I relaxed. “Don’t you worry. I’ve had lots of time to think and plan. All you have to do is say yes.”
Her smirk stretched into a full smile that threatened to blow my socks off. “Okay, Finn. Yes. I’ll go out on an epic date with you next Saturday.”
For a long moment, we sat there smiling at each other before I remembered why I’d asked her to coffee.
“Um, we should probably work on—”
“Yeah, we probably should.”
Still, neither of us made a move to unload our backpacks until Chessly’s friend Piper Maxwell materialized beside our table.
“Here’s an interesting pair,” she said with a chuckle. “Since when did you two start hanging out together?”
Chess cleared her throat. “Finn asked me to help him with some physics.”
Piper crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” she teased.
To emphasize her point, Chessly opened her backpack and pulled out a notebook, a calculator, and some pencils. Raising her brows at me, she blinked twice and slid her gaze to where my backpack rested on the chair beside me.
Taking the hint, I unloaded my laptop, a notebook, and a pencil.
“Huh. From over there”—Piper nodded in the direction of the coffee line—“this looked pretty cozy for a study session.”
“Don’t you have a class or some corporation to dominate today?” Chessly grumbled.
“For the record, it’s about time the two of you started hanging out.” Piper laughed. “Maybe now you’ll stop putting your grump on every time Finn’s name comes up.”
I didn’t know how to take Piper’s comment, so I asked, “I make you grumpy?”
“Only when jersey chasers are involved.”
“Ah. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. We put out the word we don’t want them coming around the house, and Stromboli’s hasn’t let them through the door since the semester started.” I leaned my forearms on the table. “Plus, I’ve taken up studying at Hillman instead of at the library.”
Chessly’s wide eyes told me she didn’t miss my meaning.
“For the record, the two of you are cute together.” A naughty grin accompanied Piper’s observation. “Maybe you should study—”
“Piper.” No one in a three-table radius could have missed the warning in Chessly’s tone.
With a grin, I let my study partner know I kind of agreed with whatever Piper was going to say. The cute way she wrinkled her nose back at me only made me grin harder.
The deep baritone of my roommate’s voice interrupted our little standoff. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late.” Bax threw his arm over Piper’s shoulders and brushed a kiss over the side of her head. “Finn. Chessly.” He did a double-take. “Wait—are you two here together? I thought after that night at finals—”
It was my turn to shut my friend up. “Chess is helping me with some physics. No big deal.” Why was it so hard for our friends—ourfriends, for crying out loud—to admit it was cool if Chessly and I hung out?
Bax’s jacket hung open enough for me read today’s T-shirt: “I enjoy long romantic walks to the beer fridge.”
“I don’t get it, Piper. How can a classy girl like you hang out with someone wearing that?” I pointed to Bax’s shirt.
He glanced down at it as if he hadn’t seen it before then glanced back up and grinned. “Piper appreciates honesty—right, babe?” He tugged her tighter against his side.
She smirked at him. “Absolutely.”
I shook my head in wonder. Across the table Chess rolled her pretty eyes.
“We should get going, Piper.” Something intimate colored my roommate’s tone, and it didn’t take a genius to know why he wanted to leave.
“Have a good afternoon, kids,” Piper said with that naughty smile again. “Don’t get into trouble.”
