had deliberately found me a small, ugly apartment with leaky pipes and hideous views. She wanted me to be so uncomfortable that I would have no choice but to go crawling to her large comfy apartment overlooking Central Park. But I saw through her game, and was determined to make the best out of my shitty little apartment. I may have no hot water, but I still had my freedom.

I walked onto the beautiful campus and suddenly felt very aware of the faint stain on my chest, and the way my skirt clung to my large hips and thighs- I wished I had worn a sweater and a pair of jeans instead. I saw students all around me greeting each other, walking either in pairs or in large groups, and I realized that I didn't have a single friend in New York City. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the classroom and sat down towards the back of the class, not wanting to attract too much attention to myself. I watched as students entered- girls with multiple piercings and vibrant colored hair; boys with leather jackets and shaved heads. I felt like a total outsider, an imposter. I could almost hear them thinking, "Who's the chubby girl in the office skirt? What a loser." Was I imagining it, or was a boy sitting right at the back of the classroom actually staring at me? Just openly staring, I could feel his gaze on the back of my head, and I turned just slightly to get a surreptitious glance at him.

He was heart-stoppingly handsome, with tanned skin and a sharp jawline. He wore a pair of glasses perched at the end of his nose, and his light hair was swept back to one side. He caught me looking, and instead of looking away he swept his gaze over my body before locking his eyes onto mine and curling his lips into a slight sneer- I turned around so fast that I almost cricked my neck, my face burning. I tried to concentrate as the professor walked into the classroom and introduced herself, talking about the main goals of the course, but my mind kept drifting to the boy and his cheekbones. Did he think I was a total loser? Was he mocking me? I was tortured by the thought of his sneer, wondering what it meant. I shook my head slightly, and concentrated on the class. I had to focus on college if I wanted to stay far away from my mom's apartment.

Eric

The class had started, and the professor was damn good- or so I was told later, because I couldn't get past the girl sitting three rows ahead of me. She stood out from the moment she walked in, wearing a white shirt that stretched over her noticeably large breasts, and a skirt that hugged the curve of her thighs; she was frowning nervously while she looked for a place to sit, and I looked at her. Her skirt rode up as she sat down, and I caught a glimpse of the cream colored skin above her stockings, and something in me tightened. She looked deliciously soft, and I couldn't stop staring. She turned to look at me, and I knew then she was mine for the taking. Slowly, deliberately, I let my eyes travel from her curvy legs to her rounded bottom and her chest, up her neck, gliding across her rose-colored pouty mouth and her high cheekbones, resting finally on her large round eyes as I looked straight at her, letting her know I wanted a taste of all that.

She widened her eyes and her pale skin turned a deep pink as she turned away quickly, clearly embarrassed. I grinned; the girl needed all the attention she could get- she clearly wasn't used to it. I knew I had to scoop her up while she was still so vulnerable. I leaned back in my chair, proud of myself for having found a new hobby just ten minutes into junior year- this is why I had been so determined to land a freshman course. I tried to pay attention, but my eyes kept traveling to her dark chocolate curls, and that perfect ass as it spilled over the edges of her chair. You didn't get many girls like her at Savannah- they all looked the same, even though they tried so hard to be different. But it doesn't matter how many times you get your ears pierced if you're all going to have the same long legs and narrow waists- it's gorgeous but it gets boring after the seventeenth girl you fuck looks the same as the previous sixteen.

I had seen them throw me looks of pure hatred as I strutted across campus this morning- their friends patting their arms comfortingly while trying to pretend I hadn't fucked them too. All the same. But this one, she had a strange air of naïveté around her- I could bet she wasn't a native New Yorker. She didn't walk with the same confidence that New York girls exuded; and she didn't have their edgy dressing sense either- she looked like she was here for a job interview instead of her first day at a liberal arts school. I smirked to myself; I could show the ways of the dirty city- turn her wild. I'd love to see what's hiding under the layers of insecurities; she sure had a lot of potential.

I toyed with the idea of talking to her after class ended, but decided against it. It'll mess up the whole game if I end the mystery too soon. But maybe there's another way of figuring out who she is without actually talking to her. As soon as class is dismissed, I hurry past her seat just in time to see her stuffing a notebook in her bag, and I caught the name written neatly on the front cover- Mia Carter. I also got a good look down her shirt as she bent to pick up her bag, and I gotta say- that view was impressive. Smiling to myself, and ignoring more looks of rage thrown at me by my previous conquests, I left the classroom, already pulling out my phone to look up Mia Carter on Facebook. I needed to know everything about her.

Mia

That was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life- it was actually worse than the time Daddy convinced me that skydiving was a good idea and I had stood at the plane watching my dad and brothers jump out one after the other, until I was left all alone with the instructor. I remember staring out at the patchwork of fields beneath me, feeling dizzy; the instructor had to push me out of the plane, and I had vomited for three days straight after that. But this was definitely worse than that. Not only had the boy made such a show of looking me up and down, but he had also walked right up to my seat as class had let out and stared straight down my shirt. My face was burning with- not anger, I suddenly realized, but excitement. I wanted him to look at me- I liked it. I shook my head. God, what was wrong with me? I tried to think of other things as I walked across campus but I couldn't stop thinking about his tanned skin and perfect bone structure- he could have stepped straight out of a clothing catalogue.

I sat down on a bench across from the building, and pulled out my phone. I had seven texts from Mom, who wanted to know how my first class went, and told me to meet her in the dean's office for lunch. I ignored the lunch invite, and texted her back. Hey Mom, class was great. I'll talk to you soon. I added a heart emoji so she didn't realize I was blowing her off, and tossed my phone back into my bag. I considered taking a walk maybe, try to get to know the place better when a girl approached me, smiling brightly. "Hi, I saw you in the Urban Studies course," she said, gesturing towards the classroom they had recently vacated, "mind if join you?" I was taken aback, but welcomed the company, "Please," I said sincerely, and she sat down next to me.

She had long black hair, a gorgeous olive complexion, and long slanting eyes. She turned her face to me and I saw a small nose-ring glinting in the sunlight. "I'm Aria," she said, "I noticed you had that lost freshie look, so I thought I'd come over and introduce myself." I smiled gratefully at her. "I'm Mia, and I take it you're not a freshman?" She shook her head, "Sophomore, but don't worry, I was the same when I first started here." I seriously doubted that, she looked so confident and at ease with herself, and I told her that. She laughed and shook her beautiful head, "Nah, you just get really good at pretending once you've been in New York for a while. Especially at a place like this, where there are so many strong personalities that you don't wanna fade into the background." I looked down critically at myself, wearing that ridiculous corporate outfit- I looked like a total nerd next to Aria's leather tights and grey crop top. She must have known what I was thinking, and said "Look, it's your first day here- you'll learn what to expect from this place soon." I still felt like a complete loser.

She stood up suddenly, and announced, "We're going to hang out with some of my friends and my girlfriend, come on. They're always looking for fresh blood," I must have looked terribly nervous because she laughed then and said, "Relax, they'll love you." I stood up and followed her, watching her long legs strut confidently, and I felt short and frumpy next to her effortless grace.

Eric

I spotted her following Aria to a group of similar social rejects- the artsy types with their vegan lunches and Marxist ideas. Well, actually I had no idea whether those guys were actually vegan or Marxist, but I assumed as much. And now Mia was following them to join in? I can't have her if she's a Marxist- those are the only girls I can't impress with my car or my wallet. I was still trying to cyber stalk her but she had too many damn settings. I opened Instagram and boom- first name on the search list. I went through her pictures slowly, while still keeping the real Mia in my peripheral vision. The first few pictures were all tourist-like shots of NYC- Lady Liberty and the Chrysler; and then goldmine. Apparently, Miss Mia was just coming from a great beach vacation in Miami- swimsuit photos galore.

I had just clicked on a particularly delicious shot of her in a pin-up style pink bikini when my phone started ringing, replacing the sexy picture of the curvaceous brunette with one of a slender blonde with narrowed eyes, and the screen read Naomi calling. I sighed and answered "Hello, Queen Bee, how's my favorite whore?" and a throaty voice crooned "Hey baby, miss me yet?" I had to admit, my life had been kinda lonely without the psychotic bitch, "Yeah, it's not as fun being the only crazy one. Savannah College misses you too- girls may actually have some self-esteem without you here to emotionally traumatize them forever." She laughed, "It's okay, I'm busy making Paris a hell-hole for these French sluts. Hardly any hot boys here- nobody like you anyway. So tell me, babe, still working out?" she added the last part in a sensual whisper, she knew that drove me wild. But Mia had started moving again, and I had to work to out a plan, so I said to Naomi, "Sorry love, but there are still hot girls here, and I've got my eye on one right now, so later babe." I hung up before she could protest in that throaty sexy voice of hers.

I liked that the phone call ended and my screen went back to Instagram, so I could admire Mia's gorgeous boobs one more time before I closed the app and followed the real deal surreptitiously. I hung back slightly, pretending to be texting so she'd think I hadn't paid attention to where I was walking. I would have walked straight up to her but I really didn't know what Aria would say to me, or to her about me. She was still pretty mad at me for sleeping with her ex-girlfriend- Maisy was bisexual and she's the one who initiated it, so how was it my fault? Damn, she was hot though. I continued my false-texting as I passed by them, and noticed they were heading towards the Medieval Poetry class, but Aria just seemed to be dropping her off- they parted just outside the class and Aria walked away with the rest of her group. Class hadn't started yet, and Mia just hung around outside so I considered going up to her and introducing myself. But then I had a better idea.

I walked right past her, texting, turned back to look at her and smirked, and as she soon as she had registered the smirk, I turned my attention back to my phone again. In the brief moment when we had made eye contact, she stared at me, parted her rosy lips slightly and looked utterly confused. And that's when I knew for sure that my move had been a success. That'll get her thinking; it always does. I grinned to myself all the way upstairs to my next class- this was my second favorite part of chasing after a new girl, first favorite being the sex of course. I fell into my seat and leaned back, stretching my arms out behind me. A girl shot me a disgusted look, and I smiled widely at her. She rolled her eyes at me and looked away, sharing a meaningful look with her friend. I knew I was a total bastard, and I loved it.

Mia

Okay what the fuck was that? He did it again; the same boy from Urban Studies looked me over again and did the same self-satisfied smirk thing he did before. I didn't know if he was admiring me or mocking me, and I was starting to suspect it was the latter. I had to find out what his problem is, and I resolved to ask Aria about him as soon as I saw her again. But then I remembered she had told me that she had a film class all day, and I only had Medieval Poetry left before I could go home. God, what did he want? I couldn't let another class go by without paying attention, all because of that fucking guy with his perfect jawline and his objectifying gaze. I had to keep up my good grades if I wanted to keep my apartment. As soon as I thought of Mom I pulled out my phone again, and sure enough, two more texts from her, reproaching me for having missed lunch. I sent back a quick apology, and saw an Instagram notification.

It was him! I recognized the picture in the thumbnail and tapped on the username to find myself on Eric Cage's account. I knew his name! Wait, this meant he knew my name, he had found me on social media, and had actually liked a photo. Fuck. I went back to notifications and saw that he had liked one from three weeks ago, the one picture on my entire profile where I wasn't fully covered. I knew I shouldn't have put up that bikini picture- and here he was, deliberately liking it to let me know he'd seen it. What an asshole! Was he mocking me again? Was his like sarcastic, like Ha ha look at the fat girl in the bikini or did he actually like the photo? Ugh, what's wrong with me? Why do I care? But I did care, and I liked that he was looking at my body; God I am the absolute worst!

I spent the rest of the class scrolling through his pictures- a lot of cars, a lot of parties, and a lot of alcohol. Occasionally, a selfie cropped up and my heart did a little leap. I chastised myself for being so stupid- the guy was clearly a piece of shit. But I kept scrolling and my heart kept leaping. There were a couple of pictures of him with a girl- she was breathtakingly beautiful, with a blonde angled bob, narrow green eyes, and the longest legs I'd ever seen. I tried to figure out she was, but she wasn't tagged. The poses, however, were a bit suggestive- she was leaning half her body on his in one of the pictures; and biting her lip seductively in another. So he had a girlfriend or something- that ruled out the admiration he may have felt for me and I knew then he had been making fun of me the whole day.

Tears sprung to my eyes, and I fought hard to keep them at bay; I didn't need to start bawling on my first day at college. But I felt like shit. I was easily the largest girl at Savannah, and I had always felt super conscious about my body and the way it moved. But I had never been bullied; in fact, at my old school, if I ever complained about my body my friends would shut me up saying things like, "Mia, you're perfect" and "I'd be pretty happy looking like you." But I had never encountered something like this, where someone was openly harassing me about the way I looked. I considered going to Mom about it, I mean if someone's making me uncomfortable I should go to the dean right? I sighed; I wouldn't consider going to the dean about something like this if I were at any other school, or if the dean wasn't my mother. Fine, I'll just confront him myself. No, am I an idiot? Of course I won't confront him; that'll make the bullying worse.

I slumped into my seat, and then sat up straight immediately, thinking about how I'd look all hunched up and lumpy. I looked down at my thighs straining against my tight skirt and suddenly I felt hideous. I had to leave or I'd for sure start crying, already letting a little sniffle escape. Against my will, a tear starting rolling down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away. I looked around to make sure nobody had seen my little breakdown; I needn't have worried, the entire lecture hall was enthralled by the professor, who seemed to be doing an amazing job. Suddenly, I was angry at this Eric Cage guy- how dare he make me feel like shit and make me miss out on the first class of Medieval Poetry, one of the courses I had been most excited about? I sat up straight again, and pulled out a notebook, furiously copying everything written on the board about Nigel de Longchamps.

I still couldn't concentrate though, even though Mr. Longchamps had apparently written some great satire. I just couldn't follow the lecture- I just kept thinking of how stupid I'd been; thinking that a boy who could be a supermodel would be interested in me. I felt stupid, and I hated myself for feeling good when he stared at me like that; and I felt stupid for picking this outfit; and for walking into that man this morning with the iced tea. I just hated this school and this city, where people were mean and threw their drinks all over you without apologizing. I sighed so audibly that the guy in front of me turned around to ask me if I was okay. Yes, Mia, make a bigger moron of yourself today. It's so very attractive. I picked up my phone again gloomily, and briefly toyed with the idea of blocking Eric Cage on Instagram- and everywhere else. But that would just prove that he was getting to me. No, I don't care. I don't. I scrolled through his pictures again, taking in his pale hair and his perfect mouth; how could someone this beautiful be so horrible? I closed the app, and picked up my pen again. I would not let Eric Cage get to me.

Eric

I had the car pick me up later than usual, but it meant having a conversation with my step-mother, who said, "Eric, you know you don't need the chauffeur for every little thing- just walk home, we live five minutes away," to which of course, I replied like a dutiful step-son by telling her to get off my fucking back and send the car when I tell her to dammit. I used the extra time to look for Mia, but no luck. Spotting a body as fine as hers shouldn't have been a difficult task on Savannah's minimalist campus; but she was either in another class or she'd left already. I had no idea where she'd be now- my class got out later than hers would have, and I didn't know what courses she was taking. So I decided to visit an old friend for help.

I dialed a number as I walked to the car, and Jake picked up after a couple of rings. "Hey buddy, I seem to be in a tiny bit of a pickle- mind helping out?" I deliberately kept my tone light and friendly, but it didn't seem to work. "I thought I told you not to call me again? And I'm not your fucking buddy." Hmm, buddy had been too much, but I decided to keep up my bantering voice, "Yeah, you know I already got a fuck buddy, but you- you're just the guy I can rely on when I need some information on a girl-" he hung up on me. It was a worth a shot, but I guess hacking into the school system was out now that Jake hadn't gotten over the little disagreement we had last year. Fine, I'll just stick to cyber stalking her until I can figure out my next move.

I looked out of the window as I pondered the situation. I didn't like feeling stumped, I needed to up my game somehow. Absently, I opened Instagram again, and found myself at the mercy of that pink bikini straining itself to contain all that deliciousness within. Hold up, why was the little heart button under the picture red? I didn't remember liking the picture- why would I do something that stupid? That would mess everything up. I clenched my jaw, remembering that Naomi had called while I was looking at the picture and I must have accidentally double tapped it then. That bitch manages a way to fuck things up for me even when she's all the way in France. Okay, I needed to relax. This wasn't a big deal- it'll just tell Mia that I was looking her up; actually, the more I thought of it, it just seemed to go along with what I'd been doing all day. And this would get her attention, guaranteed.

Mia

I sat on the floor in the middle of my crappy apartment and wept. I'd been holding it in all day, and I thought I was fine, but I stepped into the tiny living room and looked around. It dawned on me that this was home now, and this is what I have to look forward to every day for the next four years. I stood there until the emotions I was feeling started to overwhelm me. I didn't bother taking off my shoes or walking to the bedroom; I sank to the floor and started heaving huge shuddering sobs. I pulled my phone out and was about to dial Mom, but I stopped myself just in time. Mom wouldn't be sympathetic, she'd just tell me I wasn't fit to live alone and I should move in with her. No way am I subjecting myself to that lecture after the shitty day I had today. I must have sat there and cried for an hour before I slowly pulled myself up- I would have slept there if I hadn't seen how filthy the floors were.

I peeled off my clothes and threw them angrily in the corner, bursting into tears again. And then I went and picked them up again, knowing that I had to at least try and keep the place clean. I stood before the mirror naked, and cried some more. I plodded over to the bed and sank into the mattress, covering myself up with the sheets. I had worked so hard to start accepting my curves- and that bastard Eric made me feel like shit again. I reminded myself that my body's function was to sustain me, not to visually please fuckers like Eric Cage who felt like they were entitled to it. I remembered the way he had looked at me in class, and unwillingly, I felt aroused- I hated myself in that moment, but I couldn't help feeling it.

As I lay in bed, I tried to clear my head of any thoughts of Eric Cage- his tanned arms, his jawline, his glasses, I didn't want to think of any of those things. I turned to my side, I didn't want to think about his mouth or imagine what he could do with it. I didn't want to imagine him without a shirt on, or without anything on. I didn't want to think of him pulling me on top of him or running his hands all over me. Then why was Icouldn't I stop?

Eric

I lay awake in bed, bouncing a baseball off the ceiling. I caught it and tossed it up, repetitively, as I thought about Mia- I was frustrated. A girl had never proved this difficult before; if it was anyone else, by now she would have right come up and either introduced herself to me, or she would have confronted me- and either way, we'd be having sex right now. And I wanted to have sex with Mia so badly- I could just imagine tasting her sweet creamy skin, filling my hands with her breasts, biting her neck. The baseball hit me right in the face, and I yelled in pain.

I was still nursing my face when my phone rang. I ignored it, and went downstairs for some ice. Carefully I made my way to the kitchen, and back, so I wouldn't wake up the maid, my dad, or my step-mother- they'd just think I had been in a fight, and I wouldn't blame them; who's stupid enough to hit themselves in the face? This guy. I returned to my room to find my phone still ringing- who was the persistent bastard? I looked at the screen and to my shock, found that Jake was calling. I picked up so fast I thought I might crack the screen, "Jake? What's up, buddy?" and I heard his curt voice on the other end say "I'm not your fucking buddy, but I can help you with the information you need," I started to thank him when he cut me off and said, "Shut up Eric. I'm doing this because I need you to do something in return."

I was surprised, what could I possibly do for a computer nerd? "Uh… sure, man, whatever you need."There was a brief pause before Jake said, "Okay, here are the demands. I need some drugs, and I know you've got connections. If you score me weed, pay for it, and deliver it to my house, you've got yourself a deal." I wanted to laugh- when I had heard drugs I was a bit nervous, but as soon as he said weed I couldn't stop smiling at this poor simple boy's "demands". I said, "Okay, I'll get you your weed. It won't be easy, but I'll get it for you. Tomorrow night." I heard Jake breathe with relief, and I resisted the urge to mock him. We lived in New Fucking York, all you had to do was enter any alleyway to find a dealer. And we went to an arts college- the place was crawling with junkies. I shook my head; the guy was so innocent it would be endearing if it weren't so stupid.

After we had worked out our deal, I texted my dealer, and he replied five minutes later saying he'd have it ready for me and I could pick it up after school tomorrow. I fell into bed, pressing the fast-melting ice into my face. I smiled so hard my face hurt, but things were finally falling into place. I decided I would use Jake to figure out Mia's schedule, and then happen to be outside whichever class room she was going to be in, until a good opportunity presented itself. Then I would introduce myself, and in no time, we'd be doing it. I rolled over, feeling blissfully sleepy already.

Mia

Eric sat on a chair, and I stood in front of him. He looked at me with a piercing gaze, and said in a quietly stern voice, "Take off your skirt." I wiggled out of my skirt, and kicked it to a side. His gaze swept over my legs, and I started to blush. His eyes flicked back to my face, "Your shirt, slowly." I obliged, undoing one button after the other, until it hung open, revealing my skimpy little bra trying desperately to hold my large boobs together. I slid it off my shoulders, and it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. I was now in my underwear and heels. He stared at me hungrily, examining every inch of me with his eyes, and then said, "Come here." I started to walk towards him, stopping just in front of the hair. He reached over and put his hands on my waist, pulling me closer.

I could smell him, and it was making my thoughts swirl- I couldn't think straight. He I was standing and straddling him now, my legs on either side of his chair. He tucked his thumbs into the waistband of my panties, and slid them down my thighs, down my legs and onto the floor. He pulled me closer and put his mouth on my labia, taking them between his lips, flicking his tongue over my clit, sucking on it. A moan escaped my lips, and he stopped, looking at me and smirking. "Sit, Mia," he said, and I felt a little rush as he said my name in that deep commanding voice. I sat on his lap, my bare skin against his jeans- but I could still feel that he was hard. He placed a finger under my jaw and pulled my face close to his as my lips parted to receive his. But he didn't kiss me- he stopped just as our mouths were about to meet, and he pulled back.

I was almost panting with anticipation, but he just cocked his head to one side and looked at me. He then fingered the straps of my bra and I waited for him to slide them down my shoulders, but instead he reached for the cups and pulled them down, exposing my breasts. I was now completely naked, and he was fully clothed. It was exciting, and my heart was beating rapidly. He looked awestruck as he rolled and twisted a hardened nipple between his thumb and forefinger- I bit my lip and tried to suppress a moan but it escaped again. He smiled wide, and cupped the other breast in his other hand, twisting both nipples. I arched my back and he moved his waist forward and backwards so I could feel his erection against my bare wet labia, parted for him. He let go of my nipples and let his hands travel down my sides and he gripped my waist again, harder this time, and started moving me along with him. He bent his head and ran his tongue down my neck and across my breasts.

As we moved faster, he became more aggressive, and started biting my shoulders and my neck, taking my nipple in his mouth and sucking hard. My moans grew louder, and I put my arms around his neck, pushing my body closer into his and moving faster. He placed his hands under my ass and suddenly stood up lifting me, and throwing me onto the bed so that my back on the mattress and my lags dangled off. He knelt on the floor between my legs, and spread them apart. He slipped off my shoes, and ran his along my instep before running his hands up my legs and thighs. His kissed the soft skin of my inner thigh, and placed his thumb on my clit, rubbing it in small circular motions. I gasped as a burning sensation spread through my body, and he looked up at me and smiled.

He started to lightly run his fingers along the opening of my slit, and I could feel it growing wetter. His thumb still rubbed my clit as he slowly slipped a finger inside me. My eyes widened and I almost screamed with pleasure- I had never felt anything like it before. I closed my eyes and writhed and moaned and my body jerked back, and I was sweating. I opened my eyes again to find myself alone in my bed- I looked around wildly for Eric, but he was gone, and so was the room I had been in. I groaned with disappointment and embarrassment- I had just had a sex dream about Eric Cage. Slowly, I reached down under my sheets to feel myself, and my hands came back wet and sticky. Disgusted with myself, I decided to take a shower and wash off all memories of Eric Cage.

Eric

I woke up happier than I'd felt in a long time. I checked my phone and found two texts that made me even happier. One from my dealer, saying Your shit is ready for pickup and the other one from Jake, saying Meet me in the computer lab at 9:30. I stretched out my arms above me and yawning widely, looked out the window. The sunlight filtered n through the leaves of the tree outside my window, forming beautiful dappled patterns on the walls of my bedroom. What a beautiful day for stalking girls.

I showered and dressed carefully, knowing today could be the day I introduce myself to Mia. I put on my best boxers, hoping I'd get the chance to show them to her later tonight. I actually whistled- fucking whistled- while I jogged down the stairs. Claudia was frying an egg for me, and she put it in front of me with two slices of freshly toasted bread as I sat at the breakfast table. "It's just you today, Mister Eric. Your parents have gone out early," she told me, and plodded back to the kitchen. I watched her uniform clad back leave the dining room fondly, and smiled. This day was just getting better and better. She returned with orange juice and smiled at me, like she always did.

Claudia was my favorite person in the whole house- she had been with my dad and me since I was born and my dad had to raise me on his own. But with a good nanny and maid around, he could relax and concentrate on making money, which is what he considered a suitable replacement for affection towards his son. He wouldn't be here on my birthdays, but he'd send me a giant present from Japan or Switzerland or wherever he was traveling to at the time. I spent a lot of my angsty years feeling hatred towards him for it, but then I realized how great I had it- unlimited cash and no parental nagging or supervision. That's when I really flourished as a person, and starting using my wealth to my advantage. I can't believe there was ever a time when I would have substituted my wallet for a hug from my father. Fuck hugs from my dad; my money meant I could get a lot more than hugs from a lot of different women. I loved the life I lived now- a new girl on my mind every few weeks. And this time it was Mia.

I thanked Claudia for breakfast and headed out the door, it was 8:45 and I had fifteen minutes to get to Jake in the computer lab. My dad had taken Roberto and I knew my step-mother had taken the other car just to piss me off- stupid bitch. But I didn't let it ruin my day; instead I reveled in the crisp air and walked to campus. Today would be a great day- I could feel it in my bones. I would meet Jake, get the information I needed, and be well on my way to scoring Mia Carter. I thought of how close I was to seeing her naked, and my pulse raced as I imagined undressing her. I walked faster, eager to get my hands on her Savannah records so I'd know everything about her. I got there with five minutes to spare, and I looked around to see if she was anywhere nearby.

Mia

I woke up still feeling upset about my dream last night, and I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. I stood brushing my teeth in front of the bathroom mirror and realized I looked terrible- I had slept with wet hair and my hair was wild and frizzy, and I had dark circles under my eyes. I spent a good ten minutes putting on my make-up to ensure I covered up the tired sleepless look, and I applied white eyeliner liberally to the corners of my eyes for a wide-eyed awake look. I worked my hair into a loose fishtail and stood before my closet, trying to pick an outfit that was more New York and less Legally Blonde. I pulled out a snug dark green sweater and paired it with khaki pants- I needed college aged clothes; I looked like a mom who was about to drop her child off to preschool. But still, it was better than yesterday's fiasco.

I made my way out of the building and decided to stop by the sandwich shop again. The lady from yesterday was still behind the counter, and I walked up to her. She looked at me and said, "Oh Lord, you didn't get any drinks thrown at you today, did you?" I laughed, and said, "No, no drinks today. I'm here to thank you again, and to buy some breakfast." She smiled and chatted to me about college and New York while I ordered two bagels and a coffee to go. I was about to leave, when I ordered another coffee for Aria. It was sweet of her to reach out to me to yesterday, and if I couldn't find her, I'd just give the coffee to someone else and make a new friend. I ate my bagels on the way and carried a tray of two coffees carefully, I didn't want to bump into anybody again- but I had taken extra tissues at the sandwich shop just in case.

As I entered Savannah's gates I immediately spotted Eric's light hair among the crowd of students pouring in. He seemed to be looking for someone, and I ducked out of sight. I was still looking for a decent hiding spot where I would be invisible to Eric but still wouldn't look strange to other people. To my relief, he hurried off somewhere soon enough and I didn't have to crouch behind some bushes like a creep. I sipped my coffee slowly and wandered around the campus. I had a good fifteen minutes before class would start. I saw Aria's girlfriend, Claire, sitting by the fountain in the middle of the grounds and I walked over to her. Her blonde pixie cut looked messy and her large eyes looked tired, but she still smiled, "Hey Mia, you look cute today." I smiled back and said, "Thanks, I tried to look like less of a dork today. Here, you want some coffee?" She accepted it gratefully and said, "You didn't look like a dork yesterday, you're fucking beautiful." She said it in such a matter of fact way, sipping her coffee and looking around without expecting a response that I blushed harder than I had at any other compliment I'd ever received.

We talked some more until it was time for me to go to class, and she said she'd see me for lunch if I was free that time. I promised her I'd check in, and then I hurried towards my classroom. I had my creative writing course today and I was excited because that's basically what I wanted to do with my life. Mom didn't think that writing was a real job, and that just made me want to pursue it harder. As usual, thinking of mom, I pulled out my phone to find multiple texts from her. I sent her a quick reply, and promised myself I'd drop by for a visit to her office after class. I couldn't go completely AWOL on her, or she'd revoke my freedom. I sat in the front of class this time, prepared to give my full attention- Eric Cage wouldn't ruin this class for me.

Eric

My head was still reeling from the information I'd just received. I held a printed copy of Mia's admission form and Savannah record. I smoothed it out and read the small printed words again: Emergency Contact: Dr. Lauren Carter - Relationship to Student: Mother. I couldn't believe this; the girl I'd been obsessing over since yesterday was the new dean's daughter, and I'd basically been harassing her all day. Oh God, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I can't possibly fuck and dump Mia like I'd do with anyone else- if this got back to her mom I could get expelled, and my dad would kill me. I tried to think about something other than Dean Carter and Mia; but I couldn't get the whole thing out of my mind. I could get with any other girl in the whole school, there were two hot freshmen girls passing by me literally at very that moment, long-legged doe-eyed Bambi types, but I could only think about Mia's defined calves and her curved waist.

Maybe I could play a different game with Mia; I would take a different approach, switch it up a little. But I had no idea what I would do- I only had a handful of strategies for winning over a girl and they all went out the window when it came to the dean's daughter. I was actually freaking out- my heart was beating fast and my palms were sweating. I turned around and there she was- sitting by the fountain talking into her phone. As I inched closer, I heard her say, "Yeah Mom, of course I'd tell you if something else happens- that guy was a total jerk." My face turned pale, and I got out of there as fast as I can. I didn't have class for ten more minutes but I barged into the empty classroom and sat down, trying to calm myself down.

Okay. Relax. Breathe. I would stop staring at her suggestively; I wouldn't even smirk at her again. Just please don't let me get expelled. She had already told her mom about me, and I'm pretty sure I'd get an email from the dean's office anytime now. As if on cue, my phone started to vibrate, and I panicked, dropping it face first on the floor. I picked it up and the slightly cracked screen read Naomi calling. For the first time, I actually felt relieved- if anyone could make me feel better right now, it would be this crazy bitch. I answered, "Hey slut, how are you?" She crooned into my ear, "I'm good babe, but I miss you so much. I keep thinking about you, how are holding up?" I thought about telling her what was going on, but I decided against it- she always acted weird when I mentioned other girls around her.

So I said nothing about Mia or the dean. Instead, we talked about my classes here and hers in Paris for about ten minutes until I had to go because class was starting. I felt better after talking to her- no matter how insane she was, she always knew the right thing to say and she made me laugh. I paid attention in class this time; maybe I'd be harder to expel if I made the dean's list. Wait, this was a legit idea. The dean was new this year, and we'd never actually met. Sure, my file has a lot of misdemeanor reports, but she didn't actually know me at all. I could talk to her, charm the pants off her. Not literally, though I'd done a mother-daughter duo before, but this time it was all about landing Mia.

Mia

I finally got around to calling my mom, and I made the mistake of telling her about the incident with the spilled iced tea. She was horrified and demanded that I tell her if anything else happens. "Yeah Mom, of course I'd tell you if something else happens- that guy was a total jerk." She lectured me for about five more minutes before I said, "Listen, I have a class right now, so can I talk to you later?" There was a pause before she said, "Mia, I literally have your schedule in front of me right now. I'm the dean at your college, are you really not able to come up with a better excuse? You should just go, I don't want to talk to someone who doesn't want to talk to me." I was so shocked that all I could manage was "no, Mom, umm-" before she hung up on me. I felt terrible, and resolved to visit her in her office as soon as I got the chance.

I found Aria and Claire sitting on a bench and they invited me to join them for lunch. I gladly accepted, and we were soon on our way to a pizza place just outside of campus. I realized that I hadn't yet been to Savannah's cafeteria, and when I said that out loud both my friends started laughing. "You're such a freshie, it's kinda cute," Claire said, and Aria said, "We don't go there because it's disgusting and overpriced." I frowned slightly; if wealthy people like Aria and Claire found it overpriced- who did eat there? "Plus, there are no vegetarian options," added Claire.

Both girls passionately reminisced over the time they had staged a protest outside the cafeteria doors, and about two dozen students were almost suspended. "Sarah Abbot's father is a big-shot lawyer though, and he threatened to sue the school if they suspended the students, so that was pretty cool," said Aria happily. I worried about my mom, having to field such threats from lawyers, as well as dealing with protesting students. "I thought it was because Vince Linguini's dad is in the Mafia, and he sent a death threat," said Claire. Oh God, now Mom had to deal with mobsters too? What is this school anyway?

Aria was indignantly stating that not all Italians are in the Mafia and Claire was reminding Aria that she was only a quarter Italian when I interrupted them. "Who's Eric Cage?" They both fell silent and Aria looked like she had swallowed something unpleasant. Claire looked at Aria before saying, "He's an awful- awful guy. He's in the year above us; why do you ask?" She threw a tentative look at Aria while she said the latter part. I decided to tell them exactly what happened, leaving out the crazy sex dream however. We were seated at a table in the pizza parlor and I hid behind a menu when I told them about he had looked down my shirt.

Aria said, in an icy voice, "Mia- he's bad news. I'm serious, just stay away from him. He's all about the conquest, and for him, relationships are just something you break by cheating on or with someone. Don't talk to him, don't look at him, and don't think about him." I knew she was only looking out for me, but I didn't like being told what to do; I'd asked for information, and I didn't know what Aria's deal with him was, but some stubborn side of me awoke when I heard Aria say those words. I picked up a straw and silently twirled it between my fingers as there was an awkward pause in the conversation. Claire desperately tried to fix things by chattering loudly about how vegetarian-friendly the pizza place was, and just how divine the food was here. But suddenly, I wasn't very hungry anymore.

Eric

I am a fucking genius. I sat in the college cafeteria with a bunch of people I secretly despised, and while they went on with their mindless drivel, I typed out an email:

Dr. Carter,

I'm a Junior Year student here at Savannah College, and I think it's absolutely essential to my college career that I develop a strong bond with the dean. Dr. Hobbs and I were on very good terms with each other, and I trusted him with all my academic worries. He encouraged all his students to turn to him if they were under a lot of stress or just wanted to talk.

I sincerely hope that I may be able to forge such a connection with you as well. I understand that you must be an extremely busy woman, and I am writing to you to secure an appointment with you at your earliest convenience, so that we may introduce ourselves to each other and start off the new academic year on a good footing.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Best,

Eric Cage.

I read through it once more before hitting send. I'm so brilliant. Why wouldn't Mia want to fuck me? I'd fuck me in an instant. I turned my attention back to the people at my table. All of them were impeccably good-looking, well-dressed and wealthy. We could easily be models posing as students, and we kind of were. Everyone wanted to wear the clothes we wore, have the same haircuts, drive the same cars- it was pathetic. Didn't people see that we were all empty? We had money and we had tons of people falling at our feet; but we had no real friends and no real affection in our lives. We were performing all the time; when we lied about our drunk mothers and abusive fathers; when we spent the summers in the Hamptons just so we could leave our toxic homes- nobody saw that. Sometimes I forgot it too.

I had seen a counselor last year, who told me that maybe I sought girl after girl to imbue some meaning into my life. I had told her I simply liked a good fuck, before inappropriately propositioning her to join me one night. She dropped my case, and I laughed it off. But sometimes, I thought about it as I got home late at night and my dad was abroad and my step-mother didn't care; or when I snuck out of girls' apartments in the middle of the night only to wander the streets till sunrise. I felt a strange emptiness sometimes, but I hid it well by being such an asshole to everyone all the time. The asshole thing wasn't just a mask, I'm not saying I'm a saint at heart- I really am a horrible person at times. But chasing after girls and planning and scheming made me feel a sense of purpose, and maybe that's what I was looking for by conducting this elaborate plan just to get Mia into bed.

I didn't like thinking about all of this, so I joined in the conversation about football and summer vacations. It was easier to face people I hated than to face the emptiness within.

Mia

I was quiet the whole walk back to campus, and things were tense between Aria and Claire as well, so there wasn't much talking. I decided to let them go ahead and discuss whatever they had to on their own. "I need to stop and buy my mom something, you two go ahead," I smiled the fake smile that I had learned to use around Mom, and the one she used around Daddy. Aria nodded at me gratefully, and she and Claire walked off briskly. I could see that they were having a quiet fight, and even though they whispered and smiled while they waked away, I could feel the anger lying just beneath their actions. Maybe I was projecting, but whatever. I didn't like Eric Cage either but I didn't need someone else telling me who to talk to and who to think about. I had just escaped the claustrophobic confines of my mother's house in Virginia and I didn't need another overprotective person around me.

I felt bad though, about lying to Mom earlier- well, actually I felt bad I had been caught in the lie. I lied to her all the time; I had to if I wanted the slightest semblance of a social life. But since I'd told the others that I was buying something for my mom anyway, I thought that maybe it was time to get those flowers to her and apologize. I pulled out my phone to look for where the nearest florist was, and found one that was just two blocks away. As I walked to it, I noticed people staring at me- I looked around to see if I was maybe just imagining it, but people were literally turning their heads to look at me pass by. I felt really uncomfortable, and I tugged at my clothes so they wouldn't cling to me- I just hope I didn't look as awful as I felt. Were people in New York just openly mean?

I reached the small flower shop and stepped inside to be hit by a powerful mixture of natural fragrances. I recognized the smell of roses and gardenia, but everything else was an intoxicating blend of alien aromas. I walked among the neatly arranged aisles of flowers- buckets of roses in all colors; cheerful sunflowers; intricately patterned orchids and all other kinds of beautiful flowers. I was examining a large white chrysanthemum when I heard a voice behind me say, "Hello, how may I help you?" I turned and found myself facing a dark-skinned young man with a mop of curly hair, he was smiling at me and I couldn't help noticing that he was kind of beautiful.

"I'm- uh- looking for flowers," I said, and felt mortified when he chuckled softly and said, "you know, I think you might be in the right place then." I could feel my face burning as I said, "Sorry, I meant, for my mother- and I'm not really good with knowing what to give someone when they're mad at you." He nodded knowingly and said, "Well, I'd advise you to step away from the chrysanthemum; some cultures consider a symbol of death." I backed away so fast I would have crashed into a bucket of white daisies if he hadn't thrown out an arm to stop me from falling. To my immense relief, he pretended like nothing happened, and continued on talking, "Okay, so the most popular apology flowers are tulips and carnations, but it really depends on how badly you messed up. If you did something terrible, you might want the blue hyacinth- it's the truce flag of flowers."

I decided on a dozen pink carnations, and the florist seemed to approve as he arranged them into a bouquet. I made the payment at the counter as he said, "I'm Aidan, by the way." I smiled, feeling suddenly giddy, "I'm Mia." He handed me the bouquet and a single white tulip. "Well, Mia, I hope you need to apologize again soon, it was very nice to meet you." He smiled his dazzling smile again as I left, and I noticed how kind his face looked. I walked back to campus in a daze, absently making my way in through the gates and up to the faculty floor where the dean's office was. There was nobody outside the door and I assumed my mom's secretary was out for lunch. I walked straight into my mom's office and said, "Mom, I'm so sorry about-" to find that she was already in conversation with someone who had their back turned to me. She looked up and her mouth fell open as she saw the large bouquet in my hand, "Mia!" she exclaimed. The person she was talking to also turned and my giant fake smile froze on my face as I saw Eric Cage sitting across from my mother.

He smiled widely at me, and said, "Dr. Carter, like Mia Carter- I had no idea you were a mother, ma'am; you certainly look it." I wanted to throw up as he spewed out thinly veiled flattery, but to my absolute horror, my mother was smiling and waving her hands as though to say Oh, stop it, you. My mind was spinning and I heard my mother's voice fade into the background as she said, "Oh, Eric, you know my daughter already- how lovely that she has someone to show her around." I mumbled an incoherent apology and started to back out of the room, when my mother said, "Mia, please, join us. That is, if Eric doesn't mind- he did make an appointment-" but Eric interrupted her and said, "I'd love nothing more, please join us Mia." I hate him so much.

Eric

Mia looked like she wanted to vomit, and I felt a little bad. I'm lying- I loved every second of it; watching her squirm now only reminded me of how badly I wanted to make her squirm in other ways later. She pulled out the chair next to me, and I could smell a faint flowery scent in her hair as her braid swung forwards and backwards as she settled into the chair. I breathed it in, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. She would glance at me occasionally- I could see it in my peripheral vision, but I kept my eyes fixed on either Dr. Carter or the wall behind her. I didn't need the dean to catch me staring at her daughter's chest- even though Mia's sweater was delightfully fitted.

"Mia, Eric here was telling me how he would love to plan the Student Activities Fair next week, and I know how involve you were in high school extra-curricular activities. Why don't you help Eric plan it?" I couldn't believe my ears, and no could Mia it seemed. She looked at me as though I were a trash can she was being forced to empty. I smiled, "Dr. Carter, that's a wonderful idea- and it's a great way for me to introduce you to everything about Savannah's clubs and events," I said, addressing the latter part to Mia. She shot a terrified glance at her mother before nodding reluctantly. "Great," beamed Dr. Carter, "Why don't you two exchange numbers and then you can get together and plan it over the week?" I was jubilant, I had just been handed a golden opportunity to fuck Mia; and that too, by Mia's own mother. My life is so great.

I stood up after noting down Mia's number and giving her mine, and said, "Dr. Carter, I'm so glad we had this little meeting- welcome to Savannah, I'm sure we'll get along beautifully. I'll leave you to speak with your daughter now, but thanks again for taking the time out to talk to me." She stood up and shook my hand, saying the warmest goodbye as Mia pursed her lips and looked down at her fingernails, actively avoiding my gaze. I left the office and I heard Dr. Carter say, "Mia, these flowers are beautiful." I hung around to see if Mia would say something about me or how I had made her uncomfortable, but neither of them mentioned me and after five a few minutes, I reluctantly dragged myself away from the door.

I'd just offhandedly mentioned the Fair to Dr. Carter, but now I really had to start planning it- as well as what I hoped would happen after it. There was only one person I knew who could help me plan an event in a week's time: Naomi. I called her, and she answered in her usual throaty purr, "Hey babe, I was just getting into the bathtub." I rolled my eyes, and said, "Listen, I need help with something only a crazy control-freak like you can pull off." I explained to her what needed to be done, and she said she'd draw up some concrete plans and send them to me tonight. "Thanks, Naomi- I owe you one." She laughed lightly, and said, "Yes, you do, baby boy." How she always made me feel a strange sense of arousal and discomfort I never understood, but I didn't have time to ponder on the crazy that is Naomi's mind. I had a fair to plan.

Without realizing it I had walked straight into Claire, Aria's new girlfriend, as she stood chatting to Aria and a couple of other people. "Are you trying to fuck her too, doucheface?" Aria spat at me, and I was about to tell her that normally it was her girlfriend who walked right into my dick when I stopped myself, realizing that Aria and Mia were friends now. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking, totally my fault. Are you okay?" I apologized to Claire as all the people in the vicinity stared at me with their mouths hanging open. Claire recovered quickly and said, "Yeah I'm fine, no problem." I smiled at her before hurrying off towards my chauffeur, who was waiting outside the gates. I could be one charming motherfucker when I wanted to.

Mia

I left Mom's office as soon as possible and ran off campus the first chance I got. I was so confused, and my thoughts swirled around inside my head making a huge mess of things. I couldn't believe it- Eric was everywhere; I couldn't turn a corner without seeing his smirking face and now he had made his way to my mother too? He was so charming around her, though- polite and sweet. What if he really was a nice person with a permanent smirk and a bad reputation and a wandering gaze- wow, I sounded like a total idiot even to myself. I needed to think and clear my head; I needed to talk to someone. I hadn't made any friends here except Aria and Claire, and we had seemed to have gotten into a bit of an argument today. I felt myself losing composure, and I didn't know what to do.

I wound up at the same spot where yesterday a man had almost thrown his iced tea on me. I walked the streets and wondered how a city could make me feel so alive and important one day, and reduce me to feeling alone and confused the very next day. I wasn't Mia anymore- or a Mia that I recognized; I was a strange girl in a strange city obsessing over a strange boy. I found my thoughts wandering to Aidan, the florist. See, Virginia Mia would be crushing on cute Aidan who worked with flowers all day and smelled of roses. But New York Mia had to fall for a womanizing bastard with perfect cheekbones who snuck a peek at my chest every chance he got. I hated New York Mia, and I hated Eric Cage.

After about twenty minutes, I found myself outside a bar. I'd never done anything like this before; but maybe that's what college is all about- doing things you'd never do and dating boys you'd never date. I was only eighteen, but I looked older and I doubted I'd get carded; it was worth a shot. I stepped inside, finding the place almost empty- it was just 3:30 in the afternoon, and the bar looked like one of those little hipster places where everything is served in mason jars and has tribal printed walls. I sat on one of the barstools, and wondered when I had become such a cliché. There was a bored-looking redhead behind the bar and I ordered two shots of vodka to start with. I wasn't an experienced drinker, so I ordered what sounded right in my muddled head.

I was right- she didn't card me. I guess the toddler mom aesthetic was really working for me and I was already eight shots in when happy hour began and the bitch behind the bar cut me off. The place had started to fill up, and a bearded guy wearing a white t-shirt with a Native American headdress silhouetted on it was eyeing me from across the room. I had sweet-talked my way into another shot when he came over to me, and asked if he could buy me another drink. I blinked at him, taking some time to register what he said, before I raised my shot glass and said "I have a drink," narrowing my eyes at him as though he were stupid to suggest such a thing. He tried to flirt and said, "I think you're really pretty," but once again, I couldn't really make sense of his words. I pointed to his shirt and hiccupped, "That's- hic- offensive to Native Americans." He glared at me and left without another word.

My head was really starting to hurt now, and I suddenly felt the urge to dance. But I was overwhelmed with sadness and despair as I realized I had nobody to dance with. "Nobody," I half-shouted at the bartender, "I have nobody," and she snatched the shot-glass from me before I could down it in a big gulp and said, "Go home, lady. You're drunk." I laughed then; it was ridiculous. I wasn't drunk, I was Mia, and Mia didn't do things like get drunk in the middle of the day. I wanted to call someone to come get me because I had suddenly forgotten where I lived. I scrolled through my contacts and started crying when I realized all my friends were in Virginia, "Nobody!" I bawled, "I have nobody," and then I tried to pull myself together.

The music was loud and my ears were pounding. My thoughts were all mixed up and each segued into another thought, leaving me utterly scared and confused. I saw a name in my recent contacts that made my heart do a funny little dance- Eric Cage. He would dance with me, I was sure of it; and maybe he could tell me where I lived too. Without pausing to think about it, I called his number, and he picked up after a couple of rings, "Hello, Mia? What can I do for you?" I don't really know what I said but it must have sounded urgent because less than ten minutes later, Eric Cage was helping me off the barstool, and I was getting into his car with him and his driver. As I sat with him in the car, I leaned over to him and whispered loudly, "There is a man driving your car for you- I thought you should know." Eric smirked his beautiful smirk and said, "Yeah, that's Roberto, our chauffeur." I remember thinking this was very strange before I leaned my head out of the window and threw up on the side of the car.

Eric

My head felt like it would explode any second- Mia had called me and asked me to meet her in a bar and now she was sitting in my car; she was very drunk and puking out the window. She drew her head back into the car and wiped her mouth on her sleeve; she turned to me and said, "Eric- I don't know where I live anymore." And I shook my head; she was kind of adorable right now. "Don't worry, you can come to my house and when you're clean and sober, we can figure out where you live, okay?" I spoke kindly, so I didn't scare her off- she was new to the city and she had obviously not been drunk too often and I worried about what might happen to her on her own. I instructed Roberto to take us home, and I marveled at my own great luck.

I helped her upstairs to my room and had her sit in an antique rocking chair that stood in the corner of my room. She fell backwards on it and it started to sway violently. I worried that her puking might start up again, so I transferred her onto my bed. She lay down and closed her eyes. I stood there, looking at her- her braid had come loose at some point and her dark chocolate curls were splayed out across my pillow; her sweater rode up slightly and exposed smooth porcelain skin just above the waistband of her pants; and her rosebud lips were parted slightly. She was so beautiful, and I couldn't stop staring at her. For the first time, I wasn't just thinking about what I wanted to do to her- I was just looking at her, and it felt like I was really seeing her.

She opened her eyes and sat up, holding her head in her hands, "I think I'm dying," she groaned. "I kept my voice soft, "No, you're not dying, you just had too much to drink. Listen, you need to eat something, it'll help. I'm going to get you some food, stay here, okay?" I waited for her nod before I left the room and hurried down to the kitchen. I couldn't find Claudia so I decided to fix something up myself-the only problem was I'd never even made a snack myself and I had no idea what I was doing. A sandwich should be manageable, something simple like peanut-butter and jelly. But I soon realized that I had no idea where anything was kept, and I resigned myself to dialing up Dominos and ordering a large pizza.

I went upstairs to find Mia sitting on the edge of my bed, with her knees drawn up to her chest, and holding her head in her hands. "Mia?" I said tentatively, "I couldn't find any food in the kitchen but it's on its way, okay?" She didn't say anything, and I realized he was silently crying- her shoulders were trembling and I could hear small sniffles coming from behind the curtain of her hair. "Hey," I said, not really sure what I should do, and sat down next to her, gently patting her back, "What's wrong? Please, don't cry, Mia." She raised her head and looked at me, and I could see that her eyes were red and tears streamed down her face. She wiped her eyes quickly on her sleeve, smudging her makeup and leaving black marks across her cheekbones. "I'm so stupid," she hiccupped, "I did this stupid thing and now- hic- I don't know what to do."

I shook my head, "You're not stupid, Mia, you're a normal college aged kid who got drunk- so fucking what? And it's okay if you don't know what to do, you've got me and I know exactly what to do. So come on, let's get you cleaned up while we wait for food." I walked over to the closet and pulled out a grey hoodie and a pair of white shorts. I pointed to my attached bathroom, and said, "Why don't you go take a shower and change into these? You've been wiping stuff with your sleeves all day now, come on." She smiled at me and said sweetly, "You know, I used to think you were such an asshole," and I laughed, and then said seriously, "You know, I usually am- but something about you right now is making me really want to help you." She stood up and said, "You have a bathroom in your bedroom, whoa," before walking over to me and taking the clothes from my hands.

She walked into the bathroom but left the door open behind her. I pretended to tidy up my closet but I watched her from my peripheral vision as she peeled off her sweater and her pants. I inhaled sharply, and abandoned all pretenses- looking straight at her I realized she was more beautiful than I had ever imagined. She looked at me too, standing there in a black bra and baby blue panties, with her hair loosely tumbling in waves and curling at her throat, and she smiled. I could hear my own heart pounding in my ears as she turned around and unhooked her bra; she slid the straps off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Her bare back was pale and dotted with freckles- my own back was tense with anticipation, and I could feel my blood rushing as I hardened.

She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and let them slide off as well. She was standing naked right in front of me, and I drank in the sight of her. She stepped into the shower and turned on the water, which streamed down her figure-eight body; then she reached out and grabbed the shower gel. My mind struggled to make sense of what was going on, but right then Mia turned to face me and I got a look at her large beautiful breasts, her smooth stomach, and her rounded thighs- my brain stopped functioning completely. She squeezed the tube of gel and it came pouring out on her breasts, which she started to rub as she soaped herself. She was putting on a show for me. She stepped out of the shower, still covered in soap and walked up to me, swaying seductively. She reached out to kiss me, and God I wanted it so badly. But she was drunk, and as awful as I was, I was not going to take advantage of her. I moved back, and suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Her jaw dropped open and I could see tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at me with intense hurt and pain. She turned and ran back into the bathroom, this time slamming the door shut behind her. I cursed under my breath- and I waited five seconds before I knocked gently on the door. "Mia?" I called out softly, "Mia, please come out," and she did. She threw open the door and pushed past me- she was wearing the hoodie I had given her but had stuck to her own pants. Her wet hair clung to her face, and she was crying again. She stormed right past me and out of my room. I was so stunned it took me a few seconds to register what had happened, and by the time I followed her she was already downstairs and heading out the front door.

"Mia!" I called out as I followed her into my driveway. She spun around and said, "Thank you for coming to get me when I called and thank you for the clothes. I'll be going home now." With this she spun right back around and continued storming away. I ran as fast as I could to catch up with her, and grasped her arm. "Mia," I panted, doubling over, "Listen- please. You're still drunk, and you haven't had any food. And you just told me you forgot where you live-" she cut him off and said loudly, "Thank you Eric, but I'll be fine on my own." I watched her desperately as she walked away from me and I didn't know how to stop her. My head was spinning- there was too much happening to process and I ran after Mia again.

"Look, I'm sorry if I upset you, please, I just couldn't respond- you know, the way I wanted to. You were drunk Mia," I pleaded with her, "Please just stay. Please?" She stopped then and looked at me, confused. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then changed her mind and turned around again to walk away. "Okay wait," I said, "Take Roberto, my chauffeur- he can get you home safely. Please, Mia, I can't let you go out alone like this." She paused, and then slowly nodded, "Okay, I'll take your car, but I don't want you in it." I held up my hands, "Yeah, I swear, just you and Roberto." I called him and he brought the car around. In the two minutes it took for him to get to the gate, Mia and I stood together in awkward silence. As he pulled up, I started to say, "Listen, I know-" but she didn't wait to hear what I had to say as she climbed into the backseat and slammed the car door shut. I winced and stepped back as they drove away.

Mia

Roberto dropped me off at my apartment and I was slowly climbing up when I sat down in the stairwell and cried. I had never felt so humiliated before- the first boy who had ever seen me naked had turned me away. I didn't even want to think about what I had been doing- stripping and dancing around like that. I could almost hear my mother's voice in my head, yelling at me about what a disgusting shameful slut I was. It was only when Eric had refused my kiss did I suddenly feel acutely aware of my actions and completely sober. I cried harder, and my entire body convulsed with the force of my tears. I realized that I had almost acted out the sex dream I'd had- with one obvious difference. In my dream, Eric had wanted me to do those things; he had told me to do them- but in reality he was repulsed and he moved away from me.

My phone was buzzing incessantly and I pulled it out of my pocket to see seven missed calls from Eric and five texts, each saying a different variation of Please give me a chance to explain what happened. For a second, I began to doubt my own interpretation of the situation- hadn't he said that he couldn't respond the way he wanted to? Maybe he did want me- maybe he really did have a girlfriend. I thought wistfully of the perfect blonde in his Instagram pictures. But then reality came crashing back into my mind, reminding me that I was just trying to delude myself into thinking I was worth loving or wanting.

Still crying, I pulled myself off and made my way to my apartment. I couldn't get the key to fit in the lock, because my hands were shaking so badly. I had just managed to enter my apartment and shut the door behind me when the doorbell rang. "What the fuck?" I muttered under my breath, suddenly terrified that Eric had followed me or that my mom somehow magically knew that I'd taken my clothes off in front of a guy. I steadied myself and opened the door to find a teenage boy with an acne riddled face and a Dominos uniform. He was carrying a large pizza and an envelope. "You Mia?" he asked me, and I nodded.

"I went to the other place and some guy- Derek, I think, or maybe it was Eric- well anyway, he paid me double the amount to deliver the pizza here instead and hand you this envelope. So here," he thrust the box and envelope into my arms, "And I'm off." He left and I was alone in the hallway carrying a large cheese pizza and an envelope with Mia Carter scrawled across it. I carried my new provisions inside and sat down in the middle of my room. I couldn't help thinking that this was actually the sweetest thing he could have done- and maybe he really did care about me. I opened the box and the delicious scent of the warm pizza made me feel better instantly.

After I had polished off over half of the pizza, I put the rest in the small fridge my mom had bought me and turned my thoughts to the envelope. Should I open it, and read whatever was inside? I struggled with it for a good twenty minutes, before I decided it was time to rip off the Band-Aid and be done with Eric Cage once and for all. Maybe he would tell me he had a girlfriend, or he was gay and just really unaware of the signals he was giving off. Or maybe he would tell me that he just wasn't interested in me and my naked shower performance. I cringed at the thought of my big fat body swaying in the shower as I rubbed soap onto my boobs. Okay, Mia. This is it- moment of truth. I tore open the envelope and out fell a hastily folded note. I smoothed it out and started to read:

Mia,

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed, but Mia you were drunk. And drunk girls can't consent. I didn't wanna do that to you, cause I really like you and I hope we can start over. Please. I know that I should've stopped you or looked away, but I physically couldn't. Please can we just start over? I'll never bring this up again if you don't want me to- just say the word.

Love,

Eric.

I read it over again, and my spirits soared- he was such a good guy, a lot better than I had expected him to be at least. And he respected the fact that I was too drunk, and wants us to start over. What does that even mean? Does he want to be friends, does he want to date me? And when he said he liked me, what did that mean? He liked me as a person, or did he have a crush on me? The only person who could decipher New-York college speak for me was Aria, and I had a nagging suspicion that she wouldn't be too keen on the idea of me and Eric cage. So I called the only other person I could.

Claire answered on the second ring, and I could hear Aria softly laughing in the background and from the sound of Claire's panting voice, I realized that I had interrupted something. "Oh God, Claire, I'm so sorry, I know you were probably in the middle of something, I'll just call you later, okay?" But Claire must have detected the faint note of panic in my voice, or she wouldn't have shown up at my apartment half an hour later with a tub of mint chocolate chip ice-cream.

Eric

The image of Mia naked in the shower was burned into my memory forever, but I kept pushing it aside and told my incredibly erect penis to settle downwhile I worried about Mia having received my note. Roberto had called as soon as he had dropped her off, and the pizza arrived minutes after. I struck a deal with the delivery guy and paid him to deliver the food and a note to Mia. I hadn't heard from Mia and I had no idea how to contact the pizza delivery guy to see if he had actually done what I had asked him to. I was growing more and more impatient, calling Mia after every few minutes and texting her as many different ways to say I'm sorry as I could think of.

I tried to keep myself distracted, and checked the emails I'd received from Naomi about planning the Fair. She was good at this stuff, being the control freak she was, and she could have whipped this whole thing into shape in just about five minutes. I told her that, as I replied to her email, and then logged off, still thinking of Mia. I called her again, but this time she answered- I panicked slightly, I hadn't expected to her pick up and I had no idea what I would say. She spoke first, however, "Eric," she said stiffly, "Thank you for the food, it was very kind of you." She sounded like she had been crying, and I felt awful, but I asked quietly, "Did you read my note?" She sighed and then said slowly, "Yes, I did. And I'm glad you decided to respect my condition at the time" she hesitated, and then started talking really fast, "But look, I don't know if you're telling the truth. I mean, yesterday you were mentally undressing me in school and now you want to eat pizza and hang out? I'm just confused and I'd never done any of this before- so I just don't know what you want. I've tried guessing, and it hasn't worked- so just tell me."

She said so much so fast, that it took me a while to process all of it. "Are you- Mia, what do you mean it's the first time? Are you a virgin?" I regretted asking that immediately after I did, because she sighed again, and then asked in a despondent voice, "Is that all you got from everything I said? Goodbye, Eric." I scrambled to get my shit together, and fast, "No, Mia. Don't hang up- please. Listen to me, everything I said in that note was true. And yeah, I was acting like an asshole yesterday and I was totally harassing you. Yesterday, I have just fucked you and then left. But look, I was with you today, and you were really drunk and instead of taking advantage of you I just wanted to- I don't know, take care of you, and just be with you, I guess." I waited for her to say something, and when she didn't, I continued on, "I spent time with you, and I really like you. I also think you're fucking hot and I wanted to just take you today, but I want you to be sober and willing if we ever get to that point again."

"How can you say you like me when you've known me for a day while I was drunk out of my mind? I don't know, Eric." She seemed like she was about to hang up again, and I said the first thing I could think of, "Mia, go out with me, please." I was surprised to hear those words come out of my mouth, but I went on, "I want to get to know you better- you're right, I've only known you for a day while you were drunk, and I would like to change that." She hesitated, "Really?" I almost shouted, "Yes!" and she agreed to grab coffee with me tomorrow. I hung up feeling a strange happiness that I'd never felt before- I couldn't believe it; Me, Eric Cage, on a date. That's something you don't hear about everyday.

Mia

Claire and I talked for a good two hours before I contacted Eric. She patiently listened as I half-sobbed the story to her, and gently coaxed the details out of me when the tears started coming in full force. After she heard everything, she sighed, and I said, "I know, it's bad." She shook her head, and said, to my surprise, "It's not what you did, Mia, it's how you feel about it- yeah you took your clothes off, so what? I know you're a virgin, and it must be terrifying, but you can't feel dirty or shameful for wanting something that's so fucking natural." I let her words wash over me, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It's just sex, I told myself, hoping that I could forgive myself for acting the way I did today.

Claire bit her lip nervously, and asked, "Do you really like this guy?" And when I nodded vehemently, she said in a resigned voice, "So, thing is, I should tell you why Aria hates him so much. He's a douchebag, and that's like a giant understatement. He sleeps with anything that moves, and it's like his aim to make girls into conquests." I gasped, "Aria and Eric? Oh my God!" She waved her hand dismissively, "No no, nothing like that, oh God. Aria's ex-girlfriend, Maisy- she was bisexual, by the way- she and Aria met in high school and they applied here together- they were really in love, and everyone knew that. This was freshman year, and Maisy suddenly starts to hang out with a bunch of sophomore kids. And Aria was a little concerned because these people were nothing like Maisy's usual friend types.

"So Aria ignored it for a while, but then Maisy would spend all her time with her new friends and it was straining their relationship. So Aria asked if she could hang out with them too, that way Maisy could see her friends and Aria could see Maisy, and that's when Maisy told Aria flat out that there was someone else- and she was in love with this other person. It soon turns out that this other person was Eric, who had just been stringing her along. He slept with her and broke up with her the next day- adding 'got a lesbian to hook up with me' to his list of achievements." I had turned pale, and my thoughts were racing. IS that what he wanted to do with me? Pretend to like me just so he could dump me right after we had sex? Or was he leading me on so he could laugh about it later with his friends?

Claire knew what I was thinking, and she said slowly, "This was last year, and God knows I've changed so much in the last year - I wasn't even out yet- maybe he's changed too." I shook my head sadly, "Claire, I'm just so confused. I've had boyfriends before- one I dated for a year and I thought I really loved him. But even he didn't make me feel the way Eric has in just two days. I really like him," and then I said, building up speed, "I mean, if he just wanted to have sex and then leave, he would've done it today, right? I mean an asshole like the one you described doesn't care about whether a drunk girl can consent." Claire shook her head, "Waiting for consent doesn't mean you're good- it means you're a fucking human being. But you're right; the Eric I knew last year wouldn't have given a fuck about that. He'd see a naked girl and bang her. And I mean, look at you, it would have been seriously difficult not to fuck a girl who looks like you."

I blushed furiously, and admitted, "I thought he didn't want to fuck me because of the way I looked. I kept thinking of myself doing that thing in the shower and this image of my giant hips just shaking like that- I wanted to throw up." I felt strange; I'd never talked about this with anyone so openly. And Claire's eyes widened, "Mia, hold up. Do you have- Mia, do you have body image issues?" I nodded slowly. And Claire, who was lying on the couch, sprang up and sat down on the floor next to me. "Okay, Mia, I need you to know this- you're gorgeous. Like absolutely jaw-droppingly fucking beautiful. I should know- I'm all about the ladies. I can't believe you feel so bad about yourself. Have you talked to anyone about this, I mean professionally?"

I shook my head and laughed, "No, it's nothing like that- I just feel bad about the way I look, everyone does right?" And Claire locked her big baby blue eyes onto mine, "Yeah," she said seriously, "Everyone has that one thing, like I wish my nose was smaller or my hairline wasn't so weird, but Mia the thought of your own body makes you want to throw up. Those are some very strong feelings. The shame you felt, it wasn't because you wanted sex, Mia, I think you were chastising yourself for thinking you deserved sex. Your body is beautiful, and you don't need to feel ashamed." Claire's words hit home, and I started to cry again- she was right about everything. I didn't want to feel like this anymore. We hugged it out and talked some more as we ate ice-cream. Then Claire had to leave, and I walked her out. I returned to my living room and burst into tears all over again. I picked up the phone and called Eric, agreeing to a coffee date with him tomorrow.

Eric

I woke up at 7:30 am even though I didn't have to meet Mia till 11. I just really didn't wanna mess this up, and I hopped in to the shower, letting the cold water run down my skin and really wake me up. I consciously tried not to think about what had happened here yesterday- I needed a fresh start with Mia, and she was obviously very embarrassed. I wouldn't remind her, and we could just pretend it hadn't happened. I scrubbed myself everywhere, making sure I wouldn't smell or anything- I hadn't ever freaked out this much before seeing a girl. But I was suspecting that Mia would turn out to be much more than just a girl. Normally, this thought would have made me panic, but nothing about this situation was normal for me- Mia just had that effect on me.

I got carefully dressed and decided to go for a walk so I could clear my head before I had to meet Mia. I had offered to pick her up now that Roberto already knew her place, but she said she'd meet me at the coffee shop, so I decided to just walk instead of taking the car. I smiled at the thought- I think usually I only took the car because it would piss off my step-mother; I rarely ever needed it for just going to Savannah. I checked the time and it was 8:30, still two and a half hours to go and I was already close to the coffee shop. I circled back towards my house and passed a small florist on the way. I knew first date flowers were cheesy, but I guess this wasn't a regular first date.

I entered the little shop and a dark-skinned guy with curly hair looked up from the counter. "Hey, man, how can I help you?" I didn't like him- he had the whole smooth charming thing going on that made me want to show off. "I need flowers for a date," I said, and he smiled at me. "Sure thing, what kind are you thinking," and I was about to answer before I noticed the hundreds of different kinds of flowers all around me. I didn't recognize most of them, and I admitted, "I don't really know flowers well, what do you think?" I hated asking him for help, but I wanted everything to go perfectly for Mia. "Well, if you've known your date for a while, I'd suggest roses, but if it's new then you want to give a bouquet of mixed seasonal flowers- it's sweet and not over the top."

I liked the sound of the second option, and said, "Yeah, seasonal sounds good, I'll have a small bouquet of that." He nodded and started picking out flowers from different buckets placed around the room; he trimmed the stems and started talking to me, and I started slowly warming up to the guy- he wasn't getting into the little competition and wasn't trying to show off like he was, so I decided to stop as well. He told me his name was Aidan and he had dropped out of an engineering school and wanted to study history and literature instead, but he was working for a year before he enrolled somewhere else, and I told him I was a junior at Savannah.

He asked me about my date and I told him, suddenly describing her in all her glory. "She's just perfect, you know? She's beautiful and she's smart and adorable, I really think I could fall for this one. I don't usually do the boyfriend thing, but Mia's something else." He looked up from wrapping the bouquet, "Mia, from Savannah? Carter, was it?" I was surprised, and I dropped the sunflower I had been twirling in my hand, "How the hell do you know Mia?" my voice was suddenly aggressive. He didn't take the bait, and continued on calmly, "She was in here yesterday, buying flowers for her mum. I'm just really good with names, that's all." I relaxed, remembering the pink flowers she had been carrying when she entered Dr. Carter's office yesterday. I paid for the flowers, thanked him and left. It was just 9:30, and I still had an hour and a half to kill.

I arrived at the coffee-shop and had nowhere else to go, so I entered the quaint little place and ordered myself some breakfast. I felt too nervous to eat, but I should probably have breakfast if I didn't want my breath to smell of hunger and toothpaste. I was lightly drumming my fingers on the table nervously, waiting for my pancakes when I saw Mia enter the café. That's not possible, I thought, I looked down at my watch which said 9:45. She caught sight of me and looked just as surprised, but then she smiled and made her way over to me. She looked stunning and I told her so; she was wearing a loose white day dress with large pink patterned roses and her hair was pulled up high in a ponytail. She sat down across from me at the table, and said breathlessly, "I woke up early and I had nothing else to do so I just thought I'd wait here." I laughed and told her I had done the same thing. I presented the small bouquet ad she accepted it, blushing prettily. The waitress arrived with my food and took Mia's order; I thanked her and smiled widely at my pancakes- I couldn't remember being happier.

Mia

I couldn't believe that both of us had arrived with an hour and fifteen minutes to go- we were equally nervous and excited about this date. Maybe he really did mean what he had said. The whole time, he kept me laughing and he said the sweetest things. I cracked a few jokes here and there, and he laughed uproariously- I couldn't remember being happier. There was hardly a lull in the conversation, and we just kept talking; it was easy, like I had known him a long time. He said, "Mia, I want you to know the truth; you told me you're- you know, a virgin- and I think you should know that I'm not. Not even slightly; in fact, I've been with a lot of girls." He looked at me earnestly, waiting for me to respond, and I smiled at him, "I know." He frowned, "How?" I laughed then, and said, "Eric, I've seen the death stares girls at school give you. And I also know about the unfortunate incident with Maisy."

He looked down sheepishly, "I was an asshole, it's true. But Mia, not with you- this isn't what I did with the other girls. I just really like you. You know, this is my first actual date. Normally, it's hotel rooms for me not coffee shops." I nodded, and then changed the subject. We talked some more and ordered more food, smiling and laughing until Eric looked down at his watch and his raised his eyebrows. "It's two o'clock," he said, and I started laughing, "Have we really been here for that long?" He snuck a look at the waitress- who was glaring at us- and we laughed again. He called for the check, and while he spoke to the waitress I couldn't help looking at him and thinking about how absolutely gorgeous he was. He wasn't wearing his glasses today and I got a good look at his eyes- flecked green and hazel. He caught me looking and I looked away quickly.

As soon as the waitress left with her tip, he leaned forward and clasped both of my hands in his. He looked straight at me and I could feel my heart beating faster until it was all I could hear. He looked into my eyes and said in a voice that made my neck feel very hot, "You are so very beautiful, Mia Carter." I couldn't look straight at him, and feeling my face turn bright red, I smiled and looked away. "Look at me," he said, in a softly commanding voice, and I was suddenly reminded of my dream about him. I turned even redder than I already was, and he said, "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" Slowly, I nodded, biting my lip in anticipation. He reached out and released my lip from my hold, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he said, "Don't bite- that's my job."

He leaned forward and so did I, parting my lips to meet his. He came so close I could count his eyelashes, his forehead touching mine, he opened his lips and barely brushed mine before moving back. I let out a soft cry of disappointment and he smirked. "Do you want me to?" he whispered, and I nodded. "No," he shook his head, "you have to say it." I closed my eyes, and whispered, "I want it." And I felt his mouth on mine, his tongue moved to meet me halfway, and then as he had promised, he bit down on my lip. Colors burst before my closed eyes and I could feel my blood rushing as every inch of my body seemed to be lit on fire. When he pulled away, I kept my mouth open- I couldn't believe it as over. It had been the best kiss of my entire life. He pushed back his chair suddenly and got up, "We're going for a walk," he announced. I stood up, still dazed from the fireworks that were going off inside my mind and between my legs, and I let him lead me by the arm. He smirked at me again, that trademark Eric Cage smirk that made him so very difficult to read, but that was part of the reason why I had fallen for him.

When I had finally recovered, after about five minutes of walking, I said, "Where are we going?" He smirked at me again and said, "Welcome back." I blushed furiously, embarrassed that I had been so obviously smitten by him. I grinned at him and he grinned back, "We're going to Central Park- I stalked your Instagram and I know you're basically a sucker for anything that's tourist-y and very New York. So we're going to lie down in the grass and you can take pictures to your heart's content." I beamed at him, and he slipped his hand into mine as we walked down the sunlit pavement as he led the way, chatting happily about Instagram and summer vacations and New York landmarks.