Drew: Book One of the Perfectly Independent Series

by Amanda Shelley

  Drew raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

  As soon as the waitress takes our order and leaves, Drew asks, “So… what made you choose CRU?”

  “Well…” I say as I finish a drink of water. “I’ve wanted to come here since I was little. My parents encouraged me to tour many campuses, but I had my heart set on CRU. When I came to visit my sophomore year in high school, for summer camp, I was determined to make this my college.”

  “You came to summer camp at Columbia River University?”

  “Yeah, it was a science camp. Geared toward girls in math and science. We got to stay in the dorms for a week and see what college life was like. It was inspiring, to say the least.”

  “Wow… I spent my summers in high school focusing on one basketball camp or the next. I knew I had to get a scholarship to get into college, and thankfully, it worked out for me. But you were already focused on your career.” He looks at me with wonder in his eyes and something else I can’t quite describe. As I replay his words in my mind, and I try to figure him out, a thought springs to mind.

  Crap. He’s here on scholarship. There’s no way he should pay for my dinner tonight. Thankfully, I can afford what I’ve ordered, so relief washes through me. But how do I bring it up to him?

  “Everything okay?” Drew asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I shake my head and force my worries away. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  He grimaces for a split second, then his features clear as if he doesn’t believe me. But for now, he lets it go when he asks, “So… what’s the plan for tonight?”

  “I’m meeting my best friends Chloe and Sydney, and I’m sure we’ll end up at Sherman’s, since that’s where Syd works. They know I’m not much of a partier, but they still insist on making sure I have a birthday I’ll never forget.”

  Drew chuckles a deep laugh, and the butterflies are back in my belly.

  “Does that mean you will all be drinking?” Drew asks in curiosity, but there’s something else there, too. Protectiveness? Why would he feel protective over me? We just met.

  “I’m pretty sure one of them will be the DD.” Most likely, it’ll be Sydney. For being a bartender, she mysteriously never drinks. Maybe she sees the effects of alcohol on a regular basis and doesn’t want to live it. Who knows?

  “But you’re not sure?” Drew asks with concern.

  “Oh, I’m sure. Sydney wouldn’t let us drive home with anyone who wasn’t safe. She’s a stickler about things like that. I’m sure she’s got it all planned out anyway.” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear and take a drink of water. “It’s not like her to do anything unplanned.”

  Drew leans forward on the table, resting on his forearms with interest. “What do you mean?”

  We’re interrupted by a waiter bringing our food. As he sets the food down, my mouth waters, and I let out a small moan in appreciation. Glancing at Drew, I say, “This looks amazing. I’m so glad you suggested it.”

  Drew’s perfect lips form a smile, and my breath catches. “Thanks, it’s one of my favorites. I found this place my sophomore year. I try to come back as often as I can.” He takes a bite of asparagus and grins in appreciation, then looks to me questioningly. “You were telling me about your friend…”

  “Oh, right, Sydney…” I laugh at his determination to stay on topic. “Syd and I met our freshman year of college, the day we moved into the dorms. She lived across the hall from me, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

  Drew nods, and an appreciative grin turns up his lips. “I have a few friends like that, though most of them are on the team. It makes it a lot easier when you have people in your corner.”

  I let out a deep sigh in agreement. “No kidding. I don’t know what I’d do without Chloe or Syd in my life. We’ve lived together since sophomore year, in an apartment off campus. Though all of us have great families of our own, we’ve become our own family.” As Drew takes another bite, I continue with, “Chloe and I have been friends since seventh grade. We met at summer camp one year and have been friends ever since.”

  Drew cocks his head to the side and asks, “Did you grow up in the same town?”

  “Unfortunately, no,” I sigh. “But we lived about an hour apart. I lived in the north end of Seattle, and Chloe lived near Tacoma. As soon as we started driving, we saw each other as often as possible. When we found out we were both attending Columbia River University, we knew we had to live together. Once we met Sydney, we’ve been like the Three Musketeers.” I smile at the memory, then change the topic to him. “Where did you grow up?”

  Drew shrugs. “I’m from Spokane. But I spent a lot of time growing up in Seattle.” Something dark crosses his features, but it’s gone before I can figure it out.

  I realize we have another thing in common. “I’ve only been to Spokane a few times as we drove through to meet family in Coeur d'Alene. I loved visiting my cousins in the summer. They had a cabin on the lake. We’d spend hours waterskiing, tubing, and knee boarding as kids.”

  “It’s a great town. That’s for sure,” Drew agrees.

  When we’re nearly done with our meal, Drew excuses himself to use the restroom. I take this time to enjoy what’s left of my delicious meal but mostly ponder over Drew. He sure is a lot different from the guy I met in class. I thought for sure I’d hate this semester, having him as a partner. But I think I might be wrong.

  When he returns, he leans back in his chair, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “Will there be any guys joining the Three Musketeers tonight?” Drew’s question completely catches me off guard.

  “Uh…” Where did that come from? “Not that I know of.”

  Surprise fills Drew’s features. “So… is it just a girls’ night out thing?”

  I shake my head. “Not intentionally. As far as I know, we’re all single. Chloe and Jeff broke up this summer, and Syd’s… well, she’s a bit picky. I doubt she’s seeing anyone new.”

  “What about you? Are you hoping someone will be there tonight?” Drew’s question rolls off his tongue with ease.

  Laughter erupts from me. “Nope.” I pop the p for emphasis. “I’m definitely not. I don’t have time to date. Between work and school, I have my eye on the prize, and I’m not letting anything get in my way.”

  “Sounds like you have a story to tell…” Drew probes.

  Shaking my head, I reply, “No. Not really. I dated someone most of sophomore year, but he ended up just wanting to use me to get through bio-chem. He was more concerned with the chemistry in our textbook than what we might’ve had together. So… No, thank you. I’m fine being on my own.”

  Drew’s mouth hangs open, and his eyes widen. Before he can say anything, we’re interrupted by what appears to be the entire waitstaff arriving at our table.

  I eye Drew suspiciously. But his focus remains on the waitress.

  “Excuse me… Ladies and Gentlemen…” a girl about my age announces, “can we please have your attention. It seems we have a birthday girl in our midst who wanted to let her birthday skip by. Please join us in wishing Abby a happy twenty-first birthday.” She places a large red-velvet cupcake in front of me with a candle burning bright.

  Hoots and hollers erupt around the restaurant. My eyes dart to Drew, who shrugs sheepishly as a wide grin forms on his perfect lips, then he joins in and sings.

  I want to crawl under the table and die. It’s so embarrassing being the center of attention. My cheeks flush, and it’s all I can do not to cover my face. No one has ever done anything like this for me. When Drew pulls out his phone, I try to glare at him, but it’s useless. He smirks and has a look that says there’s nothing I can do about it, so I break out into laughter. If I can’t beat him, I might as well join him. By the end of the song, we’re both laughing.

  When it’s time to blow out the candle, I regain my composure and make a wish.

  I hope I don’t regret meeting Drew.

  5

  Drew

  A
s I get to know Abby, there’s no way I want her going out tonight without me. First, I’m completely enamored by her. She’s not only smart but the more I get to know her, she’s beautiful from the inside out. I’m just not ready for my time with her to end.

  When she tells me she’s never drank before, or had a serious boyfriend, I suddenly feel protective. Sure, she’s safe going out with her girlfriends, but for some inexplicable reason, I feel like I need to be there, too.

  I know I should probably examine this further, but I’ll save that for another day.

  Tonight, we’re celebrating.

  Hmmm… I wonder what I can say to not look like a complete ass by inserting myself into her evening?

  When inspiration finally hits, I can barely contain the grin spreading across my face. Of course, I’m not able to share this brilliant thought with Abby because we’ve just arrived at her place. So, I let it go for now.

  As we enter her apartment, Chloe and Sydney’s wide eyes and gasps tell me they weren’t expecting me. I smile and do my best to roll with the punches. Sydney and Chloe greet Abby with drinks in hand as they open the door, making me feel even more grateful I forced her to eat first.

  I’ve never met Chloe, but I know Sydney’s a bartender. I’ve seen her around. My buddies from the team have hit on her, and I’ve watched her shoot them down, one by one. From an outsider, it’s been comical to watch. But I wonder if there will be a guy that turns her head at some point.

  Before Abby can take a second sip of her drink, Sydney asks, “Have you eaten yet?”

  “Yes, Mom,” Abby exaggerates. She looks to me, throwing her index finger in my direction. “Drew here already made sure I had dinner. Apparently, his twenty-one-run was memorable and insists I eat lots tonight.”

  “You play basketball, right, Drew?” Sydney asks with suspicion. Great. Here it comes. There goes just being me for the entire evening.

  “Uh, Yes. I do,” I admit. Because what else am I supposed to say?

  “I thought that was you, but it’s hard to recognize you without your Bears gear on and being close up. I’m a huge fan and have been to every home game since arriving as a freshman.” Her smile is genuine, until she smirks ruefully. “Though, my favorite player is DeShawn Miller. He has a jump shot that can’t be beat from back court.”

  I chuckle. She’s right. “I’ll tell him you said that.”

  “Please don’t. He already has enough ego to fill up the arena. But I truly see why people applaud his skills. He’s a damn fine baller, and I appreciate him—for his skills only.” She shrugs and turns her attention to Chloe. “Chloe, are you ready yet?”

  Interesting. Not what I’d expect from a single coed. But I see her point. DeShawn’s a fantastic baller, but he’s got quite the reputation for playing off the court just as hard. From what I’ve seen about Sydney and my teammates at the bar, she’s not into guys who are full of themselves. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.

  If I can get them to consider my idea.

  I might as well seize this opportunity.

  When Sydney and Chloe appear to be ready, I offer to the room, “Would you like me to be your designated driver? I have plenty of room in my SUV, and I don’t drink during the season.” Sydney looks skeptical, but when I add, “This way, you’d be able to celebrate Abby tonight without having to worry.” When a relief crosses her features for the briefest of seconds, I know I’ve hooked her.

  Chloe’s mouth hangs open, and Sydney just stares. They look back and forth between Abby and me, trying to determine if I mean what I’ve just said and if Abby is okay with my offer.

  Please be okay with my offer.

  Relief washes through me when Abby grabs Syd and Chloe’s hands and comes to my rescue. “Sure, we’d love it. I can’t wait to get with my girls and dance to real music.”

  Dancing. Great. I’d forgotten about that part of the experience. Sherman’s is known to have a DJ as well as live music. I wonder what we’ll be getting ourselves into tonight. The place is usually packed on the weekend, but for a school night, I doubt it’ll be full.

  As I get to know her throughout the evening, I quickly find Sydney’s a great friend to have. I still don’t know Chloe that well, but if she’s hanging with these two, she must be a good person. Thankfully, Abby paces herself, having only one drink before leaving for the bar. We all pile into my SUV, Abby sits up front, and I can’t help but smile with her as she anticipates her evening.

  When we arrive, I spot a booth against one wall of the dance floor and suggest we take it before anyone else steals the prime real estate. For a Wednesday night, the place is hopping, and the DJ keeps a steady beat flowing. Sydney excuses herself, and she makes her way to the bar to order some drinks for the girls. From the short ride, I can tell she has her heart set on sharing some of her favorites with Abby tonight. She offers to get me a soda, and I nod in appreciation. Chloe goes with her to help carry everything back.

  “I’ll need to pick up my car from your place at some point tomorrow,” Abby states as she watches a few couples out on the dance floor.

  “I can make sure it’s there in the morning. I work out at five thirty, but I’m usually done by seven. Will you need it before then?” I ask, wondering how I can make this work for her. She shouldn’t be put out just because I hijacked her evening.

  “Uh, that will be fine. My first class isn’t until nine.”

  Before either of us can say anything, Sydney and Chloe return with some drinks for Abby to sample. After she’s taken a sip of the pink concoction, she moans in appreciation. “Oh… this is so yummy,” Abby cries over the music. “What is it?”

  “Pink vodka lemonade,” Sydney replies. They each take another drink in appreciation. It must taste good if the expressions on their faces are anything to go by. They close their eyes and slowly sip the drink they’ve been handed.

  “You can’t even taste the alcohol,” Abby gushes. “I think I finally found a drink I like.” The smile on her face is infectious, and I find myself grinning at her enthusiasm.

  “That only makes it dangerous,” Chloe teases. “Be sure to pace yourself. I remember one night when these snuck up on me.” The look of disgust tells me there’s quite a story there, that doesn’t have a happy ending.

  The song changes to one the girls must recognize because suddenly, they’re screaming and jumping out of the booth to dance in the center of the floor. I remain in the booth, watching over their drinks. Of course, my attention is focused on my lab partner and her friends as well. Her long, wavy hair flows in rhythm to the music as she dances gracefully. Each sway of her hips, each bop with the beat, has me looking at Abby in a whole new light. Gone is the plain, studious girl I left in the lab the day before. Left in her place is the intriguing woman I want to know better. Here I thought she wouldn’t be a distraction. I am so screwed. Abby’s gorgeous, and there’s nothing plain about her.

  At one point, a slow song comes on, and both Sydney and Chloe are quickly asked to dance by a couple of guys who’d been watching them all night. Before Abby has a chance to be asked, she comes back to the booth and plops down.

  “Whew! This is fun.” Her cheeks are rosy, and her eyes are bright with enthusiasm. “I totally get why people love going out to bars now.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be doing this more often?” I ask teasingly.

  “Every once in a while, sure. But I’m not turning into a barfly or anything. I don’t have that much time on my hands.” She sips the last of her drink as she stares at her friends dancing with their partners.

  The longing on her face makes me react before I have time to think of the ramifications. I snap to my feet and extend a hand. It’s the first time I’ve moved most of the night, not wanting to draw more attention to myself than necessary, but my intent is clear. I want to dance with her.

  She shakes her head and looks around as if I should be asking someone else. But I assure her she’s the only one on my dance card for the evenin
g when I state, “Come on. Let’s go have some fun!”

  We make our way to the dance floor, and I draw her body close to mine. Taking one hand in mine, I place my other on her hip. Her free arm wraps naturally around my neck. I feel a slight tremble from Abby when my palm reaches the base of her back, but she relaxes when I guide her around the dance floor with ease.

  I take a bit of pride in the fact I don’t allow Abby to just stand and sway to the music, like many of the couples out here on the dance floor. My freshman year, I was among the many men who signed up for American social dance as an elective. It might have started as a joke, but it’s left me with many skills and I have no regrets. I lead her around the dance floor like a pro, guiding her through spins, dips, as I shuffle to the music in sync with the beat. Abby dances effortlessly in my arms and has no problem keeping up. As the song ends, I spin her around once more, and she giggles. I just might have to keep her out here, so I can keep the euphoric grin on her face. I’ve never seen anyone look so free or beautiful for that matter, just by dancing.

  Now that I’m out on the dance floor, Abby, Sydney, and Chloe don’t let me leave. At one point, I excuse myself to use the restroom. Unfortunately, a couple of jersey chasers try to corner me in the hallway on my return. I’m just about to say something to get them to back off when Abby shocks the shit out of me by appearing out of nowhere to rescue me.

  “Excuse me, ladies.” She pushes between us as if she’s done this type of thing before. “Drew’s helping me celebrate my birthday.” Abby wraps an arm around me and gives them a pointed stare, showing their attention is unwelcomed. Then before I can take my next breath, she looks innocently up at me. “Syd and Chloe are waiting for us.”

  I can’t help but be impressed. The jersey chasers back off without another word.

  Abby’s the perfect combination of assertive and innocence wrapped into one.