Installment Four

Chapter Four

Jamie is packing two Subway bags and a drink carrier with two drinks when I spot her approaching me in the library. I’m on the top floor where we will have an excellent view of the campus and town beyond. I know it sounds weird to think of the library as a romantic place, but it can be.

I usually pick a couple of the comfortable leather chairs next to one of the windows and away from the study tables in the middle of the room. This will give us some privacy so I can steal a kiss or two.

Jamie smiles as she gets closer to me. “Hey beautiful,” she says.

I blush and return her smile, “You’re the one who’s beautiful.”

She bends down and gives me a light kiss on the lips before sitting the food down on the low table in front of the chairs. “I got you a roast beef with provolone and everything on it, barbeque chips and a Mountain Dew.”

“Thanks,” I say and pull the sandwich and chips out of the bag. “What did you get?”

“Roasted chicken with parmesan and spaghetti sauce.”

“Umm, that sounds good too.”

“It is. I had one yesterday for lunch,” she says and pulls out her sandwich and chips.

After taking a bite of my sandwich and washing it down with some Mountain Dew, I ask, “So what kind of writing project are you and Kayla working on?”

“We have to do an essay about a famous person we both admire,” Jamie says and takes a bite of her sandwich and shoves a couple of her sour cream and onion chips with the bite.

“So, did the professor assign you two to work together or did you get to pick who you worked with?”

“We got to pick. Kayla and I hit it off right off the bat. We had kind of a gaydar slash cheerleader connection vibe.”

“So she’s gay?”

“Oh yeah, and quite proud of it.”

“Really?” I look away and take a bite of my sandwich.

“Yeah, apparently her mother is a real free spirit. She’s into astrology, tarot cards, and that sort of thing.”

“Cool,” I say and take a drink. “Is she a cheerleader here?”

“No, she was in junior high and high school, but like me, wanted to focus on her career choice at college,” Jamie said and took another bite of her sandwich.

“And what is her career choice,” I ask, thinking that if it’s biology I’m going to be sick.

“Computer science. Apparently, she is quite the computer nerd. She can program them, build them, design websites, all that kind of stuff.”

“Really,” I say surprised. “She doesn’t look like a computer nerd.”

“Not even when she’s wearing her glasses, but if you get her talking about computers, she sounds like one,” Jamie laughs.

I look down at my food and take another bite of my sandwich. After a few awkward silent moments, Jamie asks, “You aren’t feeling jealous, are you?”

Shrugging I say, “Maybe a little, especially when I saw you kiss her on the cheek earlier.”

Jamie puts her sandwich down, reaches over and takes my hands, “P. J., you have no reason to be jealous. Kayla is just a friend. You will like her.”

Smiling, I nod, “I’m sure I will.”

We finish eating our sandwiches before opening our books. Jamie picks up my algebra book and opens it to the page where my problems are located.  She looks over the sheet where I’ve been attempting to work out the problems. Looking up at me, she shakes her head and says, “You’ve forgotten the order the operations go.”

I shrug, “I did good to remember right after you told me initially. I’m not interested in it, so it’s hard for me to remember how it goes.”

Jamie reaches over and squeezes my hand, “I know and once you get past this class, you’ll never have to remember how to do it again.”

Smiling, I say, “Well, now that you’ve put it that way that gives me motivation to get through it.”

She punches me on the arm. “You are so silly.”

I grab her tiny fists and laugh, “I’m so serious. Just knowing that I will never have to take another math class after this semester is a huge relief.”

“Okay, so let’s get to this. I need to get back to the dorm and get some sleep. My first class starts at eight tomorrow.”

Pulling her to me, I kiss her on the cheek. “Okay, I’ll focus.”

* * *

The next morning I was ready for class. Jamie had helped me remember how to do the basic algebra problems and once I got the order of operations going it turned out to be fairly easy. Of course, her assuring me that I wouldn’t have to take another math class and they I only have to get a C in this class helped motivate me.

I sat down in my favorite desk at the back of the room and was soon joined by Lori Weaver. “Hey,” she says when she took the seat next to me.

“Morning,” I reply.

“Did you figure out how to do this crap?” she asks.

“Yeah, I met up with my girlfriend last night and she reminded me how to do the operations in the right order. That has always been my problem,” I say.

“Lucky you,” Lori replies, “I wish I had a girlfriend to help me with my math. I’ll probably have to get my advisor to hook me up with one of the tutors.”

“I’m sure Jamie wouldn’t mind helping you if you want me to ask her,” I say.

Lori smiles, “That would be cool.”

I pull out my phone and send Jamie a text asking her about helping Lori. “We usually meet in the library to study,” I say to Lori.

“It would have to be in the evening,” Lori says. “I have practice until about six.”

My first thought is that it will have to be on a night that I don’t have to work so I can be there. Lori is hot and not that I don’t trust Jamie, but I don’t know Lori, but I know she’s gay and I don’t want her hitting on Jamie. “Okay,” I say with a smile. “I’ll see what she says.”

“Cool,” Lori says.

The professor starts class and we don’t speak again until the end of class. Lori turns to me as she’s gathering her stuff. “I would really appreciate your girl’s help. I’d rather work with family”, Lori says, putting air quotes around the word family, “than with some random stranger.”

I smile, “I understand. Why don’t you give me your cell number and I’ll text you with what she says.”

“Okay,” Lori says and gives me her number.

I put it into my phone and check for a message from Jamie. She hasn’t replied yet so I say to Lori, “As soon as Jamie lets me know something I’ll text you.”

“Cool. I hope she doesn’t mind.”

“I doubt she will. She’s sweet like that,” I say.

Lori smiles, “I’ll bet she is. Later.” She turns and saunters out of the class ahead of me.

I watch her tight butt and muscled legs moved ahead of me and think that there is no way I’m letting this chick be alone with Jamie.

* * *

Jamie agreed to help Lori, which I knew she would. We were already at the library when Lori showed up around eight o’clock that evening. “Sorry I’m running so late,” she says as she approachd us. “Practice ran over.”

“That’s cool,” I say and turn to Jamie, “Jamie, this is Lori Weaver. Lori, this is my girlfriend, Jamie Edwards.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lori says offering her hand to Jamie, who takes it and gives it a firm shake.

“Grab a seat,” I say pointing to the chair across from us. “We waited for you to get here before we started on the algebra.”

Lori swings her backpack off her shoulder and sits it on the ground next to the chair I pointed to. She digs out her algebra book and note book before plopping down in the seat. “So where do we start?”

“The order of operations,” Jamie says.”I’m betting you have the same trouble with it that P. J. does.”

“Yeah, I don’t have a logical mind,” Lori says. “I lean more toward the creative side.”

“Really? Are you an art major, too?” Jamie asks.

“No, I’m an exercise science major,” Lori says.

“Oh yeah, that’s cool. Are you planning on being a coach or something?” Jamie asks.

“Maybe, I’m thinking more along the lines of a personal trainer, but I will probably do some coaching eventually.”

“Cool,” I say.

“Well, let’s get this studying going on,” Jamie says.

We go opened out books and Jamie gave us a refresher course on the order of operations. After which, Lori and I felt like we had a pretty good handle on things.

Lori looked at her watch and it was approaching ten o’clock. “Oh crap,” she says, “I have to go. My parents have a strict curfew.”

“Do you live here in town?” Jamie asks.

“Not really in town, we’re more out in the county, but not too far out. You can still have pizza delivered where we are.”

“Sounds like where I grew up,” I say. “Not quite in town but close enough for pizza and cable.”

“Yeah, we probably could get cable if my parents allowed it. They are really religious and think that my sister and I will be wrongly influenced by watching television,” Lori says.

“Bummer,” I say.

“Yeah, it sucks,” Lori says. “I figure when I get my own place I’m going to spend a lot of time watching television just so I can catch up on culture.”

Jamie laughs, “That might take several years of watching television.”

“Probably,” Lori laughs too. “I gotta go, though. Thank you so much for the help. I have to keep my grades up or I don’t get to play ball and softball is my life.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Jamie says. “Just let P. J. know if you need more help.” Jamie put her hand on my leg, “She always knows where to find me.”

I smile at her affectionately and Lori blushes slightly. “That’s right,” I say.

Standing and pulling her backpack onto her shoulder, Lori says, “I’m going to get out of here and let you two have a little time alone before you have to be headed your separate ways.”

“See ya, Friday,” I say as she starts walking away.

“Yep, see ya Friday. It was nice to meet you, Jamie,” Lori calls over her shoulder.

“You too,” Jamie calls back. She turns to me and says, “She seems nice.”

“Yeah, she does,” I say. “I can’t imagine having strict parents like that and being gay. I suspect her parents have no idea.”

“Probably not,” Jamie agrees. She leans over and kisses me lightly on the lips. “But, I need to get going too. I want to get to bed so I can get up early tomorrow and work on my paper.”

“Okay,” I stand and stretch, “I need to crash too.