Take the Hint - Stay at the Frat

I decided to play along. I looked Katie in the eyes and said, "Oh, that's too bad. I was going to suggest that my place might be a better place than that corner."

Katie didn't miss a beat. "Oh, so you want to go make out? That's awfully presumptuous."

I was pretty sure she was joking, but I stammered, "Oh, no, sorry, I...just...I meant...like, to keep talking. It's just loud...and those two...sorry."

Katie laughed hard. "I'm joking, you dumbass! Let's see how long it takes to get some more beer and we can play it by ear."

Just as Katie finished her sentence, one of the frat brothers I knew came barreling into the room. "COPS!! The Cops are here! Everybody out!"

Those words instantly triggered a mass exodus, as everyone scrambled to get through the side door that led to the back garden. Katie started looking around and said, "Do you think we have time to find our roommates?"

I said, "We can try, but I'm sure they'll be trying to get out."

Katie said, "OK, let's get out of here and then call them when we're outside."

By now, the side door was blocked with people shuffling out of the house. Thankfully, because I knew the kid who had come in, I yelled, "Travis! Can you take us through the kitchen?" Travis beckoned us over. As we approached, he smirked at me and said, "Hi, John. Who's your friend?"

I said, "This is Katie, we just met."

Travis laughed and said, "OK, well good luck getting some on your birthday, then! Follow me!"

Travis led us (and a few others he knew) through the frat house and out the back maintenance door. Once outside, we were far enough from the police to not be seen immediately, but we knew they'd be coming around the house any minute. Travis, "Your best bet is go up the hill to the apartments. Good luck!"

Katie and I started walking that way and she said, "Damn, my place is down the hill, we'd have to walk right past the cops."

I said, "I'll go with you if you think that'll make them less suspicious."

Katie said, "I don't want to risk it. Let me call my roommate."

I said, "Good idea, I'll do the same." I called Emily and asked where she and my roommate were. She said they had left the frat house a while ago, and asked if I was still with Katie. I said yes, and she said, "Good. Go get laid. Happy birthday! Bye!"

As I hung up, Katie did, too. She said, "My roommate is, somehow, already home."

I said, "OK, are you going to head that way?"

Katie hesitated and then said, "I'm not sure. Where's your place?"

I nodded and said, "Just up the hill a bit. You're welcome to home hang out until the cops are gone. No pressure, though, really."

Katie said, "OK, then I guess you weren't being presumptuous before. After you." I put my hand out behind me and she took it immediately. It was starting to drizzle, so Katie and I walked quickly up the hill towards my place. We chatted some more about our college experiences and discussed the various professors we both knew. It was just typical conversation you'd hear between any two people at university, but it was peppered with laughing, smiles, and great chemistry.

We got to my place about 10 minutes later, and I cracked open a couple of beers for us. Katie stood in the kitchen, leaning against the island, and I leaned against the fridge a few feet away. I wanted to make sure not to put any pressure on her: I was happy for nothing to happen and for us to just get to know each other.

As we chatted, Katie suddenly interrupted me and said, "Oh, what the hell, by the way! It's your birthday!?"

I laughed and said, "Yeah. Only cuz it's after midnight, though."

Katie said, "Well then I'm glad you didn't get arrested! Do you have anything planned?"

"Honestly, no. Tonight was the big night out for the weekend, I think tomorrow I'll just hang out with my friends."

Katie looked like she felt bad. "Oh, no, I'm sorry, did I take you away from your night out with friends tonight?"

"No, absolutely not, really. I wanted to chat with you once we started playing beer pong. This has been fun!"

Katie nodded. "Yeah, it has. Hey, listen, I know this might be weird, but can I borrow a hoodie or something? I'm soaked from the rain."

"Umm, you know this is classic movie trope territory, right? Like, I get you a shirt and then say something about how you look better in it than I do, yada yada yada."

Katie laughed. "You got me. That's been my plan all along."

I said, "Of course I have something. One sec." I ran into my room and got her something to put over her green halter top, but when I came out into the kitchen again, she wasn't there.

I heard her call, "I'm in the bathroom!" so I waited while she finished up. When Katie came out of the bathroom, she had preened herself a bit. It looked like she may have reapplied some lipstick and eye makeup. She looked great.

"Wow, Katie, you look great for someone who just walked through the rain after a night of drinking."

Katie gave a half-curtsy and said, "Why thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, birthday boy." She took two more steps towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Then she pulled back and cheerily said, "Happy birthday! Let me give you my number before I forget." Katie jotted her number down on a post-it note on the island. She said, "You better call me. This has been fun."

To me, that really sounded like a prompt for a good night, and I wasn't going to push Katie to stay over if she didn't want to.