Secret Admirer

The flowers arrived at Alex’s dorm just a few minutes after he returned from class. His roommate let out a woot and grabbed the bouquet before Alex could take it. Eric snatched the card from the bouquet while handing the beautiful roses to Alex, who moaned with embarrassed annoyance. He hated when Eric took charge like this. He knew Eric just did it to annoy him, and it worked.

“To Alex. From a secret admirer,” Eric read in a falsetto. Then, in his regular voice, he continued. “Who sent you these? Was it Gabby from Biology? Or Makenna from English? I didn’t know you had any admirers, let alone anyone who would send you flowers for Valentine’s Day.”

“I don’t know who it is,” Alex said, clutching the flowers to his chest and inhaling the fresh fragrance. “That’s the point of a secret admirer, you know?”

Inwardly he was wondering the same thing. Gabby and Makenna had shown an interest in him lately, but he wasn’t especially interested in them. He wasn’t sure why. Gabby was a beautiful Hispanic girl with long, curled black hair and a lovely complexion. Her curves were especially enticing, but for some reason they didn’t appeal to him as much as they should. Makenna had pale skin with rosy cheeks and short blonde hair, and her slender figure also should have had him desperate for more.

But he found his gaze drifting more towards Joey, the quarterback in his Biology class with light brown hair and that muscular frame. He didn’t want anyone to know, however, since falling in love with a football player was a dead end street. He would be better to fall in love with whoever had sent him the flowers and put dreams of Joey out of his mind.

Eric handed him the note and he studied the handwriting. It was a scrawl, not like what he imagined Gabby or Makenna’s handwriting would be, so maybe someone else had been watching from the shadows. The thought almost gave him the creeps, even though the flowers were so sweet. He inhaled again, then closed the door to his room and placed the bouquet on his bed. He didn’t have any vases, nor any room for them in the small, crowded dorm room, so the flowers would have a place of honor on his desk, he decided. But in the meantime he lay on the bed and clutched them, fantasizing that Joey had sent him the flowers.

“You look like you’re in love,” Eric observed from his side of the room. Alex blushed and sat up.

“I just wish I knew who it was from.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Don’t you have class or something?” Alex asked, annoyed at Eric’s interference with his daydreams.

They spent a lot of time together and normally got along quite well, but right now Alex wanted some time to himself to ponder the mystery of the flowers without Eric hanging around. Eric held up his hands as if in defeat and went to the door.

“I know when I’m not wanted. See you in a bit.”

Alex rolled over as Eric finally left and Alex heard him lock the door behind him. That was considerate; now Alex wouldn’t have to get up to lock the door and he could continue thinking about Joey. What if Joey had sent the flowers? What if that were the reason the note looked so scrawled, and there was so much secrecy? He closed his eyes and let his hand slide down his pants as he imagined Joey thinking of him. He didn’t even know if Joey knew he existed, after all, but what if Joey did know, and was secretly in love with him? What if Joey wanted a relationship and screw the consequences? He thought of Joey’s powerful body, those rippling muscles honed from hours on the field, leaning over him, those perfect lips drawing closer to his. Alex’s hand jerked faster and he let out a sigh as he reached completion thinking of Joey naked and sweating in the shower rooms after a game.

Alex got up and cleaned himself off, then placed the flowers on his desk. He needed to return to reality and figure out who the flowers were really from, and the most likely candidates were Gabby and Makenna. He would have to approach them gingerly tomorrow during his classes. But, he thought as his brow creased, wasn’t the guy supposed to get the girl flowers? What kind of girl got flowers for the guy in her life? It was a mystery, and one he wasn’t likely to solve anytime soon.