Page 41 of The Prospect

“Lottie?!” Amira cries out in return, wasting no time in scooting her way out of our booth and embracing the petite blonde into her arms. Squeezing on tight, the two jump up and down simultaneously.

“Oh my gosh,” Amira squeals. “Lottie, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” Lottie cries, and for the next minute the two gossip back and forth on their mutual shock, and pleasant surprise to see one another.

From what I can make out in between their high-pitched screeches, the two were both counselors at a summer retreat a few years back where they had “wild times” and a shared affection toward someone named Tate Oliver? The name alone is enough to bring the two of them that much closer as they clutch onto each other's hands and giggle with reddened cheeks.

I sit for a while, watching their conversation unfold…patiently hoping it’ll end so that Amira and I can get back to our date.

I almost want to believe she’s forgotten about me until Amira turns back over her shoulder and gestures in my direction. “Lottie,” she places a hand on her friend's arm, “this is Daniel Green. Green, this is my friend, Lottie.”

“Nice to meet you.” I stand up from my seat, embracing her in for a hug, followed by a faint kiss on the cheek.

“You too, Green.” She smiles, pulling back before she flashes Amira a look. It’s one I don’t like the look of. The look tells me that whatever Amira is about to say next, I’m not about to like…

“Uh—Green?” The reluctance in Amira’s tone tells me I’ve hit the nail on the head. “I hate to do this to you, but are you alright if we cut our date short? I just…” She looks back over at Lottie who nods with assurance. “Haven’t seen Lottie in ages and she’s only in town tonight. Do you mind?”

Do I mind?

Fuck.

Uh…yeah.

The night is still young and our conversation was only just starting to have some flow, but as Amira flashes me a doe-eyed gaze, somehow it’s enough to make me cave instantly.

“Yeah, sure. No problem," I tell her as convincingly as I can. “We'll, uh…do this another time, I suppose.”

“You’re the best.” Amira leans in to plant an assortment of kisses on my cheek. Each lingers longer than the last until, finally, she pulls back and rests her lips inches away from mine. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you on Friday…”

“On Friday?” I repeat, her proposition being enough to rid any animosity from my mind. “What’s, uh—on Friday?”

Amira reaches for her purse and slings it over her shoulder before placing her hands onto her hips. “The party on campus that you’re going to be escorting me to, silly. You will be my date, right?”

It’s almost virtually impossible to disagree when she’s this close to me. She’s like an enchantress and here I am under her spell.

“Okay,” I whisper softly, her lips curling into a smile as she pulls back and types something into her phone.

“I just texted you all the deets. I’ll see you then, Green.” She kisses my cheek for the final time before she interlaces her arm with Lotties and makes a bee-line toward the door.

I wait until she’s completely out of sight before I reach for my phone to read her message, only before I do, I read someone else’s first, a knot forming in my stomach in the process…

Hazel.

I’m so sorry for not responding, Greenie.

I had my phone off.

I’m having the best impromptu night ever with Hart.

I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

HAZEL

The car ride back to my dorm room is full of playful laughter as I tuck my phone into my bag. Hart and I can’t seem to stop making jokes about “his creation,” one he’s deemed must become the mascot of Crawfield.

Now, as I clutch onto the carefully painted rock sporting cartoon eyes, a jersey, and a football at its base, I can’t help but want to selfishly reserve it for myself rather than pass it along to Delaney for the team's social media.

I’m sure she’d get a real kick out of it.

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