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Thankfully alone.
I stick my hand out of the curtain and wave him over to us.
“Now you have to buy three drinks,” Elle reminds me. “Should have moved faster.”
Matt stops in front of our table, grinning at us both. “Okay, what are you having?”
I give Elle a triumphant smile. Matt almost always takes care of the bill when he’s here. Though he’s a musician on the side, he’s got a start-up going in Palo Alto with him and some of his friends, an app that tells you what TV show you should stream tonight. It’s only in beta mode at the moment, but he’s rolling in investor money.
“I’ll have a Paloma,” I tell him, looking him up and down. He’s wearing a black hoodie and jeans, but his black leather high-tops catch my eye. “New shoes? They look expensive.”
A flush appears across his tanned face. “Yeah,” he says, running his hand through his brown hair. “New Jordans.”
“Jesus, Matt,” Elle says. “Your band know your shoes cost half a grand?”
He laughs, giving her a look like she has no idea. “What do you want to drink, Elle?”
“Surprise me,” she says, flashing him a smile and wiggling in her seat. “I’m feeling risky tonight. Frisky, too.”
Matt looks to me, brows raised, in a way that says are we sure we should be getting her drunk?
I shrug. There’s no stopping Elle when she’s in a mood.
He walks off to the bar, a line already forming, the place getting busier, half the people in here looking like they’re underage. I have to wonder how long this place has until it gets shut down.
“Hey, I was thinking maybe the guy following me was a cop,” I tell Elle.
“Oh yeah? A hot cop?”
I make a face. “Ew. No. I never saw his face.”
“Then how do you know he’s not a hot cop?” She pops the cherry from her drink in her mouth, wagging her brows at me. “Hey, want to see me tie a knot with my tongue?”
I watch her struggle with it in her mouth, waiting to be wowed. Elle is gorgeous in this tiny little pixie way, but the kind of pixie that will bite you. Just like Tinkerbell, fueled by spite.
She pulls out the stem, perfectly tied, smiling at me triumphantly.
“How do you not have a girlfriend right now?” I ask her.
“I’d say the same to you,” she says. “You know it’s been a while since you went out with Matt. Maybe it’s about time you put yourself back out there.”
“I’ve been busy,” I tell her.
“I know. As have I. But after this exam, you’re free.”
“Let’s just stick to rating the guys that walk in the door.”
She gives me a wry look. “You need to take chances, Lenore. I mean, look at you. You’re going to waste.”
I laugh. “I am not. If you’re trying to make me feel old, it’s not working.”
“You’re not old, you’re hot as fuck, in the middle of your degree, at Berkeley of all places. You should be using this time to your advantage. You should be getting laid every weekend if you’re not looking for a relationship.”
I’
m about to tell her that I’m fine, when movement by the door steals my attention.
A couple walks in, a girl and a guy, maybe the ones who were smoking cigarettes earlier, but my focus goes straight to the man standing behind them.
