As I started my new classes, I also began to meet new people. Tina, a girl in my new journalism class, seemed fun, and she quickly fit in with Annie and I to make our little group of friends a threesome. Unfortunately, not all of these new people were ones I wanted to have hang around me.
In particular, there was one guy in our Introduction to Art History class who sat next to me on the first day. I didn’t really pay attention to him, when he asked to borrow a pen for a second I gave him one, but that was it. Normal looking guy, maybe a bit on the snobby side, probably nice enough, but that was it.
After our third class he tried to strike up a conversation with me. I was friendly, of course, and afterwards Annie told me she thought he liked me.
“You should go out with him! If he asks, of course. Which he will.”
“Meh. He’s not really my type.”
“Are you kidding? Dressed like that? Did you see his shoes? That guy has money. You don’t have to be in it for the long run, but you could probably get some pretty sweet swag if you go out with him.”
I laughed. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”
“I’m just saying,” Annie replied, shrugging her shoulders.
“He looks like his mom still dresses him,” I argued.
“Yeah, he does. That’s true. He looks like he hasn’t realized he’s left Eton and can now wear what he wants,” Annie replied, referring to the super exclusive boys’ high school.
I giggled. She was so right. I mean, I’m sure the guy was nice and all, but he wasn’t my type. Not that I had a type, really. But private school super snob certainly wasn’t it.
“Well, I don’t need no man to buy me bling, I got a step-daddy who gave me an Amex to do it myself,” I joked. “So no, I’m not gonna date that dude.”
“I feel like there’s a certain irony about the fact that you don’t need a sugar daddy as a boyfriend because you literally have a sugar soon-to-be-step-daddy. But ok, fair enough. If he comes onto me though, you can’t get mad.”
“Of course not. You’re welcome to him.”
* * *
Three classes later he introduced himself. Oliver was the name of the mystery guy, and after five classes he did ask me out.
“Listen, I’m wondering if you’d have time to go out with me after class sometime,” he asked as we were packing up our books. I noticed Annie immediately start to slow down her packing so she could watch the conversation unfold.
“Thanks, but I’m really not interested,” I told him politely, a smile on my face.
“Fine,” he replied. “Sorry.”
“No, no problem,” I replied. He left without another word.
“So? How did I handle it?” I asked Annie in a hushed whisper as he left.
“Fine. You were polite and nice. He’ll probably sit somewhere else next class.”
“I’m not used to having to turn guys down.”
“Well get used to it, Julianne. You’re a good looking chick.”
“Thanks, Annie,” I told her, shooting her a grateful smile.
When we got together with Tina at the gym later, who had started joining us in our workouts, Annie told her everything that had happened.
“Oh, Oliver Ryan?”
“I don’t know his last name.”
“Looks nice enough, blonde hair, dresses like he wants to be in a boardroom?”
“Sounds like the same Oliver.”
“That sounds like half the campus here,” Annie argued.
“Well I doubt there’s that many Olivers our age in the class. Let’s assume it’s the same one.”
“This one always wears a blue jacket.”
“Yup, that’s him.”
“Well you made the right call, from what I’ve heard.”
“What do you mean?” I asked Tina.
“I heard from a girl he dated last year that he was pretty controlling. I dunno, just some second hand info, I have no idea if it’s right or not.”
“Well either way, it doesn’t matter. Julianne turned him down, so I’m sure he’ll move on.”
I cranked the speed up on the elliptical and as the conversation moved to other things tried to keep up, but my mind kept going back, wondering if I hadn’t just made a really good choice in turning Oliver down.