Surprised by his compliment, I have trouble keeping my smile under control. “If you didn’t wake up in time for class, why were you outside the classroom on Wednesday?”
“To see you, of course, especially since you hadn’t called,” he answers quickly and very honestly. It is somewhat disarming.
We begin eating, and the conversation flows much easier.
“You decided to stay closed to home instead of go away to school?” I ask after finding out he grew up in town.
“Yup. It was my best option. I got a decent scholarship and financial aid package. I’m close to my mom, and the tips from bartending are good.”
“You bartend?”
“Sure do. At Spike’s. It’s a grill-slash-sports bar.”
His sexiness level goes up a couple of notches as I imagine him behind the bar flirting with me.
“How long have you been there?”
“Since I started college.”
We continue talking about his job then about his mom raising him on her own. He speaks so highly of his grandparents and his mom, I can’t help but swoon a little.
When he returns from the bar with another round, he asks me about my night in Austin.
“Who was the guy in the picture?”
“Some frat guy at the party…some guys photobombed us.” I feel the need to explain why there was a guy kissing me in the picture. “Paige asked someone to take our picture, and the guys who were dancing with us jumped in. It was just a quick peck on the cheek.”
Caleb reaches over the table, taking my hand, his eyes narrowed. “So you aren’t dating him, and y’all didn’t hook up?”
“Nope, I didn’t even get his name. We didn’t even stay there long after the picture was taken. Paige and I wanted to hit up Sixth Street.” I continue telling him about my friends and yesterday’s outing.
“Do you go to Austin often?” he asks.
“No. This was my first visit. I plan on going again, just not sure when. I miss my friends.”
“You would leave me here in town all alone?” He juts out his bottom lip playfully.
“Not if you wanted me to spend time with you.” I scrunch my nose and bite my bottom lip, excited he wants to spend more time with me.
He walksme to my door, and I instinctively look up at him, wanting the kiss I assume will come. He takes my face in his hands, leans down, and gives me a gentle, and much too quick, kiss. He pulls away, looking me in the eyes for a couple of seconds before I stand on tiptoes and go in for another. His hands slide down and wrap around my lower back as I slide my arms around his neck. Just as I’m getting lost in the moment, the door opens, surprising us.
“Excuse me,” Diana, my roommate, says as she walks past us.
“I…uh…guess I should go in… See you tomorrow?” I say, a little breathless.
“I’ll be there. Good night.” He brushes his hand down my cheek and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. The sensual look I see in his eyes before he brushes his lips quickly past mine sends goose bumps down my arms.
* * *
As I walkinto the classroom, I scan the room for Caleb. Not seeing him, I find a seat and take out my phone to keep myself busy and focused instead of constantly looking around. A couple minutes later, he sits next to me. I look up just as he runs his hand from my shoulder down my arm and lightly kisses me right below my ear, sending shivers down my neck.
“Well hello, stranger,” I smile at him as he interlaces our fingers together.
“Good morning.”
When the professor walks in, he releases my hand and gets his things out, as do I. A comfortableness exists that was not there last week. Throughout class we look at each other’s notes and whisper side commentary.
He walks me to my next class, and we make plans to meet up later. When we get to my next classroom, he leans in and gives me a barely-acceptable-for-public kiss.