There's Something About Nik

by Sara Hantz

  Amber frowned. “Lots of different bands. Why?”

  There it was again. The why. What had he done wrong now? A lesser guy would just give up as far as Amber was concerned, but he’d never been a quitter. And he wasn’t about to start now.

  “Did I say something out of place?” If he didn’t ask, how was he to find out?

  Amber tilted her head to the side, looking uneasy. Had he upset her? Or had she realized that she’d been discourteous to him, again? “No. It was just that your question came out of the blue, seeing as we were talking about the movie. I just wondered what made you ask it. That’s all.”

  She kept staring ahead while they walked. It seemed like she was avoiding any interaction with him. He’d been trained practically since birth on how to keep a conversation going with all types of people—shy, outgoing, star struck, confrontational—so having his skills questioned was a whole new thing for him.

  “So I should talk more about the movie?” He continued focusing on her, and eventually, she turned, her eyes locking with his.

  He tried to ignore how erratic his breathing had become. But with intoxicating eyes like hers, it wasn’t easy.

  “If you want to,” she replied, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

  Nik felt himself relax. It might be just a tiny smile, but it was a positive sign that she seemed to be thawing. They might actually have a proper conversation.

  “Okay. What else did you think about it?” He smiled back.

  Amber paused for a moment. “If I was one of the main characters, my superpower of choice would be the ability to read minds.”

  “Why that power?” It seemed a strange choice considering all the powers out there. Flight. Invisibility. Laser eyes.

  “Because if you know what people are thinking, then you can determine your own actions. Plus, you’d know whenever someone lied to you.” She gazed off down the street again, her eyes slightly unfocused as if she weren’t really seeing what was in front of them.

  “And that’s been a problem?” He didn’t generally have an issue with people lying to him, unless you counted those who hung on his every word, acting like he was the most fascinating person they’d met, when he was sure that he wasn’t. He’d often wondered how they’d behave toward him if he’d been just a regular guy and didn’t have the word “Prince” before his name.

  Would people like me? Want to spend time with me? Or would I be deemed unworthy of their attention?

  “It has been.” Her face clouded over, and he sensed there was a story behind her words. He didn’t know her well enough to ask about it. But the thought that someone had done something awful to her in the past irked him.

  “And if you were to use your power for the greater good, how would it benefit everyone?” He opted for a safer question.

  Seeming to snap out of her reverie, she tilted her head toward him and mulled over his question for a moment. “I don’t know. It could help business or governments. I’d be great at nonviolent interrogation.” She grinned. “What would your superpower be?” she asked.

  Nik knew that in a flash. It was something he’d dreamed of his whole life. “To be invisible.”

  He was so envious when he’d first read about Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility. As a kid, he’d sit for hours planning everything he would do if only such a thing existed.

  “Why?” Amber looked puzzled.

  How could she not understand the attraction of his superpower? Wasn’t it obvious? It just went to show, they were poles apart. “I could go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Who could want for more?”

  He could visualize it. Going to watch a sporting event. Going to the movies. Wandering around the city. Utter bliss.

  “And you can’t do that now?” Her brow furrowed.

  “Not without attracting attention.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. And then he realized he’d gotten a little too comfortable with her. Of course Nik Gustafsson could go anywhere he wanted without paparazzi following him and people pulling out their mobile phone cameras. What if his bizarre behavior caused her to fire up Google and start looking him up?

  “So you think people look at you all the time, do you?” She gave a small, hollow laugh, and he knew she was probably wondering if he was delusional.

  His insides clenched. Not knowing who he was meant that she’d be thinking he had a massive ego.

  “No. I didn’t mean that. I just meant it’s easier to be invisible. My parents were really strict about my curfew back home, so I could have gotten around it if I were invisible,” he replied, hoping to have stopped her from thinking the worst about him. “And you could have some fun hiding from people.”

  “And, as you asked me, how could you being invisible benefit the world?”

  Benefiting the world wasn’t something he’d even considered. “Well…I could go into a dangerous situation and help avert a disaster. By disarming a gunman. Or sabotaging a terrorist operation.”

  Nik was proud of himself for thinking on his feet.

  “So you’re not interested in being able to fly like Superman or having the strength of The Hulk?” she asked.

  “Not really. Those powers make you stand out too much. I think a power that is undetectable is more effective. Don’t you agree?”

  “I suppose. Which means that my mind reading would fall into that category, too.” Amber grinned, and her face glowed.

  He had to stop himself from reaching over and tracing the contours of her jaw. Which shocked him. How had he gone from simply finding her pretty to wanting to do something about it?

  “It certainly would.” He returned her smile and broke eye contact, instead concentrating on Lauren and Josh in front of them.

  “Looks like we’re having pizza,” Amber said.

  “And you deduced that from your mind-reading power?” Nik smirked.

  “Of course. That and the fact that they’ve both stopped outside the pizzeria.”

  She shot him a coy, sidelong glance, and they both burst out laughing. Warmth flooded through him. Maybe things were going to work out between them, after all. They could make up a foursome with Josh and Lauren and have it not be awkward.

  …

  “What’s so funny?” Lauren asked as Amber and Nik caught up with them.

  “Nothing much. Just comparing superpowers.” Amber glanced at Nik, and he winked. Her heart did a triple somersault.

  Crap.

  That wasn’t what she had planned. She wished she’d brought her camera, so she could busy herself taking shots, instead of just standing lamely at the restaurant door hoping that no one would guess the havoc Nik was playing with her emotions.

  Stop being stupid. There’s nothing wrong with my emotions.

  “That’s right,” Nik said.

  He walked to the door and held it open, ushering her and Lauren through. She grinned as Lauren dropped her chin and bugged her eyes out behind his back, clearly incredulous at his old-school manners. The guys they hung out with wouldn’t do anything like that. They’d just head inside without worrying about anyone else. Maybe she should visit Europe and experience more of that type of cute behavior. Then again, why bother? She had her own European right there.

  Amber swallowed hard. Her own European. Where had that thought come from? They were friends. Not even that. Acquaintances. And nothing was going to change that. He didn’t even like her. Or if he did, it certainly wasn’t in a romantic sense. She was hardly his type. At least, the type she imagined he’d want to be with. The Lauren type. Tall and noticeable. Heads didn’t turn when Amber walked into a room. How could they at her height? Most people looked right over her. She’d often dreamed about being tall.

  The pizzeria was small and had black and white tiles on the floor. There were around ten tables in the center, and each one was covered with a red checked tablecloth and a small vase with fresh flowers sat in the middle. They headed over to one of the booths, which lined two of the walls. Lauren a
nd Josh sat next to each other on one side of the table, leaving her and Nik the other. She squeezed in first, sliding to the end of the bench, and then put her purse beside her. Nik slid in next to her, coming to a halt as he encountered her purse. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it. She wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to move it. She didn’t want to. She liked having some space between them. It made her feel safe.

  From what?

  Don’t ask.

  Josh handed everyone a menu from the stack at the end of the table, and they all sat studying them in silence for a few moments.

  “Should we order a couple of large pizzas and put them in the middle to share?” Amber suggested.

  “You wish us to share our food?” Nik jerked his head up from looking at the menu.

  “You don’t do that in Lootansan?” Amber asked, curious as to why her suggestion had been met with such a response.

  “It’s Lutgenstadt,” Nik pronounced each syllable distinctly.

  Her eyes were drawn to his lips as he spoke. They were delicately shaped, like his straight nose, and even though his features were a little too flawless-Abercrombie-model—unlike the rugged imperfections she’d usually be attracted to—they seemed perfect on him and quite disturbing.

  “That’s what I said,” Amber replied automatically, dragging her thoughts away from how hot she found him.

  “No, you didn’t.” His expression was so serious that Amber’s dreamy mood vanished, and she had to force herself not to giggle.

  “Tell me again,” she asked.

  “Lut. Gen. Stadt.” His mouth accentuated each syllable.

  Amused by how totally wrong she’d gotten it, she couldn’t resist having a bit more fun at his expense.

  “Loo. Tan. San,” she said slowly, deliberately getting it wrong again.

  “That is incorrect,” he said.

  His confusion was obvious by the expression on his face. Not an angry look, just one that made Amber aware that he didn’t really understand what she was doing. Maybe they didn’t do teasing where he came from.

  “I know.”

  “So why did you do it?” Nik asked, looking bemused and genuinely curious, like an alien who’d come down to Earth to study the species. Was the world he came from really so different that he didn’t understand a joke? Did he not have TV? The movies? Or anything normal?

  “I was kidding.” She clenched her hands in her lap, wondering if she’d imagined how well they’d been getting on only a few moments ago. Because right now, things were getting more awkward by the second.

  “Why?”

  “Just because. It doesn’t matter,” she said, seriously regretting ever getting into the conversation. “Let’s go back to the food.” She turned her attention to Josh and Lauren. “Have you two decided?” But they seemed so engrossed in each other that she doubted they’d even heard her, or her conversation with Nik. Which she was glad about, seeing as Lauren might read more into it than she should. “Lauren?” she called loudly.

  “Yes?” Lauren glanced up. Josh took a minute before he peeled his eyes from her and managed to remember there were two other people at the table.

  “Should we share a couple of big pizzas?”

  They agreed on a Meat Lovers and a Seafood Scorcher pizza, although she was certain Nik had never had anything approximating either one, from the way he scrutinized the menu when the rest of them started discussing those options. But he agreed readily enough.

  Their server came and took their order, and as Josh and Lauren went back to their own conversation bubble, Amber and Nik slipped into an awkward silence. Amber could see him in her peripheral vision. It struck her how he most definitely wasn’t her type. She’d always gone for broader guys, with dark hair and dark eyes. Now, faced with someone Nik’s height, with…

  She started as he tapped her on the arm. “What?” Her voice came out really cranky and not at all how she meant. It was just that he’d made her jump.

  “Sorry. I was just asking if you’d like to come out with me some time?”

  She scrutinized his face, trying to work out whether he was kidding. He seemed serious enough. “You want us to go out?”

  He doesn’t mean on a date, right?

  Why would he be asking her out on a date after the way things had already gone that evening?

  “Yes. I would like you to help me with my English.”

  Phew. Not a date. That’s good. Because she would have said no. Definitely.

  “Your English? Why? There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “I’m concerned that my use of American grammar will affect my grades.”

  She hoped he didn’t think she was some sort of brain box and knew all about grammar. Because she didn’t. “Why are you asking me?”

  “I don’t want to keep bothering Josh.”

  But why her? Unless he didn’t want other people to think badly of him. She couldn’t imagine him ever wanting to admit he was deficient in some way. She should cut him some slack. A stranger in her country. Even though he spoke English, it was a hyper-formal, textbook English, free of most idioms, so it must be very difficult for him.

  “Of course. I’d be happy to help you. As friends.”

  Crap. Why did she say that? Now he’d think that she’d considered going out with him on a date. One day, she’d actually manage to engage her brain before speaking.

  “Friends? Yes. I’d like for us to be friends.” He inclined his head slightly.

  Clearly he hadn’t interpreted her words in the way she’d imagined. Which was good.

  Of course.

  “Yes, if that’s okay with you,” she murmured.

  And who are we convincing that you want to just be friends?

  “Certainly. We meet tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Lauren exclaimed, once they were back in the common area outside of their individual dorm rooms. “You agreed to go out with Nik. After everything you said about this being a guy-free year for you.”

  “If you let me finish, instead of jumping in, I agreed to see him just as a friend to help him with his English.” She blinked, acting all innocent. She doubted Lauren would be fooled though.

  “Of course you did. Because his English is so bad. Funny that I hadn’t noticed.” Lauren laughed so hard that she snorted.

  Amber scowled, but it was wasted since Lauren was shaking so much. Her laughter was contagious, and Amber couldn’t stay mad for long. She walked back to the dark green futon couch that stood under the window facing the path running through the center of the school buildings and sat next to Lauren, leaning into her.

  “He wants help with his American grammar, and when he asked me, I said yes.”

  “Out of the goodness of your heart, and for no other reason.” Lauren’s smirk made it obvious that she wasn’t going to let it rest.

  “Of course, no other reason. Why would there be?” Amber asked, injecting a nonchalant tone into her voice, despite getting all kinds of butterfly feelings whizzing around her stomach at the thought of spending time alone with him.

  “Hmm. Let me see. Try because he’s a blond god who could have his pick of most girls here,” Lauren countered.

  “Who also wouldn’t want to go out with me because I’m nothing like the girls from his country. Tall, blond, and perfect doesn’t go with short, dark, and freckly. Not that I’m interested. Because I’m not.” She’d never been bothered about not being model-like in the past. Now…she had to admit it did niggle a bit.

  “If you say so,” Lauren picked up a fuzzy pink throw pillow and started fluffing the fabric, giving her the side-eye as she did so.

  “I do say so. It’s all agreed. We’re going to spend time together as friends.”

  Friends. Friends. Friends.

  It was what she wanted.

  Say that often enough, and I might believe it.

  “And whose idea was that?” Lauren asked.

  “Mine. Ow!” She dodged to the
side when Lauren thumped her on the head with her pink pillow. “And he agreed,” she stated categorically.

  “He agreed?” Lauren repeated.

  “I just said that.”

  “He must be into you,” Lauren declared, hugging her pillow and nodding for emphasis.

  “How did you work that out?” Her chest tightened.

  “It’s obvious. He’s using studying as an excuse to spend more time with you. Are you really telling me that you’re not interested in him, even a little bit? I noticed how you looked at him in the pizzeria when you thought no one was watching.”

  “No one was watching.” Her hand shot up to her mouth. “I mean that you and Josh were engrossed in each other and I…”

  “You?” Lauren prodded.

  Amber raised her hands in mock surrender. No way would she pull one over on Lauren. Nor, she had to admit, did she want to.

  “Shut up. Okay, fine. Nik is cute. For all his ridiculous behavior. But that’s as far as it goes. It doesn’t mean I want to date him. He’s way too good-looking. We do nothing but argue, and he’s only staying for a year.” It would be a disaster waiting to happen. No question about that.

  “No–strings-attached dates with a hottie. What more could a girl want?” Lauren tossed her pillow on a navy-blue beanbag slouched in the corner and propped her feet up on the small coffee table. “Seems perfect, if you ask me.”

  “I’m not asking you.” Because she didn’t want to be persuaded that her relationship with Nik could be anything other than friends.

  “Like that’s ever stopped me. Anyway, at least now you can agree with me that he’s a nice guy.” A smug expression crossed Lauren’s face.

  “Okay. Maybe he’s not as arrogant as I first thought, but he still acts like he’s better than us. I’d love to photograph him.” Her fingers itched at the thought of a photo session with him.

  Only a photo session?

  Shut up.

  “Ask him,” Lauren urged. “I’m sure he won’t mind. If you do date him then we’ll be able to go out as a foursome again.”

  “I’ve just told you, we’re just friends.”

  “At the moment. I think you’d make a great couple, even if you don’t see it.”