The Only One

by Magan Vernon

  “Wednesday? Next week?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Yeah. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  He took a step closer until we were toe-to-toe. “Next week is Hell week for the pledges before initiation. We have a lot of shit going on at the house and you know I have a little brother this year.”

  “Oh, it’s fine. I totally understand.” I stared at the dated carpet at my feet. Of course he had other plans. I couldn’t expect him to be my knight in shining armor forever.

  He cupped my chin in his hand and forced my eyes to meet his. “But I’m pretty sure I can swing a trip out. Especially for you.” He then kissed my forehead and released my chin before taking my hand and interlacing our fingers. ”Now let’s go back to your place and bake sit and watch Harry Potter.”

  “Are you serious?” I raised an eyebrow.

  He pulled me forward and I walked with him, hand in hand, through the tunnel to the parking garage.

  “Serious as Hell, Red. You’ve been through enough shit today and nothing makes a day better than baked goods and Harry Potter.”

  * * *

  John stood over my oven, stirring a melting pot of chocolate. “You have to get it just the right temperature or the whole thing is ruined.”

  “Where did you even learn to cook?” I asked, my mouth practically watering over his creation: a caramel cookie dough cheesecake with chocolate topping.

  A smile crossed his full lips and made the urge to kiss him even greater. “My dad was actually a Sous chef, and then he moved to Illinois for my mom’s work and ended up getting a union job instead of doing the chef thing. He still loved to cook so instead of doing it as a job he just taught me and my brother and sister the tricks of the trade.”

  He stopped stirring and turned off the burner before he lifted the pot and slowly poured it over the cheesecake.

  “You have to be one of the most interesting people that I’ve ever met. Why doesn’t everyone see this side of you?” I tried to resist dipping my finger in the hot chocolate.

  He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? That I don’t tell the world I’m a computer programming chef and they just think I’m some dumbass frat boy?”

  “I-I-I didn’t say I thought you were that.”

  He shook his head, dishing the last of the chocolate onto the cheesecake. “Yeah, but I know you thought it the minute you saw me and that’s why I wanted to prove you wrong. Call me crazy, Red, but I didn’t want you to think that of me.”

  John set the pan down and then locked his eyes on mine. “The moment I saw you at the party, I don’t know, something clicked. I’d seen you before at the coffee shop and you always seemed too busy to even notice me as more than a customer. Then I found you out of your element at the Halloween party and had to take my chance. I had to get to know the girl that makes my coffee and takes notes by hand.”

  He took my palm and brushed his lips against it. “Now come on. Let’s get the first Harry Potter started while this cools down.”

  * * *

  Two pieces of cheesecake and three Harry Potter movies later, I was a slug passed out on my couch. I didn’t even realize that I fell asleep until John moved beneath me. His arm draped over the back of the couch and his feet were propped up on the coffee table. He stretched his arms over his head and let out a big groan, his muscles popping as he moved.

  “Sorry for passing out on you. Been a long day. What time is it?” I asked, yawning and glancing at the clock over the stove. “Wow, it’s already ten. Do you need to be somewhere?”

  “Nowhere but here and don’t worry about falling asleep. You’ve kind of had a lot going on.” He pulled my feet onto his lap, cradling my heel in his hands and massaging it. A soaring ream of pleasure sailed all the way from the corners of my feet and up to my lips, a low moan escaping them.

  “You like that?”

  I bit my bottom lip, embarrassed at my reaction, but didn’t want him to stop. I was afraid to say anything for fear that I’d just moan again.

  John grinned, his fingers working their magic on my heels and then up to my toes, kneading in between each one. I’d never been much of a foot person or thought that one could get turned on by a foot massage, but oh my God did his hands feel good. I closed my eyes and sank deeper into the couch, trying not to collapse into a pile of goo all over him. No matter where his hands touched it had a direct line between my legs.

  “Do you want to get that?” John stopped his rubbing.

  “What?” My eyes popped open and John motioned to the coffee table.

  I didn’t even hear my phone and when I looked over, my sister’s big, blonde face smiled back at me. My mom must have told her what was going on. I really should have called her. Shit.

  “Yeah. I guess I should.” I slid my feet down to the ground and unlocked my phone, sliding it to my ear. “Hey,Val.”

  “My baby sister has to go to the doctor for cancer and I have to find out from our eccentric mother? Way to break it to a girl.”

  My sister and I didn’t talk too much on the phone. We texted each other a few times a week, but only about which celebrity was sleeping with who. Valerie moved to Chicago after she graduated college to live out her fantasy of being the curvy Carrie Bradshaw. That was around the same time as Mom and Dad’s divorce so she left me at home with Mom for the summer while she went off on shopping sprees on Michigan Ave or whatever else she did for her PR job.

  “Sorry, dude, I should have texted you.” I glanced up and saw John staring at me with his eyebrows raised. “My sister,” I mouthed. He nodded.

  “Well, how do you think I feel when mom calls me crying that her baby is going to the doctor for cancer? It’s crazy! Are you okay, though? Are you going to have chemo? Is it breast cancer? Do I need to rally and wear pink?”

  “No. I went to Student Health Services for an exam and they found cancer cells on my cervix. The doctor said that it happens to a lot of women. They did a biopsy today and I go back on Wednesday to talk to her about the results.”

  The fewer words the better. The reason I usually texted Valerie was because she liked to hear herself talk, a lot. I didn’t want John to sit and listen to me talk to my loud-mouthed sister.

  “You’d better call me when you get them. I don’t want to have to hear it from Mom and whatever way she finds to overdramatize it.” She let out a crackling breath that was like static on the phone. “But seriously are you okay, do you need me to come in town this weekend?”

  “No, it’s fine. I have a friend over now and he was able to take me to the doctor and hang out with me while I complain about everything.”

  “He? A boy, Melanie?”

  Shit. I shouldn’t have said anything about him.

  “Um, yeah, my friend John.”

  I guess he was considered a friend. I didn’t really know what else to call him. I glanced in his direction and saw that his eyes may have been facing the TV, but the smile on his face told me that he was listening to the conversation.

  “Girls aren’t just friends with boys unless they’re gay. At least us Wilder girls aren’t. Do you have a new boyfriend that you’ve been keeping from me as well? Oh my God! I don’t get a text in a few days and now you have lady part cancer and a boyfriend!”

  “Valerie! He’s not my boyfriend!” I screeched and then realized that John did hear everything and his eyes shifted from the TV to me.

  “Sorry,” I mouthed to him again.

  “Want me to talk to her?” His voice was low and sultry.

  “Was that him talking? Oh God he sounds hot. Is he hot?” Valerie asked.

  I rolled my eyes and pushed the phone receiver away from my mouth. “John, my sister wants to know if you’re hot, and no you may not talk to her.”

  Before I could move or protest, John grabbed the phone from my hand and stood, putting the phone to his ear. “Hey, Valerie.”

  “John!” I squealed and jumped up, but he had a lot of height on me and was quicker, turning th
e other way so that I couldn’t grab the phone.

  “Yeah, really? That’s funny. I’ll have to let her know.” He glanced back at me, but ducked out of the way as I lunged for the phone again.

  I couldn’t hear what Valerie was saying, but I could hear her giggle loud and clear through the phone. Just what I needed. Then my mom would know about him and whatever he was and I didn’t want to deal with all of that. I had enough explaining to do with the cancer stuff. I didn’t want to explain whatever my weird relationship was with the hottest guy I’d ever seen.

  “Okay, Val, I’ll have Melanie call you back tomorrow. Bye.” He hung up the phone and tossed it on the couch and turned back to me.

  “Why did you do that?”

  He shrugged but had a mischievous grin on his lips. “You said she wanted to know if I was hot, so I thought I should talk to her.”

  “You are seriously in so much trouble.”

  “Yeah?” He took a step closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. “And what are you going to do about it? Nag me to death?”

  I gasped. “I’m not a nagger! Am I? Please don’t tell me that I am.”

  He kissed my forehead. “You worry too much about what everyone else thinks of you.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  John let go of my waist and took a step back. “It means that I like you for you and you should like you for you. And that I need to get going before I wear out my welcome and you’re sick of me.”

  I blinked, not sure what to think of what he said. He liked me? Like like? I know he kind of insinuated in the car, but I thought he was just being nice. Now I really felt my face flush. “You don’t have to leave.”

  “I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. So instead I’m just going to see you tomorrow when you come by the house for the stoplight party.”

  “Stoplight party?” This guy knew how to change the subject and keep me guessing at everything he had to say.

  “Yeah, it’s a theme where you wear red if you’re taken, yellow if it’s complicated, and green if you’re down to fuck.”

  “And what color will you be wearing?” I asked. God, what a stupid question. Could I make things any more awkward?

  He grinned, blowing some air out of his nose like a silent laugh. “I usually wear black. Keeps them guessing.”

  “Okay, then maybe I’ll show up tomorrow and maybe I’ll wear white. You know, to keep people guessing as well.”

  He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. I didn’t want quick. I didn’t want chaste. No matter how bad my lady bits still hurt and how broken my body felt, I was still a girl and I still wanted that feeling I had when he was giving me a massage.

  “I hope you do, Red. I hope you do.”

  Chapter 10

  What to wear? What to wear? I stared at my closet, like magically the perfect outfit would pop out and hit me.

  Ugh! Why did I say I’d wear white? I thought it would seem cool and mysterious, but really there was nothing cool and mysterious about me. John already knew more about me from the past few days than a lot of people. I also had two women see more of me than any guy had in a year. Yet I knew nothing about John or the doctors.

  Sure, he may have told me that his dad was a chef and would give me hints of things, like his tattoos, but the hot guy was still as much of a mystery to me as ever.

  Finally, after combing through my closet forever, I put on a plain white tank top, jean skirt, and some black leggings. It was too cold to wear just the skirt and I didn’t want to be one of those girls that crawled across campus half naked. I didn’t know how I didn’t hear of more girls getting hypothermia after the weekend, but to each their own.

  By the time I arrived, the Alpha Mu house was in full party mode. Two guys were camped out at the front door, wearing green Alpha Mu shirts. A line of people waited to be let in as if it was some sort of exclusive club.

  The November weather was getting worse and I pulled my coat tightly around me. The two girls in front of me were wearing short, sparkly green dresses and barely even shivering. Instead they bounced around, giggling. The blonde one turned toward me and I recognized her as Betsy, the hickey queen who worked at Brewster’s.

  “Oh Em Gee, Melanie! What are you doing here? I didn’t think you partied at the Alpha Mu house.”

  “Yeah. I mean, no. I don’t usually party here. A friend invited me.” I tried to keep my voice even, but the temperature had seriously dropped and I was trying not to shiver. What the Hell were those guys doing at the door that was taking so long?

  “Ohhh a friend?” She batted her goopy eyelashes and then glanced at her friend before looking back at me. “Who is it? I know a lot of guys in the house.”

  “It’s no one important.” I tried to remain calm and saw that we were almost to the door. It was probably a bad idea to come alone. I should have begged Monica to come with or someone from one of my classes. Or maybe just not come at all.

  “I hope he doesn’t hear you say that if you are hoping to get some later.” She cackled. Yes. That’s what it sounded like. A witch cackle.

  “Next!” The taller of the guys at the door called. Saved by the yell.

  Betsy whipped around, her blonde hair pelting me in the face. “Gabey Wabey!” Her and her friend pranced over to the door and she threw her arms around the guy. He barely looked at her and didn’t even hug her back. Instead he looked directly at me.

  Hey, brunette, do I know you?

  Betsy jumped from the guy’s arms and looked back at me, cocking one of her way-too-thin eyebrows. “Are you talking about Melanie? She’s my boss at Brewster’s. You’ve probably seen her in there when you’ve gotten your hangover donuts.”

  I noticed the other guy at the door was checking Betsy’s friend’s ID. Weird. That must have been what the holdup was.

  He shook his head, rubbing his goatee. No, that’s not it. He stopped rubbing and it was like a light bulb went off above his head. “You were here the other night with John Boy. I remember he drove you home the next morning.”

  Betsy blinked, hard. You hooked up with John Boy and he gave you a ride home?

  “It wasn’t exactly hooking up....”

  “You little slut! You should have told me sooner! Betsy squealed.

  “Hey, Blondie, quit yapping and just do the Alpha Mu shuffle so we can stop freezing our asses off!” some guy yelled from the back of the line.

  “The what?” I asked, eager to change the subject.

  Betsy handed over her ID and then slightly lifted up the hem of her dress, spinning around in front of Gabe, who barely gave her a second look and kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “We check to make sure you have a student ID and then have you show your waistband so we can see that you aren’t trying to bring a gun or anything into the house.”

  Oh, that makes sense. I pulled my student ID out of my pocket. It was attached to my Central College lanyard that also had my keys. It was actually a smart idea. No guns and that probably meant no undercover cops.

  “Waistband?” he asked.

  I shivered, reluctant to show any part of my body. Not just because it was freezing out, but I didn’t exactly have the flattest stomach in the world and for some reason it felt like if I showed it, that would somehow also show my damagedness. Like my cancer would just show on my body. It was stupid, I knew, but that’s how I felt.

  “Oh-oh-okay.” I lifted up my coat ever so slightly so only the waistband of my skirt showed and not any other part of my body. Then I did a little spin.

  “Okay, boss lady, you’re free to go.” Gabe ushered me inside behind the bubbly Betsy and her friend.

  The common room was packed with people, shoulder-to-shoulder as music blared from some unknown source. The minute I entered the room the heat radiating off everyone surrounded me and I felt like I had to gasp for air. Most everyone was in green and using that as an excuse to grope the person next to them. I was glad I didn’t wear green. Even though I wa
sn’t sure what color I would have worn if I didn’t tell John I was wearing white. Were we together? Was I supposed to wear red? I guess I could have worn my yellow band shirt from high school that I embarrassingly still kept around even though it was stained beyond belief.

  I already lost Betsy in the sea of people, which was fine with me. I didn’t exactly want to hang out with her or have to answer any more questions about me and John. Questions that I didn’t have the answer to.

  “Hey, Red!” I spun around, hoping to see John in the crowd, but instead it was his little brother, Short Stack. He had a big grin on his face and was wearing an oversized green tuxedo t-shirt and white baseball cap backwards over his curly mop of hair.

  “Hey, Short Stack. Nice shirt.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, it’s John Boy’s. I didn’t have anything green, so he said I could wear this.”

  “Speaking of John, have you seen him? I just got here, but I don’t see him anywhere.” I tried to appear cool about it, but really I was afraid that I wouldn’t actually find him and would just get felt up by some random dude. Well, if he could feel me up over the giant coat that I was sweating in.

  Short Stack put his hand on his chin as if he was deep in thought. “Not lately. Last time I saw him he was upstairs. I could take you up there to find him, if you want.”

  “I think I can handle going up the stairs myself.” I went to turn away, but then Short Stack grabbed my arm.

  “Actually, you can’t. Not without an Alpha Mu escort. The upstairs is off limits.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “But I was up there the other night?”

  “Yeah, but that wasn’t a real party, just a kick back. Besides, you were with John Boy. Now come on. I don’t have all day.” He pulled me forward and reluctantly I pushed through the crowd with him until we were at the stairs.

  Another guy sat at the bottom of the staircase, with a coffee table blocking it. He didn’t smile when he saw us and kicked his combat boots up on the table, running a hand through his overly gelled hair. “Can I help you?”