“Hey,” Beth prodded. Her giggling had tapered off. “What’s wrong? You’ll see him again, I’m sure of it. You should have seen the way he looked at you when you were dancing together.”
I couldn’t help but notice Ryan frown at Beth’s words.
My attention was drawn to the passing lights outside my window. Seeing him again was exactly what I wanted, but my sense of self-preservation cried foul. The entire situation was one big red flag, but did I believe Jared was dangerous?
Something about Jared’s eyes assured me that in the short time I’d known him, he was safe. Every piece of me that had been guided by my father to be reasonable and wary was screaming run, but I knew I would intentionally try to cross paths with him at the earliest moment fate allowed. The moment of sadness in his eyes before he left me played out over and over in my head. I had to see him again.
The next study group session, Ryan collapsed in the chair beside me. He teetered his pencil between his fingers while I went over my notes.
“Nina?” Ryan whispered.
“Yes?”
“Who was that guy the other night?”
I feigned a confused expression. “What guy?”
He smirked at me. “You know who I’m talking about. That Jared guy. Are you dating him?”
I shrugged. “No, not really.”
“What does that mean?”
I kept my eyes on my paper. “I’ve gone to lunch with him once, he’s given me a ride home a few times, and I’ve see him around town…,” I was purposefully vague. I didn’t know where the conversation was headed.
“So what was that, at the pub? Why did he show up with his sister to tell you he wasn’t there with her?”
“I haven’t talked to him to get that figured out, yet.”
“But you’re going to talk to him?” His voice was growing impatient with my answers.
“I don’t know, Ryan. Why?” I said, unable to conceal my irritation with his line of questioning.
Ryan squirmed in his seat and then turned to face me. “I wanted to ask you…if…you know… if you wanted to grab dinner sometime.”
“Oh,” I rubbed my forehead, “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.”
Ryan nodded indifferently. “I just thought I’d ask. I didn’t know if you and that guy were….”
“It’s not about Jared,” I lied.
“Do you think he came there to check up on you?”
I contemplated that for a moment. “I don’t know, maybe. I’ve been running into him a lot, lately.”
“That’s pretty creepy.”
“I like to think of it as fate stepping in,” I mused.
Ryan’s face twisted to petulance. “Sounds like stalking to me.”
“You should talk, trying to fight over a girl you barely know.”
“He had his hands on you,” he grumbled.
“Thank you,” I smiled, nudging him.
“You’re welcome. You know that guy’s got to be bad news, right?”
“I don’t believe that.” Ryan scowled at my words, but I shrugged off his skepticism. “I can’t explain it. There’s something in his eyes.”
Ryan shook his head in disapproval. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. His little sister is insane.”
“I’m with you on that one.”
We both laughed and then Ryan shrugged. “Maybe once you get things all sorted out with your stalker, you’ll reconsider.”
“He’s not a stalker.”
“MmmHmm,” he said, trying to appear interested in his algebra book.
Beth began gathering her plethora of organizational aides and Kim stood up and stretched. The rest of the group disbanded as Kim, Beth, Ryan and I walked out of the library together.
“I’m starving,” Kim said.
“I could eat,” Beth chimed in.
Ryan turned to me. “Is an after study snack out of the question?”
They all eyed me expectantly. “Let’s eat,” I shrugged.
Ryan and Kim went over possible plans for the weekend over pancakes and hash browns while Beth and I discussed our intentions to attend the basketball game. Even with the ever-growing puzzle that was Jared, life was a shade of ordinary again. I felt the unease I’d been feeling for weeks slowly dissipate into the greasy air.
While walking out to the car I noticed a short, squat man walking parallel to us. Ryan veered to the outside of our group, positioning himself between us and the stranger. The man arrived at Kim’s Sentra the same moment that we did.
“Are you Nina Grey?” The man asked me in a hoarse voice. I felt my body tense.
“What do you need?” Ryan asked, stepping forward.
The man noted Ryan’s presence but spoke only to me. “I was an associate of your father’s. My name is Charles Dawson. It’s important that I speak with you.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, the mention of my father created a stabbing sensation in my stomach.
“I would like to speak with you alone, if you don’t mind,” he said, his squinty eyes shifting from each of my friends and then back to me.
“Nina, do you know this guy?” Ryan asked, jerking his thumb at Mr. Dawson.