Campus Hottie (Campus)

Cafeteria fare will have to do.

My head is on a constant swivel as I move through the wide, open space. Laughter and chatter bombard my ears. Just as I’m about to reach inside my bag and pull out my phone, I catch sight of her as she stands and waves from the other side of the room. I return the greeting before beelining in her direction. Once I’m close enough, she envelops me in her arms for a quick hug before we settle on opposite sides of the table. I glance at the smooth surface, surprised to find matching salads and sandwiches along with a drink already waiting for me.

I flick open the buttons of my jacket and pull it off, throwing it over the back of my chair. “You picked up lunch already?”

“I arrived fifteen minutes ago and thought I’d grab our food, so you didn’t have to waste any time.”

A huge smile breaks out across my face. “Thanks, Mom.”

Her lips quirk at the edges. “It wasn’t a problem. I thought the Caesar salads and club sandwiches looked good. And then there are chocolate chip cookies for dessert.”

“Mmm. My favorite.” Now that I’m sitting with all of this food spread out in front of me, my belly grumbles and I realize I haven’t had anything more than the banana I grabbed while running out the door this morning before my first class.

“I figured you needed a solid lunch since who knows what time you’ll be able to grab dinner tonight.”

“If rehearsal runs over, then we usually order a few pizzas.”

“From everything you’ve said, it sounds like the play is going well. Will everything be ready by opening night?”

“Yup, it’s great.” I nod as excitement bursts inside me like an overinflated balloon. There’s nothing I love more than the anticipation of the curtain rising for the first time. “I can’t wait for you guys to see it. The script is hilarious.”

She opens the clear plastic container of her salad before digging in. “I remember going to the theater to see the movie when it first came out. It was amusing in a dark, satirical kind of way.”

“As soon as I found out what this year’s production would be, I found it online and watched it. So funny. I loved Christian Slater and Wynonna Ryder together.”

She grins. “He was quite the 80s heartthrob.”

I dig into my salad and continue chattering about the play as Mom takes a bite of her sandwich. You’d think all the drama would be saved for the stage, but that’s not the case. There are people cheating behind their partners’ backs and one of the lead actresses is talking shit about her understudy. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Just like always, the conversation flows easily. Even before Dad died, Mom and I had a close relationship. Now we’re even tighter. I suppose that’s why my feelings are bruised that she didn’t immediately tell me about Theo. Instead, she chose to spring it on me when I was least expecting it.

When we’re halfway through our meal, she sets her sandwich down and clears her throat. “We didn’t get a chance to talk when you stopped by for dinner. What did you think of Theo?”

With my fork paused midair, I carefully lower the plastic utensil to my bowl. Not that I would admit it to Mom, but I’ve been doing my best to avoid a conversation about her new dating situation. I’ve been so busy with the play and—

We’ll just leave it at that.

Maybe I was hoping that if I didn’t bring it up, their relationship would fizzle out and there wouldn’t be a reason to discuss the fact that she’s finally moving on after Dad. By the cautiously optimistic expression on her face, that hasn’t happened. Although, I know Mom well enough to realize that she wouldn’t have introduced us to him if she didn’t have some degree of certainty he’d be part of her future moving forward.

Even though I’d been famished a few minutes ago, my appetite vanishes, and I push the bowl away from me.

“He seemed nice,” I finally admit, shifting uncomfortably on my chair. Hopefully that response will be enough, and we can talk about something else. Anything else. From her expression, that isn’t going to happen.

She nods, a relieved smile blooming across her face. When was the last time she looked this content or happy? It doesn’t take long to figure out the answer.

“He’s a real sweetheart,” she gushes.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?”

“Oh, let’s see.” Her brow furrows. “About four months.”

I blink.

What? No way...that can’t be right.

“Four months,” I parrot. While I don’t live at home during the school year, I’m still surprised she managed to keep this a secret from us. I straighten on my plastic chair as that thought resonates through my brain. “Does Brayden know about this?”