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Laney bounced around the room like a pinball, running to her closet to try on a series of shirts that all looked equally good, only to be discarded into a growing pile on the floor. She then ran over to my closet and repeated the process, but returned my things to their proper place after I cleared my throat loudly and nodded my head in the direction of the growing pile of my clothes.
“Sorry, Em! How can you be so relaxed—we’re going to our first college party tonight. It’s going to be awesome!”
I smiled. “I’m excited, I’m just not as…expressive as you.”
She sat at her desk, a makeup mirror propped up in front of her. Her long hair cascaded down her back in golden waves as she applied some eyeliner and shadow that brought out the gold in her eyes. She hopped up and gave her outfit—skinny, capri jeans, thinly strapped sandals and a red sleeveless, draped tank top that showed quite a bit of cleavage—one last appraisal, finally approving of what she saw.
“Well, get hyped, girl! I can’t be excited for both of us.”
I laughed. “You know that’s not true,” I ribbed her good-naturedly.
She snorted. “Good point.” She finally stopped assessing her appearance and shot me a thorough look, obviously evaluating my outfit—white skinny capris, a strappy wedge heel and a printed halter top that gathered at the neck but left most of my back bare. My hair was in a loose bun on my head, and I was wearing dangly silver earrings, giving me a bohemian vibe.
“You look really hot, Emmy. You’ll probably have every guy at the party hitting on you.”
“I don’t know about that. Ivan will be with us.”
“Oh, right! Scratch that! I’ll be shocked if any of the guys even look in your direction, much less talk to you with Ivan standing next to you,” Laney said, only half joking.
“He’s not that bad,” I countered.
“Are you kidding me? I’ve seen how he looks at guys who look at you.” Laney had walked back to the room with us after class a couple of times. “Is he meeting us here?”
I nodded, leaning into the mirror hanging on the back of the door in order to apply burgundy lip gloss. I loved this color because it made my eyes look dramatically blue, especially against my dark lashes. “Yeah, he should be here any minute.”
Laney squeaked and looked in the mirror again. “Are you sure this outfit looks good?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Laney, you’ve looked amazing in everything you’ve put on tonight, including that outfit.”
She ran over and gave me a little hug. “Thanks. I want to look perfect for Drew. He’s meeting us at the party.”
I frowned. “Why doesn’t he just walk over there with us?”
Laney shrugged. “The frat house is closer to his apartment, and he wanted to finish some homework.”
I shot her a surprised look. “On a Friday night?”
She sighed. “That’s what I said—who the hell does homework on a Friday? He said he wanted to get it out of the way, so he didn’t forget about it.”
It sounded strange, but I didn't press it. Drew was a good guy and apparently a far more diligent student than I was. I didn’t want to upset Laney and plant suspicions if they weren’t warranted. Drew wasn’t my boyfriend.
Jesus, my boyfriend wasn’t even my boyfriend.
There was a sharp knock on the door that sent Laney into a flutter of activity, applying last minute make up and checking her outfit for the one millionth time.
I opened the door and found Ivan standing there looking incredibly hot, his expression as inscrutable as ever. Snugly fitting jeans that molded to his body, a tight black t-shirt and black leather jacket. His mahogany hair was short enough not to really need any styling, but I could tell he showered recently because he smelled amazing—masculine and fresh.
I was still on a low simmer, both my temper and my libido, after he took me home from practice last night. I wanted to grab him by his t-shirt and devour him, but after he pulled away, his attitude was chilly enough to quell any impulsive acts of affection on my part.
However, there was nothing chilly about his gaze tonight as it raked down my body. His eyes were molten chips of emerald, his lips compressed in what looked like frustration.
“Hey,” I said for lack of something better. “Come in.”
“Hey,” he grunted, stepping in the room and closing the door, still staring at me.
“Doesn’t your girlfriend look sooo hot?” asked Laney while jamming some basic cosmetics in her purse.
His jaw flexed. “Yes, she does,” he replied, his voice like sandpaper.