The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)(13)

Graham wasn’t the kind of guy Seph’s first time should be with. He’d probably pull out a protractor to make sure they got the angles right—though actually, from what I’d seen of her, maybe that was her thing.

Just drop it. It’s not your business. I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Have a good one, then. And I hope you get exactly what you’re looking for.”

“I think I might.” She smiled at me, the first real one I’d seen in the little bit of time I’d spent in her presence. It was the kind that came from way deep down, like Christmas morning or scoring your first touchdown.

Flicking my hand in her direction with a half-wave, I strolled out of the coffee shop. The Uncommon Grounds sign with two cups of coffee overflowing with beans shone overhead.

Standing outside, I waited to see if there were any stragglers lurking. None, but I still watched her leave. She tucked her gray scarf into the collar of her beige coat and pulled a red hat down over her ears.

What the hell was I doing? I’d tried to save her from herself, but she could always put up another ad, or maybe take my advice and just go to a party to get laid. Not your business, Reece. These were the types of entanglements that kept me far away from anything resembling a relationship. Getting wrapped up in someone else was a one-way ticket to killing your dreams, and that wasn’t for me. Not by a long shot.





5





Seph





Things had not gone as planned. For some reason I’d envisioned a line of guys down the block and had thought it would be a nightmare to sort through. Instead it had been worse. Two hours of me throwing back marshmallowy hot chocolates with one accidental interviewee and only one other candidate, the only real one.

Graham was nice. I’d seen him in the math building but never stopped to talk, just like I never stopped to talk to anyone. He had an easy smile, soft hands, and a gentle yet firm handshake. Light brown hair like my own and honey-colored eyes made him the best-looking guy in the department for sure. He’d probably be a great first partner, would take his time, wouldn’t rush things, but I kept coming back to my accidental show-up.

Reece. He’d walked into the room and the whole place had lit up for him. He wasn’t the type to sit back and let things come to him; he went after the things he wanted. His confidence radiated off him. When he put his hand on my shoulder, my insides went crazy. My dopamine levels must have been off the charts. Those weren’t feelings you had every day—well, not me, anyway. The closest I’d come was when I’d gotten my acceptance letter to Fulton. It made it that much worse that he didn’t seem at all interested in what I’d offered.

Graham was the safe choice. He’d answered the ad. He had kind eyes and a pleasant personality. He’d even said he’d be moving back to Boston after he graduated, so if anything did progress beyond a one-time thing, I could still see him when I moved. He was the logical choice.

But Reece…that was where my thoughts kept drifting as I stood outside the library after once again being sex-iled from my apartment. Being sex-iled with him would put a much different spin on things. Don’t get ahead of yourself. He’s not interested. Focus on the issue at hand. Why couldn’t I just say something to Alexa? For the same reason I couldn’t say something to my parents.

Baby steps. It hadn’t been a total bust. Blowing into my hands, I looked for a place to get some food. My stomach had been a mess all day. Now that I’d ripped the Band-Aid off and survived, I was starving. The heavy scent of deliciously seasoned meat wafted past my nose. My mouth watered. Whatever that was, I needed it in my belly immediately.

There was a narrow stone staircase leading to the restaurant with a hanging sign decorated with oars overhead. The Vault. I’d heard students mention it before, but I’d never gone looking for it. I pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped into the barely-off-campus bar-slash-restaurant Inside, a big guy in a tight thermal with his arms crossed over his chest stared me down. Refusing to shrink back, I met his gaze and smiled.

“Hi. I wanted to get something to eat.”

“Let me see your ID.” He flicked his fingers back and forth with his palm up.

I scrambled to get my wallet out of my bag and pulled out my driver’s license. It had taken me until I was finally eighteen to convince my dad I should get it. I’d reasoned I might need to rent a car for any conferences I attended so it would come in handy.

“You’ve got to be out by nine. That’s when we start serving alcohol.” He stepped back to let me pass. The narrow brick-lined hallway led into the restaurant.

I checked my watch. It was only six. “Okay, I’ve got plenty of time.” The shoulder of my coat scraped against the rough stone blocks as I pressed myself against the wall.

“And no hiding in the bathrooms.” He turned around the second I passed him.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

He pursed his lips, looked me up and down, and nodded. “Yeah.”

Tucking a stray hair behind my ear, I stepped into the restaurant and pushed through the second swinging door. Servers walked back and forth with trays. Most of the tables and booths were empty. This was the weird gap in between lunch and college dinner time, which seemed to start later than anywhere else. Someone walked past me as I stood, tugging my gloves off.