Page 102 of Late Fees

I was ready…for Wyatt.

“Nice place,” Wyatt said as we approached my apartment building. “I thought only upperclassmen could live here.”

“I got lucky. Someone dropped their lease in July. I had to sign a two-year lease, but it was totally worth it.”

It was true. I’d come to find out that I was renting one of the most sought-after apartments on campus. Not only was the building only one year old, unlike most of the other complexes that had existed for dozens of years, but its location was spectacular—it was close to the quad, to the downtown Evanston area, and it had single bedroom apartments. Most campus apartments had 3-4 bedrooms to accommodate students who wanted to live outside of the dorms but not spend too much money. After my experience in Champaign, I was willing to work my tail off at the video store to make sure I could afford my lease and still have a life.

Thank God for Spotlight Video.

“You were magnificent,” Wyatt said, running his fingers through his hair. “Tonight, I mean. I’ve seen you on stage before, but this was different.”

“How?” I asked, the chilly spring air dancing through my curls as I placed my hand on the wooden banister that led to my apartment.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’ve always been talented. But tonight, you were a star, Tilly. And I’m not just saying that to butter you up or get on your good side or whatever. You just have to know how talented you are.”

“Thank you.” I glanced up to the second-floor walkway. “Do you, um, want to come up?”

His eyes widened. “Sure.”

“Great,” I said, leading the way to my front door. Grabbing my key when we reached the threshold, I popped it into the lock and gestured for Wyatt to enter. Turning on all the lights, I watched as he examined the layout of my apartment.

“This is…wow.”

“It’s just an apartment.”

“Says the girl who doesn’t share a room with a guy who never speaks,” he said with a laugh.

I wrinkled my nose. “That bad, huh?”

“Nah, he’s okay. We do our own thing, and it works for us.”

“Do you want something to drink? I don’t have Coke, but I have vodka, tequila, and beer.”

“Tilly Hamilton drinks beer?” He raised one eyebrow, looking shell-shocked.

“No,” I said, “but some of my neighbors do, and we have Around the World parties sometimes.”

“Around the what?”

“It’s a party that starts in one apartment and then travels throughout the night. Each person gets a chance to host. We’ve had a few of them, so I just keep them in there. My neighbor hooks me up since I’m not old enough to buy my own yet.”

“That party sounds like a good time,” Wyatt said, walking to the couch as I grabbed him a beer from the fridge and started making my own drink. As I poured the vodka into my glass, I let the stream flow for longer than I normally would. My nerves were on fire, and I had to calm them down. Adding a good amount of cranberry juice and a splash of lime, I joined Wyatt in the living rom.

“Maybe you can come to the next one. Probably right before the end of the year.”

He smiled as I handed him his beer. “That’d be cool.”

“So, um, how was the rest of your spring break?” I asked and then immediately regretted it. Closing my eyes, I touched my forehead and grimaced. “Sorry, that was dumb.”

“No, it’s fine. I, uh, spent some time with my buddies and my parents. And, uh, licked my wounds.”

Downing half my drink, I tilted my head to the side and pinched my eyebrows together, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry I left like that.”

“It’s okay, you um…you gave me a lot to think about.”

“Oh?” My pulse raced as I took another large sip of my drink, begging my nerves to settle down.

“I think I’ve been coming on a little too strong. So, I’ll back off, Till. I mean, that’s probably ridiculous of me to say since I came to your show without asking, but…I do mean it. Honestly.”

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