The last drove of fans had left a few minutes ago while I stayed behind, sitting in the seat I’d occupied earlier. I wasn’t waiting, but contemplating—trying to sort out my next move. I’d told Paul I’d wait for him for a date but not a fiber of me was in it, and the troubling part—aside from not being interested in Paul Lowe, a demigod in the eyes of OSU’s female populace—was that I knew he was what I should like.
I should like the college guy who was a hero in the local community and defined all-American boy. But I’d learned long ago that what I should like, what I should do, just never seemed to work out for me. Like the world never had an easy, bumpless road planned for me. Up-to-date, it had been pocketed with sink holes and tombstones.
Who was I kidding? Certainly not myself. What I wanted had run away in the opposite direction. What was I still doing here?
And knowing that he was likely no good for me, that I’d suffer more heartache than any one girl should, I left the gym without a single look over my shoulder.
William throwing my words in my face had taken hold like a foreign bacteria. What was the use in pretending when I knew what I wanted? When, maybe somewhere all along, I’d always known what I’d wanted but it only became obvious to me when it appeared in the form of a man I met one week ago who had a knack for infuriating and confounding me.
The cool night air whipped me as soon as I opened the door. I zipped my hoodie jacket up as far as it would go, thankful I’d remembered it. It was a breezy, chilly night—the kind that had one checking over their shoulder. Winter clung to the air, that sterile, suffocating smell that blanketed any scent of spring in the breeze.
Back home, I would have been in shorts and a tee, but here, even in my jeans and jacket, I wished I’d brought an extra layer of insulation. What a difference moving one state away could make. I hugged my arms around me and decided I’d jog back to my dorm. I’d get there quicker, stay warmer, and I hadn’t worn my trusty sneakers for nothing.
“Hey, beautiful.”
The address was out-of-context, but since there was no one else around, I stopped. More like froze, as a male figure drifted out in front of me, as if he’d materialized with the snap of his fingers. He made no attempt to hide in the shadows to remain unrecognizable, which would have eased my discomfort had it not been for the smile plastered on his face. It was far too wide to be friendly.
“Can I help you?” I asked, scanning the surroundings for some other life form, or an escape route at the least.
“I certainly hope so. I’m Ben, and no need to introduce yourself. I already know who you are.” He took a few steps towards me, allowing me an even better view of him. From the youth of his face, he could have been a student, although the dark three-piece suit he was wearing aged him in an odd way.
“I’m looking for someone,” he said, clasping his hands in front of him. “And since you were cozied up to him earlier tonight, I believe you can assist me in my search.”
I caught the gasp in my throat before it got out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, feeling adrenaline surging through my arms and legs.
“I’m not the kind of person you want to play games with,” he said, his voice perfectly level. “Let me repeat myself”—he eyed me parentally—“where is William?”
This time, a gasp did make its way out, at the same time the auditorium door flew open and another man—also wearing a suit and an aura of trouble—jogged towards us.
“He’s not in there,” he called out to Ben, before acknowledging me. He hopped to a stop and surveyed me once, then twice, before whistling through his teeth. “Hello, hello.” There was no greeting in it. “This the girl?” His eyes didn’t leave me.
“This is her,” Ben replied, sounding bored. “Although she’s not being as cooperative as would be healthy for her.”
I don’t know what had taken my body so long, but for the first time, I got chills. I felt another injection of adrenaline—like nitrous burners exploding to life.
The new man clucked his tongue. “Yeah, well that’s why you brought me along.” His eyebrows twitched twice and his tongue slid along his upper lip.
“That’s the only reason I bring you along, Troy,” Ben said, shrugging his shoulders in my direction, looking expectantly at him. “Time to earn your paycheck.”
I ran.