Campus Visit Goes Bad

Four years of going to dances and dating and kissing with boys in high school hadn't done for me what one night in Richard's apartment had. I lost control of my body that night but maybe that's what it took for me to learn how to keep control. I was more confident with boys and more confident in general. I still wasn't really dating but that was more out of staying focused on school than it was about fear.

I saw him when I was coming out of physics lab. Anthony was leaning up against the hallway, staring off into space. When I slowed down in front of him he turned and focused on me. God, he looked even better than I remembered. He took my breath I way, I mean literally.

As soon as his piercing blue eyes met mine, his lips curved into a small smile and he stood up straight.

"Uh ... hi, there," I said.

"Hi, back," he replied easily.

"I'm, uh, not sure if you remember me? I'm Jennifer ... from ..."

"I remember you."

"Oh. Okay." I glanced around the hallway but there didn't seem to be anyone else around, except the people trailing out of my lab room. "Were you waiting for ... uh ... what're you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you, actually." He made a face of ... embarrassment? It was cute. He gave a short laugh. "I have a friend. In the registrar's office. He looked up where I could find you."

"Oh. Wow. Okay then. Hi." He looked me up? Well, then.

He tilted his head down the hallway. "Let's go. What've you got next?"

I fell into step beside him down the hallway. "Don't you know?"

He laughed at that. "I didn't memorize it." When I just raised my eyebrow, he said, "Ok, you've got English Lit, yes? But not for another hour."

"Yeah, that's right." I thought maybe I should be freaked out but I couldn't help feeling flattered instead.

"So, do you want to go grab some coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee, mmm ... as friends?"

He gave me a look of distaste.

"How do you know I'm not still dating Richard?"

He looked at me then, eyes narrowed, "Are you?"

I paused then said slowly, "No, I'm not."

"Good," he said, sounding relieved but not meeting my eyes.

"Did he ... did he tell you that?"

"Uh, no, not exactly," he muttered.

I looked at him suspiciously as an idea formed in my head. "Wait, did ... I mean, you didn't ... have anything to do with that, did you?"

He shook his head, but it was more like I'm not going to answer than an actual denial.

We walked for a few minutes and then Anthony said, "He was an asshole."

I looked over at him then and I knew, he did have something to do with it. Damned if that didn't make me feel... protected. "Yeah," I said softly, "he was."

I had told myself that I wasn't dating because I was focusing on school, so that I could deny how much my experience with Richard had affected me, but it wasn't totally true. I didn't think I was traumatized for life or anything that dramatic, but it's fair to say I was gun shy. I'd thought of Anthony often in the past few months, not really expecting anything to come of it, and I did want to get to know him better, but still I hesitated.

I guess he knew what I was thinking, though, because he paused and looked me in the eye. "Jennifer. I would never hurt you. And I'm not going to rush you. Just coffee," he said solemnly.

I thought about that for awhile. We got separated in the crowds going down the steps and then met back up at the bottom.

"Actually," he said, leaning forward in that secretive way I remembered so clearly. "I've got another joke."

I laughed, "Are you trying to convince me to come or not?"

He laughed and shrugged exaggeratedly, "Fine then, don't hear it."

I took a deep breath. "Alright. Coffee. Now tell me." I commanded playfully.

"Prepayment required, hmm? Ok, here it is: A neutron walked into a bar and asks, 'How much for a drink?' The bartender says, 'For you, no charge.'"

I groaned but grinned up into those beautiful blue eyes.

He smiled back, "Let's go."