Short Story: Captivated

          

            I never thought I could be so captivated.

            And I never thought that I could get so turned on…by mere words.

            She just does everything so intellectually. Every word, every vowel that leaves her mouth is coated with knowledge, and you can hear it, too. She is constantly leaving me in a state of awe and intellectual inadequacy, but I don’t mind it; because I feel that simply being in her presence makes me a more informed individual, and makes me feel like knowledge is the most dominant force in the universe, and that if I just stay by her side long enough, I too can one day exist in the blissful state of intelligence with her.

            Most of the time, she does all the talking. And really, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only does it give me a chance to learn things, but also it is just the sexiest thing in the world to listen to her display her knowledge, and I wouldn’t dare interrupt it.

            She thinks I’m an ignorant conservative moron because I always have the television tuned to FOX News when she’s at my place. But really, I do that on purpose. Because she sits in front of the TV, listens to what they say and lashes out in retaliation at what the news reporter is talking about. I always just sit back and watch as she lays out informed arguments and points out loopholes in their statements by quoting people and other sources, all the while not forgetting to intertwine some less politically-correct insults into her rants (among her favorites being “ignorant fuckers”).

            And I always say and do things that I know will provoke her into a rant, just so I can be mesmerized all over again by her demonstration. I only have to put a drop in the ocean—something as subtle as “Congress will surely get the job done” or “Nice one, Obama administration” can send her into her informative speech-giving mode. And you would think that it would be annoying being talked to by her like that all the time, but it’s the complete opposite. She educates me of the world around me, pushes me to see the undersides of different issues, and helps me to be an all-around more informed citizen of the world.

            But it’s not just politics that she is well-versed in. It’s everything. She is such a junkee for knowledge that she finds information about all kinds of subjects, from whatever sources she can. Like different cultures. It’s always the sexiest thing when we go to a Korean or Romanian restaurant, and she just starts ordering in that language. It’s especially satisfying when the waiter is of the same ethnicity of the type of food served in the restaurant, and she can just casually have a mini-conversation in the native language. I never have any idea what she says, but they get so impressed. And although I’m the one at the table that ends up being left out, I can’t help but to beam with satisfaction, because that’s my girl.

            Based on what I’ve said, you would think that she is an extremely arrogant individual. But it’s really quite the contrary. She’s the most humble person I’ve ever met. She doesn’t pretend to know things when she doesn’t, because she is just as passionate about learning as she is about teaching. She also does things in a very particular manner. She’ll never say, “You’re wrong”. Instead she’ll say, “I do respect your opinion, however I strongly believe that…” And she has NEVER uttered the words “I told you so”. Instead, I hear her say, “I’m glad we came to a factual conclusion; now we can both move on from this experience as more informed individuals of the society”. Like, who the fuck says that? It’s things like this, and how she thoroughly thinks through every word and every statement that crosses her lips, that make me fall for her every time she speaks.

            And as much as I love having her all to myself, it’s just as great to see her interact with other people. It’s as if every interaction she has with people leaves them with more information that they initially had. It’s always the most pleasing to see the facial expressions of those who meet her for the first time. It is the result of mixed feeling from just being mind-fucked—the same one I had when I first talked to her. The way she carries herself in public, and presents herself to strangers, to me, is impeccable. Her overflowing confidence carries them away from the moment she shakes their hand, and their thoughts get wound up in confusion from the moment she states her name. All throughout the conversation, they’ll be struggling to keep up with her, but at the end, you can tell that they are ready to get back in line for another ride. That’s just the kind of charisma she has, and I, probably along with many others, am absolutely addicted to it.

            It’s because of all these things that I am so lucky to be with her. To be the one who (*whom) she always grammatically corrects. To be the one she snuggles up to and whispers foreign phrases in my ear. To be the one she sends historical quotes to throughout the day. To be the one that she is not afraid of being vulnerable with, and doesn’t mind sharing her insecurities and worries with. To just be the one that is her eternal student—and I don’t plan on moving from my desk anytime soon.