Winning Wesley

This story is by cortney emerson and was part of our 2017 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

Winning Wesley

Fall brings change. The changing of the leaves, new semesters of new classes, and some are just starting college some are old pros at it. Me, however, I hate change. I am one hundred percent a creature of habit. I like things to stay the way they are. My name is Naomi and I’m a student at Northwestern Oklahoma College about to start my junior year. Da Vinci’s coffee house is where my story begins.

Wesley Scott, he’s the reason I forgot the lid he was stretching, enough to make his shirt rise over his pale pudgy naval. My mind immediately plunged into thoughts and ideas, running through scenarios. I never talk to him except taking his order. This the third time he has been here this week and it is only Tuesday. I disagree, a guy like Wesley could never like a girl like me. My hair is unruly, I’m not skinny as a stick, I talk with a lisp thanks to a retainer.

It’s so quiet in here, am I the only one in here?

I sat down in the front row and then he walked in Wesley. He sat right next to me and pulled a notebook out of his bag. He’s looking at me, oh gosh he’s looking at me.

“morning!!” he exclaimed way too perky for an 8 a.m. lecture.

“Morning…” I replied still waiting for my coffee to kick in.

“Are you excited for classes today?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah I am, being an English major I live for syllabus week!!”

“You’re… you’re an English major too?”

“Yeah I am, does that surprise you?”

“I suppose we’ll be seeing a lot of each other then.”

“Yes, I’m sure we will!” That’s what makes me nervous.

No one else showed up for that class on our campus. It was the two of us in a classroom alone. Not surprising having an ITV class.

Best class ever, I can’t believe I get to sit in a room alone with him alone.

Or so I thought. Until I got to my next class, Wesley was in it too, he sat next to me in every class. This one, however, late British literature we were assigned to a presentation project together. Our teacher Mrs. Nealson an older woman with eccentric cat-eye glasses embedded with jewels on a neon orange strap to hold around her neck. She’s sweet but stern.

“Okay, so for your first assignment you’ll be pairing into groups of two, and you’ll be making presentations to introduce an author. Enid, we’ll start with you since there’s only two of you, you will have Oscar Wilde. This should be fun, we can work together get to know each other.

“so when and where should we meet?” Wesley asked

“How about Da Vinci’s at 4?” I asked

“Sounds good to me, I will see you there.” He said writing it down in his planner

“Hey, so what’s the best drink here?” Wesley asked when he sat down at the bar with me.

“You don’t know you’re here all the time.” I replied trying not to sound too snarky

“No, I don’t know, I don’t come here for the coffee I come here for you!!!” Wesley said with a feline smile.

“Oh, I see, here I thought it was the mediocre coffee? sugar daddy.” I asked trying not to make my flirting to obvious.

“I meant that yes I do come here to see you, you’re exquisitely attractive Naomi Burgess. What, sugar daddy?” He said endearingly

“so maybe say I find you attractive as well, what should we do about that situation? It’s the best drink, get it with a shot you won’t be sorry.”

“I think we should go out Friday night say seven?” well see where it takes us

“okay!” I said way too eagerly

“So what should we use for the PowerPoint?” Wesley asked

“umm, the information about Oscar Wilde.” I replied

Wesley just Chuckled, opening his laptop.

We spent the rest of the night laughing and connecting while compiling research on Oscar Wilde. It was fascinating I didn’t even realize how late it had gotten, I had missed dinner and so had Wesley, fortunately, there was a 24hour pizza joint in the same strip as Da Vinci’s and we finished the night with pizza and soda. It was chilly and beginning to rain. Wesley walked me to my car holding his jacket over us to prevent from getting wet.

“Goodbye, thanks for the pizza.” I said

“Wait there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for some time now!”

“What?” I asked a bit dumbfounded.

Wesley leaned down and pushed his lips on mine, it was short and soft, then he was pulling back smiling.

“that!” he said sounding exhilarated

He turned to go before I could stop myself I grabbed his hand, as he turned around I raised onto my toes and kissed him, soft and hard wrapping my arms around his neck. He grabbed my waist and pulled me towards him we kissed for what felt like forever. It warmed me all over and when we broke apart we held each other not minding the rain that had started. After leaving him to his car, and driving home, I showered and went to bed talking about Wesley half the night.

“Hello!!” Wesley said perkily as always

“Hey!” I replied still groggy from the late night talk

“how are you this morning?”

“Good, you?”

“I’m great, I do have a question though.” He suddenly got serious

“What, what do you want to know?”

“Do you want to split up the slides between us or do you want to do all of them and I can write the outline of the speech or vice versa?”

“I don’t mind doing all the slides.” don’t scare me like that I thought something was seriously wrong with you.”

“What, why?”

“you got so serious so fast.”

“Oh, are you concerned about me?” he purred with a cute boyish smile”

“Shhh. The class is starting!” I snapped at him

class went well aside from the A/C is kept at full blast. I was freezing the whole time. I never understand why schools keep it on when it’s 50 degrees out, its fall just open the window the breeze will be enough. That’s my daily rant now anyway. Wesley and I met at my house this time working at the table in the dining room. When I dropped my pencil and we both bent down to get it we brushed hands and met eyes. Gosh, his eyes are beautiful, like endless fields of emerald green grass with flecks of gold. I never realized it before. Before I could pull away

Wesley was kissing me again and my frustration from this morning from him melted away as I felt the weight of his soft, luscious lips against mine. It was different from the night before, strong, powerful Wesley knows what he wants and he goes after it, and right now he wants me.

When we broke apart a look of longing appeared on his face.

“What is it? am I an awful kisser? Do you hate me?” I asked scared to hear his answer, he was going to tell me he hates me, never wants to see me again I know it.

“what? no, I don’t hate you, you’re not an awful kisser, you’re an amazing kisser.” He said with a faraway gaze on his face.

“what is it then?” I asked anxiously

“Naomi Burgess, I can’t contain my feelings for you anymore, I love you!!”

suddenly I was kissing him again I don’t know what possessed me to do this but I didn’t know what to say to him, the only thing I could do was kiss him again.

“Well, I’ll take that as you love me too”

“That is such an understatement, Wesley Scott. I never thought you’d want to even talk to me after what happened at Da Vinci’s last week. I was so embarrassed.”

“That was caused by me? Not by the guy with the abs?”

“what? ewe gross that guy is a jerk!”

“Oh” is all he said, all he could say with that huge goofy smile on his face.

When the morning came to do our presentation Wesley brought me my favorite coffee

A vanilla latte, he got himself pumpkin spice. I can’t believe he likes them I despise pumpkin spice everything. After we went to lunch and discussed our plans for the upcoming fall break. Wesley had wanted to spend every moment together so we planned a trip to Oklahoma City for the long weekend.