“Don’t play the innocent card with me. If you weren’t worried that your fiancé might ditch you for me, you wouldn’t have said a word.”
I laughed. It was suddenly so obvious that I shouldn’t have worried for a second where this girl was concerned. She was about as mature as a middle schooler. Although…
“I didn’t say anything to anyone regarding you, with the exception of a conversation I had with my fiancé,” I told her. “I told him, and I’ll tell you — I wasn’t worried so much about his behavior as I was yours. I wouldn’t put past you to roofie someone to get what you want.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Wow. Just wow. I find it so hard to believe that a man like him would be interested in a girl like you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Look, I’m busy. Did you want to buy anything or were you just leaving?”
With one final, venomous look, she flounced out.
From behind me, I heard light applause and turned to see Maggie clapping softly. “Well done, you. It looked like she needed that.”
“Much more than I did; that’s for sure.”
I returned to work, head spinning. What had happened? Had Hayes spoken to Dean Hansen? What did this mean?
December 24│Birdie
TOMORROW WAS CHRISTMAS DAY. Despite Serena’s dramatic appearance at the shop, I hadn’t heard from Hayes. I couldn’t figure it out. Did her announcement not mean what I thought it did? Had he just given up on me? Remi’s words echoed in my head: it’s time for you to choose him, for once.
Today was no easier than the first day I’d left. I still thought of him — my Big — way too many times in the span of one hour to the next. What was he doing? First term had ended, and there were no classes being held at the moment. Was he still working with his ball players? Chopping wood?
I needed to make a stop by the house to pick up some supplies for my signs. Maggie was running low on stock and she said they were big sellers during the post-holiday sale she ran every year. I didn’t know where Hayes was, though, or what he was doing, and I didn’t want to see him.
I couldn’t.
It hurt too much.
My phone rang, cutting off my rambling thoughts. “Hello?”
“Is this Birdie Grant?”
I didn’t recognize the voice. “Yes?”
“I’m calling about the lost fiancé. I wanted to report that I saw him on Baker.”
“What?”
“Baker Street? On UT’s campus? It’s near the math —”
“No, not that. What do you mean, lost fiancé?”
“Uh. There’s signs up everywhere. ‘Lost Fiancé. If seen, please notify Birdie Grant.’” There was a long pause, during which I sat down — hard — on Remi’s couch. “Anyway, I gotta go. I did my part.”
The line disconnected.
It was Hayes. It had to be. But what the hell was he doing?
My phone vibrated and I glanced down at the screen to see that I had eleven text messages. Hand shaking, I opened them to read.
Unknown: lost fiancé on Baker
Unknown: now he’s at 4th
Unknown: This is so cute! Just saw your lost fiancé going into math building
Unknown: spotted at Smokey’s
Unknown: annnnd he’s gone
Unknown: who is this? Are you hot? Male or female?
Unknown: can I have your lost fiancé? He’s hawt
Unknown: Lost Fiance spotting at Smokey’s earlier. Sorry, saw sign after
Unknown: he’s in admin
Unknown: how do you lose a fiancé? This is so dumb
Unknown: admin building
“What’s going on?” Remi asked. She’d come back to pick up something she’d forgotten, she said, and to bug me about coming to her parents’ house an hour away again. I couldn’t do it. I wanted…no, needed…to wallow.
I tossed my phone to her. “A variation on Lost Girlfriend, apparently.” I tucked my feet beneath me on the couch and picked up the remote.
“Birdie, what are you doing?”
“I am sitting. Clearly.”
“No. Just, no.” My shoes were sitting by the door. She picked them up and shoved them into my chest. “Get up off your butt, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.” She tugged my hand, pulling me to my feet, and pushed me gently toward the door.
“Wait! Just…wait.” I rubbed my temple and tried to think. How were all of these people even on campus to begin with? It was Christmas Eve. Students should be home with their families by now. Campus should be dead.
I texted Hayes.
Me: WTF is going on? Who are all of these people calling and texting me?
Hayes: please come to campus
Me: you need to tell me what is going on
Hayes: can’t do that Mini
“Come on, chica.” I looked up to find Remi beside me, keys in hand.
Me: fine but I’m not happy about this
The administration offices were housed in a red-brick building in the center of campus. The parking lot in front of it was empty. Remi pulled into a spot and we emerged. I walked up to the huge white wooden door and opened it. The antechamber that we found ourselves in was empty.
“Now what?” I glanced around hoping for a clue, but saw nothing to give me any hint to Hayes’s presence.
Remi walked to the elevator. “Let’s try this,” she said. Following her on, I slanted her a suspicious glance.
“Why do I get the feeling that you know something?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She studied the buttons. “Which one, do you think?”
“Why don’t you choose?” I said dryly.
With a shrug she pressed three and the elevator started to move.
At the third floor, the doors opened into what looked like the foyer for a well-appointed office. I stepped out and glanced side to side. It was dim and quiet, and I saw no one about. The inner offices looked to be locked up for the holidays, the windowed doors leading into them black and blank. Turning back to the elevator, I started to tell Remi that we needed to make another selection. She waggled her fingers at me as the metal doors slid shut between us.
“Unbelievable.” I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest. “Now what?”
“Now we talk.” Hayes’s voice broke into my irritation and I found him standing at the entrance to a short hallway to the left.
I ignored the painful thud of my heart and straightened to my full five foot two. “Why here?”
He leaned against the frame of the hall and gestured to one of the visitor chairs. “It was the only way I could get you listen. Please sit.”
“I prefer to stand.”
He gave a sigh of exasperation and walked further into the room to seat himself on a sofa. “I owe you an apology, Birdie, and an explanation.”
“I do not want or need either.” I struggled to maintain a distant attitude. It was fine.