conversation that would detract from this one.
“Well, I’m not doing anything once I get back, other than get cleaned up of course, and thought, if you don’t have any plans, we could hang out,” she explained.
Desperately he wanted to say no. That which came out instead was, “Yeah, sure we can!”
“Great!” she said. If she was trying, she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding her excitement. She was all smiles and quite giddy.
“Not quite sure I make the girlfriend connection, though,” Jaden said, still bewildered as to why he couldn’t simply say no to what was happening.
“Oh it’s just that some girls are a tad bit jealous and wouldn’t want their guy hanging out with another girl,” she said.
He hoped that perhaps he had misread her, as a lot of guys often do with girls. As sweet and soft-spoken as she was, he couldn’t imagine that she’d be so straightforward about such a thing if she wanted anything more than friendship from him. Still, he wasn’t quite sure; it was just as feasible that under this guise she was gathering intelligence from him in an effort to discern his status, his military mind was thinking. If his own manner of thought was also that of hers then she was playing her cards well, he thought.
Jim was pulling off of Commonwealth Ave into the hotel driveway.
“Well, this is my stop,” Melanie said, grabbing her backpack. “So what time are you coming over?”
“I’d say about a couple of hours from now.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Okay. Oh… what’s your room number?”
“Room 103 on the third floor,” she said as she hopped out. “Call when you’re on your way, the number’s 2248.”
“Okay. And you do mean 301, not 103? Unless you meant to say that you’re on the first floor.”
“Oops! Yes, 301. Sorry!”
He understood. “It’s been a long day. See you in a bit.”
“Okay… see you, guys,” she said waving to the lot of them though most were still asleep.
Jaden watched her as she walked towards the revolving doors and thought her a very sweet girl. But there seemed to be more to her. He tried to speculate as to what exactly it was about her that he was drawn to; though attractive, it wasn’t physical. There was certainly something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Just as she was about to step through the revolving doors, she turned back, smiled, waved again then stepped through.
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a date,” Jim said as he pulled off.
“Nah, just hanging out, dude. Beats watching mindless garbage on TV. She’s a really nice girl,” Jaden observed.
“Yeah, she’s cool. We’ve done community service together a few times. She’s always cool to hang out with.”
“Yeah. Should be fun. Oh, seeing as how I’m the new guy, you probably don’t know where my stop is.”
“Where?” Jim asked as he awaited a car to pass before he merged onto the road.
“Straight down Comm Ave to West Campus,” Jaden directed.
LATER THAT EVENING: “You know, now that I think about it, if I did have a girlfriend, this definitely would have been kind of odd. I mean, we met this morning, fast forward to now and we are hanging out in a dimly lit hotel room, your roommate is not around and the only comfortable thing that we can both sit on happens to be a bed. Yeah, perception without regard for circumstances can definitely make for trouble.”
“Those details hadn’t occurred to me but I suppose you’re right,” she agreed.
“Well, since the atmosphere is already set, why don’t we make the most of it?” he joshed.
“Yeah right! You so wish, don’t you?”
Laughing out loud, they did not hear the door unlock.
“Hey, Melanie!” said a voice.
They both looked towards the door. It was Tina, Melanie’s roommate.
“Hey Tina! What’s up?” Melanie introduced them. “Guys, meet each other. Tina, this Jaden. Jaden, this is Tina, my roommate.”
“Community service?” asked
“Well, I’m not doing anything once I get back, other than get cleaned up of course, and thought, if you don’t have any plans, we could hang out,” she explained.
Desperately he wanted to say no. That which came out instead was, “Yeah, sure we can!”
“Great!” she said. If she was trying, she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding her excitement. She was all smiles and quite giddy.
“Not quite sure I make the girlfriend connection, though,” Jaden said, still bewildered as to why he couldn’t simply say no to what was happening.
“Oh it’s just that some girls are a tad bit jealous and wouldn’t want their guy hanging out with another girl,” she said.
He hoped that perhaps he had misread her, as a lot of guys often do with girls. As sweet and soft-spoken as she was, he couldn’t imagine that she’d be so straightforward about such a thing if she wanted anything more than friendship from him. Still, he wasn’t quite sure; it was just as feasible that under this guise she was gathering intelligence from him in an effort to discern his status, his military mind was thinking. If his own manner of thought was also that of hers then she was playing her cards well, he thought.
Jim was pulling off of Commonwealth Ave into the hotel driveway.
“Well, this is my stop,” Melanie said, grabbing her backpack. “So what time are you coming over?”
“I’d say about a couple of hours from now.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Okay. Oh… what’s your room number?”
“Room 103 on the third floor,” she said as she hopped out. “Call when you’re on your way, the number’s 2248.”
“Okay. And you do mean 301, not 103? Unless you meant to say that you’re on the first floor.”
“Oops! Yes, 301. Sorry!”
He understood. “It’s been a long day. See you in a bit.”
“Okay… see you, guys,” she said waving to the lot of them though most were still asleep.
Jaden watched her as she walked towards the revolving doors and thought her a very sweet girl. But there seemed to be more to her. He tried to speculate as to what exactly it was about her that he was drawn to; though attractive, it wasn’t physical. There was certainly something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Just as she was about to step through the revolving doors, she turned back, smiled, waved again then stepped through.
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a date,” Jim said as he pulled off.
“Nah, just hanging out, dude. Beats watching mindless garbage on TV. She’s a really nice girl,” Jaden observed.
“Yeah, she’s cool. We’ve done community service together a few times. She’s always cool to hang out with.”
“Yeah. Should be fun. Oh, seeing as how I’m the new guy, you probably don’t know where my stop is.”
“Where?” Jim asked as he awaited a car to pass before he merged onto the road.
“Straight down Comm Ave to West Campus,” Jaden directed.
LATER THAT EVENING: “You know, now that I think about it, if I did have a girlfriend, this definitely would have been kind of odd. I mean, we met this morning, fast forward to now and we are hanging out in a dimly lit hotel room, your roommate is not around and the only comfortable thing that we can both sit on happens to be a bed. Yeah, perception without regard for circumstances can definitely make for trouble.”
“Those details hadn’t occurred to me but I suppose you’re right,” she agreed.
“Well, since the atmosphere is already set, why don’t we make the most of it?” he joshed.
“Yeah right! You so wish, don’t you?”
Laughing out loud, they did not hear the door unlock.
“Hey, Melanie!” said a voice.
They both looked towards the door. It was Tina, Melanie’s roommate.
“Hey Tina! What’s up?” Melanie introduced them. “Guys, meet each other. Tina, this Jaden. Jaden, this is Tina, my roommate.”
“Community service?” asked
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