Page 28 of You've Found Oliver

He nods and clears the table setting. I probably should have just lied.

Now everyone here knows I’ve come dateless.

I’m not old enough to be served wine, so they give me some sparkling cider.

At least the bread is warm. I smile politely at the couple sitting to my left.

They’re clearly on a date, so I don’t bother starting a conversation.

As I’m sipping my drink, someone taps my shoulder.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

A guy with brown curls stands beside me.

“By all means,” I say.

“Cool.”

He takes the empty chair to my right. Then he notices the missing table setting.

I lean into him. “They just cleared it a minute ago, but I’m sure they can put it back.”

As if on cue, someone comes to reset the table.

“Thanks, sorry.” He turns to me and whispers, “I hate being that guy who’s late. I thought it started at seven-thirty. I’m Will, by the way.”

“I’m Oliver.”

“Did you come alone, too?”

I shake my head. “I’m actually dating the head chef. He’s in the kitchen now.”

“Oh, wow.”

I can’t hold in the laugh. “I’m kidding. Yeah, it’s just me. My ex-boyfriend gave me the tickets, but we broke up a few months ago. Hence the ‘ex’ before ‘boyfriend.’?”

“I’m sorry about that,” he says.

I wave it off. “Eh, don’t be. At least he paid for this dinner. And what about you?”

“I wish I had an ex to pay for dinner. I’m actually third-wheeling right now. But there’s no seat over there—” He points to the table to our left. “My bestie is with the guy she’s seeing.” He leans in and whispers, “I’m honestly relieved not to sit there. He’s kind of an asshole. At least to me.”

“Well, this table has a strict No Asshole policy.”

“Thank god .”

He smiles at me. I notice the blue specks in his eyes in the light. Someone comes around and hands us each a small menu. There are two options for the main course. After some deliberation, Will and I both decide to go with the chicken.

“White meat is better for the environment,” he says.

“Cheers to saving the planet.”

The first course arrives promptly. It’s tomato bisque with a swirl of cream.

It’s worlds better than the soup that’s served in the dining hall.

There’s a lot of time for guests to chat between courses.

Will is a sophomore majoring in political science, though he has no idea what he’ll do with that degree after college.

“Maybe I’ll just go into consulting,” he says wearily.

“But I don’t want to think about that now. ”

“Yeah. Decide if you want to sell out later.”

Thankfully, he laughs at this. There are no fancy restaurants in Ellensburg.

That’s what makes this dinner so special.

The university brings in a famous chef once a year to cook a Michelin star meal, which is what makes the ticket so expensive.

The chicken is perfectly seasoned and the side of rosemary potatoes is delicious.

Will agrees with me on both points. We’re still hungry, so we ask for more bread rolls.

Dessert is a slice of chocolate cake, which is the highlight of the night.

Dinner ends with champagne, which neither of us can have.

“Should have brought my fake ID,” Will sighs.

I shake my head. “Rookie mistake.”

“Do you have one, too?”

“With this youthful face?” I say jokingly.

He laughs. “True. No one would believe it.”

After dinner is over, we rise from our seats. “Are you also heading to the dance?” Will asks me. “Or the ‘reception,’ or whatever they’re calling it.”

“Yeah, I’ll come for a bit.”

Will smiles. “Cool. I’ll see you there.” Then he heads off to meet his friends.

Maybe we should have exchanged numbers or something.

I’m sure I’ll see him in a few minutes anyway.

I was planning to head back to the dorm after dinner, but Ben texted me a few minutes ago, letting me know he’s running late.

So I might as well stop by the reception, which is taking place in the ballroom of the Student Union, to kill some time.

I’ve heard there’s usually good music. And I’m curious to see what the vibe is like.

Purple lights shine from a DJ booth in the corner.

Phoebe Bridgers is playing through the giant speakers on the walls.

I’ve never been inside the ballroom before.

There’s already a good amount of people, but I don’t see Will anywhere.

There are a few high-top tables that are covered with plastic petals.

I stand beside one and take in the crowd from a distance.

I didn’t realize how many students would be here.

Half the room is dancing while the other half is standing around, chatting in small circles.

Someone tosses a beach ball into the center of the room.

Another song comes on, but I don’t leave my spot at the table.

I would be having more fun if Ben was here.

I should really try to enjoy myself though.

There’s no reason to feel guilty about having a good time, right?

Since Ben still hasn’t arrived, I’d just be sitting in my dorm alone anyway.

I’ll just stay for another ten minutes and head out.

You can only be a wallflower for so long.

I thought I would have run into Will by now.

Maybe he’s in the bathroom or something.

I know we haven’t known each other long, but I was hoping to at least say goodbye and that it was nice to meet him.

So I make my way through the crowd. The shifting lights make it difficult to recognize faces.

There’s a chance I walked right past him.

As I continue through the crowd, the music changes to a familiar song…

“Fade into You,” by Mazzy Star. One of Sam’s favorites.

A memory swims to the surface. This is the song that was playing when I was looking for Sam at the school dance.

My stomach sank when I found him outside, dancing with someone who wasn’t me.

Of course, that someone was Julie. We didn’t really know each other yet.

I remember clutching the white rose he’d pinned to my jacket before heading back inside.

Maybe that’s enough music for tonight. Ben should probably be here soon anyway.

As I’m finally heading out, a hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around to see who it is.

“Oh—Will!”

He smiles. “Hey, are you leaving already?”

“No, I was just…. Were you here the whole time?”

“Yeah, my friends are up there.” He points toward the DJ booth. “Where’s your group?”

“Uh, it’s just me right now.”

“Oh, nice. What do you think so far?”

“Music’s not bad. Anyone who plays Phoebe Bridgers deserves a raise.”

“Oh my god, that was my request.”

“Really? Glad to know someone has taste.”

He stands there for a moment. I can tell he wants to ask me something. Eventually he leans in and asks, “Do you want to dance?”

I hesitate. His blue-green eyes make it hard to say no. I mean, maybe one dance wouldn’t hurt, right? But I don’t think I can do that to Ben. I feel bad about turning down Will, especially when he’s been so nice. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’m seeing someone right now.”

“Oh…I didn’t know.”

“Sorry. I should have mentioned—”

“No, it’s cool.”

There’s an awkward silence. I check the time on my phone. There’s a new message from Ben. “I should probably head out,” I say. “But it was nice meeting you.”

Will smiles. “For sure. Guess I’ll see you around.”

I feel guilty about leaving abruptly, but I don’t know what else to say. I wasn’t planning to stay this long anyway. I head out the door before someone else notices me.

It’s starting to rain outside. Ben says he’ll be here in a few minutes.

I told him I would wait for him near the bridge we met on.

I wish I had brought an umbrella with me, but I just ignore the rain as I take a seat on the bench.

Thankfully, it’s only a sprinkle. And it feels nice against my skin.

I close my eyes for a moment and listen to the soft hum of the lights above the empty street.

I’m not sure how much time passes as I’m waiting. And then everything goes quiet for a moment. The rain seems to soften and the temperature drops. I open my eyes again. It’s snowing, the flakes lightly brushing my face.

Someone is sitting beside me.

I turn my head. “Ben. When did you….”

He smiles at me. “Only a moment ago.” Then he leans forward, brushing something off my face. “You’re all wet.”

I let out a breath. “I looked better an hour ago.”

“I like you this way.” The touch of his hand warms me up. He’s wearing a dark green coat, and his hair is lightly dusted with snow. “Sorry for bringing the cold with me.”

“It’s okay. I like the snow.”

“I’ve never seen you this dressed up.”

I laugh a little. “Glad someone appreciates the tie. I had to look up a video tutorial.”

“It really suits you,” he says. “Sorry I couldn’t come to your dance.”

“Don’t apologize. Technically, it hasn’t even happened yet.”

“That might be true. But I wish I could have.”

I don’t say anything.

“Hopefully, you still had a good time,” he says.

“It was alright. Was thinking of you the whole time.”

“I should make it up to you, then.”

“I mean, I was sitting in the snow waiting for you,” I agree.

Ben smiles as he rises from the bench. Then he slowly removes his jacket.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Didn’t want you to feel overdressed.” Beneath his jacket is a nice button-up collared shirt.

I narrow my eyes. “What are you about to do…”

“I felt bad about missing your formal,” he says, setting down his jacket. “Admittedly, I wasn’t planning to do this outside, but we can still share a dance.”

“Ben.”

“Oliver.”

That charming smirk curves along his face.

Then he takes out his phone. I watch as he picks a song and then sets the phone down on the bench.

Of course, it’s Joni Mitchell. Ben holds out a hand, helping me off the bench.

Admittedly, I’m a little shy about doing this in public.

What if someone from class sees this? Ben puts a hand around me, pulling me into him.

The snow falls gently around us as we move slowly to the music.

It only takes a minute for the nerves to fade away.

Ben moves his lips to my ear. “I know this isn’t quite the same…”

“No, it’s better,” I say.

For a moment, I don’t care if anyone sees us.

We’re the only two people in the world. As the songs change, I tell myself to remember each one.

I’ll add them to the soundtrack we’re slowly building.

I know we’re still figuring out how we can make this work, but I don’t want to think about that.

None of that matters right now. We’ll find a way to have more dances together.