My cheeks grew hotter as their conversation grew more explicit. I never mentioned to Kaitlyn and Julianna, but I’ve never been with anyone in that way, which made this topic even more embarrassing for me to hear.
I looked at him again and mentally chastised myself. What was I thinking? Of course, he has a girlfriend and of course he wouldn’t be interested in someone like me who was so young and inexperienced. I’d been living in fantasy land dreaming about seeing him again and thinking something would happen between us.
Somehow, I managed to get through the class without fangirling too much. I look at Julianna, who is strangely silent during class about this new man I met last week.
We single-filed it out the door and were about three feet outside the classroom when Julianna grabbed my hands. She was just about to say something when…
“Sarah?”
My heart lodges in my throat when I hear Daniel’s voice.
I turn around to find him directly behind me.
“Hi Daniel,” I say, trying not to sound too anxious. Was I too chipper? Did my voice sound too high? Was I too happy and energetic?
“I didn’t know if you’d remember me,” he smiles and his dimples melt me.
“How could I not?” I smile back. “You saved the day when I was moving in.” My cheeks feel like they’re on fire and I wonder if they’re as red as they feel. Why do I have to blush so easily? “These are my friends, Julianna and Kaitlyn.”
He smiles and nods his head in acknowledgement.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“I just wanted to reintroduce myself and find out if you’d be interested in grabbing a coffee or some lunch? I’ve got a couple of hours before my next class.” He looks at Kaitlyn and Julianna. “Unless, you have other plans. I could take a raincheck.”
I look at my friends. I do have plans with both of them. We were going to check out that new burger place that opened up over the summer. Kaitlyn’s eyes are dancing with excitement. Julianna, who I expected to look equally excited, does not look excited at all and I know why. She hates when women ditch other women for a guy.
Julianna may be a happy-go-lucky party girl, but she has a code where her friends are concerned. You don’t treat your girlfriends less than your boyfriends.
“Actually, I do have plans,” I turn back toward him.
“We were just going to grab a burger at Corner Joe’s,” Kaitlyn breaks into our conversation. “But I just remembered I have to get ready for my Art History class. There was an assignment we were supposed to read before class started and it completely slipped my mind.”
That was Kaitlyn’s way of offering me an excuse to ditch them and have lunch with him instead.
“Right, Julianna?”
“Sure,” she says, hoisting her backpack further up her shoulder, entrapping her long, black hair. I love Julianna’s hair. It hangs to her waist and looks like black silk. “I completely forgot about that Art History assignment. Sorry to ditch you last minute,” she apologizes. I can tell by the tone of her voice that something’s not right. I want to question her about it in private, but Kaitlyn is already grabbing her and pulling her away.
I tear my gaze away from them, shrugging my shoulders as I give him my best smile. “I guess my lunch plans have changed.”
“Great!” he smiles back. His teeth are perfect. “I know a great place that’s only a few blocks away, if you don’t mind walking?”
“I like walking,” I assure him, maybe a little too quickly. Did he think I was desperate? Desperation is not a good look when you’re trying to impress someone like him. He probably has confident, beautiful women throwing themselves at him all the time.
I turn to say goodbye to Kaitlyn and Julianna who are already a good six feet away. As Daniel and I move in the opposite direction, I glance over my shoulder to see Kaitlyn mouthing, “Oh. My. Gawwwwwd” at me before she grabs Julianna’s arm to pull her down the hall.
“I hope I’m not stepping on any toes by taking you to lunch,” he says, holding the door open for me to walk through. My stomach flips as he gives me another smile and my heart beats even faster.
“Thank you,” I say, because my mother raised me to be a polite young woman as I step through the door. “What do you mean by ‘stepping on any toes?””
“I kind of figured someone as beautiful as you must have a boyfriend. I don’t want to cause any problems for you if that’s the case.”
“No,” I duck my head down. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
We walk silently together for a few minutes before I get the courage to say, “You?”
“Me? Have a boyfriend? I like women,” he winks. My stomach is in my throat and I feel the heat in my cheeks getting hotter.
“I mean, do you have a girlfriend?”
“No,” he gives me a gallant nod. “No girlfriend.”
I find it hard to believe that some co-ed on campus hasn’t sunk her claws into him by now, but I keep that thought to myself.
“There was someone,” he admits. “But we broke up at the end of the year and I haven’t wanted to date anyone else until I saw you the day you were moving in. I was too nervous to ask for your number, but then you walked into class today and I thought, ‘Why not take a shot?’”
I blush and digest the compliment, basking in his attention for as long as it lasts. One nagging thought keeps creeping into my mind.
Why me?
“You know, Dr. Burke told me you would be the student to watch this year. He said you are on an academic scholarship and are one of the smartest students he’s ever had.”
I should feel flattered by the comment; however, I worked hard for those grades. I always have. I didn’t come from an impressive family or a good zip code like some of my classmates. Like Daniel probably does I remind myself
“I spend a lot of time studying,” I tell him. “The scholarships will go away if I don’t and the out-of-state tuition here is astronomical. I couldn’t afford to go here without them.”
“So, you have a full-ride scholarship then?”
“Yes,” I confirm.
“Wow! I didn’t know that. That’s incredible.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Beautiful and smart.”
I look up at him and my stomach flips again when I gaze into his eyes. I imagine what it would be like to have his lips on mine.
“So, what is it that you want to do when you finish school? What are you studying?”
“I want to be an architect. I love designing buildings,” I tell him. And it’s true. “My father owns a construction company back home in Kentucky and I’ve tagged along with him my entire life watching him build houses for people. I wanted to design the houses he was building.”
“You’ll have to come to my parents’ apartment sometime. Their building was designed by Frank Gehry.”
“Wow! He’s fantastic! I’d love to see it sometime!”
“They also have quite a collection of art. You may enjoy looking through it as well.”
“I’d love to,” I say and hope I don’t sound too eager. Don’t be too anxious, Sarah. “You said your parents’ apartment. Where are you from?” I ask, prepared to hear his, I assume, impeccable lineage. He has that look. That wealthy, nice-guy who’s never had to work a hard day in his life look.
“Connecticut,” he answers. “At least that’s where I grew up. My parents’ apartment is in the city though. That’s where we spend most of our time.”
“The city?”
“New York,” he answers, still smiling.