I didn’t think about all the women I’d turned down before or what me choosing her now might mean to the whole campus, half of which seemed to be in the damn cafeteria all of a sudden. So that’s what all the phones to ears were about. Idiots!
“So, Lisa, you’re a freshman?” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Steve speak to anyone with such reverence; I didn’t know he knew how.
“Yes, I am.” That was only the first of many questions she fielded, and when she gave me a look like she needed saving, I told them to back the hell off and leave her alone.
“What’re you eating today, babe? Is that enough?” She had a salad and an apple on her tray. “Yep, I eat light at lunch, or I’ll sleep through the rest of my classes.” I nodded, but I was worried. For as long as I’ve lived here, I don’t remember seeing any place that catered to vegetarians.
“How do you plan to eat while you’re here? This place is nothing but fast food joints and bars.” “Oh, I have the campus meal plan….”
“Yeah, I know but trust me, you’ll get bored real quick eating here for every meal.” I was shocked to realize that I was genuinely worried about where and how she was going to eat. Weird!
What the hell-kinda conversation am I having? I think I might be rusty. No, that’s not it; it’s something more, something I’ll have to take out and look at later. She has that effect on me, it seems, the kind that makes me want to wrap her up in cotton balls and tuck her away somewhere.
It was as I had that thought that it hit me what was truly going on. I stared at her for a good two minutes while she picked at the lettuce and talked to her friend. Oh shit!
LISA
“Hey Lisa, wait up.” I turned and looked back over my shoulder, the heavy science book weighing down my arms. I was on my way to my second class after lunch when I heard the person calling out to me. I didn’t recognize him at first as he jogged up to me, not until he was standing right in front of me.
It was one of Jess’ friends from the cafeteria; I felt embarrassed because I’d already forgotten his name. He smiled wide like we’d been friends forever, while my smile was a little more than lukewarm. “What’s up… what’s your name again? I’m sorry.”
“Jeff.” I turned to continue walking, not wanting to be late for class, and he walked in step next to me. “So, how long have you known Cody?” I looked at him out the side of my eye as he hefted his bag higher on his shoulder.
“I only met him here; why?”
“Oh, nothing, it’s just that you two seemed to know each other earlier.” There was a leading quality to his question as if he were digging for information, but I pretended not to notice.
“So, what’re you doing this weekend?”
“Nothing that concerns you, hi baby.” Where the heck did he come from? One minute I was trying to figure out if this Jeff person was showing an interest in me, and the next, Cody was just there, putting himself between us.
“Oh, sorry, Cody, I didn’t see you there.” He didn’t answer him, just glared at him while putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side. Is this what I think it is? Are these two…?
As someone who detests being the center of attention, I have to admit to feeling just a little spark of pleasure, especially when I snuck a peek at Cody out the side of my eye and saw the tick in his jaw.
“I’ve got it from here. Come on, baby, I was coming to walk you to your next class.” He walked away without another word, and I felt kind of bad for Jeff. I started to look back to give him at least a friendly smile goodbye but felt a sudden squeeze on my shoulder. “Don’t do that, don’t encourage him.”
Encourage him? Whatever could he mean by that? I was still reeling from this afternoon’s display when he took me to his table, which I later learned is something he’d never done in all the time he’s been here, and now his show of…possessiveness? Was tickling my funny bone.
“Who’s he to you?” He asked the question after a solid minute of quietly walking beside me.
“Who?”
“The kid that was just walking with you.”
“Nothing, we just met.”
“Yeah, well, so did we.” I looked over at him, but there was no expression on his face.
“It’s not the same thing.”
“Oh yeah, how’s it different?”
“For one, I haven’t even spoken to him since Jess introduced us, and I barely remembered his name. Whereas you and I…we’ve been on a date…haven’t we?”