Chapter Three

Idreamed of a blue sea and gray sky that night. And when I opened my eyes to the string of fairy lights on the wall of my dorm room, I smiled. I knew I should not have been thinking about him, but I failed.

I failed at it the whole next week. I tried to shift my focus to my lectures but was generally unsuccessful. I tried working on assignments at night, but I was too distracted to get very far. My fingers stomping on the keyboard echoed around my room as I thought of him.

I almost ran to the bar the next Friday, putting extra care into applying eyeliner and choosing a dress. All that just to find my heart sinking at Miranda's words.

"Jake won't be here tonight," she said. "He and Alice went back to see their parents for the weekend. I see you've decided to ignore what Brian told you." She smirked.

I huffed. "No, I'm working on it."

"Maybe you shouldn't, there was a chemistry between you two last Friday."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I assured her.

Brian joined us at the table, kissing my cheek briefly.

"Miranda's right," he said. "But don't get your hopes up."

"I'm not," I grumbled.

"Good girl." He smiled and turned to Alec, who had just reached the table with two other guys.

I finished the night early, promising to meet Miranda the next day for HIIT in the park.

* * *

In the morning, we decided to skip the workout and, like many Saturdays before, we arranged to meet in the coffee shop instead. The feeling of guilt over missing the workout needed to be lessened by a buttery croissant.

The Corner was a tiny coffee joint just outside the campus with only a handful of tables inside, which were always occupied by students. They baked croissants that melted on one"s tongue and they served them with napkins saying Better than in Paris. The coffee was also surprisingly good. The place attracted crowds on Saturday mornings and I was soon stuck standing between a groggy couple, two girls who—from the looks of it—never reached their beds the previous night, and a group of women who held colorful yoga mats.

Miranda flung her arms around me, almost crashing us both into the couple in front of us. She wore coral yoga pants that hugged her lean legs and a caramel hoodie.

"I have news," she said, panting.

"Next please," the cashier called.

We moved closer and I started reciting our order while Miranda bounced on her feet by my side. In a few moments, she was practically jumping. She pulled me aside while our coffees were brewing.

"Jake called Brian and asked for your number," she said, her face flushed.

I almost dropped the bag that held our croissants.

"What?"

"And Brian, God save his sensitive soul, gave him your number. Sorry we didn't ask you. Wait, not sorry." Miranda was ecstatic.

"You look like a madman," I said, trying to process what I had just heard.

The most handsome man I had ever seen had asked for my number. Jake had asked for my number.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay? That's it?"

"It doesn't have to mean anything," I said.

"Yes, right. He probably just wants to ask you to borrow that fascinatingly boring book you were discussing."

"That sounds more believable than what you're hinting at. Brian said Jake didn't date," I said.

"Yes, didn't, maybe now he does," Miranda said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're impossible." I laughed.

We took our coffees and went to a circular park trail that started just a few steps from The Corner. The trees were already all shades of fall, a kaleidoscope of golden red and brown. The sweet smell of fallen leaves filled the air and birds were singing farewell songs. As we walked, I tried not to check my phone more often than usual.

* * *

The text came on Monday morning.

Hey, it's Jake. Would you like to grab a coffee sometime?

I would like to say that I just read it and tossed the phone to the side, nonchalantly. But no, I jumped up and down in my tiny dorm room, grinning, and scratched my shoulder on a hanging IKEA shelf in the process.