The three of us sat down at a table in the open area some ten meters from where people bought their lunch since we were waiting for another classmate.

Monika was out of sight, unfortunately.

A gentle breeze calmed the heat of summer and brought the smell of the sea. The chatter of fellow students was mostly quiet, but could be heard nonetheless.

“So,” Gabriella started, taking mashed potatoes with her fork. “The assignment. When should we meet?” She asked and put the food in her mouth.

Amin was on his phone, checking something. “The sighting will begin on Monday,” he shared, looking at us. “We could meet at the bay. The Yucatan has diving equipment for rent.”

I nodded. “Sounds good. What time?” I asked and used the chopsticks to eat the spicy octopus.

It was as spicy as I expected it to be, heating up my entire mouth and lips. The taste wasn't overpowered by the spice, however, so it was pretty good.

“Nine,” Amin replied, then ate some of his food.

“Ayooo,” a voice came from the right. Cristiano had arrived. “Sorry I took a while. Had to piss.”

The pair of eyes glared at him.

“Can you not?” Gabriella groaned with disgust, gesturing at the table. “We're eating.”

Cristiano Silva, a tall guy who best fit the word boy due to his childish and annoying personality, walked to our table with his tray of food. “My bad,” he laughed with no trace of actually being sorry. “So, what did I miss?”

“We'll meet on Monday for the sighting,” I told him. “The plan is to rent diving equipment.”

Cristiano nodded, taking a seat between Gabriella and me. “Cool,” he commented and started eating his tacos.

“Who's recording?” Gabriella asked after a forkful of meat. “My phone is kind of low budget.”

I chewed the delicious octopus in my mouth and swallowed. “I can,” I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “My phone has a four 576 megapixels lens camera mode and can record up to ten thousand frames per second. It can work perfectly fine even if we go two hundred meters underwater.”

Amin raised his eyebrows and gave me a long blink. “What's the storage on that?” he asked.

“Five petabytes,” I replied with a shrug. “We can record a few hours of video without issue.”

“Damn,” Cristiano muttered, still eating his tacos.

Gabriella gave me a silly look of surprise. “How much was it?”

“Like, a million Kredits,” I told her, then ate some octopus.

The three had expressions that said they wanted to say something, but chose to be polite and didn't.

Cristiano had a sly smile come up on his face after a few seconds, but focused on his food.

“I've used it for everything you might think of,” I told them with a grin. “The results are insane.”

“Right,” Gabriella interjected, a slight blush on her pale skin. She cleared her throat. “Let's keep it to the assignment, okay?” She asked and looked at me, but averted her eyes a little. “You'll record. Can you take care of contextualizing the event and finding out the names of the whales?”

I nodded and gave her a thumbs up. “Not a problem,” I told her and ate some pickled radish.

We spent a few minutes eating, letting a calm silence take over. The shade cast by the floating sunshade helped with the relaxing moment.

“I can edit the videos and pictures,” Cristiano spoke up after swallowing. “I can do the thing of finding the information to back up our data. You know, like books and shit.”

“Nice,” Gabriella agreed.

Amin wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a sip of his water. “I'll translate the data into graphs, maps, and content tables.”

I nodded and turned to Gabriella. “That leaves you.”

“I'll put it all together,” she accepted her task. “If things are a bit confusing I'll reword whatever you send me to make better sense when it's all next to each other. As for the conclusions...” she thought for a second and sighed, “I'll pull them out of my ass if I need to.”

I gathered the last bit of octopus and ate it, enjoying the burning in my mouth.

“So we're pretty much settled with that,” Amin pointed out. “Depending on how much we get out of the dive, we'll see if we need to go again.”

Cristiano, Gabriella, and I nodded at that.

I took one of the water bottles I bought and opened it, taking a long swig.

“Was it spicy?” Gabriella asked me with interested eyes. “Last time I ate nakji-bokkeum I sweated like a horse. You handled that pretty well.”

I shrugged. Spice tolerance is an obvious benefit when one is genetically superior, is what I thought, but not something that can be said. “I'm just built different,” I joked, giving her a cheeky smile.

Amin laughed, Gabriella giggled, and Cristiano shook his head while smiling.

I gave Amin a nod, gesturing at his empty plate. “Any good?”

He nodded. “Surprisingly tasty. Not something I'd eat regularly, but definitely added to things I'll eat often.”

“I'll have to try it some day,” I decided.

“Are we done here?” Cristiano asked us. “My girlfriend is waiting for me.”

I nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Gabriella nodded as well. “We can message each other if we missed anything.”

Amin looked at Cristiano and raised both eyebrows. “You're taking the 551 today?”

Cristiano nodded. “Yeah. You too?”

“Yep,” Amin replied, standing up and taking his tray. “Wanna go together?”

Cristiano copied him, standing up and taking his tray as well. “Sure, bro. Beats taking the tram alone.”

Amin placed a hand on his heart and gave Gabriella and I a nod. “See you Monday,” he said and walked away to the cafeteria building.

Cristiano raised his hand to me.

I copied him and gave him a hive five, then a fist bump. “Take care, boys. See you Monday.”

Cristiano and Gabriella did the same good-bye.

“See you,” she bid him farewell.

Cristiano walked away, following Amin.

I stared at both of their asses, squinting my eyes and taking a bite of the peach.

“Boys,” Gabriella sighed. “Amin still doesn't even give handshakes,” she pointed out with a criticizing tone. “He's what? Twenty years old already?”

I turned to her, arching a criticizing eyebrow of my own. “You know Amin is Muslim, right?”

The woman squinted her eyes at me in a puzzled expression. “They have that thing?”

I nodded, taking a sip of water. “I'm not going to pretend I understand Islam, but Amin doesn't touch women who are not directly related to him,” I told her.

“Huh,” she uttered and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. She lowered her head and rubbed her nape. “Maybe the heat is getting to me.”

“Don't take my word for it,” I warned her, checking my watch. “Always make sure of things yourself.”

The time was 13:26.

“Maybe I will,” Gabriella agreed, straightening up and looking at me. A playful gleam danced in her blue eyes, slightly pushed into a squint with the smile that formed below.

I wiggled my eyebrows at her and drank from my water bottle, then bit the peach.

“You know,” she started, hesitating for a second. “I just realized we've only done assignments together this year. Working with you has been enjoyable, to be quite honest. You're efficient and quick with it, making little to no mistakes.”

I flashed her a smile and giggled at the praise. “We make a pretty good team. You got a good head on you.”

Gabriella leaned across the table, closing in and lowering her voice to a whisper. “I was wondering...” she began, her face turning a little red. “Maybe we could... do more exciting things now that summer vacation started?”

My mind took a pause. Well, shit, I thought. This is coming out of nowhere...

Gabriella had, for the duration of the year thus far, been pretty friendly if with some flaws like every person to have ever lived. Never would I have imagined her taking an interest in me like that. I was more confused than intrigued, truth be told. It was too sudden and with absolutely no prior hint.

Up to that point Gabriella was just a classmate in my eyes. Tall, caucasian, blue eyes, and athletic. Nothing more, nothing less.

Eh, game is game, I concluded, arching a teasing eyebrow her way. “Oh, really? And what kind of things are you suggesting we do, then?” I inquired back in a whisper.

Her gaze lingered on my lips for a moment, then jumped to my eyes. “I should tell you I'm not looking for a girlfriend,” she clarified, her blush deepening. “I was thinking we could have some... fun. If you are interested.”

Her words triggered a primal part of my psyche, resulting in a slightly increased heart rate to send blood downstairs. First Monika and now Gabriella. My body was overflowing with excitement and preparing for sex.

The lack or romantic involvement was perfectly in line with my interests, having never had a boyfriend or girlfriend due to never having met a special someone who made me want to have that sort of exclusive relationship. Fuckbuddies, friends with benefits, and other short-term relationships limited to sex were plenty since puberty.

Gabriella was, bluntly put, not a person I would fall in love with. Perhaps that was what made me ignore the potential signs she might have sent my way.

“I like the sound of that,” I gave her a response, using my left thumb to brush my lower lip both to flirt and wipe away some water. “A summer adventure with you? Count me in,” I added as innuendo.

She nodded, giving me a shy grin. “We could explore more... physical desires,” she told me with a seductive whisper. Her face, once pale, was now almost as red as the spicy octopus I just ate. It was obvious she was making a great effort to get in my pants.

A new hunger rumbled within me. I chuckled. “Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?” I inquired in a tone that wanted her to spell it out simply because I wanted her to. It was a show of how things would be. The beginning of the path we would take together regardless of how long it would last.

A form of statement declaring that, despite her initiating the whole thing, I would be in charge.

Gabriella's smile turned embarrassed, but nonetheless gave in. “Exactly. A casual fling, just for the summer vacation. No strings attached. Sex only,” she quickly got out, growing redder still, reaching her ears.

My smile turned lascivious, giving her a look that conveyed my desire and agreement to the affair she was proposing. “Tomorrow, then?” I offered to seal the pact considering my schedule, stretching my right arm on the table and stopping in the middle, offering my hand for her to take.

The woman across the table nodded, her face flushed to the point it would burst into a cloud of steam. She reached for my arm and, when her fingers touched mine, jumped a little. Gabriella took a deep breath to fill herself with determination, then went for my hand, locking fingers with mine. “Tomorrow sounds perfect,” she agreed with a slightly trembling voice full of both embarrassment and excitement.

Still, I heard a tiny shadow of disappointment at the back of her words. Not in a way that conveyed a seed of doubt, but in a way that expected – or more accurately hoped – things would progress quicker.

Maybe she had heard of my history in that regard. People are prone to talk about such matters even after secrecy is promised.

I released Gabriella's hold, put the energy drink along with the water bottles in my backpack, and stood up while taking the empty tray. “Come with me, Gabby,” I told her, giving her a nickname right away.

Her eyes turned a little confused. “Where?” she inquired while standing up. A silly smile painted her face, though.

I walked back to the cafeteria building, making sure Gabriella was following, and left my tray on the spot where the cafeteria staff collected them.

She did the same, then looked at me.

I gestured to the building we left earlier with my head and resumed walking.

A minute later we arrived at one of the five libraries in that building, stopping at a secluded spot between two datashelves at the back, where we wouldn't be caught but might be. A few students were reading or using the computers for whatever they needed them, focused on their personal tasks out of our sight.

The air conditioning was running, lowering the temperature to a comfortable twenty-some degrees. Enough to fight the outside heat but still warm enough to make the act I had in mind make us think we were under the sun.

Gabriella's eyes were looking everywhere, nervousness evident in them. It was clear it was her first time in such a place to do what we went there for if she understood my intentions.

We faced each other in silence.

“Hey,” I whispered, placing a hand on her right cheek and removing my hat. “Look at me,” I told her.

Her eyes stopped their scrutiny of our surroundings and locked on mine. “Okay,” she whispered back, closing into me and resting her hands my hips.

A big smile took over my lips and I leaned into her. “This is where our summer adventure starts,” I quietly told her, giving her a kiss.

Our lips touched in the secrecy of the library where I had brought several people to for quick and uninterrupted make out sessions over the last three years.

Her lips were a little hesitant, perhaps used to more private locations or more established relationships than what we had decided mere minutes earlier. She didn't nibble, lick, or pinch my lips with hers. It was a chaste kiss. Similarly, her eyes were half-closed, jumping between my mouth and my eyes.

A chuckle left my throat. “Relax,” I whispered between kisses. “Nobody knows what we're doing. You can touch me if you want,” I added with an inviting and seductive voice, making sure nobody could hear us.

Her hands, which so far had been glued to my hips, slowly moved upwards, stopping on my stomach. A long sigh left her nose, tickling my face. Slowly, her lips relaxed and her tongue made its first appearance, giving my upper lip a quick, shy lick.

I held her face with both hands, caressing her cheeks with my thumbs. Unlike her, I nibbled her lips, pulled them a little, and let them go before I covered them with my own once again. My tongue drew their shape slowly at times, and with strong licks other times, asking for permission to enter.

Her jaw relaxed at my ministrations, opening for our first deep kiss.

Out tongues entwined, breaths of excitement and arousal escaping us, making our breasts meet and brush, which elicited deeper breaths.

She tasted like the food she just ate: a salty and meaty flavor of beef and earthly tubers with pepper and rosemary undertones.

I separated for a moment. “Hey,” I whispered, giving her a quick kiss. “Pull out your phone, Gabby.”

Gabriella nodded, retrieving her smartphone from her pocket.

“Record our kiss and then send it to me,” I requested, then resumed what we were doing.

“Okay,” she whispered back and reciprocated, meeting my tongue and lips in a slow and wet tango of flavors, heat, and desire. Lifting her phone to capture the moment, she pressed the recording button.

I released her face, moving my hands to her waist and gently moving us to the datashelf, where I pressed her with my body and firmly held her against mine.

“Mhhh,” she moaned into my mouth, moving her free hand from my stomach to my ass, digging her fingers in.

“That's it,” I whispered. “Good girl.”

The wet sounds of our lips along with our breathing surrounded us, sometimes interrupted by the distant click of a pointer or the touch of a screen. Echoes of tongues rubbing each other – that particular and unique sound – filled our heads, each with a quiet moan soon after.

Her tongue was soft, warm, and hesitating but exploratory.

Gabriella swallowed, then moved her free hand from my ass to my left breast, grabbing a handful.

“Hm~!” I moaned at the feeling of constriction and sudden stimulation. “Grab it tighter,” I whispered, licking her tongue and pressing her tighter against me.

She did as told, increasing her grip on my tit.

A throb between my legs came to life, pressing my cock through the fabric of my clothes and onto her thigh.

Gabriella fixed her posture without breaking the kisses, letting her crotch be on the receiving end instead of her thigh. Her hips moved, slowly humping against me.

I wanna fuck, I thought, my head full of arousal and excitement.

The library was no place for that, unfortunately. Those desires would have to be postponed.

“You're so big,” Gabriella whispered with excitement and surprise, nibbling my lower lip. “And hot. And beautiful. Fuck!”

“You want me?” I inquired with a giggle, then moved my hands upwards following the shape of her torso and making sure my thumbs gently pressed her modest breasts through her shirt and bra. The exploration continued, caressing her neck and hair. I grabbed a few locks behind her head with my right hand and gently leaned her head to the side, then slowly pushed my entire tongue into her mouth.

“Gh!” she gagged a little. Her free hand released my breast and went for my ass again, then followed the shape of my buttock, grabbing the meat every few seconds.. Gabriella hummed in the affirmative to my question, giving a nod as well, effectively deep-throating my tongue for a moment.

I explored her gums, her entire tongue, her teeth, and her uvula.

If she couldn't handle that then my cock would be an issue.

“I'm way bigger than this down there, Gabby,” I warned her in a seductive whisper, not separating our lips. “Do you think you can take it?”

“I can try,” she breathed out, releasing my ass and moving her hand to my jogger's waistband, where she cheekily tugged at it. “Right?”

I took a deep breath to calm down and closed my eyes for a second, feeling my heartbeat in my ears and neck like a loud pounding. “Not today, no,” I replied with regret, looking at her. “I'll be a bit busy, sorry.”

Gabriella's eyes were glistening with arousal. Common sense was still present in them, thankfully. “Alright,” she accepted, but her smile told me she wanted to do something else. “Can I su-” she started.

My watch started beeping, letting me know it was 13:45 already.

“Shh!” someone in the library hissed. “Stop that shit for fuck's sake!”

I flexed my fingers and the alarm stopped. “Tomorrow,” I told Gabriella, looking into her blue eyes. “I promise.”

My classmate nodded, then licked my chin and lips to wipe our saliva. “Okay,” she agreed, releasing my ass to wipe her own chin. “When are you free?” she asked and put her phone in her pocket.

“After lunch,” I replied, then gave her a soft peck on the lips. “I'll be yours for two hours.”

Gabriella's eyes widened. “Two hours?!” she quietly whispered in shock. “Holy shit, Valentina. I know you...” she gestured at my body, “exercise... but that's way too much.”

“Hmm...” I brushed her hair, fixing the little mess I did. “We'll see tomorrow. I have to go now.”

She nodded, an excited smile on her lips. “Alright. Have fun.”

I took a step back and fixed my joggers and underwear to obscure the shape of my half-erected cock. “Send me the video, alright?” I requested and walked backwards towards the door. “See you tomorrow, Gabby.”

She waved at me, face flushed deep red. “I will. See you tomorrow,” she quietly said with a silly smile.

I gave her a wink and left the library.