“I was thinking about swinging by Pizza Girls later. You know, we can catch up. Talk.”

His beady eyes rake over me from head to foot, and suddenly I feel dirty and not in a sexy way. More in a I want to take a shower right now way.

I blink.

“Talk? About what?”

He shrugs, stepping closer, too close, and drops his voice like he’s auditioning for a bad soap opera.

“Us, Deen. I mean, you can’t tell me you don’t still think about what we had.”

I hate that he calls me Deen. And I’m kind of stunned that he is really trying this nonsense.

I snort so loudly my professor, who is walking behind me gathering her things, glances over.

Oh great. An audience.

Exactly what I needed right now.

I force a polite smile because Professor Wren is literally within earshot, and I refuse to be that girl who causes a scene on campus.

“Eric, there’s nothing to talk about,” I say sweetly through clenched teeth. “You and I are ancient history. Fossils, even.”

He looks momentarily confused, but recovers fast with a lazy smirk.

“Come on, Deen. We always had chemistry?—”

“Nope. We didn’t, and I have nothing to discuss with you,” I cut him off, grabbing my bag more firmly. “Goodbye, Eric.”

I turn before he can toss out another pathetic attempt at rekindling and head toward the parking lot, with my pulse ticking a little too fast.

Ugh.

What a freaking joke.

If chemistry meant him forgetting my birthday two years in a row and treating me like an afterthought unless he was horny or hungry, then sure.

We were practically Einstein and Madame Curie.

I make it to my car and sit for a minute, willing the frustration to leave me.

I don’t need this energy in my space today.

Not when I have a real date with a real man tonight.

As if on cue, my phone pings.

Doug

[Image: dopey husky with its tongue out and crossed eyes]

When you accidentally open the camera app but still try to look cool.

Also me, getting ready for our date later.

I stare at the screen for a second, and then I’m laughing.

Loud, genuine laughter that bubbles up so fast it actually makes my eyes water a little.