The Longest Ride(52)
As the door swung shut behind them, Sophia heard the burst of excited chatter. If Luke heard it, he appeared to pay it no attention. Instead, he led her to the truck and opened the door, then walked around the front to his side. As he did, she noticed a row of eager faces – including Marcia’s – at the parlor windows. She was debating whether to acknowledge them with a wave or simply ignore them when Luke crawled in, closing the door with a thud.
“I’m guessing you’ve made them curious,” he said.
She shook her head. “It’s not me they’re wondering about.”
“Oh, I get it,” he said. “It’s because I’m skinny, right?”
She laughed, and with that, she realized that she no longer cared about what the others were thinking or doing or saying about them. “Thanks for covering for me in there.”
“What’s going on?”
She told him about her concerns about Brian and her suspicions about Mary-Kate.
“I wondered about that,” he said. “You mentioned that he’d been watching you. Part of me was expecting him to burst through the door any minute.”
“And yet you came anyway?”
“I had to.” He shrugged. “You invited me.”
She leaned her head back against the headrest, liking the way he sounded. “I’m sorry that I’m not going to be able to show you the campus tonight.”
“No big deal.”
“We can do it another time,” she promised. “When he doesn’t know you’re here, I mean. I’ll show you all the cool places.”
“It’s a date,” he said.
Up close, his eyes were a clear, unalloyed blue, striking in their purity. She plucked at an imaginary piece of lint on her jeans. “What would you like to do?”
He thought about it. “Are you hungry?”
“A little,” she admitted.
“Do you want to go to Fabian’s? I’m not sure we can get in, since we don’t really have a reservation. But we can try.”
She thought about it, then shook her head. “No, not tonight. I want to go someplace a little off the beaten track. How about sushi?”
He didn’t respond right away. “Okay,” he offered.
She regarded him. “Have you ever had sushi before?”
“I might live on a ranch, but I’ve left it every now and then.”
And? she thought. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He fiddled with the keys before slipping the right one in the ignition. “No,” he admitted, “I’ve never had sushi.”
All she could do was laugh.
Following Sophia’s directions, they drove to Sakura Japanese Restaurant. Inside, most of the tables were occupied, as was the sushi bar. While they waited for the hostess, Sophia looked around, praying she wouldn’t bump into anyone she knew. It wasn’t the kind of place regularly frequented by students – burgers and pizza were the favored foods of college students everywhere – but Sakura wasn’t totally unknown, either. She’d come here occasionally with Marcia, and even though she didn’t recognize anyone, she nonetheless requested a seat on the outdoor patio.
Heat lamps glowed in the corners of the patio, casting a blanket of warmth that took the edge off the evening chill. Only one other table was occupied by a couple finishing their meal, and it was blissfully quiet. The view wasn’t much, but the soft yellow glow from the Japanese lantern overhead gave the place a romantic feel.
After they took their seats, Sophia leaned toward Luke. “What did you think of Marcia?”
“Your roommate? She seemed nice enough. Kind of touchy, though.”
She tilted her head. “You mean like, irritable?”
“No, I mean she kept touching my arm when she talked.”
Sophia waved it off. “That’s just the way she is. She’s like that with every guy. The world’s biggest flirt.”
“Do you know what the first thing she said to me was? Even before I entered the house?”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“She said, ‘I hear you kissed my best friend.’”
No surprise there, Sophia thought. “That’s Marcia, all right. She pretty much says whatever she’s thinking. No filter.”
“But you like her.”
“Yeah,” Sophia conceded. “I do. She’s kind of taken me under her wing when I’ve needed it. She thinks I’m a little… naive.”
“Is she right?”
“In some ways,” Sophia admitted.