“It’s just so relatable.”
“No, it’s not,” I deadpan back to him.
Sam opens his mouth to say something else when someone interrupts our conversation. “Man, that guy sure is a dick sometimes, isn’t he?” A guy from class says, jogging to catch up to us. Sam blatantly checks the guy out before he waggles his eyebrows and walks a bit faster to let the guy chat with me. Iresist the urge to roll my eyes at how incredibly unsubtle my friend is.
“Huh?” I ask, not really paying attention.
“The way he laid into you for being on your phone.”
“Ah,” I sighed. “Yeah, that was embarrassing.”
“Well, at least one good thing came out of it.”
“Yeah?” I laugh. “And what’s that?”
“It gave me an excuse to talk to you,” he says, smiling. He’s cute. He has shaggy, sandy-blond hair and light blue eyes, offset by his tan skin. Maybe he spends a lot of time outside, though people in Washington rarely get that tan naturally.
“You needed an excuse?” I grin.
“An excuse felt less obvious than coming up to you and randomly telling you that you’re pretty.” He shrugs. “Something I’m sure you’re well aware of.”
“And yet, it’s always nice to hear it.”
He laughs. “Maybe I’ll say it to you more often then.” He smirks before starting to walk backward down another hallway. “I have to get to my next class, but I’ll catch you later. My name’s Matt by the way.”
“Summer,” I respond.
“Oh, I know.” He winks before taking off.
I giggle and shake my head as I make my way out to my car. Maybe flirting with someone appropriate would get my mind off of my Counseling Theories professor for good.
Somehow, I doubt it.
Later that evening,I try to focus on getting through some of myother classwork—I have a particularly difficult test coming up in my Developmental Psychopathology class, and the study guide is giving me a migraine—but I keep finding myself distracted. I ignore my mother’s repeated calls and feed Milo as I start looking for something to do other than anything resembling schoolwork. I manage to force myself to answer a few questions on the study guide before slamming the laptop shut.
I groan before deciding that’s about as productive as I’m going to be this evening.
Still at Pour House?
I fire off the text before checking my appearance in the mirror. Normally, I wouldn’t care what I look like, but knowing I could run into Asher… it makes me want to look my best.
Don’t think that way, I chastise myself for what feels like the hundredth time.
Sam:
We’re still here, join us!
Just ordered you fried mushrooms!
Better hurry.
Be there soon.
I snag my keys and say goodbye to Milo before making my way out the door, eager to get to my favorite appetizer.
It takes me about ten minutes to get to the bar, and I pull down the mirror to get one last look at myself before heading in. I bite my bottom lip and dig around my purse before I find my favorite lipstick and swipe a layer across my lips.
I make my way inside and see Sam and Derek at our regular spot by the window. I plop down beside Sam, who grins at me before raising his eyebrows. “Your lucky lipstick, huh? Is someone hoping to get lucky tonight?”
