Page 2 of The Moment You Know

“I didn’t say you were. I said youlookedlike you were.”

“Well, you know what? You look like you’re going to stop talking to me for a while,” Paige said with full sarcasm, just as the waitress appeared with their drinks.

As soon as her gin and tonic was in front of her, Paige picked it up. As she was taking a drink, there was another burst of laughter to her left and despite the fact that she’d been caught checking out the guy barely a minute ago, she was unable to keep herself from looking again. This time, though, she was extremely careful, turning her head as little as possible and limiting her perusal to only a few seconds. When once wasn’t enough, she kept doing it, all of her focus directed toward looking at the guy while not getting caught by Jules. Paige got so immersed in her surveillance that she decimated her drink without realizing it—she was actually shocked when she went to take a drink and got nothing but ice cubes.

“And you were worried aboutmegetting you trashed?” Jules asked. “Slow down, sister.”

“I’m not getting trashed,” Paige denied, sounding defensive even to her own ears. Then, looking at Jules’s empty glass, she added, “Slow down, yourself. You’re finished with your drink, too, by the way.”

“Only because I’ve been trying to keep up withyou.”Jules signaled the waitress for another round and when that task was done, she leaned forward. “Can I offer you some advice?”

“God, no.”

“For fuck’s sake, just go over and say hello already. While you’re still able to talk. And walk.”

“What do you mean? Say hello to who?”

“To the guy you’re obviously crushing on over at that table, that’s who.”

Paige didn’t say anything as the waitress appeared, set down fresh drinks, then picked up their empty glasses and left.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Paige busied herself with looking down at theAbbey Roadalbum cover on the table in front of her, as if fascinated by it.

“Look, I know you’re pretending not to be checking him out, but let’s face it, Paige, you’re about as subtle as a jackhammer. I’m totally on to you. I’m also on tohim, because he’s checking you out as much as you’re checking him out—”

“Maybe he’s checkingyouout,” Paige argued, looking at her roommate, who drew men like moths to a flame, with her vivid, copper red hair and dark blue eyes.

Jules gave a dismissive shake of her head. “He’s checkingyouout. Trust me.”

“If I remember correctly, the last time I trusted you it didn’t end well for me,” Paige said pointedly before taking a drink. “When you set me up with a freshman.”

“Mistakes happen. And in my defense, he was hot. If he’d been a few years older you’d have been thanking me—and you know it.”

Paige took another drink, neither confirming nor denying Jules’s claim. It was partially true, but Paige wasn’t going to give Jules the satisfaction of knowing it.

“Anyway, back to the guy you can’t stop eye fucking,” Jules went on.

Paige almost spit out her drink. “I’m not eye fucking him!”

“Please.You should see yourself. And he’s just as bad. For crying out loud, I feel like I should light up a cigarette after watching the two of you for the past five minutes.”

Paige knew her roommate had no real reason to blow smoke up her ass, but hot guys like the one over at the table didn’t generally check Paige out, especially not when Jules was around. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but—”

“But you don’t believe me. Which is why I’m going to prove it. And when I do, you have to go and say hello to the guy.”

“Oh, I do?”

“Yes. That’s non-negotiable.”

Paige narrowed her eyes. “And then what?” she asked, figuring there had to be another string attached.

“And then … whatever,” Jules answered, casually shrugging one shoulder.

“Whatever?” Paige mimicked Jules’s one-shoulder shrug, then asked with alcohol-infused bluntness, “Is that code for climbing on the guy’s dick?”

Jules raised her hands toward the heavens. “Praise Jesus, I sincerely hope so. We’re getting close to graduation and you’re not leaving college a virgin. You’renot. I won’t let you.”

“Do I need to remind you again, that it’s not up to you?”

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