The Circle of Friends

II - Life Renewed-2

James hit send and leaned away from his computer. Glancing at his books, he remembered an assignment that was due Monday. With a moan, he rose to his feet and scooped a textbook off the desk. James flopped on his bed and attempted to focus on the small text and complicated words.

After a few minutes, he realized he would need a notepad. James rolled off the bed and reached for his bag. As he pulled out his folders, he noticed a new email waiting. Curious, he clicked the mouse and realized Maria had already answered. James grinned as he read her reply, scrolling to the end of the message. His smile grew even more when her last comment was that he was pretty cute, too.

Pulling out his chair, James sat down and answered her message. Now that he knew the interest was mutual, he had to see Maria again. James typed a short note and asked if he could come to Tallahassee next Saturday.

This time he remained at his computer. James awaited her reply, desperate and hoping Maria would be willing. He had enjoyed their encounter yesterday and wanted time alone without distractions. In less than two minutes, he had his answer and James grinned. It appeared he’d make a road trip next weekend.

Maria made a point to get up early Saturday morning. James was supposed to arrive around eleven-thirty and she needed to complete her work before his visit. She wanted to give James her full attention that afternoon.

When Lori first mentioned her friend, Maria had hesitated. Her uncertainty had not been caused by a lack of desire to meet James, though. She remembered him from Lori and Jason’s wedding last year. His dark eyes and hair had definitely caught her eye, although Maria had felt too bashful to approach him at the time.

Her doubt stemmed from her previous experiences with dating. Maria had gone out with a couple boys at college, but never more than once or twice with the same young man. She did not drink or party, so that often squelched any chances of another date. Most of the men at Florida State were only interested in one thing and too forward with their intentions. Even the nice boys were too pushy for her tastes. Maria had resigned herself to waiting until she graduated college to find a decent young man.

Fortunately, her roommate had been present when Lori called. Brenda overheard their conversation and encouraged Maria to give James a chance. Bolstered by her friend’s confidence and her own curiosity, Maria had agreed to meet him. Pleasantly surprised with their first encounter, she still couldn’t believe he was driving to Tallahassee today. Considering the distance between their colleges, Maria had not expected to even see him again. James had been more than willing to drive over two hours to spend the day with her, though.

Maria and Brenda spent most the morning studying. Maria found it difficult to concentrate and kept glancing at the clock. Whenever she did so, her roommate smiled mischievously. Between the anticipation and Brenda’s obvious enthusiasm, Maria was growing anxious. She still envisioned something going wrong today.

At eleven o’clock, she freshened her appearance in the bathroom and sat on her bed to await James’s phone call. Her roommate leaned away from her computer and grinned at Maria.

“Relax! You don’t want to turn him off, do you?”

She sighed and let her shoulders slump. “No,” Maria replied. “I don’t want to disappoint James. Not after he’s driven all this way to see me.”

“Then just smile and be yourself,” suggested Brenda.

“Yeah, but being myself doesn’t seem to work,” Maria said.

Her roommate turned and faced her. “Well, obviously you got his attention last week by being yourself.”

“I guess.”

“Maria, I know you’ve been out with some jerks, but this one might be different,” Brenda exclaimed. “Your friend gave him her seal of approval, didn’t she? Besides, at some point, you’re just gonna have to go for it!”

Taking a deep breath, Maria gave her a quick smile. “All right,” she replied.

Brenda nodded, her straight hair bobbing across her shoulders. Maria envied her friend’s confidence. Short and very full-figured, her roommate’s forward but friendly manner had garnered many more boyfriends than Maria. Brenda had tried more than once to set her up with a date, but Maria was too shy and never knew what to say. She had to make an effort today, though.

Her cell phone’s loud beeping shattered the silence. Startled, Maria snatched it from the nightstand.

“Hi, Maria,” came James’s eager voice through the receiver.

“Hello, James,” she answered. Out of the corner of her eye, Maria could see Brenda grinning foolishly. Feeling self-conscious, she tried to avoid looking at her roommate.

“I’m here now!” he announced. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. I’ll meet you in the main lobby.”

“Okay!”

Maria put her phone in her purse and stood to her feet. The moment of truth had arrived and awaited her downstairs. She gave her friend one last anxious glance, still afraid James would not like her. Waving her hand, Maria’s roommate gestured toward the door.

“You’ll be fine! Go have a good time,” said Brenda. “And remember to smile!”

Maria went downstairs, her heart racing faster with every step. Upon reaching the lobby, she looked around for James. She noticed him standing off to one side and leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets. James watched the other students as they came and went from the building, his expression rather sad. Maria approached him.

As soon as he saw her, James’s whole face brightened and he stood up straight. “Hi,” he said, the warmth of his smile reflected in his expressive eyes.

“Hi,” she answered, looking at him expectantly.

“I thought we could grab some lunch,” James said. “Where would you like to go?”

Maria blinked. “I don’t know,” she stammered. She had never explored Tallahassee and had no idea. “Um, maybe we could find something at the mall.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

James opened the door for her and Maria stepped outside. She waited at the bottom of the stairs and he led her into the parking lot. Maria spied the old, black Camaro while they were still several car lengths away and gasped when he grasped the passenger door.

“Is this yours?” she said, astonished.

James hesitated, his eyes apprehensive. “Yeah, it is. Sorry if it’s not what you were expecting.”

“It’s not,” Maria said, giving him a shy smile. “But I like it!”

His expression brightened and he held open the door. Maria sat down on the sheepskin covers and waited while he joined her in the car. James inserted his key in the ignition and the engine roared to life.

“You’ll have to show me which way,” he said.

Maria guided him off campus and pointed James in the right direction. Once at the mall, they located a place that served sandwiches and soups. Maria did not want to tax his generosity and opted for a small black bean soup, while he settled on a club sandwich and chips. They sat at a table by the window and watched the traffic while they ate. After a couple bites, James asked if her lunch was good.

“Yes, it is,” she replied, flashing him a brief smile. Her attention returned to her food.

Now that it was just the two of them, James realized she was very quiet and withdrawn. Lori had warned him of Maria’s shyness. Again he wondered if he was up to the challenge. She obviously felt uneasy in his presence and James would have to work hard to entice her to relax. After a two-hour drive to Tallahassee, he was determined not to go home empty handed. One way or another, Maria was going to talk to him.

“When did you start taking pictures?” he said, breaking the silence.

“In seventh grade,” she said, reaching for her napkin.

“Lori says you’re really good.”

“I’m all right. I think your photos from last week’s meet were better,” Maria said.

James nodded in appreciation and took a sip of his drink. Her eyes dropped and Maria stirred her soup. Regarding her thoughtfully, he decided to take a new approach.

“What is it about my car that you like?”

She looked up in surprise. Maria thought about it for a moment and then gave James a shy smile.

“Because it makes you looks tough!”

“Tough?” he said with a laugh. “Believe me, it’s all the car.”

“Why?” she said, setting down her spoon. “You certainly look tough. I’d feel safe around you.”

That honest assessment made him smile. “Well, I’ll make sure you stay safe when you’re with me then,” he promised. James took a deep breath and leaned forward. “So, you said you wanted to be a teacher?”

Maria nodded. “Something where I get to work with kids.”

She glanced up from her food and met his eyes. Maria realized James was trying very hard to make conversation and sensed she could do better with her answers. She felt terrified of making a mistake and looking foolish, though. Brenda’s words returned to her and Maria decided to put forth some effort.

“What about you? You said you were interested in journalism?” she said.

James smiled. “I want to work for a magazine or newspaper. Start wherever they put me and work my way up. My goal is senior editor.”

“Sounds like a big goal.”

“I just have to work hard,” he told her. “I’ve been working since I was fourteen, so I’m definitely not afraid of hard work!”

“I usually spend my summers working at a legal office,” said Maria, feeling her confidence grow. “What work do you do?”

That made James laugh. “I think the question should be what haven’t I done!”

She asked him to elaborate, and James rattled off the long list of jobs he had held over the years while Maria finished her soup. They continued talking, asking questions. Maria was warming up to him, and he felt they were making progress. James continued to be patient. At this point, he really had nothing to lose.

Finally, they picked up their trays and dumped their trash. James took a deep breath and turned to Maria.

“So, what else would you like to do today?”

Maria stopped at the café’s entrance. She knew boys hated to shop, so roaming the mall was out of the question. They could go see a movie, but she doubted James had driven two hours just to sit in a dark theatre. Maria didn’t know what to suggest, though.

“James, I’m sorry,” she said, eyeing him apologetically. “I guess I’m just kinda boring, because I don’t know what there is to do in this town!”

“You’re not boring,” he assured Maria. “Why don’t we drive around until we find something that strikes our fancy, huh?”

She agreed and they returned to his car. Once out of the parking lot, James cruised the road, keeping his eyes open for an opportunity. He spied a large park and an idea struck him.

“It’s not too cold out. Why don’t we go for a walk?” he said.

Maria nodded and James pulled into the parking lot. She extracted her keys from her purse and stuffed them in her pocket. She started to take her cell phone, but decided to leave it in the car. Her parents often checked with her on Saturdays, but that was the last phone call she wanted to receive right now.

James opened the door and assisted Maria to her feet. Smiling happily, he led her down one of the paved trails. Several joggers ran past as they walked, enjoying the mild weather. The path wound through the trees and by the playground. Several families were enjoying the large facility, their children playing on the jungle gym and seesaws. James noticed Maria eyeing the swings and decided to be spontaneous.