touched and they looked deeply into each other’s eyes. She was floored, and her heart nearly thumped out of her chest. Ray was saying all the right things.
There was no pressure in their relationship. They just kind of spent time with each other when they could. She never asked him about anybody he was seeing, and he never asked her. She did hear once about him dancing a few too many times with some girl one night at a campus party, but she never heard anything else. Malena didn’t want to go fishing for more information, because she hoped he’d never find out about her and Anthony.
And that relationship was over now—almost—and she didn’t have anything to worry about. Also, she had been patient about her and Ray committing to each other, because she knew he was really close to his fraternity brothers, and that they did a lot of traveling to other campuses on the weekends. And although it killed her that they didn’t spend a lot of weekends together, it wasn’t so bad, because she had been seeing Anthony. Now, she hoped, everything would change. After their last date, Malena had begun to feel guilty about stringing Anthony along, so she had called him that night and broke things off.
“Malena, I know I’ve been spending a lot of time with the bros, plus I’ve been trying to finish with my master’s, so I’ve really been studying late during the week. But now I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, and your pretty face is there also.” He smiled and actually seemed a bit nervous. He continued, “What I’m saying is that I have been offered a nice job here in the city, which I’ve already accepted, and I’ll be staying here for sure. I will be looking for an apartment close to campus starting next week, which means I will be close to you. There are certain things that will change about me. There are certain things that are already changing. I’m just saying that I know I will have more time for our relationship. So, do you want to spend more time with me?” he asked.
“Of course I do!” Malena nearly shouted.
“Now, I do want you to pledge and experience sorority life to the fullest. And I don’t want to stop you from having fun and enjoying yourself.” He was saying a lot and never seemed to be at a finishing point, but he trudged on. “What I am saying is that after this semester you will have one more year left of school and you’ll soon be thinking about working and where you’re going to stay. I hope that you will think of me in your planning, because I want to include you in mine.”
Malena was speechless. She knew tonight was going to be special, but she didn’t realize that she and Ray felt the same way about each other. He was serious, maybe even more than she was. He had erased any doubts that she had about their relationship.
“So what do you think about what I said?” he asked.
“First of all, congratulations on getting a position—already. I’m so proud of you,” she said, trying not to become too emotional. “Second, I am so glad to hear that you feel the way you do about me, because I definitely feel the same way about you. You have become an important part of my life, and I don’t want to ever feel like we’re not going to be together.”
She crossed her arms on the table and leaned toward him. “I feel confident about our future together. You just don’t know how happy you’ve made me.”
“Since you’re so happy, won’t you come over here and show me some love?” he joked.
Malena got up and sat in his lap and pecked him on the lips. “You know, now that I know I’ve got you in my corner, I feel even more confident about tomorrow.”
“That’s my girl. You want to know something else?”
“What’s that?”
“I know that I’ve never told you this before, but I want you to know that I love you,” he said.
“Ray, I love you too,” she said.
They gazed long and deep into each other’s eyes. Malena knew he was sincere. She felt it in
There was no pressure in their relationship. They just kind of spent time with each other when they could. She never asked him about anybody he was seeing, and he never asked her. She did hear once about him dancing a few too many times with some girl one night at a campus party, but she never heard anything else. Malena didn’t want to go fishing for more information, because she hoped he’d never find out about her and Anthony.
And that relationship was over now—almost—and she didn’t have anything to worry about. Also, she had been patient about her and Ray committing to each other, because she knew he was really close to his fraternity brothers, and that they did a lot of traveling to other campuses on the weekends. And although it killed her that they didn’t spend a lot of weekends together, it wasn’t so bad, because she had been seeing Anthony. Now, she hoped, everything would change. After their last date, Malena had begun to feel guilty about stringing Anthony along, so she had called him that night and broke things off.
“Malena, I know I’ve been spending a lot of time with the bros, plus I’ve been trying to finish with my master’s, so I’ve really been studying late during the week. But now I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, and your pretty face is there also.” He smiled and actually seemed a bit nervous. He continued, “What I’m saying is that I have been offered a nice job here in the city, which I’ve already accepted, and I’ll be staying here for sure. I will be looking for an apartment close to campus starting next week, which means I will be close to you. There are certain things that will change about me. There are certain things that are already changing. I’m just saying that I know I will have more time for our relationship. So, do you want to spend more time with me?” he asked.
“Of course I do!” Malena nearly shouted.
“Now, I do want you to pledge and experience sorority life to the fullest. And I don’t want to stop you from having fun and enjoying yourself.” He was saying a lot and never seemed to be at a finishing point, but he trudged on. “What I am saying is that after this semester you will have one more year left of school and you’ll soon be thinking about working and where you’re going to stay. I hope that you will think of me in your planning, because I want to include you in mine.”
Malena was speechless. She knew tonight was going to be special, but she didn’t realize that she and Ray felt the same way about each other. He was serious, maybe even more than she was. He had erased any doubts that she had about their relationship.
“So what do you think about what I said?” he asked.
“First of all, congratulations on getting a position—already. I’m so proud of you,” she said, trying not to become too emotional. “Second, I am so glad to hear that you feel the way you do about me, because I definitely feel the same way about you. You have become an important part of my life, and I don’t want to ever feel like we’re not going to be together.”
She crossed her arms on the table and leaned toward him. “I feel confident about our future together. You just don’t know how happy you’ve made me.”
“Since you’re so happy, won’t you come over here and show me some love?” he joked.
Malena got up and sat in his lap and pecked him on the lips. “You know, now that I know I’ve got you in my corner, I feel even more confident about tomorrow.”
“That’s my girl. You want to know something else?”
“What’s that?”
“I know that I’ve never told you this before, but I want you to know that I love you,” he said.
“Ray, I love you too,” she said.
They gazed long and deep into each other’s eyes. Malena knew he was sincere. She felt it in
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