I walked with a throng of others to the lecture hall, and when I got to my psych class, there were instructions for the groups to go to various classrooms. Mine was nearby, and I saw Kate talking to Robert as I approached, twisting a strand of hair and beaming a smile at him, laughing at something he’d said.
“There she is,” Kate said, as though she hadn’t seen me twenty minutes earlier in the room.
“Morning,” I said.
“How’s the movie business?” Robert asked.
“It’s okay, I guess. Not really my thing,” I said.
More students arrived, and we entered the classroom and took our seats as Robert walked to the podium and organized his notes. When everyone was there, he opened the textbook and launched into an explanation of a chapter I’d already read. My mind wandered and I tuned him out. For some reason, Jared in soaked jeans and a black silk dress shirt from the night before was more on my mind. He’d seemed so concerned when it had been just the two of us, and then Christina had appeared… Well, you didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why. The film was clearly a vehicle to capitalize on his growing popularity and make him a movie star. If Christina was producing it, she had to be close to him. The question is, just how close?
Kate, sitting beside me, gave me a jab with her elbow. “What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Oh. Nothing.”
“You see Jared last night?” she whispered.
I cursed silently. “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
“Hey, just asking how things are going.”
I glanced at Robert, who hadn’t noticed our hushed exchange. “There aren’t any things to be going. I’ve told you guys that a dozen times.”
“Hmm.”
I made a show out of taking notes about something Robert was saying, frowning like it took some enormous amount of brain power and concentration to write down crucial information like “So as we can see, there is still a need for further research,” and Kate went back to either listening to the lecture or not listening – I couldn’t tell. I kept my head down for the remainder of the class and was relieved when it was over. I hurried to get to the door ahead of Kate, which turned out not to be hard – mainly because she was beelining toward Robert. You go, Kate. Robert was good-looking and charming enough, I guess, but not my type at all.
And what was my type? Apparently devastatingly handsome rock stars. Which was beyond hopeless.
Alex was loitering outside the English classroom and greeted me with a country-boy grin.
“Hey, Lacey. You doing anything after classes today?”
I bit back a harsh reply. He was just being sweet, and had no idea how ugly my mood was. No need to take it out on him.
“I don’t know yet, Alex. Why?”
“I was thinking of heading into town to see a movie later.”
There was nothing I wanted to do less, but I also needed something to distract me from obsessing over Jared. A movie sounded harmless, and Alex was a nice enough guy.
“What’s playing?”
He named a film that had just come out.
I tried a smile, and to my surprise, I did feel a little better for it.
“Let’s talk after class,” I said, putting off the decision till later.
“Sure. I can come by the dorm.”
When I got back to the dorm after classes were over, all three of my roommates were standing around the circular table, looking at something. They spun around when they heard me enter, and their expressions stopped me in my tracks.
“What?” I asked.
Sarah stepped aside so I could see the table. On it stood a vase with a dozen white roses and a card.
“Who got flowers?” I asked. Probably Sarah.
“Um…you did,” said Kate.
“Me? Are you sure? Who are they from?” I asked with a frown. Flowers didn’t really seem like my stepmom’s kind of thing. Plus who celebrates the middle of the first week of school?
“It doesn’t say,” Sarah answered. “A secret admirer! I love that kind of thing.”
I approached the table and they pressed around me, making me instantly claustrophobic. I kept my breathing even, as I’d learned from videos on the internet, and picked up the card. My name was typed on the front, but there was nothing else. I turned it over to see what florist had delivered it, but it was blank.
“Anyone see who delivered them?” I asked.
“Nope. They were outside the door when I got here,” Serena said.
“They’re gorgeous,” Kate said.
“How romantic.” Sarah sighed. “Old-fashioned. I’d prefer a diamond, but flowers are nice.”
Kate’s eyes narrowed. “You’d settle for a twelve-pack.”
Sarah smiled. “Don’t be a hater.” She lifted a rose from the vase and sniffed it before setting it back. “Someone’s trying to say they like Lacey,” she teased.
A knock at the door startled us. “Yeah?” Sarah called.
Alex’s head poked through the gap. “Hey, Lacey.” He looked over at the flowers and smiled. “Nice roses.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Did you…?”
“Did I what?” he asked innocently as he stepped into the room. “A gentleman never tells.” His smile broadened. “You up for that movie?”
Sarah and Kate shared a glance, and Kate looked at Alex. “You like white roses?” she asked.
“Who doesn’t?” he replied playfully.
“What time’s the movie start?” I asked.
“In about forty-five minutes. Don’t worry, I’ve got a car.”
Serena caught my eye, one eyebrow raised.
I kept my voice even. “Sure. Why not?”
Alex’s face lit up. “Cool.”
“Just give me maybe ten minutes to get ready, okay? I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Sure thing.”
He left, and Sarah laughed. “Looks like we found your mystery admirer. Lacey’s gonna bag her some country lovin’!”
I refused to allow annoyance to show. “It’s a movie, not an orgy, Sarah.”
“They aren’t mutually exclusive,” she fired back.
Kate couldn’t resist. “Take it from Sarah. She speaks from experience.”
I disappeared into the bathroom, more amused by them than I let on. Alex was a pleasant-looking guy and was nice enough. But he’s no Jared.
Which stopped me in front of the mirror.
