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“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she answered matter-of-factly, as she started gathering her notebooks.
I felt a slight wave of panic, worried that she would leave and I would have no way to talk to her again. The prospect sounded great in theory, but what I was really interested in was getting to know her better. I wanted to figure this girl out.
I knew if I went along with this, it would buy me some time with her, and maybe even help me figure out how to win her over. What I didn’t want to do
was waste her time if she really had no interest in me. What was the right thing to do? I needed more time to really think about it.
“How about I think about it and let you know?” I finally asked.
“No problem. That’s totally understandable,” she nodded in agreement.
“Okay, so I guess I need your number, then. You know… to let you know what I decide.” I took my cell phone out of my pocket and started a new phonebook entry to type in her number. I noticed I had twenty missed text messages from different guys on the team asking where I was since I hadn’t shown up to Ethan’s place as expected.
I couldn’t help but think what a change it was that I was asking someone else for their number for once instead of the other way around. It also didn’t escape my notice that she wasn’t asking for mine in return.
Zia gave me her number, and then we both packed up to leave, going our separate ways.
* * *
From the Daylee Grind, I walked the couple of blocks back to my apartment and took my truck straight over to Ethan’s place, since I had already spent so much time hanging out with Zia. I knew if I went inside my apartment at that point, I probably wouldn’t get back out, and I had already told them I’d come by. I didn’t want to disappoint, since I knew they were expecting me.
Ethan had a pretty nice place, a house that his parents had bought for him here in town while he was attending school here. Like me, Ethan came from a wealthy family, and it looked like they had paid an interior designer to decorate and a house maid to keep the place clean. Not a bad setup for Ethan and his two roommates.
It certainly served as a great party spot when the mood struck, which happened fairly often in this bunch. I could see the appeal, and while my apartment had a lot of nice, high-end furnishings of its own, I preferred the living alone aspect where I could come home and relax in peace and quiet when I wanted to.
When I walked in the door, I got a loud greeting from the crowd that had gathered in my absence, and Ethan handed me a glass of beer.
“Where have you been, man? We were beginning to think you got lost. Katy’s here and she’s been asking for you,” Ethan informed me.
Great. I should have known she’d be here. If she hadn’t invited herself, then Ethan would have invited her. Good ol’ Ethan, always thinking with the wrong head like any hot-blooded, college aged male.
Right on cue, Katy walked up to Ethan and me, moving to put her arms around my waist in greeting, but I artfully dodged and directed her attention to Ethan.
“Hey Katy, I was hoping you’d be here. You know Ethan, right?” I felt like Barney Stinson playing the ‘have you met Ted’ game from How I Met Your Mother.
“Not exactly,” Katy answered, turning to Ethan, who suddenly had a hell of a grin on his face.
“Ethan was just telling me how great he thought that shirt looks on you tonight,” I lied, and Ethan gave me a look that silently asked, “I did?”
“Aww, thank you, Ethan. You have a nice place,” Katy took the flattery bait and turned her attention to Ethan, as I left the two of them to get better acquainted with one another.
Katy was a nice girl, hot as hell, but she wanted a little more from me than I wanted to give her as far as a serious relationship went. She wanted one and I didn’t. Maybe I’d want one with the right girl, but not with Katy. I figured that she and Ethan ought to hit it off perfectly.
I maneuvered my way through the kitchen into the play room where Jonas was playing pool with Reginald, another guy from the team, and several others were milling around watching or socializing as they drank Ethan’s beer.
Reginald sunk the eight-ball and Jonas handed the pool cue over to another guy waiting to play. When Jonas saw me, he walked over and greeted me with a ritual handshake.
“Porter, it’s about time you show up. Where have you been, brother?” Jonas asked.
“I ran into a girl on the way home from practice and time got away from me. You know how it goes,” I told him as I shrugged with indifference.
“She hot?” Jonas asked.
“Gorgeous,” I admitted. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen this girl around before. You know Clara, right?” I asked Jonas.
“Kincade? Yeah, I know her,” Jonas smiled and nodded appreciatively in recognition.
“She and Clara were at the Book Shelf together Saturday night when we were there,” I told him. “Then I ran into her earlier today when I went back to find a book I had left in the Student Central Building. She had found it.”
