brush against each other. He motions for me to go ahead. I take a small lick.
He rolls his eyes. “Seriously, we’ll be here all day at this rate.” He takes the cone back and licks all around it, not caring that my tongue was just on the yogurt. Once all the sprinkles are gone, he turns the cone upside-down in the mug and pulls it out, covered once again in sprinkles. “Voila! Good as new.” He holds it out to me, as if I’m going to eat it after he just licked the whole thing. If I’m going to be swapping spit with him, that’s not how it’s going to happen.
“Nice trick. I’ll have to remember that one.”
He leans closer and raises his hand to my face. Is he going to kiss me? “You have a sprinkle.” He brushes his thumb across my bottom lip. “There. That’s better.”
I stare at him, unable to speak because my lip is numb from his touch. No, not numb. More like aching to kiss him.
He cocks his head and smiles, clearly knowing he’s gotten to me. “You okay?”
“Y-yeah.” I stumble on the word. “I should go find my friend and eat some real food.”
“Suit yourself, but I’ve got twenty bucks that says you’ll be making your own cone and mug of sprinkles when you’re finished with that.” He winks and walks away, licking his cone and forgetting all about his tray of food.
“Holy shit, Noelle.”
I turn around to see Julia grinning like a circus clown. “Where have you been?”
“Watching. That guy is seriously into you.”
I look down at the tray of food in her hands. “You were in line?”
“Yup. I sweet talked my way to about three people behind you.” She arches her brow.
“Let me guess, hot guy?”
“No. He was dreadful. Freckles and glasses.” Julia has freckles, too, but she covers them with makeup. I never understood why. I think freckles are cute, like the one just under my mystery guy’s right eye. “I needed to be able to hear what you and sexy college boy were saying, though,” Julia continues.
“I was holding a spot for you, remember? You could’ve joined us.” Though I’m glad she didn’t.
“And interrupt the flirting?” She shakes her head. “No way.”
My cheeks warm. “So you heard all of that?”
“Every word. R.A., son of the dean, wanted you to lick his ice cream cone.” She says the last part slowly, emphasizing each word.
“Shut up. He didn’t mean it like that.” Did he?
“Sure he didn’t, and I didn’t give Mr. Freckles a fake number.”
“Let’s just find a seat, okay?” I don’t want her cheapening my encounter with…Man, I really need to find out what his name is.
She motions to a table near the door, and we sit down. I dig into my mashed potatoes and try to think about anything but him.
“When are you going to see him again?” Julia asks, knowing exactly what’s on my mind—or should I say who?
I shove another forkful of mashed potatoes into my mouth to avoid answering. The truth is I want to see him again. I want to know what his name is, if he’s a good kisser…
“Oh, so you’re going to ignore me now?”
Like that ever works with her. “There’s just nothing to talk about as far as he’s concerned.” Not yet anyway.
Julia gives me a look and I know she doesn’t believe me, but she lets it go and pushes her tray aside. “The food in this place sucks. How was the yogurt?”
The yogurt. I picture his face when he said he’d bet twenty dollars that I’d make myself a cone and a mug of sprinkles. He was so right. It’s all I can think about. Well, other than him.
“Good.” Really good.
Julia gets up and motions for me to follow. We dump our garbage and return our trays before making our way over to the yogurt station.
“So how do we do this?” Julia asks. I know she saw everything, but she wants to see my reaction. Figure out how I really feel about him.
Without a word, I make our cones and grab two mugs full of sprinkles. I look around for any sign of him, but he must have left already. I can’t even mask my disappointment, and I’m not sure I’m in the mood for yogurt anymore.
“What, not as good as last time?” Julia asks. “Is it the company?”
“Seriously, you’re reading way too much into the yogurt.” Apparently, so had I. If he really thought I’d go back for yogurt, wouldn’t