“No,” I glance at my tablet. “I’ve got about an hour left.”
“Before what?” We’ve never been this close in the light of day, and I’m finding it hard to keep my eyes from roaming every inch of her. Instead, I take her in doses as she turns to survey the room. Perfectly arched dark brows hover over amused brown eyes speckled with green. Her flawless olive skin is a shade darker around the thin spaghetti strap of her dress. Tiny moles dot her shoulders below her slender neck. And then there’s the dip below, a valley where a gold feather necklace rests between mouth-watering cleavage. I gather all this in a sideways glance doing my best to ignore the threatening stir below.
“Earth to Theeeooo,” she says still waiting on my answer, turning her eyes back to mine.
“Before I’m done.”
“Oh, it’s like that?”
“What can I say?” I hitch a shoulder. “I’m disciplined in my studies.” The thing is with new friendships like this, boundaries must be set, especially by me, the Teddy. Dropping everything for her will send the wrong signal. It will tell her that I am, in fact, at her disposal. I’m not that guy anymore. No matter how good she smells.
“Fine, I’ll wait.” She pulls a ten-ton bag covered in sunflowers from the floor.
“Please tell me there are books in there.”
“What do you think I am, a monster? Course there aren’t any books in here. This bag is Kate Spade.”
“Then why are you here?”
She grins, and I’m forced to focus on the quarter-sized birthmark on top of her left hand. “To see you, of course.”
“Lucky me.”
“Why yes, you are.”
“Alright, QT.”
“Cutie?” She says with a lift to her voice.
“No, Q-T as in quiet time,” I nod toward the silent students in the room.
“Oh yeah, okay.”
I lift my tablet and resume my reading.
It takes only a minute for her to break the silence. “You’re really going to make me sit here an hour?”
“Yes,” I say without looking up.
“Fine.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
“Such a smart ass.”
After a few minutes of sighs, I hear the rustling of a notebook and glance over. “Ah, you did bring something to study.”
“Yes, well kind of, I’m trying to come up with a concept for my media class.”
“Concept for what?”
“It’s my grad project. I have to come up with a social presence and attempt to make the brand trend.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I have no idea.”
“It will come to you.”