Providence

“I’m Kim,” she reached over and took his hand, shaking it vigorously and not at al lady-like.

“It’s…nice to meet you,” Jared said, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to mine. Confusion draped over his face, and he leaned his head a few inches to the side before speaking to me. “Is everything al right here?”

From my peripheral I could see Beth’s eyebrows press together and her eyes shift to me, confused by Jared’s behavior.

“Everything’s great,” I murmured, setting my cup on the table. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been…fine. Am I interrupting?”

Kim’s loud voice rose an octave. “Of course not! Would you like to join us?”

Jared looked at me for a moment and I smiled at him, waiting. I felt a strange adrenaline rush; afraid he would say yes and terrified he would say no.

He looked back to Kim and sighed. “I should be going.”

“Couldn’t you stay? Just for a minute?” I asked, hopeful.

Jared sighed with what sounded like relief. He looked around him and then pul ed a chair to our table. I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt and my mouth instantly spread into a smile.

“How could I say no to that?” he asked. I felt my ears get hot.

“Yes, she’s very persuasive,” Kim said flatly, eyeing me.

I ignored her to introduce both of them properly. “Jared, Kim Pol ock. Kim…Jared Ryel. And this is my roommate, Bethany Layne.”

Jared extended his hand across the table and briefly shook Beth’s hand.

She smiled. “It’s just Beth.”

Jared nodded. “Nice to meet you, Beth.”

“So…how do you know each other?” Beth asked.

“I got her a cab,” he said, smiling at me.

“He did. The night of Jack’s….we shared a cab,” I said, trying to keep the conversation on Jared instead of the circumstances.

“Oh,” Beth said. I could see the confusion on her face. It occurred to me that I would have quite a bit of explaining to do later.

“And we had lunch,” Jared added.

“You did?” Kim asked, turning to me for confirmation.

Jared chuckled. “I can see it was interesting enough to share.”

I fingered the lid of my coffee cup. “He introduced me to that Blaze place on Thayer. It was real y good.”

“I think it was the company more than anything,” Jared said, his eyes softening.

“Sounds like you two had a great time,” Beth chirped. She had gotten over the fact that I hadn’t let her in on the news and had become slightly over- enthusiastic.

“We did,” he said, his eyes focused on mine. “It was good to see you again, Nina, but I have to get going.” He stood up and returned the chair to its proper place. I stiffened. I wanted to ask him when I would see him again, but couldn’t find the courage. I settled for relaying my feelings with a disappointed frown.

To my relief, he noticed.

“I’l see you soon,” he reassured me, amused at my deflated expression.

“Good,” I nodded once.

He strode out just as marvelously as he came in, and I crumpled into the back of my chair. My muscles complained, I hadn’t noticed I was so tense. I sipped my coffee and took a deep, relaxing breath.

I had gone from never knowing he existed to inexplicably running into him. My life was suddenly ful of these little miraculous surprises, moments I was finding so much happiness in that I was already wondering when the next one would come.

My friends’ eyes bored into me. I looked up, conscious of their burning curiosity.

“Yes?” I prompted, smiling innocently.

“Oh please, Nigh. Like you’re not swimming in your own freakily potent pheromones right now,” Kim said.

“He’s real y cute,” Beth added.

“I guess…if you like the type,” I mused, trying to keep my cool.

“If…?” Beth cried. “You mean the wel -dressed, gorgeous, movie-star type that is polite and interested in you? You mean that type?”

Kim laughed. “You are being ridiculously calm about this, considering while he was here you had the personality of a clam.”

“I did not!”

“She could have shot coffee out of her nose and he stil would have stayed,” Beth giggled.

“He’s not cute. He’s angelic,” I sighed, dwel ing on every detail of him.

Kim joined Beth’s giggling and al three of us erupted in laughter.

Over the next few days, every time I stepped off campus I watched for him. Beth and I went for coffee more than once, and I was shameful y preoccupied. I would answer when prompted and nod my head in the acceptable places of conversation, but we both knew I was anticipating my next moment with Jared.

I couldn’t believe how annoying I’d become over a man I barely knew. I was not one of those girls who became wrapped up in such things, and truth be told I lost patience easily with those that did. When I caught myself searching for him in every store, every restaurant and coffee shop I frequented, a scolding was in order.

Five days of this ridiculous behavior paid off.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon as Beth and I waited by pump four of Eastside Shel gas station. I yawned out of boredom, listening to the pump clicking with every dol ar put in. Beth wrinkled her nose at the smel and I mirrored her expression.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing. I just love this smel and you look like you just took a whiff of an Oklahoma pig farm. Bringing back harsh memories?”

“Hilarious.” She looked up and a large grin spread across her face.

“And I thought you were going to be a poor sport,” I said, surprised at her expression.

“Hi, Jared,” Beth said, smug.

I flipped around and there he was, standing on the other side of the pump looking just as stunned and elated as I felt.

“This is getting spooky,” Jared said.

“Hi to you, too,” I said, letting my delight to see him show.

“How are classes going?” he asked.

“Good. How’s business?” I smiled. I’m getting better at this, thank God, I thought. I final y felt somewhat normal around him.

“It’s a good day,” he said, smiling his incredible smile. It absolutely was. “That’s a nice car,” he gestured with a nod.

“Thanks.”

One of the few grandiose things my father had purchased for me was my white BMW. He had bought it as a graduation present, and aside from the Peridot and diamond ring he had bought for my sixteenth birthday, it was my most prized possession. Normal y I didn’t put much stock in the ostentatious things my father purchased, but this was special; it had been given with the proud-father expression that I relished.

“Going somewhere?” I asked.

“Why?” He cocked his head, confused at my question.

“You look like you’re headed to a hot date or something.”

He laughed. “No…no date. How about you? Anyone forcing strange cuisine on you this evening?”

“I don’t do that for just anyone,” I said, raising an eyebrow. I was impressed with how I sounded, so much braver than I felt.

He beamed. “Is that so?”

I pul ed my receipt from the gas pump and looked at Beth, who pretended not to watch. He walked over to me, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“How would you like to put that to the test, then?” he asked.

“Is that a chal enge or are you asking me to dinner?” I prompted, looking him square in the eye. I didn’t know where my sudden courage and sass came from, but it was less humiliating than the gaucheness I demonstrated the last two times I had seen him.

“Both,” he smiled. He leaned against my car, just inches from me. I tried to seem relaxed, although my heart was pounding in my chest over his proximity.

My face twisted into a frown as I realized my dilemma. “I have study group tonight.”

He didn’t look ruffled, to my chagrin. “Maybe next time.”

He walked back to his Escalade and left without another word. I flipped around to Beth and she ducked into the passenger side. The door slammed behind me as I sat next to her.

“What was that?” Beth asked.

“I don’t know.”

Beth’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You passed up a date with him for study group? You’ve wanted to run into him for a week!”

“I can’t just break my plans anytime he asks me out. How would that look?” I insisted, frowning at the thought of him thinking I was that accessible.

Beth shrugged. “Who cares?”

I started my car. “Beth! Be serious. He won’t give me his number,” I shoved my gear shift into drive and pul ed forward, “and he just shows up out of nowhere and asks me out.”

“You’re nuts! You like him. He asks you out. You tel him no? There is something wrong with you, Nina!”

Back at Andrews, I had to deal with it from both sides.

“What is wrong with you?” Kim shrieked.

“Ugh! Not you, too!”

The smugness on Beth’s face radiated throughout the entire room. “I told you.”

“I have to study. You two are studying tonight,” I reasoned, mostly to myself.

“I wouldn’t if I had a date,” Beth said, crossing her legs on her bed.

“I bet you would if said date asked you ninety minutes before study group,” I rebutted.

“Okay,” Kim said, spreading her arms between us. “Nigh’s right. Prose before bros.”

Beth rol ed her eyes as she packed her various study items and I folded my notes and stuffed them into my coat pocket.

Kim snapped her fingers. “Let’s go, ladies. I don’t want to close The Rock down at 2 A.M. like last time.”

We headed to the John D. Rockefel er library, ducking our heads to hide from the bitter wind. Just as we crossed the street, the snow began to fal in large flakes. The dead grass crinkled under our feet as we cut across to save steps. Beth begged us to drive, but Kim insisted we walk so she could smoke.

Beth hooked her arm around mine. “Brown needs to generate some type of smal transportation system to get us from here to there more easily.

Like a trailer hitched to a four-wheeler.”

“Yes, Oklahoma, let’s hire a hay rack ride. Brown needs culture,” Kim deadpanned.

Beth narrowed her eyes at Kim. “It was just a suggestion. I’m freezing.”

“Don’t listen to Kim, she’s not even wearing a heavy coat,” I said, my teeth beginning to chatter.

“You two are babies, gah!” Kim groaned.

“It does sound like a hay ride,” Beth giggled.

When we arrived, our study group was already waiting on us. Carrie and Tracey—from the basketbal team—sat on one couch. On the adjacent couch sat Kim’s friends Justin and Kristi. Lisa, a pre-med student, barely noticed our arrival, and beside her was someone I recognized right away.

Ryan had a head ful of dark hair and he was barely tal er than I. Because his t-shirt was a bit tight, I noticed his athletic build. His basebal cap was pul ed low over his eyes, so I could see only his perfect, white smile, and a deep dimple on his left cheek. The other girls in the group seemed to appreciate his presence.

“Look at you, being al responsible!” Kim said.

“Josh was going to come, but he ended up going on a date,” Ryan explained, pul ing up his cap to display his bright green eyes.

“Hmmm,” Kim hummed, angling her neck so I would get the ful effect of her accusing expression.

Beth did the same.

Ryan was suddenly uncomfortable, his eyes darting back and forth between the three of us. “What did I say?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I grumbled, shouldering past Beth.

I sat in the chasm between Ryan and Lisa. While everyone discussed their notes and how confused they were, Ryan turned to me.

“Are you taking chemistry? Do you get any of this?” he complained.

“What are you having problems with?” I asked.

He smiled. “You’re not having any problems, are you?”

Feeling caught, I smiled and then erased a line toward the top of his paper. I explained his mistake and started writing it down in my own girlie script. “Do you see how I got there?”

Ryan nodded, stil unsure. “I see how you got there, getting there on my own is the persistent problem.”

As the night wore one, I erased quite a bit on Ryan’s paper. We had hundreds of tiny shreds of decimated eraser al over us. His patience and humor made the night go much faster, although I worked on his chemistry and didn’t study the notes I had brought.

“I appreciate you helping me,” Ryan said, folding his paper into his book.

“I’m not sure how much I helped, but you’re welcome. We have study group here twice a week, come anytime.”

Ryan’s face lit up. “I wil . Thanks. Uh…some of us guys are going out for drinks this weekend. It’d be cool if you’d come.”

“There are only a handful of places I can get in to.”

Ryan winked at me. “That won’t be a problem.”

It sounded harmless enough. “That sounds fun. I’l see what the girls are doing.”

Kim looked at her watch and yawned. “Stick a fork in me. I’m done.”

“Nigh, are you ready?” Beth asked.

“Nigh?” Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

I grimaced. “It’s a nickname they came up with to torture me. Don’t cal me that.”

“Noted,” he said.

Kim and I stood, waiting for Beth to gather her miniature office supply store.

“This is why I don’t bring anything,” Kim said, gesturing to Beth.

“You borrowed my pen!” Beth objected.

“Oh. Right,” Kim said, tossing the pen into Beth’s bag. “Al packed.”