at a table in the café when I got there
for lunch. He’d already gotten me my usual, and he was chatting with Aubrey. It
was nice to see them getting along so well. Aubrey’s opinion mattered a lot to
me.
“Hey,” I greeted them as I sat down. “Thanks for grabbing my
lunch again. One of these days, I’ll beat you here so I can buy for a change.”
Drake shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“What? I can’t pay for lunch?”
“Nope. That’s not how this works. You need something and I’m
with you, then I buy it for you.”
“Drake, that’s ridiculous,” I argued.
“Not to me, babe. Don’t make that big of a deal out of it.
Feeding you isn’t going to break the bank.”
I looked at Aubrey, expecting her to back me up. She just
shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. “What? You agree with
him?”
“No, but you should pick your battles. Does it really bother you
that you have a drop-dead gorgeous guy who wants to be a gentleman when he
takes you out?”
I glared at her. “Geesh, when you put it that way, I sound like
a whiny bitch. Thanks a lot for the help here.”
“Wouldn’t matter if she agreed with you, Alexa. There’s nothing
for her to back you up on. You know me by now. Can you picture me letting you
pay on a date?”
I shook my head no since I really couldn’t. “You’re such a
Neanderthal sometimes.”
“Yeah, but I’m yours.” He winked at me. “Speaking of dates, I
made plans for us tonight. I haven’t had you to myself all week.”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Oooh, a guy who plans your
dates and pays for them. I like the sound of that! Where are you guys going?”
“I want it to be a surprise,” Drake answered.
“I’m not really good with surprises.”
“She isn’t. The anticipation always gets to her as she imagines
the worst,” Aubrey agreed.
“Don’t worry. I promise you’re going to like this one. I’ll pick
you up at eight.”
“Are you sure you don’t just want to tell me what we’re doing? I
can’t promise that I won’t worry about it all day.”
Drake’s gaze turned serious. “Alexa, trust me when I tell you
that you’ve got nothing to be concerned about. If you don’t like my plans, I’ll
change them. Okay?”
I pouted up at him and batted my eyelashes.
“Enough with the puppy-dog look. I’m not telling you what I have
planned. Gotta run or I’ll be late for class. See you at eight.”
He strode away from the table, and Aubrey chuckled next to me.
“What’s so funny?”
“I think he’ll be good for you in more ways than I thought. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen you back down so quickly from trying to spoil a
surprise. Maybe he’ll break you of that habit so I can actually hide your
Christmas present from you this year.”
“I’m not that bad, Aubrey.”
“Um, yeah, you are. Why do you think I always cave and give you
presents early? If I shop in advance for you, it’s a wasted trip because I can
never hold out. Where do you think half the clothes I give you come from?”
“Your closet? Or an impulse buy while you’re out shopping for
yourself?”
Aubrey made a buzzing sound. “Wrong answer. But I don’t really
mind. So, date night. Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I am. Will you meet me at the dorm to help me get ready?
Maybe you have a gift waiting in your closet for me right now that will be
perfect for tonight?” I joked.
“No such luck. We’ll have to make do with what you’ve already
got on hand. See you later.”
chapter
9
As I dressed for our big date, Aubrey popped into the room to
check on me. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Still no idea where Drake’s
taking you?”
“Nope. I tried again to talk him into spilling the beans, but
it’s still a surprise. He just said that I needed to wear
for lunch. He’d already gotten me my usual, and he was chatting with Aubrey. It
was nice to see them getting along so well. Aubrey’s opinion mattered a lot to
me.
“Hey,” I greeted them as I sat down. “Thanks for grabbing my
lunch again. One of these days, I’ll beat you here so I can buy for a change.”
Drake shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“What? I can’t pay for lunch?”
“Nope. That’s not how this works. You need something and I’m
with you, then I buy it for you.”
“Drake, that’s ridiculous,” I argued.
“Not to me, babe. Don’t make that big of a deal out of it.
Feeding you isn’t going to break the bank.”
I looked at Aubrey, expecting her to back me up. She just
shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. “What? You agree with
him?”
“No, but you should pick your battles. Does it really bother you
that you have a drop-dead gorgeous guy who wants to be a gentleman when he
takes you out?”
I glared at her. “Geesh, when you put it that way, I sound like
a whiny bitch. Thanks a lot for the help here.”
“Wouldn’t matter if she agreed with you, Alexa. There’s nothing
for her to back you up on. You know me by now. Can you picture me letting you
pay on a date?”
I shook my head no since I really couldn’t. “You’re such a
Neanderthal sometimes.”
“Yeah, but I’m yours.” He winked at me. “Speaking of dates, I
made plans for us tonight. I haven’t had you to myself all week.”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Oooh, a guy who plans your
dates and pays for them. I like the sound of that! Where are you guys going?”
“I want it to be a surprise,” Drake answered.
“I’m not really good with surprises.”
“She isn’t. The anticipation always gets to her as she imagines
the worst,” Aubrey agreed.
“Don’t worry. I promise you’re going to like this one. I’ll pick
you up at eight.”
“Are you sure you don’t just want to tell me what we’re doing? I
can’t promise that I won’t worry about it all day.”
Drake’s gaze turned serious. “Alexa, trust me when I tell you
that you’ve got nothing to be concerned about. If you don’t like my plans, I’ll
change them. Okay?”
I pouted up at him and batted my eyelashes.
“Enough with the puppy-dog look. I’m not telling you what I have
planned. Gotta run or I’ll be late for class. See you at eight.”
He strode away from the table, and Aubrey chuckled next to me.
“What’s so funny?”
“I think he’ll be good for you in more ways than I thought. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen you back down so quickly from trying to spoil a
surprise. Maybe he’ll break you of that habit so I can actually hide your
Christmas present from you this year.”
“I’m not that bad, Aubrey.”
“Um, yeah, you are. Why do you think I always cave and give you
presents early? If I shop in advance for you, it’s a wasted trip because I can
never hold out. Where do you think half the clothes I give you come from?”
“Your closet? Or an impulse buy while you’re out shopping for
yourself?”
Aubrey made a buzzing sound. “Wrong answer. But I don’t really
mind. So, date night. Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I am. Will you meet me at the dorm to help me get ready?
Maybe you have a gift waiting in your closet for me right now that will be
perfect for tonight?” I joked.
“No such luck. We’ll have to make do with what you’ve already
got on hand. See you later.”
chapter
9
As I dressed for our big date, Aubrey popped into the room to
check on me. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Still no idea where Drake’s
taking you?”
“Nope. I tried again to talk him into spilling the beans, but
it’s still a surprise. He just said that I needed to wear
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