Page 10 of Mostly My Boss
Julia
It was after one o’clock and I was in Annenberg Hall, the dining area reserved for freshmen. It felt like I’d been considering my lunch choice for at least twenty minutes and I was still undecided. There were too many options. Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free. There was a sandwich section, a chili bar, a salad bar, and sushi.
This couldn’t be normal. Did people actually eat like this?
I remembered what I’d had for lunch back home. If I was lucky, a slice of pizza from the school cafeteria. If I wasn’t, a PB&J with an apple.
Maybe I should go for something I’d never had before. Something exotic. There was Korean bulgogi… I guessed that was fancy barbecue chicken.
In the end, I put a bunch of stuff on my tray and looked for a seat. This was probably the part where I should check out the rest of the room to see if there was anyone else eating alone, walk up to them, and introduce myself.
Hi, I’m Julia. Mind if I join you?
Simple. Easy.
Nope. Instead, I found an empty table and sat. I was tentatively tasting a spoonful of saffron-corn chowder when I felt someone approach. Awesome. Someone who had more guts than me. I looked up and smiled only to see Ethan standing there with his own tray.
Swell.
“Hey,” he said, sitting across from me.
“Hi.”
“I haven’t gotten used to eating alone yet. My parents believed in being together for every meal when they could. Do you mind?” he asked.
I didn’t point out that he was already sitting. “No, it’s fine.”
“Also, I get to thank you for the notes. You’re really meticulous.”
“That’s what you’re paying me for, isn’t it?”
“True. Still, thanks. So how are you getting on a few weeks into the semester? Any friends yet?”
I was sitting alone at a table in the middle of the day. Not much more I needed to say about that.
“Right. What about the roommate?”
Blonde, thin, perky, and overly cheerful. I tried. I really tried to connect with her, but when she asked if she could have one of my dresser drawers because Iobviouslydidn’t need it, I knew it was never going to happen. That college roommate bond thing.
“Her name is Nicki,” I said in lieu of an answer.
He grimaced. “That sounds horrible. Let me guess. She smiles a lot.”
I laughed. “All the time. Like she’s never not smiling. She wakes up and she’s smiling. It makes me want to punch her in the face. Which is wrong—so, so wrong. I know that but I can’t help it.”
He smiled. “Yeah, things didn’t go great with my roomie, either. He’s a football player.”
“Uh-oh. Did you tell him you’re sneakily athletic?”
“I did, but he didn’t seem to buy it. What with him being the opposite of sneakily athletic. In fact, he’s all athletic. I got a chuck on my shoulder—which almost knocked me over—an offer to hook me up at parties, not sure with what, and asee you around. I’ve already requested a transfer to a single. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not the easiest when it comes to making friends, but I thought college would be simpler. Like everyone here would be as desperate as we are.”
“I’m not desperate,” I said defensively. “I’ll make friends. It just takes me a little time. I’m someone who needs to warm up to people. Or people need to warm up to me. One of those things.”
He tilted his head. “Hello. Two weeks in, lunch alone. I’m thinking you’re sunk. Good thing you have me.”
