Betty reaches out to pat my hand, her bracelets jangling. “You’ll get it, Livvy.”
Satisfied, I start to turn away but catch sight of Royce, the guy from class who approached Professor Redmond this morning.
He stares at the bulletin board, eyes glazed over.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“If we don’t have the Stars contest, I’m fucked, Liv.”
Design projects are a chance to build something from the ground up and compete for a national prize that includes money and visibility. We’ve had a team planned since the spring, though Royce organized it, and I was probably only invited because I was in earshot when he invited Adam.
“You’ll have lots more time,” I point out. “The project would take a ton of hours, every week all year, with no guarantee of winning.”
Royce doesn’t look consoled. “You don’t need this, but I do. It wasn’t just something to put on my resume. It was going to be my ticket to a job after school. Not all of us have their life scripted for them and paid for.”
I ignore the jab.
My problems and Royce’s are different. But our new professor dismissed him without even listening.
I can’t change that Lancaster’s gone. But if I can fix this for Royce, it’s something I can do for a person who deserves it.
I return to the desk, and Betty looks up. “Professor Redmond said he’s not supervising the design contest. Who else could do it?”
Her lips press together. “Most professors are fully committed for the semester. So good luck getting someone.”
When I turn back to tell Royce I’m not giving up, he’s already gone.
3
Olivia
“Did you see your hottie on R.U. DOWN?” Kat nudges me as we shift into seats at the University Center with our lunch trays. “There’s a whole thread devoted to Sawyer Redmond. With pictures.”
She holds out her phone and points at one of him walking across campus. “This one’s my fave. I posted it myself.”
“Kat!” I exclaim.
“What? I had a sighting after psych and had to document it for posterity.” She shrugs. “It’s like the Nature channel. Hotties in the Wild.”
Jules claims the chair next to me, shoving her bright ponytail behind her.
Set amidst the aging stone buildings that house faculties from English to engineering, the UC is a modern installation. Three stories high with glass from ceiling to floor, its upper levels are home to the central administration while the lower level is food vendors and seating, the bookstore, and student services.
Looking out on the university’s main outdoor square and the hill beyond from our seats, it’s a great place to people watch and feel as if you’re at the very beating heart of campus.
Of course, some students would argue that R.U. DOWN is the heart of campus. But it’s only a website. Here, you can practically taste the history, the opportunity, the challenge to take the world and make it your own.
Today’s definitely been a challenge, I decide as phone buzzes.
Unknown: You can’t call me Sawyer.
My heart kicks. Why is he texting me after he all but told me to fuck off?
I hear his voice in my head, but instead of imagining the cold tone from this morning, I picture the warm one from last night as I type out a response.
Liv: You already pointed that out. In front of the entire class.
After I hit send, my pulse accelerates.
I’d never dare talk to a professor like that.
But he’s not a professor. At least, he wasn’t my professor the first time I met him. There must be some rule that says I get more leeway given he’s had his tongue in my mouth.
Unknown: You should have told me you were a student.
Liv: Because I should’ve known the hot guy who saved me was going to be my professor?
Unknown: You let me believe you were older. Since you’re a junior, I’m guessing you aren’t even twenty-one.
Liv: You didn’t have a problem with it last night when you kissed me.
Liv: And complimented my tits.
Liv: And offered to come over and wash my hair.
Hmm. Too much leeway?
There’s no answer, which irritates me. The way guys have been acting lately—mostly Adam, but partly Sawyer too—has that champagne cork in my chest ready to pop again.
Liv: I’m pissed too.
Unknown: Why?
Liv: I met a guy who wasn’t a dick. It was refreshing.
Dots blink on my screen, then stop. Finally, a new message appears.
Unknown: Tell me the kid in class who called you babe wasn’t the ex from last night.
My jaw nearly hits the table. He’s giving me shit for daring to call him by his first name, then weighing in on my dating life?
Liv: Why do you care, PROFESSOR?
Unknown: I don’t care. But if that’s who you spend your time with, it’s no wonder meeting a real man does it for you.
Asshole!
“Who’s blowing up your phone?” Kat leans toward me. “If it’s Adam, I’m gonna tear him a new one.”
“It’s not.” I shove the phone away under the weight of two all-seeing roommate stares. After the week I’ve already had, I can’t keep one more thing inside. “Can you keep this in the vault?”
Jules turns to make sure no one’s looking, and Kat bares her teeth at a group of girls who start to take the table next to us then think better of it.
We do the secret handshake we devised last year after Jules’ parents split up and we spent the weekend inhaling popcorn and watching The Parent Trap remake. We might not be able to control the world, but knowing your friends have your back is the best comfort there is.
“Professor Redmond,” I say, “was at Velvet.”
“I knew he looked familiar!” Jules exclaims.
“How did I miss that?” Kat demands.
“You had a prior commitment with vodka. Which reminds me…maybe you should go easy.”
She waves a hand. “It’s fine.”
Jules and I exchange a look, and Kat tugs down the front of her shirt. “I said I’m fine, okay? I want to hear about the hottie.”
I stab a piece of salad with my fork. “He came out when I was changing at my car. He didn’t know I was a student, and we had a connection.”
“Connection like…he smiled at you?” Jules asks, her eyes shining.
“Or connection like you fucked like animals in the back of your car?” Kat drawls.
The idea of Sawyer shoving me down in the back seat and yanking up my shirt, his mouth on my chest and his fingers between my thighs sends heat spiralling through me.
“He kissed me and asked me to tell him I got home safely.”
Kat pushes her tray away, its contents forgotten. “That’s it, I’m officially calling the first Hoes Over Brews of the semester.”