Chapter 5
5
“ C ’mon sleepyhead,” a beautiful voice calls to me in my dream. It’s British. And warm. Like caramel wrapped in flannel.
“Mmmm,” I respond with a smile as a strong arm wraps around my shoulders. In my dream the strong arm belongs to a man that smells like library books and pub chips. I murmur something, and run my hand up his arm.
“Oh my God, look at her. Looks like a good dream. Get it, girl.”
That voice doesn’t belong in my dream. I jolt, forcing one eye open.
Dominic leans around my shoulders, reaching to shut my laptop. My right arm has slipped up his chest and my fingers twine in his collar as if I’m about to pull his mouth down to mine for a kiss. Shit. I’ve fallen asleep studying. And it’s not even that late. I’m still jet lagged, and reading about the political history of Britain hits like a lullaby.
I groan, dropping my hand from his collar and rub my head. I have a sore circle on my forehead from where it rested on the desk. Around us, the library is dark, lit only by the little lamps on the wooden desk tops. The sky outside the windows is dusky. Last thing I remember, the little one-room library had been full of students. The opposite is true now.
“Did you know you have a bed that you can sleep in ?” Li asks, clearly delighted. “With anyone you choose, even.”
Dominic closes my laptop and hands it to me without drawing away. “You’re hardly the first to fall asleep here.” His accent is delectable . My body hums when he says the word “sleep”, as if it’s an invitation. I swear, Helena 2.0 is just raring to lose the V-card to a man with an accent. Dominic isn’t the worst option a girl could have.
“We came to take you shopping.” Li glances between us, suspicion in her eyes. I’m not sure, but I might be getting the British version of get a room any moment now.
“Shopping?” I ask, and Dominic steps back while I gather my stuff. I don’t have a lot of budget for shopping but it sure sounds like a fun spectator sport.
“I know you need your robe before our first formal dinner, and Dom volunteered to keep us company.” Li eyes Dominic with suspicion. My heart lurches a little. Maybe he is showing me more interest than any of the other neighbors in the past, and I can’t say I’m upset if that’s the case.
I could do far far worse. My eyes rove his chest, hidden beneath another beautiful wool coat. He has a cabby hat pulled down over his eyes, and truthfully if I wasn’t holding a piece of technology, I’d swear I’d gone back in time. He looks epically, timelessly, yummy.
And he’s smart .
“Earth to Helena?” Li looks like she’s about to lose her temper at us.
“Um, sorry. I’m still trying to wake up.” I wipe my hand across my face, hoping I don’t find any dried drool and try to straighten my hair. I definitely have a crease from my textbook on my cheek. Fantastic.
Good thing Dominic seems to find Library Sleeping Beauty compelling.
I consider my budget versus my want to do anything— anything —not in a library. I’ve been burning the candle at all ends for the past week…classes have started and they are hard . Unlike high school, most of the work is done outside of class and we focus on expanding our mastery of the topics in class. I’ve never stayed up late reading more in my life. And on top of that I’m waiting for some sign about the first test of All Saints. What little time I do spend in my bed is spent worrying about if I’ll pass the test, or be forced to go home in the middle of the night like my predecessors.
That, or I worry that I’ll be abducted a la American Sorority Hazing…forced out into Oxford’s chilly stone streets in nothing but my pajamas. I slept with makeup on for four nights, and have yet to put in my bite guard for fear of public humiliation. But nothing so far. Absolute silence.
As careful as I should be with my money…my mind wanders back to the secret room. Everyone there was so impeccably dressed. As carefully as I’d chosen my capsule wardrobe and thought that I’d enjoy pioneering a new bold look as Helena 2.0… I realize how much better I love the classic vibe here. People rarely wear jeans. A lot of khaki, tweed, skirts and dresses with tights, lots of lovely ethnic clothing from the myriad of cultures that Oxford attracts. My clothing feels ultra-American, and I don’t love it. If I’m going to be attending formal functions, I’m going to need to step up my game. Dress for the job you want, and all that.
An evening of shopping with my friends sounds perfect. Maybe my parent’s emergency credit card can stand a little exercise, in the name of school and scholarship-related purchases. “Let’s do it,” I agree.
We hit several shops, and I pick up my quasi Harry Potter robes at a store on High Street. Next, we stop in a store and pick up incense and new pens for Li while Dominic loiters outside. Note to self: he hates aromatic scents.
Finally, we stop in a store where I know I’ve found my own personal paradise. Shelves and shelves of lovely sweaters and pencil skirts line the walls. It’s giving Dark Academia, complete with leather lace-up Oxford heels and dresses with buttons down the back. Li suggests the consignment section in the back as she and Dominic decide on a dinner destination.
The shop closes soon, so I don’t waste a minute. First thing, I grab a beautiful camel colored herringbone dress, along with several skirts and a pair of tweed trousers. The sweaters prove too temping, and I pile them on, in both teal and plum. On my way to the register, I stop and admire a long coat.
Jade green wool stands out against the muted colors in the shop in the most stunning way. Helena 1.0 wouldn’t even consider this coat. Helena 2.0 loves the bold green color. It’s a perfect intersection of classic vibes and striking uniqueness. I run my fingers down the length and sigh. I’m not buying it, and I don’t want to delay our dinner.
“It’s a lovely piece,” the girl at the register says, ringing up my other purchases.
“It is,” I agree.
“Just these, then?” She asks.
I nod, and watch as her eyes slide from where she’s packaging my clothes into pretty brown paper bags, to Dominic. “Is he with you?”
She’s watching Dom and Li regard something in the window. Li laughs and holds it up.
“Friends of mine,” I say. And I feel a warm glow that only partially has to do with Dominic’s dark hair and handsome face. It’s Li too. They are my friends. They care enough to wake me from my study coma and bring me out for the night.
“Is he…?” I do not love the gleam in this girl’s eyes.
“Gay? I ask without batting an eyelash. “Yep. Have a delightful night!”
The spark diminishes in her eyes, and I turn, feeling only one small pang of guilt before joining my friends.
“Where to?” I ask, shoving as much of the clothing as I can into my backpack.
“Noodles,” Li says at the same time Dominic says, “Tuck Shop.”
I laugh as we step out onto the street. The girl at the counter follows us and flips the sign, still eyeing Dominic.
Dom’s gaze darts between us and the girl. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll be right back. I think I left something inside.”
My perverse elation dies.
Li rolls her eyes so hard, I feel like they might fall out. “Are you taking an extrovert supplement all of a sudden?” She doesn’t wait for a reply. “At least this way I win. Noodles it is. When you’re done getting her number, come find us.”
With a swish of her long dark hair, she ushers me back out onto the street. It’s lit now by the street lamps and shops close all around us. Li sweeps us through a side street to what I gather is her favorite noodle shop. Scents of garlic and soy hit my nose as we push through the steamed-up door and I realize how hungry I am.
“Do you eat noodles for every meal, or just most of them,” I ask, feeling comfortable enough to tease her.
“English food is crap,” she answers. “You’ll figure that out soon enough.” She orders for me and we sit in a little table near the window.
“So how are classes?” She asks as she settles the condiments on the table and stows our bags into the spare chair.
“Hard,” I say with a sigh. I rub my eyes. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”
She quirks an eyebrow. “Scholarship stuff? Any indication you’ll vanish in the night yet?”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I say. But her mention about the timing, and what I understand now about the structure of the tests…it makes sense. My stomach fills with a sense of foreboding. “Sorry to disappoint. Just normal classwork stuff. I feel like I couldn’t philosophize myself out of a paper bag tonight if I wanted to.”
“Plus having moved halfway across the world,” she points out, emphasizing her point with chopsticks as our bowls of noodles arrive.
“And that,” I agree. The bowl looks delicious. I dig in hesitantly, wanting to wait for Dominic, though Li already has a mouthful.
Behind her, the door swings open and Dominic walks in. I school my features, looking for any sign that he and the girl had a very quick tryst but find none.
“Did you find it?” Li asks as he slides into the seat across from us and puts his bag on top of ours.
“Find what?” Dominic asks, staring at the menu board. He glances at Li and I swear his cheeks pink. “Oh! The thing I lost. Oh um, yeah. Yeah I did.”
“Yeah you did ,” Li says on a laugh. “Dominic, you lady killer.”
“I did not go back in for that ,” Dominic says, and he stands to go order. But he turns up his collar, I assume to hide a blush.
“I don’t know what is with him,” Li says as she watches Dominic stand in line. “He’s not usually the type to give a girl his number. Especially without talking first. He’s so shy.”
My stomach sinks. “First time for everything, I guess?”
“Indeed,” she agrees and we both ponder Dominic’s back.
Dominic is downright chatty on our walk home. He asks me what I like about my classes, what I want to do with my life. Then he asks Li about the very attractive English professor she’s secretly pining over.
She latches onto the subject. “My Econ class is giving a party this weekend after that charity gala, and I think he’ll show up. I would invite you to come and be my wingman, except you’re too pretty. It would be a pity to find out he likes guys.”
“At least then you’d know,” Dominic responds drily.
“I guess. Fine, you both should come. But who is to say you won’t be swayed by his handsomeness and take him from me?”
“That is the second time tonight someone has insinuated I’m gay,” Dominic says as we round the corner.
I cough.
“It’s because you’re so considerate,” Li says as we round the corner to my door. “Alright, goodnight, fair Helena. Plan on coming to the gala with us and the party afterwards.”
“Okay,” I say, holding out my fob. “Goodnight guys.”
They troop off around the corner of the building, heading for the door to the stairs.
My door unlocks and I flick on my light. My stomach drops as I walk into my room. There on my desk is another black card. And when I turn around to shut my door?
A huge black figure lurks in my doorway, waiting.