What A Fool Believes

"It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

IT WAS QUITE INCREDIBLE , Kady found herself marveling as she walked hurriedly towards the diner across the university, how powerful a distraction sex (or in her case, practically sex) proved to be. Although she had been too proud to let Farica know the truth, first days of school did tend to turn her into a basket case of worries and anxieties.

It probably had to do with all those years of having to endure her parents' constant criticism and unconcealed disappointment towards her. Or maybe it had more to do with how boys had always compared Kady to her best friend and constantly found her lacking. Either way, it had made Kady quite insecure every time she had to face a whole class of strangers.

Or at least that had been the case...until now.

In the hundred and twenty minutes that made up her class, Kady had only been half aware of what was going on around her. The other half had simply floated away, lost in a sensual, fluttery cloud of memories of Slade—-

Oh, dear.

She couldn't even make herself complete the thought without blushing. Had that really happened , she asked herself, but not even a second had passed when she ended up answering her own question with a prayer. Please let that be true, God, please.

The Doobie Brothers was singing when Kady entered the diner, and she quickly schooled her expression into something polite and unreadable the moment she spotted Eric sitting in one of the window booths.

She was already halfway by the time he realized she had arrived, and he quickly got to his feet. Sandy-haired and boyishly handsome, he used to take her breath away with just a flash of his dimples or a playful wink of his chocolate-brown eyes.

But now that she was standing right in front of him, Kady was stunned to realize that her heart didn't even feel the slightest bit close to breaking. There was still that tiny, scorching nudge of pain as their gazes met, but that was all.

That was all.

And judging by the flash of puzzlement in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, Kady realized with good-natured humor that he had sensed the same thing...and was vain enough to question what he was seeing. Oh, if only he knew how his face was giving his every thought away...

Eric saw Kady's lips curve in a smile that instantly transformed her face into something almost ethereally beautiful. Not for one moment did it occur to him that the smile might be one of amusement, and she could be finding him funny.

Instead, he saw her smile, and his confidence was instantly restored. Poor girl . Whether she admitted it or not, it was obvious she was still in love with him.

After exchanging hellos and Kady suffering an awkward hug from Eric, they sat across each other, and she politely declined his offer to buy her a drink.

"I hate to say this," Kady told him with an apologetic smile, "but you kind of caught me at a bad time..."

Sure he did, Eric thought, not buying a single word of her excuse. Seeing him must hurt her so much that she couldn't get away from him fast enough. "So..." He cleared his throat, vowing to himself all the while that he would do his best to break the news as gently as possible. "You're probably wondering why I asked to meet up out of the blue."

"Kinda."

"You never said anything before," he said carefully, "but I know I must've hurt you when you found out about Margaux and me."

Kady stared blankly at him. "I didn't realize I have to say a thing for you to realize seeing my ex with my best friend would hurt."

Eric flushed. "Yeah, well..." His voice trailed off. He hadn't expected her to twist his words in such a way, and he couldn't help saying testily, "This conversation won't go anywhere if we can't be civilized."

Her mouth opened and closed. Unbelievable.

Kady's silence was satisfying, which Eric once again unknowingly misinterpreted as his ex-girlfriend finally returning to her senses and going back to her usual docile self.

"Anyway..." Eric's chest puffed at the magnanimous gesture that he was about to make. "That's why I'm here."

Loft condescension practically oozed from his voice, and she could only feel her incredulity growing with every word Eric uttered. Had she truly once thought herself in love with this guy?

"I don't want to make the same mistake twice and end up hurting you again."

Because right now, she couldn't even see one single thing about him that was marginally cute. And my God - had she really heard him right? Did this guy really think he still had the power to hurt her?

"Margaux and I are engaged."

Kady blinked. Was that it?

She must be in shock , Eric thought. Poor Kady. He cleared his throat and reminded himself once again of his promise to break the news gently. "I know it may seem sudden and hasty, but it simply feels right." More silence, and Eric's remorse grew. Poor Kady.

"Congratulations," Kady said finally, seeing that Eric seemed to expect a response from her.

"I hope you mean that."

Kady blinked. "Of course I do."

"Because if you don't—-"

"I just said I do," Kady protested.

"What I have to say next is going to make things harder," Eric finished heavily.

"Oh." Kady was genuinely surprised this time. "There's more?"

"It's sort of last-minute..." Eric was once again back to speaking to her carefully, like she was a five year old that could only grasp two-syllable words. "But my application to work as a teacher's assistant was recently accepted, and I'll be working directly under a professor I've greatly admired—-"

"Julian Alexeyev," she guessed, having no problem recalling the Russian professor that Eric had practically worshipped.

A sullen expression flitted over his face, and Kady couldn't help comparing it to Slade, whom she couldn't even imagine contemplating being sullen for any reason.

"No, it's not him," Eric said rather shortly.

"Oh."

"But it's just as someone as good." His tone had turned slightly defensive.

"Of course," Kady agreed quickly, never mind if she distinctly recalled him telling her that no one could ever be as good as Julian Alexeyev in his field. "And, um, again congratulations—-"

"I hope you mean that, too," he interrupted.

Kady nearly had to bite her tongue. Why did he keep saying that?

"Since Professor Whitman is actually a professor here."

"Here?" And when he nodded, she just had to clarify, asking, "Do you mean my university?"

Eric nodded. "I know it might hurt, seeing me often—-" The sudden ringing of Kady's phone cut him off, and he frowned disapprovingly when Kady didn't even look at him and simply murmured an excuse as she started rummaging through her bag.

Why was her phone ringing, Kady wondered. From the moment she had entered the diner, she actually had Slade listening from the other end. It had been his non-negotiable condition, with Slade telling her coolly that it was the only way he would restrain himself from tagging along.

"You should put that in silent." Like I used to tell you, and you used to do.

Kady heard Eric's implied words loud and clear, and resentment started to simmer inside of her. How could she have fallen in love—-

RING!

She finally found her phone and quickly answered the call. "Hello?"

"Say baby, little chick."

"What?" Kady could feel her cheeks immediately burning at the command.

"Just say it," Slade purred.

And somehow, she actually did end up saying it, albeit weakly. "Baby."

"Good girl."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Eric scowling, but she didn't really have a thought to spare for him, not with Slade dropping another bombshell in the next second.

"As a reward—-" Her boss' tone turned dangerously silky. "I'm coming to pick you up."

Slade...picking her up...and meeting Eric?

" Absolutely not," she blurted out.

A low, sexy chuckle played down the line, and despite everything, she couldn't help trembling at the sound. "Just stay put, and I'll be there in a bit."

"But—-"

"Before I put the phone down, I need you to say it again."

Kady made a face. "I don't think so."

"It would also be better if you say it like I had told you something... exciting ." And the way his voice dropped an octave, it was pretty much clear to Kady exactly what kind of exciting Slade was suggesting.

"I can't—-"

"Maybe you can't, but you'll do it anyway, won't you, little chick?"

"I—-"

"Because if you don't, I might be tempted to kiss you right in front—-"

She didn't bother letting him finish, and she didn't even have to pretend being embarrassed, with her cheeks turning a deeper, hotter shade of red as she said pleadingly, "Baby."

Another chuckle, and then Slade murmured wickedly, "I was kidding, though."

What?

"I'd kiss you either way."

And then the line went dead, and for one long moment Kady could only gape at her phone. That...that...that...

"That was painfully awkward to hear."

Eric's surprisingly insightful words were a relief, and Kady found herself nodding vehemently. "I know, right? That was my—-"

"Kady?"

The rudeness in his tone had her blinking. "Yes?"

"Don't you think it's a little too childish to fake having a boyfriend?"

OH. MY. GOD.

She quickly started shaking her head. "I'm not—-"

"You were practically choking on the word when you said 'baby'," Eric derided.

"But that's because—-"

"There you are, sweetheart."