hair and put away the toothpaste and toothbrush, I’m aware of the expression
looking back at me—naïve and nervous. . . and mostly afraid. . .
Surely Jen will hang
around in her lab for a couple of minutes. . . lingering, until I’m gone with
him. . . surely.
I walk back down the
hall to put my bag away, and get my sweater from Jen’s lab.
Her mouth’s full of a
bite of Snickers and her bare feet are up on the middle of her desk. She
extends the bitten off candy bar to me, swinging it, urging I take a bite.
“No thanks,” I smile, her
endless jovial mood easing me for the moment. “I have to be going.”
She swallows prematurely
and reaches for her Dr. Pepper, taking a fast drink. “Have fun. . . at the
museum. No, really, I hope you have fun.”
“Thanks, Jen,” I say,
picking up my sweater leaving, and stopping at the door to halfway turn and somewhat
wave.
The building’s always so
quiet walking through it on a Sunday. I wonder if the museum will be as quiet
today.
There he is.
. . . This time he’s waiting
at the end of the steps. I’m too far back the hall for him to see me yet. He
looks so handsome. . . polished, today.
My nerves flit at the
top of my stomach, and I slowly open the glass door.
dane
She’ll be here soon.
Standing here in front
of this building waiting for her doesn’t seem real altogether. This whole week
she’s consumed me. And today, the first time we’ll actually spend any length of
real time together. A first date, I guess. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I move my hand down the
back of my hair to the crest of my neck, then lightly feeling my collar, before
bringing my hands together, twisting and rubbing my palms.
It’ll be a good day. .
. relax.
The sound of the door
opening gets my attention.
She looks amazing.
I don’t think I’ve felt
this happy before. The rest of the world seems shut off when I see her.
“Hi.” I
walk over to her coming down the last couple of steps. “You look very
pretty.” I can tell there’s a heightened nervousness to her.
“Thank you.” She
doesn’t make eye contact. Instead she looks down at her sweater draped over her
forearm and lays her other hand carefully over the top of it. “You look nice
too.”
The museum is about two
blocks away through campus from where we are. The walk will be good, before we’re
more restricted to ourselves inside of it.
The footsteps behind me
padding down the concrete stairs, urges me on to begin going that way.
Shay’s thoughts seem
interrupted by it to.
28
shay
Oh, no. I’m sure she
waited as long as she could—until she thought we’d be gone anyway.
The questioning furrow
in Jenny’s eyebrows as she continues to walk past behind Dane must mirror my
own tension.
I release my expression
and soften to a small smile, that she catches—and takes cue. Only then
to raise her balled hands up to her sides, forming a concentrated, exaggerated
look and taking the next few steps in long, animated strides like a sprinter.
Oh, Jenny. If
this percolating laugh I managed this moment to bottle in my throat comes up,
he’ll know something’s happening behind him.
I move a little to the
side as if making room for us both for a passerby, but not before Dane catches
notice of Jenny who hurriedly collects herself just in time for him to see only
a shared glance between us.
“A friend of yours?” He smiles her way, turning back to me.
“Yes, a friend. . . a
very good friend.” I’m interested in his momentary thought
of her. Nothing changes in his kind smile. . . if only he knew.
“Cool.”
“Yeah.” The dormant butterflies begin to stir in my stomach. “Shall we go?”
“Sure.”
dane
I don’t want to let on
that I’m a little more nervous today, like she is. And the afternoon sun
glistening on the curves of her small shoulders doesn’t help matters much.
“I’ve only visited the
museum once since I’ve been here.” I become aware of
looking back at me—naïve and nervous. . . and mostly afraid. . .
Surely Jen will hang
around in her lab for a couple of minutes. . . lingering, until I’m gone with
him. . . surely.
I walk back down the
hall to put my bag away, and get my sweater from Jen’s lab.
Her mouth’s full of a
bite of Snickers and her bare feet are up on the middle of her desk. She
extends the bitten off candy bar to me, swinging it, urging I take a bite.
“No thanks,” I smile, her
endless jovial mood easing me for the moment. “I have to be going.”
She swallows prematurely
and reaches for her Dr. Pepper, taking a fast drink. “Have fun. . . at the
museum. No, really, I hope you have fun.”
“Thanks, Jen,” I say,
picking up my sweater leaving, and stopping at the door to halfway turn and somewhat
wave.
The building’s always so
quiet walking through it on a Sunday. I wonder if the museum will be as quiet
today.
There he is.
. . . This time he’s waiting
at the end of the steps. I’m too far back the hall for him to see me yet. He
looks so handsome. . . polished, today.
My nerves flit at the
top of my stomach, and I slowly open the glass door.
dane
She’ll be here soon.
Standing here in front
of this building waiting for her doesn’t seem real altogether. This whole week
she’s consumed me. And today, the first time we’ll actually spend any length of
real time together. A first date, I guess. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I move my hand down the
back of my hair to the crest of my neck, then lightly feeling my collar, before
bringing my hands together, twisting and rubbing my palms.
It’ll be a good day. .
. relax.
The sound of the door
opening gets my attention.
She looks amazing.
I don’t think I’ve felt
this happy before. The rest of the world seems shut off when I see her.
“Hi.” I
walk over to her coming down the last couple of steps. “You look very
pretty.” I can tell there’s a heightened nervousness to her.
“Thank you.” She
doesn’t make eye contact. Instead she looks down at her sweater draped over her
forearm and lays her other hand carefully over the top of it. “You look nice
too.”
The museum is about two
blocks away through campus from where we are. The walk will be good, before we’re
more restricted to ourselves inside of it.
The footsteps behind me
padding down the concrete stairs, urges me on to begin going that way.
Shay’s thoughts seem
interrupted by it to.
28
shay
Oh, no. I’m sure she
waited as long as she could—until she thought we’d be gone anyway.
The questioning furrow
in Jenny’s eyebrows as she continues to walk past behind Dane must mirror my
own tension.
I release my expression
and soften to a small smile, that she catches—and takes cue. Only then
to raise her balled hands up to her sides, forming a concentrated, exaggerated
look and taking the next few steps in long, animated strides like a sprinter.
Oh, Jenny. If
this percolating laugh I managed this moment to bottle in my throat comes up,
he’ll know something’s happening behind him.
I move a little to the
side as if making room for us both for a passerby, but not before Dane catches
notice of Jenny who hurriedly collects herself just in time for him to see only
a shared glance between us.
“A friend of yours?” He smiles her way, turning back to me.
“Yes, a friend. . . a
very good friend.” I’m interested in his momentary thought
of her. Nothing changes in his kind smile. . . if only he knew.
“Cool.”
“Yeah.” The dormant butterflies begin to stir in my stomach. “Shall we go?”
“Sure.”
dane
I don’t want to let on
that I’m a little more nervous today, like she is. And the afternoon sun
glistening on the curves of her small shoulders doesn’t help matters much.
“I’ve only visited the
museum once since I’ve been here.” I become aware of
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