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Luckily, we do not have classes together this semester, but as I stroll through the cafeteria and head toward the usual table where our group sits, my eyes make contact with Conrad sitting at the end beside Mateo. Levi, Blaire, and Camden are there too, but my best friend is sitting far away from Conrad and seems to be only talking to her boyfriend.
Blaire looks up and sees me, smiling. When she notices I’m not walking toward them, she looks down at the end of the table and glares at Conrad, then turns her head back toward me with a sad smile. She tells Camden something and goes to grab her bag, but I shake my head at her and hitch my thumb to the exit, telling her that I’m leaving. Her mouth drops in a frown and she releases her bag.
Outside, there are picnic tables scattered around the courtyard. There is a large three-tier water fountain in the center that a few students are sitting around and talking or reading. Circling the fountain, I look for an empty table with no success.
“Need somewhere to sit?” a voice comes from behind me.
I turn to see a guy sitting alone at a table big enough for four. He’s smiling, flaunting a set of straight teeth. His eyes are shielded by a pair of aviator sunglasses and his dark hair is covered by a ball cap hanging low, but his hair is long enough that it is flipping out around the ends.
I return his smile and lift my tray of food. “Was hoping to not have to eat my lunch on the ground today.”
He chuckles and waves a hand to the seat across from him. “You’re free to join me.”
Raising an eyebrow, I eye him suspiciously. “How do I know you aren’t a murderer or something? You’re giving off very Unabomber vibes.”
A full belly laugh comes from him, and I have decided I really like that sound. It’s loud and masculine. I imagine this stranger’s stomach muscles contracting under his shirt like his arms are. “Oh, that was a good one. Can’t say I have ever been compared to the Unabomber before.” Reaching up, he removes his sunglasses, revealing a pair of dark-brown eyes that match his hair. “Better? I swear I’m not a murderer or something. Just a guy asking a beautiful woman if she would like to join him for lunch.”
For the first time in almost a week, a genuine smile spreads across my face. Mystery Man is a charmer and knows it by the way he is smirking at me. “Fine, Mr. Not a Murderer or Something, I will sit with you.”
Taking a few steps, I set my tray down first and then swing my legs over the bench to take a seat. I set my bright-pink backpack down on the empty seat to my right. The stranger from the other side of the table watches my every move with interest.
As I begin unwrapping my turkey sandwich, I ask, “You going to tell me your name or stare at me awkwardly?”
He gives me that award-winning smile again. “My name is Ian.”
After taking a sip of my Diet Coke, I nod. “Nice to meet you, Ian. I’m Emree. And thank you for saving me from enjoying my lunch on the ground. That was very sweet of you.”
Leaning forward, he rests his elbows on the table and smirks. In front of him is an open notebook and there is a Smoothie King cup to the side of it. “Not going to lie to you, but I may have had an ulterior motive.”
I smile around my sandwich and take a bite, making sure to swallow it all before responding. “Is that so?”
“When someone sees a pretty woman in need of a place to sit, they would be a fool not to offer their table. Especially if that someone is free tomorrow night and wants to take said pretty woman out.”
Oh, this guy is smooth and he knows it. He oozes confidence, and I’ve never been around someone like that. Well, until Conrad. Thinking of my ex is the last thing that should be on my mind right now, so I push all thoughts of him out.
“If someone were to ask said pretty woman out this Saturday, the pretty woman would be saddened to tell them that she has to work. But if that someone was free tonight, the pretty girl has the night off.”
His dark-brown eyes light up. “Well, I have this thing tonight with my frat, but if you don’t mind crashing that with me, I would love to hang out with you.”
Am I ready for this? To date again? Ian is cute and clearly charming. Plus a bonus, he finds me attractive. Maybe Blaire is right, and I need to find a guy who actually wants to be with me and not end our relationship with no explanation. But is it too soon? Conrad still owns my heart, but maybe spending time with Ian is the quickest way to mend that.
Smiling at Ian, I nod. “I would like to crash your frat thing tonight.”
He mirrors my smile, and I notice he has a little dimple on his clean-shaven left cheek. Ian has more boyish features, somewhat innocent. The complete opposite of someone who I would think is in a fraternity. His body, though, is far from boyish. With a wide chest and long arms, I can tell Ian is tall. His fingers are long and calloused. Maybe he plays an instrument like the guitar. With broad shoulders, his relaxed T-shirt fits him perfectly but is tight around his muscular biceps.
Ian is incredibly attractive, and I can see myself being with someone like him. He begins talking and from the corner of my eye, I catch sight of the tall, blond-haired man who broke my heart not even a week ago. He is walking beside Levi and Mateo, laughing as he strolls across the courtyard without a care in the world.
Clearly, our breakup has not affected him at all. Just when I’m about to look away, a beautiful woman with long, black hair approaches him. She is tall—like a model—and beyond gorgeous, making it almost hard to look at her. She wraps her manicured hand around Conrad’s forearm and kisses him on the cheek. He doesn’t pull away, and she joins them as they walk toward the parking lot.
My heart clenches, thinking he has moved on. Did I mean nothing to him at all? Were the last six months just casual and fun for him? With how comfortable she is to approach him like that, maybe they have known each other, or he went back to one of his many hookups. I was clear with him all those months ago at my apartment that I needed more than casual sex, which is what he was used to. I had real feelings for Conrad and wanted to have a serious relationship. He was hesitant but agreed to make us official. Maybe I pushed him when he wasn’t ready for something serious.
“Hey, you okay?” Ian asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
Snapping my head away from Conrad and the Victoria’s Secret model, I look at Ian. “Yeah, sorry. I thought I saw someone I know. What were you saying?”
Ian’s smile falters some, but he answers anyway. “I was just asking what time you wanted me to pick you up. The party starts at eight, but we can grab dinner beforehand if you’re interested?”
It’s already three and I have one more class in half an hour that would end around four thirty.
