Her shoulders sagged.
Why was she so stupid in front of him?
She took a step back, hugging her books tighter to her chest. "I need to get to my class."
She didn't get a chance for a quick escape.
"Wait!"
He moved closer to her and reached into his pocket. "Give me a minute to find a pen so I can get your phone number."
They both stared at each other as if they were shocked that he'd said anything at all.
"I mean, if you have the time to help me find a decent coat before I freeze to death."
His smile looked a little pained and she wondered if they were both feeling a little of the same awkward embarrassment.
She set her books down on the lip of the massive cement planter and pulled out a pen and paper from her purse. "I've always got notepaper in my bag," she explained for no real reason, "I'm always writing stuff down to remember it."
"Then you're better at remembering things than I am," he chuckled softly as she wrote out her first name and her phone number.
She paused after she'd finished, making sure that the numbers were legible. "I'd like to say that's true, but unless it's about medical jargon or an episode of Chicago Fire, my mind can be like a sieve."
Lexie held out a piece of paper and the pen she'd just used.
He looked a little confused for a moment and it gave her time to second guess the offer.
"Can I get your number, or-"
The paper pulled free of her fingers before she could figure out what to say next.
"Sorry," he murmured as he wrote on the notepaper, "my brain kind of blanked out for a moment there."
"Ah," she smiled, telling herself,I know that feeling. "I didn't want to assume."
He smiled brightly at that.
"My mom always told us that if you assume, it makes an ass out of 'u' and me." He handed her the paper and pen back. "Thanks," he looked down at the paper she'd given him and then back up at her, "Lexie. For the help in getting here and for the offer to keep me from freezing. It... I feel like moving here... is going to be a really good thing."
With a smile so bright she thought he might have winked at her, he took a step backward before he turned around to go into the cell phone store.
She stayed there beside the planter until the door closed behind him and then she headed off to her class.
Almost forgetting to grab her books off the edge of the planter.
Oh boy,she told herself,I think you're in trouble!
TWO
LEXIE
Lexie didn't have to wait long for her new friend to contact her.
Her phone rang that evening as she was staring at her near empty fridge with a vague hope that food would just appear in front of her.
She picked up her phone from the counter and swiped the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"
There was a momentary pause before she heard a voice.
