Just like I’d miss her.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
“I love you too, Mom.”
“We are going to get a hotel for the night and rent a car to get home, so if you need us, call. Otherwise, you girls have a fantastic start to your semester,” Dad said.
Then he pulled Mom away from me and softly guided her to the door and down the hallway to the elevator, where they finally disappeared.
“Is that car downstairs yours for the semester?” Hannah asked.
I grinned. “We should go find a parking spot for it. I’ve already secured a pass.”
“Holy shit. This is going to be awesome!”
“I got it in the mail two weeks ago. Let’s go!”
With Hannah’s hand in mine, we raced down the stairs. With my parents nowhere in sight, we rushed over to the pearl white SUV and pulled the doors open. I felt the hairs on the nape of my neck prickle and turned around, leaning my back against the open door. When my gaze wandered across the street, I saw him.
In his leather jacket. And his black denim jeans. With his boots, and those long legs straddling his puttering motorcycle. A cigarette dangled from his lips.
“You coming?” Hannah asked.
It was dark, but I could’ve sworn he was staring at me from beyond the puffs of cigarette smoke. Underneath the flickering lamp light, I caught flashes of him. Flashes of tan skin and broad shoulders. Brown hair. Or was it black?
“Come on, the cafeteria closes in an hour,” Hannah implored.
Maybe he’s a student?
The more the man stared at me, the more I felt myself blushing. My cheeks burned and my neck heated. Even my hands began to tremble a bit. I cleared my throat as the soft smell of cigarette smoke finally graced my nose. But it wasn’t until Hannah stepped in front of me that it snapped me from my trance.
“Hello? Earth to Dani? We need to go park,” she said.
I cleared my throat. “Yes. Sorry. I’m coming.”
The rumbling of motorcycles started up again as I turned my back. And for some reason, the rattling of my ribcage knocked me off balance. I felt my knees weaken as I reached for the inside of the door, trying to catch myself. As the sound grew, my legs turned to jello and I fell to my ass on the pavement of the parking lot. Above the roaring of the bikes’ engines came a sound more intimidating. More infuriating. More embarrassing than ever.
The sound of men laughing at me as I sat there beside the SUV.
2
Max
The girl was… strange. Dark brown hair. Slanted eyes. Tan skin, but not tan enough to protect her from the sun. She looked almost Asian. Except for those pinched, full lips.
Must’ve been her parents with her.
As the men roared with laughter, I put the kickstand down on my bike. With the engine still running, I tucked my cigarette into the side of my lips and started across the road. I kept my eyes on her, watching as she scrambled to her feet. She had on a white T-shirt and skinny jeans that accented her legs. Short and petite, rounding out into a set of hips that dipped softly into a waist.
Her waist.
I like waists.
My boots charging across the pavement sounded in my ears. My men quickly stopped laughing as they watche
d me approach her. She scrambled to her feet, clinging to that car of hers for dear life. It was a nice car. Big. Probably a gas-guzzler. I preferred my bike. The open road. Feeling the wind and the elements against my skin.
And it didn’t guzzle gas.