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Gianna hesitates as if she’s wrestling with something before turning to me. Her smile is bitter and forced when she says, “Sorry if I offended you.”
She looks to him again for some unspoken cue and then rejoins her brother and the other guy, now closer to the bar.
“I think I’ve made an enemy for life.”
“Her bark is worse than her bite,” he says, taking a slight step back.
And with that step, the air shifts. She broke the spell we were under, ruptured the nice, safe bubble he had me in.
I look down to where his hand still rests on my hip. He removes it, runs that same hand through his hair. And in that instant I revert back to the person I am, knowing the only reason I looked down to my hip was to compare my chunkier build to that other girl’s body. And when I compare myself to her I no longer feel good enough.
I look around the bar, trying to spot one of my roommates. “I think I’m going to go.”
“Grace?”
I don’t want to look at him, don’t want him to see the shame and disappointment in my eyes, but he places a finger on my chin and coaxes me. “I’d like to see you again if that’s all right.”
“Um,” I resume my search of the bar, “maybe I’ll see you around?”
“That’s doubtful. I don’t go to school here.”
That gets my attention because although I don’t know his friend Gianna personally, I have seen her on campus. She’s one of those girls who have the best looking guys on campus following her around like fools. Gianna falls into that first category: she’s a beautiful girl and she owns it.
“I just figured since, um, Gianna goes here.”
He smiles. “So youdoknow her?”
“Not really. I’ve just seen her around.”
He takes a sip of his beer. “I was in basic training with her brother, Eli. He’s like family to me.”
“You’re in the military?”
“Marines.” He gestures to Eli. “I re-upped, he didn’t. He just started school this fall. Oldest freshman on record.”
“You guys don’t look so old.”
“I’m joking. He’s only twenty-two. I’m twenty-four. I did two years of college before I enlisted. I’ll be twenty-seven when I get out.”
“Sounds like prison.”
“Some people see it like that, I guess. Not me, though.”
“Obviously, since you reenlisted.”
He nods, takes another sip of his beer. “So can I do more than just see you around?”
“We’re outta here!” my roommate Frannie calls out from behind me. “Hurry up…Car’s outside waiting.”
“I don’t know. I mean, you’re leaving, right?”
“I am, but not for six weeks.”
“Grace!”
I turn around and hold up one finger as I shoot Frannie a look. “It was really nice meeting you, Damien.” Looking to where Gianna is standing with her brother and a crowd of other guys, I smile. “I mean, it wastrulynice to meet you, but—”
“But you’re letting me down easy. And youarebeing nice about it.”
