41. Chapter 41
Ihad spent almost two hours getting ready for the stupid date, and there I was in the parking lot using a napkin to wipe off some eyeshadow. I was going for the whole “I don’t care what I look like” look, which actually takes a lot of time. And then, sitting under a light in the parking lot of the bar, I decided I had on too much makeup to appear as if I didn’t care.
I was nervous because I had seen this guy on campus, hauling lumber, climbing scaffolding, or doing other hot-as-hell manual labor. I had been looking out over the courtyard one day during my psych class when I saw him again. He pulled a board off a pile from a nearby truck and hoisted it over his shoulder as he carried it over to a table saw. He pulled a pencil from behind his ear and made a mark on the board, then put it between his teeth before depressing the blade.
Even with the distance between us, I could see his shoulder and back muscles flex under his shirt. Sawdust kicked up in the breeze and flew around him. After he made the cut, he straightened, took off his ball cap and shook it out, then ran a hand through his hair and replaced the cap, backward.
He tossed the smaller remnant piece of wood into a pile off to the side, then hauled the other piece over to the side of one of the other buildings and added it to a pile of boards leaning against it. He repeated this cycle over and over again, even shaking his hat out almost every time. And I watched with rapt attention, absentmindedly gnawing on the end of a pencil.
Normally I would leave class, head out the back door of the building, and take a shortcut straight to the parking lot, but one day, I decided I was going to go out the front doors of the building and through the courtyard so I could do the skank walk past this guy. Yes, I was going to be that chick who wears a skirt and blows her hair out one day just to shake her ass in front of a guy to see if she can get his attention.
I was ashamed of myself for even wanting to do it, but at that point I had a full-fledged crush on the dude, and I figured doing a walk-by was harmless.
I was slow as hell getting out of the lecture hall, and exited at the same time as Professor Potbelly. I’ll be damned if I can remember his name. Anyway, he was chatting me up as we walked out of the building, so we were both distracted when a gust of wind pulled the doors wide open and a bunch of papers he had in his hands went flying everywhere, and I helped him gather them back up.
And just like that I lost my chance.
After that I rotated my exit strategy after each psych class. Some days I went out the back, other days I went out the front doors. I still spied on Sexy Builder Guy, but I also knew the work they were doing in the courtyard would be wrapping up soon. That, or the semester would be ending, so I had to get my fill of eye candy while I could.
One day while I was ogling out the window, my daydream was interrupted by a voice. “So, what do you think, Lizzie?”
“Hmmm?” I replied, without turning my head.
“Earth to Lyzbeth! Did you hear me?”
I turned my head toward the voice and saw Janice staring at me, while other students were packing up their belongings. Apparently class was over, and I completely missed it.
“Sorry,” I shook my head. “What did you say?”
Janice giggled. “I said … What would you say if I told you I could set you up on a date with the contractor hunk you’ve been drooling over this semester?”
I feigned confusion. “W-what? What are you talking about?” I stood and started to jam my notebook into my bag.
“Oh, please! You’ve been staring out the window at that guy for weeks now. And it just so happens he knows Jared. I could set you up on a date. We’ll act like it’s a blind date. Like Jared and I just happen to each have a single friend looking for a little fun.”
I was shaking my head. “No. That’s … Thanks, and all, but I hate the idea of a blind date.”
“Oh, come on! It’s hardly blind. Like I said, you’ve been staring at him—”
“It’ll be blind for him.” The look on Janice’s face made me think she knew something I didn’t. “Janice, I—”
“Nope, I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides, Jared and I are at that point in our relationship where we’re sick of just spending time together. We need friends.”
I was unable to convince Janice I didn’t want to go on a blind date with this guy. But the truth was, of course I wanted to go.
So, there I was in the parking lot of the bar wiping off eyeshadow, officially a few minutes later than the time I was supposed to meet the three of them at the bar. “Fuck it,” I said to myself, tossing a balled-up tissue onto the passenger seat. “This is me. Take it or leave it.”
I got out of the car, slung my purse across my body and made my way inside. It was packed, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Janice waving her arm, and I turned fully to see her. She was in a booth sitting next to Jared, and I could see the top of my date’s head over the seat. He had his back to me. As I approached, Jared slid out of the booth and gave me a hug in greeting. I had met him on a few occasions, and he seemed nice enough.
Releasing me, he gestured to my date, who was sliding out of the booth to greet me, and I turned to get a good look at him. Yep, definitely the guy I’ve been drooling over.
“Lyzbeth,” Jared said over the obnoxiously loud music. “I want you to meet my friend, Knox.”