The Art Seminar and Thereafter
By: Kaffy
Chapter 4: The Rest of the Summer
Another month went by, a month of happiness. Richard and Caroline grew closer and closer, falling even more in love. Annie called home and broke up with Nick. She and Seth had been seeing each other a lot, they were pretty exclusive. As much as Annie tried to convince Richard to double with her and Seth, he always found a reason to stay home. It wasn't that he didn't like Annie, he just didn't do well in group situations.
"Come on, Richard, please…" Caroline grabbed his hands and gave him the puppy eyes, begging him.
"Ugh, Caroline, I told you…I have too much work to do. Why don't you and I just stay in?"
"Because," she started, "I want to go out and besides, it's not like we get any work done when we stay in anyways."
He sighed, "Why is this so important to you?"
"Because I feel like you aren't even giving them a chance. Annie's my friend and I feel like you don't like her."
He kissed her softly. "It's not that, I really don't mind her or Seth."
"Then what is it?"
"I just…I don't deal well with group situations."
"But I'll be there, it won't be too bad."
"You don't understand. I freeze up. I get really nervous and I start picking at people."
"Picking at people?"
"Yeah, picking at people. I find their insecurities and start picking at them."
"Well, I'll just have to keep you in line the." She pulled him close by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"I just don't want to say something I'll regret or that will embarrass you."
"First off, you could never embarrass me. Second, I won't let you say anything that will embarrass you. Come on, don't you think it would be nice to go out with other people…you know…something a little different?"
"Do you really want this?" He looked into her eyes, unable to refuse her anything.
She honestly answered, "Yes."
"Then," he sighed, "I'll give it a try."
"Really?" She jumped up and down, hugging him hard.
"Calm down." She stopped jumping, just holding him close. "I'll do it for you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
*~*~*~*~*
That night, Richard, Caroline, Annie, and Seth all went out to dinner at a small Italian place just outside of town.
"So," Seth started, "Richard, you're an art student, right?"
"Yeah," he answered shortly.
"Any specific kind?"
"Well, mostly painting, but sometimes drawing and sculpture…" He looked at Caroline on the other side of him, deep in conversation with Annie. He hated making small talk like this.
"Any particular style?"
"Abstract, mostly surreal…"
"Cool."
"Yeah." The two young men sat quiet for a few awkward minutes. "So, performing arts?"
Seth smiled, glad to get rid of the silence. "Yeah. I like music a lot more than the dancing and acting, but it's all pretty cool."
"That's cool."
The four of them kept up the small talk throughout the rest of the evening. At times, Caroline could tell that Richard was getting anxious and she reached over to grab his hand, smiling up at him. He would glance over, giving her hand a soft squeeze and her eyes a reassuring smile, letting her know he was ok. When the bills came around, both Richard and Seth reached for them, but Annie and Caroline stopped them.
"No." Caroline said, "You always pay, I get to this time."
Annie smiled, "Yep, me too."
"Caroline…" Richard started, but she interrupted.
"No, Richard, really. I want to."
He gave her an exasperated look. "Why?"
"Because, you shouldn't have to pay for everything."
He sighed, "Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Yes. Definitely."
"Ok."
Annie and Seth were having the same conversation, Annie winning in the end just as Caroline did. Richard and Seth waited while the girls tended to the bill. When everything was settled, they got up and left. As soon as they got outside, Richard grabbed Caroline's hand, needing some kind of contact with her. Seth did the same thing with Annie.
They walked back to Jefferson slowly, talking softly about classes, friends, and how they wanted to be this free forever. When they were almost there, Richard pulled Caroline back, wanting to ask her something in private. "You know," he grinned, "I think those two want to be alone tonight, how about you come home with me?"
She giggled and grinned back at him, "I suppose, but just for Annie's sake," she quipped, leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "Let's go upstairs and get my stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Like, pajamas…"
He nibbled on her earlobe, softly asking, "What if I said you didn't need them?"
She smiled and pulled back. "Come on, I still need clothes for tomorrow and my toothbrush and everything…"
"Ugh…ok." She dragged him back up to Annie and Seth.
"Annie?"
"Yeah?"
Richard's hands were now around her waist as he walked behind her, nuzzling into her neck. She giggled, "I think I'm spending the night at Richard's…"
Annie laughed, "I figured. You want to come up, Seth?" she asked as they got to the steps of the building.
Seth smiled. "Well, if you're going to twist my arm…" he leaned in and kissed her.
Both couples climbed the stairs, silently holding hands. It only took Caroline a few minutes to pack a few things, then she and Richard left. "Have fun tonight guys."
"Thanks, you too. Bye Caroline, Richie."
"Bye."
*~*~*~*~*
"Now, was that really so bad?" she asked as they were walking.
"No," he replied. "It wasn't so bad…"
"How did you get along with Seth?"
"Ok. A little too much small talk, but he seemed nice."
"Good."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, holding hands and enjoying the company, Richard carrying Caroline's bag. When they got to his building, they climbed the stairs in silence. Approaching the door, he let go of her hand and pinned her against the door, kissing her hard on the mouth. She smiled briefly under his lips before kissing back.
"Richard…" she murmured.
"Hmmm…" she moved to her neck.
"Not out her…" she said breathlessly, "…inside."
He smiled against her lips, not stopping his affections as he opened the door. They tumbled inside, too into each other to pay mind to anything else. As soon as he swung the door shut, she reached up and started removing his shirt. He laughed at her impatience. She would have been mad, but he quickly returned the favor. They made their way to the bed, not a far walk in the tiny room and quickly crawled in, Richard pulling the covers above their heads.
(to be continued)
By: Kaffy
Chapter 4: The Rest of the Summer
Another month went by, a month of happiness. Richard and Caroline grew closer and closer, falling even more in love. Annie called home and broke up with Nick. She and Seth had been seeing each other a lot, they were pretty exclusive. As much as Annie tried to convince Richard to double with her and Seth, he always found a reason to stay home. It wasn't that he didn't like Annie, he just didn't do well in group situations.
"Come on, Richard, please…" Caroline grabbed his hands and gave him the puppy eyes, begging him.
"Ugh, Caroline, I told you…I have too much work to do. Why don't you and I just stay in?"
"Because," she started, "I want to go out and besides, it's not like we get any work done when we stay in anyways."
He sighed, "Why is this so important to you?"
"Because I feel like you aren't even giving them a chance. Annie's my friend and I feel like you don't like her."
He kissed her softly. "It's not that, I really don't mind her or Seth."
"Then what is it?"
"I just…I don't deal well with group situations."
"But I'll be there, it won't be too bad."
"You don't understand. I freeze up. I get really nervous and I start picking at people."
"Picking at people?"
"Yeah, picking at people. I find their insecurities and start picking at them."
"Well, I'll just have to keep you in line the." She pulled him close by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"I just don't want to say something I'll regret or that will embarrass you."
"First off, you could never embarrass me. Second, I won't let you say anything that will embarrass you. Come on, don't you think it would be nice to go out with other people…you know…something a little different?"
"Do you really want this?" He looked into her eyes, unable to refuse her anything.
She honestly answered, "Yes."
"Then," he sighed, "I'll give it a try."
"Really?" She jumped up and down, hugging him hard.
"Calm down." She stopped jumping, just holding him close. "I'll do it for you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
*~*~*~*~*
That night, Richard, Caroline, Annie, and Seth all went out to dinner at a small Italian place just outside of town.
"So," Seth started, "Richard, you're an art student, right?"
"Yeah," he answered shortly.
"Any specific kind?"
"Well, mostly painting, but sometimes drawing and sculpture…" He looked at Caroline on the other side of him, deep in conversation with Annie. He hated making small talk like this.
"Any particular style?"
"Abstract, mostly surreal…"
"Cool."
"Yeah." The two young men sat quiet for a few awkward minutes. "So, performing arts?"
Seth smiled, glad to get rid of the silence. "Yeah. I like music a lot more than the dancing and acting, but it's all pretty cool."
"That's cool."
The four of them kept up the small talk throughout the rest of the evening. At times, Caroline could tell that Richard was getting anxious and she reached over to grab his hand, smiling up at him. He would glance over, giving her hand a soft squeeze and her eyes a reassuring smile, letting her know he was ok. When the bills came around, both Richard and Seth reached for them, but Annie and Caroline stopped them.
"No." Caroline said, "You always pay, I get to this time."
Annie smiled, "Yep, me too."
"Caroline…" Richard started, but she interrupted.
"No, Richard, really. I want to."
He gave her an exasperated look. "Why?"
"Because, you shouldn't have to pay for everything."
He sighed, "Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Yes. Definitely."
"Ok."
Annie and Seth were having the same conversation, Annie winning in the end just as Caroline did. Richard and Seth waited while the girls tended to the bill. When everything was settled, they got up and left. As soon as they got outside, Richard grabbed Caroline's hand, needing some kind of contact with her. Seth did the same thing with Annie.
They walked back to Jefferson slowly, talking softly about classes, friends, and how they wanted to be this free forever. When they were almost there, Richard pulled Caroline back, wanting to ask her something in private. "You know," he grinned, "I think those two want to be alone tonight, how about you come home with me?"
She giggled and grinned back at him, "I suppose, but just for Annie's sake," she quipped, leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "Let's go upstairs and get my stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Like, pajamas…"
He nibbled on her earlobe, softly asking, "What if I said you didn't need them?"
She smiled and pulled back. "Come on, I still need clothes for tomorrow and my toothbrush and everything…"
"Ugh…ok." She dragged him back up to Annie and Seth.
"Annie?"
"Yeah?"
Richard's hands were now around her waist as he walked behind her, nuzzling into her neck. She giggled, "I think I'm spending the night at Richard's…"
Annie laughed, "I figured. You want to come up, Seth?" she asked as they got to the steps of the building.
Seth smiled. "Well, if you're going to twist my arm…" he leaned in and kissed her.
Both couples climbed the stairs, silently holding hands. It only took Caroline a few minutes to pack a few things, then she and Richard left. "Have fun tonight guys."
"Thanks, you too. Bye Caroline, Richie."
"Bye."
*~*~*~*~*
"Now, was that really so bad?" she asked as they were walking.
"No," he replied. "It wasn't so bad…"
"How did you get along with Seth?"
"Ok. A little too much small talk, but he seemed nice."
"Good."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, holding hands and enjoying the company, Richard carrying Caroline's bag. When they got to his building, they climbed the stairs in silence. Approaching the door, he let go of her hand and pinned her against the door, kissing her hard on the mouth. She smiled briefly under his lips before kissing back.
"Richard…" she murmured.
"Hmmm…" she moved to her neck.
"Not out her…" she said breathlessly, "…inside."
He smiled against her lips, not stopping his affections as he opened the door. They tumbled inside, too into each other to pay mind to anything else. As soon as he swung the door shut, she reached up and started removing his shirt. He laughed at her impatience. She would have been mad, but he quickly returned the favor. They made their way to the bed, not a far walk in the tiny room and quickly crawled in, Richard pulling the covers above their heads.
(to be continued)
