Pathways Ch. 01-02

"Have either of you looked over the course outline yet?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"I have," Deb said.

"Me too," Terry added meekly.

"And me too," I signaled. "It looks very interesting, based on what we'll be spending time on."

"A lot of organic chemistry and other related subjects," Deb said quickly.

I nodded. "Right. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew," I mumbled.

At that point, the instructor asked us to take a seat and he would begin covering the course outline and objectives. It was going to be a very challenging semester for more than one reason, I thought.

It didn't take me very long to see where the effort was going to come from in our study group. Terry was almost a silent partner, but a very bright one. His contribution would be valuable to keep us on track and not get wandering off in the wrong direction. Deb was a bundle of energy, very much trying to herd us to act as a team for all our benefit. Me? I was just along for the ride.

There were times I thought she would lose her temper when I dropped the ball on an assignment. But to her everlasting credit, she stayed quite patient and encouraged me to keep at it. I had no intention of letting her down. She was the leader and I, along with Terry, was her supporting cast. I wanted her to succeed and I wanted to succeed with her. Terry was right there with me.

We were approaching the end of first semester exams and for once, I was ahead of the game. Terry and Deb were going to ace the exam, I was sure. I was confident I would do okay. Our group project would be handed in before the exams, but I was satisfied that we had done a good job on it and should get a decent mark.

As far as my other courses went, I felt reasonably comfortable that I was going to be okay. Psychology was a lock. History was only a little less secure. Political Science was more like a history course and I was doing fine there as well. I was surprised that I was not having problems with physics, but that was a relief. I needed two science subjects and I knew for certain that I wasn't a biology candidate. Not a heavy course load, to be sure, but it would get me though with a degree in four years and that was my ambition. I still had to study and work hard, but I liked the subjects I had chosen, so it stood to reason I would do well in them.

I was sitting by myself at a small table in the Sciences Building cafeteria one day when who should join me but Deb. That was uncommon. She usually disappeared at lunch, catching up with other friends, I assumed. I didn't know an awful lot about her even after sharing a class with her over the past three months. I remember her saying that she came from Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast. I had never been there, but I knew where it was. Where she was living locally was unknown to me. She certainly couldn't commute from home.

"Hi," she smiled, "mind if I join you?"

"No ... of course not. Please do." I made a weak move to stand as she seated herself. I was a bit tongue-tied, as I often was around her when the subject wasn't chemistry.

"You ready for exams?" she asked as she began moving things from her tray to the table.

"Yes. You've been a really good motivator, Deb. I think it's helped me with my other courses, too."

She smiled her thanks once more. She was a very pretty young woman. Nice reddish-blonde hair, a round, friendly face, and of course, that amazing body.

"Do you think you will make it?" she asked.

"I think so. I'm pretty sure I know the work well enough."

"That's what I was thinking too," she nodded. "I looked at the second semester outline and I think it's going to be more demanding than the first. I hope we can all cope with it."

"Terry will be okay. He's really smart."

"Yeah, that's my take too. What about you, Ian? How do you feel about next term?"

"Hey, as long as you're still the leader, I'll be fine," I grinned.

I saw her blush for the first time. "Thanks," she said quietly, not looking up.

I decided to change the subject to avoid her any more embarrassment.

"I know you're from Sechelt. Where do you live during school?"

"I'm staying with my brother and sister-in-law in Richmond. I catch a bus near their home and I'm here in forty minutes."

"That's good. It's about forty minutes for me, too. I live with my parents in West Van. I'm not crazy about commuting, but I'm in a car pool so I only have to drive once a week."

"Oh, West Van is such a nice place to live. Do you have a view?"

"Yes. We live up on Palmerston at 22nd. We have a great view."

"I'm envious," she said. "I'm not that keen on 'Ditchmond,' as I call it."

I laughed. I'd heard it called that before. It was almost below sea level and everything seemed to be floating on the island municipality.

"What's Sechelt like?" I asked.

"Used to be just a summer place years ago. Now, retired people live up there. It's okay. There isn't much there for young people."

"What do your parents do?"

"Dad runs a hardware store. Took it over from my Grampa a few years ago. He and Mom are happy there. He has his boat to go fishing and he and Mom go golfing at the Pender Harbour course."

"So, what's your ambition when you've got your degree?" I asked.

"I haven't decided. What about you?"

"Same here. I'm not sure about my future at all. I had a job at a diesel engine shop last summer. I enjoyed that, but I'm not sure what kind of career there might be in that place."

"Yeah. I've been helping my parents at the store during the holidays. I know I don't want to do that long term. I'm hoping I'll discover something along the way at university."

"That's me exactly. No plan, just see what I can find that interests me and maybe something will turn up. Not exactly the career path our counselors expected us to plan for."

She giggled agreement. I noticed that she was sitting up very straight and as a result, her very prominent breasts were now perched on the edge of the table. I tried to move my eyes off the sight, but I was too late. Deb must have seen where I was looking. I was on the verge of apologizing to her when she spoke.

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen you staring at my boobs," she said.

I felt my face flush and I'm sure I was fire-red in colour.

"I ... I'm sorry. I apologize. That was rude," I stammered.

"It's okay, Ian. I'm used to it. You are the most polite guy I know. You're a nice guy and it's easy to be around you. I'm glad we're on the same team."

"I am, too. You're really helped me keep my eye on the ball."

"And not on my boobs?" she laughed.

"Oh, please, don't do that. It's hard enough to keep from staring. I know some of the other guys don't worry about it, but I'm really uncomfortable if I catch myself doing it."

"Ian, you're a guy and it's natural. I've come to accept that. The guys that give me the creeps are the ones that don't think twice about copping a feel or saying something really crude. You'd be surprised at how many bruises from elbows I've had over the years."

I was surprised at just how at ease Deb made me feel about a topic usually off limits. I wasn't about to further the discussion, but I found I wasn't quite as uptight about it as I had been. Then Deb upped the ante.

"So, since you've been so good about avoiding staring at me, just what do you see when you look at me?"

"Oh, wow!" I said, stalling for time. "Uhhm ... where do I start? I love the soft colour of your hair. It's natural, isn't it?"

"Yes. That's my real colour," she said with another smile.

"Okay, well, you have beautiful teeth when you smile like you just did. You're very lucky and it really makes your face very lovely too."

Deb had parked her elbows on the table and propped up her chin with her folded hands. I could see a little deviltry in her sparkling blue eyes ... another attractive feature. I was pretty sure I was being teased, but I didn't know to what end. The only thing I could do was to continue -- and see where it led.

"Go on," she said, still showing that scheming smile in her eyes.

"Well, you dress very nicely. Today, it's a very snug pair of jeans and a warm cotton pullover. You don't wear heels to try and make yourself taller. You wear sensible flats or sneakers. Today, it's sneakers. Yesterday, it was flats to go with a very nice gray flannel skirt."

"Wow! You remembered that. What kind of a skirt was it?" she taunted.

"A snug-fitting one that came down just to the knee. I noticed it was so ... snug ... you had to sort of sit sideways to get into the desk and preserve your modesty."

"What was I wearing for a top," she continued.

"Uhhm ... a blouse. Pale blue, long sleeve, snug fit, wide collar."

"This is getting spooky, Ian. You seem to be paying a great deal of attention to me."

"Yeah, well ... in my defence, you are a very attractive young lady and I'm a very ordinary, healthy male."

"So it isn't just my boobs, then?"

"Oh, no. You look just as sexy walking away as you do coming toward me."

"Yeah. I'm told I wiggle my ass pretty good," she snorted.

"No doubt about it. So ... how did we get onto this conversation? I've got to tell you it's uncomfortable."

"Yes. I know. I can see it in your face. But you do want me to know you find me attractive, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. Distractingly attractive."

"Well, I suppose I could solve that. I could wear big floppy sweaters, baggy cargo pants and Doc Martens," she said with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky smile. "Then you wouldn't be distracted."

I was shaking my head. "It wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to me. I already know what the real Deborah Cummings looks like. That's burned into my memory."

"So when are you going to ask me out for a date?" she asked out of nowhere.

"Well, uhhm ... I'm good this weekend, so why don't we talk about it," I suggested. "Do you have something in particular you would like to do on a date?"

"Be creative. Surprise me," she challenged.

"Okay, it's Tuesday, so that gives me a couple of days to work up a plan. How about we meet here again on Thursday and I can make a couple of suggestions and you can pick the one you like."

"Oh ... so it's multiple choice, is it?" she laughed. "I'm impressed. I'll be here at noon sharp on Thursday. In the meantime, I'll see you tomorrow morning as usual in our lab."

"I'll be there," I promised.

I'd made a promise that I didn't know if I could keep. Coming up with a couple of different ideas for Deb was going to be a challenge, especially since I didn't know much about her likes and dislikes. I'd almost immediately discarded the idea of a movie. That was too easy. I could invite her out to dinner at a nice restaurant. I had money to spend simply because I seldom spent much except for my tuition, books, and Christmas. I had no girlfriend, so my entertainment spending had been zero.

The next day in class, Deb did something that almost threw me for a loop. As she passed behind me at our work table, she rubbed her breasts against my back. It was no accidental contact. It was a deliberate, slow rub. The effect was immediate. I straightened up and almost turned around. I managed to control myself, at least as far as a more visible reaction. It was the less visible one that I had to keep hidden. I knew she was teasing me, but this time she had pushed the envelope quite a distance.

As I prepared for our date, I checked the paper and found a couple of possibilities. There was a play on at the UBC Theatre. It was a mystery, and I thought that would be interesting. At least it wasn't the serious shit they usually put on. There was a college hockey game scheduled at Thunderbird Arena on Saturday against Manitoba. If she was into hockey, I knew I could get tickets for that game. And, I knew of a small restaurant just outside the campus gates that was very good. I'd need to make a reservation for that, hoping Thursday wouldn't be too late. Finally, there was a gondola ride up Grouse Mountain. We could have dinner first, then ride up the mountain. If it was a clear night, or the clouds were high enough, it would be a spectacular sight to look down over the Lower Mainland all the way to the U.S. border.

"Okay, I have three suggestions," I began as we sat at the lunch table. "You don't have to pick one, but I hope you will find one you like."

"Three? You went all out, didn't you?"

"Well, why don't I tell you what I've selected and you can tell me which, if any, you prefer."

I went through the list and then sat back to let her consider the choices.

"I like all three of them, Ian. I mean, they are all good choices. But ... can you afford this? I don't want you blowing a month's budget and having to live on Ramen noodles."

I laughed. "Yes, I can afford it. Not every week, but certainly for this week. The theatre is about the same price as a movie. Same with the hockey game. Dad gave me a couple of tickets for the gondola ride, so all in all, I'm not breaking the bank. Also, Mother wouldn't dare serve Ramen noodles in our house, so I won't be deprived of a proper meal. I won't try and influence you. If you really do like my choices, pick one to start with and we can revisit the others later."

"I don't know which one I like best. They are all good. I'm impressed, Ian."

She sat there, looking at the choices I'd laid out on the page. Finally she spoke.

"I know, let's put three pieces of paper with a number on them into a box and I'll pick one. The play is number one, Grouse Mountain is number two, and the hockey game is number three."

I chuckled and took the paper from her, wrote the numbers on the page, tore them in roughly equal parts, folded them and put them in my lunch bag. I shook them up, then opened the bag for Deb to reach in and pick one piece of paper. She did so and pulled it out, unfolding it to see what the number was.

"It's number one. That's the play. Good! Do I have to dress up?" she asked.

"No, this isn't Broadway," I chuckled.

"I'm really looking forward to this," she said with genuine enthusiasm. "I haven't been on a date in weeks."

"I haven't been on one since I came here last year," I admitted.

"Really? Why?" She seemed astonished.

"I don't know. I really didn't know anyone my first year. Everyone was a stranger for the first few months. Then, I had to buckle down and make sure I got through with passing grades, so dates weren't a priority."

"And now," she asked.

"Well, things are going more smoothly with your leadership and my improved study habits. I'm ready for a break after exams. So a girlfriend is not out of the question," I answered hopefully.

"I was thinking," she began carefully, "that since you seem to be such a nice guy, and you seem to think I might be girlfriend material, that maybe ... you and I ... could date a couple of times. To see how compatible we are," she added with a sly look.

I think it was that look which gave me more courage than I would normally have.

"Gee, I'd like that. We'll have a couple of dates and see how it goes. You can decide if you think we might be okay together."

"You're going to leave it up to me, are you?" she said with that sneaky expression I'd slowly come to recognize.

"Yes. Just to demonstrate my complete trust in you, Deb. It'll be your decision whether we make it or not as boyfriend-girlfriend."

"Remind me to reward you for your confidence and trust in me, Ian." She had a look in her eye that I thought might mean some promise for later on in our relationship.

To Be Continued