First Love (7 page)

Four stitches later, Mark finally got an answer. “I think she must have you mesmerized. You’ve known her about three months and you’ve gotten how many stitches? I’m not sure she’s worth what she’s paying you. You’ll probably have a small scar on your chin. On you, it’ll be cute.”

Drew wanted to glare at him but was in too much pain.

*

After class on Monday, a special car and escort arrived to drive Jordan out to the Gainesville airport where a jet waited. Within a few hours, she was at Camp David with her parents and brother.

“Jordan, you’re looking pale.” Her mother examined her closely looking for signs she wasn’t thriving. “Your pants are looking baggy.”

“Mom, that’s the fashion,” her brother replied.

“Really, Mom, I’m fine. Guess what? I think I’ll make the dean’s list.”

“Well, it looks like the tutoring is helping.” Her father sounded pleased. “How long can you stay?”

“I thought I’d go back Saturday early, if it’s all right with you. I want to get ready for finals, and it’s the big Florida-Florida State game. The sorority has a block of tickets.” Her parents reluctantly agreed. Jordan saw the disappointment on their faces. “If you have something planned, I’ll stay.”

“No,” her dad replied, “you go on back. We’ll alert the Secret Service and arrange transportation. Enjoy the football and the weekend. As a Buckeye, I can’t believe I am saying this, but ‘Go Gators.’”

“Thanks, Dad.” Jordan laughed. “If you had a car, I would even get you a bumper sticker that said ‘My daughter and money go to Florida.’”

“I think I’ll watch OSU.”

She hugged her dad, pleased she would be going back early. After all, she could see Drew on Sunday. She didn’t understand it, but the more time she spent with Drew, the more time she wanted with her. She wanted Drew’s friendship. She wanted Drew to like her. She wanted….
That’s part of the problem. I’m not sure what I want.

Drew had looked forward to her brother’s visit over Thanksgiving. For the first time since arriving in Gainesville, she was relaxed. Greg reminded her of Wyoming, and that was all that mattered. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”

“It’s only been since August,” Greg said. He grabbed her belt. “You’re putting weight on. Good for you.” He then began the grand inquisition. “How’s school? How’s grades? Met anyone?”

“Hold on, big brother. I’ve only been here a short time. Besides, I don’t need emotional involvement right now. These city girls would never fit into ranch life, and I want to focus on finishing medical school.”

Greg laughed. “Guess I’m the renegade. Big time lawyer in a big time city.”

“Come on, Big Time Lawyer. We have plans for the weekend.”

Drew spent most of the weekend relaxing, enjoying the time with Greg, Mark, and David. Greg reminded her of her ties to Wyoming and her family. These ties were at the heart of who she was.

By Saturday, she was ready for some partying. “Greg, let’s go dancing. I know the perfect place. The Sundowner Club is a great place for country-western music and dance. And it has great steak.”

Thirty minutes later, Drew was dressed and ready to go. The swelling and pain in her foot had eased enough she was able to get her boots on. It was when dinner was served that Greg again began the questioning.

“I know how you hurt your foot, but what the hell happened to your chin?”

Drew told him about Jordan and the two accidents.

He pushed his hat back on his head. “I’ve never known you to be that uncoordinated. What’s going on with this Jordan?”

“Nothing. It was an accident.”

“Doesn’t sound like an accident. She sounds dangerous.”

“Now you sound like Mark.”

“Is she dangerous? Is she gay? Maybe she’s interested in you and that’s the only way to get your attention. Sometimes you can be dense.”

“She’s not gay. She’s not that kind of interested. And I’m not dense. She’s a good person and she’s smart.”

Greg reached over and knocked her hat off. “She may not be gay, but you certainly are quick to defend her. Come on, I need to dance some of this food off. Let’s go show these folks how it’s done.”

*

A country western bar was not a place Jordan ordinarily visited. After the football, game, however, one of her sorority sisters put on jeans and boots and mentioned taking line dancing lessons at the Sundowner. Jordan was immediately curious. She wasn’t sure what line dancing was, but anything that would help her know more about Drew’s life, she wanted to do. She had only been there ten minutes when she saw Drew walking out onto the dance floor. Jordan couldn’t believe how good Drew looked in her black jeans, white shirt, and black hat. Her movements were both fluid and sensual. Jordan couldn’t ever remember enjoying watching anyone as much. Or being as moved.

The guy she was dancing with was attractive and a good dancer. For a brief moment, she was jealous. The instant that thought came up, she was disturbed.
It’s unnatural. She’s just a friend.

There were so many things about Drew that she found intriguing and distressing. Drew was smart, funny, attractive, and one of the most interesting people she knew. Yet, she was living with a man she was not married to. Jordan was well aware that most of her classmates were sexually active. Her parents, however, had brought her up to wait until marriage. Drew obviously didn’t feel that way.
Was she promiscuous? Did she even have standards?
Jordan’s family values and her feelings for Drew were in conflict. Why was it then, that she found Drew so…interesting?

She watched from her dark corner as Drew danced. When the dance ended, Drew was laughing and hugging the guy. Jordan needed to get out of there. Too many feelings were creating confusion.

“Please, let’s go,” she said to her Special Agent in Charge. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

December

When Drew and Mark returned to their apartment Sunday night, the light was blinking on their answering machine. “I’ll get it,” Mark offered. “Could be my honey.” A few minutes later, he came out. “Jordan called at four, five, six, seven, and eight. Please call. Girlfriend, she is either a dedicated student or has the hots for you. Do you think she’s gay?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, but doubt it.”

“Does she know that you are?”

Drew glared at him. “Don’t know, don’t care, but doubt it. Why should it make any difference?”

“How do you feel about her?”

“She is a bright student who probably would do okay without me tutoring. She feels she needs me.”

“You didn’t answer my question? Do you like her?”

Did she like her? Of course she liked her. What was not to like? She was attractive, intelligent, easygoing. “I like her as a person. She’s actually easy to like. For a straight girl.” Drew laughed. “I’ll call her in the morning.”

*

Jordan was frustrated. She had repeatedly called Drew to set up a time to study and not gotten a call back. It was now six o’clock. “Why isn’t she returning my calls?” The answer that haunted her was the tall, handsome man Drew was dancing with. Why should she care who Drew lived or danced with? Jordan needed a distraction. She invited several friends over, an uncommon event. Her invitations were quickly accepted. Most conversations focused on politics, Republican politics. This was familiar and it kept her from wondering what Drew was doing. To her chagrin, these friends showed up again on Monday and Tuesday.
Well, the semester is almost over.

*

Drew arrived promptly on Tuesday. An unusually large number of cars were parked in the drive and around the house. The noise level inside was intolerable even for Drew. Music was playing somewhere, and people were wandering around almost every room except the kitchen. She wondered how they would get any studying done. Drew sat at the table and waited for Jordan to join her. Jordan wandered in, promising to be “right back.”

Drew nodded and opened up the books. She looked at the chemistry syllabus and realized there were not too many classes left. Laughter distracted her. Jordan stuck her head in and again promised to be right back.

“There’s pop and milk in the fridge.”

Drew grabbed a bottle of water and sat back down. She looked at her watch. She had been there fifteen minutes and no studying. Next time Jordan came in, she would pin her down about plans for the evening. Another ten minutes went by, and Drew was now furious. She packed her notes and books and left. She couldn’t remember anyone treating her so rudely.

*

When Jordan next returned to the kitchen, Drew was gone. “Where is she?” she asked.

“Jordan, were you asking something?” a sorority sister asked.

“I was looking for my tutor.” She walked around the house and couldn’t find Drew. Jordan finally looked out front and found the Explorer gone. A member of her guard detail informed her that Drew had left moments ago. Only then did she realize there would be no studying that evening. She’d underestimated Drew. Again. Now what was she to do? She looked around at the people in her house and felt very alone. She went up to one of her security detail and asked them to send everyone home. Why hadn’t she told them to go home when they first started arriving?

Jordan knew the answer. She didn’t like conflict. True. But for the first time in her life, she wasn’t sure who she was. Her life, her activities, even her so-called friends were all dictated by her parents and their expectations. She was the good little girl. Her life was planned and circumscribed. Knowing Drew had created instability in her everyday life. Every time Jordan had walked in to sit down and study, she felt nervous and uncomfortable. She didn’t know what to say to Drew or how to act. So she retreated until she could gain some measure of calm. What was going on?

*

Drew was furious by the time she got back to her apartment. She threw her books on the table and grabbed a cold soda out of the fridge. “What a bitch! Inconsiderate, rude bitch!”

“Sounds like things didn’t go well with Jordan?”

She glared at him then tilted her head to the side. “No, things went quite well. Let’s see.” She looked at her watch. “I raced over there at quarter of seven, without dinner. Took several minutes to find a parking place because there seemed to be an expensive foreign car convention on the front lawn, then I walked into a meeting of every young Republican in Gainesville, probably the drivers of all the foreign and expensive cars, and Jordan was playing host to the gang gathered there. I finally sat down at five minutes after seven. At seven minutes after seven, she stepped in to tell me she would be right back. She again stopped in at twelve minutes after the hour and fifteen minutes after the hour.”

“Oops. Doesn’t sound like a lot of studying got done.”

“Studying! She kept me sitting around the damn kitchen for almost twenty minutes. The third time she walked out, I waited a few minutes and then left. I’m not going to sit around while some snotty nosed rich kid decides whether she’s ready to study or not.”

“Did you talk to her before you left?”

“Hell, no! Are you out of your mind?”

“Just asking.”

“Why should I? She’s the one who screwed up. I’m not going to put up with it.” Drew was not only angry but disappointed. She was just beginning to really like Jordan.

“I’m going to get something to eat then go over to the med school. If I promise to not bite your head off, want to come?”

*

In the morning, Drew was again focused on what she needed to do that day. By the time she got back from the hospital, she was in a fairly good mood. She and Mark were chatting over dinner when the phone rang. Mark grabbed the phone off the wall behind him. “Hello! Just a minute.” He whispered, “It’s Jordan.”

Drew gritted her teeth. She had been in a good mood. She dug deep into her own sense of reserve to keep from yelling. Jordan had let her down. A brusque hello was Drew’s response.

“Why did you leave? I thought we were going to study.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have gone to the wrong house then because I walked into a party.” Drew felt her anger begin to simmer.
Who the hell does she thinks she is?
“Oh, yes. Now that you mention it, I did see you. You walked into the kitchen and told me you would be right back.” She made no effort to hide the sarcasm. “And then left to play with your little friends. I think you came in three times and told me you’d be right back. Then you went off with your friends. Well, you can play as much as you want because I decided I had more important things to do than waste my time waiting.”

“How dare you talk to me like that?” Jordan’s voice was strident. “Play? Play! I take a break and you think I’m playing?”

“What else am I supposed to think? Did we do any studying? Did you or did you not tell me more than once you’d be right back? Looked like playing to me.”

“I’m sorry you thought that. I would appreciate you letting me know when you’re leaving. After all, I am paying for your time.”

That did it. Drew’s Western politeness only extended so far. “You’re paying for my knowledge and teaching skills, not my time. If you have other commitments, I expect
you
to let me know. I too have to study and don’t have the time to waste babysitting. You and your little friends can play, but not on my time.” Drew was so damn frustrated but she wasn’t sure why.
Maybe I was beginning to like her. Maybe I was beginning to think we could be friends.

“Little friends! Babysittting!” Jordan muttered. Her voice was barely controlled. “I don’t remember anyone partying.”

“And I didn’t see anyone studying. If you’ve called to be rude, I’m hanging up and you can find another tutor.” Drew was barely in control.