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  “Sarah wanted you to have these for later. She figured you would need them.”

  Gratefully, I take them. Ty turns the key and the engine revs to life. I smile at the sound. There is so much power coursing through the car and most of it did not seem to be coming from the engine.

  Chapter 7: A date unexpected

  I take one deep breath. I know Michelle will be there with a million questions. It is the first night I didn’t come back and hopefully the last. The rash of missed calls and unanswered texts from Michelle plagues my phone.

  Can’t talk now be there in a few, were the only words I could text to Michelle while on the short drive from Ty’s back to the dorms. The ride is silent with the only words spoken by Ty.

  “See you in a few hours.” He says as I hop out of the car. I turn with a smile. The butterflies in my stomach begin to once again take flight. Ty drives off in his mustang leaving me standing on the front steps in what technically can be considered a walk-of-shame outfit. Thank goodness Sarah washed the jeans for me.

  I begin to walk slowly up to the front door. Relief washes over me. I am home and I am safe. Not only that, but I got a date with the guy who makes my heart sing. I touch the side of my neck sending a dull pain through my head. It is not the perfect moment I had hoped it would be. I expected something with more romance and a lot less pain, but it is a date invitation none the less. I open the door to the stairs and walk up. Each metal ping of my feet hitting the steps reminds me of the pounding in my head and the soreness of my body. Soon enough, I am in front of my door turning the key. I hear the familiar click of the lock and before the door opens all the way, I hear the rustling from Michelle’s bed as she pops up to greet me. A warm smile fills her face as she takes in my appearance.

  My disheveled hair and baggy t-shirt that clearly isn’t mine brings more excitement to that 100 pound girl than it should. I take my eyes off of her to close the door and lock it. The blaring sound of MTV comes from the television on top of the wardrobe. I turn back around to see Michelle’s smile still plastered across her face.

  “Well? How was last night?”

  I pause and look at Michelle. I know what she is thinking. Immediately I burst her bubble putting a stop to her thoughts.

  “It’s not what you think.” I tell her as I move the hair from my neck revealing a deep bruise forming.

  Michelle’s face immediately fills with worry.

  “It’s also not what you think.” I say making my way over to my dresser peeling off the shirt. “On our way back to the car, I was attacked.”

  “What?! Where was Andrew?”

  “Andrew was too busy making out in every corner of the French Quarter with his guy pal as we walked back to the car,” I roll my eyes. “I walked ahead trying to hurry them, but obviously it was too far.”

  Michelle jumps off the bed to get a better look at my neck.

  “I’m going to kill Andrew,” states Michelle.

  “Yea, well…You know Ty from our class? I think he is on board with you.”

  Confusion crosses her face. She knew exactly how I felt about Ty as she gives a slight nod. I know I need to give more of an explanation as to what happened last night.

  “Well, he came to the rescue at just the right time. I don’t remember much, but from what I do, I was lucky he was there. I ended up waking up in this strange room with a view of boats and in this.” I take off my shirt and hold up the Crescent City Classic t-shirt.

  I continue explaining the events of last night to her. Michelle listens to the story intently until I am done. Concern etches across her face.

  “I should have walked with you to the car. I am sure Daniel would have understood,” Michelle says concerned.

  “No, I don’t think it would have made a difference. I know that it is safer to go in numbers but Andrew and his new guy should have been enough. Plus I went way too far ahead of them. I set myself up for an attacker.”

  I left out some parts to the story. After all, how could I explain the woman in trouble or the man with the glowing red eyes? There is probably a better way to go about it than I did. I think back slightly disappointed as the events of last night start coming back to me. I shouldn’t have handled the situation myself. I should have found help. Either way, I learned the hard way, but still, I couldn’t get over how creepy the man who attacked me was. He seemed… not real.

  “Yea, but I still should have been there for you and insisted on going with you myself,” replies Michelle. I look at her. “Andrew is so dead.”

  “Yea, I don’t know how to handle the situation with Andrew. He was careless, but in his defense, I am sure there usually are not creepers lurking in dark alleys. It was mostly dumb luck. From here on out, we will make sure to have each other’s backs. Got it?”

  I smile at Michelle. She smiles back. Standing in my bra, I turn and look at myself in the new mirror I bought a few days ago. For someone who got attacked, I was not in bad shape. My body is sore and there is a bruise on my neck, but that is it. My hair is up in a messy pony tail. I look down at my feet. The dirt from the night before is still caked to them. I need a shower bad. I give Michelle one more reassuring smile then head into the bathroom peeling off the rest of my clothes as I walk. The hair tie takes a little skill getting out. My hair falls to the right side as soon as the holder is out. Tangled mess of golden hair resembles a bird’s nest. I turn on the shower then grab the brush to try and to bring order to the mess before hopping in. Satisfied with the state of my hair, I hop into the shower. Warm water envelopes my body as I take a deep breath.

  I am in my sanctuary. The sound of water muffles out the world around me as warm liquid encases my body, forming a cocoon. I am in my fortress of solitude. Slowly I unwind. I let out a sigh. That was not the way I wanted to get a date from my crush. Sure we went out for lunch after class one time and he paid, but in no way did I consider that a date. Last night so helpless and crumpled was not the way I wanted Ty to see me ever. Sure he sees me all sweaty when we play volleyball in class, but that is my own choice. So many thoughts drift up through my head. Obviously, it worked otherwise Ty would not have asked me out on a date. I smirk. Out of all the thoughts to have about an attack, I am worried about how Ty perceives me. It is silly, but then again, he is all I think about in my spare time these days.

  I wash up quickly then step out of the shower. I dry off some and then wrap the towel around my body. It’s odd, but the shower made me more tired than I was a few minutes ago. Not just a little tired, I am extremely tired. I walk out of the bathroom feeling clean, but not refreshed. Immediately I hop up into my bed and curl up underneath the blanket not caring the only thing I have on is a towel.

  “Hey Michelle,” I say.

  “Yeah, Kimber.”

  “Would you mind waking me up in about an hour? I have a date to go on.”

  “A date?!” Michelle perks up.

  “Yeah,” I respond. “I have a thing with Ty that is actually a casual type of date.”

  “That’s awesome!”

  I murmur agreeably as my body sinks into the comforts of my familiar twin bed. I did not remember falling asleep, but I do remember dreaming of Ty.

  I wake up to the sound of knocking on the door. I dart up looking at the clock. Eish! It’s one-o-clock. I look over at Michelle who is passed out. She must have dozed off when I did. I hear the knock again. I jump out of bed arranging my towel and look out the peep hole. There, in all his russet glory, stands Ty. I look down at my towel wrapped body. There is no time to quickly change without Ty walking away. I take a deep breath, puff out my chest and open the door. Ty looks incredible. He is wearing Khaki shorts and one of his many V neck tee shirts I love so much. The shirt is even my favorite color; blue. Ty looks at my outfit (or lack thereof) and smiles.

  “I wouldn’t mind you going out in that,” he smirks, “but are you sure that is what you want to wear?”

  I give him a look and gesture for him to come in. Michelle begins
to stir from her slumber.

  “I accidently fell asleep,” I respond as I close the door. “Michelle was supposed to wake me up but she fell asleep, too.”

  “Hi, Ty,” greets Michelle’s sleepy voice.

  I turn and look at Ty. He is staring at my neck intently. Slowly he lifts his hand and lightly touches the side of my neck. His touch sends chills vibrating through my body causing my breath to hitch. I close my eyes savoring the feeling. Quickly I open them as I realize how naked I am under my towel. I step away from him to regain my composure.

  “That’s a nice bruise you have forming there,” states Ty. Concern etches in his face. “I’m sure it would have been worse if you hadn’t come to my rescue.”

  Ty smiles and his hand rises higher framing my face. I bring my hand up pressing his hand against my face even more savoring his touch. I look into his eyes. He is so handsome. I can stay in this moment forever.

  “Don’t mind me,” Michelle responds from her bed.

  Both of us turn and look at her. I feel my face flush and turn red. She lets out a laugh. Quickly I breeze past Ty and open up my closet door.

  “So what did you have planned for lunch,” I ask.

  “A picnic,” responds Ty as he takes a seat at my desk.

  That’s good to know. I quickly look at Ty’s casual dress and opt to do the same. I pull out my cut off blue jean shorts and a random tee shirt I got at Goodwill. Discretely, I reach into my lingerie drawer and grab some undergarments then walk into the bathroom locking the door behind me for the first time in a while. Quickly I throw on my clothes and look in the mirror. Just as I thought, my hair has become a tangled mess again and the sleepiness lingers in my eyes. I survey my neck. The bruise is getting darker. I grab the brush and pull it through my hair. As soon as I am satisfied, I pull my makeup case out from under the sink. I put on a little foundation, blush and eye makeup. It is probably going sweat off any way in the heat, but I wanted to start off looking somewhat presentable. I take one step back and look in the mirror. This is the best I can do with the time I have. Quickly I unlock the door and go back into my room.

  Ty and Michelle are watching television intently. I am sure they talked about me when I was in the bathroom but their conversation has turned silent. I smile at Ty. I am growing more nervous as we get closer to leaving the comfort of my room. I slip on my brown flip flops, grab my purse and a light jacket. One last look in the mirror and I am ready to go. I nod at Ty and he rises from his chair.

  “You two kids have fun.” Michelle jokes as we walk out the door.

  I roll my eyes at her and close the door. We walk out of the dorms in silence side by side. Although Ty and I have talked and seen each other many times before, we still have that first awkward date moment walking to his car.

  “So where are we having a picnic?”

  “In City Park,” replies Ty.

  “What did you make?”

  Ty smiles at this.

  “I didn’t really have time to make anything. So I bought things.”

  “What did you buy?”

  “Well given your state and the late night,” began Ty, “I thought it best for greasy food so Popeye’s.”

  I smile at him. As soon as he mentions what he has, I crave it. It is the most prefect food at that time. He looks over at me hesitantly.

  “Popeye’s is perfect.”

  Ty shoots a crooked smile in my direction then revs the engine to life. The mustang sounds as sleek as it looks. He shifts the car into drive and takes off. I love riding in the passenger seat through New Orleans. There is always so much to observe. We speed down Robert E. Lee and past the Greek Church taking a left onto Wisner. I look out my window and onto the beginning of City Park. The golfers are out in full force this sunny Saturday afternoon. I watch the golf carts rumble down the sidewalk and the men tee up. We stop at a stop light and I look out Ty’s window to the bayou. On the other side of the bayou are a line of huge houses. Each one is distinctive yet just as luxurious as the next. Some have boat docks. Some of them even have little statues in their backyard.

  “Those houses are huge,” I comment as we begin to drive again.

  “Yep, they are nice,” comments Ty, “but the streets in that neighborhood are horrible. I don’t dare take cars back there.”

  I smile at Ty as he takes a right. In front of us is the New Orleans Museum of Art. Huge pillars bring a resolute beauty to the whole building. We get closer and begin to circle the building. It is the first time I have been this close to it. On the sides are tall gates. To my amazement, even the gates themselves are works of art. Straight steel and circular silver lay dramatically on them forming one monumental art installation adding to the grandeur of this modern Romanesque building. We drive through City Park and eventually park. My heart begins to pound in anticipation of starting our date as the engine goes silent.

  I look at Ty. He smiles at me. Then he begins to lean in. My heart begins to beat faster.

  Is he going to kiss me? The hopeful thought crosses my mind.

  Ty pauses for a split second. My body tenses up in preparation for whatever might happen. Then he reaches back behind my seat and pulls out a big basket and a blanket. I feel my body relax as my mind feels let down.

  Is it wrong to want him to kiss me so soon? No, it is definitely not. I am young and in college. I want to experience what life has to offer and right now, that is Ty. I clamber out of his car and shut the door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I look at Ty with a confused look. I did not think I was letting my disappointment that he didn’t kiss me show. Just to make sure I straighten up my body and smile at him.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” I reply.

  “You were pouting a second ago,” replies Ty.

  “I guess I am still a little tired.”

  Ty lets out a chuckle and then signals for me to follow. As I get closer to him, he grabs my hand. Warmth travels through me as all my senses focus on the feel of my hand in Ty’s. We walk through the grass and onto the side walk. I let out a thin smile that is unnoticeable to Ty. We walk a ways and then turn. He points at the direction we are going. In front of us is an old stone bridge only a few yards long. The water the bridge is supposed to help us over was no longer there. I look across the bayou noticing the whole thing is a little low. I’m sure in the wet season, this bridge becomes useful for getting onto the small island in front of us, but for now, it has no purpose.

  I smile at Ty as we step on to the bridge. Disregarding the picnic table on this 30 foot island, Ty picks a spot underneath the shade of a tree and lays out the blanket. He then places the picnic basket down and takes a seat. I follow his lead sitting beside him. The act of sitting takes a little more effort than usual as my sore muscles groan in protest. However, they quickly adjust when I am fully seated. Ty opens the basket revealing a bucket of fried chicken, a separate box of biscuits, three bottles of soda and some napkins.

  “I figured we would try some fake Louisiana cuisine,” jokes Ty. “It’s good in its own way but not exactly completely Louisiana style.” He pulls out the bucket and hands me a napkin. “I didn’t know what kind of soda you wanted so I got three different kinds.”

  “I’ll take the diet pop,” I respond.

  Ty hands me the soda and I give him a quiet thank you. I pull out a piece of chicken and begin munching away. It is exactly what I needed after the night I had. I take a sip of my soda savoring every little bit.

  “I’d say this is a good pick for a picnic,” I comment. I clear my throat and think of things to talk about.

  “So your sister, Sarah,” I begin again on the subject, “she is a lot older than you?”

  Ty clears his throat and I swear I see him tense up a bit.

  “Yea,” begins Ty. “I was kind of a surprise late in life.”

  Ty didn’t elaborate. He merely states what he said earlier in the day. I wait but he leaves the question unanswered.

  “Do you have any more f
amily?”

  “I had a brother, but he died,” replies Ty.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Ok, enough with the family. I fear I am about to open up a subject that is not appropriate for a date. I take a deep breath. The air smells unique. If murky had a perfume, then this would be it. The brackish water of the bayou mixes with the heat in the air causing a surreal type of feeling as you inhale. Flowers off to the sides waft their fragrance on the breeze mixing with salt and mud.

  “So our teacher is an interesting guy.” I am becoming desperate for any kind of small talk. I think Ty gets the hint as he smiles at me.

  “Yes.” He replies. “I’ve known him for a while. He is one of those types of guys that want to associate with the muscular and fit people. So naturally he came up to me in the gym.” Ty rolls his eyes jokingly.

  “Maybe he is hitting on you.” I reply with a smirk.

  “I thought that in the beginning, but then I quickly learned otherwise.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes. He is into girls and doesn’t really have a specific type. Actually he has commented on your roommate, Michelle, numerous times. The problem is he won’t date students. Even then he doesn’t have any game when it comes to women.”

  “Oh really?” I chuckle. “Maybe I’ll tell her then she can make the first move.”

  Ty just shrugs. He resituates his body and his knee touches my thigh once again sending chills up my leg. I close my eyes and every fiber of my being focuses on that one point, that singular small bridged part of our bodies touching. I place my hand close to his leg. I want to touch him but fear I might be too forward. I settle for my hand resting on the blanket lingering closely, hoping his body will shift again. How I wish his body would shift again.

  “So how did you pick this place?”

  “It’s a cool little spot. My family used to have picnics here when I was a kid,” replies Ty. “I remember when there used to be little trees on here. It’s amazing to see how they grow.”

  I look at the towering oak trees around us. They have to at least be a hundred years old. Even in his childhood, they would have been just as huge.