“Are you going to see that boy tonight?” her father asked in a flat voice.
“Um... I dunno. He might come over, or we might meet up at someplace for a snack. He does take a couple of night classes. I'm not sure if he has one tonight,” she fibbed.
In the last week, she'd all but memorized Jesse's schedule. He seemed to get his consulting work done during the day and talk to his mother in the mornings (which she thought was really sweet). He’d told her he was also a morning person in terms of studying and writing his papers. It made sense for him to take classes at night. He'd also mentioned that fall and winter were his slower seasons for his sideline and he would be slammed again in the spring and summer as everybody prepared to head into a new fiscal year. Sophie, who had never cared much for the business world, tried to make meaningful contributions to the discussion but in reality, all she cared about was the fact that she had a friend who made his schedule and habits known so they could hang out.
No, it was more than that. She had a boyfriend. She was one half of a couple, albeit a very new one. Couples knew stuff about one another. They created chemistry. Then, intimacy. Then,physicalintimacy. She blessed her pale complexion right now as she felt her cheeks heating up.
“Be careful. Boys in college... they can be bad news,” her father chided gruffly.
“Boys in any place can be bad news,” her mother laughed bitterly. “Guard your heart,Sers.”
“I think he’s really different. I just have a feeling.”
Sophie waited for the cautionary tales and rebuffs, but they never came. Her parents shifted their glances subtly toward one another and nodded. “Trust your instincts. They can keep you safe,” her father intoned.
They finished their protracted farewell at last and Sophie shut the screen. “That was definitely a little bit weird.”
Her phone buzzed on the corner of her bed.
Jesse: Hi, Beautiful. Walk in the moonlight?
She texted back, her thoughts of practice forgotten.Meet you where?
Jesse: I’m already outside your dorm.
“I TOLD MY PARENTS ABOUTyou last week,” Sophie made the announcement as casually as possible. Some guys took that as a sign of big expectations.
Jesse tensed slightly. She could feel his muscles go rigid under her arm as they walked in the blustery twilight. “What did they say?”
“Well, Mom said you were handsome, but don’t be grossed out. She meant handsome for me, not her. Dad wanted to know about your job and where you were from.”
“That’s it?”
“No, Mom also invited you home for Thanksgiving and Daddy went all Papa Bear and told me to watch out for collegeboys. Did you... tell your mom about me?” Sophie hoped that last bit wasn’t some terrible dating faux pas.
“No—not yet.”
“Oh.”Don’t be stupid. Don’t pout. Don’t feel hurt. It’s super soon to tell anyone, probably.
“She’ll tell me it’s not fair to you,” Jesse mumbled, an edge of frustration in his voice. A crumpled tin can went soaring down the block, sped onward by his angry kick.
Sophie tilted her head in confusion. “Because of your medical condition? The—fertility stuff?”
“Well—”
“That’sbull! Tell her I’m not bothered by that stuff. I mean, if you want to tell her. It’s true. I’m not. And if there is some condition that medical science hasn’t figured out yet, well, we’ve both got it!” she laughed, her heart in her words, even if there was really nothing funny.
Jesse suddenly grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her to face him. “You’re not like I am,” he whispered.
Before she could protest, he was kissing her.
It was no little peck this time. Sophie felt her scalp prickle and her breasts tighten in a way she didn’t even know they could. She made a squeak of surprise as his cool tongue pushed into her mouth and his hands gripped her waist hard.
The fairy princess finds her knight, her pale, cool knight. Soon they climb the tower stair and do secret deeds before the witching hour ends.
She kissed him back, her hands latching onto the long dark hairs at his collar, panting softly as their mouths danced, a nibble here, a bite there, scraping teeth, and hungry sounds.
They ended abruptly. “Oh, God. Soph, I’m sorry.” Jesse backed up, eyes wide. He looked genuinely surprised and semi-guilty.
