EMMY
So I don't have to go to my room, Isla lent me some of her clothes. Luckily, we're both rather small and petite, so the light blue summer dress she gave me fits me perfectly.
"How about this?" she asks me as she ties her long, dark brown hair into a high braid.
The bar we're standing in front of is just a few minutes' walk from our dorm and looks nice at first glance. Everything is bathed in a warm orange light, and the walls are made of rustic stone.
I nod in agreement. I don't know much about it anyway, so anything's fine with me, as long as it's not somewhere the hockey team, or Asher in particular, hangs out.
But we only have to enter the store and everything falls away. A large group has gathered in the back corner, already in the mood. It seems to be a birthday party, because one of the boys is wearing a party hat that says "Birthday Boy." It's meant to look ridiculous, but since he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, it actually makes him more likeable.
But that's not the problem; it's the fact that at least half the ice hockey team is there. I don't have to look far before I spot Asher.
Before I've even recovered from this shock, I get hit with another one. I see a pretty, blonde student, who's clearly also part of the birthday party, heading toward Asher, and the next moment she's throwing her arms around his waist. Asher, still laughing at something the other person said, automatically puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her even closer. Then he says something to her, at which point she starts laughing, too.
Next to me I hear Isla's horrified voice: "Oh, fuck!"
I am jolted out of my trance by her pulling me out of the building by the arm until we come to a stop a little further down the street.
"That really went completely wrong," she says contritely, adding encouragingly, "But at least we know where he is now, and that can't happen again."
Without addressing what she said, I reply desperately, "What's wrong with me?"
Isla gently takes my hand. "There's nothing wrong with you. That guy is damn hot, I'll give him that. But that doesn't mean there aren't other hot guys out there, and that's exactly who we're going to find you."
I look at her with a pained expression. I know she means well, but I've lost the desire to do anything further.
"Oh no," she says before I can even say anything, "don't give me that look! You're not backing down now!" She looks at me so sternly that she makes me smile a little.
"Okay," I give in, even though I'm still not thrilled about it.
***
To avoid another encounter, we walked for quite a while until we decided on a bar.
Here too, everything is full of students and even though it is a weekday, there is hardly a seat left unoccupied.
“Have you found one you like yet?” Isla asks me with a grin.
I shake my head. "I'm not sure that's really a good idea. I can't do that sort of thing."
This earns me another stern look from Isla. "Now listen to me, Emmy. Asher may be too stupid to realize what a jackpot he has right in front of him, but not many other guys are. I've already spotted at least five of them who keep looking back at you. I'm going to the bathroom now, and I bet it won't be long before the first one approaches you."
As she spoke, she slipped off her chair.
"You're leaving me alone?" I ask her, horrified, and she starts to smile.
"I'll be back. Trust me, it'll be good."
With these words, she finally disappears into the crowd and makes her way towards the restrooms.
While I'm still looking there, a deep voice suddenly sounds next to me: "Hey, is this seat free?"
I turn around in surprise, and standing in front of me is a guy, probably a little older than me, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He's not bad-looking, not as good-looking as Asher, but definitely not bad.
At first, I reflexively want to refuse, but then I think better of it. I smile at him, which he immediately returns. "Yes, please sit down."
He introduces himself as Tate and seems quite nice at first. He immediately engages me in conversation, during which I learn that he doesn't actually live here, but is just visiting his cousin.
To my dismay, after about five minutes, he tells me that he plays for his college hockey team. I seriously wonder how I could have been so unlucky that a hockey player, of all people, had to approach me.
Still, I don't want to shut myself off completely. Asher shouldn't have so much influence over me.
A few minutes later, Isla returns, giving me a meaningful look. Tate calls his cousin over, so we spend most of the rest of the evening just the four of us.
After a while, however, Tate starts touching me more and more often. At first, I thought it was just an accident, but when he places his hand on my thigh, I can no longer dismiss it as that.
An unpleasant tingling sensation runs through my body and I am overcome by the overwhelming urge to slap his hand away.
As he starts leaning closer and closer to me, I reach the point where I jump up and, after stammering "I'll be right back," I run to the restrooms as fast as I can.
In the locker room, I lean against the wall and take a deep breath. It's now clear that Tate and I have completely different ideas about what will happen between us.
Right now, I just want to go home. I've done enough today, by my standards. Facing Tate's advances is just getting too much for me.
I want to go back and signal to Isla. But I don't get very far, because Tate intercepts me right in front of the restroom door.
I look at him uncertainly, but he just grins and leans forward. With a suggestive undertone, he whispers in my ear: "Where do you want to go? Your place or get a room?"
I flinch and stumble against the wall, which now traps me between him and the masonry.
Nervously, I stammer, "I think... I think this is a misunderstanding."
His grin slips slightly for a moment, but the next moment it's back again.
"I don't think so."
His hands land on my waist and he brings his face closer and closer. Disgust overcomes me, and I turn my head away just in time before his mouth can land on mine.
The grin has disappeared from his face and he laughs bitterly. "Are you telling me I wasted the last few hours with you, bitch, and now I don't even get my reward?"
"I didn't want to give you false hope," I say, trying to suppress the tremor in my voice.
He looks at me contemptuously. "How stupid are you? Did you seriously think I wanted to talk to you?"
I swallow deeply. Yeah, maybe... Maybe that really was stupid of me.
I don't answer him anymore, I just want to get away. I break free from his grasp and run back to the main room. Luckily, Isla immediately notices something is wrong and jumps up without waiting for an explanation.
Once outside, I tell her the short version of what just happened, whereupon Isla launches into some not-so-nice insults about Tate.
Because I'm so exhausted from the whole day, a few tears start to run down my cheek.
Isla immediately pulls me into her arms and says comfortingly in my ear: "He's just an asshole."
Of course she's right, but I still feel like shit. I think I should have known somehow.
We're almost at the dorm when a voice suddenly calls out from the side. "Twice in one day."
I look over at Asher, who's standing in front of a bar, holding his cell phone. At least he seems to be alone. He grins at me in his typical Asher way, which I've always had a weakness for.
However, his grin falters when he looks at my face. I don't know what I look like, but it can't be good.
Concerned, he asks me, "Is everything okay, Emmy?"
I nod and feel Isla's hand resting calmly on my arm.
Since I don't say anything to his question, he follows up with slightly narrowed eyes: "Did someone do something to you?"
"It's just a bad day. Everything's fine."
The first part isn't even a lie.
Asher looks at me again, then asks, "Should I drive you home? I haven't had anything to drink."
If I don't want to add another stupidity to this evening, then I shouldn't be so happy that he would be willing to go to this trouble.
Luckily, Isla jumps in to answer: "We live in that dorm up ahead. But thanks for the offer."
Asher nods, then his gaze flickers uncertainly back to me.
Why the hell do I have to run into him again right now? This day is truly cursed.
"I'll take you to the dorm."
"Uh, that's really not—"
I stop because I feel a slight pressure on my arm and receive a challenging look from Isla. I sigh inwardly, but nod, and he comes over to us.
After I introduce him to Isla, we spend the rest of the walk in rather trivial banter. I'm glad about that. At first, I was worried he'd press me again to see if nothing had really happened.
He asks us where we were and briefly mentions that they're celebrating a teammate's birthday. I prefer not to mention that I already know this.
We say goodbye to him in front of the entrance and after the door closes behind us, a broad grin spreads across Isla's face.
Far too cheerfully for my taste, she says, "He was worried about you."