Page 7 of Fight for Me
This she could do right, at least.
2
Jake’s stomach rumbledas he reached the front of the line at the Redtail Cafe, one of several outdoor eateries dotting the edge of campus. The late August sun shone down through the trees overhead, painting a mass of hungry students with its dappled light. The cafe wasn’t usually this crowded, but Taco Tuesday was always the exception.
“Three beef tacos, please, and a Dr. Pepper,” he said, leaning over the counter to be sure the cashier could hear him above the chatter of three dozen conversations.
“Coming right up,” the young woman said. She swiped his student card and then handed him a tray laden with food.
Jake took it and turned to scan the patio, hoping to see a familiar face or an empty chair. He found both, right underneath the giant iron clock that hung against the sun-warmed brick.
Lexie Preston.
Hers was a face he couldn’t forget. It wasn’t just the classic way her features came together beneath tousled blonde beachwaves that made him want to reach for his camera. It was the way she always seemed to be tucked inside herself, like the best parts of her were still hidden beneath the surface. Jake wanted to be the one to bring them out, to turn each piece over carefully and examine it until he could sketch the ridges in his sleep.
Just be friends, he repeated to himself as he made his way across the crowded patio toward where she sat alone at a small cafe table. She had a textbook open in front of her, a yellow highlighter poised in one hand, and he second-guessed his plan of attack. What if she resented the interruption?
But another glance around the space confirmed that hers was the only table not already full, so he pressed on. At least he could use that as an excuse if necessary.
“Hi,” he said, coming to a stop opposite her.
She finished the sentence she was reading and glanced up, a look of surprise crossing her face.
“Can I sit here?” he asked with an uncertain smile.
Lexie’s eyes scanned him slowly, as if considering, before she nodded. The chair in front of him slid out as she pushed it with her foot, and he sank into it, reaching up to rub the back of his neck with his free hand. He took a deep breath and went for broke.
“I want to apologize for Friday. I was rude to you, and I’m sorry. It was the noise and the crowd and... just all of it, really. I promise I’m not usually a jerk.” He glanced at her awkwardly, and his chest tightened as he waited for her to say something, anything. Finally, she gave a wry smile.
“I believe in second chances,” she said. “Although, technically this will be your third.”
Jake relaxed, but only slightly.
“The first time wasn’t entirely my fault,” he countered, picking up a taco and shifting it in his hands.
“So, you just want to blame gravity, then?”
Jake winced. “Something like that,” he muttered.
Lexie shrugged and then leaned down to slide her highlighter into her bag. “I’d like to say it happens to the best of us. Although, most people are smart enough not to tip a chair that’s already on wheels.”
Jake chuckled, unable to help himself. At least she had a sense of humor. “I deserve that,” he agreed.
An odd look crossed Lexie’s face, part surprise and part amusement.
“It’s not often I find a guy who can laugh at himself,” she said. “Maybe you won’t be such a pain to work with after all.”
Jake shrugged. “Nowhere to go but up.”
“How does aperson get to be twenty-one having never seenGhostbusters?” Jake asked nearly an hour later, his voice filled with disbelief. His legs were stretched out under the small table, though Lexie noticed he had angled them carefully to avoid touching her.
“Twenty-two,” she corrected, “and I don’t know. I just haven’t.”
“Okay, we have to fix this. Friends don’t let friends live this way,” he insisted, shaking his head.
Lexie studied him in the quiet beat that followed. Olivia wasn’t wrong; Jake Tannerwascute. He gave off a definite cowboy vibe, with broad shoulders under a white T-shirt and dusty boots that peeked out from beneath faded Levi’s. His mop of dark hair matched a beautiful pair of brown eyes, which made Lexie think of melted chocolate on a summer day. She was struck by the notion that a girl could easily sink into them and never find her way out.
She blinked, suddenly finding those eyes trained on her, and Jake cleared his throat awkwardly. He’d obviously caught her staring.
