Shit. I started the call, pressing my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“What time are your plans with Evan? Maybe we could see each other before or after?” she asked.
Of course, she wouldn’t leave this alone. I had to tell her the truth sooner rather than later. But she’d just sent a bunch of new students my way. She wasn’t making this easy. “We’re uh, watching the ASU game together. We’ll probably meet for dinner and then?—”
“Oh, the game isn’t until the evening. We could grab lunch together instead. How about meeting me around noon at Tempe Marketplace? We could try Barrio Queen. I hear it’s fantastic.”
I tipped my head back as my jaw clenched. Did she think I never needed to study? But maybe it would be an opportunity to tell her I wasn’t interested in her this way. “Okay, that works.” I’d buy her a pleasant lunch and thank her for the referrals. Thenmaybe she’d take it better. “Can I meet you there?” Then there wouldn’t be an uncomfortable ride home.
“Can’t you pick me up?” she asked.
“I…” Think of something… “If you want to hang out longer, we should meet there. Then I can go straight to Evan’s apartment from the shopping plaza. So it might be better, unless you just want to grab a quick lunch.” I ground my molars. I was lying again. Evan wanted to go to a bar in Tempe. What a fucking mess.
“Okay, then I’ll meet you there. That way we can go shopping afterward.” She chuckled and then said, “Are you able to tutor Tex as much with all the new students? Or will he have to find a new tutor?”
My brows swept up. What the hell? “No, I’m still tutoring him. I give priority to the students I’m already working with.”
“Oh…okay. I didn’t know that.” She clicked her tongue. “Anyway, I’ll see you at Barrio Queen at noon on Saturday.”
I lowered my brows. Had she attempted to slow my sessions with Travis? Why though? And what an odd way to do it. I didn’t understand her, not at all. “See you soon, bye.” I ended the call.
The next afternoon,I worked on my thesis before leaving to meet Travis at Postino’s, a wine bar on Mill Avenue. It was the place he’d picked for drinks and dinner, and I’d never been, so I’d agreed.
After parking in the lot, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my board shorts and strolled to the squat brick building. I checked myself in the glass door before I opened it, taking in the tighter green shirt I’d paired with my shorts. I’d tried to look more casual tonight, and Evan always liked this shirt on me. He’d told me it made my eyes look greener than usual. Huffing asnicker, I opened the door. Here I was, trying to look attractive for Travis again.
As I stepped toward the hostess stand, I scanned the bar, filled with comfortable couches and lounge chairs as if it were someone’s living room. The tables featured a rustic yet trendy, modern retro aesthetic that was so popular now.
Travis waved from a couch halfway into the restaurant and beamed at me, his white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest and jeans hugging his thick thighs.
He looked good. Too good. With heat filtering up my neck, I dipped my head and strolled toward him. This place resembled a place you’d take a date. Not a place where two college guys would hang out and shoot the shit. But here I was, with a feeling Travis had planned it all along. Which was reeling me in for more than a friendship.
As I approached his sofa, I raised my hand and waved. “Hi.” This was awkward after the last time I’d seen him.
“Sit.” He patted the cushion next to him. “I wasn’t sure what to order, so I waited for you.” He wrinkled his brows. “Do you like wine?”
I dropped in beside him. “Yes, I like wine.” This was a wine bar, wasn’t it? “But I’m open to anything.”
“I was thinking we’d share a bottle then. My old buddy JJ used to love this place and the wines here.” He picked up the wine menu. “I think it’s time I expand my horizons beyond beer and tequila.” He chuckled.
“Let’s try a Chardonnay. It’s what all the women seem to like.” And my mother, but I didn’t want to bring her up again. I snatched a menu from the table and scanned the listing of bruschetta boards. “We should share some bruschetta.”
“Absolutely.” He set the wine menu down as our server approached us. “I’ll see what she recommends.”
After a brief conversation with the server, Travis chose a California Chardonnay, and the server left.
“How have the last few days been?” He reclined further into the couch and swung his arm across the back, behind me.
Wasn’t this the sort of position that led me into trouble last time? I peeked at his lips and then forced myself to look at the menu. “I’d like to try the one with pesto and maybe the one with artichokes.”
“You like artichokes?” He leaned in closer, his attention drawn to my menu.
His heat shivered across my body, and I swooned for a moment. It was insane how attracted I was to him. I had to control myself. “I…I do. Why? Don’t you?”
Turning his face to mine, he smirked. “Sure, I love artichokes.” As he swept his tongue across his lips, he said, “Get whatever you want. I eat almost anything.”
“Okay.” As my dick perked, I set the menu down and breathed in deeply. Where was the server?
As if on cue, the server arrived with our bottle of wine and poured two glasses for us. She then took our food order and left.