Chapter 1 - reunion

'The Beast' was the star football player at Lisa's high school back in the day, although she never really had much to do with the jock crowd back then; she was too busy studying. But she was certainly a secret admirer of 'The Beast'; a tall 6'8 young man, with long, dark brown hair and broad shoulders, above a trim waistline. Everyone in the school had at least a little crush on him. And if they said they didn't, they were lying. 'The Beast' was a fine specimen of manhood, even at the tender age of eighteen.

It was a large high school and so Lisa didn't even know Kyle 'The Beast' Kirk. She herself wasn't really all that good at sports and was mostly known as the 'clever girl' on her way to an Ivy league school, without question.

It was three years later when Lisa returned to his home town for a brief visit; she was walking her dad's dog through the park when she came across Kyle walking towards her. She felt her heart racing as it always had in high school and for a moment she was briefly transported back to those wide corridors and dim classrooms. She didn't know quite what to do. Kyle looked just as good as ever, strutting about like he owned the place; the way men of his size do. Lisa pretended not to notice him, because that was easier than making an idiot of herself waving to someone who she didn't even know in high school.

All of a sudden, Lisa heard Kyle's deep, gruff voice. "Lisa? Is that you?"

Lisa looked up. Was 'The Beast' speaking to her? Did 'The Beast' know her name? She lifted her head to see Kyle's eyes looking straight at her, a smile on his handsome face.

"Yeah," she breathed. "I'm Lisa," she explained. It sounded so dumb.

"Nice to see you again," Kyle smiled warmly. "I heard you got in to Harvard. Congratulations!"

Lisa's heart was all in a flutter. Not only did Kyle know her name, but he knew where she was in college and was impressed by her. "Thanks," Lisa stuttered again.

"Business school isn't it?" Kyle asked confidently.

"Yeah, that's the one," smiled Lisa. "How did you... how come you know where I go to college?" she asked cautiously.

"Well, you were always so clever in school. I used to admire that a lot. I'm not all that bright," he laughed modestly. "You're a pretty impressive girl, you know?"

Lisa didn't know how to respond. Was this some kind of joke? She hadn't taken Kyle for the usual prankster jock. "Thanks. To be honest, I didn't think you even knew my name."

"I was a bit shy in high school," Kyle sighed, looking a little embarrassed. "You were intelligent and intimidating to a guy like me back in those days," he chuckled nervously. "Do you... fancy getting some coffee and a catch up?" he asked keenly.

Lisa couldn't help but inhale deeply with shock. Did Kyle 'The Beast' Kirk really want to chat to her socially? "Sure," she stuttered, looking down at the Labrador waiting impatiently by her feet. "Just let me drop this dog off home and I'll meet you somewhere."

The two agreed on a place and met up ten minutes later. Lisa spent the entire time trying to reason why Kyle had an interest in speaking to her. She turned the last corner and saw Kyle waiting outside the diner for her. He was looking down at his cell phone and the evening light shone on him beautifully, shrouding his tall, broad physique in golden sunshine and bouncing off his long dark locks. Lisa sighed, why didn't all men look like that? Suddenly Kyle looked up and smiled from ear to ear at seeing her. Lisa smiled back. Then Kyle opened the door for her and they went inside; Kyle led her to a quiet table, away from the crowds. If Lisa hadn't known better, she would have thought she was on a date! Maybe that was just because of her nerves. Kyle was quite a size standing next to her after all.

The two caught up on what they had been doing for the last few years. Lisa was astounded by how much Kyle knew about her. He seemed to remember what Lisa had done in high school better than she did! How strange, considering they had never uttered a single word to each other. But Kyle was flattering and easy to talk to; somehow Lisa had never pictured him like that. She had only seen the intimidating stature and bulging muscles, not the friendly smile and warm personality.

They had only gone in for a coffee, but somehow Kyle had ordered himself a small feast of sandwiches, cakes and shakes. He was earning alright money as a construction worker and wasn't a poor student like Lisa. Still, it was hard not to stare. Damn, he even looked sexy when he was eating, thought Lisa; the handsome jawline working, the huge manly bites, ripping the food up hungrily. How could someone be sexy when they were eating? she wondered with amusement.

After an hour or so, Lisa started to have butterflies in her stomach. She had the intense instinct that this was going somewhere. Those soft, warm looks from Kyle seemed too personal for just a normal catch-up.

Another twenty minutes passed and Kyle was still eating. "You've, uh... got quite a good appetite haven't you?" Lisa commented, feeling a lot more comfortable around him now.

"Why do you think they used the call me 'The Beast' in high school?" laughed Kyle.

Lisa chuckled. "I thought that was because you're so tall and muscular?"

Kyle just scoffed. "Hell no. It's because of how much I eat. The guys in high school used to think I was some kind of eating machine!" he smiled, thinking back. "The girls, on the other hand, were less impressed by it," Kyle laughed. "My dad is a big guy and I can out-eat him any day of the week!"

Things were just wrapping up when a lady with a pram clattered her way through the room, forcing Kyle up out of his seat to make way for her. His whole body brushed up against Lisa who was still sat down, and she inhaled his masculine scent deeply. When Kyle sat down again, his chair was a lot closer and his hand was resting less than an inch away from Lisa's.

"We should do this again sometime. I could take you to dinner..." Kyle suggested, finally moving a finger to brush up against Lisa's, but his voice sounding less confident than a stud like Kyle should have been, asking a girl out.

"Just you and me?" asked Lisa, her mind exploding with the possibility.

"If that's ok?" asked Kyle, placing a warm hand on her knee. Lisa's face flushed red, but she grinned widely and nodded. They left the place both smiling proudly, Kyle's hand clutching Lisa's slim waist with an ever so subtle brush of her pert butt as they walked out of the door and said their goodbyes.