Page 10 of Love, Academically
“Jason is my ex, we’ve been split up for ages and I am completely over him, but he always makes me feel,” she swallowed, “I don’t know, a bit pitiful. That’s it, he pities me, and I hate it.”
“I can understand that,” he told her. “Do you think you could put your smile on? Surely, you should be enjoying yourself with your boyfriend.”
Lila laughed, and it put Rhys at ease a little. Not a lot, but certainly a little.
This would be fine, he could pretend to be Lila’s boyfriend for a couple of hours or so. Just because he hadn’t been a boyfriend for a while, didn’t mean that he had forgotten how to do it.
She looked different outside the harsh fluorescent glow of the History Department, attractive with big blue eyes and plump pink lips. The duck-egg-blue sleeveless dress complemented her peachy skin — even if the big cameo brooch she was wearing was hideous — and her legs were shapely and lithe. Wasn’t she cold with bare legs? It wasn’t summer. But yes, Lila was objectively attractive.
Dan caught his eye and grinned, before turning back to Jasmeet. Now, Jasmeet was a gorgeous woman, but that high-maintenance, Instagram perfection was completely not Rhys’s type anymore. However, Dan was pulling out all the stops for her. Rhys had been here before, watching Dan give that playful smile to girls, asking them where they got their dress from; he was a masterful flirt.
“So tell me, Rhys.” Lila put on the smile like he’d said, and settled back against his arm, sipping her wine. “Why Henry II?”
Now this was a subject he felt comfortable with. He could talk about Henry II and his sons for hours, days, weeks.
“The Angevins are the medieval version of a soap opera,” he started.
“What’s the Angevins?” Lila asked, and Rhys blinked at her.She worked in the History Department, and she didn’t know one of the most influential medieval royal families? Actually, he would go as far as to say they were one of the most influential dynasties in the whole of history, not just the medieval period.
“The Angevins were a dynastic house, being Henry II and his children, who included Richard I and John,” Rhys explained.
“Richard the Lionheart? And evil Prince John?” Lila asked, watching him intently. Rhys eyed her warily. He wasn’t used to people taking an interest in his work, especially outside of his close-knit circle of friends. Okay, it was more like a single friend. Dan. And even Dan got bored of it.
“Are you sure you want to talk to me about this? I can go on and on.” Rhys offered her an apologetic grimace.
“Yes, of course. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise,” she said blithely, lips turned up in a little smile.
“Okay then,” he said, shifting slightly in his seat. His thumb nudged the softness of her arm and she twitched. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. Sorry.”
Lila moved slightly, and her arm came to rest against his thumb. Touching was fine, wasn’t it? Touching is what girlfriends and boyfriends did.
Rhys smiled and started at the beginning.
Lila’s smart insights and intelligent questions showed just how much she was taking an interest, and Rhys fully appreciated that. She’d even laughed when he’d told her about Henry II’s professional farter, Roland le Fartere, going as far as making him spell his last name. He was just getting to the Thomas Becket debacle in Henry II’s reign when he was rudely interrupted.
“Hey Lila.”
This must be the ex. What was with the way he sang her name? Rhys took an instant dislike to the tall man with the floppy blond hair stood at their table.
“Oh, Jason. Hi,” Lila said with a smile, her voice high enough to feign surprise. Rhys shifted the hand behind her to cup her upper arm. “How are you?”
“Yeah, good thanks,” Jason said, peering at Rhys, who looked straight back at him.
“This is my boyfriend, Rhys. Rhys, this is my ex, Jason.”
“Nice to meet you,” Rhys said. He reached over Lila, holding out his hand. Jason’s grip was weak and insipid, like a dead fish. If there was one thing he’d learned from working at Dallimores, it was how to shake hands properly.
“Yeah, and you,” Jason said, a frown across his forehead. “Jasmeet,” he greeted her.
“Dickhead.”
Okay, so no love lost there then.
Rhys watched Jason expectantly. He’d come over, but did he even have anything to say? Jason looked again between him and Lila.
“Where’s Leanne?” Lila asked, breaking the awkward silence.
