Nerdgasm (JenLisa)

Chapter 6

Jennie

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I brought sustenance, if that makes it better."

I slide the glass doors to the study room shut and move to take a seat in front of my best friend, Jisoo.

"It does, thanks. I was starting to get hangry. Give up the goods!"

"I have a deliciously bad snack and a healthy option, if you're so inclined. What's your poison?"

"Are you serious right now?" Jisoo's deadpan expression has me breaking out in laughter. "Do you not know me at all?"

"I was kidding, you little junk food w***e," I tell her affectionately. "You better share. I'm not really craving anything healthy either."

Jisoo groans once she sees what I've brought. "You b***h, you know the way to my heart." Her harsh words are offset by the smile on her face. "Salted caramel brownie brittle is my favorite."

"I know. Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Yeah, you're contributing to my waistline."

"Oh, stop. You're gorgeous." And she is. She's short and full-figured, and she rocks the hell out of her curves. She has me wishing my metabolism would slow down so I can have a little more padding. "I don't want to hear otherwise, and I know Gio would agree with me."

Giuseppe, affectionately known as Gio, is her long-term boyfriend, and he can't get enough of her body. She must see the wisdom in my words because she just gives a soft smile and reaches for another piece. We sit and eat in silence for a few moments, both of us enjoying our greatest guilty pleasure, before my intuitive bestie gets right to the point.

"So, who's the guy?"

My hand pauses as it reaches for another piece of the good stuff. "What guy?"

"Oh, come on. You're annoyingly punctual; being late isn't your MO. Spill the deets, girlfriend."

"Fine. She's the TA in my mythology class."

"The mythology class with Professor Kim?" She leans forward, her eyes wide with interest.

"That's the one."

"Time. Out." Her hands make the signal to match her words. "I've been meaning to ask you about him. Is Kim as smokin' hot as everyone says he is? I swear, every girl I talk to knows someone who knows someone who has seen him, but you're the first person I know who's actually seen him."

"He's hotter than the rumors, Jisoo," I admit, and she gasps in surprise. "It's not fair how sexy the guy is, but he isn't my personal cup of tea. He just seems really, for lack of a better word, intense."

"I need to walk you to class one day so I can see this for myself. You said he's hotter than the rumors?" I nod in answer. "Damn." She shakes her head in disbelief before getting the conversation back on track. "Okay, so his TA must be something special to catch your attention when you're being taught by a man who's basically a walking orgasm."

"Lisa, well, there's just something about her I'm super drawn to. I just met her, so my interactions with her have been super limited, but she's already a refreshing change from the guys I'm usually into. She's this adorkably sweet combination of nerdy and shy, but she's got this insanely hot swimmer's body she doesn't flaunt. She's like the next door vibe who got hot but doesn't know it."

I give Jisoo a description of what Lisa looks like, and she fans her face.

"She's smart, wears glasses, and has the body of Michael Phelps? So, she's basically an aquatic Clark Kent?"

"Basically."

"You sure she's not one of those hipster types? You know, the kind of those who wears non-prescription lenses and manages to look homeless-chic? Or does she wear suspenders and pocket protectors? I've got it!" Her eyes twinkle with excitement as she leans in. "If you were to cast her in one of those teen movies we loved in the early 2000s, which table would she sit at?"

I snort at the image her words have conjured, but I know exactly what she's talking about. I take a moment to figure out where she'd fit in.

"She'd be the quiet one who sat by herself, or she'd have a few close friends she'd spend time with. I'm telling you, she doesn't give off any hipster vibes. Her glasses look legit—like thick lenses and slight squinting when she took them off legit. She also seems a little reserved, which makes we want to break her out of her shell. And I know I said she seemed nerdy, but stop stereotyping to that degree. We aren't casting for a teen movie with cliques, so regardless of what table she'd sit at, she's just hot. So hot," I emphasize.

"Ugh! I guess I need to meet her, too. She sounds like a living, breathing nerdgasm."

An incredulous laugh bursts forth at her words. "I'm sorry, but what?"

"A nerdgasm! It's like having an orgasm from her nerdiness, which is fitting since it sounds like she's a nerdy wet dream."

I shake my head at her words. "That actually kind of makes sense. Nerdgasm," I huff out on another laugh.

"And you just met her today?"

"Yeah, I literally ran into her before class." I cringe as I remember slamming into her and running away. I relay the story to Jisoo, who just laughs at me. "I was formally introduced to her after class, and then I saw her on the way here. She was studying, and I couldn't help but walk over and say hi. She's taking me out on Saturday," I admit, and I can't stop the excitement from creeping into my voice.

"You asked her out, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. It's the 21st-century, and she isn't like other guys I've dated. I like that she's shy, but I decided to help her out and give her a little push."

"I wish I was as forward as you," she says, envy evident in her voice.

"You can be, you just need to put yourself out there. I know Gio would love it if you took control every once in awhile." I raise my eyebrows and shimmy my shoulders, and she throws an eraser at me.

"I'll think about it, you perv. So, where are you guys going on Saturday?"

"I'm not sure. I told her I'd leave that up to her. I have a feeling she'll surprise me, and I'm really looking forward to it."

"I am, too. I expect a full rundown of this date. It's been too long since you've hit the dating scene, what with focusing on school and all, and she sounds like a really nice girl. You need nice."

I think of some of the guys I dated when I first started college and grimace. Yeah, they were good-looking, but they were total frat guys who were more into the party scene than they were into me. "I'm excited to see what happens."

"Samesies, girlfriend. Now," she claps her hands together and dusts the brownie brittle crumbs from her fingers. "Let's get to studying. We'd better get caught up so you don't have to worry about this scholastic s**t on your date."

"You got it." I chuckle.

We pull up our assignments and get to work, and I smile the entire time because I've got Lisa and our date on Saturday on my mind.

Lisa

"Rosé!" I shout as I fling the door to our apartment open. "I need help!"

The door slams shut behind me as I throw my bag on the ground, kick off my shoes, and dash inside. I've only taken a few steps when I see Rosé rushing into view from the kitchen, wielding the spatula in her grasp like a weapon.

"What?!" she shouts, concern dominating her tone. "What's wrong?"

"I have a date on Saturday."

"You have a date? On Saturday?" Her voice trails off as realization, surprise, and then elation dawn on her face. "Oh, my God! You have a date! On Saturday! With who? Wait." She holds up her hand, halting me just as I'm about to answer. "It's with Jennie, isn't it?"

"Yes. You were right."

"Ah, music to my ears. I'm so excited for you, Lisa!"

"I'm n-not! I don't date. I need h-help. See!" I gesture to myself, referencing how my nerves are showing in my stutter.

"I get it, you're nervous. It's going to be okay, though. Come over here, and tell me how this all came about. Start at the beginning, please."

I take a seat at one of our barstools looking into the kitchen and launch into my run-in with Jennie at the library while Rosé cooks dinner.

"And that's it," I say as I wrap up my story. "Now I'm here, and I have no clue what to do. I don't date often, Rosé."

"I like this girl. She's forward, and I can dig that." She contemplates her next words as she serves us both a plate of pasta and garlic bread. "I know you don't date, Lisa, but you're about to start." She smiles at me over a forkful of food. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, though."

"Why not?" The worry starts to set in in earnest now. I haven't been on a date in years, and I don't want to mess things up.

"I'm sure you've got some great ideas floating around in that head of yours, you just need to find them. My only piece of advice is this: do something where you can get to know each other, and make it thoughtful. I'm by no means an expert since I've only been on a few dates myself, but don't be so afraid of stuttering that you clam up. And don't go see a movie, 'cause that's a cop-out date!"

She points menacingly at me with her fork, and I hold up my hands in assent.

"Okay, no movie. Stop using our cutlery as weapons," I joke. "What…" I start, and the words are hard to get out. "What if she kisses me?"

"Then you kiss her back. Duh."

"I know that, but…" I feel my cheeks burn, and I realize I've blushed more today than I have in my entire lifetime. "What if I'm a bad kisser?" I whisper in embarrassment.

Rosé and I were each other's first kiss as kids—chalk it up to curiosity and wanting to get it out of the way with someone comfortable and familiar—but we both have very limited experience kissing the opposite s*x now that we're adults. While she's gone on a handful of dates, I haven't had a girlfriend since high school. Even then, we weren't together very long because she was more interested in trying to change me to fit in, so it's not like I've had a lot of practice kissing.

Rosé doesn't answer right away, and she takes a moment to think as she looks at me.

"I don't think you could be," she simply says. "Granted, we were only little kids when we kissed that one time, and I don't have a lot of experience outside of that." She shoots me a mischievous smile, and it immediately puts me at ease. "But I swear I'm not just trying to ease your mind. A few guys kissed me on dates before, and they were terrible." She shudders at the memory. "Too much tongue or spit or not enough effort trying to find out how you should kiss together. In general, you're really good at taking your time, so just try and do that with kissing. There's no need to rush. Besides, you have really nice lips." She blushes at her words. "Ew, I can't believe I just said that. But don't take that the wrong way, okay?" she warns threateningly.

I smile at her words and can't help but tease her. "You've got really nice lips too, Rosé." She really does, but I can tell she doesn't believe me.

She groans into her hands, and it's clear she's the one who's embarrassed now. "Okay, moving on. I'll be your sounding board. What ideas do you have for Saturday? Let's wow this girl."

We spend the next hour brainstorming ideas, and I feel confidence slowly replace my anxiety. By the time I finally crawl into bed and start to drift off to sleep, I've got a smile on my face. Only one more day and a wake up until Saturday.