Walking Disaster

watching her anger subside a tiny bit as she turned her attention to me. That was definitely a first. “Now I’ve seen it all. I was just defended by a
girl.” I offered her a small smile and then stood, glaring at Brazil one last time before leaving to dump my tray. I wasn’t that hungry, anyway.
    The heavy metal doors easily gave way when I shoved through them. I pulled my cigarettes from my pocket and lit one up, trying to forget what had just happened.
    I’d just made an ass of myself over a girl, and it was particularly satisfying to my frat brothers because I had been the one giving them a hard time for two years for even mentioning they
might want to do more than just bag a girl. It was my turn now, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it—because I couldn’t. Even worse? I didn’t want to.
    When the other smokers around me laughed, I did the same, even though I had no clue what they were talking about. Inside I was pissed off and humiliated, or pissed off that I was humiliated.
Whichever. The girls pawed at me and took turns trying to make conversation. I nodded and smiled to be nice, but I really just wanted to get out of there and punch something. A public tantrum would
show weakness, and I wasn’t havin’ that shit.
    Abby passed, and I cut off one of the girls in midsentence to catch up with her. “Wait up, Pidge. I’ll walk you.”
    “You don’t have to walk me to every class, Travis. I know how to get there on my own.”
    I admit it: That stung a little. She didn’t even look at me when she said it, completely dismissive.
    Just then a girl with a short skirt and mile-high legs passed by. Her shiny dark hair swayed against her back as she walked. That’s when it hit me: I had to give up. Bagging a random hot
chick was what I did best, and Abby wanted nothing more than to be friends with me. I planned to do the right thing and keep things platonic, but if I didn’t do something drastic, that plan
would get lost in the mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions swirling inside of me.
    It was time to finally draw a line. I didn’t deserve Abby, anyway. What was the point?
    I threw my cigarette to the ground. “I’ll catch up with you later, Pidge.”
    I put on my game face, but it wouldn’t take much. She had crossed my path on purpose, hoping her short skirt and hooker heels would get my attention. I got ahead of her and turned around,
shoving my hands in my pockets.
    “You in a hurry?”
    She smiled. I already had her. “I’m going to class.”
    “Oh yeah? What class?”
    She stopped, one side of her mouth pulling to the side. “Travis Maddox, right?”
    “Right. My reputation precedes me?”
    “It does.”
    “Guilty.”
    She shook her head. “I have to get to class.”
    I sighed, feigning disappointment. “That’s a shame. I was just going to ask you for some help.”
    “With what?” Her tone was dubious, but she was still smiling. I could have just asked her to follow me home for a quick fuck and she probably would have gone for it, but a certain
amount of charm went a long way for later.
    “Getting to my apartment. I have a terrible sense of direction.”
    “Is that so?” she asked, nodding, frowning, and then smiling. She was trying hard not to be flattered.
    Her top two buttons were loose, leaving the bottom curve of her breasts and a few inches of her bra visible. I felt that familiar swelling in my jeans, and I switched my weight to the other
foot.
    “Terrible.” I smiled, watching her gaze drift to the dimple in my cheek. I don’t know why, but the dimple always seemed to seal the deal.
    She shrugged, trying to remain cool. “Lead the way. If I see you veering off course, I’ll honk.”
    “I’m this way,” I said, nodding in the direction of the parking lot.
    She had her tongue down my throat before we got all the way up the apartment stairs and was pulling off my jacket before I could single out the right key. We were clumsy, but it was fun. I had
plenty of practice opening the lock on the apartment door with my lips on someone else’s. She shoved me into the living room the second the bolt unlatched, and I grabbed her hips and pushed
her against the door to close it. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I lifted her up, pressing my pelvis against hers.
    She kissed me like she’d been starving and she knew there was food in my mouth. I don’t know, I kinda dug it. She bit my bottom lip, and I took a step back, losing my footing and