Chloe was sitting on the quad, enjoying the warm spring day and attempting to study. Her long red hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had sunglasses on. It was her senior year of college and she only had a couple more classes to complete to graduate. Her mind began to wander, as it was prone to do.
"So once I finish studying for this, I'll need to run to the store to get.."
A voice from across the quad interrupted her mid thought, "Hey Chloe! Hey!"
Chloe looked up. Oh no. It was Ethan. Chloe had met him in a philosophy class last semester and developed the biggest crush on him. He was a friendly, goofy guy. The thick black rimmed glasses that sat on his face partially hid handsome, defined features and beautiful green eyes. He had slightly unkempt brown hair that never seemed to look quite the same each time she saw him. Even with his clothes on, it was obvious that he took care of himself. She had even seen him at the student gym a couple of times.
As luck would have it, they were randomly assigned to be in the same group for the final research project and presentation. He proved to be very smart while they worked on the project, and charismatic during the presentation. They got a great grade on the final project, but she never had the guts to flirt with him, let alone ask him out -- and besides, she was too awkward to make it work with a guy like him, she thought to herself.
"Chloe? Hey, it's me, Ethan -- remember me from Philosophy? Were you talking to someone? And now you look deep in thought. Oh shoot, I'm probably interrupting. I can come back later if you'd like.."
Chloe snapped out of it.
"Er, hey Ethan! Of course I remember you. I was just, uh thinking about an upcoming test".
"Oh great!", he replied. "I was going to ask you if you'd like to come to my fraternity's fundraiser party this weekend".
He tapped the clipboard he was holding in his hand.
"We even have a couple of spots left to volunteer for fundraising games, if you'd like!" He looked down at the clipboard. "Err, well, we have one spot left, and maybe that would be one you wouldn't like much..."
Chloe wasn't paying much attention, her mind wandering from the conversation. He was part of a nerdy, academic focused fraternity that was known for their philanthropy. They had parties, but they weren't like the other frats on campus. Everybody she met who belonged to it seemed really cool and respectful. And his body, how was he still single?
"Uh, Chloe?"
She snapped out of it.
"Hey, of course I'll come to your fundraiser. And of course I'll volunteer. I'm sure it's for a good cause!"
"Oh ok, great. Thank you. We weren't sure if we would fill that one. Of course it's for a good cause, but... hey, are you sure? The only remaining spot involves some messy stuff, and maybe that's not your thing..."
Her mind began to wander again. Thoughts were racing through her head. Now's my chance, she thought. If I volunteer for his thing, maybe I can flirt with him and he'll ask me out. Ugh I'm so excited! Maybe I can finally go on a date with him!
"We're raising money for..."
He's so hot!
"...pies, slime..."
Ugh this is it.
"...eggs.."
I can do this.
"...burrito..."
Finally!
"...buckets..."
I will not leave that party without a date with Ethan.
"...so anyway, how messy you'll get depends on how much we raise in total. The more we raise, the messier you'll get. It's all in good fun, of course".
She wasn't paying attention, "Great, sounds good. I can't wait!"
He smiled, "Excellent, thank you so much. The other guys will be so excited we filled that spot. And with a girl, who would have thought! We really thought it would have to be one of the guys, but this is even better! I would never have imagined you the type for this kind of thing. Bring a swimsuit and some cash if you'd like to donate. We'll have everything else ready for you when you get there. Party starts at 8".
"Swimsuit, cash, 8, got it".
"Thanks again Chloe, you're a lifesaver".
He leaned in, gently grabbed her, and gave her a hug. She could feel his toned muscles against her as he squeezed. Chloe blushed, hoping he wouldn't notice.
She smiled and waved as he walked away, trying to keep her composure.
"Wait, what was that about a burrito? What did I just agree to?"
Chloe made sure to look her best for the party. She wore a fancy, form fitting top with a short skirt and boots. She had her roommate help style her hair up, and she went all out with her makeup. A touch of her favorite perfume topped it all off. She was ready to make an impression on Ethan. She had her swimsuit in her bag, as requested. Why did I need that again? Oh well.
She arrived at 8. A lot of people had already arrived. The crowd was a good mix of men and women.
"Chloe, you made it!" Ethan shouted from across the room. He ran over and gave her another hug. "Hey, you look cute. Er, I mean, you always look cute, but I love the outfit. You maybe didn't have to put in so much effort though, considering later!"
Ethan was wearing a dark v-neck teeshirt and shorts. His hair was styled with some kind of product that actually brought it under some form of control. He looked really great in that teeshirt, Chloe thought to herself as he released her from the hug.
"Thanks. I wanted to look nice!" Chloe has always had a way of only paying attention to certain things, sometimes to her own detriment.
"Grab a couple drinks at the bar and make yourself at home. If you brought money, you can play some of the raffles and games up here. Your thing is set up downstairs in the basement. We'll start that at 10. Get changed beforehand. I'll be around if you need me.'
Chloe took the next couple hours and mingled among the guests. She entered some of the raffles, and had a couple of drinks. Everyone was very friendly.
"Hey, you're the one who volunteered for the mess auction at 10, right?" a blonde haired woman Chloe didn't recognize asked.