Текст книги "That Boy"

Автор книги: Jillian Dodd

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

I'm lying on the hammock in my back yard, drinking a diet Coke and flipping through a People magazine. I'm trying not to think about my parents. Trying to pretend it's just a lazy, spring day. Unfortunately, I keep expecting my Dad to come out on the patio, bottle of beer in hand, with Mom following him, wanting to hear all about Prom.

Life can really suck sometimes.

But I don't know what I can do about it.

I've been feeling really helpless. And a bit lost.

Like I was a little boat that was tied up on shore with all the other boats, but somehow my rope came undone and now I'm out in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight, just floating.

Completely untethered to the life I've always known.

I told Mr. Diamond that, and he pretty much called bullshit. Told me my parents did so many things for me, so that if, God forbid, something like this would happen, that I would be able to live in my house, in my neighborhood, keep the house, go to college, stay with my friends, my support system. He told me they were extremely well insured, and I would be okay financially. He told me that he was here for me, that all my friends are here for me, but that I have to officially grow up now. I have to handle things my parents did, like making sure the house gets cleaned, and the lawn gets mowed, and the bills get paid. He says as much as the Macs are trying to protect me, I'm 18, and I need to behave like it. He says my parents raised me to be strong, confident and independent, and I should do my best to make them proud of me.

And at the time, I was thinking, okay, maybe I'm not the little boat, maybe I am more like that game we used to play when we were little. Jenga, I think it was called. You stack up all these blocks, and you try to pull them out of the stack one by one. When the stack gets too weak, or you pull out the wrong one and it gets out of balance, the whole stack comes tumbling down, and you lose.

I sorta feel like that is what has been happening to me. Some cosmic force has been pulling out random blocks, trying to get me to cave, to fall down.

But here's the thing I have decided.

My parents wouldn't want me to fall down. So I'll be damned if I will.

But that doesn't mean I'm still not incredibly, earth shatteringly sad.

The gate rattles, as Danny walks in the backyard.

“Hey,” he says, his hair blowing back in the breeze. He naughtily dives on the hammock, nearly flipping me over, and making me scream in the process.

I lean over to kiss him, but he backs off.

What the hell?

“Jay, we need to talk.”

Great. One date and he's breaking up with me. Not that we were going out, but you know what I mean. Someone, somewhere, is laughing hilariously, shoving around the blocks of my life.

“Look, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have drank so much. I really wanted you to enjoy prom, and I hope you still had fun.”

“I did have fun, and I really appreciate your begging me to take you.” I joke, but then say seriously, “I don't think I would have gone otherwise, and I'm glad I didn't miss it. I have been sitting here thinking a lot about my parents, and I think you were right. They would have wanted me to go.” Then I laugh, “Although Dad always said you were trouble. I wonder what he thinks about me going with you.”

“Your dad loved me.”

“Yeah, I know.” I want to say, I love you too, but I'm afraid he'll take it wrong and think I'm like IN love with him. And yes, he is super hot and sweet, and I wished for a long time that I could be with him, but I'm not sure if I have much to give right now. And if I'm going to have a relationship with Danny, trust me, giving is what I want to be doing.

I can tell by the look on his face that there's still something wrong.

What now?

“Something else is bothering you,” I say. “Spill.”

“Jeez, Jay. You just have me so, uh, overwhelmed,” he says, as he runs his hand through that gorgeous hair.

“What do you mean?”

“I just didn't expect to feel this way about you.”

I'm trying not to ask too many questions. I mean something is clearly bothering the boy, but I'm sorry, I've got to ask this one.

“What way is that?”

“Too much. Way too much. And way too fast. Which brings me to my problem.”

Uh, scratch that. I have plenty to give. I don't see a problem with this.

No problem at all!

But I think I know what the problem is. He feels bad because he passed out last night. I still haven't decided which one of us should be more embarrassed about that. Him for passing out, or me for getting passed out on. But I'll tell him that we can soon. Hell, we could go in my house right now and do it if we wanted to.

“Danny, it's okay, you….”

“Jay, this is hard for me. Just let me finish, okay?”

I nod with my mouth shut.

“Okay, so here it is. You know how I worked hard during spring practice and performed really well in the spring game, and the guy who was the starter last year did really shitty?”

“Yeah.”

What's this got to do with us?

“Well, I haven't said anything, but I'm pretty sure I'll be first on the depth chart this fall.”

It takes a second for that to sink into my brain.

“You mean like The Starting Quarterback at Nebraska? Danny that's awesome! It's huge! It's what you've always wanted, what you're meant to do.”

“You think so?”

“Uh, yeah. Greatness is in you. Don't you know that?”

Danny literally oozes confidence.

“Maybe, but, well, here,” he says shyly.

And he is NEVER shy.

He fishes a folded up piece of paper out of his wallet and hands it to me, “Look at this.”

I unfold the paper and see it's a picture of me, in my flag bikini top, no less, jumping up to catch a pass with Phillip just behind me.

It's a really great picture of us.

Weird. I don't usually photograph so well.

“Where'd you get this?” I study the picture closely. “Hey! This is from that day in Lincoln, when you pissed me off enough to run down the field in my bikini top in front of half the football team. Right?”

“Yeah,” Danny laughs, remembering. “You told me if I missed you that time, you were coming back for my pants.”

“I was serious. Where'd you get this picture?”

“Oh, it seems one of the school paper's photographers found you a very interesting subject,” he says with one eyebrow raised at me, like he finds this very humorous. “He took a ton of pictures of you and gave me a few of the best. This is my favorite. Oh, and I was supposed to have told you that he wants to go out with you.” He shakes his head at me and teases, “You've grown up to be quite the little heartbreaker.”

I roll my eyes at him.

“Look at the picture, Jay.”

I do.

“It's a fun picture. I love the look on Phillip's face.”

“I mean look at you. You look gorgeous. Perfect.” He lays back on the hammock, pulling me down with him and says, “You are also looking at my goal. Perfection. Wanna know what I see in the picture?”

I nod yes.

“I see a perfect pass, a perfect catch, and two perfect friends. When I first went to college, I wasn't throwing well. Probably trying too hard instead of just doing it. But I couldn't figure out what was wrong, why things weren't easy anymore. I talked to the team shrink, and he asked me if I'd ever used positive visualization. Of course I had. In B-ball, Coach K was always telling us to picture ourselves making every shot at night before we went to sleep. In fact, our team motto was If you can dream it, you can do it. And in high school, whenever I was flustered or out of sync, I would just picture myself throwing to you and Phillip in the yard. It relaxed me. I realized I hadn't been doing that or having much fun playing lately. He told me to focus on a time I threw a perfect pass and to picture that in my mind when I start to get out of sync.”

He pauses and points to the picture in my hand.

“This is the picture I visualize. When I think of us playing catch, I relax and have fun with the game. I'm on target.”

I raise one eyebrow at that boy. “All the millions of times we've played catch and I have to be in a bikini in this visual? Isn't there something kind of sick and twisted in that?”

“Maybe,” he laughs. “I'll never forget the first time Phillip and I saw you in that bikini. You had been laying out, and you were covered in oil. I think I had to bribe you to come play catch with us. But man, when you walked through that gate in that bikini, glistening in the sun, Phillip and I both just stood there in shock. I think it was the first time I really realized you were a girl, a hot girl.” He smirks at me, “Well, and maybe a bit during your kissing lessons.”

“Lesson,” I remind him. Only one.

“I know I was sure jealous when you asked if we thought Jake would like it. If I remember right, Phillip practically told you it looked awful. He didn't want you wearing it for Jake either.”

He pauses and grins, “I kinda have a thing for that bikini, and well, the American flag in general now, as a matter of fact.”

Then he catches me by surprise and pulls me into a wonderful, sweet and way too short kiss. He shakes his head at me, like he just can't decide what to do and says, “Last night, I, um......., God, this is way harder than I thought it would be.”

I am about to make a naughty joke about what might be harder than it should be and suggest we maybe check it out in my bedroom. But as I am about to open my mouth, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me again, and for once in my life, I don't say a thing.

I am so proud of my restraint.

Maybe I will reward myself with some chocolate later.

We lay there, wrapped in each others arms for awhile, before he speaks again.

“I think you're awesome, Jay,”

I hear a big BUT coming….

“But I don't think we should date.”

I knew it. Fuck.

“Why?”

He sighs. “Part of me thinks we'd be great together, but I know we'd fight. You know how we fight.”

“Yeah, I know how we fight,” I laugh. “Danny, I don't understand. You love a challenge. Why do you always date girls who worship you? Where's the challenge in that?”

“There isn't one – that's the point. I have enough challenge in other areas of my life. With the girls I date, I just want simple, smooth and easy.” His hand goes out in front of him, making a calm water gesture.

“Easy to get along with or just plain easy?”

“Both is good,” he laughs. “But either way, not words I would use to describe you. Oh, I don't know,” he shakes his head, “a lot could happen. But I do know this. If we dated, it would ruin the picture. Probably ruin my game.”

Football. There's the real reason!

Doesn't that just suck!

Then he adds sweetly, “But most importantly, I'm afraid it would ruin us. I love you, Jay. I love our friendship,” he shakes his head and closes his eyes, “and I really, really, don't want to do anything to screw it up.”

Figures.

The one nice guy I try to date is too nice.

Thank God he passed out last night, and we didn't have sex.

“Danny,” I say diplomatically, “in the last eight days, I've gotten dumped by my boyfriend for a slut, buried both my parents, AND,” I smile at him, “just recently learned one of my best friends has a sick perversion for me. I really don't think I could handle a relationship right now.”

I'm totally lying, I could so handle a relationship with Danny, well, I think I could. Really I don't know. But I let him off the hook because I don't want to ruin our friendship either. I seriously don't know what I would do without him and Phillip.

Especially now.

He kisses me on the cheek and gets off the hammock, being careful not to tip me. “You know you love me.”

“Yeah, I know. And you're damned lucky I do.”

Cuz he is.

“Here's a thought,” he adds seriously.

“Yeah?”

“You'd be good with Phillip.”

And with that, he left.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

The rest of my senior year flew by. I slowly adjusted to not having my parents around, but it was hard. Sadly, what they say is true. Life does go on all around you, whether you want it to or not. I'm trying to take it day by day. Some are better than others because I have this constant empty ache inside of me, but I keep going. Phillip and Danny's families have been awesome though, and I haven't ever felt completely alone, like I was so afraid I would. Before I knew it, I was a high school graduate and then down in Lincoln and officially a college girl!

Choosing the University of Nebraska as my college was pretty much a no-brainer. It has a beautiful campus, outstanding academics and well, the Huskers. I mean I couldn't imagine myself at another school, going to a football game and cheering for their team. Especially now that Danny is the starting quarterback. Phillip is here too, so that made the choice even easier.

I'm living in a dorm with a pretty cool roommate, at least she seems that way so far. We went through rush together and even though we pledged different sororities, we are getting along well. We have similar backgrounds, having both grown up in small towns. We like boys and clothes, and thank God, she hates mornings almost as much as I do.

Oh, and newsflash….I've started going by my real name, Jadyn, instead of JJ. I think it sounds much more mature.

Phillip blew out his knee playing basketball this past summer and isn't going to walk-on the Husker football team as originally planned. He's okay with not playing football anymore. He went through rush and ended up pledging the same fraternity that our dads were in. Our dads always had great, wild stories about their time here, and I'm sure we only heard the watered down, tame versions of most of them. Tonight I'm going to experience a wild fraternity party first hand.

At least I hope it's wild!

Phillip's frat is hosting a party tonight, and evidently most fraternity parties have some kind of theme. Some of the themed parties they're hosting this year are: Secs and Execs (everyone dresses up as business people), Get Lei-d (obviously a Hawaiian party), Heaven and Hell (where's Mary Beth Parker when you need her?), Around the world (which has something to do with drinking a different shot in every room of the frat house), and of course, the timeless favorite, Toga.

This one is called Frosh Frenzy.

All week, Phillip has been forced to interview freshmen girls. I say forced because they have to, but it's not like Phillip minds. Interviewing is a great excuse to start talking to a cute girl. He has this little notebook, and he has to fill out a sheet on each girl he interviews. They're kind of like the slam books that we had in ninth grade. The pledge asks each girl a variety of questions. Innocent things like name, hometown, high school activities. And what they call vital statistics, like cup size, height and weight, hair color, phone number. And then personal information, like what you like in a guy, your idea of a great date, how far you will let a guy go on the great date, things like that. This part varies and tends to border on the risqué.

The interview process is supposedly a time-honored tradition. I remember Dad telling me that he met Mom when he interviewed her, but I had always thought maybe he worked for the school newspaper or something.

Now I understand, and quite frankly, I really wish I knew what she said because my dad was a total catch.

Phillip told me the interviewing process helps the pledges get to know their fellow classmates. I pointed out to him, very sarcastically, that if they really were trying to get to know their fellow classmates, they would interview a few fellows. But he just laughed at me.

Of course all freshmen girls, me included, are intrigued by the fraternity system and eager to answer the questions.

Especially from adorable Phillip.

And he is adorable. I mean Phillip has always been a very cute boy, but he seems to be getting even better looking the older he gets. He's leapfrogged the line separating cute from hot and has landed deeply into the hot category. I swear if he keeps this up, I may just have to keep him for myself.

Anyway, I've had to endure sitting by him in the student center, while he does his interviews. I hope I never gush like that over a boy. And some of the answers these girls give. I'm sort of embarrassed by them, and I don't embarrass easily! Sometimes an active will see a girl he thinks is hot and specifically tell the pledge to interview her. The active writes his initials at the bottom of the page, which lets everyone know that he saw her first.

And they say girls play games!

The party is a meet and greet party. Only interviewed freshmen girls are invited. It's held under the guise that they are trying to make their pledges more social, but I really think it's so the older guys can hit on the young, naive, freshmen girls.

As we walk down to the frat house, Phillip is telling me a whole bunch of rules he thinks I need to follow for the evening.

I swear, you'd think he was my father!

I'm half listening and half thinking about the cute guy I met in chemistry class today. Somehow I need to get him to be my lab partner. That would make Chemistry 101 a lot more interesting!

I hear Phillip saying, “Don't go upstairs with anyone.”

“Don't go on any so-called tours of the frat house.”

“Don't drink anything that you didn't pour yourself.”

“Never leave your drink out of sight.”

“Check in with me every half hour.”

I'm bored by Phillip's rules, and my mind wanders back to chemistry boy. I wonder if we get to pick our lab partners or if they're assigned? Maybe by alphabetical order? Shoot, I think, when I realize I still don't even know the cutie's name.

“Are you listening to me?” I hear Phillip ask.

“Uh, of course.” Now what did he just say? “You told me about checking in with you. I'm listening,” I lie. “Please, go on.”

So he does.

On and on and on.

“No getting drunk.”

“No table dancing.”

Like I'd ever do that!

“Don't get into a game of quarters.”

Well, maybe…

“Be wary of the upper classmen.”

No way!

“Stick by me……….”

Boring!

I thought at college you were supposed to abandon all rules. At least the ones you had to follow in high school. My mind wanders back to chemistry boy again.

I can't help it!

Maybe we can choose our chemistry partners based on CHEMISTRY, get it? Of course, I'm not sure if we have chemistry because all I did was smile at the boy, but he did smile back. It's a good start. Now I just need to find out his name and then……..

“Ahh!” I scream.

Phillip stops walking and steps directly in front of me. I awaken from my daydream to collide and then nearly fall over the top of him.

“What are you doing?” I yell at him, as he grabs my shoulders to stop me from falling and taking us both down.

God, he is strong. When I finally marry my prince, I hope he has strong arms like Phillip's. Oh, and great abs too. I wonder if many princes come to school here. Now that would be something useful to put in the student directory and a good recruiting tool, I would think, as well.

Phillip is talking loudly to me.

“What are you thinking about, and why are you spacing off? This is important stuff.” He sighs big at me.

“I appreciate that, Phillip.” He's still holding my shoulders and is totally in my face. I'm half tempted to kiss him, just to throw him off guard, but he'd probably get mad at me, and I don't need that right now, so I don't. “But you know, I'm not exactly the best rule follower. Why don't you just pick the most important one, and I'll do my best?” I say, with a wave of my hand.

He lets go of me, gives me that eye and says, “Fine. You're leaving with me.” He pauses for effect, “Have you got that?”

I nod my head.

“Repeat it,” he bosses.

Being the smart ass that I am, I raise my right hand up, like I'm taking an oath in a courtroom and say, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I will leave the party with you.”

“Continue.”

I sigh. The boy knows me too well. “Even if there is a cute boy that I would rather leave with.”

Then thinking of a possible loophole, I say, “Hey Phillip, what happens if I don't want to leave the frat house. Depending on how it goes, maybe I'll want to stay.”

Phillip is getting irritated with me, I can tell. I kind of like seeing him a little irritated and fortunately, I seem to be able to irritate him easily. He is usually so reserved.

Shoot!

I just realized that I am also very dumb because I really should have kept that loophole to myself. I may have needed it later.

That's the problem with my mouth. Sometimes it talks before my brain can think.

“God, do I need to get a lawyer just to get you to agree to something? Here it is. JJ, YOU ARE LEAVING WITH ME WHEN I AM READY TO LEAVE. GOT IT?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Jeez, he's my knight in shining armor, whether I want him to be or not.

Phillip and I walk into the frat house and are greeted by two pledges. They are sitting at a table in front of the door and matching girls with their pledge interviews. One of the boys takes a Polaroid picture (I didn't even know those cameras still existed!) of each girl and writes her name on it with a permanent marker. I get my picture taken, we head into the party, grab a beer and stand off to the edge of the party room, chatting and taking it all in. I keep catching a guy starring at me from across the room. Of course, being the terrible flirt that I am, I forget all of Phillip's rules and bat my eyes at the guy. I watch as another guy hands him one of those permanent markers.

What? Is he signing autographs later?

Across the way, I recognize two girls from my history class. A group of us have been whiling away the boring lectures by writing notes to each other about what kind of nasty things we'd like to do to the hot grad assistant. Due to my lack of experience in this area, I can easily say that I'm learning way more than expected in history class.

I glance back at the cute guy. Maybe it's time I get some of that experience.

“Don't look now, Phillip,” I order, “but who's the guy over there in the green Polo shirt?”

“Why do you care?” Phillip asks me suspiciously, in his snotty little boy voice. I swear sometimes I think he's twelve.

“I don't know,” I shrug. “He keeps looking over here. I just wondered who he is.”

Phillip does as he is told and waits a minute.

At least the boy can follow directions.

“Do you think he's cute?” he asks, before he looks.

“No, not really,” I lie.

Phillip rolls his eyes at me, glances over toward the green Polo and says, “Ah.” He nods his head up and down and frowns, “That is Matt Fuller. He's a senior and our Pledge Advisor.” He looks at me with squinty eyes and tries to read my mind. “He specifically asked me to interview you.”

“Really?” I smile way too big because now he totally knows I was lying about the cute part. “When? I'm pretty sure I'd remember him.” I look at Phillip quizzically.

“I don't remember exactly, but I think he saw me giving you a piggyback ride across campus.” Phillip shakes his head at me. “I really don't know why I let you get away with the stuff that you do.”

“Because I'm irresistible, Phillip,” I smile and shrug my shoulders. “You can't help yourself. Besides, you didn't go across campus, you only went about fifty feet before you pretended to have a heart attack from supporting my weight and collapsed on top of me in the grass.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember. I think you've gained some weight.”

I slug him in the shoulder.

He ignores it and continues, “Come to think of it, I think that's when Matt saw you.”

He gives me a big grin.

Like he just now remembered it.

“You probably didn't notice him because you were too busy rolling around on the grass with me.”

“I'm pretty sure I was trying to get you off me.”

“Well, it must've not looked that way to Matt because he asked if you were my girlfriend.”

“Oh, God. What story did you make up this time, Phillip?”

He smirks. “Oh, I just told him that even though you're madly in love with me, I don't want to be tied down, so we're just friends. Of course, what I should've said was Please, just take her, she's more trouble than she's worth.”

I give Phillip the finger.

Then I turn my back on him and stare over at Matt. I'm intrigued and excited by the fact that he wanted me interviewed. That means he's at least somewhat interested. Matt is really hot. I'm guessing him to be about 6'2” and he's built like an athlete. In good shape, but not too big. He has thick, wavy brown hair and I'm not sure if it's his authoritative stance or the crispness of his oxford, but he looks like he grew up with a rich daddy. I can picture him driving a little BMW to the club for golf and tennis. He could probably be in an ad for the company that made his shirt. He would look right at home standing in the backyard of a big summerhouse on the ocean, playing croquet and holding a martini.

Not my typical rough around the edges guy. But hey, I'm at college to experience new things, right?

Phillip, who evidently has been successful at reading my mind again, says, “I really don't think you want any part of that, Princess. He has a playboy reputation and the rumors of his sexual prowess are of practically legendary proportions. All the pledges are in awe of him, or at least of the stories about him.”

“Everyone? Even you, Phillip?”

Phillip just shakes his head at me. I frustrate that boy, I think.

I smile though because I like what I'm hearing about this Matt. Hopefully it's not all hype. Maybe there is a bad boy under all that polish!

Phillip frowns, “Unfortunately, I think he has you in his sights. So be careful, or better yet, just try to avoid him.”

“Phillllllipp, I am not going to avoid him.” I glance up to see Matt looking my way again. This time, I catch his eye. I hold his stare for a second, smiling, until he looks away seemingly embarrassed.

Some playboy.

He is cute though. What the hell? He probably made up his own reputation just to impress the pledges.

I think what the hell has become my personal mantra. I may have T-shirts made up soon.

“Okay. Then at least stop giving him those eyes. You're making me sick.”

I ignore Phillip's eye comment. “I'm sure the rumors are exaggerated, and besides he's probably not that interested in me anyway. I bet he asked for lots of freshman to be interviewed. Plus he doesn't look like my type…”

“What? He's not an idiot?” Phillip interrupts, taking a cheap shot at my taste in guys.

I frown at him, put my hand on my hip and flash a little attitude. “You know what? Just for fun, I'll bet you five bucks, I can make him come over here now and talk to me.”

We'll test out some of my newly discovered powers of male persuasion.

“Really? And just how are you gonna do that?”

Like I can't.

Lets see, I have already smiled and given him the eye. (Apparently Katie and Lisa have taught me well.) Next step, make him worry that my availability is questionable.

I face Phillip and lean my body close to his. Really I pretty much just press the whole front of my body up against the front of his. I should probably mention, Phillip has an excellent body to be pressing up against.

“Well Phillip,” I whisper slowly into his ear, “I'm just going to whisper in your ear.”

“And rub up the front of me too?” he whispers back. “I think I'm liking this plan.”

“No, I'm not going to do that. I'm simply getting very close to you, telling you, I don't know, something very private.”

“Are you talking dirty to me?” He laughs and wraps his arms around me. That mind reading thing comes in handy sometimes because he totally understands my ruse.

“Yes, I am! So grin like you like what I'm saying.”

“Why don't you kiss my neck while you're there, just for good measure.”

“Good idea. You don't mind my using you, do you, Phillip?” I ask, as I put my lips onto his neck up by his ear.

I hear his breath catch.

I don't think he minds.

His neck smells really good. I love the way Phillip smells. All manly and musky and quite yummy. For a minute, I almost forget about that Matt guy.

“Not at all,” Phillip purrs, “although if it doesn't work really fast, I might be forced to drag you back to the dorm and have my way with you.”

I admit, I think it would be fun to let Phillip have his way with me, but we're just friends and we don't want to ruin that, so yeah.

I laugh and start to say, “Phil…” when he interrupts me.

“You're good,” Phillip says, surprised. “Here he comes.”

“Liar.” I don't even turn around because I'm sure he's teasing me. It couldn't have worked that fast.

But it must have because instead of answering me, Phillip switches me into one arm, leans around me and shakes Matt's hand. I turn around and am face to face with a Greek God.

He is even better looking up close. Because up close you can see he has these amazing emerald green eyes and a sexy five o'clock shadow.

“Matt Fuller,” Phillip says, introducing me. “This is my friend, Jadyn Reynolds.”

Matt holds out his hand to shake mine.

I put my hand in his, “It's nice to meet you.”

Matt shakes my hand then lowers his hand to his side, without letting mine go.

In fact, I don't think he has any intention of letting it go.

What is this boy up to?

He gazes at me with those smoldering green eyes and quickly gets rid of Phillip. “Hey Phillip, why don't you go get some beers. The lady's empty.” He clinks my empty bottle with his full one.

“Uh, sure,” Phillip says. He knows he is being dismissed, so when he gets behind Matt's back, he gives me a look that says remember the rules.

I look at Matt and then down at my hand. “So do I get my hand back?”

“I don't think so,” he says, literally oozing sex appeal out of every pore.

Now I would have thought this kind of bold move would turn me off a guy, but it seems to be having the opposite effect. I'm kind of impressed. It's goofy, but this is something I could see myself doing to make an impression.

“So I'll just have to stay here all night, huh?” I say innocently, but knowing the sentence has major innuendo.

'Well, at least until you get to know me properly,” he replies and blinks lazily.

“Oh, great,” I say, rolling my eyes in mock boredom, “next you'll ask me my major.”

“No, I already know. Engineering.”

Mr. Smarty Pants, huh?

“Well, either you read my interview, or you are psychic.”

“Guilty.”

Not only is he still holding my hand, but also, he is totally invading my personal space. It's making me slightly crazy. I'm having a very hard time trying not to look at his mouth. I fear if I keep looking at it, I might do something rash, like just start kissing it. I am also fighting a growing impulse to rub my cheek up against all those stubbles on his face.