The truth was, my guys did need an extra week to finish up, but I wasn’t about to tell Ava that.
She was wearing the same tight black leggings from this morning that accentuated her curvy figure and had removed her sweatshirt to reveal a low-cut tank top.
In that moment, the magnetic pull of her presence became undeniable.
Deep-brown, wavy hair framed her face with a natural grace, and her warm, inviting forest-green eyes held a depth that drew me in.
They reminded me of another pair of such eyes…
“Come on, man, can’t we just stay in tonight?” I groaned from my dorm’s desk chair as my roommate, Thomas, threw at my head the damp towel he’d just taken off.
“How are we going to meet hot girls if we stay in and study every night, Theo?” he shot back at me.
It was our freshman year, October of the first semester, but my architecture classes had already ramped up, leaving me little free time, and I desperately needed to study for my design history and theory exam next week if I was ever going to realize my dreams.
I sighed. “Okay, but just one party. And not at one of those lame sororities or fraternities. I want something more underground.”
Thomas laughed. “I met a sophomore in my business finance class who invited me to her house. She said they typically keep it lowkey. Dancing, beer pong, and good music. You up for that?”
Of course Thomas had already connected with a second-year student.
Thomas, with his blond hair and blue eyes, screamed “California boy.” He’d become my unplanned roommate after my friend from high school had backed out of college at the last minute.
Initially, I was disappointed, but the past two months had been a blast, though a distraction as I’d followed Thomas on his various escapades off campus.
It would be a good break, and I figured I could manage going out for just a couple hours.
“Okay, fine. Let me just change my shirt, and we can head out,” I said.
Thirty minutes later, we were walking up to a large, colonial-revivalist home on the outskirts of the city.
Students littered the lawn and hung out on the wraparound porch that adorned the home. I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the architecture and its detailed design work.
“Stop checking out the house and start checking out the girls,” Thomas said, laughing as he clapped me on the back and pushed me forward.
Upon entering the house, we were greeted by a living room and an adjacent sitting room that had beautiful moldings and trim, with moonlight flooding in through their big, louvered windows.
The long, gracefully carved staircase featured balustrades adorned with ornamental ironwork, which was reminiscent of the neoclassical architecture we’d been reading about in class. When my gaze reached the high doom of the roof, I was overwhelmed by the intricate ceiling medallion but tried to rein it all in.
As I scanned the room, I noticed Thomas had already left my side and was across the busy living room filled with dancing sweaty bodies, talking to a pretty redhead with big green eyes.
I’d started to walk over there when my gaze locked onto the redhead’s friend standing beside her. Her sandy-brown hair and deep-brown eyes drew me in, and all I could think about was the stories they must hold.
“Hi, I’m Theo,” I said as I outstretched my hand upon reaching her.
Her hands were wrapped snugly around a red solo cup. She slowly released her grip, tentatively placing one of them in mine.
I couldn’t help feeling that hand had set my whole body on fire.
“Hi, Theo. I’m Iris.”
“Earth to Theo.” I jolted out of my memory at Ava’s voice and found myself staring right at those green eyes teeming with stories, just like Iris’s.
Before I could stop them, the words tumbled out of me. “Any plans for this weekend?”
Ava, her head slightly tilted, sported a quizzical expression, her full lips forming an intriguing sight.
“You do realize that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, right?”
Of course I was aware. Though normally a holiday I’d try to avoid, Ava’s yes to Sebastian prompted something in me that I couldn’t ignore: jealousy.
I nodded.
She laughed. “If this is your subtle way of figuring out my relationship status, agreeing to go on a date with your project manager should’ve been a dead giveaway.”
“Well, I don’t want to overshadow Sebastian’s plans for your date next week, but how about we have a date this weekend?” I suggested, flashing a grin.
Her laughter rang out again, a bit too heartily this time.
“I’ll tell you what I just told Sebastian. There’s no way anyone in the city of Austin is getting a last-minute reservation for tomorrow.”
“If I can secure one, will you say yes?”
She thought for a moment, the suspense almost unbearable as her plump lips pressed into a thoughtful pout.
“Fine,” she conceded.
“See you tomorrow at seven. We’re going to Fusion Firefly. It’s a little more upscale than I’d like, but I wanted you to know so you could dress accordingly.”
Her jaw dropped, my mind immediately conjuring a list of things that could be put into that enticing mouth.
“How on earth can you guarantee a reservation for tomorrow at that place?” she asked, arms folded across her chest, eyebrows raised.
I winked. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”
Her eyes squinted as she studied me before breaking into a smile.
“Fine. See you at seven.”
Turning away, I headed out with the broadest grin plastered on my face. My Valentine’s Day weekend just got a whole lot sweeter.
