Undeclared(24)
“I’m just trying to point out that what you do has value.”
“Got it.” I picked up my toast and bit down hard.
“So, are you seeing anyone?” Noah asked, abruptly changing the subject.
“What?” I choked in surprise on my toast and swallowed an unchewed piece in order to avoid spitting it all out on the table.
“Seeing someone. Dating. Hooking up. Hanging out?”
I wished I could say that I had found someone really wonderful, and that he’d come all the way to Central for nothing. I didn’t think my old line about being a cranky cat spinster was going to work for me here. Instead, I asked him, “Are you?”
“Nope. And I haven’t been for a long time.”
“Since like when?” He was sharing, so I might as well take advantage. I ignored the rest of my breakfast. I was hungry for information. What had he been doing for the last couple of years?
“Since high school.”
I sat back, stunned. He hadn’t dated anyone since high school. That seemed preposterous, and I told him so. “I don’t believe you.”
He wasn’t offended by this, but instead gave me a half smile that hinted at something more. “Truth. Ask Bo.”
He pulled out his phone and shoved it toward me. Handing someone your phone was like giving them the Pulp Fiction briefcase. You couldn’t take it and not look inside. I was pretty sure I wasn’t ready to view the contents of his phone, no matter how tempting. With great effort, I pushed the phone away.
“Like no dates, hookups, hangouts at all?”
“Like no serious girlfriend since high school. It’s not easy to maintain a relationship while deployed, and I didn’t have anyone I cared about enough to make that effort before I left.”
“You wrote to me for four years,” I pointed out.
“I can make an effort when I want to.” He looked at me like this was important, but I couldn’t get past the idea that Noah hadn’t dated anyone seriously since high school.
“But since you’ve been out?” I pressed.
“Not everyone can just get into Central, Grace. I was busy studying, taking practice tests, and trying to make myself into an interesting candidate for admission. Girls were the last things on my mind.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his almost spotless plate away. “But you haven’t answered my question.”
I didn’t want to make it seem like I was sitting around waiting for him, even though I had been. In a moment of panic and stupidity, I lied.
“I’m not dating anyone, but…” I paused intentionally, and took a sip of my Diet Coke. “I’m interested in someone.”
Noah’s eyebrows raised.
“Who is this lucky guy?”
“Ah… Mike Walsh.” Mike was actually the two-year crush of a different library co-worker, Sarah. She was always looking at him with puppy dog eyes when she thought no one was watching.
“Is he a frat guy? Jock? What?”
“He’s my student supervisor at the library.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“What do you mean?”
“You like him, but you aren’t dating.”
The thing with making up stories is that people always wanted details. I rubbed my suddenly sweaty palms together and tried channeling Sarah. What would she say? “I like him, but he’s never asked me out.”
“Isn’t this the 21st Century?” Noah threw my own words back in my face.” Why are you waiting?”
“I don’t think he’s interested.” Good lord, what was with the inquisition? I felt my cheeks heat up. Lana would know immediately that I was lying. I didn’t know how intuitive Noah was, but I dropped my gaze to my half-eaten breakfast to avoid looking at him in the eye.
“How do you know? I think you girls assume that guys are mind readers. Or impervious to rejection.”
I thought about this. Why didn’t Sarah just ask Mike out? It was obvious to everyone in the library that she liked him.
“I thought I had made it pretty clear,” I muttered.
“Call him now and ask him to a movie.”
“Now? My cellphone is dead.”
“Use mine.” He gestured toward his phone still lying face up on the table.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what his phone number is.” I had it programmed into my phone, but I never called him. I never had occasion to.
“Lame, Grace. You like this guy but you don’t know his digits?” That did sound bad. But other than for a few people, I didn’t memorize phone numbers. Your phone did that for you.
“Where is he right now?” Noah pressed.