by Mia Ford
Therefore, I was pleased with my night of blatant turndowns, as I tried not to get too hammered.
However, after a while, a girl caught my eye. She was sitting with her friend and the two were laughing hysterically at something. The one girl, Riley, I had seen countless times before. I had hit on her a few times but was thankful when she turned me down. After all, she wasn’t my type.
Her friend, on the other hand, was gorgeous. Instantly, I thought about her dark hair, flowing down her naked back and what exactly was hidden underneath that alluring skirt.
Yet, despite all the physical attributes that guided me toward this woman, there was something else about her that wasn’t physical at all.
I couldn’t quite decipher what was so striking about her, but I found it was difficult to keep my eyes off her.
“Hey, Gavin,” I called, elbowing the one guy I was genuinely friends with in our group.
He turned around, beer in hand, “What’s up, dude?”
“What do you think about her?”
“Riley?” He asked, confused only because I should know exactly what he thought about her. He would bang her in a second, given the chance.
Although, I thought it was strange that he didn’t even seem to notice the other girl.
“No, her friend,” I replied, and he focused his sights on her.
Gavin thought for a moment but eventually, he shrugged and offered an, “I’d hit that,” in passing before returning his attention to whatever he was focused on before.
“You don’t want her,” Ben called, obviously overhearing my questioning and was quick to shut down my advance.
I looked up, slightly confused as to why the hell he would even care who I banged. However, I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to start an argument. Ben was one of those special assholes, who were spoiled their whole life and could do no wrong. He was also the son of the guy whose father got us the scholarships, so absolutely no good was going to come from upsetting him.
“Hey, I’m only trying to help you,” Ben insisted, seeing my expression and needing to comment on it. However, I knew that he wasn’t doing anything to help me. He didn’t like me about as much as I didn’t like him. He wanted any excuse he could to throw me to the wolves, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. “She’s a prude bitch with a stick up her ass,” he added, glancing in her direction. “I don’t know what her deal is, but I think you should focus on a woman who knows her place a little better. After all, you aren’t great with social cues. You should probably go for the sure thing instead of trying to be a successful underdog.”
With that, he patted me on the shoulder, again, as if he were genuinely trying to be helpful and walked away.
I sighed as my hate for him, was reaffirmed in my own mind. Although, I knew I had to be friends with him, because besides the whole scholarship debt, I needed the connection if I was serious about getting anywhere in the business world.
While want was a relative term, it still didn’t mean that was up for any discussion. This was apparently what I was supposed to do and even though I was terrible at it in every natural sense, it didn’t matter.
Besides, unfortunately, if my father was here, he would likely have given me the same advice. He might’ve put it a little more eloquently, or he might not have, depending on how deep in the bottle my old man was. Either way, it didn’t matter much, though. I knew that what Ben had said wasn’t a suggestion. I still wasn’t sure why he cared at all and it annoyed me to no end, but I knew that I would be expected to leave her the hell alone.
So, instead of trying to take Ben’s terrible advice, I separated myself from the group and started to mingle on my own.
Part of me was hoping I would run into the girl, possibly when she got up to get food or a drink, but the only person I saw casually in this way was Riley. Who, was beautiful and friendly, but not my type.
Although, on more than one occasion, I thought about going up to Riley and inquiring about her friend, but I decided against it.
I also decided not to go up and talk to the girl myself, considering I would never hear the end of it if I was seen and it would be even worse if she really did turn me down.
So, I continued to eat, drink and pretend I was having a good time.
Occasionally, I searched the crowd for Gavin but when I didn’t see him, I figured he had charmed his way into somebody’s pants, so I probably wouldn’t see him for a while.
I didn’t bother to look for anyone else, because I had no interest in being around them.
After a few more drinks, though, my liquid courage was at an all-time high.
Who the fuck does Ben think he is? I can see whoever the hell I want! I can talk to whoever I want… I thought, now too drunk to care if I was spotted with the girl. I knew I was too drunk to be a hospitable bedmate, but I was sure I could pull my charm together long enough to ask her out on a date.
Where most of the partygoers were looking for a quick one-night stand, I didn’t mind playing the long game. After all, there were endless possibilities in a chance encounter. If I rushed it, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to find out whether she was the girl for me or not.
So, after downing another shot to ensure my courage stamina would last throughout the conversation, I turned toward the kitchen, heading back to the area where I had last seen the girl.
However, to my dismay, now only Riley was sitting at the island, talking to some random guy and laying her charm on thick.
That didn’t seem right to me, but I thought maybe she went home, or maybe Ben didn’t know what he was talking about after all.
Maybe I did have a chance with her… I thought as my ire intensified. Why does Ben have to be such a dick?
Now, my eyes were scanning the crowd, looking for Ben. Through my intoxication, I realized I wanted to have a word with him. I felt he had completely wronged me and I was going to get to the bottom of this.
Before I could pinpoint Ben’s location, though, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman I was originally looking for, hurrying down the stairs of the house. Without stopping, she dashed outside.
I watched this for a long moment, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. The woman seemed distraught, but I didn’t want to bother her. She had every right to come and go as she pleased as anyone else did.
Yet, the whole situation didn’t seem right. I didn’t want to chase after her and scare her, but if she needed help, attraction or not, I wanted to help her.
The look of disgust and horror on the flash of her expression that I caught sobered me slightly and after a moment of deliberation, I decided to investigate.
Chapter 3: Flora
By the time I reached the front porch of the frat house, my anger had morphed into disappointment and disgust. I couldn’t believe that I had almost done that and with such a dick.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, taunting me and I wondered how long it would be for me to forget about him.
I go to school with this guy… I thought but was comforted by reminding myself that I didn’t see this man very often at school and he was easily avoidable.
Thankfully, we didn’t exactly run in the same circles.
Yet, that didn’t stop me from being completely pissed with Riley.
I couldn’t believe she would hook me up with such a disgusting creep.
I shivered as I thought of him, touching me…kissing me.
When I stopped running, I felt sick, though I wasn’t exactly sure if it was from the alcohol, the running, or the near miss with creep in the bedroom.
Although, it was likely a combination of all three. I normally didn’t take my alcohol well and therefore; I was slightly surprised I hadn’t already vomited on the ground.
However, now, with partygoers still around me, I knew that throwing up would only make this evening more embarrassing, so I collected every bit of my willpower to keep myself from getting sick.
While I was stopp
ing to rest and collect myself, though, I saw a man coming toward me. At first, a strike of fear pierced through me, thinking the man from upstairs was chasing me. Thankfully, though, it wasn’t the man, but someone I thought I saw with him earlier.
Oh great! I thought, contemplating whether I had it in me to punch him too and keep running the rest of the way back to her dorm.
Since, after this experience, there was no way I was getting on a public bus this late, by myself, with a bunch of strangers.
“Hey!” The guy called and now, I was sure he was talking to me. I moved to turn in the opposite direction, but he called to me in almost a desperate tone, “Hey! Please, wait up! I want to talk to you…Are you okay?”
He doesn’t know? I thought, turning toward him now, because my gut told me that this wouldn’t be such an atrocious meeting after all.
Now, he’s cute! I thought.
A tall, lean, muscular man came towards me with light eyes and dirty-blond hair. Although he couldn’t be much older than I was, he had a maturity about his appearance that was striking. He wore the stubble on his chin as masterfully as his visceral body filled out the worn jeans and button-down shirt that he wore.
When he got closer, I noticed that the stark blues that stared intently back at me were mesmerizing. I noted that his muscles flexed as well, but he wasn’t trying to show off. It seemed that he was genuine in his approach. He didn’t appear to be in the mindset to be showing off.
After a lot of mental deliberation, I decided that I would allow him to catch up to me.
“What do you want?” I asked when he was within earshot of me speaking normally. I didn’t want everyone to know my business, so I wasn’t about to scream anything to him.
“I…I saw you leaving. You looked upset,” he managed through deep breathing as he gathered himself, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You mean to tell me you don’t know what happened?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes at him.
The guy stopped short and tilted his head, as though he was genuinely confused.
“No, I don’t,” he offered, almost too quickly to be dishonest, “Should I?”
Part of me was hoping he was telling the truth, while the other part of me was terrified he was a good liar and was manipulating me.
Since I wasn’t sure which, but I couldn’t justify being a total bitch to him, I relaxed slightly, “Okay, we can talk, because to be honest, I’m not okay, but I want to get out of here.”
“Okay,” he answered, “Don’t you want to talk about it…”
“Yes, on the way home! I’m not propositioning you! I really want to leave this goddamn house!” I screamed at him, feeling a nervousness rise in my chest. It wasn’t because of the guy, though. It was because I was terrified the guy was going to come after me again. I wanted to get away as soon as possible and hope to God he didn’t know where I lived.
I suppose the man thought I was afraid of him, so he backed up and raised his hands as though trying to show me he had nothing to hide.
“Whoa! Okay, I’m sorry…I get it. I didn’t mean to scare you. I will definitely walk with you.”
Realizing that I might have overreacted a little, I calmed myself and forced a grin.
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” I answered, immediately turning my back on him and starting to walk in the direction of the school.
Even though he didn’t say anything, the guy caught up to me and continued to walk next to me for a few blocks.
Although I didn’t know this man, the silence between us wasn’t strange. It was kind of comforting.
I didn’t want to be alone, but at the moment, I wasn’t quite ready to talk, so the silent company was even more appreciated than I had realized it would be.
We turned down a street that I knew lead to fields we could cross to get back to the dorms. It was summer, so the night was cool, but still refreshing. There shouldn’t be anyone out there and if someone was following us, which I tried to tell myself was ridiculous, we could get lost in the fields easily.
Thankfully, I knew my way around extremely well, so I wasn’t worried about losing my way.
“So, do you want to talk about what happened back there, or not?” The guy eventually asked, “I mean, you definitely don’t have to. I was just wondering.”
I thought for a moment, trying to genuinely decide if I was ready to talk about it without breaking down. I would hate to have a meltdown in front of a man I barely knew. Although, I had punched one in the face tonight, so it wouldn’t be the strangest thing I had ever done.
“Well, why don’t we start with your name?” I offered.
“Sure…Duh,” he shook his head as though he felt stupid for not leading with such a basic question, “I’m Collin.”
“I’m Flora,” I answered, “And…thank you for walking with me. It really helps.”
“Sure, no problem. I was done with the whole party scene for the night anyway.”
Being reminded of the party, a flash of the man came through my mind first, followed by the thought that my nausea had already dissipated. I silently leapt for joy that I was able to overcome my need to throw up and mortify myself further.
“Yeah,” I answered, “I’m not much for the party scene at all.”
“You and your friend looked like you were having fun…” As he spoke, my eyes jutted up to meet his and he suddenly realized what he had said, “Oh God, wow…Yeah, I’m sorry. You probably won’t believe this, but I am not a creepy stalker. I only noticed you guys there…like once. I promise.”
Instead of getting even more creeped out or angry, as I felt I might have done previously, I laughed. Tonight, was weird enough and I was all for simply rolling with the punches. I didn’t want to worry about a damn thing. If he was a creepy stalker, so be it.
At least he doesn’t smell like cigarettes and BO, I thought.
“Don’t worry about it. I get it. I’m sorry, I didn’t really hone in on anyone there, not on purpose anyway. My friend made me go.”
“Yeah, I see her at a lot of parties. She’s a regular.”
I shook my head in agreement. “Yeah, and I’m the nerdy roommate who stays home to study.”
“Well, considering how shitty your night turned out to be, I would say that studying wouldn’t have been such a bad alternative,” he replied, “I’m not exactly a party animal myself. I go to keep up appearances.”
“Seriously?” I almost barked a deprecating laugh.
“It’s...complicated. Let’s just say my friends are assholes but it’s beneficial for me to remain their friends.”
“Oh,” I replied, “Well, just don’t lose yourself in the process. I mean, you’re going to business school. We’re all learning the same thing.”
“Yeah, which makes it even more important who you know,” he retorted.
I felt my shoulders raise and fall nonchalantly, “I guess you’re right. However, I don’t know anyone, so I have to believe I can work hard and get where I need to go on my own merit, or I’m screwed.”
“Well, now you know me,” he tried, but I wasn’t taking the bait.
“Okay, you’re cute, but I’m not going to sleep with you to get a recommendation.”
“Wow,” he staggered back, acting as though he was genuinely offended. “I definitely didn’t mean that. I was just saying we’ve met. Are you always this obsessed with guys trying to jump your bones?”
I felt my face redden as I backed away from him slightly, “No. Normally, I never talk about it. I don’t even think about it. It’s just…” Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I sighed and put my head down.
“It’s just what?” Collin asked, tilting his head to catch my gaze, now sounding slightly apologetic, “Flora, what happened to you in that house?”
I took a deep breath and continued to walk forward, hoping to be able to stave off the tears before they really started to fall.
“Well, I was with my frien
d, Riley, as I told you and after a few drinks, she insisted I get with someone. I told her no but I was too drunk at that point and so it didn’t take much convincing. However, when she found a guy who was willing, I changed my mind when I got into the room and he tried to attack me.”
“Oh my God!” He explained, his eyes furrowing as he touched my arm supportively. “Who the fuck was he?”
“I don’t know…It doesn’t matter anyway. I punched him and ran out of the room. He didn’t hurt me…He just scared the hell out of me.”
“He didn’t tell you his name? Anything?” He insisted, but I didn’t feel like going into it. I didn’t need a hero, I just needed someone to walk me home, so I could sleep off this awful night.”
By this point, we had made it deep into the fields.
“It doesn’t matter, Collin, please.”
He was quiet for a moment, before shaking his head, though it was obvious he still had reservations.
“Listen, I’m sorry that happened to you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I answered, “I told you, he didn’t hurt me.”
“Yes, but are you okay?” The way his voice dropped, and the sincerity of his question caused me to stop short.
I paused, contemplating what he was asking me. Eventually, though, I turned around, suddenly feeling drawn to him.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same, but I’ll be okay. I certainly won’t trust anyone again.”
“You trusted me to walk you home,” he replied, careful not to move, letting me draw nearer to him.
When I grew closer, I could smell cologne and the light scent of body wash. His scent was alluring, intriguing.
I found myself wondering what he tasted like.
“That was the alcohol,” I assured him, tilting my head and going in for the kiss, before I could talk myself out of it.
While I could taste a hint of beer and pizza, the overarching aura of him was inviting and invigorating. My body immediately yearned for more and yet, in a flash, he pulled away.