She looked so beautiful. I ran a hand through her hair and she stirred. She turned her face up to mine and opened those beautiful green eyes, focusing on me.
“Good morning, Red.”
She pushed herself off of me and sat up. “Hey.” She wiped a hand across her face. “We fell asleep?”
“Yeah.” I got to my feet and stretched out my back. “You want some coffee?” She shot me an are-you-kidding look. “Right, I’ll start a pot.”
Sean came out of his room and headed into the kitchen. “Good morning.” He shot me a wink. “You two looked cozy on the couch last night.” He stuck his head in the fridge.
“We fell asleep.”
“Sure you did.” He winked at me, sounding less than convinced.
“Whatever, man.”
Red came in the kitchen and yawned, rubbing at her face. “I have to get going. I’ll see you later.”
I nodded. She grabbed her bag and headed out. I watched her leave, keeping my eyes on the door long after she closed it.
Sean leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee. He shook his head at me.
“What?”
“You got it bad, dude.” He took a sip from his mug.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee.
“Yes, you do.” He set his cup down and turned to face me.
“Look, yes, she is beautiful…” I started, but Sean cut me off.
“That girl is gorgeous, inside and out.”
“It’s not like that. We are friends.”
Sean dropped his head and sighed. “Whether you choose to admit it or not, you want her.” I started to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me. “I just hope for your sake you don’t fuck it up. Someone like Alex has longevity, my friend. Before you make a move, you better be ready.”
“You know me. I don’t do relationships, man. It’s too much pressure. Besides, Red is not into me anyway. She thinks I’m a player.”
“She’s not wrong.”
“I’m twenty-two. What’s wrong with enjoying a little variety?” I smiled.
“Nothing, but just make sure you don’t enjoy that particular variety,” he said, gesturing toward the door Alex just left through. He slapped me on the back as he headed into his room.
Alex was beautiful, smart, and funny, but I was not going to go there. She was becoming way too important to me, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, Sean was right. If something ever happened between us, it would be something big, not just a one night stand.
I was thinking about this too much. Red was my friend, nothing more. I shook off my concerns and went to take a shower.
***
The cold weather had let up enough that some of the guys decided to play some touch football in the quad. As I headed over there, I sent a text to Red.
Drew: Hey there, Red. Got a game going in the quad. You down?
Alex: For what?
Drew: Football.
Alex: I can’t play with you goons. You will crush me.
Drew: You don’t have to play, just come hang out.
Drew: We usually go out for beers and some food after.
Alex: I have to study.
Drew: Come on, Red. Bring your shit and you can study there.
Drew: It’s finally warm enough to venture outside. Take advantage.
Alex: Fine, be there in 10.
We were still picking teams when I saw Red heading our way. She dropped her backpack next to a large oak tree and took a seat. I smiled and waved at her from the field. She nodded, grabbed a sketch pad from her bag, and set it on her knee.
“Who’s the girl?” Chuck said, eyeing Red with interest.
“Re—I mean, Alex.”
“You hittin’ that?”
Chuck was not one for subtlety. I wouldn’t call him a friend, exactly, but we hung out in the same crowd. I would run into him at parties now and then, but I knew one thing for sure. I didn’t want him anywhere near Red.
“No, she’s a friend,” I said, my voice coming out a bit more intense than I intended.
Chuck took a step back, holding his hands in the air. “If you say so, man.”
The game was rough, but it felt good to run again, stretch my muscles a bit, and have some fun. Between plays, I snuck a peek at Red, who was engrossed in whatever she was sketching. The look on her face was so intense, I couldn’t help but admire her focus.
She had her long red hair piled up in a bun on top of her head with a pencil stuck in the side. She was working with colored pencils, but every once in a while she would rip the pencil out of her hair and make some adjustments, then shove it back into her hair.
I was so busy watching Red that I didn’t see Frankie headed straight for me until it was too late. He hit me hard in the chest, taking me clear off my feet as he raced toward the end zone.
I went down hard on my back, which forced the air from my lungs. All I saw was sky as I lay there, blinking, trying to catch my breath. Then Frankie’s face appeared. He asked if I was okay, but he sounded weird, like he was talking in slow motion. Red’s face appeared. Her big green eyes were wide with fear.
“You okay?” she asked, her voice coming in a little clearer than Frankie’s.
I nodded and Frankie offered me a hand. He pulled me up. My chest ached from the impact, but my head was clear. No real damage except the wound to my pride.
“Dude, didn’t you see me coming?”
“Not until it was too late.” I chuckled.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Red asked.
“Yeah, I’m good, Red.” I gave her a small smile. She was cute when she was worried.
Red refused to take her eyes off of me the rest of the game. I could feel her watching me, afraid I would drop dead any moment. I caught her eye and mouthed, “I’m fine.” Finally, she seemed convinced and went back to sketching.
When the game was over and my team had lost by six, I grabbed my bag and headed over to Red. I dropped my gym bag at her feet and she jumped at the sound.
“What are you working on?” I looked down at her pad.
“It’s a design concept for my residential design class. I’ve been working on a master suite. What do you think?” She held it out for me to see.
I knew nothing about interior design, but her talent was pretty clear from the sketch. “It looks great to me.”
I pulled my shirt over my head. It was soaked with sweat and covered in dirt from running all over the field. I used the dirty shirt to wipe off my face and chest before I grabbed the clean one stuffed in my bag. I noticed Red’s eyes were focused on my chest. I smiled a bit, liking the fact that seeing my body had gotten a reaction out of her.
I was having too much fun not to mess with her, so I dropped the wet shirt next to my bag and rested my hands on my hips. “Like what you see, Red?” I asked, smiling down at her.