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“Not—”
I was cut off by the sudden arrival of Dr. Wilder, the principal lecturer for my international business management module. He was famously short-tempered and grumpy, and he didn’t disappoint today, his face twisting into a scowl as he jabbed his finger in the direction of the lecture theatre. “Enough talking! Mr. Clarke, inside, now. You two, get out of here.”
“Yes, sir,” I mumbled, ducking inside and sliding into the first available seat, not wishing to incur any more of his wrath. All my other lecturers preferred to be referred to by their first names, but not him. The only acceptable form of address was “sir” or “Dr. Wilder.”
Hiding my phone under my desk, I sent a text to Noah.
Me:
I ran into my cousin’s boyfriend and he was with a guy who I THINK was interested in me. I agreed to go with them to Revolve on Thursday night. Can you come? I might need moral support
Leaving my phone balanced on my knee, I returned my attention to the screen at the front of the lecture theatre, beginning to jot down some notes as Dr. Wilder went through the data relating to the on-screen chart. Around ten minutes later, I had a reply to my text.
Noah:
Yes! Want me to come on my own?
Me:
No you can invite Liam. Preston too? The more of us, the better. Less potential for awkwardness
Noah:
Will do. Tell me about the guy
He followed up his message with a string of eyeball emojis, and I smiled.
Me:
His name is Curtis and he’s a drummer in my cousin’s boyfriend’s band
Noah:
I approve
Me:
You haven’t even met him yet. I spoke to him for 2 minutes. Not enough time to form an impression
Noah:
OK I’ll reserve judgement until I meet him
Me:
Good. Speak later
I put my phone away and attempted to concentrate on the lecture. When it was over, I managed to get outside quickly, avoiding Dr. Wilder’s eye, and I made my way to the student union café, where I was meeting Ander for lunch.
Ander was already at a table in the corner of the room, and I headed straight for him.
A bright smile lit up his face when he caught my eye, and as usual, I did my best to ignore the butterflies he gave me. “I got you the chilli—thought you might want something to warm you up. It’s fucking freezing out there.”
“Yeah, it is. Thanks for this. It’s just what I needed.” I sank into the chair across from his, unable to stop my smile as he unloaded the tray, placing steaming chilli with rice and a can of Coke Zero in front of me. Rubbing my hands together, I said, “I think my fingers have frostbite.”
He laughed at that, and before I could register what was happening, he was reaching across the table and encompassing my hands in his. Slowly, methodically, he began to rub his hands over mine. “Better?”
I swallowed. “Much.” My voice was way too hoarse.
