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“Because nothing is guaranteed yet.”

“You could be modeling in Paris.”

“I could also walk into the meeting, trip over my own feet, knock over a table, and never hear from them again.”

“You’re gonna do great. They’d be crazy not to want you.”

Leanne reached over and squeezed my hand before returning hers to the steering wheel.

“If I end up in Europe, you better come visit me.”

“You wouldn’t be able to keep me away.”

She pulled into the student parking lot at Preston and found a space near the humanities building.

Leanne looked toward the building and sighed. “I can’t believe we’re almost done here.”

“Neither can I.”

“What are we supposed to do when we can’t use college as an excuse for having no idea what we’re doing with our lives?”

“I was planning on continuing to have no idea what I’m doing. I just won’t have an excuse anymore.”

I laughed and reached for my bag.

“Let me know when you hear something about New York.”

“You’ll be the first person I call.”

I leaned over and hugged her.

“Alright supermodel, I’ll see you later.”

“Later.”

I climbed out and shut the door. Leanne lowered her sunglasses before I walked away.

“Tell Mr. Whitmore I’m bringing him a cheesecake next time I see him.” She laughed as she pulled out of the parking space.

I was still smiling when I entered the humanities building.

“Samantha.”

I turned and found Jerry Collins coming toward me. Jerry and I had been in several classes together over the past two years. He was confident enough to occasionally cross into arrogant territory, but he was also one of the few people at Preston who never treated my art like a hobby.

“There you are. I was starting to think you were skipping today.”

“I almost did. I went to see my dad this morning. I heard you and my father have been talking about me.”

Jerry smiled as he fell into step beside me. “Talking about you makes it sound much more scandalous than it was. He asked what I planned to do after the internship, and I asked what you were doing after graduation.”

“He also seems convinced you’re interested in me.”

“Your father is a very perceptive man.”

I laughed. “You’re not helping yourself.”

“I’m not trying to hide it, Sam. I like you. I’m also confident you’ll eventually realize I’m an excellent option.”