The Blackfire Protocol by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 8

October had arrived, and with it came midterms, the time when students became all but invisible as they prepared for exams and wrote papers. The only time that was more stressful was finals, when a semester’s work either paid off or left one’s efforts an utter failure. When finals were done, there were always a handful of students who would not return, deciding that college was not for them. Frank, however, thrived on the pressure of academics and the drive to succeed. But he was soon to experience another phase of his life, one that could possibly derail his objective. As the first semester came to an end, Ava approached him and proposed something he thought rather unusual. Catching up to him in the hallway, she took up the role as the aggressor. “Frank,” she began. “Hang on a second.” Initially, he became concerned that the results of his final exam were less than favorable. “Is this about my grade?” he asked. “I can rewrite my paper.”

Ava interrupted with a reassuring tone. “No,” she replied. “You’re probably getting an ‘A’.” They stood in the hallway, she looking up at him with admiration and he with a quizzical expression. “So,” she continued. “Now that the semester is over, I thought maybe you might want to get together sometime. Say, dinner at my place?”

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Being from a small Midwestern town, Frank was not accustomed to women who made such direct approaches. But given how beautiful Ava was, he found it impossible to say no.

“Uh, sure,” he replied. “When did you want to get together?”

Frank was somewhat ‘old school’. Coming from a small Midwestern town, he was accustomed to a certain standard where the woman was approached. It was never the other way around. This left him both aroused and intrigued. For a moment, he wondered what Ava saw in him, but he was willing to pursue her advance—if that was, in fact, the case. “Well,” Ava replied. “I’m free this weekend. How about Saturday? I can show you around DC if you want. Have you ever been to the National Archives?” This question triggered his youthful passion for American history, and he eagerly agreed to go. But with the places to see in DC, why would she suggest this?

“I don’t mean to sound like an idiot,” he began. “But why the National Archives?”

Since the beginning of his first semester, Ava had taken an interest in Frank from the moment she saw him and, at some point, noticed a book on American history tucked into his day pack. Many things about him stood out to her, but it was the history book that she remembered most, knowing that people of Frank’s age are not usually interested in history. “Well,” she said. “You seem to be the type who would be interested in those kinds of things.” Her response was noticeably coy, leading him to believe that the archives were not the only thing on her mind. At that moment, he made a decision. There

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would be no relationship, no commitment; they would never become ‘an item’. Frank did not have time for such trivial matters, and it would only get in the way of his goal. Sex was one thing; anything emotional was clearly off the table. “So,” he said. “Where did you want to meet?” They both knew the campus intimately, and Ava chose a place known to every student who attended. “How about at the ‘Professor’s Gate'?” she asked. Frank knew it well. It was easy to find, and walking to the campus from his apartment, he could see it from only a few blocks away.

“Perfect,” he answered. “What time?” This seemed to be the time for a bit of humor, and Ava clearly demonstrated her sense of humor. “Well,” she began. “It can’t be too early. I have to have my beauty sleep, so how about one ‘o clock?” Here was an opportunity to target her emotions. While Frank wasn’t looking for a relationship, he knew that one well-delivered compliment could be the only ego stroke a woman needs. “Beauty sleep?” he asked. “From what I can see, you’re probably something of a night owl.” His words were understood immediately, and he witnessed their effectiveness by how much Ava’s face flushed. It was at that moment he realized that a woman’s ego was tightly wrapped around her appearance and a sincere compliment could easily lead the way to the bed chamber.

With her face still flushed, Ava inched closer to Frank in a silent invitation for something he had not entirely expected. But there it was. Ava lifted her chin slightly while gently caressing his arm. The trap

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had been set, but who exactly was the prey? Ava was clearly pursuing him, but with her upturned face moving towards him, Frank decided it was time to give in and, taking her around the waist, kissed her deeply. Ava threw herself into the moment, and wrapping her arms around his neck opened her mouth, inviting him a step further. It was an invitation he readily accepted.