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.
"Oooh, well didn't I just pick the perfect time to barge in here," Jamie says in a bawdy tone. That shakes me out of it and I lightly smack her arm.
"Sorry Bash! Jamie had an emergency and needed you," I explain to him my tone high-pitched. He runs his hand through his uncombed hair, dripping on the floor. I attempt to avert my eyes from his enticingly well-defined body focusing on the newly interesting wall behind him. On the other hand, Jamie is blatantly checking him out without any shame. I detect him smirking back at her catching her in the act.
"Emergency, you say? What kind?" He questions the both of us crossing his hands over his chest.
"Some jerk-off canceled on me for the formal so now I need you to pull out the hottest guys you got and line them up for me to pick from," she informs him and he raises his eyebrows in return.
"What she means is, do you have anyone you think you can set her up with for the formal?" I say repeating after her.
"They must be hot, number one guideline," she adds.
He broods it over tapping on his bed rim and then he nods his head. "I think I might know a guy or two. Let me just throw on some clothes," he declares walking past me giving me a gust of his sandalwood soap that is so intoxicating I hold my breath.
"You don't have to do that. I am enjoying the show," Jamie says lightheartedly with a smug grin. Bash chuckles as he pulls some clothes from his dresser then heads into his bathroom. As he emerges fully clothed, I finally can breathe normally.
"So there's a few guys who are not going to the formal since they didn't feel like it, but maybe I can ask them. I have two friends that would probably come if they had a date," he says while scrolling through his phone.
"Perfect, bring them out," Jamie states waving her hands in a motion to get on with it.
"You act like they are models to showcase," Bash retorts his voice full of amusement.
"That's exactly what I had in mind. We should totally do that!" Jamie exclaims with a wicked gleam in her eye.
"Jamie," I say sternly but I am trying to restrain a smile.
"What?" she says innocently back to me. Bash continues browsing through his phone and starts texting. He glances up and instructs Jamie to smile. She flips her hair and then gives a glamorous smile while he snaps a picture and sends it to whoever he is texting.
After a minute or two of some more texting, he responds that they are interested. Jamie claps her hands and runs up and hugs Sebastien who looks traumatized by her hugging him. They have never been very affectionate. He gives her their numbers and she thanks him, blows me a kiss, and already starts rapidly typing. She waves and murmurs "Bye Emma, Bye Sebastien," and then walks out.
"Well, that was interesting," Bash mutters.
"When is it not when it comes to Jamie?" I say back and he snickers. He stops and turns to me with his devilish grin pulling out his motorcycle keys saying we should ride his bike.
"The death trap, hell no Bash," I say steely refusing. He rolls his eyes succumbing and grabs the keys to his car.
***
*Author's Note*
Do you guys like Jamie? Comment down below! Send me a vote if you liked this chapter ;)