He’d seen what I hadn’t, that Susie’s ire had grown in the face of her being muted by her friends, and she was about to lose it. It didn’t help matters when he met me halfway and put his arm around me and placed a sweet kiss on my brow. “You done over there?” I looked back at the others who were watching the show with a smile, and Melissa waved me off with a laugh and a little banter for Cody.
“Geez, Cody, I never thought I’d see the day you’d be so gone over a girl. I can’t say that I blame you, though; I guess you were holding out for the best, you stinker.” Oh, dear!
LISA
It’s safe to say after that little parting shot that I came to the conclusion that Melissa and some of the others here didn’t like Susie much. They were subtle with it, but to me, someone who was on the same boat, it was glaringly obvious, though I didn’t let on that I’d picked up on it. This was a new angle I hadn’t considered, maybe because of my preconceived prejudice.
I half expected anything from snooty debutants to social climbing sycophants. Girls in skimpy bikinis, rough boys, drinking out of kegs, my mind has run the gamut when it comes to sororities and their male counterparts. I didn’t have much time to ponder since Cody seemed to be producing and directing a show of his own.
He had yet to acknowledge Susie’s presence, I know, I've kept check even when I was caught up in sorority speak, but his actions were suspect. Even the way he put his arm around me as we walked away seemed a little bit more than usual. Then again, he’s always touchy and adorable when we’re alone together. I just never realized how into PDA he was until now.
As soon as we walked away, he took my hand in his. I don’t mean he casually linked fingers; no, he had a grip on my hand that not even Ironman could break. Yes, my dad has made me watch those shows a million times because he never grew out of his little boy hero-worship phase; plus, Jess is an addict for anything Marvel.
He was overly attentive, never leaving my side, not even when Jess and Alex rejoined us with their welcoming packets, filled with excitement. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to; his commanding presence spoke volumes. I got my fair share of looks from the opposite sex, but none dared come near. And I got to see firsthand what I had to look forward to if and when he made it to the Pros.
To say females flocked around him like bees to nectar is sorely understating the issue. At least they weren’t as bad as Susie, but they didn’t go out of their way to hide their interest even with me there. Cody put all my fears to rest, though, well, most of them, because he didn’t even say hi to some of them, and the ones he did speak to only got a ‘what’s up’ before he moved me away again.
It was our first time in a party setting, and I have to say, my guy, ticked all the right boxes. He was attentive, caring, and seemed only interested in my comfort, which works out perfectly because I did the same. Knowing that this wasn’t exactly his scene and that he was only there because of me, I went out of my way to make sure he was having fun.
Whenever someone approached him, he’d draw me closer, and even though I still didn’t understand the game, when talk turned to football, he’d find a way to keep me in the conversation. I realized, too, that everyone here now knew that we were a couple, and it wouldn’t be long before the news made it all around campus if the whispers I overheard were any indication.
I also got to see something else; Cody is practically a star. Not just his game stats, but his demeanor was that of someone bound for greatness. I now see what all the hoopla was about when I first showed up on campus, and Jess and Alexis raved about him. His good looks and star quality mixed with his aloofness were like a magnet, and more than one girl had him in her scope.
I guess I have Susie to thank for keeping them at bay all this time because rumor has it that she’s the one who’s been beating back the girls who showed any interest in him in the past. I guess she thought she’d do the same with me, and that’s why she sent the picture, but if all of them had been scared away that easily, then they couldn’t have been that interested in him.