Warning: there is a very long build-up to this -that's just kind of how it played out!
*****
It seems like it's way too soon, but my son turned 18 this fall, and we've been visiting colleges for the last three months. I'm a teacher, and Jay is still in school, so we take road-trips every couple of weeks, leaving Friday afternoon and spending some or all of a Saturday touring schools and checking out the cities and towns around them. My wife and daughter stay home, usually, leaving the traveling to us guys.
Two weeks ago, we were in Maine. We hit three schools in two days and limped home exhausted. Last weekend, he had an overnight "experience" at Tufts. To make things easy, we left at the crack of dawn Saturday and I booked a hotel room nearby. My cousins live just outside Boston, but I wasn't in the mood for a visit-I just wanted to get him there and then veg out and enjoy the city while Jay was doing his thing. I found a hotel in Cambridge near MIT and Kendall Square and booked a room with a king-sized bed and a view of the Charles.
We made good time after our early start, and had time to get breakfast before pulling to the parking garage at Tufts. We met his group at the Admissions Office and got the rundown: the first hour was a tour for both prospective students and their parents. Two well-spoken, perky students got us into line and led us all over campus. As you'd expect, we schlepped around through the dining hall, the student center, the spacious Tisch library, a generic lecture hall, a freshman "community," a dining hall, and a big old traditional dormitory as well. All very nice, all very impressive to the high school students.
As for me, I was just having fun scoping the cute college girls. There is something free and sexy about young women when they get to create themselves in college-a confidence that I seldom see at my job working with high school students. It seems like everywhere I looked, I saw young women bursting with health and burgeoning sexuality-I was starting to envy Jay his opportunity! I only wished it was warmer-the shorts and tank-tops we saw down in North Carolina had been replaced by jeans and sweats and the ubiquitous (but amazing) yoga pants.
The tour was pretty much the same as all the others. However, as we rambled along through Harleston Hall-the sophomore dorm-I got a nice surprise. One of the rooms that was open for the tour belonged to two girls-Lexi and Amara according to the white board stuck on the outside of the door. It was small and neat with some pretty decorations. However, it did look like the others we had seen, and since it was already crowded, I simply ducked my head inside and then stepped out into the hallway.
While I stood there half listening, a group of girls came up the staircase chattering noisily. They quieted right down when they saw me and a few other parents in the doorway, then scattered into different rooms. My eyes followed their progress, taking in quick impressions of tight asses in jeans and yoga pants, fresh young faces, ponytails and hoodies. One girl stopped close by, however, and my eyes came back to her. I glanced subtly down at her Ugg slippers, then followed up the sweet curves of her leggings-I LOVE those cutout panels!-took in a hint of firm breasts beneath a pale blue Tufts sweatshirt, and finally reached her smiling face, framed as it was by a soft fall of light brown hair caught up in a low ponytail.
"Hi, Mr. Robertson!" she chirped happily.
Seeing people out of context always throws me off, but after only a brief pause the memory hit me. English class. Smart, quiet, cute senior. Alexandra. Lexi. Like on the door.
"Hey there, Lexi!" I said with a smile. "I had forgotten you were up here!"
"Yup! What are you doing?"
I nodded my head at the tour group emerging. "Jay is here for the overnight experience. I'm just here for the mandatory tour."
"Oh, right," she replied. "My room is part of the tour!" Like many young women, her voice rose at the end of each phrase. With some girls, everything sounds like a question. From Lexi, however, it just sounded enthusiastic, and I liked it. I nodded in response.
"I just figured that out from the door sign," I said.
"Where else do you guys have to go?" she asked.
"This floor is the last stop for the parents," I told her. "I'm not sure where they take them next."
"I think they probably spend the night in Carmichael Hall-it's one of the big freshman dorms."
"Sounds right," I admitted. "I didn't pay attention to that part."
"Checking out all the college chicks, Mr. R?"
Caught off-guard by her comment, I gulped somewhat guiltily before I mumbled something about having been on a lot of college tours lately. It wasn't much, but it seemed to satisfy her.
The tour guide led the group out and I flattened myself against the wall beside Lexi so they could pass me. Jay raised an eyebrow as he filed past, but I held up one finger and nodded for him to go on ahead. They paused to talk about the lounge at the end of the hallway.
"Besides," I continued with more composure once they were out of earshot, "I'm a teacher and a potential customer, not some guy hanging around scoping out hot college chicks."
Lexi smiled knowingly. "Which ones did you think were hot?" she asked. "Any of my friends?"
I think I blushed. I know I stammered. Lexi's eyes bored into mine. Remember when I said college women were more free than the high school girls I was accustomed to? Well, Lexi was a living demonstration of that highly charged energy.
Nicely, however, she let me off the hook.
"I didn't mean to put you on the spot," she said more kindly. "All of us in your class thought you were soooooo good-looking-I just wanted to see what you would say!"
"Well, this isn't high school now, is it?"
"Definitely not."
That moment hung between us, intense but not uncomfortable. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Sadly, the tour group had exhausted the possibilities of the lounge area and was gathering at the elevators.
"Well," I said with a wry smile, "it was great to see you!"
"Yeah..." Lexi responded thoughtfully.
"Is there somewhere I can buy you a cup of coffee so we can catch up for real?" I asked her.
Her bright smile returned. "Yeah!" she chirped. "Meet me downstairs when you're done and we can walk down to True Grounds!"
"Deal. See you in about half an hour."
"OK! I'll be in the lobby!"
With a few quick steps and a smug expression, I caught the tail end of the tour group entering the elevator. I reunited with Jay in the lobby and met his questioning glance with a steady face.
"Sorry, bud-former student. That was her room we were gawking at, so I felt like I had to say hi."
"Cool. We have to go back to Dowling Hall now to find out what's up for the rest of the day."
"Perfect. Let's go!"
