The look in Jake’s eyes was sincere. “I am sorry you got hurt trying to do something nice for me.”
Not knowing exactly how to respond, I smiled and said, “I am sorry you had to suck my blood like a vampire.”
His gaze stayed on mine, and it made me uneasy only because he wasn’t laughing at my joke. “I wouldn’t do that for just anyone, Nina.”
My lip twitched in response, and I laughed nervously, not really knowing what to make of that statement. What I did know was that tonight was not helping my vow to get over him one single bit. “Thanks.”
Jake started clearing out what bananas I had managed to cut. “I’m gonna get a new shirt,” he said. “Why don’t you change, and we’ll meet Tarah and Ryan downstairs.”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on, we’re supposed to be celebrating your exam, and those bananas are toast. I’ve ate enough blood for one night.”
I threw a piece of banana at him. “Very funny.”
He was unphased. “What do you say?”
There was no way I could say no. “Okay, I’ll change.”
About ten minutes later, he came out of the bathroom with a fresh coating of cologne. His hair was wet, and he was wearing a maroon colored long sleeve shirt that hugged his chest and black pants that hugged his ass. He looked and smelled amazing.
I had put on a black button down shirt, dark colored jeans and the six-inch heels I usually wore whenever I was feeling inexplicably inadequate. Somehow adding height seemed to give me a false sense of power when I felt I needed it. I didn’t know why I was nervous about going downstairs with Jake. Something just felt different tonight between us. Maybe it was the sucking of the blood thing. I dunno.
***
When we entered Eleni’s, the lights were dimmed, and a live Greek band was playing at the corner of the restaurant. The owner, Telly, immediately rushed toward us and got some extra chairs to add to Tarah and Ryan’s small table. It was packed for a weeknight.
Our roommates were sipping coffee and eating dessert when Jake and I sat down to join them.
“To what do we owe this honor?” Tarah joked as she gave me a hug.
Jake grabbed my arm and lifted my hand. “Nina got an A on her test and then to celebrate, she chopped her finger off and got a sudden craving for Greek.”
Ryan grabbed my hand. “What the—”
“It’s partially true. I didn’t chop off my finger, but I nearly did, trying to make Bananas Foster.”
Tarah cringed. “Damn! Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Nurse Jake took care of me.”
Jake joked, “Who’s the nurse now, bitches?”
Tarah looked over at Jake and then to me and said, “You two are so cute together.”
Insert sound of record screeching here.
Jake said nothing, and I stared at her dumbfounded before glaring at her.
Why would she say that?
I could have killed her and immediately changed the subject. “So, what’s good on the dinner menu?”
Before Tarah could respond, a sultry female voice came up from behind us. “Actually, the best thing on the menu is the moussaka, but Jake will stick to the same thing every time, avgolemono and spanakopita…right Jake?”
I turned around, and my heart sank when I noticed a very attractive girl with long black hair around my age wearing a low cut white blouse that left little to the imagination and a black apron wrapped tightly around her waist.
This might not have bothered me so much if she wasn’t undressing Jake with her eyes. I knew that look; shit, I owned that look.
“Hey, Des.” Jake nodded.
She batted her eyelashes. “Hi, Jake. Long time no see.”
He just looked at her and didn’t respond. Ryan broke the awkward pause that followed. “Desiree, this is our new roommate, Nina. She grew up with me.” He turned to me. “Nina, this is Desiree, Telly’s daughter.
“Nice to meet you, Nina,” she said to me while looking straight at Jake.
“Likewise,” I said as my stomach became tied up in knots.
There was an awkward pause, and then “Des” began listing the specials. I heard nothing because I was obsessing over the realization that Jake was a chick magnet and I was just one in a long line of women who wanted him. This wasn’t news. It was just the first time I had witnessed it first-hand and out in public.
“So, the usual, Jakey?” She winked. He simply nodded yes, making little eye contact with her.
She looked at me signaling that it was my turn to order. I really had no desire to eat anymore and had no idea what most of the stuff on the menu even was, so I responded with, “Um…I’ll have the same.”