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Katie set Amber's carry-on bag next to it. "If I could, I would." And since she still hadn't been able to push Muscles out of her head, she couldn't afford any more distractions.
Could she have given him one cup of coffee? She had coffee all the time with Amber. Why couldn't Muscles have taken her place? Just once.
Because it wouldn't have only been once. There would have been the hope or expectation, at least on his part, for more. Another coffee. Dinner. Phone calls. Hours upon hours of dates and being together while her game went unfinished and time ran out.
"Shit," Amber said looking at her phone. "Security's going to be a bitch if I don't get going." She pulled Katie into a hug. Squeezing her until she could barely breathe. "Text me if you get lonely."
"I won't have time to get lonely."
Amber scoffed letting her go. "But seriously…"
"Yes. Yes." A little of the tension in Katie's shoulders eased. Her friend knew her too well. She knew Katie would go crazy without someone to talk to for a week.
"Keep me updated on all the fun you're having without me."
"Don't worry. I plan on rubbing it in. A lot."
Katie stuck her tongue out. Amber shot back curling her lip into a sneer and biting her tongue between her teeth.
Not the most flattering look but if anyone could pull it off, Amber could. And did.
After making her way around the vehicle, Amber asked as she opened the driver's side door, "If I see your frat boy, you want me to say something? Give him your number or anything?"
"No," Katie blurted. She didn't even want Amber talking to him. If he told her about how they’d met when Katie hadn't she'd be in so much trouble. "Amber, I—it's not going to happen."
"But—"
"Trust me. Please? Just let it go."
Amber sunk down into the driver's seat. "Okay."
"Promise?" Katie asked, unconvinced of Amber's sincerity.
Amber sighed. "I promise."
"Thank you."
"Miss you already."
The engine purred coming to life after Amber pressed the start button. Katie stepped back and waved at the little cube-like car pulling out of the parking lot.
She would miss Amber and all the fun they would have had together. But she wouldn't regret not going.
Katie laughed at her feeble attempt to lie to herself.
She'd regret missing out on spring break as much as she regretted refusing to have a cup of coffee with Muscles. She could have bared to miss her break if he hadn't already cracked that wall of defense she'd spent most of her life building up.
With everyone gone—without the risk of running into him again—maybe she could use the week to repair it. Bury herself in her work. Remind herself why she was here and how important it was for her to succeed.
A tight deadline left no room for excuses. As soon as she reminded herself she liked it that way—thrived on it—a wave of calm washed over her.
She'd started programming the first level but wasn't nearly as far along as she should have been, after letting thoughts of what she could have had with Muscles distract her. But it wasn't the first time she'd cut an assignment this close.
Still… One week to do over three weeks’ worth of work?
Katie pulled a deep breath in through her nose. Blew it out slowly through puckered lips.
Why the fuck not?
