Friday
I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing. My head was pounding. Melissa was a terrible influence. I grabbed my aching forehead in one hand and my cell phone in my other. I slid my finger across the screen.
It was a text from Tyler: “Class is canceled! See you tonight, Penny!”
I quickly opened up my email. There was one waiting from Professor Hunter. I clicked on it and read the message.
Comm 212 is canceled this morning. Please spend the weekend thinking about your next speech – describing how something works. Everyone with last names beginning with A through M will be going Wednesday, and everyone else will go on Friday. I’m looking forward to hearing your speeches.
– Professor J. Hunter
Why had he canceled class? I needed to see him. I needed to talk to him. I bit my lip. He never answered my calls, emails, or texts. What was I doing? I was being a stalker. Enough was enough. His problems were no longer mine.
I typed out a text to Tyler. “Can’t wait!”
But I could wait. I didn’t want to go to the party tonight. I didn’t want to dress up in a stupid costume. All I wanted was to see Professor Hunter.
***
I walked down Main Street toward Professor Hunter’s apartment building. I should have been going to the dining hall to grab lunch, but I couldn’t resist. Besides, it was almost on the way. Actually it wasn’t. It was in the complete opposite direction. My stalker tendencies were out of control. I stopped outside of his building. If I could just see him through his window to see if he was okay.
“So who is it that you’re looking for exactly?”
I looked over and saw a man staring down at me. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and was already sporting a five o’clock shadow. He looked familiar but it took me a second to place him. It was the man from the elevator; the one who had seen me flee from the building wearing just one of Professor Hunter’s t-shirts. And who had probably seen even more of me when I had fallen.
Oh God. “Oh, umm… I’m not looking for anyone.”
“No?”
“No. I’m just… admiring the architecture.”
The man laughed. “You’re a bad liar.”
I looked back up toward Professor Hunter’s window. He wasn’t there. “Yeah, you caught me.”
“So you were running away before, and now you can no longer get in?”
“Something like that.”
“Sounds dramatic.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess it is.”
“Isn’t that rather exhausting?”
I turned toward him. “Yes.” That’s exactly how I felt. I was completely and utterly exhausted.
He put his hand out. “I’m Brendan, by the way.”
“Penny.” I shook his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Penny.”
I smiled at him, but only half heartedly. If Professor Hunter had canceled class and wasn’t in his apartment, then where was he? My stomach churned. I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to his soon-to-be ex wife. Maybe our fight had led him back to her. I felt like I was going to be sick.
“Is there a message you’d like me to relay to this person that you’re stalking?”
“I’m not stalking him.”
“Mhm.”
I looked over at Brendan. He was eyeing me curiously. He looked older than me, possibly older than Professor Hunter. He was handsome in a rugged way. For some reason he didn’t look like he belonged in such an extravagant apartment. I shook my head. There was no reason to assess this stranger. I had enough going on right now. Besides, he clearly thought I was nuts. “I should probably go.”
“Penny?” he said before I started to walk away.
I looked back up at him.
“If you ever decide you’re done being exhausted, how about you give me a call.” He handed me his business card.
I grabbed it but didn’t read it. “What, are you a therapist or something?”
Brendan laughed. “No.” He gave me a funny look.
I just stared back at him.
“No.” He smiled at me. “I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“Are you seriously hitting on me? Even though you know I’m a crazy stalker?” I swallowed hard. I don’t know why I had said that. Now he really would think I was crazy. Not that it mattered, because I was.
“Actually, I think your behavior is endearing.”
“Endearing?”
Brendan shrugged.
“I’m sorry, but I’m seeing someone.”
“How about I pick you up at eight?”
“What? I can’t, I just told you.”
“Are you referring to the man you’re stalking? Even though I’m not a therapist, I do have some advice for you.”
Normally I’d be horrified at someone saying these things to me. But I needed advice. An outside perspective could be just what I needed. “And what is your advice?”
“Trying this hard to make something work sometimes means it’s not meant to.”
I looked back up at Professor Hunter’s window. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“So maybe you can give me a call when you figure things out.”
“Assuming that I’ll follow your advice.”
“It’s good advice.”
It was. But it wasn’t advice that I wanted to hear. “How old are you?”
Brendan smiled. “Does that matter?”
“Yes, it does.”
“I’m 29.”
“So you’re not a student here?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I am.”
“I figured that.” He nodded at my backpack.
“And I only just turned 20 yesterday.”
“Well, happy belated birthday, Penny.”
“That doesn’t horrify you?”
“That you’re 20? Why would that horrify me?”
I shrugged. Because it horrified him.
“I have to say though, you do look older than 20.”
Maybe that was the problem. If I looked older than my age it could have led Professor Hunter astray.
“Have you had lunch?” Brendan pressed.
“No. I was actually just on my way to the dining hall. I should get going.”
“Come with me.” Brendan turned and started to walk down Main Street.
I stood frozen. I looked down the road toward the dining hall and then back toward Brendan. He stopped and turned around.
“You coming?”
I took a deep breath and followed him. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Brendan was a stranger. And for some reason it seemed easy to talk to him. Maybe he wasn’t a therapist, but talking to him might help me work out my problems.