"I didn't say you wanted or even needed a relationship. Doesn't mean you can't at least hang out with him," she uttered persuasively. "Lexi, you are crazy hot, and so is this guy. I don't see any reason why wouldn't go out with you. No need mooning over him all the time when he's available for the taking." Lexi smiled at Olivia. She was always good for a self-esteem booster. However, Lexi restrained herself from continuing the subject.
After a pause, Olivia changed topics, "So anyway, are you coming to Nick and Neal's throw-down tonight at The Theatre?"
"Yeah, I should be there," Lexi confirmed.
"Good, I've been helping them plan this for a month. I need as many people there as possible." Lexi just nodded since she had heard this same rant nearly every day since Olivia had decided to become their publicist. "I'm going to get myself a double caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream," she added a wink just for good measure, "to go from sexy Coffee Guy, and then I'm going to head back to the dorm to do a little studying before I get ready for tonight."
"Alright. When I'm finished here, I'll meet you and we can walk downtown together," Lexi agreed scribbling a quick note into her study guide. She watched Olivia slink over to the counter to get her coffee. Lexi quickly averted her eyes to avoid watching her friend shamelessly flirt with the guy she had just confirmed she might be interested in. But, she didn't think it really mattered that much. This guy was a no one to her, just a pretty face in a sea of pretty faces, she tried to convince herself.
Peeping her head up to get a quick look at him, she caught him staring at her. Her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment, and she dove her head back into her books to avoid his gaze. This was surreal. Of all the times she had gazed his direction, she was pretty sure that he had never actually looked directly at her. After a moment, she allowed herself to glance up once more and found him doing the same. This time she let their eyes meet for a few short seconds before tossing her head back into her books. She told herself that she wouldn't look up the rest of the afternoon if it saved her from embarrassment. She pulled her loose bouncing curls into a ponytail and dug into her books; not looking up as she promised herself, until she saw that he was leaving. By that time, her studying was complete. Pulling open her red Coach satchel, she tossed the contents of the table into the bag, and made her way home to get ready.
A few hours later, Lexi, Olivia, and fifteen others they had managed to drag out of dorms were casually standing in the middle of the dance floor waiting for Nick and Neal to hit center stage. The Theatre was a large open space with couches positioned into booths around the perimeter and for smaller shows, on the dance floor. This was one of those shows. An array of cheap metal folding chairs was set up in a haphazard semicircle in front of the stage. Dim lights were set up around the mostly empty theatre. Beyond the students that Lexi had arrived with, perhaps thirty others were clustered in a corner. The regulars looked bored and distracted even before her friends got on stage, and she didn't care to imagine what drugs they were on that made their eyes looked so out of focus. Lexi peeled her gaze away, refocusing her attention.
As the time passed, the room began to fill. Considering this was their first performance, they had drawn a relatively large crowd. A little over a hundred people poured into The Theatre just as Nick began spinning their opening track. Neal's original lyrics echoed throughout the room. A unanimous bounce began as the throng of people fell into rhythm with the flow of the music. Lexi sang along with some of the words she remembered.
"You're not bad. Maybe you should show them how it's done," someone said to her.
Lexi laughed out loud letting her curls bounce lightly. She turned to address whoever had said that and was face to face with him. She froze mid-laugh.
"You think so?" she asked trying to recover from her shock.
"Honestly, no," he said getting his turn to laugh.
"Well thanks," she said playing hurt. "I'm very offended right now." Lexi placed her hand over her wounded heart. "So...do I know you or do you always just insult people when you first meet them?"
He had to bend down so that she was able to hear him. He smelled like a heavenly combination of Irish spring soap and sexy cologne. "I think you study at the coffee shop I work at."
She turned her head up to face him. His brown hair fell neatly across his eyes as he looked down upon her. She had never noticed just how clear blue his eyes really were until they were set intently and solely on her. "I think you might be right," she confirmed giving him a coy smile. She was having a hard time breathing with him looking at her like he was, so she forced herself to speak. "Are you much into college boy rap?"
His laugh was easy and sincere. "No, not really, but this guy's not bad. He a friend of yours?"
"Yeah. He lives in my dorm." She cringed realizing she had just given away her youth. She had no idea about his age or whether or not he would consider a measly freshman to be worth his time.
"Nice. These guys right over there," he gestured with his thumb to the three guys clustered behind him, "lived on my hall last year in the dorms. Which one are you in?"
She let out her breath not having even realized she had been holding it for so long. "Um...R-Hall."
"That's where we were," he said nodding his head to the music.
"How did you hear about them? I mean, if you don't really listen to the music," she couldn't help but ask.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of purple paper. He opened it revealing the flyer Olivia had been relentlessly handing out for the past two weeks introducing Nick and Neal. "I believe a friend of yours gave this to me," he said pointing to Olivia over the crowd of people.
Lexi giggled. That little devil. She hadn't been flirting with him when she had gone to get her coffee earlier that afternoon. In fact, she had been helping her by convincing Coffee Guy to come here tonight. "Well, yea, that's Olivia for you," she said shrugging, attempting to be nonchalant. "Oh, I'm Lexi, by the way." She extended her hand out to the side.
"Lexi...hmm...I like that," he said taking her outstretched hand firmly in his and giving it a good squeeze. "Jack. It's very nice to meet you,"
Silence fell between them as the show progressed. It really was near impossible to have a solid conversation with hip-hop beats blared in the background. When their set was complete, the crowd filed outside for an intermission allowing the main act time to set-up on stage. The majority of the people lit a cigarette as soon as they exited The Theatre. Lexi steered clear of them, and watched as her group of friends began making their way around the corner of the black building to the back entrance to meet up with Nick and Neal. Lexi waited awkwardly with Jack at the front of the building.