Masked Attraction

Chapter 17: Model Emergency

Friday
Lukas and I end up passing the exam with flying colors. The questions were incredibly misleading and tricky, but we studied so extensively we had it down. As we are the last few stragglers to leave the lecture hall, he gives me a high-five for our victory as we make our way out of the academic building.

"You want to come to dinner with us tonight?" he asks me hopping down the steps.

"Thank you for the invite but I already got plans with Sebastien," I say happily.

"Gotcha, no worries. See you later!" We both say bye and we part ways to our dorm buildings.

Later that night, I am nearly ready to take off to Sebastien's when Jamie storms into our dorm her hair flying around her. Alarmed by her abruptness I investigate, "You alright there Jamie?" I ask as I pull my vintage bomber jacket off my coat rack wrapping it around my shoulders.

She explodes throwing her bag onto her bed. "Jared canceled on me for tomorrow! The night before the formal! Now I don't have a date." She throws herself alongside her bag onto the bed. "What a scumbag," she says with a huff laying on her back. It takes me a moment to realize Jess probably told Jared everything, meaning they must have both revealed they have feelings towards one another.

I sit back down on my bed astonished by the bombshell and what it could mean for both Jess and Jared. In the midst of me jumping to certain conclusions, I am disgruntled Jared decided to cancel on Jamie so last minute.

"Wow, he did? Did he say why?" I inquire filled with shame that my advice to Jess backfired on Jamie.

"He said and I quote 'I like someone else so it is probably not a good idea to go to the party together.' Like you couldn't tell me that four days ago! I'm so aggravated," she cries out, her eyes blazing.

Trying to puzzle out her source of anger I question her, "Are you upset that he isn't the one to take you or now that you don't have a date?" I ask sincerely hoping she didn't have any actual feelings for Jared.

"I mainly wanted a hot guy on my arm and he fit the criteria," she flippantly responds.

Relieved, I try and brainstorm. "What about Sebastien?" I begin to suggest as a solution creeps into my mind.

"What about him, he's with Brittany," she counters back not understanding where I am going with this.

"No, I mean he is in a fraternity with hot guys. Maybe he can find you someone to set you with?"

She shoots up from her position on the bed to stare at me. "Oh my gosh, you're brilliant Emma! See this is why I keep you around." She winks at me jokily and I give back a bright smile in return, happy that I might have helped solve the wreckage I made. I notify her I was about to head Sebastien's way when she insists we leave that instant. "The hot guys are probably already taken, we have to go before I'm left with an even worse lot," she urges me pushing me out the door.

"Alright, alright," I say as she orders us an Uber and we go down the stairs to wait outside. Ten minutes later, we pull up to his fraternity and walk through the frat's always open doors, which I consider a serious hazard. I guide her to Bash's room and knock on it waiting. Jamie decidedly just barges in not even bothering to wait for him to respond. I follow her in ready to apologize when I stop short.

Sebastien's tanned back is to us, displaying only a towel hung low around his waist. He's rummaging through his backpack with his back hunched over his muscles moving with him. My eyes zero in on the ink snaked around his shoulder blades and I trace the pattern of sharp black lines into the outline of an obscure dragon. I am in awe, he had never brought it up to me before. I recall in high school when he got an anchor tattoo on his triceps when he found out his mom was cheating on his dad, but he never shared he got another one. He hears us and whirls in our direction with a bewildered expression pulling out his AirPods from his ears. I get a full view of the front of him half-dressed and fall a little breathless.