I wished I could tell her there was no way in hell I was a threat since I was finished with guys for a while, but she looked like she needed to eat a cheeseburger and I didn’t want to deal with a grumpy undereater chewing me out, so I let it go. Anyway, Dr. Lykins came in just then and jumped right into inductive proofs, and let the note-taking begin.
Things were good. I maintained focus on the lecture and my notes until midway through class when Dr. Lykins stopped to mess with his laptop to pull up an illustration on the Smart Board. And there was that feeling like I was being watched. I resisted for as long as I could, probably a good twenty seconds (yeah, I know, whoop-ti-do), before I looked to my left to see Loch smirking at me. When my eyes got big, his smirk did the same, and I turned to face the front again.
Hm. Maybe he wasn’t mad after all. He was smirking which was kind of a smile, right? I ventured another glance at him to see him talking to the girl next to him who was giggling at something he was saying. He was talking animatedly, using his hands and I narrowed my eyes, wondering what he was talking about.
Then he looked back at me and so did the girl (EEP!) and I didn’t know what his expression was saying. He wasn’t smiling but he also wasn’t frowning. It didn’t look like indifference, thank God, but I couldn’t put a finger on it. The girl was letting it all hang out though, squinting at me, examining me like I was an insect under a magnifying glass and she didn’t look happy.
Great. We were back to sixth grade again. He’d told her what I’d done and was spreading it around. Nice.
I looked away just as Dr. Lykins got the board working, so picking up my pencil I flipped the page in my notebook to begin the task of transcribing his words once again. I still felt eyes on me. Still wondered what he’d said. But I let it go and got lost in the world of loop invariants.
When we were dismissed, I packed up my things then made my way to the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Loch was still standing at his table talking to a guy so I hurried out. He and I had the next two classes together so maybe if I got inside quickly I could get somewhere I didn’t have to look at him.
As I walked across campus, I noticed that the trees were particularly beautiful right now, their leaves just starting to turn the lovely colors of fall. In a month they’d be breathtaking with their gorgeous displays of color. I really loved Hallervan’s campus with its abundance of Japanese maples whose leaves would soon be stunning. The landscaping all across the quad was lovely with the multitude of flowerbeds filled with poppies, asters and dahlias. I was enjoying my walk until I heard two guys talking behind me.
“She’s fuckin’ hot, dude. I don’t care if she’s a bitch, you need to tap that immediately,” one guy said.
“She’s definitely a bitch but look at that ass, man, all heart-shaped and just begging for me to sink my teeth into it,” the other guy replied.
Shit. Loch was behind me and I was pretty sure he was talking about me.
I clenched my fists and spun around to give him a big fat piece of my mind and just as I opened my mouth to spew a salvo of such vitriol at him he wouldn’t know what hit him, I saw two guys I didn’t know looking at the phone one of them was holding up as they walked.
Oh.
They passed by me with nary a glance as one guy told the other he needed to “get in there and bang the shit out of her.”
I huffed out a (kind of disgusted) laugh, rolling my eyes as I did, but the amusing moment didn’t last because behind them, I saw walking right toward me with what I can only describe as a fierce-as-hell look, was Loch, the perma-smirk in full force as he looked my way.
Crap.
I spun on my heel and walked quickly to my next class wanting to cover my ears as I heard his amused chuckle. Jeez.
I made it to class and managed to avoid looking at him even when he now walked in with two pretty blondes who were fawning all over him. I could hear what they were saying to him through hushed giggles and I think part of my breakfast came up.
“Loch, you’re so muscular! You would totally be the star of any sport you played here!” Thing One said.
“Oh, my gawd! You look just like that Canadian model actor guy! I thought he was hot but you’re so much hotter!” That would be Thing Two putting in her two cents.
Seriously? Was this really happening? It was like Loch was living in a real-live 1950s beach blanket movie.
And not to be a snob, well, yeah, I was definitely being a snob, but surely these girls weren’t computer majors. My eyes went to the ceiling as I waited for the professor to come in and end the madness.
I waited until Loch and his entourage left when class ended before I followed, staying at least twenty yards behind but had to stop when one of the Doublemint Twins stopped and turned a pouty face to Loch. I watched as he knelt down in front of her, took off her stiletto, checked her foot then slipped the shoe back on grinning up at her. Well, wasn’t he the gentleman? I rolled my eyes when she said something about being just like Cinderella. Ergh.