Chapter 25: Qualify for a full scholarship

Chapter 25: Qualify for a full scholarship

I thought about that for a moment. "I guess you did. And... maybe that was how it was supposed to be."

She kept working the mousse in but her pace slowed, my words somehow affecting her. She stopped and took my cheeks in her hands, looking into my eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "That was a very bitchy thing of me to ask. I guess... so much has changed recently and then I show up on your doorstep and you're the most amazing guy and... it just seems so unfair, you know?"

I nodded, knowing exactly what she was referring to, even if neither of us wanted to say it. "I do. You're the most beautiful and awesome girl I've ever met. I'm stupidly into you."

We stared into one another's eyes for several intense moments before she closed her eyes and drew a very deep breath. "We need to go..." she said finally. "Get me in the car..."

I sighed and nodded. We needed to do that promptly or we'd tear one another's clothes off right here and now. She gave my hair some final adjustments before following me out of the bathroom and letting me get my loafers on. We then headed upstairs where I retrieved my keys and took her out to the car. By the time we climbed in, the serious moment had passed and we were our bright and animated selves again. She took more pictures as we pulled out of the driveway.

"So, how far away is this restaurant in a barn?" she asked, tracing a fingernail up and down my arm as I drove.

"About... forty minutes, I think." I replied.

"Perfect," she said, smiling wickedly. "Plenty of time to make you crazy before lunch."

I dropped my head back against my seat's headrest and sighed, causing her to giggle. "You are the worst-behaved aunt in history, I'm pretty sure." I muttered.

"That didn't sound like a complaint to me." Alexa purred, winking at me. "But tell me," she continued, shifting her hips and pulling up her skirt. "Do you like this thong on me?"

"Oh, jeez," I muttered, trying to not crash us as I gaped while she slid her finger up and down the thin stretch of red fabric that barely covered her pussylips. "I... yeah, I like it. Can't you tell, I nearly killed us."

She giggled and kept teasing herself, daring me to look, which I did as often as I could without wrecking the car. She was apparently turning herself on, because one of her hands eventually went to her breasts and began fondling them through her blouse, sighing and moaning. I kept in the right lane so no one could pass by and see her readily. If anybody passed on my side, I just tried to use my body to block the view, which amused Alexa to no end, seemingly.

We made it to the restaurant with five minutes to spare and parked next to my parents' vehicle. Alexa adjusted herself while I thought of horrible images to make my boner go away, which it finally did, in spite of her snickering. We got out and walked to the front of the converted barn, where someone greeted us and took us to my parents' table.

The inside of the barn was rustic yet elegant, a marvelous fusion of design. Long tables were spread around, often accommodating more than one family and they all chatted merrily together, which was one of the appealing aspects of this particular establishment. Alexa had her arm through mine as we walked through and I groaned inwardly when I saw that my parents were sitting with the Stevensons. Dad and Mister Stevenson, a colleague of his from the Biology Department, both stood as we approached. Mrs Stevenson smiled pleasantly while my mother gave me a wry look.

"Well, that's unexpected," she mused, looking at me. "Who dressed you?"

She looked at Alexa. "Did you dress him?"

I rolled my eyes while Alexa laughed. "I made him wait upstairs while I picked out an ensemble for him, but he managed to put it on all by himself."

"He's never worn those pants or shirt before," mom stated. "I half expected him to show up in a bathrobe. In any event, good job. Allie, this is Dr Stevenson from the Biology Department and his wife, Helen. She's an immigration lawyer."

"Very pleased to meet you both," Alexa said, smiling warmly and looking very demure. "I look forward to attending the university this fall."

"Excellent," Mr Stevenson said as we all sat down, with Alexa across from me, something we agreed was appropriate. It meant I almost had to look at her but would make an effort not to, keeping up our ruse. "What do you plan to study, my dear?"

"Well, assuming they find my credits from Berlin and Copenhagen acceptable, I'll continue with humanities and liberal arts," she answered. "They said if I can make sure my papers are in order, I'd even qualify for a full scholarship."

"That's delightful!" Mrs Stevenson said, smiling happily. "Karen has already told me all about you and your situation. I said I'd make sure everything went through smoothly. Since you were born here to a full citizen and even have a birth certificate to that effect, it shouldn't be a problem. We'll discuss your available documentation later, though. We came to meet you and enjoy ourselves."

Alexa seemed genuinely grateful for what my mother's friend told her and it was something of a relief to me that I wasn't the only positive thing in her life at the moment, given that she'd so recently lost her mother and moved to a country she was not familiar with. I'm glad we were such good friends so quickly, but I wasn't selfish enough to think her happiness depended solely on me.

I mostly sat and listened while we ate, allowing my parents and the Stevensons to get to know Alexa a little better. It occurred to me that I knew her better than mom did, in several important ways. She was a very open and honest person, except where she and I were concerned, thankfully. She once again displayed her considerable appetite, eating generous servings of everything put in front of us.

"I remember this place before it was a restaurant," Mrs Stevenson mused as she looked around the barn. "It was often used for old hangar dances. Jerry and I would come here and swing dance."

Alexa's eyes lit up. "I love swing dance!" she exclaimed. "Classic swing, neo-swing, electro-swing..."

My dad laughed. "Well, we all do it around this table," he said. "Even Alex."

Alexa looked at me pointedly. "No way."

"Oh, indeed," mom chimed in. "Did we just manage to add a dimension to Mister 2D here?"

I sighed while Alexa laughed. "That's an aspect of him I didn't expect, nor did he give any indication of it up to now."

"Well we'll all go to the next one," mom announced, drinking her tea. "Maybe you can convince him to go and have a good time."

"I'm really glad I'll be finding activities so quickly," Alexa said, smiling brightly. "There's quite a few clubs at the university I'm interested in."

"Great," dad said, grinning. "Now if you can get the Hobbit here to join some, then we'll all be in good shape."

Everyone laughed again and I sighed. I knew Alexa didn't mean it, though, and that made it infinitely bearable.

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