by Britney King
On a crisp fall Texas morning, lost in thought and staring at up the sky, Addie was walking from the library to the cafeteria, when her phone rang, startling her. Flinging her book bag around her shoulder and reaching around, she dug blindly until she lost her footing, slipped, and nearly toppled over. Trying to prevent herself from landing flat on her face, she dropped the books in her hands in order to catch herself. As she bent down to retrieve her things scattered among the lawn, she bumped heads with someone. Dazed and a little shaken, she blinked, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. There before her was perhaps the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He looked familiar, but Addie couldn’t place him.
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Addie asked, blushing.
He smiled and extended his hand. “Don’t think so. I’m Patrick. Patrick Greyer.”
Feeling a little off, Addie just stared. After they gathered her things, Patrick walked her to the cafeteria. Making small talk, he explained that he was also a freshman, was there from Dallas, and was majoring in finance. Over breakfast, where he had coffee and a bagel and she had o.j. and a donut, they talked about childhood. Well, mostly Patrick talked of his, where they grew up, and what brought them to Baines University. Addie explained that she was majoring in communications and hoped to go to work in marketing when she graduated. Patrick, studying finance, was on the fast track to gain employment at Morgan, Lehman & Scott, where he was already interning.
The attraction was instant, the chemistry between the two of them uncanny and palpable. Unfortunately, the time for their next class came much too soon. As they said their goodbyes and parted, Patrick casually mentioned having dinner the following Friday, and they exchanged phone numbers.
Waiting for his call was excruciating for Addie. Every time the phone rang, adrenaline ran through her. Her hair stood on end. And every time it wasn’t Patrick, her stomach sank. Three days went by and no phone call came. Had she been mistaken? Did she imagine that there was an attraction? Was he just being polite asking her to dinner? No. She didn’t think so. Finally, just about the time she put it out of her mind, the call came. She couldn’t tell you how, but that day, when the phone rang, she knew it was him.
“Hello.” She answered, a little too enthusiastically.
“Hi. Addie? This is Patrick. We met in the commons the other day.”
Surprised and thrilled, she noticed his voice was even deeper and sexier than she remembered. Addie shut her eyes, lifted up a silent thank you, and smiled. “Uh . . . Yes, I remember.”
“Good. So . . . I was wondering if you still wanted to have dinner on Friday.”
Addie, doing a little happy dance, screamed silently. “Yeah, of course.”
Patrick paced his tiny apartment. “Great. I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock then.”
Addie plopped down on her bed and sighed. “Perfect. Oh, and Patrick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
This time Patrick smiled. “Me too. See ya Friday.”
The next few days both dragged on and went by in a blur. True to form, Addie started planning her outfit Wednesday evening. Wondering what she should wear, she realized that she hadn’t even asked where he was taking her. This was the first, first date that Addie could remember. She had been with Jason for so long that he was practically part of her family. They never needed to make plans; it was just assumed that he would be there, that whatever it was they were doing, they were doing it together. This is what Addie missed the most. It wasn’t so much Jason per se but always having someone to do things with.
Dating was all new to Addie. She wasn’t even sure if she could technically count what she was doing as dating. Most of the time, the boys she was dating simply asked to meet up with her and a group of friends. They’d ask what party she’d planned to attend and then there they would be. This time it felt different. Patrick felt different, which was, in part, why there was so much riding on this one date and why her outfit had to be absolutely perfect.
Addie had a great sense of fashion. She knew how to dress for her body—always had. Her friends told her she was blessed. Tall and slender like her mother, she had curves in all the right places. It made dressing the part fairly simple. And for that she was grateful. Still, she didn’t have the fashion sense nor the clothing budget that her roommate Jessica had, which was exactly who she went to in order to help her find the perfect first-date outfit. Jessica was, of course, thrilled to help. While Jessica wasn’t quite as fortunate to have the body type that Addie had, she was an expert at putting things together. And when Jessica couldn’t figure it out for herself, she was lucky that she had an unlimited budget and access to a personal shopper at almost every high-end store in town.
Jessica was the only granddaughter of an oil tycoon, practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth into a family where they never wanted for anything a day in their lives. At 5’2”, Jessica was short with an athletic build. She had long chestnut hair and eyes to match. Jessica was everything that Addie was not: rich, worry-free, and extremely smart. While Addie was organized and by the minute, Jessica was fly by the seat of her pants. While Addie had to study for days, sometimes even weeks to ace an exam, Jessica only had to show up.
So it was quite a surprise to Addie that Jessica not only wound up at Baines but also ended up becoming one of her dearest friends. Baines was certainly not the most prestigious university. However, because it was small and secluded, it was known for being hard to get in to, like an exclusive country club.
Addie had dozens of potential date outfits lined up and strewn about her bed when Jessica burst through the door. She took one look at Addie’s perplexed expression and exclaimed, “Oh, no, no, no. This occasion calls for special trip to Neiman's. I booked us an appointment with my favorite and, of course, their best personal stylist. We have to be there in thirty, so hurry up. Oh, and by the way, I checked out this Patrick character, and I’m just not sure. From what I’ve heard, he’s mostly a loner, though a smart one: valedictorian and currently sitting at the top of our class. So, I guess, maybe there is potential. But you need someone who is social, not someone who stays holed up in his apartment and rarely dates.”
Addie picked up a dress and rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. How do you know all of this, anyway?”
“I asked around. And I may or may not have had Perry sneak a peek at his student file.” Jessica said with her signature sly grin.
“That’s illegal. And Perry needs to stop doing everything you ask of him. If he weren’t so in love with you, surely he would know better.”
Frowning, Jessica picked up a shirt and threw it at Addie. “He is not in love with me, but whatever. Let’s go.”
Jessica, usually right, was correct about the stylist at Niemen’s. Although, Addie knew that she had nowhere near the kind of money required to buy the dress and shoes that were put together for her, she knew better than to argue with Jessica. While Addie hated it, she knew that Jessica enjoyed buying her things. She saw it as Jessica making Addie her very own personal charity case, but deep down she knew it was more than that. Sometimes Jessica felt more like a sister or even a mother to Addie than a friend. And the one thing that made Jessica happy was seeing Addie happy. So she played along as best she could.
The dress they picked out for Addie fit beautifully and hugged her curves in all the right places. A long version of a t-shirt dress, the navy stripes brought out the blue in her eyes, complimenting her long blond hair and tan skin well. Against Jessica’s adamant insistence, Addie decided against wearing heels because she was tall. Instead, she decided to wear her favorite sandals. Jessica eventually relented but only after insisting on stopping by the spa downstairs for fresh pedicures. Despite the fact that Addie had tons of homework and a paper due the next day, she agreed.
It was late by the time Addie finished her paper. It bothered her that she would not be turning in what she considered her best work, but, frankly, she was out of time. And
although she was exhausted, she found herself lying there, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, and wondering how tomorrow’s date would go. Would she say the right things? Would he like her? Would she even like him? And when it came time to discuss her childhood, where would she find the words? How exactly do you tell someone that you’ve never in your life ever felt really loved? She sighed, wondering just how long could she put off having that conversation?
Three
Patrick picked Addie up outside her dorm exactly as he had said, promptly at seven o’clock. It was a warm fall night. The air smelled of fresh cut grass. Standing there waiting, leaning against the stoop in his dark jeans, he looked so good. Damn. She took a deep breath and paused, taking him in. This man was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
While she stood there mesmerized, pondering how she could keep from messing this up, Patrick looked up at her and smiled. Her heart sank; the butterflies in the pit of her stomach churned. Addie was certain she hadn’t felt these feelings in a very long time, if ever.
At 6’4”, Patrick towered over her. His blond wavy hair, deep green eyes, and dimples melted her heart.
“Hey. You look nice.” Patrick whispered in her ear as he bent down to give her a hug. Feeling his breath on her skin made her dizzy.
Addie hugged him back, and as she pulled away, she could swear she detected a hint of nervousness on his face. “I’m taking you to a local restaurant that I’ve heard good things about. It features fresh, local food. I hope that’s ok?” he said, holding the passenger door of his silver Audi R8 open as she climbed in.
Unable to believe her luck, Addie smiled, feeling incredibly grateful for chance meetings and, for the first time ever, her inherent clumsiness.
“That’s perfect.”
As far as first dates go, theirs was flawless.
It felt different for Addie; this time she cared. Patrick seemed genuinely interested in her, asking questions in all the right places. He spoke of his hopes to make partner at Morgan, Lehman & Scott, where he was currently interning. Addie told him of her plan to get a job at GSD&M, one of the best and most prestigious marketing agencies in the country. Patrick joked with her about the competition being incredibly tough, but Addie seemed confident that she could do it. She was sure of herself, and Patrick liked that about her. She was so sure of herself that, when she sensed a little hesitation on Patrick’s part, she decided to give him an out. “You know I think this is a good thing we have going here . . . but the truth is that I’m pretty happy with life as it is and I don’t want to mess it up. I’m not really looking to date, and I’m sure as hell not looking for anything serious.
Patrick picked up his wine and took a sip, his eyes never leaving Addie’s. “Touché.”
Patrick found Addie refreshing. Distinct. He was used to girls who diminished themselves and hung on his every word—girls who he was sure were just waiting to find a man so they could drop out of school, get married, and pop out two point five kids. Which explained why Patrick dated very rarely. Thankfully, his roommate, Marcus, did a great job of bringing girls around—girls who were so easy and willing that he found very little need to date. He was happy with the arrangement. It was easy for him. Mostly, it kept things simple and gave him plenty of time to focus on what mattered most: school and work. Patrick was focused, driven, and had no tolerance for distraction, so he even surprised himself when he asked Addie out. He didn’t date and certainly didn’t want a girlfriend, but there was something about this girl, something he couldn’t put his finger on. He was drawn to her. Maybe it was because she was different from the girls coming in and out of his bedroom. Maybe it was the fact that she seemed so enthusiastic in that first conversation. She was going places and she knew it. She didn’t seem to care too much, didn’t hang on his every word, or take life too seriously. It was exactly what he found himself needing at the moment. For the first time, maybe ever, he had found a welcome distraction.
The following night, Patrick’s roommate Marcus barged into his room and yelled, “What the hell, Bro? What are you doin’ in here? I’ve got friends over—friends with a capital F. And we’re all out here waiting for you. Come on, man. Get yo’ ass up.”
“I . . . I think I’m going to pass tonight.”
Marcus put this hand up to Patrick’s forehead. “Pass? Why?
Patrick smiled. “I’m tired tonight.”
“Nah, man. This is about that girl, isn’t it?”
Patrick’s face reddened. “What girl?”
“That girl Shawn said he saw you out to dinner with.”
“Maybe.”
Marcus threw himself down on the bed. “Come on, man, say it ain’t so.”
Patrick shrugged. “I like this one. She’s different. You’ll see.”
Marcus slugged Patrick’s shoulder. “So it’s like that, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s like that.”
On the other hand, Addie found Patrick hard to read. He was charming and funny, but standoffish. He was intellectual and quiet, the exact opposite of what she was used to. Addie knew from their first conversation that he was the type who valued his space, and she found it easy to give to him, mostly because she had so many of her own interests. Still, Addie found herself falling hard, as she knew she would the second she laid eyes on him. Luckily for her, because she was so used to loving and not being loved in return, she was able to put on the familiar poker face. It didn’t take her long to figure out this was vital with Patrick. Still, there was energy between the two of them. Everyone could see it: a connection that was undeniable. Although neither of them was willing to label their relationship one way or another, Addie and Patrick found themselves pretty much a couple from that first date on.
They dated smoothly for two years, becoming almost inseparable. For the most part, their relationship was ideal. They were the best of friends, and, as Jessica liked to remind her, their sex life was “to die for.” For the first time ever, if Addie were being honest with herself, she felt loved. Patrick adored her, perhaps even more than she adored him.
Then came their senior year. It was the year that would put them to the test. Though it was never really said, Addie knew that Patrick’s family didn’t approve of her, and she suspected that this was the reason Patrick didn’t speak of the future or, specifically, of their future beyond graduation. Patrick had mentioned a few times that his parents had a girl picked out they hoped he’d marry. She knew from the beginning that Patrick’s childhood was very different from her own. He grew up in an upscale gated community in Dallas, Texas. His father was a doctor and his mom a housewife, who mostly played tennis and planned exclusive dinner parties. Patrick had an older sister, Jennifer, although he rarely spoke of her. Addie really never knew why Patrick’s parents disapproved of their relationship and wondered if maybe Patrick knew something he wasn’t letting on.
In the beginning, Addie tried to avoid any kind of conversation about her family. She put it off for as long as she possibly could, finally only telling him that her mother had died and that her grandparents had raised her. Patrick didn’t pry or ask further questions, and for that she was grateful. As time went on, she gave him pieces, brief snippets of her life growing up, but never the whole truth.
Even though Addie had only met Patrick’s family a few times for dinner when they stopped into town, she hadn’t really spent any significant amount of time with them. She secretly hoped that once they got to know her, they too, would fall in love. So, when Patrick informed Addie that his parents had invited them to their lake house for the weekend the summer before their final semester, she was ecstatic telling Patrick that perhaps they were finally coming around. She read otherwise in his demeanor then hesitated, trying to make excuses as to why she couldn’t go. But in the end, she gave in, knowing that it was now or never.
The lake house, like the Greyers, was immaculate and formal. While the Greyers put on a friendly face in front of their son, Addie was otherwise g
iven the cold shoulder. To add insult to injury, Addie couldn’t help but notice that they went out of their way to make sure that whenever they spoke of Patrick’s future, she wasn’t included, which they did, a lot. She remained polite and tried her best to fit in while secretly wondering why they invited her here. Unfortunately, she was quick enough to know their behavior was intentional. They were trying their best to make her feel every bit as out of place as she did. On the second night there, after an uncomfortable interrogation about her childhood and family at the dinner table, courtesy of Jennifer, Patrick’s older sister, Addie and Patrick had it out. Addie requested they leave the following morning and accused his family of insinuating that she wasn’t good enough for him, which Patrick flat out denied. To make matters worse, Patrick was different around his family. It was as though he was a different person and Addie felt uncomfortable. It made her question whether she knew him at all.
Patrick walked in as Addie was throwing her things into her bag. He surveyed the room. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving, Patrick.”
Patrick sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. “Stay, Addison. They’ll come around. I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Addie felt her face growing red. She threw up her hands up. “Of course, you do. Don’t accuse me of being crazy, Patrick. I know that your parents think that I’m not good enough for you. I know when I’m not wanted.”
Patrick didn’t argue. “Let’s just sleep on it, ok. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
