Neighbors

Scene 31:

She wandered into class a few minutes before it started to write the outline for the day on the board. One of her students distracted her with questions about the last lecture and she glanced at the clock realizing class was ready to start. She asked if they could continue the conversation later and she grabbed her lecture notes to face the class. She glanced around the room, taking note of who was present today and almost gasped when she saw him sitting in the back of the room. He smiled and waved a little. She smiled back glancing at those sitting around him. No one seemed to think it odd that they had a stranger in the room, or a famous one at that, even if he was wearing a baseball cap and glasses. He actually fit in quite well wearing his UBC sweatshirt. She shook her head a little and chuckled, looking down at her notes then raising her head to begin class.

He had been thinking about coming to hear her teach since last week and given the faculty party tonight it seemed like the perfect opportunity to come and get the inside scoop on what she actually did at work. He called her secretary and asked where her class met, then called UBC information to figure out how to find the building. He got to her class about ten minutes early and chose a seat in the back where he thought he wouldn't be immediately obvious. He was a little worried it would throw her off to just have him show up like this but he wanted to surprise her. He listened to the students as they wandered in and took their seats talking about class work, other professors, what they watched on TV last night. He smiled when he overheard two young men bring up the topic of Dr. Bettinger.

"Do you think she'll postpone our first quiz? I don't think I'm ready for it." One young red headed man asked.

"I think so, she seems really reasonable, better than most of the Profs around here. I'm just hoping she wears another one of those low cut sweaters. She's built better than most of the Profs around here too." The second one answered.

Oded fidgeted in his seat. He couldn't deny that she was curvy having touched all of those curves himself just hours ago. He would mention the conversation to her later, he thought she should know they were admiring her so she could avoid those low cut sweaters. When she came in the room he sunk down in his chair hoping to avoid eye contact so soon. He watched her write the outline on the board and he pulled out some paper and a pen. He had decided he would at least pretend to take notes to not raise suspicion from the other students. When she turned to talk to one of the other students he saw the second guy who had commented on her figure poke the redhead and nod. Abby was wearing a scoop neck shirt that Oded thought was plenty appropriate. He rolled his eyes realizing the hormones of a college kid could turn anything into something sexy. Of course, he was imagining her completely naked, so he chuckled thinking he was no better than they were, he just had more personal experience with the subject matter.

When she saw him he smiled and very slightly raised his hand to acknowledge her. She had smiled then dropped her head. He could see her shoulders go up and down a bit and knew she was laughing. When she raised her head she started into class. He'd have never known from her voice that he had rattled her at all.

It didn't take long before he was lost. She was lecturing on something having to do with membrane currents and electrical chemical potentials and he shook his head in amazement. The class was all busy taking notes and regularly stopping her to ask questions, which impressively she seemed to know all the answers too. He kept writing down words and as he looked over his sheet he almost laughed out loud at it. He guessed that if she were to look at his notes she wouldn't recognize half the phonetic spellings he was trying to write down. He started doodling and looking around at the other students. They were completely engaged in what she was saying and only the one guy seemed to be focused more on her chest than her words. Oded debated about making a spitball to throw at him and get him to relocate his eyes. Abby kept looking at him and smiling. But she never broke stride. He thought he knew how smart she was, but he hadn't really a clue before he heard her teach. He was very impressed, but it was not doing much for his self-confidence.

As class ended she hurried to answer everyone's questions as she continued to watch Oded. He waited patiently in his seat as she gathered her notes and cleared off the board. She had been shocked to see him in her class. It had rattled her quite a bit, but thankfully once she got rolling the words tended to just fall out of her mouth and she picked up speed as class got going. She smiled when she noticed he was trying to take notes and made a mental note to quiz him later and see how much he had learned. When everyone had finally cleared out she turned to face him, hopping up onto the table at the front as he sauntered down the aisle towards her. "You wouldn't by any chance have time for some personal tutoring would you?" he asked, his eyebrows going up as he pleaded his case. "I seem to be a little lost."

She laughed. "I may have some office hours I could fit you into if you want to swing by later."

"Sorry Doc, I just had to come and see what you actually do here at school," he teased as he came to stand face to face with her.

"I see. Well... what do you think? Did you learn anything?" She was surprisingly more nervous now than she had been giving the lecture.

"I learned that you're really smart. And that you talk about stuff I can't begin to understand, but apparently your students get it because you had them on the edge of they're seats furiously writing down whatever you say."

"See, now that's actually a bad sign. It means they don't have time to process and think about the information." She defaulted into professor speak finding herself nervous and out of place having Oded in her classroom. This was unfamiliar territory for them.

"I don't know Doc, they seemed to have plenty of good questions." He leaned against the desk across from her, crossing his arms across his chest. Wincing from his bruise. "Is it all right that I came today?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm glad you came. However a little warning would have been nice. Even a hint or a clue...But I really am glad you are interested in what I do." She jumped off the desk to grab her stuff before the next class started to come in.

"Even if I don't understand it?" he continued, still reeling just from the realization of what type of stuff she teaches.

"I bet I wouldn't understand a lot of what you have to do... a lot of this stuff is really just learning vocabulary." They walked out into the hall together. "Do you have a second to come see my lab?" she asked.

"I wish I could Doc. I have to run, I'm due at the set at 11:00," he answered, as she turned to face him.

"That's okay. Next time. I was only hoping for a private moment to kiss you, that's all." She looked around at all the students bummed that they had such an audience and she had to keep her distance from him.

"Kiss me here," he said, puckering up for her.

"I can't." she leaned out and pushed quickly against his chest to back him up a step. "I have students watching. I knew they're curious about you, even if they didn't turn around and stare in class. They kept giving me funny looks as they tried to read my reaction to you." She took a step further away from him. "Oded, you don't really wear glasses do you?"

He laughed; he’d forgotten he had them on. "No, these are just generic lens. I use them when I specifically want to go Undercover." She laughed getting the joke about his new TV show. She walked him to the outside door.

"Call me later with the directions to the party," he offered knowing he had to get to work.

"I will. I'll go find them now and call you right away." She held the door open for him as he walked in front of her.

"Well then I guess I'll see you later." A moment of awkwardness hanging between them.

"Mmm," she responded. Then he leaned in and without warning kissed her, quickly scooting away before she could say anything.

She shook her head and smiled at him as he waved to her headed down the sidewalk getting longing looks from a number of female students that he passed by. She turned around and closed the door catching two of her own students eyeing her from across the hall. She just smiled and walked past them as they looked away, obviously curious about who Oded was. Then as she continued down the hall her smile turned into a huge grin and she couldn't help but giggle.

She called and left directions for the party with Cheryl since Oded was unavailable. Then hearing later from Cheryl that Oded was going to be a little late but that he would be coming eventually and that he would meet her there when he could. She said she understood and would see him there.

Oded was nagged all day by his feelings of insecurity after going to Abby's class. That had been a mistake. He had been impressed with her style in the classroom and wasn't surprised to find the students really seemed to like her and respond to her, but hearing her in her element had rattled him severely. The thought of joining her at this party was sitting in his stomach like a lead weight. He was actually a little thankful that things were running behind. He almost hoped he would end up swamped and would have to miss the party altogether, but he knew she would be disappointed if he didn't at least make an appearance.

So when he finally got the okay to leave he pulled himself together quickly, barely taking time to shower before he left the set. He had taken clothes with him that morning knowing he wouldn't have time to go home and change. He hoped the black turtleneck and black blazer would fit in with the attire. He had forgotten to ask Abby after her lecture if the dress was casual or dressy. He pulled out the address she had given Cheryl over the phone and sat under the stoplight staring at the map trying to figure out where he was. He finally put the car into gear and zipped down the road feeling bad that she would be there alone for as long as she was.

He pulled up in front of the house and walked up, ringing the doorbell. An older woman answered the door in a skirt and blazer. 'Good,' he thought. He seemed to be dressed appropriately. He told her he was here to meet Dr. Bettinger and she welcomed him in saying they had been expecting him. She took his longer overcoat and pointed him towards the living room to join the guests. He walked in tentatively, scouting for her as he entered. He saw her immediately. She was standing with a group of four other men holding a wineglass in her hand. She was laughing and she saw the man next to her smile at her and lean in closer to her as she raised her head to look at another man, still smiling. She was dressed in a simple black ankle length dress, which fit her body well. Short shoulder fitted sleeves, with a scoop neckline; an empire waist that accentuated her curvy bust line then fell straight to the floor, flaring only against her hips. She had on ankle strap heels with no nylons. The sight of her bare ankles wrapped in little straps made him grow warm. The only jewelry she wore was his bracelet. She had her hair twisted up off her neck, like the night she had cooked for him and he had found her in the kitchen. He guessed she smelled like peonies, and he couldn't blame the men who surrounded her for wanting to be so close. She made the simplest dress look elegant and sexy and she was by far the best looking woman in the room.

He was headed for her when he heard his name. He turned to see Jeff Fisher standing next to him, a smile on his face. "Hey, Oded, glad you could make it." Jeff started, his voice overly pleasant.

Oded eyed him suspiciously his eyebrows coming together. "Jeff, right?"

"Yeah... Jeff, we met at the pool." Jeff paused letting his words carry weight. "Listen I'm sorry if I stepped on your toes that night. I didn't know you and Dr. Bettinger were an item. She hadn't mentioned you in all of the long conversations we had." He purposely called her by her professional title and exaggerated the amount of interaction he and Abby had, trying to raise Oded's ire.

"I know, she and I talked about it, I told her to keep her distance from you, it was pretty obvious to me what your intentions were even if they weren't obvious to her," Oded answered directly hoping to give this guy a clear understanding of what he thought about him. This guy seriously rubbed him the wrong way. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to let her know I'm here." He started to walk away as he turned to see Abby laughing again, her hand now on the shoulder of the man who had told her the earlier joke she had laughed at.

"Hey Oded, wait a second." Jeff stopped him. "You should grab a drink before you join that group. You see the guy standing next to her, the one with the plate of cookies, that's the department head Dr. James Kapler, and the guy across from her with the bow tie, that's the Dean of the college.

Oded felt his stomach drop a little bit. "Who's the guy that she's leaning against?" He stopped, turning back to Jeff. He was suddenly very nervous about joining her group.

"Who? The one she's got her hand on?" Jeff could sense he'd managed to find a gap in Oded's confidence. Every since Abby had told him Oded was coming he had been thinking about how he could interfere. He still wanted Abby for himself, she was the catch of the new faculty and it had occurred to him that he just might be able to run some interference between the two of them if he could point out to Oded how bad of a match they were. Play up Abby's science and academics. Point out their differences. "That's Paul Hinkle. He's a new math professor, must've told her some goofy science joke. Probably about statistics, that's his specialty. I'm not surprised she laughs at him, he's smart as a whip, and so is she." Jeff eyed Oded carefully, he saw him tighten his lip a little and roll his shoulders. He was definitely uncomfortable. He handed Oded a glass of wine from the waiter who just passed by. "Here, take this, you'll need it to hold your own in that group. I'm not even willing to take that plunge."

Oded looked at Jeff, feeling his blood pressure start to rise. It was obvious Jeff was trying to get to him. But he couldn't deny what Jeff was telling him, even if he was slanting it. And after hearing her teach this morning he was already second-guessing himself. "Anything else I should know?" Oded asked semi-sarcastically.

"You know a good way to break in with the department head? Mention Abby's new publication. She's too modest to mention it, but she should be really proud." Jeff saw Oded flinch and went for the throat. "You have read it right? Just came out in Protein Science. Excellent work, she's got great interpretation."

Oded didn't answer him, he took the wine and was about to walk away when he caught Abby's eye.

Abby hated this type of party. She was terrible at small talk and had purposely arrived late hoping to cut down on the time she would be alone until Oded could meet her. She had already had several glasses of wine to help calm her nerves when she found herself engaged in conversation with the Dean and Department Head plus two other faculty she had just met. She had been avoiding Jeff and was pleased when the new math professor had struck up a conversation. She was fine once someone got her talking and Dr. Hinkle was married so she knew she could hang out with him and keep Jeff at bay. The wine had made her giddy and she found herself giggling at the littlest thing. She was trying to stay serious and make a good impression on the big wigs but they kept telling her jokes and pretty soon it seemed to be a contest to see who could make her laugh the loudest. They were getting lots of looks from other guests and a number of the women rolled they're eyes at all the attention Abby was getting. Then Abby looked over and say Oded. He was looking directly at her and she smiled, then she saw he was standing with Jeff and her stomach leapt. Oded didn't look pleased. His eyes were dark and she could see his jaw line pronounced like he was gritting his teeth at something Jeff said. She quickly made her excuses to her companions and snaked her way between them trying to reach Oded. He smiled at her as she approached but it was guarded and his eyes still looked distant.

"Oded," she started, "when did you get here?"

Jeff interrupted, "Oh just a few minutes ago. I was just trying to give him a heads up on who your companions over there were so he would know the lion's den he was walking into."

Abby didn't acknowledge Jeff, but slipped her arm inside Oded's elbow and tried to guide him away. Jeff smiled as they walked away from him, knowing he had rattled Oded significantly.

"You seem to be having a good time," He told her, perhaps a little too sarcastically. The scent of the peonies she wore flooded his senses and actually worked to raise his ire even more as he thought of the way the other men had stood so close to her.

She heard the way he stressed his words and wasn't quite sure how best to respond. Her biggest worry had been what Jeff might say to him, and already it had happened. She thought to ask him now what had happened between them but didn't want to get into a big discussion. It was obvious he wasn't happy. She tried to play peacekeeper and soothe his temper. "I'm having a much better time now that you are here," she tried, pressing closer to him. He stayed stock-still and straight.

She grabbed another glass of wine and walked him over to the hors d'eouvre table. "Did you eat before you came?"

He grabbed a plate and filled it with cheese and crackers. Then Shuralee came up behind them.

"You mean to tell me the Oded that has been sending you flowers, is the same Oded from the movies I was talking about? I cannot believe this. I'm a huge fan! What are you doing in Vancouver? How in the world did you end up with Professor Bettinger?" She looked at Abby. "Why didn't you tell me?" She wagged her finger at Abby in disappointment. She then sidled up between them, putting her hand in Oded's open one to make him shake it.

Abby sighed. This was her second fear right behind Jeff.

"Well, I'm always happy to chat with a fan," Oded answered her sweetly, turning on the charm as he flashed her his million-dollar smile. Shuralee giggled and blushed making Abby roll her eyes. She stood by quietly while Shuralee gushed over him and he ate it up encouraging her. Purposely trying to irritate Abby.

Every now and then Oded would break his conversation with Shuralee to look over at Abby. She looked at him patiently, although he could tell she was frustrated by the intrusion. So he continued to encourage Shuralee. He was mad at Abby for the way she fawned all over the math guy and for not telling him about her new paper. He thought about how little they actually talked about her work. He wondered if she didn't tell him because she didn't think he could handle it. Then he saw her turn to talk to someone else who had come up beside her, and suddenly the point of talking to Shuralee vanished, although Shuralee wasn't willing to give up the conversation with Oded that easily.

When he finally managed to turn back to Abby she introduced him to the gentleman she was talking to. "Oded, this is Dr. Ernst Garling. He is a biochemist. Ernst, this is Oded Fehr."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Fehr."

Oded returned the greeting, but then the conversation faltered. Oded was uncomfortable and it was obvious. Abby picked up with Dr. Garling trying to fill Oded in on what they had been talking about, but it didn't go far. Dr. Garling made his adieus and wandered off to chat with the Dean.

They stayed for another hour, Oded tagging along behind Abby as she continued to introduce him. He watched her make conversation with all the academics, laughing at jokes he didn't get. She fit in well here and everyone really seemed to like her, while he felt very out of place. He did his best to make conversation, trying to be attentive to her as well. But the information Jeff had passed to him was eating away at his insides. He wanted to leave. Abby had tried to stick close to him, encouraging him to join the conversation. Holding and squeezing his fingers with her own when she smiled at him.

Finally Abby turned to him, her face was tired from all the smiling and small talk and she felt Oded had been pulling away from her. All evening she had wanted to feel him slip his arm around her and connect with her while they were here, but she had barely been able to get him to hold her hand and knew this was uncomfortable for him. She couldn't blame him especially after the first thing in the door he had been accosted by Jeff. "Oded, would you like to leave?" Abby asked, really more than willing to go.

"Would you mind? I really am tired." He was trying his best to hide his feelings from her. He had disengaged from her, trying to fight the frustration he felt at feeling inadequate with her in this environment.

"No, I'm glad, I'm tired too."

He went to get their jackets while Abby said her good-byes to the Dean and his wife and met him at the door.

"Where is your car?" he asked, thinking he would walk her to it.

"I actually walked here from school. I was planning on riding home with you. If that's okay."

"Of course, I'm parked down the block." They walked side by side. She wanted to take his hand but he had shoved them in his pockets. No longer around other people, for the first time she truly sensed how unhappy he was. He opened the passenger door and she climbed in. As she waited for him to come around the car she realized she had never ridden anywhere with him. He climbed in and started the car pulling out fast. She grabbed her seatbelt glancing over at him.

"'ded are you okay?" she asked, wondering if he always drove this fast?

"I'm fine," he answered. She sat quietly watching the road, hoping he saw the red light they were coming up on.

She tried to break the uncomfortable silence between them. "Oded, thanks for coming tonight, I know that couldn't have been very much fun for you. You were a great sport about it. These parties are awfully stuffy."

"You seem to hold your own quite well." His voice was quite controlled and almost emotionless. She couldn't tell what he meant by that. Did he think she was stuffy too? She was about to comment when he interrupted her.

"Abby why didn't you tell me about the paper you just had published?" He looked over at her then back over the steering wheel. Now his voice carried more frustration and he gripped the steering wheel more tightly refusing to look back at her although he could feel her eyes on him and knew his ears were growing red.

She sat dumbfounded the glare in his eyes when he looked at her shocked her. 'Is this what had him so irked?' "Oded, who told you about that?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"It doesn't matter. Why didn't you tell me? That's important news. If you and I are going to play a role in each others lives, you need to tell me this kind of stuff, even if you don't think I'll understand it." He didn't take his eyes off the road as he continued to berate her.

"Whoa!" she admonished him holding her hands up not only stopping his tirade but trying to get him to slow down the car too. "I never thought you wouldn't understand it. Jeff told you this didn't he?" She stared at him hoping he would at least make eye contact with her. His entire body was tense and she could see it in his neck, the tendons taut to his jaw. Oded didn't answer her so she continued, her voice now getting more anger in it. "I know he did, because he's the only one who could have known. He's a reviewer on the journal I submitted to. It's not that big of a deal. It's a review article I wrote with my old advisor. I forgot it was even coming out. Don't let Jeff get you mad at me." She ended with a flip in her voice. He could have sworn she had just wagged her finger at him if he hadn't noticed that she was gripping the fabric of her dress with her fists, her hands pressed against her thighs in frustration.

They pulled up in front of his townhouse and still he didn't say a word. He was still angry with her. Or maybe he was angrier with himself for letting Jeff get him all worked up, he thought. She wanted him to say something, but he looked away climbing out of the car to come open her door.

She sat for a second watching him haul his frame out of the car. He was imposing all of the time, but right now with the ire seeping from him he seemed even more imposing and she faltered a little afraid of him and how he responded to her. Then she got really pissed off at him too and threw open her car door climbing out before he could get around the other side to open it for her.

"Oded, are you going to talk to me about this?" she faced him, angry with him for getting so upset by this. She thought things at the party had gone well. Everyone seemed to like him and she thought they had moved from conversation to conversation well as a couple. She knew he hadn't been particularly comfortable but was willing to grant him that this was his first experience with this group of people and although she had hid it, she wasn't all that comfortable there herself. She was hurt and confused now in addition to angry.

"No... I really don't want to talk about this. I'm sorry I got upset about the paper, I should have asked you about it instead of accusing you. I shouldn't have let Jeff get to me like that. I don't want to argue about this. Can we please just go inside?" He wasn't being completely honest with her. He did mean it when he said he shouldn't have let Jeff get to him, but the fact remained that being with her tonight and seeing her this morning at work had given him serious reservations about the two of them. But he also didn't want to hurt her and the look in her eyes was tearing his heart out. So he did what he could to make it better, at least for now, until he had some time to think about things.

She nodded her head yes, wanting him to hold her. She had wanted to kiss him since she had seen him at the party. He had arrived looking good enough to eat, dressed all in black. It made his eyes look dark and exotic, his beard framing those kissable lips so dramatically she couldn't help but flush at the recognition in her mind that he was there to be with her. She tried not to fawn all over him, trying to keep herself as professional as she could, but she couldn't help but see the way the other women looked at him and glancing around at the other men, she couldn't blame them. He was by far the most handsome man in the room. Now that they were home she desperately wanted him to make love to her. Partially because of her response at seeing him at the party, but also because the conversation they had just had frazzled her badly. There was a serious break in connection between them that she could feel and she wanted it to go away. Almost arguing with him had made her feel sick inside and she needed reassurance from him that they were okay. She wrapped her arms around him snuggling in close resting her head against his chest. She felt him warm against her and she inhaled the smell of him trying to pretend everything was okay. She felt his arms come around her and his cheek rest against the top of her head as he tried to relax.

He knew she sensed that things between them were off, he sensed it too. But it was obvious she didn't really want to discuss it, and frankly neither did he. When she wrapped her arms around him he hugged her close, again catching the smell of peonies as he rested his cheek against her hair. He didn't know how he felt at the moment, he just knew he was tired and it had not been a particularly good day. He stood upright taking her hand in his as she unwrapped her arms from his waist. He couldn't even really look at her as he started walking for her door. He desperately wanted to go home, he wasn't in the mood to sleep with her tonight, but he also knew if he didn't she'd really worry about what was going on and he'd be forced into the conversation tonight that he wasn't ready to have. So he'd stay the night with her and not incite another argument until he had a chance to think things through.

They headed inside and she flipped on the light, watching him head for the kitchen. She was relieved that he had come in with her; she had thought for a moment, that he might just opt to go home tonight. He came back out with a glass of water having taken his coat off. It hung draped from his finger over his shoulder. "Do you want to go upstairs? It's late," he said, his voice was flat and it made her shiver with how cold he sounded to her.

She felt like crying, she wanted to tell him just to go home, but knew if she did, that he would wonder what was wrong with her. She hoped that maybe going to bed together they could at least kindle a little passion. But now she was rethinking this, the idea of opening herself up to him that way right now made her feel incredibly vulnerable. "We could watch Letterman," she suggested glancing at the clock, trying to stall as she tried to read him more clearly.

"Abby I'm too tired for that, let's just go to bed." He headed for the stairs, not really waiting for her. She frowned as she watched him go, his head dropped forward a little as he climbed the stairs making his shoulders roll forward. He looked forlorn she thought, not used to seeing him like this. She followed him, turning first to lock the door and turn off the lights. He had thrown his toothbrush in his bag this morning when he had grabbed clothes for the party and he stood in the bathroom brushing his teeth when she finally came upstairs. He had taken off his turtleneck and shoes and socks, now wearing only his pants. She saw him from the doorway and the view of him standing there, his bare chest turned towards her would normally make her heart race with arousal but now she could only feel ill knowing there was something wrong between them. He saw her come in but finished brushing his teeth before he turned to look at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, unbuckling the ankle straps of her black heels leaning forward giving him an enticing if unplanned view of her cleavage and he felt the immediate physical response of his body to hers. It didn't matter what his head thought, his body was aroused by her regardless. He smiled and shook his head unable to deny the physical attraction as he leaned down to spit out the toothpaste in the sink.

He unbuckled his belt sliding it out of his pants as he undid the button to finish undressing. She sensed him walk into the room with her but she didn't look up, knowing what she would see and feeling too conflicted to know how to respond to him. He walked in front of her passing her to move to the other side of the bed. Neither really knew what to say so it stayed quiet. She tossed the shoes into the closet, then stood now barefoot, her black dress swishing around her ankles as she headed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

He climbed into bed to wait for her. He felt lousy about the tension between them and decided he would make it up to her when she came to bed. He might not be able to verbally tell her how he felt right now but he could show her what his feelings were, he thought.

She finished washing up and closed the bathroom door sitting on the toilet lid, her head in her hands trying to decide what to do. She just didn't know if she could walk out there and pretend nothing was wrong. She knew he'd expect her to come to bed nude and she decided that instead she would put on her T-shirt and climb in to see what his response would be. She thought, maybe she could draw it out of him if she at least gave him one little sign that she knew things between them were odd at best. She walked out still dressed flipping off the light in the room then standing by the closet she pulled her dress off, grabbing a T-shirt from her dresser.

He watched her from the bed as she changed in the moonlight. She grabbed her T-shirt and he frowned. He was still trying to pretend everything was all right between them, but it was obvious that it was not. She climbed in next to him and he pulled her close sighing deeply, pausing to see if she would say anything. When she didn't and he felt her pull her arms up a little between them, closing herself off from him he pushed her onto her back rising above her, his response instantaneous without really thinking. He linked his fingers into hers holding her arms down onto the bed as he dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her. When he felt her soft lips under his he realized he hadn't kissed her since this morning when he left the college. Since joining her at the party they hadn't once kissed. 'No wonder she felt distanced from me,' he thought. He started gently, trying to make up to her, nibbling her lips with his own but when she didn't respond immediately he pressed his lips against hers more firmly. He was frustrated by this whole evening and now frustrated that it had followed them into the bedroom and was affecting her response to him. When she finally opened her mouth to him, he pushed his tongue against hers twirling it around hers trying to get her to respond. She did and he felt her fingers tighten around his as they kissed each other deeply.

He pulled back from her smiling down at her, "Ah, now that's the Xatixa I expected to find." He chuckled not noticing that she didn't laugh back. He felt this intense need to impress his physical presence on her, to somehow prove to her how much he wanted her. He kissed her again and she matched him dueling with him as they assaulted each other's mouths. He let go of her fingers and ran his hands under her T-shirt pressing his palms against her breasts, rolling the peaks of her breasts into hard nubs between his thumbs and forefingers. She arched under him from the stimulation and gasped a little when his hands then moved down pushing her panties down to her knees. He pressed his fingers between her thighs finding her wet and he smiled against her mouth, clicking his teeth against hers, his breath hot against her face. He was pleased that even though they had been tense with each other before coming to bed she obviously still wanted him too. 'Maybe this would make everything okay,' he told himself. She arched her hips towards him groaning as he tried to bring her to an orgasm. His frustration with the evening continuing to fuel his desire, he quickly changed his mind and shifted his hips between hers to penetrate her thinking it would be just as easy to bring her to an orgasm along with his own. She gripped his shoulders as he entered her turning her head sideways on the pillow but he didn't notice as he closed his eyes concentrating on the rhythm between their bodies. He came quickly inside of her, the friction of his body in hers more intense tonight drawing him raggedly to a conclusion leaving him feeling empty and drawn out. When he was done he looked down at her trying to separate the pulsing of his body from hers, trying to figure out if she had found any satisfaction. He smiled down at her, as he withdrew from her body reading the expression in her eyes as contented. He let out a big sigh flopping down on one side of her as she rolled away from him and he reached out to pull her back against him. She still had on her T-shirt and he tucked his hand underneath against the skin of her stomach as he held her close.

His body was satisfied but the rest of him was not. He was spent physically, but he knew that they did not have the emotional connection tonight and without it what had just happened between them was lacking. He wondered if she felt the same way. He wanted to ask her, knowing she was still awake, her breathing not yet deep and even, but she was quiet and when he caressed her skin she didn't move. He decided not to push her, thinking perhaps he was reading more into it than he should and convinced himself that there was nothing to worry about, they were both tired. Certainly she had the physical satisfaction that he did, he thought, although he wouldn't allow himself to admit that he knew full well that she hadn't been satisfied at all. Instead he denied it, chalking up their lack of connection tonight as a reasonable part of every couples sex life. 'It couldn't be earth shattering every time' he told himself, still listening to see if she had fallen asleep. He actually fell asleep first although he wasn't aware of it when it happened.

When she had climbed into bed with him she wasn't surprised when he pulled her close but was instantly disappointed when he didn't say anything to her about the T-shirt. She thought to herself, 'I guess he wants to pretend nothing is wrong.' In her vulnerability she pulled her arms up without thinking and was rewarded by his response to roll her onto her back, making her feel now even more vulnerable underneath him. He held her hands down as he kissed her and she felt her adrenaline surge as she felt the urge to flee but could not. With her flight response blocked her fight response kicked in and when she felt his tongue invade her mouth she decided to match him in his assault.

She didn't know how to respond when he pulled away from her, calling her Xatixa, then inferring that he was happy with her and expected the response she had just given him. He had laughed making her feel even worse, knowing now for sure that he didn't understand her and that he had not noticed that she had not laughed back. He kissed her again and again she matched him, still thinking perhaps she could show him with her response how aggressive he was being and make him stop. When he ran his hands under her shirt rubbing her breasts roughly with his thumbs then suddenly pushing her panties down, but only to her knees she felt her mind go numb. 'He doesn't care tonight about how I'm really responded, he's just going through the motions,' she thought. 'He didn't even take the time to undress me.' She realized he had left on her T-shirt and only pushed her panties down far enough to gain access to her. She felt a lead weight on her chest and didn't know what to do. She looked at him trying to make eye contact with him, not knowing what to say, not wanting to say no to him, but he didn't look at her. She was frustrated with her own body, which was responding against her will enjoying the attention and feeling of his hands. She knew he found her wet even though mentally she found this frustrating. She felt his fingers inside of her and she tried to turn her brain off, resigning herself to the experience, hoping that tonight it would be fast. Then she was surprised when he suddenly replaced his fingers and she felt his hips now tight against hers as he filled her. His pace was slow but strong and she felt the friction between them build him to his climax quickly. She almost chuckled realizing that it probably hadn't occurred to him that the reason there was more friction tonight was because he hadn't bothered to try and arouse her fully and she wasn't as wet as she usually was when they got around to the actual act of intercourse. His climax was intense and she felt him pulse deeply inside of her, but she hadn't found her own climax.

When he’d looked down at her finally and had looked into her eyes she was surprised when he smiled. She didn't know what her eyes had told him but it couldn't have been what she was really feeling, he seemed to respond positively thinking she was happy with their sex tonight. When he withdrew immediately and lay down beside her she rolled away from him, her back to him. She was incredibly frustrated by this entire experience. Once again he pulled her close and she had to fight back the tears as she realized he didn't have a clue. They had no connection between them this evening, and although he had managed to find physical pleasure with her it had not been mutual. Neither said a word, the miscommunication between them building by the minute. She lay completely still, just wanting to fall asleep and make this entire evening go away. When he stroked the skin on her stomach she purposely didn't respond hoping he would leave her alone, knowing based on his responses so far tonight, that as long as she didn't do anything to incite him he would choose not to say anything and unfortunately she was right. He fell asleep before she did and as soon as the weight of his arm was movable she climbed out from underneath him.

She quietly left the room, going downstairs now to the other bathroom to try to wash off the feelings that she felt coated her body as she cried in the shower. What was happening? She pleaded with herself. Their very first attempt at interacting with the world together and look what had happened. She really felt like she loved this man. Until tonight everything they had shared, everything he had done for her, had done to her, had made her feel cherished and adored. Had she been wrong? Had they been living in a vacuum? How was this going to work out? After her shower she sat in the dark on the couch for a long time, her knees tucked up underneath her a blanket wrapped around her. Not wanting to go back upstairs. She fell asleep and didn't wake up until after 4:00.

Oded had woken up to find her gone and rolled over to look at the clock. It was after 3:00 and she wasn't in bed with him. He lay in the dark staring at the ceiling for what seemed like forever trying to figure out what was happening between them. Maybe he had over reacted he thought. He would apologize again to her tomorrow about how he had treated her after the party. He would make it up to her tomorrow night he thought. Certainly they would have a better time at the UC party, and the conversation would definitely be less esoteric. He had hoped the sex tonight would reconnect them, he thought she had enjoyed it. But waking up to find her missing made him pause and now he was willing to admit that she hadn't enjoyed it at all and that he had pushed her into it. It made him feel guilty for taking advantage of her like that. 'But she could have stopped me,' he thought. Then he frowned, 'no, she couldn't' he admitted, that would have forced them to deal with whatever was falling apart between them, so she had laid there and let him make love to her. But he sighed deeply at the thought, there had been no love between them tonight. They had sex, they had not made love. He climbed out of bed to go find her. When he came down the stairs and found her sleeping on the couch curled up in the corner he reached out immediately to rouse her. But he stopped himself before he touched her. She had left the bed to get away from him, which devastated him. He decided he'd leave her alone. He turned around and went back upstairs to the bedroom hoping when she woke up she would come back to him, realizing as he climbed the stairs he needed her to come back emotionally even more than physically. He had hurt her tonight and needed to make it up to her, now also realizing the physical sex had been a part of the hurt.

When she did wake up and realized how long she had been gone she panicked hoping he hadn't noticed that she had gone missing. She crept back up to the bedroom and quietly climbed back into bed with him trying to lift his arm to snuggle up close to him. She was hoping when he woke up in the morning that he would never know she had been gone. He was actually still awake when she came back to bed but he didn't say anything letting her believe he was asleep as he let his arm be dead weight when she climbed underneath it. When she finally settled in, he pulled her in close and leaned in to kiss the back of her neck pretending to groggily rouse for just a moment. He felt her soften and relax in his embrace and he let a small smile pass his lips relieved that she had returned to him. She was cold and he wanted to say something to her about it, but instead he draped his leg over her bringing all of her against him so he could warm her with his own body heat. He heard her sigh and then her breathing even out as she fell asleep in his arms. He lay awake for a long time worried about what had happened between them. Holding her close he finally fell asleep still unsure about his own feelings and the future, but content right now to have her here in his arms where the outside world couldn't get to them.

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Neighbors - Chapter 32