“Hi Jodi. I’m Cole.”
“Oh, I know who you are.” Jodi smiles suggestively.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
Jodi shrugs. “Well, I haven’t heard many complaints…”
“Ugh,” I moan. “Please don’t feed his ego.”
Cole laughs and steeples his fingers. “Now, Jodi, can I trust that you’ll get Aimee to the party on Friday night? Because I know that she’ll come up with an excuse, but this girl is in definite need of some fun in her life. Don’t you agree?”
God. Jodi’s nodding her blue-tipped head and batting her eyelashes vigorously—a clear sign that she’s fallen victim to a brain fog induced by Cole’s quasi-magical green eyes. I understand it. I’m quite familiar with the symptoms myself.
I cough. “Actually, I won’t be able to make it to your party,” I say, trying to ignore the fact that Cole’s leg is touching mine and that every time I catch the scent of him all sorts of crazy, swoony thoughts dance around my head.
“See…” Cole hesitates, shares a knowing look with Jodi. “I told you that she’d have an excuse.”
“It’s not an excuse,” I defend. “An excuse would be telling you that I have to wash my hair, or that my pet goldfish is ill and I need to stay home to take care of him. I happen to have real plans on Friday night.”
The corners of Cole’s lips fall and his forehead wrinkles as he searches my face. I momentarily wonder if it’s possible that he truly is disappointed that I can’t make it to his party. Then, almost before I can be sure that I saw something real and solid in his expression, the familiar easy smile is back in place.
“Real plans?”
“Yep,” I reply as I finger the lid of my coffee cup. “My parents are coming down to take my sister and me out to dinner on Friday. We’re going out for my dad’s birthday.”
He cocks one eyebrow. “So, your parents are big into the rave scene, yeah?”
The question takes me by surprise. “Wh-what? My parents?”
He nods his head.
“No, they aren’t in the rave scene. Carl and Elise Spencer are your run-of-the-mill country club yuppies. I doubt my mother even knows what a rave is.”
“Hmmm…” He smiles and leans on his elbow. “Are they wannabe vampires? You know that they have those cults now where people think that they’re actually members of the undead and they drink blood and sleep in coffins and do all kinds of weird shit.”
“Okay, wait. Are you crazy or something?” Both of my hands are up and I’m on the verge of confused laughter. “No, my parents are not wannabe vampires. They are completely normal. Painfully normal actually.” This is the truth.
Cole straightens his posture and flashes his dimples. “Then I’m sure that your mom and dad are taking you out to dinner around seven and, even if you have dessert and coffee, you’ll be done in plenty of time to still come over to the house. Did I mention that parties at my place tend to go all night?”
“Umm… Did it occur to you that I might not feel like going to your party?” I glance at Jodi for support, but it’s no use. I’ve lost her completely. She’s kicked back in her chair watching Cole with an enraptured expression on her face. Traitor.
“Of course it occurred to me, but I don’t think that’s what’s keeping you away.” Cole drops his voice and leans in so that only I can hear what he says next. “You have to talk to Daniel sometime, Aimee. And I promise you that it’s worse in your head than it will be in real life.”
Before I can respond or process the incredible way that he smells, he’s pushing himself to his feet and picking up his bag from the ground.
“Ladies,” he says, making a gesture that’s partway between a wave and a dismissal. “I hope to see you there. If not, then I’ll catch you around. I’ve got to go or I’ll be late to the field, so please get back to your scintillating discussion about penises.” His green eyes slide in amusement between Jodi and me.
“Yeah… um, have fun running or whatever,” I mumble.
He bobs his head once and then he leaves us. I can’t help but watch him as he pushes past the tables and through the finger-smudged glass door of the union . His shoulders. His butt. Yeah… um, wow.
I don’t know how a person that I hardly know can take up so much space in my head, but there it is. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to quit the idea of him.
After nearly a full minute, Jodi breaks the heavy silence. “For the love of all that is sacred, Aimee Spencer!” She says my name low and fast—sounding more like a parent than a friend. “How in the world have you not told me that you’re on a first name basis with Cole Everly?”