“Dev, hey,” I said, standing up straight, hoping he didn’t misread the situation.
“Thought I’d surprise you for lunch.”
“That’d be great. I was just about to go. Um, Dev this is Hudson. Hudson, this is my friend, Dev.”
“Ah, well, happy to meet any friend of Lyra’s.”
Dev shot me a look of contempt as he shook Hudson’s hand.
Shit.
“I’d better find Vern and get this show on the road,” Hudson said with a smile, placing his hand over mine. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Hudson dragged his hand across the circulation desk as he walked away. Dev didn’t move an inch as we locked eyes.
“Friend?”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, walking around the desk and greeting him with a chaste kiss on the lips.
“I wanted to surprise you, take you to lunch.”
“That’s so nice. I’m starving actually.”
“Friend?”
“Dev, look—”
“Who was that guy?”
“Well,” I said with a sigh. “Remember how you said my past was the silent killer?” I clenched my teeth.
“That dude was your ex? Wait, was that Professor Pretentious?”
“Shh,” I said, tugging on his elbow. “Not so loud.”
“Lyra, why do you give a shit what that dude thinks? And for the third time, why did you call me your friend?”
I glanced around the library, a few students were listening to our conversation. “Hey, this is my work. I need to stay professional.”
“Sorry.”
“Let’s go get some lunch. We can talk about everything, okay?”
“Fine,” he said, his voice still gruff and annoyed.
Grabbing my coat, I let one of the associates know I was taking my break, and Dev and I crossed the street to an Italian cafe called Ben’s Calzones. After placing our order at the counter, we found a table in the already crowded restaurant.
“Look, before you say anything, I think it’s really sweet you came to take me to lunch.”
“Don’t try to butter me up.”
“Dev, c’mon, it’s not like we’ve made things official or whatever.”
“What are you talking about? Are you still seeing other people?”
I took a sip of my sparkling water. “No.”
“So, then?”
“It’s just what people say—my friend. It makes things less awkward. And you really don’t have any room to talk.”
“Why not?”
“Did you tell Abby I was your girlfriend?”
“We hadn’t even had sex yet. We were literally on our first date. We didn’t even kiss until later that night.”
“And what about Malika?”
“I told Malika you were my girlfriend!”
“Bull-fucking-shit!” I said, exasperated, leaning forward in my chair. My voice was a harsh hiss. “In no way did that word ever come out of your mouth. And now, for the first time you get to feel what I felt with both of those girls, and it sucks, doesn’t it?”
“Okay, maybe I didn’t say it; some of that night is hazy. We had a lot to drink, but I’m pretty sure I was holding your hand as I talked to Malika. She got the message. Meanwhile Professor Plum over here is stroking your hand right in front of my face.”
“Stroking? Are you serious right now?”
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’m telling you, that man was hitting on you and you were completely oblivious to it.”
“Well, isn’t that a good thing? That I’m so crazy about you that I don’t even notice my ex is still into me?”
“So you admit he’s still into you?”
I glared at him. “I’m not dignifying that with a response.”
Our food arrived and we stared at one another. I really didn’t want to fight with him. Sometimes it was fun and playful and it served as excellent foreplay. But fights like this…not so much. “This is so stupid.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry,” Dev said, shaking his head as he picked at the ropy seam of his calzone. “So you’re crazy about me, huh?”
“Shut up,” I muttered, stirring my water with my straw and watching the bubbles rise to the top of the glass. Dev reached his hand across the table.
“Khaleesi…”
“What?”
“Truce?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I brought you pancakes. Twice. What do I get with this supposed truce?”
“Sausage-and-mushroom calzone?” he said, holding up his plate.
“Lame.”
He looked passed me to the counter. “Be right back.” He jumped to his feet and sprinted to the counter. A minute later, he returned with a chocolate chip cookie.
“Truce?”
Grabbing the cookie, the plastic wrapper crinkled at my touch. I shook it back and forth as I spoke. “Fine. But you’re better than this.”
“It’s all I could do on such short notice.”
“Hmmph,” I said, placing the cookie on the table before grabbing my fork and knife and cutting into the calzone. Steam enveloped the air between us.
“So, you wanna be my girlfriend, huh?” he asked, raising one flirtatious eyebrow.
“I’ll think about it,” I said with a dismissive shrug before taking a sip of my drink.
“Lyra, I’m being serious.”
I studied his face, his eyes ardent and vulnerable, drank me in, and I felt that familiar pull of Dev that I’d come to crave since that night playing that stupid unicorn game. When I was in his orbit, I was powerless, I was consumed. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.
“Okay, fine,” I said, playing hard to get. “Yes, I do.”
A satisfied smile crossed his lips as he dug into his calzone.
“But first—”
“Aw, shit.” His head fell back as he looked up at the ceiling.
“You need to admit how shitty that felt today…seeing another man talking to me and then knowing we used to date. Admit it.”
“Fine, okay, yeah. It sucked ass, okay? Will you be my girlfriend now?”
“Yeah, yeah, stop begging,” I teased, popping a bite of calzone into my mouth as Dev laughed. The thought of officially being his girlfriend made me a little buzzy. Yes, he drove me crazy. Yes, we bickered and fought, but I was falling for him.
I was falling hard.
That night we had all assembled at Bennet’s at one of their large high-top tables, a television screen facing each of us as we nursed our drinks. The guys were bickering about whether or not the quarterback deserved to be played that night while Maren, Allison, and I talked about Maren’s spring line for her candle shop. She was planning an entire line of spring pie candles in mason jars.
“You’re having key lime, right?”
“Oh for sure. And lemon meringue.”
“Strawberry rhubarb,” Allison suggested.
“Ooh, I need a pen.” Maren dug through her purse, grabbing a pen and a pad of paper.
“Do you always carry that?” Dev asked, tearing his attention away from the game.
“Yep, you never know when an idea might strike.”