“Oh, please. You’re the one whose arms werewrapped around me,” I argued out of habit, folding my armswith a scowl.Brent’s warm breath touched the clear windows,steaming them slightly. “You’re also the one who kissed mewhile in my previously mentioned weakened state. Thenyou claimed to not mean it. Tell me, do you takeresponsibility for any of your actions?”

“That was . . .” I trailed off trying to find the proper adjective.“Long overdue?”“Long overdue? You’re the one who got skittish when I mentioned how I felt and backed away when we almost kissed.”“You call me on all my crap, don’t you?” He laughed throwing his head back. “That’s one of the things I love about you,” he said. His fingersskimmed up my shoulders until they cradled my neck and my whole body tingling.”

“A few minutes after discovering we had a goal but no plan, Brent was laughing heartily at a pathetic joke I had made. It reminded me of the firstday on campus when I had thought his laughter sounded like a melody. It did now, even more so. It was music, beautiful, in a manly way, like asensual, slow jazz. I loved jazz.“Jazz, huh?” Brent asked, his voice suddenly husky.“Uh . . . what?”“My laugh reminds you of jazz? Is there anything about me you don’t find attractive?” He rubbed his hand over his lips trying to cover his smirk.“So tell me, how much do you love jazz?”I’m sure my face was pinker than the inside of a watermelon. “I didn’t say any of that.”“You didn’t have to say it, Yara, I could hear it.” Brent tapped the side of his head. “I can hear your thoughts.”“You’re not serious.”“Oh, but I am,” he said, completely straight-faced.”

“I don't want any part of this. The whole thing kinda freaked me out. I'm sure girls always do what you tell them because you're hot, Brent, but I'm just not that interested."His head perked up with a wide smiled. "You think I'm hot?”

“How did I dance with a guy who's never heard of feminism?""I've heard of it, but that doesn't mean a woman can do everything a man can do," he goaded. I went to smack him on the back of his head, but he ducked with a snicker."I'm learning," he informed me. "How did I ever consider dating such a violent girl?""We're both lucky we got out early before we really knew each other.""Oh yes, good thing neither one of is still interested in the other," Brent said with a playful grin.”

“Wanna dance?" he asked"I guess you'll do. All the cute guys are already taken," I answered with a grin."You wound me with your callousness," he sighed dramatically, taking me in his arms."I do have a black belt in demolishing overstuffed egos.”

“Right,” I fumed, my index finger poking him in thechest. “So we’re even then. My kiss didn’t count because itwas an accident and yours didn’t count because it wasstrictly for medical purposes. Neither of them counted askisses.”“Would you have wanted them to?” Brent demandedsuddenly, bending his neck so he whispered it in my ear”