Shape Of Love

  Chapter One

  “I don't know, Lizette. I'm not really a party sort of person.”

  Kristy plopped herself down on the coach, yanking a sweaty headband from around her ponytail. She'd spent the morning at the gym and the blue piece of fabric from lulu lemon was soaked from her efforts.

  Lizette, her roommate of the past four years, was once again attempting to cajole her into attending a party at one of the campus fraternity houses.

  Lizette dropped onto the couch beside her and tilted her head, whilst giving the most imploring of looks that she could muster.

  “Kristy! Please! You never come to any parties with me! You know, usually I just go with Kat and Nina, but both of them are so busy with their internships now.”

  Kristy sighed.

  “Lizette, stop. Come on, you know how I feel about parties. It's just nothing but noise and chaos. Nobody can talk to anyone without shouting. Everybody gets drunk and stupid. I just don't like it. I don't feel comfortable.”

  Lizette groaned.

  “Okay,” she sighed. “I mean, I don't want to ask you to do anything that you aren't comfortable with. I just like going to parties, and I like you. I'm just trying to combine two things that I like, I guess.”

  Kristy considered Lizette's forced smile and the disappointment written across her features.

  She sighed once more before assenting.

  “Okay, okay. I'll come.”

  “Really?!”

  Lizette clutched her hands together and squealed.

  “Oh! This is gonna be so much fun Kristy! And hey! If you get there and you hate it and really want to leave, I promise that we can.”

  Kristy nodded and raised her eyebrows.

  “Okay, Liz. But we're only staying for like an hour and this is the only time I'm coming with you to one of these things. I'm only doing it because I feel bad for putting you out last week.”

  Lizette's smile fell away from her face.

  “Oh no, Kristy, I told you already. You don't owe me anything. I love Tony just as much as you do.”

  Kristy nodded and absentmindedly reached over to stroke Tony's head. The orange and white cat purred and pressed his cheek against Kristy's hand. Tony had eaten something out of the garbage last week and become horribly ill. After an hour of vomiting, Kristy had called Lizette in tears and begged Lizette to drive her and Tony to the vet. Kristy didn't have a license and couldn't stomach the idea of bringing a very ill Tony across town on public transport. Lizette had left class and been home within minutes. She had driven like a maniac, swerving and speeding as Kristy held Tony and sobbed in the backseat. Once they'd arrived at the vet, they'd had to wait nearly two hours for the examination and tests to be completed. Tony had growled and lowered his ears every time the vet came near him, but he was a good boy and he hadn't bitten or scratched the man once.

  Thankfully, Tony had been alright. In the end, he'd only given himself an upset stomach. The vet had told them that Tony had probably gotten into some garlic or eaten a piece of onion, or chocolate, or any of the other many human foods that weren't so great for cats. Kristy was still thanking the stars that he'd only had enough to get briefly sick. He was okay now, and the garbage can was now covered with a tight-fitting lid.

  “It's really okay, Lizette,” Kristy said. “Even if you don't think that I owe you, I really want to show my thanks.” Kristy shrugged. “You looked so sad when I said no. I'll save you the sad, I'll come. The least I could do for all your support and speeding across town, is come to one silly party with you.”

  Lizette smiled exuberantly. Her mahogany freckles danced across the bridge of her arched and angular nose.

  “We are going to have so much fun!” Lizette gushed. “Seriously, I know that you don't know much about fraternities, but Chi Omega Sigma throws such ragers. We are literally going to get so turnt. You have to wear that new black dress. You look ridic hot in that.”

  Kristy laughed and threw her hands up to the height of her shoulders.

  “Why not? I guess there's not point in working out all the time and doing so much cardio yoga, if no one ever gets to see how fine I look.”

  The two laughed and made their way into the bedroom to begin perusing Kristy's closet. She supposed this wouldn't be bad. Parties weren't her favorite sort of situation, but it was nice to know that she would paying Lizette back a bit for her kindness. She had really been there when Kristy needed her, and now Kristy could give her back a bit of happiness in return.

  Kristy watched her friend dig through her closet, obtaining the aforementioned dress and then retrieving a set of stiletto heels.

  “Oh no,” Kristy said. “Not those...I'll just wear my flats.”

  Lizette raised her eyebrows and frowned.

  “Seriously, Kristy?”

  “I know. I'm too self-conscious. Really I shouldn't have bought those though. I'm not a heels sort of girl. They make my feet look enormous.”

  Lizette furrowed her brow.

  “I don't know what to tell you, Kristy. You have size twelve feet, so I can't say that your feet are teeny-tiny. I can say that you're still gorgeous and nobody cares about the size of your feet as much as you do. Some guys find larger feet really attractive too. And if anybody judges you for your feet being a couple sizes bigger than average, then those aren't the sort of people you want to talk to anyway, right?”

  Kristy gave a tight smile.

  “I guess...” she faltered.

  “Kristy! You are one of the sexiest ladies I know. Come on, Mama. You've got that bouncing hair.”

  Lizette reached out and gave Kristy's ponytail a vigorous shake.

  Kristy giggled and batted her hand away.

  “You've got those long gorgeous legs and toned tummy,” Lizette continued. “Sexy little lady-abs!”

  Lizette gave Kristy's abdomen a playful jab.

  “Hey!” Kristy exclaimed with a laugh.

  “Seriously,” Lizette continued in a softer tone. She met Kristy's eyes and raised her brows. “Wear the shoes. They're hot. You're hot. It's a match made in heaven.”

  Once more, Kristy sighed and threw her hands into the air.

  “Fine! This is obviously going to be a night to remember. I might as well go along with it.”

  “Yeah!” Lizette exclaimed. “Carpe diem, girl!”

  “Sure,” Kristy laughed. “Let's go grab some day and seize the heck out of it.”

  Chapter Two

  Sam finished his set at seven-thirty and made his way to the showers. He was gonna have to hurry if he wanted to make it to Brad's party. Not that the guy didn't throw enough of them. It seemed like every other week his best friend had a raging booze-fest. Then again, Sam supposed that's what it must be like to join the most popular fraternity on campus.

  Brad had tried to convince Sam to join as well. Three years ago, he and Brad had both come to New York City. They'd left behind their hometown of Columbus Ohio and come here together to attend college. Sam had never felt as though he fit in back in Ohio and he had dreamed of coming to such an exciting city; one that would afford him autonomy and obscurity. He'd always felt that he stood out a bit too much in his old neighborhood.

  Brad had been his best friend since fourth grade, and Sam had been elated when Brad had decided that he would apply to the same university. Since moving here, the two of them had grown apart a bit, but in a way that seemed natural, rather than melancholy. Sam was majoring in Urban Development, while Brad's major was Sports Management. Brad had joined a fraternity, and Sam had gotten a part-time job as a plumber's assistant.

  It wasn't something that he wanted to pursue as a longtime career option, but Sam had often assisted his father on jobs growing up. Sam's father was a Master Plumber and had taught h
im quite a bit. Assisting Mr. Devos three afternoons a week, made sense because it paid well and allowed Sam to grow his already impressive knowledge base. Sam couldn't see how it could hurt to know a bit more about plumbing, especially as he wanted to go into city planning. Plumbing was an important aspect of infrastructure, after all.

  With Brad and Sam both pursuing different goals and running in different circles of friends, they didn't see each other nearly as much as they used to. But they still made time to see each other enough to keep the longtime friendship steady and strong, and the distance between them was not a lengthy and cold one, rather a comfortable and amicable one.

  They still saw each other at the gym. They both loved to work out and shared a passion for fitness. Brad was a runner. He ran five miles each morning, and after classes in the afternoon, he stopped at the gym to do a set on the treadmill. When asked why he bothered with the treadmill, instead of just running outside, Brad said that he did it for the community and the sense of accountability. He told Sam that he had no problem getting up in the morning to run. He loved being awake at an early hour and being witness to the gray light of the dawn. He enjoyed watching the world wake up and the feeling that he was getting to enjoy something peaceful and serene; something that most people were not disciplined enough to get up and be a part of. But then Brad found his resolve wavered in the afternoon after class had ended all he wanted to do was get back to the fraternity and sit down in front of the television. Brad found that if he went to the gym, instead of running the neighborhood, he was more likely to stick to his afternoon workout. Brad enjoyed talking to the other fitness enthusiasts, and he found that if he missed a day, the other regulars would ask him where he'd been.

  Now, Sam, on the other hand, enjoyed lifting weights. Of course, he made sure to get the necessary cardio in, but hitting the bench was his favorite part of the day. Sam was lean and muscled, and his arms were like tree trunks. What Sam enjoyed most about weight-training was the very concrete and tangible nature of it. The results were evident and the women who viewed them seemed to like what they saw.

  Sam grinned as he stepped into the gym shower. Today had been a good set. Four-forty. It was the most that he'd ever benched at once.

  Sam thought of the evening to come as he washed away the sweat. His fingers absentmindedly trailed along a scar that ran from the center of his chest to the side of his ribcage. It made a half-circle that cupped his torso, ending just below his armpit. Despite how proud he was of his muscled physique, his scars often made him self-conscious. It disappointed him that they hadn't ever faded.

  Sam made a mental note to make an excuse to leave early, as soon as he got to the house. He would tell Brad that he was going to hit the gym early in the morning. Sam was glad that Brad made such an effort to include him. It was nice that they hadn't grown completely apart. But frat parties still just weren't Sam's scene. It was all unnecessary amounts of binge drinking and girls getting sloppy. Sam was really only going because he'd turned down Brad's last three invitations.

  Sam stepped out of the shower and shook the water from his short brown hair. He dabbed at his body with one of the gym's fluffed towels. He caught a glimpse of his body in the mirror across from him and didn't bother to hold back a grin. He knew that it was a bit vain, but he was incredibly proud of his body. He had worked so hard to create a body that he could be proud of; a body that he could be comfortable in.

  Chapter Three

  Kristy nervously tugged at the hem of her dress as she exited the car and followed Lizette across the crowded lawn. It was only ten and already several inebriated party-goers were strewn about the lawn, laughing and calling to one another. Several young women clogged up the house's wrap-around porch, puffing languidly on cigarettes, and craning their necks at odd angles, phones in arms outstretched, documenting the evening via Instagram posts.

  The bass blasted from the house's interior and as Lizette and Kristy came through the front door, Kristy tried to remember, with no small degree of anxiety, just how long it was before hearing loss began to take effect.

  “Hey, Brian!” Lizette called with a wave. “Oh! Meghan hi! This is my friend Kristy!”

  Kristy followed, giving an anxious grin here and there, as was necessary, and trying not to trip in her pointed stilettos, as she edged around the numerous inhabitants of the living room and then the back hall. Kristy was very glad that she'd listened to Lizette after all. These shoes were sexy. Kristy felt tall and elegant. Her toned and shapely legs were elongated and emphasized. The straps that held the heels in place criss-crossed up the backs of her tanned calves.

  Kristy followed Lizette into the kitchen and was relieved to find that kitchen was far less crowded than the living room and hall had been. There were three guys sitting around a round kitchen table. A plethora of liquor bottles and plastic red cups rested in the table's center. Aside from the three guys, there was only a couple heavily engaged in a make-out session, leaning against the sink, and a lost looking young man perusing the contents of a pantry cabinet. He seemed to consider an opened box of triskets briefly, before putting it back on the shelf, choosing instead to inspect a bag of off-brand apple-jacks.

  “Hey there, guys!” Lizette exclaimed. “Look it! My friend Kristy came!”

  One of the men, a built blonde man wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers cap grinned, and Kristy couldn't help noticing how large and bright his teeth were.

  “Kristy!” he called. “You're the serious one, right? Liz is always talking about you. She says you're too cool to party with us.”

  Kristy shifted from one foot to the other.

  “Oh that isn't it,” she said. “I'm just not much of a party person.”

  “Well, thanks for joining us tonight. Glad that you could step outside your comfort zone for the likes of us.”

  Kristy smiled nervously, unable to gauge whether he was being sincere or facetious.

  “I'm Brad,” he continued.

  He gestured at the other two men at the table.

  “This is Jay” he said, pointing to the skinny long-haired man to his right.

  “And this is Sam.”

  The brown-haired, bearded man to his left gave a grin and a congenial wave. Kristy couldn't help but eye the hulking muscles that rippled beneath his Beatles T-shirt. He was not only very fit and built, but he was tall. Even in a seated position, Kristy could tell that he was much taller than average. The height of his shoulders was at least five inches more than those of the two men that sat beside him.

  “Um, you guys want to sit down?” Brad asked with a smirk.

  Kristy realized right away what he was finding so funny. For just a moment, she'd been staring at Sam, drinking in his muscled physique with her eyes. She was sure that it hadn't been more than a few seconds, but judging by Brad's reaction and the bemused look that Sam now wore, it appeared that it had been long enough for the men to notice.

  “Yes,” Lizette answered with a lilting and melodic giggle. “We'll sit down. We need to get drunkies before we can dance like we're stupid.”

  Lizette laughed again, this time in response to her own humorous candor, and the two of them watched as Brad pulled two more chairs in from the adjacent dining room.

  Kristy began to set herself down in the chair next to Jay, but Lizette grabbed her by the upper arm and whispered fervently into her ear.

  “No,” she hissed. “Sit next to Sam.”

  Kristy met Lizett's eyes and gave her a quizzical look.

  Lizette winked.

  “Everything okay there, ladies?” Jay asked. His eyebrows were raised and his lips wore a telling smirk.

  “Not at all,” Lizette replied. “I was just telling Kristy that I want to sit next to you, Jay.”

  Lizette grinned and gave Jay a flirty wink, as she dipped her hip a bit to the right.

  Kristy laughed.

  “All yours Lizette,” she conceded.

  Kristy shimmied around the table, slanting her back in order to edge p
ast the counter. She set herself down between Sam and Brad. She watched as Lizette began to whisper conspiratorially with Jay. Her body was tilted slightly forward and her fingertips rested on his forearm. Kristy marveled at her friend's ability to flirt. Lizette could really grab any man's attention. She was so sexual and enigmatic and free.

  Kristy snuck a quick peak at the men on either side of her. Both Brad and Sam were obviously fitness types. They were lean and muscular. Brad was very handsome, and his smile was both brilliant and disarming. But it was really Sam that had caught her attention. Kristy had always been attracted to height. Sam also had exceptionally broad shoulders, and his beard made him somehow appear both youthful and overtly masculine.

  Three fraternity brothers burst into the kitchen then. They were laughing loudly and one carried a beer nozzle in one hand.

  “Brad! Let's go, dude! You gotta show these wussies how to chug!”

  Brad stood and made his way over to the small crowd.

  “Alright, alright,” he said. “Now, which wussies are we talking about?”

  “Freshmen, obviously! Come on!”

  Brad followed the group out of the kitchen, and as Kristy watched them go she noticed that both the affectionate couple and the man perusing the pantry had left.

  “Jay,” Lizette said. “You wanna get in the hot tub with me? I, uh..I wore my bikini under this dress.”

  “Dope,” Jay said.

  He turned to look at Kristy.

  “You want to come too?” he asked.

  Kristy felt a red hue creeping into her cheeks. Bikini-clad hot-tubbing was most assuredly not her scene.

  “No, I'm good,” Kristy said. “I didn't bring a bathing suit.”

  “Okay,” Jay said.

  Lizette tossed Kristy another whimsical and coquettish grin, as she sashayed out of the room, letting Jay lead the way.

  Now, left alone with Brad, Kristy felt her discomfort amplified.

  She tilted her face towards him and gave a shy smile.

  He met her eyes and gave that same bemused grin, eyebrows raised.

  “So,” she began. “How do you like being in a fraternity?”