“No?” he said in an amused tone. “Why not?”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Because gorgeous is the highest compliment you can give on someone’s looks.”
His brows pulled together. “I’m not seeing the problem.”
“You can’t possibly think I’m gorgeous,” I countered. I’d gotten more comfortable around him the more time I’d spent with him, and although we were friends, I never entertained the idea of Slate being into me. Not that him thinking I was pretty meant anything more than I was easy on the eyes, but I wasn’t used to being complimented so much. Slate said what he thought, and he had complimented me more in the month and a half I’d known him than Josh ever had.
Ugh. I hated that I compared guys to Josh. I didn’t want to think about Josh at all. Having to be in the same place as him today for hours was going to be awful. I’d seen him here and there on campus, but neither of us had acknowledged the other. Tonight would be totally different. I’d have to figure out how to act like I wasn’t still mad at him for talking me into moving here, lying to me, and then breaking up with me after only I’d only been here for three weeks. That should be easy enough.
Pushing aside thoughts of Josh, I focused on Slate.
He looked me up and down again. “I definitely think you’re gorgeous.”
I looked down at myself, in joggers and a crop top. Amy had my bridesmaid’s dress waiting for me, and I would change when I got there, so I’d picked something comfortable to wear on the drive. “Really?”
His smile was full of charm, but his eyes were focused on me, taking me in. “Yes, really.”
Gosh, he was good. I didn’t blame any of the girls for falling at his feet. He didn’t even have to say anything amazing, but when he gave you a smolder mixed with a smile, you had no hope of not being affected.
“Oh,” I said, a little breathless, not knowing what else to say.
“And,” he said, easily moving us from the awkward silence I’d put us in, “‘Hello, gorgeous’ is not one of mylinesthat I use with women.”
Him reminding me of his overused lines brought me back down to reality. “You should really work on those,” I said. “They’re not very good.”
That had him laughing loudly, the sound barely echoing in the hallway. “The girls don’t seem to mind.”
I scrunched my nose. He was right, they definitely didn’t care what he said to them as long as he was talking to them.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
I lifted up my small travel bag. “Yep, I’ve got everything I need.”
He gently took it from me, and I let him. I’d realized he was quite the gentleman, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I followed him out to his Jeep, and he opened my door, letting me get in before he put the bag in the back seat.
This was my first time being in his car, and the smell of Slate surrounded me. I took the couple seconds it took for him to walk around to the driver’s seat to inhale deeply before he got in and saw me being a weirdo.
I had thought the car was roomy, but when Slate slid into the driver’s seat, he filled up the space, making it feel smaller than it really was.
“Riverdell, here we come,” he said, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Thanks again for being my plus-one.” I still felt a twinge of embarrassment over having not been able to find a real date.
“Seriously, it’s no big deal,” he assured. “Give Marabeth something to talk about.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe you remembered her name. I told you that forever ago.” When I’d told him about my town and the people in it, I’d never expected him to remember any of it. I figured he’d been trying to get my mind off how Josh had just dumped me, not that he had been truly listening or cared. But now, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d watched Slate with his friends, and he was loyal and thoughtful. He’d do anything for them.
My stomach swooped at the thought that I was one of his friends now, that I was someone for whom he would do anything. Like going to a wedding with me so I wouldn’t have to endure showing up alone at the center of the town gossip mill.
Slate looked over at me as he pushed on the gas, the engine roaring to get up to freeway speed. “I’m actually looking forward to giving them a show.”
“A show?” What did he mean by that?
He gave me anoh, c’monlook. “You’re bringing a guy from out of town who is way hotter than that douchebag you were dating, and you don’t want to rub it in?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” I said as I watched the landscape speed by us.
