Page 15 of Fly's Path

Fun. How soon can she introduce them to me and get this over and done with?

Lola steps out, closing the door behind her.

The backpack on her shoulder looks heavier than she is. I slide it off her shoulder and onto mine. “There’s no way this thing is good for your spine.”

“Do you worry about everything?”

“No. I’m usually fairly laid-back.”

“So it’s just me. Good to know.”

Her grin melts my brain, and when she takes my hand in hers…

***

“Oh, this is my favorite coffee shop on campus. It’s even better than the one in the library.”

I open the door and wait for her to step inside, like taking her here wasn’t already the plan. “So, what class do you have this morning?”

“Anatomy and Physiology.”

What? “You’re premed?” No way is this girl supposed to be a doctor. A romance author, maybe. Or a model. A lit major.

“Yeah. I’m going to be a pediatrician.”

Working with kids…“I can see that.”

“Oh, can you?” She nudges me with her shoulder.

“Yeah.” I can see you surrounded by half a dozen little girls in cute puffy dresses with your sparkling eyes…And now I’ve completely lost my mind.

“What are you studying?”

“Your eyes.”

“No, seriously, what are you studying?”

Your eyes are the only thing I can think of. The cover story completely evaporated from my mind. “Why don’t you guess? I’ll tell you if you’re right.” Hopefully, I’ll remember by then. Or you’ll be in class and distracted.

She lifts my hand, which is wrapped around hers. “These aren’t the hands of a surgeon.”

“There’s no way I’m cutting people open.” Unless they’re selling drugs to kids…I can make an exception for that.

“Your eyes are always moving around…you see everything.”

“Situational awareness is a good thing.” Someone should teach you some.

“Yeah, but the way you do it is different. Methodical.”

That’s because Fly beat it into our brains before he’d let us out here on our own. “That doesn’t sound like a guess.”

“Don’t rush me. I’m figuring you out.”

“That’s going to take more than a walk to class to do.” Why did I say that?

Because you want more time with her.

“We have time…you’re going to take me to lunch after class, aren’t you?”