“Nina, this is Josh. We went to high school together in Quincy. He wants to be me when he grows up,” Kim teased, playfully punching him in the arm.
Josh laughed and shook my hand. “Only if I get to wear a hat like that.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Josh.”
Josh pointed to each of his friends. “Tucker…Chad…Ryan.”
Tucker and Chad nodded in typical boy fashion, but Ryan reached his hand out, first to Kim and then to me.
“Hi… hi,” he said to each of us. His eyes lingered on me for a moment.
“So, we’re going to The Gate later for pizza if you want to come,” Josh said.
“We’ve already made plans with another girlfriend of ours, but maybe next time,” Kim said.
Josh nodded and Chad followed him as he left. Ryan stayed for just a moment and then trailed behind them.
Kim looked at me with her eyebrows raised. “Well. Who says there’s no such thing as love at first sight?”
“Quit it,” I murmured.
Beth joined us a few moments later.
“It’s about time! Gah!” Kim said in her typical dramatic fashion.
Beth laughed. “Who’s he?” she asked just as Ryan turned to look at us again.
“Ryan. Friend of a friend. Isn’t he dreamy?” Kim said as she nestled against Beth’s shoulder.
“You’re so…weird!” Beth giggled, pushing Kim away.
Beth and I huddled under an umbrella while Kim walked in the rain unaffected. We reached Kim’s elderly Sentra and climbed in, Beth taking the back seat. Kim pretended to say a little prayer and turned the ignition. After a few sickly whirring noises, the engine erupted and Beth clapped.
“Thank you. Thank you,” Kim said, ducking her head in little bows.
We crowded the counter and Beth and Kim both scanned the menu.
“I’ll have a Grande Cafe Misto, please.” I heard Kim sigh beside me. Unlike me, she refused to have the same drink twice.
I settled into my chair, cupping my drink with both hands. The wind and rain had picked up, and was intermittently beating against the large glass window. Just as Beth sat beside me, the bell above the door clanged and I automatically glanced up.
It was him.
Beth noticed me staring past her and she twisted to see Jared walking to the counter. “Are you okay, Nina?” she asked.
Kim sat down and traded glances with Beth, then pivoted in her seat to see what I couldn’t peel my eyes from.
The girl behind the counter cooed. “Well, if it isn’t Jared Ryel. Long time no see. How have you been?”
“Things are good, Katie. I’ll have the usual,” he replied, indifferent to her flirting.
By the time Jared casually turned our way all three of us were staring at him. I was expecting an uncomfortable expression at our gawking, but he smiled.
“Who is that?” Beth asked, clearly impressed.
“That’s Jared,” Kim said, leaning in and grinning from ear to ear.
“Jared. Who’s J —?” Beth whispered.
“Sssh!” I hissed.
“Nina?” Jared called. I thought I detected uncertainty in his voice.
As soon as his eyes met mine, I immediately felt lost. As usual, Kim saved me.
“You must be Jared,” Kim said with an impish grin.
“I am,” he confirmed, slowly walking the few feet to our table.
“I’m Kim,” she reached over and took his hand, shaking it vigorously and not at all lady-like.
“It’s…nice to meet you,” Jared said, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to mine. Confusion draped over his face, and he leaned his head a few inches to the side before speaking to me. “Is everything all right here?”
From my peripheral I could see Beth’s eyebrows press together and her eyes shift to me, confused by Jared’s behavior.
“Everything’s great,” I murmured, setting my cup on the table. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been…fine. Am I interrupting?”
Kim’s loud voice rose an octave. “Of course not! Would you like to join us?”
Jared looked at me for a moment and I smiled at him, waiting. I felt a strange adrenaline rush; afraid he would say yes and terrified he would say no.
He looked back to Kim and sighed. “I should be going.”
“Couldn’t you stay? Just for a minute?” I asked, hopeful.
Jared sighed with what sounded like relief. He looked around him and then pulled a chair to our table. I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt and my mouth instantly spread into a smile.
“How could I say no to that?” he asked. I felt my ears get hot.
“Yes, she’s very persuasive,” Kim said flatly, eyeing me.
I ignored her to introduce both of them properly. “Jared, Kim Pollock. Kim…Jared Ryel. And this is my roommate, Bethany Layne.”
Jared extended his hand across the table and briefly shook Beth’s hand.
She smiled. “It’s just Beth.”
Jared nodded. “Nice to meet you, Beth.”
“So…how do you know each other?” Beth asked.
“I got her a cab,” he said, smiling at me.
“He did. The night of Jack’s….we shared a cab,” I said, trying to keep the conversation on Jared instead of the circumstances.
“Oh,” Beth said. I could see the confusion on her face. It occurred to me that I would have quite a bit of explaining to do later.
“And we had lunch,” Jared added.
“You did?” Kim asked, turning to me for confirmation.
Jared chuckled. “I can see it was interesting enough to share.”
I fingered the lid of my coffee cup. “He introduced me to that Blaze place on Thayer. It was really good.”
“I think it was the company more than anything,” Jared said, his eyes softening.
“Sounds like you two had a great time,” Beth chirped. She had gotten over the fact that I hadn’t let her in on the news and had become slightly over-enthusiastic.
“We did,” he said, his eyes focused on mine. “It was good to see you again, Nina, but I have to get going.” He stood up and returned the chair to its proper place. I stiffened. I wanted to ask him when I would see him again, but couldn’t find the courage. I settled for relaying my feelings with a disappointed frown.
To my relief, he noticed.
“I’ll see you soon,” he reassured me, amused at my deflated expression.
“Good,” I nodded once.
He strode out just as marvelously as he came in, and I crumpled into the back of my chair. My muscles complained, I hadn’t noticed I was so tense. I sipped my coffee and took a deep, relaxing breath.
I had gone from never knowing he existed to inexplicably running into him. My life was suddenly full of these little miraculous surprises, moments I was finding so much happiness in that I was already wondering when the next one would come.
My friends’ eyes bored into me. I looked up, conscious of their burning curiosity.
“Yes?” I prompted, smiling innocently.
“Oh please, Nigh. Like you’re not swimming in your own freakily potent pheromones right now,” Kim said.
“He’s really cute,” Beth added.
