Chapter Four
September, fourteen years ago
Jackie
Jackie was supposed to be in Manhattan. Strolling through Central Park, spotting cute dogs and listening to music on her daily walks.
Stopping from time to time to look up and admire the imposing skyscrapers towering over New York City.
Imagining her future as a busy surgeon, spending her days off slipping in and out of trendy restaurants with her friends, colleagues and a partner, maybe.
It was everything she had ever dreamed of since she was twelve years old and had visited the city for the very first time over the Christmas break.
New York was magical.
It breathed its own air of mystery and achievement, promising heartbreak, hard work and fun in equal measures.
And she couldn’t wait to get out of Texas.
But apparently, Columbia University didn’t think she was the right fit for their pre-med program. So, here she was, at UT in Austin, pretty much around the corner from the ranch where she grew up.
“We expect all our students to keep up with the required reading ahead of each class, so that you can make the most of each lecture. The labs will take place …”
Jackie wrinkled her nose and sniffed, the southern drawl of their chemistry professor pulling her from the gloomy what-ifs for a moment. She tilted her head, gazing out of the tall window.
Screw Columbia. It was their loss.
“Psst. Jacks.”
She bowed her head toward Lyla, who happened to be not only her roommate, but also the only girl she had spoken with for longer than five minutes so far.
“That hot cowboy can’t take his eyes off you,” Lyla whispered next to her ear.
Jackie’s cheeks heated. Funny how she didn’t need to look up to know exactly who Lyla meant. Even funnier that Mitch—the clumsy, cute, wannabe cowboy from Portland she’d met last week during freshman orientation—was in most of her classes.
“He’s not a cowboy,” she mouthed back. “He’d just like to be one.”
Lyla covered her face with a freshly manicured hand, chuckling into her palm. “I bet you could show him a thing or two about that.”
Jackie sighed, straightening against the hard back of her chair. She pointedly avoided glancing into the corner where she knew Mitch sat.
Jackie had already been aware of his presence, having spotted him as they filed into the lecture hall. She was in mid-confident stride toward him and two other guys chatting animatedly about something, when he ducked behind a pillar like he wanted to hide from her.
No. Why would he do that? He’d said he wanted to go out with her, that day they met outside the dorms. True, he had since made no effort to contact her to discuss said date, even though he knew where she lived and had her phone number.
But surely, he’d been interested, right?
She couldn’t have misread the signs that day.
His bashful grin, the way he raked his hand through his golden hair, the way his green eyes shimmered when they met hers …
No, she definitely hadn’t imagined all that.
He was into her, she had no doubt. So, why hadn’t he texted her?
Jackie chewed on her bottom lip, taking a sharp inhale.
There was no way she would pine after a boy who had no desire to make a move.
She was Jacqueline van Moetlier. Prom queen, state champion barrel racer and valedictorian—not necessarily in that order.
She knew her worth and wouldn’t let anyone rain on her parade of great experiences during freshman year.
“Y’all are dismissed. Read chapters one to four from the textbook. See you on Thursday!”
People stood, feet and bags shuffling toward the door.
Jackie squared her shoulders, threw an unopened notebook and a black pen into her leather satchel, and shot up like a bullet. “I’ll catch up with you later,” she told Lyla, not turning to look at her. Her full attention focused on the six feet of walking muscle with a mop of dark blond hair.
You were meant to stop pining after a guy.
Jackie sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag.
Screw it. No one leads me on.
She jogged to catch up with him and tapped his shoulder. “Mitch.”
He whirled round, his green eyes widening. “Jackie. Hi.”
Mitch grinned and a furious layer of hot bubbling annoyance lit up her insides. “Hi? Seriously? I asked you out, you ignored me for a week and now all you’ve got to say is hi?”
He winced, awkwardly shifting his weight between both feet. “I’m sorry.”
Pouting, Jackie folded her arms across her chest. “And?”
“And?”
“Where’s the rest of it?”
“The rest of … ?” Mitch blinked, his brows knitted together in confusion.
She huffed. “Your apology.”
He took a step back, visibly stunned. “That was it. There’s no more to it. I got caught up between starting swimming and settling in. Before I knew it, a week had passed.” He stepped closer to her. “I was going to text you today.”
She bit back a smile. “You were?”
He was as easy on the eyes as he’d been the day they’d met. His Oregon drawl was such a nice contrast to every guy she had ever gone out with back in high school.
There was something there.
Jackie caught a waft of the woody scent of his cologne and groaned internally. Damn it, he even smelled good.
Mitch’s lips broke into a wide smile. “I was. I really want to take you out, if you’re still up for it. How does Friday night sound?”
Jackie held her breath, unwilling to give him an answer straight away. Make him wait for it. He tortured you for a week. Unknowingly, but still.
They stood there for a heartbeat longer, as people walked past in a hurry, unbothered by the scene taking place in the middle of the third floor’s corridor. If they had paid more attention, they would’ve seen two unsure young hearts at the brink of something special.
She took note of the nervous glint in his eyes. The way he messed with the back of his head, pulling his fingers through his hair. How he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. How he swallowed: audibly, hard.
When she decided that he’d suffered enough, she cleared her throat. “Friday’s perfect. Pick me up at eight.”
Then, she turned on her heel and power walked down the corridor, hopefully leaving Mitch as excited as she was.
On Friday, the knock on the door sounded almost precisely when the wonky plastic clock in the corner of her dorm room struck eight.
“Just a second!” Jackie blinked at her reflection in the make-up mirror.
She dabbed some more lipstick on and smiled, satisfied with the result.
Smoothing her straightened black hair, she took a step back and turned toward a floor-length mirror on the wardrobe door.
She’d opted for a pair of jean shorts, and a checkered red-and-white shirt that she tied in a knot above her belly button.
Large gold hoops decorated her ears and a triple chain with a pearl pendant disappeared into her cleavage.
Her favorite push-up bra underneath gave her a shot of extra confidence.
She turned to the side, lifting her foot to take a better look at her custom cowboy boots. Yes, this would certainly do nicely.
Another double knock echoed through the small room.
Jackie jogged up to the door, almost tripping over a velvet stool in her way. She turned the lock and pulled the door open. “Hi!”
Mitch opened his mouth, his pupils widening as he took her in. He was clutching a small bouquet of pink roses, and wearing a light blue shirt, tucked into navy chinos, and a buttoned-up suit jacket. He’d even put on a navy tie.
She popped her right hand onto her hip and bit her tongue to stifle a laugh. “I didn’t know we’re going to a prom,” she teased.
He looked amazing—handsome wouldn’t do him justice. But this wasn’t the kind of date she had planned for them. Seeing how well he could pull off a smart look, she was almost regretful about that. Almost.
There might be another occasion to see him in a tie.
Mitch cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to her boots. “I booked us a table at Marco’s. Heard that’s the best place around.”
Jackie’s expression softened. Marco’s was the nicest Italian restaurant off campus. “Well, you can call them and say something came up. We won’t be going there.” She nodded toward the roses. “Are these for me?”
Mitch’s cheeks flushed. He tugged on his collar as he sighed. “I’m sorry. They’re too much. I messed this up.”
“Oh no, you didn’t mess anything up!” Jackie reached out for the roses.
He passed them to her, and she brought them up to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. Aside from prom, no man had ever turned up to a date with flowers. “I love them. Thank you.”
“I thought …” Mitch paused, like he thought better of it. “Never mind what I thought. I’ll call Marco’s and leave you in peace. Sorry about that.” He turned to face the dorm’s corridor.
Jackie furrowed her brow and caught his hand as he started to move away.
Their fingers interlaced—his warm and clammy, hers cool. She held her breath as Mitch’s thumb slowly drew a line inside her palm.
“We’re going out. Just not to Marco’s,” she said.
His back was to her, and she watched his shoulders rise and fall with every breath he took.
He really has nice shoulders.
A group of girls walked past Jackie’s door, their voices loud and animated.
Mitch stepped aside to let them pass, his hip pressing above Jackie’s.
She inhaled sharply at the contact.
He faced her again, his cheeks still tinged a slight pink, but his lips quirked in a smile. “I assume I should change?”
Jackie cocked her head to the side, assessing his outfit. “Your shirt can stay but lose the tie and the jacket. And change into jeans.” She looked at his fancy shoes. “Those boots you were wearing when we met? Wear those too.”
Mitch chuckled. In one swift motion, he let go of her hand, undid the tie and left it hanging loose around his neck. “I thought you said those boots gave away that I wasn’t a real cowboy.”
“I told you they need wearing in. Tonight will be a perfect opportunity to scuff them up a bit.” She beamed at him, pulling him further inside her room. “But before we stop by your room, let me put these in water and find our fake IDs.”
He froze mid-step. “Fake IDs?”
Jackie grabbed a half-full water bottle from Lyla’s dresser and unscrewed the cap, making a mental note to apologize to her later for taking it without asking first and also to pick up a vase for their room tomorrow.
“Yeah. How else do you want to get into a bar?” Rose stems submerged, she looked over her shoulder and bit back a smile at Mitch’s confused and slightly terrified expression.
“Don’t worry, I know a great guy. They look legit. ”
“I’m not even sure if I want to know.”
Jackie laughed. She pulled open the middle drawer in her desk. Two brand-new, shiny IDs winked at her and she grabbed both, triumphantly shoving Mitch’s into his hand. “See? All good.”
He raised the plastic card, examining it under the orange glow of the overhead lamp. “How did you get my picture?”
“Easy. Pulled it from the swim team’s website.’
Mitch blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. “I didn’t know they’d put the new students up yet.” He lowered the ID, his thumb moving across the smooth surface. With a swallow, he tucked it inside his jacket’s pocket.
“There are bios, too. You didn’t tell me you won gold in the junior national championships last year. Impressive.”
Mitch shrugged, leaning against Lyla’s desk. He appeared broader with his arms crossed, as he watched Jackie with such open attention that she struggled to draw in a full breath while her heart raced.
“You didn’t ask,” he replied.
“And two years before too.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Backstroke.”
“Seems like you know a lot more about me than I do about you.”
Jackie put her hands on her hips. “The night’s young, Mitch from Portland. You might know a whole lot more about me by tomorrow. Or not.”
He chortled, shaking his head. His eyes moved over her brows, her lips, dipping lower to her neck and pausing briefly on her bare stomach. “I’ll take my chances.”
His gaze flicked back to her face, their eyes locking.
Jackie could swear there was a temporary glitch in the atmosphere, a rush of current misfiring or something, because the hairs on her forearms stood, goosebumps rose, and the room fell out of focus.
He’s just a guy. A handsome one, but still just a guy. You’ve known lots of guys. This one’s no different. Except for the flowers.
Perhaps the whole night would be a disaster. Maybe Mitch slurped or chewed with his mouth open. Or maybe he had a mean streak after a couple of beers. She’d find out soon enough. For now, there was no point dwelling on a date which could still be a letdown.
Jackie rolled her shoulders, snapping out of her thoughts. She coaxed her lips back into a smile, grabbed her keys and phone, and walked past Mitch, letting her forearm brush his side. The way he stiffened upon contact widened her grin.
This would be fun.
“Shall we?” She opened the door. “Pit stop at your room for a quick outfit change and then we’ll head to Betty’s.”
Mitch sighed. He ran his fingers through his thick wavy hair. “If we get arrested, I’m totally blaming it on you.”
“For what, the fake IDs?”
“And underage drinking.”
Jackie snorted. “They’d need to triple the size of the police force if they wanted to pay attention to all of the college students drinking.
” Seeing that her words didn’t smooth the worry lines on his face, she added: “Relax, Mitch. I’m a regular at Betty’s.
Nothing’s going to happen to you tonight, aside from good fun. ”