sexual frustration Jen felt with D was easily outweighed by how good he was for her.
The Wednesday before spring break, Jen stepped out of the weight room wearing one of Big D’s oversized Sigma Chi T-shirts. David crossed directly in front of her. He wore gray sweats and a dingy Plimsoles T-shirt that looked like it’d probably fall apart after one more washing.
“Hey,” Jen said, keeping her tone from being too enthusiastic. After Joe’s party, she didn’t expect him to stop and talk.
His gaze snapped toward her. “Hey.” One side of his mouth twitched up in a smile, and his eyes lowered to her ankle. “Cast is totally gone, huh?”
“Yep. A month ago.” He actually had stopped walking, but a silence settled between them. It felt wrong. Jen wanted to fix it. “I’m sorry I never thanked you for staying with me in Springfield.”
“You did.”
“No, I mean a real thank you, like sending a fruit basket or at least a card. It was really, really nice of you, and you didn’t have to do it. But I appreciated it so much.”
“I know you did.” He titled his head, keeping his eyes on hers. Something in the small motion reassured her of his sincerity. “I’m glad I was there.”
They stared at each other for a few moments, and then David’s eyes flicked up toward the weight room sign. “Pumping iron?” he asked.
Jen nodded. “D’s got me on a strict regimen. Check it out.” She flexed her arm, showing off the bump of her bicep.
“Whoa.” David’s eyebrows arched, displaying an appropriate level of admiration.
“What’re you doing here?” Jen asked.
“I’ve taken up running.”
“Really?” It struck her as very Danny Zuko going out for the track team.
“I’ve been interviewing with some companies in California, so I figured I’d better start working on my beach body.” He’d said it lightly, as if moving across the country was no big deal.
“California?” She hated to think of David so far away, though she knew realistically it wouldn’t make any difference. Chances were they’d lose touch after graduation, anyhow.
He lowered his gaze to the shiny tile. “Maybe it won’t work out. Who knows?”
Jen didn’t want their conversation to turn melancholy. “I wouldn’t stress about the workouts—from what I remember, your body’s already pretty darn beach-worthy.”
David responded with a bright, surprised smile. Their eyes danced across the few feet that separated them. They hadn’t hinted at their sexual escapades since that embarrassing night at the beginning of junior year.
Jen leaned forward, adding in a low voice, “You’re still the best I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” A cocky grin played at his lips.
“Uh, yeah, ’cause you’re still the only one!”
David’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, no…really?”
“Yes, really. Did you think I was lying to you about waiting?”
“No. But you and D are getting serious. Sure seems like he’s the kind of guy you’ve been waiting for.”
“He might be. He probably is. But…things…stuff. ” She shrugged. “We’re not quite there yet.”
“Yet,” David repeated.
“There you are! Are you coming?” someone shouted from down the hall.
Jen slid her gaze sideways to see Ellie. If it hadn’t been for her distinctive voice, Jen might not’ve known it was her. The long, straight hair that typically hung like curtains on the side of her face was tied back into a tight braid. Her loose, gauzy flowerchild top had been replaced with a regular old T-shirt.
“Coming, peaches,” David called before looking back to Jen and rolling his eyes. “See ya.”
“Bye.”
As she walked to her apartment, Jen felt a twinge of guilt for the direction of her joking with David. She’d never have said any of those things in front of Ellie or Big D. She wondered if David had told his girlfriend about their sexcapades and if that was the reason Ellie didn’t like her. He’d promised to keep it a secret, but
The Wednesday before spring break, Jen stepped out of the weight room wearing one of Big D’s oversized Sigma Chi T-shirts. David crossed directly in front of her. He wore gray sweats and a dingy Plimsoles T-shirt that looked like it’d probably fall apart after one more washing.
“Hey,” Jen said, keeping her tone from being too enthusiastic. After Joe’s party, she didn’t expect him to stop and talk.
His gaze snapped toward her. “Hey.” One side of his mouth twitched up in a smile, and his eyes lowered to her ankle. “Cast is totally gone, huh?”
“Yep. A month ago.” He actually had stopped walking, but a silence settled between them. It felt wrong. Jen wanted to fix it. “I’m sorry I never thanked you for staying with me in Springfield.”
“You did.”
“No, I mean a real thank you, like sending a fruit basket or at least a card. It was really, really nice of you, and you didn’t have to do it. But I appreciated it so much.”
“I know you did.” He titled his head, keeping his eyes on hers. Something in the small motion reassured her of his sincerity. “I’m glad I was there.”
They stared at each other for a few moments, and then David’s eyes flicked up toward the weight room sign. “Pumping iron?” he asked.
Jen nodded. “D’s got me on a strict regimen. Check it out.” She flexed her arm, showing off the bump of her bicep.
“Whoa.” David’s eyebrows arched, displaying an appropriate level of admiration.
“What’re you doing here?” Jen asked.
“I’ve taken up running.”
“Really?” It struck her as very Danny Zuko going out for the track team.
“I’ve been interviewing with some companies in California, so I figured I’d better start working on my beach body.” He’d said it lightly, as if moving across the country was no big deal.
“California?” She hated to think of David so far away, though she knew realistically it wouldn’t make any difference. Chances were they’d lose touch after graduation, anyhow.
He lowered his gaze to the shiny tile. “Maybe it won’t work out. Who knows?”
Jen didn’t want their conversation to turn melancholy. “I wouldn’t stress about the workouts—from what I remember, your body’s already pretty darn beach-worthy.”
David responded with a bright, surprised smile. Their eyes danced across the few feet that separated them. They hadn’t hinted at their sexual escapades since that embarrassing night at the beginning of junior year.
Jen leaned forward, adding in a low voice, “You’re still the best I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” A cocky grin played at his lips.
“Uh, yeah, ’cause you’re still the only one!”
David’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, no…really?”
“Yes, really. Did you think I was lying to you about waiting?”
“No. But you and D are getting serious. Sure seems like he’s the kind of guy you’ve been waiting for.”
“He might be. He probably is. But…things…stuff. ” She shrugged. “We’re not quite there yet.”
“Yet,” David repeated.
“There you are! Are you coming?” someone shouted from down the hall.
Jen slid her gaze sideways to see Ellie. If it hadn’t been for her distinctive voice, Jen might not’ve known it was her. The long, straight hair that typically hung like curtains on the side of her face was tied back into a tight braid. Her loose, gauzy flowerchild top had been replaced with a regular old T-shirt.
“Coming, peaches,” David called before looking back to Jen and rolling his eyes. “See ya.”
“Bye.”
As she walked to her apartment, Jen felt a twinge of guilt for the direction of her joking with David. She’d never have said any of those things in front of Ellie or Big D. She wondered if David had told his girlfriend about their sexcapades and if that was the reason Ellie didn’t like her. He’d promised to keep it a secret, but
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