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When I got back to the apartment, it was still pretty early for a Saturday night. Clara was in her room just getting ready to go out.
“Zia? You’re home early. I thought you went out with Dylan tonight,” Clara called through her bedroom door.
As I walked through the living room, I took my jacket off and tossed it on my bed before going into Clara’s room to talk.
“I did. You make it sound like we were on a date or something. You know it isn’t like that, Clar.”
“Yes, I know you keep saying it isn’t like that. I just haven’t given up on the idea that it could develop into something more than what you keep trying to convince everyone it is.” Clara’s left eyebrow raised as she spoke this over her shoulder at me. Then she turned back to the mirror and said to my reflection, “Or trying to convince yourself.”
“There’s nothing to convince.” I shrugged as I pulled my knees up to my body and hugged my arms around them. “He doesn’t see me that way. Trust me. You should have seen him hit it off with the girl I pointed out to him tonight at the coffee shop. Dylan and I are just… friends.”
“You are probably the only girl on the planet who would spend so much time with Dylan Porter, who might just be the single most hottest guy on the planet, and try to get him to date other women.” Clara laughed and shook her head in disbelief.
I laughed and teased back. “Hey! I know this might come as a shock, but you know there’s more to people than just looks. I can see how you might miss that, what with all the mega-hotties you always date. Speaking of which, how is Cason, by the way?” Deflection at its finest.
Clara’s smile widened as she began talking about Cason and their plans for the evening, which effectively shut down the conversation about Dylan.
I wasn’t sure why, but it bothered me talking about Dylan with Clara like that. I realized that this wasn’t the first time tonight I was working pretty hard at avoiding exploring my feelings when it came to Dylan, but avoiding was what I was sticking to for the moment.
The way I saw it, I had a job to do. I wouldn’t let myself develop feelings for Dylan. That would be a disaster.
CHAPTER 5: DYLAN
By Saturday evening, I was able to talk myself back down. I had to get my head in the game, because it was pretty clear at that point that Zia was focused on the task at hand and not interested in anything else with me.
This was made blaringly obvious to me in a phone call with my brother, Devin, earlier that morning.
“Devin, what’s up, bro?” I answered as I picked up my cell.
“Not much, little brother. Any big plans for this Halloween night?” Devin asked.
“Oh, I might have a little something planned for tonight,” I boasted.
“That sounds interesting. I take it there’s a girl involved?” My brother knew me so well.
I could hear Devin’s fiancé, Daniella, in the background. “Say what? He met a girl? Put him on spea
ker.”
“Okay, I’m putting you on speaker, bro,” Devin stated as he conceded to Daniella’s polite demand. They’d been together for a couple of years now, and even I had to admit that they made a great couple. Daniella was really down to earth and we got along well. Plus, anyone could see she was really good for my brother.
“What’s up, Daniella?” I greeted her.
“Dylan,” she greeted back. “What’s this about a girl?”
She didn't waste any time, did she?
“It’s nothing big. It’s just a girl I met recently. To be honest, I’m not sure she even likes me.” It was the shortened version, and I hoped they wouldn’t ask too many questions. No such luck.
“What do you mean? Why don’t you think she likes you?” Daniella asked. I didn’t think my brother would really care either way, but of course, Daniella wanted the details.
I settled into the reclining chair in my living room, realizing I’d be there for a while, and I started from the beginning.
“I met Zia a couple of weeks ago after I’d seen her at the bar one night. The next Monday, I had left a book at a table in the Student Central Building, and when I went back to get it, there she was holding it, so I introduced myself. So when I ran into her later that same night at a coffee shop, I stopped and talked to her for a while.”
“Okay, so then you asked her out?” Daniella asked, getting ahead of herself.
“No, not exactly. Then I somehow put my foot in my mouth and told her how I could get any girl I wanted, but that they all seemed the same, so next thing I knew, she was offering to teach me how to look for the right kind of girl,” I continued.
