Page 6 of College Boy

“Only met them this morning when we all piled into Reggie’s van for the three-hour trip here.”

Emma peered back, her face a mask of mixed emotions. “Okay.”

“Okay what?”

She smiled at last. “Not sure, I just ... thought you were old friends or something.”

Mitch shrugged and murmured, “I never made all that many at school. Friends, that is. Kind of a loner, I guess?”

“And girls?”

Mitch snorted. “Haven’t had much luck with them, either.”

“No?” Emma sounded legitimately surprised. “Cute guy like you?”

This time, Mitch’s snort bordered on derisive. “Are you screwing with me, because...”

She merely cocked her head, eyes widening above her clucking tongue. “You need to see more than just the beach this spring break, Mitch,” she announced, standing abruptly as he watched her sinews and curves anew, marveling at the delicate intricacies of a grown woman’s body in such close, quiet proximity.

“Yeah? Like what?” He joined her in a standing position, peering gently down into her soft brown eyes.

“Like the mirror,” she quipped, leading him gently back down the stairs. “You’re too young and handsome to sound so defeated. It’s spring break. You’re here. Go to the beach. Show off your little college boy bod. Meet some girls and, well ... do what spring breakers do, I guess?”

“What?” Mitch scoffed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Like Reggie back there?”

Emma winced predictably, turning halfway to the door. “Maybe take her out to dinner first, huh? Get to know her a little before you drink tequila out of her pierced belly button...”

He smiled and held the door open for her, even as Emma stood just inside of it, lingering for another moment longer. “Spoken like a true grownup.”

Emma’s sigh was heavy and laden with more than just impatience. “Would a grownup sit around chatting with some spring breaker in the middle of the night after doing her due diligence as a good neighbor?”

Mitch leaned against the open door, admiring her anew. “Good point, Emma,” he said, annunciating her sexy little name pointedly. “So why did you stick around?”

“Not sure,” she confessed. “Old times’ sake, I guess?”

“How so?”

“I never really had a spring break of my own,” she confessed. “Got accepted to school my senior year, a good one. Nice little liberal arts college in Tennessee. Was really looking forward to it and then Gran got sick and Dad was too busy at the office to take care of her and she couldn’t afford home care, so...”

Mitch was nodding, seeing Emma in a whole new light. No wonder she was such a good neighbor, he mused to himself. She was just a good person. Period. “So no college means ... no spring break?”

“Sad to say,” she sighed. “I guess, sitting here tonight, listening to you talk about the beach and seeing your university t-shirt and sweet, youthful face I suppose I just got a little wistful, that’s all.”

“I can help you with that,” Mitch blurted before he could stop himself.

“With what, my sudden midlife crisis?”

“Whatever you want to call it, Emma.”

She paused, inching past him back onto the welcome mat where their brief night together had begun. “How’s that, College Boy?”

“I mean, I could use a guide to the beach still...”

She made a “pfft” sound to join her rolling eyes. “Kid, the beach is that way, just point and shoot. No guide necessary.”

“What, I should go to the tourist beach like some ... tourist?”

“That’s where the girls will be, stud.” She punched him playfully on the arm, inching gently away.

---