Magan Vernon - The Only One

He put the ball in my court. I could have gone back to working on my paper. I should have gone back to working on my paper, but instead I let another part of me win over. I put my hands on either side of his face and then crushed my lips to his. At first he didn’t kiss back, but when he did, it came in full force, pulling me off the chair. I pushed him forward, knocking him into the couch while I straddled my legs against his waist. His fingertips roamed my lower back, pushing my sweater up so that every touch grazed my bare skin.

His tongue circled mine and then he sucked it gently just like he did to my belly ring only a few seconds before. The guy definitely knew what he was doing and I definitely wasn’t as experienced as I thought I was. My hands fumbled for where to go. I didn’t know if I should try and go for his pants or if he wanted me to touch his arms. Instead they just awkwardly flailed from his biceps to the couch and back.

Finally John moved his hands and took mine, placing them above his head. Since I was so much shorter than him, I was in an awkward position and my arms felt like they were being stretched out. I broke the kiss, fearing that if I didn’t my arms would break off.

John arched an eyebrow as I sat up and pulled my arms down, trying to resist shaking them out. “Sorry I suck at this.” I blew out a deep breath of air.

He slowly sat up, his body still underneath mine. “Red, trust me, you definitely don’t suck at this. And while that was pretty awesome, I’m not just here to judge you on your making out skills.”

“Then why did you come over?”

He sighed. “Despite what it looks like and what you think of me, I actually did come over here to study with you.”

“I don’t think anything of you.”

“Please, I’m not stupid. The checking out my tattoos, showing me your belly ring, and even that sexy outfit. It all added up to us being on the couch.”

I dropped my jaw, my mouth gaping open. “I did not plan to have you come over so we could fool around. How could you think that of me?” Okay, maybe I did expect if he came over there would be some kissing, but it’s not like I always studied with guys just to make out. There were plenty of guys I studied with in my major. Okay, maybe only a few. But John didn’t need to know that.

He placed his hands on the small of my back. “It’s cool that you can’t resist me. In fact it’s pretty fucking awesome, but I don’t just want to get in your pants all the time.”

“Then what do you want?” I tilted my head.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t. When I saw you in class the other day I just thought ‘I need to talk to her. I need to spend more time with her.’”

“And why is that?” I pressed. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer, but my curiosity won out.

“As much as I’d like to carry you over to that nice bed or press you against that lovely book shelf, I know that Monica and Trey would have my balls if I did anything to hurt you.”

“Maybe Monica and Trey don’t know me as well as they think. Maybe I did just invite you over here for sex.”

He pressed a very chaste kiss on my jawline. “A girl that recognizes my Deathly Hallows tattoo isn’t the type of girl that humps and dumps.” He glanced over at the clock that hung above my TV. “And I should probably get going if we’re going to keep it that way.”

“What?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice.

John grabbed his shirt from the floor and I slowly slid off of him while he pulled it back over his head. “As much as I’d love to stay and see where this would go, I think it’d be better if I left.”

I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t even think of what to say. I didn’t expect him to really stay and help me study, but I didn’t think he would just up and leave either.

He stood, pulling the last inch of his shirt down. “You’d better get to work on that paper.” He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

With that he took the few steps to my front door and left. Leaving me there with my mouth gaping open wondering what the hell just happened.

Eventually I did get back to working on my paper. Well, tried to work on my paper. Every time I would get on a roll I’d type one word that made me think of John. Probably because there weren’t many names for Mennonite guys and John was a big one they used. I couldn’t think of some guy going across Missouri in a horse and buggy when the John I was just with lit me up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

In class the next day I didn’t take a single note because I just stared at the spot where John’s Deathly Hallows tattoo was. It made it very hard to concentrate when twelve hours before the guy was underneath me and I had full view of all those tattoos. It wasn’t like he mentioned anything from the night before, either. He was very nonchalant about the whole thing, which wasn’t like the guy I had talked to just a week before that was spewing sexual innuendoes left and right. All of a sudden he was the respectful guy. Restraining himself. Did I turn him off or did he mean something when he said I wasn’t the type of girl that humps and dumps?

I wanted to talk to someone about it, but I had no one. I could have tried Monica, but she didn’t seem too thrilled for me to even be talking to him at the Halloween party. Who knew what she would think about me having him over.

Mornings at the coffee shop were always the best time to work. It was usually dead and I could work on homework. Technically I shouldn’t have been, but the head of campus dining said as long as I didn’t have it on the main counter and it didn’t interfere with work, it was fine. I was at the back counter, reading over my Spanish workbook, when a hand slapped on the counter. I gasped, jumping back only to come face to face with a giggling Monica.

“I’m so sorry. That was totally not cool of me.” Of course she said all of this while still laughing so it wasn’t very convincing.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved my hand like it was no big deal.

“Anyhoo, seeing if you want to get lunch after work.”

“Um, yeah that should be fine, I’m off soon.” I blinked, hoping I wasn’t giving away everything about John on my face.

“Great. Do you want to hit Hoopers? I can wait over there until noon and work on some homework or Facebook.”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “That would be great.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

* * *

Hoopers was a deli next to the coffee shop in the student center. It was also decked out in the school colors of red and black with basketball memorabilia decorating every available wall space. The cashiers wore referee shirts and even the floor was designed to look like a basketball court. It was cheesy, but they had some of the best sandwiches on campus.

I placed my order at the counter, took my number and then found Monica sitting in a booth, in the corner, underneath a giant mural of some 1928 championship team. As soon as I sat down, she closed her laptop and took a big slurp from her iced tea.

“So, you and John Boy, ey?”

I widened my eyes. I didn’t really think there was much to say about it, except our few make out sessions and talking in class, but I wondered what else he could have said to Trey. “Um, what?”

Monica rolled her eyes. “Seriously, don’t play dumb with me. I totally saw you two making out at the party and that you guys are now Facebook friends.”

I shrugged. “We hung out a few times. No big deal.”

Monica laughed. “I heard Layla from Kappa throwing a fit about John hanging out with some coffee shop girl. I knew it wasn’t me and it could have been Hickey Betsy, but I thought you probably had a better shot than her.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. The girl does get around.” Betsy was one of our co-workers that always conveniently slept in for her shift and would show up late with a bunch of hickeys or massive sex hair.

“Yeah, but I think she’s more of a Pi Rho groupie than an Alpha Mu groupie.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Fraternities have groupies?”

“Definitely. It’s actually kind of nauseating. I swear there are groups of girls that make it their life goal to be Alpha Mu girlfriends. You know how many girls just hang around that house waiting for some guy to pick them up? It’s gross. They also all suck up to me on Facebook and stuff just hoping I’m their ‘in.”

I shook my head. “That seems too weird.”

Before Monica could respond a short server with glasses and a shaved head walked over, holding two trays in his hand. “Okay, I have number 33, A Finger Roll with a side of coleslaw and number 59, a Ball Hog with a side of potato salad.”

Monica raised her hand as if she were in class. “The Finger Roll is mine.”

The guy plopped our trays down and nodded. “Enjoy.” He then turned and walked away as quickly as he came.

Monica unwrapped her plastic utensils. “Speaking of weird, it’s time we had Monica’s liberal talk about birth control. If you’re going to be hanging around John Boy, that’s fine, but you should stock up.”

“Okay, we are seriously not having this conversation.” I stabbed at my potato salad.

“Um, yeah, we’re. You know my thoughts on contraceptives and if you’re going to fool around with the biggest manwhore that I know then you should probably go to Student Health Services and get on the pill.”

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously are you like my mother now? We aren’t having sex. I’m not planning on it anytime either.”

Monica’s face was deadly serious. I should have known better. After what happened to her at her old school she had been a crusader for emergency contraceptive, even though she was dating the guy whose dad publicly opposed all forms of birth control. “I’m just saying, sometimes accidents happen and you don’t want to end up forking over a hundred bucks for the morning after pill. Just think about it okay?”

I let out a big puff of air through my nose. “Okay. I can do that.”

* * *

Monica did have a point, and if she wasn’t going to rub John’s manwhorish ways in my face then I figured I should listen to her. I also didn’t expect that every time he came to my apartment— if he ever came to my apartment again—he would leave before something started, so better safe than sorry.

I wasn’t usually the girl that fell so hard for a guy. Or even thought about sleeping with someone I barely knew. Maybe if I eased up and got a quick hook up out of my system I wouldn’t have to think about it again and could just go back to my normal life. Whatever normal was.

I made an appointment for later that afternoon with Student Health Services and felt like I was doing the walk of shame as I made my way up to the second floor, down the linoleum hall, and into the white, sterile room.

There used to be a person who would check everyone in at the front desk, but someone decided to forego that. Now there was a row of five computers that you used to check in and then took a spot on an uncomfortable red chair until someone called you back.

I quickly checked in at a computer and then took a seat. There were a few others in the room. Mostly snotty-nosed students and I was hoping they couldn’t tell that I was perfectly healthy and just in to get birth control so I could sleep with my chiseled obsession.

It was only a few minutes before a short, plump lady in a white lab coat called my name. I could feel the heat of everyone’s eyes on me. They wondered how the girl that wasn’t gripping a box of tissues got to see someone before they did. I thought about faking a limp as I walked back, but that might have been too much.

I followed the lady back to a small room with posters on the wall about quitting smoking and where to find help for domestic abuse. I kept my head down and tried not to stare at the stirrups on the examination table that I knew my feet would soon be in. I was embarrassed to admit that it was my first time getting a pelvic exam. Sure, I’d had sex. I was with my high school boyfriend forever. But I never really thought about getting on the pill. It was better late than never.

The nurse stood at a small counter with a tiny sink and some containers of cotton balls and swabs. “Okay, Melanie, it looks like you are here for a pelvic exam and to talk about birth control?”

I nodded, standing awkwardly in the doorway. She had closed the door when we walked in, but I didn’t know if I should sit or what I should do, so I just stood there, staring at her. “Yes, ma’am.”