Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(73)

"Oh I know you will make it worth it."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"It'd only be for the weekend. You'd still have the rest of the break to work on your paper."

"Yeah maybe. I just feel really behind. With applications, LSAT, and everything I've just had no time to work on this paper, and it's due as soon as we get back."

"Maybe I'll just go tonight and be back to be with you tomorrow. Would that give you more time to work on it?"

"Clark."

"…"

"I shouldn't. I can't."

"You won't. It's different."

Lexi stuck out her bottom lip. "I'll miss you."

"I'm sure you will."

"What if he's in town? I can't get away."

"You'll figure it out."

"So what's Jack doing tonight?" Clark asked eyeing her suspiciously. "I didn't think you guys were still talking that much."

"We're not really. I guess he's just bored. He's talking about going to downtown."

"What about Kate?"

"What about her?"

"Is he trying to get a group together?" Clark asked curiously.

"I guess so."

Clark pulled his phone out of his pocket and lit up the screen. "Hmm…I'm surprised he didn't message me too."

"We come as a match set. There'd be no reason to send messages to both of us," she informed him.

"How are you going to get away from her?"

"I don't know. I'll just tell her I don't want to hang out tonight."

"That simple?"

"Yes."

"I supposed you're right. Maybe after you're finished with your studying you could go out tonight. You should go out tonight while I'm gone. Hang out with the crew and all. Have a good time. You've been too stressed lately."

"Maybe," she stated uncertainly.

"Clark thinks we're all going out tonight."

"Why did you tell him that?"

"He was asking a lot of questions..."

"You should text Seth and see if he's going. That way you're guaranteed a good time, and plenty of girls to diffuse his advances," he said chuckling to himself. "Want me to text him?"

"Oh no," she said quickly. She was pretty sure Jack hadn't messaged anyone else about it just yet. "I have his number."

"You'll leave early with me if we go out?"

"Of course. Don't invite Clark."

"Like I'd want to."

Hours later after kissing Clark good-bye and getting all dolled up, Lexi waited rather impatiently in her apartment. She had refused Jack's offer to pick her up just for proprieties sake. If they were going to be out in public, she'd rather not make it look like a date. She had planned on driving herself. However, Olivia had decided she wanted a night out and had insisted on driving. That was fine with Lexi, but Olivia was pretty much the slowest person on the planet. It took her at least thirty minutes longer than anyone else she knew when it came down to getting ready to go out.

"Geez, Olivia could you take any longer?" Lexi asked pacing in front of Olivia's bathroom.

"It could," she muttered.

"You don't even have much hair," Lexi pointed out.

"Which is why I have to make sure every tiny strand is perfect," Olivia said pulling her flat iron through her bleached blonde pixie cut again.

"No one is even going to be in town," she whined.

"Lexi, darling, that is the reason I should take so long. Anyone I see is going to be able to see all of me. I'll spend more time with each person individually. This inevitably means I should spend more time on my hair," Olivia said taking pleasure in Lexi's growing discomfort.

Lexi groaned loudly. "I don't see why you have to take so long."

"I don't see why you have to be so impatient. You're boy isn't even going to be out," Olivia said letting her brown eyes flutter to Lexi's face.

A small blush crept onto Lexi's face. "So…"

"So chill out," she said exaggeratedly.

"Let's just get out of here."

"You can't rush perfection," Olivia explained placing the straightener on the off-white counter top. Her hand reflexively reached out for the tall hairspray bottle.

Lexi groaned again. "Honestly how much of that stuff do you put in your hair?"

After lathering on another layer, Olivia snuck a glance at Lexi. "Alright fine. Are you going to tell me why you are being so impatient?" she asked raising one eyebrow inquisitively.

"I'm always impatient."

"Not like this."

"I just...uh…miss Clark. I want to get out of here so I can get my mind off of him being gone," Lexi said anxiously pushing her hair behind her ear. She really was a terrible liar and did not want to have to deal with Olivia being any more nosy than normal.

Olivia raised an eyebrow further. "You sure that's all it is? You look like perhaps you are anxious to see someone?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."