by Terry Towers
MOM
I groaned inwardly. I really didn’t want to talk to her right now. Since my father’s murder a little over four years ago, she’d been a basket case. It was impossible to have a conversation with her without her breaking down in tears, reminiscing on all the good times she had with my father and asking me why God felt he needed my father so soon. How in the hell should I know? Even if I believed in heaven and hell and all that stuff, which I didn’t, I still wouldn’t have a clue.
Dismissing the call, I was in the process of shoving the phone back into my bag when I collided with what felt like a solid wall. I yelped in surprise as I lost my balance, stumbled and began what seemed like a slow motion tumble backwards. Just as I braced myself for the impact of hitting the floor, a pair of strong arms encircled me, and I was pulled up tight against the very thing that caused my near fall.
“You okay?” a deep male voice asked.
“Yeah, fine. Nothing hurt.”
But my pride, I silently added, looking up to see who it was I collided with and was surprised to see it was the guy from my first class—Kyle, I believe it was. Our gazes locked, my dark eyes on his icy blue ones as I lingered in his arms a moment. Taking a deep breath in, I inhaled the intoxicating scent of his aftershave. It was a woodsy scent with a spicy undertone. It was nice, and it made me want to stay in his arms, but I didn’t. Pushing lightly at his chest, I reluctantly removed myself from his embrace.
“Hey, aren’t you in my Human Sexuality course?” he asked taking a step back, crossed one ankle casually over the other, and leaned against the book stack.
“I’m in that class.”
“Thought so. Listen, since I missed last week, I need to catch up on last week’s notes. Don’t suppose I could bum those off of you?”
I looked down the length of his body and immediately spotted the one thing I’d been seeking, the book I needed for my essay. Chewing at my lower lip, I gave him a smile I reserved for men I was trying to charm and nodded. “Depends.”
He cocked a brow up at me and grinned, dimples appearing at his cheeks. “On what?”
“On whether you’ll give me that book or not. I need it.”
He looked down at the book in his hand as if he’d forgotten he’d even been holding onto it. “Yeah, see, I need the book as well though.”
I shrugged. “Then I guess we don’t have anything to talk about.” I started to turn from him, but he was quick, his hand shooting out and grasping my upper arm and gently turning me back to face him.
“Okay, how is this for a deal?” He held the book out in front of my eyes, tilting it from side to side as if mocking me with it. “How about you give me a copy of the notes and go out with me tomorrow? And then I’ll give you the book on our date.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Maybe I have a boyfriend?”
His smile didn’t fade. “That would be a shame,” he said, humoring me.
“But then, if I were interested…”
His smile widened.
“I said IF I were interested, where do you suggest we go on this date?”
“Dunno.” He shrugged. “Was thinking perhaps a hot dog and Coke at the food cart outside Madison Hall.”
I looked at him hard, trying to determine if he was joking or not. His expression was unreadable. All I could do was bet on not.
“Okay, seriously?”
“You too good for hot dogs and soda? It’s an all American meal.”
The way he said the word American gave away an accent I hadn’t detected until that moment – British maybe. Interesting. I wondered why he hid the accent, women love men with accents. ‘Course he really didn’t need a gimmick to attract women. Planting my hands on my hips, I clucked my tongue off of the roof of my mouth and considered a comeback for his little remark.
“I’ll even offer to pay.” When I cocked a brow at him, he added with a wink, “But just my share.”
“In that case, I have no idea how it would be possible for me to refuse. You make it sound so incredible.”
“I agree. You can’t.”
He pushed himself off of the book case and took a step towards me, stopping a foot away. The smell of his aftershave drifted to my nose again, and I couldn’t stop myself. I closed my eyes a moment and took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent. When I opened my eyes, he was looking down at me, eyeing me with such intensity that it sent a delicious shiver down my spine.
“I’m in a rush. Got someplace to be. So noon tomorrow. I’ll meet you at the hot dog stand with the book.”
The way he said it, he was so smug. Too smug. There was no question or doubt in his tone. He knew I was going to say yes. A part of me wanted to refuse him and teach him a lesson. He was too cocky for his own good. It was as though he didn’t know what it was like to be rejected. Though considering how sexy and smooth he was, I was confident he didn’t have a very high rejection rate with women.
But then again, I needed that book. And just because I was going out with him for a dog and soda didn’t mean I was going to fall head over heels for him like I would guess most women did. If he expected that, then he had another thing coming. But Vanessa had been right about one thing. It had been quite some time since I’d been with a man, and I could do a hell of a lot worse than Kyle to quench that need.
“Okay,” I agreed.
I wasn’t sure what I expected, but what he did next threw me a little.
He brushed past me, giving me a little slap on the shoulder as if I was just some random person – though I suppose that was what I was. “See you then, buddy.”
Huh? By the time I spun around to watch him walk away, he’d already disappeared.
“Hmm. What the fuck…”
Chapter 2
Rebecca
“Meet him at the hot dog cart?” Vanessa crinkled her nose up at me. “Talk about classy.”
I rolled my eyes at my friend. “What’s wrong with that? It’s quirky.” I knew what was wrong with that – it was a minimal give a shit factor about making an impression.
“It’s kinda cheap ass if you ask me.”
“It’s a meet and greet. That’s all. Hang out for a little bit and get my book from him. If we seem like a good fit, then maybe a traditional date will be next.” From our seat across the room, I looked over at Kyle, who was busy doing something on his mobile phone.
“And he called you buddy?”
“Yeah, a little… odd.”
“Uh-huh. I just don’t think it’s a very good impression. Maybe he’s poor.”
I stared at him a little harder. It’s possible, but I didn’t think so. He was too confident and self-assured. And there was something about him that gave me a vibe, like money and status wasn’t an issue. But I supposed I’d get to know a bit more this afternoon. “I’m the daughter of a preacher. That’s not exactly what you’d call high society.”
“Suppose not. Then maybe he’s just cheap.”
Laughing, I turned my attention back to my friend and gave my head a shake. “I think you’re just jealous he went after me and not you.”
My friend’s face reddened slightly. “Well, he is cute.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.”
The couple of classes went by slower than usual. I had been halfway expecting Kyle to come over to say hi or at least confirm out meeting at noon. He hadn’t. He’d walked on past me as if he didn’t even know who I was. Men didn’t usually do that to me. I’m not bragging or anything, it’s just a simple fact. I wasn’t sure if it turned me off or turned me on. Men were generally pretty easy to handle and read, but then again, I liked a challenge.
At ten minutes to noon, with copied notes in hand, I made my way towards the Madison Hall where the hot dog cart was located, just outside the front entrance. I arrived just a couple of minutes before our meeting time. My eyes scanned the busy courtyard, but didn’t see Kyle.
Maybe he forgot? Or maybe he was just messing around?
Numerous emotions raced
through me. I was both disappointed and annoyed. Maybe he got caught up? Pulling my sleeve back, I looked down at my watch just as the minute hand moved into the noon position.
“I’m not late, yet,” a sexy male voice said from behind me. I knew that deep voice.
Spinning around, I smiled up at him innocently. “I was just checking to make sure I was on time.”
He returned my smile, dimples appearing.
Damn, he’s sexy. I felt a little stirring between my legs as our gazes locked.
“Liar. You were seeing if I was late so you could judge me. If I was too early, then you’d consider me to be too eager, but if I was late, then it would make me seem like I didn’t respect you or your time.”
“You’re delusional and perhaps a little paranoid. For your information, smart ass, I wasn’t thinking either of those things.”
His grin widened. “Sure, sure. Remember, we’re both psychology students.” He nodded towards the hot dog vendor. “Let’s grab some lunch.”
I stood rooted in the spot. “Just hold up one moment, Casanova.”
Giving me a curious look, he waited. “What?”
“I want to see the goods before we proceed with the hot dog date.” I waved the stack of photocopied notes in my hand, which cost me three bucks to copy so I could give them to him.
A cocky smirk spread across his lips. “If you play your cards right, maybe I’ll show you the goods later. We’ll see how the date goes first.”
I groaned out loud. “Ohmygod, you’re so difficult. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I’m told it’s part of my charm.”
Planting my hands on my hips, I tapped my foot on the sidewalk. “By the term ‘goods’, I meant the book. As far as charm, I wouldn’t flatter myself if I were you.”
Laughing, he patted the large black leather messenger bag slung across his torso. “I have it right here. I’m starving.” Turning from me, he made his way to the cart, me having no other choice but to trail behind him.
“So what do you want on your dog and what kind of soda?” he asked, catching my gaze as I caught up to him at the cart.
“Just ketchup on the dog and a Coke.”
“My kinda girl.” He turned to the vendor and gave him the order. Two dogs and two Cokes. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet. I didn’t miss the Louis Vuitton LV monogram imprinted in the brown leather. Pulling out a couple of bills from his wallet, he paid the vendor and passed me my food and drink.
“I thought we were going Dutch,” I teased taking a bite into the dog.
He grinned. “Yeah, well, you can pay for lunch next time.”
“And I suppose you have an upscale restaurant in mind for next time?” I asked, attempting to keep my expression unreadable.
“It would be the second date, so yes, I’m going to expect that you’ll try to sweep me off of my feet and try to impress me.” His eyes twinkled with amusement as he stared down at me, waiting for a response.
I would have given him a swat on the shoulder, but I was too busy taking another bite from my hot dog. After walking a moment, finishing off our dogs as we walked, we came to an unoccupied picnic table and sat down. Once sitting, I opened the can of Coke. The can made a frizzle sound as I opened it. I loved that sound. I didn’t allow myself to have soda often, but on the few occasions I did, I relished it, especially that first sip from a fresh can. My mother wasn’t fat yet, though she was well on her way. Since my father died, she’d been packing on the weight, which told me one thing. I didn’t have genes that gave me an eat anything metabolism. Like the majority of the population, I realized I couldn’t overindulge on a regular basis.
After taking a drink of my Coke, I looked at him, taking a moment to study his features. He had a strong, square jaw that had a day’s worth of blonde scruff, and his intoxicating eyes were framed by lashes that were longer than I normally saw on a man. Oddly enough, the lashes seemed to soften his otherwise strong facial features.
“How come I haven’t seen you around campus before?” I asked. Human sexuality wasn’t a first year course.
“I’m a transfer.”
“From where?”
“I went to school in London before moving to the states and enrolling here.” He gave a wave of his hand, motioning to the courtyard.
“Why?” When he gave me an inquisitive look, I continued. “It seems to be a long way to go to go to school. Surely the university you were attending there was fine.”
“It was.” He shrugged. “But it was time for me to go out on my own and start a life without my family hovering about.”
“How old are you?” I tilted my head to the side, attempting a mental guess. Twenty-two, I guessed.
“Twenty-four.”
I gave him a knowing nod. I’d been close. “So if you came all this way, then you must know what you want to do once you’re done jumping through hoops.”
“Not at all.”
“No?” That seemed so odd to me. I knew exactly what I wanted and how I was going to get it. I just had to be patient to get there, though admittedly, patience wasn’t always my strong suit.
“I have a career path in mind, but I’m not quite sure yet.”
“Does it even involve psychology?”
His expression turned odd, almost cold, for a split second. If I hadn’t been watching him so intently, I may have thought I’d imagined it, but I knew I wasn’t. “Why would I be taking psychology if I wasn’t planning on using it?”
“Curiosity? Something a little different.”
“Well, what about you? Do you have a plan?”
I straightened on the bench and nodded. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He said dryly, despite a grin returning to his lips.
“That almost sounds like an insult.”
“No. You just seem like the type of woman who always has a plan. You know what you want and you do what you have to in order to get it.”
I felt a surge of pride run through me. “As it turns out, yes, I do. I plan on being a clinical psychologist.”
“Why a clinical psychologist?” he asked as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the coffee table and looking at me with more interest. His stare made me feel both excited and slightly uneasy at the same time. My eyes dipped down to his lips. He had amazing, inviting lips. Damn, I wanted to kiss him. “Rebecca?”
“Huh?” I gave my head a shake, clearing my thoughts of being with him from my head. “Sorry. I umm. I got interested in the field because I like to know how people think. You know, figure out what makes people tick.”
“Is that a fact?” He leaned a little further towards me, his eyes seeming to drill deep into me, attempting to pierce my soul. “So have you started to develop a theory about me?”
Dammit, he was a smug bugger. It was as though he enjoyed making me uncomfortable, and it was pissing me off he could get under my skin. “I’m working on it.” I brought my can of Coke to my lips and took a big swig.
“We both know it takes a person a tenth of a second to make an impression, which creates a bias on how they view the other person. Come on, spill… What’s yours of me?” A lazy grin spread across his lips. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
Dammit, he’s sexy, I thought for what seemed like the hundredth time. I was still undecided on his personality, though he did seem to have a pretty decent sense of humour, even if he was a tad cocky, but what I did know was that I wanted him – badly. My core ached at the very thought of having him in me.
“Fine, if you insist on knowing what I think, here is it. I think you’re cocky and slightly arrogant. No, scratch that, a lot arrogant.”
He didn’t seem the least bit fazed by my not so favourable comments. In fact his eyes began to twinkle with amusement, so I continued, “Regardless of that, I find your personality not entirely off-putting.”
“Is that so?”
Despite myself, I smiled. “Yes and I’d be
lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you.” I spread my hands out to my sides. “So, hit me with it. What’s your first impression of me?”
He sat up straight, and his smile faded slightly. His eyes seemed to devour me, and I was on the fence as to whether I found it to be offsetting or arousing. Silently, I waited.
After a moment, he leaned forward again, bracing his elbows on the table as he stared directly into my eyes. “My very first impression was that you were easily one of the sexiest women I’ve ever set eyes on. And all I could think about was getting you into bed and fucking you senseless.”
I won’t lie; I was a little surprised at his answer. It was a ballsy thing to say – it was the kind of answer that would do one of two things: make a girl blush and feel uncomfortable, yet flattered – in a fucked up sort of way, or it would get you slapped. I didn’t do either of those things though. Instead, I resisted my instincts, raised my eyebrows at him and waited, knowing he had more than just that to say.
“But after talking to you briefly today, I see how serious and strong willed you are. You seem too focused. I’m not sure you even know how to have fun.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a finger to my lips, hushing me. “I think there’s something wild in you, and that you just need to be brought out of your shell a little bit.”
“You are so very wrong.” I didn’t like that synopsis of myself. Maybe because he nailed it a little too well. There wasn’t a damned thing wrong with being driven and focused. When I wanted to have fun, I did. It was merely a matter of what I wanted more at the moment.
“Am I?” That cocky grin of his didn’t seem to want to leave his lips.
“And let me guess, you’re just the man to pull me out of my shell, and in exchange, all I need to do is spread my legs for you and enjoy the freedom you’ve given to me. That about sum it up?”
“Does that seem so bad?”