Nora was a second-year student at Crestwood University, a bold, no-nonsense girl who lived by her own rulebook. Never had a boyfriend, never kissed, never even thought about doing anything remotely scandalous. Her first kiss? Oh, it was going to be epic, straight out of a rom-com, with a guy she loved, who loved her back, and only after they'd slapped an official "relationship" label on it. Rules were her thing, her fortress. Until Jae walked into her life and set that fortress ablaze.
It all started in her 100 level year, at a campus charity event where she'd volunteered to hand out flyers and pour punch. Jae, a final-year student, was the guest speaker, strutting onto the stage with a confidence that made the room hush. Dark skin glowing like he'd been dipped in melanin magic, pink lips that looked like they'd been sculpted by a mischievous god, and a smile that could make a nun reconsider her vows. Nora was done for. Her heart didn't just skip a beat..it did a full-on cartwheel and landed in a puddle of gooey feelings.
From that day, Jae became the centerpiece of Nora's conversations. Her friends, Tolu and Amaka, were her unwilling audience. "Guys, his lips are like… pink cotton candy. I bet they taste like strawberry Starburst," she'd sigh, staring into space during lunch. Tolu would roll her eyes, "Nora, you're obsessed. Do you even know his last name?" Amaka, ever the instigator, would chime in, "She doesn't need his last name to dream about those lips. Girl's already planning their wedding!" They'd cackle, and Nora would swat them with her fries, unfazed. "Laugh all you want, but Jae is mine. I'm gonna make it happen."
Nora wasn't one to sit and pine. She was the girl who went for what she wanted, rules be damned. So, she started her campaign to win Jae over, and oh, it was a spectacle. She "accidentally" bumped into him at the library, dropping her books in a dramatic flourish that looked straight out of a Nollywood movie. "Oh, Jae! Fancy meeting you here!" she'd chirp, batting her lashes while picking up her books at a snail's pace. He'd smile, those cursed pink lips and say something polite like, "You're always around, Nora."
She'd grin like she'd won the lottery, but later, alone in her room, she'd overthink it. Was that a dig? Did he think I'm desperate? Then she'd catch a glimpse of his latest X post maybe a shirtless gym selfie, melanin popping and her resolve would return. "Nope, I'm in love, and I'm getting those lips."
Her friends weren't helping. "Nora, you're out here acting unwise," Tolu teased when Nora showed up to class with a new hairstyle she'd gotten because Jae once said he liked braids. "What's next? You gonna tattoo 'Jae's Wife' on your forehead?" Amaka added, "Or maybe she'll bake him a cake shaped like his lips!" Nora just laughed, tossing her braids. "Y'all wish you had my courage. Watch me bag my man."
But Jae was a tough nut to crack. He was friendly, sure, but sometimes his responses felt like a splash of cold water. Like when she texted him, "Hey, saw you at the gym, looking like a snack!" and he replied, "Lol, thanks, Nora. You're always so… enthusiastic." Enthusiastic? Ouch. She'd stare at her phone, wondering if she was coming on too strong. But then she'd remember the way he'd laughed at her joke about the cafeteria food last week, and her heart would do that cartwheel again. Hopeless. Utterly hopeless.
Fast forward to the annual Crestwood Gala, a glitzy event where the whole school showed up to flex their outfits and dance badly to afrobeats. Nora wasn't planning to see Jae there he'd graduated, after all but when she spotted him across the room, her breath caught. He was in a tailored blazer, dark skin gleaming under the chandeliers, those pink lips curved in a half smile as he chatted with some alumni. Is this man a wizard? she thought. Because I'm under a spell. She wanted to march over, grab his face, and kiss him right there, consequences be damned. But that nagging voice in her head whispered, Nora, you're a reserved queen. Don't be that desperate girl.
She ignored it. Jae had her breaking all her rules.
After the gala, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and two glasses of non-alcoholic punch (she was still a good girl, mostly), Nora invited Jae to her apartment. "Just to hang out, you know, catch up," she said, trying to sound casual. He showed up, all effortless charm, and she played the perfect host cracking jokes, offering him a Coke, pretending her heart wasn't doing somersaults. "So, Jae, you ever think about coming back to Crestwood? We miss you," she said, winking. He chuckled, "You mean you miss me, Nora." Oof. Was he flirting? Or was he calling her out? She couldn't tell, but she was too far gone to care.
The night wore on, and the air between them grew thick with tension. Nora was a bundle of nerves and desire, her rulebook in tatters. She wanted those lips. She needed them.
But she knew better than to beg. She wasn't that girl. Or was she? Every time she looked at him, her resolve crumbled. If I don't kiss him now, I'll regret it forever, she thought. But if I do, and he pulls back, I'll die of embarrassment. Her mind was a battlefield, but her heart was screaming, Go for it, you coward!
Finally, after a particularly bad joke about pineapples (don't ask), there was a pause. Jae looked at her, his eyes softening, and she felt the world slow down. She leaned in, heart pounding, half expecting him to laugh or pull away. But he didn't. He met her halfway, and when their lips touched, it was like fireworks, confetti, and a full choir of angels all at once. His lips were as soft as they looked, warm and perfect, and Nora's mind went blank. No thoughts, just bliss. It was the best damn kiss of her life, and she hadn't even known kisses could feel like that.
As they pulled apart, her head spun with a million thoughts. Did that just happen? Does he like me back? Is this the start of something? But then her phone buzzed on the table, a notification lighting up the screen. She glanced at it, and her heart stopped. It was an X post from Jae's account, tagged with a location… and a girl's name. A name that wasn't Nora's.
To be continued…