New Year's Eve, Freshman Year
“You’re going to love him, Nina.”
I look up, meeting Leanne’s eyes in her bedroom mirror. “I don’t know,” I sigh. “He’s a hockey player. I doubt we’re going to have anything in common.”
She comes up behind me and puts her hands on my shoulders. “Theo’s a very hot hockey player. He’s only a freshman and there’s talk that he’s going to go pro. I know work ethic is one of your turn-ons, and he’s got that in spades. You’re going to love him.”
“So you said,” I respond dryly. “But even if I do, I’m not into long distance.”
She gives me a look. “His university is a half an hour away from ours. I’d hardly call that long distance.”
I sigh again, searching for another excuse but coming up empty.
“Just trust me, will you?” she says, sounding exasperated. “I know these things.”
I bark out a laugh. “You’ve been with Marcus since seventh grade. I think you’re running a little low on experience.”
“Nope, I just know a good match when I see one.” Her phone suddenly goes off and she looks down. “Speaking of Marcus, he and Theo are here.”
“You go on ahead,” I tell her. “I just need to finish my makeup.”
She leaves, and I’m left alone with my pounding heart. I rarely get this nervous, but this blind date is throwing me for a loop. Not for the first time, I wonder why I ever agreed to something like this.
Actually, I do know why.
I remember the moment perfectly. I had just gotten back to our dorm from a very underwhelming date with a guy from my psych class named Graham. Leanne took one look at my face, and for the hundredth time since I met her back in September, she told me I should meet someone else—specifically, her boyfriend Marcus’s best friend, Theo Armstrong. The date with Graham was so bland that I agreed to at least look at a picture. And once I saw Theo, I immediately said yes.
Because Theo is hot.
He’s got a wide, sexy build, a bright smile, and icy blue eyes that seem to look right through you.
Leanne insists we’d be a good match, and I trust her. She and I were assigned as roommates at the beginning of the summer, and by the time the first day of the semester rolled around, we were already best friends. And not only because we’re both ballet dancers. I just kind of fell in love with who she is. She’s the type of person who genuinely has your best interests at heart, and that’s why I’m trusting her with mine and giving Theo a shot.
Tonight, we’re headed to a club a few blocks from Leanne’s house to ring in the New Year. I’m hoping like hell that Theo and I get along, and that sparks fly.
Unable to stall any longer, I grab my purse, then take one last look in the mirror. The red dress I have on almost gives off the illusion that I have curves, and the matching heels give me a few much-needed inches.
I’m heading for the door when my phone pings with a text.
Graham: Thinking of you.
I sigh, and after a moment of debate, type out a simple response.
Nina: J
I don’t necessarily want to reply to my boring date, but blowing someone off without any explanation is just the height of rudeness. And rudeness is one of my major pet peeves.
I walk into the hallway, wishing for a small moment that things went better with Graham. He’s a nice guy, and really handsome too. There was even a small spark between us. It just wasn’t … overwhelming.
But as I arrive at the top of the stairs and get my first look at Theo, overwhelming takes on a whole new meaning.
His picture didn’t do him justice. Not even close.
Gripping the banister, our eyes meet as I descend the stairs. He’s tall, and really, really big. And even though he’s wearing a coat, it’s clear he takes care of his body. I can make out the blue of his eyes from here, and they send a wave of electricity up my spine. I barely take in his smile, and the focused way he’s looking at me, because I can’t look away from those eyes.
I’m suddenly hit with a wave of excitement. This night is going to be amazing. I just know it.
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Leanne loops her arm through mine. She pulls me in front of Theo, and I’m overwhelmed all over again at the sheer size of him.
“Nina, this is Theo Armstrong. Theo, this is my talented and famous friend, Nina.”
“Can you stop introducing me like that?” I gripe, giving her a look before turning to Theo. “Hi, Theo. It’s really nice to meet you.”
He grins. “Likewise. But I think Leanne has a point. Four-point-six million followers on YouTube? Pretty impressive.”
A warm feeling rushes through me. So he’s looked me up. I doubt my ballet tutorial videos are of much interest to him, but it feels good all the same.
I smile back at him. “Speak for yourself. I think two hat tricks in one period is impressive.”
His eyes widen with surprise and delight. “You caught last night’s game?”
“I had a reason to watch,” I reply, shooting him my best flirty smile.
He gives me a flirty look in return, and for a moment, we get lost in each other’s eyes. It isn’t until Marcus clears his throat that we snap out of it. When I look up, Marcus has his arm around Leanne’s shoulder and the two of them are grinning at us.
“Hey, Hot Dog Man,” I say, smiling at Marcus. “Nice tie.”
It’s a conspicuous bright purple, and it matches Leanne’s dress.
“Anything for my lady,” he says, leaning over and planting a kiss on her head. He turns to Theo. “You guys ready to go? If we don’t get there soon, we’ll be in line forever.”
“Ready when you are,” Theo replies, eyes on me.
We all head for the door, and on the sidewalk, I fall into step with Theo. Once Leanne and Marcus are out of earshot, he turns to me, his eyes bright.
“Hot Dog Man?” he asks. “What’s up with that?”
I giggle. “Leanne told me they met in seventh grade in the cafeteria after they both went for the same hot dog. And then when I first met him, he was eating a hot dog. So he practically named himself.”
He laughs. “That’s great. I may have to use that from now on.”
“He’s a good sport about it,” I reply. “Marcus is a really great guy. I’m happy for Leanne.”
Theo stares ahead at the two of them. They’re walking a few feet in front of us, arms locked around each other and heads bent intimately together. “Yeah. It’d be nice to have something like that. Don’t you think?”
His arm brushes mine, and another shiver rolls through me, making me feel like I’m walking on air. “I do.”
Holy crap. This is going well. Unlike other guys our age, he seems to actually be looking for something more than a fling.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he says. “The picture Marcus showed me doesn’t do you justice.”
My cheeks heat at the compliment. “I thought the same thing about you when I saw you tonight.”
Theo turns to face me, looking just as pleased as I feel. “I’d say we’re off to a good start, then.”
“I’d agree with that.”
The air around us thickens, and I can practically feel the chemistry building between us. I’ve never had an instant connection like this, and the whole thing is exhilarating.
“By the way, I don’t normally do this,” he says as we turn the corner. “Go on blind dates, I mean.”
I shake my head. “Me either.”
“And I didn’t agree just because of your looks.”
“Really? Why did you then?”
“I liked seeing that you’re following your dreams,” he replies. “I don’t know anything about ballet, but I recognize someone who works hard. All the stuff you put on your socials must be time consuming. And you do a thorough job too. I noticed how you make it a point to engage with your audience. You’re a natural-born hustler. And there’s nothing sexier than that.”
Be still, my beating heart. Everything that comes out of this guy’s mouth is perfect.
“I feel the same way,” I respond, a little breathless. “And I can tell work ethic is something that we have in common.”
“I can’t wait until we find out what else we have in common,” he says with a smile as we reach the line for the club.
I’m about to reply when a tall, voluptuous woman walks up to stand in front of him.
“Hey, Theo,” she says, scanning him from head to toe. “Long time, no see.”
“What do you want, Val?”
I turn to Theo, surprised. That was a little rude.
Val’s face falls, and she shifts on her feet awkwardly. “Just thought I’d come say hello. I haven’t heard from you since August.”
“There’s probably a reason for that,” he replies, voice blunt. “I’d take the hint if I were you.”
Whoa. A red flag starts waving in my stomach. Despite the fact that she completely ignored my presence, I feel bad for this girl.
“Right,” she says awkwardly, biting her lip. “I guess I’ll just go then.”
She walks away, leaving a boatload of tension in her wake.
I’ve never been one to hide how I feel, so I look up at Theo, brow furrowed. “I think you could have been a little nicer,” I tell him. “You really embarrassed her.”
He shrugs. “Trust me, that’s the only way to deal with a girl like that.”
“A girl like what?”
“You know,” he says. “Desperate.”
His tone of voice irks me, so I turn to him fully. “She’s desperate because she wants answers on why you ghosted her?”
“I didn’t ghost her. We hooked up one night and the next morning she had the wrong idea. I never made her any promises, so she shouldn’t have been surprised when she didn’t hear from me.”
“It’s wrong to blow people off. Especially if she didn’t do anything to you.”
“I didn’t do anything to her, either. If she’s upset, that’s her own fault.”
I snort and shake my head. “Typical.”
His face fills with annoyance. “What’s typical?”
“Is this what happens with every girl you date?”
“We weren’t dating! I just told you that.” His lip curls. “Why am I being interrogated right now?”
“I’m not interrogating you. I’m just trying to figure out what kind of guy you are.”
“I’m a guy who wants to enjoy his New Year’s Eve without being nagged. Is that too much to ask?”
“Wow.” Suddenly cold, I start rubbing my arms. “First date and I’m already a nag.”
“You’re acting like one,” he shoots back, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Now can we just pretend this never happened and move on?”
I nod stiffly, but I have no idea if I can.
We don’t say anything else as we move forward in the line, and the awkwardness seems to be tripling by the second. By the time we meet back up with Leanne and Marcus in the club, there might as well be a sheet of ice between us.
“Uh-oh,” Marcus says, looking at us. “You mess up already, Armstrong?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Theo grits out, whipping off his coat. “She’s all bent out of shape because of some puck bunny.”
“Puck bunny?!” I repeat, my jaw dropping. “That’s disgusting.”
He rolls his eyes and looks at Marcus. “Here we go. I can’t say anything right with this one.”
“So first I’m a nag and now I’m too sensitive?”
He throws his hands up. “Would you just relax?! God, we’re supposed to be having fun. Do you know what that is? Have you ever had it?”
“I bet I’m a lot more fun than you!”
He snorts. “Yeah, I doubt that.”
“I can’t believe how rude you are.”
“I can’t believe how judgy you are. I should’ve known that from your videos.”
“Judgy? You don’t even know me!”
“You didn’t even let me explain about Val before you jumped to conclusions!”
“I don’t need an explanation! It’s completely obvious that you’re kind of a dick, who treats women like garbage.”
He laughs without humor. “Whatever you say, Tinkerbell.”
I gasp. “Don’t you dare call me that.”
“What should I call you then? How about uptight? Or annoying?”
“I know exactly what to call you,” I say, getting in his face. “A giant, gaping asshole—”
“Okay, okay, time out!” Leanne steps in between us and grabs my arm. “Come on, let’s go to the bathroom.”
I let Leanne drag me off because I don’t want to endure one more moment in that idiot’s presence. He really had me fooled. He’s nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and I should count myself lucky I found this out now instead of later.
Once inside the bathroom, Leanne hustles us into a stall, then turns to me with wide eyes.
“What the hell happened? I thought things were going well.”
I quickly give her a rundown of what happened with Val and the ensuing conversation. By the time I’m done, I’m angry all over again.
“How could you think I’d be a good match for that guy?” I ask her. “He’s a jerk at best, and a chauvinistic pig at worst.”
Leanne shakes her head. “He’s not. Trust me. I think he was just nervous. He was really looking forward to tonight. I know you got off on the wrong foot, but Theo is a really good guy.”
I shake my head, unsure of what to think. “It’s too late to start over. Things are already ruined.”
“They don’t have to be.” She grabs both my hands. “Come on, it’s New Year’s. A time for new beginnings. Can you just give him once more chance? He told Marcus he watched all your videos to prepare for tonight. I’m telling you, he was just nervous or something. Don’t give up so easily.”
“He watched all my videos?”
“Yes! Apparently, he was up all night last night.”
Despite that, I should say no. But then I think of the way I felt when I saw Theo. Overwhelmed. Like I was on the verge of something great. There was a natural chemistry between us I never felt before, and that’s the only reason why I nod my head. “Fine. One more chance.”
She squeals and pulls me into a hug. “You won’t regret this. You guys are a good match. I just know it!”
Her enthusiasm makes me smile, and my spirits lift just that little bit. Maybe I can salvage this. Maybe we can all laugh this off and start again.
We exit the bathroom, but then Leanne stops short beside me.
“Shit,” she says, her shoulders sagging.
I look around her and my jaw drops to the floor. Theo is at the bar. There’s a girl on his lap, and they’re making out so hard, they look like they’re about to fall off their stools.
Anger, disgust, and hatred pour through me. I turn to Leanne, my eyes feeling as if they’re on fire.
“I never, ever want to hear the name Theo Armstrong again.”
