She turned, a smile breaking across her face when she saw who was calling for her. “Hey, Alec.”
“Would you like a ride? This is some shite weather.”
Her expression lit up. “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” I rolled up my window and unlocked the passenger door. After she was in and buckled up, I turned the heater up several degrees. “Where can I take you?”
“I was heading for the diner down the street. Shelly’s Place.”
“I’ve seen it.” I turned the direction she’d been walking. “I’m surprised to see you here, with classes being done. Did you have a late final?”
Keli brushed her hands over her hair, dislodging the half-frozen water that had clung to the strands. “No, my parents decided they were going on a cruise for Christmas, so I figured I’d just stay here. It’s why I’m going to Shelly’s Place for dinner. The dining hall’s food is…less than appetizing during the break between semesters.”
I glanced at her. “Do you have any plans after dinner?”
“Just a movie. Nothing special.” She shot me a shy smile. “You could join me if you want.”
My eyebrows went up. I’d always had my fair share of female attention, but because most women knew who I was, they either tried to be coy and flirtatious or purely sexual.
The fact that she wasn’t fawning all over me was refreshing, and it was a huge factor in my decision to counter with a proposal of my own.
“Will you allow me to take you out for a better dinner than you can get at Shelly’s Diner? When we’re done, we can see if you still want me to join you for that movie.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m not sure I’d be able to pay–”
I shook my head. “I never ask a lady to pay when I’ve asked her out.”
She looked surprised but pleased at my response. I hadn’t used the worddateintentionally and waited to see if she would use it. Whether or not she chose to label the meal would determine if I accepted her movie invitation, should she make it again.
“Thank you.”
Genuine appreciation. A good sign. “There’s a small restaurant not far from here that specializes in unique cuisine. The Phileas. It’s the sort of place that counts on word of mouth rather than normal advertising venues.”
“Phileas?” She laughed. “As in the main character fromAround the World in Eighty Days?”
“You know Jules Verne?” Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I hadn’t met many young women who enjoyed classic science fiction unless they were literature or theater majors. Then again, I didn’t know Keli’s area of study.
“My English teacher senior year gave a list of authors for us to choose from for our term paper. I chose Jules Verne.” She made a face. “The other choices were Hemingway, Faulkner, and Tolstoy. I’m pretty sure my teacher did it because he wanted us all to write about Verne but didn’t want to give us room to complain that he assigned us all the same subject.”
I’d never been the type of person who’d been any good at small talk, but with Keli, I didn’t need to be. She moved easily from one topic to the next, but it never sounded like meaningless chatter. She just enjoyed talking, and I didn’t mind listening to her.
Phileas was wonderful, as usual. I ordered my favorite strip steak and baked potato while Keli had a chicken and kale salad. Somehow, she managed to continue the conversation between dainty bites.
As we finished our meal – including a decadent chocolate and strawberry cheesecake –I decided that if she invited me back to her dorm room, I’d agree and see where things led from there. She wasn’t throwing herself at me, but little signs of attraction were there. Touching my hand. Leaning in toward me. If I was reading her wrong, I’d thank her for the nice company and then go back home, but I didn’t think that would be the way the night ended.
By the time we arrived back at her dorm, she hadn’t given me an invitation yet, so after I parked, I asked if she wanted me to walk her to her door.
“No expectations,” I added.
“What if I want you to come inside instead of just walking me to the door?” She touched my arm. “Join me for a movie? Maybe more…”
I’d read her correctly. The little spark between us was clearly mutual.
“I’d like that.”
Between my own university experiences and occasionally visiting my siblings, I’d come to believe that all college dorm rooms were the same. Two beds or three, if there was a bunk bed. Two or three desks. Maybe a shared bathroom with the room next door. Keli’s was no exception.
She and Ester had, however, added some things to give it a personal touch. Christmas lights ran from corner to corner on the ceiling, creating soft lighting that most people preferred over the harsh industrial lighting that most big buildings had. Both of the beds had colorful pillows and blankets, and the walls in front of the desks were covered with pictures. It wasn’t hard to spot which side was Ester’s and which was Keli’s. At least three or four of the pictures on the left side of the room had Leo in them.
