This is a true story. Names have changed.
*
"Justin, this is Ashley. Ashley, this is Justin,"
From the moment we were introduced I could feel the chemistry between us. As a newly single female, I get hit on a lot (actually the single part had nothing to do with it. I got hit on no matter what my relationship status is).
I sensed that Justin had the same problem: tall, muscular and a playful smile Justin had attracted my attention the minute I entered the room. And as soon as we were introduced we spent the next hour engaged in conversation.
At one point he wandered across the room to talk to his friends. I snuck my phone out of my pocket and within a minute managed to find him on Facebook: we had ten mutual friends. I also saw that he had been in a relationship...for the past four years. At that point, Justin rejoined us along with our friend Kyle.
"So this week has been shit for everyone," Kyle began. He had a point. This week had kind of sucked. For everyone.
"Party at my place. We'll have to keep it down since my parents are home but we can have a fire in the back,"
"You should come," Justin said after Kyle left, looking me up and down meaningfully.
"I would if I had a ride," I said reluctantly.
It was true: I was a freshmen at University and freshmen were not allowed cars.
"Roger can take us," Justin said, indicating the mutual friend that had introduced us. "My friends want to cheer me up. It's been kind of a bad week,"
"Why? What's been going on?"
"My girlfriend and I have been...arguing. Actually, I don't even know if we are still together,"
How do you not know? I wanted to ask but truthfully the fewer details the better. I didn't know Justin. But I wanted to know him better. And I could use a distraction. So I agreed to go.
I had booze stashed in my friend's room and Justin agreed to walk me there. I never minded walking alone on campus. But I also never minded being escorted by a handsome guy.
When we got to my friend's apartment we had to wait to be buzzed in, but my friend isn't in the habit of checking her messages so we waited outside for about ten minutes. As we waited, we talked a little and I discovered he was actually in the army (which explained the muscles). Silence fell and I began to ramble about something irrelevant.
"You know," Justin interrupted "I can read people really well. Like right now I see your emotions are tired and nervous. But trust me" his eyes were twinkling "you have nothing to be nervous about," Then he opened his arms for a hug.
Now for me there are three types of hugs. There's the greeting type of hug (you know the obligatory "hello/goodbye bullshit"), the comforting type of hug and there's the type of hug guys give me when they want to feel my boobs against their body. This was clearly one of those hugs. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much.
After we go the booze from my friend ("Have fun" she told us with a suggestive look in her eyes), we met Roger at the parking garage (Roger's a commuter so he has a car).
"I'll sit in the back with Ashley," Justin said and Kyle took shotgun. Kyle lived on the other side of the city and I spent most of the time flirting with Justin but by the time we were almost to his house I started to feel carsick.
"Shh, we're almost there. Close your eyes".
Justin took my hands in his and then put them against my eyes. Even after the car stopped, we continued to hold hands for several minutes longer.
When we got to Kyle's, we went right to the backyard where some of our friends were already there sitting up for the fire. Justin let me go in front of him even though I was unsure where I was going and as I moved he brushed his hands and legs against my ass several times.