“Lucky me,” I say and mean it. “We’ll have to take a trip into DC and check out the architecture and art at the Smithsonian as well as a few other places.”
She looks startled. Was it because I said “we”? I make a mental note to slow things down a bit. I don’t want to scare her off. I keep walking and stay silent for a while contemplating how to proceed.
We arrive at my chosen destination, a small, intimate restaurant tucked away from the busy college. I chose it because it’s quiet, cozy and very romantic, especially in the winter when there’s a fire in the fireplace. It’s where I’ll propose to her in a few months.
“This is lovely,” she says as the hostess I fucked last night seats us near a window. She gives me a hurt look. As if I care. She was useful when I needed her. Sarah has my undivided attention now. “How did you find it?”
“I’ve been here at the university for a while. You get to know the place pretty well. I’ll be graduating in December.”
She looks impressed. And crushed. Good. She’s already thinking what life will be like without me in it and she doesn’t like that scenario.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says. “Are you heading back to Connecticut after graduation?”
Hell no. I’m starting a new life. With you. In Texas. “No. I have a job offer from a finance company in Dallas I’ll be headed to.”
“Dallas? Wow! Won’t your family miss you being so far away?”
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a family. I ignore her question and point out the sandwich I usually get here for lunch.
“I love the Monte Cristo sandwich here. I think you’ll like it too.”
She gives her shoulders a delicate shrug.
I order for the both of us and it’s at the table in record time. I watch her take her first bite, pleased that she enjoys it. I ask her a multitude of questions. I want to know everything about her. Every minor detail is important to me. I want to possess her and make her mine. For that, I need her to divulge every dream, every secret. She gets lost in our conversation, never realizing that I deflect every question about me by asking one about herself. I check my watch and realize that it’s now past three o’clock and the restaurant is empty. The hostess from last night is glaring at me from the kitchen. What was her name? Karen? Chloe? I can’t remember and honestly, I don’t care.
I pay for the meal, making sure she sees I’ve paid for a thirty-five-dollar meal with a one-hundred-dollar bill and walk her back to her apartment, still listening to everything she has to say. I let her tell me where to go, even though I’ve been here many times before, watching her.
We finally arrive, and I take her hand in mine to kiss her palm. I note the goose-pimples that rise on her skin.
“I know we just met, but I feel like I’ve known you my entire life. I can’t explain it, but the first time I …” I purposefully trail off as though I’m too embarrassed to admit something. She eats it up.
“What?” she asks. I try and look vulnerable and afraid to say my next sentence.
“I never believed in love at first sight. I do now.” I lean in, she thinks I’m going to kiss her on the lips. I don’t. That will come later, when you’ll be begging me to possess you. Instead, I give her a gentle kiss on her soft cheek. “I would love to see you again tomorrow night.”
“I’d like that,” she says and I note a slight pinkening of her cheeks. How easily she blushes. I’m enthralled by her innocence.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at six.” I sound shy, but confident. I’ve got her on the hook, but I need to reel her in slowly. I’ll be cancelling those plans about fifteen minutes before I’m supposed to pick her up. She needs to be trained early to not expect too much from me. She’ll learn.
“Okay,“ she smiles.
“I can’t wait,” I tell her.
“Me too.”
I turn to leave, knowing she’s watching me walk away from her and dreaming of our date tomorrow night. I’ll break her heart, then make it up to her later so she’ll forgive me.
Because that’s what I do.
Sarah
Daniel and I have been seeing each other non-stop for four weeks. I can’t believe it’s already been a month. I feel like I’m living in a whirlwind fairytale, but at the same time, everything with him is so perfect it seems as though I’ve known him my entire life.
In my mind, I know it’s too soon to feel this way, but my heart … in my heart I know he is my soulmate. I can’t stand to be away from him and when I’m with him, I don’t want the time to end.
In such a short amount of time, he has become my everything. It actually hurts to be apart from him. And the best part is, he feels the same way. He’s already talking about marriage and while that makes me nervous, it also makes me giddy with excitement. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found someone so perfect for me.
“This place is starting to look like a florist. Does Daniel have to bring you flowers every time you see him? We’re running out of room to put them.”
“Isn’t he the best?”
“Are you going out with him again today?” Julianna asks, ignoring my question and plopping down at the kitchen table with her first cup of coffee in the morning. She’s one of those people who look absolutely stunning as soon as she rolls out of bed. Her hair hasn’t even been brushed, but she looks like she could be in a sexy magazine ad.
“Yes!” I beam at her.
“But didn’t I hear you get home around midnight last night? Don’t you guys need a breather? How much sex can two people have in one day?”
My cheeks flush.
“We haven’t had sex,” I admit.
“What?” She nearly chokes on the hot liquid and starts coughing. “Seriously?”
“He wants to wait.”
“He wants to wait? For what?”
I shrug my shoulders. I never confessed to my roommates about being a virgin. Sure, there’s been long, intense kissing sessions with heavy petting, but I’ve never gone all the way. Ever. When Daniel found out, he was surprised, but looked pleased. He kissed me and said we should not allow our time together to get too intense.
He didn’t want to push me too far and have me regret it later.
I could never regret being with him. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of having in a boyfriend. He’s gorgeous and smart and kind and he loves me. At least I think he does.
“Maybe he’s gay,” Kaitlyn chimes in from the hallway.
“I don’t think that’s it,” Juliana takes another sip of her coffee.
I open my mouth to say something, but then Juliana asks, “Have you even been going to class? I only ask because I haven’t seen you in any of the classes we share since you started seeing Daniel.”
I’ve been anticipating this question, because the answer is no. I haven’t been going to class. When Daniel has his classes, I’m free and when he’s free, I have class. Since he’ll be graduating in December, it’s easier for me to skip mine so I can be with him.
“I’ve been skipping a few classes here in there,” I confess.
Julianna raises an eyebrow. “For him?”
I look at her and feel defensive. “Yes.”
I can tell by the frown on her face she doesn’t approve. She doesn’t say anything, but that look on her face says it all.
“You don’t understand.”
“No,” she says, rolling her eyes as she drains the cup. “I don’t understand you risking your scholarship for a guy. I know he’s good-looking, Sarah, but he’s not worth losing everything you’ve worked so hard for. You need to get your butt to class.”