by Harte, C. J.
“No, thank you, ma’am.” Drew was quickly gone and Jordan was again wondering how she got up and out so fast.
On Thursday, Jordan had two glasses of ice on the table along with a variety of cans of soda before Drew arrived. “I thought you might be thirsty.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine.”
Jordan was frustrated. “Do you not eat or drink?”
“I do, but you’re paying for my time, and I want to make good use of that.”
“Having something to drink or chatting for a few minutes isn’t going to make that much difference. I’m sorry. I was just being polite.”
“It could make a difference if we got distracted. Not a problem. Shall we study?”
Jordan couldn’t believe how obstinate Drew was being. How was she going to get to know her if Drew refused to have a few minutes of polite talk? “Are all your family in Wyoming? What made you decide to come to Florida?”
Drew shook her head. “Ma’am, I really need to study.”
“I was just trying to get to know you a little better.” Jordan hoped she didn’t sound whinny.
“Ma’am, where my family is, and why I came to Florida, won’t make a difference in your grades. Now, if you don’t want to study, I’ll leave.”
Jordan sat back in her chair. “Fine. If that’s the way you feel, then leave.” She threw her pencil on the table and dared Drew to go.
Drew wasted no time heading out the door. Without even saying good night.
Jordan sat stunned. “I don’t believe it. She just walked out.”
Jordan picked up her pencil and stared at her unopened books. She had behaved churlishly. She had chosen Drew because she seemed focused. This same behavior was now frustrating her. Drew’s behavior just further piqued her curiosity. “Ugh! Now I’ll need to apologize.”
The next day, Jordan called Drew and was surprised when a male answered. “May I speak to Drew, please?”
“Who’s calling?” the male on the phone asked.
“Jordan.” She didn’t know what else to say. She hadn’t thought much about Drew having a life outside of school.
After a brief interval, a familiar voice answered. “Hello, Jordan.” Drew was barely polite.
“I’m calling to apologize. If you come back on Sunday, I promise to focus on studying. In fact, if you come a little earlier, I’ll even fix dinner.”
Drew’s voice had a distinct chill. “Thank you for the apology. I’ll be there Sunday at our regular time.” Drew hung up before Jordan had a chance to respond.
“How rude! Wonder what she’ll be like when she shows up?” Jordan put the phone down. “Well, at least she’ll come back one more time.”
*
Drew quickly hung up the phone. “What a pain,” she muttered.
“What’s the matter?” Mark asked.
“Remember I told you what happened last night? Well, Jordan called to apologize. She gets special dispensation to have a private tutor. She tells me she wants someone to keep her focused. Then she keeps wandering off task.”
“What’s she doing?”
“Asking questions about my personal life. Wanting to socialize.”
Mark laughed. “Nothing wrong with that. Maybe she’s interested.”
Drew glared. “She’s so straight she couldn’t see around a ninety degree corner.”
“Oh, you really like her?”
“She’s like having to go to the dentist. It may be a good thing to do, but it’s not fun while you’re there. The rest of the time she’s nice.”
“Nice? Oh, pul-leeze, save me from nice.”
“You know, most of the time you’re smart.”
“The rest of the time?” Mark asked.
“You’re smart…ass.”
Drew offered her worst scowl and slammed the door to her room. She wanted to make sure he didn’t hear her laughter.
Chapter Six
October
Jordan remained focused. Her curiosity hadn’t dimmed, but she was determined to prove that she was serious. By midterm, her grades had improved and she was well on her way to making the dean’s list.
Drew was the reason. She’s patient and respectful. No matter what questions Jordan asked, Drew acted as if it was important, unless it was personal. Each tutoring session gave Jordan another reason to like and appreciate Drew. Yet, the semester was half over and still she knew little about her. Except that she was a medical student from Wyoming living with a man. “Why did you decide to become a doctor?”
“Are we finished with studying?” Drew asked. She stuffed her books and notes in her backpack.
“No!” Jordan sighed. This was getting her nowhere. “Yes.” She reached across the table and grabbed Drew’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a personal question. I was just curious.” Drew looked as if she was going to answer, then thought better of it. Time to change the subject. “I just got my Calc I midterm back.” Jordan pulled out the exam. She’d only missed one problem.
“Jordan, that’s fantastic. You’ve been working hard and will make decent grades.”
Drew’s praise was a balm. Jordan relaxed and smiled. “Thank you. I owe it to you.”
“No, ma’am. You’re the one taking the quizzes. I’m just the guide.” Drew stood and grabbed her backpack. “You’re smart. About one-third to one-half the students taking calculus for the first time have to repeat it. You won’t be one of them. Congratulations again. Good night.”
Drew was again abruptly ending the evening. Tonight, Jordan didn’t care. Drew said she was smart.
She watched Drew walk out of the house and realized she liked her.
*
November
The first week in November, Drew called Jordan. She needed to take off a few days from tutoring. This may be her last rodeo final, and she wanted to end up in the top ten overall. This may be her last chance.
“Are you getting behind in your classes?” Jordan asked. “I’m sorry. I haven’t even asked how you were doing or if you were struggling.”
“I’m fine. I just need to be out of town for a few days.”
“Is your family okay?”
“My family’s fine.” Drew struggled to keep a normal tone of voice. “I just need to be out of town. Do you want a sub for a few days?”
“No!”
Well, there is no need to bark at me, then. This was not the reception Drew expected. After all, she would only miss two days.
“I don’t need another tutor, thank you.”
Jordan hung up and Drew found herself staring at a silent phone. “She’ll get over it.”
*
The next morning, Mark drove Drew to the small Gainesville airport. “I can’t believe you’re taking off from classes for some rodeo.”
“Mark, it’s not some rodeo. It’s the finals. I can pick up some quick cash if I’m successful. This may be my last chance to participate in finals, and this has always been my dream.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Probably, but I don’t want any regrets.”
“How’s things with Jordan?”
“Okay, I guess. Didn’t say much except that she didn’t need a tutor while I was gone.” In spite of that, Drew’s respect for her was growing. Jordan was staying focused and making good grades. She was one determined person. “My parents are driving out to meet me and bringing the horses. I can’t wait to see them.”
“The horses?”
“No, my parents. They’re bringing a couple of my roping horses and my saddles.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
*
Jordan kept looking at her watch. Her sorority was gearing up for homecoming, and this was one more party. She always felt a little out of place at these. Tonight, a Sigma Chi was hitting on her.
“Come on, Jordan, let me get you another drink.”
“Thanks, Sam, but I still have my drink.” It was cranberry juice, but she wasn’t going to tell him.
/>
He leaned close and lowered his voice. “Why don’t I get you something a little stronger and we could go someplace private?”
It was the second invitation she’d gotten this evening. She was not the most attractive female present, but being the First Daughter made her a boasting prize. Probably has a bet on how long it will take before I give in.
“Can you excuse me for a moment? I need to catch my big sister before she leaves.” She quickly walked away without looking back. She heard him call her a bitch.
One of her sorority sisters pulled her over to a busy corner. She wanted to go home, but she should stay a little longer. When she was finally alone, she knew she would be wondering where Drew was and what she was doing. At least the party was a distraction. Darn Drew! She smiled and shook hands.
Around midnight, she grabbed her coat to go. Most of the crowd was into serious party mode. Some of the corners were now occupied by couples making out, including the Sigma Chi. Jordan shook her head. She was a trophy, that’s all. How would she ever find someone to love her just for herself? She needed to get out of there.
*
On Sunday, Drew called to let Mark know she was on her way back to Gainesville. She was sitting in a wheelchair when he finally drove up to the front of the airport. She struggled to balance her gear, her luggage, and her crutches. Mark jumped out of the car and helped her to get in.
“What kind of rodeo is this?” he asked as he gathered her belongings and placed them in his car.
“Stupid luck.”
“Stupid luck? Sorry, girlfriend, but you don’t look lucky.”
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”
“There’s good news?” Mark’s voice rose an octave. Drew grinned.
“Yeah. I stayed on and won the final go-round.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. If that’s the good news, I don’t know if I want to know the bad. Did this have something to do with how you look?”
Drew grimaced and tried to get comfortable. “My hand got caught in the rope as I tried to get off the bull. It’s supposed to slip loose, but I got tangled. Happens sometimes. I dislocated my shoulder, and the critter stepped on my foot.” She smiled and pointed to the buckle. “But I got high score for the ride.”
“High scores? For insanity? I guess your foot is broken, too.”
“Actually, just bruised. I’ll need to go to the health center so they can follow up. But I made some money!” She leaned her head against the back of the seat. She had no doubt she would be asleep not long after she got back to the apartment.
*
Stiffness and pain greeted Drew when she finally woke. She carefully took inventory of her injuries and realized she wasn’t sure how she was going to take notes. She looked about for her digital voice recorder just as Mark came in bringing soup and hot tea. “You’re a lifesaver,” Drew said.
“Can you eat with your left hand?” Drew nodded. “Jordan called yesterday and wanted to know when you would be back. Seems she has a calculus quiz and wanted to study.”
“I’ll call her and then we can finish studying, okay?”
Mark agreed, picked up their bowls, and returned them to the kitchen.
Drew called Jordan, again avoiding any personal questions. Conversation was short, and she agreed to meet with her on Tuesday. Now she needed to concentrate on her own studies.
“So, you had a good rodeo?” Mark asked when he returned.
“I was sitting right at the edge before the finals, but I think I’ll be seven or eight for the year in bull riding, and I won all-around cowgirl. It was a good year.”
“I’d hate to see what you look like in a bad year.”
“About the same,” Drew said, then laughed.
*
Tuesday evening, Jordan was stunned to see an injured Drew. “Are you okay? Were you in an accident?” She tried to grab Drew’s arm to help her in, but Drew pulled away.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m fine. No, ma’am. I was just a little careless.” Drew took a circuitous route around Jordan.
Jordan watched as Drew slowly hobbled to the table, lowered herself into the chair, and put her backpack to one side. “Would you prefer to sit in the living room where you can put your foot up? Can I get you anything?” Jordan needed to do something, anything to help.
“No, ma’am, and no, ma’am, but thank you. Besides, now that I’m sitting down, I’d rather not try to get up right away. Let’s just study. Maybe we can quit early.”
Jordan couldn’t imagine what happened. Drew definitely looked uncomfortable. Her right arm was in a sling and her foot was in a walking boot. She pulled out her books and turned to the pages on the exam. She had so many questions, and now, even more, she wanted Drew to talk to her. Not study.
“I need to reschedule our studying this week,” Jordan said, “if it’s okay with you. It’s homecoming weekend, and my sorority has a lot of things planned. Could we meet Thursday and Sunday?”
“Homecoming?” Drew said. “Wow, I had completely forgotten. Wyoming is not a football powerhouse like Florida. Do you want to just skip studying?”
“No!” Drew was quickly becoming an important part of her week.
“Thursday is okay, but I can’t Sunday. Can we make it up later?”
Jordan was disappointed. It was more than missing the studying. She would miss Drew. “Of course. Thank you.” Why was Drew so exasperating and yet so interesting? “Okay, can we go through this formula one more time?”
*
A sorority sister’s brother was coming up for the weekend, and Jordan reluctantly agreed to go with him to the game. He was a political science student at University of Miami and just wanted to talk to her about politics. When he kissed her good night at the sorority house, she was silently pleased the evening was over and he was leaving in the morning. She was grateful she didn’t have to deal with a second date.
Ugh, I’ll never find someone.
*
On the Friday before Thanksgiving, Drew was frustrated. Jordan was struggling and pacing the room.
“I don’t understand how that works,” Jordan said. She ran her hands through her hair and then let it fall loose. She stopped and stared. The tip of her tongue appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Drew recognized this as a sign that Jordan was concentrating and struggling with an answer. “Do you want to stop tonight?”
“No, damn it! I’m not some stupid moron!”
Drew sat back in her chair, stunned by Jordan’s outburst. She had never heard her swear or seen her this upset.
“I know you’re not, Jordan. I just figured we had worked really hard and you may want to stop early.”
Jordan glared. “Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not. Sometimes taking a break can help clear things up when you get back to them later.”
Jordan’s expression changed. “You’re going to be a fantastic doctor. You are compassionate and know how to calm an irrational female.”
Drew grinned and looked down at the books on the table.
Jordan sat back down, pulling her hair away from her face. “Do you know that is the first time you’ve called me Jordan?”
Drew wasn’t sure if she was being chastised or complimented. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Jordan smiled. “Don’t apologize. I’ve tried to get you to call me Jordan, but you’re always so polite and…proper.” She sat back in her chair and became serious. “My turn to apologize. My brother hardly ever studied, and I worked hard for my grades. Our parents expected so much of us, and I don’t feel I lived up to those expectations. I wasn’t smart enough. I wasn’t pretty enough.” Tears threatened at the corner of Jordan’s eyes. “Never mind. Let’s stop for tonight.” She stood and turned away.
Drew gave her space. She suspected Jordan was feeling embarrassed at the emotional display in front of a relative stranger. Drew knew that she would. She offered her a tissue from the box on the table, but Jordan refus
ed to turn around. Drew moved in front of her. Jordan’s insecurity bothered her. She had seen the toll it had taken on some of her classmates. Bright girls but insecure for a variety of reasons. She gently touched Jordan’s shoulder and found her arms suddenly filled with the soft fullness of Jordan’s body. Drew had to remind herself this was not any female. This was Jordan Thompson. A straight Jordan Thompson. She must make sure her behavior wasn’t misinterpreted.
“Jordan, you’re bright, determined, and you have an incredible desire to succeed. And you will. I’m sure your parents are very proud of you. I am.” Drew wanted Jordan to understand how gifted she was. She cared about Jordan. Drew let go of her and quickly shifted the conversation. Holding Jordan felt too good. She needed to get on more neutral ground. “I know you’re leaving town Monday evening. Do you still want to study Sunday?”
*
Jordan wiped the tears and nodded. She couldn’t speak. She could only look at Drew and wonder why she suddenly felt cold. Drew’s arms around her had been strong, gentle, and welcoming at the same time. It was so different from her homecoming date. Drew felt good. Jordan stopped. No, she was just being a friend. That’s why it felt so good. She tried to focus on her classes and school. “Are you staying here during the Thanksgiving break?”
“Yes, ma’am. We still have assignments next week. I’ll go back home at the end of the semester. My brother may come for a visit.”
“Do you only have one brother?” Jordan asked, wondering if Drew would answer.
“I have an older brother in Atlanta, a younger one who’s attending Colorado State, and an older sister who got married three years ago.”
Jordan was amazed at the sudden abundance of personal information.