Red-faced and sufficiently exfoliated, I tightened my robe and walked down the hall. While I brushed my teeth over the quaint sink in our room, Beth sat up in bed and stretched out her arms. Her chin-length auburn hair was smashed in some places, and stuck out in others.
“Good morning,” she chirped. Then reality set in. “Oh, I mean . . .”
“It’s okay, Beth. It is a nice morning.” Glancing out the window, I noticed the sky was looking bleaker from the onset, but I wasn’t going to mention that.
Beth smiled and began making her bed, setting her stuffed animals haphazardly in front of her frilly pillow.
“Are you going to the game Saturday?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
She usually invited me to go and at times insisted I go, always in her cheery, pleasant voice. Beth hailed from the South. She worked hard and had been awarded numerous scholarships to make her escape from the small Oklahoma town she called home. Her side of the room was covered in trophies, sashes, and crowns from the numerous pageants she’d entered and won. She wasn’t the typical beauty queen. Although beautiful, she seemed introverted—a trait she was trying desperately to break away from. She explained to me the day we moved in that the pageants were a necessary evil for tuition.
“Well, I’ll give you a break this week if you decide to opt out. I’d understand with finals and . . . everything else,” she conceded without looking in my direction.
“I appreciate it.”
I pulled my hair back into a small burst of ponytail at the nape of my neck; it looked like a bouquet of wheat shooting out from the back of my head. I sighed at my closet and gave myself a pep talk before dressing in the inevitable layers one after another: bra, tank top, undershirt, sweater, socks, jeans, boots, and coat—not always in that order.
With my backpack bursting at the seams, I pulled up the handle and angled the bag onto its wheels.
“I’m going early for coffee.”
Beth smiled as she booted up her laptop. “Good luck getting that thing across the ice.”
I stepped out of the elevator into the hallway, wondering if Beth was right about the weather. I held my breath and pushed the door open, waiting for the freezing temperature to sting my face. The wind blew the heavy glass door against me, working against the already pitiful pressure I had managed with one hand. Using my arm and shoulder, I forced the door open and gasped at the frigid burst of air burning my face.
I stumbled into the dining hall the student populace affectionately and appropriately dubbed “The Ratty” and brushed off my coat. Shuffling across the muted tile floor, I made a beeline for the coffee pot. I filled my travel mug almost to the brim and mixed in my favorite hazelnut creamer and two packets of Splenda.
“That stuff is death in a package, you know,” Kim said from behind me.
“You sound like my mother,” I grumbled.
“I’m surprised you came today. It sucks that your dad died during finals.”
Kim was never one for holding back or mincing words. I usually found it refreshing, but I hadn’t had time to brace myself before the words left her lips, and my ribs wrenched in response.
“Yeah.”
Kim watched me for a moment and then shoved a blueberry corn muffin at my face. “Breakfast?”
I shook my head, uncrossing my eyes from looking at the muffin. “No, thanks. I need to get to class.”
“I’ll walk with you,” she said, pulling the muffin back.
Kim pulled a faded, red plaid hunter’s cap complete with ear flaps over her short brown hair. If I thought I could laugh, I would have.
“Oh, Kim,” I said, attempting to make my voice sound cautious.
“What?” she asked, stopping in her tracks.
“Nothing,” I shook my head, deciding to leave it alone.
If any hat could be made for Kim, it was the ridiculous atrocity she’d placed on her head. Kim was above average in height, a head taller than my five feet, seven inches. Her short, caramel-colored hair framed her face in carefree waves. As crazy and unpredictable as she was, people were drawn to her. I knew we would be friends the moment I met her in the hallway of Andrews; I couldn’t fathom having someone more interesting in my life.
Kim walked with me across campus to class, keeping my mind from more somber thoughts by regaling me with her most recent week of fantastic mishaps and blunders. She never failed to entertain me with her unbridled honesty and lack of brain-to-mouth filter.
Once in class, Kim leaned toward me and kept her voice low. “So, the funeral . . .”
I squirmed in my seat. “I don’t really want to . . .”
“Oh, right. Yeah. So . . . it was yesterday?” Unlike Beth, Kim didn’t avoid unpleasantness. At times she seemed to slam face first into it with a smile on her face.
“Yes.” I sighed. “It was very nice.”
“Very nice,” Kim echoed, nodding. “I tried to call you last night. You didn’t answer.”
“I didn’t get in until late. I missed the last bus and ended up taking a cab.”
Kim eyed me with disbelief. “The last bus? I didn’t know public transportation had a curfew.” I considered that for a moment before she continued. “Why didn’t you drive? Your mother picked you up, didn’t she?”
“I ended up sharing a cab.”
“With your mom?”
“No, Kim, not with my mom,” I deadpanned. “I met a man at the bus stop. We both missed the bus.” I didn’t confess that I’d had a momentary conscious blackout and let the bus pull away.
“You shared a cab with some random guy at the bus stop? Interesting.”
“Not everyone’s stories end with a dramatic punch line like yours. We just shared a cab,” I said, trying to make my answer sound final.
“Was he old?”
I rolled my eyes. “No.”
“Ugly?”
“No, Kim. He was nice.”
“I didn’t ask if he was nice. So he was cute, young, and. ..?”
“Jack’s funeral was yesterday, Kim. I was a mess,” I said, feeling my eyebrows pull together.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” I asked, exasperated.
“Call your dad ‘Jack’? I thought you were close?”
“We are. We were. I don’t know . . . because that’s his name?” Kim stared at me, unimpressed with my answer. I began again. “It’s always felt weird calling him ‘Dad’ to other people, just as I wouldn’t call a boyfriend ‘Honey’ to you. It’s just . . . personal.”
“That’s weird, Nina.”
“Well, you are the authority on weird.”
Kim nodded, unaffected by my insult. “So who was the mystery guy? Does he go here?”
“I don’t think so. His stop was after mine,” I murmured, rolling my pen between my fingers.
Because my stop was first, I was curious if he lived near the university and if I might run into him again. I cringed at the thought of that prospect. What would I possibly say to him? Hi, Jared.Remember me? The Alice Cooper look-alike you shared an awkward cab ride with for twenty minutes?
“What’s with the face?” Kim’s expression screwed in a way I could only assume mirrored my own.
“Nothing. I just . . .” I shrugged. “He probably thought I was nuts.”
“That could possibly be the most boring story I’ve ever heard,” Kim said, deflated.
“I tried to spare you the non-details. He did have a cute smile, though,” I mused.
Kim looked up at me with renewed interest and opened her mouth to say something, but Professor Hunter walked in the room. I hadn’t noticed the numerous empty seats. Some of the students were tossing their papers on his desk and leaving the way they came instead of meandering to their seats as usual.
“What are you still doing here? Turn in your papers and get out. Your grades will be posted on the website. Happy Holidays,” he said to those of us still peppered across the room.
~*~
As finals week came to an end, the nightly ritual of curling into a ball to cry seemed to be a permanent fixture in my life. The first week of break, I had a bit more control over the emptiness when it hit. After that, there were a few nights I escaped the sadness altogether. The grief found new strength Christmas night, but to my relief, falling asleep without tears became a bit easier after the holidays came to a close.
I found it disconcerting that, although time provided some relief, I was further from when Jack was a part of my life. Each passing day was that much longer since I’d been able to call him or hear his voice. With time, relief and apprehension intertwined.
When the spring semester began, Jared had become a blurred image from a day I wanted to file away, so it was a surprise to see him standing a few feet away from me in line at the Urban Outfitters off campus. I wasn’t confident that it was him at first, but when he accepted his receipt from the sales person and turned, I stared at him long enough to be certain. He didn’t suffer from the same hesitation that I did.
“Nina?”
I felt my eyebrows rise while I tried to think of something besides “yes” to reply with. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
He pointed at his chest as if he were speaking to a deaf mute. “I’m Jared. We shared a cab?” He patiently waited for me to recall his face, and I realized I hadn’t forgotten an inch of it.
“I thought that was you,” I said, trying a polite smile. Something was wrong with my throat. It felt dry, as if I were drowning in my own saliva at the same time. I swallowed hard and tried to remember how not to be a ridiculous teenage undergrad.
Jared’s expression skipped from relief to elation as a broad smile appeared across his face. A warm feeling bubbled up from my chest into my face, and I felt the heat release from my cheeks.
Oh, God, don’t blush! It was too late. I had no idea how to recover.
“You seem to be having a better day. Made it to the bus on time and all that?”
“Something like that,” I mumbled. “How is the security business?”
“Interesting.” A glimmer touched his eyes that I wasn’t quite sure how to translate.
Our attention was simultaneously drawn to the phone vibrating in his jacket pocket. He smiled apologetically before reaching down to silence the distraction.
“Did you have a pleasant Christmas?” I tried not to cringe once the words left my mouth. Ugh. So unimaginative.
“Something like that.”
I smiled at his teasing. He seemed so comfortable around me. I wasn’t sure if it was confidence or if he was just one of those people who could carry on a conversation with anyone and make him feel as if he’d known him for years.
I raised the silver sweater tunic in my hands. “Birthday shopping for my mother.”
A man behind me cleared his throat, and I realized that we were holding up the line. Jared smiled and took a step backward toward the register. I realized our conversation wasn’t over, and I turned my attention to the red-haired girl behind the counter, trying to conceal my enthusiasm.
She handed me the receipt, and Jared accompanied me outside. He stared down into my eyes, warmly scanning my face. I didn’t remember him being quite so tall. He towered over me, at least six feet two inches. How had I not noticed the incredible color of his eyes? They seemed to glow as he watched me fidget.
“Are you from Providence?” I asked.
“I am,” he said, seeming amused by my awkwardness.
“Did you go to Brown?”
“No.”
If his eyes weren’t so animated by the conversation, I would have guessed by his short answers that it was my cue to excuse myself with my tail tucked between my legs.
“Really? I’m trying to place you. It seems as if we’ve met before.” Did I just issue him a pick up line? Fantastic. I’ve now sunk to the level of desperate teenage boys everywhere.
“I don’t think so. That’s not something I would forget,” he said. “I was just going to grab a bite to eat at the end of the block. Would you join me?”
I thought I had said “yes,” but he continued to stare at me expectantly.
“Nina?”
“Yes? I mean, yes. That would be great.” I tried to smile through my humiliation and wondered if I was always so articulately clumsy. I couldn’t imagine why he was still speaking to me.
We walked to the end of the block to cross the street at the light. Jared guided me forward with his hand on the small of my back and looked all around us as we crossed. I stifled a giggle; he reminded me of the president’s security detail. The only thing missing was a communication device in his ear and standard issue black Ray-Bans.
Jared opened the door for me. I had seen the restaurant several times, with it being close to campus, but I’d never ventured in.
“You’ll like it,” he assured me. I paused in thought, wondering if I’d said anything out loud.
“Welcome to Blaze,” the hostess said, motioning to us that she could seat us immediately. The waitress appeared a few moments later, and Jared waited for me to order.
“I’ll have a Dr. Pepper.”
“Make that two,” Jared said, raising two fingers. His eyes didn’t stray from mine.
The waitress nodded and left us to each other. I was curious if he would have ordered a beer had he not asked a toddler to accompany him.
“I don’t think I thanked you for getting me home.”
“Actually, you did,” he said, putting his elbows on the table and crossing his arms.
“Oh. That night is sort of a blur.” I grimaced.
“I’m sorry you lost your dad, Nina. I’m glad I was there.”
I tucked my hair behind my ears. “I’m glad you were there, too.”
“It probably wasn’t the safest idea, sitting alone in the dark—lots of crazies out there.” His tone was casual, but underneath I caught a hint of anxiousness.
“I grew up in that neighborhood. It’s safe, I assure you.”
He laughed and shook his head. “It’s always safe until something bad happens.”
The waitress brought our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. Once again, Jared waited for me to begin.
“I’ll have the Greek salad,” I said. I glanced over at Jared, who studied me with raised eyebrows and a wry smile. I wasn’t about to be one of those girls. “And the linguine.”
The waitress turned her attention to Jared. “For you?”
“I’ll have the house salad with blue cheese and the shrimp scampi. And would you bring us some of those sweet potato fries, please?” he said, handing the menu to the waitress. Once she left, I looked around the restaurant and then peeked over at Jared, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off me.
I floundered for conversation under his stare. Jared’s eyes were an incredible blue-gray; they almost glowed against his lightly bronzed skin. His thick brown eyebrows sat atop his almond-shaped eyes and were just slightly darker than his strategically messy dark blond hair. His natural highlights glimmered in the early afternoon sun that broke through the windows. He was clearly more than just attractive. I wondered again why he was still speaking to me.
“Sweet potato fries?” I asked.
“They’re famous. Well, they’re famous to me. You have to dip them in these little sauces they give you to fully appreciate them. It’s an experience.”
“Sweet potato fries,” I said, still unsure.
He smiled. “Trust me.” His cell phone vibrated, and he flipped it open. It was more than a text message this time; he masked an irritated look and pressed it to his ear.
“Ryel,” he answered.
Righ-el? I was fairly sure that was his last name, but I couldn’t be certain. He lowered his voice and tilted his head away from me. He was unhappy with the caller, but it was only the tone I could understand; he was speaking in what I guessed to be Russian. He was devastatingly handsome, kind, and spoke a second language. If the sweet potato fries turned out to be all
that he’d promised, I might fall out of my chair.
He became impatient with the person on the other end of the line and hung up the phone.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
I shook my head, fielding his apology. “No, it’s fine. I just inadvertently learned two new things about you.”
His eyes were still focused on mine, but they were a bit fogged over as if his attention was divided between me and the problem with the caller.
“Ryel?” I asked.
“My last name.”
“And was that Russian you were speaking?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Yes.” His shoulders relaxed as he exhaled. “Doesn’t everyone speak a second language these days?”
“You only speak two?” I said, feigning dissatisfaction.
He laughed, and a new twinge formed in my chest. I couldn’t get over his smile and how remarkable it was, as if he had come straight out of a magazine.
“I took French in high school. It didn’t stick,” I said, feeling inferior.
“My dad spoke fluently. I learned from him.”
“Oh, your family is from Russia?”
“Er, no,” Jared said, looking uncomfortable with the question.
“It was beautiful,” I said. “You’re very popular. Business must be fantastic.”
His eyes tightened as he studied my face. “Business is”—his eyes softened and he leaned in a bit towards me, meeting my gaze—“better than it’s been in a long time.”
I forced myself to breathe. It felt unnatural when he looked at me like that. “So you enjoy what you do?”
“Some days more than others.” He shrugged.
“And today?”
He smiled again. Something was amusing him about our conversation, and I wasn’t in on the joke. “Today’s a good day.”
My attention was diverted to the waitress walking up behind him, bringing our sweet potato fries and salads. Jared looked down at the table and then to me with a calculating grin.
“Feeling brave?”
The Providence Trilogy Bundle: Providence; Requiem; Eden Page 2
