Seven years ago

Pittsburgh

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I GLANCED OUTSIDE THE massive windows of Highland Coffee and tapped my watch. The girl I was assigned to tutor was now fifteen minutes late, and I was wondering if I should've picked a coffee shop that was easier to find. I'd looked her up in the student directory earlier and noticed that she was an honors student, so I figured these tutoring sessions wouldn't take up much of my time this semester.

A girl with raven black hair suddenly rushed into the café and headed toward me, but she made an abrupt left and joined the guy across from me instead.

I knew I should’ve suggested Starbucks.

I looked outside the windows again and noticed Grayson Connors crossing the street. Looking devastatingly sexy as usual, he was wearing a light blue shirt that clung to his muscles in all the right places and dark jeans that hung low enough to expose his body’s perfect V line.

Looking confused, he looked up at the sign above the cafe before pushing the door open. He walked over to the counter and every girl in the room followed his every step, as if he was a living, breathing God.

“I’m rooting for championship number four this season, Grayson!” Someone yelled. “Congratulations on your Heisman!” someone else said. “Go, Panthers! Go!” A table of friends near the back shouted.

Ugh.

He walked over to each of the people who’d sold their souls and said, “I appreciate your support.”  When he walked by my table, I picked up my headphones.

“Are you Charlotte Taylor?” he asked, his voice deep.

What? “Um. What did you just say?”

“Charlotte Taylor,” he said, pointing to his phone. “I'm supposed to meet my tutor here, unless there's another Highland Coffee around somewhere. So, are you Charlotte Taylor?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Your necklace says Charlotte.” He glanced at it, smirking. “Are you sure now?”

“No.” My mind was blown. There was no way he was assigned to me for this semester. “My advisor would know better than to do this to me.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that the university must have made a mistake.” I pulled out my phone to check my email, making damn sure I’d read my advisor’s pairing as “Elizabeth Woods, English Writing” and not Grayson Connors.

The second I opened my inbox, I saw that my advisor had sent me an email half an hour earlier.

Subject: Peer Assignment Error

Good afternoon, Charlotte,

Just letting you know that your previous pairing, Elizabeth Woods, was made in error. She was supposed to be paired with a biochemistry major.

I’ve now paired you with Grayson Connors since he'll need help with his final Advanced Literature courses. (Make sure he gets an A. We need him to win off the field, too! :) )

—Charles 

I resisted the urge to scream and set down my phone. I looked up at Grayson and noticed he was staring at me intently.

“Yes,” I said. “Unfortunately, my name is Charlotte Taylor.”

“I'd already assumed that.” He set down his bag. “I’m wondering why I’ve never seen you around before.”

“Probably because there are over twenty thousand students on this campus.”

“You’ve seen me before, haven’t you?”

“Not at all,” I said. “What’s your name?”

“Funny.” He sat down and looked around the cafe. “Is this where you want me to meet you on Tuesdays?”

I nodded. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

“Not at all.” He smiled. “I think Tuesdays are going to be my new favorite day of the week.”

I bit my tongue to prevent myself from cursing my advisor again.

“You know, I don't think you're going to be a good tutor for me, if you're going to be this hostile each time we meet.” Grayson looked amused. “Have I done something to you previously?”

“Something like that.”

“Explain it to me.”

“Well, for one, you’re full of yourself, cocky, and you tend to play women like pawns on a chessboard. That, and I’m pretty sure that you think you're God’s gift to women. So, yes. You have offended me previously. Now, which Literature courses are you taking this semester?”

“Not so fast,” he said, locking his blue eyes onto mine. “I think I deserve a chance to respond to that.”

I tried to think of something sarcastic to say and beat him to it, but he continued before I could speak.

“First of all," he said, “I am full of myself, but I have every reason to be.” He pointed to the bright blue and gold championship banners that were hanging above the bar. “I’ve earned this university one of those every year and I believe I won the Heisman Trophy last year, correct?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“You would.” He leaned closer. “Second of all, I’m not sure I’d agree with me being 'cocky' but if your definition means that I’m well aware of how fucking good I am—both on and off the field—” He paused, looking me up and down. “Then feel free to call me that whenever you want.”

“You know what?” I felt my cheeks betraying me with a blush. “Let’s just get to work.”

“Third of all,” he continued, ignoring me. “I’m not even sure what type of metaphor you were going for with that chessboard line, but I’ve never used girls like pawns on a chessboard. I've just never believed in dating or girlfriends, and I make it perfectly clear what someone is getting when they're with me.”

“How romantic.”

“And lastly,” he said, as that familiar smirk returned to his lips. “I don’t think I’m God’s gift to women. I know that for a fact.”

“Please tell me you’re joking right now.”

“We both know I’m not.” He winked at me, and I was certain I was having an out of body experience, because I felt my cheeks reddening again.

“Anyway,” I said, finally. “Which Literature courses are you taking this semester?”

"As of today, these." He handed me a printout of his schedule and I looked at it. He had Creative Writing Appreciation, Modern Expressionism: Women’s Words in Post-Modern Literature, & Hidden Feminist Themes in Contemporary Works.

So he’s a feminist? Perfect.

“Okay, well ...” I uncapped my highlighter. “If you give me ten minutes, I can go over what I think our best course of action will be between now and next week.”

“What year are you?” he asked.

I ignored his question, looking up his first course and pulling up the syllabus online. I was scrolling through the required books, when he pushed the screen of my laptop forward—forcing me to look up at him.

“Yes?”

“What year are you?” he repeated.

“I’m a senior,” I said. “Why?”

“No reason.” He returned my screen to its place and leaned back in his seat.

I tried my best to ignore the fact that he was eyeing my every move, that his smile was even more alluring up close. I pulled up all three of his course syllabi—making sure that no major components were due during the next few weeks.

“Okay,” I said, handing his schedule back to him. “Next week, you need to make sure you’ve bought all the required books and read the first of three essays for the Creative Writing Appreciation course. The other two courses can’t be addressed until you have the books. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Several.”

“I’m listening.”

“When did you transfer to Pitt?” He looked genuinely confused. “There’s no way you’ve been here since your freshman year.”

“I was referring to questions about your courses. Those are the only questions I’m obligated to answer, Mr. Connors.”

“I see, Miss Taylor.” He smiled as if he wasn’t fazed by my rudeness at all. “So, the only thing I need to do between today and next Tuesday is buy the course books?”

“Yes.”

“And we’re meeting here at the exact same time?”

“Yes.”

“Can I have your phone number?”

“Never.”

He laughed and stood to his feet. “Okay, Charlotte. I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

“See you on Tuesday.”

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HOURS LATER, I RUSHED down Forbes Avenue as my skirt fluttered against the wind. Thanks to the freshman who’d taken it upon herself to “accidentally” ring the fire alarm in our dorm, I’d spent the last two hours filling out paperwork with an angry fire chief, and I was now five minutes late for my date.

A hot Californian guy from my Humanities class, Peter Davidson was everything that most guys at this university weren’t: Kind, thoughtful, compassionate, and capable of having long and thought-provoking conversations.

I stopped in front of Kiva Han and smoothed my hair before walking inside. I looked around for Peter and spotted him waiting in a corner booth.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, sitting down. “Freshman dorm drama.”

“No worries.” He slid a cup of coffee toward me. “You look pretty today.”

“Thank you. Were we still going to the art gallery tonight?”

“No, actually,” he said, pulling out two silver tickets from his wallet. “I got us last minute tickets to tonight’s football bonfire.”

“The bonfire was yesterday.”

“This is the unofficial one that’s hosted by the team, off campus.”

“Is that even legal?”

"No." He laughed. "It'll probably get shut down like all their other parties, but I figured we can go to my place afterward since it’s right down the street.”

“Okay. So, we can go to the art gallery this weekend, then?”

“Um. Well, I guess it depends on how tonight goes.”

“Are you planning to grade me on how loudly I cheer for the team?” I smiled. “If that’s the case, you can go ahead and give me an ‘F’ because that’s not happening.”

“No.” He laughed. “It’s regarding something else happening.”

I brought my coffee to my lips, taking a slow sip. “I’m confused.”

“This is like our tenth date, Charlotte.”

“It’s only our sixth.”

“Well, it feels like our eighth because we went out a few times this summer,” he said. “I’ve spent like sixty dollars on you so far—not including today’s coffee and the bonfire tickets, and I feel like I’m not seeing any type of return on my investment. Most girls let me hit it on at least date four or five, and you’re holding out past the rule.”

What the fuck? “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

“That came out the wrong way.” He reached across the table and clasped my hand, but I jerked back. “I do really like you, Charlotte, that’s a fact. But if I’m going to spend my entire senior year dating one person, I need to make sure it’s more than worth my while. There are tons of other girls on this campus who won’t hold out past the rule.”

I downed the rest of my coffee in one gulp and stood to my feet.

“Wait,” he said, grabbing my hand again. “I mean, maybe we can go on a few more dates, but we’ll have to fuck at some point. It’s not like either of us is a virgin or something, so I just don’t get why it’s too much to ask. I did say that I really liked you.”

“Go fuck yourself, Peter.” I snatched the bonfire tickets off the table and left the café, heading straight for the Engineering Building. Straight for Nadira’s work-study office.

“You know my supervisor hates you, right?” She looked up at me as soon as I shut the door. “She claims you’re a bad influence on my work.”

“No, that’s what my supervisor says about you.”

“Same thing.” She laughed. “Did Peter cancel on you or something?”

“No, he revealed that he’s a douchebag, just like every other guy I’ve dated here.” I slumped into a chair. “Maybe I should start all my introductions with something different next time. How about, ‘Hey, my name is Charlotte. I grew up in a small town with strict parents who refused to let me date until my last semester of high school. I haven’t found anyone worthy of losing my virginity to, and it probably won’t be you’.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Eric’s voice suddenly came over her phone’s speakers. “It would save a lot of these guys some time!”

“You’re being dramatic,” Nadira said. “Being a virgin isn’t that big of a deal, but we’ve already told you that not too many guys are looking for long-term relationships in college. Especially without sex. So, just focus on yourself and make it clear that you’re not interested in being more than friends.”

“I walked all the way across campus for some advice and this is what you’re giving me?” I pouted like a child.

“Would you prefer if I said, Oh my god! Run after him right now and promise to sleep with him ASAP before he leaves your life forever?” She shook her head. “If you want to have meaningless sex, which we both know you don’t, I’m sure Eric would love to give you a hand.”

“I will happily give you a hand, Charlotte.” His voice came over the speakers again. “I’ll even throw in some of my best dirty talk for free. Do you prefer the word cunt, warm-box, or pussy?”

Nadira immediately hung up on him and we both laughed.

“Peter was going to take me to the illegal bonfire tonight, but—” I pulled the tickets out of my pocket. “Being the good friend that I am, I figured that you and I should go in his place. I also figured that I should be drunk out of my mind so I can quickly forget all about him.”

“I’m in!” She smiled. “But don’t you dare think that this gets you out of going bar-crawling with me this weekend.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” I held the tickets up high. “What’s it going to be?”

“Ugh. You’re the worst.” She laughed and grabbed one from me. “I’ll finish my reports and I’ll pick you up in front of Lothrop at eight.”

“I thought it was my turn to drive.”

“No offense,” she said, looking as if she couldn’t believe I offered. “I’m never getting in a car with you behind the wheel again. Not until you go one full year without getting a speeding ticket.”

“I can’t remember the last time I got a speeding ticket.”

“You got two last week, Charlotte. Last. Week.”

“Fine.” I laughed and headed toward the door.

“Wait,” Nadira called before I stepped out. “For what it’s worth, I meant what I said about you just being friends with guys this year. The last few guys you’ve dated honestly didn’t deserve you, Peter included.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, if your current tutor-boy ever offers to go out with you, I personally think you should make an exception for the hell of it. You’ll be doing it more-so for me than for yourself.”

“Goodbye, Nadira.” I stepped out and shut the door. “See you at eight!”