I'm glad I went for a walk with Peter, because I'm having a blast. He talks a lot and is a total clown.
First, I show him all the clothing and shoe stores, where I've actually been spending a lot of time with Becky. We park our bikes at the top of the street and walk the rest of the way.
We're walking and chatting, and I see a casual pink dress that I like, and pause to look at it. Peter encourages me to go in and try it. What?! I thought men hated shopping with women.
I go into the store and put it on in the fitting room. I like the way it fits me, showing off my curves, and so I show it to Peter, who's waiting outside.
"Wow, that looks incredible. You have to get it!"
"I liked it too," I say, looking in the mirror.
"You really like pink."
"It's actually my favorite color."
"No kidding! That was a hard one to guess." Peter says sarcastically. I grab my scarf from the fitting room floor and throw it at him.
After buying the dress, we walk to the Grote Markt square, the most popular in Groningen. The square has a huge church tower called Martini, and we walk all the way to the top to check out the Groningen view.
We take a few selfies together, and Peter tells me to do some poses, acting like a photographer. He gets all artsy and takes a few pictures of me. I also always thought guys didn't have the patience to take many pictures. Who is this boy?!
"You have to pose with your back slightly facing towards me, half on your side, looking out towards the city, so that you look like you were caught off guard."
After snapping a bunch of pictures of me, he convinces me to take a few pictures of him as well. However, mine aren't as artistic because all he does is goof around.
We come back down from the tower and sit on the square's stairs eating kebabs that Peter insisted on paying for. I hope he doesn't think this is a date. He saw me with Hardin, right?
"Are you enjoying the tour so far? There's not a lot I can show you. Well, there probably is, but I just don't know it yet. " I take a bite out of my kebab.
"Yeah, it's a beautiful city, thanks for being my guide. There's mayo on your mouth," says Peter as he looks at me and stretches out his hand to clean it, but I clean it with a napkin instead. I don't think it's a good idea for him to touch me.
"It's not my fault that these things are so difficult to eat!" Peter laughs at my embarrassment.
"You're cute." Here it is, finally, something that a normal guy would do, praise me. But I don't know why, this feels natural and not as if he wanted to take me to bed. Weird.
"Thanks."
"I'm glad I found you at the dorm today."
"Hey, relax, you've just met me. Wait until you meet my bad side." I smile at him. I feel comfortable around him in ways I don't feel around other people.
"Wait until you see mine," he says, but I don't think he's got a bad side, at least like I do.
"Yeah, I can tell you're a little saint." I poke fun at him.
"I am. You're right."
"I'm always right. When we're done here, wanna grab a beer?"
"Are you trying to get me in trouble? I'm a saint, I don't drink."
"You don't?" I'm a little surprised.
"Of course I do. I was kidding," he says as he chews. Even with his mouth full he's sweet.
After we're done with our kebabs, we grab a beer at the Three Sisters bar, the biggest bar in Europe which is also at Grote Market.
"I think you're going to drink tea, you're sick, remember?"
"I'm going to drink beer, because that's what I want," I say.
"There you are being rude." Peter raise his hand to get the waiter's attention. Then he orders for a beer and a tea. He smiles at me, amused at making me furious, and my anger dissipates.
"It's not your business what I drink," I say, and we sit at the table.
"This beer is great!" He's still teasing me. But I won't be bothered by him.
"Heineken's everywhere, it's a Dutch brand. Don't you have it in the States? You probably do."
"Now that you mention it, I think we do. I might have tried it but can't remember."
"Dork." I laugh and take a sip out of my fucking hot tea.
"Guilty as charged." He takes a sip out of his. "So there's a lot of bars and parties here. Do you guys usually go to these?"
"Yeah, our group goes out a lot, we go to bars and attend dorm parties. You'll like us, we're all pretty cool."
"Well, I know you are. If they're all like you, I'll be fine."
"Thanks." For some reason I can feel myself blushing. "You'll fit in just fine."
Suddenly Peter looks behind me with a serious face and gets up, leaving me at the table alone. I look back to see what's going on and he helps a young waiter who is out of balance with the tray, picking up on the tray and taking it to the counter. He talks and laughs with the waiter for a few minutes before sitting down in front of me again. Who even behaves like this?!
"Sorry, I used to work as a waiter, to help my mom and to save money for this exchange program," he says.
When he tells this little part of his life, I feel curious to know more. I'm realizing that I'm interested in getting to know him better. That's why I can't take my eyes off him and observe all his movements and behaviors, to learn as much as I can about him.
What the hell am I thinking? I don't want to be interested in him. I'm not interested in him at all.
"Are you okay?" he asks. Oh no, I'm being awkward again.
He's looking at me waiting for an answer and I'm looking at him.
"Hm, yeah... hm... That's cool... the waiter thing," I say, and I do a facepalm in my mind.
"You're such a nutty," he says and grins at me. I roll my eyes at him. "So, what American TV shows do you like to watch?" he asks, and I'm grateful that he changes the subject.
Peter and I chatted about our favorite movies and TV shows, and by the time he drops me off at home, it's already dark.
He really has strange behaviors. He gave me his sweater, because he noticed that I was cold, and I didn't even tell him anything. And then he stopped on our way to talk to a stranger and pet his dog.
His sweater smells so good, that I wanted to invite him in, but I had to control myself. I have some kind of relationship with Hardin, and can't afford to start sabotaging my new life just yet.
I have to take this new chance and be a better person. I promised myself that.
***
The following day, I am watching Lucifer per Peter's suggestion, but what I really want is to see him again.
So I forge a plan and call Marcus to hang out with him, since he lives with Peter. I ask him to make "feijoada" for dinner, a Brazilian dish I love, and I would bring the ingredients. Of course Marcus is in, and so I get on my way to his student house for dinner after stopping by the supermarket.
Just as I planned, as soon as I enter the kitchen, there's Peter, Marcus, and Becky. My plans rarely fail.
"Let's cook Brazilian style feijoada!" I say excitedly as I put the groceries down.
"Feijoada, what a weird word for black bean stew," says Becky as she gets up and starts taking the ingredients from the bag while Marcus grabs pans from the cabinets.
"You're gonna love it, you'll see."
"The word is funny, but the most important thing is that it tastes good." Peter opens a package of bacon and nibbles on a piece.
"Peter, try not to eat all the ingredients or there's no more bean stew," I say to him.
"I'm starving, how do you think I keep this body?" He says as he lifts up his t-shirt and shows his stomach, and I stare at his abs for longer than I should. My body burns up, how does he do this? The good thing is that Marcus snaps me back to reality.
"Cut the crap and start chopping up the chorizo and the bacon into little pieces." I obey and start looking for a knife in his drawers.
We all enjoy ourselves helping Marcus cook, and then we sit on the couch eating and drinking. By the time we're all nice and warm, we start talking about guys and girls. Drunk people talk.
"Why are girls so complicated?" asks Marcus "Always concerned about things that don't matter!"
"And I think guys are all the same. They're too easy, and then they don't want easy girls because they grow bored of them, and then it's on to the next one," I comment, as I take a sip from my beer.
"I agree, Kelly!" says Becky.
"It's really not like that," Peter protests. "There's guys who are romantic and are just looking for love!"
"That's funny. I didn't think you'd be so corny," I reply
"I agree with Peter," says Marcus. "Although obviously my search for love took a break when I started this exchange program," he adds, laughing.
"I'm not corny, I hope I can find someone special one day and start a family, which I think is normal."
"Well, as for me, I just want to enjoy the moment. As far as I know the love of my life might not even exist. So far, no man has convinced me. I haven't really felt true love yet so I don't really think about the future that way," I say.
"That's pretty cold, Kelly. I'm with Peter on this one, I want to find someone special. I want to believe that true love exists and that there's someone out there for me," says Becky.
"That's bullshit. I just need myself," I reply, and Marcus laughs.
"That reminds me: do you also have a rule about who you go to bed with?" asks Marcus.
"What do you mean?" Becky replies.
"For example, I have a rule: never go to bed with a girl who talks about her ex on a first date."
"How picky of you," I say, sarcastically.
"I have one too: never go to bed with someone I don't have feelings for. There needs to be a certain chemistry, at least. I don't like sleeping with a girl just because she's attractive," Peter says.
"So you don't have one-night stands?" asks Marcus, shocked at Peter's remarks.
"I've had a few. Have you never fallen in love in one night?" asks Peter, winking at Marcus.
"Good point. Alcohol's made me fall in love plenty of times," says Marcus.
"What about you girls, any rules?"
"I don't sleep with strangers. I have to get to know them and go at least on a couple of dates," says Becky. They nod at her and look my way. "What about you, Kelly?"
"I don't think I have any rules." And I don't, it actually depends on the mood for the day... or night.
"Oh c'mon, everyone does," says Marcus.
"Well..." I start thinking. "I'll sleep with guys I feel attracted to, obviously, but well... they can't be boring or too easy. There's gotta be a game of seduction. At least the first time." I'm sort of saying the truth.
"That's what I said, there's gotta be chemistry!" Peter concludes.
"So, I think we have the same rule." I smile at him, and he smiles back.
"Oh my God! I completely forgot that have a paper for tomorrow!" Becky screams looking at her phone. "I'm so screwed..." She hits her own head with her hand.
"You still have time," says Marcus giggling.
"I have to read two articles, analyze them and I'm drunk."
"I can help." Marcus and Becky look at me in disbelief. "I mean, I already drank too much too, but I can try to help."
"I can also try to help you, Becky," Peter says.
"You guys are so sweet, but you know I wouldn't do the same for you, right? Let's drop this off, I give up."
I get up and pull Becky to do the same. Peter also gets up.
"Let's go, we can do this."
"You are brave ones, no doubt," Marcus says.