I sat, for the second week in the semester, alone. It was more an observation than an internal plea for sympathy, at least consciously. I was more interested in the time it had taken for me to adjust. My girlfriend for my freshman year in college broke up with me the week before school began. I asked why, but I knew already. She and I had come to college with different goals. Neither of us realized how serious the other had been, and it had caused some tension. We still went out, still fooled around, still hung out with different groups of friends. But we drifted apart and tried to make up for it by staying to on top of each other.
Both of us, I think, realized that we'd put too much pressure on ourselves, and so when she broke up with me, it was a bummer, but not something that was going to send me into a spiral. Instead, I'd spent the better part of the first week of class adjusting to having time. Those gaps just served to remind me of Jennifer not being there.
She was a catch by any stretch. Tall, leggy, slender, fit. Nice tight ass. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and had been swimming in high school for the team. I benefited from that training every time I saw her. Even that I was missing less than having someone. I was determined to fill my time. I'd started working out, but my class schedule meant that I'd have to do it before classes. So not only was Jen not sitting with me, no one else was there, either.
About a week after that observation, I'd been out running in the track. As the "fall" semester in the United States somehow began during the summer, I was dripping sweat when I came in. Luckily, by the time I'd sat down, I'd stopped sweating, but I knew I looked like crap. So I was surprised when I heard a voice behind me. "Do you mind?"
I jerked up, lost in thought as I had been. The woman who had asked was probably my age, but her eyes were a deep, dark brown and I found myself staring for just a moment before I shook myself.
"Uh, yeah, sorry. Sure!" I motioned eagerly to the seat in front of me. I didn't take my eyes off of hers as she sat down, a big, toothy smile greeting me.
"You sure are energetic in the morning," she said. She glanced at her phone. "I didn't think I'd like eating breakfast at 7 a.m., but here I am." I caught something missing and couldn't help but smile back at her.
"Do you like it?" I asked. She gave me a sheepish smile.
"No. But my first class is at 8, and I can't do anything without some food." I glanced at her plate and saw some fruit and some yogurt.
"That's a very healthy start," I said, surprised to be conversing at all. As I studied her face, I noticed her hair was long, pulled back in a pony tail, and she had prominent cheekbones. Her face was still round even so, and she was very attractive. I wondered if she knew it.
"I try to keep in shape, though I haven't started running like you have," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I saw you on the track this morning, and I'll be honest, I was inspired."
I bowed, trying to make light of it. "Thank you," I said.
"So what's a fitness guru like you eating?" she asked. I tilted my bowl of cereal toward her.
"Cinnamon Toast Crunch?" she laughed. "Now I'm jealous." I laughed and she joined me. Looking back even later that day, I was surprised. It was the easiest conversation with someone I'd never met that I had in over a year of going to school. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Mark. And you are?"
"Very lucky to have met a guy who can talk. I'm Carmen." I reached over and shook her hand. "Thanks for letting me sit with you."
"Anytime," I told her. She nodded.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Somehow, even as we had talked, Carmen had managed to finish her breakfast.
"I'll be here," I said. She grabbed her stuff, wearing an oversized sweatshirt. I almost asked, but realized I was getting chilled now. The air conditioning was on full blast. I finished my breakfast quickly, as the heat from my run finally tore into a chill as the sweat on my body dried. As I made it out into the fall air, I hustled back to my apartment.
After a quick change and shower, I zipped out to my first class. The next three hours of that day are a blur because of lunch. I swear I learned things, valuable things. But I forgot them when I saw a cute brunette wearing a cardigan over what I will only call a struggling v-neck t-shirt. She was sitting by herself, turning the pages of a textbook as she ate a very robust looking salad. Had it been anyone else, I would not have been so bold. But the smile that greeted me when she looked up bolstered my confidence even further.
"Hi Mike!" she said loudly. I felt my grin falter a bit and I started to correct her as I sat down. "Just kidding, Mark. I like keeping guys on their toes," she admitted. "Would you like my cherry?" My eyes went wide and I felt my mouth dry. When I glanced at her plate, she was holding a cherry stem between her fingers, and I glanced at her face. There was a slight grin curving the corners of her mouth and she giggled as she set it down.
"I have been waiting for that all day," she said. "I am so glad you were the victim." I felt myself chuckle as the feeling returned to my face.
"Good one," I said, trying not to encourage her. Carmen grabbed my arm and I felt soft fingers caress my skin. It was an immediate turn on that surprised me. Carmen seemed to feel nothing, but she gave me a big fake pout.
"I didn't realize my sex joke would make a college guy all excited," she teased. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" She batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated way that almost seemed to reshape her brown eyes.
I will never know what came over me, but it's the single greatest decision I have ever made. "Meet me for coffee tonight at Barney's," I said. Carmen leaned back, and the move emphasized her impressive cleavage, something I'd avoided staring at until this shift in the conversation. The tops of her breasts jiggled in her shirt as she sat back, and her mouth opened in what seemed to be shock.
"So bold, Mark. I make one joke about sex and you think I'm going to get sauced and let you cop a feel as you walk my drunk body up to my dorm room." I felt my eyes go wide and began pushing back on the table. "Eight sound good?" she asked, this time grinning and winking. I leaned forward and she mirrored the move until both our hands were crossed in front of us.
"You are.. something else," I admitted. Carmen laughed.
"Can I claim victory?" she asked, her lips curling into another smile.