by Chiah Wilder
He shrugged, flopping down in the chair. “Just let me know.”
She smiled and went over to the mini fridge in the corner of the room. “Want a Coke?”
“Sure. Do you have any munchies?”
“Chips and salsa good?”
“Yeah.”
She brought them over and set them on the desk. They opened their books and notebooks and began working on their school project.
Two hours later, Kylie stood and stretched. “This is going to blow Dr. Reddle away.”
Ricky followed suit, yawning as he did so. “It better. Damn, I need to raise my grade in the class. I’m glad he paired me with you. You understand all this crap. I’m a math guy, and this touchy-feely shit just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Next year I have to take my math requirement, so you can help me. It all works out.”
He nodded, his gaze running the length of her body. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly conscious of her breast size. “So, you going to eat at the cafeteria or off campus?”
Darting his eyes from her hips to her face, he answered, “The cafeteria. I’m broke until I get paid on Friday.”
An awkward silence surrounded them, and Kylie pretended to be busy arranging her books on the desk.
“Are you and Taylor going to the cafeteria?”
“Not sure what she’s going to do for food. Right now, she’s at the library freaking out.” Kylie smiled. “I ate so many chips, I’m not hungry. I may just pick up a salad at the snack bar.”
“Yeah.” Ricky bent down on one knee and untied, then tied, his shoelaces. “I guess I better get going.” He picked up her retractable pen and pushed the button over and over with his thumb. The clicks filled the silence as she watched him play with it.
“So, I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” She walked to the door and opened it.
“Yeah.” He placed her pen on the desk and sauntered over to the door. Stopping in the doorway, he rubbed his chin and cleared his throat. “You want to go to a movie and dinner with me this Saturday night?” A slight sheen appeared above his upper lip.
Kylie’s eyes widened. He’s asking me on a date. Holy shit! It was ironic because, before Jerry’s visit, she would’ve been ecstatic about going out with Ricky. Since the second semester had begun, she’d been hoping he’d ask her out, but since she’d kissed Jerry, everything had changed.
“I hope I didn’t stick my foot in my mouth. You aren’t going out with that dude you were with on Saturday, are you? I thought he was just a friend.”
The truth was she wasn’t going out with Jerry. He hadn’t even called her. It was like he had a good time groping and kissing her, then he went back to the real women at the club. I bet he’s fucking Rosie and Wendy right now. Bitterness crept through her. “No, Jerry and I aren’t dating. He’s just some guy I know who’s in my dad’s club. No big deal. I’d love to go to the movies on Saturday.”
“You would? Great!” Ricky’s face lit up like a lantern, and she couldn’t help smiling. He was cute, with his light brown hair that fell across his forehead and his shining hazel eyes. He’d also been a great friend while she’d been at the university. “I’ll find out what time the movie is and let you know. Are you into action stuff?”
“I am. I heard Deadpool is good. Are you into seeing that?”
“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see that movie. I’m stoked you want to see it too. Awesome.”
The way he gushed made her laugh. This would be fun. She couldn’t care less what Jerry did, or with whom. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you in class tomorrow. It was fun hanging out with you, even if all we did was school work.” Red streaked his cheeks.
“It was nice. See you, Ricky.”
She closed the door and leaned against the wall, wishing it were Jerry who’d asked her out. You’re fucking hopeless. She liked Ricky a lot, but he didn’t make her insides melt or her breath stop when she saw him like Jerry did. Why did he have to go and kiss me? It would’ve been better if he’d never come to see her on campus.
Touching her lips, Kylie knew that wasn’t true. Even if she never spoke to him again, she’d always have the memory of their first kiss. It was hot, wet, and amazing. But Jerry wasn’t the one asking her out—Ricky was. If they’d kissed like that, she was pretty sure Ricky would’ve been calling and coming around to see her. Not like Jerry, who’d probably forgotten all about it.
She walked to the window and gazed out at the Rocky Mountains. I need to just let go of this and give Ricky a chance. Jerry’s half-smile flitted across her mind. Resting against the window pane, her feelings were more mixed up than ever.
Chapter Five
By the time Friday rolled around, Kylie was so antsy she wanted to jump out of her skin. She had to get away from campus and people. She and Taylor worked well together as roommates, and they’d become good friends, but after being an only child and having a room to herself for all her life, sharing a two-hundred-thirty-square-foot room with another person was pretty damned cramped. Sometimes, she just needed to be by herself.
Jerry hadn’t contacted her since the previous Sunday, and even though Kylie acted like she didn’t give a damn, there was that miserable part of her brain that imagined he was so grossed out by what had happened that he didn’t want to talk to her anymore. She tried not to dwell on it, but it’d creep up when she was studying, or in a lecture, or even hanging out with her friends. More than anything, she wanted to stop thinking about him. So she did what always cheered her up—she shopped.
When she returned to campus after her shopping spree, the two parking lots closest to her dorm were full. Cursing under her breath, she parked in the third, securing the numerous packages in her hands. “This is such a pain in the ass,” she said under her breath as she trekked toward her building. From behind her she heard the hum of a motor, and she moved closer to the side of the lot to give more room for the car to pass her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the car next to her, its engine sounding like a sewing machine. She picked up her pace and the vehicle matched it.
“Hey, where’re you going?”
Kylie turned her head and saw a purple Corvette with a white racing stripe over its hood, roof, and trunk. The windows were tinted, and even though the driver’s window was halfway down, she couldn’t make out his features. Ignoring him, she continued walking, fully aware of the car’s proximity.
“I know you heard me.” The driver clucked his tongue. “Don’t be that way, Kylie.” His voice was smooth and mellow.
She stopped in her tracks. Facing him, she bent down slightly, trying to see his face. “How do you know my name?” she asked.
His chuckle sent shivers up her spine. “I know a lot of things about you, Kylie.”
She peered at him, but the glare from the western sun made it difficult for her to see his face clearly. He wore sunglasses with a thick, shiny gold frame; his face appeared dark, like he stayed in the sun a lot; dark brown—maybe black—hair; and he was clean-shaven. She couldn’t quite tell, but judging by his voice, she guessed him to be in his late twenties. The golden orb’s blaze hid most of his features and left only a smudgy glimpse of him.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“You do now.”
“What’s your name?” She could hear her father’s voice telling her to get the fuck away from this guy. Though she could sense a thread of danger weaving around her, she remained there, talking with him, as though they would become friends.
“That’s for later.”
“It isn’t fair that you know my name and I don’t know yours.” She shielded her eyes from the sun, bending down lower to see him better. He pulled his head back into the shadows of his sports car.
“Life isn’t fair. Haven’t you learned that yet?” A hard edge slipped into his voice and her blood ran cold. “Let me take you back to your dorm. You’ve got too many packages.”
Fear seized her. She shook he
r head. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“Come on, get in the car. It’s too far for you to walk.” His idling engine threw off hot waves of exhaust. “Come on.” His voice rolled over her as he coaxed her.
Swinging her hair over her shoulders, Kylie shifted the bags in her hands. “I’m good.” She started walking again. He followed her. Her heart racing, she looked around the parking lot, but no one was there except for this man with the suave voice and the mirrored sunglasses. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. I’m all alone. This guy could grab me, and no one would have a damn clue what happened to me.
Gliding her hand into her tote, she felt around until her fingers wrapped around her pepper spray can.
“You’re not gonna make me beg, are you, Kylie?” His voice was too calm, laced with a sinister undertone.
He unnerved her, and she quickened her pace, her pulse throbbing. If only she were back at her dorm.
“Kylie. Sweet Kylie, come into the car. You know you want to. I’m not gonna hurt you. Is that what you think?”
Shaking her head, she said, “I like walking. I’m good. You can go.”
He chuckled again. “You like my car?”
“It’s cool. It’s a Corvette—1982, right?”
“You’re pretty and smart. You know cars.”
“I used to help my dad fix cars and bikes when he had his shop.” She walked while she spoke to him, keeping him in her sight with sidelong glances.
“I love motorcycles.”
“Do you have one?”
“Not yet. Do you?”
“No, but my dad promised to get me one once I graduate.”
“You a Harley girl?”
She stopped and turned to him, smiling broadly. “All the way.”
He licked his lips, and she saw her reflection in his sunglasses: small and distorted—like she were looking in a carnival mirror. He let out a long breath then said huskily, “What else do you do all the way?”
Her scalp prickled as clamminess rode the length of her spine. Swallowing hard, she said, “Please go. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“Is that right?”
“Go.”
“What are you gonna do if I don’t?”
She picked up her speed, her stomach twisting in knots.
He sped up a little. “You’re so beautiful. I just want to get to know you. What’s the harm in that?”
Gulping air, she stumbled over the cracks in the parking lot, cursing the university for not having enough parking close to the dorms.
“I can see you’re tired. Your arms must be aching, carrying all your packages. I can drop you off.”
“Leave me alone,” she said breathlessly.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
His soothing voice was scaring the shit out of her. How am I going to get away from him? Then she spotted the security vehicle in the distance, cruising through the parking lot. Kylie dropped her bags, raised her hand, and called out to the two security guards in the car, grateful they had their windows rolled down.
His head whipped to the right as if to see to whom she was gesturing. He turned to her. “You shouldn’t have done that, Kylie.” The hardness was back, slicing through her like a razor. “I’ll see you soon.” His car lurched forward as he sped away from her. She strained to see his license plate number so she could memorize it, but there wasn’t one.
“Can we help you, miss?” the security officer asked as his vehicle came beside her.
She nodded. “Some creep was bothering me. He was in the purple Corvette. Did you see him?”
Shaking his head, the officer turned to his partner and asked if he’d seen the sports car. He hadn’t either. “Did you get his plate number?”
“I looked, but he didn’t have any plates. At least not in the back.”
“Would you like an escort back to campus?”
“Yes, thank you.”
She climbed in the back of the car, settling down on the cloth seats. Rubbing her sore wrists, she replayed her encounter with the man, and it made her insides tingle with fear.
Several minutes later, the security patrol car stopped. “Here you are.” Kylie hesitantly looked at the back of her dorm building. “Do you want one of us to escort you inside?”
“I do, thanks.” She slid out of the vehicle, scanning the parking lot. There wasn’t any sign of a purple Corvette, just a few students exiting from their cars. She sprinted up the stairs, thanked the guard, and breathed deeply when she entered her room. Locking her door, she checked it twice, afraid he may know where she lived, especially since he knew her name. She shuddered, then began hanging up the new clothes she’d purchased, the fun of shopping overshadowed by her strange encounter in the parking lot.
Half an hour later, Kylie heard a key turning in the lock. Taylor walked in with an armload of books. “What’s up with bolting all the locks?” She threw the books on her bed, grabbed a Coke from the mini fridge, and slumped in the cushy chair by the window.
“I was sorta freaked out. This guy came up to me when I was trekking back to the dorm from parking lot C.” Kylie then recounted what had happened while she walked back to the building. “Sometimes he seemed cool and sincere, like he was a pal or something. He made me feel unafraid until he’d stare at me like he was undressing me, or a hard edge would slip into his voice. I’ve never had an experience like that before with a total stranger.” She took a sip from her bottled water. “He knew my name. Too scary.”
“He sounds like a perv who wanted to pick you up. If he goes to the university, it’s not hard to find out a girl’s name. Maybe he’s been crushing on you from a distance. Was he good-looking?”
“I couldn’t see him clearly. He wore these big mirrored sunglasses with really thick, gold frames. They looked like something a pimp would wear, or someone back in the 1970s.” She shook her head. “He wanted me to get in the car, but I got the vibe he’d hurt me. I hope I don’t see him again.”
“Remember last year when that guy kept trying to pick up girls in the parking lots behind the dorms? When the university got a lot of complaints, they finally beefed up security, and he went away.”
Kylie pulled her hair in a low ponytail. “Oh, yeah, I remember now. I totally forgot about that. I wonder if he’s back, and that’s who the guy was. What kind of car did the women say he drove? I can’t remember.”
“Me neither. You should file a report with campus security.”
“The two guards told me that, as well. I plan to.”
“The guy from last year just got his kicks out of talking to the women. Fucking fantastic that we have to watch out for pervs on top of everything else.”
“I know.” Kylie wanted to believe the guy was just some weirdo who got his jollies from talking to women in parking lots, but her gut told her he’d targeted her. He wanted something with her. Something dark, perverse, and terrifying. She knew she should tell her dad, but she was afraid he’d overreact and make her come back to Pinewood Springs, and she liked being on her own. She was probably reading more into the encounter than there was; the guy was probably some jerk who thought he was super cool. When she didn’t wax up to him, it bruised his ego. Some men were like that.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
Shaking off the dark feelings, Kylie grabbed her wrist wallet. “Me too. Cafeteria or café?”
“Cafeteria. I’m low on money until next week when my dad puts my monthly stipend in the bank.”
Opening the door, Kylie said, “Let’s go.”
The two women walked down the hall.
* * *
“The movie was great,” Kylie said as she entered the restaurant, Ricky’s hand on the small of her back. “It was so fast-paced I held my breath through most of it.”
“I know what you mean. I loved it. It was the anti-hero at his best.”
The Burger Shack was teeming with young people. The eatery served up fat, juicy burgers, fries, onion rings, shake
s, and fountain drinks at an affordable price, so it was little wonder that it was a favorite weekend hangout for college students.
Kylie and Ricky sat in a small booth next to the window, and the din of video games, laughter, conversation, and the ever-present tunes from the digital jukebox on the wall filled the eatery. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard tabletop, “What are you going to eat?”
Ricky laughed and placed his hand over hers. She stiffened slightly, causing him to slide his hand away. “It’s not that loud, is it?” He looked at the one-sheet menu. “You want some wings to start?”
“Sure.”
For the next hour, they laughed and talked, and when Ricky excused himself to go to the bathroom, Kylie realized she was having a good time. She knew several people in the place, so she chatted with them until he came back.
After he paid the bill, they left, the reduction in noise immediately apparent. “That was so good. I’m more than stuffed. I’m going to have to work out even longer tomorrow,” Kylie said.
“Do you work out at the school’s gym?”
She shook her head, tugging her leather jacket tighter around her. “No, I go to a martial arts studio. I work out there before class.”
Ricky stopped. “You know martial arts? Damn, I better be good around you.” He laughed and gripped her hand, pulling her to him.
She licked her lips. “My dad insisted that I take classes to learn self-defense. When I was in high school, I couldn’t go to the mall or movies with my friends because I had a class, or practice, or a tournament, and I’d be so pissed at him. Now I’m glad he made me go. It’s empowering, you know?”
“I’m still trying to come to terms with you being some sort of ninja.”
She laughed, poking him with her fingers. “Silly.”
“How long you been studying martial arts?”
“Since I was about ten. I stopped for a couple of years when my mom got real sick and died. I don’t go to classes every week. It’s a great workout.”