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“I was gonna ask if you had a good time last night, but from the looks of it I’d say yes.”
“I definitely had a few too many. I won’t be having that good of a time anytime soon.”
“That’s what they all say.” She stood up. “I’m gonna go see if they have anything edible. Are you gonna stick around?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“I’m gonna leave my stuff here then, okay?”
“Sure.”
Jesse eyed her jacket, the fabric that held her tightly and kept her warm, and her books, tangible objects that were an integral part of her everyday life. They were here with him, entrusted to him. How he, too, would like to be a part of her everyday life. But he was a ways from that. He still had work to do. He looked at the window and saw his reflection: He looked a bit disheveled for such a task. But she didn’t seem like the kind of girl you had to impress. She seemed genuine, without any pretensions, and this took the pressure off, made him feel like he could just be himself.
She came back, put a chicken Caesar salad on the table, and sat down. “This looked like one of the few safe things they have.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t look bad,” Jesse said. “But I can’t do salads with a hangover. I feel like I need some grease to sop up the alcohol out of my bloodstream.”
“I know what you mean. Dollar double cheeseburgers at Mickey D’s are my favorite hangover food.”
“That does sound good.”
As they talked, Jesse wasn’t compelled to analyze what he was saying or how he was doing. It felt natural, enjoyable. It felt like he had known this girl for years.
“So it’s good to know someone from chem,” Corey said. “Maybe we could help each other study for the next test.”
“Yeah, that would be good. Between the two of us we might be able to figure out half the stuff.”
She went on to tell him that she didn’t know that many people in school. A few people from her classes, but that was it. She had started off taking a couple night classes after high school, but she had to keep working and help out around the house. She finally had enough, between working and loans, to go full time, but she had to live at home to help her mother. Between school work and her job, she didn’t have much free time, and not living on campus also limited her interaction with other students.
“Not that I’m complaining,” she said. “I’ve actually been working a lot less lately and I’m thinking of living in the dorms for the spring semester. If my mother can get a regular work schedule while my sisters are in school.”
“Yeah, it can be fun. I’ve been in the dorms for almost a year and a half. I’m kinda looking forward to moving out, but I can see why you’d wanna try it. Where do you work?”
“I’m a…waitress. At this restaurant near where I live.”
“Cool.”
“The tips are pretty good. Do you work at all?”
“I’m a driver,” Jesse said, but then thought he couldn’t tell her he drove escorts. “A delivery driver…for this pizza place in the North End.” He didn’t like to lie, but it was better to play it safe. He could tell her when he got to know her better, or quit if he had to; a measly part-time job wasn’t worth losing a girl like Corey.
She looked at her watch. “I have to work tonight actually. I should probably get going.” She stood and put on her coat.
“What time is it?” Jesse asked.
“Quarter of four.”
Jesse hadn’t realized how long they’d been talking—almost an hour. He had become so comfortable with her that he didn’t think twice about asking his next question.
“If you want, maybe we could go out sometime, get a bite to eat or something?”
“Sure, that would be fun. I’m kinda busy tomorrow—I have to write a paper and look after my sisters for a while. How about we talk on Monday. I’ll save you a seat in chem and we can see how our schedules look for the week?”
“That sounds good.”
“Okay. Nice runnin’ into ya. See ya later.”
“Bye.”
