I practically sprinted down the hall and the steps, running smack into Jesse as he came through the double doors into the lobby.
He caught my arms to steady me, smiling down. “You really do know how to make an entrance.”
“Sorry. I was trying to save you from the throngs of freshman girls who hang out in the hallways on Friday nights here.”
The dimples popped out, and I sighed. It was an automatic response, one I hoped he didn’t notice.
“I appreciate that. As I remember, freshman girls can be a little intense.”
“You don’t know the half of it. My roommate Ava is a saint. She has so much patience with them.”
Jesse stepped back a little, looking at me. “I like your shirt. It makes your eyes look really green. Since you didn’t get mad at me for saying it the other day, I’ll chance it again. You’re very pretty.”
I laughed. “Any girl who gets mad at you for saying that is crazy. I promise I never will.” I bit my lip. That sounded a little too much. Like I expected him to say it often.
But Jesse didn’t seem bothered. He held out a hand to me. “Are you ready to go?”
I hesitated only a moment before nodding and slipping my hand into his. “Very.”
It was bitterly cold, and I shivered when the air hit me. Jesse dropped my hand and put his arm over my shoulders, drawing me closer to his body heat.
“C’mon, my truck is just up here.”
I had never noticed what Jesse drove since he usually parked in the garage at his dad’s house. I was a little surprised when he led me to an old white Ford pick-up and unlocked the passenger door manually.
“Sorry, my sweetheart is a no-frills gal.” He patted the side of the truck.
“I love it.” I climbed inside and scanned the vinyl seats, the basic dashboard and plastic floor mats. It was a stark contrast to Liam’s Beemer, which almost drove itself. I liked that Jesse opened my door for me; Liam had always just clicked the unlock button from his key fob and expected me to get in by myself.
I leaned over and pulled the lock up on the driver’s door. Jesse opened it and slid in next to me.
“Thanks.” He slammed the door and turned the key, fiddling with the heat buttons and directing the vents my way.
“It’ll warm up in a minute.” He rubbed his ungloved hands up and down his thighs over worn jeans. My eyes tracked the movement, and my mouth went dry.
“Hey, Julia.” Jesse reached across the bench seat, touched the side of my face. I smiled, and he let his fingers move down to my chin. The brilliant blue of his eyes fastened on my mouth before he met my gaze.
“I know this is going to sound corny, and like it’s a line or something. But it’s really not. Which also sounds like a line. When you get to know me better, you’re going to find out I’m not that smooth. But I’ve been thinking about tonight all week. And if I have to wait through the movie, and then dinner and then whatever else we might do, I’m not going to be able to relax and enjoy myself.”
“Wait to do what?” I whispered the words, mesmerized.
“Didn’t I say it? Hmm.” He moved over, his hand going under my hair to cradle my head.
“No, you didn’t say.” His face was so close to mine that I couldn’t focus on his eyes anymore. I closed mine in surrender.
“To kiss you.” His lips were a breath away from my own, and my heart stuttered. “Is it all right? May I kiss you?”
My tongue darted out instinctively, wetting my lips. Jesse drew in a sharp breath.
“Yes. Please.” I barely breathed the words before he moved the last fraction of an inch closer and covered my mouth.
He didn’t mess around with a tentative first kiss. His lips were open, and I was startled to realize the moan I heard came from my own throat. His tongue teased the inside of my mouth and then stroked against mine. At some point, my hands had moved of their own accord to wrap around his neck. My fingers itched to plunge into those brown curls, but I was still wearing my gloves.
Jesse broke away just enough to take a breath, leaning his forehead against mine. He dropped his hands to my back and then to my waist, all on top of my coat.
“Damn.” He pulled me closer, trailing kisses along my jaw to my ear. “I hate cold weather.”
I giggled, shivering again as his breath tickled my neck. “Why?”
“Too many layers.” He dropped one last kiss on the tip of my nose, holding my face between his two hands. “But probably a good thing now, or we would totally miss the movie.”
I smiled. “What movie?”
“Ah, see, you’re not a good influence!” He moved back over behind the steering wheel and reached for his seat belt. “If we didn’t have the movie, I would want to take you back to my house, and...well, I’m having trouble remembering why that wouldn’t be a good idea, but it wouldn’t.”
I buckled my own belt. “Let’s just say, we can’t let down Joss Whedon by not going to see the movie. Right?”
He cast me a sidelong look. “It’s a reason. Not a good one, but it’s a reason. So, now let’s do what normal people do on a date. Did you have a good week?”
I cast my mind back over the past few days and inwardly cringed. There wasn’t much I could tell Jesse without going into details I couldn’t share yet. Telling him, on our first date, that I was in the middle of trying to get revenge on my ex just didn’t seem like a good idea.
Although...there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t tell him about the blog. As long as he didn’t give the information to anyone else, it was just a class project.
“Yeah, it was busy but good. I’m working on something for my social media seminar, and getting it off the ground took a little while.” I gave him a general overview of what we were doing, focusing more on the research element than anything personal.
“Huh.” He shifted into a third gear as we turned off campus. “That’s...interesting. Are you worried people are going to get upset about their exes outing them on the Internet?”
“We don’t use any names, and we change crucial details.” I paused, thinking of Marcus. “To be honest, we planned to focus only on women scorned. But then I talked to someone, a guy, who’d had a bad experience with a girlfriend, so we’re equal opportunity now.”
“Sounds fair. I’ve heard horror stories on both sides.”
I glanced at Jesse. “So do you have any horror stories of your own? Not for publication, just...curious.”
He chuckled, swinging the truck down a quiet street. “You think I’m going to tell you?” He shook his head. “Okay. It was a very painful episode in my life, so you have to promise you won’t laugh.”
I put my hand over my heart. “You have my word.”
“I was totally in love with a girl...her name was Andrea. I gave her my everything, all my attention, showered her with gifts, and then she threw me over for my best friend. In a very public way.”
My mouth dropped. “Oh, Jesse, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry—and why on earth do you think I would laugh at that?”
“Maybe not that, but when I tell you how far it had gotten between us...” He looked at me from beneath his eyelashes. “I gave her my animal cookies.”
For just a minute, I was completely confused and must have looked it, because Jesse doubled over in laughter as he pulled the truck alongside a curb.
“Animal cookies—how old were you?”
Jesse held up a hand. He was laughing too hard to answer at first. “We were six. First grade.”
“Oh!” I swatted him and then crossed my arms over my chest, feigning annoyance. “Here I thought you were telling me about the great love of your life.”
He shook his head. “Aw, c’mon. That was heartbreaking. She took everything I gave her, and then when she was team captain for kick ball, she picked my best friend first, instead of me. I saw the writing on the wall.”
I shook my head, rolling my eyes. Jesse released his seat belt and leaned over, giving me one quick kiss. “Are you to
o mad at me to enjoy the movie?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Do you think I could let your mockery of heartache get between me and Joss? No, sir.”
“Okay, then.” He was out of the truck and around to my side before I could reach for the door latch. He took my hand firmly in his to help me climb out and then kept it, lacing our fingers together as he bought our tickets.
The theatre was a quaint old building, all red velvet seats and curtains, shining brass railings and plaster bric-a-brac. Jesse led me about half-way to the huge screen before we chose a row. The cavernous room was nearly empty, with just a few other patrons scattered here and there.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered once we were seated.
“Isn’t it? I read about it online. It’s got a great history. I love old movie houses. It’s a shame most of them are being torn down.”
I nodded. “My grandmother took me to see Gone With The Wind at a theatre like this. It was amazing. That was how those old movies were meant to be seen.”
“Yeah.” Jesse was quiet for a minute. Our joined hands lay on the wooden armrest between us, and he tightened his grip. “I really didn’t mean to make fun of your project before. I think it’s cool that you’re trying to help people, even if I don’t totally get it. I haven’t had anything like that happen to me. Most of the people I’ve dated have been friends, and when we stopped dating, we stayed friends. No drama.”
The lights dimmed, and the opening strains of the theatre promo music sounded. Jesse tilted his head closer to me.
“What about you? Have you had your heart broken?”
I bit the side of my mouth. I wanted to be honest, but I also wasn’t ready to tell the sordid story of Liam’s birthday party.
I turned my head to whisper into his ear. “Ask me again some time.”
He met my eyes and after a moment, nodded. The coming attractions trailers began, and I focused on the screen.
“If there were ever any doubt about it, let it be wiped away. Joss Whedon is a freaking genius.”
Back in the truck, the heater was just beginning to warm the air as Jesse pulled away from the curb.
“True. You liked it then?”
“I really did. Well, come on. Shakespeare. You just don’t get any better. And then Joss putting his own spin on it. It was amazing.”
“You know my favorite part?” Jesse smiled at me sidelong.
“Hmm. Probably a scene with Amy Acker, right?”
“Nope. Although she was pretty hot. No, it was watching you mouth all the lines along with the actors.”
“I so did not do that. Did I? Oh my God, how embarrassing. I’m sorry.” I covered my face.
“Don’t be! It was cute.” Jesse snagged my hand again. “So are you hungry?”
“Famished.”
“Good, because there’s this diner I want to take you to. Open all night. It’s totally south Jersey and all chrome and plastic. It’s got a juke box, too.”
“Sounds like heaven. How did you find it?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I was out driving around the other night, and there it was. I thought it would be a good place for a post-movie meal.”
I smiled. He had been thinking of me? I held his hand just a little tighter, and he squeezed mine in response.
The diner was a small square of silver on the corner of two streets. An older woman with bluish hair led us to a booth and tossed two laminated menus on the table.
“What looks good?” Jesse scanned the specials and glanced up at me.
“Waffles.” I closed my menu and pushed it away. “Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. And a chocolate malted milkshake.”
“Well, that was quick and definitive.”
“I am very specific in my diner food preferences. How about you? What are you getting?”
He narrowed his eyes. “A chili cheesedog with curly fries—and I’ll have a milkshake, too.” He lay down his menu on top of mine.
The waitress sauntered over to take our order. “Do you want chopped onions on that dog?” she asked Jesse.
His eyes skittered to mine, with a question, and I felt my face grow warm.
“Nope, no onions.” He raised one eyebrow, smirking, and the waitress sighed deeply before she shuffled away.
Jesse reached across the table and took my hands in his. “I’m glad we decided to do this. To go out, I mean. Thanks for saying yes.”
“Thanks for asking me.” I squeezed his fingers. “So I told you about my week. How was yours?”
He shrugged. “Not bad. I’m still getting used to everything. You know, living with Dad and Sarah and the kiddo. I don’t think they know what to do with me sometimes.”
I smiled. “I think they’re glad you’re there. Sarah always says nice things about you. It might just take time.”
“Probably. It’s just...” He made a face. “I’ve lived with my mom and sister since my parents got divorced. I visited Dad, but living here is a whole different ballgame, at least in my mom’s eyes. She’s not happy, even though she knows it was the best option for me. And when my mother is upset, my sister is mad, too. So I’m dealing with both of them.”
“Ugh.” I shook my head. “I can’t imagine. That sucks.”
“It really does. This week, Mom called wanting to hear all about everything. School, the house, the whole nine. I didn’t talk about Dad and Sarah, because I didn’t want to make waves, but then she complained that I was keeping things from her. And when I did tell her, she picked apart everything. I said Sarah cooked a good dinner, and she said I must love finally living with a family where there’s a good cook.” He heaved out a sigh. “It was like being stuck in one of those perpetual loops. That’s why I ended up out here driving around for hours. Dad overheard me talking to my mother, and he got mad at her. I just got in my truck and drove.”
“I’m sorry.” I turned my hands so that I could entwine our fingers again. “They’ve been apart for a while, haven’t they? You’d think by this time, they’d have learned to deal with everything gracefully.”
“Right? Mom was okay about me moving here. I’m twenty-two years old, for God’s sake. I lived at SUNY for four years without either of them.” Jesse frowned, and then shook his head again, as though to clear it.
“Anyway. That’s how my week went. Classes are good. I talked to my advisor, and I can get an internship for the summer, working at the clinic.”
“What exactly will you be doing? I remember we had an SLP at my school when I was growing up, though we just called her the speech teacher. The kids who had lisps or whatever had to go. I was jealous that they got out of class.”
Jesse laughed, and there were the dimples. I swallowed hard and focused on what he was saying.
“I’ll be working with people of all ages, from little kids just starting to talk to people who’ve had strokes or brain injuries. We diagnose and recommend courses of therapy.”
The waitress appeared again, this time with all of our food. We were quiet as she plunked the dishes down in front of us. Jesse thanked her, and I offered a big smile, but she just grunted as she walked away.
I dug into my waffle with gusto while Jesse attempted to tackle the messy chilidog with the help of a huge pile of napkins.
I swallowed a bite. “You know, I never even thought of speech pathologists working with anyone other than kids. That’s pretty cool.”
Jesse poked his straw into the thick milkshake, chewing a bite of hotdog. “In my undergrad internship, I worked at a nursing home. I got to see them do swallow tests, that kind of thing. I think that might be where I want to work eventually.”
“It must be nice to know what you want to do.” I nabbed a strawberry and dragged it through the whipped cream, then brought it to my lips and licked off the cream before biting into the berry. When I looked up at Jesse again, his eyes were fastened on my lips and his mouth hung slightly open.
“Are you trying to kill me?” I could barely hear his words, and I was con
fused until I realized the end of the strawberry was still in my fingers. My lips curved into a slow smile as I leaned forward.
“Kill you? Why, whatever do you mean?” Never dropping my gaze, I nabbed another strawberry and drew circles in the cream. I brought it to my lips and bit.
Jesse closed his eyes and let out his breath, leaning back against the booth. A moment later, he raised his hand to get our waitress’s attention.
“Can we get our check, please?”
“Did you see how our waitress looked at us? Like she thought we were going off to do something nefarious.”
We were both laughing as we returned to the truck. Jesse started it up and turned in his seat to look at me.
“So...I guess it’s time for me to take you back to the dorm.”
I smiled. “Unless you have something else up your sleeve. It’s almost eleven. You’re welcome to come up and hang out with Ava and me in our room, but it is just a room. There’s no, um, expectation of privacy.”
Jesse nodded. “I understand. I lived with a roommate for four years.” He popped the clutch and put the truck into gear, pulling out onto the silent street. “I’d say we could go back to my place, watch a movie or something. Or even just talk. But I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
I bit back the sting of disappointment. “You don’t?”
Jesse must have heard the hurt in my voice. “Julia, it’s not that I don’t want to. I do really, really want to take you home with me. But this is our first date. It’s been awesome. I had an amazing time tonight. I don’t want to rush anything. And if I took you to my apartment, even though I’d want to be a gentleman, I’m pretty sure being alone with you would trump all those good intentions.”
I nodded. “I had a really good time, too.”
We were silent as the truck ambled along the back roads. Jesse held my hand when he wasn’t shifting. As we pulled onto campus, he finally spoke again.
“Julia, can I ask you something?”
His tone was serious, and I frowned. “Of course.”
“You’re not...seeing anyone, are you? I know you said you’d just ended a relationship, but—there’s no one else?”
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