When I hear a knock on the door and some talking, I start getting dressed. She's here way too early. Before I leave, I quickly change into my clothes and put on some nice shoes. Then, I grab my purse and check myself in the mirror to make sure I look good. I pick up the roses for her and walk down the hall. What surprises me is how Kent can make my mother laugh, no matter what story he tells her. He even brought her a glass of water. "Uh, hi, Mom," I say quietly. Usually, she rushes to me for a hug, but Kent was chatting with her. "Oh, Julianna!" I give her a hug when she smiles. "You can have these," I tell her as I hand over the flowers. "Be careful. She's happy," Kent says. "We were just talking about how interesting your thesis presentation was." "Really?" I ask, raising my eyebrows, and he nods. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," he says with a casual shrug. "I told you to be ready when I told you to," Mom says, and I sigh. She pokes my arm. "You said to be ready at a quarter to,"
My mother has been talking about Kent ever since she had dinner with him. It's only been two days, but she's already mentioned him twice. I'm not sure what she sees in him. Kent is tall, handsome, can be kind, has a confusing charm, and smiles with dimples, but I don't understand what's so special about that. Ugh, here I go again. Even though we're finally getting along, I can't stop my mind from wandering to him when it shouldn't. We've agreed to be friends, and he's made it clear that he knows the boundaries and won't cross them again. I need to let go of this silly thing that's driving me crazy for no reason. He can't be in a relationship. What he's told me should be enough, and his actions and what I've seen support his words. I know Kent has a lot on his mind, and I suspect he didn't have a great childhood. He's dealing with enough, and I don't want to add to his burden. We can keep this a secret because it was just a mistake between friends. I can control my feelings, and he
"I'm glad you decided to come out with me, Julianna," he says with a smile. I smile back and reply, "Tell me about yourself then." "I'm in my fourth year at Brown, studying early modern history," I tell him, and he smiles. "What do you want to do after your fourth year?" he asks, and I just shrug. "I plan to keep researching. Ideally, I'd like to do it at Brown and get my master's degree," I explain. "Then, maybe go to graduate school for a PhD or become a museum curator." "That sounds like a good idea," I say with a smile, and he nods. Looking at the menu, I see steak with fries. That's what I want, so I can use utensils and not look messy. I'm starving. "Tell me about your job," he asks. I put my hands on my knees. I've never been to this restaurant before, but it has white tablecloths, soft jazz, and candles on each table. It's expensive, and there are no prices on the menu. Lord help me. "I told you I'm a software developer. After college, I worked at G****e but wasn't appr
As Abby and I walked home from the library, she asked, "So, when will I finally meet this guy?" I chuckled in response to her question. "You're starting to sound like my mom," I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. I've been dating Dane for almost two weeks now, even though we've only been on two actual dates. Two weeks might not seem like a long time to some, but for me, who hasn't dated anyone in years, it feels like a significant amount of time. I believe Dane and I are a good match. Ever since our disastrous first date, he's been incredibly sweet and kind to me. He's been eager to meet up, but I've been too busy studying for a midterm exam scheduled for tomorrow. Balancing schoolwork with a relationship isn't always easy, especially when my roommates seem to have lighter course loads. On Monday evening, Abby and I left the library to grab dinner together, but she had to return for soccer practice. "I'm not sure," I replied to Abby's question about when I should introduce Dane to
We drove to his house in complete silence, but the car was incredible. It was so expensive that driving it would make me nervous. We arrived at his apartment, which had an underground parking garage, and as soon as we pulled into his spot, I noticed my baggy jeans and hoodie. I was carrying a schoolbag like a child, while he was dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase like an adult. This was the first time I noticed our age difference. I struggled to keep up with him as he exited the car. I accompanied him into the elevator and looked up to see a stern face staring dead ahead. We entered his apartment, and I examined it. It was large, and it was outfitted like a spaceship, with impractical fancy furniture and decorations. There was no picture of anyone or anything that felt personal here. "Your place is nice," I said quietly, to which he nodded, clearing his throat and removing his suit jacket. He was tense and almost angry. "Look, I'm not going to do this all night; either talk
This night was supposed to bring joy and excitement, but instead, I felt emotionally drained. After a day of school, it was time for the Halloween party. Earlier, we had prepared the house for the party by securing it. I had purchased a locked container a few months ago to store my belongings under my bed. Although our rooms were off-limits, people still managed to sneak in. I hung my costume on the closet door, but I no longer felt excited about wearing it. "Knock, knock." Abby appeared in the doorway; I had asked her to come over early so we could get ready together. "You're not still upset about Dane, are you?" she asked. "No, I'm not upset. Just a little irritated," I replied, and she smiled, bringing two cups of orange Jell-o shots. "Here, drink this with me," Abby said, and we both took a shot. "We're going to have so much fun tonight," she said, shaking my shoulders, making me laugh. "Yeah, you're right." I said. I was determined to leave Dane behind and not let him ruin
"I'll give you five bucks, and I'll even watch Die Hard with you," I say, making an offer. "Deal," he chuckles and hands me a ping pong ball. "Are you ready? Eye-to-eye, no cheating," he says, and I nod, focusing on the cups. His green eyes were captivating, making me want to do things beyond my control. "Look right here," he says, tapping his forehead, and I roll my eyes, preparing to shoot. The game is intense, but we both hold our ground, and soon we're down to the final cup. The room is now crowded, the music so loud that our trash talk is barely audible. "Why's everyone watching this?" a girl asks her friend. "Because if Kent loses, he has to do a strip tease!" the friend says excitedly. "I'd love to see his abs!" "That's not fair. Why wouldn't he make that bet with one of us?" the first girl asks. I didn't want to do this in front of everyone, but Kent makes the final shot and wins. I deliberately miss my two redemption shots, relieved that I won't have to follow through
"This is one of the most confusing moments of my life. Dane sure knows how to pick his timing," I whisper to myself. "What do you mean Dane's here?" I ask, turning to face the person who told me he was here. "He just walked through the front door. He sticks out like a sore thumb, looks like someone's older brother," she replies with a shrug. "Do you want me to bring him in here?" "I'll come out in a moment," I tell her, and she nods before leaving and closing the door behind her. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I turn to Kent, who looks just as conflicted as I feel. "Don't you want to go see him?" he asks. "Do you want me to leave?" I ask, feeling disappointed. "Just tell me, I'm all ears." "I don't want to cause any trouble between you and Dane," he says quietly. "I just want you to be happy." "Kent, be honest with me. Don't push me away from him because it's the easy thing to do," I say, putting my hand on his knee. "Explain." "It's not anything serious, I just wanted