Instant blush. “Of course I remember. I wasn’t that drunk.”
“So . . . what does that makes us?”
“What do you think?” I came back quickly.
“Do you want to date? Or were you just looking for someone to lose your virginity to?”
I tucked the towel under my arms, leaned back, and glared. “Well, isn’t there a word for friends that mess around?”
“Yeah, it’s a called girlfriend and boyfriend.” There was a strange expression on his face, like he was waiting for me to react.
“But we should keep it casual, right?”
“Well, we both have to study a lot, plus I’m going away this summer and you’re gearing up for grad school.”
Everything froze. “You’re going away?” How the hell did I not know that?
“Yeah.” He stood and walked to the counter to retrieve a piece of paper and handed it to me. It was a letter from National Geographic informing Matt that he had been chosen for an internship.
I reread it twice and looked up to see him wearing a huge, proud smile. Even though my eyes were selfishly tearing up, I stood and hugged him. “I’m so happy for you! Congratulations, Matt, I can’t believe it. I mean, I can because you’re amazing, but this is such an opportunity. Gosh . . . to be the only undergrad student they picked.”
“I know, I was shocked. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it sooner; I was just nervous about jinxing it.”
I kept looking down at the letter. “It’s so great! I’m really proud of you.”
“I’ll be gone this summer, and when I come back you’ll be in grad school. Hopefully I’ll have a job, if everything goes as planned.”
I couldn’t believe Matt was leaving. I had such mixed feelings, but I knew it was the best option for him. “So for now . . . we just keep it casual?”
“I don’t want to date anyone else and I don’t want to find you getting accosted in the hallway either, but we can call it casual if you want,” he said.
“Okay.”
“Okay what, Grace?”
“I don’t want anyone else either.” Ever.
An odd smell wafted into the room just then. I sniffed the air and my eyes widened. Burnt wool. “My sweater!”
“Shit!” Matt jumped up and ran over to the dryer. He hit a button and then pulled out what was left of my favorite article of clothing. “Oh, man, guess you’ll have to stay here naked.” He tried to hold back the laughter.
“That’s not funny, Matt. That was my favorite sweater.”
He threw it onto the desk and pulled me up into his arms. “You don’t need this.” Tossing the towel aside, he began kissing my shoulder and neck. I tilted my head, giving him full access, just as the bells on the front door jingled.
“Crap!” I jumped out of his arms and grabbed the towel off the floor while he made his way to the storefront. I heard a familiar voice. It was Dan.
I stood by the wall and listened to the conversation.
“Hi Matthew.”
“It’s Matt.”
“Hi Matt. Tatiana told me I could find Grace here.”
“Yeah, um . . . she’s kind of busy at the moment.”
“I just need to talk to her for a minute.”
I couldn’t tell what Matt’s face looked like, but if I had to guess, I’d bet he was amused.
“Dude, she’s in the back room half naked.”
“Um . . .what . . .” Dan fumbled for words.
Matt took pity on him. “She came in here drenched from the rain so she’s sitting in the back in a towel until her clothes dry.”
I raised a brow. Never mind that we were about to make out.
“Oh.”
“Hi, Dan!” I yelled.
“Hi, Grace. I think we should talk.”
“Can it wait until class on Friday?”
“Yeah, I guess.” There was long pause. I wondered it Matt was staring him down. “Let’s do that. See ya.”
They said good-bye to each other very kindly and then I heard the door jingle once again. A minute later Matt was back and I was still standing in my damp jeans with a white towel wrapped around my shoulders like a spiffy shawl.
“I have to close up in a few.” He clapped his hands once. “So what did we decide again?”
“I think we decided that we’re just going to do what feels right.” He nodded as I spoke. “Just with each other . . . until you leave.”
All the sounds from the machines stopped. It was completely silent and still.
“Friends forever, though, right?” He studied my face carefully, and it looked as if he were cataloging the memory.