you a bit of a speed junkie?”
“Fast bikes, fast snow, fast women.” He laughed and looked at her sideways so she knew he was joking.
“I’m into slow bikes, slow snow, and even slower men,” she said in a small voice. He furrowed his brow.
“I should have picked you up on my bicycle? Might have taken a bit longer to get here.” He reached over and stroked her cheek, and the mood between them changed. Their eyes met. “I can go slow, Jessie,” he said, and her stomach flipped.
Was he going to kiss her? It felt right—natural. But then, just as fast, he looked away and stood up.
“Did you hear that?” he said. “Sounded like thunder to me. Don’t think you’d like to ride in the rain. That would kinda spoil the day. I should get you home before the storm hits.”
Jessie blinked, coming out of the daydream she was in. There she was, thinking about kissing him, and now he was talking about driving her home. Did that mean the date was over—already?
Dan had their lunch things in the paper bag in seconds. He was just as quick putting Jessie’s helmet back on her head, and he drove fast taking her home. Again she hung on tight, but she wasn’t so scared this time. Jessie adapted fast. That’s what all her tutors had said about her. She knew she could change to suit a new set of circumstances, which was good, because this wasn’t like any date she’d been on before. Dan hadn’t even made a move on her. How frustrating.
There was no way she was going to sleep with him yet, but she’d been looking forward to a bit of romance. Every guy she’d ever dated had made a move on her on the first date. Why hadn’t he?
She tried to hide her disappointment when he got her back to the dorm. It was only five o’clock. Jessie had assumed the date would last for the entire afternoon when he’d suggested a three o’clock pickup.
“Looks like it’s not going to rain after all,” she said, trying to sound more chipper than she felt and also hinting at the fact they could stay out longer if he wanted. Dan didn’t take the hint. He took his helmet off but didn’t dismount from the motorcycle.
“Oh yeah,” he said, glancing skyward. “Look, I enjoyed this afternoon. Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
Sometime? she thought. When is sometime? But her face remained the picture of calm. “That would be nice. You have my number.” She forced a smile but turned to leave fast. “Bye, Dan. Thanks,” she called from over her shoulder, but he was already putting his helmet on.
Jessie walked into her block and pushed the door closed with her back. She shook her head in confused misery and groaned. “He hates me.”
Chapter Eight
Falling in Love
“He loves you,” Ely announced when her roommate walked into their dorm moments later and grumbled about Dan’s apparent lack of interest. Josh was there, too. He was having what Jessie reckoned was a post-sex cigarette along with a bottle of beer. He was dressed, but his hair was wet and slicked back, so she was pretty sure he just got out of the shower. As usual, Ely lay on her bed while Josh sat on the floor next to her with his head resting beside his girlfriend’s hand so she could stroke him.
“You’ll get us evicted one of these days.” Jessie glared at him and pointed to his cigarette. “You know how much I hate those things.” She opened the bedroom window next to her desk to clear the smoke. “And no, Ely, I don’t think Dan loves me. He didn’t seem to be that interested in the date from the start. But his motorbike was nice.”
“He has a bike? What kind is it?” Now Josh was sitting upright and listening to the girl talk.
Jessie shrugged and sat down on the chair next to her desk. “It was big and black, but there was a bit of red on the top. I think I saw the Bugatti name on it. Is that good?”
He groaned and reached for his crotch in ecstasy, so Ely thumped him. “Hey, I thought I was the only thing that had that
“Fast bikes, fast snow, fast women.” He laughed and looked at her sideways so she knew he was joking.
“I’m into slow bikes, slow snow, and even slower men,” she said in a small voice. He furrowed his brow.
“I should have picked you up on my bicycle? Might have taken a bit longer to get here.” He reached over and stroked her cheek, and the mood between them changed. Their eyes met. “I can go slow, Jessie,” he said, and her stomach flipped.
Was he going to kiss her? It felt right—natural. But then, just as fast, he looked away and stood up.
“Did you hear that?” he said. “Sounded like thunder to me. Don’t think you’d like to ride in the rain. That would kinda spoil the day. I should get you home before the storm hits.”
Jessie blinked, coming out of the daydream she was in. There she was, thinking about kissing him, and now he was talking about driving her home. Did that mean the date was over—already?
Dan had their lunch things in the paper bag in seconds. He was just as quick putting Jessie’s helmet back on her head, and he drove fast taking her home. Again she hung on tight, but she wasn’t so scared this time. Jessie adapted fast. That’s what all her tutors had said about her. She knew she could change to suit a new set of circumstances, which was good, because this wasn’t like any date she’d been on before. Dan hadn’t even made a move on her. How frustrating.
There was no way she was going to sleep with him yet, but she’d been looking forward to a bit of romance. Every guy she’d ever dated had made a move on her on the first date. Why hadn’t he?
She tried to hide her disappointment when he got her back to the dorm. It was only five o’clock. Jessie had assumed the date would last for the entire afternoon when he’d suggested a three o’clock pickup.
“Looks like it’s not going to rain after all,” she said, trying to sound more chipper than she felt and also hinting at the fact they could stay out longer if he wanted. Dan didn’t take the hint. He took his helmet off but didn’t dismount from the motorcycle.
“Oh yeah,” he said, glancing skyward. “Look, I enjoyed this afternoon. Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
Sometime? she thought. When is sometime? But her face remained the picture of calm. “That would be nice. You have my number.” She forced a smile but turned to leave fast. “Bye, Dan. Thanks,” she called from over her shoulder, but he was already putting his helmet on.
Jessie walked into her block and pushed the door closed with her back. She shook her head in confused misery and groaned. “He hates me.”
Chapter Eight
Falling in Love
“He loves you,” Ely announced when her roommate walked into their dorm moments later and grumbled about Dan’s apparent lack of interest. Josh was there, too. He was having what Jessie reckoned was a post-sex cigarette along with a bottle of beer. He was dressed, but his hair was wet and slicked back, so she was pretty sure he just got out of the shower. As usual, Ely lay on her bed while Josh sat on the floor next to her with his head resting beside his girlfriend’s hand so she could stroke him.
“You’ll get us evicted one of these days.” Jessie glared at him and pointed to his cigarette. “You know how much I hate those things.” She opened the bedroom window next to her desk to clear the smoke. “And no, Ely, I don’t think Dan loves me. He didn’t seem to be that interested in the date from the start. But his motorbike was nice.”
“He has a bike? What kind is it?” Now Josh was sitting upright and listening to the girl talk.
Jessie shrugged and sat down on the chair next to her desk. “It was big and black, but there was a bit of red on the top. I think I saw the Bugatti name on it. Is that good?”
He groaned and reached for his crotch in ecstasy, so Ely thumped him. “Hey, I thought I was the only thing that had that
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