Campus Crush

by Ashelyn Drake

  “So, am I supposed to drink the sprinkles?”

  “Oh, silly little freshman.” He winks and turns the cone upside-down in the coffee mug, covering it completely with sprinkles. “There, now try it.”

  “Um, I haven’t eaten my mashed potatoes yet.”

  “Eh, the food here sucks anyway. Best to go straight for dessert.” He holds the cone out to me. No way am I licking it while he’s still holding it. I mean, I’m terrible at flirting, but even I can see how that would look. I take the cone, and our fingers brush against each other. He motions for me to go ahead. I take a small lick.

  He rolls his eyes. “Seriously, we’ll be here all day at this rate.” He takes the cone back and licks all around it, not caring that my tongue was just on the yogurt. Once all the sprinkles are gone, he turns the cone upside-down in the mug and pulls it out, covered once again in sprinkles. “Voila! Good as new.” He holds it out to me, as if I’m going to eat it after he just licked the whole thing. If I’m going to be swapping spit with him, that’s not how it’s going to happen.

  “Nice trick. I’ll have to remember that one.”

  He leans closer and raises his hand to my face. Is he going to kiss me? “You have a sprinkle.” He brushes his thumb across my bottom lip. “There. That’s better.”

  I stare at him, unable to speak because my lip is numb from his touch. No, not numb. More like aching to kiss him.

  He cocks his head and smiles, clearly knowing he’s gotten to me. “You okay?”

  “Y-yeah.” I stumble on the word. “I should go find my friend and eat some real food.”

  “Suit yourself, but I’ve got twenty bucks that says you’ll be making your own cone and mug of sprinkles when you’re finished with that.” He winks and walks away, licking his cone and forgetting all about his tray of food.

  “Holy shit, Noelle.”

  I turn around to see Julia grinning like a circus clown. “Where have you been?”

  “Watching. That guy is seriously into you.”

  I look down at the tray of food in her hands. “You were in line?”

  “Yup. I sweet talked my way to about three people behind you.” She arches her brow.

  “Let me guess, hot guy?”

  “No. He was dreadful. Freckles and glasses.” Julia has freckles, too, but she covers them with makeup. I never understood why. I think freckles are cute, like the one just under my mystery guy’s right eye. “I needed to be able to hear what you and sexy college boy were saying, though,” Julia continues.

  “I was holding a spot for you, remember? You could’ve joined us.” Though I’m glad she didn’t.

  “And interrupt the flirting?” She shakes her head. “No way.”

  My cheeks warm. “So you heard all of that?”

  “Every word. R.A., son of the dean, wanted you to lick his ice cream cone.” She says the last part slowly, emphasizing each word.

  “Shut up. He didn’t mean it like that.” Did he?

  “Sure he didn’t, and I didn’t give Mr. Freckles a fake number.”

  “Let’s just find a seat, okay?” I don’t want her cheapening my encounter with…Man, I really need to find out what his name is.

  She motions to a table near the door, and we sit down. I dig into my mashed potatoes and try to think about anything but him.

  “When are you going to see him again?” Julia asks, knowing exactly what’s on my mind—or should I say who?

  I shove another forkful of mashed potatoes into my mouth to avoid answering. The truth is I want to see him again. I want to know what his name is, if he’s a good kisser…

  “Oh, so you’re going to ignore me now?”

  Like that ever works with her. “There’s just nothing to talk about as far as he’s concerned.” Not yet anyway.

  Julia gives me a look and I know she doesn’t believe me, but she lets it go and pushes her tray aside. “The food in this place sucks. How was the yogurt?”

  The yogurt. I picture his face when he said he’d bet twenty dollars that I’d make myself a cone and a mug of sprinkles. He was so right. It’s all I can think about. Well, other than him.

  “Good.” Really good.

  Julia gets up and motions for me to follow. We dump our garbage and return our trays before making our way over to the yogurt station.

  “So how do we do this?” Julia asks. I know she saw everything, but she wants to see my reaction. Figure out how I really feel about him.

  Without a word, I make our cones and grab two mugs full of sprinkles. I look around for any sign of him, but he must have left already. I can’t even mask my disappointment, and I’m not sure I’m in the mood for yogurt anymore.

  “What, not as good as last time?” Julia asks. “Is it the company?”

  “Seriously, you’re reading way too much into the yogurt.” Apparently, so had I. If he really thought I’d go back for yogurt, wouldn’t he have stuck around? Why does he keep flirting with me and then disappearing?

  We start back toward our seats, when Julia’s head whips around. Before I can see what it is that got her attention, she says, “I’ll be right back,” and takes off in a hurry.

  “Where are you—?”

  “I told you you’d come back.” The words are a mere whisper behind me, and he’s so close his breath sends tingles down my neck.

  Chapter Three

  I turn around a little too quickly, and my cone smashes into his chest. His rock hard chest. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry.” I set my mug and cone down on the nearest table and look around for napkins. There aren’t any, but I see a guy two seats over bringing a napkin to his mouth. I reach for the napkin, ripping it from his hand. “Sorry. Emergency.” I turn and wipe the yogurt from—what is his name?

  He smiles and places his hand on top of mine. I stop wiping his shirt and stare into his blue eyes, nearly melting on the spot. “You stole a napkin for me. I’m touched.”

  I’d steal more than that for him. “I didn’t see any others around.”

  He laughs. “Resourceful. That will come in handy in college.”

  “Right.” My body feels like it’s on fire. He must think I’m a klutz in addition to being a hillbilly with no direction. I might as well let Julia go for him. I’ve officially ruined my chances.

  “I meant that as a compliment, but it looks like I’ve offended you.”

  “No. I’m just…embarrassed.” There, I said it.

  “Don’t be. Last week, some guy spilled a plate of pasta on a girl’s head. Now that was embarrassing. This is just a little yogurt. It won’t even stain.” He smiles, and already I feel better.

  “You’re sweet.” Oh God! I did not mean to say that out loud. I swallow hard, waiting for his reaction.

  “Thanks. You know, you never told me your name.”

  “You didn’t tell me yours, either.” My confidence returns as I realize he’s still flirting with me.

  “Well, seeing as I’m the victim of a yogurt attack, I think you should tell me first.”

  If he keeps smiling at me like that I’ll tell him anything he wants to know. “I’m Noelle. Noelle Buckman.” I can’t help wondering if telling him my last name wasn’t a good idea. His dad’s the dean. He could look me up or something. Find out I bombed my S.A.Ts. Crap!

  “Nice to meet you, Noelle Buckman.” Great. It’s like he’s repeating my name to commit it to memory. I’m screwed. “I’m Andy Decker.” He’s being so formal all of a sudden that I almost expect him to bow or something.

  A glob of yogurt falls off his shirt. “Oh. We really need more napkins.” I look around, but there’s no one else to steal them from. The cafeteria is almost deserted. “Where did everyone go?”

  Andy looks at his watch. “Damn it. The next lecture’s already started. Dad will be thrilled I’m late.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll tell him it was my fault. He can’t blame you after he finds out I dumped my yogurt on you.”

  “Sure he will. He’ll tell me I got what I dese
rved for hitting on you.”

  I freeze. Even though I know that’s what he’s doing, hearing him admit it makes my heart race. “Um, I guess we should go. I have to find Julia.”

  He looks around. “It seems I keep scaring off your friend.”

  “Nah. She’s dodging you on purpose to give us a chance to—” I catch myself, but the damage is already done.

  He gives me a sexy half-smile that has me thinking about kissing him again. “To give us a chance to…”

  He wants me to say it. To admit what’s going on between us. This is new territory for me. Most guys at my school would never admit they liked me without sending one of their friends to find out if I liked them first. Andy is so open, honest. It makes me like him even more.

  “Get to know each other.” I swallow my nerves and force myself to meet his eyes.

  “Is that what you want?”

  A world of yes! “Did I not make that clear when I smeared my yogurt on your shirt?” Wait. Am I actually getting better at flirting?

  He laughs. “I don’t know how I missed that. Now that you mention it, it’s so obvious.”

  I smile, and my shoulders relax, even though my stomach is full of flutters.

  “Well, I don’t want your friend to get worried about you, so you should probably head to the Newman building. That’s where the lecture is. Oh,” he reaches for my elbow, “and don’t worry. This time my dad’s not the one giving the lecture. This one is all about the athletic programs here at Timberland.” He smiles again, and I feel like I could melt into the floor, just like my yogurt. He cocks his head. “You okay?”

  “Oh, yeah.” I snap myself out of my Andy-induced stupor. “I just need to wash this yogurt off me.” I hold up my hand, which is a sticky mess.

  “Bathrooms are by the doors there. Come on, I’ll walk you.”

  I don’t bother to tell him I already know where the bathrooms are because I don’t want him to leave. “Thanks.” I turn around, and he places his hand lightly on the small of my back. I wonder if he can feel my heart pounding.

  I walk inside the ladies’ room, and he heads into the men’s. I go directly to the sink and wash my hands. Then I take in my reflection and breathe out a long sigh. The loose curls I put in my hair this morning are starting to get limp, and my highlights really need to be redone. I should’ve made sure I looked my best for orientation. I mean I knew there would be hot guys here, but I never expected Andy. No guy has ever gotten to me like he has. He’s different. He’s…worth it. Worth the risk, worth the potential heartache, worth the amazing feeling I have in my gut right now. At least I think he is.

  “You okay in there?” Andy calls into the bathroom.

  “Yeah.” I’m better than okay. I’m ready. I walk out of the bathroom and smile at Andy, who now has a big wet spot on his shirt. “Do you want to go change before heading to the lecture?”

  “Are you offering to escort me?” His tone is flirtatious but not pushy.

  Go to a lecture or be alone with Andy? That wouldn’t be a hard decision at all, but is he serious? “Um—”

  “Relax. I’m only kidding,” he says, misreading my hesitation. “Although, I do get to take you all on a tour of the dorms soon.” He winks and motions for me to lead the way out of the cafeteria.

  I hate that I keep coming off as the naïve little freshman, but so far Andy’s been really nice about it. I have no idea where the Newman building is, so I stop at the bottom of the stairs. “Well, Mr. Tour Guide, where to?”

  He points to the brown brick building across the quad and places his other hand on my back again. This all seems so natural to him, and I can’t help letting my mind go to the dark place, the one that questions if Andy is so good at this because he’s done it before, maybe numerous times. Am I just a notch on his R.A. belt?

  “You’re quiet.” Andy turns his head to look at me. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m just wondering what happened to Julia.” Not a lie. I am wondering why she’d just leave me like that. I mean I know she wants me to hook up with Andy, and she knew he was behind me in the cafeteria, but I was expecting to find her waiting for me outside. On second thought, knowing her, she went off to find a guy of her own. Hotter than Andy, if possible.

  “I’m sure she’s fine. Most of the people on campus this weekend are here for orientation, so she had plenty of people to follow to the lecture.” He pulls open the doors of the Newman building. “Speaking of, we’re here.” He holds the door for me again. I could definitely get used to this.

  We walk into a lobby, and Andy motions to a door just off to our right. “It’s in that classroom.”

  “Want to sit with me or do you have some special R.A. seating?” My pulse races as I wait for his reply. I’m not ready to say goodbye to him yet.

  “Actually, I kind of do have special seating. But, not for being an R.A. I’m on one of the athletic panels. I’m a swimmer.”

  A swimmer. Yeah, that would explain his perfectly toned body. “Is a mug of sprinkles a daily part of your training diet?”

  “Not exactly.” He leans closer and whispers. “Don’t tell Coach, but sometimes I have them at lunch and dinner. Luckily, I have a great metabolism.”

  I smile. I can still smell the rainbow sprinkles on his breath, and nothing’s ever smelled so sweet. I bite my lip to keep from doing something impulsive, like grabbing his face and smothering his lips with mine.

  He steps back and pats the front of his shirt again. The wet spot is not that noticeable anymore, and I’m left to stare at his chest muscles, which is perfectly fine by me. He catches me staring, and he smiles, knowing I like what I see.

  He gets the door to the auditorium-style classroom where the lecture is being held, but before I step inside I say, “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Count on it.” He squeezes my elbow before walking toward the front of the room and taking a seat at one of the long rectangular tables.

  I head to the back, where Julia is sitting with an empty seat saved next to her. She eyes me and waves me over. The second I sit down, she says, “Tell me everything!”

  I’m dying to blurt it all out, the yogurt, the way Andy touched my arm, the way he winked at me, but Andy stands up and walks to the microphone at the front of the room. My eyes are glued to him. To the way he holds himself with such confidence.

  “Girl, you have it bad,” Julia says, studying my face.

  I motion for her to be quiet, not wanting to miss a second of Andy’s deep voice.

  “Good afternoon.” He pauses and smiles, his eyes scanning the crowd and finding me. “Do we have any swimmers among us?”

  “Raise your hand.” Julia tugs my arm, trying to get my hand in the air, but I swat at her.

  “What are you doing? I don’t swim.”

  “So? Maybe he’ll teach you. I bet he looks amazing in one of those tiny Speedos.” She lets out what can only be described as a growl. I glare at her. “Sorry. I know he’s yours and all, but I’m not blind and I can’t tame my vivid imagination.”

  Mine? Andy’s not mine. Sure, we’re attracted to each other, but so far we’ve barely even touched—though I can still feel the warmth of his hand on my back and the graze of his thumb on my lower lip. “You need a dip in a nice cold pool to cool you off, you know that?” Maybe I do, too. Preferably with Andy.

  “Whatever. The guy is seriously hot.”

  I know. For the love of Poseidon do I know!

  I turn back to Andy, who is deep into his speech now. I want to smack Julia for making me miss it, even if I’m not interested in joining the swim team. He thanks everyone for listening and wishes us a great first semester. As he turns and walks back to his seat, he meets my gaze, just for a second. And a second is all it takes to do me in. I’m so hot for the R.A.

  Chapter Four

  After the athletic lecture, we’re all led outside where Andy is waiting to take us on a tour of the dorms. My heart skips at the thought of seeing his room. Is t
hat where he’s bringing us? Or will he show us an empty dorm room so we can envision our own stuff in it?

  Julia grabs my hand and pulls me to the front of the group, right behind Andy. He sees me almost immediately and smiles as he continues to point to buildings and rattle off their names. I’m not processing a word. I just stare at his full lips, imagining them on mine. I’m so lost in my daydream I don’t even notice the group has stopped, and Julia has to tug me so I don’t walk straight into Andy’s back. I mouth a silent thank you, and Julia rolls her eyes at me.

  He swipes his key card in the slot next to the door. “This is Mercer Hall, one of the newer dorms on campus. As you can see, no one without a key card can get into the dorms, so you’ll all be perfectly safe in your home away from home.”

  “Think they make him say that?” Julia asks. “It sounds so scripted.”

  I shrug, and my mind goes back to that place, the one that wonders if my entire interaction with Andy has been scripted. How many girls has he flirted with at orientation? There were four orientation dates scheduled in the course of the month, and this is the last of them. It could all be a game to him. Maybe guys don’t grow up at all when they go away to college.

  He holds the door for us, his eyes lingering on mine as I step into the dorm. Damn, his look makes my stomach do flips. I hope his feelings for me are sincere because I’m not sure I can make mine go away.

  “I wish he’d look at me like that,” Julia whispers in my ear as we all crowd around the mailboxes in the lobby.

  “The elevators are right there to your left,” Andy says, pointing the way. We follow like a herd of sheep. Dean Decker made a comment about how freshmen tend to travel in packs. I guess this is good practice. “Now, we won’t all fit inside, so we’ll make a few trips. First group, take the elevator up to the third floor. If anyone wants to take the stairs with me, they’re this way. You’ll find walking the stairs is a good way to get in some exercise between classes.”