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I said as he shut
the door.
    Snooping through his glove
compartment seemed far more appealing than standing in line, so I
waited for him to enter, and then opened the latch.
    Insurance card, vehicle
manual, old receipts… was I looking through my mom’s glove
compartment? Where was the dirt—the info that could shine light on
this illusive creature?
    Closing the rectangle
door, I looked up just in time to see him strolling toward
me.
    Did he see me
snooping?
    His expression didn’t give
anything away as he opened the door and got in.
    “ When are we going to
finish our assignment?” I blurted as he turned the
ignition.
    A smile curved his lips.
“Why are you so anxious to get away from me?”
    I laughed, keeping my gaze
fixed on the windshield. “I’m always anxious to get away from
you.”
    “ I wonder why.”
    Did he expect an
answer?
    “ I’m not blind, Jade.” Our
gaze met when he reached a stop sign. “You’re trying to fight your
feelings for me, but running won’t make it any better.”
    He was probably right, but
I couldn’t think of a response. The sight of Java Mama’s filled me
with hope. The sooner we completed the project, the sooner Troy
would be out of my hair.
    Waiting for him to shift
into park, I thought about how stuffy the air felt. It almost
crackled with energy and longing, most of it definitely his. I
threw open my door, anxious to feel a cool breeze against my
skin.
    “ Looks like you could use
some caffeine.”
    My need for coffee quickly
overtook my nerves. “I could always use some of that,” I said as he
collected our bags. Slinging the straps onto his shoulder, he
caressed my arm before taking my hand. When he opened the door, and
I automatically headed to the right until he caught me, gently
squeezing my fingers as he pulled me to the left.
    “ Where are we going?” I
asked as he pulled me behind the dark brown curtain.
    A handful of people talked
and read on clusters of tan couches and chairs. He guided me to an
area in the corner, but I shook my head, refusing to sit
down.
    He laughed. “Come on, this
way we can finish our work.”
    “ Fine.” I sank into a
chair, instantly impressed by how comfortable it was. He sat on the
loveseat and put our notebooks on the table. I reached for mine,
but my chair was too far away.
    Oh, why fight
it?
    I sat next to him,
irritated by the contentment that spread through me.
    Don’t get too
attached.
    I gave myself a mental
shake and wondered when I’d been bitten by the love bug. A server
came over as soon as we opened our notebooks. I requested a Caramel
Macchiato and blueberry muffin, while he got a Cappuccino and a
blueberry scone.
    The girl repeated our
orders, doing her best to get Troy’s attention, but he seemed
clueless to her interest.
    Was he tired of flirty
girls or was she not his type? What was his type?
    He put his arm around my
shoulders. “I love to see you smile.”
    “ Thank you.” I pushed him
away when he tried to kiss me. “Stop trying to distract
me.”
    It didn’t take long for
the girl to come back with our order, and after a few bites and
sips of coffee we got down to business.
    Ninety minutes later,
because he dragged it out as long as it could possibly take, we
were finally done.
    He paid, included a nice
tip, and held the door for me as we left.
    “ Why do you do
that?”
    He put our stuff in the
backseat before wrapping his arms around my back. “You deserve to
have the door held open for you. It’s just good manners.” His lips
moved to my ear whispering, “Plus, I get to look at your
derriere.”
    I tried not to watch him
as he walked to his side, but I couldn’t help it. I liked to look
at his backside too. His laughter was deep and rich as he got in
the driver’s seat. I could listen to that sound forever, I thought
as I stared out the window.
    Troy was gorgeous and
thoughtful, and everything I’d dreamed of—minus the arrogance, but
everyone was flawed. It was part of being human, but