On a Wednesday (One Week 2)

“Are you struggling to hear my voice?” he asked, pulling me back into reality. “I feel like we’ve had run-ins before and you heard me just fine. By the way, what’s your name again?”

“Eleven and a half hours,” I said. “Eleven and a half hours …”

“Well, I’ll credit your parents for being unique, but that’s a bit of a mouthful.” He smirked. “I’m sure you’re legally allowed to change that now, right?”

“That’s not my name.” I glared at him. “That’s the amount of time that I had to spend working on our group project freshman year, alone. The one that you never even bothered to ask about, after I emailed you more than once.”

“It’s not healthy to hold grudges this long, Eleven and a half hours.” He smiled. “If it’s making you this angry after all this time, you should let me make that up to you after this.”

“Too late,” I said. “I already finished it, and I got an A. You also got one that you didn’t deserve. You’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” He was still smiling, still turning me on with ease.

“Let’s pretend like we’ve never met before,” he said, extending his hand toward me. “I’m Kyle Stanton. And you are?”

“Here with The Pitt News to watch the show, so if you don’t mind—”

“It hasn’t even started yet.” He looked around the theater. “And from the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like that many people are interested in seeing this shit. With a title like Vagina Monologue, I can’t say that I blame them.”

I felt my lips turning up into a small smile, but I didn’t let it stay.

“It’s preview night.” I glanced at his badge. “It’s only for theater majors and early reviewers. What girl’s room did you steal your pass from?”

“You can’t honestly believe that I would willingly steal a pass to come see something like this, can you?” He moved closer to me. “I’m here to write a punishment report for my coach.”

I bit my tongue before I could ask him what that meant.

“You know what?” He tapped his chin. “I think that means we should share notes to make this easier on both of us. Or maybe we can take turns staying awake? I’ll sleep through act one while you watch, and then you can sleep while I stay up for act two.”

I closed my notebook and stood to my feet. Then I moved several seats away from him.

Laughing, he looked completely unfazed as he settled into my previous seat.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” A man dressed in all-black walked to the center of the stage. “We’d like to thank you for coming to see the first run through of The Vagina Monologues, but I regret to inform you that we’re having some major technical difficulties with our audio. I know you’re disappointed, but we’ll have to reschedule this showing for next Wednesday morning. Thank you.”

“Yes!” “Hell yes!” “Let’s go drink!”

The other members of the audience didn’t sound disappointed in the slightest.

I tucked the playbill into my bag and stood up, finding myself face to face with Kyle and his perfect lips.

“Looks like we’ll be seeing each other again next Wednesday.” He smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“I can’t say that I feel the same.”

“The fact that your panties are currently wet for me says otherwise.”

“What?” I blushed. “How did you know they were wet?”

“I didn’t.” He smirked. “Now that I do, though, what do you want to do about it?”

“Do you like, think about the words before they come out of your mouth, or do you just let them fly?”

“What answer will convince you to continue this conversation back at my place?”

I moved past him. “Goodbye, Kyle Stanton.”

“You mean, see you next Wednesday?”

“No, I’ll have a regular staffer here in my place.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t see you.”

“Want to bet?”

“Absolutely.”

Kyle: Then

Senior Year

Pittsburgh

* * *

A few days later

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, the scoreboard read 36-4 at halftime. Every seat in Heinz Field was filled with students or alumni wearing our colors and screaming, but I couldn’t help but feel lost.

And ashamedly hungover after another night of partying that went nowhere.

“Look alive, Kyle!” Coach Whitten patted my back. “You’ve caught every pass today and you’ve looked nothing short of amazing on that field.”

“Does that mean, I’m off punishment?”

“It means that I’ll forget that you’re two shots short of being drunk and not rail on you about it in the locker room.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

He took off his headphones and pulled me to the side as the other team called a timeout. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I’ll only tell you if you don’t judge me.”

“Please don’t tell me that you got a girl pregnant, Kyle.” He looked saddened. “Please.”

“I’d have to have sex with someone in order for that to be viable.”