“Why is that,” I asked.
“It’s a big responsibility, and while I love being responsible, I have a lot of other things I am interested in besides football,” he said.
He was a good student, and probably as smart as, if not smarter, than me. He’d mentioned on a few occasions that he wasn’t sure if he was going to pursue a career in football, and I always teased him about it. His scholarship was in sports, and he was only here because he played. He had to go pro, if he could.
“How long do you have to decide?” I asked.
“About a week,” he replied, “I’ll figure it out by Monday.”
“How long has Jeff been on the team,” I asked.
“You know Jeff?”
“More like, he ran into me in the coffee shop the other day after you left,” I said.
“He’s been there since I started, but he’s only now getting into a starter position. He’s good. He’s in the running for team captain as well. Some of the guys don’t like him as much. He can be a bit of a glory hog from time to time,” Matt said.
I went quiet for a little while as we continued to walk.
“You’re not really interested in him, are you?” he asked.
I really didn’t know what to say, but I had a feeling that Matt wouldn’t let me out of this without some kind of answer.
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“He’s really not your type,” Matt added.
“Hey, I know he might not be my type, but it’s still my decision,” I replied in frustration.
“Whoa, back off,” Matt said with a defensive gesture, “I’m not here to judge who you date, but I’m your friend, and I wouldn’t have expected you to even show the slightest amount of interested in someone like that.”
“I’m really not sure if I have,” I replied.
“He’ll probably be at my party if that entices you to come,” he said.
“I’m still going, I give you my word,” I replied while giving him a friendly punch on the arm.
We continued to talk and had a small bite before I broke off and returned home. I was partially hoping that I wouldn’t run into Jeff at the party, and partially hoping I would.
3.
I took special effort in getting ready for the party. I wore the sexiest underwear I owned, for one. For two, I picked up a slinky dress that I only wore once before. Matt even told me I shouldn’t wear it again because it garnered too much attention from somewhat unsavory characters.
I felt the need to unwind tonight; my head was twisted in so many different directions. My classes were difficult and distracting, continually occupying every facet of my being. So, I prepared for fun.
My dress did a lot to show off my long and toned legs; along with my slight and skinny curves. And, while I might not have had a gigantic chest, I knew how to make do with what I had.
I left for Matt’s place at eight in the evening. It was getting chilly this time of the year, so I brought along a comfortable jacket. I glad that he didn’t live that far away, so I could just walk instead of taking a cab.
“You made it!” Matt shouted when I stepped up to the door.
He seemed to have some kind of sixth sense about my arrival as I hadn’t even knocked, yet. I rolled my eyes at his exuberance, an expression that he was more than used to seeing.
“Hey, Matt,” I said sheepishly, trying to pull my dress back down to my knees.
He looked me up and down and smiled broadly.
“So, who are you trying to impress tonight,” he asked, “Cause I hope you know that I’m taken.”
I punched him in the arm and entered, slipping my jacket off on the way in. There were only a couple other people there, and they were barely talking.
“I thought you said this was going to be a party,” I said.
“Most real parties don’t start until after ten; you’re early.”
I made the most of my time; starting out I helped him set up a couple of tables and gathered a large bucket of ice. He constantly reassured me that I didn’t have to help, but I felt like a dutiful guest. I’ve thrown parties myself in the past, and while they weren’t the standard college affair, I never minded having help setting up.
Then the door opened to a flood of guests. It didn’t take more than five minutes before there was a keg setup in the kitchen and enough snack food to serve a small army.
I laughed at how efficient college students could be when they had something to do that they were interested in.
I did my best to stay social, trying to talk to as many people as I could. Matt was hard to find in the midst of the chaos. He was a popular guy, so it was completely understandable that he would be hard to find. Still, he was one of the only people here that I knew. I would have liked to spend more time with him. Perhaps he could have introduced me to some people that I might have enjoyed talking to.