“Excuse me,” I say as I shove my empty beer bottle into Shep’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”
They’re left sputtering after me but I ignore their calls. Instead, I exit the bar and stay far back, following behind her, noting again the familiar way she walks, the swing of her hair. She’s with another girl, one I don’t recognize. A tall girl with dark hair and a long stride.
Swear to God that has to be Lucy and I’m starting to trip out. What if she’s here at this university with me? Talk about a lucky opportunity. I lurch forward, about ready to call her name when someone steps in front of me, stopping my pursuit.
“Gabe! Oh my God, what are you doing here?” The shrill, overly excited voice is definitely familiar. And not entirely welcome.
Disappointment crashes over me. It’s freaking Audrey. And she knew we were both going to the same college so our running into each other is no surprise to her. She’s the one who flunked out of two other universities the last two years and this is the last one her parents are going to pay for. If she can’t get through the first semester, she’s done with college for good.
Not that she cares. I don’t think she goes to school for academic pursuits. More like to get drunk and party.
“Hey Audrey.” I give her a hug because she’s not giving me any choice. She practically tackles me, her arms going around me tight. “You knew I’d be here, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right. I guess I forgot.” She laughs and steps out of my embrace, then nudges her equally skinny friend with an elbow in the ribs, like they’re in on some joke. “It’s so good to see you! You look amazing.”
“Yeah, you’re looking good too,” I offer weakly, glancing around her to see if I can spot the yellow dress, but she’s gone.
Shit.
“What have you been up to?” Audrey asks.
“Not much.” I shove my hands in the front pockets of my shorts, glancing around, seeing nothing, no pretty yellow dress and long, wavy dark hair. I want out of here. I don’t want to talk to Audrey, I want to go home and forget this stupid night ever happened. What a waste of time. I pull my keys out of my pocket and clutch them tight.
“Don’t tell me you’re already leaving. It’s still early.” Audrey reaches out and touches my wrist, trying to wrap her fingers around it. “We only just got here. I’d love to catch up with you. See what you’re up to.”
“Yeah, sorry I can’t stick around but I gotta go.” I offer her a sympathetic smile. “I have an early class tomorrow and being the first day and all, I don’t want to make a bad impression right out the gate. You know what I mean?” I’m so full of shit it’s almost painful.
“Oh wow. Who knew you were so studious?” She offers me a coy smile. “That’s so sexy.”
I almost roll my eyes but refrain myself. “I’ll see you around then?”
“You know it,” she says just before she and her friend dissolve into giggles as they rush toward the front door of the bar. They push open the glass door, loud music and the sound of drunken females singing off key wafting out and I wince.
“Damn it,” I mutter once the door shuts behind them, thankful the bad singing is nothing but muffled, indistinct noise now. I run my hand through my hair and stare off into the distance, going over what I saw—what I thought I saw. Thwarted in my pursuit of the yellow dress. Though it was most likely pure speculation on my part. I want to find Lucy so fucking bad I think I see her in every dark haired chick out there. I’m being stupid.
I’m acting like a damn fool.
My last class of the day is packed, in one of those auditorium style rooms where there are rows stacked upon rows of seats with those tiny desks that can barely accommodate a tablet, let alone your laptop. The giant room could probably seat two hundred, maybe even more, and I swear the room was more than half full.
More like mostly full.
Considering the university has a strong business program I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at the packed attendance. I’m not a business major, but I thought a course in Principals in Marketing would be a smart choice since I’m a marketing major. Plus, it sounded interesting. I took the majority of my general education courses in community college but there are a few I still need to pick up. This semester includes one general ed course and the rest are classes that go toward my major.
If I work really hard and push myself to take summer school, I’ll graduate in another two years. That’ll save me time and money, both things I desperately need.
I finally found the building after trudging across the huge campus in the boiling hot sun, and dashed into the room with barely a minute to spare. Hot and pretty much out of breath, I sat in a seat in the back row at the very top.
The professor was down at the bottom of the room, so far away he was just a tiny speck of a man standing next to the podium, a desk to his right just behind him. He looks young, dressed in a pale blue button down with the sleeves rolled up and khakis, and when I glance around the room, I realize I’m in a class mostly filled with females. Many of them are watching him with what I can only describe as adoring looks on their faces, with lots of giggling and whispering included.
Hmm. Looks to me like they’re hot for teacher.
The room is warm and it’s early afternoon. I’m tired from staying up too late last night at the bar with Gina and waking up early this morning with a serious case of nerves—plus the teeniest hangover. I’ve been going to the local community college for the last two years, went there straight after high school. You’d think this was no big deal, transferring to a big university.