Page 23 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them
Or Ian was just incredibly susceptible to his brilliant excuses.
Could be both.
Now, André hadn’t used any kind of excuse to meet up today, but somehow Ian found himself at the café anyway. After a few days of this new routine, Ian could admit to himself André made for surprisingly pleasant company—when he wasn’t being an obnoxious flirt—and frankly, Ian was hungry for adult conversation. Yes, he went to school and worked, but he didn’t consider drunk patrons and sleep-deprived classmates to be particularly fruitful exchanges. Plus, he was always on the move. These little coffee breaks with André were moments he could sit, talk, and not rush around like a crazy person.
That was his excuse and he was running with it.
André was running a little late today, so Ian went ahead and got the usual iced coffee the man chose. He stepped out of the café and grabbed one of the outside tables. It was crowded and noisy inside, and he liked to hear himself think.
He’d barely sat at the table when André appeared, moving at a jog. Well, it was likely the equivalent of a casual walk for a vampire, but he moved a bit too fast to call it such by human standards. Which did beg the question: Did a normal walk feel like a crawl to them? Inquiring minds wanted to know.
Interestingly, he had in hand a large portfolio and a…tackle box? As in, for fishing?
“Several things do not make sense,” Ian observed as André set everything down on the table. “I thought you were studying law?”
“I am,” he answered as he plopped himself into the seat. “Ooooh, you got me coffee.”
“You wouldn’t have gotten coffee otherwise. Did you not see the line inside? It’s insane, and besides, I owe you for several meals.”
André pouted. “Those were all my treat, not meant to be repaid, because I wanted to spoil you. As for the crowd, seems the whole English Lit department got out of class early. Some moron accidentally pulled the fire alarm, so everyone had to evacuate the building. False alarm, but no sense restarting class, I guess.”
That did explain the unusually packed conditions inside the café for this time of day.
But Ian’s curiosity was getting the better of him. “Why the portfolio and box?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? I’m an art minor.”
Ian blinked. Blinked again. He didn’t expect to hear those words out of André’s mouth. “You are?”
“Sure am. Don’t I look the artistic type?” André struck a pose, offering his side profile, hand raised to touch his chin.
“Well, yes,” Ian admitted, still absorbing this new information. Honestly he’d expected André to act like a nepo baby and study business or something, so even his political science major made him scratch his head. “It’s why I was taken aback when you said you were heading for law school. But, uh, how do law and art go together?”
“They don’t. I chose law because I’d be good at it, but art’s fun, so I’m doing art to offset the boring classes.”
Now that made perfect sense. Also purely André logic. “Are you planning on following in your father’s footsteps?”
“Naw, not my speed. I don’t like politics.”
“Then what kind of lawyer…?”
“I’m thinking divorce attorney.”
“Uh, really?”
“Yup. I am a drama llama.” He buffed his knuckles against his chest, making a display of blowing on his nails.
This made perfect sense. André was the type to enjoy the show.
“What’s your minor, anyway?”
“Psychology,” Ian answered with a shrug. “Which makes sense with my social work major. I didn’t have something I strongly wanted to study aside from my major, so my advisor suggested psychology. Lots of reading, for sure, but it is fascinating. Yes, I know I’m a nerd.”
“An incredibly cute one.” André sipped his coffee before giving Ian that infatuated smile of his. “Love me a man with beauty and brains.”
Ian rolled his eyes at the unnecessary flirting.
“How come you never believe me when I say things like that?” he asked with a pout.
