be sometimes.
I rritating comes in every color. What matters is that you like the person and have something in common with them.”
“I know, but did you ever encounter other people’s hostility?”
“Sometimes, but that’s why you have to be sure you like the person, because in the end it has to be about the two of you. Why, you meet someone?”
“Maybe, not sure if I like him enough, scratch that, I do like him, but I’m not sure he likes me. I don’t want to be something different and new for him, you know, another notch on his belt,” she said.
“Well, what do you want to do?”
“I’m trying to figure that out.”
“Well, sometimes you have to step out on faith, you know. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’m starting to sound like your mother. So, on that note, let me know if you need me. I could meet him, you know, use that big brother-checking-out-little-sister’s-boyfriend routine.”
“No, thanks, and anyway, enough about me. I’ll see you tomorrow at the game.”
Sitting here in the dark, alone she could be honest with herself. She was anxious about seeing Stephen tomorrow. He didn’t know that she played intramural soccer at the university or that their two teams would play each other. She hadn’t mentioned that to him on the plane ride home, and, true to his word, he hadn’t called since he’d walked her home. Why was she being such a hard ass? Because she’d gotten her feelings hurt. But so what? Actually Joe was the one responsible for hurting h er feelings, not Stephen. Stephen had seemed sincere in his apologies and efforts to see her again. What other guy had ever been that persistent?
The hard truth was that she was afraid. She was feeling plain old simple fear of the unknown. Intuitively she sensed that he could hurt her, really hurt her. She wanted him more than anyone she’d met or gone out with. What made him so different? Who knew? He rep resented the standard definition of success that most women wanted in their men. He was wealthy, great looking, smart, and athletic, and that was just the funda mental tally. Throw in his talented hands and mouth attached to that body and he was mind altering .
She was confident in herself and her abilities, on most days, anyway. Other days, though, she suffered doubts. One part of her, the part she called her half empty self, didn’t believe she would be of interest to a guy like Stephen, and couldn’t understand why he had been so persistent. His kind usually went for his beautiful coun terparts. Why was he interested in her? Was she some game? The other self, the half glass full self, said girl, what are you waiting for? GO FOR IT! So what if he only wanted sex, when was the last time she had some? She could handle just sex. She was a big girl and crazy to throw an opportunity like this away. And since when had she become a quitter?
Enough already, she thought, she needed to get some sleep, needed to be rested for tomorrow’s game. She wanted to play really, really well.
* * *
Sunday was the perfect day of the week for Stephen. Usually this day remained free from scheduled obligations, and most times he slept in. Saturday nights could last until the next morning if he found a willing woman, but that rarely occurred at his apartment. If he met someone the night before, they went back to her place. If she didn’t have a place, he moved on. Hassle free was the goal, didn’t want the worry of having to relocate Saturday night’s leftovers from his place Sunday morning. They almost always didn’t want to leave.
He shared an apartment with Henri, who had similar standards. Although Henri was much more circumspect regarding potential bed partners, but they both respected each other’s privacy.
As Stephen lay in bed this Sunday morning, as usual his thoughts turned to Reye. He promised himself he wouldn’t call her, and he hadn’t. It didn’t make sense to work that hard when there were willing women available. The
I rritating comes in every color. What matters is that you like the person and have something in common with them.”
“I know, but did you ever encounter other people’s hostility?”
“Sometimes, but that’s why you have to be sure you like the person, because in the end it has to be about the two of you. Why, you meet someone?”
“Maybe, not sure if I like him enough, scratch that, I do like him, but I’m not sure he likes me. I don’t want to be something different and new for him, you know, another notch on his belt,” she said.
“Well, what do you want to do?”
“I’m trying to figure that out.”
“Well, sometimes you have to step out on faith, you know. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’m starting to sound like your mother. So, on that note, let me know if you need me. I could meet him, you know, use that big brother-checking-out-little-sister’s-boyfriend routine.”
“No, thanks, and anyway, enough about me. I’ll see you tomorrow at the game.”
Sitting here in the dark, alone she could be honest with herself. She was anxious about seeing Stephen tomorrow. He didn’t know that she played intramural soccer at the university or that their two teams would play each other. She hadn’t mentioned that to him on the plane ride home, and, true to his word, he hadn’t called since he’d walked her home. Why was she being such a hard ass? Because she’d gotten her feelings hurt. But so what? Actually Joe was the one responsible for hurting h er feelings, not Stephen. Stephen had seemed sincere in his apologies and efforts to see her again. What other guy had ever been that persistent?
The hard truth was that she was afraid. She was feeling plain old simple fear of the unknown. Intuitively she sensed that he could hurt her, really hurt her. She wanted him more than anyone she’d met or gone out with. What made him so different? Who knew? He rep resented the standard definition of success that most women wanted in their men. He was wealthy, great looking, smart, and athletic, and that was just the funda mental tally. Throw in his talented hands and mouth attached to that body and he was mind altering .
She was confident in herself and her abilities, on most days, anyway. Other days, though, she suffered doubts. One part of her, the part she called her half empty self, didn’t believe she would be of interest to a guy like Stephen, and couldn’t understand why he had been so persistent. His kind usually went for his beautiful coun terparts. Why was he interested in her? Was she some game? The other self, the half glass full self, said girl, what are you waiting for? GO FOR IT! So what if he only wanted sex, when was the last time she had some? She could handle just sex. She was a big girl and crazy to throw an opportunity like this away. And since when had she become a quitter?
Enough already, she thought, she needed to get some sleep, needed to be rested for tomorrow’s game. She wanted to play really, really well.
* * *
Sunday was the perfect day of the week for Stephen. Usually this day remained free from scheduled obligations, and most times he slept in. Saturday nights could last until the next morning if he found a willing woman, but that rarely occurred at his apartment. If he met someone the night before, they went back to her place. If she didn’t have a place, he moved on. Hassle free was the goal, didn’t want the worry of having to relocate Saturday night’s leftovers from his place Sunday morning. They almost always didn’t want to leave.
He shared an apartment with Henri, who had similar standards. Although Henri was much more circumspect regarding potential bed partners, but they both respected each other’s privacy.
As Stephen lay in bed this Sunday morning, as usual his thoughts turned to Reye. He promised himself he wouldn’t call her, and he hadn’t. It didn’t make sense to work that hard when there were willing women available. The
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