The Blackfire Protocol by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 11

Saturday had finally arrived, and while Frank tried not to be too nervous, he couldn’t help feeling a few butterflies. This would be the first date he had ever been on, and while he wanted to make something of an impression, he didn’t want to seem overly excited. He wanted Ava to see him as an adult and

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not an exuberant adolescent. He believed that women like Ava didn’t want to be babysitters; they wanted the company of a man, and even though he wasn’t looking for a relationship, Frank wanted to present himself as an adult—someone she could relate to.

Rising early, he ate a sparse breakfast—coffee, toast, and two eggs. With as much sitting as he did while studying, he made a concerted effort to maintain a healthy weight. So far, it was working. The next few hours were spent studying. His next semester would be spent studying the basics of constitutional law and civics. He chose to take these classes together, believing that the principles presented in civics held their basis in the constitution. He would later discover that this supposition was entirely correct, and that civics was, essentially, a basic introduction to constitutional law, whereas the latter is a more in-depth study of the basis of the American legal system. He also believed that in order to change any legal system, one must first understand it. With this in mind, Frank decided he would eventually pursue at least a Master’s degree in constitutional law— perhaps a Ph.D. Should he get that far, he would not have to look far for a career opportunity. The brass ring would come to him, hopefully in the form he most desired.

After three or four hours of studying, Frank was about to prepare a small lunch when he heard a gentle knocking at his door. He wasn’t familiar with many people in the neighborhood, so he knew immediately that Ava had arrived. Walking to the door, he opened it to find her dressed in a manner he

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could only describe as stunning—a pair of jeans tight enough that they fit her like a glove. This was paired with a white crop top edged with lace. Although it was December, they would be spending most of their date indoors, and a winter coat would not be needed. If Ava was looking to make an impression, she succeeded, and one look at her trim physique clothed in this manner left Frank briefly without words. “Hey,” she said.

For a moment, he seemed to forget where he was, but suddenly snapping himself back to the moment greeted Ava and invited her in.

“Hi,” he began. “Come on in.”

Trying not to be rude, he turned and glanced at her as she walked into his apartment. Seeing her standing at his door was a different experience than watching her walk. In his eyes, Ava had become beauty in motion. As she passed him, Frank glanced down her back and found it as arousing as the rest of her. It would be a very interesting day.

Once in his apartment, Ava looked around, examining everything. Although her education was in chemistry, she knew that one’s environment was usually a reflection of who they were—their inner environment. And even though Frank was a college student about to enter his second semester, he had taken the time and expense to decorate his walls with artwork. They were only cheap prints, but the images were classics—Van Gogh, Goya, and Renoir, among others. Now, she was even more interested in him and wanted to know as much about him as possible.

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“Hey,” she began. “Before we go, do you want to just sit and talk for a while? We have plenty of time.”

While Frank wasn’t interested in a relationship, he was in favor of gaining some degree of familiarity with the woman who had, until now, been his chemistry teacher, but first things first -- food. Frank needed to eat and quickly made this known. “You know,” he began. “I think that’s a great idea, but I’m starving. Can we get some lunch first?” Ava quickly agreed, knowing there would be plenty of time to talk later.

“Sure,” she replied. “There’s a little Arabic place down the street. Have you ever tried Arabic food?” Not only did he know the place she was referring to but had been there several times throughout the semester.

“Oh,” he replied. “That place down about a black on the right? Yeah, I’ve been there a few times. Sure, we can go there.”

As they made their way to the door, Frank took her hand and, stopping her, put his hands around her waist. Wearing a crop top, her uncovered skin was warm and smooth, and bringing her in close expressed his concern.

“Aren’t you going to need a coat or something?” he asked. “It’s awfully cold out there.” Ava had purposefully left her coat in her car to make an impression on him. Of course, it worked, and bringing her arms up around his back, she pressed her warm body against him and gave him a partial answer in the form of a deep kiss on the mouth. “It’s in the car,” she answered.

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Sliding his hands up the back of her crop top, Ava began to feel his arousal pressing against her body, and moving her hands down to his arms, stepped away, delaying what they both knew was inevitable. “Let’s get some lunch, okay?” she said. Now holding hands, Frank smiled and agreed. Minutes later, they were in her car, with her clad in a heavy winter coat. DC sits in a geological basin, and because moisture is constantly pulled into it, winters are often brutal, with storms dropping two to three feet at a time. Occasionally, a strong Nor’easter would shut the city down altogether. But so far, it was too early to tell what kind of winter DC was to experience, and not many people were skilled enough to prepare for something that could only be described as apocalyptic.

Starting the car, Ava cursed about the cold weather and pulled away from the curb only when her car was warm enough for comfort.

“You’re from the Midwest, right?” she asked. This was not a surprising question given the weather DC would soon experience. Before leaving home, Frank had done a bit of research about the kind of weather he could expect. DC’s winters, historically, seemed tame compared to winters in the Midwest. “Yeah,” he answered. “It’s a really small town.” It was only a few minutes before they pulled up in front of the Arabic store, and as they got out, Ava continued the conversation.

“So, what are winters like in the mid-west?” Frank had anticipated her question and gave her an answer that was both correct and not at all exaggerated.

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“Well,” he began. “They’re not so much like storms but extinction-level events.”

Ava smiled with wide eyes, believing that winters in DC were likely the worst in the country. “You’re kidding, right?” she asked. Frank shook his head with a matter-of-fact expression. He had seen what the weather could bring to DC by way of the news and concluded that Washington couldn’t hold a candle to the Midwest. “Not at all,” he replied. “I’ve seen houses collapse and entire roads and towns buried under five or six feet of snow. Sometimes the wind is so strong it can peel someone’s roof off. And every year it’s the same thing.”

Ava thought the weather was bad in DC, but hearing Frank’s description of what is largely a typical Midwestern winter, she asked why anyone would live there. His answer was simple. “Well,” he said. “We have to feed the country.” Ava suddenly developed a new admiration for him, knowing that he had, at some point, been working to support the needs of the country and likely others.

Walking into the Arabic store, they wandered the aisles only briefly until both found what suited their taste buds. For Ava, it was falafel, ground chickpeas, sour cream, and pita bread. Frank, however, preferred kebbeh, baba ghanoush and tabouli salad. And, of course, no meal would be complete without a couple of beers. Walking to the cash register, He greeted the owner in brief but fluent Arabic. He felt that if one was to become truly educated, a language was necessary, and considering what his goal was, learning a language was of paramount importance. If

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he could speak this language in conversation, he would focus on Russian. These were the two languages he saw as critical to the world of international law and politics. If the people you were dealing with didn’t realize you could understand them, this gave you an obvious lead in diplomatic relations. He wasn’t planning on someday running for town council. His goals were far loftier than that.

Leaving the store, they drove the short distance back to Frank’s apartment, but before leaving the car, Ava removed her winter coat and flung it in the back seat. From their first kiss up until that moment, Frank, although young, knew what her agenda was and looked forward to what the rest of the evening would bring. He couldn’t help but be concerned and inquired as to her tolerance of the cold. “Don’t you think you should bring that with you?” he asked.

With the car doors closed, Ava locked them remotely, and looking up at Frank gave a brief yet illogical explanation.

“I don’t see why,” she replied. “It’s only a few steps from here to your apartment, and besides, the jacket covers too much.”

He decided to point out the obvious. “But it’s December, right?”

Ava walked around the car and, putting an arm around his waist, kissed him on the cheek as though reassuring him.

“Frank,” she said. “It’s okay. Besides, if I get cold, I’m sure you can keep me warm.” Pulling her in close, he again felt the rise of arousal as the anticipation of the coming night’s events

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coursed through his mind. For an instant, he was left slightly numbed as images of her naked body flashed through his imagination. Without a doubt, this was the night when he would more than willingly give up his virginity. But as they entered his apartment, Frank wondered if he should tell her that she was about to receive what no one else had been offered. What would she say? Would Ava see him as less desirable and leave? It was, of course, possible that she simply preferred younger men, and that was fine with Frank. One never passed up the opportunity to spend time with an experienced woman.