Corbin: The College Years, part 13

By Corbin, corbin@poetic.com

“…When we were young, the future was so bright…”

Pre-Story Introduction/Ranting/Venting/Rambling…

I am a legend in my own mind. How disgusting…

I just went back and re-read some of this stuff and I sound so ‘full of myself/shit/crap/whatever’. I think I am coming off like a big dork more then someone fairly conservative and quiet, which I really am.

In addition, I try to review this stuff, and yet, I still manage to miss spelling mistakes, which only seem to jump out at me after it has been posted. What the hell is up with that?

Okay…get ready…I have something to vent on…I bet no one saw this coming! ;)

Anyways, you know you are a gym-rat whenever one goes on a vacation and the first thing you do is scope out the resort/hotel for a workout facility. Well, that is what I do…and in fact did this past weekend…so every spare chance I got I would hustle down to the gym and workout. I like working out at these gyms because they seem to be rarely used by the Resort guests, giving me lots of privacy. The downside is that my workout schedule gets messed up because I find myself at the mercy of my partner. Which I totally understand, we don’t go on vacation for me to workout, so if I have to cut back and miss a day or two of exercise…so be it. Still sucks…

So on with my rant…there I was, periodically glancing up at the TV(s) mounted throughout the room when I catch a glimpse of a Viagra Commercial. Has anyone caught this thing? Where a guy comes running out of his house jumping up and down…dancing on his porch…he appears so overcome with joy that he then begins to run down the street, where he then proceeds to encounter all of his other dorky-dumbass friends running down the street jumping for joy. Now, the volume was turned down on the TV (thank god) while I was staring at this fiasco of a commercial, so I am just assuming that they are so overwhelmed with happiness because the drug helps their sex life. I also noticed that all of the men in the commercial were dumpy/overweight/pathetic looking. I actually had a smile on my face while watching that, thanking god I am not a man, because if I was I would be totally insulted. Basically (look at any sitcom/beer/Viagra commercial) and it portrays you men as a fat/stupid/impotent/balding/incompetent gender, totally to be outdone by smarter more beautiful women. (Maybe you like that?)

Me? Well I am disheartened that so many men appear unaffected by this Media characterization…they are insulting you, slapping you in the face as being stupid/fat/lazy/worthless, where only your TV counterparts are able to marry/date beautiful women…for god’s sake WAKE UP!

(Sorry guys, I know I really abused the crap out of you in the prior paragraphs. Amazingly, I really do like men).

What a shame…I just wasted all that space above complaining about TV commercials…when I really wanted to talk about my dating habits-skills…or lack thereof :) College was my real indoctrination into that world of barhopping, socializing, flirting (I was terrible at flirting).

Anyway, that will have to wait till next time.

Part 13

“Come ‘on, move it!” Sharon snapped to the girls that were still dragging their feet. She wanted to get a move on it and get to the party. She called Corbin’s cell phone and Dorm room but got no answer, and fretted about where she could be, it didn’t occur to her that she might be with Dale. Another flash of jealousy ripped thru her as she looked out the window, watching Kevin pull up in his Yukon, thinking about how much time and distance seemed to be growing between them.

“Okay, any girl that wants a ride with me and is ready to go then LET’S GO!” She called out and about a half dozen filed out of the house. Kevin was thankful he didn’t have any other passengers in the car but was glad to see he would be driving so many beautiful women.

Sharon climbed up in the passenger seat as the rest of the crew filled in behind. Pulling the gear into “D”, he hit the gas and they were off. Glancing over at Sharon he finally had to confess something, “Hey Sharon, I wasn’t suppose to tell you this, but Will was pretty tore up that Corbin just kind of blew him off after going out a couple of times”.

Sharon looked into the back seat making a face of puzzlement, her brow scrunched up, looking around as if she wanted to see if she was the only one who that that sounded freaky. “He was ‘Tore up’?” Sharon looked over at Kevin, “You must be kidding, and they only went out twice! They never kissed, hell they never held hands…sounds psycho to me!” Sharon shook her head.

“Will’s no psycho, I just think he got his hopes way up, that’s all” Kevin shrugged.

“Way to UP” Sharon followed up.

“So Sharon what’s going on with Corbin? I hear she and Dale are serious!” One girl called out. Before Sharon could respond, another girl piped up, “That bitch! She snatched that stud before anybody else got to him!” and a group of them burst out with obnoxious giggles. Sharon whipped around in her seat, “The fact is he chased her down, so apparently he’s got it bad for her” she defended her friend based on a few rumors she had heard, but she knew Corbin would never chase a guy down.

“I hate her…” One girl laughed out loud.

“Yeah me too!” another girl laughed. Sharon knew they were joking, she hoped for the most part, but felt a twinge of anguish that their friendship was suffering in a major way and neither one had either the guts or know-how to bridge the divide that now separated them.

Although Dale and Corbin were both warmly greeted by friends at the bar, Corbin was about to have a nervous breakdown. She was not comfortable being at the center of social attention, and found a shift taking place from circulating with single friends to people that were dating and suddenly making small talk with her, another thing Corbin seemed ill prepared to do. For the longest time, Corbin felt like she was inadequate for not being able to exchange in what she deemed ‘meaningless conversation’…

‘Or maybe I’m just too judgmental?’ Corbin had started to wonder.

A feeling of relief swept over Corbin when she saw Nikki with several of girls from the Soccer Team. She was a little distressed to see them acting somewhat uninhibited by the amount of alcohol they had consumed. Corbin simply smiled allot and turned down repeated requests to chug beer or do shots as she made her way to the bar and asked to have a diet Coke. The bartender smiled, “You driving?” He asked indicting it was on the house if she was a designated driver.

“No, I just don’t like drinking alcohol very often” She sighed.

“Well here, just ask me and you can have all the Diet Coke’s on the house, it’s not often we get someone that shows a little restraint” He shifted his eyes up and down the expansive bar, packed with College kids sucking down drink after drink.

“Thanks!” Said Corbin above the roar of the crowd and turned around, Dale was standing off to her left. Suddenly she felt something tug at her Coke glass and whipped her head to the right, a fairly attractive black guy was standing there. Corbin thought she recognized him from the football roster. He and several other people were doing shots at the bar, ‘But why is he tugging at my glass?’ Corbin wondered.

“No…no…we can’t have this, here do a shot!” He leaned in close as his left hand came up holding what appeared to be a shot of tequila.

Corbin gripped her glass tighter and knotted her eyebrows up, “If I wanted to do a shot, I would have gotten one” and tugged on her glass, but he refused to let go and several other guys and girls began trying to egg her on to do one.

“No” Corbin said as they continued a tug of war on her glass.

“Come on, just one! Just try one! Have you ever tried one before?” He smiled trying to pressure her into taking a shot. But Corbin was fed up, and looked over at Dale who was distracted with a few of his friends across the bar.

“Fine, you keep it” and Corbin let go of her glass throwing her hands up in the air and pushed off to her left away from the black guy and his gang of shot takers. “Hey! Hey! Wait…” Corbin could hear the guy calling after her, but she had made her escape slipping thru several gaps in the crowd. But she didn’t make it far, a couple of the girls from her Soccer team snagged her as she had unintentionally had made her way to a section of the establishment where a local radio station was doing a live promotional show.

“They’re collecting bras from all the girls, it’s for charity, so give up your bra and sign it, they’ll be having an auction later” Dee leaned in close.

Corbin looked at her as if the girl had just grown a third eye, “What? What did you just ask me?”

“Don’t give me that look Corbin! Come on it’s for a good cause!” Dee said, “Yeah!” Piped up Laurie to Corbin’s right.

“Who is that?” Corbin looked over at the live broadcast booth.

“That morning show, ‘Elliot in the Morning’” Dee chimed in.

Corbin rolled her eyes and mumbled, “I can’t stand that idiot and I’m damn sure not giving anyone my bra” She looked to her left and right as she spoke, “There are much better and more lucrative ways to collect for charity, without degrading yourself for everyone’s amusement!” Corbin chastised.

“Come on Corbin, don’t be that way!” Dee continued to prod.

“No, leave it alone, if Corbin doesn’t want to, that’s cool” Laurie decided not to push it, she admired Corbin’s conservative ways at times, while many girls on the team kept trying to push her to do things she didn’t want to do.

“Thanks” Corbin gave a sincere smile, “I’m going to try and get another Coke, hopefully it won’t be snatched from out of my hands this time” and she turned around to look for Dale, but didn’t make if more then three steps when things went from annoying to flat out aggravating.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Mora’s upper lip curled with contempt at Corbin, as another couple girls from the soccer team flanked the Latin girl’s left and right, one of them being Crissy. Amongst the crowd, noise and dimly lit bar it was hard to know just how inebriated Mora was and if she was really looking for trouble or to just push Corbin’s buttons some more. Mora seemed to have it in for Corbin, in particular, ever since Corbin narrowly escaped the hazing attempt.

“Hello Mora…Crissy…Bev” Corbin’s eyes engaged each one as she spoke their names respectively.

“Loose track of Dale already?” Mora continued with her taunts, something Corbin was used to. She figured that Mora just flat out did not like her, ‘For whatever reason’ Corbin assumed, she was unable to put the puzzle together, but sometimes people just don’t like other people. ‘Maybe a vibe or whatever’ Corbin sighed internally.

“Nope” Corbin smiled and stepped around the three girls, but didn’t get far.

“Whoaa….whoa….whoa…” Mora said, sticking her right hand out to block Corbin from leaving, “You too good to talk with us?” Mora’s eyebrows knotted up with irritation. In fact, Mora did have a problem with Corbin, and the list was long…perhaps not justifiable, but still Corbin seemed to embody everything Mora was secretly jealous of; Blonde, tall, muscular, beautiful, smart, athletic, and a decent boyfriend….all the things Mora didn’t have. Now, let’s be clear right now, Mora was a very attractive girl, but in her eyes she never measured up.

“What Mora?” Corbin sighed, her tone getting more irritated now as she stopped about an inch short of running into Mora’s arm that now blocked her way.

“You better learn how to start sucking up to us a little better and loose the attitude if you know what’s good for you” Mora’s look became stern. She was in fact itching for a fight with Corbin and felt her heart pound in her chest while Crissy watched intently, she had gone thru the same hazing ritual when she was new to the team and hated the thought that Corbin might somehow elude the ritual.

“Now I want you to go and get us three Miller Lights, now” Mora nodded her head towards to the bar and slowly lowered her arm.

Corbin stood dumbfounded, ‘Is she telling…ordering…me around now?’, she didn’t know what to think it seemed so irrational to be treated this way…’So demeaning…but I guess that’s the whole point…’ Corbin privately thought. Forced to do shitty chores around the locker room and now off to fetch drinks for senior girls that demand it on the team. ‘Fuck…this sucks…’ but Corbin loved soccer too much and wanted to try and figure out some way to get into the good graces of the team. She figured they all had to endure some right-of-passage bullshit.

Corbin glared at Mora for a second but slowly started walking towards the bar, her mood suddenly somber.

“Another soda?” The guy quickly appeared from behind the bar.

“Three Miller Light’s” Corbin rolled her eyes. He looked at her oddly for a minute and then Corbin hooked her right thumb over her shoulder to the three girls watching her from a few feet away. He nodded and turned around to fetch the beers while Corbin fished for some cash out of her pockets.

“Thanks” Corbin huffed and turned to head over to where the girls waited, all smiling and talking amongst themselves.

“That’s more like it” Mora said with a big grin of satisfaction.

“Yeah” Crissy sneered snatching her beer from Corbin’s hands.

“You straighten up, do what he fuck you’re told and we’ll get along fine…you understand?” Mora glared, obviously waiting for an answer.

“Yeah” Corbin mumbled, stuffing her hands into her pockets while clenching her jaw.

“What?” Crissy leaned in, cocking her head as if hard of hearing, causing Mora and Bev to laugh with approval.

“Yes” Corbin snapped louder while trying to restrain her anger. What Corbin really wanted to do was plant her fist into Mora’s mouth and then smack around the other two, but some amount of self doubt crept into her mind. While Mora and the other girls were smaller then Corbin, all between 5’ 4” and 5’ 7”, with Mora coming in around 5’ 4”. Mora carried around allot of spunk and never backed down from anyone, the girl seemed to know how to handle herself and was always looking for a scrap with someone…anyone. It made Corbin wonder if the small Latin girl might just put her down for the count if they got to fighting.

“Okay…” Mora smiled wickedly, “…now…you may go” and waved her hand toward the crowd. Corbin simply kept her jaw clenched and turned to walk away.

“Think she’ll come around?” Crissy leaned in and asked Mora.

“I don’t really give a shit” Mora shrugged and took a drink of her beer, “I just know…” Here eyes narrowed, “…I am going to ride her ass every chance I get while she’s on the team…and enjoy every fucking minute of it.” Mora watched the blonde walk away, her posture a little less arrogant then before, which made Mora feel all the more better.

“What about Katie? You know Katie likes Corbin” Bev chimed in.

“Yeah…” Mora considered that caveat, Katie was the Team Captain and Mora respected her as a woman and a leader. “…well then, we’ll have to be careful…now won’t we?” Mora glared at Bev.

“Yeah” Bev sighed, but not very convincingly. Bev didn’t mind razzing Corbin but didn’t know if she had the stomach to go as far as Mora seemed intent on going.

“Pardon me…excuse me…pardon me…” Corbin pushed and shoved her way thru, fuming and sweating with anguish over what she just went thru. It seemed like every step she was also getting propositioned by some guy…but her mind was so distracted with Mora’s taunts that she barely acknowledged anyone’s comments. Corbin was about to flag down the bartender again, this time she *needed* a drink when the black guy was suddenly at her left elbow, trying to get her attention;

“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier, here’s your drink back” He said, “By the way, my name is Shelton!” He set her glass on the bar and extended his left hand. He was very taken with her, the fact she was white turned him on immediately and hoped she would let things slide.

“I’m…” She was about to speak, when he finished her sentence “Corbin, yeah I know!” He smiled. Corbin looked at him with total confusion and shook her head, “How come everyone seems to know my name” She mumbled to herself and was sure he didn’t hear it, her eyes studying her drink now placed in front of her.

“Sorry about that” He smiled again and leaned in a bit more then someone should. Corbin leaned away and then tilted her head down staring at the fizzing carbonation still coming to the top of the glass. Corbin had still not lost her common sense, or maybe she was just overly cautious but set just studied the drink. ‘Maybe I’m being silly…but…the drink did leave my sight…’ wondering if it was now spiked. She doubted it because she had Dale and other friend’s around who would be looking out for her.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll have a beer now” Corbin said.

“Let me” Shelton quickly stepped up and ordered a Corona from the bartender.

“No…no…really…please don’t, I appreciate the offer but I’m with Dale” Corbin said, she didn’t want to lead any guy on.

“That’s okay, I know about you and Dale, I still want to buy you a drink” Shelton smiled and Corbin felt that old stern attitude of hers begin to rise, wondering if Shelton was another guy who saw every attractive girl as an open target, regardless if they had a boyfriend or not. But something in Corbin wasn’t so determined to ‘go off’, in fact Corbin was feeling a little burned-out and decided to relent, allowing Shelton to go ahead and buy her the drink. ‘No harm in it I guess’ Corbin sighed privately.

“Thanks” Corbin even allowed a slight smile to escape from the corner of her mouth.

“My god, she smiles!” He laughs and Corbin had to admit his reaction was pretty funny as she smiled even more and took a much welcome sip on the beer.

“That wasn’t so bad” Shelton kept up his own infectious smile and his left hand gripped Corbin’s right bicep thru her shirt. Corbin decided to take the touch and his flirting as nothing more then just being friendly, she also had to admit that it felt nice not getting so defensive for once and just enjoyed the attention. Yet she still leaned away from him whenever he would get too close for comfort. Glancing around she caught sight of Dale, surrounded by a group of friends looking as if he was having a good time, Corbin simply smiled and sipped on her drink when she saw him crane his neck to look around the room. His eyes grew wide when he saw her blonde head and waved her over, she just smiled and waved back wanting to hang back for a little while and try to relax some more before joining him, she didn’t want Dale detecting any of her stress from her run in with Mora.

“You’ve got some serious definition there” Shelton admiringly approved as he gave her bicep another gentle squeeze.

“Oh, thanks” Corbin shrugged and blushed at the compliment.

Shelton had to admit that he was more then just a little intrigued by Corbin’s evident physique but could tell she was putting off mixed signals. She let him buy her a drink and even touch her arm but kept leaning away every time he would lean in to talk to her. ‘Maybe it’s best I don’t push it, after all she is with Dale’ Shelton considered, and while he and Dale were not friends, they were team mates so he felt an obligation to not try and backstab a fellow team member by trying to ‘land’ Dale’s girlfriend. Now, that is what good common sense and decency was telling Shelton to do, but as he stood right there within inches of the blonde he wasn’t so resolute in his efforts. His mind was more interested in processing what his eyes were taking in…her defined cheek, jaw line, full lips, and strong neck with a button down shirt exposing a hint of serious cleavage. His penis had already stirred to life as he got a nice inhale of her perfume…it was barely there…but just enough of an intoxicating aroma. It was at that moment when he decided, teammate’s girlfriend or not, ‘I want to get this girl in bed’ and already his mind had started to taunt him with a play of images, a collage of him and Corbin in bed…naked, his hands exploring every inch of her hard body.

Corbin was fading in and out of her conversation with Shelton and knew he was hitting on her big time. Yes, she was offended, but her emotional ‘skin’ was getting thicker to all of it. Finally, Corbin began to understand why her friends played the flirting game, it was just easier then constantly deflecting come-on’s. Some men would go so far as to get hostile when abruptly rejected, which Corbin could give a shit at times, but tonight she was drained and would rather politely deflect Shelton’s advances with some innocent flirting then to tell him to simply ‘buzz off’. She had started to draw lines by leaning away from him as he would lean in, something he seemed to pick up on, but he had not totally removed his hand from her arm, she could detect his touch, although it was very light at best.

“Shelton” Corbin sighed and looked up at his attentive dark eyes.

“If you want to stand here and have a pleasant conversation, we can do that. But that’s all” Corbin’s expression became just a tad bit tense, hoping to drive home the point.

“I totally respect that” Shelton smiled and noticed the way Corbin moved her arm from his grasp.

“Hello Stranger” came the sweet sounding voice to her left and it jarred Corbin’s mind to find that she almost didn’t recognize it. Corbin then felt her lips uncontrollably curl into a smile, but her eyes bespoke of something maybe just a little sad at the sudden sight of her friend Sharon.

“Hello yourself” Corbin gushed and was momentarily dazzled by Sharon’s beauty, which had the same effect on Shelton who was astounded at having these two gorgeous women in front of him, one brunette the other blonde.

“Hey girl” Sharon said and leaned in, giving Corbin and light hug. Corbin patted Sharon on the back in return.

“Pardon us, but I have to speak with my friend in private” Sharon leaned around Corbin and spoke at Shelton who was attempting to formulate some response that would keep them around.

“I’m pissed at you!” Sharon huffed as she pulled Corbin thru the crowd by the arm.

“What? Why?” Corbin smiled at how it was starting to sound like the ‘old’ Sharon.

“And why were you flirting with Shelton? I don’t’ believe you” Sharon scolded.

“I wasn’t flirting!” Corbin pinched her eyebrows together defensively.

“You let him buy you a drink and I saw you blushing at some comments he was making…and he’s black!” Sharon leaned in and whispered.

“What…what…?” Corbin stammered at what Sharon was implying. “Sharon…I know he’s black”. ‘What the fuck?’ Corbin thought privately, ‘Does Sharon have something against black people now?’.

Sharon swallowed hard and nervously smiled as her right hand brushed a few strands of hair over her right ear and decided it best to change the subject quickly, noting that her disapproval of Corbin and Shelton ever being a couple was bad timing. “You sly devil, when were you planning on telling me about Dale! Oh my god, he is like so hot!” Sharon fused as they found a corner of the bar to talk.

Corbin simply shrugged and sipped on her drink, “It’s been awhile since we last talked” Corbin raised an eyebrow of concern.

“I know, I know, at least a couple of weeks, I’m sorry” Sharon sighed.

“A month” Corbin snapped, but quickly restrained her irritation and looked away.

“What?” Sharon leaned in.

“It’s been a month since we’ve talked or seen one another” Corbin glanced around the room, not wanting to get into an argument over the whole thing, or maybe she wanted to. Sharon leaned back stood stone faced for a second and nervously looked away , “I’m sorry” Sharon said, feeling truly rotten on the time slipping away from them both, she watched Corbin seem to acknowledge her apology, but just barely.

“I’m really glad you and Dale are doing well” Sharon leaned in close to speak, not knowing how to bridge the awkward gap that was suddenly between them.

“Thanks, things seem to going pretty well so far” Corbin nodded, but she really was starting to tune Sharon out, Corbin had started to accept the way things were, ‘Sharon has her life now, doing her own thing, I guess that’s fine’ Corbin thought.

Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes as she nervously tapped her foot on the floor, she hadn’t expected to find Corbin at this party and definitely didn’t expect to be confronted with so many emotions.

“I see you’re here with all your Soccer buddies” Sharon pointed off into the crowd.

“Oh, yeah, a few are pretty cool…a few others are…well…” Corbin didn’t finish, not wanting to drop her problems at Sharon’s feet, Corbin wanted to show she could stand on her own.

“I’m really glad your finding your niche here at school, I worry about you, you know?” Sharon smiled affectionately and touched her friend on her left arm.

“Hey Sharon…” Corbin sighed and a real look of pain came over Corbin’s expression that caught Sharon a little off guard, but when Corbin leaned over and gave her a warm, tight embrace, Sharon thought she would ‘loose it’ that very moment, “…call me okay?” Corbin whispered into her ear and pulled away.

Sharon reached out and gripped Corbin’s hand, and she fought to keep her lower lip from trembling as both girls allowed their pride to once more get in the way. “I’ll call you!” Sharon called out as Corbin turned away and pushed thru the crowd slipping from sight. Sharon stood totally dumbfounded and found herself shocked that her friend had just cut their conversation short to leave and go elsewhere in the bar. “Fuck” Sharon cursed out loud, but the noise of the bar drowned out any chance of it being heard. Her hands, with a faint tremble of anxiousness, ran thru hair and for a moment she felt lost and a little uneasy with who she was and how things had turned out. She stole a glance in the direction Corbin had departed but could no longer see her.

Dale was having a blast and not at all paying attention to the time, but Corbin was. He looked over to his left as he brought the beer up to his lips, Corbin stood with her left wrist held up to signal her watch. He sighed and glanced down, ’10:01pm’ and he smiled at her although he was a bit frustrated at having to leave, but didn’t want to even think about going back on his word. ‘Fuck…fuck…fuck’ he groaned privately at having to leave. Setting his drink down he pulled away to the dismay of several Football buddies and girls who glared at the blonde girl, a girl who seemed to have Dale under some spell.

“Oh she is definitely putting out” One girl leaned over to the other, “You bet, she’s got to be one hell of a lay, I’ve never seen Dale act this way…there is only one reason he is acting so whipped” her friend hissed back.

“What’s going on?” Another girl leaned, trying to pick up on the conversation.

“Oh were just talking about how Corbin is putting out for Dale, the way he is always at her beck-and-call” the brunette said to her other friend.

~~~~~~

“Thanks” Corbin sighed she felt him wrap his arm around her and pull her in close, but her mind still was thinking about Sharon and looking over her shoulder one more time, but never saw her friend as they stepped thru the exit.

Dale had all but given up on getting sex out of Corbin, he would just be happy to feel her up a little and he did his best to hide the sexual tension in his body, but his hands seemed to continuously ring the steering wheel all the way home and he did a lousy job of making conversation. Corbin was rather ‘out of it’ as her head lulled against the head rest, she didn’t mind the lack of conversation as she was enjoying a quiet moment while trying to block any thoughts out of her head. ‘Things are different’ Dale had noted as they got closer to home, the night started out great, but everything had a somber feel to it and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Things like this totally baffled him, how a night out with his girlfriend could go from good to bad and he have no clue as to why…

‘Is it me?’ he wondered, thinking that Corbin’s sudden mood swing was his fault.

The silence lasted until they got to the apartment, Steve his roommate was still out and Dale decided it was as good of a time as any to bring something up that had been on his mind lately. He laid back on top of his unmade bed, having stripped down to his boxers and a t-shirt, he wondered but didn’t hope on what Corbin would be wearing when she came out of the bathroom. When she emerged, he wasn’t surprised to see her also wearing a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in, which prompted him to ask, “Still not comfortable changing in front of me?” he asked with a smiled, although he was only half joking.

Corbin stopped and rested her left knee on the mattress at the foot of the bed while clasping her hands behind her, “Look Dale, if this is making you uncomfortable…or…maybe it was wrong of me to assume it was okay to sleep over as much as I do…” Corbin looked down, not sure why she was spending so much time over Dale’s apartment.

“No…not at all!” He sat up, “I thought you stayed over here because you liked spending time with me” He said a little defensively.

“I do” Corbin looked up.

“But it’s just hard having you so close to me…and… just trying to restrain myself when I have someone like you, who’s so gorgeous laying next to me” Dale waved his left hand to her side of the bed, “…and…” Dale sighed laying back down.

“What…tell me” Corbin asked and leaned forward, until she had to put her hands out in front of her as her weight carried her the rest of the way. She pushed her elbows up under her chest until she was comfortable laying on her stomach with her legs bent so her feet pointed to the ceiling. Dale rolled over to his left, propping his head up with his left palm.

“It’s like, you keep me at arms length emotionally and physically, and that’s hard to take because I’ve really fallen for you Corbin, I mean…it’s like I spend time thinking about our future together and…”

Dale hesitated for a second which gave Corbin a chance to jump in, “But Dale, we’ve only been dating a little over a month now!” She sighed and rummaged her fingers thru her loose blonde hair.

“Well okay, but there are allot people asking questions about what’s going on, and I get tired of being ribbed by friends over their misconception of what’s going on” He said in frustration.

“Just ignore them!” Corbin sighed.

“How? It’s not that easy” Dale sat up trying to get closer to where Corbin was stretched out on the end of the bed, but that closeness eluded him as she soon sprang up to a standing position.

“You want things easy?”

“Wait…wait Corbin…” Dale pleaded.

“Then if I just stay at my own place…” Corbin frantically spouted.

“No…wait” Dale’s voice got a little urgent.

“…from now on, that will give them less to gossip about and less stress for you, how about that?” Corbin took a couple of steps towards her bag, looking at his reaction.