The Kiss

ass.”
    He smiled and patted her arm. “With this here?”
    She returned his smile. “I’m pretty good with kneeing groins.” And pretty close to doing just that.
    The brute retracted his hand and turned his focus to his humongous steak. The mashed potatoes on the side made Eliza’s mouth water. “There is no need to get testy, Eliza. All I wanted to say was that every girl needs a man by her side, if she’s to feel safe.”
    He actually believed that. Eliza rolled her eyes so hard, she almost saw the inside of her head.
    Amazingly, Cal remained oblivious. “Besides, that is the purpose of a woman: to find someone to settle down with.” He shrugged.
    “And the purpose of a man?” Keeping the irritation out of her voice was exceedingly difficult.
    “He has to be able to provide for the woman at his side.” He seemed shocked she didn’t already know that. “Has to have a solid job, so he can bring the bread home while she raises his children.”
    She’d heard more than enough. “I’m sorry; I have a horrible headache. I think I’d better go.”
    He wiped some pepper sauce off his lip and pushed back his chair. “I’ll drive you. We came together, and it’s my responsibility to make sure you get to your room safely.”
    But she wanted to get a burger on the way home. Damn her politeness! “You really don’t need to, Cal.” Emphasis on the really .
    He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He insisted until she relented and let him pay and drive her back. At least he remained silent and kept his hands to himself until they reached her dorm.
    “I’ll walk you to your room.”
    “We’re not allowed to have guests after nine.” The lie came out with surprising ease.
    “Then I’ll have to say goodnight here.” Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her and shoved his tongue into her mouth.
    Not only wasn’t he the kisser, he was bad at it. Extremely bad. His tongue was slimy with too much saliva, and he’d stuck it halfway down Eliza’s throat, not allowing her any movement. And he opened his mouth way too much, like he was trying to eat her face.
    She pulled away, but he must have thought her shock was lust-induced because he winked. “That’s all for tonight. There’s a party at the frat house tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for you.”
    Oh, goodie ! She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Cal, fun though tonight was, I don’t think—” There was simply no way she’d see him again. Or make an appearance at a party where most attendees would be his friends and thus more or less share his way of thinking.
    There was no sign he’d heard her. “Come at ten; it should be at full blast by then.” It was possible that women didn’t have voices in his little world.
    She sighed. “Thank you for dinner, but I’m not coming. Goodnight.” She opened the door and walked inside before he could say another phallocratic word.
    She waited until Cal was sure to have left, and was out that door again, determined to get something to eat this time. Something meaty and chock full of cholesterol. With a side of fries.
    She knew the perfect place. Bobbie’s , just outside campus, combined greasy and tasty to perfection.
    ***
    Three bites into a juicy cheeseburger with bacon and extra mayo, she was interrupted by a voice she wouldn’t mind never hearing again in her life.
    “What, the Hulk didn’t feed you?”
    She looked up, and there was Nate, grinning like he’d just won the lotto.
    She apparently wasn’t meant to go to bed on a full stomach. She made a show out of chewing her mouthful, swallowing, and licking her lips. “Not your business. Now crawl back to whatever hole you crawled out of.”
    “And miss the opportunity to rub in the fact you date losers?” He scoffed. “Try again, Sunshine.”
    Why was she so unlucky? Why did he have to run into her— and know about her date? She doubted he knew about her going out with Bill the previous night. There was no way he’d bypass an opportunity to make fun of her, and going out on two disaster dates in two consecutive nights was nothing if not such an opportunity.
    “What do you want? How did you even know I was out with Cal?”
    “Ah- ha !” He pulled out the chair opposite hers, planted his ass on it, and helped himself to some of her fries. “How did you know ‘the Hulk’ meant him?”
    “Well, he’s not like that.” The whiny way she said it didn’t even convince herself. She tried again. “He’s