Beth touched my arm.
“Don’t interrupt my anxiety attack. It’s rude,” I whispered.
Beth pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. “Stop freaking out. It’s a date. You’ve had dates before.”
“Not with Jared.”
She tapped her finger on my forearm for a moment and smiled. “Why don’t we visit Ryan after class?”
“I think you’re brilliant,” I said, peeling off the last bit of my eraser.
By the time Professor Hunter had spoken the word ‘dismissed’, I had shoved the last of my things in my bag, with the fastest path to the Beamer already plotted out in my mind. Beth struggled to keep up, and growled with frustration when we reached the car.
“You’re ridiculous,” she puffed.
“You have no excuse. Your legs are longer than mine.”
She rolled her eyes as I put the Beamer into gear.
Ryan looked much better — he had more color in his face and the network of tubes and wires that had covered him just days before had all but disappeared.
“Hey there,” he said, stretching his torso. “They’re moving me to PCCU today.”
“That’s fantastic!” I smiled. “You’re going to be out of here in no time. Do you know what room number you’ll be in?”
Ryan shook his head. “I’ll call you and let you know, though.”
“You’d better. How else are we going to sneak in the illegal contraband?” Beth said.
“Speaking of which…did you happen to bring me another burger?”
Beth shook her head. “Nina was in a hurry to get here.”
Ryan didn’t enjoy her remark as much as I thought he would. “That’s surprising. I figured you’d be rushing to Andrews to get ready for your date.” He tried to sound casual, but I heard resentment in his words.
I glanced at Beth and then back at him. My face instantly flushed with anger.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Calm down, Nina. Josh saw you at the Ratty. It pissed him off seeing Jared there. He doesn’t trust him.”
“It’s ridiculous that he’s upset about it at all,” I snapped.
“It’s not Josh’s fault. He just thinks I’m better for you than that double-oh-seven wannabe. I happen to agree,” Ryan said, squirming to sit higher in his bed.
“That double-oh-seven wannabe is the reason we’re alive,” I said through my teeth.
“Come on, you guys. This can wait,” Beth sighed.
“You’re not really going to go out with him, are you?” Ryan said, disgusted.
“Yes, I am. And I really don’t care what you, or Josh, or any of your other buddies think about it.”
“Buddies?” Ryan repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Who says buddies, anymore?”
“Shut up,” I seethed. “Let’s go, Beth. Visiting hours are over.”
“Oh, come on, Nigh. Don’t leave mad,” Ryan chuckled, raising his hand toward me.
“I told you that you could only call me that once. The time limit on that has been exceeded.” “Nina, I’m sorry. Don’t leave. It’s none of my business who you date. I’m sure it’s pretty obvious why I have a problem with it.” He looked down at his hands with a frown.
I stared at him for a moment. It was hard to hold onto my anger when he was lying in a hospital bed. “I hope they clear up whatever it is that has you acting like this before they release you.”
“Oh, I’m not that bad. You’re coming back tomorrow, right?”
“I will,” I said, ruffling my fingers in his hair.
He swatted my hand away. “But I don’t want to hear about your date, all right?”
“I’m sure we can find other things to talk about.”
“We’d better go, Nigh. We have lots to do,” Beth said in a sing-song voice.
I stuck my tongue out at Ryan before following Beth to the car.
In search of the perfect outfit, Beth and I blew up my closet. Clothes were everywhere. Something too dark, too tight, too loose, too short, or not short enough covered every surface. I finally settled on a winter white three- quarter length sleeved sweater dress with my favorite fancy brown belt — it boasted a pearl in the center of the cross buckle — and brown strappy heels. Beth assured me over and over that my curve-hugging dress was the perfect balance of sexy and elegant. I stared into our long mirror and worried my dress was too short; I was all legs.
I passed the time taking a long shower, being extra careful about shaving my legs, plucking my eyebrows, and painting my toenails.
After all of the indulging, I’d still managed to be ready twenty minutes before Jared was due to arrive. My heels clicked against the elevator floor as I stepped in, and I couldn’t help but fuss with my hair and dress while I waited for the doors to open to the first floor. Walking down the hall, I checked my watch; I still had fifteen minutes before he would arrive. Just as I peeked out, the door popped open. Jared stood in front of me in a solid black dress shirt and charcoal-grey slacks. His hair had the slightest bit of gel in it, easing the subtle messy waves into each other.
I sucked in a tiny gasp, throwing my hand up to my chest.
“I’m sorry, did I startle you?”
“Yes! I wasn’t expecting you, yet,” I said, breathless.
Jared handed me a small but beautiful bouquet of pink and white tulips — my favorite — and smiled sheepishly, “I couldn’t wait until six-thirty.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from uttering the embarrassing truth, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I couldn’t either,” I blurted out.
A triumphant smile broke across his face, and then he helped me with my coat. He gently pulled me against his chest and whispered into my ear. “You are stunning.”
My ears burned. I willed the blush in my cheeks away, glad to be stepping out into the brisk air.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he pulled away from the curb.
“You’ll see,” he said, an excited grin spreading across his face. “I’m glad you agreed to come. After the other night, I wasn’t sure you’d say yes.”
“Well, after you ambushed me at the Ratty in front of everyone, I hardly had a choice.”
“Coercion was the plan all along,” he said, chuckling. He reached over and lightly traced my fingers.
“So this place we’re going to…should I expect more strange cuisine or are you playing it safe this evening?” I casually turned up my palm to intertwine our fingers. Normally I wasn’t so forward, but the rules had changed. We both knew that nothing about our time together was ever ordinary.
“It’s a surprise.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t like surprises.”
“Yes you do.”
“I know,” I huffed. It was maddening that he knew me so well. “Am I going to learn anything about you tonight?”
“That’s the plan.”
Jared pulled onto a narrow street and parked beside the curb in front of a darkened building. I wasn’t sure what restaurant it was, but it didn’t look open. He took my hand and led me down an alley, guiding me around the water-filled potholes.
“Your cut has healed nicely,” I noticed, “I can barely see it.”
Jared simply nodded, leading me further into the darkness.
His hand left mine only to reach into his pocket for his keys. He unlocked the door, and then stretched his arm toward the inside to signal me to walk in.
“We’re going up the stairs,” he said.
My heels clanged against the iron steps as I slowly climbed to a small landing. At the top, Jared edged past me to use his keys once more. He stepped ahead of me this time, holding the door open.
I walked into a spacious bi-level apartment decorated in grays and blues. It was dimly lit and the blinds were drawn, setting off the glow of the numerous candles lit around the room. Chinese panels and manuscripts from different parts of the world hung on the grey cinderblock walls, illuminated by track lighting. He didn’t have enough
