The Endless Road to Sunshine - Nicky James Page 0,64
married. Single.”
He didn’t respond. When I peeked up, the look he returned was one of scrutiny, like he was trying to figure me out.
“What? Is something wrong with that?”
“No, not at all. I just find that interesting.”
I frowned. “Why? I’m not following.”
Reggie shrugged. “I guess, based on your reaction to hitting the town, I assumed you were involved with someone. Hence why you weren’t interested.” He waved it off. “Never mind. I’m a social klutz.” He rolled his coffee between his hands then decided to down the rest in one go.
I checked the time on my phone. “I’m sorry. I’ve gotta run. I have a class in fifteen minutes, and I have to pop back to my office.”
“I’m heading in that direction. I’ll walk with you.”
I tried to remember the umpteen times Levi had told me to be more social. There had been a time when making friends was easy for me. Those days were gone, or rather, it was hard to find any interest in socializing when I felt such a need to hide who I was from everyone.
It wasn’t that Reggie wasn’t a decent guy—albeit a bit strange—but I didn’t have the energy to put into a friendship. It was hard enough taking care of myself and ensuring I was alert each day and ready to do my job. Adding the task of meeting new people was exhausting.
Neither of us spoke as we ambled down the corridor. Ahead, in one of the many small nook areas set up for students to rest and relax, there was a group of young men and women gathered. Some of them lay sprawled across the cushioned bench seating. Others were smushed together in the single-sized cushioned chairs. Their backpacks had been tossed against the wall, and food court containers and soft drink cups littered the ground.
Music played from one of their phones, an upbeat song I’d heard on the radio several times. In the middle of the group, a familiar blond guy in a navy hoodie and faded jeans was dancing completely uninhibited. His moves were smooth and calculated, feet shuffling and hips popping as he made a show of grooving to the beat for his audience.
When the chorus hit, he sang, loud and off-key, belting out lyrics, informing everyone within earshot to shut up and dance with him.
At some point, I stopped walking to watch the spectacle. Skylar had no cares in the world. His friends clapped and cheered him on, singing with him to the chorus the next time it came up. His smile glowed. When he shifted and faced my direction, his gaze caught on mine. There was no pause, no hiccup in his timing. He continued dancing with me in his sights, a knowing, devious grin taking over his face. It was like I was the center of his universe, and no one existed outside of the two of us. It lasted only a few seconds before he turned again, but before he faced the other direction, he winked, and I felt it shiver through my whole body.
“Someone you know?”
I startled, jerking my attention away from Skylar’s hypnotic dancing. Reggie passed his gaze between Skylar and me, a hitch in his brow.
I cleared my throat and continued down the hall. “He’s a student.”
“Obviously. They all are.”
“No, I mean, he’s in my ancient civilizations class. Spunky kid. Vivacious. Likes to stand out.”
“Ah, I see. Are you acquainted?”
I paused, shoving away the images of Skylar on his knees, lips stretched around my cock as I plunged into his mouth. “No.”
“He seemed familiar, that’s all.”
“He’s just a student.”
Reggie let it go, but I felt the heat of his gaze on me more than once as we continued along. At a juncture in the hall, we said goodbye, and I headed to my office, but not before agreeing to lunch together on Friday in the food court. Reggie was relentless, and Levi’s reminders screamed in my head loud enough I felt like they were double-teaming me.
That evening, I stared at the empty shelves inside my refrigerator for a long time before deciding to get takeout from the Oriental Garden restaurant down the road. I needed to stop being so lazy and take my ass to a grocery store. This new fast-food diet was going to catch up with me despite how many miles of pavement I pounded each day.
Once I’d placed an order for spicey Sichuan pork, dumplings, and spring rolls, I called Levi, hoping he was home and not busy.