Tessa continued at a mortal’s pace, enjoying the novelty of it. Sean would be awake until dawn, so there was no rush to reach his place.
“Hey!” a voice called behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder.
A lanky, waterlogged fellow waved and started loping toward her. He was at least twenty yards away and didn’t look familiar.
Tessa faced forward and kept moving.
“Hey!” he called again. “You okay?”
She glanced around to see if he was talking to someone else, calling out to a friend or something. But they appeared to be the only two people out and about.
Slowing, she turned to face him. “Me?”
“Yeah!”
Tessa stopped and scrutinized him as he approached.
His hair was cut short on the sides and left long enough in front for sodden strands to fall just below his eyebrows. The darkness, heavy rain, and its saturated state made his hair color difficult to determine. But she thought it was light brown or dark blond. He wore a Duke University T-shirt with a light jacket, jeans, and sneakers that looked brand new.
Water splashed with every step as he caught up to her in a slouchy jog. “Hey,” he repeated, breathing hard. “You okay?”
She eyed him warily. “Yes.” No blood stained his clothing, and he didn’t reek, leading her to believe he wasn’t a vampire. The deluge currently pounding them could’ve cleaned him up though.
“I saw you running and… thought maybe something had happened,” he said between gasps. “That someone had scared you or something.”
“No. I’m fine.”
He squinted up at the rain, then glanced around and motioned for her to follow him off the path to the shelter of a large oak tree. “Oh, man.” Bending forward, he planted his hands on his knees. “I gotta start working out. I am so out of shape.”
As Tessa joined him, she kept her eyes and ears open for any movement in the shadows that would hint he was a vampire and hadn’t come alone.
Though the tree’s canopy was dense, droplets still made their way down through the branches, dwindling to a drizzle by the time she felt them.
Peeling off his jacket, he held it out. “Here. Take this. I don’t have an umbrella, but you can hold this over your head.”
“No, thank you.” When lightning flashed again, she pointed up at the tree. “You know, I don’t think this is the best place to stand during a thunderstorm.”
At first, he didn’t seem to comprehend his mistake. Then his eyes widened. “Oh. Right.” He motioned to a building nearby that had an overhang in front. “Let’s go.”
Tessa followed him to the slim shelter offered by the overhang in front of the building’s entrance.
“Do you live on campus?” he asked. “Would you like me to walk you home?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” She couldn’t seem to get a feel for this guy.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I’m a safe mate.”
She studied him. A safe mate? Was he a predator of the human kind then? One who liked to prey upon women who were out alone at night? “What?” If so, perhaps she would scare the living hell out of him to get him to change his ways.
“I’m a certified safe mate.”
More like a certified nutjob. “Safe mate?”
He grinned. “Not mate, as in lover or partner. Mate, as in friend.”
Tessa tensed when he reached into his back pocket.
Instead of a weapon, he produced his wallet, drew out a business card, and handed it to her. “It’s a thing my girlfriend and some of her friends started. I told them mate was a bad choice, but the only alternative they could think of was escort. And they thought that sounded worse.”
She took the card. SAFE MATES was stamped across it in fancy lettering.
“Anyone who is nervous about walking home alone or walking to their cars alone can call that number, and a volunteer like me will quickly arrive and escort them. The girls vet all of us guys and make sure we aren’t assholes. And it’s a free service.” Again, he smiled. “Although we do take donations. Not in person, online. The back of the card tells you how you can do that, but you really don’t have to pay anything. And anyone can call us, not just girls. There’s a lot of hate going around, so we escort guys, too. Bullying sucks.”
If this was legit, it sounded pretty cool. “Are you armed?” she asked curiously.
“Only with pepper spray.” He shrugged sheepishly. “To be honest, I’m not much of a fighter. But we figured guys would be less likely to mess with girls if they had male escorts. And if some bullies or hater assholes are looking to wail on a guy, we figured we could provide safety in numbers.” He motioned to the sidewalk they’d left. “When I saw you running, I thought maybe someone had scared you or tried to hurt you. That’s just where my mind goes now. Dangerous times, you know?”
Tessa nodded. “Well, thank you for checking on me. But I’m fine.”
“Good to hear. You want me to walk you to your car or dorm or wherever? I’m already out and soaked.”
“No, thank you. I’m meeting someone.”
“You sure you don’t want to use my jacket as an umbrella? You can return it tomorrow to me or my girlfriend. Whichever you’re more comfortable with.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate me showing up with another guy’s jacket.”
He tugged the jacket back on. “No offense, but if your boyfriend would rather you get sick from the rain and cold than cover yourself with another guy’s jacket, then your boyfriend sucks.”
She laughed. “Maybe.” Tessa made a point of looking at her watch. “I have to go.”
When she held out the business card, he waved a hand. “Keep it. Just in case you or a friend might need it. I’m TJ, by the way.”
“Cassie,” she lied. “Have a nice night, TJ.” Stepping out into the rain, she smiled at him. “And steer clear of the trees.”
He laughed. “I will. Stay safe.”
“You, too.”
Tucking the card in her coat pocket, Tessa jogged away.
The clouds above lit up as jagged bolts of lightning carved paths through them. A second later, thunder boomed so loudly it sounded like an explosion. Jumping, she laughed at herself and glanced back.
TJ stood under the overhang, squinting up at the sky. If he thought to wait out the rain, he would be there awhile because the storm seemed to intensify rather than letting up.
He must’ve drawn the same conclusion. Hunching his shoulders, he darted out into the rain and loped away, heading straight across the sidewalk and disappearing behind another building instead of turning right and following her.
Good.
Facing forward, Tessa picked up her pace. Wind whipped her. Big drops pounded her. Her shoes produced greater and greater splashes as they hit the pavement, delighting the child in her.
Exhilaration brought a smile to her dripping face as the pleasure she’d taken in the run before TJ’s interruption returned. Her body remained toasty warm throughout. Even her fingertips were warm, something that continued to amaze her.
A lightning bolt arced down from the sky and pierced the trees in the distance, so bright it nearly blinded her.