Were-Reader

8

Nathan pulled into a parking spot and threw money in the meter. She got out of his car, still feeling like the whole situation was a dream. He walked over to her with a smile, and he put his hand lightly on her lower back as they walked towards a little boutique ice cream takeout shop. His touch was barely there, but it felt like it burned through her clothing in an entirely good way. As limited as her contact with men had been, she still thought her reaction to him was far more than normal.

They went to the window and he prompted her to order first. After a frantic minute, she picked a caramel mocha swirl, and he ordered strawberry. She tried to pay, but he refused. "You're a student, I'll get it."

"Are you sure?"

He just chuckled. "I'm sure."

Once the kind lady behind the counter had their order ready, they walked down the street to a nearby park, only a couple of blocks away. Spotting an unoccupied picnic table, by mutual agreement they walked over to it. Reese frantically licked her ice cream to keep it from running down onto her hands. It was so good, but was such a messy treat really worth it? She glanced over to see he was watching her a bit too intently, and her face heated uncomfortably. She looked away, wondering what he was thinking, but not brave enough to venture a serious question.

"How's your strawberry?" she asked, going for something safe and inane.

"It's good, my favourite flavour. How's yours?"

"Really good. I've never tried this place before."

"Me neither, but a friend of mine told me it was good."

"Someone I met last night? Chris? Keith?"

"No, Chris's sister, actually." He didn't elaborate, and Reese was left to ponder just why the mention of a friend's sister who was also Nathan's friend bothered her so much. It was way too soon to be jealous over something innocuous like that, wasn't it? Or ever? It wasn't like she expected him to cut off all contact with other women just because he had met her.

"So, you and Chris and Keith pretty close then?"

"Oh yeah, we grew up together."

She nodded, thinking through the previous night. "You know, it's a huge coincidence that I asked if I could bring you along to the party of your own friend."

"Not that big of a coincidence. The only reason I was on your campus yesterday was because I was picking up Chris. Since he and Harley are dating I'm sure we would have met anyway even if I hadn't found you in that coffee shop."

"Even stranger that you happened to find me in a place most people don't even know is there."

Nathan examined her with a half smile on his face. "I told you I had a feeling, maybe it was fate."

"You believe in fate?"

"Not really. But I do believe in following my instincts, and they usually lead me right. I found you, didn't I?"

She swallowed, trying not to swoon. This was all new territory. None of her previous pathetic relationship attempts had seemed anywhere near this invested. "Seems like it." She wanted to know what he was planning for them, because he sounded so serious, but she wasn't willing to risk finding out he was just being charming.

He was still watching her. "So, I know it ended in you getting scraped, but did you have any fun at the party last night?"

"It was okay." She wasn't going to admit that she'd been increasingly mopey since he hadn't shown up. "Harley had a good time."

"Chris's girl?"

Reese wrinkled her nose. "Well, I wouldn't say Harley's his property, but yeah. She might end up as Chris's girl if he doesn't screw up. She doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense. Guys have been chasing her for years so she sees through all their lies and doesn't give second chances."