Blind Kiss(9)

“You’re not matching us up based on looks, are you?” one tiny blond girl with a pointy nose and pursed lips said.

Ling stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. “Are you serious, girl?” Ling was so awesome.

“Well?” Pointy Nose said.

“No, it’s totally random and looks are subjective. That’s the whole point!” Ling practically shouted at her.

We went into a large classroom where all the chairs had been pushed to one side to create a staging area. There were four students in the room: one guy behind a camera propped on a tripod that faced a small makeshift stage, another guy, and two girls standing near the stage with clipboards.

“Hi ladies, I’m Tracy. Ling and I are heading up this study.” Tracy was all business, complete with brown hair in a low bun and a pair of glasses on the end of her nose. I noticed the heater had been cranked up really high in the room.

I whispered to Ling, “It’s hot in here.”

“Just wait until people start making out.”

“No, seriously, I might puke.”

“That would be really gross, Penny. Please don’t do it on camera. When it’s cold, people’s nerves go haywire, so we’re trying to make everyone comfortable. Take off your sweatshirt if you have to.”

I only had a dancing tank on with no bra, not that I needed one. “Umm. Well, okay it’s not like he’s going to see me.”

“Exactly,” she said.

I tore off my sweatshirt and threw it on a nearby desk. The students showed us where we would be walking and standing, so once we were blindfolded we wouldn’t feel disoriented. Afterward, we were led back into the first room to wait.

Girl number one, a tall, gangly thing with mousy hair, wearing basketball shorts and a T-shirt, was called in first. We waited and waited and then finally Pointy Nose said, “Jesus, are they fucking in there?”

When the girl came out we all bombarded her with questions. She was quiet. She just said, “That was really weird. He was all right, I guess.”

“What took so long?” a girl dressed in a club outfit and stilettos asked.

“They ask a lot of questions when you’re blindfolded and then after . . . when you’re just staring at each other awkwardly.”

Girl number four, who looked like every other hoodie-clad college girl, stood up and said, “Fuck this, I’m outta here.”

“No, please,” Ling said as she came back into the room to usher in girl number two.

“I’m serious, I’m not doing it. Keep your stupid Java Hut gift card.” The girl stormed out.

Ling turned to me. “Well, Penny, I guess you’ll go fourth. I’ll tell guy number five he’s been cut.”

“Um, Ling—”

Ling pointed at me. “No, you’re doing it. I said I’d watch you dance. You’re doing it, Penny! And you’re going to win the award for best guinea pig at CSU.”

“Is that really a thing? I don’t think I want that.” What’d I get myself into? “Let me just take a breath.”

I opened the door that led to the hallway and saw girl number one pass by me. She waved to a guy coming out of the adjoining room on the other side of the studio area, and he waved back. I assume it was the guy she had just swapped spit with. He was not attractive at all. I felt bad for thinking it, but it was going to be hard for me to not picture that guy when it was my turn. He was at least four inches shorter than me, which made basketball-shorts girl easily a foot taller than him. He seemed nice but he had pretty bad skin and fairly greasy hair. He was definitely a freshman, if not a devious seventh grader who had found a way to sneak in.

When Ling came after me, I was scowling. She handed me the flask and I took a large, disgusting swig.

“They’re not all good-looking.” I cocked my head to the side. “Liar.”

“You might be off the hook,” she said.

“Thank you, God!” I shouted. Clubbing Girl and Pointy Nose turned and glared at me.

“Yeah, so it looks like we’re actually missing two guys, but we still need to give it a few more minutes.”

“I’m so happy to hear that. I can’t believe you told me they were all hot.”

“Honestly, I never even saw them. That was Tracy’s job, not mine, I just had to get the girls.”

“You are such a liar!” I poked her in the shoulder and glared at her.

“It’s just a kiss. Jeez, it’s not like we’re asking you to sleep with him.”

I dry heaved. “Have another swig.” She handed me the flask and some breath mints.

As the hour went on, the other girls cycled in and out like it was no big deal. I was gathering my things, getting ready to leave, when Ling walked in. “Not so fast. Your guy was late—that ass—but he’s here and they’re blindfolding him now.”

“Oh God, did you see him?”

“Just chill. The other girls handled it like pros. What’s your deal?”

“Those girls looked like pros.”

“Penny, shut up and turn around. Just let me blindfold you.”

“I hate this study so much. You have no idea. Did you see him? Why’d you call him an ass?”

“I didn’t see him but Tracy said he was bitching about only getting a ten-dollar Java Hut card.”