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I replied, almost instantly, smiling a crooked smile at him.
    ‘Then let’s go, shall we?” Joe asking, taking my hand from his shoulder and holding it in his.
    Together, we walked to the door, and I couldn’t believe what I was doing. Bars weren’t my thing—and picking guys up at bars definitely wasn’t my thing either. I’d never done anything like that before, and couldn’t believe I’d done it just then. Those moves I made were unlike me, but, nonetheless, they’d been highly effective and brought about a promising prospect.
    Like I said, Joe was great-looking, and I’d only recently split up with Tommy, who was, basically, a timid little geek like me. The chance of being with a guy like Joe seemed very intriguing and inviting, and it gave me the chance to try out something, and someone, different. Granted, my rationale might have been a little weak, but it was fortified by the excessive amount of alcohol I’d consumed.
    Joe and I walked hand-in-hand a short ways through Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, and we were at his place in a matter of minutes. Our walk had been mostly silent, and the tone remained the same when we first stepped into his apartment.
    “Nice place you’ve got here,” I finally said to break the silence before it grew awkward.
    “Thanks,” Joe responded. “I won’t be here much longer though. I’ve been doing my graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon, and this is my last semester. I’ll be moving to a ‘real place’ next fall.”
    Joe’s place was nice, as far as college/university digs go, but I could understand what he was saying about moving to a “real place.” His apartment might have been more than adequate for a student, but it would have been a little too shabby for a graduate-degree-toting person going into whatever profession he was going to go into.
    “Want another beer?” Joe asked, walking towards his kitchen.
    “No, I’m good,” I answered. “I think I’ve reached my limit.” Suddenly, despite my feelings only a little bit earlier, bookworm Patty reared her shy head, and I felt intimidated to be alone with this hunk in his apartment. I wasn’t scared of him, per se, but more so of the feelings I was experiencing, and of the promise I’d made him. I didn’t really have any other tricks up my sleeve to show him. For Christ’s sake, I’d only ever been with Tommy, and, given the way Tommy screwed, it was like I was still more or less a virgin. There was nothing I could show Joe that he hadn’t seen before, and I was sure he’d seen much, much better.
    Joe pulled another beer out of the fridge for himself, then offered me my choice of nonalcoholic beverage. I politely declined and started plotting my escape route. It wasn’t too late, and I could still find an excuse to get out of the situation before I made a fool out of myself.
    “Don’t get all shy on me now,” Joe said, taking a seat on his couch, sensing my uneasiness. He patted the soft fabric next to him. “Come sit down. I won’t bite, unless you want me to.”
    Of course, I’d heard that line before, on television and in movies, and it made me laugh, which was Joe’s reason for saying it. A little more comforted, I walked over and took a seat next to him.
    “There’s no pressure,” he said, bringing his hand to my face and brushing my hair back from my brow. “We seriously don’t have to do anything unless you want to. I’m fine with just sitting here and talking.”
    Again, I felt something strange going on inside me, and I was no longer bookworm Patty. The closer I got to this man, the more I wanted him—from his rugged face and tight body, to his kind words and light-hearted nature, he seemed irresistible in the moment.
    “You may be fine with just talking,” I said, placing my hand on his leg. “But I’m not.”
    With that, I leaned in and kissed him. Our lips melted together, and I felt a tingling sensation all over my body.
    “If you say so,” Joe said softly,