"I didn't like it. I'm someone who needs more structure. In fact, I think that's why I'm obsessed with organizing things and why I don't like clutter. My parents never made me clean my room or pick up after myself and now it's like I'm rebelling against that and have become a neat freak."
"And why you don't like bright colors."
"Exactly. And it's why I eat meat and drink soda and love junk food. My parents are vegans and everything we ate had to be healthy and organic. I rebelled against that in high school."
We're at the front of the line and a woman scans our ID's and motions us into the room. It's just a big open space with some tables and chairs. A stage is set up for the band. The area just in front of it doesn't have any tables so I'm guessing that'll become the dance floor once the music starts.
"Let's sit here." Willow takes a seat at a long table off to the side.
"Did you go to a public high school?" I ask, as I sit next to her. I'm finding her life to be very interesting. Not at all like mine. My parents are boring compared to hers, and I went to a private prep school that was nothing but rules.
"Starting in ninth grade, I went to public school. I begged my parents to let me so they did. They believe in letting children make their own choices, even if they disagree with those choices, which is why I'm here, getting a business degree."
"They sound like good parents."
"They are. They've always been supportive. They're just strange. They—" She stops. "Holy shit, look at that guy." She nudges my arm and I follow her gaze to the guy I saw earlier. Preston. He's about twenty feet away from us, talking to some other guys.
"Yeah, he's hot."
"He's more than hot. Maybe he's an actor. I heard this school has tons of wanna-be actors."
"It's because of their performing arts program. It's one of the best in the country."
She turns to me. "Is that your major? I never asked."
"I'm majoring in fine arts, which is in the same department as performing arts. Actually, I think I have to take an acting class at some point in the next four years."
"So you want to be an artist?"
"Yeah. I like to draw and paint."
She smiles. "Then my parents might like you after all. They love artists. A lot of their friends are painters." She nudges me again. "Hottie Guy just looked over here."
I glance his way but he's talking to his friends. He changed clothes from when I saw him earlier. Now he's wearing light colored pants, a white t-shirt, a navy linen blazer, and loafers. Very preppy.
"I've never been with a guy like that," Willow says.
"Like what?"
"Old school preppy. The blazer. The loafers. Probably comes from old money."
"That's the only kind of guy I've dated. I went to a private prep school so all the guys dressed like him. Although that guy's way hotter than any guy at my high school."
She's staring at him. "I wonder what he's like in bed."
"What?" I turn to her, a little shocked.
Her eyes dart back to mine. "Oh. Sorry. Does that bother you? I'm so used to talking openly about sex that I forget that other people might take offense to it."
"I'm not offended. I'm just surprised. In my family, we don't talk about..." I lower my voice, "sex."
"My parents told me about it when I was five. They have no problem talking about it, or the fact that I've done it. They're all about expressing love. My mom even gave me condoms when I was 15."
"Did you use them?"
"Not until I was 16, when I started dating. Oddly enough, I ended up dating a hippie. A guy from my old school. The alternative one. Our parents are good friends. We grew up together and spent every weekend working at our parents' booths at the farmers' market. His mom makes jewelry. Really cool stuff. I have some of it. Remind me to show you."
"How long did you date him?"
"About a year. He's a year older than me so we broke up when he graduated and took off to go backpacking across Europe."
"Where is he now?"
"Still in Europe. I'm not sure where. He's probably camping on some mountain right now."
"Do you have a picture of him?"
She gets her phone out, swipes through some photos, and hands me the phone. The photo shows a guy with dark wavy hair that hangs just below his chin. He has tan skin, a thick layer of stubble on his face, and deep blue eyes.
"He's hot," I say, giving her the phone back.
She leans closer and lowers her voice. "He's also amazing in bed. Like amaaazing." She breathes out a sigh. "No one else has even come close to Silas. That's his name. Silas."
"So you've been with other guys?"
"I dated jocks in high school. I was a cheerleader. It was my parents' worst nightmare. They don't like girls cheering on men while wearing skimpy outfits. But they let me do it because they believe parents should support their child's interests even if they don't like those interests. Anyway, I dated the quarterback. He sucked in bed. He was done in like a minute. Then I dated a couple guys on the basketball team. Also disappointing. I think hippies excel in this area. They're all about taking their time, experiencing all the senses, caring about their partner. At least Silas was that way."
"It sounds like you really liked him."
"I did." Her soft tone and sad expression make me think she really misses this Silas guy. Maybe she loved him, but then he took off and broke her heart.
An older woman approaches our table. "You can help yourself whenever you're ready." She points to a buffet table where the food is set up. "The president will speak after everyone has served themselves."
"Thank you," Willow says. She waits for the woman to leave. "I wonder how long the president's going to talk."
"Probably not long."
"Do you want to go up and get—" She grabs my hand under the table. "Hot Guy's coming over here."
Preston walks up to our table, smiling with his bright white teeth. His eyes are on me. Why me? Why not Willow? The two of them look like a perfect match. Their styled hair. Their sophisticated clothes.
In my flowing skirt, flat sandals, and windblown hair, I probably look like a hippie compared to Willow, with her sleek white dress, wedge heels, and smooth silky hair. But he doesn't even glance at Willow.
"Hi." He takes the seat across from me, his light blue eyes fixed on mine. "I saw you earlier. You were drawing something. What were you drawing?"
"I was um..." I hear my mom scolding me for saying 'um' and it makes me lose my train of thought. Willow lightly bumps my foot under the table and I wake up and remember what he asked me. "I was drawing a tree."
"Are you an artist?"
"Not yet, but I'm hoping to be. How about you? What's your major?"
"Business administration."
"Mine too," Willow says.
He glances at her, just briefly, then focuses back on me. "What's your name?"
"Lilly."
He smiles again. "Like the flower?"
"Yeah, but with two L's."
He puts his hand out toward me. "I'm Preston. Preston Litchfield."
We shake hands. He has a firm handshake.
"Litchfield," Willow says, like she's thinking. "Does your dad own Litchfield Investments?"
"Yeah." Preston finally focuses on her. "You've heard of it? You must be from New York."
"No. I just read a lot of business news. Litchfield Investments has been very successful the past few years. Your dad's had some major merger and acquisition deals."
Willow seems to know what she's talking about. Maybe she really will be a CEO someday.
Preston shrugs. "I guess. I don't really pay attention to what he's doing."
That's odd. If he's a business major, wouldn't he be interested in his father's company? Then again, Garret was a business major and he had no interest in Kensington Chemical.
Preston's gaze wanders back to me. "So...after dinner, are you sticking around to hear the band?"
"I'm not sure yet."
&nbs
p; "I think you should." He gives me a flirtatious smile. "I was hoping to get a dance, if you agree to it."
"Oh, I don't know. I'm um..." I hesitate and Willow kicks my foot under the table, harder this time. "I guess I could stick around."
"Good." He rises from his chair. "I'll see you later."
"What is wrong with you?" Willow asks once he's gone.
"What do you mean?"
"The guy's practically begging you to go out with him and you just brushed him off. I thought you liked him."
"I don't know if I like him. I just met him."
"But you think he's hot, right?"
"Yeah, he's hot." I watch as he goes up and talks to a man who looks like a professor.
"Then stop acting so shy and get him before some other girl does. A guy like that isn't going to be single for long."
"I thought we were hanging out tonight. I don't want to ditch you for some guy I just met."
"Don't worry about me. You need to go after Mr. Hottie. Mr. RICH Hottie. His family is worth millions."
Mine is worth billions, but I don't like to bring that up. Besides, I'm sure Willow already knows, given that she knows who my dad is.
"Speaking of hotties," she says, "how'd you get such a hot brother? He's even hotter than Preston."
"He's my half brother and I don't think he's hot."
"You just can't see it because you're his sister. But trust me, he's hot. One of the hottest guys I've ever seen. Does he have a girlfriend?"
"He's married. With four kids."
"Shut up! Are you serious? He's like 25."
"He's 31. He just looks younger because he works out a lot."
"Your family must have good genes. You're gorgeous. Your brother's super hot." She pauses. "Now that I think about it, I've seen your dad on TV and—"
"Stop." I put my hand up. "Do not say my dad is hot."
She shrugs. "Sorry, but it's true. He's hot for an old guy." She stands up. "Let's go get our food. The line's getting long."
We walk over to the buffet table. The room is crowded now and it's getting loud.
"Taylor!" Willow yells at some girl a few feet ahead of us.
The girl turns around and waves. "Hey!"
"Are you eating with anyone?"
"No. I came by myself."
Willow waves her over. "Come eat with us."
Taylor's about 5'9, so as tall as me, and she has lean muscles like an athlete. Her dark blond hair is in a loose braid and she's dressed casually, in denim shorts and a bright green t-shirt.
"This is Lilly," Willow says to her. "Lilly, this is Taylor. She lives on our floor but way down the hall, next to the RA."
"Hi." I smile at her.
She says hi back and we go through the whole what's-your-major discussion, which I'll probably be doing over and over again for the next week.
"Taylor's from Phoenix," Willow says. "She's on the golf team."
"My dad used to a pro golfer," she says. "And now my brother is. I got hurt last year so probably won't ever go pro, but at least I'm able to play at the college level."
We move up in the line and Willow says, "Her dad named her after that company that makes golf equipment."
I laugh. "TaylorMade?"
"Yes." She rolls her eyes.
"My parents named me after the tree I was conceived under." Willow sighs and shakes her head.
"What about you?" Taylor asks me. "Do your parents like lilies?"
"I don't think so. I'm not sure why they named me that."
"You should see her brother," Willow says to Taylor. "He is so hot. Lilly, show her a picture."
"Of my brother? He's married. And a dad."
"So. He's still hot. Show her."
I get my phone out and show Taylor a photo of Garret standing on the beach, holding Ethan and Miles. "That's him with his twin boys. They're three and a half. He also has two little girls."
Taylor grabs my phone. "Oh my God, he IS really hot! Look at those abs."
Of course, I had to pick a photo of Garret not wearing a shirt. I wasn't even thinking about that.
"Let me see!" Willow leans in to see the photo. "He is so hot."
I sigh. "This is my brother you're talking about it. Could you not drool over him, please?"
Willow's still staring at the photo. "Too bad he's married. Do you like his wife?"
"I love her. She's great. She and Garret went to Camsburg, which is one of the reasons I decided to go here."
"They met in college?" Taylor asks.
"Yeah, on their first day on campus. And they got married when they were 19."
"Nineteen?" Taylor hands me my phone. "That's way too young."
"It worked for them. They're totally in love and really happy."
"I'm pretty sure I won't meet my future husband my first day on campus." Willow checks her watch. "Although there are still plenty of hours left in the day." Willow smiles at me. "Lilly might've met her future husband."
"I don't think so," I mumble.
"What are you talking about?" Taylor asks.
We're finally at the front of the food line and Willow hands us each a plate. "Preston Litchfield just asked her out."
"He did not ask me out."
Taylor takes some silverware from the bin. "Preston is on the men's golf team. The men's and women's teams went golfing yesterday as kind of a meet and greet. Preston's not that great. As a golfer, I mean. As for looks, he's really hot. So when are you going out with him?"
"I'm not." I spoon some mashed potatoes on my plate. "He just asked if I was staying to hear the band tonight and if I would dance with him."
"I'm still waiting for an answer." I hear his voice by my ear and freeze. He's right behind me, reaching around me to get some napkins.
Willow and Taylor are staring at me, waiting for me to say something, but I can't. I'm too embarrassed that he heard me talking about him. I'm sure my face is bright red.
He leans in closer. "I'm just going to take that as a yes. Enjoy your dinner." And then he leaves.
Willow and Taylor burst out laughing.
"It's not funny." I drop a piece of chicken on my plate. "Why didn't you tell me he was behind me?"
"I didn't even notice," Willow says. "Don't worry about it. You didn't say anything embarrassing."
"Just the fact that I was talking about him is embarrassing." I grab a soda and go back to the table.
Willow joins me. "He was checking you out just now when you walked over here."
"Can we talk about something else?" I take a bite of mashed potatoes just as my phone rings. It's Jade, so I answer. "Hi, Jade."
"Hi. How's it going?"
"Good. I'm at that freshman dinner right now."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry."
"Did Garret make you call me to check up on me?"
"No, he's outside with the kids. Did he call you already?"
"Yes."
"I'll tell him to leave you alone. You're probably sick of us calling so much. We just want to make sure you're okay."
"I'm good. But I should go. My food's getting cold."
"Yeah. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye." I set my phone down.
"Was that your family?" Taylor asks.
"Yes. They keep calling me. They're all worried about me living on my own for the first time."
"My family's the same way. My mom's called at least five times today."
"May I have your attention, please?" The president of the college is on stage, his voice booming from the speakers. He gives a short speech, then leaves the stage to let the band set up.
We go back to talking about our families. Willow shares more stories about her parents. They may be a little strange but at least they treat her like an adult. She doesn't have to check in with them constantly like I have to do with my parents. That needs to change. I'm in college now and they need to let me have my freedom. They can't be calling me ten times a day to check in. The same goes for Jade and Ga
rret. I love them, but I need my space.
The lights dim, signaling the music will be starting soon. Am I supposed to find Preston now? Or is he going to find me? He didn't tell me, so now I'm left wondering.
Guys. Why can't they be more clear? I'm starting to get nervous, which usually happens when I'm on a first date. But is this a date? Not really, but I still feel nervous. Maybe I should sneak out and forget the dance.
I see Willow across from me, a sly grin forming as her eyes focus on whoever's behind me.
"Lilly."
I can't see him but I recognize the voice. It's Preston.
So I guess I'm not leaving.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Hey, Preston," I say. "The band hasn't started yet."
"I know, but I thought we could go somewhere and talk. Get to know each other a little." He smiles. "I usually don't dance with girls I don't know."
I glance at Willow, who nods slightly.
"Okay." I stand up and say to Willow and Taylor, "See you guys later."
Preston doesn't say anything to them, which is odd. Wouldn't he at least say hello? He knows Taylor from the golf team.
We go outside where it's quieter and sit on one of the benches just outside the building.
"Taylor said you're on the golf team," I say. "She said she met you yesterday."
"Yeah. The men's and women's teams went golfing."
"Do you not like her?"
"She seems nice. Why?"
"It's just that you didn't say hello to her just now. Or to Willow." I usually don't call people out on stuff like that, but having Preston ignore my new friends really bothered me. It's something my mother would do. She ignores anyone who isn't important to her or can't benefit her somehow. I don't like it when people act that way.
He drops his head and rubs his jaw. "You're right. I'm sorry. That was rude. I was just nervous and wasn't thinking."
He doesn't seem like someone who gets nervous. He seems very confident. When he was flirting with me earlier, he didn't seem unsure of himself.
"Why were you nervous?"
"Because you're really hot. You could have any guy you want and yet you agreed to go out with me."
I never agreed to go out with him. And I don't like it when guys tell me I'm hot right after meeting me. It makes me think they only want me for sex.
Lilly: A Kensington Family Novel Page 3