I hit him with my most charming smile at full wattage. It almost always gets me what I want.
Ricardo blinks. “Of course. We’ll go right after class, and we’ll bring Cal’s car back. Don’t worry. Now, have a seat, mon coeur. Allow me to get you breakfast.” He grins when I squirm at the nickname.
“Don’t call me that,” I whisper. “And I can get my own breakfast.” I try to break away from him, but Ricardo’s fingers put the slightest pressure on my upper arms, gently holding me back.
Leaning in, he presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “Sit down. How will it look if I don’t help you get your food? You can’t tell me you didn’t make Kenneth wait on you hand and foot. We have to make this look good.” He relinquishes my arms before pulling out my chair.
My eyes narrow, but I take the seat anyway. “I did not boss Kenneth around.” I absolutely did. “Besides, what’s in it for you?”
Ricardo’s head cants to one side. “Be cool, okay? My mom is here. Don’t look.”
I go still, squelching the urge to whirl around in the direction of Ricardo’s glance. Tension hums through him as he helps me slide my chair in. He gives my ponytail a light tug. “I’ll be right back.”
Smoothing down my hair, I take out my phone for something to do, not at all enjoying the stares I’m getting from everyone around me. This is so awkward. It was a truly horrendous idea to pretend to date Ricardo. What was I thinking, agreeing to this?
The next chair scrapes as it’s dragged out from underneath the table, and Gul sits down. Her expression cannot be described as anything but predatory when she levels her dark brown eyes at me. “So, you and Ricardo, huh? Spill.” She rests her chin in her hands and stares at me intently.
Shaking my head, I say, “I am not spilling anything to you. Besides, aren’t you too preoccupied spreading rumors about Professor Rook’s death?”
Something flickers over Gul’s face before she shutters her expression. “I’m not interested in that anymore. It’s old news. But you and Ricardo? That fascinates me. How long have you been dating?”
“Unh unh unh,” Ricardo says, tapping the back of Gul’s chair. “You stole my seat. Plus, my girl doesn’t kiss and tell.” His fingers caress the back of my neck, and I want to vomit.
Gul’s lips purse to one side as she looks between us, realizing she’s been thwarted. She pushes away from the table. “Bye. We’ll catch up later.” Her shiny black heels tap as she retreats to her usual table.
My friends slide their trays onto the table and take their seats, until I’m surrounded by friends and family.
“What did Gul want?” Genevieve asks, her eyes avoiding Ricardo.
“Nothing important.”
“As usual,” Ricardo says. He sets an omelet in front of me, prepared just the way I like it, paired with a glass of ice water. A crisp lemon wedge graces the lip of the glass.
I gape at the plate as he sets it down in front of me. “How did you...?”
He slides into his chair, tabling his own plate of bacon and eggs fried over easy. “I pay attention. Enjoy.”
As surprised as I am that Ricardo knows my breakfast order, I don’t really taste my omelet. I’m too busy worrying about whether Mo will be able to finish the repairs to Cal’s car by tomorrow. If he doesn’t, will the headmistress notice that Cal’s car is missing? Will the police notice? A horrendous thought makes my lips part in shock. What if the police get it into their heads to inspect all of the cars on campus? What if they spot something on Cal’s car that tips them off to what I’ve done?
Taking a bite of my breakfast, I chew, choking down the disparate pieces like bits of rubber. If anyone notices that Cal’s car is missing, they’ll undoubtedly ask him about it. He’ll truthfully tell them that I was the last person to drive the car, and that will be it. My time is running out.
10
All around me, people are speculating about what happened to Professor Rook, and what it might mean that we’re not allowed to drive our vehicles off campus for the next few days. Was Rook’s death an accident? Was it not? If it was, what kind of person would leave a dead man in the road? If it wasn’t, why did they do it?