Wide-eyed, she nodded. I followed it up with a meaningful look before tightening the towel around my chest and turning the knob.
I was met with perfection.
Dark grey suit, elegant black tie, and brown hair styled with a precision that made my eyes cross.
Let it be noted that Noah Kincaid didn’t mess around when it came to polishing his shoes.
“Hey,” I breathed out, clutching the towel in a death grip as his eyes dropped to it. A dark brow rose. “Just give me two minutes to get dressed. I’d invite you in, but it’s a small room and I think we’ll just stick to dinner without the show for tonight.”
His eyes lingered on the towel before meeting mine again, and a lump caught in my throat at the interest in his gaze. “Take your time.”
Did I imagine his voice sounding lower than usual?
I forced a smile before shutting the door in his face.
“Shit,” Teresa hissed from the closet as she flipped through hangers at super speed. She threw something that smacked me in my face before wilting to the floor. It did a great job of shaking off the trance Noah’s darkened gaze had put me into. “Put that skirt on. I’ll find a nice top.”
“I need shoes,” I whispered as I slipped a random pair of panties on underneath my towel before wiggling into the floral skirt.
Cheese and fries, it was short. But I felt better since I wasn’t wearing Hello Kitty underwear today. If I happened to eat pavement again, Noah would get a peek at some nice little pink lace boy shorts.
“One thing at a time.” Teresa tugged a light pink top off its hanger. “Bra, then this. I’ll find shoes.”
“Thanks, Teresa.” I dropped my towel and struggled into the strapless bra before pulling the top over my head in a show of superhuman speed. My hair was starting to frizz from the hassle, and I threw it up into a bun.
“Shoes!” Teresa cried a little too loudly for my liking as she tossed some low wedges onto the floor at my feet. I was counting on flats tonight, but the floral pattern on the wedges went so well with my skirt that I decided to risk it for the cuteness.
I didn’t bother looking in the mirror, just slipped my feet into the shoes and trampled toward the door before flinging it open.
Noah was still there.
He sent me that familiar half smile and held out a flower I hadn’t noticed him holding. “I hope you’re not allergic.”
My eyes lingered on the flower as I fidgeted with the doorknob. A Stargazer lily.
Light pink.
My favorite.
“Nope, definitely not allergic. Thank you,” I murmured. I accepted the lily, unable to resist giving it a sniff no matter how cheesy it was. I rarely got flowers outside of recitals. “They’re my favorite.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Noah stepped back and gave me a once-over that did all sorts of fluttery things to the butterflies. “You’re beautiful.”
I basked in the compliment and cleared my throat in case it decided to do something stupid like purr. “Thanks. You too.”
His smile widened into a grin, and I grimaced at the slip. But it was true, he really was beautiful.
“I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of index cards. “I made flash cards for Slade’s midterm for you. There’s still plenty of time, but it doesn’t hurt to be proactive.”
As a serial procrastinator, I tended to disagree, but I was touched that he’d gone out of his way to help me again. I bit my lip to fight back the smile that was fighting to get out and accepted the cards. “Very thoughtful of you. These might even be better than the flower, and that’s no small feat.”
One side of Noah’s mouth quirked as he slid his hands into his pockets, and I carefully placed the lily and flash cards on my dresser. Adjusting the pins in my hair, I tightened them enough to stop the front strands from falling out for now.
And with a quick wave to Teresa, we started down the hall.
“What time is the reservation?” I picked up my pace to match his longer strides as we passed a few freshman girls walking the other way. Their eyes lingered on Noah, and something warm sparked to life in my chest. I liked people seeing us together.
“Seven thirty. They have private parking, so we have plenty of time to get downtown.”
