“Yeah, I’m sure it would kill you to not see the girl you've known for several hours,” Reagan said sarcastically.
Davis was laughing at her when she saw Hudson come back out of the bathroom. He locked eyes with her as he walked back in her direction, and she purposely leaned into Davis, turning her head to speak in his ear. She was merely telling him that Luna had missed him so much that she insisted on inviting him for dinner, but of course, Hudson didn't know that.
A minute later Luna came back to the table and Davis and Reagan looked up at her expectantly. “Hey, Luna, love.”
“Hey, Davis.” She set the food down and he helped her pass it out. “I had to order for Davis, and I decided to wait for it. There was a long line and I didn't want to get out of it.”
“This looks yummy. Thanks for getting my favorite.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Well, I considered getting you anchovies, but I didn't think that would be very fair.”
“No, not at all. How much do I owe you?”
“It’s fine, don't bother. It wasn't that much.”
They fell silent, and Reagan felt like it was a conversation they’d had plenty of times before.
“Is your project done?” Luna asked after she’d had a bite and washed it down with her drink.
Reagan tuned them out and tried her best not to stare over Davis’s shoulder at Hudson and the other professor.
Hudson was ready to vault over the tables and strangle the guy that kept playing with Reagan's hair. He wanted to wrap his hands around the child's neck and tell him not to touch what didn't belong to him. He was having a hard time concentrating on what José was saying to him, but he knew he had to be careful and not get caught staring. Or acting like a fool.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?” José looked over in the direction that Hudson had been staring half the night. “Hey, that redhead is hot. She’s not in your classes, is she?”
“No,” Hudson said, realizing that he was safe for now.
“It's still frowned upon, but she doesn't look like a freshman. If she’s not in any of your classes, it probably wouldn't hurt to give it a try.”
“No. My career is too important to get mixed up in any of that. I want to make tenure, and I need to maintain a spotless record for that to happen.”
“You've got a point there.” José glanced over at the women for a second but ultimately decided that Hudson was right about it not being worth it.
“No woman is worth screwing up my chances at a successful career. It’s what I've worked toward since I graduated high school. I won't let a tart get in between me and my dreams.”
