Hey, book bae!
Here is the first chapter (unedited) of The Mourning Doves for your reading pleasure before it goes live tomorrow. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
(Unedited)
Ariel’s head was spinning from the hustle and bustle around her. With this being the first weekend on campus, there were students all over. Though her parents offered to stick around and help her familiarize herself with the campus, she decided against it, needing a taste of independence before her classes started on Monday. As she spun around in a circle, she was starting to regret it.
There were millions of buildings, streets, and people it felt like. Clutching her map of the campus, Ariel nibbled on her bottom lip. If she couldn’t figure out how to get to the computer lab soon, she was going to say forget it.
“What’s the point in having a laptop if I have to go to the lab for the WIFI password to even use it?” she grumbled, head buried in the map as she walked straight ahead.
After about a minute or so of walking, the crowd around her began to clear.
“Oh shit,” was yelled from what sounded like a distance, and as soon as she looked up, her eyes ballooned when she realized why.
Inhaling a sharp breath, Ariel found herself paralyzed as she stared at the football that was heading straight for her face. Bracing herself for the painful impact, her body tensed and eyes sealed shut. A strong wind passed her before a thump followed by a grunted, “Ooph.”
Her right opened first, then the left, landing on the man that had caught the ball and was lying right at her feet – literally. She smiled, shaking her curls in nervousness.
“Are you okay?” Ariel asked, extending her hand to help him up.
“Yeah. Are you?” He took her hand into his, but he didn’t apply enough pressure to make her feel like he really needed her help getting up.
“Yeah, thanks to you. I froze.”
He chuckled softly, wiping grass and dirt from his side. “I saw. It was my fault, though. I told him to go wide, but I hadn’t looked back to make sure no one was in the quarter. This area is usually empty.”
“Yeah. Well. I’m lost.” Ariel chuckled quietly, finally admitting that fact out loud.
“Where are you trying to go?”
“The computer lab.”
He nodded. “You need your student account information and the WIFI password?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I can show you where it is if you want.” His eyes lowered to the map in her hand. “That thing doesn’t really show you how to get anywhere.”
Ariel smiled. “Right. I’m not a visual learner, so this is useless to me without step by step directions.”
With a quiet chuckle, he put the football under his armpit. Ariel tried not to notice how attractive he was, but that was kind of hard to do with his wide acorn colored frame standing directly in front of her.
“If you’d like, I can show you where it is. I can show you around campus too.”
“I wouldn’t want to pull you away from your game.”
His head shook as he looked back at the three men that were watching their interaction.
“If I had to choose between them and you…” He returned his eyes to her. “I would definitely choose you.”
Her head hung briefly as she blushed. “Okay. That would be great then. What’s your classification?”
“Freshman but I came earlier in the summer for practice.”
“Oh. Okay. Cool. Well yes, lead the way then.”
He stared at her for a few seconds with a small smile before turning and leading her in the opposite direction that she was going in, which made Ariel glad that he’d offered to show her to the computer lab.
Their walk was silent, but it wasn’t awkward. Every few steps, he’d look down at her or she would look up at him. He was taller than her, but not by much. Maybe five inches or so. He had the prettiest dark brown eyes Ariel had ever seen. So dark they looked black. Housed by naturally arched brows, they were inviting and alluring.
“This is it,” he said, deep voice lower than it had been. As if he hated making the announcement. Was he unyielding to the idea of letting her go so soon?
“Thank you…” Ariel giggled quietly. “What’s your name?”
“Michael. Everyone calls me Mike, though.”
“Thank you, Mike. I’m Ariel.”
Michael extended his hand, and Ariel placed hers inside. It was significantly larger than hers. Rougher on the palm, but the top was smooth. As Michael caressed her hand with his thumb, he pulled her closer. Gently.
“I could wait for you out here,” he offered, staring at her in a way that made her body react to him physically. No man had ever made goosebumps prickle her arms… or make her nipples pebble. “Show you back to your dorm so you won’t get lost.”
“I would like that.”
Michael’s expression, naturally hard, made his smiles even more magical when he gave them. When his dark brown lips curved, Ariel couldn’t help but smile herself. His bottom lip had a pink center that felt like a bullseye constantly drawing her attention.
“Cool. Gone take care of your business. I’ll be right here.”
She nodded, in no rush to release his hand. When she finally did, Ariel turned and headed into the computer lab. As soon as the door closed behind her, she released a shaky breath and smiled. Maybe getting lost was going to lead to her finding a new friend on campus…
💙💙💙
When they made it back to her dorm, Michael’s eyes lowered down her frame as his tongue circled his cheek. She didn’t realize she was backing away from him until her body gently pressed against the door. His right arm extended, hand resting on the side of her face. The sweat that was on his forehead had dried, and even with him being active in the sun, he still smelled clean and fresh thanks to the cologne he was wearing.
“I think you should give me your number, just in case you get lost again.”
Ariel blushed, twirling one of her curls around her pointer finger. “You think so?”
“I do. So I can come and find you.”
“I don’t know,” she teased, looking away briefly. “I might need you one day and you’re in class or something. Seems it would be kind of pointless if that was the only reason I gave you my number.”
“Impossible,” Michael rejected, voice lowering when he added, “I would always come for you.” There was something about the sincerity in his voice that made her believe him. “But I mean…” He shrugged and looked up as if he was in deep thought. “If you wanted us to get the most out of it, I could call you for other things too.”
“Like what?”
“Like asking you out for a date.”
Feeling bolder than she ever had before, Ariel suggested, “You could do that now.”
Taking the hand that was playing with her hair, Michael kissed her palm as he stared into her eyes.
“May I take you on a date and get to know you better, Ariel?”
Biting down on her bottom lip, she nodded. “Yes,” Ariel agreed lightly.
“Cool. Are you available tomorrow night? Around six?” She nodded. “Aight. I’ll pick you up then.”
“Okay. Do you need to put my number in your phone?”
“I don’t have it on me. Just tell me what it is. I’ll remember.”
Ariel giggled as she turned to unlock the door. “Are you sure?”
“Trust me, ain’t shit about you forgettable.”
Heat rose from her toes to her cheeks when she looked back and found his eyes zeroed in on her small, round yet wide ass. After rattling off her number, Ariel thanked him again and quickly went into her dorm. Leaning against the door, she inhaled a deep, calming breath. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she needed to get a handle on it quickly.
Ariel wasn’t a stranger to dating, flirting, or sex for that matter, so she wasn’t sure why she was reacting to Michael so intensely. Whatever the reason, she’d need her nerves to settle before their date tomorrow.