Who I Am With You (Imagination #10) - Staci Stallings Page 0,76

for lunch.”

“Very good. Well, just know you can come talk to me any time—about this class or anything else. My door is always open to my students.”

“Thank you.”

They decided to get lunch and go to the student center. It was so much less crowded there, and they even had a little spot in the small library-study room where they dropped their things before going to the empty dining room. Of course, it was Thursday so there was no meal being served, but Greg was glad Taylor suggested going to the student center. At least she hadn’t sworn the place off forever.

Eating in the dining room, they talked and said hello to the students who came through. Pastor Dave came out to check on them, and they chatted with him as well. When lunch was done, they went into the library and got started on their own work. Greg had Chem lab at four, so he was glad to have some downtime to get something else done. This way, he wouldn’t be up until midnight-thirty trying to do homework and not fall asleep.

At 2:15, Clara showed up. Greg was deep into his Poli Sci reading at the table while Taylor worked on her Stats on the couch. The two girls started talking about class and the new semester and how ridiculous the weather was.

“Oh, hey,” Clara said, “you guys are coming tonight, right?”

“Coming?” Taylor asked, and without really moving, Greg stiffened. Dance class. He squeezed his eyes closed and willed himself not to move or they would know he was listening. Please no, no, no, no, no…. Abort mission, Clara! Abort mission! Terminate immediately…

“To dance class,” Clara said, her voice as bubbly and happy as ever. “It’s at seven in the Activity Center mirror room. Greg knows where it’s at.”

Greg, however, wasn’t sure Taylor even cared if he knew where it was or not.

“Oh, gosh.” Taylor glanced over at him. “Uh.”

“Come on. You guys have to come. Nelson’s doing the studio thing tonight, and Lauren’s helping Wes with the car. Ryan asked if I had asked y’all.”

Ugh. This as getting worse.

“I… uh,” Taylor said, and her gaze went over to him and stuck.

He never looked up, praying they would both think he was so absorbed in his work that he hadn’t been listening.

“What do you say, Greg?” Clara asked when Taylor said nothing. “You’re not going to leave us hanging, are you?”

His gaze came up from the laptop screen and over to them. “Hanging?” he asked innocently.

“Yeah,” Clara said, and she rolled her eyes at Taylor. “Men. They need a flashing neon sign or they’ll miss it completely.” She looked at Greg and smiled sweetly. “Taylor wants to go to the dance class tonight.”

“I what?” Taylor asked, but Clara simply laid her hand on Taylor’s wrist to stop her.

“Shh. We’re talking him into it.”

Taylor’s eyes went wide with disbelief.

“Of course, she’ll need someone to dance with,” Clara continued. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“I…” Greg wanted to look at Taylor to see if she was hopeful, angry, or couldn’t-care-less, but he knew that would be a dead giveaway. Clara knew far too much. “I… uh, I guess so. I mean, it’s cool if… you guys want to.”

“Great,” Clara said. “Then it’s a date.”

Date. Date. Date. Date.

The word played through Greg’s mind the rest of the afternoon. Taylor hadn’t been bothered by it. At least, she didn’t say she was or correct Clara. Then again, maybe that was just because Taylor knew better. This wasn’t a date. Not a real one anyway. This was a get together to hang out with friends. They would just happen to be dancing while they were doing it.

The dancing part was what kept kicking up butterflies in his stomach. It took next to nothing to remember the last time they had danced together, at the top of the world on New Year’s Eve. Of course, that hadn’t been anything special for her either, but for him, it was one of those extra-special being with Taylor moments he would never forget if he lived forever.

After lab, he went home, and not worrying a whit about homework, he ate, showered, and got ready. It wasn’t a real date, so he couldn’t show up like it was one. That presented a bit of a problem in the what-to-wear department. Finally, he chose jeans and a black-and-smoke-blue striped knit shirt. It was an upgrade from a T-shirt but a downgrade from a button down. Checking himself in the mirror, he decided