Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“And where did you get in?”
I take another tiny sip of my drink. It’s good, but I’m still getting used to the alcohol. “Yale. I’ll be going to Yale.”
He raises his glass to me, and we do a tiny little toast. I can see in his eyes that he’s impressed, but there’s also something else there that I can’t quite put my finger on. Like psychoanalysis or something. But deeper. It doesn’t quite make me uncomfortable, but it’s like I’m being read.
“Quite the school, Yale. What will you be studying? I bet you’ve got that…planned out already,” he says with a smile.
“Law.” I smile back. “I’m going to be a lawyer, just like my dad and my grandpa.”
Jason nods some more. “Sounds like you and your family are pretty close.”
“Yup, you could say that. And my boyfriend, Zack, I’m pretty sure he’s going to propose soon. Well, not soon, but sometime during our freshman year.”
Something comes over Jason’s face – a stutter or a shift in his expression, and I instantly realize the faux pas I’ve just committed. What have I done? Why did I just say that? Why did I just mention Zack in this context? Technically, nothing has happened between Jason and me, but no guy wants to hear about another girl’s boyfriend after he’s gone out of his way to be so nice to her.
Nice isn’t even the word. Nice would have been just saying some sweet things back at JFK, maybe offering to buy me an extra bottle of water or something. But this? This is going out of his way for me. This is going completely over the top in every possible way. Pulling out all the stops, even if he is a billionaire.
“Is that right?” he asks. The tone of his voice is much lower now, much softer. “Your boyfriend.”
I just completely messed up everything. I have to salvage things right now, and quickly.
“Yeah, my mom introduced me to him, actually,” I stammer, feeling dumber than I’ve ever felt before in my life. “He’s the son of one of her friends, and we just sort of started dating because…I don’t know why really. Because it was convenient and I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time, but all of my friends did.”
“It’s rough not having a boyfriend, huh?” Jason replies. I can see the disappointment in his eyes just before he looks away.
“You know what’s even worse? Having one you’re not that into.”
It takes him a second to get it, but when he does, he looks back up at me. I can see the confusion. “But…you just said he was going to propose.”
“Yes, but I didn’t say what my answer was going to be.” I smile. “You know Zack and I have never even done the deed?”
“Really? How long have you two been together?”
“Just over a year and a half,” I reply. “I told him I was waiting for marriage, so we wouldn’t have to…”
“Wow.” Jason grins. “Well, that’s certainly one devious plan.”
I feel my lips twisting up into a smile as I look back at him. I can feel myself starting to calm down slightly. Maybe I didn’t completely ruin things.
“Come on, Lucy. Tell me more. There must be more to you. What else did you do growing up?”
“Well,” I say, taking a deep breath. “A little bit of everything, I guess. My parents had me involved in everything. Soccer, swimming, tennis, violin – which I dropped because I totally sucked. But piano, I loved piano, and I was really good too.”
“Was? You don’t do it anymore?”
“No,” I say sadly. “I just don’t have time now, what with so much schoolwork. Getting into Yale is no easy feat, you know?”
Jason nods, leans his head back, and narrows his eyes at me like he’s examining me. He sets his drink down and looks at me hard, as though he’s just discovered something very secretive and important about me.
Instantly, I feel my heart rate rise. I glance behind me nervously, in case he’s not looking at me.
“What?” I ask. “Do I have something on my face?”
“You know, I could see you being a piano player, Lucy.”
His statement shocks me so deeply that I’m not even able to respond for a few seconds.
“Me? A piano player? Like…doing my own little indie thing or something? The only problem is I can’t sing–”
Jason laughs. “No, not like that. Like in an orchestra. A concerto. Something professional, on stage, live in front of hundreds or thousands of people. I can see it.”
“You can see it.”
“That’s right.” He nods. “I bet you have the talent for something like that.”
Something stirs inside me as he looks at me with those beautiful eyes. I never would have thought of calling a man’s eyes beautiful, but they are. They’re also strongly masculine at the same time. Like the eyes of a friend who you know could also always have your back and get you out of any trouble you could ever get yourself into.