He doesn’t even have my phone number! Oh, he’s good at this . . .
He came by on Sunday morning, the Heisman wrapped in a blanket. He followed me inside and upstairs, where I set it on my dresser. There was a tense moment when our arms brushed, but we both ignored it. Sabine invited him to eat pancakes, and he surprisingly said yes. We made normal conversation about football, about his mom, about mine.
That afternoon, he showed up with Toby, Bruno, and Milo with Darth Vader. It took the three of them to carefully maneuver him into the house while Ronan gave directions. We moved the chair in front of the window and put him there so he could watch the neighborhood. Sabine placed a boa around his neck, and I waited for Ronan to flip out, but he only smiled.
The room goes quiet, eyes darting between us. Andrew lets out a surprised sound at Ronan’s babe while Principal Lancaster’s face glows at me approvingly. Melinda slaps down her mug on the table a few feet away.
Let the games begin . . .
I smile brightly. “Oh shoot. Sabine and I wanted to get here a little early, darling. Sorry. I meant to text you.”
“No problem.” He stalks toward me and kisses me on top of my head. “Excuse me, Andrew,” he says curtly. “I need coffee.”
Andrew moves, giving me a curious look as he takes my hand for a brief squeeze. Mine feel clammy; his are warm, the grasp achingly familiar.
“I’ll talk to you later, Nova. We have a lot of catching up to do. I want to hear all about New York.” He gives me a lopsided smile, the one that used to tug at my heart, then walks over to Skeeter and Sonia.
“I see you’ve reconnected with your past,” Ronan mutters, watching Andrew with a hard gaze. “You all right?”
Is it Andrew or Ronan or my new job that has my nerves in a twist? Likely answer is all three. “Yes.”
“Are you aware that you’re dressed similarly to Princess Leia?”
“Really? What a coincidence.”
His lips curl. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Regardless, you look stunning.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you dress for me, then?”
“Obviously. Tomorrow it’s Chewie. Then . . . um, what’s that guy’s name, the one who saves everyone?”
“Luke Skywalker?”
“No, the green one. I think he was a wise man?”
“Yoda.”
I snap my fingers. “That’s it! Hmm, wait. I could dress as one of those robot thingies, the gold one . . . what was he called?”
“C-3PO. God, you know nothing.”
I smile as I take a sip of coffee. I know some of their names, but it sure is fun messing with him. “I’m picturing a gold dress, lots of buttons.”
“He didn’t have buttons. He had wires in his midsection—dammit. You need to watch it. No one hangs with me and hasn’t ever seen Star Wars.”
“But I kind of like being one of the few people who haven’t. It’s the same with Titanic. Mama and Sabine watched it over and over, but I never could bring myself to see Leo drown. He’s too pretty. I mean, there was room on the boat!”
“You mean the door.”
“What?”
“Rose was saved on a door, not a boat.”
“See, I didn’t know that. I never saw it.”
“The Star Wars franchise is not Titanic. It’s about hope in the galaxy, with laser guns and starships. It’s the belief that one person can conquer an empire.”
“Wow.”
He rolls his eyes as I chuckle. See, we’ve got this. Just friends. Keeping it light.
The bell rings, signifying we have fifteen minutes before class starts.
I let out a gusty breath. “Here I go.”
Ronan gives my shoulder a squeeze for good luck, and since Melinda is still watching, he places his lips over mine in a gentle kiss. He smells like virile man, and his pale-blue eyes are warm (fake!) as he gazes down at me. “You can do anything you set your mind to, babe.”
I glance over as Melinda flounces out of the lounge.
“It’s working,” he whispers in my ear, his lips skimming my skin.
I push down the tingles as Sonia approaches.
We ran in different circles in high school, but she and I had a horrendous PE class together senior year. I remember her as a little awkward but feisty when the time called for it. With straight dark hair to her shoulders, big white glasses, and a pert nose, she’s pretty.
“I like your shirt,” I say. It’s white with a peace sign and says PEACE LOVE AND VEGGIES.
“Thanks. Want me to show you around?” she asks.
“Sure,” I say. “I’m room 333.”
Telling Ronan goodbye, we exit the lounge and head down the left side of the hall in the opposite direction of where Ronan led me last week. She points out the cafeteria, the way to the gym, and other important landmarks. We work our way back, and I peek into different classrooms, wincing when I see that mine is directly across from Andrew’s.