Kiss Kiss

by Various Authors

  "Yeah," I said with a smile, still unsure if he was friends with Daniela or dating her. "So, are you two very close?"

  "We're not dating...if that's what you're trying to ask me." He said with a lopsided grin, his eyes bright under the giant chandelier above our heads.

  "So where is this architecture firm the two of you work for?" I was pressing for more information, of course, but I was trying my very best not to be obvious.

  "Daniela works for the division based out of Milwaukee. And I'm in Denver."

  "Wow, so you did it. You always wanted to move to Denver," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. Denver was a thousand miles away.

  "Yeah, I've been there since college and I've loved every minute. But Daniela and I have been collaborating on a new library for our old campus. The firm selected each of us because we're Illinois alum. So we've been meeting there every few weeks to work on the project."

  "Wow. That's really exciting. I'm happy for you."

  "Thanks. That means a lot to me." He paused, looking deep into my eyes and continued. "Look, I'm sorry for the way things went down right before graduation. You must think I'm such an ass for sleeping with you and then never calling. Especially since that was the first time--"

  "Don't worry, Mayson," I interrupted. "That wasn't my first time, if that's what you're worried about." The lie felt awful leaving my lips. Why did I feel the need to hide the truth from him?

  "It wasn't?" he asked with wide eyes.

  "Nope. So you don't need to worry," I said with a hint of sarcasm. "You haven't scarred me for life."

  Lie.

  "Well, it was our first time...and I still felt like an ass for not calling. I was so busy getting settled in Denver and adjusting to my new job. And then it just seemed like too much time had passed. I figured you'd hang up on me or something if I tried to call."

  "You could have tried, you know. I wouldn't have hung up." The words fell out of my mouth in a soft whisper. What was I doing? Was I trying to get crushed all over again? I gazed up at his beautiful forehead. His tousled hair was starting to sway into his eyes as we danced. Slowly, my fingers pushed the strands of hair from his long, silky eyelashes. He smiled, and the creases of his brow relaxed.

  "Well, that's good to know," he replied, leaning closer to me, almost nuzzling my neck. We swayed slowly on the dance floor and I glanced around to find Elise. She was dancing with Henry and managed to give me an apprehensive smile. Mustering up the energy to look relaxed and calm, I perked up the corners of my mouth in return. I wanted so desperately to ease her concerns. If only I didn't have so many of my own.

  As the song came to an end, Mayson's shoulders stiffened beneath my hands as he pulled back slightly.

  "Well, I'd better get back to Daniela. She is my date." He stopped, ran his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath and continued, "It was really great to see you. Are you still living with your parents?"

  "No, I have an apartment a few towns over. It's closer to the school where I teach."

  "Oh yeah, I forgot that you wanted to be a teacher. That's awesome!"

  How could he forget that I wanted to be a teacher? Did I mean so little to him that he couldn't even be bothered to remember my life's passion? When we dated, all I could talk about were my teaching courses and how excited I was to be tutoring at the local high school. I was nothing if not a completely devoted teacher-in-training. It was such a large part of my identity. How could it have slipped his mind?

  "Well, may I have your phone number then, Sugar?"

  That was the nickname he gave me the night we met. And he used it often. I was always teasing him over his South Carolinian accent and I was convinced he was making fun of me each time he said it. Whatever his intentions were, it was a nickname that melted me into a big pile of mush. And I never expected to hear it again after our last night together in college.

  Hesitantly, I gave him my phone number, hoping we might reconnect in the near future. Regretfully, I left him on the dance floor and joined the other bridesmaids, all of whom were wondering how I was dealing with the reemergence of the notorious Mayson. I shrugged at their many questions, wishing I had an answer.

  Later that evening, I caught Elise's beautiful bouquet. Was there ever any doubt? After my catch, I tried my best not to make eye contact with Mayson, but it proved to be impossible. His eyes bored into me and the air in my chest vanished. What in the world had I gotten myself into?

  #

  Chapter 3

  Sophomore Year (Fall Semester)

  "You're staring."

  "Shut up. No, I'm not." I said, glaring at Elise. Sometimes she knew me too well.

  "Go get a beer," she said, nudging me toward the keg and the really good looking guy who was pumping it for everyone at the house party.

  "Do I have anything in my teeth?" I asked, fidgeting with my hair.

  "You're hot, go over there."

  "Okay, here we go."

  Taking a deep breath, I walked across the hardwood floor, making my way through the crowd. He watched me the entire time. My heart raced and my throat went dry.

  He had sandy brown hair that hung in loose waves on each side of his face. Normally I didn't like guys with curly hair, but it worked for him. He looked like a surfer...tan with bright eyes and a lopsided smile. He handed a cup of beer to the girl standing opposite him, but didn't even look her in the eye. He was too busy looking at me. And I wanted to run. I'd dated a lot my freshman year of college, but no one had made my pulse race like this. No one had given me quite such a reaction.

  "Hey there," he said, tilting his head up to me. "Beer?"

  "Sure," I said, tucking my hair behind my ears, reminding myself not to stare at the floor even though that's exactly what I wanted to do.

  "What's your name?" He asked over the music.

  "Daphne," I said.

  "I'm Mayson."

  "Nice to meet you."

  "Likewise," he said, and it was then that I heard his southern accent.

  "You're not from Illinois," I said.

  "That's true. South Carolina, actually."

  "Pretty state. Why on earth would you be here...surrounded by cornfields?"

  He laughed aloud. "Can you believe you're the first person to ask me that? Last winter, I wondered that myself."

  "They're brutal."

  "You're telling me. I had to buy one of those goose down monstrosities. I felt like George Costanza in his gortex coat."

  A hot guy who liked Seinfeld. I was in trouble.

  "You didn't answer my question," I said, tilting my head.

  "I was wondering if you'd notice," he flirted. "Scholarship. I'm in the architecture program, and it's one of the best. So, here I am. How about you? You sound like a Yankee."

  "I am."

  "From Illinois?"

  "Born and raised. Chicago suburbs."

  "I thought so," he nodded as I took a sip of my beer.

  "Why? Do I have an accent?" I asked.

  "Yeah, a little bit. It's sweet though."

  "Whatever. Midwestern accents are far from sweet." I said, rolling my eyes.

  "Yours is, Sugar."

  "Sugar, seriously?"

  "What? I'm a southern boy, gimme a break. And you're sweet."

  "Thanks."

  "Anytime, Sugar."

  "Don't overdo it," I said with a laugh.

  "Sweet with a side of attitude...I like it."

  "Good," I said, feeling bold.

  "Wanna dance?" he asked.

  "Sure."

  And that's all it took. One dance and I was all his.

  #

  Chapter 4

  Profile (Present Day)

  "I can't believe I let you talk me into this," I said to Morgan who was sitting on the floor of my bedroom. I was stuck at my computer as Morgan forced me to do something I really didn't want to do.

  "I'm telling you, Daphne, your profile sucks! You're never going to find the right guy because you're not really
putting yourself out there. You need to be real."

  "I am being real. My profile is brief, that's all. I don't feel the need to tell my life story on an online dating site."

  "I know. But you need to offer more info about yourself. Right now, all they know is that you're a teacher who lives in the suburbs. You've got to spice it up a little bit. Tell them that you make killer jello shots, stuff like that!"

  "Oh, that's perfect. Then I can attract a bunch of drunks!" The sarcasm dripped from my voice.

  "You're being a little overdramatic, cuz." She laughed, paging through my new copy of Us Weekly. "I also think that if you put a little more effort into this, you might meet someone really cool. Besides, you need something to take your mind off of you-know-who."

  It'd been three weeks since Elise's wedding and he still hadn't called. I was stewing in a very big way and Morgan knew it.

  "I know you're just trying to help me. But it's hard for me to put myself out there like that, on a computer screen. You know I'm not good with social networking. Not like you, Miss Facebook."

  Even though she was a total facebook addict, Morgan didn't have to find dates online. She had been seeing the same guy for a while and they were pretty serious. His name was Matt and he seemed to be perfect for her. He had a sharp sense of humor and he was laid back and fun, the kind of guy who got along with everyone he met. I'd seen Morgan go through many boyfriends, and Matt was by far my favorite. He was kind of a workaholic, however, so it gave Morgan lots of time to spend with me, which I was grateful for.

  Morgan lived in the building next door on our little suburban street. It's nice having a friend so close by, especially one who'd known me my entire life. But it also meant that she could come over and hound me about my love life by making me update my silly dating profiles. I secretly loved her for giving me the extra push I needed. Without her, I probably would have avoided the whole thing.

  "How about I page through my magazine and you update my profile for me? How does that sound?" I asked, almost begging.

  "But then it won't be authentic. Besides, I want to read all the celebrity dirt."

  "Hey, why don't we go for a walk and talk about this some more?" I suggested, trying desperately to distract her. Standing up, I headed straight for my keys.

  "Not so fast, little missy. We have a job to do first. Now, scoot over. If you won't finish this, I will."

  About an hour later, Morgan had created a beautiful profile for me. Maybe, just maybe, I would meet someone of substance--someone who would evict Mayson from my brain.

  ***

  The following evening, I checked the dating site to see if any guys had found my page interesting. Logging into my welcome page, I saw that four guys had sent messages.

  "Not bad," I said, a grin on my face, confidence emerging.

  As I sifted through the emails from my potential dates, I heard a ding from the website. Someone was trying to talk to me.

  Cowboy85: Hey sexy.

  Daphne307: Um...hello.

  Cowboy85: I love your picture. Can't stop thinking about it. And lucky me, you logged on.

  Daphne307: Well, thank you. What's your name?

  Cowboy85: We'll get to that....

  Daphne307: Uh...okay

  Right about now was when I should have blocked his ass.

  Cowboy85: So, tell me, Miss Daphne. Do you like to take baths?

  Daphne307: Where are you going with this, pal?

  Cowboy85: Right now, I'm wondering if you'd like to take a bath with me.

  Daphne307: That is a little forward, don't you think? Especially since I don't even know your name?

  Cowboy85: Oh, you have no idea.

  Daphne307: Dude, you're a little odd. Is this how you approach all of the women you are interested in?

  Cowboy85: Sometimes. But I'm really drawn to you. I'd like to bathe you in the finest chocolate pudding.

  What?! Did he seriously just say that?

  Without wasting another second of my time, I quickly closed the conversation box and blocked the pudding cowboy from my account. Blech! If this was online dating, I'm not so sure it's for me! My first conversation over the internet, and it led to bathing in pudding. This was going to be an agonizing process.

  Uncomfortable laughter swept through me as I reached for the phone to call Morgan. Just before picking up the receiver, it rang. Hesitant to lift the receiver from its cradle, I wondered if Morgan added my phone number to my profile. It'd better not be the Cowboy!

  "Hello?" I answered, holding my breath and hoping for someone I knew on the other end of the line. An all-too-familiar voice spoke in a velvety drawl. My pulse quickened and my lungs tightened within my chest.

  "Daphne, hi, it's me."

  "Mayson, um...hi, how are you?" The words stumbled clumsily out of my mouth. I never quite knew what to say to this man.

  "It's so good to hear your voice." Something deep inside of me began to tighten. I'd missed that voice more than I'd allowed myself to admit these past few weeks.

  "It's been a while," I responded. "How is Denver?"

  "Actually, I'm in Champaign, on campus. Remember that project I told you about?" My heart skipped a beat. He was less than two hours away.

  "Yes, of course. That's very exciting," I stammered. What was he doing to me?

  "Maybe we can get together. You're on summer break from teaching, right? My week is pretty slow. It'd be great to see you."

  "What did you have in mind?" My mind was racing.

  "Well..." He paused. I tried my best to slow my breathing as I waited for his reply. "I was thinking I could come and see your place. Take you to dinner?"

  His voice almost sounded hopeful. Was Mayson actually nervous?

  We made plans for the following evening and a wave of excitement shot through me. In less than twenty-four hours, Mayson would be with me. As much as I hated to admit it, I was ecstatic.

  #

  Chapter 5

  Sophomore Year (Spring Semester)

  "Mayson, I need to talk to you," I said, my blood pumping furiously through my heart. Things had been uneasy between us ever since we returned to campus after Spring Break. Mayson was acting different; his calls were less frequent and he hadn't slept over in more days than I could count. Something was wrong. I'd been hesitant to bring anything up since finals would be here in just a few short weeks. I knew he was stressed--I was too. And I didn't want to overreact or invent problems that weren't there. But, something wasn't sitting right with me. And I had to say something...even though deep down, I knew this conversation would only lead to bad things--that I might just give him the excuse he was looking for to walk away from me.

  "What do you want to talk about?" he asked, looking down at his cafeteria tray.

  "We haven't really spent much time together lately and I feel like maybe you're pulling away."

  My heart was racing, my fingers trembling. I was terrified of where this conversation would lead, but I had to know what's going on. I had to know if I'd lost him.

  "Don't be silly. Of course not, I'm just really busy with classes. I didn't realize that the architecture program would be so time consuming and I really blew it off for a few months, so I'm trying to make up for all that wasted time."

  All I could focus on was that word--wasted. Obviously all the time Mayson and I had been a couple he deemed as wasted time. How awful. How could he say something so hurtful?

  "Well, I didn't mean to waste your time, you know."

  "I didn't mean it like that. Sorry, I just...sometimes you have to make priorities, Daphne. I haven't been sticking to mine lately. I realized that while I was home." He paused and took a deep breath, staring at his mashed potatoes. "I realized a lot of things," he mumbled.

  "Like what? Like about us?" I asked, desperately clinging to the hope that he would ease all of my fears. But deep down, I knew we were headed for a fall...a big one.

  "Yeah," he said with a shrug. "We spent so much time together that I lost a lo
t of time with my friends. And while I was home, I realized that friends should really come first." He wouldn't look at me. Why won't you look at me?

  "I think I deserve to be a priority, just as much as your friends do."

  I was trying not to raise my voice too much, but it felt like the walls were closing in on me. Two girls at the next table were already eavesdropping and I was hoping not to draw the attention of any of the other students around us.

  Suddenly, in the pit of my stomach, I wondered if this was about something else--the one source of tension that existed between us. My virginity. Mayson had been so patient with me, knowing that I hadn't been ready, but deep down I'd felt his frustration for months.

  "Mayse, is this because we haven't slept together yet?"

  "Of course not...why would you even ask that?" Mayson recoiled, but his eyes didn't match his reaction.

  "Sorry. But, you're different. We're different."

  He looked away and shrugged with a nonchalance that ran chills up my spine. He shook his head, staring at the table. "Maybe we need to take a break or something. I have two years left at this school and I need to get my GPA up before my parents threaten to drag me home."

  "Is it really that bad?"

  Silence. I knew he didn't have a 4.0, but he'd always been a good student. I couldn't imagine that he was actually on the brink of being pulled out of school.

  "I don't know. Maybe." He paused, thumping his fingers quickly on the table, still avoiding my eyes. "I'm applying for a semester in France and I really want to get it. I need a good GPA to do that, Daph. I just don't have time for all of this right now. My work comes first."

  "Wow," I said, my heart breaking in two. "Okay, focus on your work. Let me know when you have time...for this." I stood, choking back the tears, and walked out of the dining hall, leaving my tray on the table. Mayson didn't say a word. He didn't try to stop me. I'd let him off the hook. What I feared the most was now my reality.