Chapter 55
But when she stepped outside, to her surprise, she saw Bethany sitting on one of the stone benches along the walkway leading from the library. “Hey,” Dana called, surprised. She came over to where her classmate sat, leafing through a paperback. A stack of books sat on the bench beside her.
Bethany glanced up and smiled, marking her place in the book with one finger. “Hey, yourself. I’m sorry I didn’t stop by sooner—I fell asleep after dinner and only just woke up.”
With a laugh, Dana said, “That’s alright.” She didn’t say she’d been waiting all night. Bethany didn’t need to know that. “You’re here now.”
“I didn’t want to call and wake your roommate,” Bethany said.
Dana shrugged. “She’s probably out partying. Kimber’s pledging a sorority this year.”
“Oh? Which one?” Before Dana could admit she didn’t know, Bethany laughed. “Don’t bother answering. I know shit-all about them. It’s totally notmy scene.”
Relief washed over Dana. “Mine, either. So did you want to set up a date, or something?” Her face flushed and she felt sweat bead on the back of her neck. Was she asking Bethany out? It sure sounded like it. Quickly, she added, “For our project?”
“I was thinking tomorrow afternoon.” Bethany stood and stretched, her shirt pulling sensuously over her slim body and small breasts. “We could meet around ten or so, grab a bite to eat, then get down to work. I have a few ideas of books we might consider using, if you don’t have any preferences.”
Dana couldn’t take her gaze off Bethany. Did she even know how beautiful she was? Dana didn’t think so. “No, I don’t know many French authors.”
“I know tons.” Picking up her books, Bethany cradled them in her arms and nodded towards the steps. “Walk back with me?”
“Sure.”
They fell into step together easily, close enough that when their hips swayed, they sometimes bumped each other. Anyone watching would’ve thought they were two old friends returning to their dorms. Dana wondered what it would take to move beyond this to something more intimate. Perhaps tomorrow she’d get a chance to find out.
* * * *
The next morning, they agreed to meet outside Bethany’s dorm, then walked together to the cafeteria. During the week, the campus had a wide variety of fast food places available to students on the meal plan, but on weekends, only the cafeteria in the Student Union served breakfast. Because of the way the plans were structured, students actually only got two meals a day on Saturday and Sunday, so most of them slept in until late morning and then filled up at the caff on a heavy brunch that left them satiated until dinner time.
Over a decadent meal of Belgian waffles slathered with whipped cream, fruit, and chocolate drizzle, Dana and Bethany learned more about each other. They were both sophomores, and both hailed from small towns in Virginia a good two hours’ drive from campus, though in different directions. Dana lived south of Richmond, straight down the interstate, while Bethany was out west towards the mountains, past Charlottesville. They both preferred going to the movies to watching television, and when Dana mentioned a second-run theater not far from school that they could get to on the public bus, Bethany’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No way!” she cried. “I didn’t know that!”
“Haven’t you taken the bus just to see where it goes?” Dana asked. It was one of the first things she did her freshman year; without a car, public transportation was the only way she could get off campus and the bus was free to students with a valid ID. “There are only two screens and the movies are on their way to video, but tickets are just three dollars. I think they’re showing Jurassic Parkthis weekend.”
“We should totally go!” When Bethany got excited, her whole face lit up—Dana thought she seemed to radiate from the inside out. “Have you seen it yet?”
Dana wrinkled her nose. “It’s like Barneyon steroids, or something. I don’t really want to see it.”
But Bethany cajoled, “Oh, come on, it’ll be fun. Three bucks! How can you beat that?”
Though she wasn’t really interested in the film, sitting in the dark with Bethany would have its merits. “Alright, I’ll go. They run two shows every night, I think, like seven and nine. We can check the school newspaper, I know the times are in there.”
“Great!” Bethany dove into her waffle with vigor. “Even if the movie’s bad, this will be fun, you’ll see.”
* * * *
They spent the rest of the afternoon in Bethany’s room working on their project. Well, Bethany worked on the project; Dana stared at Bethany instead. Everything her new friend said or did, Dana interpreted as a double entendre. A quick glance, a warm smile, a casual touch—each ignited Dana’s blood, set her heart racing and her mind aflame. Was Bethany flirting with her? Or was it simply her overactive imagination? Did she want Bethany to like her so badly that she had to read into every little thing?
Was Bethany just being friendly? How would Dana ever be able to tell?
Bethany’s knowledge of French women writers seemed encyclopedic compared to Dana’s own. “I took a French lit class last semester,” Bethany explained, her tone almost apologetic. Many of the books she mentioned as ones they might be interested in doing for the project she already owed, but her copies were all in French. “I’ll just tell you what they’re about and when we pick the ones we’re going to use, I’m sure you can find English translations in the library.”
“If this was English class, I’d read circles around you in a heartbeat,” Dana promised. “Oh, wait—it is an English class, at least for me.”
“Really? I signed up for it as a French class.” Bethany laughed, that twinkling wind chime sound Dana could listen to all day. “Too funny!”
One of the books Bethany suggested was called Coup de Gr?ceby Marguerite Yourcenar. “The English version is just as good as the French,” Bethany said, “because her lover was the one who translated most of her work. Can you imagine how awesome it’d be to have the person translating your stuff into another language sleeping with you, too? If they had any doubt about what you meant by a particular word or phrase, all they’d have to do is roll over in the morning and ask you.”
Dana may not have known many gay people in her lifetime—coming from such a sheltered small town almost guaranteed she’d grown up with a closed mind when it came to LGBT issues—but she knew the gender-neutral terms “lover” and “partner” usually meant “of the same sex.” She tried not to get too excited by Bethany picking the book. Maybe it was just a good read?
Carefully, she asked, “What’s the book about?”
“This guy who’s in love with his best friend,” Bethany explained, “only he can’t say anything, because it’s set during the Russian Civil War, so men didn’t really go around proclaiming their love for other men then. Plus they were both soldiers, and the best friend’s sister’s in love with the main character. It’s really good.”
Okay, hold up, wait.There were coincidences, and then there were slap in the face, straight up destiny. Dana was an English major; she knew an allusion when she saw one. Bethany liked her, hadto, and was as tentative and unsure as Dana about admitting it.