Nerdgasm (JenLisa)

Chapter 4

Jennie

Score one to my Intro to Mythology class for the mega eye candy. When I first entered the lecture hall, I instantly sought out the professor so I could express my apologies, and I was taken aback by how sexy he is. Sure, I heard the rumors, but I thought they were exaggerated; that's definitely not the case. Tall with dark hair and strong, broad shoulders, he's a knockout. His five o'clock shadow makes his bright eyes pop, and his deep voice is smoother than hot syrup. He holds himself with a distinct air of authority, and although he was nice enough, there's something about him that is a little too intense for me. He effortlessly holds the class's attention, and I get the impression from the way he talks and assesses everyone that he's a force to be reckoned with in any setting. I don't know if he's married, but he looks like he'd freakin' consume a woman. That almost scary s*x appeal is probably why the majority of class is female. Hell, almost all of the girls are practically panting and gushing in their seats, but I'll take a hard pass.

I'm set to graduate after this semester, and I only need a few more classes and this one to satisfy an overlooked elective requirement to get my degree. I'm thankful I'm not caught up in the fangirling over my professor because it'll be easier for me to focus and keep my GPA up.

Instead, my interests have surprisingly fallen elsewhere. I can't keep my gaze from tracking back to my new professor's TA every few minutes. Gorgeous in an unassuming way, she's making it hard for me to focus on the last part of the syllabus that's being covered right now. Maybe I spoke too soon. If this continues, I might have trouble concentrating the rest of the semester.

At first glance, she isn't anything like the others who normally catch my attention. I'm usually attracted to people who love being in the spotlight—whether as a sports star or just within their circle of friends—and I can tell this one is the exact opposite. Not only did she straight up blush and look adorably bashful when I smiled at her, she almost seems hesitant to maintain eye contact with me. She looks content to sit back and observe, made all the more obvious when the professor draws attention to her.

"Now that we've covered the syllabus, I'd like you all to meet my TA, Lisa." God, even her name is cute. He gestures toward the object of my attention, who gives an awkward little wave to the class. "You can consider her my right hand man, and she'll be your first point of contact this semester should you have any concerns. I expect her to receive the same deference and respect you'd afford me. Lisa, do you have anything you'd like to say to the class?"

I watch in curiosity as a lightning-quick moment seems to flash between professor and TA, almost as if a challenge was thrown down. I can see the ruddiness of Lisa's cheeks before she nods and moves to stand next to the podium. She doesn't look comfortable being the center of attention, but her body moves with the confident, easy gait of someone at home in their own skin. She's tall and lean with short dark hair, and her shoulders taper into a narrow waist.

Her smooth, soothing voice interrupts my slow perusal of her body. "As Professor Kim mentioned, I'm Lisa Manoban. I'm in the graduate program for mythological studies, so I'm happy to help should you have any questions. If you need me, my contact information is in the syllabus, but please feel free to come talk to me if you need anything. You know where to find me," she adds on with a sweet smile. She then removes her glasses and cleans the lenses on the hem of her shirt, thus signalling the end of her introduction.

"Excellent. Thank you, Lisa," Kim says. "That'll conclude today's lecture. Please come prepared to discuss Hesiod's Theogony and the three major generations of power. You'll find resources in your text and online. I'll see you all next week."

With those parting words, the students around me start to disperse. I stay in my seat, not eager to leave, and instead decide to watch Lisa for a few uninterrupted moments. She and Professor Kim are speaking to each other, and she must feel the weight of my stare because she turns her head and looks right at me. I should probably be embarrassed about how often she's caught me looking at her in such a short span of time, but I can't find it in me to care. Guys aren't always the most perceptive, and short of whacking her over the head with a club to let her know I'm interested, I think this is a pretty safe alternative. Besides, I think there's interest there.

Her dark chocolate eyes keep flickering between me and Professor Kim, and she lifts one arm to scratch the back of her head. Even though she's wearing a collared shirt with a light sweater, I can see her toned arms bunch with the movement. There's something about Lisa that draws me to her, and I want to explore what it is. I'm determined to meet her, but I'm not sure how. I'd go the tutoring route, but I'd look a little crazy since it's the first day of class. Professor Kim and Lisa part ways a moment later, each heading to their own desk.

Looking around, I see no one else is approaching her. Right when I decide to just go down and wing it, a girl enters the lecture hall and makes a beeline straight to Lisa.

"Hey, you!" she says as she launches herself against the back of her body, her long blonde hair swinging as she wraps her arms around her midsection in a tight hug. "I was free and wanted to see if you'd like to get a bite before your next class. Wanna go?"

My stomach sinks as I watch Lisa turn around and return her hug with a brilliant smile on her face. "You need anything?" She looks over her head to address our professor.

I glance at Professor Kim, who seems to be watching them as avidly as I have been, a peculiar expression on his face. "I'm good today. Go eat."

Lisa nods her thanks before turning her attention back to the girl she's still loosely holding. From the familiar way they interact with each other, this has to be her girlfriend. She looks to be a few years younger than me, but that still doesn't erase the pang of envy I feel as I watch them.

"Let's try that Greek place we've been eyeing. I could probably eat five gyros."

"Oink oink," she jokes as she finally pulls away. "Does Greek mythology class have you craving Greek food? You must be starving after all that energy you burned earlier."

"Famished. And you already know it's my favorite way to unwind." Her words cause her to give her a playful push against her stomach, and Lisa shakes her head with yet another smile.

Oh God, are they talking about s*x? I decide to quit torturing myself with thoughts of my obviously taken TA, so I place my notebook in my bag and finally get up to leave. I make my way to the set of double doors leading to freedom, and I belatedly realize there's another pair of hands pressing on the push bars. A shiver runs down my spine as I exit the building, and I have to catch my breath when I look up and lock gazes with the person next to me.

I'm in trouble, I think as I get hit with the full force of my attraction to Professor Kim's TA. Up close, she's even more good-looking and is the epitome of sexy nerdy chic. I can see her full lips are probably the nicest I've ever seen. She's taller than me, and I can feel heat flood my face as she peers at me shyly over her glasses. My brain is sluggish as I take in the dichotomy of such a sexy wo looking so nerdy and unsure.

Lisa's girlfriend, who's even prettier than I initially thought, peeks around her shoulder and gives me a look of genuine concern. "Hey, you're the one who ran into Lisa before class. I saw you two collide in my rearview after I dropped her off. Are you okay?"

"Wait, you're the one I bumped into?" My cheeks heat from mortification as I realize how I just ran off and left her. "I'm so, so sorry about that. I would've stopped, but I was freaking out about my car. Are you okay?"

"It's okay, and I'm f-fine." She immediately clears her throat, and she and has girlfriend both wear matching expressions of surprise.

An awkward silence hangs between the three of us for a second before she pipes up. "I'm glad you're both okay. I'm Rosé, by the way. It's nice to meet you. And you've already met Lisa," she says on laugh, the sound just as pretty as her face.

"Jennie." I give a lame wave in greeting. "It's nice to meet you both as well. I hope this doesn't sound weird, but you two make a really cute couple."

I hate to admit it, but they do. She's the complete opposite of me in the looks department with her eyes and curvy figure, and the image they cut with their blonde locks is striking.

Rosé surprises me by wrinkling her nose and laughing. "Oh, we're not together."

"You're not?" I pray my voice comes across as surprised and not hopeful.

"No." She looks up at Lisa with a fond smile on her face. "But we are best friends."

The smile Lisa gives her in return and the way she loops her arm around her shoulder makes me wonder if there are unspoken feelings between the two, but I try not to focus on it.

"Sorry about the assumption."

"No need to be sorry. It seriously happens all the time, so we're used to it. We've known each other since we were kids and grew up together, so that closeness is easy to misinterpret. Everyone we know asks at some point, and we look at it as an opportunity to clear the air. They don't believe us most of the time, but we're both single. We're basically siblings."

They're both single? I can feel my lips twitch, and I have to fight to keep a smile from forming. I mentally give myself a shake before focusing on the first part of her sentence.

"Speaking of clearing the air…" Reaching out, I grab Lisa's forearm and give the muscle there a gentle squeeze. "Again, I'm sorry about earlier. Friends?"

She looks down at my hand on her arm, which I promptly remove, and she visibly swallows, her Adam's apple moving. She lifts her gaze and her other arm, which she uses to push the bridge of her glasses up. Instead of replying, she gives me a brief nod and shoots Rosé a look I can't decipher.

"Well, we should probably get going," she chimes in, obviously able to read her expression. "See ya later, Jennie. Let's go, Lisa. I hear some gyros calling our names."

With a smile and wave in my direction, she grabs Lisa's hand and leads her away.

It's not until they're out of sight that I realize she barely spoke at all. She doesn't come off as a douche, so I chalk it up to her as being extra shy. The marked difference between guys I'm usually interested in and her reticence doesn't turn me off. Instead, I feel a burning need to know her and an even stronger desire to make it happen. Now that I know she's single, I can try to get to know her a little better. I finally let the smile I tamped down earlier break out. I hope she's ready for me.