Page 2 of Kiss Me Softly

“Frankie,” Aurora chirped. “This is my boyfriend Sam. He’s a football player.”

Aurora

Iwas in line at the coffee shop when I heard a voice that sounded familiar. Sure enough, Frankie Haberman was standing behind me, scowling at something she was reading on a piece of paper.

Ever since she’d helped me out at the Bubbles & Brews last month, I seemed to be running into her everywhere, which was funny because I was quite sure I’d never seen her before that day she gave me her quarters. Frankie was an education major, and I was studying to be a journalist, so we’d never had any classes together or anything, but now wherever I went in town or on campus, there she was.

Frankie was what my brother would have said was ‘girl next door cute’. She was petite, with longish hair that she always kept pulled back in a ponytail, delicate features, and big brown eyes. Today, like most days, she was dressed in clothes that looked like they’d seen better days – loose overalls, a long sleeve tee shirt, and a battered pair of navy blue chucks. She wasn’t wearing a speck of make-up -- not that she needed it.

“Hiya Frankie,” I greeted her with a smile.

She looked up and returned my smile. I felt a funny feeling deep in my belly. There was something about her that made me feel kind of fluttery. I didn’t understand it. I wanted to be close to her, even though we’d chatted enough now for me to know that we had absolutely nothing in common.

“Are you here to study?” she asked.

“Yeah, you too?”

“Yeah.” She paused, then pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got my stuff set up at that table in the corner if you want to join me.”

I felt a sense of excitement that was totally out of proportion to a simple study invitation.

“That would be great.”

I got to the counter, ordering a mocha with low fat milk and sprinkles.

“High maintenance,” Frankie cough-whispered behind me, making me laugh.

I’d laughed more with Frankie in the short time I’d known her than I could remember laughing with anyone else.

“Let me guess, you’re a black coffee girl?”

“Of course. I’m not fussy like you,” she said teasingly. “Plus, it’s the cheapest thing on the menu.”

We’d never talked about it, but I was aware that money was an issue for Frankie. I was luckier than her, luckier than most students really, because my parents paid for my tuition and gave me a generous allowance so I could focus on my studies instead of having to get a job.

“Add a black coffee to my order please,” I told the barista. “Large.”

“You don’t have to pay for my coffee,” Frankie protested.

“You can buy me a scone later.”

We camped out at Frankie’s table, sipping coffee and studying quietly for an hour until I couldn’t resist breaking the silence.

“How’s your studying going?”

Frankie looked up and for some reason I had the impression that she hadn’t been paying too much attention to her books.

“Um, it’s okay,” she replied. “I have an eidetic memory, so most classes are pretty easy for me.”

“Wow, that’s nice. I have to study my ass off just to maintain my ‘B’ average.”

I’d never been the best student, but I wasn’t the worst either.

“So are you going to any of the sorority and fraternity formals this month? My boyfriend and I are going to two of them.”

She gave me a look of distaste, and I couldn’t decide if she didn’t like my boyfriend, or she didn’t like the fact that I had a boyfriend at all. Or maybe she just didn’t like fraternities and sororities. She was pretty anti-establishment.

“I’m a lesbian.”

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