Page 69 of Don't Be in Love

“The American that had a boat?” Lottie asked.

“And a missing a tooth?” Jane shivered.

Dotty nodded. “Besides the point. I met him in a pub one night years ago. We were having his great conversation about a band we both saw in the nineties. He was so handsome. Smelled like popcorn and scotch. Then the fire alarm went off and everyone funneled out into the street, and I lost him. Thought about him for weeks after. Never thought about a fella so much before. Don’t you think I see him at the corner shop down the street a month later? He put away everything in his hands and took me out on a date. Never cared about him since.”

“What are you getting at, Dotty?” Evelyn asked.

“Shouldn’t have asked,” Iris shook her head.

Dotty looked at me. “It sounds like he’s still in your system. You know what they say about that?”

“Ah yes. You need to start a new hobby,” Cora nodded.

“How did you even end up in this group?” A sock landed on Cora’s head.

Nine days into November. Every window in the university had no choice but to welcome the autumnal colors. We were surrounded by acres of land that longed to be let in. The tips of trees surrounding the property were kissed by the sun, granted orange and yellow colors. The colors bounced off the walls in the university.

The leather of my loafers skimmed the carpet as I walked into the library Monday morning before Sylvie’s class. With midterms over, it was empty. Even the librarians’ eyes were half closed when I walked in.

But hiding in here gave me an excuse to 1) avoid possibly bumping into Dorian before our class, and 2) finally having the chance to get some test shots of these watches for the content calendar.

Dropping my textbooks on the table in the furthest corner, I unlatched the clasp and set it over the leather of my bag, positioning my camera. A little to the left. A little to the right. Capture the hardwood in the back. Right there should be—

“Can you believe he’s with her again?” a girl asked.

My phone immediately hit my bag. I rushed to pick it up, as if it would erase the noise.

I turned but didn’t see anyone. Completely empty.

“It’s so boring. We practically have a Kennedy on campus and he’s not even single,” another girl spoke up.

My heart thumped.Dorian.

Their voices were coming from straight ahead. Like they were speaking to me.

The studying nooks.

The nooks were hidden behind the wooden panels to the right in the wall. I put my phone down and inched forward towards the first nook.

The door was wide open. No one inside. Just extra books stacked high, filling the single bench and legroom.

“About that …” a different girl commented, and it wasclose. Hair-raisingly close. It pushed my heart into my throat.

Logically, I jumped into the empty nook, closing the door slowly to ease the squeak, and hid. I didn’t even have to push my ear to the wall to hear them. They were in the spot beside mine.

A pause passed. No one spoke.Did they hear me?I leaned my head against the wall.

Suddenly, there was a shadow under the door. Two shoes.

Shit, shit, shit. No hidden doors to escape out of, no corners to crouch in, no air ducts to jump in.

I had nowhere to hide, but the knob turned anyway.

24

Don’t Stand Too Close to Her — Dorian

Why was she standing against the wall like that?