“We get to order anything we want up here, and that guy will be getting a tab,” Logan crowed as he led Dana to a table with a couple of love seats.
“You can pay for yourself,” Elijah complained about it.
“But you wanted to treat us out, didn’t you? Be nice, just handle the tab, okay?”
“This is why you wanted to come along, isn’t it?” Elijah said flatly. “To mooch off me.”
“Of course not,” Logan said with a wide grin, not sounding convincing at all.
Elijah just ignored him, pulling me into the other chair, wrapping an arm around my waist, so I was close to him. A waiter showed up almost as soon as we sat and we gave our orders. Everyone else went with a beer, and I got a non-alcoholic cocktail. Logan and Dana started making out almost immediately after the waiter left, and I looked over the balcony at the people downstairs. I leaned against Elijah, feeling apprehensive about dancing since it wasn’t something I did often. Or, ever, really where people could see.
I didn’t get to worry too much about it when my cell rang. I pulled it out of my purse and saw my mom’s name. I chewed on my lip, but the music up here wasn’t as loud as downstairs, so I answered it, leaning away from Elijah a little. He looked at me curiously, and I held up a finger to show I wouldn’t belong.
“Hey, Mom,” I said, injecting some cheer into my voice. “What a nice surprise! I didn't expect you to call.”
“You’re doing something that’s going to make me yell at you, aren’t you,” she said knowingly.
I winced, then gave a sheepish laugh. “I could never keep things from you. But I swear I’m not doing anything bad. What’s up?”
Lucky for me, she went along with my attempt to change the subject.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be coming to visit you soon, in a couple of weeks or so. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
> I froze, then shot a wide-eyed, panicked look at Elijah. Mom and I barely ever talked much about dating, and I hadn't told her I was seeing someone yet. I hadn't even decided if I was going to tell her, and she was planning on coming by?
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
I pulled the cell from my ear and spoke in a low voice. “My mom wants to come and visit. She’ll be here in a couple of weeks.”
“Do you not want me to meet her?” he asked, tilting his head a bit to the side.
I bit down on my lip. “That’s…not what I…”
“I’d love to meet your mom,” he said, cutting into my floundering. “If you don’t want me to, then I won’t meet her. No problem.”
I nodded slowly, then brought my cell up.
“Honey, hello?”
“Sorry about that, Mom. I’m here. I guess I’ll be seeing you in a couple of weeks then?”
“Sure. Would you like me to bring anything for you?”
“I’m fine, Mom, don’t worry about it. I’m out with my friends, so I’ll talk to you later, all right?”
“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t realize I was cutting into your time with your friends! I hope I get to meet them when I’m there, okay? Bye!”
She hung up before I could say more, and I groaned to myself. Now there was more for me to be anxious about.
“Don’t worry about it,” Elijah said, echoing me, wrapping an around my shoulders to tug me close again. “Let’s drink and have fun and worry about your mom later, okay?”
The waiter finally got back with our drinks, and Logan and Dana finally separated from each other.
As the night went on, I did relax a bit. We chatted around, mostly Logan and Elijah shooting jabs at each other, Elijah with slight irritation, though Logan looked like he was having fun. After a while, when the others had a nice buzz going, and I felt drunk off the atmosphere, we ended up downstairs to dance.
Though dance was overstating it a bit. It was a lot of grinding and swaying, there wasn’t that much space in between our bodies, with Elijah’s hands roaming up and down my back, over my ass, my sides. I touched him, too, my breathing growing heavy as I tilted my head up for a kiss that he gave me gladly.
When we went back upstairs, Elijah and I were all over each other. I felt like climbing up in his lap and letting him have his way with me, and Elijah didn’t look like he’d mind. It was nothing like me at all, and I loved it.
We managed to have a few drinks before Elijah lost control, grabbing me and tugging me up as he stood, so fast it made me yelp. But I tightened my hand around his and went along.
“Logan,” Elijah said, just before we left. “Spend the night at Dana’s, okay? Sophia’s staying over tonight.”
“Whatever,” Logan said with a wave of his hand, barely sparing us a glance, because he and Dana were all over each other, too. “Pay on your way out, would you?”
Elijah rolled his eyes, but didn’t object, pulling out his cell as he led us both out of the club.
Chapter Thirteen
Elijah
The week passed, and Sophia and I got closer and closer. By this point, we might as well officially switch rooms so that Sophia would stay with me in my dorm, and Dana and Logan could stay in hers since we spent most nights that way. Even during the day, I used whatever time possible to meet up with her. We had plenty of chances, but in between classes and coordinating studying with my practice, it didn’t feel like nearly enough.
We both had classes that ended around lunch today, and I knew this because we’d been texting since we parted earlier that morning, so I asked her to meet me so we could go to the cafeteria together. I usually ate with Logan and some guys from the hockey team, and they usually talked me into paying for their meals for them, so hanging out with Sophia instead was so much better than those bastards.
My building wasn’t so far from hers, so when my class ended early, I headed over to where I knew her class was and waited outside for her. Five minutes later, the class let out, and not long after I saw Sophia come out with the flow of students.
“Sophia!”
She looked up at my call of her name, looking surprised, then pleased, as she hurried over to me.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her hand reaching for mine.
I took her hand and grinned down at her. “I got out earlier and wanted to wait for you. Come on; if we hurry right now, we can beat the lines at the cafeteria.”
“Okay,” she chirped, practically skipping at my side.