up to the porch, only to be greeted by a half-naked girl coming out the door, clad in short shorts and a bikini top two sizes too small. John’s roommate, Chris, was trailing behind her.
“Johnny! And a girl. Hey, chick.” He winked. “Check out the location, man. Right across from Sorority Row. Party every night.”
John was humiliated, and he knew his face was beet red. “Chris, this is my girlfriend, Zanny.”
Chris leaned against the doorjamb. “Oh, Zanny . From back home?”
“Yes.”
Only Zanny’s hand clenched tightly around his stopped John from wiping the lascivious grin off the other man’s face as he looked her over from head to toe.
“Then forget what I said about a party every night. Johnny will be a good boy, sugar. I promise you.” The wink he sent John said he believed otherwise. John knew that also meant Chris would try everything he could to get him to fail. A very bad breakup the previous spring had left deep scars on the young man, and he’d gone from seeing women as deserving of respect to having a more misogynistic perspective.
Zanny’s face was closed down so tightly that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know she was hurting. John knew he had a decision to make. All said, it was relatively simple.
“Chris, I don’t think this is going to work for me.”
He seemed genuinely puzzled. “Why not?”
“You know I hate the parties. I thought we were getting someplace a little farther off campus.”
“Dude, the only place I could find was living with a little old lady in a boarding house. I didn’t get up here until last week. Everything else was taken. I only got this at the last minute when a couple of the other guys dropped out.”
“I’d rather be at the little old lady’s, to tell you the truth.”
Chris shook his head and looked at Zanny. “That’s how it is, then?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, I get it. If you hurry, you might be able to get the room at the boarding house.” He rattled off the address and held out his hand. John shook it gladly. “You’ll still be around for classes and stuff?”
“Of course. We’re still friends. I don’t think you’ll have any problems finding roommates here. Do you?”
Chris’s grin was cheerful. “Oh, no. I’ve had to beat ’em off with a stick, practically.” He held out his hand to Zanny, more respectfully than before. “This one’s a good guy. I’m more fun, but he’s as solid as they come.”
Zanny laughed. “I don’t think I could handle ‘more fun,’ but yes, John is a good man.”
They hurried across campus to the boarding house, and John easily secured the room. That had put Zanny’s mind at ease, he knew, but apparently not fully.
“How many parties did I drag you to this summer?” he asked her now.
“Just one.”
“Yeah. And it was Rick’s birthday party. My parents were there.” Stepping close, he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t get the whole party thing. I don’t enjoy it. I never really have. I thought you believed that.”
With a sniffle, she rested her face against his shoulder. “I do. I don’t know why I’m being so sensitive. I’m going to miss you, and maybe I’m spoiling for a fight so I don’t get a ‘Dear Zanny’ letter.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be getting ‘Dear John’ letters every time you write,” he teased. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I wish I could stay here with you.” He kissed her deeply, with a desperation driven by the knowledge that he wouldn’t get to feel her in his arms for quite some time. With the tension of his impending departure looming, desire quickly ignited into passion. She reached down and cupped him lovingly. When she squeezed, he groaned into her neck.
“Zanny… I was trying to be good, but you’re making that hard.”
She laughed softly. “I know. Come inside?”
John tried to think rationally. “I don’t know if I can walk away from you tonight.”
“I don’t want you to walk away from
“Johnny! And a girl. Hey, chick.” He winked. “Check out the location, man. Right across from Sorority Row. Party every night.”
John was humiliated, and he knew his face was beet red. “Chris, this is my girlfriend, Zanny.”
Chris leaned against the doorjamb. “Oh, Zanny . From back home?”
“Yes.”
Only Zanny’s hand clenched tightly around his stopped John from wiping the lascivious grin off the other man’s face as he looked her over from head to toe.
“Then forget what I said about a party every night. Johnny will be a good boy, sugar. I promise you.” The wink he sent John said he believed otherwise. John knew that also meant Chris would try everything he could to get him to fail. A very bad breakup the previous spring had left deep scars on the young man, and he’d gone from seeing women as deserving of respect to having a more misogynistic perspective.
Zanny’s face was closed down so tightly that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know she was hurting. John knew he had a decision to make. All said, it was relatively simple.
“Chris, I don’t think this is going to work for me.”
He seemed genuinely puzzled. “Why not?”
“You know I hate the parties. I thought we were getting someplace a little farther off campus.”
“Dude, the only place I could find was living with a little old lady in a boarding house. I didn’t get up here until last week. Everything else was taken. I only got this at the last minute when a couple of the other guys dropped out.”
“I’d rather be at the little old lady’s, to tell you the truth.”
Chris shook his head and looked at Zanny. “That’s how it is, then?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, I get it. If you hurry, you might be able to get the room at the boarding house.” He rattled off the address and held out his hand. John shook it gladly. “You’ll still be around for classes and stuff?”
“Of course. We’re still friends. I don’t think you’ll have any problems finding roommates here. Do you?”
Chris’s grin was cheerful. “Oh, no. I’ve had to beat ’em off with a stick, practically.” He held out his hand to Zanny, more respectfully than before. “This one’s a good guy. I’m more fun, but he’s as solid as they come.”
Zanny laughed. “I don’t think I could handle ‘more fun,’ but yes, John is a good man.”
They hurried across campus to the boarding house, and John easily secured the room. That had put Zanny’s mind at ease, he knew, but apparently not fully.
“How many parties did I drag you to this summer?” he asked her now.
“Just one.”
“Yeah. And it was Rick’s birthday party. My parents were there.” Stepping close, he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t get the whole party thing. I don’t enjoy it. I never really have. I thought you believed that.”
With a sniffle, she rested her face against his shoulder. “I do. I don’t know why I’m being so sensitive. I’m going to miss you, and maybe I’m spoiling for a fight so I don’t get a ‘Dear Zanny’ letter.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be getting ‘Dear John’ letters every time you write,” he teased. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I wish I could stay here with you.” He kissed her deeply, with a desperation driven by the knowledge that he wouldn’t get to feel her in his arms for quite some time. With the tension of his impending departure looming, desire quickly ignited into passion. She reached down and cupped him lovingly. When she squeezed, he groaned into her neck.
“Zanny… I was trying to be good, but you’re making that hard.”
She laughed softly. “I know. Come inside?”
John tried to think rationally. “I don’t know if I can walk away from you tonight.”
“I don’t want you to walk away from
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