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“But you could have,” he countered, standing up. “I’ve seen your transcripts, and I know about all the extracurriculars. Soccer, student council, jazz band, debate, prelaw programs, precollege this and that, and youstillsomehow managed a near-perfect GPA.”
I wasn’t breathing anymore. I just stood there, trying to look and act as casual as possible as Adrien approached. He stopped a couple feet away and crossed his corded arms, mirroring me.
“Not everyone can afford a college education, but not everyone is you,” he said.
I shrugged. “I don’t know how playing in a jazz band was supposed to help me pay off seventy-thousand dollars’ worth of tuition fees.”
The right corner of his mouth hooked up. “And you do that thing.”
“What thing?”
“That thing where you pretend like you don’t know what people are talking about. Like you’re a hell of a lot less intelligent than you actually are.”
I willed my nostrils to stay still. “I don’t do that.”
His mouth twitched. “You’re really going to stand there and pretend like you couldn’t have gotten a full ride to half the universities in the country?”
I took a step back and calmly pressed my shoulders to the wall behind me. “And you’re really going to stand there and pretend like you don’t know about my record? Any half-decent background check would have flagged it, and you hinted at it in your office, remember?”
Adrien’s dark gaze sharpened, and he took another step forward. I had to crane my neck to maintain eye contact. “It doesn’t quite add up.”
“Is there a reason you’ve been so intent on invading my personal space today?” I asked him, trying not to inhale too deeply.
“You don’t like it?”
“No.” It was automatic, I didn’t even think to hide my nose.
His dimples flashed, and something in my chest skipped. “Liar.”
“Do youwantme to like it? What’s with the shit-eating grin?”
He shrugged. “Makes the pretending easier if you’re attracted to me.”
“I’m not attracted to you.”
He let out a low chuckle. “It’s worse when you try to stop it from happening.”
I was going to grab the stapler off his desk and staple my nose shut the second this conversation was over.
“And I’d get used to the proximity if I were you,” he went on. “Engaged couples don’t constantly stand four feet apart.”
“Can’t we just be one of those couples that respect each other’s personal bubbles and don't engage in PDA?”
“No.”
“You didn’t even consider it.”
“And I’m not going to.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Why am I really here?”
Adrien’s eyes dipped down to my mouth for a split second, his expression entirely blank as he said, “I don’t know. Why didn’t you go to college?”
“I already told you I didn’t want to go. Didn’t think it was worth it,” I insisted, ignoring the tug in my chest. “And you know we’ve been talking for almost ten minutes without actually saying anything?”
Adrien took a step back. “You’re right, this is kind of a waste of time. I’m going to take a shower. The left one in case you give into temptation and want to take a peek.”
And then the fuckerwinked at me.
