by C L Wesley
“Did you taste that?” I asked when Noah sat back down.
“A little.” He chuckled.
“What time do you have practice in the morning?” I asked after noticing how many times he checked his phone.
“5AM is required gym time. I’m sorry you noticed that. I’m having a great time with you, I really am.” He was starting to ramble.
As much as I love the accent I cut him off. “I get it. People have priorities Noah.” I finish my last bite and with a very unattractive full mouth say, “Let’s get you home, Striker.”
The drive back to campus consisted of two slap happy co-eds, one of which was trying his best to keep his eyes open and the other trying not to sing to the music because he would jump out and walk at the sound of her singing voice. I pulled into Blexler Hall’s parking lot and put the car in park. Do I turn off my car or is he just jumping out? He turned towards me, “Can I have your number?” Like I was going to say no. After exchanging numbers, he unbuckled his seat belt and turned towards me. “There now I can harass you anytime I want.” He smiled leaning his head on the headrest.
“It may or may not be welcomed.” I flirt back, watching as he yawned. “Go in, already.” I laugh turning my head to mimic his.
“I don’t want to yet. There may still be stuff I want to know.”
“Okay, five questions and you have to go in. I don’t want to be the reason you miss the gym in the morning.” I challenge him.
“Deal. One. We have a home game in two weeks. Would you be interested in coming to watch it?” He asks and all I can think is ‘this is not what I was thinking!’.
“Depends on if I have to work but if I don’t…maybe.” I smile.
“Fair enough. Two. Why are you single?” Son of a bitch! I should take this little challenge back.
“Would you believe me if I told you that it is by choice?” I take off my seatbelt and turn my hips to face him.
“Yes, I would. Three. Can you elaborate as to why you are choosing to be single?”
“I take it this is an important thing for you?” I ask.
“Hey! I get five questions. Your turn can be tomorrow.” He smiled. “Now number three.”
“I dated a few guys here when I was a freshman. Tried a relationship. It just didn’t work out and my grades took a tumble. I can’t do that again.” I tell him honestly leaving out the fact Josh told everyone I was the campus slut.
“Okay. Four. Can you please step out of the car?” I turn off the ignition and I watch Noah come around and open my door for me. Stepping out of the car, Noah grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb across my knuckles. Such a small act but so intimate too. Right about the time I was wondering why I was standing here, he pulled my hand and put it around his back pulling me into him for a hug. I wrapped my other arm around his back and let my cheek rest against his chest while his hands rubbed up and down my back.
“Five. Can I text you tomorrow?” He asks still holding me tight against him.
“Yes.”
“Even though I’m a soccer player?” I hear the giggle roar through his chest.
“That is six questions.” I pulled back a little to be met with resistance.
“I’m not ready to let go yet, Darlin.” Hook. Line. Sinker. I’m toast.
3
I thought for sure Noah was going to kiss me last night and to my disappointment, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek before telling me to drive safe. I didn’t have any classes until 1PM today so I slept in until 10AM. I was home and in bed by 1:30AM but those early morning classes in the Fall always hurt. Rolling over and grabbing my phone I see that I missed a text from a weird number. Before opening it, I check the area code 979. “Texas” I say to myself with a smile.
5:52AM: I’ve been thinking of you all night. What does your day look like?
Oh my God!!! I kick my feet like a kid in bed. I forgot what these flutters felt like and it feels amazing.
Me: I have class 1-4 and then working 430-8 at the café
I should have said I was thinking of him too. I’m such a rookie at this shit.
Me: btw I smiled when I saw the area code
Okay, there, that’s better. I flew out of bed and into the shower. I knew I would be running into him at some point today, so I needed to look cute. Today was a little chilly so I opted for a wraparound sweater, jean capris, and cute strappy sandals making sure to toss my work clothes and some tennis shoes into my car. Pulling into campus an hour later felt different. I was excited at the opportunities that it now held. I could run into Noah anytime and that thought alone made college so much more interesting. My BG could walk into me at any time and it really put a pep in my step. I wanted to spy on the soccer field but I promised Isabelle I’d meet her in the library to study and dammit if they were not in two totally different directions.
“So, how’d it go last night?” She raised her eyebrows at me as I took a seat in the old mahogany captain’s chairs tossing my four-ton backpack on the table. “I saw you two leave together.”
“Stalking much?” I stole some of her Hershey’s kisses that she had laying on the table while grabbing my books out of my worn and tattered Eddie Bauer bag.
“I was looking out his window when I saw you guys head in the direction of your car.” She lifts her eyebrows as if she thinks she knows something already. She pulls the white paper strip from the kiss and slowly unwraps it waiting for details that I simply don’t have.
“It was good. He’s really sweet.” I empty the rest of my backpack onto the table looking for a stupid set of notes I took on loose-leaf paper.
“Good kisser?” She put her pencil down prepping herself for a good story.
“Wouldn’t know, he hugged me before putting me safely in my car.” I popped the chocolate in my mouth.
“Oh. That sucks.” Izzy went back to studying in silence. Yeah, oh. “Jay and I got into this huge fight. It was rough.”
“I’m sorry Iz.” Jensen and Isabelle were fighting a lot lately and it was always over something stupid. I love them both but they are driving me crazy. I know I am supposed to be team Izzy but she causes 99% of their problems. I finally got involved with statistics while daydreaming of blue-eyed soccer players when I heard my phone buzz.
N: Hang out tonight?
I smiled taking a break from my homework and leaned back in my chair. I texted thirty different replies before I finally went with simplicity.
Me: Where?
N: I don’t have practice in AM, my room? Pizza and movie?
“Izzy.” I grabbed her attention away from the chapter she was reading. “He just asked me to hang out in his room tonight.”
“What did you say?” She leans forward like I was going to tell her the secret of a lifetime and taking a long pull from her insulated mug.
“I haven’t answered yet.” I took another chocolate. Let the stress eating begin.
“Why not? You haven’t been laid in a while.” She slurped the rest of her drink. “I’ll be right back.” Izzy jumped up, cup in one hand, phone in other, leaving me alone with my phone and my thoughts…a heady combo.
Me: Okay
N: I’ll let you know if I run late again
Me: Okay
N: Pick you up from work?
Me: Okay
N: See ya later Darlin’ and if you say okay…
Me: Alright ??
I smile before hitting the books again. Classes went at a snail’s pace and work was even slower. The only thing that made work even remotely fun was Izzy talking about her sexscapades with Jensen last night after they fought. I swear they are rabbits- anytime, anywhere, is her motto. She spent the entire three and a half hours talking about different positions to try to impress Big tonight. I had to keep reminding her that he hasn’t even kissed me yet.
Tonight, before closing we were blessed with the football players coming in for a late dinner. After about the sixth jock head hitting on me, I finally caught a break with Matt. “Hey Taryn.�
�� He smiles, his green eyes twinkling back at me.
“Hey Matt. How are you?” I ask him taking a minute to adjust my hat impressed with myself for remembering his name.
“I’m good. Can I have a bacon cheeseburger and fries?” I enter his order and scan his badge. “Did that work out the other night?” He asked holding up his buddies from ordering.
“So far so good.” I smile at the thought of Noah.
Matt grabbed his cup and tapped his hand on the counter. “Well if it doesn’t, I’d still be interested.” He walked away before his teammate stepped forward ordering enough food for two people.
Eight o’clock rolled around and I clocked out, checking my phone. No messages from Noah. I walked through the building down to the Commons only to find a few people studying at the tables. I took a seat on one of the dark green leather sofas that were sprawled across the large open concept room. I check my phone again only to see a text from Izzy.
I: Bitch you left and she decided to do nothing!
I shake my head. Izzy is referring to our co-worker Chloe who literally does nothing and gets a silver spoon thrown in her mouth.
Me: I’m sorry. If Noah bails on me, I’ll head back up.
I: I’m sorry love. No messages tonight on my end.
I waited another ten minutes and stood getting ready to head for the main doors that lead up to the café when I spotted a figure hauling ass through the doors. Noah.
“Hey darlin’.” Noah smiled as he slowed his jog and finally stopped in front of me, completely out of breath.
“Hey yourself.” I switched my backpack to the other shoulder.
Noah leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before grabbing my bag from my shoulder. “I got this. Are you hungry?” He did that thing where he put his hand on my lower back leading us towards the doors he just flew through.
“Yeah.” We walked down the sidewalk, me fumbling my hands with nerves and Noah with a duffel and my backpack keeping his hands busy. “Thanks Striker.” I point to my backpack. “I parked over by your dorm at mid-day. We can drop my backpack off before we go in.” Now the conversations with Izzy were floating in my belly making me a bunch of nerves. Movies in a guy’s room usually meant one thing.
“Where do you like pizza from that delivers? I’m not picky.” I hear his belly grumble, embarrassment written all over his face.
“Why don’t we go pick it up?” I offered.
“We can, I guess.” He sounded tired.
“It’s just, well we both have budgets and by the time we tip the driver and pay a delivery fee. Ya know.” I shrug my shoulders at the way I must have just sounded. Noah immediately picks up on my hesitancy for delivery.
“Are you cheap or frugal?” He laughs and I notice he’s limping.
“Both, I guess. I just think that money could be my cappuccino blast tomorrow.” I confess. “Why are you limping?”
“What’s a blast? And it hurts to run on concrete in spiked cleats.” He lifts his foot to show me the spikes. “I didn’t have time to change. I grabbed my bag and ran.” He smiled and I melted.
“A blast is an Oreo milkshake/coffee combination that is absolutely delectable.” I touched his arm. “You didn’t have to run ya know, I would have waited a few minutes.” I tell him reassuringly so that if we do this again he knows to change his damn shoes. I so have to tell Izzy he ran across campus in spiked cleats for me and I’ll have to ask Jensen just how bad that hurts.
He grabs my hand off his arm and holds it in his as we walk the rest of the way in silence to my car. Noah changed his shoes once we got to my car and switched to a clean t-shirt in his bag claiming he didn’t want my car to smell like him. I could watch him change his shirt, all day, every day. I could sit as he tried on his entire closet. One piece of clothing at a time please!
Once I was able to focus on the task of driving, we went to Didonato’s to order pizza, sitting outside on the bench while we waited. Didonato’s is a hole in the wall bar that has the best pizza and wings. The inside was exceptionally dark only lit by neon beer signs and the crowd is a tad rough so I asked if he didn’t mind sitting outside while we waited as bars were not really my thing or his apparently when he agreed. Our conversation was good. I found out he has an older brother who is in the U.S. Coast Guard stationed out of Galveston, TX, his mother is the deli manager at H-E-B, a grocery store found primarily down south, his father is a supervisor at Dow Chemical, and he has a German Shepard named Thor that he found on the beach in high school. I let him know that my mother works at a pizza shop a few towns away and my father is a union roofer. I have no pets, three older sisters, one older brother, and a slight obsession with books, despite my business major.
“Taryn, It’s ready hun.” The bar manager, Benny walked outside with our pizza. Benny is an old friend of my dad and has known me since I was in diapers.
I handed Benny a twenty and tried grabbing the pizza. The old man unwilling to relinquish until he got his tip. A kiss on the cheek. “You’re a pervert.” I kiss him on the cheek.
“It was nice to meet you Noah. Maybe we will see you again.” Benny reached out for Noah’s extended hand.
“Yes sir.” Noah smiled.
We got back to the dorms and he was still salty that I paid for the pizza. I insisted because last night’s Chipotle cost him over $25! I know he is on a budget with his scholarship, so I told him if I didn’t pay, I wasn’t staying for the movie. Surprisingly, he caved. “Are you still salty with me?” I asked as we walked into his room.
“Furious.” He smiled. “I want to take a shower real quick.” He stuck his tongue out at me before shutting the door. I walked the pizza over to his desk and took a seat in his window. He had a great view of the campus, especially the large whitewashed brick clocktower and fountain. It looked pretty all lit up. “I didn’t even think about not having a table.” He said walking out of his bathroom in a t-shirt and athletic shorts.
“Do you always eat at a table?” I asked of his southern manners.
“Yeah. Or at my desk.” It took me a moment before I walked past the yummy smelling man and invaded his bathroom grabbing two clean towels. “What are you doing?” He watched me puzzled as to my actions.
I laid them on the bed and placed the pizza box on top. “Picnic.” I went back and grabbed the napkins on his desk, kicked my shoes off, and sat on his bed. “Come on Striker, crisscross applesauce.” I patted the spot next to me and took out a slice of pizza. “What movie are we watching?”
I watched him shake his head before popping the movie in and joining me on the bed. “Daddy’s Home 2. It was the new movie in the campus Redbox.” He snatched a piece of pizza and shook his head again.
“What?” I ask, noticing he was hesitant.
“I tank with you and you make it so easy on me. How am I supposed to impress you?” He took a large bite of pizza. I am learning real quick he is quite the eater.
“You’re not tanking. You are being you and that makes it easy to be around you.” I picked the sausage off my pizza, popping each piece one by one into my mouth. “And it’s just what you do.” I smile as the movie started.
Halfway through the movie, we paused for a clean-up, consisting of an empty pizza box. I downed three slices, he downed five and then made popcorn. We were already sitting on the bed so while he was in the bathroom, I propped my back up against the wall so I was in a sitting position. I was waiting for a reaction from Big when he walked out of the bathroom, but he just sat beside me on his dark green comforter, our biceps touching. Noah reached over, turning off the light, exciting me. Now I had already been a teenager and lights out with a movie means fun, especially since we are adults now.
We chatted a little throughout the night about likes, dislikes, and sometime before the movie ended I must have fell asleep because I woke up snuggled against Noah’s chest with his arm around me. I leaned up to look at his clock, 3:32AM. Shit! I sat up and grabbed my phone, luckily no missed calls from my parent
s. “Are you okay?” Noah asked, his voice exceptionally deep from sleep.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m so sorry. My parents get pissed when I don’t let them know I’ll be late. I have to text them I fell asleep and will be home soon.” My parents are still under the assumption that I am fifteen years old and one of their rules is that if I live under their roof, I follow their rules.
“Taryn, stay here. It’s too late to drive, especially if you are tired.” Noah stood up, grabbing Storm sweatpants out of his drawer, tossing them my way. “Go change.” He pulled his blankets back crawling into his bed and patting the spot next to him. “Please don’t be stubborn. Text them that you fell asleep and you are staying with a friend on campus so you don’t have to drive.” I looked at Noah all snuggled into his pillow patiently waiting for me to do as he asked. “It’s not a lie.” He reminds me and he’s correct. It’s not a lie. I did fall asleep and I am going to stay the night with a friend on campus.
“Okay.” I shot a quick text to my mom, changed out of my jeans, and nervously crawled into bed laying on my left side facing away from him. Noah turned off the television that was replaying the opening credits for the movie and scooted himself against me, wrapping his large arm over my abdomen and placing his hand on top of mine.
“Is this okay darlin’?” He whispered in my ear. It was more than okay, I could feel the hard-on in his shorts.
“Perfect.” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“Goodnight.” Noah whispered again before slightly tightening his hold on me. Heaven.
4
I woke up the next morning with Noah still pressed up against me. Either he is a perfect gentleman, or he is gay. I slept here all night and nothing but some innocent cuddling? What. The. Fuck!! I really had to use the restroom and I had a two-ton arm holding me down meaning I couldn’t sneak away and he will probably wake up when I move. I took the sweet road and rubbed his arm until he started to move and I felt his hardness press against me again. “Noah?” I whispered.
“Hmmm.” He barely made noise.
