but I plastered a smile on my face and forced one foot in front of the other.
“Lynnie, I’d like to introduce you to Karyn.”
An adorably tiny sprite of a woman turned and immediately smiled at me. I took a quick step back as a feeling of odd warmth radiated just from her smile. She reached for my hand to give it a quick handshake. I couldn’t figure out why I was so instantly mesmerized by her.
“Hi, Karyn. It’s so awesome to meet the woman who has everyone talking.”
She winked at me to soften the statement. Ugh. She had confirmed all my fears. I was the center of attention and not for a reason that I particularly cared for. I couldn’t help it. I cringed at the statement.
Worry creased her brow.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’ve upset you already and I just met you. Damn. That’s a new personal record.”
I rushed to put her at ease. I had no idea why I cared, but for some strange reason, I did.
“It’s okay, seriously, I just hate being the talk of the town. It’s really nice to meet you, Lynnie. I hope we aren’t interrupting a conversation.”
I looked around to see that no one else was there. It was then I saw a brief sad smile cross her face.
“No important conversations going on here. So, no worry of interruption.”
She waved her hand towards her head as if that meant something. My eyes immediately drew up and I noticed that she wore a silk scarf as a head covering. But it wasn’t covering hair. There was no hair.
I looked back into her eyes, noticing a slight hint of sadness and withdrawal.
“No one wants to catch what I have. Even though they rationally know that cancer isn’t contagious.”
I was stunned. Seriously stunned. Were people really that close minded and ridiculous? I looked around the room one more time, remembering how sorry for myself I had been feeling simply because people assumed I spread my legs for an internship.
I felt about the size of a speck of dust in the middle of the desert. I turned to look at Brian, who was standing only about a foot behind me observing this interaction. He winked.
“Okay, then. I’ll just leave you two lovely ladies to whatever it is you guys talk about.”
He started to turn away and I reached out to touch his arm.
“Not so fast, mister. What do you say the three of us meet up and Karlson’s Pub for greasy bar food, watered down drinks and great conversation?”
Karlson’s was sort of a watering hole for the news hounds in town. If we were going to turn heads for all the wrong reasons, we might as well do so on a bigger stage.
The grins on both Brian and Lynnie’s faces were worth all this discomfort of this ridiculous mixer. I’d been so focused on achievement throughout my college experience, I’d forgotten to make lifelong friends and have crazy bonding moments. All those college movies that show people dressed in sheets, piling into tiny cars or into phone booths? Yeah, not so much. It was study, classes, articles, research and interviews. That’s it. I hadn’t even had a single drunken hookup that resulted in regret and a hangover.
I hadn’t been a saint, but nothing had happened as the result of mixing hard alcohol with wine coolers.
Ick.
Horrible combo.
We made a little bit more small chat, and before I knew it the socialization experiment had thankfully come to an end. We made plans to meet up in a couple hours at Karlson’s, and I ran back to my dorm to get ready for a night with my new friends.
chapter eight.
A long wolf whistle broke through the din of heavy smoke, classic rock and the clinking of glass against glass.
“Damn, Karyn, you clean up really tasty.”
Gag.
That douche pickle, Anderson, just had to be there, leaning on the exposed brick wall and effectively blocking my path. I was very pleased with myself to be completely immune to his charms.
At least, that’s what I told myself. I swore to myself that the crystal clear blue eyes and solid chest that was clearly the result
“Lynnie, I’d like to introduce you to Karyn.”
An adorably tiny sprite of a woman turned and immediately smiled at me. I took a quick step back as a feeling of odd warmth radiated just from her smile. She reached for my hand to give it a quick handshake. I couldn’t figure out why I was so instantly mesmerized by her.
“Hi, Karyn. It’s so awesome to meet the woman who has everyone talking.”
She winked at me to soften the statement. Ugh. She had confirmed all my fears. I was the center of attention and not for a reason that I particularly cared for. I couldn’t help it. I cringed at the statement.
Worry creased her brow.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’ve upset you already and I just met you. Damn. That’s a new personal record.”
I rushed to put her at ease. I had no idea why I cared, but for some strange reason, I did.
“It’s okay, seriously, I just hate being the talk of the town. It’s really nice to meet you, Lynnie. I hope we aren’t interrupting a conversation.”
I looked around to see that no one else was there. It was then I saw a brief sad smile cross her face.
“No important conversations going on here. So, no worry of interruption.”
She waved her hand towards her head as if that meant something. My eyes immediately drew up and I noticed that she wore a silk scarf as a head covering. But it wasn’t covering hair. There was no hair.
I looked back into her eyes, noticing a slight hint of sadness and withdrawal.
“No one wants to catch what I have. Even though they rationally know that cancer isn’t contagious.”
I was stunned. Seriously stunned. Were people really that close minded and ridiculous? I looked around the room one more time, remembering how sorry for myself I had been feeling simply because people assumed I spread my legs for an internship.
I felt about the size of a speck of dust in the middle of the desert. I turned to look at Brian, who was standing only about a foot behind me observing this interaction. He winked.
“Okay, then. I’ll just leave you two lovely ladies to whatever it is you guys talk about.”
He started to turn away and I reached out to touch his arm.
“Not so fast, mister. What do you say the three of us meet up and Karlson’s Pub for greasy bar food, watered down drinks and great conversation?”
Karlson’s was sort of a watering hole for the news hounds in town. If we were going to turn heads for all the wrong reasons, we might as well do so on a bigger stage.
The grins on both Brian and Lynnie’s faces were worth all this discomfort of this ridiculous mixer. I’d been so focused on achievement throughout my college experience, I’d forgotten to make lifelong friends and have crazy bonding moments. All those college movies that show people dressed in sheets, piling into tiny cars or into phone booths? Yeah, not so much. It was study, classes, articles, research and interviews. That’s it. I hadn’t even had a single drunken hookup that resulted in regret and a hangover.
I hadn’t been a saint, but nothing had happened as the result of mixing hard alcohol with wine coolers.
Ick.
Horrible combo.
We made a little bit more small chat, and before I knew it the socialization experiment had thankfully come to an end. We made plans to meet up in a couple hours at Karlson’s, and I ran back to my dorm to get ready for a night with my new friends.
chapter eight.
A long wolf whistle broke through the din of heavy smoke, classic rock and the clinking of glass against glass.
“Damn, Karyn, you clean up really tasty.”
Gag.
That douche pickle, Anderson, just had to be there, leaning on the exposed brick wall and effectively blocking my path. I was very pleased with myself to be completely immune to his charms.
At least, that’s what I told myself. I swore to myself that the crystal clear blue eyes and solid chest that was clearly the result
Similar Books
