Part 5 (1/2)

'And I was not staring at your legs,' he added.

'There's nothing wrong with my legs,' she said.

'Really?' He didn't know why he said that. He could think of nothing else to say.

'My legs are fine,' she insisted.

'And dandy,' Bodie said. 'They're a couple of the dandiest legs I've seen in a long time.'

'Yeah, I'll bet.' She watched him with narrowed eyes.

Either she has a leg problem that I didn't notice, Bodie thought, or her self-image needs an overhaul.

'In fact,' he said, 'I couldn't help wondering what the rest of them looked like.'

'I've only got the two.'

'That isn't what Ia' He realized she had made a joke. Taken totally by surprise, he burst out laughing. The girl didn't laugh, but a corner of her mouth turned up in a rather wry half-smile.

'I've got this-here quarter,' Bodie said. He flipped it in the air and caught it. 'What-say we mosey over to the student union and I'll buy you a Dr Pepper?'

She accepted the offer.

It started that way: a tossed coin, a look at her legs, a misunderstanding, and a joke that made things right.

Melanie seemed perplexed that he found her attractive. She made nervous jokes about being skinny and plain.

The next night at the drive-in, when he fumbled under the back of her blouse to unhook her bra, she said, 'You'll be sorry.'

He said, 'Don't be ridiculous.'

He got it open and reached around to the front and she grabbed his wrist.

'Don't,' she said. She was weeping, her tears making silver slicks down her face in the light from the movie screen.

'It's padded,' she sobbed.

'So?' She let go of his hand.

He moved it to her breast.

'See?' she asked.

And Bodie said, 'That's not so bad, Herman.'

She laughed through her sobs, and elbowed him. The breast was warm and smooth. It wasn't large, but it filled his hand. The nipple felt very big. The other breast was the same. His hand wandered from one to the other. He wanted them in his mouth, but when he tried to unb.u.t.ton her blouse, Melanie stopped him.

'Not here,' she gasped. They left the drive-in and Bodie drove to his apartment.

When he opened the door, she stood rigid and gazed into the dark room with wide, frightened eyes. Bodie took her hand. It felt like ice. It trembled. 'Nothing to worry about,' he said, and led her inside. He turned on the lights.

'I don't know about this,' she said. Her voice sounded high and tight.

'Neither do I,' Bodie said to calm her down. 'Let's just watch some TV.'

A quick, jerking nod.

'We don't have to do anything,' he told her.

'Okay.'

He turned on the television. Leaving Melanie on the sofa, he went into the kitchen and poured wine. Then he sat down beside her. She used both hands on her gla.s.s, trying to hold it steady. As she took a sip, she watched Bodie raise his gla.s.s. They both saw the surface of his wine s.h.i.+mmer. He was shaking a little, himself.

'What are you so nervous about?' Melanie asked.

'Who, me?'

'Yeah, you.'

They stared into each other's eyes. For a long time.

'We don't have to do anything,' she told him. Smiling, she set her gla.s.s on the table.

Bodie put down his gla.s.s.

They kissed. They held each other. She was trembling, but she was the one who eased him down onto the sofa. They lay on their sides, their bodies together. She still trembled, but she untucked his s.h.i.+rt and unb.u.t.toned it and spread it open and caressed his chest. Bodie followed her lead. Soon, they were both bare to the waist. Bodie kissed her mouth, her eyes, her long neck with its black velvet choker. He stroked and held and squeezed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s while her hands roamed his back.

Her hands didn't venture below Bodie's belt. He abided by the unspoken rule, and kept his own hands from straying lower on Melanie.

He realized, soon, that this was as far as Melanie was willing to take it. The lower half was out of bounds. Squirm and rub, but hands off and clothes on.

He realized something else.

Melanie was a virgin.

She had to be.

The lower half wasn't just out of bounds, it was not even on the map.

Bodie would be her first.

If he could just get her pants offa That might not be easy, though.