high curly ponytail, like Pebbles from
The Flintstones
.
“No, Nick isn’t here yet,” Lexi said. “Why didn’t he drive over with you, Kate?”
“I don’t know what happened to him. I knocked on his door before I left, and he wasn’t there. His car wasn’t in its usual spot either,” I reported.
“I didn’t see him at the library this morning,” Addison said.
“I think he hooked up last night,” Jen said. “When we were at the Maple Leaf, Nick spent the entire time playing pool with some chick. I think she was a med student. A med student with breast implants.”
“Mmmm, breast implants,” Addison said dreamily.
“Should we start without him?” Dana asked, ignoring our gossip.
Lexi looked at her, eyebrows arched. “Were you at church or something before you came here?”
Dana’s face colored. She was wearing a navy blue short-sleeve sweater over a long blue-and-yellow-floral skirt, while the rest of us were wearing jeans or shorts. I hadn’t even bothered brushing my hair that morning and instead just put on a black baseball hat.
“I was at the library,” Dana said defensively. “I like to wear real clothes when I study. It helps keep me focused.”
“What did I miss?” Nick asked, appearing beside the table. He looked like he hadn’t slept or showered—or even changed his clothes from the night before. Sporting a day’s worth of stubble and smelling strongly of smoke, he collapsed into the chair next to me.
I wrinkled my nose. “No offense, Nick, but you smell like a bar. And not in a good way.”
“Coffee…I need coffee,” he croaked.
“Kate tells us you didn’t make it home last night,” Jen said, winking at me.
“Keeping tabs on me?” Nick asked irritably.
“Don’t be so cranky. I just stopped by your apartment before I came over, and you weren’t there,” I explained.
“So…let’s have it?” Lexi asked, tipping her head coyly to one side.
Nick shook his head. “A gentleman does not kiss and tell,” he said piously. “Unless someone wants to buy my virtue with a cup of coffee.”
“I’ll go,” Addison said. “Anyone else want anything? Dana?”
“Just a glass of water, please,” Dana said. “I try to stay away from caffeine; it makes me jittery.”
Lexi pulled a face, which irked me. Dana was a little different, if for no other reason than she was younger than us, but that was no reason to be unkind to her. And to Jen’s credit, she ignored Lexi’s eye roll, and said, “Smart girl, Dana. Caffeine is poison.”
“You don’t want anything, Jen?” Addison asked.
“A large cappuccino, please,” Jen said, handing him a five-dollar bill. She shrugged. “What can I say, I’m addicted.”
Lexi and I both shook our heads when Addison looked at us questioningly, and he went off to stand in line.
“So, spill it, Nick,” Jen ordered.
“Not until I’ve had my coffee.”
“At least tell us this: Did you spend the night at the med student’s place?” Lexi asked.
Nick looked sheepish.
Jen hooted with laughter. “I knew it! I would never have guessed you were such a player.”
Nick looked affronted. “I am not a player. She forced me back to her apartment, where eventually I passed out. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know where the hell I was. But here’s the really scary part—this chick is obsessed with Justin Timberlake. She had posters of him up all over her room. Do you have any idea how scary it is to wake up to Justin Timberlake’s face staring down at you?” Nick shuddered. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get over it.”
“Are you going to see her again?” Lexi asked.
“God, no,” Nick said. “Hopefully never again. Didn’t you hear what I said? Justin Timberlake?”
“But that’s so…” I trailed off, grasping for the right adjective.
“Piggish,” Lexi finished for me.
Jen nodded in agreement. “Disgusting,” she said.
Nick looked hurt. “I am not piggish. And besides, how do you know
The Flintstones
.
“No, Nick isn’t here yet,” Lexi said. “Why didn’t he drive over with you, Kate?”
“I don’t know what happened to him. I knocked on his door before I left, and he wasn’t there. His car wasn’t in its usual spot either,” I reported.
“I didn’t see him at the library this morning,” Addison said.
“I think he hooked up last night,” Jen said. “When we were at the Maple Leaf, Nick spent the entire time playing pool with some chick. I think she was a med student. A med student with breast implants.”
“Mmmm, breast implants,” Addison said dreamily.
“Should we start without him?” Dana asked, ignoring our gossip.
Lexi looked at her, eyebrows arched. “Were you at church or something before you came here?”
Dana’s face colored. She was wearing a navy blue short-sleeve sweater over a long blue-and-yellow-floral skirt, while the rest of us were wearing jeans or shorts. I hadn’t even bothered brushing my hair that morning and instead just put on a black baseball hat.
“I was at the library,” Dana said defensively. “I like to wear real clothes when I study. It helps keep me focused.”
“What did I miss?” Nick asked, appearing beside the table. He looked like he hadn’t slept or showered—or even changed his clothes from the night before. Sporting a day’s worth of stubble and smelling strongly of smoke, he collapsed into the chair next to me.
I wrinkled my nose. “No offense, Nick, but you smell like a bar. And not in a good way.”
“Coffee…I need coffee,” he croaked.
“Kate tells us you didn’t make it home last night,” Jen said, winking at me.
“Keeping tabs on me?” Nick asked irritably.
“Don’t be so cranky. I just stopped by your apartment before I came over, and you weren’t there,” I explained.
“So…let’s have it?” Lexi asked, tipping her head coyly to one side.
Nick shook his head. “A gentleman does not kiss and tell,” he said piously. “Unless someone wants to buy my virtue with a cup of coffee.”
“I’ll go,” Addison said. “Anyone else want anything? Dana?”
“Just a glass of water, please,” Dana said. “I try to stay away from caffeine; it makes me jittery.”
Lexi pulled a face, which irked me. Dana was a little different, if for no other reason than she was younger than us, but that was no reason to be unkind to her. And to Jen’s credit, she ignored Lexi’s eye roll, and said, “Smart girl, Dana. Caffeine is poison.”
“You don’t want anything, Jen?” Addison asked.
“A large cappuccino, please,” Jen said, handing him a five-dollar bill. She shrugged. “What can I say, I’m addicted.”
Lexi and I both shook our heads when Addison looked at us questioningly, and he went off to stand in line.
“So, spill it, Nick,” Jen ordered.
“Not until I’ve had my coffee.”
“At least tell us this: Did you spend the night at the med student’s place?” Lexi asked.
Nick looked sheepish.
Jen hooted with laughter. “I knew it! I would never have guessed you were such a player.”
Nick looked affronted. “I am not a player. She forced me back to her apartment, where eventually I passed out. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know where the hell I was. But here’s the really scary part—this chick is obsessed with Justin Timberlake. She had posters of him up all over her room. Do you have any idea how scary it is to wake up to Justin Timberlake’s face staring down at you?” Nick shuddered. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get over it.”
“Are you going to see her again?” Lexi asked.
“God, no,” Nick said. “Hopefully never again. Didn’t you hear what I said? Justin Timberlake?”
“But that’s so…” I trailed off, grasping for the right adjective.
“Piggish,” Lexi finished for me.
Jen nodded in agreement. “Disgusting,” she said.
Nick looked hurt. “I am not piggish. And besides, how do you know
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