Hard Hitter

“Take me out,” Emma repeats slowly. I can tell by the way she’s looking at me that she actually isn’t buying it. Does she not see the bulge I’ve got going? I shift my stance slightly to draw attention, and her eyes flick to my mid-section quickly, then back to my eyes. A slight flush of red spreads across her cheeks.

Yeah. Now she notices.

“Thought we could grab a bite,” I tell her. “Off campus.”

“And you thought we’d go out with you wearing a robe,” she replies. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“I’ll change if you really want me to,” I tease. I take a step toward her, but she steps back. She’s timid. Afraid of me. My reputation proceeds me.

“Why don’t you just head back to your dorm?” she replies, then turns her back on me.

“Hey!” I say. I try to push past Martha, but she’s not having it. She steps in front of me and puts her hands up, shaking her head.

“Sorry, slugger,” she scolds. “Can’t just come barging in here like that, even if you are half-hard.”

“Would you just – hey, Emma!” I call after her, but it’s no use. She goes into her room and closes the door behind her. “Shit.”

“What can I say?” Martha shrugs. “She’s shy.”

“Is she really a virgin?” I ask. It’s hard to believe; running into a virgin on this campus is like running into an alien riding a unicorn in the woods somewhere.

“Jesus, dude. Is that all you care about?” she asks.

“No! I just – I dunno.” I smile. “Just an added bonus, I guess.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to tell her you want to pop her cherry,” Martha says as she backs me into the hall. “Maybe she’ll have a change of heart.”

She’s just about to close the door on me when I stop her. “Don’t tell her that,” I say. “Tell her I want to take her out. Because I do.”

“You don’t just want to fuck her and leave her?” she asks.

“No,” I say firmly. And I mean it. This girl has a hold on me. I can’t explain it, but I know I won’t be able to let her go. “But if she wants me to pose for her again, all she has to do is say so.”

“See?” Martha replies. “You were doing well until that little remark.”

“I’m serious—!”

“Bye, slugger,” she says, closing the door in my face.

“Fuck,” I grumble as I head out. I could stay and be more persistent, but that would only get me on both of their bad sides, and I don’t want that. The last thing you want to do is to piss off a girl’s friend/roommate. That’s a sure way to cock-block yourself, and I’m not going to do anything to hurt my chances with her.

Emma. My goddess. The girl who bought me to my knees.

I won’t stop until I have her.

6

Emma

“Today’s the day?” Martha asks from her bowl of oatmeal on the futon.

“Would you stop asking that?” I grumble. “I’m not going to call him.”

It’s been four days since Jay came by the dorm in his robe looking for me. Jay Moore inviting me out to dinner. Sounds like the plot out of some impossible movie. According to Martha, he is “super into” me, and every morning for the last four days she’s been asking me if today will be the day that I’ll finally give in and throw myself into his arms.

“That may be,” she replies. “But you’re going to be drawing him again today.”

I turn around and look at her, confused for a moment, then slump against the wall when I realize what she means; today is the second day of our figure-drawing class.