Fiery Trap

Chapter Three: A friendly Stroll

After getting out of Professor Cartwright's class, Rachel got a call from Josie. She asked her if she wanted to hang around at Moose's burger joint. Since she was off of work today, Rachel agreed to do so. Besides, she needed a bit of leisure after the pedantic accounting lecture. She pedaled herself across campus toward the Student Center where several clogged stores resided.

She entered the building that stood beside the bookstore and the billiard room. She immediately spotted Josie from a distance, in a booth against the pale yellow wall filled with vintage posters. Rachel flashed a quick wave of hello before she sat on the padded brown-leather seat. She then scooted a bit inward to be right opposite Josie, who tried to stifle her joy for some reason. Rachel did her best to hide her concerns as she gazed at what Josie ordered: a plate of French fries and a juicy chicken burger.

"Oh, I can't hold it any longer—I got the internship!" she announced.

"You got it?" Rachel yelped, almost as excited as Josie. She knew how hard it was to get an internship in the fashion industry in New York. "I'm so happy for you." Rachel rose up from her seat and Josie did likewise. They gave each other a quick hug before sitting back down.

"Oh, forget about me," Josie shrugged off the subject of her internship. "How was it—the special occasion with my brother? What did he do?" Josie then picked up a French fry and absently dipped it in the small pond of ketchup at the edge of the plate.

"Well, he took me to the place we first met, at the fountain, and we ate over there. He made me sandwiches. Your brother is quite the romantic," Rachel said, memories flooding back of that day. Josie almost choked on her fries in her mouth. She took her time to swallow before she spoke.

"Huh?" Josie said, dropping the other half of the fry on the plate. "I can't believe he went all cheap on you and made you some picnic sandwich and called it a day."
"Jo, I liked it. It was more intimate that way," Rachel answered with dreamy eyes. "I liked it a lot."

"I ought to call his cheap butt and tell him he's wrong," Josie replied. "He should've taken you to a restaurant or somewhere elegant. I mean, the way he talks about you is as if you were his high school sweetheart— no, scratch that, the love of his life—and all he did was took you to the fountain and make you a sandwich?"

"Josie, I loved it—he knows me well," Rachel responded. "He knew I wouldn't be that impressed if he took me to a fancy restaurant. And besides, he got me this." Rachel removed the necklace from beneath her shirt and paraded it in front of Josie.

"That's decent of him." Josie shrugged before she picked up the half-gone fry, dipped it in the ketchup, and chewed on it. "Well, as long as you both enjoyed it, then it's none of my business." Josie now grabbed her chicken burger to eat, but before she took a bite out of it, she said, "I have to say he's very fond of you. I've never seen him this way with a girl."

"Likewise," Rachel replied. "I've never felt this way before I met him." Rachel didn't really date often. She rarely dated in her high school years because of her focus on her studies. At her prom, she went with a friend whom she hasn't spoken to in the last three years. Dominic was her first serious boyfriend.

"I think you're like the first girl he might—" Josie stopped herself, almost stunned by what she was about to say. "Let me not jinx it." She took a huge bite out of her burger.

"Jinx what?" Rachel asked.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Josie said, realizing she was the only one eating among the two.