“It’s kind of creepy in here, so deserted,” Jane said as I packed up my backpack and we made our way to the door. I threw my towels in the large hamper as we passed it, and I thought of Lucas collecting random towels the last time I was here.
“Deserted, yes, but I don’t think in a creepy way. More of a peaceful way,” I said as we made our way out of the locker room, past the empty classrooms where I sometimes studied.
But there would be no studying tonight. It was Thursday, and Jane, Syd, and I only had one class on Fridays, and it wasn’t until eleven. In fact, it was the only class we shared—a Humanities class taught by a visiting instructor.
So, on Thursday nights we got made up—using much effort to create a totally effortless look—and went to some party or another.
“And you’re allowed to swim alone like that? With no one around? Seems like a big liability issue.”
Jane’s father—or sperm donor, as she called him—had made a mint in lawsuits before entering the political world. Much as Jane would hate hearing it, she had a brain much like her famous father. She was scary smart, never needing to study and, though it was early in the semester, it looked like she would four-point.
And, also like her father, there seemed to be a bit of a self-destructive streak in Jane.
Or so I had been told. And that was why I was here, with Jane, as her roommate.
“Technically, it’s an open swim time, and there is someone on duty, but it’s usually a guy and he uses the men’s locker room—obviously. The women who swim here tend to be older—faculty, I guess—and they do it in the mornings. The locker room is pretty much mine after the swim lesson kids leave.”
We walked out of the building and turned toward our dorm. “I guess most students use the newer IM building. I hear that’s packed all the time.” I looked up at the older, women’s intramural building, covered in—you guessed it—ivy. It was much smaller than the new building, and on an inconvenient side of campus, but it had great character, and it wasn’t a bevy of “notice me” students pretending at working out. It had cred, this building.
As we neared the corner, a car pulled up beside us and the driver’s window lowered.
“Hey, little girls, how about some candy,” the driver said.
We didn’t look in their direction, just kept walking, although Jane did flip them the bird over her shoulder.
The car crept along beside us and I heard, “Lily.”
I knew that voice. Even after only meeting once, I knew how he said my name.
I turned, and Jane stopped with me. The driver was Stick, and he was the one who’d made the candy comment, but Lucas was leaning over him from the passenger seat so that I could see him. Or so he could see me.
“Get in, we’ll give you a ride.”
“Umm, that’s—”
“Thanks, that would be great,” Jane said, grabbing my arm and heading around the car to the passenger side.
It was an older car, and, like, souped up or something, though I don’t know much about cars. It was dark, but I could tell the car was candy-apple red and was lovingly polished. It was also a two-door and the kind you got into the back by folding the front seat forward. Lucas stepped out of the car, held the door, and pressed the seat up, motioning me into the back. I climbed in, waiting for Jane to climb in next to me. Lucas held his hand out for Jane. “Hey, I’m Lucas Kade.”
“Jane Winters. Lily’s roommate.” They shook hands, and I waited for Lucas to feel the spark, the fire, that seemed to emanate from Jane. But he held on to her hand and steered her to the front, then climbed into the back seat with me.
“Help Stick navigate, will you, Jane?” Lucas said as he pulled the front seat back into position. “Stick, Jane. Jane, Stick. Hey, Stick and Jane,” Lucas said, and I smiled.
Stick and Jane did not. Jane gave Stick her “don’t even think about it” look and Stick shot back a “you wish” glare.
Lucas grinned and sat back in the seat next to me.
Jane was obviously taking one for the team, and being an excellent wingwoman, because the way she looked at Stick—and she looked him completely up and down—said she’d rather be anywhere than next to him in a car that he was driving.
“Our dorm is the other way,” Jane said when Stick took a left at the next corner, taking us away from campus and into Schoolport proper.
“Who said we were heading to your dorm?” Stick said, though he didn’t look at her.
I could hear—feel—Jane’s sigh, but I didn’t care. Because I could also feel Lucas’s presence next to me.
“Hey,” he said in nearly a whisper.
“Hi,” I whispered back, then ducked my head, embarrassed by my breathlessness. There was no disguising my desire from my voice.
